Master, Old Huang’s heart is full of bitterness

The news of the world's spiritual revival was like a massive boulder plunging into a placid, ancient well. The ripples spread outward at an inconceivable speed, eventually forming a monstrous wave that swept across the world.

Deep within a medium-sized spirit mine on the verge of depletion, the cultivator in charge of monitoring the spirit vein stared fixedly at the compass in his hand. The compass, which had been dormant for years, was now faintly glowing with spiritual light. His wrinkled hands began to tremble violently.

Stumbling and crawling, he rushed out of the mine shaft, his voice hoarse and distorted: Spiritual energy, the spiritual energy is rising!

Almost at the same time, in the forbidden back mountain of an ancient sect, several core disciples on guard duty were stunned by the sight before them.

The ancient Soul-Nourishing Tree, which had shown no signs of life for three thousand years and was nearly dead, suddenly sprouted tiny, jade-green buds along its dragon-like branches. In the faint morning light, they greedily absorbed the subtle, fresh aura in the air.

Within a sacred land, a white-haired elder with a decaying aura had been stuck at the peak of the Saint Realm for a full thousand years. With his lifespan nearing its end and no hope for the Great Dao, he had been bitterly waiting for death in his secluded cultivation chamber.

But just a moment ago, when he circulated his long-stagnant cultivation technique, he felt an extremely faint, yet undeniably real, loosening of that rock-solid bottleneck!

Boom!

The dormant aura around the elder suddenly surged. He inspected his inner body in disbelief, a terrifyingly sharp glint erupting from his cloudy old eyes.

It loosened, it really loosened! Hahaha! The Heavens will not let me die! The Heavens will not let me die!

He looked as if he had gone mad, tears of joy streaming down his aged face.

...

It is true! The laws of the Dao are no longer obscure, and the world's spiritual essence is beginning to revive!

The Heavens will not let our Xuanhuang Realm perish! The Emperor's Path... there might truly be hope to reconnect the Emperor's Path!

A Golden Age! The Golden Age prophesied by the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets is truly about to begin!

The gloom that had suppressed them for countless years was swept away. Despair transformed into soaring hope, and the dead-silent world radiated an astonishing vitality once more.

Beneath this torrent of universal celebration, the helmsmen of the top factions in the Xuanhuang Realm had already begun making calm and swift preparations.

Ziwei Sacred Land.

Inside the magnificent sacred hall, the current Holy Lord spoke in a deep, solemn voice: The world is undergoing a mutation, and great opportunities have appeared. Pass down my order: immediately open the secret vaults. All resources are to be prioritized for the Holy Son, Holy Maiden, and core true disciples. We will spare no expense to help them advance valiantly!

Furthermore, dispatch all hidden agents. Keep a close eye on any anomalies across the regions, especially newly formed secret realms and blessed lands. There must be no mistakes!

Take the initiative to befriend the geniuses of various domains. In an unprecedented upheaval such as this, to remain stubbornly stagnant is to court our own destruction!

Similar commands echoed almost simultaneously in the core territories of major sacred lands, desolate ancient families, and supreme dynasties.

The resources of the entire cultivation world were poured into the younger generation with unprecedented speed and intensity.

An invisible sense of urgency permeated the upper echelons. A new round of reshuffling had already begun. Whoever could seize the initiative at the dawn of this great era and cultivate a true child of destiny would hold the dominant position in the future landscape.

Hope born from despair is the most dazzling and fervent of all.

As the thought of an approaching great era and a promising Emperor's Path grew like wildfire in the hearts of billions of cultivators, the long-dormant pulse of the Xuanhuang Great World began to beat with unprecedented strength.

The older generation of cultivators saw a glimmer of light on the road ahead, while the young prodigies geared up, eager to compose their own legends in this magnificent and golden age.

For a time, the Xuanhuang Continent was swept by gathering storms as hidden dragons prepared to soar from the abyss.

The massive curtain on an era of both brilliance and crisis had been ruthlessly drawn open by an invisible hand!

At the peak of Purple Bamboo Peak, clouds and mist lingered, and spiritual energy swirled in the air.

Gu Changge's figure quietly appeared in the small courtyard.

A black streak of light followed closely behind and landed on his shoulder. It was Little Black.

Almost at the same time, the dark gold bracelet on his wrist flashed with flowing light, turning into a foot-long little snake covered in fine, dark-golden scales that obediently coiled around his arm.

One bird and one dragon, having restrained all their imperial aura, looked like mere spiritual pets. In reality, they were two living Great Emperors capable of intimidating all of eternity.

Just then, in the spirit field beside the courtyard, Lao Huang was intently munching on spirit grass. Its aura was steady, having already reached the peak of the Great Saint Realm.

The little snake that Little White had transformed into seemed to sense something. It gently raised its head, its dark-golden vertical pupils catching sight of Lao Huang. It paused slightly, and then a highly human-like flash of mockery and smugness crossed its eyes.

Eh? Isn't this Lao Huang? After so long, only at the Great Saint Realm? Tsk, tsk... Think back to the days when Master used to frequently carve off our meat for a snack. Now I have attained an Emperor's body, while you, you silly ox, are still stuck at the Great Saint Realm...

Thinking about how it was now a true Dragon Emperor while this old companion was still spinning its wheels at the Great Saint Realm, Little White's mischievous side flared up.

Silently, it suppressed a sliver of its aura to the Quasi-Emperor level, and then precisely directed it like a boundless dragon's might compressed into a single thread, pressing it straight toward Lao Huang.

This coercion was incredibly condensed, targeting only Lao Huang alone, oh wait, targeting only one ox.

Lao Huang, who was enjoying the delicious spirit grass, suddenly felt a terrifying pressure descend upon it, a pressure originating from the depths of its bloodline that made its very soul tremble!

It was as if a primordial Ancestral Dragon was staring coldly down at it!

Its four hooves went soft, nearly causing it to kneel on the spot. The spirit grass in its mouth dropped to the ground with a thud.

Moo!!!

Lao Huang was frightened out of its wits. It abruptly reared up on its hind legs, its bell-sized ox eyes instantly bloodshot as it scanned its surroundings in sheer terror.

Who is it?! Which Dragon senior has graced us with their presence?! No, wait, this aura, it is, it is...

Its gaze finally locked dead onto the seemingly obedient dark-golden little snake coiled around Gu Changge's wrist.

That familiar aura, it absolutely could not be mistaken!

It is you?! You black loach?! You... you, you, you... you are a Quasi-Emperor now?!

Lao Huang's voice was filled with disbelief, trembling on the verge of breakdown.

It clearly remembered that this guy was previously just a reserve ingredient, just like itself. How could it be a Quasi-Emperor after not seeing each other for only a year?!

This was impossible! Absolutely impossible! Lao Huang's mind buzzed blankly.

It knew that lazy snake's background all too well. A year ago, when it left the back mountain, it was still at the Saint King Realm. How much time had passed since then?

Even if it were the reincarnation of an Immemorial True Dragon, cultivation could not possibly be this much of a child's game!

Furthermore, it, Lao Huang, had consumed Dao-Enlightenment Tea Leaves and Connate Spirit Marrow!

On what basis did this lazy snake achieve this? What right did it have to ascend to the heavens in a single step?!

Unless...

A thought struck through its chaotic mind like a bolt of lightning, causing its massive ox body to shudder violently.

Unless it was the Master! Yes, it could only be the Master!

Only that unfathomable Lord with heaven-defying means could possibly forge such an unnatural miracle in this short amount of time!

Other than the Master bestowing good fortune upon it, there was absolutely no other explanation!

Thinking of this, all its confusion was resolved, replaced by a volcanic eruption of grievance and unfairness!

Feeling that undeniably real Quasi-Emperor dragon might, and then comparing it to the peak Great Saint Realm that it had worked so diligently to achieve, an indescribable sense of bitterness, grievance, and massive imbalance instantly shattered its mental defenses.

Moo!!! Master! Master! You have to stand up for your Lao Huang!!

Lao Huang could bear it no longer. Huge tears spilled from its massive bovine eyes like a burst dam, pouring down its face. With a heavy thud, it dropped to its front knees and pressed its enormous head against the ground, weeping so violently that the earth seemed to shake.

"I am so aggrieved! Master! Ever since I, Lao Huang, began following you, I have worked diligently and conscientiously, never daring to slack off for even a moment!

I plowed the fields and planted the crops, I guarded the medicinal garden, and I was even the one who provided you with meat to eat... Even if I lack great merit, I have surely put in the hard work!"

As it wailed, it secretly peeked at Gu Changge and Little White from the corner of its eye, crying itself hoarse.

"But... but that little snake... all it used to do was eat and sleep, sleep and eat! It did less work than me!

Why is it already a Quasi-Emperor, while I, Lao Huang, am still just a Great Saint! Boohoo, the Heavenly Dao is unfair, and a cow's life is so difficult!

Is it because my meat has grown too tough, and I am no longer worthy of your butcher's knife, Master..."