Villain: After Slacking Off, The Protagonist Collapse

At that moment—

Boom! Jiang Chen soared out of the Nine Heavens Realm, stepping into the boundless starry river. Stars adorned the vast cosmos, their faint light shimmering brilliantly.

With a thunderous roar, Jiang Chen unleashed his full power, an overwhelming aura spreading like a vast ocean. Laws boiled, the great Dao trembled, and an unparalleled presence descended upon the heavens and earth.

A sea of lightning surged, serpents of thunder coiled, and lightning dragons roared, shaking the world.

The endless lightning illuminated the starry sky, eclipsing the starlight and exuding an aura of absolute dominance. The heavens seemed to bend to his will, and none dared to defy him.

Buzz.

The flickering lightning revealed a familiar sight: the Heavenly Court. Within it, nine emperors hovered in the void, their majestic presence shaking the hearts of all who saw them.

Sensing the turbulence in the heavens and earth, divine senses from various factions spread out. When they saw the nine emperors above the starry sky, they fell silent. Once again, Jiang Chen faced the Nine Emperor Heavenly Tribulation.

"This Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land is truly monstrous," someone muttered. "Every tribulation he faces is the most terrifying heavenly tribulation. It's as if the heavens themselves refuse to allow someone like him to exist."

Again and again, Jiang Chen had confronted the Nine Emperor Heavenly Tribulation. If he survived this one, it seemed likely that this level of tribulation would follow him until the day he proved his Dao and became an emperor.

"He's undergoing another tribulation already? Has it only been a few years since his last one?"

"How has it become so easy to ascend from the Saint Realm to the Saint King Realm?"

"His talent is truly enviable. In just a few years, he's crossed a gap that others couldn't overcome in a lifetime."

"Do you think anyone will interfere this time?"

"Who would dare after the tragedy of the Golden Crow Clan? No one's suicidal enough to repeat that mistake!"

The sight of Jiang Chen undergoing yet another tribulation left everyone in awe, their emotions complicated. In a few short years, he had advanced from the Saint Realm to the Saint King Realm—a speed that defied comprehension.

Most prodigies and geniuses at this stage would remain stuck for centuries, yet Jiang Chen had done it in mere years. At this rate, even if the leap from Saint King to Great Saint took longer, it was unlikely to delay him much.

Within a decade, he would likely ascend, and soon after, step into the Quasi-Emperor Realm. There was even the possibility that Jiang Chen would break historical precedent and prove his Dao as an emperor in under a century.

The thought of such an unprecedented achievement left many speechless. What others dismissed as impossible—a mere fantasy ridiculed by most—now seemed achievable in Jiang Chen's hands.

—

Boom!

The will of an emperor descended as Jiang Chen charged forward, slaughtering all in his path. Unlike his previous tribulations, no one dared interfere this time.

The Golden Crow Clan's catastrophic downfall remained fresh in everyone's minds, deterring the major factions from making any reckless moves.

—

In the Pure Yang Holy Land—

The Holy Son of Pure Yang gazed at the starry sky with a mixture of resignation and frustration. "That Jiang Chen… He's both admirable and infuriating. Living in the same era as a monster like him truly makes one despair."

"I thought refining the Pure Yang Root would help me catch up to him, at least a little," he murmured. "But even that seems futile."

"Looking at it now, the gap is only widening!" The Holy Son of Pure Yang couldn't help but feel defeated.

After refining the Pure Yang Root, his talent was undoubtedly unparalleled, a force capable of dominating an era. In any other time, he would have been the undisputed protagonist of the heavens.

But in this era, he could only play a supporting role, overshadowed by countless other prodigies. Most despairing of all was the existence of Jiang Chen, who loomed like an insurmountable divine mountain, an unbridgeable chasm that no one could cross.

He had painstakingly reached the Quasi-Saint Realm, finally catching up slightly, only to be left behind again.

"Forget about you young people!" The Pure Yang Holy Master sighed helplessly. "Even the older generation is losing hope. Countless prodigies of the past spent centuries, even millennia, just barely reaching this realm, yet the Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land has surpassed them all in just over twenty years!"

"At this rate, it won't be long before he steps into the Great Saint Realm, or even the Quasi-Emperor Realm!" He shook his head in frustration. "I might not even break through before this Holy Son becomes a Quasi-Emperor!"

The Pure Yang Holy Master, who was already at the ninth level of the Great Saint Realm, was only a step away from the Quasi-Emperor Realm.

Yet he had spent countless years searching for an opportunity to break through, with no success in sight. Crossing from the Great Saint Realm to the Quasi-Emperor Realm required talent, comprehension of the Dao, and great fortune—a task rarely accomplished in fewer than several centuries.

He hadn't felt pressured before, but seeing Jiang Chen's meteoric rise left him speechless.

"One generation surpasses the last, like waves pushing against the shore," he muttered. "This Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land has placed immense pressure on us old relics!"

The Sun God King shook his head in resignation. "I've heard that some ancient monsters, who planned to emerge in this era to contest the Emperor's Path, have been frightened back into seclusion!"

The arrival of a grand era created the ideal environment for cultivation, making breakthroughs more accessible than ever. Many ancient beings, sealed within divine sources, would emerge during such times to elevate their realms and contend for the ultimate path.

Yet, upon hearing of Jiang Chen's existence, some chose to remain hidden, abandoning their plans to compete.

"They've chosen to wait for the next era," the Sun God King continued. "Perhaps they've realized that with Jiang Chen's talent, he seems to be the destined protagonist of this era, even surpassing the emperors of the past. Under such circumstances, there's no hope for them."

The Pure Yang Holy Master sneered. "If that's the case, then more ancient monsters will likely retreat after this event. They're terrified to even step forward."

"Take Jin Changhe, for example," the Sun God King added. "He's already planning to go into seclusion and wait for the next era. Holy Son, do you intend to do the same?"

"What about Huang Qingtian? Is he planning to retreat?" the Pure Yang Holy Son asked in return.

"It doesn't seem like it," the Sun God King replied. "There's been no news of him stepping back."

"Then forget it!" The Pure Yang Holy Son declared. "If he's not backing down, I have even less reason to do so. Besides, retreating now would make it infinitely harder to prove my Dao in the future."

"In the long history of cultivation, there are few examples of those who retreated into seclusion and later emerged to ascend to emperorhood. It's almost unheard of."

"This shows that retreating doesn't guarantee success!" His voice was resolute. "Even if the odds seem insurmountable, there may still be opportunities in the future!"

The Pure Yang Holy Son's fighting spirit burned brightly. Despite the daunting road ahead, he refused to yield. For cultivators, a strong heart and unshakable will were essential.

Even if the path ahead was unclear, one had to forge forward, undeterred by setbacks. Retreating at the first sign of adversity was not the path of a true cultivator.

Even if one hid until the next era, the act of retreat could hinder the development of their Dao heart, leading to ultimate failure.

The Pure Yang Holy Son understood this well. He resolved to fight in this era, no matter how slim the chances. Besides, those ancient emperors who retreated and later proved their Dao hadn't done so out of fear of their rivals' strength.

Rather, it was because there was no hope of proving their Dao in their era, leaving them with no choice but to bide their time.

—

In the Golden Crow Clan's domain—

Jin Changhe gazed at the starry sky, watching the heroic Jiang Chen, who tore through the Emperor's Will with ease. With a deep sigh of despair, he turned to the clan leader.

"Holy Master, I've decided to go into seclusion. In this era, with a monster like Jiang Chen, I have no chance."

"Rather than remain a mere spectator, watching as this era becomes Jiang Chen's stage, it would be better to wait for the next era, where I might have a chance to compete."

Jin Changhe had already been considering retreat, and seeing Jiang Chen's monstrous progress sealed his decision. Jiang Chen's figure was now so far ahead that even his shadow had disappeared from sight.

Despair overtook Jin Changhe. He admitted defeat. He couldn't fight him, nor could he escape his influence