Chapter 502 - 500: The Arrival of the Emperor’s Throne

"A Red Fire Qilin!" The sight of the beast moved and astonished many people.

The Red Fire Qilin was not a true Divine Beast, but it was a descendant of the Qilin and carried a trace of the Qilin Bloodline. Thus, when the Red Fire Qilin stood above the Nine Heavens, it made many people’s hearts tremble.

The aura emanating from this Red Fire Qilin was enough to make even a Saint Venerable shudder. That domineering presence which looked down upon the Nine Heavens was no act; it truly possessed a power that instilled fear in others.

For the past twenty to thirty thousand years, no one knew when such an Auspicious Beast had suddenly appeared in the Ghost Sacred Realm. After its appearance, it would show up from time to time in various parts of the Ghost Sacred Realm, making a home in each region for several years.

An Auspicious Beast with the bloodline of a Divine Beast—such a creature was coveted by all. Since the Red Fire Qilin’s appearance, countless people had chased after it, but none had ever succeeded. Even a Saint Emperor who personally took action failed to subdue it. Later, even some reclusive Elder Ancestors couldn’t sit still and tried to capture it, but the Red Fire Qilin always managed to evade them.

Later, a legend began to circulate in the Ghost Sacred Realm: the Red Fire Qilin was a descendant of a Divine Beast, and only a future Immortal Emperor could possibly subdue it. Only a future Immortal Emperor could make it willingly become their mount.

"Look, it’s the Emperor!" At this moment, someone with sharp eyes spotted a person sitting on the Red Fire Qilin’s back and couldn’t help but cry out.

Everyone looked up to see a young man seated on the Red Fire Qilin’s back. He sat there, shouldering the blue sky, and his presence seemed to freeze the moment in time.

The young man wasn’t exceptionally handsome, but his eyes were like Divine Pupils that could see through all of eternity. With his hair loose over his shoulders, he exuded a vast Emperor’s Qi. There was nothing contrived about it; the Emperor’s Qi emanated from him naturally.

What was even more intimidating was the Golden Gate that appeared behind him. This Golden Gate was like a Divine Sect opening the path to the Heaven and Earth Dao. The entire Golden Gate emitted an immortal aura, making the Emperor himself seem even more suffused with an immortal Emperor’s Breath!

Emperor, the heir to the Ten Thousand Bones Throne, a legend of the Ghost Sacred Realm, and the pride of the Ghost Race! As one of the Three Heroes of the Netherworld, Emperor’s fame far surpassed that of Tian Lunhui and Chan Yang.

Although they were all among the Three Heroes of the Netherworld and came from incredibly illustrious backgrounds, Emperor was different from Tian Lunhui and Chan Yang. It was undeniable that the talent, effort, and Dao Practice of Tian Lunhui and Chan Yang were not necessarily inferior to Emperor’s.

However, one could say that Tian Lunhui and Chan Yang were both born with a golden key in their mouths, destined for greatness from birth! Tian Lunhui was identified as the reincarnation of an Immortal Emperor at birth, while Chan Yang was chosen by the Ancestral Realm in his youth.

From birth, they were destined to dazzle the world and reach the apex.

Emperor’s achievements and glory today were earned mostly through his own hard work. Admittedly, coming from the Ten Thousand Bones Throne certainly meant one was extraordinary, but Emperor was not the only genius there. For a young Emperor, life was full of competition.

In the end, Emperor proved his worth with his own talent, effort, and strength, ascending to the position of heir to the Ten Thousand Bones Throne and intimidating the world.

Emperor once fought his way across the world, challenged his limits, and forged his reputation in blood.

At ten, he defeated a Prince. At fifteen, he bested an Ancient Saint. At eighteen, with an invincible aura, he brought a great nation to its knees, slaughtering its people until rivers of blood flowed. He swept aside all-powerful enemies and moved freely even amidst a million-strong iron cavalry. In the end, the nation disintegrated at his hands. Such a battle record would be a source of pride in any era.

Tian Lunhui and Chan Yang were figures of legend, shrouded in the halos of their extraordinary births. Emperor, however, had fought a bloody battle for every step he took, forging his reputation with his own blood.

Compared to Tian Lunhui and Chan Yang, Emperor’s power felt more real and intimidating. That was why in the Ghost Sacred Realm, many people, whether young or old, respectfully addressed him as Emperor.

"The legendary Emperor Sect! Legend has it that when the Emperor of Ten Thousand Bones was young and reached a certain level of cultivation, he also had such an Emperor Sect. It is a symbol of his clan comprehending the Supreme Dao." Countless people were moved by the sight of the Golden Gate behind Emperor.

The Emperor of Ten Thousand Bones was the founder of the Ten Thousand Bones Throne and the first Immortal Emperor of the Ghost Race. He came from a major clan within the Ghost Race. When members of that clan comprehended the Supreme Dao, a Golden Gate would appear behind them. Therefore, this Golden Gate was a supreme symbol. Possessing such a Golden Gate meant one had a chance to reach the apex in the future, and perhaps even become an Immortal Emperor!

Emperor’s arrival caused quite a commotion. Countless people craned their necks to get a better look. Even Tian Lunhui, who was within the colossal lands of the Ten Thousand Ancient Country, immediately stood up.

"Emperor!" Seeing Emperor’s arrival, heirs of Emperor Immortal Gates like Saint Child Ji Que and the Ghost Insect Demon Child couldn’t remain seated. Watching Emperor from a distance, their hearts couldn’t help but sink.

Saint Child Ji Que and the Ghost Insect Demon Child were both heirs of Emperor Immortal Gates, geniuses among geniuses. They too had put in immense effort to become the heirs of their respective sects.

One could say that figures like Saint Child Ji Que and the Ghost Insect Demon Child would not lose to just anyone. It was rare for anyone to make them lower their arrogant heads.

But upon seeing Emperor, both Saint Child Ji Que and the Ghost Insect Demon Child’s expressions dimmed. The moment they saw him, they knew there was a huge gap between them and Emperor. No matter how conceited they were, they had to admit they were indeed his inferior.

In fact, lowering one’s arrogant head before Emperor was nothing to be ashamed of. In the Ghost Sacred Realm, countless proud geniuses had sighed in admiration and lowered their arrogant heads after meeting Emperor.

Tian Lunhui stood upon the colossal land, gazing at Emperor from afar. His eyes were incredibly profound. Tian Lunhui himself was shrouded in mystery, but his eyes were terrifying. It was as if the sun and moon were extinguished and reborn, as if the entire universe was constantly reincarnating within them.

Upon seeing Emperor, even Tian Lunhui’s expression turned grave. As one of the Three Heroes of the Netherworld, Emperor was indeed a formidable opponent for Tian Lunhui.

Although the Three Heroes of the Netherworld had never had a falling out, and there were no reports of them ever coming to blows, there were, in fact, rumors that the three of them were on good terms.

However, the three of them knew very well that the path to the Celestial Mandate was destined to be cruel. There could only be one Celestial Mandate. Sooner or later, the Three Heroes of the Netherworld would have to face each other in a decisive battle. Therefore, all three—Emperor included—regarded each other as their strongest rivals!

"The Emperor actually managed to subdue the Red Fire Qilin." Seeing Emperor seated high on the Red Fire Qilin’s back, not just the younger generation, but even the older generation were shocked and full of admiration.

Ever since the Red Fire Qilin appeared in the Ghost Sacred Realm, no one had been able to subdue it. How could it not be shocking that Emperor had now succeeded?

"The Emperor is a Young Immortal Emperor. It’s not surprising that he could subdue the Red Fire Qilin. Besides, with its Divine Beast Bloodline, the Red Fire Qilin knows what kind of master to choose." Even some Sect Leaders couldn’t help but applaud and sigh in admiration.

BOOM! With a loud bang, the Red Fire Qilin took a step into the void, instantly appearing above the Qianli River’s encampment. The Qilin’s monstrous aura immediately alerted the Elders of the Qianli River within the camp, and they all rushed out at once.

The Qianli River was an Emperor Immortal Gate. Even though it was a sect with only one emperor, Qianli Immortal Emperor still held an immortal reputation in the present age. The Qianli River sect absolutely held a formidable position in the Ghost Sacred Realm.

And yet, today, Emperor rode the Red Fire Qilin and stepped directly into the airspace above the Qianli River encampment. How domineering was this? How utterly fearless?

Emperor’s actions made the countless people gathered outside the First Evil Tomb exchange glances. The cultivators of the Ghost Race, in particular, felt their spirits lift.

"A fight’s about to break out!" a cultivator couldn’t help but mutter. Many people grew excited, and the Ghost Race cultivators, in particular, couldn’t resist surging over to watch the show.

Everyone knew that a few days ago, Li Qiye had single-handedly slaughtered tens of thousands of Ghost Race cultivators, and in the end, even the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady had been forced to flee in defeat.

This battle had been a great source of frustration for the Ghost Race. Li Qiye had massacred their people and soundly defeated the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady. This was, without a doubt, a huge slap in the face, a great loss of honor for the Ghost Race.

Before this, how many members of the Ghost Race had looked down on the Human Race? The Netherworld was the domain of the Ghost Race. Back then, so many of them had boasted that they would kill Li Qiye, yet the result was a bloodbath at his hands. How could this not be a great loss of face for the Ghost Race?

After that battle, no one dared to challenge Li Qiye anymore. Even the heirs of Emperor Immortal Gates like the Ghost Insect Demon Child and Saint Child Ji Que were extremely cautious and didn’t dare to issue a challenge lightly.

After this battle, everyone understood that Li Qiye was on a level approaching the Three Heroes of the Netherworld. Without sufficient strength, challenging him was simply seeking death.

Now, Emperor was riding the Red Fire Qilin, stepping into the sky above the Qianli River’s camp. The meaning behind this act was self-evident. All the Ghost Race members couldn’t help but feel excited. Their race could finally redeem its honor! Everyone was waiting to see the Emperor cut down Li Qiye.

"Where is Li Qiye?" Emperor sat upon the Red Fire Qilin’s back, high above in the Nine Heavens, looking down upon the Qianli River’s camp. His voice traveled far and wide. To issue a challenge in the airspace above their camp was an incredibly domineering move.

"May I ask what business Fellow Daoist Emperor has with us?" Despite Emperor’s overbearing presence, the Treasure Turtle Daoist remained good-natured and replied with a smile.

Seated high in the Nine Heavens, Emperor’s voice was deep and powerful, like that of a Divine Being. He said, "Have Li Qiye come out and fight. A duel to decide the victor, to the death!"

A life-and-death duel! Emperor’s words traveled far. Hearing this, many people sucked in a sharp breath. This was the most serious type of duel between cultivators.

A life-and-death duel was a way for cultivators to settle all grievances. It was a one-on-one battle, and the loser, if killed, could only blame their own lack of skill.

In a duel like this, even if someone was killed, their sect would generally not seek revenge. To do so would be to invite the ridicule of the world.