Chapter 1836: Grand Finale

As the Dark Sect Master's two pupils transformed into emerald serpent eyes, her body suddenly stiffened.

A wail of resentment and unwillingness surged from within her, causing the stars to dim, the sun and moon to lose their light, and the world to change color.

"Ah! I am unwilling! I have clearly come this far!"

"I was meant to be the perfect existence! I am their fusion, the chaos of this world ought to have been ended by me!"

"Li Luo! Li Luo!!"

Li Luo listened calmly to the unwilling wail emanating from Li Lingjing's body, and said lightly: "You are merely a mistake. I promised Xiao E that I would help her correct this error born of her."

"Then, farewell."

The seal of authority scepter held tightly in Li Luo's hand slowly pressed down, as the world's will turned, an invisible great hand descended, piercing Li Lingjing's body and directly grasping the Dark Sect Master's final consciousness.

The great hand of the world's will clenched tightly.

The wail ceased abruptly.

The wind's sound in the world seemed to stop at that very moment.

Utter silence.

Not a single sound stirred in the entire world.

Yet the terrifying aura that once pressed down on heaven and earth began to dissipate like smoke, accompanying the gradually stirred expressions of countless beings in the world.

At this moment, the Dark Sect Master finally fell!

All beings could clearly feel the oppressive destructive pressure that had hung over their heads recede; they knew what had happened, yet still could not quite believe it.

They feared this was merely an illusion.

That Dark Sect Master who had nearly sent the Ten Great Shenzhou into destruction, causing countless heavenly kings to despair in fear—had she truly fallen?!

The silence did not know how long it lasted, until finally countless suppressed, extreme sobs echoed throughout the Shenzhou world, no one able to imagine the fear and despair of all beings when the Dark Sect Master was about to seize world authority.

Boom!

The next moment, the weeping transformed into earth-shaking cheers and applause.

Countless beings were moved to tears, their joy after surviving the catastrophe, as they wildly vented their inner fears, hysterical.

The entire world seemed to tremble at this moment.

This apocalyptic calamity, at this moment, finally met its end.

Between heaven and earth, winds stirred and clouds moved, as radiant light tore through the clouds, pouring toward every corner of the Shenzhou world.

Li Luo gazed at the woman before him; her coolly beautiful yet strangely alluring face, once stern, now completely melted, the green serpent pupils still holding a deep bewilderment.

Her red lips slightly parted, she gazed at the man before her, her voice dazed and blurred, softly sounding: "Li, Li Luo?"

Li Luo revealed a gentle smile.

"Lingjing elder sister, welcome back."

The bewilderment in Li Lingjing's eyes gradually faded; from the memories lingering in her body, she knew everything, she remained silent for a long time, finally breaking into a light smile.

"Thank you."

Her eyes, complex, fixed on the man before her; she had not expected that this youth, who had entered her gray world in her most desperate moment, would, after many years, reach this point.

Even this endless turmoil spanning countless years would be ended in his hands.

He would undoubtedly become this world's most magnificent legend.

"For a period of time yet to come, I still need elder sister to preside over the Dark World; evil thoughts have not been completely eradicated, and will still give rise to aberrant beings." Li Luo waved his hand, smiling.

Li Lingjing said nothing more, merely nodding lightly in assent.

Li Luo then turned his head, his gaze toward the Dark World.

With his current rank and realm, he could naturally see through the Dark World—a world that is two sides of one with the Shenzhou world, the two originally being the faces of good and evil.

As long as beings in the Shenzhou world generate negative emotions, those emotions will transform into evil thoughts, accumulate in the Dark World, until reaching a certain degree and erupting, once again forming a calamity.

At that time, what is born may not be aberrant beings, but rather other evil entities.

This is a law.

Thus, completely eliminating beings' negative emotions is impossible, but they can be resolved in other forms.

Li Luo's eyes showed contemplation; finally, a drop of fresh blood fell from his fingertip, the blood falling into the Dark World, transforming into towering golden pillars that reached heaven and earth, as if Buddhist chants echoed.

"Beings have good and evil; I now cast the image of merit. Beings cultivate, they can cultivate the power of merit, dispel their own evil thoughts, slay inner demons, and attain the Great Dao."

Li Luo's grand low voice resonated in the hearts of every being in the world.

As the world's shared lord, he established new rules for the cultivation path of all beings.

Evil thoughts cannot be severed; only by representing goodness through merit can they be dispelled, the two in balance, and the world naturally peaceful.

"Pay respects to the Shared Lord!"

Countless beings devoutly prostrated and bowed, knowing Li Luo was doing this to bring eternal peace to all generations; such immense power could only be achieved by Li Luo, who had attained the position of Shared Lord.

From now on, the world will have merit power capable of restraining the emission of evil thoughts.

Without sufficient accumulation of evil thoughts, the Dark World will gradually merge into the Shenzhou world, and no more aberrant or evil beings will arise.

Li Luo overlooked the world; he could sense that as he attained the position of Shared Lord, the Shenzhou world seemed to be fully activated, its boundaries gradually expanding, and those once-lost Shenzhou will gradually return.

The Shenzhou world will in the future reach unprecedented glory.

After enduring the long ages of turmoil, everything, in his hands, has come to an end.

This story, too, will finally reach its conclusion.

Yet, there remain many concluding matters that also need him to attend to.

When people immersed themselves in the post-calamity revelry, Li Luo's figure appeared at a certain place in Shenzhou—a region even the Li Tianwang of Divine Fruit dared not lightly tread, for here lies a terrifying illusion.

Constructed by Bai Mengmeng at the cost of her own eternal sinking, it imprisoned a Divine Fruit Great Demon King.

The Li Tianwang Jiang and others had previously come here, attempting to break the illusion and awaken Bai Mengmeng from within, but ultimately refrained due to lack of certainty, fearing they might cause negative effects on Bai Mengmeng.

But now, in Li Luo's eyes, all of this appears insignificant.

His pupils flowed with deep mysterious light; before him, this illusion that even the Divine Fruit Li Tianwang feared was pierced by his gaze, and he saw the deepest part of the illusion, where a girl curled up, her pure and beautiful face occasionally flashing with fear.

It seemed that for Bai Mengmeng, whose nature was timid, such a terrifying illusion was undoubtedly like hell.

Yet she had still, at that time, unhesitatingly chosen such a decisive way.

Only because she had no other way left.

Li Luo opened his mouth and gently spat out a ball of flame, which spread silently, burning the terrifying illusion before him to nothing in an instant.

The space gradually returned to normal.

Li Luo extended his arm, horizontally embracing the petite figure that had fallen from space, and said with a smile: "Hey, Mengmeng, wake up."

Hearing his call, Bai Mengmeng in his arms, her thick lashes like a brush, twitched slightly, then gradually opened her watery eyes; seeing the familiar face before her, she was first startled, then murmured: "Again, this kind of illusion?"

Then she was about to close her eyes.

Li Luo chuckled, about to speak, when suddenly in the illusion, a surge of heaven-shaking evil intent erupted—it was the "Evil Abyss Demon King" sealed within the illusion.

"Hehehe, I never thought I would still have a day to escape!"

The towering demon shadow rejoiced, letting out a sharp cry.

Bai Mengmeng then snapped her eyes open, her pale face fixed on Li Luo, urgently saying: "Be careful! The Evil Abyss Demon King has also escaped the illusion..."

But before her words were fully spoken, she saw Li Luo extend his palm, striking empty air toward the Evil Abyss Demon King, and that very demon king who had once driven her to despair was instantly shattered into strands of black smoke without even a cry, vanishing into nothingness between heaven and earth.

Bai Mengmeng opened her small mouth wide, staring in shock at this scene.

Li Luo then loosened his arm, setting her down, and said: "Mengmeng, everything is over."

"Come, I'll take you back to Daxia."

He laughed, the space around him shifting, and when he reappeared, he was already in Daxia City.

And before him, two people were embracing passionately due to the end of worldly chaos.

They were Yu Lang and Bai Dou.

They had not noticed the sudden appearance of Li Luo and Bai Mengmeng, and Li Luo also did not remind them, merely watching with interest as they kissed fiercely; seeing the fire grow fiercer, Bai Mengmeng finally could not bear it, her face flushed red as she cried: "Sister!"

"Ah!"

Bai Dou was startled awake, only then seeing two people standing before her, and involuntarily cried out, simultaneously gripping her hand as her spear flashed, about to strike.

But the next moment, the spear froze, for she saw Bai Mengmeng's tear-streaked cheek.

Clang.

Bai Dou's spear fell from her hand; she trembled as she looked at Bai Mengmeng, tears unstoppably sliding down her eyes, finally rushing forward to embrace Bai Mengmeng, choking: "Mengmeng! Mengmeng! Is it really you?"

Bai Mengmeng wiped her tears, nodding: "Sister, I have returned."

Bai Dou could no longer suppress her emotions, hugging Bai Mengmeng and wailing loudly, heart-wrenching sobs; these years, her longing for Bai Mengmeng had tormented her to madness, and had it not been for Yu Lang's companionship, she would not have known how to endure.

But fortunately, the sister she thought she would never see again had returned at this moment.

Li Luo watched the embracing, weeping sisters, smiling as he turned to Yu Lang beside him; the latter looked at him, licked his lips, rubbed his hands, and said: "Your status is now too high—I don't know what to say; why not kowtow first?"

"If you're this polite, I can accept it." Li Luo nodded, smiling.

"Ah?" Yu Lang was dumbfounded—good buddy, this impolite? Well then, don't blame me.

Yu Lang directly went limp in the legs and bowed his head to kowtow.

But before he could touch the ground, he felt the world spin, then regained his senses to find himself still standing where he was, unmoved; he immediately hehe-laughed.

Li Luo then smiled and extended his hand, patting Yu Lang's shoulder.

The next moment, Yu Lang suddenly felt a scorching sensation spread through his body, then he stiffened, realizing that in his body, the phase palace, which had completely dissolved from prior use of the "Primordial Phase Technique," had now regrown at this moment.

Yu Lang's expression froze; the disappearance of the phase palace was a trouble even the Divine Fruit Li Tianwang could not solve in this world, yet now, with Li Luo's light palm strike, it had been successfully restored.

"You might try walking the myriad phases path in the future." Li Luo smiled; at this moment, Yu Lang's phase palace was empty within, just right for walking the myriad phases path, and after resolving the other's phase palace issue, he also transmitted the cultivation method of the myriad phases.

However, this path could only be the myriad phases path, and could no longer become the formless phases path.

Yu Lang's eyes gradually reddened, tears welling up; these years, his phase palace and its affinity had vanished, though he seemed indifferent, he could never truly let go, and now Li Luo had given him rebirth once again.

Yu Lang gazed at the smiling man before him, knowing the other's status now was utterly different from before; he, as the "World Sovereign," would inspire awe even in Li Tianwang powerhouses facing him.

Yet Yu Lang still felt that, when facing these old acquaintances, Li Luo retained the same mindset as before.

Compared to the sincere youth of Nanfeng Academy back then, Li Luo had changed much now, yet had not truly changed.

Li Luo gazed at the emotionally agitated Yu Lang, smiling as he extended his fist, just as when the two youths first met in the academy.

Yu Lang extended his fist, meeting Li Luo's, and said softly: "Li Luo, thank you."

Then he hesitated a moment and asked: "I have a question I want to ask you..."

"Speak."

"What about Lu Qinger?"

Li Luo fell silent for several breaths, the image of that ice-snow-like woman flashing in his mind; she had ultimately, without hesitation, chosen self-destruction to buy him time.

"I will find a way to revive her." He said.

Yu Lang gazed at him, saying: "Her self-destruction was so thorough, not a trace of aura left; perhaps this was her attitude and choice—I do not doubt your ability to revive her, but..."

Facing this problem, even Li Luo, as World Sovereign, let out a light sigh, then turned and departed.

Thereafter, Li Luo's figure appeared across the Ten Divine States, using inconceivable divine powers to revive some Li Tianwang powerhouses who had self-destructed in the prior Unification War to protect him.

However, not all Heavenly Kings were revived; only those with residual aura could be.

But as Yu Lang said, Li Luo had not found the aura left by Lü Lu Qinger.

Her self-destruction was too thorough, destroying everything of herself, even a trace of aura.

Li Luo stood on the eternal frozen earth formed after Lü Lu Qinger's fall, his expression somewhat complex; Lü Lu Qinger's aura had vanished completely clean—perhaps she knew she had the means to revive herself, so she deliberately left utterly, not wanting to leave even a trace of longing.

Li Luo extended his palm, only to see a wisp of cold air emanate from within his body, condensing in his palm into an ice lotus seed.

This was the "Heavenly Lotus Chill."

Long ago, in the Spirit Phase Cave Heaven, Li Luo had met Lü Lu Qinger, helping her obtain the "Ice God Lotus," while she had extracted the "Heavenly Lotus Chill" from it and given it to him.

This cold later helped Li Luo forge the ice aspect.

Lu Lu Qinger's aura had already dissipated into heaven and earth, but within this wisp of "Heavenly Lotus Cold," a trace of longing remained hidden.

Li Luo held the ice lotus seed, silent for a long time, then bent his finger to split the frozen earth and placed this ice lotus seed at the deepest point.

He nurtured it with the utmost rank of worldly cold ice, hoping the lotus seed would one day bloom.

The long, chaotic ages of the world finally ended with Li Luo's ascension to "World Sovereign."

Outer Shenzhou entered an unprecedented era of peace.

The heaven-and-earth qi, once overdrawn by ten years of heavenly fate, recovered at astonishing speed under Li Luo's impetus, and the Outer Shenzhou world entered an unprecedented era of development and expansion.

Heavenly Kings continually emerged in the world, forging a brilliant prosperous age.

In that radiant prosperous age, within the Luolan Manor in Daxia City, red candles were lit.

The modest Luolan Manor had now become the most esteemed place in the world; even a Li Tianwang powerhouse coming here would find it difficult to enter this gate.

Tonight, the Luolan Manor welcomed a special moment.

A small yet profoundly meaningful wedding was held here.

Those present were few: Li Taixuan, Dan Tai Lan occupying the main seats, Li Jingzhe, Li Qingpeng, Li Jinpan, Yan Changsheng, Yu Lang and other relatives and friends sat, all gazing with joyful smiles at the pair of jade-like figures standing in the hall.

Beneath the red candles, Jiang Qinge's jade face, adorned with phoenix crown and rosy robes, was stained with candlelight, bursting forth with unprecedented radiant brilliance.

Li Luo took her hand, and before the witnesses, knelt and bowed to Li Taixuan and Dan Tai Lan.

Beneath the red candles, man and woman gazed at each other, their eyes flowing with tenderness and smiles.

This marriage pact, forged in their youth, was finally completed in this final rite at this moment.

A hundred years later.

The Outer Shenzhou world had evolved from the original ten Outer Shenzhou into forty provinces, the prosperous age shining like a great sun, its might extending over all heavens.

Saint Xuan Star Academy.

No, this former Saint Learning Academy had now been elevated, not to an Ancient Learning Academy, but to become the sole "Divine Academy" in the Outer Shenzhou world.

Thus its name was changed to "Divine Xuan Star Academy."

Because the academy's dean was precisely the current "World Sovereign," Li Luo.

This was the promise he once made to Pang Qianyuan.

At this moment, within a majestic hall of the academy, top-tier heavenly prodigies from all over Outer Shenzhou sat upright, awaiting the arrival of today's instructor to give the lesson.

Inside the hall, low murmurs of private talk arose.

"I heard today's instructor is an extremely beautiful woman, and she has only recently arrived at the academy."

"Oh? She's only been here a short while, yet dares to teach directly?"

"I heard her connections are very strong."

"Don't be ridiculous— in this academy, even if all the Sovereigns came, they would only dare to follow the academy rules; what connections could dare to be used here?"

"It seems I heard... she was recommended by the World Sovereign."

Upon hearing this, the arrogant heavenly prodigies in the hall fell silent one after another; that name, inherently carrying an unspeakable aura of pressure, made them dare not jest or gossip, so they could only stare at each other, then born with endless curiosity.

Suddenly, a faint footstep sound came from outside the hall.

Then, amidst the curious and reverent gazes of those heavenly prodigies, a cold current flowed from the air, as if condensing into frost on the ground; the next moment, a figure with a graceful and well-proportioned build, possessing ice-blue long hair, a clear and lovely woman, stepped onto the frost and entered the hall.

Her visage was like that of an ice snow goddess, exuding piercing cold air; her long hair fell to her waist, actually like myriad fine ice crystals transformed, emitting light, pleasant tones in their fluttering and collision.

The many heavenly prodigies in the hall dared not offend, all rising to salute.

The woman's ice-blue eyes gazed upon those arrogant, unrestrained young faces; for a moment she felt slightly dazed, recalling the scenes from years ago in this place, but that was already many years past.

The next moment, her clear and pleasant voice, threaded with icy clarity, echoed in the hall.

"I am surnamed Lu; you may call me Lu Shi from now on."

"Yes, Lu Shi!"

Everyone responded respectfully.

The woman's clear and pleasant voice resonated in the hall as she instructed the many heavenly prodigies.

Long after, when the bell signaling the end of class rang, she finally ceased her explanation; her lovely visage was as calm as Binghu, she had not engaged in much communication with any student, merely silently organizing her lecture notes, then turned and departed.

However, as she walked out of the hall, she somehow sensed and lifted her gaze; her eyes pierced through space, seeing two figures standing side by side atop a distant star tower.

One man, one woman.

Their gazes met; the woman known as Lu Shi, her ice-snow-like visage, showed a faint, subtle smile, and she nodded in greeting.

On the star tower, Li Luo withdrew his gaze.

Over the past hundred years, his visage had not changed, but his aura had become even more profound and unfathomable; when his abyssal gaze swept over Outer Shenzhou, even exalted Sovereign Realm powerhouses could not help but feel a stir of palpitations and awe in their hearts, lamenting that the World Sovereign had reached an inconceivable realm.

And naturally, the one beside him was Jiang Qinge.

Present-day Jiang Qinge had likewise reached the Sovereign Realm, but the path she walked was not the "Sovereign Realm" pioneered by Li Luo; instead, like him in the past, she chose the more arduous road, certifying the Ten Grades of Bright Aspect.

This path can achieve the position of "Upper Sovereign," one rank higher than the common Sovereign Realms of the world.

Her peerless beauty, under the rendering of that divine aura, became even more striking, evoking a feeling that one dare not profane.

"The Dark World will be completely merged into the Outer Shenzhou World." At this moment, Jiang Qinge's golden pupils pierced the void, gazing at that Dark World which had once brought endless chaos to the Outer Shenzhou World; there, all malevolent thoughts had already completely dissipated, gradually merging with the Outer Shenzhou World; and once the merger is complete, this will cause the world's qi flow and rank to rise once again.

Li Luo slightly nodded; his ears seemed to hear the roar generated when the worlds merged, the will of the world entirely gathered in his heart, and wherever his gaze fell, he could follow his thoughts to overturn heaven and earth.

After the Dark World was completely merged into the Outer Shenzhou World, the long river of time seemed to become even longer, and Li Luo, at this moment, also glimpsed more unknown secrets.

"Qinge."

"En?"

"Do you know the origin of the alien kind?"

"Is it not because of the source of myriad evils?"

"Then what is the origin of that source of myriad evils?"

Jiang Qinge stared, the source of all evil came into being not because of negative emotions from the living beings of the Outer Shenzhou world, did it? Li Luo's words, could it be that the source of all evil was not born thus?

Li Luo's calm voice came: "Although the dark world accumulates the world's negative emotions and then gives birth to evil, this 'source of all evil' is not born from the negative emotions of the Outer Shenzhou world."

"On the contrary, precisely because of this object's existence, it drew the negative emotions of the dark world to gather, and then transformed into a world-destroying calamity earlier than originally destined."

Jiang Qinge's expression gradually became solemn, she said: "Then where does this 'source of all evil' come from?"

Li Luo raised his head, his deep gaze pierced through countless spaces, reaching the end of the world, and said calmly: "Naturally from outside the world."

"Outside the world?!" Jiang Qinge's heart trembled.

Li Luo nodded slightly, feeling somewhat moved, he said: "As I became the Sovereign of Outer Shenzhou, this world has already reached its peak, I can sense that there are heavens beyond heavens, realms beyond realms, called the cosmos."

The long river of time in Li Luo's eyes stirred up waves, with extremely ancient images, penetrating time and space, reflecting into his eyes.

He saw everything.

In the ancient era, there once was an extremely terrifying existence that came from outside the Outer Shenzhou world, it paused outside this yet-to-be-opened world, its gaze carrying covetousness and a profound scheme, gazing at this world for a long time.

It discovered the immense potential contained in this world, and at the same time, no Lord of a Realm had yet been born within it.

But at this time the world had not yet connected with the outside of realms, the world's barrier was extremely tight, that terrifying existence could not forcibly shake it, so in the end it exhausted all means, even unwilling to consume its own origin and foundation, sending an object into the Outer Shenzhou world.

After carrying out this scheme, that terrifying existence remained for a long time, then gradually disappeared.

"Is the source of all evil the object He sent into the Outer Shenzhou world?" Jiang Qinge's voice sounded, since Li Luo was holding her hand, she also saw these images.

"What did He want to do?"

Li Luo calmly said: "It is a seed."

"A seed?"

Li Luo nodded slightly, saying: "A true seed of resurrection, He used the negative emotions of the Outer Shenzhou world to nurture that true seed, this is His scheme's backup plan, it seems He is about to do a great thing, He has no absolute certainty in this matter, so He buried this resurrection seed in the Outer Shenzhou world, if He fails and falls in the future, He can use this resurrection seed to be reborn in our world."

Jiang Qinge's eyes flowed with a cold glint, it turned out that the Outer Shenzhou world's prolonged chaos had its fundamental reason actually being this realm-external existence's backup plan left for itself.

This is the true culprit!

"No need to be angry, this resurrection seed has been completely eradicated, and I think His fate should not be good either." Li Luo said.

"Oh? He failed?"

Jiang Qinge was somewhat surprised, that terrifying existence's power was immensely strong, probably only the current Li Luo could defeat it, and now, such an existence has failed?

"But it's good that He failed, it also saves me from having to seek Him in the future to settle this karma."

Li Luo spoke calmly, the other party caused such a calamity in the Outer Shenzhou world, this karma is too heavy, if He still survives, Li Luo must personally go to settle it.

Jiang Qinge nodded, saying: "Then He really is unlucky to speak of, placing this resurrection seed badly, insisting on putting it in the Outer Shenzhou world, if it weren't for you finally eradicating the source of all evil, it would indeed be hard to say He wouldn't succeed in resurrection."

Li Luo hearing this, couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Jiang Qinge asked doubtfully.

"I laugh that even if He truly could resurrect successfully, He would probably still escape no death." Li Luo said.

"Why?"

Li Luo gazed into the distance beyond the world, his expression indeterminate, he said: "Because this unlucky fellow provoked too many people, others have already followed the karmic traces and found this place."

Li Luo's gaze pierced the world's barrier, he saw the distant realm beyond, in the void filled with vast thunder gangs, an ancient dragon shadow vaguely appeared, the dragon shadow exuding the primordial wilderness of creation, the feeling of ancient ancestors.

Upon the dragon shadow, a towering figure could be seen sitting cross-legged, its gaze like an abyss like a prison, looking over.

"Congratulations, Your Excellency, on achieving the status of Great Realm Lord." The figure seated upon the ancestral dragon emitted a gentle, ancient laugh.

Li Luo nodded in salute, then his gaze moved again, turning toward another even more distant direction, in the boundless realm sea beyond where even time is hard to reach, a towering light shone forth, illuminating all realms, within that vast and boundless mighty radiance, three figures emitting an overwhelming aura could be vaguely seen standing.

Their gazes penetrated the distant spacetime limits and came, greeting Li Luo's gaze, they respectfully cupped their fists from afar.

At this moment, it seemed a vast laughter came from afar and drew near.

"Thank you, New Sovereign, for aiding my myriad worlds, cutting off future troubles."