Chapter 1390 Commanding the Immortals

The upheavals in the various immortal domains and lower realms gradually subsided.

“Has this catastrophe finally passed?”

In every realm, countless survivors of the calamity gazed at the sky above, where the clouds were slowly parting to reveal the sun, feeling as if an era had passed, and this thought arose in their hearts.

Since the beginning of heaven and earth, over countless eons, this might have been a disaster nearly capable of destroying the world, but it was by no means the only one.

Yet as the river of time flowed on, the beings of heaven and earth were mostly forgetful. As long as a realm was not truly destroyed, as long as some beings survived, history would continue.

In disaster, the old balance was shattered, and a new balance gradually took shape.

As the saying goes, without breaking, there can be no establishing. Often, the arrival of a new era is nurtured by catastrophe.

…

In the Netherworld of the Nine Nethers, deep within the Yellow Spring Marsh.

Gan Jiuzhen gazed at the vast River of Reincarnation, as if sensing something, and her face was already streaked with tears.

Just then, accompanied by a low howl, a dark red light descended from the sky and landed before Gan Jiuzhen, causing her to step back instinctively.

But when she saw the dark red light, a complex emotion flickered in her eyes.

The dark red light hovered before Gan Jiuzhen, and the red glow around it suddenly dissipated, revealing a disc within—it was none other than the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, with a faint imprint on it that looked like an ordinary man's face.

Gan Jiuzhen stepped forward slowly, raised her hand to gently stroke the imprint on the disk, her expression gradually firming, and murmured:

“Father, Mother, rest assured. Jiuzhen will diligently cultivate the laws of reincarnation and attain the position of Dao Ancestor. Then I will surely find a way… to resurrect you both.”

…

At this moment, high above the already shattered and collapsing Zhongtu Immortal Domain, Han Li stood quietly, gazing ahead without speaking.

Jin Tong flew over, transformed into human form, and stood silently beside Han Li.

Just then, the void where the chaotic vortex had been split open, and over a hundred disheveled figures shot out from within, stopping at a distance from Han Li.

Leading them were eight individuals: Li Yuanjiu, Chi Rong, Chen Ruyan, Baiyun Daozu, the white-robed plump woman from the Demon Domain, the mummified man, Bai Ze from the Barbarian Domain, and the bald-headed man—eight Dao Ancestors in total.

Behind the eight stood dozens of cultivators, divided into three groups: those from the Heavenly Court, the Demon Domain, and the Barbarian Domain. Not a single person from the Gray Realm was seen, and the three Dao Ancestors including Cangwu Zhenjun were also missing; their fate was obvious.

Liu Le'er, Li Qima, and others stood behind Bai Ze and the bald-headed man.

Behind the white-robed plump woman and the other stood over a dozen people from the Demon Domain, including Third Prince Shi Pokong, Fifth Princess Shi Jingyan, and the handsome prince at the late Daluo stage.

The entire group was covered in wounds and looked quite disheveled, having clearly suffered greatly.

Han Li glanced at them without surprise.

He had sensed earlier that these people were still alive.

However, when the Vial Gourd had just absorbed the chaotic vortex, the group had been swept into the spatial storm and only now emerged.

Li Yuanjiu and the others saw Han Li and Jin Tong standing in the void, felt the nearly boundless and terrifying pressure emanating from Han Li, and showed expressions of shock, momentarily not daring to speak.

“Daoist Han, the battle between you… what was the outcome?” After a long while, Bai Ze, who was slightly more familiar with Han Li, cleared his throat and asked.

“It’s all over. Gu or Jin is dead, and the Three Thousand Dao Gods Grand Formation has collapsed. This great calamity has passed,” Han Li said solemnly.

Hearing this, Bai Ze and the others from the Barbarian Domain, as well as those from the Demon Domain, breathed a long sigh of relief, and the cultivators behind them couldn’t help but cheer.

The expressions of the Heavenly Court members were far more complex, a mix of joy and loss.

Baiyun Daozu sighed, then turned to look at the mere dozen or so Heavenly Court cultivators behind him, feeling a surge of sorrow in his heart.

He had joined the Heavenly Court partly because of Gu or Jin’s promise to break free from the constraints of the Heavenly Dao, but unlike Li Yuanjiu and Chen Ruyan, he had been loyal to the Heavenly Court and had managed it diligently over the years.

Not long ago, how majestic the Heavenly Court had been, how formidable its strength; with a wave of its arm, countless immortal domains in the True Immortal Realm dared not underestimate it. Yet in just one day, the situation had reversed completely, and the core of the entire Heavenly Court was reduced to this handful of people.

Even these people had only survived because he and the other two Heavenly Court Dao Ancestors had exerted every effort to protect them. Those two Dao Ancestors had been devoured by the Three Thousand Dao Gods Grand Formation.

The Three Thousand Dao Gods Grand Formation devoured Dao Ancestors much faster than ordinary cultivators.

Perhaps this was because Dao Ancestors were closer to the three thousand great Daos of the world.

“Where is the Demon Lord?” the white-robed plump woman asked.

“Where is the Reincarnation Palace Master?” Li Yuanjiu asked almost simultaneously.

“Both the Reincarnation Palace Master and the Demon Lord have returned to the void,” Han Li said calmly, glancing at the two, without revealing the truth of the Demon Lord’s fall to those from the Demon Domain.

Li Yuanjiu showed surprise, then frowned, pondering something.

Chen Ruyan and Chi Rong Daozu also raised their eyebrows slightly.

As for the white-robed plump woman and the others from the Demon Domain, upon hearing of the Demon Lord’s fall, their expressions were mostly surprised, with little grief.

In particular, Shi Pokong, Shi Jingyan, and the handsome prince at the late Daluo stage all had a glint of fiery ambition for power in their eyes.

“Father has avenged the ancestors of our demon race, a deed that will benefit a thousand generations! Though the chief culprit is dead, accomplices like Baiyun Daozu still live. Senior Han, and fellow Daoists from the Barbarian Domain, let us join forces to completely eradicate this cancer of the Heavenly Court!” the handsome prince suddenly raised his arm and shouted loudly.

“That’s right! Blood for blood, raze the Heavenly Court!” The other Demon Domain cultivators immediately responded, shouting fiercely.

Bai Ze and the bald-headed man looked intrigued.

But neither moved; they glanced sidelong at Han Li.

At this moment, they knew who held the most authority.

Baiyun Daozu’s expression changed drastically. He waved his hand, and countless milky-white cloud energy appeared out of nowhere, enveloping the dozen or so Heavenly Court cultivators behind him and shooting into the distance like lightning.

“Stop!” A dim yellow light chased after them like lightning—it was the mummified man from the Demon Domain.

He had been extremely close to the seductive woman; though they were not Dao companions, they had supported each other for countless ages. Her fall in the Three Thousand Dao Gods Grand Formation filled him with deep hatred for the Heavenly Court.

He raised his hand and grabbed at the void, his five fingers blazing with yellow light.

With a “rip,” the void above Baiyun Daozu’s head split open, and a sky-covering withered claw appeared, wrapped in strands of mucus-like yellow light, emitting the stench of rotting corpses.

As the withered claw grabbed, a large area of the nearby void collapsed, and a yellow domain spread out from it, rapidly descending toward Baiyun Daozu and the others.

Baiyun Daozu’s expression changed, and he halted, about to cast a spell to defend.

Just then, a golden light shot in from the side, without any time interval, and blocked the path between them.

The withered claw struck the golden light and was immediately repelled; the yellow domain hit the golden light and shattered with a “bang,” disappearing.

A figure materialized within the golden light—it was Han Li.

Baiyun Daozu was stunned at the sight.

“Daoist Han, what is the meaning of this?” the mummified man asked, his expression stiff.

“The True Immortal Realm has suffered greatly from this calamity and urgently needs to recuperate. Gu or Jin is dead, and all past grievances should be wiped clean. From now on, no major powers shall seek revenge or dispute, and you Dao Ancestors, especially, must not act rashly,” Han Li declared solemnly.

His tone was as indifferent as water, yet it carried a majesty akin to heavenly might, surpassing even that of Gu or Jin in his prime.

This single utterance nearly shattered the void and instantly spread throughout the entire True Immortal Realm.

At that moment, in every immortal domain of the True Immortal Realm, all cultivators felt an irresistible heavenly pressure descending from above, as if compelled to kneel and prostrate themselves on the spot.

Those present trembled violently, all showing expressions of fear.

“Gu or Jin is dead. The enmity between our Barbarian Domain and the Heavenly Court is settled. As long as the Heavenly Court stops plundering our Barbarian Domain, we will never initiate conflict,” Bai Ze and the bald-headed man immediately said.

Li Yuanjiu, Chi Rong, Chen Ruyan, and the white-robed plump woman from the Demon Domain all nodded in agreement.

The mummified man looked at Han Li, his eyes revealing helplessness and fear.

“What, do you have any objection to my words?” Han Li said, holding one arm behind his back without even looking at the mummified man, as a boundless pressure suddenly erupted, enveloping him.

The mummified man’s face changed drastically, the void beneath his feet exploded directly, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably. Unable to bear the pressure, he slowly bent down and finally knelt there.

“Daoist Han, Fellow Daoist Duanmu was grieved by Fellow Daoist Helan’s death and thus offended you. I hope you will be magnanimous and spare him this time. We will all obey your commands,” the white-robed plump woman said hastily, seeing this.

Han Li glanced at the white-robed plump woman and slightly withdrew his pressure.

The mummified man gasped heavily, unable to rise for a moment, his eyes now filled with terror as he looked at Han Li.

“It seems you understand now,” Han Li said calmly, then turned to look at the handsome prince from the Demon Domain.

The handsome prince’s face turned deathly pale in an instant, and he couldn’t help but step back a few paces.

“Considering that I once had some friendship with the Demon Lord, and this is your first offense, I will let it go this time. I have no interest in killing, but if anyone dares to speak words that incite conflict again, this will be the consequence!” Han Li said indifferently, flicking his sleeve.

Rumble!

The space around them flashed with golden light, and dozens of huge golden vortexes appeared, spinning with a rumble, like terrifying gaping mouths, emitting an extremely fearsome devouring force.

The space within hundreds of thousands of li around collapsed like paper, and everything within turned into fine powder, swallowed by the golden vortexes in one gulp.

The terrifying devouring force also enveloped everyone present, making them feel like small boats in a deep-sea storm, in constant danger of capsizing.

Some of the lower-cultivation cultivators cried out in terror, and the handsome prince trembled, his eyes full of fear.

Even Li Yuanjiu, Chen Ruyan, and the other Dao Ancestors were the same, unable to control their forms.

Moreover, they could sense that these golden vortexes had not yet exerted their full power; otherwise, they would have been swallowed long ago.

The time-altering force twisting within the vortexes left them in no doubt about the consequences of being swallowed.