Chương 150: The Eldest Senior Brother of Falling Emperor Mountain (Part 15)

In the Nangong Clan, Su Chen awoke. He had come within a hair's breadth of reincarnation.

"The Nine Innate Supreme Treasures… the bronze ancient hall… the Book of the Dead…" Scenes from the Ancient Tomb Forbidden Zone flooded his mind. That place was even more terrifying than the Demon Abyss Forbidden Zone. Even a Quasi-Emperor wielding a supreme Emperor Weapon had met certain death inside. Su Chen had no idea how many powerhouses still lurked within the Ancient Tomb Forbidden Zone. The two emperor corpses he had witnessed might not have been the limit.

There could be more—remains of other Great Emperors, perhaps even fragments of supreme Emperor Weapons still preserved.

"Old man… what a pity." Su Chen recovered from his injuries, left the Nangong Clan, and returned to Falling Emperor Mountain. Falling Emperor Mountain had changed beyond recognition. Once, it had been a Great Emperor orthodoxy, guarded by a contemporary Quasi-Emperor, protected by the supreme Emperor Weapon left behind by the Desolate Ruins Great Emperor, and home to five prodigious disciples. Now, only Su Chen remained. Second Senior Sister Ye Jinghong had tried to kill him and had been killed by him in return.

Third Senior Brother Su Yanbai had chosen betrayal, joined the Black Nether Demon Domain, and perished body and soul in the Ancient Tomb Forbidden Zone. Fourth Senior Brother Ji Changkong had sealed himself in the divine source, waging one final desperate struggle against the consciousness of the Innate Holy Spirit. Fifth Junior Sister Xiao Qianling had died by Su Chen's own hand.

And Master—the master of Falling Emperor Mountain—had carried the supreme Emperor Weapon into the Ancient Tomb Forbidden Zone to rescue Su Chen, only to remain there forever.

"Little Chen, you're back. Now, Falling Emperor Mountain truly has only you left." A small black-and-gold loach, covered in wounds, crawled out from beneath the lotus platform. Its voice was filled with sorrow. Only Su Chen remained of Falling Emperor Mountain's people. But there was still one who was not human. Su Chen frowned.

"Senior Long Qiu, who injured you?" Long Qiu replied, "I don't know. Ever since that old thing never came out of the Ancient Tomb Forbidden Zone, powerhouses have kept sneaking into Falling Emperor Mountain, trying to steal its inheritance. Some I ate. Some I drove away. I managed to protect the inheritance of Falling Emperor Mountain. But they all say Falling Emperor Mountain has fallen. Little Chen… do you think Falling Emperor Mountain has really fallen?"

Facing Long Qiu's question, Su Chen answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Falling Emperor Mountain has not fallen. As long as I, Nangong Chen, still live, the inheritance of Falling Emperor Mountain will never be severed!" That was his vow. Long Qiu laughed—a genuine, delighted laugh. He rose to his full height and bowed deeply.

"Long Qiu pays respects to the new master of Falling Emperor Mountain." The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Su Chen assumed control of Falling Emperor Mountain. In the past, Falling Emperor Mountain had been a colossal force. Now it was in decline. Though it still possessed a Great Emperor inheritance, it no longer had an Emperor Weapon to guard it. That made it an irresistible prize—especially when the only Great Saint left on the entire mountain was Long Qiu.

A Great Saint was powerful. But among the forces qualified to covet Falling Emperor Mountain's inheritance, how many lacked Great Saints of their own? Su Chen resumed his path of cultivation. His lifespan was running out. Yet he possessed the bronze ancient lamp. The bronze ancient lamp could absorb the life essence of others and convert it for its own use.

Combined with a talent that ranked as the greatest in the Azure Nether Dao Domain in ten thousand years, in less than a thousand years, Su Chen broke through to the Saint King realm. During those thousand years, numerous forces had coveted Falling Emperor Mountain's inheritance. But with the Nangong Clan standing behind him and Long Qiu the Great Saint at his side, no one dared act unless a Quasi-Emperor personally intervened. And so Falling Emperor Mountain remained untouchable.

In this era, as Fang Bubai grew stronger, breaking through became increasingly difficult. The Quasi-Emperors who had shone in previous golden ages either died of old age or sealed themselves in divine source, leaving behind one last foundation for their orthodoxies. Su Chen refused to seal himself away. This era could still give birth to Quasi-Emperors. Even in a golden great era, his current qualifications were not yet sufficient to prove the Dao and become an Emperor.

Even so, the name Nangong Chen had already become the nightmare of an entire generation. Countless prodigies emerged like carp leaping across the river. Yet not one could surpass this monument. On the peaks of Falling Emperor Mountain stood countless graves—tombs of heaven's chosen who had once challenged Su Chen. Each one added to Falling Emperor Mountain's fearsome reputation. Falling Emperor Mountain reopened its gates. Though it lacked a Quasi-Emperor foundation, it remained one of the top orthodoxies.

It drew countless geniuses who wished to join. The mountain gate stood open once more. Long Qiu coiled himself around a stone pillar.

"Nangong Chen, you should have been born in a golden great era… In this age, your talent is far too wasted." Long Qiu could sense that in a few more millennia, even a Quasi-Emperor might become impossible to attain. Su Chen merely smiled at the old dragon's regret. This ancient creature had never personally witnessed a true golden great era. The real golden great eras… were never as simple as he imagined. When it came to managing a sect, Su Chen handled it with effortless mastery.

In less than three thousand years, Falling Emperor Mountain was once again teeming with powerhouses. Besides Su Chen—the Saint King ancestor—and Long Qiu the Great Saint, five new Saints had emerged. On that day, a terrifying fluctuation erupted across Falling Emperor Mountain. A vast, majestic aura swept over the entire peak and spread throughout the Azure Nether Dao Domain.

"It's the Mountain Lord Nangong of Falling Emperor Mountain… has he broken through to the Great Saint realm?" Shock rippled through the lands. A Great Saint. No one had achieved that breakthrough in three thousand years. But if it was that man… everything made sense. Su Chen had successfully advanced to the Great Saint realm. Falling Emperor Mountain now possessed an invincible powerhouse beneath the Quasi-Emperor level. His presence alone carried deterrence no less than a Quasi-Emperor weapon.

Perhaps even greater. Time flowed on. Falling Emperor Mountain rose once more to become one of the absolute top forces in the Azure Nether Dao Domain. The Azure Nether Dao Domain sent congratulations. The Black Nether Demon Domain, however, grew deeply uneasy. Their Quasi-Emperors had either perished or sealed themselves away. If the Azure Nether Dao Domain produced even one Quasi-Emperor, it would spell catastrophic disaster for the Black Nether side. Dark undercurrents surged.

On Falling Emperor Mountain, Long Qiu lay coiled beneath the lotus platform. Atop the platform sat a young man in flowing white robes. He resembled a supreme divine king. Long Qiu spoke.

"You've finally reached this step. That old fellow left something for you. He said it could only be given once your cultivation was sufficient." Long Qiu led Su Chen to a hidden place. Floating silently in the void was a single black demonic rune. Su Chen asked, "What is this?" Instinct told him the rune was extraordinary. Long Qiu shook his head.

"I don't know. Throughout history, countless people have tried to comprehend it, yet none could explain its meaning. The old fellow said it might be connected to something from the mythical era… but no one has ever truly unraveled it."