Chapter 2

"Mao family?"

Ye Yan searched his memory and then smiled slightly.

In Shixian County, the Ye family and the Mao family were both considered the strongest aristocratic families. Both families had been rooted in Shixian County for over a hundred years, branching out and growing to have around two hundred clan members each, accumulating vast wealth in the process.

The clan members of these two families had practiced martial arts for generations. Due to their wealth, they had also gathered many martial artists to serve them. The most powerful among them were respectfully called "Elders." The head elder of the Ye family was Yang Chunqi, while the top elder of the Mao family was Zhang Yutai.

In Shixian County, Zhang Yutai and Yang Chunqi were the pinnacle of martial power, but they were only at the Fifth Level of the Postnatal Realm.

—The Postnatal Realm, also known as the Danhai Realm, is the first realm of martial arts, divided into nine levels.

In his previous life, Ye Yan wouldn't have needed to lift a finger; a single glance would have been enough to destroy the Mao family dozens of times over. However, his current body was entirely mortal.

"Then I'll start cultivating and improve my strength. After all, it's just suppressing some Postnatal Realm practitioners, the strongest of whom are only at the Fifth Level."

"The original owner of this body is already nineteen years old but hasn't awakened a Dharmic Image, indicating that his ancestors never reached the Ninth Tribulation Realm, or perhaps he just had bad luck and didn't inherit the family bloodline."

Anyone could potentially awaken a Dharmic Image before the age of eighteen. Most people believed it was a gift from heaven, a stroke of luck. However, as the creator of martial arts, Ye Yan knew the essence of Dharmic Images very well.

In the nine realms of martial arts, one can condense a Dharmic Image upon reaching the Seventh Realm, the Third Rank Ninth Tribulation Realm. This Dharmic Image can be passed down through the bloodline to descendants.

A Dharmic Image can accelerate cultivation and greatly enhance combat power, making it extremely significant. Therefore, many sects use the presence of a Dharmic Image as a standard for identifying talent.

—However, if one hasn't awakened a Dharmic Image by the age of eighteen, it means they will never be able to do so.

"Shallow!" Ye Yan shook his head.

Do deities and demons have Dharmic Images? No!

Yet the most powerful deities and demons possess the power of sages, ruling the Nine Provinces for thousands of years.

Before he reached or discovered the Ninth Tribulation Realm, who in the world had a Dharmic Image? No one!

Yet he still became the first Great Emperor in history, suppressing all the deities and demons with one hand.

A Dharmic Image is merely an embellishment. Relying too much on it can make one complacent, which is counterproductive.

Without a Dharmic Image, can't I just cultivate to the Ninth Tribulation Realm and then condense one?

"A Dharmic Image is just an embellishment; don't put the cart before the horse," Ye Yan muttered. "Without a Dharmic Image, I will create one!"

His eyes suddenly lit up, and the sun, moon, stars, and all phenomena of the universe appeared in his pupils. The entire Nine Provinces shook with a thunderous roar, ripples of the Great Dao spread, and lotus flowers bloomed in the sky, emitting a fragrant aroma.

For a moment, everyone in the world was stunned, stepping outside to gaze in amazement at this extraordinary scene.

Was some rare treasure or a prodigy about to be born?

"Nine Lives Dharmic Image, return!" Ye Yan declared.

As he spoke, a golden lotus tree, ten thousand feet tall, appeared in the sky, its roots deep in the earth and its flowers blooming in the nine heavens. Each sway of the lotus stirred countless laws.

Initially, he had dispersed his cultivation of many lifetimes into the universe, so in a sense, the universe was an extension of his body.

Taking something back from his own body, how difficult could that be?

The Ten Thousand Dao Golden Lotus Dharmic Image appeared!

...

Yanlong Valley, located in Tianzhou of the Nine Provinces, was one of the most powerful forces in the world. Its leader was a Second Rank King, and it was said that there was an ancient monster within the valley who had lived for over a thousand years and reached the First Rank Sage level. However, this was just a rumor; even the disciples of the valley had never seen this old sage, assuming he had long since transcended and that the valley merely claimed he was in seclusion to maintain its influence.

The moment the Ten Thousand Dao Golden Lotus appeared, everyone in the valley looked up at the sky. Those who possessed Dharmic Images found themselves unable to control them, and they automatically appeared above their heads.

"Master, I can't control my Dharmic Image!"

"What's happening?"

"Why do I feel my Dharmic Image trembling, fearing, and even about to shatter?"

"..."

The young disciples chattered nervously, but they received no explanation or comfort from their elders. When they looked at their elders, they were even more shocked.

Their elders' Dharmic Images had also emerged and were trembling.

A tall figure appeared, dressed in a white robe with white eyebrows and a white beard, exuding a formidable aura.

"Pay respects to the leader!" All the disciples hurriedly bowed, including many high-ranking figures.

The leader of Yanlong Valley, Bai Tiangang, was a Second Rank King, ranking first on the King List of the Nine Provinces for two hundred years, a position no one had been able to challenge!

As the leader of Yanlong Valley, Bai Tiangang wielded one of the greatest powers in the world, his presence so overwhelming that he commanded awe and submission without saying a word.

But now, his face was filled with excitement: "A Supreme Dharmic Image! A Supreme Dharmic Image is being born!"

Yanlong Valley had seven elders, but only the First and Second Elders were of the same generation as Bai Tiangang, so only they dared to step forward.

The First Elder asked, "Leader, is this a Dharmic Image?"

He was incredulous. Whose Dharmic Image could cause such a heavenly and earth-shaking phenomenon?

How powerful must the person who cultivated this Dharmic Image have been?

Before Bai Tiangang could answer, a figure appeared out of nowhere, strange and inexplicable, as if he had always been there but no one had seen him.

He was a small, thin old man in a gray robe, utterly ordinary.

But Bai Tiangang immediately showed deep respect and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Great Uncle!"

What? Even the leader of the valley called this small old man "Great Uncle"? What was his identity?

The answer was clear!

The Sage-level ancient monster of Yanlong Valley.

He was truly alive!

The old sage casually nodded, looking up at the sky with excitement: "This is the Ten Thousand Dao Golden Lotus Dharmic Image! According to legend, it belongs to the first Great Emperor since the beginning of time."

Heaven!

Hearing the old sage's words, everyone was shocked to the core.

What was a Great Emperor?

In the nine ranks of martial arts, a First Rank Sage stood at the pinnacle, capable of plucking stars with one hand and suppressing the nine heavens and ten earths, immensely powerful!

But above the First Rank, there was a legendary realm, and those who reached it were called Great Emperors.

It was said that throughout history, only a handful of Great Emperors had ever existed, the most recent of whom lived tens of thousands of years ago. Whether they were historical figures or legends was unclear, so most martial artists didn't believe in the existence of Great Emperors.

Yanlong Valley was different. Not only was it one of the most powerful forces in the world, but it also had an incredibly long history, dating back over a hundred thousand years.

Therefore, the valley had a vast collection of ancient texts, revealing unknown ancient history.

A Great Emperor exists in the world!

"Is this Great Emperor's descendant? Why has a similar Dharmic Image never appeared before?" Bai Tiangang couldn't help but ask.

The old sage pondered for a moment: "Perhaps the bloodline of the Great Emperor is too difficult to inherit. After a million years, it has finally manifested in a descendant! I believe this person has no idea about their lineage, which is so glorious!"

Bai Tiangang was excited: "Great Uncle, if we can take this person as a disciple—"

"Among all martial arts in the world, Yanlong Valley is the leader!" the old sage interjected, equally excited. "Bring this person to the valley quickly. I will personally take him as a disciple and teach him all my ultimate techniques!"

Hearing this, the disciples of Yanlong Valley were envious to the point of jealousy.

This was a Sage—how many were there in Tianzhou?

You could count them on one hand!

If a Sage were to impart all their knowledge, even a pig could be trained into a king, right?