Chapter 97: First Steps into the Demonic Path (Part 9)

After devouring Zhan Huntian's essence,
Su Chen left the battlefield.
He was the Purple Extreme Demon Lord, who had perished in the Southwest War, only to be reborn as a remnant soul possessing a true disciple of the Devouring Sun Holy Land.
This time, he was utterly dead.
An old monster had encountered an even older monster.
This was an outcome the Purple Extreme Demon Lord could never have imagined.
The ancient ruins were said to be the battlefield of ancient saints.
A battle that swept across five domains had once erupted here, killing countless powerful figures, including dozens of Saint-level warriors.
Su Chen's target was the remaining sacred artifact of an ancient race's Saint.
Following his bloodline connection, Su Chen easily arrived at the site of the ancient race's powerful demise.
Over tens of thousands of years, this place had become a deep underground world. Following the connection in his bloodline, Su Chen found a tattered Soul Banner.
"This should be the sacred artifact left behind by the fallen ancestor of the ancient race. Only those with the lineage of an ancient king can take it."
"What a pity..."
Su Chen was somewhat disappointed. The Soul Banner was indeed a sacred artifact... but unfortunately, it was too damaged. Even if activated, it would only reach the Quasi-Saint level at best. This showed the ferocity of that battle, that even a sacred artifact was shattered.
"Wait..."
Su Chen's eyes suddenly flashed.
The aura of bloodline attraction hadn't disappeared.
After entering, it split into two streams, one pointing towards the Soul Banner... the other...
Suddenly, the entire ground shook, and a deeper space appeared before Su Chen.
It was eerie.
This space contained only an altar, and in the center of the altar lay a three-meter-long sword... its exterior was the bone of some kind of creature, emanating a terrifying aura, which Su Chen found extremely familiar.
"Sacrificing oneself for the weapon...!"
Su Chen was shocked. Another perfectly intact sacred weapon was hidden here. Su Chen stepped forward and gripped the greatsword tightly. The power of his bloodline flowed through his body, black flames engulfing his arms. In the dim light, Su Chen saw a scene.
A powerful being, severely wounded, murmured softly.
"The Spirit God King is simply too strong... I'm going to die..."
"I, Zhou Tianwen, have dominated the Five Domains. To die like this is truly unacceptable... I cannot disappear with the tide of time..."
"I will use my bone to forge the hilt, I will use my body as the blade, I will sacrifice my soul to the sacred might. Even if I must die... I, Zhou Tianwen, will not die an ordinary death. Future generations, if you can come here, it means you are like me. You will wield the Heavenly Question Blade, severing everything, embarking on the ancient starry road, and completing the unfinished path to enlightenment in my place!"
"..."
As the memories faded, a sense of reverence rose in Su Chen's heart.
This was a seeker of the Dao born at the wrong time, possessing great ambitions, but tragically perishing in a chaotic battle.
He abandoned everything, only to become a soldier, awaiting a successor to guide him in fulfilling his unfinished dream!
Su Chen concealed the Heavenly Question Blade.
This was an unexpected delight.
A flawless sacred artifact, a sacred artifact he could wield—this would be his greatest trump card, his most trusted foundation!
Su Chen continued his search for opportunities within the ancient ruins. He encountered other geniuses, who became his opportunities. Death was commonplace within the ruins; once Su Chen made his move, none survived.
Within the ruins, Su Chen's cultivation and aptitude surged. He slaughtered countless prodigies until ordinary geniuses could no longer improve his abilities, at which point he finally gave up.
Su Chen's cultivation reached the Void Realm, making him a young emperor!
Across the Five Domains, he could be considered a martial arts prodigy!
A year later, the ancient ruins suddenly trembled.
Scenes of afterimages were reflected in the sky.
Countless terrifyingly powerful figures were besieging a towering figure. This was merely the tip of the iceberg, yet it was breathtaking.
Su Chen knew the name of that terrifyingly powerful figure:
The Spirit God King!
The seemingly unattainable Saint-level experts of the outside world were like ants before that terrifying being, easily slain.
An ancient palace appeared.
The Temple of the Spirit God!
In the ancient scene, the supreme being entered the Temple of the Spirit God and never emerged again.
“I… was invincible in my lifetime. I intended to seize the origin of the Heavenly Profound Domain and embark on the path of invincibility, but I did not expect the beings of the Heavenly Profound Domain to resist to the death. Under the siege of powerful figures from another domain… I regretfully perished.”
“I have stored my legacy within the Temple of the Spirit God, selecting a successor. Those fortunate enough to receive my legacy must uphold my will!”
“Invincible in the Starry Sky!”
Invincible in the Starry Sky… those four words almost drove people mad!
A Quasi-Emperor, this is the legacy of a Quasi-Emperor!
Almost all the geniuses went mad. The appearance of a Quasi-Emperor's legacy was an unprecedented event!
"We must fight...we absolutely must fight for...the Quasi-Emperor's inheritance! That's one of the strongest beings of an era beneath the starry sky!"
"The number of Quasi-Emperors born in the entire Tianxuan Domain is extremely limited. Now, the inheritance of such an existence has actually appeared! If I obtain it, wouldn't I be able to surpass my ancestor and become the strongest in Tianxuan?"
"Hahahaha, the Quasi-Emperor's inheritance is definitely mine!"
"..."
The gates of the Spirit God Palace opened, and numerous geniuses surged into it like madmen.
Su Chen followed closely behind, entering the Spirit God Palace.
The Quasi-Emperor's inheritance...it was simply too tempting.
Even if this life ended here, as long as he obtained the Quasi-Emperor's inheritance, Su Chen would feel it was a gain!
The Spirit God Palace contained its own separate space.
Su Chen and the others entered this space.
[Born of humble origins, I traversed a chaotic world, rising step by step from a mere mortal to a quasi-Emperor, all thanks to a single cultivation technique.]
[The Spirit Communication Emperor Scripture]
[If you successfully pass my test, I will pass on the Spirit Communication Emperor Scripture.]
An Emperor Scripture!
Only those who have truly ascended to the pinnacle of all races can create cultivation techniques worthy of being called Emperor Scriptures!
The crowd went mad. Even the most resolute minds were blinded by greed; no one could remain calm.
Except… Su Chen!
Su Chen stared at the words in the starry sky, feeling an icy chill run through him.
Spirit Communication Technique… Spirit Communication Emperor Scripture…
A coincidence?
No… Su Chen's millennia-old intuition told him this was no coincidence!
That cultivation technique he acquired in the Heavenly Wind Kingdom, the one that caused his life to end abruptly, the one with the catastrophic pitfall... it was definitely a trump card left behind by an incredibly powerful figure!
Looking at the surrounding prodigies, their eyes burning with fervor, Su Chen couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow and pity.
Even if he revealed the truth of his suspicions, no one would believe him.
If such a terrifying being were to reappear, it might be a crisis that would destroy the Heavenly Profound Domain!