Outside the Heavenly Emperor's Realm, the crowd of cultivators were all stunned, their faces filled with shock.
Although they had already anticipated that the Emperor would gain something significant from his trip to Kunlun Mountain and would make tremendous progress, they never expected the improvement to be so terrifying and astonishing.
Just nine steps—only nine steps—had propelled him into the realm of the Great Emperor.
Without any pause, he directly reached a level that countless cultivators would spend their entire lives trying to attain.
The sheer impossibility of this made the cultivators gawk in disbelief.
Such a cultivation speed is indeed unprecedented!
No one could achieve breakthroughs as easily as eating or drinking, like the Emperor did.
In the cultivation world, there is a saying that "cultivation is like drinking water," used to describe an exceptionally fast cultivation speed.
But who would have thought it could be so extreme?
The Emperor's cultivation talent could not even be described as genius; it was more like an extraordinary and abnormal prodigy, unparalleled in history!
Even if cultivation were truly as easy as drinking water, one would still have to drink sip by sip. Yet the Emperor took nine steps so effortlessly and achieved the Great Emperor rank.
"Drinking water" could not adequately describe the Emperor's exaggeration.
The Emperor was simply not human!
Countless cultivators couldn't help but curse inwardly.
After their astonishment, the scene fell into a deep silence.
Each face was filled with disbelief and incredulity.
Who could imagine that someone could break through several realms in an instant and become a Great Emperor directly?
Such a monstrous talent, if they had not jointly suppressed and ultimately confined the Emperor in the Heavenly Emperor Mirror, who knows how terrifying the Emperor might have become?
The crowd of cultivators dared not imagine.
Fortunately, such an anomaly was now firmly in their grasp...
In the scene.
After becoming a Great Emperor, Chu Yang's aura was extraordinarily terrifying, exerting pressure over the heavens.
It was even more terrifying than when he had achieved the Great Emperor rank through the Heavenly Dao.
After all, in the realm of humanity, Chu Yang had received an immense inheritance. Once he entered the Great Emperor realm, he was already unmatched in that level.
Even the ancient Great Emperors, with their endless heritage, might not be his opponent.
Boundless imperial might burst forth from Chu Yang's body at that moment.
Chu Yang's face was calm as he lifted his foot again, as if preparing to take the tenth step.
At that moment, all the cultivators on the Myriad Spirits Continent could feel that if this Emperor took the tenth step, he might reach a domain and level that no one had touched in millions of years!
Becoming an immortal in a single day might not be mere talk.
After all, Chu Yang had gathered the legacies of countless sages from past and present, and received endless will of humanity. Simply achieving the Great Emperor rank clearly was not Chu Yang's limit.
Just as Chu Yang was about to take this crucial final step, becoming the only mortal immortal in recent times, an abrupt change occurred.
A terrifying roar that resonated through the heavens suddenly echoed across the nine skies, shaking the world.
The galaxy collapsed, and the sun and moon were overturned.
A mournful cry reverberated across the Myriad Spirits Continent.
"Chu Yang, if you dare to take this step, I will shatter the Radiant Light, obliterate your soul, and erase the traces of time and space!"
"If you insist on taking this step, be prepared to lose Radiant Light forever!"
The terrifying roar made all living beings on the Myriad Spirits Continent shiver with fear.
This was the terror of the ancient Great Emperor.
However, the crowd of cultivators outside the Heavenly Emperor Mirror could clearly sense the boundless fear and dread in the voice of the Heavenly Demon Emperor upon feeling Chu Yang's imminent tenth step.
Once Chu Yang became a mortal immortal, regardless of how far apart they were, the opponent could kill him with a mere thought.
This was the horror of a mortal immortal, even ancient Great Emperors were no match for him.
This was also why the Heavenly Demon Emperor was so fearful and wary.
Chu Yang raised his gaze, as if piercing through endless voids, reaching the Heavenly Demon Mountains.
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Yang ultimately chose to halt at the final step.
He murmured softly, "Becoming a mortal immortal can be done another time. In the Great Emperor realm, no one in the world can stand against me!"
Then, Chu Yang's figure disappeared from the Kunlun Mountains.
Outside the Heavenly Emperor's Realm.
The faces of the cultivators were filled with solemn expressions.
They were engulfed in boundless shock.
This was the second time the Emperor had forcibly halted his advance.
The last time was because the Heavenly Dao did not permit it, but this time, it was because of a woman.
And unlike the last time, this time the Emperor was halting just before seizing the opportunity to become a Mortal Immortal.
Compared to becoming a Mortal Immortal, a mere woman—whether she lived or died—seemed insignificant.
One might ask, among all the cultivators present, who could resist the temptation of becoming a Mortal Immortal?
No one!
Countless ancient sages and worthies dedicated their entire lives to becoming a Mortal Immortal, but failed to achieve it.
They could only leave behind a question to the heavens: "Are there any immortals?"
But now, the chance to become a Mortal Immortal was right before the Emperor, and yet he chose to abandon it.
One can imagine how shocking this is for the crowd of cultivators.
One person spoke with difficulty, "Wasn't it said before that the Emperor had no feelings for the Radiant Light Empress and was merely using her?"
"If there were no feelings, why would he abandon the chance to become a Mortal Immortal?"
"Yes, this is not just about the Great Emperor position but the opportunity to become an immortal—something that would drive countless cultivators mad! The Emperor gave it up just like that. One can only imagine how much weight the Radiant Light Empress holds in his heart!"
The crowd of cultivators was deeply shocked.
Many felt ashamed for their previous unrestrained ridicule of the Emperor's cold-heartedness.
No one could resist the temptation of becoming an immortal. On the path to immortality, even if a close relative stood in their way, they would not hesitate to strike them down.
This is the allure of becoming an immortal!
Moreover, it seemed that the Emperor had not become a Mortal Immortal even after being suppressed.
This meant that the opportunity he gave up might have been his only chance to achieve immortality in this lifetime.
Nearby, Ye Fan was bewildered in the wind.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to be relieved that the Emperor had not taken that final step or to be concerned.
He felt extremely distressed.
For the Emperor, the Child of Destiny, his hatred was immense.
And the Radiant Light Empress, upon seeing this scene, felt as if struck by lightning.
She stood there in shock.
The Emperor was willing to give up the chance to become an immortal for her?!
Who could understand the weight of these seemingly light words?
But why had she never known that he once gave up the chance to become an immortal for her?
If that's the case, then the Emperor's heart definitely holds her, and her place in his heart must be significant.
Yet, despite her significant place in his heart, why was she still suppressed?
And after waiting for a thousand years, she still had not received an explanation from him.
This question had troubled the Radiant Light Empress for a long time.