Chapter 508.1: Demise of the Emperor (2/2)

The imperial uncle dropped to his knees and kowtowed resoundingly in the direction Zhao Changkong had left in.

“What just happened?” someone asked in befuddlement. The Ingress Path was the greatest treasure of Nephrite Major, and the greatest weapon wielded by her celestial emperors throughout history.

However, it’d seemed like Zhao Changkong was marching to his death just now.

“Activating the Ingress Path requires the power of Nephrite’s heavenly mandate. Zhao Changkong hasn’t plucked all nine of his origin dao fruits, so he can’t activate the treasure at will.” Crimson light dissipated from Art Saint’s eyes and he sighed with lamentation. “There’s only one way for him to call upon the heavenly mandate—soul sacrifice.

“That was Zhao Changkong sacrificing himself. He’s… dead.”

Art Saint’s body trembled slightly as he stared at the great dragon in the sky.

“I’d thought that Zhao Changkong was a selfish, petty man, but when push came to shove in the face of the greater good, he gave up his life with no hesitation whatsoever...” Zither Saint sighed as well. “Zhao Fengyang didn’t make the wrong choice, nor were Chen Xiao and Qing Buyi wrong in their assessment of him.”

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a black zither and took a seat, drawing forth strains of wistful song from its strings.

……

In an ancient, nameless land somewhere.

Zhao Fengyang’s eyes shot open, tears streaking down his face.

“My son, you protected the people and stayed true to your duties in the end...”

Rumble!

The dark land bereft of a sun trembled as a scarlet hand shot out from the ground. There seemed to be a giant trying to break out.

Nine peak origin dao immortals rose at the same time, assembling a strange formation to push the giant hand back.

“Kekekeke… How long do you bugs think you can keep me underground? The day this seat breaks out of this seal is the day I tear you nine into pieces.”

……

Zhao Changkong was dead. He’d sacrificed his flesh and blood, along with his soul, the moment he entered the Ingress Path.

The Nephrite heavenly mandate had flared with light and activated the Ingress Path, propelling it into Scarlet Ape and Kui with the last of Zhao Changkong’s will.

The two beasts were completely preoccupied by their fight.

Scarlet Ape would spare no effort to protect human territory. In fact, there would be nothing better than if Azure Province was crushed and Nephrite Major greatly weakened. Naturally, it didn’t know that the newly-formed bronze palace would fall apart as soon as the earthen veins of Azure Province were destroyed, either.

Given some time, the palace would stabilize and the interment of heaven and earth would become part of the world. Then the grand influence of the palace would keep the province protected. Not even a resurrected great emperor from the human dao era would be able to damage the earthen veins then.

Meanwhile, Kui’s sole purpose was to kill the ape standing in its way and take the Yi Wood Cleansing Thunder for itself.

Neither of them pulled their punches as they fought on the heavily scarred land.

Bam!

Suddenly, a white path descended from the sky and slammed into the two beasts.

“The Ingress Path!!” Scarlet Ape growled at the same time as the zombie Kui roared.

Under the great might of the Ingress Path, the two beasts didn’t have any time to react before they were knocked straight into the East Sea.

A mushroom cloud arose from over the sea’s horizon after some time.