In the heavens, people become emperors by being bad.

Chapter 519 [Please have Zhang Bairen suppress Jin Chanzi]

"Brother Ye, you've been too hasty."

The Emperor's son Dao Yi of the Eternal Starfield strolled over, picked up the jade seal from the ground, and smiled slightly, saying, "The path to becoming an emperor is fierce, and all races rise up. Currently, only the human race is invincible on the ancient path, so naturally other races are not convinced."

"Dao Yi, you've come too."

Ye Fan sighed, feeling a headache coming on. Just how many imperial princes and geniuses had gathered at the tenth level of the human race? Even a mythical figure like Jin Chanzi had appeared.

Not long ago, a white-robed monk came from outer space, claiming to be from the Amitabha Star Domain, a disciple of Shakyamuni, and known as Jin Chanzi, who wanted to discuss the Dao with Ye Fan.

Ye Fan was busy looking for Lin Xian and didn't have time to deal with the monk. He told him to wait, but little did he know that the ancient princes of Beidou were also eager to join in. After hearing the many legends on the ancient star road, they all embarked on their journey.

After visiting his ancestral star and retrieving the ancient inheritance, the Holy Prince deliberately detoured along the ancient path of the human race to visit Ye Fan at the tenth level, where he unexpectedly bumped into Jin Chanzi.

One is the Fighting Saint Ape, the nephew of the abbot of the Great Thunderclap Temple; the other is the peerless divine monk, a direct disciple of Shakyamuni. Like thunder colliding with fire, they are bound to ignite sparks.

In the current human race's tenth level, there are probably more imperial sons than there are in the Big Dipper.

“The golden age is dazzling, and no one wants to miss it.” Dao Yi, with his dazzling golden hair and resemblance to a sun god, smiled calmly, revealing a set of snow-white teeth. Then, he raised an eyebrow, looked in another direction, and slowly said, “For example, this fellow Daoist, I seem to have never seen him before.”

The newcomer was a young man who looked very ordinary and plain. He was neither tall nor heroic, and his appearance was average. He was just one of the masses and had nothing special about him.

If one had to point out something extraordinary, it would only be his eyes, which were very clear, like two pools of fairy springs, pure and clear.

Ye Fan glanced at him sideways and felt that this person bore a resemblance to the Ji family's imperial son.

"How shall I address you, fellow Daoist?" Dao Yi asked tentatively, feeling that the person in front of him was unfathomable, at least a master of the level of an Emperor's son, and whose strength far surpassed that of his contemporaries.

The unremarkable young man smiled calmly and said politely, "My name is Zhang Bairen."

Upon hearing this name, Dao Yi narrowed his eyes, secretly wondering which human emperor was surnamed Zhang.

Zhang Bairen's origins are mysterious, but his bloodlust is undeniable; he is a genuine human.

"Zhang Bairen?"

Ye Fan froze on the spot, looked up at the starry sky, wondering what day it was that even the Jade Emperor had appeared. He tentatively asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhang... do you know the Three Mad Daoist?"

"I've heard of this Great Sage's reputation. He cultivates Yin and Yang together, and is indeed exceptionally talented." Zhang Bairen smiled slightly, seemingly unaware of the Taoist patriarch.

Ye Fan clicked his tongue and pressed on, "Then why did you come to the tenth level of the human race? If you wanted to spar, I'm afraid there's no time now."

"I did not come here for you, fellow Daoist."

Zhang Bairen shook his head and said frankly, "I came here to follow in the footsteps of the emperor."

"An emperor?" Dao Yi was somewhat surprised: "I have never heard of this emperor's reputation."

“He is not an emperor, but a person from a different era.” Zhang Bairen sighed and said, “He once had a life that belonged to him, but he gave it up on his own initiative. He did not want to become an emperor, but wanted to become an immortal. He was very ambitious.”

"I would like to hear the details." Ye Fan's heart stirred, and he wanted to inquire with Zhang Bairen. He felt that the Emperor and Zhang Bairen were probably of the same ilk, possibly ancient freaks who sealed themselves in the divine source, ancient monsters who came to this world on purpose.

"Fellow Daoist, you don't know about the Emperor?"

Zhang Bairen looked Ye Fan up and down, seemingly recognizing him in a new light, his expression showing a hint of surprise.

"Should I know him?"

Ye Fan frowned slightly. He seemed to have never heard of this person before. The title of Emperor combined the names of Great Emperor and Ancient Emperor. It was a grand ambition, but also an extremely arrogant one.

"He is the Emperor's disciple."

Zhang Bairen said with a strange expression, "You are a reincarnation of an Emperor, how is it possible that you don't recognize your own disciple? Could it be that there is a mistake in the cycle of reincarnation, and not a single trace of memory remains?"

"I am not the Emperor!"

Ye Fan's expression was ashen, and he spoke through gritted teeth, showing his unwavering determination in this matter.

“But most people believe you are the Emperor, and many outstanding talents have come here specifically for this purpose.” Zhang Bairen said seriously, “When others say you are the reincarnation of the Emperor, you better be so, otherwise there will be great disaster.”

"So what if it is, so what if it isn't?" Ye Fan raised an eyebrow, his white robes fluttering gracefully, exuding heroic spirit, his black hair flowing freely, his blood and energy vigorous, like a young Heavenly Emperor. He said in a deep voice, "No need for an Emperor, I will surpass the Emperor."

"After reincarnation, is denying the past life just like a similar flower blooming? Indeed, this is the style of the ancient Heavenly Emperor. All Heavenly Emperors throughout history have been like this." Zhang Bairen's heart trembled as he pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist, you are truly the only one worthy of being the Lord of the Heavenly Court."

This time, Ye Fan felt frustrated. He looked at Zhang Bairen, wanting to say something but unable to bring himself to say it.

Finally, Ye Fan changed the subject and asked the Emperor, "How strong is the disciple of the Ancient Heavenly Court Emperor?"

“He is very powerful. He is a Great Sage.” Zhang Bairen recounted the past. In the ancient times, the Emperor reached the end of the Emperor’s Path and killed fifty-four Great Sages who tried to achieve enlightenment. In the end, he left. He not only wanted to become an Emperor, but also to ascend to immortality. He placed his hopes on this life.

"The Emperor is a Great Sage." Ye Fan's eyes showed a strange look, and he tentatively asked, "Then, fellow Daoist, have you reached the Perfection stage?"

"I was fortunate enough to attain the Great Saint rank," Zhang Bairen said with a calm smile. He was worlds apart from those high and mighty Great Saints, showing no sign of being a mere Imperial Prince Great Saint. Dao Yi felt his scalp tingle. Stepping out of the Eternal Star Domain, he encountered an ancient genius who was terrifyingly invincible. While other Imperial Princes of his generation were all Saints, someone had actually attained the Great Saint rank.

“If the ancients were to attain enlightenment first, how could later generations possibly compete?” Dao Yi’s expression turned grim as he shook his head and said, “There is only one Heavenly Heart Mark.”

“Fellow Daoist is mistaken. The path to Dao is not about speed.” Zhang Bairen said leisurely, “Some people touch the realm of Dao at five or six hundred years old, but then find it difficult to make any progress. Others attain Dao after thousands of years and directly become supreme beings.”

"If one could attain enlightenment at an early age, then the Emperor of the Divine Court would have been a Great Emperor long ago."

"Those who are about to attain enlightenment still have a long way to go. The competition is not only about their realm, but also about their Dao heart."

There are also differences between the nine levels of Quasi-Emperor.

Ordinary near-ninth level beings are like medicine in the eyes of the Supreme Being, easily killed with a flick of the wrist.

Those who are about to attain enlightenment, at the peak of the ninth level of Quasi-Emperor, possess a trace of the Imperial Dao Law and can exchange a few blows with those who have not yet ascended to Supreme, without being crushed to death by the Imperial Dao aura.

The ultimate leap leads to the pinnacle of the Nine Heavens, a state comparable to half a step towards enlightenment. This realm allows one to trigger an imperial tribulation at any time, mastering a portion of the imperial laws, and even engaging in a battle with a self-severing supreme being.

The princes who fought the Great Accomplished Holy Spirit and the Great Accomplished Overlord Body who defeated the Yang Clan's Holy Body were all at this level.

However, once they reach the half-step into the Dao realm, their bloodline and physique become a constraint, hindering their progress. They need to sever the order and laws of their fathers and ancestors in order to achieve Dao on their own.

This period of time allowed later generations to catch up, and cultivators without the constraints of physical constitution and bloodline were more likely to achieve enlightenment.

"Although the Emperor has not broken through yet, if he were to attain enlightenment one day, he would be only one step away from the Emperor's throne." Dao Yi said self-deprecatingly, "If a Celestial Bird Demon Emperor were to be born, then no one would need to fight for it anymore."

This era is extraordinary. Outstanding figures from all ages have come together. These imperial princes not only have to fight against ancient monsters, but also compete with the quasi-emperors of this era.

There are certainly more than one or two quasi-emperors in the current era, similar to the current emperor. The current calm is because they are preparing for the path to immortality.

When the time comes for them to attain immortality and become immortals, even quasi-emperors will be unable to hold back and will jump out on their own.

"The golden age was brilliant, but unfortunately, people throughout history have miscalculated, and it appeared one or two thousand years too late."

Zhang Bairen sighed. He had miscalculated the timing; otherwise, he should be a quasi-emperor by now.

“Everything is in chaos.” Dao Yi shook his head. His father, Emperor Dao Yan, had also miscalculated. Perhaps it was the interference of the path to immortality.

The main theme is that the princes of the emperor spend one or two thousand years cultivating to the point of mastery, and then engage in a fierce battle within one or two hundred years to determine the emperor.

“However, I think Brother Ye seems to have transcended that level.” Zhang Bairen turned around and looked at Ye Fan, and couldn’t help but be a little surprised. Ye Fan had broken through again in recent days and was now at the ninth level of the Saint Realm. It wouldn’t be long before he could become a Saint King.

With such terrifying cultivation speed, coupled with his heaven-defying combat power, he might be a special existence in this world, able to catch up with the ancients.

"I will follow my own path."

Ye Fan said calmly, "Even an emperor can fight!"

Having fought against ancient supreme beings, Ye Fan had long since shattered the illusion of imperial divinity. His Dao heart was steady, and he was confident in his invincibility.

"There has never been a defeated emperor throughout history."

Dao Yi shook his head and said, "Including the Chaotic Ancient Emperor."

"There has never been a holy body that has attained enlightenment in the world." Ye Fan said with a calm smile, "Perhaps I can fill this regret."

"Then I wish Brother Ye a great victory and that he can break the curse of the Holy Body."

Zhang Bairen smiled and said, as if the discussion was not about the Heavenly Heart Mark, but about something ordinary.

"Fellow Daoist, are you not going to vie for the throne in this lifetime?"

Ye Fan's eyes darted around, revealing a sharp glint. The legend of the Jade Emperor filled him with great anticipation.

"I once saw the path to immortality open."

Zhang Bairen said calmly, "Perhaps, in this life I can become an immortal and won't have to fight for the throne of the Great Emperor."

He was an ancient person from the chaotic era. He had seen the Desolate Emperor break through the path to immortality and enter the Immortal Realm. He was indifferent to his glorious life and was not attached to the imperial position.

As his name suggests, he endures all hardships to achieve enlightenment, quietly awaiting the opportunity to become an immortal amidst the mortal world.

"Fellow Daoist is a magnanimous person. If you were to meet Holy Master Lin, you would surely have a very pleasant conversation," Ye Fan remarked.

“Lord Lin? Immortal Lin! The Vice Master of the Heavenly Court…” Zhang Bairen lowered his eyes and asked in a deep voice, “I have heard that this fellow Daoist has a very mysterious background. Some say that he is the reincarnation of the Underworld Emperor and has an extremely ancient background. Others say that he is the reincarnation of the Undying Emperor and has the bloodline of the Immortal Realm.”

"Fellow Daoist wants to know about the origins of Saint Master Lin?" Ye Fan smiled knowingly and held up one finger, saying, "Sure, but you need to do me a favor."

"What is it?" Zhang Bairen asked with interest.
Ye Fan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant starry battlefield, and said leisurely, "I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Zhang Bairen to resolve the conflict between the two prodigies and suppress Jin Chanzi."

(End of this chapter)