Chapter 452: Tai Chi

A soul contract binds souls together, and as long as the initiator does not dissolve it, even if the other party has unparalleled means, it cannot be broken. For example, with the Undying Emperor Jun, who was only a Shen Wang before, even as an Emperor Jun himself, he couldn't resolve such an agreement. To prevent this individual from reneging and causing backlash, the Master Teacher Continent had specifically decreed that even if one could escape the Heavenly Dao's registry, they still couldn't break free from the soul contract.

"Indeed, a soul contract cannot be split from the sea of consciousness, but I have fused with a special gas that can even resolve the Heavenly Dao. Dissolving this contract is not difficult... As long as I have enough power to bombard the location of the contract, it can be done!" Hen Ren said.

The soul contract is built on the foundation of the Heavenly Dao, and since this special power can resolve even the Shen Jie Heavenly Dao, what's so hard about dissolving a soul contract if handled properly?

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

"Telling you all this is my way of thanking you for bringing me to Shen Jie!" After explaining, Hen Ren said no more. His aura grew even more ancient and profound, and the black hole behind him expanded further, clearly having absorbed an immense amount of power during their conversation to nourish himself.

"Zhang Xuan, the more the black hole absorbs, the stronger his power becomes..." Luo Ruoxi also noticed something was wrong and hurriedly sent a message through divine sense.

"Let's prepare to fight!" With his doubts cleared, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, raised the long sword in his hand abruptly, and said, "In that case, let's settle this with our skills!"

Boom!

His most powerful sword intent erupted once more. To live is to return, to die is to long for each other! What can stand in the way when life and death are of no concern? Though this sword technique hadn't reached the level comprehended by an Emperor Jun, it contained all his obsessions, pushing his Tian Ruo You Qing cultivation to its limits.

Whoosh!

With one sword strike, he cleaved Hen Ren's attack in two. At the same time, Luo Ruoxi made her move, her jade hand swirling as sword light fell like snow. Her swordsmanship resembled that of the young man from Jian Shen Tian, carrying an unstoppable momentum and the natural elegance of the Great Dao.

"Your moves are impressive, but compared to me, they're still lacking..." With a light smile, Hen Ren reached down again.

In an instant, his hand covered the sky, enveloping the heavens and earth. Space shattered, and it seemed as if the sun, moon, and stars were about to be forcibly pulled down.

Pfft! Pfft!

Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxi were both sent flying backward, spitting blood into the air. With their strength, they couldn't withstand it! Just what realm had this guy reached?

"Outrageous!" His avatar strode forward, each step blooming with lotus flowers and echoing with the sound of flowing water in the void.

From afar, it looked incredibly imposing. Having refined the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, his cultivation was no weaker than Zhang Xuan's. He raised a fist, sending power surging into the nine heavens. But when it clashed with Hen Ren, he too was sent flying, unable to block even one move.

Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead. Even after becoming an Emperor Jun, his avatar hadn't changed its habit of showing off... Such flashy displays would be better if the power were concentrated for greater impact!

"Let's all attack together, or we'll all die if they fall..." Xiao Huang Ji roared, his crimson flames burning as if igniting the sky.

The other six great Emperor Juns also unleashed their techniques. The seven Emperor Juns united, their power enough to destroy the heavens and earth, making even a realm unable to withstand it. But Hen Ren, having absorbed the special power, simply let his black hole expand suddenly, swallowing their attacks in an instant before countering.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The seven Emperor Juns, like Zhang Xuan and the others, were sent flying. Even ten great Emperor Juns together couldn't block a single move from him! How could this guy be so powerful?

"You can all die now..." After defeating them with one strike, Hen Ren stepped forward and swung his hand down again.

"How dare you!" Accompanying a loud shout, the elder from Jian Shen Tian appeared abruptly, blocking the way with his long sword transforming into a galaxy.

"Emperor Jun? He's also at Emperor Jun level?" Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted. He had thought this elder was just a follower, at most a Feng Hao Shen Wang, but now he realized he was also an Emperor Jun powerhouse!

If he was an Emperor Jun, then what about that young man?

"He's the Emperor Jun of Jian Shen Tian..." Struggling to stand, Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth and said.

"Then... what about the young man who taught me the sword technique?" Zhang Xuan couldn't hold back.

"He's..." Before Luo Ruoxi could answer, the space twisted, and the Jian Shen Tian Emperor Jun was sent flying, crashing into the distance and creating a huge crater.

With Zhang Xuan's current strength and comprehension of the sword dao, even he couldn't contend, so despite this elder's high cultivation and sword skills, he was no match.

"Ha! Emperor Juns are nothing but chickens and dogs! Today, I'll destroy the Nine Heavens, destroy Shen Jie, and trample all rules!" Defeating the Jian Shen Tian Emperor Jun, Hen Ren laughed maniacally, the surrounding space collapsing as he appeared like a demon.

"What do we do?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists. He and his avatar had already used their strongest combat power, and even Luo Ruoxi had unleashed her most powerful moves, yet none could block even one of his strikes...

Could no one in Shen Jie stop this man? Would he be allowed to destroy the world?

"The only way... is to return your Heavenly Dao fragment to the Heavenly Dao itself, letting it suppress him..." Luo Ruoxi's delicate fists clenched, her eyes reddening.

"Return it to the Heavenly Dao itself?" Zhang Xuan understood her meaning. The library in his mind was part of the Heavenly Dao. Once returned, the Heavenly Dao would be complete, potentially fixing the flaws and expelling Hen Ren. It was like the human immune system. A complete immune system could easily drive out viruses, but if damaged, even a strong body couldn't resist invasion.

But...

"He's too powerful. Even if the Heavenly Dao is restored, could it suppress him?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. The immune system might handle viruses, but what about a fierce tiger? This man was just an ordinary Shen Wang, yet even beyond Emperor Jun... he was no longer something the Heavenly Dao could contend with.

"This..." Luo Ruoxi paused, a look of disappointment on her fair face. "You're right... It might not suppress him, but if the Heavenly Dao is complete, he can awaken and slay this one with ease!"

"He?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"I'll take you to see him. He's in Zi Zai Tian..." Taking a deep breath, Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth and flew forward.

"Thinking of escaping?" Hen Ren snorted coldly and pressed down.

Bang!

Luo Ruoxi plummeted from the air.

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

Ding! Ding! Ding!

It was blocked by Hen Ren once more.

"You all go quickly. I'll hold him off..." Knowing they were trying to save Shen Jie, not flee, the avatar and the Undying Emperor Zun shouted, blocking the way, while Luo Qi Qi transformed back into the Jing Kong Pearl's core. The surrounding space solidified.

"Go!" Seeing everyone risking their lives to block behind them without fear of death, Zhang Xuan's eyes reddened, but he knew now wasn't the time for words. He pulled Luo Ruoxi along, his body flickering as he tore through space and appeared in Zi Zai Tian's range.

Zi Zai Tian was no longer as peaceful as before. Shen Jie was collapsing, and chaos reigned everywhere.

"Where is the person you mentioned?" With no time to observe the ordinary lives around, Zhang Xuan looked at the girl in his arms. If this person could truly save Shen Jie, he was willing to sacrifice himself!

"He's my father. The blood in your pendant is his. The Undying Emperor Jun was once his beast pet..." After regulating her breath, Luo Ruoxi explained.

"Father?" Zhang Xuan suddenly understood. No wonder he had always felt the blood in the pendant was similar to Luo Ruoxi's but different—it was her father's. That also explained why the Undying Emperor Jun's remnant will had immediately recognized him as master upon seeing the pendant.

"Is your father also an Emperor Jun? Or does he possess strength beyond Emperor Jun?" He couldn't help but ask. The library's chaos had been calmed by the blood in the pendant. Could it be that not only she, but her father was also an Emperor Jun, or even stronger? If so, why was he in a coma? And why did it require a flawed Heavenly Dao for him to awaken?

"He's not an Emperor Jun, but... the Heavenly Dao!" Luo Ruoxi clenched her fists.

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

"Yes! Fifty years ago, my father couldn't withstand that giant hand and fell into a coma. The Heavenly Dao shattered into three parts: Heavenly Dao Orderly and Heavenly Dao Flawed entered the spatial chaos, while I took control of Heavenly Dao Natural to maintain Shen Jie's balance. The only way to restore him is to collect the scattered parts... That's why I was so determined, why I couldn't fail! That's why I entered the Master Teacher Continent to study the Spring and Autumn Compendium and find a way to defeat Kong Shi! And when I fought Kong Shi, the favor I asked of him was for this." Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan suddenly realized. Not long after they met on the Master Teacher Continent, this girl had told him her story—she needed to save a close relative. He hadn't understood then, but now he did. It was her father, and he was the Shen Jie Heavenly Dao! Could the Heavenly Dao really take human form and have children?

"Acting as Heavenly Dao Natural... You don't have a Heavenly Dao fragment in your body?" Suddenly realizing the oddity in her words, Zhang Xuan looked over. Acting as custodian and fusing it into one's body were two different concepts.

"I only control it; I'm not part of the Heavenly Dao..." Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. In that case, he only needed to separate his own Heavenly Dao Flawed; she didn't have to die. Though he was unwilling to accept this fate, he didn't want the girl before him to be harmed.

"I'll separate the Heavenly Dao Flawed from my body. Then your father can awaken and even slay Hen Ren, right?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"This... I'm not sure..." Luo Ruoxi looked up at the collapsing Shen Jie, hesitating. Shen Jie was her father's foundation, and now it was in ruins. Even if he awakened, could he truly defeat that powerful Hen Ren? It was hard to say!

"It seems you can't be certain. In that case, better to rely on ourselves... We only have ourselves to count on!" Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth. "You, me, my avatar, plus the Nine Heavens Nine Emperors, and even Kong Shi—if we coordinate, we might not lose!"

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

"He's dead, right? But he hasn't truly died. If I'm guessing correctly, you killing him was just a way for him to escape the Heavenly Dao... He should be like Wei Changfeng, a Xian Tian Tai Hun Ti!" Zhang Xuan said.

Seeing Wei Changfeng had made him realize that Kong Shi's way of preserving his spirit was likely the same—as a Xian Tian Tai Hun Ti. It allowed one to remain undeluded even in the womb. With his prior arrangements, revival was only a matter of time.

Luo Ruoxi was stunned, apparently not expecting this.

"We'll know once we check. If I'm right, he should have recovered by now. Otherwise, his students like Zi Yuan Gu Sheng and the others wouldn't have stayed away from the Tide Sea..." Zhang Xuan said.

Kong Shi's students were all powerful. Even without an Emperor Jun's help, they could enter the Tide Sea, yet none had appeared. They must have something more important—helping Kong Shi recover.

"This..." Luo Ruoxi's heart shook, suddenly understanding.

"Let's go!" Without further explanation, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, returning to where Kong Shi resided. Sure enough, an elder was floating in the air in a meditative pose. Seeing them arrive, he smiled slightly. "You've come!"

It was Kong Shi! This teacher of ten thousand ages hadn't disappointed him! As guessed, he had revived while everyone's attention was on the Tide Sea.

"You..." Luo Ruoxi trembled. She knew Emperor Juns could revive, and the Undying Emperor Jun had done so, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly!

"I hid from the Heavenly Dao and prepared a backup in advance. The nameless giant in the You Hun Pool was left by me. When you killed me that day, I used it to escape the Heavenly Dao's bindings and reform my body. I've only just recovered now!" Kong Shi smiled faintly.

He was proficient in time abilities, so while only one or two days had passed in Shen Jie, he had experienced much longer to restore his power—perhaps decades.

"Our individual strengths are strong, and even together we're formidable, but defeating Hen Ren won't be easy..." Seeing Kong Shi had indeed recovered, Luo Ruoxi still shook her head.

It wasn't about boosting the enemy or undermining morale—it was the truth. So many had united earlier and still couldn't block him. Adding one Kong Shi wouldn't change the situation!

"If we fight individually or even united, we're no match for him, but... what if we fuse all our power into one person?" Kong Shi looked over with a smile.

"Fuse into one person?" This time, not just Luo Ruoxi frowned—Zhang Xuan was full of confusion.

"That hand could tear apart Shen Jie and scatter the Heavenly Dao, its power undeniable. Hen Ren absorbed that power and devoured Shen Jie's spiritual energy for fifty years. Any of us, or even all ten-plus Emperor Juns, are no match alone..." Kong Shi said. "But if we unite and concentrate all our power into one person... then maybe not!"

"How do we concentrate it?" Luo Ruoxi looked over. It sounded simple, but doing it was hard. Emperor Juns stood at Shen Jie's peak. If it were that easy to absorb others' power, she wouldn't have stagnated for so many years.

"It's simple... We'll channel our power into Zhang Xuan. Once he breaks through the Emperor Jun shackles, he can save Shen Jie!" Kong Shi said.

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

"Ling Xi Emperor Jun cultivates freedom and transcendence, but with his father's and Heavenly Dao's constraints, and his attachments, he can never truly transcend! If I saw correctly, during our fight, you once gave up, intending to let me kill you!" Kong Shi said.

Luo Ruoxi fell silent. During the battle, she had indeed considered that, so at the beginning, they had both held back, more like sparring than a life-or-death fight.

"Unable to transcend, he can't unleash his full power. Even with more true qi, he couldn't impact that supreme realm! As for me..." Kong Shi nodded. "I embrace all beings and seek to save the world, but I'm too unwilling to let others sacrifice for me—too much benevolence is a flaw! If I'd been more ruthless and exterminated the Yi Ling Clan, we wouldn't be in this mess..."

If he had wiped out the Yi Ling Clan back then, Hen Ren couldn't have revived, and none of this would have happened.

"So, I'm not suitable! But Zhang Xuan's techniques are seamless, without flaws. He values living true to himself; even in death, as long as he lives without regret, his heart is clear. Such a person has greater tolerance and potential, allowing him to go further!" Kong Shi continued.

To live is to return, to die is to long for each other! If even death doesn't bother him, what else could bind him?

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned, about to say something, but Kong Shi looked at him intently. "No need to decline. Time is short. Even if we tried to cultivate someone else, it might not work, and I doubt anyone could do better than you! Ling Xi Emperor Jun has no Heavenly Dao fragment, but she's long controlled the Heavenly Dao and has her own understanding of it; I control Heavenly Dao Orderly. If we channel our power to you, you'll have the complete Heavenly Dao force in your body! Combined with your avatar's Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, you can stabilize the Nine Heavens, control the universe, battle the nine realms, and destroy all things!"

"Alright!" Seeing the decision was made, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Boom!

He sat cross-legged, and in the blink of an eye, two vast powers surged from both sides into him. Zhang Xuan's body stiffened, as if he had instantly become the Heavenly Dao, soaring above the nine heavens. His soul, body, and true qi were all rapidly tempered, growing stronger and more abundant.

...

"You all want to stop me? Fine, I'll kill you first, then go after Zhang Xuan..." After slapping Luo Qi Qi and the others away, Hen Ren sneered coldly.

The combined power of the avatar and the various Emperor Juns was indeed formidable, but compared to him, it was still weak. The Tide Sea had devoured nearly all of Shen Jie's spiritual energy outside the cities, and now that energy had become his nourishment. Every move he made carried the ability to destroy the heavens and earth. These Emperor Juns and Shen Wangs, representing Shen Jie's peak, were still no match.

At that moment, Hen Ren seemed to embody all of Shen Jie, unbeatable.

"Shen Jie is doomed; living means nothing. I'll go down with you..." Yun Chi Emperor Jun transformed into his true form, a massive five-clawed golden dragon, lunging at him.

"You? Not worthy!" Hen Ren clenched his hand, and the golden dragon was trapped in his palm, struggling futilely to escape.

"My old friend, wait for me!" Fu Meng Emperor Jun roared, transforming into his white tiger form and charging forward.

The Undying Emperor Jun revealed his Undying Fire Phoenix form, flames illuminating the sky.

Xuan Ming Emperor Jun's true form was a massive turtle, as if upholding the heavens.

The four divine beasts, guarding Shen Jie's four corners, transformed simultaneously, slowing the collapsing Shen Jie. It was as if the universe had frozen in an instant.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

With four consecutive strikes, Hen Ren suppressed the four beasts, his eyes flashing with intense killing intent. "Since you seek death, I'll grant it..."

As he roared, about to deliver the fatal blow and wipe them out, he felt his raised arm tighten, frozen in mid-air.

"Want to kill them? Did you ask me first?" In the shocked gazes of the crowd, a figure slowly walked out from the air.

It was Zhang Xuan!

Now, the young man exuded surging power, at least ten times stronger than before, descending like a world unto himself.

"You've improved a lot..." Hen Ren halted, his gaze turning serious. He clearly didn't understand how the young man's strength had changed so dramatically in just a few minutes.

"But so what? Even at its peak, Shen Jie couldn't withstand me. I don't believe you can..." With a cold snort, Hen Ren struck down again.

Zhang Xuan raised his long sword and met the attack. The two clashed, space tearing apart and air currents raging everywhere.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?" In Zi Zai Tian, at Kong Shi's residence, Luo Ruoxi watched worriedly. She and Kong Shi had transferred their power to Zhang Xuan, reducing their own cultivation to only Shen Wang level, no longer as glorious as before.

However, their foundation remained. As long as they had enough power, they could recover eventually.

"With his current strength, winning... is difficult! Unless... he can comprehend a power beyond Emperor Jun!" After a moment of silence, Kong Shi said.

Even with the power of over ten Emperor Juns transferred to him, defeating Hen Ren wouldn't be easy. The reason for this approach was that only by concentrating the power in one person could there be a chance to touch the pinnacle and truly surpass limits.

"A power beyond Emperor Jun?" Luo Ruoxi's eyes grew distant. Her father had said the same when he was awake, but... could the man she loved achieve it?

"He can... He has an unyielding heart and pride toward the world." Sensing her doubt, Kong Shi smiled.

...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After several exchanges, Zhang Xuan's tiger's mouth split open, and a massive wound appeared on his chest, gruesome and terrifying. As Kong Shi had said, even with the fused power forming a complete Heavenly Dao in his body, he was still no match.

"Ha, I thought you'd be something special. Turns out you're just this!" Hen Ren sneered coldly.

"Anyway, I'm no match for you and will be killed eventually. Since that's the case, I want to die under your strongest attack..." Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and stopped attacking, instead looking at Hen Ren.

"Very well, I'll oblige you with my strongest attack..." Hearing this, Hen Ren paused, then snorted coldly, raising his hand.

Whoosh!

A green light appeared in his palm and slammed down. It was indeed his strongest attack, making all of Shen Jie rumble as if it couldn't bear the weight, creating a massive crater.

Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and didn't dodge.

Bang!

His head exploded, and his soul scattered.

"Zhang Xuan..." Everyone's faces turned pale at the sight.

Luo Qi Qi seemed to go mad.

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

Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi, who saw this, were both stunned. The intention was for him to break through the shackles and reach beyond the Emperor Jun realm. Why didn't he resist and choose death? Wasn't this wasting their efforts?

"Wait, it's the Undying Emperor Jun's immortality technique..." Just as they wondered, Kong Shi spoke up.

Everyone then saw that Zhang Xuan, with his head blown apart and soul shattered, had the pendant on his chest suddenly explode. A drop of blood floated up, igniting into a blazing flame, from which a completely intact figure slowly emerged.

"He... used the opponent's power and the blood in the pendant to separate the Heavenly Dao Flawed from his soul?" Luo Ruoxi's pupils contracted.

The reborn Zhang Xuan no longer had the Heavenly Dao library in his body, free from its interference and the Heavenly Dao's bindings.

"How did he do that?" Kong Shi was full of disbelief. To escape, he had to scatter his soul and reform it using the You Hun Pool. Yet this young man had achieved it with just one strike—what method had he used?

"I get it... He used the same method Hen Ren used to escape the soul contract..." Luo Ruoxi realized.

The soul contract bound master and servant, unbreakable unless the master dissolved it... The Heavenly Dao library was like an enhanced version, binding the soul indissolubly. But Hen Ren had used that special power to escape, and Zhang Xuan had asked about the details earlier—probably planning it then.

That's why he deliberately fought to the death, forcing Hen Ren to use his strongest attack. With that power, he was reborn in the flames, and it succeeded spectacularly!

"So that's the way to break through Emperor Jun..." The Zhang Xuan emerging from the flames smiled faintly, as if understanding something. He waved his hand, and his avatar immediately transformed back into a lotus flower and flew over.

In an instant, it fused perfectly with him. Suddenly, everyone felt that the Zhang Xuan before them had become the Nine Heavens, and the Nine Heavens were him.

He lightly stamped his foot on the ground. The chaotic Nine Heavens stabilized immediately. The Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, born with the Nine Heavens, could stabilize them. Now, with the avatar fused perfectly, it meant he controlled that power.

Not only that, with the fusion of the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus's cultivation, his already peak realm showed signs of loosening, as if breakthrough was imminent.

"Master-servant bonds, brotherhood, teacher-student bonds, parent-child bonds, romantic love... Fused together, they become all things in the world. That's what it means to be human!" With a smile, Zhang Xuan murmured to himself.

The moment the Heavenly Dao library separated from his soul, he understood. Did the world create people, or did people create the world? Was it the wind moving, or the heart? This eternal question had puzzled countless people.

But now... it didn't matter. Without life, without emotion, what meaning did the world have?

So, after breaking through romantic love, it was the bonds of all beings—the intertwined emotions of the world.

All things in the world have emotions. With emotion, there is the world; with emotion, life endures.

Love is emotion.

Hate is emotion.

Joy is emotion.

Sorrow is emotion.

Parting is emotion.

Reunion is emotion!

"Ten thousand emotions, all for my use..." With a low cry, the shackles in Zhang Xuan's body shattered instantly.

The Emperor Jun barrier was broken!

In that moment, it was as if he had touched a new world and gate. His soul was rapidly nourished. Countless chaotic energies surged toward him, and his body rapidly strengthened.

He could now absorb not just spiritual energy, but spatial chaos, chaotic energy—even the opponent's green light—turning it all into his own, indistinguishable.

"You..." Hen Ren hadn't expected his full attack not only to fail in killing him but to empower him, and he roared in fury. With an angry shout, he attacked again.

"You resent the lofty Emperor Juns for not saving you from the spatial chaos—that's emotion; you feel humble and angry as my former servant—that's emotion; you want to destroy Shen Jie to vent your anger—that's emotion; you seek to grow stronger—that's emotion... Emotion controls you, so how can you defeat me or escape my control?" With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan's voice grew faster and louder. He gently grasped his hand.

The once invincible Hen Ren was bound by countless emotional threads, immobilized. As long as there was emotion, he could be used and controlled!

"You..." Hen Ren's eyes filled with panic. "Zhang Shi, I'm your servant. Don't kill me... I'm willing to offer my soul..."

"It's too late for that now..." Zhang Xuan smiled slightly and shook his head. With control over the world's emotions, servant bonds meant nothing to him.

He had killed so many in Shen Jie, hurt his girlfriend Luo Qi Qi, and so many friends. How could he forgive that today?

"No..." Sensing his resolve, Hen Ren's pupils contracted. Before he could finish, intense pain wracked his body.

Bang!

In an instant, he exploded, turning into vast spiritual energy that surged back to all parts of Shen Jie. All the power the Tide Sea had devoured was now returned, revitalizing the withered wilderness.

"This..."

"Is that it? He's dead?" Yun Chi Emperor Jun, Undying Emperor Jun, Ling Long Xian Zi, and the others stared wide-eyed in disbelief. They had fought Hen Ren and knew his terror. For such a powerful being to be vanquished so easily, what level had Zhang Xuan reached? Could there truly be a realm beyond Emperor Jun?

"He succeeded..." Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi unclenched their fists.

"This is part of the Heavenly Dao. I'll return it now..." Seeing the "Heavenly Dao Flawed" that had just separated from his body still floating in the air, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and flicked his finger.

Buzz!

The library that had accompanied him since rebirth embedded itself into Shen Jie's sky with a thunderous ring. The crumbling Shen Jie visibly stabilized, and the chaotic air currents gathered once more. The collapsing world finally stopped, and the depleted spiritual energy slowly revived with Hen Ren's death.

"It seems Shen Jie is about to enter an era of spiritual energy revival..." Zhang Xuan smiled. The hole in the Tide Sea had closed with the Heavenly Dao's completion, and Shen Jie's return to its former glory was only a matter of time.

"Zhang Xuan, come here..." As soon as he finished, a voice echoed in his mind. Zhang Xuan paused and stepped forward.

In that step, he didn't know how far he traveled, and soon saw a young man standing before him. It was the one who had taught him the sword technique.

"Senior, you..." Seeing it was him, Zhang Xuan was surprised. He had felt this person was unfathomable before, and now realized he was only a hair's breadth away, having reached the absolute peak of Emperor Jun, far surpassing the previous Luo Ruoxi.

"Just call me by my name. I'm Nie Tong!" The young man exuded an unstoppable sword intent and said lightly.

"Nie Tong?" Zhang Xuan furrowed his brow. He had never heard this name.

"Come with me. I'll take you to see my brother!" Nie Tong smiled and stepped forward. Zhang Xuan followed closely. After an unknown distance, they stopped at a mountain peak.

There, another young man stood. He looked only slightly older, with raised eyebrows giving a profound, inscrutable air.

"This strength..." Zhang Xuan trembled. This young man's power surpassed even his, having broken through the Emperor Jun barrier, with even deeper and more profound cultivation!

"I'm Nie Yun!" The young man smiled faintly and looked over. "Also... Nie Ling Xi, the one you know as Luo Ruoxi's father!"

"If Xi's father?" Zhang Xuan was shocked. "You're... the Shen Jie Heavenly Dao?"

Luo Ruoxi had said her father was the Heavenly Dao, but he never imagined it would be this young man.

"I used One Qi Transforms Three Purities; one part of my soul became the Heavenly Dao! Besides, I created this world, so calling me the Heavenly Dao isn't wrong!" Nie Yun smiled faintly.

Zhang Xuan couldn't believe it. Shen Jie was created by this man? Then how powerful must he be?

"That's not right. If Shen Jie is your creation and you're the Heavenly Dao, why did you let Hen Ren rampage without intervening... Even your daughter's life was at risk?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

If not for his breakthrough, Shen Jie might have been completely destroyed. Why had this man done nothing? Not even caring about his daughter?

Nie Yun didn't answer the question directly but looked over. "Do you think... beyond Shen Jie, there are even stronger beings?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan paused. "Probably, right?" Though he hadn't seen any, since this man could reach this level, others might too, or even exceed it—like the one before him.

"I once suspected that beyond Shen Jie, there might be stronger beings, so I tried my hardest to peer out. In the end, I drew the backlash from a higher world... A giant hand descended!" Nie Yun said. "If I'd dodged, Shen Jie might have been wiped out, leaving no life. So, I blocked it, but my incarnated Heavenly Dao was shattered."

"In that state, restoring it would be just a thought, but... I realized that to truly transcend Shen Jie's limits, explore the hand's origin, and see what's beyond... I couldn't do it alone. So, I wanted to see if any being could break through the Emperor Jun barrier and reach my level!"

"That's why I sent the scattered Heavenly Dao intent to the lowest worlds... granting it to souls originally of this world and one not belonging to it. And you didn't disappoint me in the end!" Nie Yun laughed.

"A soul not belonging to this world? So, my crossing over was because of you?" Zhang Xuan's heart shook. No wonder he could cross over—it was all this man's doing.

"Heh!" Nie Yun chuckled lightly. "Souls native to this world have reverence for it, making it harder to break free. I just had a whim and didn't expect you to succeed..."

"I..." Zhang Xuan's face reddened. "If not for Kong Shi, I couldn't have reached this level..." Without Kong Shi's selflessness, achieving this was impossible.

"The opportunity was given to him, but he didn't seize it. His duel with Ling Xi was his best chance for breakthrough, but he chose to retreat, thinking he had a way out. In reality, he lost his drive. To face those beyond us, without that spirit, how can one contend?" Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan fell silent. He had watched their fight; Kong Shi had indeed lacked decisiveness. Perhaps he hadn't wanted to kill Luo Ruoxi. But that single thought had cost him the chance.

"If Kong Shi had won, If Xi would have died..." After a moment, Zhang Xuan looked over, his brows furrowing.

Was this man indifferent even to his daughter's life?

"With me there, she wouldn't have died..." Nie Yun smiled faintly. "You and I are on the same level now. In a life-or-death situation, could you save someone?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly. Breaking through to beyond Emperor Jun was different from being an Emperor Jun. If he truly wanted to, he could save someone at the last moment without a scratch.

"Ling Xi is from my other wife, Luo Qing Cheng, so she used the surname Luo as a disguise... To make her believe and not act on emotion, I've let her think I'm still in a coma until now..." Nie Yun sighed bitterly. "I'm quite the heartless father... Anyway, you explain this to her. Her feelings have shifted to you now; she probably doesn't even think of me anymore... Ha, I'll stay hidden for a while. I don't want her turning everything upside down... "

Seeing how unreliable this father was, Zhang Xuan's face twitched, and he had to agree. "Alright..." He had no choice; who asked him to win over the man's daughter?

"The Heavenly Dao library was my intent, both a foundation and a shackle. You broke through it with your own ability, showing your potential. With my daughter by your side, as her father, I'm content."