160: Chapter 160 An absolutely stunning beauty! An irresistible bargaining chip…

Zhou Liangan looked at the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation with a half-smile, amusement glinting in his eyes. "A bet's a bet!"

The Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation bit her lip, slightly parting her vermilion lips...

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The vast, boundless deep space of the Universe was never truly silent.

There were no directions of up, down, left, or right here, nor any concept of time like years, months, or days. There were only endless nebulae slowly swirling, and stars, bright or dim, orbiting along eternal paths. Occasionally, the intense glare of a supernova explosion would tear through the darkness, only to be swallowed a moment later by an even deeper void.

Era after era passed. Countless civilizations rose from birth to destruction, and countless powerhouses climbed from insignificance to the Peak, eventually all turning into cosmic dust. Only the rules of the Great Dao flowed eternally within this void.

And right in the center of this dead Star Domain, which would take even light tens of billions of years to traverse, an elderly figure floated quietly.

No one could say for sure how massive this figure was; they only knew that the thousands of intact galaxies surrounding him were as minuscule as grains of sand on a beach before him.

His sky-blotting Dao body spanned the void. Every inch of his skin was inscribed with dense Dao runes. These runes seemed to possess life of their own, slowly flowing with his breathing. With every flicker, they caused the surrounding space-time to warp violently. Even the densest neutron stars were as fragile as thin paper before the Dao rhyme he emanated.

This figure was none other than Daoist Canglong, one of the The Nine Emperors who sat at the front lines of the Human Race's Universe, guarding the border for eons.

Suddenly, Daoist Canglong slowly opened his mouth and exhaled a mouthful of turbid Qi.

This breath of turbid Qi seemed ordinary, but the moment it left his lips, it instantly transformed into a Chaos storm that swept across several Star Domains.

Wherever the storm passed, stars that had burned for tens of billions of years were ground directly into basic particles, planetary belts disintegrated into stardust, and even stable spatial barriers were torn into pitch-black rifts stretching for millions of light-years by this aura. The rules of the Great Dao crumbled inch by inch within the storm, and even the flow of time became utterly chaotic.

As the turbid Qi dispersed, Daoist Canglong slowly opened his eyes, which seemed capable of piercing through eternity. Within his pupils, scenes of the birth and death of countless galaxies constantly shifted. But at this moment, deep within those imperial eyes that should have been as calm as an ancient well, there was a gravity that could not be concealed, along with a trace of dread that he was unwilling to admit even to himself.

"She is indeed still alive."

His ancient and heavy voice echoed in the void. It did not spread outward but only circulated around him, yet it instantly stilled the surrounding Chaos storm, as if even heaven and earth were holding their breath to listen to his words.

He clenched his fist slightly. The runes on his knuckles suddenly lit up, and a pressure capable of crushing eternity uncontrollably radiated outward, instantly extinguishing more than half of the surrounding stars.

"Transferring Karma... Can she really perform such a Heaven-Defying technique that even the Heavenly Dao avoids?"

It has been ten eras.

A full ten eras of time was enough for a Peak civilization to be destroyed thousands of times, and enough for a Quasi-Emperor powerhouse to wither from their prime until both their body and soul were extinguished. Yet, his obsession with that woman had never diminished in the slightest.

Back then, he had laid a dragnet to corner and kill her in the source land of the Reincarnation Realm. At the bitter cost of three Great Emperors being severely injured and countless Quasi-Emperors and Dao Ancestors falling, they ultimately only watched as she self-detonated her Origin Dao body, her Divine Soul falling into the turbulent flow of Reincarnation.

Everyone believed that the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation had been completely annihilated in body and soul, without even a chance at Reincarnation.

After all, even for an Emperor-level powerhouse, self-detonating their Origin Dao body and having their Divine Soul fall into the Reincarnation Turbulence that could obliterate all things left absolutely no chance of survival.

But only Daoist Canglong knew how Heaven-Defying that woman truly was.

The Samsara Dao she wielded was originally the most mysterious and closest to the Origin among all the Great Daos in the Universe. It could determine life and death, turn Reincarnation, and reverse Karma. Even if the The Nine Emperors joined forces, they might not have been able to completely obliterate her.

Over these past ten eras, he had never stopped searching for her. Even during the intervals of guarding the front lines and battling the chaotic demons from beyond the domain, he would still split off his Divine Thoughts to sweep through every corner of the Universe, all just to find that sliver of aura that might exist.

And just now, he had finally captured that wisp of aura so familiar it was engraved into his very bones. Although it lasted only for an instant and was as weak as a candle in the wind, he could never mistake it—it was the aura of the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation.

What shook his mind even more was that from that wisp of aura, he felt clear fluctuations of Karma. Such fluctuations pointed to only one possibility—that woman was casting the forbidden art of Karma transfer.

Just as Daoist Canglong's mind was in turmoil, a voice that seemed to have existed since the boundless primordial era, since the very beginning of the Universe, exploded in the void without warning.

This voice lacked the heaviness of Daoist Canglong's, but it carried a violent intensity capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas, incinerating all things. The moment the voice rang out, the temperature of the entire dead Star Domain skyrocketed. The stellar debris that had just been shattered by the turbid Qi was instantly ignited, turning into balls of fire. Even the freezing vacuum seemed to burn, and the surrounding rules of the Great Dao were warped and deformed by this terrifying heat.

"Old fellow! You felt it, didn't you? That woman, she has appeared again."

The moment the voice fell, a crimson figure slowly coalesced in the void.

He wore a tattered Daoist robe covered in charred cracks, but within every crack, golden flames danced. Though he was but a single figure, he seemed to be the source of the entire Universe's fire Dao. As he stood there, all the surrounding flames prostrated themselves in worship toward him.

The newcomer was also one of the The Nine Emperors of the Human Race, the Great Emperor Fentian, renowned throughout the Universe for his unrivaled offensive power.

Daoist Canglong slowly raised his head to look at the crimson figure. His aged face showed little expression as he spoke calmly, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible surprise, "Fentian? I didn't expect you to still be alive."

In the final battle to corner and kill the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation back then, Fentian had been struck into the turbulent flow of time by her Power of Reincarnation. That was a place where even Emperor-level powerhouses had only a slim chance of survival; any slight carelessness would result in their Divine Soul being shredded by the Time Turbulence, trapping them in the past or future forever.

Over the past ten eras, no one had ever heard news of Fentian. Everyone assumed that this Great Emperor Fentian, famous for his violent temper, had perished in the Time Turbulence.

Even Daoist Canglong himself had not expected that Fentian would not only be alive but would also appear here, even capturing the aura of the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation at the exact same time as him.

"Daoist Canglong, if even you haven't died, why shouldn't this seat be alive?" Fentian snorted coldly, his voice carrying his usual fiery and arrogant tone. The flames around him suddenly surged, instantly sweeping through half the Star Domain. "As for you, after guarding the front lines for so many years, you've only regressed. To think you'd ponder over a woman's aura for so long. What? Ten eras have passed, and you're still thinking about that woman?"

Hearing this, Daoist Canglong did not get angry. He merely cast a flat glance at him, his tone as calm as a deep pool of water. "You are still the same as ever, with a temper so fiery and unchanged."

He paused, turning his gaze toward the end of the Universe, the edge region known to all Cultivators as the "Abandoned Realm." A glint flashed in his eyes. "I didn't expect that woman to actually hide at the edge of the Universe. The Dao there is thin, the rules are shattered, and even Spiritual Qi is nearly extinct. It is the most barren place in the entire Universe. After so many eras, even if she is the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation, staying in such a ghostly place must have severely deteriorated her cultivation. I'm afraid she doesn't even have ten percent of her Peak strength left."

This was also something he was absolutely certain of.

An Emperor-level powerhouse's cultivation required the support of complete Dao rules and abundant Origin Spiritual Qi. The edge of the Universe, however, was the end of the entire Universe's Dao, bordering the Land of Chaos. There was no complete Dao, no stable space, and even time was chaotic there. Let alone an Emperor-level powerhouse, even a Dao Ancestor-level Cultivator would experience continuous decline in cultivation if they stayed there for too long, eventually leading to the disintegration of their Dao Foundation, turning them into Chaos.

No matter how Heaven-Defying the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation was, hiding in such a place for ten eras made it absolutely impossible for her to maintain her Peak cultivation.

This was also why, in addition to gravity, there was even more greed in his heart at this moment.

Hearing this, Fentian snorted coldly again, the flames around him dancing even more violently, his tone carrying undisguised killing intent and greed. "Old Daoist Canglong, I won't beat around the bush with you. I know that for the past ten eras, you've always wanted to capture that woman to serve as your Dual Cultivation Cauldron, wishing to use her Innate Primal Yin to break through your Bottleneck that has been stuck for over a dozen eras."

His gaze suddenly became sharp, like two red-hot daggers piercing straight at Daoist Canglong. "As for this seat, I want to extract her Samsara Origin Dao and smelt it into my Fentian Furnace to forge a supreme Immortal Artifact that can transcend the changing of eras. Now that we have both discovered her whereabouts, rather than hindering each other when the time comes and giving her a chance to escape again, why don't the two of us cooperate for once?"

Cooperation.

When these words came out of Fentian's mouth and fell into the void, they caused the surrounding flames to instantly freeze for a moment.

Everyone knew that Daoist Canglong and Great Emperor Fentian had never been on the same path.

Daoist Canglong cultivated the Dragon Dao, which emphasized heaviness, endurance, and steady progress. He commanded the Human Race's army and guarded the front lines for eons, possessing a meticulous and calculating mind. On the other hand, Fentian cultivated the Fentian Dao, which focused on burning everything to ashes and establishing anew after destruction. He was violent, arrogant, a lone wolf, and never submitted to anyone's control. Back then, the two had fought multiple times due to their differing Dao paths. Had it not been for their joint effort to corner and kill the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation, they would never have joined forces.

Now, with Fentian taking the initiative to propose cooperation, it was clear how determined he was to obtain the Samsara Dao of the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation.

Hearing this, Daoist Canglong fell silent for a moment. His aged face remained expressionless, making it impossible for anyone to discern what he was thinking.

After a long while, he finally spoke slowly, a hint of amusement in his tone, "Cooperation? Fentian, you certainly know how to make a fine calculation."

"That woman's Samsara Dao is the very foundation of her entire cultivation. If you strip it away, her cultivation will plummet instantly, and even her Dao Foundation will shatter. When that time comes, the efficacy of this Cauldron will be significantly weakened."

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He looked at Fentian and smiled faintly: "To me, this is essentially a losing deal. When the time comes, you will obtain the Samsara Dao, forge a supreme Immortal Artifact, and advance your cultivation, while I would only receive a tasteless, lackluster Cauldron that is a pity to throw away but useless to keep. Do you really think I would agree to this?"

These words were spoken without any tact, directly exposing Fentian's schemes.

Their requirements were fundamentally in conflict.

Fentian wanted the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation's Dao and had to strip her Dao from her Divine Soul, while Daoist Canglong wanted the Innate Origin of the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation who held the complete Samsara Dao. Only if the Dao remained would her Origin have that Heaven-Defying effect capable of helping him break through his Bottleneck. Once the Dao was stripped, the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation would be no different from an ordinary woman, and to him, she would have absolutely no value.

Fentian's expression turned cold instantly upon hearing this. The flames around his body surged, transforming into a fire dragon stretching across hundreds of millions of light-years, letting out a deafening roar at Daoist Canglong. A pressure capable of incinerating everything bore down directly on Daoist Canglong.

"Old Daoist Canglong, don't be ungrateful!" Fentian's voice carried undisguised killing intent. "Do you really think that by keeping that woman's Dao, you can capture her as a Cauldron? We both know that at our Realm, so-called control or Seals are all illusions! As long as her Samsara Dao exists, she has countless ways to turn the tables. Even if the two of us join forces, we might not be able to truly keep her under control."

He paused, continuing in an icy tone: "If you want to capture her as a Cauldron, you must first break her Dao and make her fall from the Emperor's throne. Only when she loses the reliance of the Samsara Dao can you handle her as you please. Otherwise, do you think you alone can trap the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation who wields the Samsara Dao? Have you already forgotten the outcome of the siege against her back then?"

These words struck directly at the point Daoist Canglong cared about the most.

The scene of the siege against the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation, even after ten epochs, remained vivid in his mind. That woman, relying solely on her own strength, withstood the joint siege of the nine of them, the Great Emperors, and even killed countless experts in return. She even sent Fentian into the turbulence of time and severely injured three Great Emperors. If not for her self-detonating her Dao body at the end, the nine of them would likely have paid an even more painful price.

Even if her cultivation has declined now, as long as her Samsara Dao remains, one can never let their guard down.

Daoist Canglong fell silent. Countless thoughts flashed rapidly through his eyes; he was clearly weighing the pros and cons.

Fentian watched him in silence and did not push him further, only let out a cold snort, and the flames around his body slowly receded a bit.

He knew that this old fox, Daoist Canglong, would not release the hawk until he saw the rabbit. Without sufficient benefits, he would absolutely not relent.

The Void Realm fell into a long silence, with only the crackling sound of burning stars echoing slowly across the vast Star Domain.

After an unknown amount of time, Fentian's voice sounded again. This time, his tone was less violent and more certain: "Three months from now, the Origin Land of the Universe's Origin will open."

At these words, Daoist Canglong's eyes constricted sharply. He looked abruptly at Fentian, his face revealing clear agitation for the first time.

The Origin Land!

It was a Secret Realm formed by the condensation of Origin rules at the very beginning of the Universe's birth, the ultimate Holy Land in the hearts of all Cultivators.

It contained the most fundamental Dao of the Universe and opportunities that could drive even Emperor-level experts to madness; there was even a chance to touch the threshold of transcending the cycles of epochs and leaping out of Reincarnation.

Yet this Origin Land only opened once every epoch. Each time it opened, there were only a few spots. Even the nine Great Emperors of the Human Race only held two spots in their hands.

For countless years, countless Peak Dao Ancestors and quasi-Emperors had fought until their heads were broken and they were bleeding, ending up with their souls destroyed, all for a single spot in the Origin Land.

He never expected that Fentian would actually use a spot in the Origin Land as a bargaining chip.

Fentian watched his agitated expression, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth, and continued: "I hold an exclusive spot for the Origin Land. I will give this spot to you, allowing your Personal Disciple to enter with it and seek an Opportunity to become an Emperor."

"This bargaining chip in exchange for you cooperating with me: let us first join forces to capture that woman so I can strip her Samsara Dao. As for what remains, you may dispose of her as you wish—whether to kill or keep, use as a Cauldron, or whatever else—I will not interfere."

"What do you think? Old Daoist Canglong, will you take this deal?"

After Fentian finished speaking, the Void Realm fell into silence once more.

Daoist Canglong stared fixedly at Fentian, light flickering in his eyes; the scales in his heart had completely tipped.

His Personal Disciple, who was also his only descendant of his Bloodline, had been stuck at the Peak of the quasi-Emperor Realm for three whole epochs. No matter how he Cultivated, he could not take that final step to ascend the Emperor's throne.

And the only thing that could help him break through was the Origin Opportunity within the Origin Land.

For this spot, he was even willing to pay any price.

And now, Fentian had delivered this spot directly to him.

As for the Cauldron efficacy of the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation, although it would be greatly diminished after stripping the Samsara Dao, even if her cultivation were completely lost, she was, after all, an Ancient Emperor who had once wielded the Samsara Dao. Her Origin still possessed unimaginable efficacy. Even if it couldn't help him break through his Bottleneck directly, it could still advance his cultivation further.

This deal was a guaranteed profit.

After a moment of silence, Daoist Canglong suddenly threw his head back and laughed. His laughter was deep and vast, sweeping across the entire Star Domain, and the fractured space around them slowly healed amidst this laughter.

"Good! Fentian, you are straightforward enough!" Daoist Canglong said with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction. "Then I agree to your terms. This time, the two of us will join forces to capture that woman! It is a deal!"

"Since that is the case, we should set off." Fentian's tone also became crisp, and the flames around his body instantly surged to their limit.

The next second, behind him, a mountain range of fire stretching across hundreds of millions of light-years rose from the Void Realm without warning.

Every Peak of this mountain range was a star that Fentian had refined for countless years. The mountain bodies were covered in the runes of the Fentian Dao, and what flowed within the mountain range was not magma, but the Origin Fire of Fentian that could incinerate everything.

The moment the mountain range appeared, the fire Dao of the entire Universe emitted a deafening roar, and the flames of countless Star Domains sent out their most pious worship in this direction.

Fentian stepped onto the very top of the fire mountain range, and the entire mountain range instantly transformed into a crimson streak of light, speeding towards the edge of the Universe at a speed countless times faster than the speed of light.

At the same time, Daoist Canglong also moved.

His sky-covering Dao body slowly transformed into a massive Dragon shadow stretching across tens of billions of light-years. Every dragon scale on this dragon was a complete Star Domain, with countless stars slowly revolving upon the dragon scales. Its dragon horns pierced the firmament, its dragon tail swept across the Void Realm, and a pair of massive dragon eyes opened. With every blink, it was as if an epoch was born and perished.

Roar— A dragon roar that shook the entire Universe resounded. Where the dragon might swept, all living beings possessing the Dragon Clan Bloodline, regardless of which corner of the Universe they were in, were all uncontrollably prostrated on the ground, trembling, not daring to even lift their heads.

Under the dragon might, countless galaxies ceased their rotation, and time and space completely solidified.

The massive dragon shadow swung its body, following closely behind the fire mountain range, and sped towards the edge of the Universe.

Two terrifying auras, capable of shaking the entire Universe, one after the other, tore through the endless Void Realm. Wherever they passed, time and space fractured, and the Dao retreated. Countless top experts hidden throughout the Universe felt these two familiar Emperor-level pressures, and all of them were shaken to their core, speculating one after another about what major event had occurred that could cause these two Human Race Great Emperors, who had disappeared for countless years, to appear simultaneously and rush towards the edge of the Universe.

The entire Universe was turbulent with undercurrents due to the departure of these two figures.

Inside the Dao Coffin.

There was no nothingness here, no darkness, only swirling purple Qi and Immortal Qi flowing slowly. Beneath their feet was a white jade floor condensed from the Origin of Reincarnation, and overhead was a starry sky composed of countless Reincarnation stars. Not far away, a nine-petaled Reincarnation Lotus Throne bloomed quietly, and upon the lotus throne flowed the Power of Reincarnation that could determine life and death.

The air was filled with a faint fragrance. Taking a single breath could clear one's mind and stabilize one's Dao Foundation. Even if an ordinary person stayed here for a day, they could prolong their life and remain free from all illnesses.

Beside the Reincarnation Lotus Throne, two figures were snuggled closely together.

The woman wore a plain white Emperor's robe, draped loosely over her body, outlining a figure that was perfect to the extreme.

Her skin was like suet white jade, so delicate it seemed as if one could pinch water from it. Her stunningly beautiful face was flawless; her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were like autumn waters. As her beautiful eyes shifted, they carried ten thousand types of charm, enough to make any man in the world lose his soul and fall head over heels.

At this moment, this Ancient Emperor who had lived for countless epochs was leaning lazily in the embrace of a young man. Her flawless, lotus-root-like arms were gently hooked around the man's neck, and her stunning face carried a hint of languid amusement, along with a trace of cunning hidden deep within.

The young man she was leaning against had a handsome face, with a hint of cynical amusement between his brows. His whole body radiated the sharpness of a youth, yet he possessed a calmness and clarity that did not match his age.

The Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation raised her head, her beautiful, alluring eyes giving Zhou Liangan a look that was neither quite anger nor affection. Her red lips parted slightly, and her soft, delicate voice, with a hook-like inflection at the end, sounded in Zhou Liangan's ear: "Little bastard~ Time is running out~"

Zhou Liangan raised an eyebrow, looked down at the stunning woman in his arms, and reached out to gently pinch her smooth chin, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness: "What? Judging by your tone, has your enemy finally caught the scent and tracked us down?"

He had long anticipated that this day would come.

Upon hearing this, the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation smiled charmingly, extending a slender, fair jade finger to slowly draw circles on Zhou Liangan's solid chest.

The places her fingertip traced carried a tingling sensation, along with the faint flow of the Power of Reincarnation, stirring waves in Zhou Liangan's heart...