Chapter 382: Number One on the Emperor List, Returning Triumphantly! Shocking the Universe!

Chapter 382: Top of the Imperial List, A Triumphant Return! Shaking the Universe!

Panic is a plague that travels faster than the speed of light.

When the Demon Horn Emperor, a pinnacle sovereign renowned for his formidable physique and violent combat prowess, was struck by Qin Feng in a manner akin to "deleting a file"—erased along with the very fabric of space-time he occupied into nothingness with a single punch.

When those dozen or so Demon Horn emperors, unable to even utter a final wail, perished alongside their leader.

Within the Ten Thousand Heavens God-Sealing Array, the so-called "allied forces" composed of over two thousand three hundred sovereigns of various races, which should have been unbreakable, saw the final string holding their resolve together snap with a sharp, resounding crack.

So much for the "Dragon-Slaughtering Feast," the "total annihilation," the "carving up of the human race's destiny"...

All those arrogant fantasies were ground into the most ridiculous dust before a power that was absolute, unreasonable, and beyond the limits of their comprehension.

"Run!!!"

It was unclear who first let out this divine roar, pregnant with infinite despair and terror.

Like a powder keg with a lit fuse, this cry instantly detonated the survival instincts of every sovereign present.

In an instant, the entire battlefield descended into chaos.

Utter, absolute chaos.

There were no more formations, no more coordination, no more thoughts of a siege.

Over two thousand emperors, whose mere footsteps could make a vast universe tremble, were now like ants in the nest of a prehistoric dragon, or lambs before a starving tiger.

Their only instinct was to flee!

Burn their essence!

Detonate their supreme treasures!

Employ forbidden secret arts!

They exhausted every method they could conceive, transforming into over two thousand streaks of light in chaotic trajectories, fleeing frantically in every direction!

They had but one goal—to escape this domain of death now shrouded by that demon! To escape the gaze of that man!

"Hmph."

Watching this apocalyptic scene, the corners of Qin Feng's mouth curled into a cold arc.

His eyes remained calm.

Like a farmer watching locusts scatter in his wheat field, there was no anger in his gaze, only the matter-of-fact necessity of "clearing the field."

"Before me, where could you possibly run to?"

He whispered softly to himself.

Then, he raised his hands, slowly opening them toward the void.

A simple gesture, yet it seemed to embrace the entire universe.

"In my name, I establish my path."

"In this heaven and earth, I am the limit."

"——Limit Domain, open."

Hum—!!!

An invisible ripple, seemingly containing all the "ultimate" and "absolute" concepts of the cosmos, radiated instantly from Qin Feng as its center!

This was not energy, nor was it law, but a rewriting of "rules" itself!

Wherever the ripple passed, the blood-colored crystal walls of the Ten Thousand Heavens God-Sealing Array, already pierced by Qin Feng's finger, did not collapse; instead, they were "redefined" in a more bizarre and indestructible fashion.

The dark red walls, once filled with the stench of blood and slaughter, shed their color in this moment, transforming into a pure, absolute "nothingness."

An absolute "barrier" from which even light could not escape, and within which even time and space froze.

The array, once constructed by over two thousand three hundred emperors, was now forcibly taken over by Qin Feng through his more domineering and advanced "Path of the Limit"!

This cage remained a cage.

Only its master had changed.

And its function had shifted from "slaughter" to "confinement."

"No!!!"

A Heavenly Demon sovereign, the fastest of them all, burned half his essence to become a golden lightning bolt that tore through space-time, reaching the wall of "nothingness" first.

The ecstasy of survival had just dawned on his face when, in the next second, it froze solid.

"Boom!"

He slammed violently into the invisible barrier.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a dull, muffled sound, as if he had struck a "concept" of infinite density.

His imperial body, capable of shattering galaxies, was as fragile as an eggshell before that barrier.

"Crack!"

The sound of shattering bones echoed, and his entire body was instantly crushed into a blur of flesh and blood by the terrifying recoil.

More horrifyingly, the moment his immortal soul touched the barrier, the "Limit" essence contained within forcibly erased all his "possibilities," plunging him into eternal stillness.

A pinnacle sovereign had, in a suicidal manner, proven the absolute nature of this new "cage."

"We... we can't get out..."

"What... what is this monster?! My spatial laws... have failed?!"

"The array... he has... seized control of the array?!"

Despair.

A despair deeper and purer than before, like the cold vacuum of space, drowned the hearts of all the sovereigns.

If they had previously faced a Grim Reaper wielding a butcher's knife in pursuit, they now faced a demon who had locked every door and window, holding the blade while savoring their final struggles.

The slaughter officially began.

And this time, there would be no luck.

Qin Feng’s figure moved.

He no longer used large-scale, conceptual attacks.

He was like the most efficient butcher, beginning a precise, point-to-point... clearance.

His figure flickered like a ghost across the chaotic battlefield.

Each flicker inevitably appeared behind a sovereign.

Then, a finger would point.

Or, a fist would strike.

Puff.

A Rock Spirit sovereign, whose divine body was touted as impervious to all laws and indestructible, felt a seemingly slender finger gently tap his back.

There was no eruption of energy.

His entire being, down to the very essence of his soul, collapsed inward from the singular point he had touched, eventually vanishing into a speck of imperceptible dust.

Pop.

A Zerg Matriarch, her body vast as a galaxy, felt a seemingly unremarkable fist press gently against her form.

In the next heartbeat, her body, along with the billions of eggs gestating within her, vanished in silence, as if a balloon had been pricked.

No screams.

No resistance.

Not even a stray flicker of energy escaped.

This was an art of slaughter, at once exquisitely efficient and cruelly absolute.

Every strike Qin Feng delivered did not merely assail the material realm; it struck at the very roots of existence.

The conceptual erasure inherent in the Ultimate Divine Light rendered every attack an irreversible final verdict.

The sovereigns he slew did not simply die.

They were, quite literally, deleted from the universe.

...

"..."

At the other end of the cage, the seven hundred surviving human sovereigns stood like statues struck by a collective silence, watching with numb, vacant eyes as a scene unfolded that defied eons of their understanding—a tableau of gods and demons.

Their minds were blank.

Their souls trembled.

Their conviction was shaken to its core.

What were they witnessing?

A man.

A man who was clearing away the enemy as if sweeping up refuse, slaughtering in droves those very sovereigns who, only moments ago, had forced them to seek a final shred of dignity through self-destruction.

Those arrogant Demon-Horn Sovereigns, those cold and eerie Crystal Sovereigns, those brutal, tyrannical Insect Sovereigns...

Before that man in the dark robes, they were as fragile as paper dolls.

"Is this... truly... Qin Feng?"

The Five-Elements Sovereign’s aged voice trembled. His five-colored divine halo flickered unsteadily, mirroring the violent upheaval in his heart.

In his memory, Qin Feng was still that gifted junior from the Holy Academy, one who required the protection of himself and other human leaders.

But this figure before him...

Moving with such ease, slaughtering sovereigns like stray dogs, treating the laws of the universe as if they were nothing...

Could it truly be the same person?

"We..."

The Heaven-Cleaving Sword Sovereign picked up his ancient blade, his hand shaking uncontrollably. "We were just... preparing to sacrifice our own lives... to buy him a single chance?"

The thought filled this top-tier sovereign, known for his clear sword-heart and iron will, with a sense of absurdity he had never known.

Their resolve, their tragic heroism, their self-important "final stand"—before this absolute power, it all seemed so laughable, so utterly superfluous.

"Gulp."

Someone swallowed hard.

Then, a voice, filled with boundless shock and ecstatic joy, erupted from the stunned crowd!

"It is the Ultimate Divine Sovereign! Our human... Ultimate Divine Sovereign has returned!!!"

"Hahahaha! He is back! He has truly returned!"

"You mongrel races! Your end... has arrived!!!"

After the brief stupor came an irrepressible, delirious joy—the euphoria of those who had stared into the abyss and survived!

All shock, all confusion, was cast to the winds!

They did not need to understand why Qin Feng had become so powerful!

They only needed to know one thing—

This god-demon currently carving a path of slaughter was one of their own!

He was their... kin!

"What are you standing there for?!"

The Heaven-Cleaving Sword Sovereign was the first to react, his withered aura sharpening once more with the intensity of his excitement!

"The Ultimate Divine Sovereign... His Excellency Qin Feng, is exacting... vengeance for us!"

"How can we stand idly by?!"

"Brethren! Follow me... and kill!!!"

The roar, like a thunderclap, shattered the daze of every human sovereign!

Indeed!

They were the sovereigns of humanity!

Only moments ago, they were ready to perish alongside their enemies!

Now, with the tides turned and the enemy reduced to lambs for the slaughter, how could they stand here like mere spectators?!

"Kill!!!"

"Avenge our fallen brothers!!!"

"Hahaha! Splendid! Truly splendid! I have never fought a battle so glorious in all my life!"

A towering will to fight surged once more from the human ranks!

But this time, it was not tragic, nor was it desperate.

It was a cathartic, blood-pumping frenzy of retribution!

Seven hundred human sovereigns, like tigers descending from the mountains, joined the slaughter—a feast of vengeance that could no longer be called a battle—filled with grief and ecstasy.

They were no longer defending passively, no longer struggling to hold on.

Under the protection of Qin Feng’s "Ultimate Domain," they suffered almost no tangible harm.

Their enemies, those sovereigns of the myriad races, had long since lost their courage, their minds shattered, their strength suppressed by the domain until they could not muster even thirty percent of their power.

As one side rose and the other fell.

The scene transformed entirely into a one-sided, inevitable... hunt.

...

Time, within this blood-stained cage, had lost all meaning.

Slaughter became the only melody here.

One day.

One year.

Ten years.

A century.

When the last Shadow Emperor, attempting to hide in the fissures of space-time, was plucked from the dimensions by Qin Feng and his soul shattered with a flick of a finger.

When the final wisp of alien imperial law dissipated into nothingness within this thoroughly purged expanse.

Outside the Eternal Mountain, this ultimate battlefield—which had once gathered over three thousand emperors, roared with the clamor of centuries, and played host to countless joys and sorrows—finally welcomed its ultimate... silence.

Qin Feng hovered quietly in the center of the battlefield.

His dark robes remained unstained by a single speck of dust.

His gaze remained as tranquil as ever.

It was as if the massacre that had just concluded—a century-long slaughter of emperors, the most brutal and harrowing in the history of the cosmic epoch—was to him nothing more than the completion of a trivial task.

Surrounding him, over seven hundred human emperors stood silently in the void, their weapons still dripping with blood.

They did not cheer.

They did not shout.

They simply... watched.

They watched that back, suspended in the center of the battlefield like an eternal deity.

In their eyes, the emotions were complex to the extreme.

There was the relief of having survived the catastrophe.

There was the gratification of seeing a great vengeance fulfilled.

But more than that, it was an indescribable sentiment, a mixture of awe, reverence, shock, and even a hint of... alienation.

Words failed them.

This was the truest reflection of what everyone felt in their hearts at that moment.

They did not know what to say.

Should they thank him for saving their lives?

Or should they marvel at his god-like, peerless power?

Or perhaps... should they ask him what he had endured over these past hundred thousand years to become such a terrifying existence—one they could only look up to, whose very presence made their hearts tremble even when they dared not look him in the eye?

In the end, it was the Sword Emperor Qingtian, the veteran leader of the human race, who took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed deeply and solemnly toward that back.

"Qingtian of the human race, leading the remaining seven hundred and twelve survivors, pays respects to... His Majesty the Limitless God Emperor, for the grace of our salvation!"

His voice shattered the post-battle silence.

"We pay respects to His Majesty the God Emperor!"

Behind him, all the human emperors awoke as if from a dream, bowing in unison toward Qin Feng.

Their movements were uniform.

Their voices came from the depths of their souls.

This bow was an expression of gratitude.

It was, even more so... an act of submission.

It was the most instinctive reverence and surrender to absolute power.

Qin Feng turned slowly.

His gaze swept calmly over his compatriots, who were covered in blood and, though weakened in spirit, still burned with high intent.

He saw the complex emotions in their eyes.

But he offered no explanation.

Some things require no explanation.

"Everyone."

He spoke slowly, his voice soft, yet it resonated clearly within the heart of every emperor.

"Return to the Holy Academy first."

A simple sentence, yet it carried an unquestionable power that calmed their hearts.

Having said this, he spoke no more.

He reached out and gave a light grasp toward the vast battlefield.

Hum—

An invisible, majestic force instantly enveloped the entire "Limitless Domain."

The corpses of the myriad emperors floating in the void, the shattered supreme treasures, the residual essence...

In total, two thousand three hundred and seventeen imperial remains.

Under that grasp, they flowed like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, transforming into streams of light that were all gathered into a seemingly ordinary storage ring on his finger.

Having done all this, he nodded slightly to the human emperors, who remained in a state of shock.

Then, with a single step, his figure vanished from the spot, tearing through the void toward the direction of the Human Holy Academy.

All that remained was a single sentence echoing in everyone's ears.

"Follow."

"..."

Sword Emperor Qingtian and the Five Elements Emperor exchanged a glance, seeing in each other's eyes a trace of a bitter smile and a sense of relief.

They knew that an era belonging to the "Limitless God Emperor" had... arrived.

"Let us go."

Sword Emperor Qingtian sheathed his sword and spoke in a low voice to his compatriots, who were still somewhat dazed.

"Return... to the Holy Academy."

Over seven hundred streams of light followed in his wake, carrying their exhaustion and their overwhelming shock as they embarked on the... journey home.

...

The Human Holy Academy.

Deep within the dimensions, there stood a divine palace.

The structure of this palace could not be described by any material. It seemed to be condensed from the very concept of "Limit."

Every ray of light within the hall possessed extreme penetration; every inch of space was solidified to an absolute peak; the flow of time here presented an eternal stillness.

This was the Limitless Divine Palace.

In the heart of the temple, a solitary figure sat in silent meditation.

He was the avatar of the Lord of Extremes.

His presence was as elusive as a phantom, flickering between existence and void.

One moment, you could sense within him a supreme power capable of crushing eons and shattering the cosmos; the next, he dissolved into the surrounding Dao of the "Extreme," becoming an absolute "nothingness"—a concept beyond observation, beyond perception.

He had remained in this stillness for over a hundred thousand years.

Since the "fall" of Qin Feng, he had largely ignored the strife of the world, immersing himself in the ultimate exploration of the path of "Extremes."

Yet, at this very instant.

A vast, ineffable will—supreme, impartial, and boundless—descended without warning.

This will was not aimed at any single creature, nor was it an act of aggression.

It was as if the consciousness of the universe itself had awakened, its gaze sweeping across the past, present, and future, discerning every corner, every dimension, and the trajectory of every living soul.

The avatar of the Lord of Extremes snapped his eyes open.

What eyes they were! Devoid of pupils, they held only a pure, extreme light that seemed to pierce the very essence of all things.

He felt it.

And not just him; in this instant, across the entire universe, every powerful being at or above the level of a black hole—regardless of where they were or what they were doing, be it deep meditation, blood-soaked battle, or wandering the stars—had their spirits and consciousnesses receive, in unison, this undeniable stream of information from the cosmic origin.

In the minds of all these powerhouses, the information coalesced into a list.

A list far older and more authoritative than the previous "Heavenly Pride List" that had targeted the younger generation.

The Cosmic "Imperial Ranking"!

This list recorded the ten strongest individuals among all those at the Imperial Realm since the dawn of the Golden Age, evaluated by their strength, potential, achievements, and mastery of the Dao.

Only ten spots existed!

Across the myriad races of the universe, there were thousands of Imperial-level powerhouses; to claim a place here was to be a king among kings, a prodigy among prodigies! They were the peerless titans standing on the threshold of Sainthood, looking down upon their peers.

At this moment, this list, symbolizing the highest glory of the Imperial Realm, was etched with unprecedented clarity into the depths of every powerhouse's consciousness.

Upon it, ten names shone like ten eternal suns, radiating a terrifying Dao rhythm that made even Emperors tremble.

[Tenth: Myriad Law Demon Emperor]

[Ninth: Thousand-Mechanism God Emperor]

[Eighth: Abyss Devil Emperor]

...

[Second: Primordial Machine Emperor]

[First: ???]

However, just as all these powerhouses were reeling from this sudden cosmic judgment, a transformation occurred.

The golden, radiant "Imperial Ranking" began to tremble violently!

The ten names etched upon it saw their light dim at an impossible speed!

Then, under the "gaze" of every powerhouse:

[Tenth: Myriad Law Demon Emperor]—this name was erased by an invisible force, forcibly wiped from the list!

In his place rose the "Thousand-Mechanism God Emperor," formerly ninth!

The ninth was replaced by the eighth, the eighth by the seventh...

The entire list, save for the mysterious first place, shifted downward by one position!

This meant that a new, even more terrifying existence had, with overwhelming and domineering force, squeezed into a list that had remained solidified for millions of years!

Every heart skipped a beat.

They all yearned to know: what sacred being possessed such might that these nine titans, who shook the universe, were forced to "yield" their places?

Yet, what happened next defied all imagination.

The new name did not appear in the tenth spot.

It did not follow the order, challenging the old authorities one by one from the bottom up.

It...

Appeared directly at the very pinnacle of the list!

The position that had belonged to the first place was completely engulfed by a supreme divine light, more brilliant, more domineering, and more unquestionable than any other!

Then, a new title, inscribed by the fundamental laws of the universe itself—each stroke imbued with the true meaning of "Extreme" and "End"—was branded upon the souls of all, like the first oracle of creation!

[Extreme God Emperor Qin Feng]

Boom—!

If the previous update of the "Heavenly Pride List" was like dropping a supernova into the calm lake of the universe, then this upheaval of the "Imperial Ranking" was like hurling an entire black hole into the very origin of existence!

Every powerhouse who beheld this name felt their thoughts grind to a complete halt.

Qin Feng...

Extreme God Emperor... Qin Feng?!

That... forbidden existence who, a hundred thousand years ago, was struck from the cosmic will and deemed by all to have utterly perished?!

He...

Not only had he returned...

But he had...

Claimed the first spot on the "Imperial Ranking"?!

How could this be?!

It defied every understanding they held of cosmic laws, of life, and of death!

Yet, the cosmic will does not err.

Beneath that dazzling title, lines of more detailed, suffocating commentary and verification slowly emerged.

[Achievement: Before the Eternal Mountain, single-handedly slew two thousand three hundred and seventeen Imperial-level powerhouses, shattering the Myriad Heavens God-Sealing Array.]

[Rank: First on the Imperial List] [Evaluation: Peerless throughout the ages, the world's first Emperor, invincible beneath the rank of Saint.]

...

...

Silence.

A silence as profound as death itself.

Within the Temple of Extremity, the Lord of Extremity stared with eyes of absolute radiance, fixed and unblinking, at the list etched into the deepest recesses of his consciousness.

He saw that name.

He saw that tally of battle, a record sufficient to drive any living soul to madness.

And he saw that final evaluation, bestowed by the very Will of the Universe, a verdict of supreme authority.

[Invincible beneath the Saint-hood]!

Time, in this moment, seemed to have frozen for ten thousand aeons.

The next second.

An irrepressible, indescribable ecstasy, like a volcano suppressed for billions of years, erupted from the depths of the Lord of Extremity’s tranquil heart!

"Ha..."

A low, disbelieving chuckle escaped his lips.

Then, the laughter grew louder, more resonant, and increasingly... unbridled!

"Hahahaha... Hahahahahaha!!!"

Wild, domineering, and filled with infinite relief and pride, the laughter resounded throughout the entire Temple of Extremity!

The impenetrable barriers of the temple, forged from the very concept of "Extremity," hummed under the strain of that laughter! The entire supreme dimension was stirred into a tempestuous frenzy of laws by the sheer force of his joy!

"Good! Good! Good! A fine Qin Feng indeed!!!"

The avatar of the Lord of Extremity rose abruptly from his throne, his once ethereal presence blooming without reservation!

A pure, absolute will of "Extremity," transcending all paths, shot into the sky, nearly piercing a hole through the very supreme dimension where the Holy Academy resided!

"I knew it! I knew it!!!"

He roared toward the heavens, his voice brimming with boundless gratification.

"Those who walk the path of 'Extremity' must seek eternal life in the midst of despair and find their true selves within the void!"

"Feigned death? Fallen? How could mere vermin of the myriad races truly kill the most outstanding successor of my 'Extremity' lineage in all eternity!"

"Qin Feng! You truly... did not disappoint me!"

"You... you are truly alive!!!"

His voice echoed long and deep within the supreme dimension.

It was the cry of a solitary seeker, the joy from the deepest reaches of his soul, upon seeing that the "Path" he had pioneered finally had a successor—one who had surpassed the master!

...

Yet, while some rejoiced, others mourned.

When the Lord of Extremity and the entire Human Holy Academy were plunged into ecstasy and shock by this list,

At the other end of the universe, in the territories of the myriad races, the atmosphere had frozen to a point of absolute cold.

The Demon Horn Clan, Ancestral Abyss.

Upon a throne constructed of countless bones, the progenitor of the Demon Horns, an ancient being who had long since placed half a foot into the Saint realm, slowly opened eyes darker than the abyss itself.

Before him, the [List of Emperors] hovered in the air.

His gaze was locked firmly upon the record: "Slaughtered two thousand three hundred and seventeen Emperors."

Among them was one of his most promising descendants, the Demon Horn Emperor.

After a long silence.

"...Too much... deception!!!"

A roar filled with infinite rage and killing intent erupted from the deepest depths of the Abyss!

The entire ancestral land of the Demon Horns trembled violently under this roar, and countless weak Demon Horn creatures had their souls shattered by the mere leakage of his fury!

"Qin Feng... Human..."

"This grudge... shall be settled in blood!!!"

The Crystal Clan, Crystal Divine Kingdom.

The Saint of the Crystal Clan awakened from the primordial crystal where he had slumbered for millions of years.

He looked at the list, and for the first time, his face—composed of countless crystal facets—revealed an emotion known as "gravity."

"Invincible beneath the Saint... that the Will of the Universe would give such an evaluation..."

"Issue my decree."

"Recall all clansmen abroad and activate the highest level of war barriers."

"This era... is about to descend into chaos."

The Machine Clan, Core of the Skynet.

Cold, absolute, rational logic flickered within the endless torrent of data.

All data regarding "Extreme God-Emperor Qin Feng" was elevated to the highest priority.

[Target: Extreme God-Emperor Qin Feng]

[Threat Level: World-Ending]

[Analysis: Target possesses the capability to independently destroy the high-end combat power of a top-tier race.]

[Conclusion: The target's growth curve has severely deviated from the standard logical model.]

[Countermeasure: Initiate 'Ultimate Erasure Protocol.' At any cost, utilize all clan reserves to... format him completely from the root.]

Hatred spread.

Fear sprouted.

Killing intent boiled.

The entire universe, every faction hostile to humanity, fell into a collective, near-maniacal hostility upon seeing this list.

They hated!

They hated Qin Feng’s strength! They hated his refusal to die! They hated his blood-soaked, heinous record!

They feared!

They feared that the next to be "cleansed" would be their own race!

They feared their own kind would follow in the footsteps of those two thousand three hundred Emperors!

This hatred and fear intertwined, forging an unprecedented, monstrous calamity of slaughter directed at humanity and at Qin Feng!

...

And among the ordinary cosmic races, in those bustling interstellar metropolises, this list ignited a different kind of storm.

Neutral Zone, City of Starfall.

This is a commercial and informational hub where a billion races converge.

At the center of the city, the colossal public light screen is currently looping the "Emperor Ranking," a list capable of suffocating any living soul.

Countless beings from disparate civilizations and races gather beneath the screen, gazing up at the name suspended at the very top, their heated discussions rising in a thunderous roar.

"My heavens! The Emperor Ranking has updated! And it is an unprecedented reshuffling!"

"Limitless God Emperor Qin Feng? Who is this? Why have I... never heard of this title?"

"Indeed! The Primordial Machine Emperor, the Abyss Demon Emperor... these are titans who have been famous for millions of years. Where did this Qin Feng emerge from? How could he possibly drop straight into the number one spot?!"

Many of the younger generation, born within the last hundred thousand years or only just stepping onto the interstellar stage, stare at this unfamiliar name with faces full of bewilderment and confusion.

Within their limited knowledge, this name is a stranger.

"Heh, never heard of him?"

In the crowd, an elderly turtle-folk, his aura ancient and his shell covered in moss—a sign of having weathered vast stretches of time—let out a soft chuckle filled with nostalgia and reflection.

"Children, it is no surprise that you do not know him."

"For when he shook the universe, your grandfathers had perhaps not even been born."

"To us old relics who survived from the previous era, this name is not merely a title; it is a... forbidden legend."

The old turtle's words immediately captured the attention of all the youngsters nearby.

"Old master! Tell us! What is the origin of this Limitless God Emperor? Is his record of 'slaying over two thousand three hundred Emperors'... true?! That is more absurd than any myth!" a young prodigy with antennae atop his head, his face full of curiosity, could not help but press.

"Is it true?" A complex light flickered in the old turtle's cloudy eyes—a mix of awe, fear, and a trace of... relief.

"Child, the Will of the Universe never jokes."

He paused, as if organizing memories that had been sealed away for a hundred thousand years, memories that still stirred the soul.

"You only know his current glory, but you do not know his past... madness."

"A long, long time ago, he was not a 'God Emperor,' not even a King. Back then, his title was 'Limitless God Marquis'."

"He, while only a Marquis, faced a genuine King in the final showdown of the Universal Genius Tournament and... reversed the order to slay him!"

"Hiss—!"

As these words fell, a collective gasp of cold air rippled through the crowd.

A Marquis slaying a King in reverse?!

This... this completely defied their common knowledge of martial arts!

"That was merely the beginning of his legend."

The old turtle ignored their shock, continuing in that distant, echoing voice.

"After that battle, he was viewed as a mortal threat by all races, drawing a joint siege from dozens of Emperors! Among them were many renowned existences!"

"That battle shattered the heavens and the earth; even the cosmic sea trembled! In the end, he was driven to a dead end, and under the gaze of all, he... self-destructed, his body and soul utterly annihilated."

"At the time, everyone believed this peerless monster had truly fallen. His name vanished from the notarization of the Universe's Will."

"We all thought that legend had reached a bloody full stop."

The old turtle raised his head, looking once more at the brilliant name on the screen, his voice carrying an uncontainable, profound shock.

"But who could have imagined..."

"A hundred thousand years later, he has not only returned."

"He has returned in a way... that none of us could comprehend, a way we would not even dare to dream of..."

"...to rule the world!"

The story ended.

The entire plaza fell into a deathly silence.

All the young prodigies who had been curious or skeptical stood frozen, as if struck by a binding spell.

Their faces were etched with an extreme shock that words could not describe.

A Marquis slaying a King...

Besieged by dozens of Emperors...

Feigning death to escape, lurking for a hundred thousand years...

The day of his return, he ascended to the top of the Emperor Ranking with the corpses of over two thousand three hundred Emperors, judged by the Universe's Will as "Invincible Beneath the Saint"...

This...

Is this something a "living being" can achieve?

This is no longer a legend.

This is a myth!

A living, breathing, unfolding myth that makes all the prodigies of this era feel an endless, suffocating despair!

From this day forward, every soul in the universe will remember this name.

Limitless God Emperor, Qin Feng!

...

Humanity's Holy Academy, the supreme dimension.

The space-time here possesses a texture distinct from the main universe.

It is both independent and intricately woven with the destiny of the human race and the fundamental laws of the main universe in a profound manner.

This is the root of human civilization, the source of power, and the ultimate destination in the hearts of all wandering souls.

"Clang—!"

An ancient, distant bell toll, as if emanating from the very source of the river of time, rang out through the entire Academy without warning.

This is the "Bell of Saintly Arrival."

It never rings for time; it only rings for "people."

Only when a peerless hero who has performed immortal deeds for humanity, capable of altering the fate of the race, returns, will it be automatically struck by the Academy's fundamental will!

The last time it rang was millions of years ago, when a human sage, surrounded by all races, defied the heavens to enter the Saintly Realm.

Today, it rings for one man.

The tolling is the signal.

In an instant, the entire Academy—a place that should have been the most tranquil and sacred sanctuary for human cultivation—erupted!

Countless powerhouses in seclusion were startled from their caves.

Countless young prodigies sweating on the training grounds halted their movements.

Countless ancient beings imparting wisdom set down their scrolls.

In unison, they cast their gazes toward the entrance of the Academy—the brilliant star gate connecting to the main universe, known as the "Gate of Homecoming."

They all saw the Emperor Ranking, just notarized by the Will of the Universe, its supreme majesty still branded upon their minds.

They knew who had returned.

They knew even better what kind of... miracle he had brought back with him.

Hum—

The Gate of Homecoming blazed with resplendent light.

Figure after figure stepped forth from within.

Leading them were the Heaven-Propping Sword Emperor, the Five Elements Emperor, and over seven hundred other expeditionary sovereigns who, only a short while ago, had been deemed by the entire Sacred Academy to be beyond all hope of survival.

Their auras remained frail.

Their bodies still bore the stains of blood and the exhaustion of the great war.

Yet, their eyes no longer held a trace of despair or tragic sorrow. In their place was a mixture of relief at having survived the abyss, boundless shock, and... an absolute, soul-deep reverence for the figure walking at their very front.

Surrounded by them all, that figure in black robes stepped slowly out from the halo of the star gate.

Qin Feng.

He had returned.

His aura remained as calm and as restrained as ever.

Compared to the immense power gathered by the seven hundred sovereigns behind him, he was like a single grain of millet in the vast ocean—utterly insignificant.

However, everyone present, from the newly returned Heaven-Propping Sword Emperor to the guardians who had long awaited them at the Academy, subconsciously ignored the "ocean" of sovereigns and locked their gazes firmly upon that single "grain."

For they knew that within this seemingly ordinary grain lay the power to... overturn the entire universe!

"Welcome... the Limitless God Emperor, home to the Sacred Academy!!!"

It was unclear who first broke free from the sheer shock, using every ounce of strength to let out a cry filled with infinite reverence and fervor.

This cry, like a spark in dry grass, instantly ignited the entire Sacred Academy!

"Welcome, Limitless God Emperor!!!"

"Welcome, sovereigns, home to your homeland!!!"

The next moment, a roar like a mountain collapsing and a sea churning, suppressed for eons, erupted in a thunderous explosion!

The sound transformed into a tangible tide, crashing against every corner of the supreme dimension!

Countless figures rose into the sky from every direction of the Sacred Academy, converging together.

There were Domain Lords with auras as vast as the sea.

There were Black Hole-level powerhouses who had begun to grasp the laws of reality.

There were Star-level prodigies, fresh from condensing their star cores and brimming with spirit.

And there were even young students who had just passed their trials to enter this highest institution of humanity, their faces still marked by innocence and longing.

Their numbers were far beyond the billions.

They converged from all sides into an endless ocean of people.

Every face bore the same expression—excitement, adoration, and... tears of joy shed for witnessing a living myth!

They reached out their hands toward the sky, toward that figure in black, offering their most sincere and fanatical cheers!

This was the homecoming of a hero!

This was humanity’s highest tribute to its savior!

...

In the center of this fanatical ocean, Qin Feng’s footsteps paused slightly.

He looked at the scene before him, listening to the cheers that threatened to shatter the very soul.

His eyes remained calm.

But deep within that stillness, a trace of a ripple—so subtle that even he had not noticed it—gently unfurled.

Once upon a time, he too had been a member of this ocean.

He too had looked up, like those young students, at the legendary figures high above in the Sacred Academy, dreaming that one day he might be like them, carving out new frontiers for humanity and fighting through the galaxy.

Times had changed.

When he returned once more, he had already become... the one being looked up to.

He had even become... the myth itself.

He did not speak, simply accepting this purest form of respect from his entire race.

At that moment, the crowd automatically parted to form a path.

A figure walked slowly from the deepest reaches of the Sacred Academy.

It was the avatar of the Limitless Lord.

He still possessed that ethereal, almost non-existent aura, but his face held a trace of heartfelt, undisguised warmth.

He stopped before Qin Feng.

He did not look at the Heaven-Propping Sword Emperor and the others who were bowing to him.

His gaze was focused solely on Qin Feng.

It was the look of an elder watching his most proud protégé.

It was the look of a pioneer watching his most perfect successor.

"You have returned."

The Limitless Lord spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of emotion he had not anticipated.

"Yes, I have returned."

Qin Feng nodded slightly, responding calmly.

"You have done well."

The Limitless Lord smiled, a genuine smile from the heart. "Better than I imagined. Better by... countless times."

He reached out and patted Qin Feng’s shoulder gently.

A simple gesture, yet it held infinite relief and recognition.

A light of extreme brilliance flashed in the Limitless Lord’s eyes.

"You have already walked... beyond me."

Once these words were spoken, the hearts of the Heaven-Propping Sword Emperor and the others shook once more!

Even an ancient existence like the Limitless Lord, one of the very foundations of humanity, had personally admitted that Qin Feng... had surpassed him?!

This...

They could no longer use the word "shock" to describe their feelings.

It was a state of absolute, inevitable conviction, as if they were standing in the presence of "Truth" itself.

Qin Feng’s gaze swept over his emotional kin behind him. "I am human. This journey was merely my duty."

"A duty well fulfilled!"

The Lord of Extremity laughed aloud upon hearing this, "Well said! Hahaha!"

He withdrew his hand, turning to face the sea of people still lost in their jubilant cheers.

His voice, imbued with supreme majesty, instantly quelled the surrounding clamor.

"Today, our human race shall celebrate as one!"

"To welcome home our heroes!"

"To mourn our fallen souls!"

"And to toast our race... for the peace of ten thousand generations to come!"

"Hear my decree—"

"Within the Holy Academy, let the victory feast begin! Every member, regardless of rank or cultivation, shall partake!"

"The feast shall last... for a century!"

...

The victory feast was both feverish and poignant.

People celebrated the arrival of a miracle, while honoring the dozen or so fellow Emperors who had been the first to perish beneath the Eternal Mountain.

Qin Feng was, without question, the absolute center of this grand banquet.

Yet, he did not linger long in the main hall to accept the toasts and congratulations of the human elite.

After a brief exchange regarding post-war matters with the Lord of Extremity, the Heaven-Reaching Sword Emperor, and others, he walked alone out of that hall reserved only for the mighty.

He walked along the paths of the Holy Academy, paved with starlight.

He passed the training grounds where he had once shed his sweat.

He passed the library where he had once buried himself in study.

He passed every place he had ever visited.

His appearance in every corner of the Academy ignited waves of mountain-shaking adoration and worship.

Countless young prodigies followed in his wake, forming a long "tail." They dared not approach to disturb him, merely trailing his footsteps from afar with a gaze akin to religious pilgrimage.

They were following their own... faith.

In a secluded corner of a garden planted with ancient tea trees of enlightenment,

a few young students, having just finished a day of arduous lessons and possessing only planetary or stellar-level cultivation, sat huddled together, sipping tea while excitedly discussing the scene that would surely be etched into history.

"Did you see? Did you see?! I... I actually saw the Extreme God Emperor with my own eyes!"

A young boy with a smattering of freckles on his face was so flushed with excitement that his words tumbled out incoherently.

"Seen him? That’s an understatement!"

Beside him, a girl with a composed temperament had eyes sparkling with wonder, "The moment the God Emperor stepped out from the Gate of Homecoming, I felt as if my very soul had been purified by that intangible aura! He exerted no pressure at all, yet I... I lacked even the courage to look him in the eye!"

"Too strong... truly too strong..."

Another burly youth said with lingering fear, "You didn't see the combat record notarized on the [List of Emperors]! 'Slaughtered two thousand three hundred and seventeen Emperors single-handedly'... My god, I can't even imagine what kind of world-shaking scene that must have been!"

"Indeed..." the freckled boy looked on with longing. He stared at his own still-tender hands and muttered to himself, "We pride ourselves here for breaking through a minor realm. Yet, the God Emperor, with his own strength, has held up the heavens for our entire race..."

His words left everyone present in silence.

Yes.

The gap.

A chasm so vast it made one feel infinitely small and powerless.

After a long silence, the composed girl lifted her teacup, took a light sip, and gazed at the black-robed figure in the distance, surrounded by crowds yet appearing somehow lonely. She asked in a voice like a dream:

"Do you think..."

"When... will we ever become powerhouses like the God Emperor?"

"Even if... even if we only possess one ten-thousandth of his grace, to be able to fight and protect the race just like him..."

No one could answer this question.

But the question planted a seed in the hearts of every young student present—a seed named "Yearning."

The freckled boy clenched his fists tightly, a fire of "desire" igniting in his eyes like never before.

"I don't know when."

"But I know that from today on..."

"He is, for this life, my only... beacon!"

Yes, a beacon.

From this day forward, Qin Feng was no longer just a name, or a legend.

He had become an eternal monument in the hearts of the new generation of human prodigies—a clear, visible, supreme beacon guiding their path forward!

The return of one man had ignited the fire of hope for an entire race, for an entire era.