Chapter 1347: Ancestor Yang Ye

At the foot of the mountain, all the cultivators heading up stopped to kneel, regardless of their cultivation base. Of course, it wasn't because they wanted to kneel. They simply had no choice but to kneel.

In the Era of Emperors and the Ten Desolate Universe[1], there was an unspoken rule. One had to bow before the Supreme Emperor. Otherwise, who could bear the consequences of the Supreme Emperor's wrath?

Moreover, they had come here for an inheritance.

The Supreme Emperor's Inheritance!

Everyone understood that obtaining such an inheritance was an almost impossible feat. If one wanted to be chosen by a Supreme Emperor, one's talent had to be unimaginable.

However, humans were hopeful creatures. What if they ended up getting chosen?

On the path to the summit, the crowd's expressions were devout. Whenever they kowtowed, they would wish that they could smash a hole in the earth with their foreheads.

Ye Guan and Diyi You walked toward the foot of the mountain. Watching the group kneeling with such sincerity, Diyi You said, "A Supreme Emperor... countless cultivators all strive to become one. Even in death, the people of later generations dare not show any disrespect.

"Before a Supreme Emperor, one must bow."

Ye Guan replied, "People revere the strong. It's normal."

Diyi You smiled. "Brother Yang, will the Supreme Emperor choose any of them?"

"That's not our concern."

With that, he quickened his pace.

Diyi You glanced at him, smiled faintly, and followed. Very soon, they reached the foot of the mountain.

Ye Guan looked at the peak before starting his climb.

Diyi You followed him and smiled. "Brother Yang, are you not going to bow?"

Ye Guan calmly replied, "It is the sincerity that matters. Bowing is just a formality. There's no need for one to do that."

Diyi You blinked. "I think you make a lot of sense."

While everyone else was kneeling and kowtowing, the two walked forward.

The crowd was stunned.

"How dare you!"

A kneeling man on the left pointed at Ye Guan and roared, "How bold of you to disrespect the Supreme Emperor! Do you not fear the annihilation of your entire clan?"

Ye Guan glanced at him indifferently. "None of your business."

Then, he walked away.

Diyi You was speechless.

The man hadn't expected such a response. He was momentarily stunned, and then he erupted in rage. "Insolence! Who is your ancestor?! How dare you be so arrogant?"

Ye Guan turned to look at him. "My ancestor is Yang Ye."

"

Hah!

" The man sneered. "So a nobody?"

In the Ten Desolate Universe and during the Era of Emperors, there weren't any Supreme Emperor Clans with the surname Yang.

Beside Ye Guan, Diyi You whispered, "That guy's name is Mu Gang. The Mu Clan... is a Supreme Emperor Clan."

Ye Guan nodded and walked away.

Diyi You smiled lightly and followed him.

Mu Gang's face alternated between pale and flushed upon being ignored. After hesitating for a moment, he stood up and walked forward as well.

Someone behind him asked, "Brother, you're not going to keep kneeling?"

Mu Gang scoffed, "That guy's ancestor is a nobody, and he dares not to kneel. My ancestor is a Supreme Emperor, why should I kneel?"

With that, he stormed off.

The crowd exchanged glances.

Should they still kneel?

"Fools." A kneeling black-clad youth sneered, "Those who do not bow before a Supreme Emperor will be influenced by their karma."

Upon hearing that, the others nodded in agreement.

The karma of a Supreme Emperor, who could bear it?

Better to kneel, just to be safe.

It wasn't far, anyway. Just a quick kneel, and it would be over.

Still, they felt frustrated deep inside.

Ye Guan and Diyi You continued up the mountain. The mountain towered over a thousand meters high, and the path up ahead was rugged and challenging.

Ye Guan inwardly asked,

"Master Pagoda, what do you think the Great Daoist Brush Master is doing right now?"

Little Pagoda curiously asked,

"Why ask that all of a sudden?"

Ye Guan shook his head.

"This whole situation feels strange. Too bad I no longer have my cultivation base. Otherwise, I'd trace the karma threads and uncover the truth."

Little Pagoda said,

"No rush. What you need to focus on now is how to become a Supreme Emperor yourself. Little Soul is Little Soul, you are you. There's a difference between you two."

Ye Guan nodded. "That makes sense."

How to become a Supreme Emperor? He stared at the mountain peak and frowned. He became a Supreme Emperor by devouring Fan Zhaodi's Daos—the Evil Dao and the Virtuous Dao. Strictly speaking, that power had nothing to do with him, as it belonged to Fan Zhaodi.

Moreover, the Other Shore and numerous True Saints had placed their faith in him, but their faith wasn't exactly pure.

The faith of the Other Shore and the True Saints were born from having a common enemy. It wasn't a genuine faith in his Order. It was like the difference between a girlfriend and a wife. One could sleep with either of the two, but there would still be a significant difference between them.

The path of Order couldn't be established overnight. His Order had just started, and he believed that the Supreme Emperor Realm wasn't the end goal. Beyond Order, he also had his own Invincible Sword Intent.

The Invincible Sword Dao was his own Dao.

It originated from within him, not from external sources. Previously, he relied on Order Sword Intent to become a Supreme Emperor. However, his Invincible Sword Intent had yet to fully manifest, which meant that his Dao was still incomplete.

Ye Guan suddenly laughed upon realizing that.

Fan Zhaodi's power had led him astray. He had devoured it, but in the end, it wasn't his power. Back then, he regretted relinquishing his cultivation base, but now, he saw that abandoning his past Dao to forge his own Dao was the true way forward.

He had to forge his own Dao!

There was no need for him to cultivate anew. He had started anew multiple times before, so the foundation of every realm had long become deeply ingrained in him.

If he wanted to do so, he could even create a brand-new cultivation system. To start anew was pointless; it would be like putting the cart before the horse.

Now, he had to refine his heart and mind.

Ye Guan looked up at the sky. The clouds slowly parted, and sunlight poured down on him. His heart was clear, and he had never felt more at ease.

Diyi You glanced at him, slightly surprised.

At that moment, Mu Gang caught up to them. He glanced at Ye Guan and Diyi You. Then, he snorted coldly and rushed ahead.

Ye Guan ignored the reckless young man.

He was a Supreme Emperor, so he had to act with dignity.

Later, Ye Guan saw Mu Gang standing still up ahead. His fists were clenched, and sweat was dripping from his face.

Ye Guan was puzzled. He was about to step forward when Diyi You grabbed his arm.

"There's a strand of a Supreme Emperor Law up ahead," she said with a solemn face.

Ye Guan halted. He looked forward but saw nothing.

Thud!

Mu Gang dropped to his knees. His legs split open, and his blood soaked the ground.

Diyi You frowned.

Ye Guan walked forward.

Diyi You hesitated, but she quickly followed after him.

As they approached the strand of Supreme Emperor Law, Diyi You clenched her right fist nervously.

Ye Guan stepped into the Supreme Emperor Law's domain. The Supreme Emperor Law descended upon him, but he ignored it and walked away. A strange scene unfolded. The Supreme Emperor Law stepped aside, creating a path for him.

Although Ye Guan was no longer a Supreme Emperor, he still had the Supreme Emperor Destiny Aura.

He was emanating the aura of a Supreme Emperor. It couldn't be sensed by anyone else, but the strand of Supreme Emperor Law could feel it, and it dared not resist.

Diyi You looked at Ye Guan and followed after him.

Mu Gang was dumbfounded as he stared at them. "What the hell?"

He tried to stand, but an invisible force pinned him down.

To advance, he had to kneel with every step.

Mu Gang's face twisted in rage. "So there's favoritism here?!"

Ultimately, he dared not resist and began his arduous kneeling march forward.

***

Ye Guan and Diyi You continued their journey. At the edge of their vision stood a middle-aged man clad in a simple long robe. He stood at the cliff's edge, facing the horizon, and his robe fluttered gently in the wind.

He was Emperor Yuan, and he was the Supreme Emperor of the Di Clan.

Diyi You bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Supreme Emperor."

However, Ye Guan didn't bow at all.

Emperor Yuan turned to look at Ye Guan. His eyes were as deep as the vast expanse, and it looked as if he was capable of seeing through everything. After a moment, he said, "You've come carrying multiple karmic ties."

Multiple karmic ties?

Ye Guan walked slowly to stand beside Emperor Yuan. "Senior, I have a concern that has been troubling me. I hope you can enlighten me."

Emperor Yuan smiled. "I dare not call myself a senior. Just call me 'friend.'"

Ye Guan said, "Friend, you've already become a Supreme Emperor. Logically speaking, you should be invincible. How did you fall?"

Emperor Yuan chuckled. "After becoming Supreme Emperors, mortal rulers will then seek immortality. Do you understand what I mean?"

Ye Guan looked at Emperor Yuan. "A higher pursuit?"

Emperor Yuan nodded. He raised his head and gazed toward the farthest reaches of the vast expanse. "After becoming a Supreme Emperor and becoming invincible in this known universe, one will naturally desire to become invincible throughout the entire vast expanse and take yet another step forward."

Ye Guan murmured, "Ambitions."

Emperor Yuan turned to look at Ye Guan. "I don't know why you chose to scatter your cultivation after becoming a Supreme Emperor. Do you not have any idea how dangerous that was?"

Ye Guan shook his head and smiled. "I had to do it."

Emperor Yuan stared at Ye Guan. "You're underestimating the Supreme Emperor Clans and the Immortal Clans of the Ten Desolate Universe."

Ye Guan frowned slightly in confusion.

Emperor Yuan looked up and added, "If you were still a Supreme Emperor, they would be forced to submit. However, you scattered your cultivation base, so you've become an opportunity—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Ye Guan's heart was engulfed by anxiety.

Emperor Yuan shook his head. "It's too late."

Ye Guan's eyes narrowed. Just then, the distant sky cracked open, and an invisible, oppressive force swept across the world. One by one, terrifyingly powerful figures slowly emerged from the rift.

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Ye Guan was stunned.

The newcomers were all... Supreme Emperors!

Of course, they were all avatars, but still... What was going on?

Emperor Yuan looked at the powerful figures in the sky and said, "Emperor Jun, Emperor Qin, Emperor Yuan, and Emperor Diyi... The Divine Clan's Ancestor, the Dao Clan's Ancestor, and the Royal Clan's Ancestor...

"Except for the Di Clan and that one from the Mu Clan, the Supreme Emperors of the Supreme Emperor Clans and the Immortal Clans are here. This is truly... a rare sight!"

He then turned to Ye Guan. "Do you know why they are here?"

Ye Guan's expression darkened.

Emperor Yuan looked at him and said, "These Supreme Emperor Clans and Immortal Clans are extraordinary. They do not operate like heroes in chivalric tales, sparing weaklings to see them grow.

"When they make their move, they'll use their strongest cards outright."

Ye Guan smiled. He opened his palm, preparing to summon the Qingxuan Sword. However, his expression changed because he couldn't sense the Qingxuan Sword at all—no, he couldn't even sense the tiny pagoda.

The tiny pagoda was sealed.

Emperor Yuan looked at Ye Guan and said, "Do you really think they don't know that your sword has reached the same level as a Supreme Emperor? The moment you stepped into this place, it was already impossible for you to retrieve that sword. There are seven Emperor Laws suppressing the tiny pagoda within you."

Ye Guan furrowed his brows.

Emperor Yuan muttered, "Anyone capable of becoming a Supreme Emperor is no ordinary person. Each one is a protagonist of their era..."

Just then, a voice echoed in Ye Guan's mind.

"Master!"

The voice belonged to Little Soul.

"Seven Supreme Emperor Laws have sealed the little pagoda, but they are powerless against me. I'm connected to your soul, and we are one. Just give the order, and I can annihilate those Supreme Emperor avatars."

It wasn't just a Supreme Emperor; it was the Qingxuan Sword as well.

It was a sword forged by Destiny herself!

It evolved upon becoming a Supreme Emperor, so even if those Supreme Emperors were here in their true bodies, they wouldn't be able to seal the Qingxuan Sword.

It could break all Daos and shatter all Laws!

Over the years, it had only suffered defeat at the hands of two people—Clan Leader Jing and Fan Zhaodi...

"Not yet,"

Ye Guan replied inwardly. Then, he looked up at the avatars and nervously stammered, "Y-you people... what are you going to do?"

Little Soul was dumbfounded.

1. Veela: Previously translated as Ten Desolate Universes. Will adjust accordingly once I see new info ☜