Immortal Emperor Clan

CHAPTER 2 “The Heavenly Awakening Ceremony”

Morning light descended upon Heaven Origin Plaza like sacred fire falling from the upper heavens.

The ancient stone platform stretched across the floating mountain like the court of forgotten gods.

Massive dragon carvings twisted around the ground pillars, their eyes glowing faintly with emperor-grade spiritual inscriptions left behind from the Primordial Era.

Every inch of the plaza carried terrifying suppression force capable of shattering weak cultivators into pieces.

The air itself felt unbearably heavy as though invisible mountains pressed upon everyone’s shoulders.

Even breathing became difficult beneath the pressure of countless immortal arrays hidden beneath the platform.

Millions remained kneeling beyond the sacred boundary lines.

Not a single soul dared rise without permission from the Eternal Gu Clan.

Rows of armored Heavenly Guards stood motionless around the plaza while holding Blood Spirit Spears forged from ancient beast bones.

Their cultivation had already reached the Earth Saint Realm, yet even they appeared tense today.

Cold sweat lingered beneath several helmets despite the freezing spiritual winds drifting through the mountain skies.

Something about this awakening ceremony no longer felt normal.

Gu Tian slowly walked toward the center of Heaven Origin Plaza.

His black robes moved gently behind him while fragments of dark-golden aura flickered faintly around his body.

The pressure leaking from him had already surpassed ordinary Spirit Foundation cultivators.

Even several elders secretly exchanged uneasy glances.

They could no longer fully sense the depth of his spiritual sea.

That alone was enough to terrify ancient monsters who had cultivated for thousands of years.

At the very center of the plaza floated the Ancient Blood Crystal.

Crimson chains wrapped around its surface while ancient runes pulsed like living veins beneath the transparent crystal shell.

The artifact hovered above a circular altar supported by nine Heavenly Dragon Pillars.

Each pillar represented one sealed dragon emperor soul from ancient times.

Low growling sounds echoed continuously from inside the pillars, making countless disciples pale.

Some younger cultivators nearly lost control of their Qi circulation from fear alone.

Gu Tian stopped before the crystal.

For a brief moment, silence swallowed the entire Heaven Origin Plaza.

Even the winds seemed to disappear.

No one spoke.

No beast roared.

Only the heartbeat of anticipation remained.

Gu Shen stood upon the upper heavenly platform while observing silently.

His Heavenly Emperor aura spread invisibly throughout the plaza like calm oceans hiding monstrous storms beneath the surface.

Behind him floated twelve Emperor Law Wheels forged from pure heavenly essence.

Each wheel contained ancient divine techniques capable of suppressing immortal kings.

Their golden radiance illuminated the skies while sacred symbols rotated endlessly within the wheels.

The surrounding elders unconsciously lowered their heads beneath his overwhelming presence.

“Tian’er.”

Gu Shen’s voice echoed slowly across the plaza.

“The Ancient Blood Crystal judges not talent alone.”

“It judges fate… destiny… and the truth hidden within one’s soul.”

Gu Tian listened quietly.

His expression remained calm, yet faint tension tightened near his eyes.

The memory of the ruined throne inside his spiritual consciousness still lingered like poison within his mind.

Those fragmented visions had not disappeared.

If anything, they had become clearer.

Far clearer than before.

He could still hear screams.

Still see burning worlds collapsing beneath endless darkness.

Still feel the cold sensation of standing above mountains of corpses.

Ugh…

A faint headache pierced through his skull.

His fingers twitched slightly beside Moonfall Sword.

The Heaven-grade weapon vibrated softly as though responding to his unstable emotions.

Dark sword intent leaked from its sheath in thin strands.

The stone ground beneath his feet cracked faintly from the pressure.

Several nearby disciples turned pale instantly.

“What the hell…”

“That sword aura… disgusting…”

“He hasn’t even drawn the blade…”

One elder narrowed his eyes heavily.

His cultivation had already reached the Third Stage of Saint Realm, yet even he felt danger from Gu Tian now.

Not merely talent.

Not merely bloodline.

Predatory danger.

The kind carried only by beings born to destroy worlds.

Gu Tian slowly raised his right hand toward the Ancient Blood Crystal.

The closer his fingers moved, the stronger the crystal pulsed.

Crimson light flickered violently across the plaza while the dragon pillars began trembling.

Low dragon roars echoed beneath the ground like awakening disasters.

Then—

His palm touched the crystal.

BOOOOOOM—!!!

Golden light erupted instantly.

Not ordinary golden light.

It resembled exploding suns tearing apart the heavens themselves.

The skies above Heaven Origin Plaza cracked violently.

Massive fractures spread across the clouds while immortal lightning descended like furious dragons.

ROOOOAAAAARRR—!!!

Dragon cries shook the Eternal Heaven Realm.

Gigantic spectral dragons emerged from the clouds, each thousands of meters long.

Their emperor aura crushed downward upon the plaza with terrifying force.

Countless cultivators coughed blood instantly before collapsing to their knees.

Even Saint Realm elders staggered backward.

Holy shit…

“What kind of awakening is this?!”

“This pressure… impossible…”

“Even immortal heirs shouldn’t trigger heavenly dragon resonance!”

Several disciples screamed in panic.

Others prostrated themselves completely against the ground.

The dragon phantoms circling the skies radiated ancient emperor suppression capable of annihilating ordinary sects within moments.

Yet Gu Tian remained standing calmly beneath the chaos.

No.

Not calmly.

His entire body trembled violently beneath overwhelming force.

Golden veins appeared across his neck while black-golden aura exploded around him like storms born from the abyss itself.

His robes whipped wildly against the violent spiritual winds.

The dragon pillars surrounding the altar began cracking one after another.

Inside his consciousness—

Darkness spread endlessly once more.

Then a cold mechanical voice echoed through his soul.

> “Multiverse Conquest System Activated.”

Gu Tian’s pupils contracted sharply.

The voice continued emotionlessly.

> “Scanning Host Physique…”

> “Chaos Spirit Root Confirmed.”

> “Ancient Reincarnation Soul Detected.”

> “Authority Compatibility: Perfect.”

The surrounding darkness suddenly transformed into countless floating golden screens filled with ancient symbols and unknown heavenly language.

Massive chains moved through the void like cosmic serpents while ruined worlds rotated slowly beneath endless darkness.

Gu Tian’s breathing became uneven.

His heartbeat thundered violently within his chest.

System?

Reincarnation?

What the fuck…

Before he could think further, unbearable pain exploded through his spiritual sea.

“ARGHH—!”

His roar shook Heaven Origin Plaza violently.

Black-golden flames erupted around his body while terrifying pressure surged outward in all directions.

The nearest Saint Realm elder was blasted backward instantly.

BOOM—!

The old man crashed directly into a dragon pillar.

Blood sprayed from his mouth while disbelief filled his eyes.

“How… how can this brat possess such force?!”

Another elder clenched his teeth.

His Saint Soul trembled uncontrollably beneath Gu Tian’s aura.

“This isn’t Spirit Foundation Realm anymore…”

“No… impossible…”

Gu Tian slowly lifted his head.

His dark eyes had changed completely.

Ancient golden patterns rotated within his pupils like miniature universes collapsing endlessly.

The aura surrounding him no longer resembled ordinary cultivation energy.

It felt ancient.

Cold.

Hungry.

Moonfall Sword suddenly escaped its sheath automatically.

The blade floated beside Gu Tian while releasing shrill sword cries that pierced through the heavens themselves.

Black lightning wrapped around the sword body while terrifying sword intent slashed apart nearby clouds.

At that moment—

A massive black screen appeared inside Gu Tian’s consciousness.

Ancient crimson letters slowly formed upon it.

> “Primary Mission Activated.”

> “Hidden World Detected.”

Then the darkness before him suddenly shifted.

Gu Tian saw another world.

A ruined sky stretched endlessly above broken lands drowned in blood and ash.

Mountains had collapsed into black oceans while enormous corpses floated through the skies like abandoned gods.

Countless broken weapons pierced the earth beneath endless storms.

The air smelled of death, despair, and ancient destruction.

And at the center of that ruined world—

A giant black gate floated within endless darkness.

The gate was unimaginably enormous.

Chains wrapped around its surface while ancient eyeball-like symbols slowly opened across the gate body itself.

Each eye radiated terrifying pressure strong enough to destroy souls merely through observation.

Then the system spoke once more.

> “Would the host like to begin conquest?”

Silence followed.

Gu Tian stared at the ruined world quietly.

His expression remained unreadable.

Yet deep within his chest, something strange awakened slowly.

Excitement.

Not fear.

Not hesitation.

Excitement.

A dangerous emotion hidden beneath years of suppression and obedience.

His lips slowly curved upward.

A faint smile appeared.

The surrounding elders froze instantly after witnessing it.

Because Gu Tian had almost never smiled before.

Not genuinely.

Yet this smile carried something horrifying inside it.

Something ancient.

Something merciless.

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes heavily from the heavenly platform above.

For the very first time in centuries, uncertainty appeared within the Heavenly Emperor’s gaze.

He could no longer fully recognize the son standing before him.

The aura surrounding Gu Tian continued growing stronger.

Fragments of broken spatial cracks spread around Heaven Origin Plaza while the dragon phantoms above began roaring frantically.

Even the heavens themselves seemed disturbed by his existence now.

Far beneath the mountain—

Inside the ancient immortal tomb—

Gu Wudi slowly opened both eyes completely.

The old monster’s smile widened faintly within the darkness.

“Hmmm…”

“So the wheel of reincarnation has finally turned once again.”

Ancient excitement flickered within his terrifying gaze.

“The forgotten conqueror… has awakened.”

Outside, Gu Tian slowly closed his eyes again while black-golden aura consumed the skies around him completely.

The system screens floated endlessly within his consciousness like gateways to forbidden destinies.

Then another message appeared.

> “Warning.”

> “Multiple hidden worlds detected.”

> “The multiverse has already begun observing the host.”

At that exact moment—

Somewhere beyond the boundaries of the Eternal Heaven Realm—

A pair of enormous crimson eyes slowly opened within endless cosmic darkness.