Chapter 1123: Guarding the Imperial City, Reincarnation Veils the Sky

"The six divine regions are the rear lines of the human race. Most cultivators at the mythical level are active outside the chaotic heavens. That does not refer to the vast chaotic void in general, but rather to a place known as the Ancient Battlefield. Recorded civilizations and races there number over a thousand. Some of those civilizations came from the vast world, others from different times and spaces, races that have broken free from the shackles of worlds, and powerful alien races.

“Among them sit true-emperor-level beings. There are already more than twenty civilizations that have reached the peak, and those with a primordial-level existence presiding over them number over 130. The remaining races are either vassals of peak civilizations or members of various alliances, making the situation there exceedingly complicated. At present, the Flamewheel Divine Region controls four outer heaven war cities, scattered across different battlefield zones, which support and respond to the war cities of other divine regions.

"We are going to Cangwu Imperial City, where my master is personally stationed. Big Brother Chen, my master said that your talent is too dazzling. Once you appear on the battlefield, you will quickly draw the gaze of surrounding peak civilizations. Each of those beings possesses immense strength, many wielding bizarre powers even my master and her peers find troublesome. Therefore, before you step onto the Ancient Battlefield, you need to make preparations, to avoid being targeted for space-time-crossing assassinations by beings above the true-emperor-level through causality and fate."

High above the central region, in the void hundreds of thousands of kilometers up, stood a towering stone gate ten thousand kilometers high. Chen Chu, Shi Feirou, and another figure were there. It was a majestic middle-aged man in golden-red imperial robes, crowned with an imperial crown, red radiance shining behind his head.

After Shi Feirou finished, Chen Chu mused.

No wonder. On the Dragon Emperor’s side, we flew for so long yet only encountered a single stationed point of the Eternal Golden Divine Race.

With that thought, Chen Chu asked curiously, "Feirou, why have all those civilizations gathered in the Ancient Battlefield?"

Before Shi Feirou could reply, the Flamewheel Emperor smiled. "Because that place is special, a node linked to the Supreme Chaos. It’s a place only eternal beings can enter and leave. Nearly a million years ago, the vast world itself fought another eternal being, tearing open the Supreme Chaos and forming a rifted region. At that time, a wisp of the Supreme Chaos' power descended, evolving into a half-eternal, multi-layered ‘world.’ That is the Ancient Battlefield. There, time and space collapsed, dimensions ran wild, and countless unknown, perilous regions connected to it, making it extremely dangerous. Meanwhile, eternal qi scattered from the battle, along with the Supreme Chaos’ leaked power, gave birth to countless divine objects and treasures. That is why peak civilizations gather there and contest endlessly. No matter the age or civilization, the core of all conflict has always been benefits. Even the lofty primordial beings are no exception."

Chen Chu nodded in understanding. If not for benefits, those primordial beings which had already achieved immortality would likely have found some quiet place to linger for hundreds of millions of years in leisure. However, when faced with temptations that could accelerate cultivation, break bottlenecks that had held for tens of millions of years, even eternal beings couldn’t resist.

After all, breaking through to the eternal level didn’t mean one lost the need to pursue further. Otherwise, why would that eternal colossal beast and the Chaotic Nightmare Lord have fought?

Shi Feirou and the Flamewheel Emperor’s words unraveled much of Chen Chu’s confusion, giving him a rough grasp of the situation beyond the outer heavens, yet he still had questions. "What about the primordial colossal beasts outside the chaotic heavens, and the four supreme planes? How do they relate to the Ancient Battlefield?"

The Flamewheel Emperor thought for a while. "That question is rather complicated. Those primordial colossal beasts are deeply tied to the vast world. Over the years, they have fought deep in the chaotic void against the vassals of another eternal being. Their main goal seems to be searching for fragments of the body that eternal colossal beast once shattered. Because their aims and ranges of activity were different, and because those beasts are somewhat exclusionary, they have little contact with civilizations.

"As for the four supreme planes, they are another special power. Though called planes, they can be seen as conceptual ‘lives’ too vast to describe. Once, the True Reincarnation Emperor spent thousands of years studying the essence of the supreme planes, but later, for reasons unknown, gave up. He only said they are another path, a road infinitely close to eternity. The complexity lay in the fact that across endless worlds, civilizations, and even peak races, there existed agents of the supreme planes. So long as someone’s talent, potential, or cultivated powers matched the Supreme Hell, the Supreme Celestial Realm, or the Supreme Abyss, they would be invited by those planes. This often led to sudden deadly struggles between prodigies within civilizations.

"In rare cases, an alien civilization acknowledged by a primordial beast race might emerge, a race of otherwise ordinary level, yet with a group of primordial beasts behind them. They might even inherit the bloodline of such a beast, becoming a bloodline race, and pulling that entire beast race into the Ancient Battlefield."

"...It really is complicated." Even Chen Chu felt a headache listening.

He never imagined the world beyond the chaotic heavens was so, well, chaotic, overflowing with strong beings and countless powers, each civilization holding different purposes and goals. However, chaos was good. A faint smile appeared on Chen Chu’s lips. In such disorder, he could fish in troubled waters.

As the three conversed, the runes carved on the stone gate lit up one after another, forming a turbid vortex within.

The colossal vortex churned and shredded unseen time and space, releasing vast and terrifying waves.

Shi Feirou turned to Chen Chu, her voice gentle. "Brother Chen, let’s go. With the Ancient Heavenly Gate, we can leap directly through time and space to the edge of the Ancient Battlefield, to Cangwu Imperial City, the human race’s core stronghold."

"The Ancient Battlefield..." Chen Chu murmured, anticipation stirring in his eyes, as the three stepped into the vortex together.

Boom!

The stone gate trembled, and a brilliant, majestic gray pillar of light pierced through heaven and earth. It split open the heavens of the mythical world, shot straight into the outer heavens, and vanished into the endless void.

The light illuminated almost the entire central continent, and countless people instinctively raised their heads. Even Yan Ruoyi, who had just entered the Flamewheel Imperial City, saw that world-piercing gray pillar. The image of a young man’s back appeared unbidden in her mind. Though she didn’t know of the Ancient Heavenly Gate, her intuition told her that Chen Chu was within. It was a pity that two people who once shared ties had drifted apart as the gap in strength widened. All it took was a single year.

At the library square of the imperial court, Heavenly King Xuanwu turned his head to look at the halted Yan Ruoyi and waved. "Little Yi, come. Let’s go and arrange for your access."

"Yes, Father." Yan Ruoyi withdrew her gaze.

***

In the chaotic void, a towering red city loomed like a world unto itself. Before its vast gate stretched a silver-blue sky shaped like an eye, spanning tens of thousands of kilometers. Swarms of flying ships and colossal beasts passed constantly between the sky and the city.

Such a flourishing scene was rare in the endless void. Behind the red city, in a plaza stretching for ten thousand kilometers, dozens of standing vortices rotated slowly.

Boom!

The largest turbid vortex suddenly shook violently, and its boundless energy churned through time and space. From the center flickered golden-red light, and three figures slowly stepped out.

At once, the cultivators guarding the passageway all fell to one knee. "We pay respects to Your Majesty, and greet the Jiantian Palace Master."

Those exiting and entering other passages, including many strangely-shaped alien races, also bowed in salute. "Welcome, Your Majesty."

Among them were heavenly kings, ancient-titan-level beings, and even aliens and cultivators radiating the aura of the Eighth and Ninth Heavenly Realm. All were natives born within Cangwu Imperial City. Though the lowest requirement to step into the chaotic void was the mythical level, the shelter of the city’s principles meant that even those beneath that level could survive there.

The Flamewheel Emperor’s expression was indifferent. He swept his gaze around and then gave a slow nod. "No need for formality. Go on with your duties."

"Yes." Everyone bowed once more.

Where the True Radiant Sky Emperor resided was a resplendent golden heavenly palace suspended above the clouds of the imperial city. Following Shi Feirou and the Flamewheel Emperor, Chen Chu passed through nine layers of checkpoints and endured several massive waves of power before arriving deep within the palace.

There, in a half-illusory universe burning with endless crimson flames, a towering figure sat cross-legged at its center. It was a woman, clothed in a white-golden imperial robe woven with feathered brilliance, adorned with the Imperial Crown of the Twenty-Four Heavens. In her hand she held a Great Sun, while behind her long red hair poured down like a waterfall into the void.

Chen Chu and the others stood at the edge of that cosmos.

Looking up at that towering figure, Shi Feirou said respectfully, "Master, I have brought Big Brother Chen."

The Flamewheel Emperor bowed slightly as well. "Greetings, Aunt."

Aunt? Not a descendant?

Chen Chu glanced at the Flamewheel Emperor in surprise. He had always assumed that the Flamewheel Emperor was the son or grandson of the True Radiant Sky Emperor.

At the cosmos’ center, the True Radiant Sky Emperor slowly opened her eyes. Two blazing golden-red stars appeared within them, casting a dreadful radiance. The instant those eyes turned to Chen Chu, an overwhelming pressure struck his soul head-on.

Boom!

Chen Chu’s long hair flared wildly, and behind him appeared a soul phantom. It was ten thousand kilometers tall, clad in a black imperial robe, bearing another Imperial Crown of the Twenty-Four Heavens.

Under the crushing might of soul will, Chen Chu’s soul-form surfaced instinctively, yet even so, he couldn’t withstand her gaze. The will contained in those eyes was too overwhelming, shaking his very soul again and again.

Thankfully, that pressure flickered away in an instant. A gentle voice rang across the void. "Forgive me. My cultivation has just broken through. A strand of leaked immortal will almost harmed you."

"I am fine. Please don’t mind."

For such terror to come from just a single wisp of will, this is not a true emperor at the Fourth Primordial Heaven.

Chen Chu smothered the shock in his heart.

Having witnessed the power of Zihuang at the Third Primordial Heaven, he had some grasp of the primordial stages. He was certain that the Radiant Emperor’s cultivation was beyond the Fourth Heaven.

While Chen Chu was still shaken, the true emperor’s eyes flickered with surprise. "If I recall, only three day-cycles have passed since Feitong reported news of the ancestral land?"

Meeting her gaze, Shi Feirou bowed her head respectfully. "Yes, Master."

A look of astonishment crossed the true emperor’s eyes. "Three day-cycles, and your cultivation has leapt from the late stage of the ancient titan level to the middle stage of the true spirit level. Even among us, such speed is hard to compare with."

Chen Chu shook his head modestly. "You overpraise me, Ma'am. Compared to the forebears who led the human race into unknown times and spaces during the brink of the declination era, my achievements are nothing worth mentioning."

At this, the true emperor smiled faintly and didn’t press the subject. "On the way here, Flamewheel and the others must already have briefed you on the situation?"

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Yes, they have."

The true emperor’s voice turned solemn. "We humans have never relied on the strength of one alone. It is through mutual support and protection that we have come this far. You need not worry that we harbor schemes against you. The help we offer you and those from the ancestral land is only what we are bound to provide. Of course, this help has its limits. How far you go depends on yourselves."

After offering these reassurances, she raised her empty right hand. A prismatic vortex, like the cycle of reincarnation itself, appeared there.

"This is a reincarnation origin that I asked the True Reincarnation Emperor to carve out. It can veil your existence. Even if a Sixth-Primordial-Heaven being searches through fate, they will not be able to locate you across time and space, unless you appear directly before them."

Chen Chu was moved and bowed deeply. "My deepest thanks to all of you for such grace."

For a true emperor of at least the Fifth Primordial Heaven to cut away a portion of their own origin to conceal his fate... Such treatment shocked even Chen Chu. As the emperor had said, the human race would help each other, but there was always an upper limit. Beyond that was babysitting.

The prismatic vortex in her hand shrank, crossing the universe like a phantom projection, and merged into Chen Chu’s body without resistance.

At once, in Shi Feirou and the Flamewheel Emperor’s eyes, Chen Chu’s presence seemed faintly blurred.

Looking at the youth standing outside the cosmos, the Radiant Emperor revealed another flicker of wonder. Then her voice softened. "Chen Chu, do you have plans for what comes next?"

Chen Chu pondered for a moment. "...I was wondering if you have any suggestions, Ma'am."

“My suggestion?" The true emperor thought briefly. "As a prodigy rising from a chaotic era, not yet twenty years of age, you cannot bear the slow pace of cultivation, nor can you calm your heart to endure long seclusions. Thus, I think you should guard the Chaotic Imperial City. That ancient place is rich in resources, and many chaotic divine objects born there are useful even to true-spirit-level emperors. It is also a place of tangled forces. Originally, that place was Flamewheel’s responsibility. However, now that he is preparing to break through to the primordial level, he can no longer oversee it."