Chapter 1106 – [Longevity Emperor]
The scene ahead shocked Ye Qingyu immensely.
It was a highly frightening scene.
A human body was clearly being used as nourishment to fulfill the growth needs of this strange, big tree. Just thinking about the piecemeal extraction of energy, flesh, and essence from a human body would cause anyone’s hair to stand on end. It was, without a doubt, the most terrifying form of torture in this world.
Suppressing his inner shock effortfully, Ye Qingyu continued to observe.
He soon realized something else.
Although the aura of this giant human was weak, it nevertheless caused Ye Qingyu to palpitate with fear, much in the same way that a dying tiger would still frighten a rabbit. This… this giant was a Quasi-emperor.
A Quasi-emperor-level expert.
My goodness.
Ye Qingyu flinched in fear.
How is it possible that a Quasi-emperor-level expert is being used as nourishment for this withering mysterious ancient tree? It’s almost as if he has become a vase in which the ancient tree is planted… Who exactly could’ve done such a thing? Who could’ve subdued a Quasi-emperor in this manner?
Only a true Martial Emperor could do so.
Ye Qingyu felt his scalp begin to tingle.
Could it be that this netherworld-like world was actually put together by a Martial Emperor?
What could the purpose be?
He took a deep breath and looked behind.
In the distance, the phantoms of the eight supreme Heaven’s pridelings were standing quietly in an area outside of the canopy of the withering tree, as if they were waiting for something or were in their true usual state of protecting the tree. The area within the canopy was forbidden ground to them.
While staying alert, Ye Qingyu gradually calmed down.
He could sense a life force in the body of this giant.
“It’s said that the first owner of the [Guanlan Mountain Manor] was a nameless human Quasi-emperor who mysteriously disappeared, could… this giant Quasi-emperor be him?”
He recalled Tang Chong’s words that this nameless Quasi-emperor was even stronger than [Quasi-emperor Xiaofei] and was terrifying like no other, such that he was said to be matchless during his time. Later on, this Quasi-emperor went into seclusion in Heaven Connect City while building it up, paying no attention to the outside world. And even later on, he disappeared inexplicably.
“This should be the case indeed. He’s the nameless Quasi-emperor.”
Ye Qingyu could more or less confirm.
It turned out that the powerful, nameless Quasi-emperor who disappeared from the [Guanlan Mountain Manor] had actually come to this odd plane and thereafter became nourishment for the strange tree. If so, this would have had gone on for countless years already. News of this would certainly shock the entire Vast Thousand Domains once spread.
If even such a powerful Quasi-emperor was subdued and thus ended up like that, then I...
Ye Qingyu became vigilant at once.
He suddenly realized that the yuan essence, qi, and blood of this Quasi-emperor were all but drained by this mysterious tree, which would not look so withered and yellow otherwise. And since this Quasi-emperor was nearly used up, the backstage manipulator would certainly be looking for a replacement...
Could this replacement be… me?
Did this mysterious plane open its gates to me in order to lure me in and… turn me into new nourishment for this strange, big tree?
This thought flashed across Ye Qingyu’s mind.
The hair all over his body stood on end.
Meanwhile, an unexpected change occurred...
The giant human suddenly opened his eyes.
Two curious eye beams shot out from them and fell upon Ye Qingyu.
The latter instinctively raised his head and made eye contact.
Resembling two bright stars, the giant eyes contained a vicissitudinous and ancient mist which brought to mind various pictures, including the circulation of the Milky Way, the growth of all things, and more so the circulation of myriad streaks of lightning. All in all, this pair of eyes contained the Dao essence of all heavenly things, and was mysterious and profound to an extreme.
For some reason, Ye Qingyu’s mind became unprecedentedly clear after he had taken a look at those eyes.
All of his earlier guesses and fear instantly vanished.
His state of mind became tranquil like never before.
Just then, the giant human spoke, “You’re finally here.”
His tone made it sound as if he had been waiting for Ye Qingyu for a long time.
“My… ascendant...” For a time, the latter did not know what to ask and instinctively nodded his head. “You’re a sage of the Human Race, right? The [Guanlan Mountain Manor]...”
“The [Guanlan Mountain Manor] was indeed my former residence which I built.” The giant human’s voice was mild and equanimous, as if he did not mind his own miserable circumstances and his heart did not bear any resentment.
Indeed!
Ye Qingyu sighed inwardly upon hearing the reply.
I didn’t guess wrongly. This giant is indeed the nameless human Quasi-emperor.
A tinge of sadness arose unbearably in his heart. He could not help feeling a kind of indignation and sympathy just thinking that such a lofty and once-unmatched human Quasi-emperor had ended up like this.
“Why would you be here…?” Ye Qingyu asked loudly. “What can I do to rescue you from this plane?”
“Hoho.” The Quasi-emperor laughed. “Rescue? Looks like you’re thinking wrongly. I’m not being held captive here, nor am I being coerced and made use of by anyone. I’m staying here out of my own will.”
He’s staying here out of his own will?
Ye Qingyu was slightly stupefied.
“You mean, you...” He questioned while shocked like never before. “What’s it with this tree?”
“This is a primeval tree called the World Tree. It’s an extremely rare and precious treasure, and is the reason that the Netherworld Domain exists.” The Quasi-emperor spoke smilingly. “It has lived for a million years, and only thus is it able to sustain such a large domain. After coming here, I comprehended a few secrets and hence remained here to nourish this tree using my own power. As long as it lives, the Netherworld Domain will be able to expand, grow, and improve endlessly.”
What?
“You mean you’re using your own life foundation to nourish it?” Shocked, Ye Qingyu suddenly realized that he had been thinking in an entirely wrong way. This certainly made a lot more sense. In a world without a Martial Emperor, a Quasi-emperor would be matchless and could not possibly be subdued by any being to become nourishment for a tree. However, Ye Qingyu remained somewhat puzzled. “Why are you doing this? Are you sacrificing yourself and nourishing this tree simply to preserve the existence of the Netherworld Domain?”
This kind of sacrifice was far too great.
“Every person’s actions are driven by a definite purpose. Of course, I’m no different.” The Quasi-emperor’s countenance was gentle and kind, resembling an old man who had been through the vicissitudes of life and was knowledgeable about all worldly affairs. “Actually, I was ecstatic when I first discovered this tree. At that time, I was arduously seeking the Way of Becoming Emperor and wanted to break the shackles of this world to become a supreme Emperor. Without a doubt, this World Tree was my opportunity. As long as I made full use of it, I’d have had a more than eighty percent chance of becoming Emperor...”
“Then why...” This answer perplexed Ye Qingyu even more than before.
To become Emperor was the lifelong dream of many martial experts. Believing the Quasi-emperor’s words, he reckoned that there would already be one more human Emperor in this world if the former had chosen to make use of the World Tree to become Emperor from the onset.
Being practically omnipotent, an Emperor could single-handedly change the entire Vast Thousand Domains and turn the Human Race into a hegemonic force in the contemporary age, restoring the glory of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors Age. At the same time, he could purge all evil from the Vast Thousand Domains. Even those evil forces in the Dark Realm would probably have to yield to him, otherwise they could be wiped out without much effort.
Ye Qingyu looked at the nameless Quasi-emperor, waiting for the latter to continue.
As the latter had said, all actions are driven by a definite purpose. Ye Qingyu wondered what kind of reason would cause this once-peerless character to forgo becoming Emperor and instead sacrifice himself to nourish the World Tree.
“Although I was indeed ecstatic when I first discovered the World Tree, someone changed my mind. What I saw at that time is exactly the same as what you see today… No, in fact, it was even more astonishing. Do you know what I mean?” A tinge of emotion flashed across the Quasi-emperor’s eyes, as if he was recalling the scene of back then and could still feel the astonishment.
Ye Qingyu was taken aback.
The scene back then is exactly the same as what I’m seeing?
The same?
The nameless Quasi-emperor was clearly not just referring to the landscape.
There was some other meaning in his words.
Ye Qingyu lowered his head and pondered.
An idea suddenly flashed across his mind.
“You mean that there was someone else nourishing the tree with their yuan essence and life when you arrived?” He finally understood. If the scene back then was the same as the present, that would mean that the tree and the falling of its leaves were the same, while the growth of the tree was also taking place within a body and not on the ground.
“You’re very clever.” The Quasi-emperor nodded to confirm that Ye Qingyu’s guess was correct.
“Who was it?” The latter’s throat had become a little dry.
He could vaguely sense that the answer would be heaven-shaking.
“The [Longevity Emperor].” The Quasi-emperor enunciated in a voice which contained a sense of reverence akin to that of a devout believer when facing the god they worship.
“What?” Ye Qingyu’s figure trembled greatly.
The [Longevity Emperor]?
Was it really the [Longevity Emperor]?
In the history of the Human Race, there were three sovereigns and five emperors who were considered peerless and most revered. Among them was the [Longevity Emperor], who once ruled the entire Vast Thousand Domains and was all-conquering. It was said that his lifespan was long, such that he lived for an age longer than the other Martial Emperors, and this was why he was given the name “Longevity”.