Chapter 1027: with translation of chapter title

Soul Contract

Undead Emperor Xiao Huangji

Famous Master Continent

"Soul contracts cannot be split from the sea of consciousness, but I have merged a special gas that even the Heavenly Dao can dissolve, making dissolving this contract not difficult…… As long as there is enough power, bombarding the location of the contract will achieve it!"

Ruthless Person's Dao

Soul contracts are based on the Heavenly Dao; special powers can even dissolve the Heavenly Dao of the divine realm, so dissolving a soul contract—if handled properly—what difficulty could there be?

Zhang Xuan

Divine Realm

black hole

"Zhang Xuan, the more the black hole devours, the stronger his strength becomes……"

Luo Ruoxi

"Get ready to attack!" With all doubts gone, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, the long sword in his hand suddenly raised: "If that's the case, then let's see the real skill beneath our hands!"

Boom

strongest sword intent

In life I will return; in death I will forever long for you.

Life and death mean nothing; what could possibly stop me?

Heaven If Has Feeling Technique

whoosh

Henren

At the same moment, Luo Ruoxi also struck, her jade-like hands rolling, sword light like snow.

Sword God Heaven

"Your techniques are very powerful, but compared to me, they still fall short……"

With a light smile, Henren reached down to grab again.

In an instant, it covered the sky and blotted out the sun; the palm encompassed heaven and earth, space shattered, and the sun, moon, and stars seemed as if they would be forcibly struck down.

poof

Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxi both flew backward simultaneously, blood spurting wildly in midair.

With their combined strength, they actually couldn't withstand it!

Just what realm has this guy reached?

"Impudent!" The avatar strode forward, each step causing a lotus to blossom, the void echoing with the sound of flowing water.

very pretentious

Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus

Nine Heavens

Clashing with Henren, they too were flung backward, unable to block a single strike.

Zhang Xuan

Emperor

Such flamboyant showing off would be better replaced by concentrating power for greater might!

"If we don't attack together, they'll die and we'll all die……"

Xiao Huangji

Six Great Emperors

The seven Emperor Sovereigns united, capable of destroying heaven and earth; a single heaven and earth before them could not be withstood, but the opponent was Henren who had absorbed special power—when the attack drew near, the black hole suddenly expanded, in the blink of an eye swallowing all the power cleanly, and then immediately launched a counterattack.

bang bang bang bang

The seven Emperor Sovereigns, like Zhang Xuan and the others, were flung backward.

Ten Great Emperors

This guy, how can he be so powerful?

generic.

With a single move he defeated everyone; Henren stepped forward, turned his wrist, and struck down again.

You dare, rats!

the old man of Sword God Heaven

Emperor? He also has Emperor-level strength?

Zhang Xuan

This old man originally followed behind the youth, thinking he was merely a retainer, at most entitled God King, but upon displaying his power he discovered he was actually a powerful Emperor Sovereign as well!

If he is an Emperor Sovereign, then what is that youth?

Emperor of Sword God Heaven

"And… the youth who taught me swordsmanship?" Zhang Xuan could no longer hold back.

this Emperor of Sword God Heaven

Zhang Xuan's current strength and his understanding of the Sword Dao far surpass him, to the point they cannot be opposed; even if his cultivation is not weak and his sword technique exquisite, he is still no match.

Nine Heavens

After defeating the Emperor Sovereign of Sword God Heaven, Henren laughed maniacally, the surrounding space continually collapsing, casting him as demonic and monstrous.

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

Just now, he and his avatar both unleashed their full combat strength; even Luo Ruoxi before him employed her ultimate technique, yet none could withstand a single strike from the opponent...

Could it be that in the Divine Realm, there really is no one who can block this person before us?

Let him destroy the world?

The only way…… is to return your Defective Heavenly Dao to the Heavenly Dao itself, letting the Heavenly Dao suppress him…… Luo Ruoxi clenched her fists, her eye sockets reddening.

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

The library in the mind is itself part of the Heavenly Dao; once returned, the Heavenly Dao equals complete perfection, perhaps allowing the repair of the breach and expelling Hen Ren.

Just like the human immune system.

When the immune system is complete, viruses come and are easily driven off; when it fails, one cannot resist viral invasion, and even the strongest person will die because of it.

Just……

"He's too strong; even if the Heavenly Dao recovers completely, it still can't suppress him!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Viruses, the immune system can kill them, but…… what about a fierce tiger?

Even with the strongest immune system, what can be done?

This person before us is merely an ordinary God King; even with a title, the Heavenly Dao can easily kill him, yet he is stronger than an Emperor Lord…… already beyond what the Heavenly Dao can contend with.

"This……" Luo Ruoxi paused, a look of loss appearing on her pure jade-like face: "Yeah…… there's no way to suppress him, but if the Heavenly Dao is whole, he can awaken and slay this person; that's not difficult!"

"Him?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"I'll take you to see him, in the Free and Easy Heaven……" Taking a deep breath, Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth and turned, flying forward.

"Want to escape?" Hen Ren snorted coldly and pressed down.

Boom!

Luo Ruoxi fell from the sky.

"You……" Zhang Xuan's sword technique unfolded again, sword intent shining forth.

Ding ding ding!

Again blocked by Hen Ren.

"You guys hurry and go, I'll block him……"

Knowing they still wanted to find a way to save the Divine Realm rather than flee, the avatar and the Undying Emperor Venerable, with a loud shout, blocked the front; Luo Qiqi also transformed, returning to the form of the Still Void Pearl.

The surrounding space solidified.

Go!

Seeing everyone risk their lives to block the rear, unafraid of death, Zhang Xuan's eye sockets reddened; however, he also knew now was not the time to talk, he pulled Luo Ruoxi, his body flickered, he tore through space, and in the next moment he appeared within the range of the Free and Easy Heaven.

The Free and Easy Heaven now lacks its former ease; the Divine Realm has collapsed, everywhere in chaos.

Where is the person you spoke of?

No time to observe ordinary people's lives; Zhang Xuan looked at the girl in his arms.

If the person she spoke of can truly save the Divine Realm, what's the harm in my sacrificing myself!

"He is my father; the blood in your locket is his; the Undying Emperor was once his beast pet……" Luo Ruoxi adjusted her breath and explained.

"Father?"

Zhang Xuan suddenly realized.

No wonder I always felt the blood in the locket resembled Luo Ruoxi yet was different; it turns out it's her father's.

This also explains why the thought left by the Undying Emperor, upon seeing the locket, immediately recognized me as its master.

"Is your father also an Emperor Lord? Or does he possess strength surpassing that of an Emperor Lord?"

He couldn't help but say.

The library is in chaos; it's the blood in the locket that let me regain consciousness. Could it be that not only is she an Emperor Lord, but her father is as well, and even stronger?

If that's the case, why would he fall into a coma?

Also, it needs the Defective Heavenly Dao to make him awake?

"He is not an Emperor Lord, but…… the Heavenly Dao!"

Luo Ruoxi clenched her fists.

"Heavenly Dao? Your father…… is the Heavenly Dao?" Zhang Xuan shuddered, unable to believe.

"Yes! Fifty years ago, my father couldn't withstand that big hand, fell into a coma, the Heavenly Dao shattered into three parts; the Orderly Heavenly Dao and the Defective Heavenly Dao entered the spacetime turbulence, while I acted as the steward of the Natural Heavenly Dao, maintaining the balance of the Divine Realm. To let him recover, we only need to gather the scattered parts…… that's why I am so resolute, cannot fail! I therefore specially entered the Master Teacher Continent, studied the Spring and Autumn Classic, seeking a way to defeat Kong Shi! When fighting Kong Shi, entrusting him with this matter was also the case."

Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

Having just met the Master Teacher Continent not long ago, the girl before me had already told me her story, wanting to save a close relative; I didn't understand back then, but now I suddenly realize.

It turns out to be her father, and moreover the Heavenly Dao of the Divine Realm!

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

"Acting as the steward of the Natural Heavenly Dao…… you don't have any Heavenly Dao fragments in your body?" Suddenly realizing something off in her speech, Zhang Xuan looked over.

Acting as steward and this kind of fusion within the body are two different concepts.

"I merely steward it, and am not part of the Heavenly Dao……" Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Putting it that way, I only need to separate the Defective Heavenly Dao from myself; there's no need for her to die as well.

Although I am unwilling to accept this fate, I also do not want the girl before me to suffer harm.

"I will separate the Defective Heavenly Dao from within me, and your father will be able to come back to life, even slay Hen Ren, right?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"This…… I'm not sure either……"

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

The Divine Realm is the foundation of my father; now that the foundation is like this, even if he awakens, can he truly defeat that powerful Hen Ren?

Really hard to say!

Looks like you can't be sure either. In that case, relying on others is worse than relying on oneself… We have only ourselves to figure it out!" Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth: "You, me, and my avatar, united with the Nine Heavens Nine Emperors, if we also coordinate with Master Kong, we might not be unable to win!"

Master Kong? He…" Luo Ruoxi frowned.

Master Kong is already dead, right! He didn't truly die; if my guess is correct, he was slain by you, merely a method to escape the Heavenly Dao… No surprise, he should be like Wei Changfeng, an Innate Fetal Soul Body!

Zhang Xuan said.

Seeing Wei Changfeng, it became clear that Master Kong's so-called preserving spiritual awareness should be the same as him, an Innate Fetal Soul Body.

One can remain unconfused in the womb.

Moreover, with the contingency prepared in advance, resurrection is merely a matter of time.

Luo Ruoxi froze, seemingly not expecting this to be the case.

"Just go and see, and you'll know; my guess is correct—he should have already recovered. Otherwise, his disciples couldn't possibly have not even gone to the Tidal Sea…" Zhang Xuan said.

Master Kong's disciples, such as Ancient Sage Ziyuan and others, are all formidable; even without the Emperor Lord's help, they would certainly have a way to enter the Tidal Sea, yet not a single one was seen.

There must be something more important awaiting them, intending to act while all the Emperor Lords are preoccupied with the Tidal Sea and have no time to attend to anything else!

And this important matter is obviously to let Master Kong recover.

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

"Let's go!"

Without further explanation, with a single hand gesture, Zhang Xuan returned to where Master Kong resided, and indeed saw an old man sitting cross-legged, floating in midair; upon seeing them arrive, he gave a slight smile: "You've come!"

Not Master Kong, then who is it!

This teacher of myriad ages certainly did not disappoint!

Just as guessed, taking advantage of everyone focusing their attention on the Tidal Sea, he revived again.

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

She knew the Emperor Lord could be revived, and the Undying Emperor Lord had also come back to life, but… she didn't expect the speed to be this fast!

"I concealed myself from the Heavenly Dao, prepared a contingency in advance—the nameless giant in the Netherworld Pool was my doing; on that day you slew him, I seized the chance to break free from the Heavenly Dao's bonds, recondensed my physical form, and have only just now recovered!"

Master Kong gave a slight smile.

He is versed in temporal abilities; while it seemed only a day or two had passed in the Divine Realm, in truth, to regain his strength he had undergone an unknown span of time.

He had even accumulated several decades of time.

"Our three strengths are considerable, but wanting to surpass the Ruthless One is not that easy…"

Seeing Master Kong truly recovered, Luo Ruoxi still shook her head.

It's not to boost others' prestige or dampen our own morale; it's simply the fact.

Just now, so many people united couldn't block the opponent; even adding one Master Kong, what could it change?

It likewise cannot change the situation!

"Our individual strength, even when combined, is indeed no match for the opponent, but… what if we merged everyone's power into a single person?"

Master Kong smiled and looked over.

"Merge into one person?"

This time not only Luo Ruoxi frowned, but Zhang Xuan was also full of doubt.

"That palm capable of tearing apart the Divine Realm and scattering the Heavenly Dao—its strength is undeniable; the Ruthless One absorbed that power entirely and also devoured fifty years of spiritual energy from the Divine Realm; relying solely on strength, even a dozen or so Emperor Lords taken individually are certainly no match…"

Master Kong said: "But if we unite and concentrate the power into one person… it might not be so!"

"How to concentrate?"

Luo Ruoxi looked over.

Easy to say, hard to do.

The Emperor Lords already stand at the pinnacle of the Divine Realm; if absorbing others' strength were that easy, they wouldn't have stagnated for so many years.

"Quite simple… we will gather our strength onto Zhang Xuan; once he can break through the Emperor Lord's shackles, we can save the Divine Realm!"

Master Kong said.

"Me?" Zhang Xuan startled: "Why me?"

"The Lingxi Emperor Venerable cultivates freedom and ease, transcending nature! But with the constraints of father and Heavenly Dao, and with beloved persons, one can never truly transcend! If I'm not mistaken, when we fought earlier, you also once gave up, intending to let me slay you!"

Master Kong said.

Luo Ruoxi was speechless.

During the battle, such an intention indeed existed, so their exchanges at the start each retained a backup, akin to sparring, not a life-and-death fight.

"Being unable to transcend, one naturally cannot exert the utmost strength; even with abundant true qi, one cannot strike that supreme realm! As for me…"

Master Kong nodded and said: "Holding the world in heart, wishing to save all beings, yet unwilling to let others sacrifice for me—excessive compassion is also a flaw! If one were a bit more ruthless, exterminating the Alien Spirit Clan, the present situation would not have arisen…"

"Had we been able to exterminate the Alien Spirit Clan entirely back then, the Ruthless One could not have revived, nor would we be in this predicament."

"So I am also unsuitable! Zhang Xuan, however, cultivates a harmonious method, free of flaws. He focuses on living true to himself; even if he dies, as long as he lives without guilt, his mind is at ease. Such a person possesses greater inclusiveness and greater room for growth—only thus can he reach higher and farther!"

Master Kong continued.

"In life, return to the beginning; in death, cherish longing!"

"If even death is of no concern, how could one be bound by other matters?"

"This…" Zhang Xuan frowned, about to say something, when he saw Master Kong's piercing gaze: "No need to decline; first say there's no time, go train others—even if there were time, I doubt anyone could do better than you! Though the Lingxi Emperor Venerable's body lacks Heavenly Dao fragments, he has long mastered the Heavenly Dao and has his own understanding of it; I govern the orderly Heavenly Dao. If we pour our power into you, you will possess complete Heavenly Dao strength within! Combined with your avatar's Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, we can fully achieve ruling the Nine Heavens, grasping the cosmos, battling the Nine Firmaments, and annihilating all things!"

"Alright!"

Seeing the other party had already decided, further explanation would be useless; Zhang Xuan nodded.

Boom—

Seated cross-legged, in the blink of an eye, two mighty surges of power poured in from both sides.

Zhang Xuan's body stiffened; his whole being seemed to instantaneously embody the Heavenly Dao, soaring above the Nine Heavens.

Soul, flesh, and true qi were instantly baptized, growing ever stronger, ever more mighty.

…… (just ellipsis, no names)

You also want to stop me? Fine, I'll kill you, then go and slay Zhang Xuan.

He sent Luo Qiqi, his clone, and the others flying, and Henren gave a cold smile.

The power unleashed by the clone and the many emperors combined was indeed strong, but compared to him, it was still somewhat weaker.

The Tide Sea drained nearly all the spiritual energy outside the city of the Divine Realm; now this power has become his nourishment, and with every gesture he wields the power to destroy heaven and earth. These emperors and god kings, though they represent the pinnacle of the Divine Realm, are still no match for a single blow.

At this moment, Henren seemed to embody the entire Divine Realm, and none could withstand him.

"If the Divine Realm falls, our lives have no meaning; I, Yun Chi, will perish with you......"

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

"You? You're not worthy!"

Henren clenched his palm, and the golden dragon hung in his palm, unable to escape no matter how it struggled.

"Old friend, wait for me!"

Emperor Fu Meng also let out a great roar, manifesting his true form as a White Tiger, and appeared before him in the air.

The Immortal Emperor revealed his true form as the Immortal Fire Phoenix, and flames blazed across the sky.

Emperor Xuan Ming's true form was a great tortoise, as if holding up the heavens.

The four divine beasts, guardians of the four extremes of the Divine Realm, simultaneously transformed into their true forms, and the collapsing Divine Realm slowed down.

Heaven and earth seemed to freeze in an instant.

Bang bang bang bang!

With four consecutive palms, Henren subdued the four beasts, a fierce killing intent flashing in his eyes: "Since you seek death, I will grant it."

Amidst the roars, as he was about to strike down and annihilate everyone, he felt his raised arm tighten and stop in midair.

"You want to kill them, but have you asked me?"

Immediately, amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, a figure slowly stepped out from the air.

It was Zhang Xuan!

At this moment, the youth's power surged throughout his body, more than ten times stronger than before, descending from the heavens as if his very being were a world.

"You've improved quite a bit......"

Henren halted, his gaze solemn.

He evidently also failed to understand how, in just a few short minutes, the opponent's strength had undergone such a tremendous change.

"But what does it matter if you've increased? Even at its peak, the Divine Realm could not withstand me; I don't believe you can block my attack......"

With a cold snort, Henren struck down again.

Zhang Xuan raised his long sword and went to meet him.

The two clashed, space rending in streaks and air currents churning in all directions.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?"

At the Free Heaven Master's station, Luo Ruoxi looked over, full of worry.

She and the Master transferred their power to Zhang Xuan, but their own cultivation had dropped to only the god-king level, no longer as glorious as before.

However, rank is merely a placeholder; as long as one's power is sufficient, one can eventually restore it.

"With your current strength, wanting to surpass him...... is very difficult! Unless...... he can comprehend power beyond the emperors!"

After a moment of silence, the Master said.

Even a dozen emperors united could not defeat Henren, and even if they transferred all their power to him, wanting to overcome him would still not be easy.

The reason they do this is because...... only by concentrating power in a single individual can one possibly reach the pinnacle, truly surpass limits, and break through oneself!

"Power beyond the emperors?"

Luo Ruoxi's gaze was distant.

When her father was still lucid, he had once told her the same words, but...... she could not achieve it; could her beloved man do it?

"He certainly can...... he has an unyielding heart! And an arrogance toward this world!"

Seeing her doubt, the Master chuckled.

……

Bang bang bang!

After several consecutive blows, Zhang Xuan's tiger's mouth split open, and a huge wound appeared on his chest, gruesome and terrifying.

Just as the Master said, even after fusing their two powers and forming a complete heavenly way within, he was still no match.

"Hah, I thought you were formidable, but that's all!" Henren gave a cold smile.

"Anyway, you're not my match; I'll be killed sooner or later, so I wish to die beneath your strongest attack......" Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan halted his advance and instead gazed at Henren before him.

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

Hearing this, Henren froze for a moment, then let out a cold snort and raised his palm.

Splash!

A cyan light appeared in his palm and came crashing down.

Sure enough, it was the strongest attack; the entire Divine Realm rumbled, as if it could barely endure, and another huge crater was blasted out.

His eyes tightly shut, Zhang Xuan did not dodge.

Bang!

His skull exploded, his soul scattering in all directions.

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

Luo Qiqi seemed to have gone mad.

Emperor Yun Chi and the others also widened their eyes, trembling incessantly.

Seeing this scene, Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi were also stunned.

The original intention was to have him break through his shackles and charge into a realm beyond the Emperor Realm; why didn't he resist, instead willingly going to his death?

Wouldn't this be wasting their good intentions?

"No, it's the Undying Emperor's undying method..."

While they were puzzled, Kong Shi suddenly spoke.

Everyone then saw Zhang Xuan's head explode, even his soul shatter; the pendant on his chest suddenly burst open, a drop of blood floated up, ignited, forming a ball of scorching flame; within the flame, an intact figure slowly stepped out.

"He... using the opponent's power and the blood in the pendant, separated the Heavenly Dao's flaw from the soul?"

Luo Ruoxi's pupils contracted.

After being reborn from fire, Zhang Xuan actually had no Heavenly Dao Library inside him, no interference from the Heavenly Dao, and had severed ties with the Heavenly Dao!

"How did he do that?"

Kong Shi was also full of disbelief.

The Heavenly Dao and the soul were fused together, indistinguishable; to break free, he had to have his soul scatter and, with the aid of the Netherworld Pool, recondense his soul.

This person before him, after being slashed just once, completely broke free—what method did he use?

"I understand... he used the method the Ruthless Person used to break the soul contract..." Luo Ruoxi realized.

The soul contract binds master and servant; if the master does not lift it, the servant remains forever bound... the Heavenly Dao Library is the same—it can be said to be an enhanced version of the contract.

Once the soul is bound, even immortality cannot free it.

But... the Ruthless Person used that special power to break the soul contract; the specific method, Zhang Xuan had previously inquired about in detail—perhaps he had already been thinking about it then.

That's why he deliberately fought to the death, letting the opponent unleash their strongest power against him.

With this power, he was reborn from fire; unexpectedly, it turned out to be a great success!

"Ah, I see—this is the method to break through the Emperor..."

Walking out of the flames, Zhang Xuan wore a faint smile, as if he understood something; he suddenly waved a hand, and his avatar on one side instantly turned back into a lotus, flying over.

In an instant, it perfectly merged with himself.

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

He lightly tapped the ground with his foot.

The chaotic Nine Heavens immediately stabilized.

The Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, which appeared when the Nine Heavens were born, can stabilize the Nine Heavens; at this moment, his avatar and himself perfectly merged, indistinguishable, meaning he now controlled this power.

Moreover, with his cultivation fused with the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, he had already reached the peak realm; signs of loosening appeared, as if he could break through at any moment.

"Master-servant affection, brotherly affection, teacher-student affection, parent-child affection, love... when combined, they are actually all things in the world; this is what it means to be human!"

Smiling, Zhang Xuan muttered to himself.

At the moment the Heavenly Dao Library separated from the soul, he came to understand.

Is it that people see the world and thus the world exists, or that the world existed first and then people came?

Is it the wind moving, or the heart moving!

This question has troubled countless people since ancient times.

Of course, now... none of that matters anymore!

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

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

All things in the world have emotion; with emotion there is a world, with emotion life can continue.

Love, is emotion.

Hatred, is emotion.

Joy, is emotion.

Pain, is emotion.

Separation, is emotion.

Reunion, is also emotion!

"Myriad affections, for my use..."

With a low cry, the sealed realm within Zhang Xuan's body instantly broke open.

The Emperor's shackles, broken through!

In an instant, it felt as if touching a brand-new world and Da Men; the soul received rapid nourishment.

Countless chaotic Qi surged in, and the flesh body also rapidly increased.

Before, only absorbing spiritual power allowed progress; now, spatial turbulence and chaotic Qi—even the opponent's azure light—can be made mine, with no distinction.

"You..." the Ruthless Person hadn't expected that his full-force attack would not only fail to slay him, but actually fulfill him; enraged, he shouted "Wah-wah!" and, with a furious roar, attacked again.

"You resent the lofty Emperor, not saving yourself in the spatial turbulence—that's emotion; feeling that you were once my servant, containing humility and anger—that's emotion; wanting to destroy the Divine Realm to vent anger—that's emotion; wanting to become even stronger—likewise emotion... emotion controls you, how could you possibly overcome me, not be controlled by me?"

Smiling faintly, Zhang Xuan's voice grew faster and louder, his hand lightly grasping.

The originally invincible Ruthless Person was bound by countless threads of emotion, his hands and feet tied, unable to move.

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

"You..."

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

"Saying this now is already too late..." Zhang Xuan smiled slightly and shook his head.

Controlling the emotions of the world, servants and such are already meaningless to him.

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

"No..."

Sensing his decisiveness, Henren's pupils contracted; before his words finished, he immediately felt a sharp pain surge through his body.

Boom!

In an instant, the eruption turned into countless streams of spiritual energy that surged toward every corner of the Divine Realm.

All the power previously devoured by the Tide Sea now flowed back, reviving the once‑barren wilderness.

"This…"

"Just like that, he's dead?"

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

Just moments ago they had crossed blows with Henren, knowing how terrifying he was; yet such a mighty figure was wiped out with a casual gesture—how far has this Zhang Xuan… actually reached?

Could it be that there truly exists another realm above the Emperor?

"He has succeeded…"

Master Kong and Luoruoxi loosened their clenched fists.

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

Seeing the "Heavenly Dao's deficiency" that had been split from his own body still hovering in the air, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly and flicked his finger.

Hum!

The library that had accompanied him since his rebirth crashed and embedded itself in the sky of the Divine Realm.

The bell‑like chime rang out; the continually collapsing Divine Realm slowly recovered, visible to the naked eye, and the turbulent airflow also gathered together again.

The collapsing Divine Realm finally halted, and the withered spiritual energy, together with Henren's death, slowly revived.

"It seems the Divine Realm is about to welcome an age of renewed spiritual energy…" Zhang Xuan chuckled.

The breach in the Tide Sea, accompanied by the completion of the Heavenly Dao, has already healed; the Divine Realm's return to its former prosperity is merely a matter of time.

"Zhang Xuan, come here…"

Having just finished these, a voice sounded in his mind; Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment and stepped forward.

That step carried him an unknown distance, whereupon he saw a youth standing before him.

He was exactly the one who had previously taught him swordsmanship.

"Senior, you…"

Seeing that it was him, Zhang Xuan blinked in surprise.

He had always felt this person was unfathomable; now he realized that, compared to himself, the individual lacked only a hair's breadth, having already reached the Emperor's utmost peak, and was far stronger than Luoruoxi before, by an unknown degree.

"Just call me by my name; I am… Nie Tong!" The youth emanated an unyielding sword intent and said lightly.

"Nie Tong?" Zhang Xuan furrowed his brows.

It was the first time he had heard that name.

"Come with me, I'll take you to meet my brother!" The youth called Nie Tong smiled faintly and stepped forward.

Zhang Xuan followed closely behind, not knowing how far he had flown, and stopped before a mountain peak.

Immediately he saw another youth.

His appearance was not much older, his eyebrows raised, giving an impression of profound inscrutability.

"This strength…" Zhang Xuan trembled.

The youth's strength before him was actually greater than his, likewise breaking through the Emperor's shackles, and his cultivation was even more profound and weighty!

"I am Nie Yun!" The youth smiled lightly and looked over: "That is… Nie Lingxi, the father of Luoruoxi you mentioned!"

"Luoruoxi's father?"

Zhang Xuan startled: "You… are the Heavenly Dao of the Divine Realm?"

Before, Luoruoxi had said that her father was the Heavenly Dao; who would have thought it would be such a young person.

"I transformed one breath into the Three Pure Ones, a part of my soul became the Heavenly Dao! Moreover, this world is my creation; to say I am the Heavenly Dao is not unreasonable!" Nie Yun smiled lightly.

Zhang Xuan dared not believe.

The Divine Realm was actually created by this person before him?

Then how strong must his power be?

"Wrong, if the Divine Realm is your creation and you are the Heavenly Dao, why let Henren rampage without intervening?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

If it weren't for my own breakthrough, the Divine Realm would likely have collapsed completely; why does this person before me remain indifferent?

Even the life and death of his daughter, does he care?

Without answering his question, Nie Yun glanced over lightly: "Do you think… there exists an even more powerful life above the Divine Realm?"

"This…" Zhang Xuan paused: "There should be, right?"

Although I haven't seen it, since he can cultivate to this level, perhaps others can too, even stronger.

Just like this person before me.

"I once suspected that there might be a more powerful life above the Divine Realm, so I exerted all my power to peer into it, ultimately drawing 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 very likely the entire Divine Realm would have been flattened, leaving no life at all… so I blocked this move, but consequently, the incarnate Heavenly Dao was split apart."

"In this situation, I wish to restore it, but it is merely a thought; however, I understand that to truly transcend the Divine Realm's shackles, to explore where that palm came from, what lies beyond the Divine Realm… it is hard for me alone to achieve. So I want to see if there is any life capable of breaking through the Emperor's shackles and reaching my level!"

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

Nie Yun said with a smile.

"A soul not belonging to this world, putting it that way, my transmigration is also because of you?" Zhang Xuan's heart shook.

No wonder, being able to transmigrate over, I never expected it was all due to this person before me.

"Hehe!" Nie Yun chuckled lightly, saying: "Being inherently of this world, one naturally has reverence for it; wanting to break the world's shackles is far more difficult; I too merely had a thought stir, and never imagined you could truly succeed…"

"I…" Zhang Xuan's face flushed: "If not for Master Kong, I could never have reached this point…"

Without Master Kong's selfless dedication, reaching the present realm would be utterly impossible.

I gave him the opportunity; he just didn't seize it. The duel with Lingxi was actually his best chance to break through, but unfortunately he chose to retreat, thinking he had a backup plan and could withdraw unscathed, when in fact he lost his brave and diligent spirit. When facing someone surpassing us, if he lacks even this spirit, how could he possibly stand against them?

Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan remained silent.

He had watched their battle back then, and Master Kong indeed lacked decisiveness.

It's also possible he didn't want to kill Luo Ruoxi.

Unfortunately, in that moment of hesitation, he missed the chance to advance.

"If Master Kong wins, Ruoxi will die..." After a moment, Zhang Xuan looked over, his brows furrowing.

Could it be that he doesn't care at all about his daughter's life or death?

"With me here, she won't die..." Nie Yun gave a faint smile: "Your strength now is not much different from mine. Do you think, with their strength, at a life-or-death moment, wanting to save someone, can you do it?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan gave a bitter smile.

Breaking through to Emperor and being an Emperor are two concepts; if he truly wishes to act, he can indeed save the person at the critical moment, and guarantee that not a single injury will be sustained.

"Lingxi is the daughter of my other wife, Luo Qingcheng, so her assumed name bears the Luo surname... In order to make her believe, to keep her unemotional, she has always thought I was still in a coma..."

Nie Yun gave a wry laugh: "My father has been pretty ruthless... Well, you should explain this to her; after all, her thoughts have now turned to you, and this old father of mine probably can't even remember... Haha, I'll stay out of sight for a while, otherwise I truly fear she'll cause an uproar."

Seeing this unreliable father before him, Zhang Xuan's cheek twitched, and he could only agree: "Alright..."

He had no choice but to agree, after all, who let him elope with someone else's daughter...

"The Heavenly Dao Library is a manifestation of my thought; it is both foundation and shackle. If you can rely on your own ability to break through the shackle, it shows your ability and potential, your future is limitless. That my daughter can be with you brings me, as a father, some comfort."

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