SWNOVELXO Chapter 1
Chapter 001: The Show Begins!:
The mind’s repository.
The supreme heavens.
A great sun hung in the sky, surrounded by countless stars.
The gazes of countless powerful beings from the myriad heavens crossed infinite space, fixed on the pinnacle of the supreme heavens.
There, eight chaotic and terrifying auras surrounded a single figure. At the center stood a man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, radiating unmatched elegance. His aura was unparalleled throughout history, supreme above all.
“The Nine-Lives Heavenly Sovereign is about to ascend to sainthood today, standing above the nine heavens. This is truly a blessing for humanity!”
“Eight Empresses guarding a single Heavenly Sovereign—such fortune truly makes one envious!”
“Hahaha, it’s only natural. These eight Empresses attained their thrones thanks to the unwavering support of the Nine-Lives Heavenly Sovereign. Now, it’s the time for them to repay their debts of gratitude.”
“Indeed! Indeed!”
All beings eagerly awaited the success of the Nine-Lives Heavenly Sovereign’s tribulation.
No one doubted that he would succeed. The life of the Nine-Lives Heavenly Sovereign was simply too legendary.
He fought the demon race, slaying countless great demons.
He battled the devils, destroying their domains.
He broke through forbidden zones, quelling dark turmoil.
He waged war against the heavens and the earth, leaving countless prodigies as corpses on his invincible path.
He was unmatched among his peers, often slaying those of higher realms.
He had even cultivated the Nine-Lives Undying Heavenly Sutra to a level surpassing its creator, granting him nine lives.
Unparalleled—this label had been branded on Lu Ye from beginning to end, as well as in the hearts of all.
Even if the tribulation claimed one life for each ordeal, Lu Ye would still successfully pass through.
“It’s starting!”
Lu Ye raised his head to the heavens. Above, the countless stars in the nine heavens began spinning, forming a massive vortex, resembling a great eye.
Billowing tribulation clouds surged like tempestuous waves.
The heavens would not allow Lu Ye to ascend to sainthood, would not permit anyone to rise above them.
Although Lu Ye had contributed and owed much to this heavenly way, it would still do everything in its power to oppose him.
“You cannot stop me!”
Lu Ye looked up and smiled as he spoke.
There was no one in the sky. Who was he talking to?
It was the heavens and the earth.
“RUMBLE…”
Thunder roared in response, the heavens’ answer to Lu Ye.
“Hahaha, if you wish to test me, then come. After all, even if I transcend above you, you and I will remain comrades.”
“In this world, only you and I exist!”
The tribulation clouds gathered, amassing the tribulation energy of the entire nine heavens to form a great calamity.
“It’s starting, it’s starting!”
“I wonder what kind of tribulation it will be. Just don’t let it be the Eternal Tribulation!”
Countless powerful beings grew emotional. A sanctification tribulation—such a spectacle was rarely seen even in ten thousand, or a million years.
This was a moment to witness history.
There was no thunder, only a figure coalescing within the tribulation clouds.
That figure rode a divine dragon, holding a celestial mirror.
“It’s the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign!”
Someone exclaimed in shock, recognizing the strongest being of the previous era, the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign, wielding the Ancient Mirror, which could reflect the past and future, severing the cause and effect of time.
“This is bad—it truly is the first-ranked Eternal Tribulation. Has the Nine-Lives Heavenly Sovereign grown so powerful?”
“To face the imprints of all those who underwent tribulations in history—what grandeur!”
“The Nine-Lives Heavenly Sovereign is invincible!”
When Lu Ye saw the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign take form, he paused briefly.
“It’s been a long time.”
The Ancient Heavenly Sovereign nodded slightly. “Indeed, fellow Daoist, it has been.”
Though the two had never met in person, they had crossed paths in the river of time.
“Shall we fight?”
“With pleasure.”
Without further words, the two Heavenly Sovereigns clashed instantly. A casual strike from either of them contained the ultimate arts of the world, collapsing space into primordial chaos.
The eight stunning figures retreated, exchanging glances, each finding an indescribable meaning in the others’ eyes.
The battle quickly reached a fever pitch.
The Ancient Heavenly Sovereign unleashed time-based techniques, splitting into numerous figures, traveling to different time periods to target various versions of Lu Ye.
As long as one version of Lu Ye in the past perished, it would inflict harm on the present Lu Ye.
Yet, no one was worried.
From weakness to strength, Lu Ye had always been the most terrifying prodigy. Even in the past, he had no vulnerabilities.
Suddenly, wounds of the Great Dao appeared on Lu Ye’s body.
His figure trembled as one, two, three… a total of eight wounds emerged.
“How is this possible?”
Someone cried out in shock.
What did this mean?
It meant that Lu Ye had been killed eight times in the past. But how could that be? At every stage, Lu Ye was invincible among his peers!
“Fellow Daoist, your deep emotions and righteousness are truly admirable,” the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign said with a smile.
Lu Ye smiled faintly. “Your techniques are exquisite and worthy of respect, fellow Daoist.”
The Ancient Heavenly Sovereign…
Suddenly, Lu Ye’s expression shifted.
How fast was a Heavenly Sovereign’s battle?
In an instant, the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign seized an opportunity and struck Lu Ye with a great seal, causing his body to sway slightly.
Although uninjured, Lu Ye’s brows furrowed deeper.
Had he been poisoned?
He found it unbelievable.
He was a Heavenly Sovereign! Even the Great Dao could not eradicate him. What poison could affect him? And when had it been administered without his knowledge?
“It’s a Gu, the Yin-Yang Devouring Dao Gu!”
The Ancient Heavenly Sovereign immediately recognized the source of the poison.
The Yin-Yang Devouring Dao Gu…
Lu Ye’s eyes filled with disbelief as he looked toward the eight figures surrounding him.
The Yin-Yang Devouring Dao Gu could devour all Great Daos.
This Gu was formless and intangible, extraordinarily rare, and could only be planted during the union of yin and yang.
The Gu insect consisted of yin and yang components. The Yang Gu devoured the Dao and fed the Yin Gu.
Clearly, Lu Ye had been implanted with the Yang Gu.
And the only ones who could have done this were, of course, his eight confidantes.
Lu Ye was furious!
In his wrath, his attacks became ferocious, their power maxed out in an instant, completely overwhelming the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign. Yet, the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign didn’t seem angry at all. On the contrary, he wore an amused expression, as though he were enjoying a grand spectacle.
“Fellow Daoist, you who are so righteous and sentimental, how does it feel to be betrayed like this?” the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign asked with a smile.
“What righteousness and sentimentality? Bullying the weak and claiming dominion over others—does that count as righteousness and sentimentality?” A voice, ethereal yet brimming with fury, rang out.
It was the Illusory Spirit Empress, Shangguan Huanling, who spoke.
“Indeed. Acting purely from his own perspective, with no regard for others’ feelings—how could that possibly be called righteousness and sentimentality?”
“This so-called righteousness and sentimentality are nothing but a joke! He betrayed his masters, killed innocents… What we’re doing now is eradicating a demon!”
“Young master, don’t blame me. I’ve already become an Empress, and I no longer want to live as a servant. I’ve had enough of a life where I’m just a maid. So, wouldn’t it be better if you just died?”
“Senior Brother, do you remember Feng Wuxie? If not for you, Feng Wuxie would have been the one by my side instead!”
One Empress after another spoke, each condemning Lu Ye’s supposed sins.
Their stunningly beautiful faces twisted with hatred, humiliation, and rage.
Lu Ye’s expression grew cold.
His heart throbbed with unbearable pain, as though countless Fallen Heaven Nails were piercing it. No, even the torment of those nails paled in comparison to this.
“So, just die already!”
“Go to hell!”
“Once you’re dead, we’ll be free!”
“I never wanted you to control me. If you die, no one can dictate my actions anymore. I’ll do whatever I want! Even as an Empress, I still have to listen to you? I’ve had enough!”
“Die! Die! Die!”
The eight Yang Gu worms erupted simultaneously.
Meanwhile, a second peerless figure emerged from the Eternal Tribulation, a being born of its terror.
Besieged from within and without, with his Dao heart battered, Lu Ye descended into madness.
In his frenzy, his combat power soared to unimaginable levels.
He wanted to kill.
He wanted to destroy these eight treacherous individuals, these wolves in sheep’s clothing who remembered only his faults and none of his kindness.
Ignoring the injuries inflicted on him, he launched relentless attacks.
But when those eight women wielded the Heavenly Sovereign weapons he had personally crafted for them, Lu Ye nearly exploded with rage.
“Fellow Daoist, now is not the time to get distracted.”
Another peerlessly brilliant Heavenly Sovereign appeared, unleashing a fatal strike that inflicted terrifying injuries on Lu Ye.
His body was shattered, his Dao obliterated.
Lu Ye’s Dao heart, solid as divine iron, persisted in the fight. But the Eternal Tribulation was far too ruthless.
He was battling the imprints of every peerless expert who had ever attempted to ascend. Each one was a Heavenly Sovereign at their peak, a figure who had dominated an era.
What’s more, the Yin-Yang Devouring Dao Gu continued to gnaw at him.
The surrounding Emperors were dumbfounded.
How could you eight treat a Heavenly Sovereign this way?
Their voices rang out in reproach.
But the eight women were unapologetic, recounting Lu Ye’s so-called misdeeds one by one, each accusation seemingly well-founded.
“Have you forgotten how the Heavenly Sovereign helped you all?”
“We didn’t need his help to become Empresses! He only helped us to satisfy his selfish desires!”
Even with Lu Ye’s Dao heart as steadfast as eternal divine gold, he felt a pang of heartache.
So, this was how they viewed his kindness—as shackles.
He couldn’t take it anymore.
More and more terrifying Heavenly Sovereigns arrived to attack him, his flesh and bones exploding, his Dao dissipating.
Realizing he couldn’t survive, Lu Ye looked up at the sky.
“Old friend, let me help you one last time!”
His figure transformed into a dazzling source of light, ascending to its ultimate brilliance. All the Great Dao of the world resonated with him.
“Let’s die together!”
An infinite radiance pierced the dark universe, rushing straight toward a mass of darkness at the edge of the cosmos—a cancerous tumor festering on the barrier of the nine heavens.
“Damn you, Nine Lives! Someone else betrayed you, and now you want to drag me, the source of darkness, down with you? Are you insane?”
“BOOM!”
A Heavenly Sovereign’s self-detonation caused the collapse of myriad Daos and the violent trembling of the nine heavens.
The shattered figure of the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign reappeared.
However, anyone familiar with the Ancient Heavenly Sovereign could see at a glance that this wasn’t him.
It was someone else wearing his face.
His gaze was icy, an indifference that seemed untouchable by any worldly matter.
But when he saw the Nine-Lives Heavenly Sovereign self-detonate, dragging along the troublesome source of darkness, even his eyes flickered with a trace of emotion.
“Old friend…”
He spoke those words in a dry voice, tinged faintly with sorrow.
“I’ll make sure they accompany you!”
With a wave of his hand, the shattered Myriad Daos twisted, and the river of time emerged, forming a vortex.
The eight Empresses had no power to resist and were swept into the vortex together.
The show had just begun.