Chapter 3192: The River of Illusion

In the boundless darkness, beyond any universe, lay a realm of illusion that transcended cosmic levels. It was incomparable to anything within the universe, devoid of time, space, and all worldly laws, rendering them meaningless. Deep within the darkness, a river surged and churned.

This was the Xu Wang Zhi He, ancient and weathered, not made of true water yet echoing with the roar of waves. Its source was unknown, its destination a mystery, weaving through the darkness as the most striking sight.

"Where did this river come from?"

"Who knows?"

The Xu Wang Zhi He echoed with curses, gasped out breathlessly.

It was Ye Chen and Zhao Yun.

Their luck had been poor. Just after leaving the Zhu Tian universe, they were struck by an inexplicable light.

In an instant, they were eternally separated.

Before they could steady themselves, they were swept into this bizarre river.

That wasn't the worst part—it was the instability. Like two ducks flailing in water, one on each side, they'd barely catch their breath before a massive wave dragged them deeper, carrying them to unknown places.

What was even stranger was that nothing worked in the river.

Though they possessed eternity, their bodies couldn't hold steady, and laws and Dao essence were rendered useless.

Zhao Yun fared a bit better.

But Ye Chen's face was as dark as charcoal, twisted in frustration.

This was truly bizarre.

The first time he went to Zhao Yun's universe, he suffered from the aftermath of a cosmic explosion.

Now, things were no smoother.

He knew the space beyond the universe was a dark illusion, but he hadn't expected this strange river.

It left them unable to even stand.

As the saying went, crossing such voids required caution, or you might end up drowned.

Splash! Splash!

As they spoke, the sounds of them spitting blood rang out again.

Why "again"? Because the Xu Wang Zhi He was so eerie, with a strange force eroding them, causing endless coughing of blood without any pain.

Splash! Splash!

Others coughing blood included Di Huang and Hong Yan, back in the Taigu era.

As sacred bodies, they shared in glory and suffering.

This time was no exception. The two sacred bodies were perfectly fine one moment, then their physical forms exploded into ash the next.

The Shen Zun hurriedly stepped forward, using seals to contain them.

Even so, he couldn't stop their primordial spirits from crumbling, their spirit flames dimming drastically.

"Entered Xu Wang."

Those were the last words Di Huang and Hong Yan uttered before falling into slumber.

Disaster had struck.

Though they didn't know what Ye Chen had encountered, they knew Xu Wang could save them.

The Shen Zun waved his hand, sending the two into the Xu Wang.

Remarkably, their crumbling primordial spirits stabilized, floating in the void and swaying with the currents.

"Has the fate of all beings been exhausted?"

The Shen Zun murmured to himself. His sister had fallen in rank, Ye Chen had met with calamity, and even Di Huang and Hong Yan were in this state.

The mainstays were gone.

The sword that slaughtered the heavens was broken.

How could the masses fight against the heavens with just their passion?

Looking at the Xu Wang Zhi He,

Ye Chen and Zhao Yun were still thrashing about inside. Both were near-invincible Huang Emperors, yet in this river, they were like helpless ducks. All their divine arts, secret techniques, and eternal immortality were useless.

Ahead, the river split into branches.

Though Ye Chen and Zhao Yun desperately tried to grab each other, they were swept apart, one to the left and one to the right.

"Dao friend, hold steady!"

"Go to hell!"

Even as they shouted insults, the two fools were carried farther and farther apart until their yells faded completely.

Now, silence enveloped the entire Xu Wang.

With the Xu Wang quiet, the Tai Shang Tian in the outer universe remained in uproar, its booms shaking the cosmos.

The battle between the Nu Di and Zi Zai Tian was still raging.

Zi Zai Tian was in a wretched state, her once stunning figure now drenched in crimson blood.

The Nu Di, however, remained eternally indestructible.

Faithful spectators crowded the stars and the vast expanse, watching the spectacle while occasionally glancing toward the void, wondering if Tai Shang would return.

"He's not coming back."

A supreme god stroked his beard. Before becoming a god, he must have been a fortune-teller, and his predictions were spot-on.

From the moment of the eternal fusion, Tai Shang had exhausted his fate.

What good was crossing the universe? He was still doomed to suppression. Perfect eternity was no joke.

"One divine ruin has doomed so many gods!"

An old god clicked his tongue. The five forbidden zones had four destroyed, three supreme gods had self-severed, and just those facts were shocking enough. The gods who perished were likely regretting it on the road to the underworld.

"Break!"

A roar echoed from the shadows as the eternal barrier was split open, and Kuang Ying Jie was the first to charge out.

Following him were Yao Chi, Yue Shen, Di Xian, and the others.

It must have been due to the mishap with Ye Chen and Zhao Yun that caused a flaw in eternity, leaving the barrier without divine power.

Their emergence made the enemy forces tremble.

Zi Zai Tian was completely on the defensive. With Tai Shang having crossed the universe, he was undoubtedly suppressed.

No one was left to protect them.

Immediately, countless gods slipped away stealthily, vanishing into the void and fleeing to the eight directions.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Kuang Ying Jie snorted coldly, gripping his divine blade and pursuing into the vastness.

"No respite until death."

Yue Shen, Di Xian, and Shen Long Dao Zun were all radiating killing intent, chasing down the enemy gods and demons.

Yao Chi was no exception.

The Dong Huang Nu Di from Zhu Tian was incredibly domineering. What did her dream Dao origins matter? Every strike drew blood.

This battle was for Ye Chen, and also for the Nu Di.

She had crossed the universe, willingly self-severing her Huang Emperor position. What a heavy price that was.

Boom! Boom!

The roars of battle no longer came just from Tai Shang Tian but also from Shen Jie, Xian Jie, and the lower realms.

Fights erupted everywhere, with blood staining every world.

It was still gods warring against gods, continuing the divine-demonic conflict until one side was utterly buried.

Buzz!

Tai Shang Tian trembled as a galactic waterfall spanned the nine heavens, transforming into a massive divine mirror.

And Zi Zai Tian became the figure within that mirror.

This technique was bizarre—the mirror was illusory, the person real, trapping her as if at the end of time.

The Nu Di said nothing, stepping directly into the divine mirror.

Their battle unfolded within the mirror, boosting Zi Zai Tian while suppressing the Nu Di.

But it didn't matter.

The Nu Di was far stronger than Zi Zai Tian. Even with the suppression, she held the upper hand.

"Where are they?"

The gods of the world craned their necks, straining their eyes, but they couldn't see through the divine mirror.

"She's losing."

The supreme gods spoke calmly, clearly seeing that in a one-on-one fight, Zi Zai Tian was no match.

Crack!

Before long, the divine mirror shattered, its fragments dissolving into strands of laws.

Zi Zai Tian tumbled out, her bloodied form striking.

Then came the Nu Di, her crystalline jade hand sweeping across the sky, delivering an eternal palm to suppress Zi Zai Tian forcefully.

Zi Zai Tian had nothing to say, only a self-mocking smile.

Whether it was mocking her own inferiority or regretting wading into this mess, no one knew.

All the gods looked up.

They wondered if the Nu Di would slay the former heavenly Dao right in front of the supreme gods.

They also wondered if the heavens would intervene.

"My young friend, spare others when you can."

A supreme god spoke up, pleading on her behalf.

"Very well."

The Nu Di replied indifferently, waving her hand to seal Zi Zai Tian into her eternal small world.

The supreme gods coughed awkwardly.

Clearly, that woman wasn't giving them face. Was she planning to take her home and stew her?

I want to roast her myself—what's it to you?

The Nu Di didn't respond, but her expression said it all.

Having come with a self-severing strike, she deserved to take some treasures back.

And Zi Zai Tian was a treasure.

Kill or butcher as I please—unhappy? Come and try!

"Shall we deal with her?"

A supreme god stroked his beard, taking a deep breath, emphasizing the words "deal with."

Mainly because that young woman was too arrogant, making them lose face.

The Nu Di withdrew her divine presence and stepped down from Tai Shang Tian, confident that the heavenly Daos wouldn't act.

She had already seen through this universe.

United as heavenly Daos, there were benefits but also drawbacks. Interfering with the rules would bring endless repercussions.

That's why she could be so bold.

As long as she didn't disrupt the rules and the cosmos, the heavenly Daos were powerless against her—unless they self-severed.

In the stars, Yao Chi returned in an instant.

The Nu Di waved her hand again, drawing Yao Chi into her small world. The people from Zhu Tian had to be taken back. She would cross the universe once more, and while Yao Chi's dream Dao could traverse, it required countless attempts.

Once again, she faded like a dream.

After a long while, the gods of the world still felt unsatisfied. She had just left like that, and the heavenly Daos didn't stop her?

Stop her? Forget it.

The supreme gods stayed silent, their faces darker than ever.

They had lost two supreme gods.

Shen Jie was in chaos, and the four great forbidden zones were in ruins. Who knew how many had fallen.

Boom!

Suddenly, a massive boom erupted as the Nu Di, who had crossed the universe, returned. She looked disheveled, blood overflowing from her mouth, her face pale, and even her eternity marred with cracks.

The heavenly Daos raised their eyebrows at the sight.

No need to guess—she must have encountered trouble while crossing and been injured.

"Where did this river come from?"

The Nu Di ignored the heavenly Daos, muttering to herself. Midway through her crossing, a river had suddenly blocked her path.

She was lucky to dodge it quickly; otherwise, she would have been swallowed whole.

She recalled that when she first crossed to this universe, there was no such river. Where had it come from?

"Young friend, are you married yet?"

The supreme god spoke again, hands behind his back, smiling at the Nu Di.

The Nu Di fell silent.

"Our Shen Jie has plenty of talents. Pick anyone you like."

The supreme gods chuckled.

The Nu Di glanced at them and then closed her eyes.

Plenty of talents?

Don't kid yourself.

In this universe, aside from the supreme gods, if anyone could withstand even one palm from me, I'd take their surname.

The supreme gods collectively shifted uncomfortably.

Their expressions and actions seemed to say: Someone help me up—I can keep bragging.

Awkward, utterly awkward.

It wasn't surprising the Nu Di looked down on them. This universe's talents had mostly perished in the divine-demonic war.

If they wanted to woo the Nu Di, a supreme god would have to descend—and self-sever first.

Well, if you dare come down, don't bother going back.

The Nu Di's demeanor spoke volumes: In same-level combat, she feared no one.

If not for that river blocking her, she wouldn't waste time here chatting.

The heavenly Daos backed down, their dignity in tatters.

The gods of the world were baffled.

Seeing the Nu Di standing there motionless, they didn't understand the implication.

Yet, the way they looked at her was full of reverence.

Strength transcended universes and sides. A true powerhouse deserved that respect.

"Where did this river come from?"

The Nu Di continued murmuring, her eyes flickering uncertainly. This was too strange.

To return to Zhu Tian, she had to wait for the river to dissipate.

She didn't know when, but she eventually faded away completely, with the Xu Wang Zhi He having flowed past.

"This time, she's really gone."

The heavenly Daos sighed, unable to deny they quite liked the Nu Di.