Chapter 1587: Unfading Veterans

The old man was in a terrible state, facing very severe problems. He had lost even his physical body, reduced to dust.

The Wheel Path vanished, and heaven and earth fell silent.

Whether it was the Dog Emperor, the Corpse King, or Chu Feng and the others, no one could accept it.

Nine-Dao-One’s face turned pale, and he felt an immense sorrow and sadness in his heart.

Meng Patriarch was in such a condition; for so many years, he must have only maintained a wisp of thought, unable to truly awaken on most days. He must have wanted to see that person again, to see the young man he once knew. If not for that, he would probably have fallen into eternal silence and vanished long ago!

What exactly happened to him?

Nine-Dao-One’s heart ached. That was the pioneer of their system, its founder, and the master of that person, yet he had fallen to such a desolate state.

What kind of grand confrontation was Meng Patriarch engaged in, that he lost both his physical body and his dharma body? It was utterly tragic; only his unwavering thoughts still drifted in the cycle of reincarnation. He was made of dust, composed of his homeland from the yang world, with his past traces pieced together to form a semblance of his former self. His true body was gone. This twilight scene, this kind of end, pierced Nine-Dao-One’s heart like a knife; he could not accept it.

In his mind, this venerable elder, the trailblazer of their system, should not have met such a sorrowful end. It filled his own heart with grief.

“Farewell, Patriarch!” Chu Feng called out.

Meng Patriarch had already vanished. Evidently, after his unexpected revival, he could not remain for long and would soon fall into a deeper slumber.

Yaoyao, Old Gu, and Zhou Xi all came forward, silently seeing him off.

“He will definitely get better. Patriarch’s true body will revive. When that person returns, he must save Meng Patriarch! Patriarch, you burned your own dao flames to illuminate the dark void, holding on to your unwavering thoughts, waiting for him to reappear. He will not be without a return; he will surely wait for him.”

Nine-Dao-One actually shed tears, and finally let out a low roar. He had experienced that vanished, special, and cruel era, and felt far more sorrow than others. At this moment, his true emotions poured forth; the old man, who was merely a skin, lost his composure for the first time, with hot tears rolling from his empty eye sockets.

Chu Feng stepped forward, unsure how to comfort Nine-Dao-One.

Indeed, seeing that old man disappear, turn to dust, and return to the cycle of reincarnation, Chu Feng also felt a touch of melancholy. In this life, no matter how great your origins or how invincible your abilities, you cannot escape death in the end; you will always reach your limit. Looking back, what is worth cherishing, and what should have been forgotten? At that end, perhaps only silent emptiness remains.

At this moment, some Immortal Kings from other great worlds across the heavens had been watching, some not belonging to this system, observing calmly. There were also those inextricably linked to this system, their hearts heavy, such as the Fallen Immortal King Clan, which had separated from this system and were now also silently paying their respects.

Of course, some were hostile, filled with malice towards this system; Chu Feng could even sense their presence directly. Not to mention Nine-Dao-One; at the Immortal King level, his perception was incredibly sharp. He suddenly turned to look at the Yuan Clan Immortal King, and at the Four-Calamity Sparrow and others.

“In those days, you all benefited from this system. Even if you later switched to other systems, you should not forget your roots!” Nine-Dao-One said coldly.

Those individuals’ faces were cold, showing no expression. At this point, words could not sway them; moreover, once certain paths were chosen, there was no turning back. It was impossible for them to change their stance.

“Fellow Daoist, please restrain your grief. Even the greatest beings have a day of demise, and even the most invincible existences have a time of fall. Nothing can last forever; no one can be glorious eternally. All things in this world rise and fall, with their fixed number. You and I should conform to the grand trend. Some individuals, though once brilliant, can only live in our memories. No, perhaps they won’t even last long in our memories. Their era has long ended. To forget when one should forget is the most rational choice.”

In the clouds high above, an old man bearing four great calamity halos spoke. He was the Immortal King of the Four-Calamity Sparrow Clan, extremely powerful. He seemed to offer comfort but actually harbored veiled hostility. He spoke of the grand trend, and also of the cruel reality of Meng Patriarch’s true body being dead, further implying that “that person’s” era had ended, that an accident had occurred, and he would not reappear.

“Indeed, Fellow Daoist, please restrain your grief. You must look forward. This world should be unified. Why not go with the flow, let go of past prejudices? Does it matter who reigns supreme? In any case, you and I ultimately cannot reverse the grand trend. The one who once swept across the heavens with no rival, within our known scope, might have been extraordinarily brilliant, but what about outside this world? There are always existences beyond our imagination. Once they awaken from that ancient ‘ancestral land,’ even that person will disappear from our memories. This might be the truth!”

The Yuan Clan’s Immortal King spoke. He appeared very calm, but the fervor deep in his eyes burned even more intensely. He seemed to know or suspect something. This clan was in league with beings from outside the world!

Another Immortal King spoke, saying, “Heaven and earth are too vast, ancient and future too profound. No one can truly explore what lies beyond the edges of eternal darkness. What defines a road-end being? One who has reached the end, where the path ahead is broken, facing boundless dark void. Some want to venture further, but that is actually a path to death, an active plunge into a black abyss.”

Several Immortal Kings spoke one after another, seemingly offering advice but actually targeting them. Having made their choice, their clans would not turn back.

Nine-Dao-One’s expression was cold. These Immortal Kings were considered the top-tier combat strength of an epoch, yet now they had all fallen, succumbed, and were absolutely unreliable.

“Each of you is merely an Immortal King, yet you speak of the state beyond the road’s end. An uninformed person might think you’re about to pioneer a new system and become one of its founding elders. Ridiculous!” Nine-Dao-One sneered. He continued, “What vast heavens, what a grand era, what an enduring past and present. Aren’t you just trying to surrender to those from outside this world? Collaborators should not speak so grandiosely. The merits and demerits of this age will be judged by later generations!”

The Dog Emperor bared its broken fangs, saying, “Though Meng Patriarch has passed, and that person’s situation remains unclear, there are still successors! Are you truly so impatient? Why don’t we just finish you off first!”

Nine-Dao-One didn’t particularly like to hear such words from the Dog Emperor. In his heart, Meng Patriarch was supreme and revered; he refused to accept the fact of his death.

There was no more point in grand discussions. Today was a confrontation. Nine-Dao-One disdained arguing with the Yuan Clan, Four-Calamity Sparrow, and others. However, he felt a surge of indignation, but someone of his status should not lose his temper directly. He subtly signaled Chu Feng.

What did that mean? Chu Feng was a bit stunned.

“What are you gawking at?” Nine-Dao-One looked at him, subtly giving a hint.

“D*mn it!” Chu Feng was speechless. The dirty and tiresome work was falling on him again. Nine-Dao-One was annoyed but couldn’t lower himself. Was he asking Chu Feng to… start cursing?! *Am I easy to manipulate? I am Chu Ultimate, destined to be a peerless powerhouse who will sweep across all eras. How can I casually curse people?* he grumbled internally, exchanging glances with Nine-Dao-One.

“You’re the one!” Nine-Dao-One glared back.

Chu Feng’s face twitched. Finally, he turned around to look at his own people.

“Brother Chu! You are truly brilliant, like a blazing sun across the sky! You alone annihilated hundreds of hunters and over thirty foragers in the Wheel Path. It truly shakes our generation!” Ouyang Feng exclaimed, spittle flying, a wide smile on his face, loudly flattering Chu Feng. He felt a bit guilty, having read the unpleasant implication in Chu Feng’s eyes, so he decided to “preemptively strike” with flattery.

“Long Dayu, Ouyang Feng, Ouyang Dalu, now is your chance to shine. Transform into Ouyang the Great Blaster!” Chu Feng secretly transmitted, telling the eccentric dragon to use his specialty.

Ouyang Toad immediately wanted to curse. *This is too much! Nine-Dao-One gives you dirty work, and you directly assign it to me? Layer by layer, pressure is building; this will be the death of the dragon!*

“What are you afraid of? Senior Nine-Dao-One will give you benefits!” Chu Feng pressured him secretly.

“Collaborators will come to no good end… I #￥…” Ouyang Toad did not disappoint, spraying spittle like a raging storm.

Everyone was shocked. Someone dared to curse the Yuan Clan and Four-Calamity Sparrow Clan here, indirectly railing against Immortal Kings. Truly courageous.

“Young people should have such drive! I bestow upon you a Dao Talisman!” Nine-Dao-One stroked his beard and directly sent an immortal talisman into Ouyang Dalu’s body. This marked Ouyang Dalu as under his protection; anyone who dared to touch the eccentric dragon would have to think twice. Moreover, no one knew what power this talisman possessed.

Motivated by this, Ouyang Dalu pounded his chest, spittle splattering, and declared, “Senior, I can still fight against the myriad races of the heavens for three days!”

Still wants to curse for three days? Even Nine-Dao-One’s mouth twitched. This was a bit much. Was he such a petty person that he needed someone to curse his opponents for three days? Half a day would be enough!

“Let our hands show the truth!” An Immortal King spoke. The powerful figures from all heavens had arrived. There had already been many confrontations. If nothing unexpected happened, the outcome would be decided within two days, and unification was inevitable.

“This old man will also enter the fray today. I won’t use this spear, only my own strength to spar!” Nine-Dao-One said, then tossed his bronze spear aside for the Dog Emperor to guard. He directly ascended outside the firmament.

“I shall discuss the Dao with you,” an Immortal King from beyond the domain declared.

With unification approaching, no major power could remain aloof. Which system would prevail, which great realm would be dominant, and who could attain the Heavenly Emperor fruit position, all entailed immense benefits. Clearly, the Yuan Clan, Four-Calamity Sparrow, and many more ancient powerful clans and orthodoxies would not give up.

Such battles would not manifest in the mortal realm; they would take place beyond the heavens. Otherwise, they might shatter the starry sky and destroy an entire great world.

Rumble!

In the mortal world, lightning flashed and thunder roared, with bloody anomalies appearing. These were merely lingering after-effects, not true energy impacts, but wonders caused by the Immortal Kings’ epoch-making battle.

The time wasn’t very long. Nine-Dao-One repelled his opponent, but he did not retreat, instead facing another enemy. Finally, after winning three consecutive matches, he returned to the two-world battlefield in the yang world, his chest heaving as he gasped, “I’m old. My true bones and flesh are gone. It took me so long to defeat my enemies.” He looked quite dissatisfied.

Everyone was speechless. However, this was also a form of deterrence, making many people’s hearts chill. The old man, who was merely a skin, was not in his true body. This made many wary. Some ancient beings, though very arrogant, believed they could suppress the current Nine-Dao-One, but if his flesh and true bones returned, it would be a different story!

For a moment, all sides were awestruck. Some magnates were convinced that a complete Nine-Dao-One, even if not reaching the level of a system’s founder, would absolutely be a supreme giant among Immortal Kings.

“As one of that person’s former eight hundred disciples, what grand scenes has this old man not witnessed? I’ve fought a hundred battles without dying! Am I afraid of you small fry? What if I’m crippled? I’m still fearless!” Nine-Dao-One spoke again, directly revealing his identity today, shaking all the heavens and realms!

“Are there any old soldiers who have not withered still alive?” he roared to the heavens.

“Yes!” From beyond the world, someone responded loudly and resonantly!

This scene directly shook the heavens, stunning the magnates from all sides, and everyone’s expressions changed.