Primordial Era: Becoming the Great Emperor of Humanity from the Start

Chapter 246: A Breakthrough?

In the boundless chaos, Dao Ancestor Hongjun and Jiang Heng stood face to face, neither of them showing any expression.

This was the first time Jiang Heng's true form had stepped out of the Fire Cloud Cave since the Investiture of the Gods. Dao Ancestor Hongjun reacted quickly and arrived in the next instant.

That's why Jiang Heng didn't actually have enough time to do too many things. But even a fleeting moment was enough for him.

In that instant, Jiang Heng first annihilated the power of the three saints, and then punched the saint Zhunti with all his might.

What is Jiang Heng's true strength? He is already at the quasi-Immortal Emperor level. What kind of power would a punch he throws with all his might have?

One could tell from the extremely gloomy expression on the face of the Sage of Reception, for the figure of the Sage of Zhunti had completely disappeared.

"Human Emperor! You should know the importance of sages to the primordial world. To destroy Zhunti was going too far!" Dao Ancestor Hongjun said in a deep voice.

Yes! Under Jiang Heng's full-force punch, Sage Zhunti's sage body instantly collapsed, and even his sage spirit dissipated.

For a sage, this state is essentially equivalent to Nirvana. Although it's not a complete demise, it's practically the same.

While the idea that sages are immortal is not an absolute truth, it is not wrong as long as the primordial world exists.

On the day a sage attains enlightenment, his mark is already engraved in the Heavenly Dao and exists within the Heavenly Dao rules of the entire primordial world.

Simply put, the moment one becomes a sage, one is essentially becoming a part of the Dao of Heaven, which is why sages are almost omnipotent in the primordial world.

As long as the Dao of Heaven remains and its rules continue to exist, the mark of a sage cannot be completely erased, which is why sages are immortal.

However, this does not mean that the physical body and the primordial spirit are unimportant to a sage. On the contrary, the physical body is still very important for a sage if he wants to demonstrate his full strength.

The physical body and primordial spirit of a sage have undergone the baptism of countless years, condensing supreme power, and are therefore extremely important.

Now, under Jiang Heng's punch, the physical body and primordial spirit of Saint Zhunti have been completely destroyed, leaving only the imprint of the Heavenly Dao rules.

Even without intervention, over a long period of time, relying on the mark within the Heavenly Dao, the Sage Zhunti can still be revived.

However, even if the primordial spirit is revived and a new physical body is formed after losing the physical body of a saint, the strength of Saint Zhunti will be greatly reduced.

Even if a powerful figure were to intervene, it would be by no means a matter that could be accomplished in a short period of time to revive the Sage Zhunti.

Jiang Heng did not wish to completely kill the Sage Zhunti, but to do so, he first had to destroy the Heavenly Dao.

To achieve this is naturally extremely difficult; at least with Jiang Heng's current strength, he is not capable of doing so.

"Is it excessive? I don't think so. I've already shown mercy by not annihilating both the Primordial Beginning and the Guide Saints!" Jiang Heng said.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable and the Receiving Saint were both shocked and furious. A hint of fear even appeared on their extremely gloomy faces.

Although they were furious at Jiang Heng's arrogance, how could he treat them like dirt and show such contempt for the two saints?

However, no matter how unwilling they were to admit it, both the Sages Yuanshi and Jieyin knew that what Jiang Heng had just said was indeed the truth.

When Jiang Heng's true form stepped out of the Fire Cloud Cave, his strength was so terrifying that they were simply unable to withstand it.

Even at the moment Jiang Heng made his move, the two saints, Yuanshi and Jieyin, were terrified. In front of Jiang Heng, they were like ants.

So vulnerable, so insignificant. Only then did the two sages, Yuanshi and Jieyin, realize that Jiang Heng's strength had reached such a terrifying level.

The two sages, Yuanshi and Jieyin, were certain that this was absolutely not a power that a sage should possess; they had just felt as if they were facing the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Could it be that this Human Emperor before them has already broken through, taking another incredible step forward? This terrifying thought had already appeared in the minds of the two sages, Yuanshi and Jieyin.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's face was ashen. He had sensed Jiang Heng stepping into the Fire Cloud Cave the moment he did, but in the end he was too late.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun stared at the Human Emperor before him, utterly astonished. Even he hadn't expected that Jiang Heng would actually break through.

The moment Jiang Heng made his move, Dao Ancestor Hongjun realized that this former Human Emperor was already at the same level as him.

This is why, when Dao Ancestor Hongjun saw Jiang Heng make his move, he didn't have enough time to stop him, which led to the fall of Saint Zhunti.

How long has it been? During the Investiture of the Gods, this Human Emperor was just a Saint, but now he has reached the same realm as him.

Even at that time, if Jiang Heng hadn't relied on the power of humanity, he wouldn't have been able to contend with him at all, but that was just a matter of contending.

If he were willing to bear the cost of the collapse of humanity, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was confident that Jiang Heng would definitely perish completely at his hands.

However, Jiang Heng, who is at the same level as him, is probably not someone that Dao Ancestor Hongjun can easily defeat, even without condensing the power of humanity.

The situation changed so quickly that even Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who thought he had everything under control, did not know when Jiang Heng broke through.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun then realized the seriousness of the matter. He suddenly realized that allowing Jiang Heng to grow up so freely might be an extremely wrong thing to do.

Just then, the other sages from the primordial world also arrived. After all, with such a commotion, it would be difficult for the other sages not to know.

Nuwa, the Sage, and Tongtian, the Master, came together, but Taiqing, the Sage, and Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, did not appear this time.

The Sage Taiqing and the Ancestral Witch Houtu are both in seclusion, and they have both entered an extremely critical moment. It is normal for them not to appear at this time.

Although Nuwa and Tongtian Jiaozhu, the two saints, did not witness what had just happened, they had already sensed it.

After all, it was a momentous event for a sage to completely pass away. At the moment of the passing of the sage Zhunti, all the sages were actually aware of it.

Nuwa and Tongtian Jiaozhu, the two saints, never expected that Jiang Heng would do such a world-shaking thing without making a sound.

The complete annihilation of a sage is something that has never happened in the primordial world since the beginning of time.

Such a shocking thing, once spread, would shatter the myth of the sage in the primordial world.

Of course, neither Nuwa nor the Tongtian Sect Leader were surprised that Jiang Heng could do such an incredible thing.

After all, once they knew that Jiang Heng had broken through, it was only natural that even if the three saints joined forces, they would be crushed by Jiang Heng.

"Sages are the cornerstone of the primordial world. The demise of a sage will shake the entire primordial world."

"Human Emperor, you have gone too far in this matter. If this matter is left unresolved, it will pose a great threat to the stability of the prehistoric world!" Dao Ancestor Hongjun said in a deep voice.

That's true. When a sage merges with the rules of Heaven, he not only gains control over a portion of the rules of Heaven and Earth, but also becomes a support for the rules of Heaven.

Originally, it was the appearance of the six sages that gradually perfected the Heavenly Dao rules of the primordial world, and the world thus became complete.

With the ascension of Houtu the Ancestral Witch to sainthood, the Heavenly Dao rules of the primordial world were completely established, and the Heavenly Dao thus reached perfection.

Now that a sage has completely vanished, it will undoubtedly create a flaw in the rules of Heaven, which is naturally not a good thing for Heaven.

This is precisely why Jiang Heng's true form emerged from the Fire Cloud Cave and was determined to annihilate the Sage Zhunti.

In the past, Jiang Heng and the Heavenly Dao were essentially racing against time, seeing who could take that first step and become the ultimate winner.

Originally, Jiang Heng did not want to break this balance, which stemmed from his self-confidence. Jiang Heng was confident that he would be the one who had the last laugh.

However, after Jiang Heng learned the secret of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, he realized that the Heavenly Dao might not be his greatest enemy.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun is extremely well hidden. Even now, Jiang Heng cannot imagine what kind of being Dao Ancestor Hongjun truly is.

If the situation continues like this, even if Jiang Heng eventually takes that step, it remains to be seen whether he will have the last laugh.

To break the deadlock, we must find another way. Sometimes, using force to disrupt the situation completely is also a good approach.

By completely annihilating the Sage Zhunti, a flaw was created in the Heavenly Dao, which in fact disrupted the rhythm of the Heavenly Dao's perfection.

Regardless of whether Dao Ancestor Hongjun revives Sage Zhunti, the speed of the Heavenly Dao's perfection will be delayed.

This was naturally extremely advantageous for Jiang Heng. For this reason, Jiang Heng had long been prepared to face Dao Ancestor Hongjun again.

As for Dao Ancestor Hongjun, Jiang Heng's actions were naturally unforgivable. Even if he was wary of Jiang Heng, he had no choice but to take action.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun had realized that, due to his neglect, Jiang Heng had grown to such an incredible degree.

If left unchecked, how far can Jiang Heng grow? And if Jiang Heng were to break through again, how would Dao Ancestor Hongjun deal with it?

Moreover, if Dao Ancestor Hongjun does not make a move this time, wouldn't the Human Emperor in front of him think that he is actually afraid?

At that time, the current emperor will likely become even more arrogant, and may even take action against other saints.

If the Connecting Saint and the Primordial Heavenly Venerable were to also be completely annihilated, how much time would it take for the Heavenly Dao to achieve complete perfection?

Dao Ancestor Hongjun was ready to make his move, and a terrifying aura began to gather around him, causing the entire prehistoric world to tremble.

Jiang Heng looked at Dao Ancestor Hongjun. He knew very well that a powerful figure like Dao Ancestor Hongjun would not make a move unless it was earth-shattering.

Even if he couldn't completely kill himself, Dao Ancestor Hongjun would probably suppress him at all costs so that he could feel at ease.

"Hahaha! It is truly a fortunate thing to be able to fight against the Dao Ancestor again after the Great Tribulation of the Gods!" Jiang Heng said with a smile.

Jiang Heng had long anticipated this scene. If it were before, he might have been wary, but now Jiang Heng was at the same level as Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Jiang Heng really wanted to see just how powerful Dao Ancestor Hongjun would be, even if it was just an avatar and he had merged with the Dao.

Through this battle, Jiang Heng might be able to glimpse a clue about the true form of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, which is the more crucial matter for him.

It was for these reasons that Jiang Heng's true form emerged from the Fire Cloud Cave and utterly annihilated the Sage Zhunti.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun remained silent, the Jade Disc of Creation already manifested in his hand, and the aura of the Heavenly Dao began to continuously condense.

At this tense moment, the gazes of the four sages, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Jieyin, and Nuwa, were all focused on Jiang Heng and Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

In the primordial world, although there are legends of sages who are supreme and omnipotent, the sages also know in their hearts that they are not omnipotent.

In fact, all the sages knew that in the primordial world, they could not even be called invincible; the only invincible ones were these two before them.

During the Investiture of the Gods, Jiang Heng once fought against Dao Ancestor Hongjun, a battle that thoroughly shocked all living beings in the entire prehistoric world.

No one could have imagined that in the primordial world, there would actually be a being capable of standing against the master of all saints, Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Perhaps it was from that battle that all living beings in the primordial world truly realized that Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not truly control everything.

At the very least, Jiang Heng, the Human Emperor, grew into a being capable of confronting Dao Ancestor Hongjun, right under the noses of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao.

Now, after a long separation, Jiang Heng and Dao Ancestor Hongjun are about to fight again. What will be the outcome this time?

Is it Jiang Heng, whose cultivation has advanced further and who is now at the same level as Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who is able to win and completely bring down Dao Ancestor Hongjun?

Or was it Dao Ancestor Hongjun who was superior, eliminating Jiang Heng, an unstable factor in the prehistoric world, and thus completely taking control of the prehistoric world?

It is no exaggeration to say that Jiang Heng's battle with Dao Ancestor Hongjun will directly affect the future of the entire prehistoric world.

The Chaos Bell hovered above Jiang Heng's head, and his cultivation at the Quasi-Immortal Emperor level began to condense on his body.

At this moment, Jiang Heng abandoned all distracting thoughts; in his eyes, there was only Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Terrifying auras were colliding continuously; it was merely a clash of energies, yet it had already caused all the saints to change color.

Even the saints had to retreat repeatedly to stabilize their bodies and protect themselves from the terrifying aura.

They exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes, the saints saw solemnity, shock, disbelief, and a variety of other emotions.

But at that moment, Jiang Heng and Dao Ancestor Hongjun both looked in the direction of the primordial world.

At such a crucial moment, what could possibly make Jiang Heng and Dao Ancestor Hongjun take it so seriously, even halting the impending battle?

The next moment, an unparalleled aura emerged from the direction of the primordial world, and all the saints were slightly stunned, their faces showing shock.

"The Sage Taiqing has actually taken that step!" Jiang Heng said with a smile.

The place where the supreme aura manifested, although in the direction of the primordial world, was not within the primordial world itself, but rather originated from the Daoist temple of the Supreme Saint.

After the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West, the Sage Taiqing began to go into seclusion, wanting to take another step beyond the realm of sages.

This is an extremely dangerous step. If one is not careful, the Sage Taiqing may even completely transform into the Dao and never appear in the primordial world again.

Originally, Jiang Heng thought that even if the Taiqing Saint could break through, it would probably take a long time.

But this time, the Sage Taiqing exceeded Jiang Heng's expectations, actually completing the breakthrough in such a short time.

It's important to know that the reason Jiang Heng was able to take that step and reach the Quasi-Immortal Emperor realm was because he inexplicably entered "Perfect World".

Having witnessed the growth of the Desolate Emperor and comprehended various profound Dao principles, Jiang Heng was able to achieve a breakthrough in a short period of time.

As for the Sage of Taiqing, he not only lacked such an unparalleled opportunity, but also had no predecessors' teachings to refer to.

Although Jiang Heng had discussed the Dao with the Sage of Taiqing and had given him some guidance, the Sage of Taiqing had to walk his own path.

The Sage Taiqing, as expected of the former head of the Three Pure Ones and the most talented among all the saints, actually forged his own path.

Quasi-Immortal Emperor Realm! Or rather, Heavenly Dao Realm! Since Jiang Heng, the prehistoric world has finally seen another powerhouse at this level.

While the saints were still in astonishment, the Supreme Saint had already manifested in the boundless chaos, standing before Jiang Heng and Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

"Even my senior brother has taken this step. Where is my path?" Tongtian Sect Leader muttered to himself, somewhat lost in thought.

Nuwa and Tongtian Jiaozhu were overjoyed that Taiqing Saint was able to break through, but they couldn't help feeling a little lost.

After all, they were all originally saints, but now, two of them have gone ahead of them. Don't the two saints, Nuwa and Tongtian Jiaozhu, also want to break through?

The two sages, Jieyin and Yuanshi, had grim expressions. The fact that the Taiqing sage had completed his breakthrough was not good news for them.

Of course, the one in the worst mood at this moment was Dao Ancestor Hongjun. At this moment, the look in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Heng and the Taiqing Saint contained boundless killing intent.

Originally, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was prepared to spare no expense to completely eliminate Jiang Heng, this unstable factor.

Who would have thought that at such a crucial moment, the Sage Taiqing would break through to an incredible level and reach the same realm as him?

Clearly, the breakthrough of the Supreme Saint was not within the expectations of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, or rather, it was not within his plan.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun could never have imagined that, apart from Jiang Heng, the Human Emperor, there were other beings in the primordial world who could escape his control.

No one understood the power of the Heavenly Dao Realm better than Dao Ancestor Hongjun. The combined might of two Heavenly Dao Realm experts was even more terrifying.

Moreover, compared to Jiang Heng, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was actually more wary of the Taiqing Sage, and the reason for this was quite simple.

The Sage of Taiqing is the head of the Three Pure Ones, born with the will and creation of the Great God Pangu, and is the true successor of Pangu.

Only Dao Ancestor Hongjun himself knew what Pangu's significance was to the entire primordial world.

But precisely because of this, Dao Ancestor Hongjun now understands that it is impossible to completely eliminate these two anomalies.

These are, after all, two Heavenly Dao Realm experts. Even if Dao Ancestor Hongjun spared no expense, it would be difficult to completely suppress them.

Unless Dao Ancestor Hongjun was prepared to perish together with the enemy, he could not have suppressed the two Heavenly Dao Realm cultivators after paying a huge price.

If Dao Ancestor Hongjun could have done that, Jiang Heng would have perished during the Investiture of the Gods, instead of being alive until now.

"Dao Ancestor! Today's matter is just a misunderstanding. Let's just let it go, shall we?" said the Sage of Taiqing.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun gave Jiang Heng and Taiqing Saint a deep look, and after a cold snort, Dao Ancestor Hongjun completely disappeared.

Along with Dao Ancestor Hongjun, the two saints Jieyin and Yuanshi Tianzun also disappeared. They were taken away by Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Clearly, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was genuinely afraid that Jiang Heng, the Human Emperor, would become unforgiving once he gained power and would take the opportunity to annihilate the two saints, Yuanshi Tianzun and Jieyin.

Jiang Heng watched as Dao Ancestor Hongjun disappeared, but he did not try to stop him. He was not so arrogant as to think that he had the victory in his grasp.

Not to mention the true form that Dao Ancestor Hongjun has hidden, the Heavenly Dao has never made a move so far.

Even though the Heavenly Dao is not yet perfected, it is hard to imagine how terrifying its power would be once it makes a move.

The Supreme Saint had only just broken through, and his terrifying realm was not yet stable. It was really not advisable for him to engage in a life-or-death battle with Dao Ancestor Hongjun at this time.

Moreover, for Jiang Heng, after the Taiqing Saint completed his breakthrough, he had already gained a certain advantage in the prehistoric world.

By further consolidating or even expanding this advantage, Jiang Heng will gain an unspoken advantage.

Don't forget! Although the Heavenly Dao has not yet made its move, there is still the Ancestral Witch Houtu in the primordial world, who is not far from breaking through.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Taiqing, on taking this crucial step. From now on, you can roam freely beyond the heavens and earth!" Jiang Heng said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Breaking through from the realm of a saint to the realm of a quasi-immortal emperor may seem like just a small step, but it carries entirely different meanings.

When a sage attains enlightenment, his own imprint merges into the rules of the Heavenly Dao. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage.

The advantage naturally stems from the fact that the laws of Heaven are indestructible, thus making sages immortal and indestructible; the sage Zhunti is the best proof of this.

The disadvantage is that since they are integrated into the rules of the Heavenly Dao, they will be bound by the rules of the Heavenly Dao and it will be difficult for them to break away from the primordial world.

Once the primordial world is destroyed, even the immortal saints will perish completely, with no chance of ever being reborn.

But after taking that step, the Sage of Taiqing had completely severed his connection with the rules of Heaven and would no longer be bound by the primordial world.

That's why Jiang Heng said that from then on, the Sage Taiqing was free and unfettered, no longer bound by any shackles.

"I am grateful for the guidance I received from the Human Emperor back then, and also for everything I have achieved today!" said the Sage of Taiqing.

"Oh? It seems that the Sage Taiqing has obtained an extraordinary fortune this time!" Jiang Heng said with a thought.

Judging from the words of the Sage Taiqing, there seemed to be other reasons why he was able to break through this time.

This reason is very likely related to everything Jiang Heng did today, and Jiang Heng guessed some things because of this.

"This is not the place to talk. How about we go to my Nuwa Palace for a chat?" the Sage Nuwa said with a smile.

Jiang Heng nodded, and the next moment, Jiang Heng, the Sage of Taiqing, the Master of Tongtian, and the Sage of Nuwa appeared in Nuwa Palace.

Nuwa and Tongtian Jiaozhu looked at Taiqing with anticipation, eager to know how Taiqing had broken through to the next level.

(End of this chapter)