Chapter 526: The First Checkpoint of Shanhai, This Stone Tablet Is Unworthy of Bearing My Name—Shanhai Pass Is in Uproar!

Shanhai Pass is the first checkpoint of the Emperor's Path in the Desolate Heaven Immortal Realm.

Looking out, the entire mighty pass stood atop the stars, towering and ancient, exuding grandeur.

The city gate, like a heavenly gate, reached a hundred zhang high, bearing an ancient plaque inscribed with the three characters "Shanhai Pass" in ink like dried blood.

The entire Shanhai Chengguan was wreathed in starlight, draped in moonlight, like a silent giant from primordial times.

A vast silver river encircled Shanhai Chengguan, resembling a moat.

Such a majestic and awe-inspiring pass made Jun Jun Xiaoyao, despite his vast experience, involuntarily sigh.

Jun Jun Xiaoyao approached Shanhai Pass.

He could sense powerful energies lurking deep within the pass—at least a Supreme Being.

"Probably the guardian of Shanhai Pass," Jun Jun Xiaoyao thought silently.

The Eighteen Checkpoints of the Desolate Heaven Emperor's Path each had a guardian, though they rarely appeared.

They only surfaced in the event of major disturbances.

As soon as Jun Jun Xiaoyao neared the gate, the guards blocked his path with their halberds.

"No one below the Heavenly God Realm may enter!" the soldier, clad in armor, said coldly.

Jun Jun Xiaoyao's face was blurred; though his aura was extraordinary, he revealed no trace of his cultivation.

Jun Jun Xiaoyao remained silent, his body trembling slightly—a single thread of energy shattered the guards.

He strolled calmly into the city.

"This…?" The guards all felt their scalps prickle.

That aura sent chills down their spines.

"How is this possible? This is only the first checkpoint of the Emperor's Path—how could such a prodigy appear here?" The guards trembled in fear.

Logically, the deeper one progresses on the Emperor's Path, the greater the opportunities and the stronger the prodigies become.

But this is the first checkpoint—there can't be many opportunities here.

The commotion at the gate drew attention from some within Shanhai Chengguan.

A few disheveled youths with unkempt beards watched and shook their heads.

"Ignorance breeds boldness—another arrogant prodigy has stepped onto the Emperor's Path."

"Let him walk a little farther—he'll see the truth and realize how cruel the Emperor's Path truly is."

"Indeed, how many top prodigies from the immortal sects have perished?"

"Only a handful have ever made the Desolate Heaven Sacred List—most have become mere bones."

"As a cultivator, I'm sorry…"

These youths were depressed and broken—clearly failed aspirants of the Emperor's Path.

"Enough already! Just because you failed, you think no one else can succeed?" A yellow-clad girl spoke up.

They themselves had failed, yet insisted no one else could succeed.

"Reality is this: only a tiny few ever make the Desolate Heaven Sacred List and gain fame on the Emperor's Path—will he be one of them?"

The defeated youths shook their heads—they were long-suffering pessimists.

On the other side, Jun Jun Xiaoyao strolled through Shanhai Chengguan.

Honestly, after wandering the lonely cosmos for so long, arriving here felt strangely familiar.

"Young master, haven't you come to the first checkpoint of the Emperor's Path to leave your name on the stone tablet?" a cultivator asked.

"Oh?"

Jun Jun Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow.

Soon, he reached the center of Shanhai Chengguan and saw a colossal stone tablet rising into the star river.

Its surface was carved with countless names—all left by prodigies who had challenged the Emperor's Path.

"This tablet isn't ordinary—prodigies with average talent or cultivation can't even leave their names on it," explained the nearby cultivator.

"Is that so?" Jun Jun Xiaoyao slightly shook his head.

He had no interest in leaving his name on it.

Jun Jun Xiaoyao's name needed no stone tablet to record it.

When he shattered the entire Emperor's Path, everyone would speak his name.

Just as Jun Jun Xiaoyao turned to leave, the disheveled youths approached.

"Brother, if you lack the courage to leave your name on the tablet, you'd better turn back now."

"True—the Emperor's Path is perilous, beyond our reach. Better stay here and survive."

"The Emperor's Path is glorious—but only for the top prodigies. We mediocre ones have nothing…"

These youths weren't mocking deliberately—they simply believed not everyone could thrive on the Emperor's Path.

"You're not from the Desolate Heaven Immortal Realm," Jun Jun Xiaoyao suddenly said.

The youths froze, then nodded slightly.

If they were natives of the Desolate Heaven Immortal Realm, seeing Jun Jun Xiaoyao, they'd at least guess seven or eight out of ten.

Clearly, they didn't recognize him.

Jun Jun Xiaoyao knew that besides the prodigies of the Desolate Heaven Immortal Realm,

there were also prodigies from ancient star realms surrounding it.

If the Nine Heavens Immortal Realms were nine colossal continents,

then these ancient star realms were small islands scattered along their edges.

Each of these star realms was larger than the Lower Realms, and some harbored powerful sects and top prodigies.

Yet these people from the ancient star realms clearly didn't know Jun Jun Xiaoyao.

At most, they'd heard his name.

"Young master, don't listen to them—they're failures. You're different."

At that moment, the yellow-clad girl appeared, her gaze toward Jun Jun Xiaoyao shimmering with admiration.

Though Jun Jun Xiaoyao was shrouded in divine mist, his face blurred,

his transcendent, celestial aura could not be hidden—it drew her eyes.

Jun Jun Xiaoyao shook his head slightly and said nothing.

He raised his hand and drew a single horizontal stroke upon the tablet.

Instantly, the ancient stone tablet trembled violently, as if bearing unbearable pressure.

"What's happening?"

The guards at the gate rushed over.

Every living being in Shanhai Pass was startled, their gazes filled with shock, fixed on the tablet.

The towering stone tablet, inscribed with countless prodigies' names, cracked under Jun Jun Xiaoyao's single stroke—and then collapsed in ruins!

The entire tablet shattered into fragments on the ground.

All cultivators and beings within Shanhai Chengguan were stunned.

The tablet, which had recorded so many brilliant prodigies, had simply shattered?

"How is this possible?" Many gasped in disbelief.

The depressed youths, as if doused in ice water, snapped back to reality, their eyes filled with terror.

The yellow-clad girl's face froze in utter shock.

Earlier, she had seen top prodigies on the Desolate Heaven Sacred List—Long Long Xuhuang, Huang Huang Jiuyan, the Third Prince of the Sea God—leave their names here.

Yet none of them had shattered the tablet—only made it glow brightly.

Now, this mysterious, celestial young master had not even finished writing his name—and the tablet shattered.

What did this mean?

"It seems this tablet is unworthy of bearing my name," Jun Jun Xiaoyao said, shaking his head slightly.

Then, with no further interest in the first checkpoint of Shanhai Pass, he soared into the sky and continued his journey along the Emperor's Path.

He left behind a crowd of stunned cultivators and beings in Shanhai Pass.

"What kind of prodigy has stepped onto the Emperor's Path?"

"Even the immortal heirs of the Desolate Heaven Immortal Realm or ancient anomalies couldn't be this strong, could they?"

Many cultivators and beings remaining in Shanhai Pass broke into cold sweats.

A monster has entered the Emperor's Path!

The defeated youths were paralyzed, collapsing to the ground, legs trembling, unable to rise for a long time.

"What is this young master's identity—to be this monstrous!" The yellow-clad girl's eyes shimmered with reverence and awe.

Deep within Shanhai Pass, the aura of a Supreme Being spread.

A figure stood, gazing at Jun Jun Xiaoyao's retreating back.

"Jun family's divine heir has stepped onto the Emperor's Path—this battle for the Emperor's Path just got interesting…"

The guardian of Shanhai Pass said calmly.