CHAPTER 249: BEYOND DIVINE KING

On a vast, desolate plain.

A young man gazed far into the distance, where the endless Filthy Blood River surged, its immense tide blanketing half the sky.

“I was killed, and yet the Ancient Flame Kingdom did nothing?” The young man’s eyes were cold. “Now that Black Robe has grown even more arrogant, occupying vast lands to establish a colossal Divine Nation rivaling the Two Ancient Kingdoms, I’d like to see if they’ll still stay silent.”

“Emperor Qing, Flame Wind Ancestor, Thunder Ancestor—can the three of you truly endure this?”

So he thought in silence.

He was none other than Emperor Yuan, reborn.

Knowing that he lacked the resources to cultivate into a Primordial Bloodline Beast of the Ultimate Realm, he refused to return to the Royal Clan of the Ancient Flame Kingdom. He was well aware that within the royal clan were those who wanted him dead! If he dared return, his identity would surely be exposed to Black Robe in no time.

“Perhaps Emperor Qing and the others are in seclusion.”

“Most of their attention lies in the outer realms; they only emerge when resting or relaxing.”

“As for me, what I need most now… is to comprehend a complete Origin Path!” The youth thought to himself. “Relying on others is never as good as relying on myself.”

His true realm was the Second Stage Divine King, at its peak. By devouring countless lifeforms to aid his cultivation, he had comprehended five Ultimate Realm Secret Techniques—making him one of the more outstanding among the emperors of the Ancient Flame Kingdom.

In terms of accumulation, he ranked among the foremost of all emperors.

In the Ancient Flame Kingdom, those who became Ultimate Realm Lifeforms without relying on Primordial Bloodlines but only through rare Primordial Treasures generally possessed deeper foundations. Emperor Yuan, Emperor Chu, and Emperor Jiufeng were such examples.

Under normal circumstances, Emperor Yuan could have dominated the world—

—but he had met Luo Feng, wielder of the Star Tower, and that encounter led to his utter downfall.

“If I can comprehend more Ultimate Realm Secret Techniques, I might be able to break through.” The youth took a step forward and silently vanished.

The founding of the Milky Way Divine Nation drew the attention of every faction across the Origin Continent—all waiting to see how the Two Ancient Kingdoms would respond.

Night.

The capital of the Milky Way Divine Nation.

“Establishing a divine nation isn’t difficult, but maintaining it stably alongside the Two Ancient Kingdoms—that’s another matter.” Luo Feng sat atop a nine-story tower, drinking alone. “Given the pride of the two ancestors, will they tolerate the existence of the Milky Way Divine Nation? That remains to be seen.”

He chuckled. “Hahaha, I rather look forward to seeing them take action. It’ll help me test the flaws in my own methods.”

As his research into the deep secret patterns of the Star Tower progressed, the Blood River under his control grew increasingly profound and terrifying—and correspondingly, fewer opponents could challenge him.

Even eight Emperors joining forces were meaningless before him. Likewise, even if every Emperor and Monarch united, it would be futile.

Only Emperor Qing, the East Extremity Region Ancestor, and the Two Kingdoms’ Ancestors posed any real challenge.

“Master, a guest has arrived,” said Morosa, appearing silently beside him.

“I’ve already noticed.”

Luo Feng lifted his gaze toward the distance.

A faint ripple of bloody light swept across the sky, revealing a somewhat disheveled middle-aged man.

“I founded this divine nation fully prepared for attacks from the Two Ancient Kingdoms, maintaining the Star Tower’s domain at all times—yet the first to come is none other than the Old Demon of Time and Space.” Luo Feng shook his head slightly. ŗã𝐍O͍𝐛Ёᶊ

He had never underestimated the Two Ancient Kingdoms; even the body he sat in now was formed entirely of endless Blood River.

At a single thought, his power could erupt with boundless might.

With continuous use, Luo Feng had grown ever more proficient in manipulating the Star Tower.

“The Ruler’s methods are truly extraordinary.” The ragged middle-aged man approached with a smile. “That endless Blood River… it contains infinite mysteries of life. It can penetrate both past and future, seeping into everything. Even my projection through time and space could not evade it.”

Indeed, a complete Origin Path of Life would resemble a River of Life, flowing through past and future alike.

Luo Feng’s realm in the Path of Life was only at the Second Stage Divine King, yet the Star Tower, being centered upon the mysteries of life, allowed him to wield powers far beyond that stage. Some of its secret patterns he had fully mastered, such as those used to create eight-branch fusion techniques. Others he barely understood—but could still command.

The domain he summoned could already extend across past and future; no concept of life could escape its infiltration.

“I’ve long heard of the Old Demon of Time and Space,” said Luo Feng.

The middle-aged man studied the silver-robed, golden-masked figure before him. With his level of insight, he could see that this figure wasn’t truly a body at all, but a convergence of terrifying, boundless energy. Should it erupt, it could annihilate heaven and earth—there was no longer a match for it within the Origin Continent.

“This Milky Way Ruler must walk the Path of Life—and he’s already surpassed the Divine King level.” The Old Demon of Time and Space sensed the dreadful depth of that power. “Beings who tread the Path of Life… become increasingly troublesome as they advance.”

As one who had grasped the Way, he knew this well.

The Path of Life excelled in survival during its early stages but was weak in offense. Yet the further one went, the more unfathomable and bizarre it became—able to infiltrate, distort, and destroy the essence of all life itself.

You might not be able to kill such an opponent, but they could still cripple your strength—while remaining unkillable themselves.

“Flame Wind and Thunder have found themselves a troublesome rival indeed,” the Old Demon of Time and Space said with a hint of glee. “A terrifying existence walking the Path of Life, under the restrictions of the Origin Continent, is practically invincible.”

The Origin Continent was the backyard of the Flame Wind Ancestor and Thunder Ancestor. Nearly all treasures ultimately fell into their hands.

Now, the appearance of the Milky Way Ruler was equivalent to someone coming to snatch their feast.

And his competitiveness far surpassed that of the Three Major Foreign Races.

“The Ruler should know what we three foreign powerhouses desire most,” said the Old Demon of Time and Space. He assumed the golden-masked Ruler of the Milky Way Divine Nation was merely one of the Origin Continent’s mighty beings.

Yet even he could not perceive Luo Feng’s true identity.

“Four types of treasures,” Luo Feng said.

“Indeed. Primarily, the remains of special lifeforms and the secret techniques left behind by Yuan,” the Old Demon of Time and Space nodded. “With your strength, Ruler, you stand a good chance of obtaining such treasures. I’m always open to trade with you—my offers will surely satisfy you.”

In his eyes, the Milky Way Ruler was a being beyond Divine King-level; any treasures he acquired from the Origin Continent would undoubtedly be extraordinary.

A major client indeed.

“Take a look—these five treasures, what can I exchange them for?” Luo Feng waved his hand, releasing the five spoils he had taken from Emperor Yuan: a cloak, an abyssal pearl, armor, boots, and gloves.

The Old Demon of Time and Space glanced at them and smiled. “Ah, the set of treasures Emperor Yuan left behind after his death? Flame Wind Ancestor truly is stingy—these are all artifacts suited for early-stage God Emperors.”

“Early-stage God Emperor treasures?” Luo Feng was slightly startled.

“You haven’t yet left the Origin Continent, have you, Ruler? You know little of the outside world,” said the Old Demon knowingly.

Luo Feng nodded. “Indeed, I haven’t gone beyond. My understanding is limited.”

The Old Demon smiled. “From the Ultimate Divine King to the realm Beyond Divine King-level—that step is a fundamental metamorphosis. Once you surpass the Divine King level, there are no more Origin Paths to guide you. Everything must be explored in darkness by yourself.”

“The path one forges may be right—or wrong—and you’d never know which.” The Old Demon sighed. “Sometimes, even the wrong path leads to greater strength, but at a certain point, flaws will surface, preventing any further advancement forever.”

Luo Feng nodded.

He understood.

At the Divine King level—three stages deep—the path was guided by the Origin Paths.

Beyond Divine King, one walked in complete darkness, relying solely on oneself. This was why, within Top-Tier Inheritances, disciples were trained to create high-realm secret techniques while still in lower realms—to temper their comprehension and ensure that, when exploring in the dark, they could go further.

“The powerhouses beyond Divine King level come from countless worlds and thus have different schools and terminologies,” the Old Demon continued. “Some call it the God Emperor Realm, others God Sovereign, Ancestral Wizard, or Dao Lord.”

“Because cultivation through bloodline inheritance is the mainstream—and the simplest—over ninety-nine percent follow that path,” he said. “The bloodline faction usually refers to it as the God Emperor Realm, so that name is most common.”

“The God Emperor Realm has four stages: Early, Middle, Late, and Completion.”

“Likewise, those who call it the Dao Lord Realm divide it into the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Step Dao Lords.”

“Different names—but always four steps.”

“To walk four steps in the dark—

—and the fourth step bears a shared name: the Half-Primordial Realm.”

The Old Demon did not mind sharing such common knowledge. “The Half-Primordial Realm represents an ultimate limit. Only by breaking through that limit can one become a true Primordial Lifeform. The being known as Yuan is one such powerful Primordial Lifeform.”

Luo Feng understood.

Beyond Divine King—walking four steps through darkness—

—reached the Half-Primordial Realm. Beyond that lay the Primordial Lifeforms.

“And the treasures themselves determine their tier,” the Old Demon explained. “These five of yours are all early-stage God Emperor artifacts—finely made, suitable for Divine Kings.”

“Though to me, such treasures are of little use,” he smiled. “Still, since this is our first transaction, I’ll offer you something better. I happen to have a late-stage God Emperor treasure of the life type. I believe it’ll be of use to you.”

“Let’s trade it for this armor and this pearl,” the Old Demon proposed.

Luo Feng thought for a moment.

Among the five treasures, the armor’s value far surpassed the gloves, boots, and cloak. Only the Abyssal Pearl could compare.

The Old Demon had clearly picked the two most valuable pieces.

“Don’t worry—I’m not taking advantage of you. Once you leave the Origin Continent, you’ll see… I’m actually the one at a loss here,” he said with a smile.

“Very well. I accept the trade,” Luo Feng replied without hesitation.

In truth, Luo Feng didn’t think much of Emperor Yuan’s five treasures anyway.

The treasury of Infinite Space also offered many treasures in exchange for Reward Points—and judging by their descriptions, many could be used up to the Half-Primordial level. One, valued at fifty thousand Reward Points, could reduce any attack below that level by ninety percent.

Based on those descriptions, some treasures seemed conceptual—likely crafted casually by Primordial Lifeforms for use at the God Emperor level.

Compared to those, Emperor Yuan’s set was quite lacking.

“In Infinite Space, whether inheritances or treasures, the value is incredibly high. The only problem—Reward Points are too hard to earn,” Luo Feng thought. “I must use mine very carefully.”

The Old Demon of Time and Space smiled. “I’ll have an avatar deliver the item right away.”

He hadn’t brought any valuable artifacts with him personally.

Transporting treasures across endless distances to the Origin Continent required great caution; he always kept them well hidden, taking out only a few each time for trade.

Luo Feng waited patiently.

Soon—

Another projection of the Old Demon of Time and Space tore through the void, bringing the traded treasure.