Chapter 1087: Awakening of the Dragon Emperor, I Am Leaving (I)

As the expedition team set out, above the Golden Divine Tree phantom that towered hundreds of thousands of kilometers high, a red lotus no bigger than a palm quietly floated into view and then suddenly burst apart.

Endless flames erupted. They looked like illusions, swelling at an indescribable speed. From afar, it seemed as if a colossal red lotus had bloomed, spreading across millions of kilometers of the heavens.

For that brief moment, even time appeared to freeze. An unseen force seeped through layer after layer of space, channeling through the golden divine tree phantom and its passageway, spreading into the solar system and shrouding the void around the Blue Planet.

At once, everyone’s memories of Chen Chu shifted. Those below the mythical level had their memories directly rewritten. For those above the mythical level, the recollections merely became blurred. The timeline of two years was stretched dozens of times. In their memories, Chen Chu's talent and combat power were still amazing, just not as shocking as what they used to be.

Forcefully tampering with the memories of mythical beings was bound to create flaws, but stretching the timeline made the changes appear natural. Every trace of Chen Chu’s existence in this world burned away strand by strand in those red flames.

In the mythical world, the illusory red lotus’ bloom expanded outward, growing fainter in the process, until it swept across tens of millions of kilometers before slowly fading.

What unfolded here mirrored the Solar System.

All beings had their memories of Chen Chu altered, and every trace of his presence was erased by karmic fire[1].

On top of that, Shi Feitong had already ordered all of the mythical experts to erase every material record of Chen Chu—his presence in networks, books, and archives—down to the last fragment.

Apart from a handful of people, no one remembered the existence of a youth who, in less than two years, had risen to the peak of the ancient titan level, whose combat strength was unrivaled, and whose talent defied the heavens.

Standing atop the blazing sun, the vast golden-white mech quivered faintly as it watched the red lotus karmic fire vanish. “The traces of his existence have been erased.”

It turned, retreating into the sun’s depths with a dazed heaviness. “Come, Little Gold. It’s time to go home.”

Whoosh!

The three-legged golden crow unfurled its wings and raised a sea of fire as it soared skyward, following Luo Fei until both gradually disappeared.

Thanks to the Heavenly Dao’s intervention, Luo Fei hadn’t been greatly affected, yet watching the path once trodden by that youth be erased filled her with a subtle melancholy, for she would still be in his memories of Nantian.

In the mythical world, deep within layers of space in the fathomless void, a colossal black shadow stood still, faint confusion flickering in its eyes. “My memory... Has it been altered by some force?”

Qian Tian’s form shifted constantly, switching between three bodies: a human, a three-headed eight-armed demon god, and an upper human torso joined to the lower body of a black serpent. His gaze continuously alternated between calm, mad, and cold expressions.

Around him, the principles of life, death, and void entwined, twisting into a realm of distorted illusion where strange visions surfaced. A doll with only its upper half, smiling eerily; a white bear with nine legs; a black python covered entirely in eyes but without a mouth.

Surrounded by these bizarre phantoms, Qian Tian’s figure seemed like an absurd, twisted embodiment of madness, eeriness, and majesty, like a demon god suppressing the endless void.

In the material plane that mirrored this void, within an ancient golden temple drifting in the depths of time, a magnificent golden throne stood tall. On the throne, Chen Hu, a towering figure clad in pure golden armor, slowly opened his eyes.

Boom!

A terrifying might burst forth, shaking the divine palace under the weight of his overwhelming dominance, and making him appear ever more awe-inspiring.

He lifted his head. His eyes looked as if they were forged of pure light, and within them flickered the fading phantom of a red lotus. Then, a deep voice reverberated through the void. “So you left, Bro, huh?”

With that, Chen Hu slowly closed his eyes once more. Seated high upon the exalted golden throne, his body was enveloped by a golden pillar of light that reached from heaven to earth, like a supreme giant god that had existed since eternity.

***

The black battleship, already two million kilometers away, was also swept by the karmic fire, and the memories of everyone aboard were altered by that power. On the towering Stargazing Tower, Chen Chu and Shi Feitong stood side by side, watching the lotus that had bloomed across heaven and earth before finally fading.

Chen Chu gave a quiet sigh of admiration. “As expected, the True Radiant Sky Emperor was thorough.”

The fiery lotus that Shi Feitong had entrusted to him not only contained the secret arts and insights for opening a divine region, but also carried this primordial power. It was meant to be used at the moment of Chen Chu’s departure, erasing the final hidden traces of his existence.

“Master has always been meticulous,” Shi Feitong said with a faint smile. “But this method only buys us time. With your talent, you will still be exposed before the eyes of peak races once we step beyond the chaotic heavens.”

Chen Chu smiled as well. “That’s fine. As long as it buys me half a year, perhaps even a year. By then, even if a primordial being attacks me, I will have the confidence to retreat unscathed.”

Yet as soon as he finished speaking, Chen Chu paused slightly.

Shi Feitong noticed the shift in his expression and asked curiously, “Big Brother Chen, what is it?”

“It’s nothing.” Chen Chu shook his head lightly.

Only, from another vantage point within him, it seemed as if all of heaven and earth were rejoicing.

***

In the Chaotic Region, the seven-colored vortex that had shrouded the azure sky for over two months finally began to unravel, collapsing into a rain of multi-colored light and drifting strands of radiant bands that fell from the heavens.

Each drop of this light rain brimmed with mysterious power. Wherever it landed, the once barren and lifeless ground instantly sprouted with grass and trees. Verdant meadows spread, forests of towering trees rose in the blink of an eye, while above, endless vapors gathered out of nothingness, transforming into torrents of rain that mingled with the luminous downpour.

In just moments, the million-kilometer expanse devastated by the battle after the descent of the true-spirit-level void monster came alive again. The sight left every colossal beast of the Dragon Palace dumbfounded.

Then the Time Dragon roared.

Stop staring. This is the blessing of heaven and earth, the fortune brought by a new true spirit and new principles. Look, those rainbow bands of light. They are pure manifestations of the power of heaven and earth, ready to be absorbed.

Boom!

A surge of silver radiance exploded from the Time Dragon, its temporal power enveloping tens of thousands of kilometers. Within this domain, time itself slowed to a crawl, tet its enormous body, wings outstretched, soared upward unfettered, chasing after strands of seven-colored light.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the Time Dragon had devoured over a dozen light bands, each dozens of meters long and shining like ribbons of silk. With every strand swallowed, its aura grew stronger, and even its mighty bloodline stirred with new vigor.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

The other beasts finally came to their senses, bellowing in excitement as they shot into the sky. Among them, eight ancient-titan-level dragon kings unleashed the greatest momentum, their principles spreading across tens of thousands of kilometers. Titans and mythical colossal beasts followed with equal fervor.

Mine, all mine!

The Single-Horned Kunpeng unfurled its wings. Its black-and-white domain turned into pure darkness, shaping a black hole a thousand kilometers wide that drew in torrents of light rain.

Damn it, leave some for Lord Baxia!

The hulking Deep Sea Dragon Turtle burst from the ocean, hurling itself toward a hundred-meter-long band of rainbow light.

The crimson Zhulong, the Nine-Headed Dragon Ghidorah, the Longjia King, the female orca, and the Blue Giant Crab also joined the frenzy, each unwilling to yield.

On the calm, blue sea, the little orca glanced at the roaring colossal beasts above and quietly turned away, heading for the distance.

Little Hime, follow me over there. This place is already overrun.

Yes, Leader.

Carrying a pink pouch strapped to its dorsal fin, the little female orca, 140 meters long, hurried after it.

This rain of light spanned millions of kilometers. Strands of glowing bands drifted across the heavens, a scene so vast it resembled a celebration from the whole world. Unlike humans and other alien races, whose breakthroughs into the true spirit level would be suppressed, the colossal beasts were the true favored children of the mythical world.

As they raced excitedly through the luminous downpour, the chaotic hundred-thousand-kilometer-wide light-egg above, which had gathered immense power of heaven and earth, collapsed further and further inward. At last, it vanished, and from it emerged a beast clad in black-and-red scales, its body wrapped in radiant black-and-red light. The instant this beast appeared, a terror beyond imagination erupted.

Boom!

Every colossal beast felt its mind ring as the world itself seemed to quake. Heaven and earth overturned, all of existence collapsing until only that towering black-and-red form remained in their sight.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

They fell from the sky like meteors, crashing into the earth with thunderous force. Mountains and plains shattered, and amid the dust and rubble, every beast instinctively bowed its head. Even the ancient titans—including the Ancient Magma Dragon, at the peak of the ancient titan level—had no right to remain standing before that terrifying presence.

Then, two proud roars split the skies, carrying the aura of peak titans.

The great Saixitia is invincible!

And the great Thorsafi as well!

Around the immense black-and-red beast, two dragons—one silver, stretching over 4,300 meters, the other golden-blue—spiraled in ecstasy, their lofty cries resounding through the heavens. Both dragons had undergone astounding transformations. Their bodies now exuded the sovereign pressure of an emperor-level bloodline, majestic and noble. The ancient titans below widened their eyes in disbelief.

T-Their bloodlines really ascended to the emperor level!

Even the Time Dragon was stunned. It had never expected that these two titan-level dragons would truly shatter their shackles and ascend into the emperor-level with the Dragon Emperor’s aid.

Jealousy burned in every ancient titan's gaze. This was the same tier of bloodline as true spirits and many primordial colossal beasts. Unless fate cut them short, those two dragons were destined to reach the true spirit level one day.

1. In Buddhism, "karma" refers to the consequences of one's actions, and the metaphorical "fire of karma" represents the process of purification and transformation through burning away negative karma. ☜