Afterglow of the Emperor Realm

The big bell and the Chaos Lotus remained drifting at the frontier of the Emperor Realm universe, waiting quietly. Over these days, each cultivated on their own, yet both could sense that the Emperor Realm was like the setting sun—fearful that it could not hold out much longer. However, contrary to their expectations, the Emperor Realm managed to endure for several decades, without the Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation ever erupting. On this day, Zhangsun Shenghai, who had been sitting motionless beneath the shala tree for ages, suddenly said, "The Dao of Calamitous Destiny and the Dao of Slaughter have turned from peak to decline. The Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation is about to descend!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than the churning, stormy Chaos Sea abruptly fell still. The hearts of the big bell and the Chaos Lotus gave a violent jolt. Zhangsun Shenghai had already landed on the emerald rock multi-decked vessel beside them and said, "The Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation has begun." The big bell cried out in alarm, "Ah Ying is still inside!" Zhangsun Shenghai shook his head. "There is no saving him. Once the Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation begins, even a Dao Master would find it difficult to survive. Martial Uncle Xu's abilities are extraordinary, but if he cannot escape at the initial outbreak of the tribulation, he will never make it out." Just as he said this, the Emperor Realm universe shook violently, shrinking madly as countless Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans devoured one another, plummeting toward the central giant Hongyuan! The light of destruction was blindingly brilliant, tearing open even the Chaos Sea as raging waters poured downward into giant Hongyuans of all sizes. Meanwhile, the central giant Hongyuan expanded wildly, swallowing everything in its path, sweeping up whatever remained of the Emperor Realm and dragging it in to be ground to dust! Hongyuans large and small flared with glaring light—chaotic and disordered! The power of the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction showed its most feral, ferocious guise, ripping the Emperor Realm apart and causing its universe to collapse toward a single origin, compressing all the matter of the entire cosmos into energy, and compressing all that energy into a single point! His face pale, Zhangsun Shenghai took out a handful of incense sticks, held them aloft, and bowed toward the collapsing, dying Emperor Realm universe. He tossed the lit incense toward the Emperor Realm and said, "We must go. If we don't leave now, we will never escape." "Ah Ying is still inside!" the big bell roared in fury. Zhangsun Shenghai shook his head. "It is already impossible for him to escape. He has either been assimilated by the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, or he has already perished in a Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan. Under these circumstances, survival is impossible." The big bell said, "Wait! Just wait a little longer!" It flew back and forth across the bow, clanging loudly. In the past, though it had claimed countless times that it would abandon Xu Ying to save its own skin and avenge him later, it had never once truly abandoned him. Moreover, during every one of those previous pitfalls, they had ultimately made it through safely and survived. Yet now, the big bell was fraught with anxiety. It felt that this life-and-death companion of its might truly be doomed this time. "The Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation severs all karmic causes and effects and destroys all Great Daos. Even if you are an Immortal, even if you are a Dao Master, surviving within nirvanic extinction is nearly impossible," Zhangsun Shenghai said. "If we do not leave now, we will be swept into this cataclysm that destroys universes, unable to tear ourselves free." Just as he spoke, the central giant Hongyuan had already swallowed half the Emperor Realm universe, and it continued to expand crazily, sweeping in their direction at astounding speed! The Chaos Sea was torn apart, surging toward the central giant Hongyuan as though it were a bottomless pit—a chasm that could never be filled! Boundless spacetime, boundless matter, boundless energy, and boundless chaotic qi all plunged into the center of the central giant Hongyuan! There, the foundation of every Great Dao ceased to exist, and the Great Daos themselves would dissolve into nothingness! The spectacle was truly terrifying! The big bell trembled all over in terror, clanging constantly, yet it still hovered at the prow, waiting for Xu Ying. Suddenly, a giant Hongyuan came howling toward them, bearing down with momentum enough to swallow them whole! Zhangsun Shenghai frowned slightly. Just as he was about to seize the big bell and forcibly take it back into the Chaos Sea, the brilliant giant Hongyuan rapidly shrank and shifted, amazingly transforming into Xu Ying's figure as he shot through the void! Zhangsun Shenghai was dumbstruck; the big bell and the Chaos Lotus were equally stunned. With his clothes fluttering, Xu Ying landed on the multi-decked vessel where the big bell was, shouting, "The central giant Hongyuan is about to burst! Move—!" Snapping back to his senses, Zhangsun Shenghai immediately propelled the other vessel. Almost simultaneously, both multi-decked vessels sailed into the Chaos Sea! Behind them, the Chaos Sea suddenly turned transparent. Xu Ying's expression changed abruptly, and he shouted, "Shenghai, get onto my ship!" Zhangsun Shenghai immediately leapt into the air and landed on Xu Ying's ship. Both poured all their strength into propelling the vessel forward. The multi-decked vessel surged in speed, but the Chaos Sea ahead also suddenly turned transparent. Their scalps tingled with dread. Xu Ying hoisted the Chaotic Dao Apricot Yellow Banner; the banner stretched across the void, snapping loudly as it wrapped halfway around the vessel. Zhangsun Shenghai also hurriedly stirred his Nine-Verification Hongyuan, mobilizing all his Dharmic powers to help Xu Ying empower the Chaotic Dao Apricot Yellow Banner! This treasure was an innate numinous treasure. Though a complete set consisted of four grand banners, its might was still extraordinary! Both Xu Ying and Zhangsun Shenghai wielded power on par with Dao Lords. As they hoisted this treasure, the Chaotic Dao Apricot Yellow Banner tore through the surrounding Chaos Sea, transforming into dense flows of xuan and huang qi. Xuan was heaven, and huang was earth; heaven and earth flowed and shifted across the surface of the banner. Right at that moment, an unimaginable shockwave struck. The banner whipped violently, and a blinding radiance accompanied the impact, drowning the Apricot Yellow Banner. The world within the banner repeatedly collapsed and reorganized itself to resist the shockwave, yet it was still pressured to the brink of failing, the banner pressing down toward the ship! Blood spurted from Xu Ying's and Zhangsun Shenghai's eyes, ears, mouths, and noses. All one hundred and eight thousand pores across their bodies misted with blood like billowing steam. The Chaos Lotus hastily rose into the air and unleashed its own might. With a resonant hum, the banner swelled once more. Yet in the next moment, this Chaos spirit root wilted like frostbitten vegetation, its spiritual light scattering and its spiritual power draining away. —It was not yet a mature spirit root, still falling well short of a fully matured numinous treasure like the Chaotic Dao Apricot Yellow Banner. The banner began to shake once more, the shockwave on the verge of piercing straight through it, when suddenly the big bell flew out, clanging furiously as it exerted all its might to fight the blast. At that instant, the big bell's body distorted, as if dozens of invisible giant hands were squeezing the bell into bizarre shapes! Everyone strained to resist, holding on with swaying bodies. Just as they could hold out no longer, the central giant Hongyuan's eruption finally subsided. Xu Ying and Zhangsun Shenghai barely managed to stay on their feet without collapsing, while the big bell crumpled into a twisted heap and clattered onto the deck. The Chaotic Dao Apricot Yellow Banner's power had also vastly diminished. Wavering, it flashed back into Xu Ying's cave abyss. They looked back over their shoulders to see the light still dazzlingly bright—the lingering afterglow from the central giant Hongyuan's explosion, illuminating the Chaos Sea. Zhangsun Shenghai stared at the sight, despondent and overcome with emotion. That was his native universe, now reduced to nothingness, as chaotic qi rushed in to fill the void and drown every trace of its existence. Perhaps where it was buried, fragments of the Emperor Realm universe still drifted quietly in the Chaos Sea. Yet travelers in the Chaos Sea would likely never know of its past; all the tales it had borne would vanish into utter nothingness. There was no memory in the Chaos Sea. With no one piloting it, the multi-decked vessel drifted forward on inertia. Xu Ying endured the searing agony wracking his limbs and bones, intending to walk to the stern for a closer look, but nearly tumbled over. At that moment, the vessel carried them into a silent universe. This was a nascent universe. The Hongyuan was cleaved open, the primordial chaos newly split, Wuji divided into the Five Tais, and Taiji transformed into the Two Forms. The multi-decked vessel sailed through the starry sky of this newborn universe. It was breathtakingly magnificent; new stars were constantly being born, and new Dao manifestations continuously surged forth. This universe was as scorching hot as a pot of boiling porridge. Their ship parted star after star as rivers of stars flowed beneath its hull. Xu Ying looked upon the scene in astonishment. Nudging the battered bell beside his foot, he murmured, "Master Bell, look..." The big bell had suffered grave damage and could not fly for the moment. Xu Ying stirred his remaining Dharmic power to hoist the big bell, gradually easing it back into shape. "Ah Ying, where are we?" The big bell was also awed by the scene before them, asking in bewilderment. "I don't know either." Xu Ying looked around in confusion. Before long, the multi-decked vessel sailed out of this silent universe and re-entered the Chaos Sea. After traveling a short while longer, the vessel entered another, vibrant universe. Here, heaven and earth had already formed, Dao manifestations and Dao landscapes had solidified, and the stars were no longer as chaotic as before. Life was beginning to emerge. The vessel glided silently above these living beings. Down below, countless gigantic beasts ran across grasslands or roamed the oceans, while others beat wings of thunder to fly alongside the vessel. As if sailing out of shattered time, the vessel flew through this universe and entered the Chaos Sea once more. After traveling a little further, the vessel entered yet another universe. Here, intelligent races had already arisen, giving birth to civilization. Leaning against the gunwale, Xu Ying looked down to see tower after tower rising from the earth. The people here communed with heaven and earth, comprehending the Great Dao of the world and beginning their own cultivation. "We are in the afterglow of the Emperor Realm," Xu Ying suddenly realized. When he first traveled to the other shore, he had encountered similar afterglows, even witnessing the dragon race's multi-decked vessels from tens of millions of years ago and seeing how those dragons met their deaths. The afterglow back then had likely also been produced by the death of a nearby universe. Now, it was the death of the Emperor Realm universe that had imprinted its entire lifespan onto the Chaos Sea. As the multi-decked vessel traversed these reflections of light, it was like entering one universe after another, yet these universes were in truth merely fragments of what the Emperor Realm had lived through. The vessel sailed into yet another afterglow, entering the Emperor Realm universe. Xu Ying glanced back to see Zhangsun Shenghai leaning against the wall of the deckhouse, propping himself up, staring transfixed at the people of this universe. "Ah Ying, he is a remnant of the Emperor Realm," the big bell whispered. So Xu Ying did not disturb Zhangsun Shenghai, discreetly channeling his remaining Dharmic power to slow the ship down and linger a little longer within the afterglow. In the afterglow of the Emperor Realm universe, they saw face after face—some impassioned and bold, some fierce with heroism, some tender as water, some echoing with tragic laments. All the beauty of the mortal world was reflected across the years, as was all of its malice. The emerald-green stone ship sailed past the years; though it had not lived through those years, it bore the scars of time, etched deep into Zhangsun Shenghai's Dao heart. He was a child born to survivors of the Emperor Realm on the other shore, and from his youth, he had considered himself part of the New Sacred Clan. Yet on the other shore, though he saw himself as a member of the New Sacred Clan just like the rest, he had suffered insult and oppression time and again. At first, he did not understand why. Only later did he realize it was because he had no powerful homeland behind him. Although he carried the title of the New Sacred Clan, his skin, his features, his stature, and his bloodline were different from those of other New Sacred Clansmen, and different from the Old Sacred Clan as well. He was a person of the Emperor Realm—a rootless race in the eyes of the other New Sacred Clansmen. He had never lived in the Emperor Realm, yet now it was as if he had returned to it, as if he were living here. Yet the afterglow would eventually fade; it was bound to come to an end. The multi-decked vessel pressed on, gradually arriving at the end of the afterglow. There, they caught their final glimpse of the Emperor Realm. A thirteen-tiered pagoda appeared in the zenith of the Emperor Realm, only half-visible, while qi of calamitous destiny and slaughter poured continuously from another universe into the Emperor Realm. This scene closely mirrored what Xu Ying had witnessed in the Zhao Realm. "Dao Master Luo's Heaven and Earth Elegance Pagoda." Zhangsun Shenghai exhaled a breath of turbid air and said, "The other shore transferred its calamitous destiny and destroyed my Emperor Realm. Sooner or later, this debt must be settled!" Xu Ying's eyes flashed, and he said, "But the other shore's power is too vast, its might too formidable. Uprooting the other shore is easier said than done." Zhangsun Shenghai turned to look at him. "Do you not want to eradicate the other shore?" Xu Ying said, "The other shore has long harbored intentions to annex the Three Realms, and the Three Realms are drawing ever closer to the other shore. In recent years, the other shore has also been searching for the Three Realms. A clash between my Three Realms and the other shore is inevitable." Zhangsun Shenghai said, "Even if the Three Realms were to surrender to the other shore, they would only meet the exact same end as the Emperor Realm in the future!" Xu Ying shook his head. "The Three Realms will never surrender. If they surrender, the new Dao patterns will be replaced, and there will be no chance ever to surpass the other shore. The Three Realms need time. If necessary, I will release the new Dao patterns upon the other shore and slaughter the people of the other shore." Zhangsun Shenghai looked deeply at him and said, "That is the Three Realms' ultimate measure. It must not be used lightly." The new Dao patterns ranked even above Principle Glyphs and Numinous Glyphs. Were such Dao patterns unleashed, the other shore would likely suffer a cataclysmic blow from which only a handful of powerful beings could survive. Yet such a world-destroying act was not to be deployed recklessly unless at a dire juncture. Xu Ying said, "Those who can truly decide victory and defeat are Immortals, True Kings, Dao Lords, Grand Dao Lords, and Dao Masters. And the Three Realms have far too few of them. Even counting Tianjing, we cannot compare to the other shore. We need more like-minded people." Zhangsun Shenghai said, "You mean we must unite and form an alliance?" Remembering the Dao Alliance, Xu Ying nodded gently and said, "We need to gather more people like you and me, band together to study Dao methods, and progress together. We must establish a Dao Alliance of our own!" Zhangsun Shenghai murmured, "A Dao Alliance of our own?" Xu Ying smiled. "Our Dao Alliance will select those from across the myriad universes who aspire to resist the other shore. For example, several junior brothers from the Taiyi Dao Sect—Qingxuan, Holy Venerable, Wukong, and Shi Tianyang—and from Tianjing, Zhuo Daochun." Zhangsun Shenghai frowned slightly. "All the people you just mentioned are disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect." Xu Ying froze. Only then did he realize that every single one of those aspiring to rebel against the other shore was currently, or had once been, a disciple of Grand Dao Lord Taiyi!