Eternal Holy Emperor

"Would you be willing to follow me?"

A sudden sentence left the Ancient Hua Heavenly King completely stunned. He stared blankly at the young Supreme from the Heavenly and Myriads of Realms, who actually wanted him to follow?

Though as it stands, the strength and potential displayed by this Combat Saint King will undoubtedly be that of an unimaginably powerful Dao practitioner in the future, provided nothing unexpected occurs.

He might even surpass himself, exceeding the rank of a Heavenly King.

But all this depends on the other party avoiding unforeseen events.

The path of cultivation is never straightforward. Regardless of how outstanding a Heavenly Pride demon is, there are always various calamities ahead hindering their progress.

The stronger the demon, the more so.

History is not short of tales in which true peerless geniuses were snuffed out in their infancy during their growth stages, and there are plenty.

He himself has seen many, even those with talents surpassing his own generation of Heavenly Prides, who once competed with him, overshadowed him with unparalleled flair, shining brightly across the land, and were endowed with boundless hope.

In the end, they too were too sharp on the path of cultivation and went astray during Enlightenment, ultimately sitting in meditation until their demise.

Yet he, with his lesser talent, managed to navigate the journey with minimal danger, without being the center of attention, but following the guidance of predecessors. Not seeking an Invincible Body, but pursuing the Dao, avoiding numerous calamities as much as possible, steadily cultivating to this realm.

He surpassed everyone of his generation, and even transcended Reincarnation, founding the Ancient Hua Dynasty, one of the Nine Great Ancient Emperor Dynasties.

Thus, to him, talent as demonic as this isn't necessarily the most important; what matters most is the future.

And the most crucial point is that he, esteemed as the Heavenly King, stands above, while billions of beings must bow down, whereas the other party is merely at the Saintly Treasure Sixth Layer Heaven, two Great Realms apart.

He finds it difficult to humble himself and submit to someone like this, regardless of their potential. The disparity is too great; spreading such news would only invite ridicule from the world.

"Impossible." The Ancient Hua Heavenly King promptly refused.

Regarding this outcome, Ye Chen remained unperturbed; it was evidently not unexpected and entirely within his calculations.

If the other party had agreed without hesitation, he would find it strange instead.

Ye Chen sat leisurely, savoring Dao Tea, displaying a relaxed demeanor as he smiled slightly, saying, "Do you feel that the gap between us is too vast, that the strength difference is too great? You, esteemed as the Heavenly King above all spirits, ancestor of the Emperor Dynasty, while I am merely at the Saintly Treasure level, making it impossible to humble yourself to follow me."

The Ancient Hua Heavenly King showed a hint of surprise, not because Ye Chen discerned it, but because of his straightforwardness, yet he did not conceal it: "Yes, though you are strong, being at the Saintly Treasure level and wanting a Heavenly King to follow you, it's impossible."

"Am I not excellent enough? Have I not shown sufficient talent and potential?" Ye Chen asked.

"No." The Ancient Hua Heavenly King shook his head, "Whether it's your talent or potential, it far exceeds my imagination, and even across the entire Ancient God Continent, and indeed the entire Ancient Emperor Realm, historically, perhaps only one or two could compare. It's almost certain you will become a Supreme Dao practitioner in the future."

"If so, why are you unwilling?"

"Though you are strong, I can see you are filled with calamities." The Ancient Hua Heavenly King stated word by word, "You are not an ordinary person; you have an Invincible Martial Arts Will, an unparalleled War Body Golden Body, invincible techniques, and an invincible Dao. Such a character is invincible, at least invincible among their generation, invincible within the same realm. But the more invincible one is, the more terrifying the calamities they face, leading to a greater chance of being irreparably destroyed. I cannot be sure you can remain invincible, nor do I want to follow someone who might fall at any moment. The one my Ancient Hua Heavenly King would choose to follow must be the future's invincible one."

"Just these reasons?" Ye Chen responded nonchalantly, unperturbed.

The Ancient Hua Heavenly King's eyebrows shot up in surprise: "Aren't these enough? I sense terrifying calamities from you, even the scent of death; you have died, but were lucky to survive."

"Luck is sometimes a form of strength too." Ye Chen looked directly into the eyes of the Ancient Hua Heavenly King, speaking slowly, "Moreover, without significant calamities, how can one hone a truly invincible person, Dao, mind, body? I can remain invincible because I have turned every calamity into a force to temper myself, laying the foundation of invincibility."

"Steadily cultivating, solidly progressing step by step?"

He sneered, "Like you, becoming a Heavenly King, indeed surpassing others and becoming an exalted existence across the Ancient God Continent. But you might just be stuck at this step, unable to advance further ever again."

Every word struck deep into the Ancient Hua Heavenly King's heart.

Indeed, this was true. At this stage, the Ancient Hua Heavenly King found it increasingly difficult to advance further, even after attempting closed-door cultivation for a millennium with no significant improvement.

He couldn't pinpoint where the issue lay, which is why he sealed himself deep within the foundation of the Emperor Dynasty, hoping to live to the future to find the path of power.

Yet, it dawned on him it was his overemphasis on stability, the circumspect cultivation on his path, that became the greatest obstacle, preventing him from making even a small step of progress over a thousand years.

"How to truly become a Dao without sufficient trials?" Ye Chen slowly stated, "Whether aiming for the invincible Dao or wanting to continuously advance, various calamities are needed to wash over and temper oneself. Otherwise, never aspire to scale the heights of the peak throughout eternity."

The Ancient Hua Heavenly King remained silent, never uttering a word, lost in thought.

Ye Chen didn't disrupt him, silently savoring the Dao Tea.

After a long while, the Ancient Hua Heavenly King awoke from his silence, and his entire being seemed to have undergone a subtle change, appearing more spirited, even vaguely hinting at a kind of breakthrough.

With sincerity, the Ancient Hua Heavenly King cupped his fists at Ye Chen, bowing, solemnly saying, "Hearing your words is worth a millennium of cultivation. Thank you sincerely for your advice, but I will not follow you for this. You must show me a reason worthy of my allegiance."

Enlightenment is enlightenment, and allegiance is allegiance; they cannot be mixed up. The Ancient Hua Heavenly King saw this clearly.

Indeed, Ye Chen never thought the Ancient Hua Heavenly King would submit to him so easily; this was just a piece of guidance.

Gently sipping the Dao Tea, Ye Chen was silent for a moment before suddenly speaking, word by word, "What if I said, as for the Heavenly Kings, there are already five who follow me?"