Chapter 2644

The ancient emperors of the myriad killings carefully observed this mortal hunched old man who dwelled in a hut atop the Skull Mountain Range.

Aging.

Decayed.

Heart-dead.

This was their first impression.

This figure bore no resemblance to the golden age great emperor who once dominated the world and regarded the slumbering emperors as mere bones in graves.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist of the Ancient Wastes."

The myriad killings ancient emperors and others fell silent for a moment, then bowed in salute.

In this era, as the forbidden zone ancient emperors—especially those of the Eight Characters Immortal Scripture—grew ever more solemn in authority, many ancient emperors began to accept reality, addressing the forbidden zone ancient emperors as "Your Majesty," yet in many formal occasions they still called each other fellow Daoists; this cultural shift is complex and hard to describe.

After a long while.

The hunched old man slowly turned his body, forcing out a faint smile: "Greetings…… fellow Daoists."

"Fellow Daoist of the Ancient Wastes," "May those behind us inspect the current Purple Wei Ancient Realm?"

The myriad killings ancient emperors and others exchanged no pleasantries, speaking directly.

A golden age contemporary ancient emperor, several ancient emperors from historical ages, opposing camps—truly there was little to exchange pleasantries about.

"Very well."

The hunched old man sighed.

Hum!

Hummm…

As the hunched old man's words fell, the forbidden zone ancient emperor's edicts on the myriad killings ancient emperors and others suddenly flickered to life, bursting forth with terrifying pressure.

This was more like a waymarker, a guide.

The gazes of the Tai Shang Da Ri Gu Huang, Tai Yang Gu Huang, Huang Yan Long Huang, Jiu Ye Huang Huang, and thirteen other forbidden zone ancient emperors all turned here at once; their respective Daos shone brightly, gazing here, at the hunched old man, at the entire Purple Wei Ancient Realm's Skull, piercing through all falsehoods with countless eyes.

Among the gazes of the many forbidden zone ancient emperors, especially that of the Tai Shang Da Ri Gu Huang was the most terrifying.

In his pupils, terrifying black and white light intertwined, as if governing the rise and fall of an era's immortal Dao—one word and the Dao flourishes, one word and the Dharma-ending age descends; tides rise and fall all within a single thought. His gaze was like a beam of light, piercing straight through layers of mist, exposing the truest existence.

His gaze fell upon the twenty-eight Dao azure nails embedded in the vast mountain range—these were the seals personally driven in by twenty-eight forbidden zone ancient emperors tens of thousands of years ago, now appearing intact and undamaged, shining brightly.

But when the Tai Shang Da Ri Gu Huang's gaze swept over, everything changed.

Among the twenty-eight Dao azure nails, two had already rotted away—these were the Dao azure nails driven in by the Golden Devouring Dao Ants swallowing the ancient great emperor and the Undying Ancient Emperor, located respectively on the arm and the sole of the foot.

The decay of these two Dao azure nails signified that the palms and soles of the Ancient Wastes Great Emperor had already regained some vitality!

Within these two parts of his immortal body, blood surged like the Yangtze and Dahe rivers, bringing vitality, bringing the rules and Dao's creation, radiating vibrant life force.

The Tai Shang Da Ri Gu Huang's gaze did not cease, sweeping one by one across every corner of the vast mountain range.

Gradually, all hidden places were exposed.

Between the many mountain ranges, already there flowed subtle subterranean dark rivers, winding beneath the earth, bringing vitality to every part of the mountains.

Deep within the mountain range, there were caves of various sizes.

In some caves, slumbered strong beings of different races, mostly emperors' cultivators, supremes, and the like; some caves resembled Minor Thousand Worlds secret realms, where grass grew and orioles flew, spiritual energy thick, cultivators practicing within—Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation cultivators appearing endlessly, and even Unity Dao cultivators occasionally seen.

This was already a thriving Daoist civilization! Given time, even supreme and emperor-level cultivators could be born within these secret realms!

And those subtle subterranean dark rivers—where else could they be but the subtle meridians within the Ancient Wastes Great Emperor's immortal body, flowing with magic power and divine awareness?

Unbeknownst when, the Ancient Wastes Great Emperor had already partially broken free!

"This!"

The myriad killings ancient emperors and others shuddered in their hearts, shocked beyond words.

Just now, they had each strolled leisurely through the courtyards, knowing the Ancient Wastes Great Emperor was sealed and could harm none—now they seemed overly reckless!

The hunched old man's expression changed abruptly.

Clearly, even he had not imagined that his painstaking concealment, costing countless efforts, would be so fragile; the emperors needed only a glance to undo all concealment, without any effort—utterly unlike the time tens of thousands of years ago when dozens besieged him and he barely prevailed!

Now, among these thirteen, any single forbidden zone ancient emperor could pose a life-or-death threat to him!

Especially the Tai Shang Da Ri Gu Huang—when his gaze fell upon him, the Ancient Wastes Great Emperor nearly suffocated, hairs standing on end, daring not to move a muscle, as if stared down by a ferocious beast.

All this, his schemes seemed nothing but a clown's joke!

"Eight Characters…… Immortal Scripture……" the hunched old man revealed a smile bitter to the extreme, having finally understood.

The hunched old man's outward form gradually shattered, revealing his true visage—indeed, an extremely handsome youth with sharp features, terrifying aura, and soul-capturing presence.

Precisely the Ancient Wastes Great Emperor!

No forbidden zone ancient emperor answered the Ancient Wastes Great Emperor's words; one after another, their gazes gradually faded, no longer revealed.

"Fellow Daoist of the Ancient Wastes,"

"My sect's sword master seeks your counsel on the matter of the Zhen Yuan person-seng fruit tree, as well as trade and exchange—please grant your guidance."

The myriad killings ancient emperor bowed in salute.

"Fellow Daoist of the Ancient Wastes,"

"The Bai Zhan ancient emperor invites you to discuss the Dao."

The representative of the Bai Zhan ancient emperor's will bowed and spoke.

This newly ascended Eight Characters Immortal Scripture urgently needs allies to seize territory in the Wu Jin Kong Kong and establish his Dao field; the contemporary ancient emperor, the Ancient Wastes Great Emperor, is an excellent ally.

"Fellow Daoist of the Ancient Wastes……" one after another, representatives of the forbidden zone ancient emperors approached the Ancient Wastes Great Emperor for counsel.

Said to be seeking counsel, it was actually just some conditions, not overly harsh, for frankly, a Nine Characters Immortal Scripture forbidden zone ancient emperor—even relying on the golden age contemporary emperor's authority and near-infinite magic power, plus the deathless trait to match a Eight Characters Immortal Scripture forbidden zone ancient emperor—is no more than this.

Nine Characters Immortal Scripture is Nine Characters Immortal Scripture; such an ancient emperor cannot offer them anything.

The Ancient Wastes Great Emperor fell silent for a moment.

To speak frankly, he is not yet accustomed to it.

He had thought that once he broke free with a single move, the emperors' hostility would come one after another—various conspiracies and traps, various blockades and encirclements, various apprehensions, just as it had been in the past, when twenty-eight forbidden-zone ancient emperors had surrounded and tried to kill him alone, and even if the battle turned unfavorable, over a thousand slumbering ancient emperors would likewise form a great array and enter the battlefield.

It could be said that the whole world was his enemy!

But now, the emperors do not pay much attention to him.

There is no special hostility, nor special friendliness—just very ordinary, as each forbidden-zone ancient emperor has more important matters to attend to.

"Can."

The Desolate Ancient Emperor drew a deep breath and said.

He knew that, before he ascended the Eight Characters Immortal Scripture, the emperors would not pay him more heed, for these ancient emperors did not regard this junior as their peer.