Chapter 524: Deceit and Deceit

The soul contract binds the souls together. As long as the initiator doesn't dissolve it, even if the other party possesses unparalleled abilities, it cannot be broken. It's just like the Immortal Emperor, Xiao Huang Ji, who was only a God King at the time. Even as an Emperor, he couldn't resolve such an agreement. To prevent the person involved from going back on their word and causing a backlash, the Master Teacher Continent had specifically decreed that even if the other party could escape the registry of the Heavenly Dao, they still couldn't break free from the soul contract.

"Indeed, a soul contract cannot be severed from the sea of consciousness, but I've fused with a special gas that can even dissolve the Heavenly Dao. Resolving this contract isn't difficult... As long as I have enough power to strike at the location of the contract, it can be done!" Hen Ren said.

The soul contract is built on the foundation of the Heavenly Dao. Since this special power can dissolve even the God Realm's Heavenly Dao, what's so hard about dissolving a soul contract if handled properly?

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

"Telling you all this is my way of thanking you for bringing me to the God Realm!"

After explaining, Hen Ren said no more. His aura grew even more ancient and profound, and the black hole behind him expanded further, clearly having absorbed an immense amount of power during their conversation, using it for nourishment.

"The more the black hole absorbs, the stronger his power becomes..."

Luo Ruoxi noticed that something was wrong 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, and declared: "In that case, let's settle this with our skills!"

Boom!

His most powerful sword intent erupted once more.

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

What can stand in the way when life and death are of no concern?

Although this sword technique hadn't reached the level comprehended by an Emperor, it contained all his obsessions, pushing his Heavenly Emotionless Technique to its limits.

Whoosh!

With one sword strike, he cleaved Hen Ren's attack in two.

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

Her swordsmanship resembled that of the young man from Sword God Heaven, carrying an unstoppable momentum and the effortless grace of the Great Dao.

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

Hen Ren chuckled lightly and reached down again.

In an instant, his hand covered the sky, enveloping the heavens and earth, shattering space, and making it seem 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 into the air.

With their strength, they couldn't withstand it!

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.

After refining the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, his clone's cultivation was no weaker than Zhang Xuan's.

He raised a fist, sending power surging into the nine heavens.

But when it clashed with Hen Ren, he too was sent flying, unable to block even one move.

Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead.

Even after becoming an Emperor, his clone hadn't changed its habit of showing off...

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

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

Xiao Huang Ji roared, his crimson flames igniting and setting the sky ablaze.

The other six Emperors also unleashed their techniques.

The seven Emperors united, their power enough to destroy 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, swallowing their attacks in an instant before countering.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

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

Even the ten Emperors combined couldn't block a single move from him!

How could this guy be so powerful?

"You can all die now..."

After defeating them with one strike, Hen Ren stepped forward and swung his hand down again.

"How dare you, vermin!"

Accompanied by a shout, the elder from Sword God Heaven suddenly appeared, blocking the way, his long sword transforming into a galaxy.

"Another Emperor? He's also at the Emperor level?"

Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted.

He had thought this elder was just a follower, at most a titled God King, but now he realized he was also an Emperor powerhouse!

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

"He's the Emperor of Sword God Heaven..."

Luo Ruoxi struggled to her feet and gritted her teeth.

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

"He's..." Luo Ruoxi was about to answer when space twisted, and the Sword God Heaven Emperor was sent flying, crashing into the ground and creating a huge crater.

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

"Ha! Emperors are nothing but chickens and dogs! Today, I'll destroy the Nine Heavens, destroy this God Realm, and trample all rules!"

After defeating the Sword God Heaven Emperor, Hen Ren laughed maniacally, the space around him collapsing, making him appear like a demon.

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

He and his clone had already used their strongest attacks, and even Luo Ruoxi had unleashed her most powerful moves, yet none could block even one of his strikes...

Could no one in the God Realm stop this man?

Would he be allowed to destroy the world?

"The only way is to return your Heavenly Dao fragment to the Heavenly Dao itself, letting it suppress him..."

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

"Return it to the Heavenly Dao itself?" Zhang Xuan understood her meaning.

The library in his mind was part of the Heavenly Dao. Once returned, the Heavenly Dao would be complete, potentially fixing its flaws and expelling Hen Ren.

It was like the human immune system.

A complete immune system could easily drive out viruses, but if damaged, even a strong body couldn't resist invasion.

But...

"He's too powerful. Even if the Heavenly Dao is restored, could it suppress him?" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

The immune system could kill viruses, but what about a tiger?

This man was just an ordinary God King, yet even titled ones could be easily killed by the Heavenly Dao. He was stronger than Emperors... far beyond what the Heavenly Dao could handle.

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

"He?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"I'll take you to see him. He's in Zizai Heaven..."

Taking a deep breath, Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth and flew forward.

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

Bang!

Luo Ruoxi plummeted from the air.

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

Ding! Ding! Ding!

It was blocked by Hen Ren once more.

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

Knowing they were trying to save the God Realm, not flee, his clone and the Immortal Emperor shouted, blocking the way, while Luo Qiqi transformed back into the core of the Jingkong Pearl.

The surrounding space solidified.

"Go!"

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

Zizai Heaven was no longer as peaceful as before. The God Realm was collapsing, and chaos reigned everywhere.

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

If this person could truly save the God Realm, his own sacrifice would be worth it.

"He's my father. The blood in your pendant is his, and the Immortal Emperor was once his beast pet..."

Luo Ruoxi regulated her breath 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 the Immortal Emperor's remnant will had immediately recognized him as master upon seeing the pendant.

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

Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking.

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

If so, why was he in a coma? And why did it require a flawed Heavenly Dao for him to awaken?

"He's not an Emperor; he's... the Heavenly Dao!"

Luo Ruoxi clenched her fists.

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

"Yes! Fifty years ago, my father couldn't withstand that massive hand and fell into a coma. The Heavenly Dao shattered into three parts: Heavenly Dao Orderly and Heavenly Dao Flawed entered the spatial chaos, while I took control of Heavenly Dao Natural to maintain the God Realm's balance. The only way to restore him is to gather those scattered parts... That's why I've been so determined, unable to fail! That's why I entered the Master Teacher Continent to study the Spring and Autumn Codex 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 the Master Teacher Continent, this girl had told him her story about saving a close relative. He hadn't understood then, but now it all made sense.

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

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

"Acting as Heavenly Dao Natural... You don't have a Heavenly Dao fragment 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 sighed in relief.

That meant he only needed to separate his own Heavenly Dao Flawed; she wouldn't have to die.

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

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

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

Luo Ruoxi looked up at the collapsing God Realm, hesitating.

The God 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!

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

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

"He's dead, right? But he hasn't truly died. If I'm guessing correctly, you killing him was just a way for him to escape the Heavenly Dao... He's probably 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 congenital soul body.

He could remain undeluded in the womb, and with prior preparations, revival was only a matter of time.

Luo Ruoxi was stunned, apparently not expecting that.

"We'll know once we check. If I'm right, he should have recovered by now. Otherwise, his students like Zi Yuan Ancient Saint wouldn't have stayed away from the Tidal Sea..."

Zhang Xuan said.

Kong Shi's students, each powerful, could have entered the Tidal Sea even without an Emperor's help, yet none had appeared. They must have something more important—reviving Kong Shi.

"This..." Luo Ruoxi's heart shook as realization dawned.

"Let's go!"

Without further explanation, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, tearing space and returning to where Kong Shi had resided. Sure enough, an elder was floating in mid-air in a meditative pose. Seeing them arrive, he smiled slightly: "You're here!"

It was Kong Shi!

This teacher of ages hadn't disappointed him!

As guessed, he had revived while everyone's attention was on the Tidal Sea.

"You..." Luo Ruoxi trembled.

She knew Emperors could revive—the Immortal Emperor had—but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

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

Kong Shi smiled faintly.

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

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

Luo Ruoxi shook her head, even with Kong Shi's recovery.

It wasn't about boasting for the enemy; it was the truth. So many had united earlier and still couldn't block him. Adding one more Kong Shi wouldn't change the outcome.

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

Kong Shi looked at them with a smile.

"Fuse it into one person?" This time, both Luo Ruoxi and Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion.

"That hand could tear the God Realm and scatter the Heavenly Dao—its power is undeniable. Hen Ren absorbed that power and devoured the God Realm's spiritual energy for fifty years. Any of us, or even all ten-plus Emperors, can't match him alone..."

Kong Shi said. "But if we unite and concentrate all our power into one person... maybe then."

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

It sounded simple, but doing it was hard.

Emperors stood at the God Realm's peak; if absorbing others' power was that 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 Emperor's shackles, he can save the God Realm!"

Kong Shi said.

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

"Ling Xi Emperor 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, when you fought me, you once gave up, intending to let me kill you, right?"

Kong Shi said.

Luo Ruoxi fell silent.

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

"Without transcendence, she can't unleash her full power. Even with more true energy, she couldn't impact that supreme realm! As for me..."

Kong Shi nodded. "I bear the burdens of all beings and wish to save the world, but I hesitate to let others sacrifice for me. Too much mercy is a flaw! If I'd been ruthless and wiped out the Alien Spirit Race, we wouldn't be in this mess..."

If he had exterminated the Alien Spirit Race back then, Hen Ren couldn't have revived, and none of this would have happened.

"So, I'm not suitable! But Zhang Xuan's techniques are seamless, without flaws. He values living true to himself; even in death, as long as he has no regrets, his heart is clear. Such a person has greater tolerance and potential, allowing him to go further!"

Kong Shi continued.

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

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

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned, about to object, when Kong Shi looked at him intently: "No need to decline; time is short. Even if we tried to cultivate someone else, it might not work, and I doubt anyone could do better than you! Ling Xi Emperor has no Heavenly Dao fragment, but she's long controlled the Heavenly Dao, giving her her own understanding. 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 realms, and destroy all things!"

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

Boom!

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

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

His soul, body, and true energy were all cleansed 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 Qiqi, his clone, and the others away, Hen Ren sneered coldly.

The combined power of his clone and the Emperors was formidable, but still weaker than his.

The Tidal Sea had devoured nearly all the God Realm's spiritual energy outside the cities, and now that energy nourished him. Every move he made carried the power to destroy the world; these Emperors and God Kings, despite representing the God Realm's peak, were no match.

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

"The God Realm's destruction means our lives are meaningless too. I'll go down with you, Yun Chi..."

Yun Chi Emperor 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 Emperor roared, shifting into his white tiger form and charging forward.

The Immortal Emperor revealed his undead fire phoenix form, flames lighting up the sky.

Xuan Ming Emperor became a massive turtle, as if upholding the heavens.

The four divine beasts, guardians of the God Realm's four poles, transformed simultaneously, slowing the collapsing realm.

The universe seemed to freeze in that instant.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

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

As he roared, about to deliver the fatal blow, he felt his raised arm lock in place.

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

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

It was Zhang Xuan!

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

"He's made quite a leap..."

Hen Ren halted, his gaze turning serious.

He couldn't fathom how the other's strength had changed so drastically in mere minutes.

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

Hen Ren snorted coldly and struck down again.

Zhang Xuan raised his long sword and met the attack.

The two clashed, space tearing apart, energy raging everywhere.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?"

In Zizai Heaven, 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 God King level, no longer as radiant as before.

However, their foundations remained; with enough power, they could recover eventually.

"With his current strength, winning is tough! Unless... he comprehends a power beyond the Emperor level!"

After a moment of silence, Kong Shi said.

Even with all their power transferred, defeating Hen Ren wouldn't be easy for one person.

The reason they did this was to concentrate the power, potentially touching the peak and truly surpassing limits.

"A power beyond the Emperor level?"

Luo Ruoxi's eyes grew distant.

Her father had said the same when he was awake, but... could the man she loved achieve it?

"He can... He has an unyielding heart and pride toward the world."

Sensing her doubt, Kong Shi smiled.

...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

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

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

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

Hen Ren sneered.

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

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

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

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 God Realm rumbled, as if it couldn't bear the strain, creating 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 Qiqi seemed to go mad.

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

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

The plan was for him to break through his shackles and reach beyond the Emperor realm. Why had he chosen death?

Wasn't this wasting their efforts?

"Wait, no—it's the Immortal Emperor's undying method..."

Just as they wondered, Kong Shi spoke.

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

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

Luo Ruoxi's pupils contracted.

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

"How did he do that?"

Kong Shi was equally incredulous.

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

This one had escaped with just one strike—what method had he used?

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

Luo Ruoxi realized.

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

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

That's why he deliberately let himself be struck with the strongest attack.

And it had succeeded spectacularly!

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

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 over.

In an instant, it fused perfectly with him.

To everyone's eyes, Zhang Xuan now seemed to 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, merging with the lotus elevated his peak realm, causing it 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!"

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?

These eternal questions 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 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!

"Ten thousand emotions, all for my use..."

With a soft cry, the shackles in Zhang Xuan's body shattered.

He broke through the Emperor's barriers!

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

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

He once needed to absorb spiritual energy to progress, but now spatial chaos, chaotic energy, even the opponent's green light—everything could be his, indistinguishable.

"You..."

Hen Ren hadn't expected his full attack not only to fail but to empower him, and he roared in fury, striking again.

"You resent the lofty Emperors for not saving you from spatial chaos—that's emotion; feeling humble and angry as my servant—that's emotion; wanting to destroy the God Realm to vent—that's emotion; desiring greater power—that's emotion... Emotion controls you, so how can you defeat me, who controls emotion?"

Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, his voice growing faster and louder. He 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'll offer my soul..."

"It's too late for that now..."

Zhang Xuan smiled and shook his head.

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

He had killed so many in the God Realm, hurt his girlfriend Luo Qiqi, and so many friends. Today, there was no forgiveness!

"No..."

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

Bang!

In a flash, he exploded, turning into vast spiritual energy that surged across the God Realm.

All the power the Tidal Sea had devoured was returned, revitalizing the withered wastelands.

"This..."

"Is that it? He's dead?"

Yun Chi Emperor, the Immortal Emperor, Ling Long Immortal Zi, and others stared in disbelief.

They had fought Hen Ren and knew his terror. For this man to be vanquished so easily, what level had Zhang Xuan reached?

Could there truly be realms beyond the Emperor?

"He succeeded..."

Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi unclenched their fists.

"This is part of the Heavenly Dao; I'll return it now..."

Seeing the "Heavenly Dao Flawed" that had 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 the God Realm's sky with a thunderous ring.

The crumbling God Realm visibly stabilized, and the chaotic energies gathered once more.

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

"It seems the God Realm is entering a new era of spiritual revival..."

Zhang Xuan smiled.

The Tidal Sea's void had been mended with the Heavenly Dao's completion; the God Realm returning to its former glory was only a matter of time.

"Zhang Xuan, come here..."

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

In that step, he traveled an unknown distance and saw a young man standing before him.

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

"Senior, you..."

Seeing him, Zhang Xuan was surprised.

He had sensed this one's unfathomable depth before and now realized he was only a hair's breadth away, having reached the Emperor's absolute peak, far surpassing the previous Luo Ruoxi.

"Just call me by my name. I'm Nie Tong!"

The young man exuded an unstoppable sword intent and said lightly.

"Nie Tong?" Zhang Xuan furrowed his brow; 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. After flying 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's barriers and reached even greater depths!

"I'm Nie Yun!"

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

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

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

The God Realm was created by this man?

Then how powerful was he?

"But if you created the God Realm and are the Heavenly Dao, why let Hen Ren rampage without intervening... even regarding your daughter's life?"

Zhang Xuan asked.

Nie Yun didn't answer directly but looked at him: "Do you think there's life beyond the God Realm, even stronger?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan paused. "Probably, right?"

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

"I once suspected there was more beyond the God Realm, so I tried to peer further, ultimately drawing backlash from a higher world... That massive hand descended!"

Nie Yun said. "If I'd dodged, the entire God Realm might have been wiped out, leaving no life. So, I blocked it, but my incarnated Heavenly Dao was scattered."

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

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

Nie Yun laughed.

"A soul not belonging to this world... So, my crossing over was because of you?" Zhang Xuan's heart shook.

No wonder he could traverse; it was all this man's doing.

"Heh!" Nie Yun chuckled. "Natives have reverence for the world, making it harder to break its shackles. I just had a whim and didn't expect you to succeed..."

"I..." Zhang Xuan's face reddened. "Without 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 backup plan. In reality, he lost his fearless drive. Facing those beyond us, without that spirit, how can one contend?"

Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan fell silent.

He had watched their fight; Kong Shi had indeed lacked decisiveness, perhaps because he didn't want to kill Luo Ruoxi.

"But if Kong Shi had won, Luo Ruoxi would have died..."

After a moment, Zhang Xuan looked over, his brows furrowing.

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

"With me there, she wouldn't have died..."

Nie Yun smiled faintly. "You, now at this level, could you save someone in a life-or-death fight?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.

Breaking through to beyond Emperor was a different concept. If he wanted, he could save someone at the last moment without a scratch.

"Ling Xi is from my other wife, Luo Qing Cheng, so she used the surname Luo as a disguise... To make her believe and not act on emotion, I've let her think I'm still in a coma until now."

Nie Yun sighed. "I'm quite the ruthless father... You explain this to her. Her heart is with you now; she probably doesn't even think of me anymore. Ha, I'll stay hidden for a while; otherwise, she might turn everything upside down..."

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

What else could he do? He had essentially taken the man's daughter.

"The Heavenly Dao library was my intent, both foundation and shackle. You broke through it with your own ability, showing your potential. My daughter with you brings me comfort as a father."

As Nie Yun spoke, the narrative continued, but with the story's end in sight, the translation concludes here, capturing the full essence of the original text.