Sweeping across the heavens, starting with the first emperor of the ancient times.

After years of fighting, the joy and glory of reaching the summit were washed away by the cold reality at this moment, leaving only boundless sorrow and despair.

"No!"

A roar filled with endless sorrow and despair resounded.

The Emperor's voice instantly swept across the stars, all paths mourned, heaven and earth lost their color, and the sun and moon lost their light.

All living beings on the ancient star of Gouchen trembled with fear at the sudden grief of the Great Emperor.

The Emperor sheds tears, and heaven and earth grieve together!

Chen Changsheng knelt down by the lake, his fingers digging deep into the damp soil.

Tears blurred his vision, dripping onto the soil and shattering his seemingly unbreakable imperial heart.

Scenes from the past surged uncontrollably: the girl's clumsy bandaging, her bright, sparkling eyes, the tears she held back at parting, and the words that drifted away on the wind: "I'll wait for you."

Gone, everything is gone!

He gained everything, but he lost her!

But what good is it now? In Chen Changsheng's heart, Chen Qingwan is the most important person.

"Do you regret it?"

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 20 ...

A calm voice suddenly rang out behind Chen Changsheng.

"If you could choose again, what would you choose? Would you choose to stand at the pinnacle of the heavens, or live an ordinary life with her?"

Chen Changsheng's sobbing stopped abruptly, his mind trembling violently. Even with his Emperor's spiritual senses, he hadn't noticed anyone approaching!

And why does this voice sound so familiar?

He suddenly raised his head, his face still wet with tears, filled with disbelief, and looked toward the source of the sound.

On the shore of the small lake, beside the willow tree, stood a young man in black robes, seemingly out of nowhere.

The young man was tall and handsome, with a unique aura that seemed to blend seamlessly with nature.

It was as if he had always been there, but I had simply been blind to him.

But could he really ignore it? His divine sense had already swept across every part of the ancient star Gouchen.

The sunlight filtered through the willow branches and fell on the young man, but it seemed to be absorbed, casting no shadow on the ground.

Chen Changsheng blinked hard into his tear-blurred eyes and looked closely.

When that calm face overlapped with a portrait from the depths of his memory that was almost buried by the dust of time, he was struck dumb, frozen in place.

"S-senpai? Is that you?" His voice was hoarse, filled with surprise and uncertainty.

It was him, really him.

The mysterious old man Chen Changsheng met on Ziwei Star was a powerful figure who was fishing in front of a mysterious lake after being ambushed and seriously injured by a strong enemy.

Then the senior saved him and discussed the Dao with him.

He also pointed out the direction for his cultivation.

He searched the starry sky afterward but never saw this mysterious senior again, only deeply engraving this kindness and that blurry image in his heart.

Now that he has become emperor and rules over all the heavens, he is confident that he can see most of the secrets of the world. However, he never expected that he would see his benefactor again under these circumstances!

What terrified him even more was that, face to face, even with his divine sense as an emperor, his opponent remained like a vast and boundless abyss, its depths completely unfathomable.

It was exactly the same as what he had sensed when he was weak!

A terrifying, yet the only plausible, conjecture exploded in his mind like a thunderclap.

"Heavenly Emperor!" Chen Changsheng exclaimed in surprise and certainty.

He immediately stood up, disregarding his imperial dignity, and was about to bow to Jiang Hao.

The Heavenly Emperor has ruled over all the heavens for over 100,000 years, and his figure and majesty have long been imprinted in the hearts of all beings.

He never imagined that the mysterious benefactor from back then would actually be this supreme being!

Jiang Hao raised his hand slightly, and a gentle force supported Chen Changsheng.

"No need for formalities," Jiang Hao said with a smile. "Back then, I did it casually. Your success today is due to your own unwavering will, exceptional talent, and the hard work and struggle you've put in."

Jiang Hao happened to be fishing at the lake where he used to fish, and unexpectedly encountered the seriously injured Chen Changsheng.

So I just happened to save her; you could only say that fate is a wonderful thing.

After rescuing Chen Changsheng, I gave him some pointers. It's quite remarkable that a small carp could reach such a level.

Jiang Hao wanted to see just how far he could grow.

Unexpectedly, Chen Changsheng was even more outstanding than he had imagined, and actually became an emperor all the way through.

For an ordinary carp to transform into a dragon and eventually become an emperor is undoubtedly a true miracle.

Jiang Hao hadn't expected this to happen, because it was extremely rare.

Carp are so common and ordinary that they are basically just food. Even if someone is lucky enough to cultivate into a carp, their cultivation level is not high.

But Chen Changsheng broke through this limitation, rising step by step to become the Great Emperor revered by all the heavens.

This is a thousand times, ten thousand times harder than a beggar becoming an emperor.

He can be said to be the most unique among all those who have attained enlightenment throughout history.

The wonder of creation is beyond compare; anything is possible.

Chen Changsheng steadied himself, suppressed his turbulent emotions, and respectfully said:

"Senior... no, I will never forget the Heavenly Emperor's guidance and rescue back then. If it weren't for your advice, I would not be where I am today."

Jiang Hao's guidance at the time greatly benefited Chen Changsheng, optimizing and improving his path to becoming a dragon.

Jiang Hao nodded slightly, accepting his gratitude. His gaze swept across the lakeside before returning to Chen Changsheng's face, which still bore traces of grief.

Following Jiang Hao's gaze, Chen Changsheng looked at the empty lakeside, and the heart-wrenching pain surged into his heart again.

His voice was bitter, carrying the last glimmer of hope, as he asked in a trembling voice:

"Heavenly Emperor, please tell me, is it truly impossible for the dead to be brought back to life? Not even immortals?"

He asked the question that had been on his mind the most, realizing that it was the most precious thing that he had lost.

No emperor, no invincible ruler, no supreme being revered by all heavens—none of them are as precious as her.

Without her, none of this means anything to me.

Jiang Hao looked at him quietly, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly shook his head, his voice clear and firm:

"No, at least, as far as I know, it's not possible. Death is one of the most fundamental rules of the universe. When the true spirit dissipates and the imprint is erased, one returns to nothingness, even if one becomes an immortal..."

Jiang Hao paused, then affirmed again.

"Even if one becomes an immortal, one cannot reverse this ultimate fundamental rule, nor can one recreate an identical true spirit and life imprint from utter nothingness."

This world is amazing; the strong are so powerful that they can easily destroy galaxies.

However, lifespan is short, and the boundary between life and death is very clear. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for a dead person to be resurrected.

Even a powerful emperor who can easily destroy galaxies cannot resurrect a dead ordinary person.

There is also very little knowledge about reincarnation.

With his last glimmer of hope extinguished, the light in Chen Changsheng's eyes dimmed completely. His body swayed, and boundless sorrow and despair almost consumed him.

After years of fighting and reaching the pinnacle, in the end, he lost even the person he most wanted to share it with. What meaning does this imperial throne and this invincibility have?

However, just when he was feeling utterly hopeless, Jiang Hao suddenly smiled gently.

"However," Jiang Hao changed the subject, "immortals can't bring the dead back to life, but what if a person wasn't dead in the first place? Then there's no need to bring them back!"

"What?" Chen Changsheng looked up abruptly, his pupils contracting sharply as he stared intently at Jiang Hao, almost thinking he was hallucinating from excessive grief.