Chapter 361: Hope Must Be Earned by Oneself

The imperial destiny dragon, radiating a vast and noble aura, struggled incessantly within the golden hand but could not break free at all.

The Emperor could not see the destiny dragon, but he could see the golden hand that obscured the sky and sun.

This scene was utterly beyond his imagination; his face, already pale from physical depletion, now lost all trace of color, and he dared not raise his eyes to meet Jiang Lin's gaze.

"I know I am wrong…"

His voice was faint, barely audible.

But Jiang Lin's realm was such that he heard every word clearly.

Even seated upon the imperial throne, he was still merely a mortal—how could one remain unmoved before the threat of life and death?

Besides, there is a saying: he who understands the times is a hero…

"… "

Seeing this Emperor, Jiang Lin, who had prepared many words, suddenly felt a weariness settle over him.

Shouldn't it have been me listing your crimes, you denying them, raging that all commoners are cattle and horses, and then me beheading you?

"Knowing your fault is enough. I shall now send you on your way."

The Emperor froze, then suddenly lifted his head, staring upward in disbelief.

What? I, the Ninefold Sovereign, have admitted my fault—will you still not spare me?!

The heavenly light was so bright that the Emperor could barely make out Jiang Lin's expression at that moment.

The next instant, he saw a point of brilliant light ignite, radiating searing heat, growing larger before his eyes.

The Taiping Daoist has moved!

A thought flashed through the Emperor's mind—he was seized by uncontrollable terror, yet his body felt frozen in place, utterly immobile.

At this critical moment!

"Ah~"

A sigh echoed through the void, as if time itself had halted—the blazing light vanished completely.

A divine figure in purple robes and a splendid crown stepped forth from nothingness; it was he who had just dispersed that power.

"Taiping Daoist, might you spare him this once?" Tianfu Xingjun sighed helplessly.

He himself knew such a possibility was slim.

These were mere formalities—ultimately, they would still have to fight.

He believed the Taiping Daoist felt the same, otherwise he would not have deliberately lured him out.

With his power, he could have obliterated that wretch into nothingness in an instant!

Jiang Lin did not answer immediately; after a pause, he replied evasively:

"Would the Star Lord be willing to join the Taiping Dao?"

Huh?!

Tianfu Xingjun stared blankly for a long moment, his expression deeply strange: "Taiping Daoist, are you jesting?"

I'm readying to fight you—and you invite me to join the Taiping Dao?

"I am not jesting. Star Lord, would you join the Taiping Dao?" Jiang Lin asked again.

This Tianfu Xingjun was no corrupt deity—he could be summoned, but not commanded.

Since ascending to his divine rank, he had more than once incarnated as a human and entered court service to seek livelihood for the people.

Unfortunately, this incarnation had been slain by this Emperor…

"Then let it be this way," Tianfu Xingjun realized Jiang Lin was not joking, "you bring the Taiping Dao into the Datong realm, assume the post of State Tutor, and I shall aid you in placing Wen You on the throne—when the time is ripe, you may yet…"

The current Crown Prince is but five years old.

Who holds power meant nothing to Tianfu Xingjun.

Could he be worse than this wretched thing?

Jiang Lin shook his head slightly: "Star Lord, do you think I need Datong's 'name'?"

Forget the future—when the age arrives where individual power surpasses all, will feudal monarchy even remain viable?

Even now, the Taiping Dao needs no borrowed name.

"… " Tianfu Xingjun fell silent.

How could he not know this himself?

"Please, Taiping Daoist, instruct me."

"Please, Star Lord, instruct me," Jiang Lin returned the bow.

Then, in his palm appeared a pill of interwoven gold and white, which he hurled directly at Tianfu Xingjun.

The pill expanded with the wind, unleashing vast waves of dark, purifying qi that swept across the entire heavenly palace in an instant.

And the pill had transformed into a majestic figure wearing a crown of Nine Morning Jade and a robe of blue feathered wings.

A golden mark blazed upon his brow; in his hand, a strange scroll depicted the stars arranged in order.

"Yangming… Tianlang Xingjun?!"

Tianfu Xingjun's face was filled with shock!

…

…

Within the Ninefold Tiangong.

Amidst a heavy atmosphere, terrifying energies trembled as each Emperor-god surveyed the eight directions, seeking the reason the entire world had suddenly become "crowded."

Even those ancient, reclusive Jin Xian who had long vanished from the world could not achieve such a feat!

Such a being must have surpassed the Jin Xian realm!

No Jin Xian could remain unmoved by this.

Humming~!

A beam of Great Annihilation Light shot forth from a hidden, unnamed cave-realm, piercing through space and void, vanishing into the abyss, and in an instant arrived within the Imperial Supreme Soaring Palace.

It landed upon one of the Dao platforms, transforming into a white-robed sword cultivator with a countenance like jade.

His white robes fluttered as he moved through the azure heavens, embodying the very image of a sword cultivator as known to all mortals.

Upon his sudden appearance, he shattered the heavy atmosphere within the Imperial Supreme Soaring Palace; countless Emperor Lords held their breath, all turning to gaze at him.

Only a few recognized her immediately: Mang Lei Zunzhe!

The foremost body cultivator among the reclusive masters of the Profound Dao!

Legend says he is one of the oldest Profound Dao masters of this world, having withdrawn from the cycles of great eras several eons ago, devoting himself solely to seeking the path beyond the Profound Dao.

No one expected that even he had been stirred by this event.

"Regarding what just occurred, my fellow Daoists who hold the authority of Heaven and Earth—have you gained any insight?"

Zai Ming Emperor Lord paused: "None."

As he spoke, several more beams radiating terrifying energy descended, taking form as figures of immense, fearsome aura.

Was it only Mang Lei Zunzhe who was stirred by this?

Yet strangely, several among them bore bruised, swollen faces and looked utterly disheveled.

Hmm…

They seem to be the ones who rushed to seize power when Emperor Sui Zu relinquished it.

What happened to them?

Could Emperor Sui Zu have left a trap behind, and these Daoists have been outmaneuvered?

…………

As the Divine Dao Emperor Lords probed the eight directions and reclusive Profound Dao masters emerged one by one,

the location where Xu Xing and others stood.

Every single word, every single stroke, every single detail—was visible!

At this moment, the four had ceased sitting beside the stone table atop the mountain peak; instead, they stood apart on the edge of the cloud sea, each occupying one direction, separated by hundreds of zhang.

In the center stood the Ascension Platform, now restored to its normal altar size.

Upon it, a tiny point of dark, twisted energy, resembling a flickering flame…

It appeared minuscule, yet carried a weight the world could not bear—space-time currents and the entirety of the cosmos collapsed toward that single point.

Around that dark point, invisible flames seemed to ignite the void, refining countless translucent, crystalline Void Spirit Crystals.

"Hehehe!"

Hong Zun wore a look of utter despair, silently grumbling inside.

Fine, they all heard that last one—Old You's entrance was still as showy as ever.

But come to think of it, Old You has this weird habit—where did he even learn it? Always going "Hehehe!" like some Dafan Sect villain.

And yet, his demeanor really does resemble a villain…

Soon, that tiny dark point suddenly expanded, forming a figure of ordinary human height, yet appearing as a constantly twisting shadow.

After muttering a few curses inside,

"Hahaha! Xu Xing, you brat—are you all alright?"

Amid booming laughter, the Ascension Platform shrank, returning to the size of a palm, enveloped in a twisting shadow, and flung toward Xu Xing's direction.

The invisible flames burning around it extinguished at once, leaving only the translucent, radiant Void Spirit Crystals, shimmering in seven colors, falling downward.

Xu Xing caught the Ascension Platform and stored it away.

"Don't worry, Elder, we're fine."

Then, the group returned to the stone table atop the peak; before returning, Hong Zun casually repaired the weakened void, damaged by the Spirit Flame's scorching.

A stone stool slowly rose from the ground; the other stools adjusted their positions automatically.

The five sat down; Old You remained as the twisting shadow, his true form obscured.

"Xu Xing, is that the only way?" Old You asked directly.

"There may be other methods, but this is the most reliable—and the fastest way to resolve the current situation."

"…" After a long silence, "If you return to your homeland, the Xuan Realm's rejection might vanish…"

"It might not vanish at all—after all, Xuan was involved in this, wasn't he?" Xu Xing smiled. "Besides, 'Hope must be seized by oneself'—wasn't that what you told me, Elder?"

"You're scolding me now?" Old You laughed and scolded, then sighed, "Damn it, all because of that old bastard Xuan! What a fucking piece of shit!"

After cursing Xuan's ancestors back three generations, Old You finally stopped, still unsatisfied.

"Almost forgot—Xuan was never even a real man to begin with!"

Only after he finished did Xu Xing speak:

"I lost this round. I'll win it back later."

Beside him, Hong Zun couldn't help but reflect inwardly.

What a waste—Old You's talent for body cultivation is unmatched.

"Hmm." The twisting shadow shifted slightly. "Xuan's move was indeed hard to guard against."

"But come to think of it, I thought Ling Zu, that little girl, would've left with you too."

"I remember you once…"

Perhaps sensing something amiss, Old You abruptly cut himself off and switched topics with jarring abruptness.

"By the way, your earlier message said you'd worn down the most critical step?"

Hong Zun: "…"

No, please—keep going!

What exactly happened back then?!

Who talks halfway and then stops, just to keep you hanging?

Bie Xuening and Xiang Yuanjun also wanted to ask, but since You had brought up serious matters, they didn't dare interrupt.

"Indeed, Elder, now that you've come, I can rest easy and continue my cultivation." Xu Xing replied.

This time, he planned to press forward in one decisive push and sever the final connection entirely!

Saying this, Xu Xing stirred his mind, directly manifesting the connection granted by the Tai Xuan Realm.

They were three chains, as if forged from the very essence of cosmic principles, linking all past, present, and future, fate and cause, cosmic law, and even existence itself.

With just one glance, You felt a strange, inexplicable sensation—as if his own body within the Tai Xuan Realm, infinitely distant, was being drawn toward them! (End of chapter)