Chapter 497: One Year, The Emperor Road Opens, Misty Ocean

As time flew by, a year had pa.s.sed.

In a mountain range within the Black Heaven Sect’s territory.

The Daoists were training diligently.

They were now fighting Chu Kuangren, or more precisely, they were fighting Chu Kuangren’s sword qi clone.

It was the same method as the previous brutal training regime.

The Daoists had suffered through the familiar routine for a year now.

Although it was gruesome, they had seen significant improvements in their abilities.

Each of the Daoists was now formidable warriors of their own, capable of defending themselves against a Sage Ruler opponent. With the help of some treasure, perhaps they could even defend themselves from a Boundary Emperor.

As for Chu Kuangren, his abilities had progressed substantially as well.

For the past year, Chu Kuangren had been visiting the Forbidden Areas of Firmament Star, sparring with the Boundary Emperors that resided within. As such, he had reached a deeper level of understanding towards his Dao.

Chu Kuangren had also acquired a decent amount of items from the daily gacha, in which he reserved part of it for his personal use and dedicated the rest to the Black Heaven Sect.

The Black Heaven Sect was now unparalleled in Firmament Star in terms of the number of strong cultivators and resources.

In fact, Chu Kuangren dared to wager that even the past ancient orthodoxies of the Nine Heavens would not possess a greater amount of resources than the Black Heaven Sect.

All the Black Heaven Sect lacked was an Emperor before it could consider itself an emperor orthodoxy!

“Looks like the Emperor Road is opening any time now.”

Chu Kuangren murmured while standing above an enormous jade ore.

He then casually released a surge of sword qi, which transformed into another clone that joined the Daoists’ battle.

Already overpowered by one sword qi clone, the Daoists whined incessantly as they stared at Chu Kuangren in discontent.

“Sect Leader’s abilities are getting increasingly perverse. Our combined power is supposedly capable of defeating a Seven-Step Sage Ruler, yet we’re defenseless against even one of his sword qi clones. How strong do you think Sect Leader has gotten?”

Nangong Huang said. It was after the training, and the Daoists were sitting cross-knee on the ground.

The rest were just as puzzled.

They had posed the question to Chu Kuangren before as well. However, Chu Kuangren insisted that he was still within the Sage Realm.

The Daoists had always rolled their eyes at that answer.

Even the Boundary Emperors of the Forbidden Area held Chu Kuangren at the highest regard, yet Chu Kuangren insisted that he was merely a Sage?!

Who would believe that?!

“Could it be that he’s an Emperor already?” Shang Qingxue asked curiously.

“Impossible. The Emperor Road isn’t open yet.”

Nangong Huang, Murong Xuan, and the other Daoists were chatting away.

Meanwhile, Chu Kuangren merely smiled as he listened from the side.

He looked upon the sky and muttered, “Is it true that no one can become an Emperor in the Era of Dharma’s End? Is the Emperor Road the only way?”

It was a question that had been bugging him in the past year.

Chu Kuangren did not lie to the Daoists because, strictly speaking, he was indeed just a Sage. However, Chu Kuangren was a Supreme Sage who had found his Dao just like the Boundary Emperors, and his combat abilities were stronger than those of most Boundary Emperors.

Chu Kuangren was one of the very few who had managed to attain such a state in history.

Compared to most cultivators, Chu Kuangren’s cultivation journey was… atypical.

“Never mind. I’ll figure this out along the way.”

Chu Kuangren shook his head and chuckled.

He thought he should prioritize becoming an Emperor first.

A few days later.

A strange ripple of energy unfolded within Firmament Star.

Sensing the abrupt change, the great ones immediately looked for the source of the energy.

Then, a majestic golden pillar shot up from the Misty Ocean — one of the Ten Great Forbidden Areas in Firmament Star — unraveling powerful spatial energy in the region.

“The Emperor Road is open!”

“Is that the Misty Ocean?!”

“Why is it there? That’s one of the Ten Great Forbidden Areas.”

“The Misty Ocean is characterized by its contemptuous and unforgiving torrents and is resided by countless oceanic beasts. A natural force field forbids any cultivator from traveling into the region by air. If the Emperor Road has appeared there, I’m afraid not even a Sage Ruler will have an easy time entering the road, what more for those sky-prides.”

The great ones discussed as they were in great disbelief at where the entrance of the Emperor Road had appeared.

In the Black Heaven Sect.

Chu Kuangren stared in the Misty Ocean’s direction and said, “It’s finally open.”

“Brother, can I please follow you?”

A young teenage girl was staring at Chu Kuangren with reluctance.

She was the G.o.dly Phoenix.

The G.o.dly Phoenix morphed into this form after pa.s.sing its heavenly tribulation.

Chu Kuangren patted her head and said, “Apart from myself, you’re the strongest being in the Black Heaven Sect now. The Boundary Emperors of the Forbidden Areas may seem trustworthy, but who knows whether they might pull off any trickery once I leave for the Emperor Road? I’m less worried if I know you’re here.”

“Alright then, Brother, I shall stay here and look after the Black Heaven Sect,” Lil Red said.

The Black Heaven Sect was home to Chu Kuangren and the G.o.dly Phoenix. Although it now boasted a rich amount of resources, it still needed a formidable warrior to look after the place.

Apart from Chu Kuangren, the G.o.dly Phoenix was the most qualified to be in this position.

Outside the Longevity Hall.

The Daoists had gathered.

Chu Kuangren and Lan Yu were both approaching the group.

Looking at the well-dressed Daoists before them, Chu Kuangren inhaled deeply and said, “The Emperor Road is open. Apart from the sky-prides of Firmament Star, the others from the Underworld Demonic Realm and the Nine Heavens will also show up. No one knows what we’ll encounter during our journey, and we expect danger to abound. If any of you wish to quit, now’s the time.”

“Sect Leader, haven’t we prepared for a year just for this moment?”

“That’s right. We’ve long made our decisions.”

None of the sky-prides were willing to forgo this opportunity.

Chu Kuangren had also foreseen their responses. “Very well, then let’s get started.”

Chu Kuangren lifted his hand and summoned the Illusive Mirage.

The group embarked on the enormous Illusive Mirage before it proceeded to set sail towards the Misty Ocean.

Meanwhile, just outside the Misty Ocean.

Countless cultivators congregated as they stared at the enormous golden pillar with envy.

It was the entrance of the Emperor Road!

Many cultivators could not contain the excitement of witnessing the Emperor Road, which had vanished for more than a hundred thousand years.

“Although the Emperor Road has appeared, how are we supposed to enter into the Misty Ocean?”

“Indeed. Even Sage Rulers would be wary of traversing into the Misty Ocean. Are we doomed to only stare at this opportunity from afar?”

“I don’t care. The Emperor Road is just before us. I must give it a shot even if it costs me my life.”

Many cultivators began placing their Fairy boats on the water.

The Misty Ocean was covered in a force field that forbade any cultivators from entering through the air, so the only option was to enter with their Fairy boats. However, since it could not be used to glide across air, the Fairy boats were just like any ordinary boat.

As the cultivators entered the Misty Ocean, it was not long before they heard the chilling growls that echoed within the mists.

A ferocious oceanic beast appeared from the ocean, toppling the Fairy boats and forcing the cultivators to jump overboard into the ocean. In split seconds, they were dragged by an unknown force down into the depths, never to be heard again.

The other cultivators gulped in fear as they watched the entire scene unfold from the sh.o.r.e.