Chapter 1070: and translation of chapter title

A soul contract binds the souls; as long as one does not dissolve it oneself, even if the other party wields heavenly means, it cannot be undone.

Just like the Undying Emperor Xiao Huang Ji, who was merely a Divine King before, now an Emperor, he likewise cannot resolve this agreement.

To prevent this fellow from reneging and causing backlash, the Ming Shi Continent once specially stipulated that even if the other party could break free from the Heavenly Dao's records, they could not escape the soul‑bound contract!

"A 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, making it easy to undo this contract… as long as one has sufficient power, bombarding the location of the contract will achieve it!"

Ruthless Person's Dao.

A soul contract is founded upon the Heavenly Dao; even special powers capable of dissolving the Divine Realm's Heavenly Dao can dissolve a soul contract—if handled properly, what difficulty is there?

"I see…" Zhang Xuan's eyes flashed.

"Saying all this to you also counts as thanks for bringing me to the Divine Realm!"

Having finished explaining, the Ruthless Person said no more; his aura grew ever more ancient and distant, the black hole behind him swelling larger—evidently, while speaking, he had devoured an unknown amount of power, nourishing himself.

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

Luo Ruoxi also sensed something amiss and hurriedly sent a mental transmission.

"Let's get ready to act!" With all doubts dispelled, Zhang Xuan drew a deep breath, his long sword suddenly rising: "Since that's the case, let's see whose skill is superior!"

Boom—

The most powerful sword intent was unleashed once again.

In life, I shall return; in death, I shall yearn forever!

Life and death matter not—what could possibly stand in the way?

This sword move, though not yet reaching the Emperor's level of comprehension, embodies all the obsessions in my heart, pushing the Heavenly If It Has Feeling technique within my body to its limit.

Whoosh!

A single sword sliced the Ruthless Person's attack in half.

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

Her swordsmanship somewhat resembles that of the youth from Sword God Heaven, bearing an unstoppable momentum and the natural ease of the Great Dao.

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

With a light smile, the Ruthless Person reached down again.

In an instant, his palm blotted out sky and sun, enveloping heaven and earth; space shattered, and the sun, moon, and stars seemed about to be slammed down by force.

Pfft! Pfft!

Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxi were both flung backward, blood spraying wildly in midair.

With their combined strength, they could not even withstand it!

Just what realm has this fellow attained?

"Insolent!" The clone strode forward, each step causing lotuses to bloom and the void to echo with the sound of flowing water.

From afar, it looked immensely imposing.

Having refined the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, his cultivation is not the slightest bit inferior to Zhang Xuan's.

He raised a fist, and his power surged up to the nine heavens.

Clashing with the Ruthless Person, he too was flung back, unable to block a single move.

Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead.

Having attained Emperor status, the clone still hasn't changed its pretentious nature…

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

"Let's attack together; otherwise, if they die, we will all die…"

Xiao Huang Ji let out a loud shout; crimson flames ignited, as if the sky itself were set ablaze.

The remaining six Emperors also each unleashed their methods.

Seven Emperors united, capable of destroying heaven and earth—yet any world before them could not withstand it; but the opponent was the Ruthless Person who had absorbed special power. As the attack approached, his black hole suddenly expanded, in the blink of an eye devouring the force entirely, then launching a counterstrike.

Bang bang bang bang!

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

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

How could this fellow be so powerful?

"You may die…"

With one move he crushed the crowd; the Ruthless Person stepped forward, flipped his wrist, and struck down again.

"How dare you, rats!"

Accompanied by a loud shout, the old man from Sword God Heaven who had appeared earlier suddenly emerged, blocking the front, his long sword transforming into a galaxy.

"An Emperor? Does he also possess Emperor-level strength?"

Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted.

This old man had followed behind the youth; I originally thought he was merely a retainer, at most ennobled as a Divine King, but upon displaying his power I discovered he was actually a powerful Emperor!

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

"He himself is the Emperor of Sword God Heaven…" Luo Ruoxi struggled to her feet, gritting her teeth.

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

"He is…" Luo Ruoxi was about to answer when space twisted; instantly she saw the Emperor of Sword God Heaven likewise flung backward, landing not far away and blasting out a large crater.

Zhang Xuan's current strength and his comprehension of the Sword Dao far surpass his; even if his cultivation is not weak and his swordsmanship superb, he is still no match.

"Hahaha, Emperors, you're nothing but a bunch of mud chickens and trash dogs! Today I will obliterate the Nine Heavens, destroy this Divine Realm, and trample all rules flat!"

Having defeated the Emperor of Sword God Heaven, the Ruthless Person laughed maniacally as the surrounding space continually collapsed, making him appear like a demon or a fiend.

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

Just now he and his clone had exerted their utmost combat power, and even Luo Ruoxi before him had unleashed her strongest technique—yet none could withstand a single move from the opponent…

Is it really that no one in the divine realm can stop him?

Let him destroy the world?

"The only way… is to return your heavenly dao's flaw to the heavenly dao itself, letting the heavenly dao suppress him…" Luo Ruoxi clenched her fists, eyes reddening.

"Return to the heavenly dao itself?" Zhang Xuan understood her meaning.

The library in his mind is itself part of the heavenly dao; once returned, the heavenly dao becomes completely whole, perhaps able to repair the loophole and expel the ruthless one.

Just like the body's immune system.

When the immune system is intact, viruses come and are easily driven away; when it's broken, it cannot resist viral invasion, and even the strongest person will die.

But…

"He's too strong; even if the heavenly dao is restored completely, it may not be able to suppress him!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Viruses can be killed by the immune system, but… what about a fierce tiger?

Even the strongest immune system, what can it do?

The person before us is merely an ordinary god king; even with a title, the heavenly dao could easily kill him, yet he is stronger than an emperor—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 wake up and slay this person—it's not difficult!"

"He?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

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

"Trying to escape?" The ruthless one coldly snorted, pressing down.

Bang!

Luo Ruoxi fell from the sky.

"You…" Zhang Xuan unleashed his sword technique again, sword intent shining forth.

Ding ding ding!

Again blocked by the ruthless one.

"You guys go, I'll hold him off…"

Knowing they still wanted to save the divine realm rather than flee, the clone and the Undying Emperor Sovereign shouted loudly, blocking the front, while Luo Qiqi also transformed, returning to the Still Void Pearl's true form.

The surrounding space solidified.

"Go!"

Seeing everyone fearlessly block the rear, unafraid of death, Zhang Xuan's eyes reddened, but he also knew now wasn't the time to talk; he grabbed Luo Ruoxi, his body flickered, tore through space, and in the next moment appeared within the Carefree Heaven's range.

The Carefree Heaven now lacks its former carefreeness; the divine realm has collapsed, everywhere in chaos.

"Where is the person you mentioned?"

Having 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 my sacrifice worth!

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

"Father?"

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

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

This also explains why the Undying Emperor's lingering thought, upon seeing the pendant, immediately recognized me as its master.

"Is your father also an emperor? Or does he possess strength surpassing an emperor?"

I couldn't help but ask.

The library's chaos is due to the blood in the pendant awakening me; could it be that not only is she an emperor, but her father is as well, even stronger?

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

And why would he need a flaw in the heavenly dao to awaken?

"He is not an emperor, 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, father could not withstand that great hand, fell into a coma, the heavenly dao scattered into three parts—heavenly dao order and heavenly dao flaw entered the spatial turbulence; I took charge of heavenly dao nature, maintaining the divine realm's balance. To revive him, only by gathering the scattered parts… thus I am so resolute, cannot fail! I specially entered the Master Teacher Continent, studied the Spring and Autumn Classic, seeking a way to defeat Confucius! During the battle with Confucius, the favor I asked of him was also this."

Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

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

It turns out she is 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 heavenly dao nature… do you have no heavenly dao fragments within you?" Suddenly realizing something off in her words, Zhang Xuan looked at her.

Stewardship and my own fusion within the body are two different concepts.

"I merely steward, I am not part of the heavenly dao…" Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan relaxed.

This way, I only need to extract the heavenly dao flaw from within me; I don't need her to die as well.

Although I dislike this fate, I also don't want the girl before me to be harmed.

"I will extract the heavenly dao flaw from within me, then your father can come back to life, even slay the ruthless one, right?" Zhang Xuan looked at her.

"This… I'm not sure either…"

Raising her head to gaze at the already collapsed divine realm, Luo Ruoxi hesitated.

The divine realm is her father's foundation; now that foundation is like this, even if he awakens, can he truly defeat that powerful ruthless one?

Really hard to say!

It seems you can't be sure either; if so, it's better to rely on oneself than to ask others… 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… without surprise, he should be like Wei Changfeng, an Innate Fetal Soul Body!"

Zhang Xuan said.

Seeing Wei Changfeng, I understood; what Master Kong called retaining consciousness should be the same as him, an Innate Fetal Soul Body.

One can remain clear-minded even in the womb.

Adding the backup prepared beforehand, resurrection is just a matter of time.

Luo Ruoxi froze; it seemed she hadn't expected it to be this way.

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

Master Kong's disciples, such as Ziyuan Gu Sheng and others, are all strong; even without the Emperor's help, they would certainly have a way to enter the Tide Sea, yet not a single one was seen.

There must be something more important awaiting, intending to act while all the Emperors are preoccupied with the Tide Sea and have no time to attend to other matters!

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

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

"Let's go!"

Without further explanation, he flicked his sleeve, and Zhang Xuan returned to where Master Kong resided; indeed he saw an old man sitting cross-legged, floating in midair. Seeing them arrive, he gave a slight smile: "You've come!"

Not Master Kong, then who could it be!

This Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations truly did not disappoint!

As expected, taking advantage of everyone focusing their attention on the Tide Sea, he revived again.

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

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

"I concealed myself from the Heavenly Dao, prepared a backup in advance; that nameless giant in the Netherworld Pool is what I left behind. When you slew me that day, I seized the chance to break free from the Heavenly Dao's bonds, recondense my flesh, and have only just now recovered!"

Master Kong gave a faint smile.

He is proficient in time abilities; it seems only a day or two have passed in the Divine Realm, but in fact, to regain his strength he has undergone an unknown amount of time.

He has even accumulated tens of years.

"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 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 can tear apart the Divine Realm and scatter the Heavenly Dao; its strength is undeniable. The Ruthless One has absorbed all that power and also devoured the Divine Realm's spiritual energy for fifty years. Based solely on strength, even if we each take out our power from the dozen or so Emperors, we are certainly no match…"

Master Kong said: "But if we unite and concentrate the power into one person… perhaps it wouldn't be so!"

"How to concentrate?"

Luo Ruoxi looked over.

Easy to say, hard to do.

The Emperor already stands at the pinnacle of the Divine Realm; if absorbing others' strength were this easy, she wouldn't have stagnated for so many years.

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

Master Kong said.

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

"The Lingxi Emperor Sovereign cultivates freedom and ease, transcending nature! But with the constraints of father and Heavenly Dao, and with beloved ones, 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, there was indeed such an intention; thus their exchanges, at the start, each kept backups, resembling sparring rather than a life‑and‑death fight.

"Being unable to transcend, one cannot unleash one's greatest strength; even with abundant true qi, one cannot strike that supreme realm! As for me…"

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

"Had we been able to exterminate the Yi Ling Tribe 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 heart is at ease. Such a person possesses greater inclusiveness and greater room for growth; only thus can one reach higher and farther."

Master Kong continued.

"In life, return to the origin; 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 Sovereign'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 indeed stabilize the Nine Heavens, hold the universe, battle the Nine Firmaments, and annihilate all things!"

"Alright!"

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

Boom—

Sitting 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 and more mighty.

……

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

Luo Qiqi and the clones etc were sent flying, Henren gave a cold smile.

The power unleashed by the clones and numerous Emperors joining forces was indeed strong, but compared to him, it was still somewhat weaker.

The Tide Sea devoured almost all the spiritual energy outside the city of the Divine Realm; now this power has become his nourishment. With every move, he carries the ability to destroy heaven and earth. These Emperors and God Kings, though they represent the pinnacle of the Divine Realm, are still no match.

At this moment, Henren seemed to represent the entire Divine Realm, and no one could stop him.

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

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

"Just you? You're not worthy!"

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

"Old friend, wait for me!"

Fumeng Emperor let out a loud roar, transformed into his true form, a White Tiger, and appeared before him in the air.

Undying Emperor, the true form of the Undying Fire Phoenix appeared, flames illuminating the sky.

Xuan Ming Great Emperor, whose true form is a giant turtle, as if holding up the heavens.

The Four Sacred 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!

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

In the roar, just as he was about to strike down and wipe out everyone, he felt his raised arm tighten and stopped in midair.

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

Immediately, amidst everyone's shocked gazes, a figure slowly walked out from the air.

It was Zhang Xuan!

At this moment, the youth's power surged throughout his body, stronger than before by more than tenfold, coming from the heavens, as if his very being was a world.

"He's improved quite a bit..."

Henren stopped, his gaze solemn.

He obviously didn't understand how, in just a few minutes, the opponent's strength had changed so dramatically.

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

With a cold snort, Henren struck down again.

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

The two sides clashed, space tore apart in streaks, and air currents ran wild everywhere.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?"

At the residence of the Heaven of Ease Master Kong, Luo Ruoxi looked over, full of worry.

She and Master Kong transferred their power to Zhang Xuan; her own cultivation had dropped to only the God King level, not as glorious as before.

However, as long as the power is sufficient, one day it can be restored, regardless of the level.

"With current strength, wanting to surpass is very difficult! Unless... he can comprehend power surpassing the Emperor!"

After a moment of silence, Master Kong said.

More than ten Emperors united still could not defeat Henren; even if they transferred all their power to him, wanting to win was still not easy.

The reason for doing this is because... only by concentrating power in one person can one possibly reach the pinnacle, truly surpass limits, and break through oneself!

"Power surpassing the Emperor?"

Luo Ruoxi's gaze was distant.

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

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

Seeing her doubt, Master Kong laughed and said.

……

Bang bang bang!

After several blows, Zhang Xuan's tiger's mouth split open, his chest bore a huge, ferocious wound.

Just as Master Kong said, even if their powers merged and a complete heavenly way formed within, he was still no match.

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

"Anyway, you're not my opponent; sooner or later I'll be killed. If so, I want to die under your strongest attack." Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan stopped advancing, instead looking at Henren before him.

"Fine, I'll grant you, give you my strongest attack."

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

Clatter!

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

Surely the strongest attack, the entire Divine Realm rumbled, as if it could barely endure, and another huge pit was blasted out.

With his eyes tightly closed, Zhang Xuan did not dodge.

Bang!

His brain burst open, his soul scattering everywhere.

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

Luo Qiqi went mad.

Yun Chi Great Emperor and the others also stared wide-eyed, trembling nonstop.

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

The original intention was to let him break through his shackles and attack to surpass the Emperor Realm; why didn't he resist and instead willingly go to his death?

Wouldn't that 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, igniting into a scorching flame; within the flame, an unharmed figure slowly stepped out.

"He... used the opponent's power and the blood in the pendant to separate the flaw in the Heavenly Dao 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 scattered and, with the help of the Netherworld Pool, recondense his soul.

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

"I understand... he used the method of Hen Ren 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... Hen Ren, using that special power, broke the Soul Contract; the specific method, Zhang Xuan had inquired about in detail before, likely already had designs on it then.

That's why he deliberately fought to the death, letting it unleash its 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 showed a faint smile, as if he understood something; he suddenly waved his hand, and a clone on one side instantly turned back into a lotus flower, flying over.

In an instant, it perfectly merged with himself.

In the blink of an eye, everyone felt that Zhang Xuan before them seemed to have 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 clone and himself perfectly merged, indistinguishable, which meant he had mastered this power.

Moreover, with the 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 understood.

Is it that people see the world and thus the world exists, or does the world come first and then people?

Is it the wind moving, or the heart moving!

This problem has troubled countless people since ancient times.

Of course, now... these are no longer important!

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

Therefore, after breaking through love, it is the Sentient Beings' emotion! It is the emotion that intertwines the world.

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

Love, is emotion.

Hatred, is emotion.

Joy, is emotion.

Pain, is emotion.

Separation, is emotion.

Reunion, is also emotion!

"Myriad feelings, are for my use..."

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

The Emperor's shackles, broken!

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

Countless chaotic qi surged over, and his fleshly body also rapidly increased.

Before, only by absorbing spiritual power could one progress; but now, space turbulence, chaotic qi, even the opponent's azure light, can all be made mine, without distinction.

"You..." Hen Ren hadn't expected that his all-out attack would not only fail to slay him, but instead fulfill him; he shouted "wah-wah!" in anger, let out a furious roar, and attacked again.

"You resent the lofty Emperor, who didn't save you in the space turbulence—that's emotion; you feel that having once been my servant, containing humility and anger, is emotion; you want to destroy the God Realm to vent anger, that's emotion; you want to become stronger, likewise emotion... emotion controls you, how could you possibly overcome me and not be controlled by me?"

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

The originally invincible Hen Ren was bound by countless emotion-threads, his hands and feet tied, unable to move.

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

"You..."

Hen Ren'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 these now is already too late..." Zhang Xuan gave a slight smile and shook his head.

Controlling the emotions of the world, servants and such held no meaning for him anymore.

Killing so many god-level beings, hurting his own girlfriend, Luo Qiqi, and so many friends—today, how could it possibly be forgiven!

"No..."

Feeling his decisiveness, Hen Ren's pupils shrank; before his words ended, he suddenly felt a sharp pain throughout his body.

Boom!

In an instant, the explosion burst forth, turning into countless spiritual qi that surged toward every corner of the Divine Realm.

Previously, all the power swallowed by the Tide Sea now returned, revitalizing the once‑exhausted wilderness.

"This..."

"You killed him just like that?"

Yun Chi Great Emperor, Undying Emperor, Linglong Fairy, and the others all widened their eyes in disbelief.

They had just fought Hen Ren, knew how terrifying he was, yet such a powerful person was wiped out with a casual gesture—just how far has this Zhang Xuan reached?

Could there truly be a higher realm above the Emperor?

"He succeeded..."

Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi loosened their clenched fists.

"This is part of the Heavenly Dao, so I will now return it to the Heavenly Dao..."

Seeing the flaw in the Heavenly Dao that had been separated from his body still floating in the air, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and flicked his finger.

Hum!

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

With a deep bell‑like toll, the continually collapsing Divine Realm visibly slowed its recovery, and the chaotic currents also began to gather again.

The collapsing Divine Realm finally halted, and the withered spiritual qi slowly revived along with Hen Ren's death.

"It seems the Divine Realm is about to welcome an era of renewed spiritual qi," Zhang Xuan smiled.

The rift in the Tide Sea, having been mended with the completion of the Heavenly Dao, has already recovered; the Divine Realm will return to its former prosperity—it's only a matter of time.

"Zhang Xuan, come here..."

Having just finished these, a voice sounded in his mind; Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.

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

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

"Senior, you..."

Seeing it was him, Zhang Xuan startled.

He had always felt this person was unfathomable; only now did he realize that, compared to himself, the difference was a mere hair—this person had already reached the pinnacle of Emperor, far surpassing Luo Ruoxi's former strength by an unknown degree.

"Just call me by my name; I am Nie Tong!" the youth said, his body emanating an unstoppable sword intent.

"Nie Tong?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

This was the first time he had heard that name.

"Come with me; I'll take you to see my brother!" said the youth named Nie Tong, smiling faintly as he stepped forward.

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

Immediately, he saw another youth.

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

"This strength..." Zhang Xuan trembled.

The youth before him proved even stronger than Zhang Xuan, having likewise broken through the Emperor's shackles, with a cultivation far deeper and more substantial!

"I am Nie Yun!" the youth said with a light smile, adding, "That is… Nie Lingxi, the father of Luo Ruoxi you mentioned!"

"Luo Ruoxi's father?"

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

Luo Ruoxi had said before that her father was the Heavenly Dao; he never imagined it would be such a young person.

"I transformed one breath into the Three Purities; a portion of my soul became the Heavenly Dao! Moreover, this world is my creation—calling me the Heavenly Dao is hardly unreasonable!" Nie Yun said with a light smile.

Zhang Xuan could not believe it.

Could the Divine Realm actually have been created by this person before him?

Then just how powerful must his strength be?

"No, if the Divine Realm is your creation and you are the Heavenly Dao, why do you let Hen Ran rampage unchecked?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

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

Does he even care about his daughter's life or death?

Without answering his question, Nie Yun gazed at him lightly and asked, "Do you think… there exists an even greater being above the Divine Realm?"

"Well…" Zhang Xuan paused, then said, "There should be…"

Although he had never seen such a level, since he could cultivate to this extent, perhaps others could as well—and perhaps even stronger.

Just like the youth before him.

"I once suspected that a greater being existed above the Divine Realm, so I strained every effort to peer upward—ultimately drawing a backlash from a higher world… a palm broke through the void and descended!"

Nie Yun looked over: "If I had dodged then, the entire Divine Realm would likely have been obliterated, leaving not a single living thing… so I blocked the strike, but consequently, my embodied Heavenly Dao was split apart."

"I merely wish to restore this with a single thought, but I understand that to truly transcend the Divine Realm's shackles and explore where that palm came from, and what lies beyond the Divine Realm… it is hard for me alone to achieve. So I want to see whether any life can break through the Emperor's shackles and reach my level."

"Therefore, I sent the scattered thoughts of the Heavenly Dao down to the lowest world, granting them respectively to the souls native to this world and to a soul foreign to it. And you, you have not disappointed me!"

Nie Yun smiled.

"A soul not of this world, then—does that mean my transmigration is also because of you?" Zhang Xuan's heart shook.

No wonder he could transmigrate here; he never expected it all to be the work of this person before him.

"Hehe!" Nie Yun chuckled lightly, saying, "Being native to this world, one naturally feels reverence for it; breaking its shackles is far harder. I, too, merely had a passing thought, never imagining you could truly succeed…"

"I…" Zhang Xuan's face flushed: "Without Master Kong, I could never have reached this point…"

Without Master Kong's selfless sacrifice, reaching his present state 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 courageous vigor; facing someone surpassing us, if he lacks even this spirit, how could he possibly stand against them?

Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan remained silent.

At that time he watched their battle; Master Kong indeed lacked decisiveness.

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

Unfortunately, in that moment he missed the opportunity to advance.

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

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

"With me here, she won't die……" Nie Yun smiled faintly: "Your current strength is not much different from mine; do you think, at a life-and-death moment, wanting to save someone, can you do it?"

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

Breaking through to Emperor Sovereign and being an Emperor Sovereign 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 false surname is Luo…… In order to make her believe, not letting emotions interfere, up to now she has still thought I am trapped in a coma……"

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

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

There's no choice but to agree; who let me elope with someone'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. My daughter being able to be with you, as a father, I can also feel relieved."

Currently being typed, please wait a moment; after the content is updated, please refresh the page to get the latest update!