Chapter 78: Enemies

The Soul Contract binds the soul itself; as long as one does not dissolve it, no matter how heaven-reaching the opponent's methods, it cannot be broken.

Just like the Undying Emperor Little Yellow Chicken, who was previously only a God King while he is an Emperor, he still cannot resolve such a pact.

To prevent this fellow from reneging and causing backlash, the Ming Shi Continent once specifically decreed that even if the other party could detach from the Ledger of Heaven and Earth, they could not break the soul pact!

"The Soul Contract indeed cannot be split from the Sea of Consciousness, but I have merged with a special gas that even the Heavenly Dao can dissolve; dissolving such a contract is not difficult... as long as there is enough power to strike the location of the contract, it can be done!"

The Ruthless One spoke.

The Soul Contract is built upon the foundation of the Heavenly Dao; a special power that can dissolve even the Heavenly Dao of the God Realm can dissolve a Soul Contract. If handled properly, what difficulty is there?

"I see..." Zhang Xuan's eyes flashed.

"I told you all this to thank you for bringing me to the God Realm!"

After explaining, the Ruthless One said no more; the aura on his body grew increasingly ancient and distant, and the black hole behind him became even larger. Clearly, while speaking, he had swallowed an unknown amount of power to nourish himself.

"Zhang Xuan, the more the black hole swallows, the stronger his power becomes..."

Luo Luo Ruoxi also noticed something was wrong and urgently transmitted a voice.

"Prepare to fight!" With all doubts in his heart dispelled, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and suddenly raised the long sword in his hand: "In that case, let us settle this with our swords!"

Boom!

The most powerful Sword Intent was unleashed once again.

If I live, I shall return; if I die, I shall long for you forever!

With life and death both disregarded, what could possibly stop him?

Although this sword technique had not yet reached the Emperor's level of comprehension, it contained all the obsessions in his heart and pushed the Heavenly Sentiment Art within his body to its limit.

Whoosh!

One sword strike cleaved the Ruthless One's attack in two.

At the same moment, Luo Luo Ruoxi also acted, her jade hand flipping as sword light shone like snow.

Her sword technique was somewhat similar to that young man from the Sword God Heaven, carrying a momentum that pressed forward without retreat and the natural elegance of the Great Dao.

"Your moves are indeed powerful, but compared to me, they are still lacking..."

Smiling lightly, the Ruthless One reached down again.

In an instant, the sky and sun were blocked out; the palm covered heaven and earth, space shattered, and the sun, moon, and stars seemed about to be forcibly beaten down.

Pfft! Pfft!

Zhang Xuan and Luo Luo Ruoxi were both blasted backward, spewing blood wildly while in mid-air.

With the strength of the two of them, they could not even resist!

What realm has this fellow actually reached?

"Audacious!" The clone strode forward; with every step, lotus flowers bloomed, and the sound of flowing water echoed in the void.

Seen from afar, he exuded an aura of supreme coolness.

Having refined the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, his cultivation was in no way inferior to Zhang Xuan's.

He raised a fist, and power surged up to the Nine Heavens.

Clashing with the Ruthless One, he too was blasted backward, unable to block even a single move.

Zhang Xuan covered his forehead.

Even after achieving Emperor status, the clone still hadn't changed his nature of showing off...

Such a dazzling display of showing off would be better if the power were concentrated to increase the might!

"Attack together, or if they die, we will all die..."

Little Yellow Chicken let out a mighty roar; crimson flames burned, and the sky seemed ignited.

The remaining six Emperors also each unleashed their methods.

The seven Emperors united, destroying heaven and earth; a whole world before them could not resist, but the opponent was the Ruthless One who had absorbed special power. As the attack approached, the black hole suddenly expanded, swallowing the power clean in the blink of an eye, and immediately counterattacked.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The seven Emperors, like Zhang Xuan and the others, were blasted backward.

Ten Emperors, united together, could not even block a single move from the opponent!

How could this fellow be so powerful?

"You may die now..."

After crushing everyone with one move, the Ruthless One took a step forward, flipped his wrist, and slammed down again.

"How dare you, rats!"

Accompanied by a mighty roar, the old man from the Sword God Heaven who had appeared before suddenly materialized, blocking the way, his long sword transforming into a galaxy.

"An Emperor? Is he also of Emperor strength?"

Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted.

This old man had once followed the young man, and Zhang Xuan had thought he was merely a servant, at most a titled God King, but upon unleashing his power, he discovered he was actually an Emperor-level expert!

If he is an Emperor, what is that young man?

"He himself is the Emperor of the Sword God Heaven..." Luo Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth as she struggled to stand.

"Then... what about the young man who transmitted the sword technique to me?" Zhang Xuan could no longer hold back.

"He is..." Luo Luo Ruoxi was about to answer when the space twisted; immediately, she saw the Emperor of the Sword God Heaven also blasted backward, landing not far away and smashing out a huge crater.

Zhang Xuan's current strength and comprehension of the Sword Dao far surpassed his, yet he could not resist; even with his cultivation not weak and his sword skills superb, he was still no match.

"Haha, Emperors? Just a bunch of earth chickens and clay dogs! Today I will destroy the Nine Heavens, destroy this God Realm, and trample all rules flat!"

After defeating the Emperor of the Sword God Heaven, the Ruthless One laughed madly; the space around him constantly collapsed, making him appear like a demon or a devil.

"What should we do?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists.

Just now, he and his clone had unleashed their strongest combat power, and even the Luo Luo Ruoxi before him had used her most powerful move, yet none could block a single strike from the opponent...

Could it be that no one in the Divine Realm can block the one before us?

To let him destroy the world?

"The only way... is to return your flawed Heavenly Dao to the Heavenly Dao itself, letting the Heavenly Dao suppress him..." Luo Luo Ruoxi clenched her delicate fist, her eyes turning red.

"Return to the Heavenly Dao itself?" Zhang Xuan understood her meaning.

The library in his mind was itself a part of the Heavenly Dao; once returned, the Heavenly Dao would be completely whole, perhaps able to repair the flaw and expel the Ruthless One on its own.

Just like the human immune system.

If the immune system is complete, when a virus comes, it is easily driven away; if broken, it cannot resist viral invasion, and even the strongest person will die because of it.

But...

"He is too powerful; even if the Heavenly Dao is restored to wholeness, it cannot suppress him!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

A virus, the immune system can slay, but... a fierce tiger?

What can even the strongest immune system do?

The one before us is merely an ordinary God King; even with a title, the Heavenly Dao could easily kill him, yet he is mightier than a Di Jun... he is already beyond what the Heavenly Dao can contend with.

"This..." Luo Luo Ruoxi paused, a look of loss appearing on her flawless jade face: "Yes... he cannot be suppressed, but if the Heavenly Dao is whole, he can wake up; slaying this one will not be difficult!"

"He?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"I will take you to see him, right in Zizai Heaven..." Taking a deep breath, Luo Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth, turned, and flew forward.

"Want to escape?" the Ruthless One snorted coldly and pressed downward.

Boom!

Luo Luo Ruoxi fell from the sky.

"You..." Zhang Xuan unleashed his sword technique again, brilliant sword intent radiating forth.

Cling cling cling!

Blocked by the Ruthless One once more.

"You two go quickly, I will hold him off..."

Knowing they sought a way to save the Divine Realm rather than flee, the clone and the Undying Di Zun roared loudly, blocking the front, while Luo Luo Qiqi also transformed, returning to her original form as the Silent Void Pearl.

The space around them solidified.

"Go!"

Seeing everyone throw themselves in front without fear of death, Zhang Xuan's eyes reddened, yet he knew this was not the time for more words; he grabbed Luo Luo Ruoxi, his body flickered, tore through space, and in the next moment appeared within the bounds of Zizai Heaven.

Zizai Heaven had lost its former freedom; the Divine Realm had collapsed, chaos everywhere.

"Where is the 'he' you spoke of?"

With no time to observe the lives of ordinary people, Zhang Xuan looked at the girl in his arms.

If the person she mentioned could truly save the Divine Realm, what harm was there in his own sacrifice!

"He is my father; the blood in your pendant is his; the Undying Di Jun was once his beast pet..." Luo Luo Ruoxi regulated her breath and explained.

"Father?"

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

No wonder he had always felt the blood in the pendant was similar to Luo Luo Ruoxi, yet different; it turned out to be her father's.

This also explained why the lingering thought left by the Undying Di Jun, upon seeing the pendant, immediately recognized him as its master.

"Is your father also a Di Jun? Or does he possess power surpassing a Di Jun?"

He could not help but ask.

The library was in chaos; the blood in the pendant had restored his clarity. Could it be that not only was she a Di Jun, but her father was too, even more powerful?

If so, why was he in a coma?

And why did it require a flawed Heavenly Dao for him to awaken?

"He is not a Di Jun, but... the Heavenly Dao!"

Luo Luo Ruoxi clenched her delicate fist.

"The Heavenly Dao? Your father... is the Heavenly Dao?" Zhang Xuan trembled, unable to believe it.

"Yes! Fifty years ago, father could not resist that giant hand and fell into a coma; the Heavenly Dao scattered into three parts: the Ordered Heavenly Dao and the Flawed Heavenly Dao entered the spatial turbulence; I took over the Natural Heavenly Dao to maintain the balance of the Divine Realm. To restore him, we must only gather the scattered parts... that is why I was so resolute, unable to fail! That is why I specifically entered the Master Continent to study the Spring and Autumn Canon, seeking a way to defeat Master Kong! The matter I entrusted to him during the battle with Master Kong was also this."

Luo Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan understood.

Having just met on the Master Continent, the girl before him had already told him her story, wanting to save a closest relative; he had not understood then, but now he suddenly realized.

It was her father, and moreover, the Heavenly Dao of the Divine Realm!

Can the Heavenly Dao truly take human form and bear children?

"To take over the Natural Heavenly Dao... do you not have a Heavenly Dao fragment within your body?" Suddenly realizing the oddity in her words, Zhang Xuan looked over.

To take over was a different concept from being fused within the body.

"I merely take over; I am not a part of the Heavenly Dao..." Luo Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

In that case, he only needed to separate the Flawed Heavenly Dao from within himself; she would not need to die.

Though he was unwilling to accept such a fate, he was even more unwilling for the girl before him to be harmed.

"If I separate the Flawed Heavenly Dao from within my body, your father will wake up, even slay the Ruthless One, right?" Zhang Xuan looked at her.

"This... I am not certain..."

Looking up at the collapsed Divine Realm, Luo Luo Ruoxi hesitated.

The Divine Realm was her father's foundation; now that the foundation was like this, even if he woke, could he truly defeat that powerful Ruthless One?

Truly hard to say!

"It seems you cannot be certain either. In that case, relying on others is no better than relying on ourselves... we must find a way ourselves!" Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth: "You, me, the clone, combined with the Nine Heavens and Nine Emperors, and if we also coordinate with Master Kong, we might just win!"

"Master Kong? He..." Luo Luo Ruoxi frowned.

"Master Kong is dead, right! He did not truly die. If my guess is correct, your beheading of him was merely a method to break free from the Heavenly Dao... Without surprise, he should be like Wei Wei Changfeng, a 【Primordial Fetal Soul Body】!"

Zhang Xuan said.

Seeing Wei Wei Changfeng, he realized that what Master Kong meant by maintaining spiritual intelligence should be the same as him: a Primordial Fetal Soul Body.

One can remain conscious within the womb.

Plus the backup plan left in advance, resurrection is merely a matter of time.

Luo Luo Ruoxi froze, as if she had not expected it to be this way.

"We will know once we go and see. If my guess is correct, he should have already recovered; otherwise, his students would not have failed to even go to the Tide Sea..." Zhang Xuan said.

Master Kong's students, Zi Yuan Ancient Saint and others, were all powerful; even without the Emperors' help, they would certainly have found a way to enter the Tide Sea, yet not a single one was seen.

There must be something more important waiting, something they wanted to do while all the Emperors were busy at the Tide Sea and had no time to attend to it!

And this important matter was obviously to restore Master Kong.

"This..." Luo Luo Ruoxi's heart trembled, and she suddenly understood.

"Let's go!"

Without further explanation, he swept his hand, and Zhang Xuan returned to where Master Kong resided. Sure enough, he saw an old man sitting cross-legged and floating in the air. Seeing them arrive, he smiled slightly: "You're here!"

If not Master Kong, then who else!

This Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations indeed did not disappoint me!

Just as guessed, taking advantage of everyone's attention being focused on the Tide Sea, he has resurrected again.

"You..." Luo Luo Ruoxi's delicate body trembled.

She knew Emperors could resurrect; the Undying Emperor had come back to life, but... she never expected the speed to be this fast!

"I hid from the Heavenly Dao and prepared a backup plan in advance. The nameless giant in the Nether Soul Pool was left by me. When you beheaded me that day, I used the opportunity to break free from the Heavenly Dao's constraints, reformed my physical body, and have only just recovered now!"

Master Kong smiled slightly.

He mastered time abilities; it seemed only one or two days had passed in the Divine Realm, but in reality, to restore his power, he had endured an unknown length of time.

Decades of time had passed.

"Our three's strength is indeed great, but defeating the Ruthless One is not that easy..."

Seeing that Master Kong had indeed recovered, Luo Luo Ruoxi still shook her head.

It was not to boost the enemy's morale and crush one's own spirit, but simply the truth.

Just now, so many people united and still could not stop the opponent; even adding Master Kong, what difference would it make?

It would still not change the situation!

"Our individual strengths, or even combined, are indeed no match for the opponent, but... what if we merge everyone's power into one person?"

Master Kong looked over with a smile.

"Merge into one person?"

This time, not only did Luo Luo Ruoxi frown, but Zhang Xuan was also full of confusion.

"That palm can tear apart the Divine Realm and scatter the Heavenly Dao; its strength is undeniable. The Ruthless One absorbed all this power and also devoured fifty years of spiritual energy from the Divine Realm. Relying solely on strength, us dozen or so Emperors, taken individually, are indeed no match..."

Master Kong said: "But if we unite and concentrate the power on one person... that might not be the case!"

"How to concentrate?"

Luo Luo Ruoxi looked over.

It is simple to say, but hard to do.

Emperors already stand at the peak of the Divine Realm; if absorbing others' power were this easy, she would not have been stagnant for so many years.

"It is very simple... we will concentrate the power on our bodies onto Zhang Xuan. Once he can break through the Emperor's shackles, he can save the Divine Realm!"

Master Kong said.

"Me?" Zhang Xuan was stunned: "Why me?"

"Lingxi Emperor cultivates freedom and transcendence of nature! But with the constraints of father and the Heavenly Dao, and with people to worry about, one can never truly transcend! If I am not mistaken, when you fought me back then, you also gave up and intended to be beheaded by me!"

Master Kong said.

Luo Luo Ruoxi was speechless.

During the battle, there was indeed such an intention, so when the two clashed, they both held back their backup plans at the beginning, resembling a spar rather than a life-or-death struggle.

"Unable to transcend, naturally one cannot unleash the strongest power; even if given more true qi, one still cannot break through to that supreme realm! As for me..."

Master Kong nodded: "With the common people in heart, wanting to save the world, yet unwilling for others to sacrifice for me; too much benevolence is also a flaw! If I had been more ruthless and exterminated the Alien Spirit Clan, there would not be the current situation..."

If back then all the Alien Spirit Clan members had been slaughtered, the Ruthless One could not have resurrected, and the current situation would not exist.

"So, I am also unsuitable! But Zhang Xuan, his cultivation method follows his heart, without flaws. He emphasizes living true to oneself; even if he dies, as long as he lives without regret, his heart is at peace. Such a person possesses greater tolerance and greater room for development; only this way can one go higher and further!"

Master Kong continued.

If born, return again; if dead, long for each other forever!

If one does not even care about death, how can one be bound by other things?

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned, just about to say something, when he saw Master Kong look at him with bright eyes: "No need to decline. First, there is no time to cultivate others; even if there were time, I feel no one could do better than you! Although Lingxi Emperor's body has no Heavenly Dao fragments, she has long controlled the Heavenly Dao and possesses her own understanding of it; I control the order of the Heavenly Dao. If we pour our power into you, your body will possess the complete power of the Heavenly Dao! Combined with your clone's Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, you can completely stabilize the Nine Heavens, hold the Universe, fight the Nine Skies, and destroy all things!"

"Alright!"

Seeing that the other party had already made a decision, explaining further was useless, so Zhang Xuan nodded.

Boom!

Sitting cross-legged, in the blink of an eye, two surging streams of power rushed in from both sides.

Zhang Xuan's whole body stiffened; he seemed to instantly transform into the Heavenly Dao, soaring above the Nine Heavens.

Soul, physical body, and true qi were all baptized in an instant, becoming stronger and stronger, more and more surging.

……

"You also wish to stop me? Very well. I will kill you, then go and behead Zhang Xuan..."

After slapping Luo Luo Qiqi and the clones away, the Ruthless One let out a cold sneer.

The power unleashed by the clones and the many Emperor Kings combined was indeed formidable, yet compared to him, it remained slightly weaker.

The Tidal Sea had almost entirely devoured the spiritual energy outside the cities of the Divine Realm; now, all that power had become his nourishment. With every gesture, he carried the ability to destroy heaven and earth. These Emperor Kings and God Kings, though representing the absolute peak of the Divine Realm, were still no match for him.

At this moment, the Ruthless One seemed to embody the entire Divine Realm, unstoppable by anyone.

"If the Divine Realm perishes, our lives hold no meaning. I, Yun Chi, will perish with you..."

Emperor King Yun Chi transformed into his true form, a colossal five-clawed golden dragon, and lunged at him from the sky.

"Just you? You are not worthy!"

The Ruthless One clenched his palm, and the golden dragon hung in his palm; no matter how it struggled, it could not escape.

"Old friend, wait for me!"

Emperor King Fu Meng also roared, transforming into his true form, the White Tiger, and descended from the sky to the front.

The Immortal Emperor King revealed his true form, the Immortal Fire Phoenix, its flames illuminating the sky.

Emperor King Xuan Ming's true form was a giant turtle, as if holding up the myriad heavens.

The Four Divine Beasts, guardians of the four corners of the Divine Realm, simultaneously transformed into their true forms, causing the collapsing Divine Realm to slow down.

Heaven and Earth seemed to freeze in an instant.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

With four consecutive palm strikes, the Ruthless One suppressed the four beasts. A fierce killing intent flashed in his eyes: "Since you seek death, I will grant it to you..."

Amidst the roars, just as he was about to deliver a killing blow to erase everyone, he felt his raised arm tighten, halting it in mid-air.

"If you wish to kill them, have you asked me..."

Immediately, amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, a figure slowly walked out from the sky.

It was Zhang Xuan!

At this moment, the youth's entire body surged with power, more than ten times stronger than before. Descending from the heavens, he seemed to be a world in himself.

"You have improved quite a bit..."

The Ruthless One stopped, his expression solemn.

He clearly did not understand why, in just a few short minutes, the other's strength had undergone such a massive change.

"But what does it matter if you have increased? Even the Divine Realm at its peak could not resist. I do not believe you can resist me..."

With a cold snort, the Ruthless One struck down again.

Zhang Xuan raised his long sword and met him.

The two clashed, tearing the space apart in strips, while air currents scattered wildly in all directions.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?"

At the residence of Master Kong in the Realm of Freedom, Luo Luo Ruoxi looked over, filled with worry.

She and Master Kong had transmitted their power to Zhang Xuan; their own cultivation had dropped to only the God King level, no longer as glorious as before.

However, as long as the level remained, and the power was sufficient, one day they could fully recover.

"With current strength, to win... it is very difficult! Unless... he can comprehend power beyond the Emperor Kings!"

After a moment of silence, Master Kong said.

Even with a dozen Emperor Kings combining, they could not defeat the Ruthless One. Even if they transmitted all their power to him, winning would not be that easy.

The reason for doing this was... only by concentrating power on one person could one possibly touch the peak, possibly truly surpass the limit, and break through oneself!

"Power beyond the Emperor Kings?"

Luo Luo Ruoxi's gaze grew distant.

When her father was still lucid, he had said the same words to her, but... she could not do it. Could the man she loved do it?

"He certainly can... he has an unyielding heart! And pride towards this world."

Seeing the doubt in her heart, Master Kong smiled.

……

Boom, boom, boom!

After several consecutive moves, Zhang Xuan's Hukou cracked, and a huge, gruesome, and terrifying wound appeared on his chest.

Just as Master Kong had said, even after merging their two powers and forming a complete Heavenly Dao within his body, he was still no match.

"Haha, I thought you were formidable, but you are nothing!" The Ruthless One let out a cold sneer.

"Since I am not your match and will be killed sooner or later, in that case, I wish to die under your strongest attack..." Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan stopped, ceasing his offense, and instead looked at the Ruthless One before him.

"Very well, I will grant your wish and give you my strongest attack..."

Hearing him say this, the Ruthless One paused for a moment, then let out a cold snort and raised his palm.

Splash!

A beam of cyan light appeared in his palm, and he slammed it down fiercely.

It was indeed his strongest attack; the entire Divine Realm roared, as if it could barely endure, and a huge crater was struck out once more.

With eyes tightly closed, Zhang Xuan did not dodge.

Boom!

His head exploded, and his soul scattered in all directions.

"Zhang Xuan..." Seeing this scene, everyone's faces turned pale.

Luo Luo Qiqi went mad.

Emperor King Yun Chi and others also widened their eyes, trembling uncontrollably.

Seeing this scene, Master Kong and Luo Luo Ruoxi were both stunned.

The original intention was to help him break through his shackles and assault a realm beyond the Emperor level; why did he not resist, but willingly accept death?

In that case, would it not betray their good intentions?

"No, it is the Immortality Method of the Undying Emperor..."

Just as they were puzzled, Master Kong suddenly spoke.

Everyone then saw Zhang Xuan, whose head had exploded and even whose soul had shattered, have the pendant on his chest suddenly burst open; a drop of blood floated up, burned, formed a scorching flame, and from within the flame, a flawless figure slowly stepped out.

"He... used the other's power and the blood in the pendant to separate the Flawed Heavenly Dao from his soul?"

Luo Luo Ruoxi's pupils contracted.

After being reborn from the fire, Zhang Xuan's body no longer contained the Heavenly Dao Library, nor the interference of the Heavenly Dao; he had broken free from the Heavenly Dao!

"How did he do it?"

Master Kong was also full of disbelief.

The Heavenly Dao and the soul were fused together, indistinguishable; to break free, he had to scatter his soul and spirit, using the Ghost Pool to recondense his soul.

This person before them, having been beheaded only once, completely broke free; what method did he use?

"I know... he used the method the Ruthless One used to break the Soul Contract..." Luo Luo Ruoxi realized.

A Soul Contract binds master and servant; if the master does not release it, the servant is forever bound... The Heavenly Dao Library is the same; it can be said to be an enhanced version of a contract.

Once the soul is bound, the Undying One cannot break free.

But... the Ruthless One used that special power to break the Soul Contract; the specific method, Zhang Xuan had asked about in detail before, and likely formed his plan at that time.

This was why he deliberately fought to the death, forcing the other to unleash their strongest power to attack him.

Using that power, he was reborn from the fire; unexpectedly, it was a great success!

"So that is it; this is the method to break through to the Emperor level..."

Zhang Xuan, stepping out of the flames, revealed a faint smile on his face; as if understanding something, he suddenly waved his hand, and the clone on one side immediately turned back into a lotus flower and flew over.

In an instant, it perfectly fused with himself.

In the blink of an eye, everyone felt that the Zhang Xuan before them had become the Nine Heavens; the Nine Heavens were him.

He lightly stamped his foot on the ground.

The chaotic Nine Heavens immediately stabilized.

The Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus appeared when the Nine Heavens were born and could stabilize the Nine Heavens; now that the clone and self were perfectly fused, indistinguishable, it meant he controlled this power.

Moreover, fusing with the cultivation of the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, his realm which had already reached the peak showed signs of loosening, as if it would break through at any moment.

"Master-servant affection, brotherhood, teacher-student bond, parent-child love, romantic love... fused together, this is the myriad things of the world; this is what it means to be human!"

With a smile on his face, Zhang Xuan murmured to himself.

At the moment the Heavenly Dao Library detached from his soul, he understood.

Did humans see the world, and thus the world came to be, or did the world exist first, and then humans?

Is it the wind moving, or the heart moving!

This question has plagued countless people since time immemorial.

Of course, now... none of this matters!

Without life, without emotion, what meaning does the world have even if it exists?

Therefore, after breaking through romantic love, comes the affection of all beings! It is the emotions interwoven throughout the world.

All things in the world possess emotion; only with emotion does the world exist; only with emotion can life continue.

Love is emotion.

Hatred is emotion.

Joy is emotion.

Suffering is emotion.

Parting is emotion.

Reunion is also emotion!

"Countless emotions, serve me..."

With a low cry, the realm imprisoned within Zhang Xuan's body instantly shattered.

The Emperor-level shackles were broken!

In an instant, as if touching a brand new world and door, his soul received rapid nourishment.

Countless Chaos Qi surged over, and his physical body also rapidly improved.

Previously, only by absorbing spiritual energy could one progress, but now spatial turbulence, Chaos Qi, even the other's green light, could all be mine, indistinguishable.

"You..." The Ruthless One, having not expected that his full-power attack would not only fail to kill him but instead fulfill him, was so angry he screamed "Wah! Wah!" wildly, let out a furious roar, and attacked again.

"You resent the high-and-mighty Emperor for not saving you in the spatial turbulence; that is emotion; you feel you were once my servant, containing humility and anger; that is emotion; you want to destroy the Divine Realm to vent your anger; that is emotion; you want to become even stronger; that is also emotion... Emotions control you; how can you possibly defeat me and not be controlled by me?"

With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan's voice grew faster and louder, and he gently grasped with his palm.

The Ruthless One, originally invincible and unrivaled, was bound together by countless emotional threads, hands and feet restrained, unable to move.

As long as there is emotion, it must be used by him, controlled by him!

"You..."

The Ruthless One's eyes were full of panic: "Master Zhang, I am your servant; do not kill me... I am willing to offer my soul as a sacrifice..."

"Saying this now is already too late..." With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Controlling the emotions of the world, things like servants held no meaning for him anymore.

Having killed so many Divine-level beings, hurt his girlfriend, Luo Luo Qiqi, and so many friends, how could he possibly forgive today!

"No..."

Sensing his decisiveness, the Ruthless One's pupils contracted; before her words even finished, she immediately felt a violent pain surge through her body.

Boom!

In an instant, it exploded, turning into countless spiritual energies that surged into every corner of the Divine Realm.

Previously, all the power swallowed by the Tidal Sea now returned in full; the once-barren wasteland regained its vitality.

"This..."

"Is that all it took to kill her?"

Great Emperor Yunchi, Emperor Immortal Buxi, Fairy Linglong, and others all widened their eyes, unable to believe it.

Just moments ago, they had fought the Ruthless One and knew how terrifying she was; yet such a powerful being was casually obliterated. Just how far had this Zhang Xuan truly advanced?

Could it be that there truly exists another realm beyond Emperor Immortal?

"He succeeded..."

Kong Shi and Luo Luo Ruoxi unclenched their tightly fisted hands.

"This is part of the Heavenly Dao; then I shall now return it to the Heavenly Dao..."

Seeing the "Flawed Heavenly Dao" that had just been separated from his own body still hovering in the air, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and flicked his finger.

Hum!

The Library, which had accompanied him since his rebirth, crashed into the sky of the Divine Realm with a thunderous impact.

A great bell-like resonance rang out; the collapsing Divine Realm visibly slowed its destruction, and the chaotic currents of air began to gather once more.

The crumbling Divine Realm finally came to a halt, and the withered spiritual energy, along with the death of the Ruthless One, slowly began to revive.

"It seems the Divine Realm is about to welcome a new era of spiritual energy revival..." Zhang Xuan smiled.

With the completion of the Heavenly Dao, the hole in the Tidal Sea has already healed; it is only a matter of time before the Divine Realm returns to its former glory.

"Zhang Xuan, come this way..."

Having just finished all this, a voice echoed in his mind; Zhang Xuan paused for a moment, then took a single step forward.

That step carried him an unknown distance; soon, he saw a young man standing before him.

It was precisely the one who had previously taught him sword techniques.

"Senior, you..."

Seeing who it was, Zhang Xuan was stunned.

He had already felt this person was unfathomably profound, but now he realized that compared to himself, the gap was merely a hair's breadth; this young man had already reached the absolute peak of the Emperor Immortal realm, far surpassing even the former Luo Luo Ruoxi in strength.

"You may address me by my name; I am called... Nie Tong!" The young man, Nie Tong, spoke lightly, emanating a sword intent that pressed forward without retreat.

"Nie Tong?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had never heard this name before.

"Follow me; I will take you to meet my elder brother!" The young man named Nie Tong smiled gently and stepped forward.

Zhang Xuan followed closely behind; after traveling an unknown distance, they stopped before a mountain peak.

Soon, he saw another young man.

His appearance was not much older than his own; his eyebrows arched upward, giving him an aura of profound depth that could not be penetrated.

"This strength..." Zhang Xuan trembled.

The strength of the young man before him was even greater than his own; he too had broken through the shackles of the Emperor Immortal realm, and his cultivation was even deeper and more profound!

"I am Nie Yun!" The young man smiled lightly and looked over: "I am also... Nie Lingxi's father, the one you call Luo Luo Ruoxi's father!"

"Luo Luo Ruoxi's father?"

Zhang Xuan was shaken: "You... are the Heavenly Dao of the Divine Realm?"

Luo Luo Ruoxi had previously said her father was the Heavenly Dao, yet he never imagined it would be such a young man.

"I transformed one qi into three manifestations; one portion of my soul became the Heavenly Dao! Besides, this world was created by me; thus, calling me the Heavenly Dao is not incorrect!" Nie Yun smiled lightly.

Zhang Xuan could not believe it.

The Divine Realm was created by the person before him?

Then how incredibly strong must his power be?

"That cannot be right; if you created the Divine Realm and you are the Heavenly Dao, why did you allow the Ruthless One to run rampant without intervening..." Zhang Xuan looked over.

If he himself had not broken through, the Divine Realm would very likely have collapsed entirely; why did this person before him do nothing?

Did he not even care about his own daughter's life or death?

Without answering his question, Nie Yun looked over lightly: "Do you believe... that there are even more powerful beings above the Divine Realm?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan paused: "There should be..."

Although he had never seen them, since he could cultivate to such a realm, perhaps others could as well, even stronger.

Just like the person before him.

"I once suspected there might be more powerful beings above the Divine Realm, so I exerted all my strength to peer beyond, ultimately attracting a backlash from a higher world... a palm broke through the void and descended!"

Nie Yun looked over: "At that time, if I had dodged, it is highly likely the entire Divine Realm would have been erased, leaving not a single life behind... Therefore, I blocked that strike, but as a result, the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao was split apart."

"In this situation, I could restore it with a mere thought, but... I understand that to truly transcend the shackles of the Divine Realm, to explore where that palm came from, and what lies beyond the Divine Realm... relying on me alone would be very difficult. Thus, I wished to see if any lifeform could break through the Emperor Immortal shackles and reach a level equal to mine!"

"So, I sent the scattered intentions of the Heavenly Dao to the lowest world... bestowing them upon a soul originally belonging to this world, and a soul not belonging to this world. And you, in the end, did not disappoint me!"

Nie Yun smiled.

"A soul not belonging to this world... so to speak, my transmigration was also because of you?" Zhang Xuan's heart trembled.

No wonder he could transmigrate; he never expected it was all the doing of the person before him.

"Hehe!" Nie Yun smiled lightly and said: "Those who inherently belong to this world possess reverence for it; breaking through the world's shackles is far more difficult. I merely acted on a whim, never expecting you would truly succeed..."

"I..." Zhang Xuan's face flushed: "If not for Kong Shi, I could never have reached this level..."

Without Kong Shi's selfless dedication, reaching the current realm would have been utterly impossible.

"I gave him the chance; he simply failed to seize it. The duel with Lingxi was, in fact, his best opportunity to breakthrough. Pity he chose to retreat, thinking he had a backup plan and could escape unscathed. In reality, he lost the spirit of bold advancement. Facing someone who surpasses us, if one lacks even this much spirit, how can one possibly stand against them?"

Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan remained silent.

He had witnessed the battle between the two at the time; Master Kong was indeed lacking in decisiveness.

It was also possible he was unwilling to slay Luo Luo Ruoxi.

Pity, that single thought caused him to miss the chance to advance.

"If Master Kong had won, Luo Ruoxi would have died..." A moment later, Zhang Xuan looked over, his brows furrowing.

Could it be that this man before him didn't even care about his daughter's life or death?

"With me here, she won't die..." Nie Yun smiled faintly. "Your current strength is not far from mine. Do you think that, in a life-or-death situation, the two of you combined could manage to save her?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.

Breaking through to Emperor Lord and being an Emperor Lord are two different concepts. If he were truly willing to act, he could indeed save the person at the critical moment and guarantee they would not suffer a single scratch.

"Lingxi was born of my other wife, Luo Qingcheng, so the false name she uses bears the surname Luo... To ensure she believed me and wouldn't act on emotion, she has thought I was still in a coma until now..."

Nie Yun smiled bitterly. "I suppose I've been a cruel enough father... Here's the deal: you explain this to her. After all, her thoughts have now shifted to you; I, this old father, have probably been forgotten... Haha, I won't appear for now. I'll hide for a while. Otherwise, I'm truly afraid she'll turn the world upside down..."

Seeing this utterly unreliable father before him, his face twitched. Zhang Xuan had no choice but to agree: "Alright..."

He had no choice but to agree; who else but himself had run off with the man's daughter?

"The Heavenly Dao Library is formed from a single thought of mine. It is both the foundation and the shackle. If you can break through the shackle by your own ability, it proves your capability and potential are limitless. That my daughter can be with you brings a father's relief."

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