Dark Emperor Soars the Heavens

Dark Emperor Soars the Heavens is an Eastern fantasy novel by the web author Xinmeng Wuhen, serialized on Taduo Literature and completed on February 15, 2015, running to about 2.27 million characters in 755 chapters. Under the manifesto-like slogan 'Dark Emperor soars the heavens, I slay the immortals, through a hundred reincarnations, to the peak of eternal life,' the story follows the youth Cheng Lingyu, who, to avenge the woman he loves, Ruoxue, obeys his master's command and travels to Shiyang Town, setting out on the path of cultivation. Mocked as soon as he enters the martial world, he nonetheless obtains the inheritance of the Dreamless Art and, in turn, opportunities including an active metal source and the Fangtian Treasure Seal, rising to prominence through life-and-death trials. He then passes through perilous places—the Chongyang martial contest, the Soul-Lost Forest, the Xuanxing Ruins, the Sunset Battle Platform at the Falling God Ridge, and the secret realms of the Dragon Gate and Mount Mist—growing in both cultivation and character, and befriending companions who travel with him, including Yu Wuchen, Caiyun, Qu Wei, Hu Yu'er and Lan Xiaozhu. As the secrets of his origins are peeled back layer by layer, he is drawn into power struggles among holy lands, sects and factions, confronting schemes, betrayal and redemption, keeping a clear head amid complex relationships, and finally forging his own path as a strong man. The novel lays out grand scenes and delivers frequent power-up payoffs, while using the protagonist's grappling with power and responsibility, choices of faith and self-identity to sketch a passionate, slightly somber coming-of-age arc.