Chapter 511: True God

A soul contract binds souls together; as long as one party does not dissolve it, even if the other has heaven-reaching abilities, it cannot be resolved.

It was the same with Dijun Xiaohuangji, who was once only a Shenwang; even as a Dijun, he couldn't resolve such an agreement.

To prevent the contracted party from going back on their word and causing repercussions, the Ming Shi mainland had specifically decreed that even if the other party could escape the Book of Heavenly Dao, they still couldn't break free from the agreement between souls.

"A Linghun qiyue is indeed impossible to split from the sea of consciousness, but I've fused with a special gas that can even resolve the Heavenly Dao of Shenjie, so dissolving this contract isn't difficult... As long as I have enough power to bombard the location of the contract, it can be done!"

Henren said.

A Linghun qiyue is established on the foundation of the Heavenly Dao. Since this special power can even resolve the Shenjie Heavenly Dao, what's so hard about resolving a soul contract, as long as it's handled properly?

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

"Telling you all this is my way of thanking you for bringing me to Shenjie!"

After explaining, Henren 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 off and quickly 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 in glory, to die is to long for each other!

What could stand in the way when life and death were of no concern?

Though this sword technique hadn't reached the level comprehended by Dijun, it contained all his inner obsessions, pushing his Tianruo Youqing cultivation to its limit.

Whoosh!

With one sword strike, he cleaved Henren'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 youth from Jian Shen Tian, carrying an unstoppable momentum and the effortless grace of aligning with the Great Dao.

"Your moves are impressive, but compared to me, they're still lacking..."

With a light smile, Henren reached down again.

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

Pfft! Pfft!

Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxi were both sent flying backward, spitting blood wildly in mid-air.

Despite their strength, they couldn't withstand him!

Just what realm had this guy reached?

"Outrageous!" His clone 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 Jiutian Huntian Jinlian, 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 Henren, he too was sent flying, unable to block even one move.

Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead.

Even after becoming a Dijun, his clone 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..."

Xiaohuangji roared, his crimson flames burning as the sky seemed to ignite.

The remaining six Dijun also unleashed their techniques.

The seven Dijun joined forces, capable of destroying heaven and earth, making even a realm unable to withstand them. But Henren, having absorbed the special power, simply let his black hole expand as their attacks approached, swallowing everything in an instant before counterattacking.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

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

Even the ten Dijun 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, Henren stepped forward and swung his hand down again.

"How dare you, a mere pest!" Accompanying a loud shout, the elder from Jian Shen Tian suddenly appeared, blocking the way with his long sword transforming into a river of stars.

"Dijun? He's also at Dijun level?" Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted.

He had thought this elder was just a follower, at most a Fenghao Shenwang, but now he realized the man was also a Dijun powerhouse!

If he was a Dijun, then what about that youth?

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

"Then... what about the youth who taught me the sword?" 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 Dijun sent flying, crashing into the ground and creating a huge pit.

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

"Ha ha, Dijun? Just a bunch of insignificant creatures! Today, I'll destroy the nine heavens, destroy Shenjie, and trample all rules!"

After defeating the Jian Shen Tian Dijun, Henren laughed wildly. The space around him collapsed continuously, making him seem like a demon.

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

He and his clone 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 it be that no one in Shenjie could stop this person?

And allow him to destroy the world?

"The only way is to return your Tian Dao You Que to the Heavenly Dao itself, letting it suppress him..." Luo Ruoxi clenched her fists, her eyes turning red.

"Return 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 Henren.

It was like the immune system of the body.

A complete immune system could easily drive out viruses; if damaged, even a strong person couldn't resist 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 person was just an ordinary Shenwang, yet even a Fenghao one; the Heavenly Dao could kill him easily. But now, he was stronger than Dijun... 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 one without difficulty!"

"He?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

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

"Thinking of escaping?" Henren snorted coldly and pressed down.

Bang!

Luo Ruoxi plummeted from the air.

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

Ding! Ding! Ding!

It was blocked by Henren once more.

"You all go; I'll hold him off..." Knowing they were trying to save Shenjie, not escape, his clone and the Undying Emperor roared, blocking the way, while Luo Qiqi transformed back into her Jingkong Pearl form.

The surrounding space solidified.

"Go!"

Seeing everyone blocking fearlessly, even facing 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, appearing in the range of Zizai Tian the next moment.

Zizai Tian was no longer as free as before; Shenjie was collapsing, and chaos reigned everywhere.

"Where is the person you mentioned?" Zhang Xuan asked, ignoring the lives of ordinary people and looking at the girl in his arms.

If this person could truly save Shenjie, he was willing to sacrifice himself.

"He's my father; the blood in your pendant is his. The Undying Emperor 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 Undying Emperor's remnant will had immediately acknowledged him as master upon seeing the pendant.

"Is your father also a Dijun? Or does he possess strength beyond Dijun?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking.

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

If so, why was he in a coma?

And why did it require the Heavenly Dao's flaw to awaken him?

"He's not a Dijun; 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: Tian Dao You Xu and Tian Dao You Que entered the spatial chaos, while I took control of Tian Dao Ziran to maintain Shenjie'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! That's why I specifically entered Ming Shi mainland to study the Chunqiu Dadian 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 explained.

Zhang Xuan suddenly realized.

Not long after they met on Ming Shi mainland, this girl had told him her story about saving a close relative, but he hadn't understood then. Now, it all made sense.

It was her father, and he was the Shenjie Heavenly Dao!

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

"Acting as Tian Dao Ziran... you don't have a fragment of the Heavenly Dao in your body?" Suddenly noticing the oddity in her words, Zhang Xuan looked over.

Acting as controller 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 Tian Dao You Que; 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.

"If I separate the Tian Dao You Que from my body, your father can awaken and even slay Henren, right?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"This... I'm not sure..." Luo Ruoxi hesitated, glancing at the collapsing Shenjie.

Shenjie was her father's foundation, and now it was in ruins. Even if he awakened, could he truly defeat that powerful Henren?

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 figure this out!" Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth. "You, me, my clone, united with the nine heavens and nine emperors, and even coordinating with Kong Shi—we might not lose!"

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

"Kong Shi is 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... Unexpectedly, he's 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.

Coupled with the preparations he had made in advance, 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 wouldn't have stayed away from Chao Xi Hai..." Zhang Xuan said.

Kong Shi's students, such as Zi Yuan Gu Sheng, were all incredibly strong. Even without a Dijun's help, they could enter Chao Xi Hai, yet none had appeared.

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

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

"Let's go!"

Without further explanation, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and they arrived at the place where Kong Shi resided. Sure enough, they saw an elder floating in mid-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 ten thousand ages hadn't disappointed him!

As guessed, while everyone's attention was on Chao Xi Hai, he had revived.

"You..." Luo Ruoxi trembled.

She knew Dijun could revive, as the Undying Emperor had, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

"I concealed myself from the Heavenly Dao and prepared a backup in advance. That 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 Shenjie, he had experienced an unknown length of time to restore his power—possibly decades.

"Our combined strength is strong, but defeating Henren 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 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, but Zhang Xuan was also full of doubt.

"That hand could tear apart Shenjie and scatter the Heavenly Dao—its power is undeniable. Henren absorbed that power and devoured Shenjie's spiritual energy for fifty years. Any of us, or even all ten-plus Dijun together, can't match him individually..." Kong Shi said. "But if we unite and concentrate all our power into one person... maybe then we could."

"How do we concentrate it?" Luo Ruoxi asked.

It sounded simple, but doing it was hard.

Dijun stood at the peak of Shenjie; 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's body. Once he breaks through the Dijun shackles, he can save Shenjie!" Kong Shi said.

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

"Lingxi Emperor 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 didn't see wrong, 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 seem more like sparring than a life-or-death battle.

"Unable to transcend, he can't unleash his full power. Even if we give him more true qi, it won't help him impact that supreme realm! As for me..." Kong Shi nodded. "I bear the burdens of all living beings and wish 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 wiped out the Yi Ling clan, we wouldn't be in this mess now..."

Back then, if he had exterminated the Yi Ling clan completely, Henren 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's lived without regret, his heart is at peace. Such a person has greater tolerance and potential, allowing him to go further!" Kong Shi continued.

To live is to return in glory, 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! Lingxi Emperor has no Heavenly Dao fragment, but she's long controlled the Heavenly Dao and has her own understanding of it; I control Tian Dao You Xu. If we channel our power into you, your body will have the complete Heavenly Dao force! Combined with your clone's Jiutian Huntian Jinlian, you can stabilize the nine heavens, control the universe, battle the nine skies, 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 into him from both sides.

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 Qiqi and the others away, Henren sneered coldly.

The combined power of the clone and the various Dijun was indeed formidable, but compared to him, it was still weak.

Chao Xi Hai had devoured nearly all of Shenjie's spiritual energy outside the cities, and now that energy had become his nourishment. Every move he made carried the ability to destroy the world. These Dijun and Shenwang, representing Shenjie's peak, were still no match.

At this moment, Henren seemed to embody all of Shenjie, unstoppable.

"If Shenjie is destroyed, living means nothing. I'll go down with you..." Yun Chi Emperor transformed into his true form, a massive five-clawed golden dragon, lunging at him through the air.

"You? Not worthy!" Henren 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 roared, transforming into his white tiger form and charging forward.

The Undying Emperor revealed his undying fire phoenix form, flames illuminating the sky.

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

The four divine beasts, guarding Shenjie's four poles, transformed simultaneously, slowing the collapsing Shenjie.

It was as if the universe had frozen in that instant.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Henren struck four times in succession, suppressing the four beasts, his eyes flashing with intense killing intent. "Since you're seeking 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 stepped out slowly from 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 himself.

"You've improved quite a bit..." Henren stopped, his gaze turning serious.

He clearly didn't understand how the other's strength had changed so dramatically in just a few minutes.

"But so what? Even at its peak, Shenjie couldn't withstand me. I don't believe you can stop me..."

With a cold snort, Henren struck down again.

Zhang Xuan raised his long sword and met the attack.

The two clashed, tearing space apart and sending air currents flying everywhere.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?" In Zizai 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 Shenwang 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 tough! Unless he can comprehend a power that transcends Dijun!" After a moment of silence, Kong Shi said.

Even with the power of over ten Dijun transferred to him, victory wasn't guaranteed.

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

"A power that transcends Dijun?" 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." Kong Shi smiled, seeing her doubts.

...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After several exchanges, Zhang Xuan's tiger's mouth split open, and a massive wound appeared on his chest, ghastly and terrifying.

As Kong Shi had said, even with the complete Heavenly Dao force in his body, he wasn't a match.

"Ha ha, I thought you'd be something special, but you're just so-so!" Henren sneered.

"Anyway, I'm no match for you; I'll be killed eventually. Since that's the case, I want to die under your strongest attack..." Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan stopped attacking and looked at Henren.

"Very well, I'll grant you that—my strongest attack!" Hearing this, Henren 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 Shenjie rumbled, as if it couldn't bear the weight, creating a massive pit.

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 Qiqi seemed to go mad.

Yun Chi Emperor 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 a realm beyond Dijun, so why didn't he resist and chose death?

Wasn't that wasting their efforts?

wait, no—it's the Undying Emperor's immortality method..."

As they wondered, Kong Shi spoke up.

Everyone then saw that Zhang Xuan, whose head had exploded and soul shattered, had the pendant on his chest burst open. A drop of blood floated up, igniting into a blazing flame, from which a completely unharmed figure slowly emerged.

"He... used the opponent's power and the blood in the pendant to separate the Tian Dao You Que from his soul?" Luo Ruoxi's pupils shrank.

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 let his soul scatter and reform using the You Hun Pool.

Yet this one had broken free with just one strike—what method had he used?

"I get it... He used the method Henren used to escape the Linghun qiyue..." Luo Ruoxi realized.

A Linghun qiyue bound master and servant; without the master's release, the servant was forever bound... The Heavenly Dao library was similar, like an enhanced contract.

But Henren 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 let himself be struck with the strongest attack.

Using that power for rebirth, it had succeeded brilliantly!

"So that's the way to break through Dijun..." Zhang Xuan, emerging from the flames, smiled faintly, as if he had understood something. With a wave of his hand, his clone 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 stomped his foot on the ground.

The chaotic nine heavens stabilized immediately.

The Jiutian Huntian Jinlian, born with the nine heavens, could stabilize them. Now, with the clone fused perfectly, it meant he controlled that power.

Not only that, with the fusion of the Jiutian Huntian Jinlian's cultivation, his already peak realm showed signs of loosening, as if it could break through at any moment.

"Master-servant bonds, brotherhood, teacher-student bonds, parent-child bonds, romantic love... Fused together, they are the essence of all things; that's what it means to be human!"

With a smile, Zhang Xuan murmured to himself.

The moment the Heavenly Dao library left his soul, he had realized.

Was it that people observed the world and created it, or that the world existed first and then people?

Was it the wind moving, or the heart?

This ancient question had puzzled countless people.

But now... none of that mattered!

Without life, without emotion, what meaning did the world have?

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

All things in the world have emotion; 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.

He had broken through the Dijun barriers!

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

Before, he could only progress by absorbing spiritual energy, but now, spatial chaos, chaotic qi, even the opponent's green light—everything could be his, indistinguishable.

"You..." Henren 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 high-and-mighty Dijun 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 Shenjie to vent your anger—that's emotion; you crave to become 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 reached out and grasped.

The once invincible Henren was bound by countless emotional threads, immobilized.

As long as there was emotion, he could be used and controlled!

"You..."

Henren'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 and shook his head.

Controlling the emotions of the world, something like a servant held no meaning for him.

He had killed so many at the god level, hurt his girlfriend Luo Qiqi, and so many friends. Today, how could he forgive?

"No..."

Sensing his resolve, Henren's pupils contracted. Before he could finish, he felt intense pain throughout his body.

Bang!

In an instant, he exploded, turning into vast spiritual energy that surged back to every part of Shenjie.

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 Emperor, the Undying Emperor, Linglong Immortal, and the others all stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

They had fought Henren and knew how terrifying he was. For such a powerful being to be vanquished so easily, what level had Zhang Xuan reached?

Could there truly be a realm beyond Dijun?

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

"This is part of the Heavenly Dao; I'll return it now..." Seeing the "Tian Dao You Que" that had been 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 Shenjie's sky with a thunderous sound.

The collapsing Shenjie visibly stabilized, and the chaotic air currents gathered once more.

The ruined Shenjie finally stopped, and the depleted spiritual energy slowly revived with Henren's death.

"It seems Shenjie is about to usher in an era of spiritual energy revival..." Zhang Xuan smiled.

The hole in Chao Xi Hai had closed with the Heavenly Dao's completion, and Shenjie's return to its former glory was only a matter of time.

"Zhang Xuan, come here..."

Just 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 youth standing before him.

It was the one who had taught him the sword technique earlier.

"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 Dijun, far surpassing the previous Luo Ruoxi.

"Just call me by my name; I'm Nie Tong!" The youth's body radiated an unstoppable sword intent as he 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, not knowing how far they flew before stopping at a mountain peak.

There, he saw another youth.

His appearance wasn't much older, with raised eyebrows giving a profound, inscrutable air.

"This strength..." Zhang Xuan trembled.

This youth's power surpassed even his own; he had also broken through the Dijun barriers, and his cultivation was deeper and more profound!

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

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

Luo Ruoxi had mentioned 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.

Shenjie was created by this person?

Then how strong was he?

"That's not right—if Shenjie is your creation and you're the Heavenly Dao, why did you let Henren rampage without intervening... even regarding your daughter's life?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Nie Yun didn't answer his question but looked over. "Do you think... beyond Shenjie, there are even more powerful beings?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan paused. "There should be, right?"

Though he hadn't seen any, since this person could reach this level, others might too, or even exceed it—like the one before him.

"I once suspected that beyond Shenjie, there might be stronger beings, so I used all my effort to peer out, ultimately attracting a backlash from a higher world... a massive hand descended!" Nie Yun looked over. "If I'd dodged, Shenjie might have been completely 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 Shenjie's shackles, 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 Dijun barriers and reach my level!"

"That's why I sent the scattered Heavenly Dao intent to the lowest world... granting it to a soul 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 person's doing.

"Heh!" Nie Yun chuckled lightly. "A soul native to this world has reverence for it, making it harder to break through its shackles. I just had a thought and didn't expect you to truly succeed..."

"I..." Zhang Xuan's face reddened. "If not for Kong Shi, I couldn't have reached this level..."

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

"The opportunity was given to him, but he didn't seize it. His duel with Lingxi was his best chance to break through, but he chose to retreat, thinking he had a backup to escape unscathed. In reality, he lost his fearless drive. Facing someone beyond us, without that spirit, how could he contend?" Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan fell silent.

He had witnessed 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 person indifferent even to his daughter's life?

"With me here, she wouldn't have died..." Nie Yun smiled faintly. "You, with your current strength, could save someone in a life-or-death situation, couldn't you?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.

Breaking through to beyond Dijun was a different concept from being a Dijun. If he were willing, he could indeed save someone at the last moment without a scratch.

"Lingxi is the child of my other wife, Luo Qingcheng, 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 now; I fear she'd turn the world upside down. Otherwise, who knows what chaos she'd cause..."

Seeing this unreliable father, Zhang Xuan's face twitched, and he had no choice but to agree. "Alright..."

He had no choice; who asked him to have taken the man's daughter?

"The Heavenly Dao library was a manifestation of my intent; it's both the foundation and the shackle. You broke through it with your own ability, showing your talent and potential. Your future is boundless, and with my daughter by your side, as a father, I'm content."

As he spoke, the text cut off abruptly.