Chapter 518: The Swindler

The soul contract binds the souls together; as long as one party does not release it, even if the other has heaven-piercing abilities, it cannot be undone.

It's like with Bu Si Di Jun, also known as Xiao Huang Ji, who was once only a Shen Wang, but even as a Di Jun, he couldn't resolve such an agreement. To prevent this individual from reneging and causing backlash, the Ming Shi Da Lu specifically decreed that even if one could escape the Heavenly Dao's registry, they could not break the soul contract.

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

Soul contracts are based on the Heavenly Dao, and since this special power can resolve even the Shen Jie Heavenly Dao, resolving a soul contract is straightforward if handled properly.

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

"And I've told you all this as a way to thank you for bringing me to Shen Jie!"

After explaining, Hen Ren said no more. His aura grew even more ancient and profound, and the black hole behind him expanded further, clearly having absorbed an immense amount of power in that short time to nourish himself.

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

With his doubts cleared, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and raised his long sword:"Alright, let's settle this with our skills!"

A thunderous boom echoed as 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 had not reached the level comprehended by a Di Jun, it contained all his obsessions, pushing his Tian Ruo You Qing cultivation to its limits.

With a whoosh, his sword split Hen Ren's attack in two.

At the same time, Luo Ruoxi struck out, her jade hand swirling as her sword light gleamed like snow.

Her sword style was somewhat similar to that of the youth from Jian Shen Tian, carrying an unstoppable momentum and the effortless grace of the great dao.

Hen Ren chuckled lightly:"Your moves are impressive, but compared to me, they still fall short..."

With a smile, he reached down again, his hand blotting out the sky and covering the earth, shattering space and making it seem as though the sun, moon, and stars would be pulled down.

Thud! Thud!

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

Despite their strength, they could not withstand him!

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, exuding an air of supreme elegance.

Having refined the Jiu Tian Hun Dun Jin Lian, his cultivation was in no way inferior to Zhang Xuan's.

He threw a punch that soared into the heavens.

But upon clashing with Hen Ren, he too was sent flying, unable to block even one move.

Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead.

Even after becoming a Di Jun, his clone hadn't lost 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 igniting the sky as if setting it ablaze.

The other six Di Juns also unleashed their techniques.

The seven Di Juns united, their power enough to destroy heavens and earth, but Hen Ren's black hole suddenly expanded, swallowing their attacks in an instant before countering.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

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

Even ten Di Juns combined couldn't block a single move from him!

How could he 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 insolent fool!"

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.

Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted."Di Jun? He's also at the Di Jun level?"

He had thought this elder was just a attendant, at most a Feng Hao Shen Wang, but now he realized he was a Di Jun powerhouse!

If he was a Di Jun, then what about that youth?

Struggling to his feet, Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth:"He's a Di Jun from Jian Shen Tian..."

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

Luo Ruoxi was about to answer when the space twisted, and they saw the Jian Shen Tian Di Jun sent flying, crashing into the ground and forming a huge crater.

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

Hen Ren laughed maniacally:"Ha ha, Di Juns, a bunch of insignificant creatures! Today, I'll destroy the nine heavens, annihilate Shen Jie, and trample all rules!"

After defeating the Jian Shen Tian Di Jun, Hen Ren's laughter echoed as the surrounding space collapsed, making him appear demonic and otherworldly.

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

He and his clone had used their full power, and even Luo Ruoxi had unleashed her strongest moves, yet none could block even one of his attacks...

Could no one in Shen Jie stop this man?

Would he be allowed to destroy the world?

Luo Ruoxi's delicate fists tightened, her eyes reddening:"The only way... is to return your Tian Dao You Que to the Heavenly Dao itself, letting it suppress him..."

"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 Hen Ren.

It was like the body's immune system.

A complete immune system could easily fend off viruses, but if damaged, even a strong body 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 beyond an ordinary Shen Wang; even beyond Di Juns... He was no longer something the Heavenly Dao could handle.

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

"He?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"I'll take you to see him; he's in Zi Zai Tian..." Luo Ruoxi took a deep breath, gritting her teeth as she flew forward.

"Thinking of escaping?"

Hen Ren snorted coldly and pressed down.

Bang!

Luo Ruoxi plummeted from the air.

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

Clang! Clang! Clang!

But it was blocked by Hen Ren once more.

"You all go; I'll hold him off..."

Knowing they were trying to save Shen Jie, not flee, his clone and Bu Si Di Zun shouted, blocking the way, while Luo Qi Qi transformed back into her Jing Kong Zhu form.

The surrounding space solidified.

"Go!"

Seeing everyone risking their lives without fear of death, Zhang Xuan's eyes reddened, but he knew now wasn't the time for words. He pulled Luo Ruoxi along, tearing through space and arriving in Zi Zai Tian's range.

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

"Where is the person you mentioned?"

With no time to observe the ordinary lives around them, Zhang Xuan looked at the girl in his arms.

If this person could truly save Shen Jie, he was willing to sacrifice himself!

"He's my father; the blood in your pendant is his, and Bu Si Di Jun was once his beast pet..." Luo Ruoxi steadied her breathing and explained.

"Father?"

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

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

That also explained why Bu Si Di Jun's remnant will had submitted to him upon seeing the pendant.

"Is your father also a Di Jun? Or does he possess strength beyond?"

He couldn't help asking.

The library's chaos had been calmed by the pendant's blood, so was her father not only a Di Jun but 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 Di Jun; he's... the Heavenly Dao!"

Luo Ruoxi clenched her fists.

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

"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 Zi Ran to maintain Shen Jie'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 Ming Shi Da Lu to study the Chun Qiu Da Dian and find a way to defeat Kong Shi! And when I fought Kong Shi, what I asked of him was for this."

Luo Ruoxi explained.

Zhang Xuan finally understood.

Not long after they met on Ming Shi Da Lu, this girl had shared her story with him about saving a dear one, and now it all made sense—it was her father, the Shen Jie Heavenly Dao!

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

Suddenly realizing something odd in her words, Zhang Xuan looked over:"You control Tian Dao Zi Ran... but you don't have a fragment of the Heavenly Dao in you?"

Controlling it was different from fusing it into oneself.

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

Zhang Xuan sighed in relief.

That meant he only needed to separate his own Tian Dao You Que; she wouldn't have to die.

Though he was reluctant to accept this fate, he didn't want the girl before him to suffer.

"If I separate the Tian Dao You Que from me, 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 Shen Jie.

Shen Jie was her father's foundation, and now it was in ruins. Even if he awoke, could he defeat such a powerful Hen Ren?

It was hard to say!

Seeing her uncertainty, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth:"It seems you can't be sure. In that case, better to rely on ourselves... With you, me, my clone, and the Jiu Tian Jiu Di, and even Kong Shi if we add him, we might still win!"

"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, able to remain undeluded even in the womb.

With his prior preparations, 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 were all powerful; even without a Di Jun's help, they could enter Chao Xi Hai, yet none had appeared.

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

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

"Let's go!"

Without further explanation, Zhang Xuan tore through space and returned to where Kong Shi resided. There, they saw an elder floating in mid-air in meditation. Seeing them arrive, he smiled slightly:"You're here!"

Who else could it be but Kong Shi?

This teacher of ages had not disappointed him!

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

"You..." Luo Ruoxi trembled.

She knew Di Juns could revive, as Bu Si Di Jun had, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

Kong Shi smiled faintly:"I concealed myself from the Heavenly Dao and prepared in advance. That nameless giant in the You Hun Pool was my backup. 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 a master of time; though only a day or two had passed in Shen Jie, he had experienced much longer to restore his power—years, even decades.

"Our individual strengths are formidable, and together we're strong, but defeating Hen Ren won't be easy..." Luo Ruoxi shook her head.

This wasn't to boost the enemy or undermine themselves; it was the truth.

Even with so many joining forces earlier, they couldn't block him; adding Kong Shi wouldn't change much.

"If we fight alone 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 Shen Jie apart and scatter the Heavenly Dao, its power undeniable. Hen Ren absorbed that force and devoured Shen Jie's spiritual energy for fifty years; any one of us, or even all ten-plus Di Juns together, can't compare..."

Kong Shi explained:"But if we concentrate all our power into one person... it might be different!"

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

It sounded simple, but doing it was hard.

Di Juns stood at Shen Jie's peak; if absorbing others' power were easy, she wouldn't have stagnated for so long.

"It's simple... We'll channel our power into Zhang Xuan. Once he breaks through the Di Jun constraints, he can save Shen Jie!"

Kong Shi said.

"Me? Why me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"Ling Xi Di Zun cultivates freedom and transcendence, but with his father's and the Heavenly Dao's restraints, and his attachments, he 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 start, they had held back, more like sparring than a fight to the death.

"Without transcendence, he can't unleash his full power. Even with more true qi, he couldn't break through to the highest realm! As for me..."

Kong Shi nodded:"I seek to embrace all beings and enlighten 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..."

Back then, exterminating the Yi Ling clan would have prevented Hen Ren's revival.

"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 clear. Such a person has greater tolerance and potential, allowing him to go higher and farther!"

Kong Shi continued.

To live is to return, to die is to long for each other!

If even death means nothing, what else could bind him?

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned, about to say something, but Kong Shi's gaze was firm:"Don't refuse; there's no time. Training someone else isn't feasible now, and even if it were, I doubt anyone could do it better than you! Ling Xi Di Zun 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 infuse our power into you, you'll have the complete Heavenly Dao force! Combined with your clone's Jiu Tian Hun Dun Jin Lian, you can stabilize the nine heavens, command the universe, battle the nine realms, and destroy all things!"

"Alright!"

Seeing their decision was set, Zhang Xuan nodded.

With a rumble, he sat in meditation, and in an instant, 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 purified in that moment, 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.

The combined power of the clone and the Di Juns was indeed formidable, but still weaker than him.

Chao Xi Hai had devoured nearly all of Shen Jie's spiritual energy outside the cities, and now that energy had become his sustenance. Every move he made carried the power to destroy worlds; these Di Juns and Shen Wangs, despite representing Shen Jie's pinnacle, were no match.

At that moment, Hen Ren seemed to embody Shen Jie itself, unstoppable.

"Shen Jie is doomed; living means nothing. I'll go down with you..."

Yun Chi Da Di 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.

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

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

The four divine beasts, guardians of Shen Jie's four corners, transformed simultaneously, slowing the collapsing world.

For a moment, the universe seemed to freeze.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Hen Ren struck four times, suppressing the four beasts, his eyes flashing with killing intent:"Since you're seeking death, I'll grant it..."

As he roared and raised his hand to finish them, he felt a sudden tightness, freezing in place.

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

In the shocked gazes of all, a figure stepped out from the air.

It was Zhang Xuan!

Now, his power surged, ten times stronger than before, descending like a world unto itself.

Hen Ren paused, his gaze serious:"You've improved a lot..."

He clearly didn't understand how the other's strength had changed so drastically in such a short time.

"But so what? Even at its peak, Shen Jie couldn't withstand me; I don't believe you can!"

With a cold snort, Hen Ren struck down again.

Zhang Xuan raised his long sword and met the attack.

The two clashed, space tearing and energy raging everywhere.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?"

Back 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 cultivations to only Shen Wang level, no longer as glorious as before.

But their foundations remained; with enough power, they could recover someday.

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

Even with the power of over a dozen Di Juns infused into him, defeating Hen Ren wouldn't be easy.

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

"A power beyond Di Jun?"

Luo Ruoxi's eyes grew distant.

Her father had once said the same to her, but... could the man she loved achieve it?

"He can... He has an unyielding heart and an arrogant 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 him, he wasn't a match.

Hen Ren laughed coldly:"Ha, I thought you were something special, but you're just this!"

Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and stopped attacking, looking at Hen Ren:"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..."

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

Hearing this, Hen Ren paused, then snorted and raised his hand.

Whoosh!

A green light appeared in his palm and slammed down.

It was indeed his strongest attack; the entire Shen Jie rumbled as if it couldn't bear the weight, forming a massive crater.

Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and didn't dodge.

Bang!

His head exploded, his soul scattering.

"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 in shock, trembling.

Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi were also stunned.

The plan was for him to break through the constraints, not surrender to death!

Hadn't he just wasted their efforts?

But then Kong Shi spoke:"Wait, it's Bu Si Di Jun's undying method..."

Everyone saw that as Zhang Xuan's head burst and his soul shattered, the pendant on his chest exploded, a drop of blood floating up and igniting into a blazing flame. From the flame, an intact figure slowly emerged.

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

The reborn Zhang Xuan no longer had the Heavenly Dao library in him; he was free from its interference and unbound from the Heavenly Dao!

"How did he do that?"

Kong Shi was incredulous.

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

Yet Zhang Xuan had achieved it with just one strike—what method had he used?

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

A soul contract bound master and servant; without release, the servant was forever constrained... The Heavenly Dao library was like an enhanced version of that.

But Hen Ren had used that special power to escape, and Zhang Xuan had asked about it in detail before, likely planning this then.

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

Leveraging that power for rebirth, it had succeeded brilliantly!

"Oh, so this is the way to break through Di Jun..."

The Zhang Xuan emerging from the flames smiled faintly, as if enlightened. He waved his hand, and his clone instantly turned back into a lotus flower and flew to him.

In an instant, it fused perfectly with him.

Everyone felt that the Zhang Xuan before them had become the nine heavens, and the nine heavens were him.

He lightly stamped his foot on the ground.

The chaotic nine heavens stabilized immediately.

The Jiu Tian Hun Dun Jin Lian, born with the nine heavens, could stabilize them; now, with the clone fused seamlessly, he controlled that power.

Not only that, with the fusion and his cultivation at its peak, his realm began to loosen, as if breakthrough was imminent.

"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!"

Smiling, Zhang Xuan murmured to himself.

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

Is it the world that exists first, or people who perceive it?

Is it the wind moving, or the heart?

These eternal questions had puzzled countless people.

But now... they didn't matter.

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

So, after breaking through romantic love comes the affection for all beings—the intertwined emotions of the world.

All things 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!

With a soft cry, Zhang Xuan said:"All emotions are for my use..."

The constraints in his body shattered in an instant.

He had broken through the Di Jun barrier!

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

Countless chaotic energies surged toward him, and his body advanced swiftly.

He could now absorb spatial chaos, chaotic energy—even the opponent's green light—as his own, without distinction.

"You..."

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

With an angry shout, he attacked again.

Zhang Xuan smiled faintly:"Your resentment toward the lofty Di Juns for not saving you in the spatial chaos is emotion; feeling humble and angry as my servant is emotion; wanting to destroy Shen Jie to vent your fury is emotion; desiring to grow stronger is also emotion... Emotion controls you; how can you defeat me, or escape my control?"

As his voice grew faster and louder, Zhang Xuan gently grasped his hand.

The once-unstoppable 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..."

"Now it's too late to say that..." Zhang Xuan smiled and shook his head.

Having control over the world's emotions, such servant bonds meant nothing to him.

He had killed so many in Shen Jie, harmed his girlfriend Luo Qi Qi and so many friends; how could he forgive that today?

"No..."

Sensing his resolve, Hen Ren's pupils shrank, but before he could finish, intense pain wracked his body.

Bang!

In an instant, he exploded into countless spiritual energies surging back to Shen Jie.

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

"This..."

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 him to be vanquished so easily, what level had Zhang Xuan reached?

Could there truly be a realm beyond Di Jun?

"He succeeded..."

Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi unclenched their fists.

Seeing the "Tian Dao You Que" that had been separated from him still floating in the air, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and flicked his finger.

Buzz!

The library that had accompanied him since rebirth embedded itself into Shen Jie's sky with a thunderous ring.

The crumbling Shen Jie visibly stabilized, and the chaotic energies gathered once more.

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

"It seems Shen Jie is about to enter an era of spiritual energy revival..." Zhang Xuan smiled.

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

"Zhang Xuan, come here..."

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

That step took him an unknown distance, where he saw a youth standing before him.

It was the one who had taught him the sword.

"Senior, you..."

Seeing it was him, Zhang Xuan was surprised.

He had sensed this person's unfathomable depth before, and now realized he was only a step away, having reached the absolute peak of Di Jun, 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; it was a name he'd never heard.

"Come with me; I'll take you to see my brother!" Nie Tong smiled and stepped forward.

Zhang Xuan followed closely, flying an unknown distance before stopping at a mountain peak.

There, he saw another youth.

His appearance was only slightly 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 Di Jun barrier, and his cultivation was deeper and more profound!

The youth smiled faintly:"I'm Nie Yun... 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 Shen Jie Heavenly Dao?"

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

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

Zhang Xuan could hardly believe it.

Shen Jie was created by this man?

Then how powerful must he be?

"But if Shen Jie is your creation and you're the Heavenly Dao, why did you let Hen Ren rampage without intervening... Even your daughter's life was at risk?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

Nie Yun didn't answer his question directly:"Do you think... beyond Shen Jie, there are even more powerful beings?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan hesitated:"Probably, right?"

Though he hadn't seen any, since this man could reach such a level, others might too, or even exceed him.

"I once suspected that beyond Shen Jie lay greater powers, so I tried to peer into it with all my might, ultimately drawing a backlash from a higher world... A massive hand descended!"

Nie Yun continued:"If I'd dodged, Shen Jie might have been utterly destroyed, leaving no life. So, I blocked it, but my incarnated Heavenly Dao was shattered.

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

He added:"That's why I sent the scattered Heavenly Dao intents to the lowest worlds... Granting them to souls belonging to this world and one not from here. And you didn't disappoint me!"

Nie Yun laughed.

"A soul not from this world—so, my crossing over was because of you?" Zhang Xuan's heart shook.

He never thought his arrival was orchestrated by this man.

Nie Yun chuckled:"Beings native to this world have reverence for it, making it harder to break its constraints. 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, it 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 retreat, thinking he had a way out. In reality, he lost his drive to advance fearlessly. Facing someone beyond us, without that spirit, how can you 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 hesitation cost him the chance.

"Even if Kong Shi won, Luo Ruoxi would die..." Zhang Xuan said after a moment, his brows furrowing.

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

"With me here, she wouldn't die..." Nie Yun smiled:"Your current strength is nearly mine; in a life-or-death situation, could you save someone?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.

Breaking through Di Jun was a different realm; if this man had acted, he could have saved her without a scratch.

"Ling Xi is from 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 the heartless father... You should 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 don't want her turning everything upside down... "

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

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

Nie Yun continued:"Your future is boundless..."