Chapter 528: Illusions

The soul contract, known as Ling Hun Qi Yue, binds souls together, and it cannot be dissolved unless the one who initiated it chooses to do so, no matter how powerful the other party might be.

For instance, take Bu Si Di Jun, also called Xiao Huang Ji, who was once only a Shen Wang. Even as a Di Jun, he could not break such an agreement.

To prevent this individual from reneging and causing backlash, the Ming Shi Da Lu had specifically decreed that even if someone could escape the Book of Heaven Dao, they still could not free themselves from the soul contract.

"Ling Hun Qi Yue indeed cannot be separated from the sea of consciousness, but I have merged with a special gas that can even dissolve Heaven Dao. Dissolving this contract is not difficult... As long as I have enough power to strike at the point where the contract resides, it can be done!" Hen Ren explained.

The Ling Hun Qi Yue is built on the foundation of Heaven Dao. Since this special power can dissolve even the Heaven Dao of Shen Jie, resolving a mere soul contract is straightforward if handled properly.

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

"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 immense power during their conversation to nourish himself.

"The more the black hole absorbs, the stronger his power becomes..." Luo Ruoxi noticed 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, "If that's the case, let's settle this with our skills!"

Boom!

His most powerful sword intent erupted once again. In life, I shall return; in death, I shall long for you! What could stand in the way when life and death hold no fear?

Though this sword technique had not reached the level comprehended by a Di Jun, it contained all of his inner obsessions, pushing his Tian Ruo You Qing cultivation to its limits.

Whoosh!

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

At the same moment, Luo Ruoxi struck as well, her jade hand swirling as sword light fell like snow. Her sword style bore some resemblance to that of the young man from Jian Shen Tian, carrying an unstoppable momentum and the effortless grace of aligning with the Great Dao.

"Your moves are impressive, but compared to me, they still fall short..." Hen Ren chuckled lightly and reached down again.

In an instant, his hand covered the sky, enveloping the heavens and earth, shattering space, and making it seem as though the sun, moon, and stars were about to be pulled down by force.

Thud! Thud!

Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxi were both sent flying backward, spitting blood into the air as they went. Despite their strength, they could not withstand him! Just what realm had this guy reached?

"Outrageous!" Zhang Xuan's clone strode forward, each step blooming with lotus flowers and echoing with the sound of flowing water in the void.

From afar, it looked incredibly imposing.

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

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

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

Zhang Xuan pressed a hand to 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!

"Join forces, or we'll all die if they fall..." Xiao Huang Ji roared, his crimson flames igniting and setting the sky ablaze.

The other six Di Jun also unleashed their techniques. The seven Di Jun 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 as their attacks approached, swallowing everything in an instant before countering.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The seven Di Jun, along with Zhang Xuan and the others, were all sent flying. Even the ten Di Jun 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 strike, Hen Ren stepped forward and swung his hand down again.

"You dare, you vermin!" With a loud shout, the elder from Jian Shen Tian suddenly appeared, blocking the way, his long sword transforming into a river of stars.

"A Di Jun? And he's also at the Di Jun level?" Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted.

He had thought this elder was just a follower, at most a Feng Hao Shen Wang, but now he realized the man was a Di Jun powerhouse! If he was a Di Jun, then what about that young man?

"He's the Di Jun of Jian Shen Tian..." Luo Ruoxi struggled to her feet and gritted her teeth.

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

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

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

"Ha! Di Jun? Just a bunch of insignificant pests! Today, I'll destroy the nine heavens, wipe out Shen Jie, and trample all rules!" After defeating the Jian Shen Tian elder, Hen Ren laughed wildly, the space around him collapsing, making him seem 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 Shen Jie stop this man? Would he be allowed to destroy the world?

"The only way is to return your Tian Dao You Que to the essence of Heaven Dao, letting Heaven Dao suppress him..." Luo Ruoxi's delicate fists clenched, her eyes reddening.

"Return to the essence of Heaven Dao?" Zhang Xuan understood her meaning. The library in his mind was part of Heaven Dao. Once returned, Heaven Dao would be complete, potentially fixing the flaws and expelling Hen Ren. It was like the immune system of the body. A complete immune system could easily drive out viruses, but if damaged, even a strong body could succumb to invasion.

But...

"He's too powerful. Even if Heaven Dao is restored, could it 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 or even a Feng Hao; he surpassed Di Jun... far beyond what Heaven 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 Heaven 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 You Tian..." Luo Ruoxi took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and flew forward.

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

Bang!

Luo Ruoxi plummeted from the air.

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

Ding! Ding! Ding!

It was blocked by Hen Ren once more.

"You all go—I'll hold him off..." Knowing they were trying to save Shen Jie, not flee, Zhang Xuan's 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 blocking fearlessly, even facing death, Zhang Xuan's eyes reddened, but he knew it wasn't the time for words. He pulled Luo Ruoxi along, tore through space, and in the next moment, they arrived in Zi You Tian's domain.

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

"Where is he?" Zhang Xuan asked the girl in his arms, ignoring the ordinary lives around them. 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 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 Bu Si Di Jun's remnant will had recognized him as master upon seeing the pendant.

"Is your father also a Di Jun? Or does he possess strength beyond Di Jun?" 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 a Di Jun but even more powerful? If so, why was he in a coma? And why did it require Tian Dao You Que to awaken him?

"He's not a Di Jun—he's Heaven Dao!" Luo Ruoxi clenched her fists.

"Heaven Dao? Your father... is Heaven 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. Heaven 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! That's why I entered 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, the favor 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—she needed to save a dear one. He hadn't grasped it then, but now it was clear. It was her father, and he was the Heaven Dao of Shen Jie! Could Heaven Dao truly take human form and have children?

"Controlling Tian Dao Zi Ran... You don't have a fragment of Heaven Dao in your body?" Zhang Xuan suddenly realized the inconsistency in her words. Controlling it and fusing with it were two different concepts.

"I only control it—I'm not part of Heaven 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 my body, your father can awaken and even slay Hen Ren, right?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"This... I'm not sure..." Luo Ruoxi hesitated, glancing at the collapsing Shen Jie. Shen Jie was her father's foundation, and now it was in ruins. Even if he awoke, could he truly defeat that powerful Hen Ren? It was hard to say!

"Since you can't be 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 Jiu Tian Jiu Di—if we team up with Kong Shi, we might still win!"

"Kong Shi? He..." 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 Heaven 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 Xian Tian Tai Hun Ti. He could avoid losing his mind in the womb and had left countermeasures in advance, so revival was only a matter of time.

Luo Ruoxi was stunned, apparently not expecting this.

"We'll know once we check. If I'm right, he should have recovered by now. Otherwise, his students wouldn't have stayed away from Chao Xi Hai..." Zhang Xuan said.

Kong Shi's students, like Zi Yuan Gu Sheng and the others, were incredibly strong. Even without a Di Jun's help, they could enter Chao Xi Hai, yet none had appeared. They must have something more important—reviving Kong Shi.

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

"Let's go!" Without further explanation, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and they arrived at the place where Kong Shi had resided. There, an elder was floating in the air, cross-legged in meditation. Seeing them, he smiled slightly. "You've come!"

It was Kong Shi! This master of all 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 Di Jun could revive—Bu Si Di Jun had done so—but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

"I hid from Heaven Dao and prepared in advance. The nameless giant in You Hun Chi was left by me. When you killed me that day, I used it to break free from Heaven Dao's bindings and reform my body. I've only just recovered now!" Kong Shi smiled faintly.

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

"Our combined strength is formidable, but defeating Hen Ren won't be easy..." Seeing that Kong Shi had indeed recovered, Luo Ruoxi still shook her head.

It wasn't about boosting the enemy or undermining themselves—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.

"Individually, or even together, we're no match for him, but... what if we fuse all our power into one person?" Kong Shi looked at them with a smile.

"Fuse into one person?" Both Luo Ruoxi and Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion.

"That hand could tear Shen Jie apart and scatter Heaven Dao, its power undeniable. Hen Ren absorbed that force and devoured Shen Jie's spiritual energy for fifty years. Any of us Di Jun, taken 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 it was difficult to execute. Di Jun stood at the peak of Shen Jie; if absorbing others' power were 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 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 Heaven Dao's restrictions, 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, fighting more like a spar than a life-or-death struggle.

"Unable to transcend, he can't unleash his full power. Even with more true energy, 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 hesitate to let others sacrifice for me—too much mercy is a flaw! If I'd been more ruthless and wiped out the Yi Ling clan, we wouldn't be in this mess..."

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

"So, I'm not suitable either! But Zhang Xuan's techniques are seamless, without flaws. He lives for himself, and even in death, as long as he has no regrets, his heart is clear. Such a person has greater tolerance and potential—he can go further!" Kong Shi continued.

In life, I shall return; in death, I shall long for you! If even death holds no fear, what else could bind him?

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned, about to protest, but Kong Shi looked at him intently. "No need to refuse—time is short. Training someone else isn't feasible, and even if it were, I doubt anyone could do it better than you! Ling Xi Di Zun has no Heaven Dao fragment, but she's long controlled Tian Dao Zi Ran and has her own understanding of it. I control Tian Dao You Xu. If we channel our power to you, you'll have the complete Heaven 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 the decision was made, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Boom!

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

Zhang Xuan's body stiffened, as if he had become Heaven Dao itself, soaring through the nine heavens. His soul, body, and true energy were all instantly refined, growing stronger and more abundant.

...

"You think you can stop me? Fine, I'll kill you all first, then go after Zhang Xuan..." Hen Ren slapped Luo Qi Qi and the others away, sneering.

The combined power of Zhang Xuan's clone and the Di Jun was indeed formidable, but it was still weaker than his. Chao Xi Hai had devoured nearly all of Shen Jie's spiritual energy outside the cities, and now that energy had become his nourishment. Every move he made carried the power to destroy the world, and these Di Jun and Shen Wang, despite representing Shen Jie's peak, were no match.

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

"Shen Jie is doomed—we might as well die with you. I, Yun Chi, will perish 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 massive turtle, as if upholding the heavens.

The four divine beasts, guardians of Shen Jie's four poles, transformed simultaneously, slowing the collapsing world. 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're seeking death, I'll grant it..."

As he roared, about to deliver the fatal blow, he felt his raised arm seize up in mid-air.

"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 significant progress..." Hen Ren halted, his expression 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, Shen Jie 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 Zi You Tian, at Kong Shi's residence, Luo Ruoxi watched worriedly. She and Kong Shi had transferred their power to Zhang Xuan, reducing their own cultivation to only Shen Wang level, no longer as glorious as before.

Still, their foundation remained; with enough power, they could recover someday.

"With his current strength, winning will be tough! Unless... he comprehends a power that transcends Di Jun!" After a moment of silence, Kong Shi said.

Even with the power of over a dozen Di Jun fused into him, defeating Hen Ren wouldn't be easy. The reason for this approach was that only by concentrating the power in one person could there be a chance to touch the pinnacle and truly surpass limits.

"A power that transcends Di 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 a proud defiance toward the world." Sensing her doubt, Kong Shi smiled.

...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

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

As Kong Shi had said, even with the fused power forming complete Heaven Dao in his body, he was still no match.

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

"Since I'm no match anyway, and I'll be killed eventually, I might as well die under your strongest attack..." Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and stopped advancing, 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 beam of 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 strain, 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 wide-eyed, trembling.

Kong Shi and Luo Ruoxi, seeing this, were both stunned. The plan was for him to break through his limits and reach beyond Di Jun—why had he chosen to face death? Hadn't that wasted their efforts?

wait, it's Bu Si Di Jun's undying method..." As they wondered, Kong Shi spoke up.

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

"He... used the opponent's power and the blood in the pendant to separate Tian Dao You Que from his soul?" Luo Ruoxi's pupils shrank. The reborn Zhang Xuan no longer had the Heaven Dao library in his body—no more interference from Heaven Dao. He had broken free!

"How did he do that?" Kong Shi was full of disbelief. To escape, he had to scatter his soul and reform it in You Hun Chi. Yet Zhang Xuan had achieved it with just one death—what method had he used?

"I get it... He used Hen Ren's method to escape the soul contract..." Luo Ruoxi realized. The Ling Hun Qi Yue bound master and servant; without release, the servant was trapped... Tian Dao You Que was like an enhanced contract, binding the soul indissolubly.

But Hen Ren had used that special power to escape, and Zhang Xuan had asked about the details earlier—probably planning it then. So, he had deliberately let Hen Ren strike him with full force. Using that power, he had reborn in the flames, and it had succeeded brilliantly!

"So, that's the way to break through Di Jun..." Zhang Xuan, emerging from the flames, smiled faintly, as if he had understood something. With a wave, his clone turned back into a lotus flower and flew over, merging perfectly with him.

In an instant, everyone felt that Zhang Xuan had become the nine heavens, and the nine heavens were him.

He lightly stamped his foot on the ground. The chaotic nine heavens stabilized immediately. The Jiu Tian Hun Dun Jin Lian, born with the nine heavens, could stabilize them. Now, with his clone fused seamlessly, he controlled that power.

Moreover, with the fusion and his peak realm loosening, breakthrough seemed imminent.

"Master-servant bonds, brotherhood, teacher-student ties, parent-child relations, romance... Fused together, they become all things in the world. That's what it means to be human!" Zhang Xuan murmured with a smile.

The moment Tian Dao You Que left his soul, he had realized. Did the world exist because people observed it, or did people come after the world? Was it the wind moving, or the heart? This eternal question had puzzled countless people.

But now... it didn't matter.

Without life, without emotions, what meaning would the world have? So, after breaking through romance, it was the bond of all beings—the interwoven emotions of the world. All things have emotions; with emotions, there is a world; with emotions, 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.

He had broken through the Di Jun constraints!

In that moment, it was as if he had touched a new world and gate. His soul was rapidly nourished, and vast chaotic energy surged toward him, enhancing his body swiftly. He no longer needed to absorb spiritual energy alone; 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 raged, "Wah!" before charging again.

"You resent the lofty Di Jun for not saving you in the spatial chaos—that's emotion; you feel humiliated as my servant—that's emotion; you want to destroy Shen Jie to vent your anger—that's emotion; you seek greater power—that's emotion... Emotions control you, so how can you defeat me, or escape my control?" Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, his voice growing faster and louder. He reached out and grabbed.

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..."

"Now it's too late to say that..." Zhang Xuan shook his head with a smile. Controlling the emotions of the world, such servant bonds meant nothing to him. He had killed so many in Shen Jie, hurt his girlfriend Luo Qi Qi, and so many friends. Today, there was no forgiveness!

"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 every part of Shen Jie. All the power that Chao Xi Hai had devoured was returned, revitalizing the withered wilderness.

"This..."

"Is that it? He's dead?"

Yun Chi Da Di, Bu Si Di Jun, Ling Long Xian Zi, and the others stared in disbelief. They had fought Hen Ren and knew his terror. For such a powerful being to be vanquished so easily, what level had Zhang Xuan reached? Could there truly be a realm beyond Di Jun?

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

"This is part of Heaven Dao, so I'll return it now..." Seeing the "Tian Dao You Que" that had been separated from his body still floating in the air, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and flicked his finger.

Buzz!

The library that had accompanied him since rebirth embedded itself into Shen Jie's sky with a thunderous ring. The crumbling Shen Jie visibly stabilized, and the chaotic energy 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 entering a new era of spiritual revival..." Zhang Xuan smiled.

The hole in Chao Xi Hai had closed with Heaven Dao's completion, and Shen Jie's return 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..." Zhang Xuan was surprised. He had sensed this man's unfathomable depth before, and now realized he was only a step away, at the absolute peak of Di 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 furrowed his brow. He had never heard the name.

"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 his own—he had also broken through Di Jun's limits, and his cultivation was even deeper and more profound!

"I'm Nie Yun!" The young man smiled faintly and looked over. "Also known as... Nie Ling Xi, the one you call Luo Ruoxi's father!"

"Luo Ruoxi's father?" Zhang Xuan was shocked. "You're... the Heaven Dao of Shen Jie?"

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

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

Zhang Xuan could hardly believe it. Shen Jie was created by this man? Then how powerful was he?

"But if Shen Jie is your creation and you're Heaven Dao, why did you let Hen Ren rampage without intervening...?" Zhang Xuan asked.

If not for his breakthrough, Shen Jie might have been utterly destroyed. Why had this man done nothing, even regarding his daughter's life?

Nie Yun didn't answer directly but looked at him. "Do you think... beyond Shen Jie, there are even stronger beings?"

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

Though he hadn't seen them, since this man had reached 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 further. In the end, I drew the backlash from a higher world... A massive hand descended!" Nie Yun continued, "If I'd dodged, Shen Jie might have been wiped out completely, leaving no life. So, I blocked it, but my incarnated Heaven Dao was shattered."

"Under those circumstances, restoring it would take 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 couldn't do it alone. So, I wanted to see if any being could break through Di Jun's constraints and reach my level!"

"That's why I sent the scattered Heaven Dao intent to the lowest worlds... granting it to souls native to this world and one not belonging to it. And you didn't disappoint me!" Nie Yun laughed.

"A soul not belonging to this world—so, my crossing over was because of you?" Zhang Xuan's heart shook. No wonder he had transmigrated—it was all this man's doing.

"Heh!" Nie Yun chuckled. "Those native to this world have reverence for it, making it harder to break free. I just had a thought 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 selflessness, breakthrough would have been impossible.

"The opportunity was his, but he didn't seize it. His duel with Ling Xi was his best chance, but he chose to retreat, thinking he had a way out. In reality, he lost his drive. Without that spirit, how could he face those who surpass us?" Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan fell silent. He had witnessed their fight; Kong Shi had indeed lacked resolve. He might not have 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 furrowing. Did this man not care about his daughter's life?

"With me there, she wouldn't have died..." Nie Yun smiled faintly. "At your current level, in a life-or-death situation, could you save someone? That's how it is."

"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 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. I'm quite the heartless father, aren't I? You should explain this to her. After all, her feelings have shifted to you—I'm probably forgotten. Ha ha, I'll stay hidden for now; 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..."

"The Heaven Dao library was my intent—a foundation and a shackle. You broke through it with your own ability, showing your potential. My daughter with you... as a father, I'm content." Nie Yun said.