Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1876 Chapter 502: The Fall of the Eastern Domain
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
Time passes swiftly.
In a mere instant, two centuries have flown by.
Within the Abyss, countless silhouettes persist in quiet cultivation, now and then ascending from the Great Emperor Dojo to the Heaven Tower.
Atop the tower, a pair of misty figures linger in silence. Just their gazes, brimming with the Emperor's Might, peer down at the Abyss stretching before them. Two hundred years slip away in a flash.
Yet, while the Abyss remains serene, the external Eastern Domain has transformed utterly across these two centuries.
The Eastern Domain's battlefield now lies bare to every power, from the Northern Domain and Southern Domain to the Western Regions, plus various mighty clans and elite factions watching the clash. Plenty of formidable groups have rushed in reinforcements, though since it's not their land, the aid stays restrained. Few can dispatch their patriarch in person, unlike the Su Family from the Northern Domain.
And on that Eastern Domain front, the decisive element for triumph or downfall remains at minimum a Quasi-Emperor Level expert.
"It seems this catastrophe cannot be avoided..."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor's eyes hold traces of time and reminiscence, as his avatar views the Eastern Domain's plight from a distance, witnessing the myriad shifts unfolding there.
At present, the Eastern Domain's ultimate barrier has fallen to the demon tide as well.
The Dragon Ancestor, joined by the Taichu Clan, the aiding Dao Origin Immortal Emperor, and Su Jiuzhe Immortal Emperor, clash with the Ancient Demon Emperor in the Exotic Realm, vanished from sight with an unclear outcome, obviously caught in a deadlock and unable to escape.
Across the battlefield, Quasi-Emperor Realm fighters who battle and resist eventually prove unable to hold back the Ancient Demons. The barrier shatters, and now war's inferno blazes across the whole Eastern Domain.
Even with aid pouring in from numerous great clans, at the demon tide's back, two clan Emperors hold back from moving. Clearly, their involvement wouldn't turn the tide of defeat.
After all, beyond the Five Clans, Ancient Demons from other lineages also watch this Eastern Domain struggle.
Once the Eastern Domain's barrier crumbles, it signals that war's blaze will sweep the full Eastern Domain and consume the entire True Realm.
"All this was foreseen, yet unlike one hundred thousand years back, we're far better equipped now!"
The Star Empress remarked steadily, "Plus, over these one hundred thousand years, though clan rivalries linger, it's not like that era when every clan stood isolated in battle as before. The losses and ruin from that war were immense, utterly devastating, and every clan learned that against ancient grudges, the true horror is the whole True Realm turning into fodder for Ancient Demons!"
One hundred thousand years prior, as the ancient demon disaster struck, most major clans battled solo.
Before the ancient demons arrived, the True Realm bloomed in abundance, sparking clan frictions and deep-seated animosities. Amid the Ancient Demons' assault, some vast clans even cheered, but only when war scorched their own territories did they grasp the dread of Ancient Demons.
Particularly afterward, with every domain overrun by Ancient Demons, many clans uncovered the fiends' aims. Still, their rushed alliance proved futile, like eggs smashing against rock before the cohesive Ancient Demons. Ultimately, certain Great Emperors fell, wagering their existences to grant other clans a moment to rally and recover, at last repelling the Ancient Demons.
In the present, after one hundred thousand years, clan tensions and blood feuds persist, but pacts and vigilance have formed long ago to band together against Ancient Demons.
"The Eastern Domain's collapse was inevitable."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor sighed.
Despite ongoing reinforcements, the Eastern Domain will turn into a warzone, swallowed by raging flames.
"The Dragon Ancestor likely foresaw this; he fights fiercely to grant time to all clans and these youths, sacrificing the full Eastern Domain to stall the conflict."
The Star Empress said.
As peer Emperors, they grasp the motives driving fellow Emperors' deeds.
They perceive more profoundly, more distantly, and though they avoid probing illusory fates, they infer much and affirm it as reality.
"Does your Star Tower intend to step forth this time?"
The Immortal Immortal Emperor inquired.
The Star Empress gave a faint nod, "It has already linked with Dubhe Pavilion to erect massive formations across domains. Once these youths claim True King titles, the Ten Thousand Clans' forces will need those arrays for transport to every domain; without them, Emperors would have to guide across the immense spans, squandering their precious time."
"Already fortifying lines throughout the True Realm; this round, those from the Primordial True Realm ought to join too."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor muttered.
"Those people are probing their inheritors' statuses, so eager."
The Star Empress's eyes drifted shut lightly, her forehead's star mark glowing with a radiant light, radiating an enigmatic aura.
"That's expected, since it ties to the next era's dominion."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor affirmed.
"The Emperor Clan's splendor endures, but for other mighty clans, outcomes remain unclear. That youth... two hundred years gone and he's still striving; it's the final hurdle after all. Success in breaching it hinges on this, and one hopes he possesses the aptitude to reach Emperor rank."
The Star Empress's sight drifted below, settling at last on the Heaven Tower beneath.
At the Heaven Tower's 60th level.
Li Hao's form darts in and out of the Heaven Tower time and again.
From an early span of three sticks of incense, to five, to three hours, nine hours... the duration inside the Heaven Tower stretches ever further.
These days, about every seven days, he ventures in and out of the Heaven Tower once.
"Far too brief; this route is mistaken—do we scrap it all and begin afresh?"
Within the tower, Li Hao clutched his head, his mind drained from the strain.
Aligning the seventh Realm Heart proves exceedingly tough.
The prior six Realm Hearts he upheld shattered entirely upon the seventh's rise. He attempted over ten approaches, with at least ten collapsing outright, while the other five advanced to various points before revealing flaws, forcing a total restart each time.