Chapter 2263: The Grand Finale (Part 2)

Time goes back half a minute.

Something has happened to the Tide Sea...

Seeing the black hole trembling before them, Cloud Serpent Emperor and the others all changed expression.

All along, they had believed that the spiritual tide would never cease, coming every ten years. Only now, seeing this scene, did they understand that it could also vanish, also collapse.

Once it collapsed, the Divine Realm would be like a sun that had disappeared, its spiritual energy constantly consumed until it dried up, becoming a dead, silent world.

Block it...

The six Sovereign Lords and the Undying Sovereign Lord, Little Yellow Chicken, simultaneously raised their palms, channeling their vast power toward the black hole before them.

They hoped that with their strength, they could temporarily delay its collapse.

Crack! Crack!

They held on for only a short time before a massive fissure appeared before them. The previously sealed membrane instantly broke, and chaotic spiritual energy formed a huge vortex, constantly devouring. The power that had just entered the Divine Realm from the spiritual tide was swallowed back again.

The sky of the Divine Realm, as the fissure spread, also seemed like porcelain cracking, inch by inch upward, impossible to stop.

First block the calamity in the Divine Realm...

Cloud Serpent Emperor shouted loudly.

At this moment, everyone no longer cared about competing with each other. The only thing they wanted to do was protect the Divine Realm, protect their home.

Seven streams of power surged forth. The fissure in the sky was sealed by the rushing power, temporarily halted. However, because the spiritual energy had been drained in an instant, the Divine Realm was already in great turmoil.

The earth shook, the stars dimmed, as if they might fall at any moment.

Countless buildings collapsed; the world was at its end.

The Divine Realm is finished...

We knew this day would come, but didn't expect it so soon...

No use running. If the Divine Realm truly collapses, no matter where we flee, we die...

...

Countless cultivators stood in the middle of the city with vacant eyes, their hearts filled with sorrow.

Ever since the Divine Realm had encountered upheaval over forty years ago, nearly fifty, they had understood that a greater calamity would come sooner or later. They just hadn't expected it so soon.

Wait and see. If the Nine Heavens and Nine Sovereigns can save the Divine Realm, we live. If not, we die anyway. No need to fret...

A high-grade Divine King, watching the chaotic crowd, explained. Before he could finish, a faint voice sounded in his heart, like a thought from the Nine Heavens that suddenly entered his soul.

Today, I become a Sovereign Lord!

Sovereign Lord? Someone has broken through to Sovereign Lord... It's Zhang Xuan the Great Emperor!

Isn't Zhang Xuan the one who sells pills? How did he break through to Great Emperor?

That's right, it must be him. When Tianzong the Great Emperor broke through to Sovereign Lord, I also heard this voice...

...

Everyone was in an uproar; no one could believe it was true.

Yeming City, Yeming Academy.

Thinking of the voice that had appeared in his mind, Teacher Moyun's eyes widened, his mouth unable to close.

Sovereign Lord Zhang Xuan...

A little over a month ago, when he had met the other party, he was pathetically weak, only at the early stage of a Deity. He never imagined that a month later, he would have become a Sovereign Lord, standing at the very peak of the world.

He became... a Sovereign Lord?

The teapot in Qi Ling'er's hand fell to the ground without her noticing.

She had known that his identity was not simple and that he would surely grow stronger, but she never dreamed that he would actually become a Sovereign Lord, and so quickly!

As expected of the Nine Heavens Enfeoffed King... Just like Tianzong the Great Emperor, he succeeded in breaking through upon entering the Tide Sea...

Linglong Immortal looked toward the direction of the voice with a complex expression.

The Tide Sea had now completely collapsed. In the depths of the pitch-black space, a young man stood proudly in the air, hands behind his back, his gaze carrying the indifference of one who looks down on the world.

It was the same person she had seen above the moon.

Back then, in Linglong Heaven, she had met him and wanted to kill him because of the Baiye Qinghong matter. She never imagined that in just a few days, he had crossed the shackles of the Enfeoffed and successfully achieved the supreme position!

The Nine Heavens Enfeoffed King, coupled with his current might, would likely become a dazzling meteor like Tianzong the Great Emperor, sweeping across the Nine Heavens, unmatched in the world.

No wonder the Undying Sovereign Lord acknowledged him as master, and Lingxi Sovereign Lord was infatuated with him... Truly extraordinary!

Only now did she understand the things that had puzzled her before.

This was vision, something she was far from possessing.

Those we took in are all his students. Mortal bodies, yet with the bearing of a Sovereign Lord... Truly another Tianzong the Great Emperor!

Cloud Serpent Emperor, Blazing Sun Emperor, and Dark Nether Emperor all sighed simultaneously.

Earlier, they had thought about whether they could suppress him a bit to prevent him from becoming a Sovereign Lord. Now it seemed impossible to stop.

He broke through to Sovereign Lord without using the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus!

Just as they were marveling, the voice of Qiankun Demon Lord suddenly rang out.

Everyone was stunned.

They had assumed that his successful breakthrough to Sovereign Lord must have been related to the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, so they hadn't thought much about it. Now that the Tide Sea had ruptured, the scene inside was clearly visible, and they immediately noticed the blooming lotus in the void.

It was as dazzling as jade, exuding an extremely strong allure.

He didn't use it, which means we can. Once we use it, our strength will surely increase greatly...

Fumeng Sovereign Lord let out a tiger's roar.

He too was filled with a desire for power. If the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus had been swallowed, he would have had no chance. But now it was floating in the air, who could give it up?

He has just broken through and is still in the process of elevating his power. He won't have time to refine this treasure. It's mine...

Without hesitation, Fumeng Sovereign Lord rushed toward the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus.

Don't run, it's mine... Qiankun Demon Lord also hurried over.

In an instant, Linglong Immortal, Qiankun Demon Lord, Dark Nether Emperor, Blazing Sun Emperor—the four Sovereign Lords—also abandoned their reserve and charged forward.

Before they even reached it, various forces converged into giant palms, pressing down from above.

Each wanted to get ahead of the others, seize the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, break through their current shackles, and achieve the supreme position.

Boom!

Before the six forces could land on the golden lotus, a huge barrier blocked them. Then, amid the astonished gazes of the crowd, the lotus bloomed further, emitting nine beams of light that illuminated the entire Divine Realm, as if adding another sun.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The light pierced through the barrier and clashed with the six forces. The six Sovereign Lords all retreated several steps, their faces turning pale.

Clearly, they had suffered greatly in the collision with the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus.

Hum!

Amid the bewildered gazes of the crowd, the golden lotus writhed and transformed into the form of a young man.

Appearing in the air, the young man twisted his neck, looked at Zhang Xuan not far away, and said with a face full of frustration.

You actually broke through first... How am I supposed to show off?

A voice rang out in everyone's ears, carrying anger.

From today on, I'm a Sovereign Lord too, dammit!

Two Sovereign Lords?

Two broke through at once?

Not two, it's one. Haven't you noticed? This is his clone...

A clone also became a Great Emperor?

Linglong Immortal, Cloud Serpent Emperor, and the others stood frozen, about to go mad.

A Sovereign Lord, the ultimate symbol of the world. For countless years, they had believed that the Nine Heavens only had nine Sovereigns, and no more could appear. It wasn't until Tianzong the Great Emperor appeared that they understood Sovereign Lords could also be cultivated!

Even so, they remained confident, believing their positions were irreplaceable. But then...

In a single day, two more Sovereign Lords appeared, and they were the original and his clone. What was going on?

Since when was becoming a Sovereign Lord so easy?

Most importantly...

At the critical moment of becoming a Sovereign Lord, the best time to establish one's might, one usually projects a great and proud image... This clone gave the impression of someone who failed to show off and was now furious with embarrassment?

I'm a Sovereign Lord too, dammit...

A status that was originally lofty and grand, when you say it like that, what difference is there from a street performer?

Not only did the Sovereign Lords have this expression, but everyone in the Divine Realm was also dumbfounded. Could a Sovereign Lord also curse?

And... just now it was Sovereign Lord Zhang Xuan, and now, dammit, another one appears...

Two Zhang Xuans... Which one is real?

One person, two Sovereign Lords, the Nine Heavens come to enfeoff a king! This is my master... Little Yellow Chicken's eyes lit up.

This was the might befitting his master.

Ignoring his clone's narcissism and the shock of the crowd, Zhang Xuan exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

He had thought he would surely die, but at the last moment, he comprehended a Sovereign Lord-level sword technique, killed the Emperor Extreme Pill in one strike, and achieved the rank of Sovereign Lord.

Surviving a desperate situation.

Closing his eyes, feeling the surging power within him, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists.

Crossing this threshold and not crossing it were two different concepts, not on the same level.

Now, he felt as if he controlled a world; with a single thought, he could cause heaven and earth to collapse.

My strength is twice as strong as I expected. It should be related to the clone...

A thought flashed through his mind.

Originally, he had a certain concept of the cultivation level of a newly broken-through Sovereign Lord, but now it was clearly more than twice as strong as expected. Without thinking, he understood... it was related to the clone.

The clone had also broken through to Sovereign Lord, equivalent to one body with two souls becoming sovereign. His soul, body, and even true qi far exceeded those of an ordinary Sovereign Lord, reaching an inconceivable level.

Rumble! Rumble!

As he was feeling the power within him, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and the entire Divine Realm seemed to enter night. The fissure that everyone had sealed earlier spread again, and the Divine Realm, like the Tide Sea just now, was on the verge of bursting.

It's the Sovereign Lord Tribulation...

Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

When one's cultivation reaches a level that a space cannot bear, a calamity descends, like the Ancient Sage Tribulation in the Master Teacher Continent, or the False God Tribulation in the Upper Realm.

In the Divine Realm, it was the Sovereign Lord Tribulation.

To become a sovereign, one must first undergo the tribulation.

This Sovereign Lord Tribulation is too massive... Linglong Immortal's lips trembled.

The entire Divine Realm has become a calamity. That's really ruthless... Even Tianzong the Great Emperor didn't cause such a big thunderstorm back then! Cloud Serpent Emperor muttered to himself.

Tianzong the Great Emperor only broke through to Sovereign Lord alone. He turned his clone into a Great Emperor as well, doubling his strength. Naturally, the tribulation must also double, or even more...

Qiankun Demon Lord smiled bitterly.

The original and the clone breaking through to Great Emperor at the same time was both good and bad.

The good thing was that his strength doubled. Although he had just broken through, he was already among the very peak of the Divine Realm.

The bad thing was... the corresponding tribulation would also become much harder to withstand.

It might be that just after breaking through, he would face the day of his death.

This thunder is indeed powerful, but it's nothing...

Looking at the tribulation in the sky, piling up more and more, about to descend at any moment, Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

Under normal circumstances, a newly broken-through Sovereign Lord encountering such massive thunder would indeed find it difficult to survive. But he was different!

Having comprehended a Sovereign Lord-level sword technique, his combat power had already reached the very peak of a Sovereign Lord. A mere thunder tribulation was nothing.

Whoosh!

The Red Firmament Sword appeared in his palm, and he gave it a light flick.

In life, we shall return; in death, we shall long for each other!

One sword shattered the ages. The entire Divine Realm was stunned by this sword, like a flash of light piercing the curtain of night. Everyone's vision went blind for a short time.

The thunder in the sky vanished without a trace.

The Sovereign Lord Tribulation was swept away with one sword!

Rip!

As the tribulation ended, Zhang Xuan heard a sound like tearing brocade. Turning his head, he saw that the fissure in the Divine Realm had grown even larger.

Earlier, the fissure had spread from the Tide Sea, and the seven Sovereign Lords had failed to block it. Now, with the vibration from the Sovereign Lord Tribulation being too great, the sky of the entire world was shaking, on the verge of collapse.

The Divine Realm, like the Tide Sea before, had reached an irreversible point.

Seal...

He pointed a finger, and vast power spread toward the fissure, trying to mend it, but the effect was negligible.

It was like a crack in glass; no matter how strong the glue, it could not restore it to its original state.

Is there any other way?

Seeing that after much effort there was little effect, and the fissure continued to expand, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but look at Little Yellow Chicken not far away.

He was a Sovereign Lord from ancient times; perhaps he had a better idea.

I don't know either... Yellow Chicken shook his head with a bitter smile.

Just now, the six Sovereign Lords had all gone to seize the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus. He hadn't gone, and had been trying to maintain the fissure to prevent it from expanding, but despite using all his strength, he couldn't do it.

There's no way anymore...

Just as he was at a loss, a faint voice sounded. Zhang Xuan turned and saw Luo Ruoxin standing to one side, her brows furrowed.

What exactly is going on with the Divine Realm? My sword just now, though not weak in power, shouldn't have caused it to shatter so badly!

Knowing that she understood the most, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

Before his breakthrough, although the fissure from the Tide Sea had spread to the Divine Realm, it hadn't caused such great damage. Why, after his breakthrough, had it become like this, as if there was no way to repair it?

Hearing the question, Luo Ruoxin smiled bitterly: The Divine Realm is like an antique that has reached its time. It can no longer withstand the birth of powerful forces. Moreover, you and your clone, two Sovereign Lords, have drained all its foundation at once! It's already good that it didn't explode on the spot...

Drained the foundation? Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

Yes, the Divine Realm has lost part of its Heavenly Dao and cannot operate as one. It can no longer endure the birth of more powerful beings... Luo Ruoxin shook her head.

You mean... if I hadn't broken through to Sovereign Lord, the Divine Realm could have lasted much longer? Zhang Xuan frowned.

Had he made a mistake by breaking through?

Of course not... Even if you hadn't broken through, the Divine Realm would have completely collapsed within a month... Luo Ruoxin sighed.

Within a month? Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted. The other Sovereign Lords who heard this news also clenched their fists.

Clearly, they had not known about this.

If the Divine Realm collapsed, even the highest status would become illusory.

Even a Sovereign Lord would become a joke.

Do you know where the Tide Sea came from? Luo Ruoxin pointed at the already shattered Tide Sea not far away and asked.

It seems to have appeared suddenly about fifty years ago. At that time... Lingyuan City also encountered a calamity, and the Undying Sovereign Lord disappeared... Cloud Serpent Emperor interjected from the side.

Previously, they had thought it was over forty years ago, but on careful calculation, it was exactly fifty years.

In just fifty years, less than a mortal's lifetime, the Divine Realm had undergone earth-shaking changes.

Yes, the Tide Sea appeared at that time. Look, doesn't the entrance to the Tide Sea resemble a large hole torn in the Divine Realm? Luo Ruoxin continued.

It does... Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had noticed it when he first arrived at the Tide Sea, feeling that the place seemed like a tear in the Divine Realm, but he thought no one had such ability.

After all, the Divine Realm had the ability to repair itself. Even if a tear was made, it would soon mend.

A permanent scar like this was truly inexplicable.

It was made by someone! Seeing his confusion, Luo Ruoxin's expression turned grave, and she shook her head.

Made by someone? Everyone stiffened.

With their strength, they could also leave cracks in the air, but... they would heal in no time, as if they had never appeared.

This one had existed for a full fifty years and was even showing signs of growing larger. If it was truly made by someone, how high must that person's cultivation be?

Could it be that there really exist beings more terrifying than Sovereign Lords in the world?

If so, how were they born, and where did they come from?

And why did they attack the Divine Realm?

Everyone was shocked. Zhang Xuan, meanwhile, thought of the giant palm print he had seen in the Tide Sea.

He had suspected it at the time, but he too had found it hard to believe.

Could it be... that his wild guesses were all true?

Fifty years ago, a palm suddenly appeared, punching a large hole in the Divine Realm. A vast expanse of land was swallowed by the void, forming this Tide Sea. The Undying Sovereign Lord of Lingyuan Heaven, because he opposed it, was killed on the spot, and Lingyuan City was also struck into the spatial turbulence.

Luo Ruoxin did not hide anything and told the truth in full: Even the Heavenly Dao of the Divine Realm was stripped away. Among them, the Orderly Heavenly Dao and the Flawed Heavenly Dao fell into the spatial cracks, drifting for who knows how many years, eventually becoming Tianzong the Great Emperor and you!

Zhang Xuan's body trembled.

It seemed his guess was correct.

When he first saw the Tide Sea, he had felt that it might be related to his Flawed Heavenly Dao. He never expected that it was actually struck down by someone.

Who had unleashed this palm? And why did it have such immense power?

I don't know where this palm came from or why it attacked the Divine Realm, but I do know that such power is absolutely beyond the ability of a Sovereign Lord to contend with! Luo Ruoxin clasped her hands behind her back, the fear in her eyes growing stronger: Moreover, the opponent's power can dissolve the Heavenly Dao!

"This..." Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the special forces he had seen in the deep pit of Lingyuan City, which neutralized with the Heavenly Dao's true qi and vanished as green light.

Such power existed in the Tide Sea as well...

No wonder the hole struck in the Divine Realm hadn't healed in fifty years—this power eroded the Heavenly Dao, making repair impossible.

It was like an injury left untreated while consuming spicy food daily; recovery would be a miracle.

Unrepairable, it remained a permanent leak, and over time, the Divine Realm grew weaker.

"The Heavenly Dao itself was already damaged, and with this power draining it, maintaining it for fifty years was the utmost effort. According to calculations, after this spiritual tide, within three months, the Divine Realm would be unable to withstand it and collapse completely... Now, you and your clone broke through to Emperor simultaneously, absorbing too much power, and the sword technique used during the tribulation exceeded what the Heavenly Dao could bear, directly advancing the timeline..."

Luo Ruoxi shook her head.

There was no reason to blame him.

To fully save the Divine Realm, only when his cultivation reached Emperor and the Heavenly Dao he controlled grew to its limit could it be fully restored.

If he didn't break through within three months, the Divine Realm would still collapse.

Better to do it early.

At least they could respond sooner.

"Is there any way to stop the Divine Realm from collapsing further?" Zhang Xuan quickly looked at her.

If the Divine Realm truly collapsed completely, all life would cease to exist, and even if he lived, it would be meaningless.

"Two methods: first, eliminate the special aura that can destroy the Heavenly Dao. Second, restore the completeness of the Heavenly Dao." Luo Ruoxi said.

"This..." Zhang Xuan was startled. "How do we eliminate that world-destroying aura?"

He had seen this aura before, forming a massive barrier beneath Lingyuan City. To clear it would require a vast amount of Heavenly Dao true qi.

But... would clearing it really be effective?

"After fifty years, I suspect this aura has developed its own intelligence and taken human form! Otherwise, the rift in the Tide Sea wouldn't have spread so quickly. To solve it completely, we need to find it and kill it; then the turmoil in the Divine Realm will stop. At that point, restoring the Heavenly Dao's completeness will bring the situation under control, and the Divine Realm can be saved." After a moment of thought, Luo Ruoxi said.

"Taken human form?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

That special gas could become human-shaped?

"Yes!" Luo Ruoxi nodded. "This is just my speculation; I don't know the specifics..."

"Oh! If your speculation is correct, how strong is it, and where is it?" This was what Zhang Xuan cared about most.

If it wasn't too strong, gathering the nine Emperors, plus himself and his clone, might give them a fighting chance.

"Unfathomable. We should be no match... Even with the eight Emperors and you, we couldn't defeat it..." Luo Ruoxi said. "Only with such strength could it keep tearing the Divine Realm apart, leaving us all helpless."

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists.

True. If it were so easy to defeat, they wouldn't still be powerless.

"Restoring the Heavenly Dao's completeness... is that contending for the Mandate of Heaven?" Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan looked at her again.

"Correct. Both you and Master Kong contain a part of the Heavenly Dao. For the Heavenly Dao to fully recover, one of you must die..." Luo Ruoxi's voice was low.

She didn't want to say it, but that was the truth.

No one could escape.

"I understand..." Zhang Xuan gave a bitter smile and looked at her. "Then kill me! Master Kong is dead; the Heavenly Dao order within him should have already recovered. Now that I've reached the Emperor realm, I'm qualified to contend for the Mandate of Heaven..."

"If it's contending for the Mandate of Heaven, how can you seek death willingly?" Luo Ruoxi shook her head. "If willingly dying could solve the current situation, I would rather be killed by you."

The Mandate of Heaven must be contended; without contention, how could the Heavenly Dao be mended?

"Contending for the Mandate of Heaven doesn't just require reaching Emperor; you need the ability to contend. And the first requirement is to gain the recognition of the Nine Heavens!"

Luo Ruoxi continued.

"Gain the recognition of the Nine Heavens? You mean... challenge the Nine Emperors?" Zhang Xuan was startled.

As far as he knew, there were only two ways to gain the recognition of the Nine Heavens: first, be crowned Emperor by the Nine Heavens; second, challenge the Nine Emperors and earn their acknowledgment.

He had achieved being crowned King by the Nine Heavens, but being crowned Emperor by the Nine Heavens was certainly not so easy; otherwise, Master Kong wouldn't have continuously challenged the other eight Emperors just to gain recognition.

Luo Ruoxi nodded.

Hearing their conversation, Qiankun Mojun and the others twitched—did they have to be beaten again?

You contend for your Mandate of Heaven... why hit us?

It was like someone hitting you, and you hitting your pet parrot... What kind of nonsense was that!

That's not how you play...

Just as they were feeling frustrated, they saw the young man turn to look at them.

"Alright, all of you, come at once..."

Having both himself and his clone broken through to Emperor, combined with Emperor-level swordsmanship, the young man now feared none before him.

Perhaps he was still slightly inferior to Master Kong in his prime, but against these people, he had more than enough.

"..."

"Damn..."

The many Emperors were on the verge of tears.

Bro, if you want to show off, at least don't go this far!

Being defeated one by one was already embarrassing enough; now you want to challenge all of us at once...

Have you no shame?

We are Emperors! Is this really okay?

Their faces flushed red; they didn't know whether to attack together or not, and for a moment, they were at a loss.

"No need to fight; I concede!" Little Yellow Chicken spoke first.

This man was his master; conceding was nothing to be ashamed of.

"This..." Seeing the Undying Emperor concede, the others looked awkward, then sighed. "We concede too..."

They had no choice; if they were beaten into conceding, the humiliation would be even greater.

The original and clone were both Emperors, crowned Kings by the Nine Heavens, and he could bring his beast pet into battle... How could they fight?

It was like fighting three Emperors at once...

Most importantly, they had all seen the sword strike that broke the thunder tribulation; even combined, they couldn't withstand it, let alone alone.

After all, they had their pride; ganging up with formation tactics was something they simply couldn't do.

"This..." Seeing everyone concede, Luo Ruoxi's brows twitched.

When Master Kong challenged, he sent a formal invitation, scheduled appointments, and observed all courtesies; even when he lost, it was full of ritual... But you, you just said 'come at once'...

You really don't take Emperors seriously...

Anyone would feel hurt and utterly depressed!

Fumeng Emperor, Yun Chi Emperor, Zhuo Yang Emperor, Qiankun Mojun, Linglong Xianzi, Xuanming Emperor, and the Undying Emperor—seven Emperors conceded simultaneously. The jade seals of seven heavens simultaneously sent a special force enveloping Zhang Xuan, and in an instant, he felt he had gained the recognition of seven heavens.

Walking within these seven heavens from now on, he would face no rejection and could also receive the willing power of cultivators from those seven heavens.

"Hmm? No, it's not seven heavens, but eight—I've gained the recognition of eight heavens..."

Zhang Xuan was suddenly startled.

With seven Emperors conceding, normally he should only gain recognition from seven heavens, but now he sensed that all eight heavens of the Divine Realm held no rejection for him.

It seemed that the Sword God Heaven had already recognized him long ago.

"It's the Chixiao Sword. When the Sword God of the Sword God Heaven gave you the Chixiao Sword, their Sword God Heaven had already recognized your strength and potential..."

Knowing his confusion, Luo Ruoxi explained.

Zhang Xuan understood.

No wonder that young man from the Sword God Heaven said he had spent decades forging this sword; gaining recognition from one heaven, this sword, even if not a jade seal, was close enough.

"I have gained recognition from eight heavens. Can I now contend for the Mandate of Heaven with you?"

Feeling the power on him grow even more robust after gaining recognition from eight heavens, Zhang Xuan looked again at the girl before him.

Master Kong back then had challenged the eight heavens and finally challenged Luo Ruoxi.

"Have you made your decision?"

Luo Ruoxi's eyes reddened.

Once it began, one of them had to die.

"I've decided..." With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan looked down. Amid the turmoil, the Divine Realm was in chaos—killings, battles, resource grabs—all tangled like a mess, and even Divine Kings couldn't stop it.

If he delayed contending for the Mandate of Heaven, he could live a little longer, but the longer he delayed, the more people would die in the Divine Realm.

He wasn't selfless, but he was certainly not selfish.

If he could resolve the situation early, he would never drag it out for personal gain.

"Then let's begin!"

Taking a deep breath, Luo Ruoxi raised her delicate brows, flipped her wrist, and a long sword appeared in her palm.

Though reluctant and unwilling, she knew it couldn't be changed.

From the moment she agreed to be his girlfriend, their fates were sealed—inescapable and unchangeable.

It was destined to be a tragedy.

"Let's begin!" Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

Their cultivation levels surged to their peaks. Just as they were about to act, a violent tremor shook them, and an immense, boundless force spread over.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The cracks that had been spreading grew even larger. The black hole in the Tide Sea rotated slowly, like a pit devouring everything.

Spiritual energy, land, even life—in the blink of an eye, they were swallowed, turning into streaks of green light, dazzling and brilliant.

"Damn, it's the monster formed from that special gas..."

Turning abruptly, Luo Ruoxi couldn't help but exclaim.

"Monster?"

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists.

She had just said that the world-destroying special gas might have gathered intelligence and formed a humanoid monster. He didn't know when he would see it, but it seemed it was about to appear now.

Rumble!

As the hole devoured more and more power, the entire space of the Divine Realm twisted.

Ao Feng and the others near the black hole could barely hold on and were about to be swallowed.

Zhang Xuan reached out, grabbed them, and placed them behind him. His brows raised, he raised his long sword and shot it fiercely.

Another sword intent spread, paused at the hole, and was torn apart as well.

"So strong..."

His face turned pale.

The sword strike just now could sweep away all the thunder in the sky, yet now it couldn't even handle a black hole. What was this thing formed from the special gas?

"It's coming out..."

Luo Ruoxi's brows rose, her true qi boiling, ready to unleash her strongest attack at any moment.

As she spoke, from the rotating black hole, an ink-colored figure stepped out step by step. Wherever it passed, even the strongest weapons instantly turned to dust, neutralized into green light, and vanished without a trace.

"Special gas..."

Zhang Xuan's heart turned cold.

He had personally experienced and seen this gas; he knew its terror. It could neutralize Heavenly Dao true qi, and the strongest treasures of the Divine Realm would corrode like metal in sulfuric acid before it.

Stepping out of the vortex, the figure looked over lightly, eyes narrowing, giving a warm impression: "Teacher Zhang, long time no see..."

"How can it be you?"

His pupils contracted, and Zhang Xuan's whole body tensed.

The figure before him, formed from the substance that could neutralize Heavenly Dao true qi, was actually his old acquaintance... the Cruel One!

He quickly looked at the Heavenly Dao Book in his mind; it was empty, the Cruel One originally imprisoned inside was gone.

He had disappeared at some unknown time!

He remembered clearly that when he entered the Tide Sea, he had seen this man. How had he suddenly vanished and become so powerful?

"Are you wondering how I, suppressed by your Heavenly Dao Book, could quietly leave and come here?"

As if reading his doubt, the Cruel One smiled faintly.

Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

"The Heavenly Dao Book is indeed terrifying, but have you considered that what suppressed me was the Heavenly Dao Book formed in the Master Teacher Continent? When I reached the Upper Firmament, my strength reached the Void Immortal realm, and I could easily break free. Why didn't I resist all along?"

The Cruel One said.

Zhang Xuan's heart tightened.

This was indeed something he had overlooked.

The Library of Heaven's Path changed in power depending on the world he entered.

In the Master Teacher Continent, it matched the Heavenly Dao there; the Heavenly Dao Book it formed killed anyone below Ancient Sage on contact. In the Upper Firmament, those below Immortal Lord were ants.

In the Divine Realm, unless one was an Emperor, even a title holder would die!

Thus, the Heavenly Dao Book evolved with the environment of the library.

If the Heavenly Dao Book formed in the Divine Realm were used in the Master Teacher Continent, it would probably destroy the entire continent.

The Cruel One had followed him, his cultivation increasing all the way. By the time he entered the Tide Sea, he had reached the Divine King level. With such strength, how could he not break free from the Heavenly Dao Book formed in the Master Teacher Continent?

This was clearly the biggest contradiction... and he hadn't noticed!

"When I came to the Divine Realm, I said my cultivation was getting faster and my body was more suited to the Divine Realm. It wasn't because I absorbed divine spiritual energy faster, but because of this power that destroys the Divine Realm! Especially when you took me into the deep pit, I found I could absorb it even faster... Of course, absorbing all the gas in the deep pit wasn't enough for a complete transformation. The Tide Sea was where I could spread my wings!"

"Here, freed from the shackles of the Divine Realm and without the constraints of the Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Dao Book could no longer suppress me. So, while you were looking for the Emperor Spirit Grass, I quietly left, absorbed more of that special power, and achieved my current strength."

The Cruel One looked at him: "The Emperor Absolute Pill found the Emperor Spirit Grass because I led it there. Otherwise, it had been in the Tide Sea for so many years and couldn't take the herb. Why did it succeed as soon as you arrived?"

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

He had just wondered: if the Emperor Absolute Pill could really take the Emperor Spirit Grass, it would have done so long ago. Why had it been inactive until his clone merged with the Nine Heavens Golden Lotus and then went to devour it?

So someone had helped!

True. The space where the Emperor Spirit Grass was located was chaotic and extremely dangerous. Even he had only entered with Luo Qiqi's help; without her, it would have been difficult, let alone the Emperor Absolute Pill at that time!

If it were that easy, these three herbs would have been refined long ago, not waited until now.

"I am the Cruel One who roamed heaven and earth. Back then, even Master Kong was repeatedly set up by me and nearly died. You took me in as a servant, ordered me around, treated me like a dog... If I don't kill you, I can't quell the hatred in my heart..."

After explaining, the Cruel One roared.

Tens of thousands of years ago, he had already roamed the Master Teacher Continent. After being resurrected with difficulty, he was subdued by a junior. The resentment in his heart was imaginable.

But at that time, the situation was not in his favor, so he swallowed his anger.

"You are not a sentient being born from the special gas, but... you have mastered the special gas?" Zhang Xuan realized.

Earlier, Luo Ruoxi said that the special gas had developed its own intelligence over years of stillness. Now it seemed otherwise; the Cruel One had absorbed the gas and reassembled his own power.

"You guessed right. We spirit people originated from the gods of Lingyuan City, who were struck down into the spatial turbulence by a giant hand fifty years ago... I originally thought I could rely on my strength to return to the Divine Realm, but... that special gas accompanied us, constantly draining our power!"

The Cruel One gritted his teeth. "At that time, I thought about how to turn this power into my own... Unfortunately, until I was killed by Master Kong, I never succeeded!"

"It wasn't until I was resurrected... that I suddenly realized: this special gas is completely opposite to the true qi we cultivate. It's almost impossible to harness its power... unless you abandon all the power within you and start over!"

"So, I willingly let Master Kong kill me... Otherwise, do you really think he had the strength to kill me back then?"

Zhang Xuan fell silent again.

In the Master Teacher Continent, he had read countless records, but none described how Master Kong killed the Cruel One. They only recorded that the battle was extremely fierce, without specific details.

The latter also spoke vaguely, always claiming not to remember.

Could it be... that he was deliberately killed?

The purpose was only to abandon his cultivation so he could better absorb that special power that neutralized Heavenly Dao true qi?

That made sense.

Even the weakest god was not something an Ancient Sage could destroy.

Perhaps... even Master Kong had been deceived back then.

Master Kong died, leaving behind a contingency plan. How could the Cruel One, who had fought him for years, willingly die without any recourse?

“Since you are a being of the divine realm, you should join us in preventing its collapse, not control this black hole and keep devouring! What good does the destruction of the divine realm do you...”

Knowing that the other party’s explanations were meant to buy time for the black hole to devour more power, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but speak.

Since he was a person of the divine realm, struck down by a palm, he should feel anger toward that palm and protect the divine realm. Why control the black hole, devour endlessly, and accelerate the destruction of the divine realm?

“So what if I am a being of the divine realm? When I was struck down into the spatial turbulence back then, which of those emperors cared whether I lived or died? A divine realm so rotten deserves to be destroyed and rebuilt long ago. Keeping it around is meaningless!”

The ruthless man sneered coldly.

When he was in trouble, who cared about him? He sent out pleas for help, tried every means, but was met only with silence and disappointment.

From that moment, he knew that to become strong, he could only rely on himself.

And through normal cultivation, becoming an emperor was absolutely impossible. Only by absorbing that special gas could he surpass the others!

In the end... he succeeded!

“Alright, I’ve said what needed to be said. Since you want destruction, then die!”

With a furious roar, the ruthless man released immense power, cracks appearing all around. With a flash of his eyes, he was about to attack Zhang Xuan and the others.

“Wait... I signed a soul contract with you. That kind of contract cannot be dissolved. How did you break free...”

Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.