Chapter 514: Robbing a Pocket

The soul contract bound souls together; as long as the initiator didn't dissolve it, even if the other party possessed heaven-reaching abilities, it could not be broken.

It was just like the Undying Emperor Jun, Xiao Huang Ji. Back when he was just a Shen Wang, even as an Emperor Jun, 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 the other party could escape the Heavenly Dao's registry, they still couldn't break free from the soul contract.

Hen Ren said:

"A soul contract indeed 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!"

Zhang Xuan's eyes flashed.

"I've told you all this as a way to thank you for bringing me to the Divine 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 devoured an unknown amount of power during the conversation to nourish himself.

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

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

Boom!

His most powerful sword intent erupted once more.

To live is to return anew, 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 had not reached the level comprehended by an Emperor Jun, 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 carefree grace of aligning with the Great Dao.

Hen Ren said with a light smile:

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

With a gentle laugh, 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 in mid-air.

With their strength, they couldn't withstand it!

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.

After refining the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, his clone's cultivation was in no way inferior to Zhang Xuan's.

He raised a fist, its power surging toward 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.

Having become an Emperor Jun, his clone still 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, capable of destroying heaven and earth, making even a realm unable to withstand them. But Hen Ren, having absorbed the special power, simply let his black hole expand suddenly, devouring their attacks in the blink of an eye before countering.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The seven Emperor Juns, like Zhang Xuan and the others, were sent flying.

Even the 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 move, Hen Ren stepped forward and swung his palm down again.

"How dare you, vermin!"

Accompanied by a loud shout, the elder from Jian Shen Tian suddenly appeared, blocking the way with his long sword transforming into a galaxy.

Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted.

"An Emperor Jun? He's also at the Emperor Jun level?"

He had thought this elder was just an attendant, 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?

Luo Ruoxi struggled to her feet and gritted her teeth: "He's an Emperor Jun from Jian Shen Tian..."

"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 Jun being sent flying, crashing into a pit not far away.

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

"Ha ha, Emperor Juns are nothing but a bunch of insignificant creatures! Today, I'll destroy the Nine Heavens, destroy this Divine Realm, and trample all rules!"

After defeating the Jian Shen Tian Emperor Jun, Hen Ren laughed wildly. The surrounding space collapsed continuously, making him appear demonic.

"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 attacks...

Could no one in the Divine Realm stop this person in front of them?

Allow him 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 turning red.

"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, perhaps repairing its flaws and expelling Hen Ren.

It was like the human immune system.

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 fully 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 Shen Wang, yet even a Feng Hao one; the Heavenly Dao could kill him easily, but he was stronger than Emperor Juns... He was 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 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 radiating brilliantly.

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 Divine Realm, not escape, the clone and the Undying Emperor Zun shouted, blocking the way, while Luo Qi Qi transformed back into her Jing Kong 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, tore through space, and in the next moment, they arrived in Zi Zai Tian's domain.

Zi Zai Tian was no longer as carefree as before. The Divine Realm was collapsing, and chaos reigned everywhere.

"Where is the person you mentioned?" Zhang Xuan asked the girl in his arms, ignoring the ordinary lives around them.

If this person could truly save the Divine Realm, 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..." 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.

"Is your father also an Emperor Jun? Or does he possess strength beyond that?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking.

The library's chaos was calmed by the blood in the pendant, so was her father not only an Emperor Jun but even more powerful?

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 Jun; he's... the Heavenly Dao!" Luo Ruoxi clenched her fists.

"The Heavenly Dao? Your father is the Heavenly Dao?" Zhang Xuan was shocked.

"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 Divine 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 entered the Master Teacher Continent to study the Spring and Autumn Compendium, seeking ways to defeat Kong Shi! And when I fought Kong Shi, the favor I asked of him was for this."

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 made sense.

It was her father, and he was the Divine 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?" Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed the oddity in her words.

Acting as versus fusing with—it was a different concept.

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

Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

That meant he only needed to separate his Heavenly Dao Incomplete; she didn't have to die.

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

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

"This... I'm not sure..." Luo Ruoxi hesitated, looking at the collapsing Divine Realm.

The Divine Realm 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!

"Since you're not certain, it's better to rely on ourselves... We have to find a way!" Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth: "You, me, my clone, plus the Nine Heavens Nine Emperors, and even Kong Shi—if we coordinate, we might not lose!"

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

"He's dead, right? But he hasn't truly died. If I'm correct, you killing him was just a way for him to escape the Heavenly Dao... He must 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, able to remain undeluded 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 wouldn't have stayed away from Chao Xi Hai..." Zhang Xuan said.

Kong Shi's students, such as Zi Yuan Gu Sheng, were all powerful. Even without an Emperor Jun's help, they could enter Chao Xi Hai, yet none had appeared.

They must have something more important—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 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, he had revived while everyone's attention was on Chao Xi Hai.

"You..." Luo Ruoxi trembled.

She knew Emperor Juns could revive, like the Undying Emperor Jun, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

Kong Shi smiled faintly: "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!"

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

"Even with the three of us, it's not easy to defeat Hen Ren..." Luo Ruoxi 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 Kong Shi wouldn't change the situation.

"Individually, or even united, 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?" Both Luo Ruoxi and Zhang Xuan were puzzled.

"That hand could tear apart the Divine Realm and scatter the Heavenly Dao—its power is undeniable. Hen Ren absorbed that power and devoured the Divine Realm's spiritual energy for fifty years. Any of us ten-plus Emperor Juns alone is no match... But if we unite and concentrate our power into one, it might be different!" Kong Shi explained.

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

It sounded simple, but doing it was hard.

Emperor Juns stood at the peak of the Divine Realm. If it were that easy to absorb others' power, she wouldn't have stagnated for so long.

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

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

"Ling Xi Di Zun cultivates freedom and transcendence, but with her father's and the Heavenly Dao's constraints, and her attachments, she can never truly transcend! If I saw correctly, during our fight, you once gave up and intended to let me kill you!" Kong Shi said.

Luo Ruoxi fell silent.

In their battle, she had indeed considered that, so at the beginning, they had both held back, like sparring rather than a life-or-death fight.

"Unable to transcend, she can't unleash her full power. Even with more true qi, she couldn't impact that supreme realm! As for me..." Kong Shi nodded: "I seek to embrace all living beings and save the world, but I'm unwilling to let others sacrifice for me. Too much benevolence is a flaw! If I had 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 this situation wouldn't have arisen.

"So, I'm not suitable! 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 anew, to die is to long for each other!

If even death doesn't concern him, 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 clone's Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, you can stabilize the Nine Heavens, control the universe, battle the nine skies, and extinguish all things!"

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded, seeing that further explanation was useless.

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 cleansed, 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 clone and the various Emperor Juns was indeed strong, but compared to him, it was still weak.

Chao Xi Hai had devoured nearly all the spiritual energy outside the cities of the Divine Realm, and now that energy had become his nourishment. Every move he made carried the ability to destroy the world. These Emperor Juns and Shen Wangs, despite representing the Divine Realm's peak, were no match.

At this moment, Hen Ren seemed to embody the entire Divine Realm, unstoppable.

"The Divine Realm is doomed; there's no point in us living. I'll go down with you..." Yun Chi Di Jun transformed into his true form, a massive five-clawed golden dragon, lunging at him.

"You? You're not worthy!"

Hen Ren clenched his hand, and the golden dragon was trapped in his palm, struggling futilely.

"My old friend, wait for me!"

Fu Meng Di 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 Di Jun's true form was a massive turtle, as if upholding the heavens.

The four divine beasts, guarding the four poles of the Divine Realm, transformed simultaneously, slowing the collapsing realm.

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

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Hen Ren 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 and prepared to finish them off, he felt his raised arm tighten, stopping in mid-air.

"Want to kill them? Did you ask me first?"

In the shocked gazes of the crowd, a figure stepped 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 quite a bit..."

Hen Ren paused, his gaze serious.

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

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

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 merely 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 difficult! Unless... he can comprehend a power that transcends Emperor Jun!" Kong Shi said after a moment of silence.

Even with the power of over a dozen Emperor Juns 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 surpassing limits.

"A power that transcends 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 this world," Kong Shi said with a smile, seeing her doubt.

...

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 was still no match.

"Ha ha, I thought you were something special, but you're just so-so!"

Hen Ren sneered.

"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 and raised his palm.

Whoosh!

A green light appeared in his palm and slammed down.

It was indeed his strongest attack; the entire Divine 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, and his soul scattered.

"Zhang Xuan..."

Everyone's faces turned pale at the sight.

Luo Qi Qi seemed to go mad.

Yun Chi Di Jun and the others widened their eyes, trembling.

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 Emperor Jun, so why did he choose to face death?

Wasn't this wasting their efforts?

... wait, it's the Undying Emperor Jun's method of immortality..."

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 suddenly burst open. A drop of blood floated up, ignited into a blazing flame, and from within, 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 had escaped it!

"How did he do that?" Kong Shi was full of disbelief.

To escape, he had to scatter his soul and use the You Hun Pool to reform it.

This one had simply been killed once and freed himself—what method had he used?

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

A soul contract bound master and servant, unbreakable unless the master dissolved it... The Heavenly Dao library was like an enhanced version of that, binding the soul indissolubly.

But Hen Ren had used that special power to escape, and Zhang Xuan had asked about the details earlier, likely planning it then.

That's why he deliberately fought to the death, forcing the strongest attack.

And it had succeeded brilliantly!

"So that's the way to break through Emperor Jun..."

The reborn Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, as if understanding something. He waved his hand, and his clone 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 Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, born with the Nine Heavens, could stabilize them. Now, with his clone fused perfectly, he controlled that power.

Not only that, with the fusion of the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus's cultivation, his already peak realm began to loosen, as if ready to 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 in the world. This is what it means to be human!"

Zhang Xuan murmured with a smile.

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

Did the world exist because people observed it, or did people come after the world?

Was it the wind moving or the heart?

This ancient question had puzzled countless people.

But now... it didn't matter.

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

So, after breaking through romantic love, it was the bonds of all living 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.

He had broken through the Emperor Jun barrier!

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

He could now absorb spatial chaos, chaos qi, or even the opponent's green light—all became his, indistinguishable.

"You..."

Hen Ren hadn't expected his full attack not only to fail in killing him but to empower him, and he raged: "Wah wah!"

With a furious shout, he attacked again.

"You resent the high and mighty 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 the Divine Realm to vent your anger—that's emotion; you seek to become 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. 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 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 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 into countless streams of spiritual energy, surging back to various parts of the Divine Realm.

All the power that Chao Xi Hai had devoured was now returned, revitalizing the barren wastelands.

"This..."

"Is he really dead just like that?"

Yun Chi Di Jun, the Undying Emperor Jun, Ling Long Xian Zi, and the others all widened their eyes 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?

Was there truly a realm beyond Emperor Jun?

"He succeeded..."

Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi unclenched their fists.

"This is part of the Heavenly Dao, so 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 Divine Realm's sky with a thunderous ring.

The crumbling Divine Realm visibly stabilized, and the chaotic air currents gathered once more.

The collapsing realm finally stopped, and the depleted spiritual energy slowly revived with Hen Ren's death.

"It seems the Divine 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, and the Divine 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 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 frowned.

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 known as... Nie Ling Xi, the father of Luo Ruoxi in your mouth!"

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

"Correct. 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 lightly.

Zhang Xuan couldn't believe it.

The Divine Realm was created by this person?

Then how strong was he?

"But if the Divine Realm is your creation and you're the Heavenly Dao, why did you let Hen Ren rampage without intervening...?" Zhang Xuan asked.

If not for his breakthrough, the Divine Realm might have completely collapsed. Why had this person done nothing?

Not even caring about his daughter's life?

Nie Yun didn't answer directly and looked at him: "Do you think there's life more powerful than the Divine Realm?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan paused: "There should be..."

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

"I once suspected there was life beyond the Divine Realm, so I tried my utmost 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 Divine Realm might have been wiped out, leaving no life. So, I blocked it, but my incarnated Heavenly Dao was scattered as a result."

"In that state, restoring it would be just a thought, but... I realized that to truly transcend the Divine Realm'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 life could break through the Emperor Jun barrier 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: "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: "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 given to him, 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. In reality, he lost his fearless drive. Facing someone who transcends us, without that spirit, how can he contend?" Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan fell silent.

He had witnessed their battle; Kong Shi had indeed lacked decisiveness.

Perhaps he hadn't wanted to kill Luo Ruoxi.

"But if Kong Shi had won, Luo Ruoxi would have died..." After a moment, Zhang Xuan looked over, his brows furrowed.

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

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

"This..." Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.

Breaking through Emperor Jun was a different concept. If he had been willing, he could have saved her at the last moment without a scratch.

"Ling Xi is the child of my other wife, Luo Qing Cheng, so she took the surname Luo... 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 a 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 to avoid chaos. Otherwise, she might turn the world upside down..."

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

He had no option; who asked him to have won over the daughter?

"The Heavenly Dao library was a thought of mine, both a foundation and a shackle. Your ability to break through it shows your capability and potential. With my daughter by your side, as her father, I'm content."

With that, the text ends.