Above, the mountain-like thunder ceased. Yet, the tribulation clouds churned, endless thunder spirits forming a thunder domain, enveloping Ye Chen, and obscuring the view. Holy Master Feng Baiyu and Elder Mo, with their formidable strength, faintly discerned a humanoid figure within.

  "If it's really the Heavenly Emperor, this is perilous. He reached the pinnacle in every realm," Mo said, worry etched on her face.

  The Emperor was a towering monument in human history. Ten Great Venerables, invincible True Immortals—all bowed before him. His terror was unmatched, unprecedented, and likely unequaled. Ye Chen was outrageously strong, but facing the Emperor? Uncertain.

  A past prodigy, deemed capable of reviving the myriad races' glory, had pressured humanity. No human prodigy matched him. Yet, in his Mahayana tribulation, he faced the Emperor's imprint in the True Spirit Tribulation. After a day's battle, he died, crushing the myriad races' hopes and deepening their fear of the Emperor. His lingering imprint still thwarted their rise. Mo's concern was justified.

  Feng Baiyu, sensing the faint aura from the thunder, sighed, eyes tinged with melancholy. No one knew the Emperor's terror better. But after that great battle, he ventured to foreign realms and never returned. What was the point?

  …

  In the endless thunder domain, Ye Chen squinted at the figure formed of boundless heavenly power. Clad in a blue robe, the figure wasn't strikingly handsome but had bold brows and eyes, exuding grandeur. No invincible aura, yet Ye Chen felt a sharp danger.

  "Finally meeting the Heavenly Emperor?" he murmured. He'd anticipated facing this human monument but couldn't help feeling awed. The Emperor's legends—slaying venerables, crushing myriad races—echoed everywhere in the cultivation world. Ye Chen walked the path he'd forged. Facing this human pinnacle, he dared not underestimate him.

  Preparing for battle, Ye Chen was confident. The Emperor was unprecedented, but Ye Chen believed he'd surpassed him in many ways. Even against the Emperor in the same realm, he'd win.

  But then, a voice spoke: "After a million years, they still remember me. My legend must echo through this world, praising me!"

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  Ye Chen's eyes widened as the Emperor's imprint spoke. Unlike the silent Kun Peng or ancient Heavy Pupil imprints, mere echoes of the past, the Emperor's could talk! Was this cheating?

  Seeing his shock, the Emperor's imprint smirked. "At my realm, even a fleeting thought of my name triggers my sense. Manifesting a wisp of will in my imprint is no challenge."

  Ye Chen's eyes narrowed. Sensing his name across thoughts? What realm was that? Real or not?

  Noticing Ye Chen's shock, the Heavenly Emperor's imprint didn't mind. He glanced around, lingering on Feng Baiyu, then turned back to Ye Chen. "My heir in this realm?"

  "West Emperess Scripture's Foundation Chapter, Eternal Cosmos Sutra's Golden Core Chapter, Great Emperor Scripture's Nascent Soul Chapter, Great Yin and Yang Immortal Scripture, Triple Charms Unity Method. You've learned them all! Why not the Heavenly Emperor Scripture? And the Primordial Supreme Heart, yet also Heavy Pupils? Two bloodline Divine Abilities together. Did something happen with Heavy Pupil during that great battle?"

  His piercing gaze saw through Ye Chen's entire foundation, then drifted into memories.

  Ye Chen's face darkened but he stood firm, shaking his head. "I'm not your heir. Everything I have, I earned through my own efforts, unrelated to you."

  The Emperor's imprint frowned, gazing into the distant void. Deep in the void, the Heavenly Emperor Hall trembled. A gold-robed elder's eyes widened, and a purple-gold dragon raised its head, sensing a familiar aura.

  Soon, the imprint looked back, sighing. "Time changes everything. Yan's descendants claim the Heavenly Emperor Hall as their own now."

  He saw through it all but remained unbothered, his demeanor calm, as if it were trivial. Turning to Ye Chen with growing interest, he said, "So, you're retracing my path? But it's meaningless. Follow my path to live; mimic me to die! These scriptures, though supreme in each realm, are patchwork. At the final step to immortality, it's tough. You must forge your own path. I melded everything, survived near-death, and created my Heavenly Emperor Scripture, eliminating all flaws for perfect ascension. How can you ensure you'll do the same?"

  Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, unaware of this. He'd thought True Immortals wrote scriptures like academic theses—a tradition. Could he fuse everything into a perfect scripture? He asked himself, then smiled confidently. Of course he could. Even if imperfect, a single gift with thousands-fold amplification would perfect it. No big deal.

  Seeing Ye Chen's confidence, the Emperor's imprint reminisced. He'd walked a perilous path with similar boldness. Perhaps out of admiration or nostalgia, he shook his head faintly. "With your talent, you should carve your own path, not follow mine. Follow my path, and you'll never surpass me."

  Ye Chen grinned. "You proved this path is supreme. Why struggle for a new one? To surpass you, I'll outdo you in every realm. I've already done it. No need for the future—I've surpassed you now!"

  The Emperor's imprint laughed. "Following my path, yet aiming to outshine me in the same realm? You're bolder than I was!"

  His aura sharpened, golden blood qi surging. The battle was about to begin!