Chapter 604 357: I Am a Divine Being (The Grand Finale, Part 2)

"This... it looks like the Sea-Suppressing Iron Pillar Emperor Dayu once used to tame the floods," an Awakened one nearby pointed out.

"Emperor Dayu?"

Only then did Yu Xuanji recall the deeds of the last Human Emperor of the Human Race to be immortalized in history, one who bore immense merit.

Emperor Dayu had ignored all else, toiling year-round amidst the great floods. He devised a series of plans: opening dams, digging canals, and forging the Nine Tripods.

"To be able to obtain this Divine Technique means he is the Human Emperor of this era! He's on par with Emperor Changming of the past, and he might even have greater potential!" Yu Xuanji's eyes shone brightly.

At that moment, all eyes turned to Lu Mingyuan.

The Thunder Dragon Venerable, leader of the Four Great Demon Generals, looked on in disbelief. "Impossible!" he exclaimed. "The Human Emperor Divine Techniques have been lost for ages! Other than the Eternal Emperor of the past, no one has ever been able to master them!"

He had originally thought that in this era, the supreme Lord Qitian was dead.

The once-unrivaled Emperor Changming had fallen with bitter resentment.

With those two dead...

...no one should have been able to stop the Celestial Court's army from invading the Central Plains World.

He would be the new Emperor.

He, the Thunder Dragon Venerable, by following the Night Shadow Emperor, would become the master of this world.

But the power Lu Mingyuan was now unleashing gave him a terrible premonition!

"Worry about yourself first!"

Crown Prince Ao Jin sneered, striking down with a Holy Palm. Countless Dragon Shadows coiled through the air as Golden Thunder from the Nine Heavens crashed down, filling the void with a terrifying aura of Thunder.

He threw his Silver Frost Trident, which transformed into a Divine Pillar, trapping the Thunder Dragon Venerable within a pocket of space.

Still, he had to admire Lu Mingyuan's courage.

'He's holding back the Night Shadow Emperor all by himself.'

'Even with the help of Treasures and Great Divine Techniques, not just anyone possesses that kind of courage and valor.'

'When faced with such overwhelming power, how many would dare to stand up?'

The nine leaves of the Emperor Jade swept out, transforming into nine great mountains that suppressed the Heaven-Reaching Giant Rod from nine directions. Black runes and the Merit Golden Light clashed continuously.

The once-gloomy sky was plunged into complete darkness.

The heavens turned pitch-black as day became night. All sorts of characters appeared on the surface of the Emperor Jade.

In the space covered by the Emperor Jade, a world of endless night unfurled. An ominous aura emanated from it, and a ceaseless stream of low roars echoed from within, as if terrifying beings ready to devour anyone at any moment were about to engulf the entire world.

As his gaze swept over the characters, a strange light flickered in Lu Mingyuan's eyes. "This is an ancient script of the Divine Beings," he said.

'To think the Nine-leaf Emperor Jade would be engraved with the traces of time, recording events from antiquity... That's truly unexpected, especially since this Immortal Artifact's grade is quite high.'

'The Night Shadow Emperor wants to begin the Refinement of the Stabilizing Needle, wear down its Merit Golden Light, and reopen the passage between worlds.'

'How could I give him that chance?'

Lu Mingyuan, on his own, transformed into a brilliant streak of rainbow light.

"Ascension Platform, appear!"

The golden disc in his palm suddenly trembled, emitting a dense, ancient aura. It bloomed with dazzling Golden Light as patterns of auspicious Divine Beasts—Qilins, White Tigers, Phoenixes, Divine Dragons, and more—clearly emerged on its surface, then flew out from the Ascension Platform itself.

The Ascension Platform in his palm abruptly expanded.

CLANG.

Ripples spread across the disc's surface as the chimes of ancient bells rang out.

The Ascension Platform, which had slumbered for a hundred thousand years, had been activated by someone in the Mortal World once more.

"What is he trying to do?!"

"He's using his own body for Ascension! He's closed the passage between worlds!"

"How did he learn how to control the Ascension Platform?"

In the Returning Ruins Silent Sea, the countless Demon Soldiers and Generals and The Awakened on Ascension Island were all utterly shocked.

But Lu Mingyuan, high in the void, remembered everything clearly.

He remembered what Bai Ze had told him back then.

The Demon Race could agree to give him the Ascension Platform, but in return, the Human Race could no longer cause trouble for the Demon Race in the years to come, and the Demon Race would not attack the Human Race.

「Before leaving the Grotto Heaven.」

Lu Mingyuan had agreed to this request behind the Yuqing Ancestor Master's back.

That legendary First Seat was a being of his word.

Bai Ze had promptly told Lu Mingyuan how to control the Ascension Platform.

It was actually very simple.

One only needed to abandon their Flesh Body, entrusting their spirit to the Ascension Platform, and they could achieve Ascension to other worlds.

From there, they could form a new Divine Body and become a supreme Divine Being.

During this process, control over the Ascension Platform's activation was in the hands of the person ascending.

'Originally, I planned to go to the Wilderness World, go on a killing spree, and then break through.'

'That would have been safer, and I could have dealt with the internal threats within the Demon Race at the same time.'

'But now, I have no choice but to use the Ascension Platform to step into the Fourteenth Realm ahead of schedule!'

The Six-Yao Turtle Shell was originally a pair, one black and one white, one yin and one yang. It came from Fu Xi's Yin Yang Divination, a tool to communicate between yin and yang, to know the past and present.

Now, the Turtle Shell in his mind also emerged.

The power of all his Fate Grids poured into his body, merging into one.

「Eternal Emperor (Red Gold): The Emperor Lingxiao of the heavens, a Great Saint renowned in the Mortal World. Slay immortals, gods, demons, and men. Communicate between yin and yang, with knowledge of past and present. An existence of this age, unswayed by the world.」

「Lord of Humans (Perfection): The Divine Firmament of the Nine Heavens illuminates the True Martial; countless merits achieve true fruition. Your Daoxin is one of a kind.」

「Tong Sheng (Perfection): A northern phoenix rises at dawn, a southern roc flies to the nether sea. Ascend the Nine Heavens to grasp the moon, descend to the deep sea to capture a dragon. Gather the Great Divine Techniques and master all Techniques under heaven.」

「Venerable (Perfection): Who dares claim invincibility? Who dares speak of being undefeated? An existence that none can defy; none can withstand your divine might.」

「Celestial Mandate (Perfection): I am the True Dragon, worthy of the Celestial Mandate. Blessed by Celestial Dao Fortune and protected by the Celestial Mandate, impervious to gods and demons.」