A towering aura surged straight into the sky, blanketing the entire world.
In that instant, all laws retreated; the stars of the heavens began to shift and evolve across the firmament.
From the distant edge of the heavens, a man in a black robe walked slowly forward, it was as if he bore the weight of the heavens on his shoulders and tread upon the wheels of reincarnation.
Spiritforce surged joyfully around him, and the laws themselves clashed and resonated at his sides.
In that moment, it was as though the sun and moon lost their brilliance, heaven and earth changed color, in everyone’s eyes, there was only this man.
He seemed to have emerged from the ancient desolation, transcending time and space, bringing with him an overwhelming, unparalleled sense of dominance.
His black robe rippled in the windless sky, and in his eyes, all the cycles of the cosmos were unfolding.
A mysterious aura clung to his being, invisible and intangible, yet utterly perceptible.
It felt as though this aura had fused him with heaven and earth themselves. He was no longer just a creature within this world, he was one with it.
“This is…” the Divine Blood Lord looked at the man walking out of the ancient void, and his expression turned solemn.
“How is this possible? The Heaven's Will hasn’t even formed yet.”
He kept shaking his head. Others might not understand what they were witnessing, but he did.
He had seen this with his own eyes before, during the battle where he was defeated, he had seen Grand Emperor Heng Yu ascend by bearing the Heaven's Will.
Now, that same scene unfolded again before him. And the feeling this man gave him was exactly the same as Grand Emperor Heng Yu back then.
Though they were so alike, the Divine Blood Lord still didn’t want to accept it.
The Heaven's Will wasn’t complete yet, how could a new Grand Emperor exist?
If this was a returning Grand Emperor from a past era, the cost would have been astronomical, but this man didn’t seem to match any known one.
The Divine Blood Lord could only sense that this person was like a dense fog, impossible to see through, and the pressure he radiated was overwhelming.
…
The God Emperor only took a few steps to cross the void. Walking on the laws themselves, he arrived atop Divine Blood Mountain.
“May I ask your name, senior?” the Divine Blood Lord cautiously asked.
“My title was lost long ago… even I, the Emperor, have nearly forgotten it,” the God Emperor said quietly. “But ever since I bore the Heaven's Will, the world has called me God Emperor. You may do the same.”
“God… Emperor…” the Divine Blood Lord’s face changed, his expression growing heavier.
The legend of the three Grand Emperors descending to slay the God Emperor was well known throughout the Primordial Heartlands. He was regarded as the first Grand Emperor to fall in known history.
But now, the God Emperor stood before him, and countless images raced through the Divine Blood Lord’s mind.
His throat trembled, but he couldn’t form a single word.
The appearance of a Grand Emperor would mean the Primordial Heartlands was about to change, utterly.
A new Heaven's Will had yet to form, yet an old Grand Emperor had returned. The Divine Blood Lord felt like the heavens themselves had become unfathomable.
“What brings the God Emperor to our Blood Race?” the Divine Blood Lord asked.
At this point, there was no room to back down. If the God Emperor had truly recovered, destroying the Blood Race would take mere seconds.
And even he could not stop that. The Divine Blood Lord knew full well what kind of being a Grand Emperor truly was.
“You could say I owe your Blood Race for helping me recover,” the God Emperor replied calmly.
“I don’t understand,” said the Divine Blood Lord, shaking his head.
“You don’t need to,” the God Emperor said. “I came this time to deal with an internal matter in your race.”
“Please speak plainly,” the Divine Blood Lord said, glancing at the eight Elders, his mind racing with guesses.
In the God Emperor’s past, he had tried to dominate the Primordial Heartlands, that had led to the three Grand Emperors descending to kill him.
The Divine Blood Lord wasn’t sure if he was trying to rise again.
“In the past, someone from your Blood Race did me a great favor. I’m here to return it,” the God Emperor said calmly.
As soon as he spoke, the Blood Race burst into uproar.
Especially the eight Elders, their expressions eased. If this was about repaying a favor, then it was manageable.
The gratitude of a Grand Emperor, that was priceless beyond measure.
But the Divine Blood Lord remained stoic, his brow furrowing.
He sensed danger, this didn’t feel like a simple visit.
“May I ask, who in our race are you repaying?” the Divine Blood Lord asked.
“It’s me,” Shi Yan stood up and spoke.
The moment he did, the eight Elders’ expressions darkened instantly.
The Divine Blood Lord didn’t yet know the full story, but judging by the reaction, it was clearly complicated.
“Ancestor, he’s a member of the Divine Blood Lineage,” the Grand Elder said quietly.
“He’s the one who stole the Myriad Dao Red Lotus.”
“God Emperor,” Shi Yan bowed to him respectfully, “please let me speak my request. You said you’d help me fulfill it.”
The God Emperor nodded. “Name it.”
Shi Yan looked around at the crowd, at the diverse expressions of the Blood Race members.
His gaze settled on the eight Elders. He smiled slightly and then declared, word by word: “I want to be the supreme ruler of the Blood Race.”
“That’s impossible!” several of the Elders immediately objected.
The Blood Race disciples on the mountain were all shocked, the area erupting in debate.
“Shi Yan, you should know, our Blood Race has never had a single ruler. We are led by eight Elders!”
“You were born of our clan, do you really have no loyalty? No regard for our traditions?”
“You think you’re qualified to lead us? What gives you the right to demand this?”
As the Elders flailed between protest and threat, Shi Yan said calmly:
“You don’t need to worry about anything else. But as for the position of Patriarch, I will have it.”
The Divine Blood Lord turned to look at the God Emperor, he knew the decision lay with him.
The God Emperor didn’t respond immediately, he simply looked at the Divine Blood Lord with interest, waiting for his answer.
“How about this,” the Divine Blood Lord offered, “we add a ninth Elder position for you. That way, everyone is satisfied. What do you say?”
“I don’t want anything else, only the position of Patriarch,” Shi Yan replied flatly.
“In that case,” the God Emperor said, “you have two choices, submit to him, or face annihilation.”
“I’d rather die than recognize that man as my master!” the Third Elder shouted.
The words had barely left his mouth when the God Emperor pointed his finger, before he could resist, his True Fate and God-Soul were obliterated instantly.
“I don’t care either way. Destroying a race might cost me a few nails on my fingers,” the God Emperor said lightly. “You know, back then, I used to crush entire imperial lineages. This would be nothing.”
Only then did the Blood Race members finally realize...
This man standing before them wasn’t here to negotiate.
He was the same madman who once sought to dominate the entire world.
And now, every eye in the Blood Race turned to the Divine Blood Lord.