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

He stared at Jiang Liuer for a few moments, then turned to look at the white-bearded old man standing under the eaves.

The old man's aura was flat, and his cultivation level was unreadable; he was dozing off.

The leader hesitated for a moment before preparing to fire.

Encountering such a treasure is a matter of fate; there's no reason to let it slip by.

Unfortunately, he was just about to touch the tree.

A ray of light flashed through the void, and the leader felt as if he had been hit by a mountain. He was sent flying out of the Taoist temple and crashed into the opposite hillside, creating a large crater.

The gravel tumbled down with a crash, startling a flock of birds into flight.

"A ghost!"

The remaining men were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and they scrambled down the mountain without even daring to look back.

When Jiang Liuer was twelve years old, he had grown into a handsome young man.

He sat cross-legged under the Bodhi tree, his body radiating no light or extraordinary phenomena; he resembled a tree, a stone, or a wisp of wind.

His breathing was in sync with the swaying branches of the Bodhi tree, and his heartbeat was in sync with the flowing stream at the bottom of the valley.

The animals in the mountains were not afraid of him; squirrels jumped onto his shoulders to gnaw on pine cones, and birds landed on his head to preen their feathers.

He remained motionless, as if he had become one with nature.

That year, Jiang Hao began to teach him cultivation.

However, it doesn't teach the Heavenly Emperor Sutra, but rather the Dharma of the ancient monks.

There is a lineage within the Bodhi tree; Jiang Hao is merely a guide.

Jiang Liuer learns very quickly; he is extremely talented and can often apply what he has learned to other situations.

He is a prodigy.

At eighteen, Jiang Liuer had grown into a young man, sitting under the Bodhi tree.

He had delicate features, gentle eyes, and a faint smile always on his lips.

His voice is very special, like spring water dripping on a stone. Listening to it makes you feel at ease and gives you a sense of spiritual purification.

Villagers from the surrounding area came to find him.

He neither refused nor accepted money.

His fame grew, and the news that the Master of Hongjun Temple had a divine disciple spread far and wide.

On this day, Jiang Liuer stood up from under the tree, walked to Jiang Hao, and stood with his hands at his sides.

Jiang Hao sat on a rattan chair under the eaves, holding a pot of tea in his hand, and squinted at him.

"Master, you wanted to see me?"

Jiang Hao put down the teapot and looked at Jiang Liuer's face.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on the young man's shoulders, shimmering with golden light.

"You have achieved your goal in your cultivation; it is time for you to leave."

Jiang Liuer didn't speak. He looked at his master's increasingly aged face and felt a pang of sadness.

"Master, I want to spend more time with you."

He was afraid that when he returned, his master would be gone, and he would never see his master again.

"You belong to the vast world; you should venture out and explore it, witness all that exists between heaven and earth, and strive for the path to becoming emperor."

Jiang Hao shook his head. "You've sat here for eighteen years, that's enough."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liuer remained silent for a long time. He knew that his master's mind was made up. The mountain wind blew, and the leaves of the Bodhi tree rustled.

He finally knelt down and kowtowed three times, his forehead touching the bluestone slab.

"I have no way to repay my master's kindness in raising and teaching me, and I feel deeply ashamed that I cannot serve him."

Jiang Hao helped Jiang Liuer up and said with emotion, "Foolish child, in one's life, no one can stay by anyone's side forever. At different stages, there will be different people and things. Everyone has their own path to walk. Go on."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liuer remained silent for a while, carefully considering the words. Then he raised his head and smiled, a gentle smile like a spring breeze.

"Yes, Master."

He stood up, turned and walked towards the Bodhi tree, whose branches swayed gently and whose leaves emitted a golden light.

He reached out, his palm touching the tree trunk. The roots were pulled from the soil, the branches and leaves folded up, and the tree transformed into a small tree that fell into his sleeve.

Jiang Hao watched without saying a word.

Jiang Liuer turned around, bowed to Jiang Hao again, and then walked out of the Taoist temple.

The wind blew through the valley, the stream gurgled, and Jiang Liuer's figure disappeared at the end of the mountain road.

"The ancient monks value cultivating the mind and experiencing life," Jiang Hao murmured to himself. "Seeking the Dao in the mortal world is the most suitable path."

Jiang Hao closed his eyes, sunlight shone on his face, and his white beard fluttered slightly in the wind.

Then everything around them disappeared.

The Taoist temple, the bluestone slabs, the rattan chairs under the eaves, and the wooden plaques on the lintels are like a painting that has been soaked in water, the colors fading layer by layer, the outlines becoming blurred little by little, until finally nothing is left.

The mountain is still the same mountain, the trees are still the same trees, and the stream still flows gurglingly.

It seems like no one has ever lived here.

Not long after, a special figure appeared on the ancient road to the starry sky.

He wasn't as murderous as other prodigies, nor was he like those ruthless people who rampaged along the ancient road.

This is an extremely powerful and unique prodigy. He is powerful because his strength is unfathomable. Since his debut, he has never been defeated, has no rivals, and has made rapid progress.

What makes him special is that he never actively seeks trouble, unlike other geniuses vying for supremacy on the Imperial Road who would seek out powerful opponents to fight.

They are both quite belligerent.

But this guy named Jiang Liuer didn't. He never sought out others unless they approached him first.

His style is completely different from that of the many geniuses vying for supremacy on the Imperial Road.

His weapon was also quite special; it was a vajra, its body jet black, with dense patterns engraved on the head, resembling some kind of ancient script.

Of course, what's most puzzling isn't his strength or his behavior.

It was after he defeated the person that the story began.

Those he defeated not only did not hate or dislike him, but instead admired him immensely.

Some people said on the spot that they wanted to follow him.

Some people went back and thought about it for three days, packed their bags, and caught up with him.

"This is too bizarre." In a teahouse on Ziwei Star, someone put down their teacup and said with a frown.

"Has this Jiang Liuer cultivated some kind of demonic art? Can he control people's minds?"

Upon hearing this, the person next to him immediately shook his head and retorted, "It doesn't seem like it. What kind of demonic art is like this? Besides, this Jiang Liuer never kills. Look at all the battles he's fought, who has died? Not even a single one has been seriously injured."

"And how many people has he helped? Last time the void collapsed, he stepped in to stabilize it and saved hundreds of cultivators. The time before that, someone got lost in the chaos, and he went in and found them. Have you ever seen anyone who cultivates demonic arts do such a thing?"

"How did he manage to do that? All those who followed him were completely devoted to him."

"Who knows?"

The news spread far and wide, and along the ancient road in the starry sky, Jiang Liuer's name, like a gust of wind, swept through every corner.

His followers grew in number, including many prodigies who claimed to have imperial potential.

There was a prodigy named Baiyue, of ordinary birth, but fortunately, he had exceptional comprehension and loved to talk about principles and philosophy. He was very famous on the ancient road.

He heard about Jiang Liuer's situation and went to find him.

The two fought, and Baiyue lost.

The two then discussed matters further. Bai Yue remained silent for a long time before saying, "I'll go with you."

From then on, Jiang Liuer had a taciturn young man by his side.

There was another prodigy named Xiahou Lang, who was famous throughout the starry sky. He was powerful, had a violent temper, and would fight at the slightest provocation.

He ran rampant on the ancient road, and no one dared to mess with him.

When he encountered Jiang Liuer, he rushed towards him without saying a word.

Without a doubt, he was defeated by Jiang Liuer.

What's even more shocking is that this arrogant and domineering prodigy actually became Jiang Liuer's follower after being defeated by him.

And she has become very polite, a complete change from before!

This truly shocked all beings in the Three Realms, who began to discuss it extensively.