Chapter 31: The Fate of the Three Realms

The incarnation of the great demon lord Cixiu watched from afar as sun after sun appeared in succession. He sensed the tragedy within, which stirred his distant memories, and could not help but sigh softly: "Even I hope that Heartforce General will die... Perhaps Heartforce General might really fall at the hands of these natives."

...

Lord Huanmu, dead.

Sanqing Daoist, three thousand six hundred Pure Yang True Immortals, dead.

Ji Ning in black robes, dead.

"You natives will all die, all of you must die." Source Elder was truly furious. Even if he could win, his soul injury would take who knows how long to recover. His three enormous arms reached for the Buddha Tathagata.

Buddha Tathagata said softly: "If I do not enter hell, who will? Fellow cultivators, are you willing to enter hell together?"

"We follow."

"We follow."

One by one, the Celestial Immortals were calm and peaceful. Each recalled memories unforgettable in this life. They also had things in their hearts to protect. For that protection, they feared nothing, not even death.

The enormous palm descended.

Buddha Tathagata and the five thousand eight hundred Celestial Immortals were utterly calm.

"Boom!!!"

Another blazing sun appeared.

Although Buddha Tathagata possessed an indestructible golden body, he knew that he was merely a True God. If he did not self-destruct, Source Elder would suppress and capture him. Either way, he would still die, and he would not even be able to harm Source Elder. Thus, Buddha Tathagata did not hesitate either. The terrifying explosive impact forced Source Elder's palm to retract.

Source Elder's expression grew even uglier.

"Kill." Source Elder was now determined. He attacked Jueming Buddha again. Jueming Buddha's divine ability was too formidable; his Ancestral God body combined with his divine ability made Source Elder very uncomfortable.

"Amitabha, Benefactor Beixiu, this monk fears he cannot go to the Heavenly Firmament Palace." Jueming Buddha murmured in his heart, smiling as he faced the three enormous palms charging at him.

Boom~~~

Jueming Buddha also transformed into a blazing sun, madly consuming Source Elder's divine power. But in truth, someone who had cultivated heartforce to Source Elder's level could survive even if only his true spirit remained. For instance, when Lord Beixiu World God fled back then, his soul had long scattered, leaving only his true spirit, and even that had begun to dissipate, yet he still lived for so long.

Source Elder was not that powerful, but although his divine power had been greatly consumed, he could still maintain his fierce attacks.

This was the difference between him and the Heart Demon Lord.

After all, he was one of the nine divine generals under Black Lotus Divine Emperor.

"He's not dead yet."

"He's still alive."

The mighty cultivators, immortals, and demons of the Nuwa Camp and the Alliance of Unfettered felt heart-wrenching pain, but Source Elder was still alive.

"Ji Ning, die." Source Elder's five arms blotted out the sky as they attacked Ji Ning. Ji Ning's true body possessed the Nine-Angle Lightning Serpent Evasion technique; one or two arms could hardly kill him. However, Source Elder's arms also moved at the limit of the Heavenly Dao, and with five arms encircling him, plus Ji Ning had been fighting in close quarters, he could not escape now.

Moreover, Ji Ning did not think of escaping.

Other mighty cultivators without avatars had chosen to self-destruct to consume as much of Source Elder's divine power as possible. How could he, who had an avatar, flee?

At this moment, everything else was cast aside.

He had only one thought: to harm Source Elder as much as possible. Perhaps just a little more, and Source Elder would not be able to hold on.

...

Lord Huanmu, dead.

Sanqing Daoist, three thousand six hundred Pure Yang True Immortals, dead.

Ji Ning in black robes, dead.

Buddha Tathagata, five thousand eight hundred Celestial Immortals, dead.

Jueming Buddha, dead.

Now even Ji Ning's true body was about to die.

"Fellow Daoists, it is not that I fear death, but the Alliance of Unfettered still needs to be passed on; it cannot be extinguished. If the Alliance is completely destroyed, the fallen immortals and demons will not rest in peace." Seeing this, the Myriad Demon Lord chose to flee.

"Let's go."

"Leave the Three Realms."

The Myriad Demon Lord gathered the mighty cultivators of the Alliance of Unfettered who were still fighting.

Before the battle, these mighty cultivators, immortals, and demons had entrusted their loved ones and those they cared about to the Myriad Demon Lord's protection. They all trusted his ability to escape. Each of them had gone to their deaths willingly because they understood that what they wanted to protect could survive and be passed on.

"Let's go. All of you, go." Patriarch Bodhi also appeared, among the mighty cultivators of the Nuwa Camp, beside the formation.

"Go." Sun Wukong and the others, red-eyed.

"Go."

They all understood that fighting now was meaningless. Earlier, they had intercepted these soul-controlled mighty cultivators to prevent them from helping Source Elder. Now it was pointless. Everything depended on Ji Ning.

As for True Gods and Patriarchs like them, their strength was too weak to trap Source Elder. Source Elder could leave whenever he wanted. Only Ji Ning, the Myriad Demon Lord, Sanqing Daoist, and others could force Source Elder to engage.

...

The Myriad Demon Lord led the Alliance of Unfettered, and Patriarch Bodhi led the Nuwa Camp. They were ready.

If Ji Ning's true body self-destructed and still failed, then they would leave the Three Realms and drift in the endless Chaos.

If Ji Ning self-destructed and succeeded in exhausting Source Elder's divine power, leaving him powerless to resist, then they would truly win!

Everything... depended on Ji Ning!

...

Like five enormous dark clouds, the giant palms descended from five directions simultaneously, each moving at the limit of the Heavenly Dao. Ji Ning's true body could not escape.

"The destruction of the Three Realms?"

"No..."

"There is still a glimmer of hope."

Ji Ning was unprecedentedly calm. The mighty cultivators before him had gone to their deaths willingly for that glimmer of hope.

"Come on." Ji Ning's heart was as still as water.

"Boom boom boom boom boom." Source Elder's five palms fell without mercy. Once Ji Ning's true body was killed, and since the Myriad Demon Lord had already fled, the entire Three Realms would have no more threats. As for Maitreya Buddha, Sun Wukong, and other mighty cultivators, the gap between them and him was too vast. He could leave or kill as he pleased.

This was the last one.

"Die." Source Elder's eyes were full of killing intent. He prepared to withstand Ji Ning's self-destruction. "This time I can hold on. I can still hold on."

...

The Myriad Demon Lord fled to a distance, watching from afar.

...

Patriarch Bodhi was also in the distance, standing beside Maitreya Buddha, Amitabha, Sun Wukong, Yuding Daoist, and others, watching.

...

The incarnation of the great demon lord Cixiu also watched from afar.

...

The entire Three Realms awaited the moment that would decide its fate. Even the Heavenly Dao of the Three Realms trembled faintly, aware that it had reached the most critical moment, but it could do nothing. Meanwhile, the billions of living beings in the Three Realms continued their ordinary lives. Some fought for power, some pursued love, some cried for milk, some buried themselves in study, some campaigned on battlefields...

They did not know...

The entire Three Realms faced the moment that would decide its ultimate fate.

...

"What's going on?" The Myriad Demon Lord, Patriarch Bodhi, and the incarnation of Cixiu, watching from afar, were all puzzled.

Because Source Elder's enormous palm fell and grabbed Ji Ning.

But...

There was no self-destruction!

"No self-destruction?" The Myriad Demon Lord was stunned.

Patriarch Bodhi and the surviving mighty cultivators of the Nuwa Camp were also stunned. The incarnation of Cixiu was stunned too.

None of them thought Ji Ning was afraid of death, because once captured and suppressed by Source Elder, death would soon follow, and it would be a pointless death, unable to harm Source Elder.

...

They were shocked, and Source Elder was also shocked. He had prepared to withstand Ji Ning's self-destruction, but his palm finally grabbed Ji Ning, and Ji Ning did not self-destruct.

"The fate of the Three Realms is at this moment."

When faced with the approaching palm, Ji Ning had decided to self-destruct.

At that moment, his heart was unprecedentedly still, unprecedentedly empty and ethereal. He actually sensed a spark of light within his divine body.

"A spark of light in endless stillness?" Facing this moment of life and death, Ji Ning immediately abandoned self-destruction and began to circulate the technique of the Desolate World God. To cultivate the Desolate World God, one needed to seek the spark of light in the divine body amidst stillness. The last time he broke through to become a True God was when he was comprehending the Zhutian Star Gold Bead.

But this time, at the moment deciding the fate of the Three Realms, his heart was exceptionally empty and ethereal, and he sensed that spark of light.

"Whoosh." Source Elder's palm grabbed Ji Ning.

Ji Ning did not self-destruct.

...

"It's over." The Myriad Demon Lord shook his head.

"It's over." The mighty cultivators of the Nuwa Camp all shook their heads in despair. They had fought to this point, but for some reason Ji Ning had not self-destructed. The last hope for all beings in the Three Realms was gone.

"No." Patriarch Bodhi watched. He did not believe it. He did not believe that his disciple was someone who feared death.

"Rumble~~~" Endless chaotic force suddenly surged forth, even forming a huge chaotic vortex. Below the vortex was Ji Ning, still held in the palm.

"It's not over. The Three Realms are not over." Patriarch Bodhi looked at the sudden chaotic vortex and shouted hoarsely, "The Three Realms are not over."