The Great Age as Imagined by Emperor Wu

The peak of the myriad realms.

The Martial Emperor's body stirred slightly. He opened his golden eyes, first showing a hint of confusion, then seeming to understand, and chuckled lightly.

"Let you scheme for a while longer," he murmured. "After all, you won't live much longer."

With a flicker of his figure, he vanished from the peak of the myriad realms, reappearing within the boundaries of a domain. His arrival was not grand, just a casual walk like any ordinary person.

This domain now belonged to Chen Xia. The small worlds within it naturally fell under Chen Xia's authority, including the Martial Emperor's homeland - Qing Province.

He hadn't returned to Qing Province in a long time, as there was nothing left to reminisce about. With the passage of time, even the faint traces of memory had faded.

But he had to visit this domain once. He needed to observe the marks left by Chen Xia, to trace the cause and effect, ensuring his scheme was foolproof.

His first stop was Zhang Family, the clan that revered Chen Xia as their ancestor. Disguised as an ordinary man, the Martial Emperor stood among a group of cultivators, gazing at a statue of Chen Xia while listening to their discussions.

"This is the Zhang Family's venerated ancestor, Chen Xia. Legend has it that he was the second founding ancestor of Zhang Family and a towering figure in the domain. Without Chen Xia, Zhang Family would have long since fallen. They could never have attained their current prosperity."

"There's also Ming Zu within the Zhang Family, whose realm isn't high, and achievements aren't significant. Yet, when speaking of Chen Xia, people always mention Ming Zu together. Even the Zhang cultivators believe that it was because of Ming Zu that Chen Xia rose to such heights. The specifics, however, remain unclear."

The Martial Emperor listened, scanned the statue, and felt no special emotions. He then stepped into Zhang Family's main hall and came face to face with a middle-aged man.

"Who are you?!" The middle-aged man suddenly turned, scrutinizing the Martial Emperor. His aura surged, displaying his dominance and vigilance toward this unexpected guest.

The Martial Emperor remained silent. His golden eyes scanned the man, unraveling the threads of fate attached to Chen Xia using his divine ability. Finally, he revealed a thin line connecting the man to Chen Xia.

"Zhang Nianming, Heaven Mending Realm cultivator, the current head of Zhang Family. You once studied the Dragon Slaying Art from Chen Xia."

The Martial Emperor recited the man's past as seen through the threads of fate.

Zhang Nianming was stunned, his aura weakening slightly. In aflutter, he asked the Martial Emperor, "Do you know Chen Xia?!"

"You guess," the Martial Emperor replied with a light chuckle. His figure suddenly vanished, leaving to explore elsewhere. Zhang Family and Zhang Nianming were not his targets.

He ascended higher, pinched the air as if catching a wisp of nothingness, and followed this thread of fate without delay. In moments, he reached a small hut.

Someone was inside.

The Martial Emperor entered and saw a towering figure tending to a medicinal field. The man paused suddenly, placing his left hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. Without turning, he asked, "Who?"

"A passerby," the Martial Emperor replied softly, observing the surroundings. This was the place most connected to Chen Xia's fate, and the man before him bore the most connection to Chen Xia within the domain.

Wang Yangzi.

"There are no passersby here, only an unwelcome guest," Wang Yangzi slowly turned, pulling his sword slightly out, unleashing countless layers of sword energy.

"Just observing," the Martial Emperor nodded, not reacting otherwise. "This is where Chen Xia's journey began, and you possess the potential to become a Great Emperor."

"That's none of your concern," Wang Yangzi slightly drew his sword again, revealing a true killing intent.

The wind swayed.

The Martial Emperor's figure disappeared from the spot as if he had never been there, leaving no trace behind.

Wang Yangzi was momentarily stunned. He returned his sword to its sheath, his expression slightly heavy. The stranger had mentioned Chen Xia, and despite not knowing why, he felt it was no trivial matter.

Where was Chen Xia now?

As Wang Yangzi gazed at the sky, thoughts swirled in his mind.

Perhaps, he should take a journey to the distant lands.

The sea of Qing Province today rippled faintly as the Martial Emperor emerged from it, his clothes dry, not a single trace of water. Gazing at his hometown, he smiled faintly, feeling a tinge of nostalgia.

In his youth, this place was called Tianguang Province. Hundreds of thousands of years had passed, and where could the traces of youth remain?

Even reminiscing wouldn't bring them back.

He walked slowly, passing through forests, crossing rivers, until he entered a town following the path.

The bustling streets, the vendors crying out their wares, all illustrated the vibrancy of the place.

The Martial Emperor followed the threads of fate that led him here. The fates related to Chen Xia in Qing Province converged in this town.

He wasn't in a rush, standing by the roadside, waiting.

By his side, some children chattered excitedly, then suddenly burst into tears. One child held a piece of candy wrapper, the candy itself having fallen into the mud.

"Here, don't cry," the Martial Emperor handed the child a candy from who knew where, soothing him.

The child blinked his teary eyes, instantly stopping the crying. Accepting the candy, he beamed with joy, then ran off merrily, not even saying thanks.

The Martial Emperor chuckled lightly, finding it amusing. His golden eyes flickered as he focused on the front.

There stood a woman amidst the crowd, her emerald eyes glimmering with pure brilliance.

"Qiu Yi," the Martial Emperor murmured, reading the connection between her and Chen Xia, a thread that was on the verge of breaking.

"Fate brings all together easily," he chuckled lightly, pinching this fragile thread, reconnecting it firmly.

He followed the threads of Chen Xia's fate but would not alter them, nor interfere with the fate of those connected to Chen Xia.

The Martial Emperor disdained such actions. His scheme had its own principles.

He merely solidified the threads of fate to increase the variability of the future, creating more possibilities. With a larger base of possibilities, he could select the one most favorable to him.

That was the desired outcome.

The Martial Emperor chuckled once more, not lingering. He crossed his arms behind his back, climbed to the summit, stood shoulder to shoulder with the clouds, gazing out at the vast expanse of heaven and earth. Reflecting on the countless years gone by, he recalled the past, and his eyes brimmed with nostalgia as he chuckled.

"Esteemed ones, the grand era I envision shall soon come to pass. Please... Wait and see."