Chapter 474: Where is Reality

A soul contract binds souls together, and as long as the initiator doesn't undo it, even if the other party possesses unparalleled abilities, it cannot be broken. It's like with Bu Si Di Jun and Xiao Huang Ji—when he was only a Shen Wang, and Bu Si Di Jun was an emperor, there was still no way to dissolve such an agreement. To prevent this individual from going back on their word and causing harm, the Master Teacher Continent specifically decreed that even if the other party could escape the Heavenly Dao's registry, they 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 dissolve the Heavenly Dao, so dissolving this contract isn't difficult... As long as I have enough power to strike at the location of the contract, it can be done!"

Hen Ren said.

A soul contract is based on the foundation of the Heavenly Dao, and since this special power can dissolve even the God Realm's 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 the God Realm!"

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 unknown amount of power during their conversation, using it for nourishment.

"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 make our move!" 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 could 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, it contained all of his inner obsessions, pushing his Tian Ruo You Qing cultivation to its limit.

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 was somewhat similar to that of the young man from Jian Shen Tian, carrying an unstoppable momentum and the effortless grace of the great dao.

"Your techniques are impressive, but compared to me, they still fall short..."

Hen Ren chuckled lightly and reached down again.

In an instant, his hand covered the sky, enveloping the heavens and earth, shattering space, 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 as they went.

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.

After refining the Jiu Tian Hun Dun Jin Lian, his cultivation was in no way inferior to 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.

He had become an emperor, yet his avatar still couldn't resist its habit of showing off...

Such flashy displays would be better if the power was concentrated for greater impact!

"Let's all attack together, or we'll all die if they fall..."

Xiao Huang Ji roared, flames burning red as the sky seemed to ignite.

The remaining six great emperors also unleashed their techniques.

The seven emperors joined forces, capable of destroying heaven and earth, but against Hen Ren, who had absorbed the special power, their attacks were swallowed whole by the black hole the moment they arrived, only to be countered immediately.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The seven emperors, along with Zhang Xuan and the others, were all sent flying back.

Even the ten great emperors united 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.

"You dare, you insolent fool!"

Accompanied by a shout, the elder from Jian Shen Tian suddenly appeared, blocking the way, his long sword transforming into a river of stars.

"Another emperor? He's also at the emperor 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-level expert!

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

"He's the emperor of Jian Shen Tian..."

Luo Ruoxi struggled to her feet and gritted her teeth.

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

"He's..." Luo Ruoxi was about to answer when the space twisted, and they saw the Jian Shen Tian emperor sent flying back, crashing into the ground and creating a huge crater.

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

"Ha! Emperors are nothing but a flock of weaklings! Today, I'll destroy the nine heavens, obliterate the God Realm, and trample all rules!"

After defeating the Jian Shen Tian emperor, Hen Ren laughed maniacally, the space around him collapsing, making him appear 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 techniques, yet none could block even one of his moves...

Was there truly no one in the God Realm who could stop this man?

Would he be allowed to destroy the world?

"The only way is to return your incomplete Heavenly Dao to its original state, letting the Heavenly Dao suppress him..."

Luo Ruoxi's delicate fists clenched, her eyes reddening.

"Return the Heavenly Dao to its original state?" 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 immune system of the body.

A complete immune system could easily drive out viruses; if damaged, even a strong person could succumb to invasion.

But...

"He's too powerful; even if the Heavenly Dao is restored, it might not suppress him!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

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

This man was just an ordinary Shen Wang, yet even titled ones could be easily killed by the Heavenly Dao; he was stronger than emperors... far beyond what the Heavenly Dao could handle.

"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 man without difficulty!"

"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, sword intent blazing forth.

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 the God Realm, not flee, the avatar and Bu Si Di Jun shouted, blocking the way, while Luo Qi Qi transformed back into her original form as the Jing Kong Pearl.

The surrounding space solidified.

"Go!"

Seeing everyone risking their lives to hold the line without fear of death, Zhang Xuan's eyes reddened, but he knew now wasn't the time for words. He pulled Luo Ruoxi along, tore through space, and in the next moment, they arrived in the area of Zi Zai Tian.

Zi Zai Tian was no longer as peaceful as before; the God Realm was collapsing, and chaos reigned everywhere.

"Where is the person you mentioned?" Zhang Xuan asked, not wasting time observing the ordinary lives around them, and looked at the girl in his arms.

If this person could truly save the God Realm, he was willing to sacrifice himself!

"He's my father; the blood in your pendant is his. Bu Si Di Jun was once his beast pet..."

Luo Ruoxi regulated her breath and explained.

"Father?" Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

No wonder he had always felt the blood in the pendant was similar to Luo Ruoxi's yet different—it was her father's.

That also explained why the remnant will of Bu Si Di Jun had recognized him as master upon seeing the pendant.

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

He couldn't help but ask.

The library's chaos had been calmed by the blood in the pendant, so was it possible that not only she was an emperor, but her father was as well, or even stronger?

If so, why was he in a coma?

And why did it require an incomplete Heavenly Dao for him to awaken?

"He's not an emperor; he's... 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 massive hand and fell into a coma. The Heavenly Dao shattered into three parts: Heavenly Dao Orderly and Heavenly Dao Incomplete entered the spatial chaos, while I took control of Heavenly Dao Natural to maintain the God Realm's balance. The only way to restore him is to gather the scattered parts... That's why I was so determined, why I couldn't fail! I even went to the Master Teacher Continent to study the Chun Qiu Da Dian, seeking a way to defeat Kong Shi! And when I fought Kong Shi, the favor I asked of him was for this."

Luo Ruoxi explained.

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 it all made sense.

It was her father, and he was the God Realm's Heavenly Dao!

Could the Heavenly Dao truly take human form and have children?

"Acting as Heavenly Dao Natural... you don't have a fragment of the Heavenly Dao 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 Incomplete; she wouldn't have to die.

Though he was reluctant to accept this fate, he didn't want the girl in front of him to be harmed.

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

"This... I'm not sure..."

Luo Ruoxi hesitated, glancing at the collapsing God Realm.

The God Realm was her father's foundation, and now it was in ruins. Even if he awoke, could he truly defeat such a 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 Jiu Tian Jiu Di—if we team up with Kong Shi, we might not lose!"

"Kong Shi? He's..."

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's probably like Wei Chang Feng, a Xian Tian Tai Hun Ti!"

Zhang Xuan said.

Seeing Wei Chang Feng 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 clear even in the womb.

Add to that the preparations he had made in advance, and 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 wouldn't have stayed away from Chao Xi Hai..."

Zhang Xuan said.

Kong Shi's students, like Zi Yuan Gu Sheng and the others, were all incredibly strong. Even without an emperor's help, they could have entered Chao Xi Hai, yet none had shown up.

They must have something more important—clearly, helping Kong Shi recover.

"This..." Luo Ruoxi was shocked, suddenly understanding.

"Let's go!"

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

Who else could it be but Kong Shi?

This teacher of ages had not disappointed him!

As he had guessed, Kong Shi had taken advantage of everyone's focus on Chao Xi Hai to revive.

"You..."

Luo Ruoxi trembled.

She knew emperors could revive—Bu Si Di Jun had done it—but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly!

"I hid from the Heavenly Dao and prepared 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 the God Realm, he had experienced who knows how long to restore his power—perhaps decades.

"Our combined strength is strong, but defeating Hen Ren won't be easy..."

Seeing that 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 joined forces earlier and still couldn't block him; adding one more Kong Shi wouldn't change the outcome!

"Individually, or even together, we're no match for him, but... what if we fuse all our power into one person?"

Kong Shi looked at them with a smile.

"Fuse into one person?"

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

"That hand could tear apart the God Realm and scatter the Heavenly Dao—its power is undeniable. Hen Ren absorbed that power and devoured the God Realm's spiritual energy for fifty years. Any of us, or even all ten-plus emperors, would be 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 asked.

It sounded simple, but doing it was hard.

Emperors stood at the pinnacle of the God Realm; if it were that easy to absorb others' power, she wouldn't have been stuck for so long.

"It's simple... We'll channel our power into Zhang Xuan. Once he breaks through the emperor's shackles, he can save the God Realm!"

Kong Shi said.

"Me? Why me?"

Zhang Xuan was stunned.

"Ling Xi Di Zun cultivates freedom and transcendence, but with his father's and the Heavenly Dao's constraints, and his attachments, he can never truly transcend! If I guessed right, when he fought me, he once gave up, intending to let me kill him!"

Kong Shi said.

Luo Ruoxi fell silent.

During the fight, he had indeed considered that, so at the beginning, both had held back, making it more like a spar than a life-or-death battle.

"Unable to transcend, he can't unleash his full power. Even with more true energy, he couldn't impact that supreme realm! As for me..."

Kong Shi nodded. "I have the heart to save all beings and enlighten the world, but I'm too unwilling to let others sacrifice for me—too much compassion is a flaw! If I'd been more ruthless and wiped out the Yi Ling clan, we wouldn't be in this mess..."

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

"So, I'm not suitable either! But Zhang Xuan's cultivation follows his heart, without flaws. He values living true to himself; even in death, as long as he has no regrets, 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 means nothing, how could other things 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 Di Zun has no Heavenly Dao fragment in her body, but she's long controlled the Heavenly Dao, giving her 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 Jiu Tian Hun Dun Jin Lian, you can stabilize the nine heavens, control the universe, battle the nine skies, and destroy all things!"

"Alright!"

Seeing that the decision was made and further explanation was useless, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Boom!

He sat cross-legged, and in the blink of an eye, two vast streams of power surged into him from both sides.

Zhang Xuan's entire body stiffened, as if he had instantly become the Heavenly Dao, soaring above the nine heavens.

His soul, body, and true energy were all rapidly purified, 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 emperors was indeed formidable, but compared to him, it was still weak.

The Chao Xi Hai had devoured nearly all the spiritual energy outside the cities in the God Realm, and now that energy had become his nourishment. Every move he made carried the power to destroy the world; these emperors and Shen Wangs, despite representing the God Realm's peak, were no match.

At that moment, Hen Ren seemed to embody the entire God Realm, unstoppable.

"The God Realm's destruction means we'd have no reason to live. I'll go down with you, Yun Chi!"

Yun Chi Da Di transformed into his true form, a massive five-clawed golden dragon, lunging through the air toward him.

"You? You're 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 Di Jun roared, transforming into his white tiger form and charging forward.

Bu Si Di Jun revealed his undead fire phoenix true form, flames lighting up the sky.

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

The four divine beasts, guardians of the God Realm's four poles, transformed simultaneously, and the collapsing God Realm slowed down.

The universe seemed to freeze in that instant.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

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

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

"Want to kill them? Have you asked me?"

In the shocked gazes of the crowd, a figure stepped out of the air—it was Zhang Xuan!

The young man now exuded surging power, at least ten times stronger than before, descending like a world unto itself.

"He's made significant progress..."

Hen Ren halted, his expression 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, the God Realm 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 energy raging everywhere.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?"

In Zi Zai Tian, at Kong Shi's residence, Luo Ruoxi watched with worry.

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; with enough power, they could recover eventually.

"With his current strength, winning... is tough! Unless he can comprehend a power that transcends the emperor level!"

After a moment of silence, Kong Shi said.

Even with the power of over a dozen emperors transferred to him, defeating Hen Ren wouldn't be easy.

The reason for this was to concentrate the power into one person, potentially touching the pinnacle and truly surpassing limits.

"A power that transcends the emperor level?"

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 a proud defiance 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, ghastly and severe.

As Kong Shi had said, even with the complete Heavenly Dao force in his body, he was still no match.

"Ha! I thought you'd be something special—turns out you're not!"

Hen Ren sneered.

"Since I'm no match anyway and will be killed eventually, I might as well die under your strongest attack..."

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan stopped attacking and looked at Hen Ren.

"Very well, I'll oblige you with my strongest strike..."

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; the entire God Realm rumbled, 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, his soul scattering everywhere.

"Zhang Xuan..."

Everyone's faces turned pale at the sight.

Luo Qi Qi seemed to go mad.

Yun Chi Da Di and the others stared wide-eyed, trembling uncontrollably.

Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi, seeing this, were both stunned.

The plan was for him to break through the shackles and reach a realm beyond emperors—why had he given up and walked to his death?

Wasn't that a waste of their efforts?

wait, it's Bu Si Di Jun's undying method..."

As they puzzled over it, Kong Shi spoke up.

Everyone then saw that Zhang Xuan, whose head had exploded and soul had shattered, had the pendant on his chest suddenly burst open. A drop of blood floated up, ignited, and formed a blazing flame. From the flame, an intact figure slowly emerged.

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

Luo Ruoxi's pupils contracted.

The reborn Zhang Xuan no longer had the Heavenly Dao library in his body; without the Heavenly Dao's interference, he was free from it!

"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.

A soul contract bound master and servant; without the master's release, the servant was forever bound... The Heavenly Dao library was similar, like an enhanced contract tied to the soul, unbreakable in death.

But Hen Ren had used that special power to escape, and Zhang Xuan had asked about the details earlier—probably then he had hatched this plan.

So, he deliberately let Hen Ren use his strongest attack on him.

With that power, he was reborn in the flames, and it had succeeded spectacularly!

"So, that's the way to break through the emperor level..."

Zhang Xuan, emerging from the flames, smiled faintly, as if he had understood something. With a wave of his hand, his avatar on the side immediately turned back into a lotus flower and flew over.

In an instant, it fused perfectly with him.

In the blink of an eye, everyone felt that Zhang Xuan 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 Jiu Tian Hun Dun Jin Lian, born with the nine heavens, could stabilize them. Now that his avatar had fused perfectly with him, it meant he controlled that power.

Not only that, with the fusion of the Jiu Tian Hun Dun Jin Lian's cultivation, his already peak realm began to loosen, as if it could break through at any moment.

"Master-servant bonds, brotherhood, teacher-student ties, parent-child affection, romantic love... Fused together, they become all things in the world—this is 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 had realized.

Was it the world that existed first, or people who observed it and gave it meaning?

Was it the wind moving, or the heart?

This eternal question had troubled countless people.

But now... it didn't matter.

Without life, without emotion, what was the point of the world's existence?

So, after breaking through romantic love came the bonds of all beings—the interwoven 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 restraints in Zhang Xuan's body shattered in an instant.

The emperor's shackles were broken!

In that moment, it was as if he had touched a new world and gate; his soul was rapidly nourished.

Countless strands of primal chaos energy surged toward him, and his physical body advanced rapidly.

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

"You..."

Hen Ren hadn't expected his full-force attack not only to fail to kill him but to empower him, and he raged, "Wah wah!" before roaring and attacking again.

"You resent the high emperors for not saving you from the spatial chaos—that's emotion; feeling humble and angry as my servant—that's emotion; wanting to destroy the God Realm to vent your anger—that's emotion; desiring to grow stronger—that's emotion... Emotion controls you, so how can you defeat me, or escape my control?"

Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, his voice growing faster and louder. With a light grasp of his hand, the once-unstoppable Hen Ren was bound by countless emotional threads, rendered immobile.

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..."

"Now it's too late to say that..."

Zhang Xuan smiled and shook his head.

Controlling the emotions of the world, such servant bonds meant nothing to him now.

He had killed so many at the god level, 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, but before he could finish, intense pain wracked his body.

Bang!

In an instant, he exploded, turning into vast spiritual energy that surged back to every corner of the God Realm.

All the power that Chao Xi Hai had devoured was now returned, bringing life back to the withered wilderness.

"This..."

"Is that it? He's dead?"

Yun Chi Da Di, Bu Si Di Jun, Ling Long Xian Zi, and the others stared in disbelief.

They had fought Hen Ren and knew his terror; for such a powerful being to be vanquished so easily, what realm had Zhang Xuan reached?

Could there truly be a level beyond emperors?

"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 Incomplete" 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 the God Realm's sky with a thunderous boom.

The collapsing God Realm visibly stabilized, and the chaotic energy gathered once more.

The ruined God Realm finally stopped, and the depleted spiritual energy slowly revived with Hen Ren's death.

"It seems the God Realm is about to enter an era of spiritual energy revival..."

Zhang Xuan smiled.

The hole in Chao Xi Hai had closed with the Heavenly Dao's completion; the God Realm returning 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 step away, having reached the absolute peak of the emperor level—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 before.

"Come with me; I'll take you to see my brother!"

Nie Tong smiled faintly and stepped forward.

Zhang Xuan followed closely, not knowing how far they flew before stopping at a mountain peak.

There, they saw another young man.

He looked only slightly older, with upward-sweeping brows, giving off an inscrutable aura.

"This strength..." Zhang Xuan trembled.

This young man's power surpassed even his, having broken through the emperor's shackles with even deeper and more profound cultivation!

"I'm Nie Yun!" The young man smiled faintly and looked over. "Also known as... Nie Ling Xi, the father of Luo Ruoxi in your words!"

"Luo Ruoxi's father?" Zhang Xuan was shocked. "You're... the God Realm's Heavenly Dao?"

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

The God Realm was created by this man?

Then how strong was he?

"That's not right—if the God Realm is your creation and you're the Heavenly Dao, why did you let Hen Ren rampage without intervening... even regarding your daughter's life?"

Zhang Xuan asked.

Nie Yun didn't answer the question directly but looked at him. "Do you think... beyond the God Realm, there are even more powerful beings?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan paused. "There probably are..."

Though he hadn't seen any, since this man could reach such a level, others might as well, or even exceed it—like the one before him.

"I once suspected that beyond the God Realm, there might be stronger beings, so I tried my hardest to peer into it, ultimately drawing the backlash from a higher world... a massive hand descended!"

Nie Yun said, "If I had dodged, the entire God Realm might have been wiped out, leaving no life. So, I blocked it, but that caused the Heavenly Dao I embodied to shatter."

"In that state, restoring myself would be just a thought, but... I realized that to truly transcend the God Realm's limits, explore where that hand came from, and see what's beyond... I couldn't do it alone. So, I wanted to see if any being could break through the emperor's shackles 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!"

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. "Those native to this world have reverence for it, making it harder to break its shackles. I just had a fleeting thought; I didn't expect you to truly succeed..."

"I..." Zhang Xuan's face reddened. "Without Kong Shi, I couldn't have reached this level..."

Without Kong Shi's selflessness, achieving his current state would have been impossible.

"The opportunity was his, but he didn't seize it. His duel with Ling Xi was his best chance to break through, but he chose to back down, thinking he had a way out—yet he lost his momentum. To face those who surpass 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, Luo Ruoxi 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 this level was different from being an emperor; if he truly wanted to, he could save someone at the last moment without a scratch.

"Ling Xi is the child of 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. "I'm quite the heartless father... Anyway, you explain this to her. After all, her feelings have shifted to you; as her father, I'm probably forgotten... Ha ha, I'll stay hidden for a while; otherwise, she might turn the world upside down."

Seeing how unreliable this father was, Zhang Xuan's face twitched, but he had no choice. "Alright..."

"I created the Heavenly Dao library as a thought—it's both a foundation and a shackle. You broke through it with your own ability, showing your potential. My daughter being with you brings me comfort as a father."

With that, the text ends.