Chapter 1907: The First Emperor

The area was dead silent; everyone had been utterly subdued by that single voice.

The King of Yin Mountain slowly raised his head, a pair of turbid eyes visible beneath his bamboo hat. He coldly looked at the magnificent portal constructed from Yin energy.

The next moment, the Yin energy within surged outward continuously, forming one vague silhouette after another. These figures broke free from the portal and walked out before the crowd.

Every single one was a Great Yin Demon of intellect, radiating a hair-raising, terrifying aura. They were a notch stronger than the ninth-transformation Ghost Immortals brought along by the various factions, though far inferior to an existence of the King of Yin Mountain's caliber. However... they were numerous.

They emerged one after another, matching step for step until there were a total of twelve. Though their intellects were chaotic, they seemed to be controlled by some mysterious, divine power, standing frozen in place without moving an inch.

Several existences who possessed a deep understanding of the Underworld could guess the identity of the newcomer. Shock gripped their faces.

As the twelve ninth-transformation Great Underworld Demons assumed a protective formation before the portal, the churning Yin energy within grew increasingly terrifying. A colossal figure, nearly as massive as the portal itself, slowly broke free and stepped out.

He was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and wore an imperial crown with twelve hanging tassels. The black strings of jade beads swayed gently in the wind. Beneath the imperial crown was an exceedingly majestic face. His eyes swept around domineeringly. He carried the aura of a supreme ruler, exuding the overwhelming presence of one who stood at the very pinnacle of authority. It was as though not a single person before him was worthy of attention.

Xie Aman's expression was exceptionally strange. "To think that this person is actually still alive..."

Fang Chen's brows furrowed. He sent a voice transmission and asked, "Eldest Senior Sister, what is this person's background?"

"This is the first emperor of the Black Sun Empire. Back during the chaotic era of the Three Realms, he had already fallen in battle at the hands of the Demon Race. For countless years, there has been absolutely no news of him. Everyone believed he was dead. After all, no matter how powerful an existence is, everyone turns into a wandering soul after death. And wandering souls... have a very difficult time surviving in the Underworld. The Underworld back then possessed no order whatsoever. It seems that... the first emperor of the Black Sun Empire had indeed died, but he secretly cultivated within the Underworld. He might not be any weaker than he had been during his peak."

Xie Aman's explanation gave Fang Chen a rough, general understanding of what the first emperor had experienced when he arrived at the Nine Realms. He recognized this face. Back when the Old Master ascended to the Saint position, this individual had materialized alongside Saint Jinyang.

"Half Saint Jinwu ... If he still exists in this world, perhaps the Half Saints from the era of the Nether Ruins remain as well, just with different identities than before."

Thoughts surged in Fang Chen's mind. He could deduce that the original Half Saint Jinwu was indeed dead, and he had undergone one or more reincarnations within the Nine Realms. Naturally, after reincarnation, his Supreme Bones had vanished, making it difficult to follow the path of the Saint Canon. He had been left with no choice but to walk the Immortal Path of the Nine Realms.

"This individual doesn't seem to have reached the level of a half-step Heavenly Dao. He was once a Half-Saint, so his horizons are naturally different. He likely knows that once someone reaches the level of a half-step Heavenly Dao, their only final option is to manifest as the Heavenly Dao itself. In the eyes of cultivators who lived through the era of the Underworld Ruins... that path is a dead end."

Fang Chen began to understand why the number of half-step Heavenly Dao powerhouses in this world was not particularly large. If those powerful figures from the era of the Nether Ruins quietly cultivated within the Nine Realms after their reincarnations, then their goal must be the Saint Canon's path. Only by doing so could they condense an Inner Domain of their own, rely on its continuous Limit Breaking power, and ultimately achieve Sainthood.

Once the Ghost Immortal of the Black Sun Empire recognized Half Saint Jinwu, astonishment flashed through his eyes. He immediately led the contingent of Ghost Immortals behind him to salute in unison."We pay our respects to the first emperor!"

"You do not need to bow to me. You are of the Demon Race, and I am of the Human Race. Even if you carry my bloodline, I will not acknowledge you."

Half Saint Jinwu did not give these fellows an ounce of face. Ignoring how unsightly their expressions became, his gaze swept across the crowd before locking onto the King of Yin Mountain. "You have stood on the wrong side, King of Yin Mountain. This emperor shall give you one more chance to choose anew."

The King of Yin Mountain smiled. "first emperor of the Black Sun Empire, do you also wish to become Monarch Yan? I am afraid this position does not suit you."

"If it doesn't suit me, does it suit a disciple of the Fang Clan?"

The first emperor of the Black Sun Empire's gaze pierced layer upon layer of void until it landed on Fang Chen.

Meanwhile, Fang Chen vaguely felt a heavy, crushing pressure descend upon his body. However, as Abbess Qinghe and Xie Aman simultaneously stepped forward to shield him, this pressure was instantly dissolved.

The First Emperor of the Black Sun cast a slightly surprised look at Abbess Qinghe, then stared at Fang Chen and sneered. "I have no objections to whosoever becomes Monarch Yan in this world, but it just so happens that they cannot bear the surname Fang."

"Cannot bear the surname Fang?"

The expressions of the Ghost Immortals from various factions shifted slightly, searching their memories for information connected to the surname Fang. Unfortunately, after searching for a long while, they recalled nothing useful.

Fang Chen concluded that Half Saint Jinwu had not recognized him, but he clearly remembered his deep-seated enmity with the Fang Clan. At the same time, he also noticed that the King of Yin Mountain's expression had fluctuated slightly following the first emperor's words.

Fang Chen's mind stirred. Could the King of Yin Mountain also be a figure from the era of the Nether Ruins? Has he already guessed my origins?

If that were the case, the King of Yin Mountain's pledge of allegiance made sense. Anyone who knew the history of the Nether Ruins knew that the Fang Clan had once produced a Saint. A Saint was an exceptionally rare existence throughout the successive eras of the Human Race. Therefore, in the eyes of most cultivators from the Nether Ruins era, Fang Chen's background would undoubtedly place him among the absolute highest echelon. It was similar to Lang Daochun's status within the God Race back then.

"What his surname is has nothing to do with you. State your purpose today. Are you standing on the side of the Human Race, or on the side of the Demon and Demonic Beast Races?" the King of Yin Mountain asked calmly.

The first emperor of the Black Sun Empire sneered. "I stand on no one's side."

A sharp glint flashed through his eyes as he glanced at the Eighteen Heavens Prison Tower hanging in midair.

"This Eighteen Heavens Prison Tower belongs to me. All of you, retreat. That includes you, little Monarch Yan surnamed Fang."

As he addressed Fang Chen, a trace of mockery surfaced in his eyes. "The current Fang Clan is not what it once was. No one can act as your backing. If you do not hand over the Monarch Yan Seal today, I fear you will find it difficult to leave unscathed."

The King of Yin Mountain snorted coldly. "Presumptuous."

He suddenly took off his bamboo hat and flung it toward the first emperor of the Black Sun.

The seemingly ordinary bamboo hat expanded rapidly against the wind. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into an enormous temple and descended upon the first emperor of the Black Sun Empire.

Fang Chen's expression shifted. Five Viscera Temple? This individual is... from the lineage of Saint Chenxiang?

The Ghost Immortals of the various factions also sensed the terrifying power hidden within the temple and retreated one after another. Even the mindless Great Yin Demons nearby became restless and agitated.