Chapter 1498: Beyond Reach

"Brother Jiang? Brother Jiang?"

Jiang Wang's thoughts returned. He looked at Zuo Guangshu's anxious expression and softened his gaze: "I am fine."

He looked outside the divine light barrier.The three-pronged meat patty that was King Beast Huodou had long fallen to who knew where.In this doomsday world of collapsed rules, the living could not even protect themselves, let alone a lump of dead flesh?

Only in his heart...hatred was inevitable.Whether for freedom or for ideals, no matter how grand the excuses.Sancha was his friend.Therefore, he resented Chaos, nothing more.Whether for order or for loyalty, no matter how dignified the reasons.Therefore, he resented Zhujiuyin, nothing more.

Sancha's hatred was real and not false, but it was never one to lose its reason so easily. It deeply hated Bifang, yet it only acted after much planning.But just now, it was instantly swallowed by hatred, losing all reason...Zhujiuyin was certainly not free of responsibility.And did Chaos not see it?It simply did not care. Or perhaps, it was too lazy to bother.Since Sancha confirmed the truth and generated hatred, then it might as well die.

Jiang Wang deeply hated these two.Sometimes, when discussing right and wrong, where is right and wrong so easily judged?Different perspectives reveal different worlds.Different rulers yield different measurements.Applied to each individual, it is merely your principles, your persistence, your emotions.

But Jiang Wang also understood very well that with the strength displayed by Chaos and Zhujiuyin, he could hardly even approach them.So he could only remain silent.Only in this war, no matter which side fell, he could always contribute some strength...he must contribute some strength.

He invested in this war with the utmost concentration, not just thinking about how to safely leave.As the war between Chaos and Zhujiuyin progressed, all living beings present could see the clear situation, the near-crushing advantage of Zhujiuyin.Until...That phoenix cry.A phoenix cry resounding through the nine heavens, traveling across mountains and seas.Announcing to this world the true power born from the Abyssal South.This was a strength comparable to Chaos and Zhujiuyin.It was Chaos's true trump card!

Jiaxuan actually never existed; it was always just a legend. It was Chaos that used the power of ultimate darkness to create Jiaxuan's body, causing it to sink into boundless resentment.Hundreds of years of nurturing, hundreds of years of sculpting, until today.It cleared all evil thoughts from the Abyssal South, preemptively triggered the celestial collapse, rolled up boundless black tides, and submerged the Central Mountain. While striking Zhujiuyin, it was also to use the purest Abyssal South as a nest, leading to the true birth of the Corpse Phoenix Jiaxuan.That great being who created the world would use a long time to evolve the Mountain and Sea Realm into reality. His will was eternal. The rules He left behind could use the power of the Mountain and Sea Realm to give trial-takers tangible rewards.That young man holding a fishing rod could borrow this power to simulate a real Kui Niu.And it, of course, could...create Jiaxuan!Anyone, as long as they were willing to spend a hundred years, could thoroughly research something.And it, Chaos, had spent more than a hundred years.

In all the legends of the Mountain and Sea Realm, the nine types of phoenixes were the most likely to be real, the most capable of giving birth to extraordinary strength.The struggles of other mountain and sea gods could not fundamentally shake things; they were all just buying time.And now, it was the final moment."Zhujiuyin, enjoy this world well!" Chaos said with a sigh: "Because from now on, you will no longer possess it!"

A phoenix arrived, crossing mountains and seas.The Corpse Phoenix Jiaxuan flew from the Abyssal South, spreading its noble and magnificent wings, sweeping across the rolling black tide, pushing aside all the exotic beasts it passed, and pouncing towards Zhujiuyin with an all-consuming force!Its sky-and-sea-obscuring wings seemed to roll in a patch of night.Boundless darkness spread behind it.

Chaos and Zhujiuyin had been fighting for a long time.And it flew here now, separated from it and Zhujiuyin by nothing more than a layer of divine light barrier.Like a ridiculous bubble, waiting only for it to gently blow it away.

The exotic beasts of the divine dwelling, having fought for a long time, certainly could not allow the divine light barrier to be destroyed, because their lives and deaths were entrusted to it.There was an existence with a bird head and a snake tail named "Xuangui," whose voice was like splitting wood. It directly retracted its head and tail, using its turtle shell to block in front of Jiaxuan.But it vanished without a sound.Becoming a part of that shadow.Its strength was like Chaos and Zhujiuyin, an existence that could not be matched by other exotic beasts.It came with unstoppable wings, crossing mountains and seas, to draw the final conclusion to this war.

At this moment!The sky...brightened.The gloomy Mountain and Sea Realm in the midst of the apocalypse suddenly became clear.The black tide surged, as if bathed in the morning light. The divine light barrier was also within the light of the sky.This world was bright and radiant.Everything, everything, was announcing the arrival of day.But where did the day come from?

The people on the Central Mountain couldn't help but look up. The warring exotic beasts also forgot to fight for a moment.They only saw—At the extremely high point of the constantly shattering, constantly collapsing firmament.Heavenly blue brilliance streamed down.In an instant, both black and white snow were dispersed.The fluttering filth weathered and dissipated in the wind.The pure expanse of the universe cleared of a myriad of dust!

In the waterfall-like heavenly blue brilliance, a noble and beautiful phantom gradually solidified.It had an elegant neck, magnificent tail feathers, mysterious feather patterns...and a pair of heavenly blue, noble eyes.Besides the color, it was almost identical to Jiaxuan, equally beautiful, equally noble, and equally powerful.It was a heavenly blue phoenix!It was one of the nine types of phoenixes, the blue one named Kongyuan.

As soon as it appeared, it landed in front of Jiaxuan. The blue light and dark light touched and immediately separated, forcibly knocking back Jiaxuan, which was already close to the divine light barrier!Two exquisitely beautiful phoenixes, one black and one blue, confronted each other outside the divine light barrier.Light like ribbons, feathers like carved jade.Legend was projected before their eyes.Myth was painted into a scroll!

"Kongyuan!?" Chaos's voice was both surprised and angry. It had been angry more than once, but only this time was its most real emotion beneath its insane shell: "You are also...stealing the power of this world!"How could it not feel Kongyuan's power?How could it not discern that this Kongyuan, like that Jiaxuan, was also a completely legendary creature?Just as Jiaxuan was controlled by it, this Kongyuan was also a creation completely controlled by Zhujiuyin!But why?But by what right?

It had abandoned its divine name, suffered nine hundred years of torment, swallowed the agony of madness, and fought against the world alone to gain the power to create Jiaxuan. And Zhujiuyin, under the premise of maintaining world order and controlling world power, also stole the power to create Kongyuan!"I am merely maintaining the order of the world; that supreme existence will eventually forgive." Zhujiuyin's human face at this moment was that of the aged old woman, her voice kind and her demeanor gentle."Hoo ha ha ha ha ha!" Chaos couldn't help but burst into laughter: "What did He create, what did He create! I called out, and countless mountain and sea gods rebelled. And His most loyal jailer is actually His most vicious traitor!"

The black Jiaxuan and the heavenly blue Kongyuan confronted each other.Dark soul flames flickered in eyes like sapphires.Chaos was laughing heartily, while Zhujiuyin remained calm.Zhujiuyin, coiled on the peak of the Central Mountain, looked at Chaos with those kind old eyes, as if watching a lost child: "Those who know me say I am worried; those who do not know me ask what I seek! You observe me with a poisonous heart; the rebellious see their own rebellion, which is truly lamentable."

Chaos's frenzied laughter ended, and then it said in a deep voice: "I've treated you as a jailer for so many years, I truly underestimated you, Zhujiuyin! Today I have discovered, I have finally understood! I merely wanted to make the虚 real and gain my own freedom, but you attempted to steal the Creator's arrangement and occupy His myth! After thousands of years, you actually want to replace Him and return!"This statement was like a stone breaking through the sky, shocking those like Jiang Wang who had already learned some of the truth of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

The world created by Huang Weizhen was too vast, too extensive... and too real!An existence like Chaos, under the condition of having its five senses sealed, its thoughts shattered, and having to constantly endure the emotions of madness, could still achieve what it has done so far... If it were a human, it would also be a hero.And Zhujiuyin's thoughts were even more profound. Its treatment of Chaos was almost like raising an enemy for self-importance!Chaos constantly destroyed the world, and it constantly repaired the world.Chaos constantly accumulated power, and it also constantly planned its responses.Under the highest rule of maintaining world stability, it easily circumvented the various restrictions of the Mountain and Sea Realm, stole the power of this world, and finally occupied the myth, replacing Huang Weizhen in returning from fantasy...Zhujiuyin's plans were more far-reaching and more ambitious than Chaos's!

No matter how wonderful a character, no matter how great an existence, they had, after all, been dead for over nine hundred years. Huang Weizhen's will withered in time.All the various existences in the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, more or less, had their own intentions.The two strongest among them embarked on completely different paths, but both were named betrayal, and they collided until today.Nine hundred years of planning, nine hundred years of confrontation, at this moment of the apocalypse, the clear outline finally emerged.This was truly a magnificent story!

But Zhujiuyin merely revealed a majestic human face and said sternly: "Nonsense, misleading with false words!"Kongyuan let out a phoenix cry, and the sky light was clear.Jiaxuan raised its head and roared, its profound energy invading the sky like night.Two noble and beautiful phoenixes fought outside the divine light barrier.The aftershocks of the battle had already sent the other mountain and sea gods staggering.

And Zhujiuyin, inside the divine light barrier, directly leaped up. Its massive python body detached from the mountain, already leaping out of the divine light barrier, pouncing towards Chaos.At this point, both sides had revealed their trump cards. It only needed to crush Chaos.And it would demonstrate its true power.These ten thousand miles of mountains and seas would finally leave behind a new legend!

Rumble!The mountain was shaking.Whoosh whoosh.The sea was trembling.Everything in this world had been gazed upon by Zhujiuyin.The so-called obscurity of day and night, and the calling of winter and summer, was the proof of holding celestial authority.What natural disaster, what doomsday, what collapse of the world...If it propped up the sky, the sky could not fall further. If it gave up, this world could not endure!It was the master of mountains and seas, and it would naturally prosper with the world.It was the归依 of all great powers, and it would also become the end of all legends.

Chaos was its nourishment, Jiaxuan was its fruit.It leaped outside the divine light barrier, soaring above the Central Mountain.Its majestic scarlet python body fully extended, stretching to the end of the horizon, penetrating into the cloud-covered mountains and seas.This mountain, this sea, this mountain!All things return!

It pounced towards Chaos, carrying the power of the world's rules, as if everything in the world was following.Now everyone had to know, the victory and defeat were decided.On every level, it had made sufficient preparations.Chaos lost completely.This time, it could never turn over.

"Waa waa waa."The Gu Diao screamed sadly.Its roar stirred its body and soul, igniting a power that was difficult to resist.With a flap of its iron wings, it flew high—After flying only a few dozen feet, it was like a bubble, easily pierced.Even the sound of destruction was so faint, as if it had no right to disturb anyone.There were no screams, no signs of resistance.Only a bare skeleton fell.Then feathers scattered across the sky.

Even as strong as Gu Diao, in front of Zhujiuyin, it couldn't even escape.And what could Chaos do, being unable to protect Gu Diao?Amidst the black fluttering feathers, Chaos, with a dog's face and a bear's body, was also falling.It had always maintained a seated posture, and until now, it had not moved.It could not feel hot or cold, nor touch the changes in the world.Its eyes could see nothing.Its ears could hear nothing.Its mouth, in fact, had no sound.It captured "expression," and conveyed "information." Neither passed through sound, but merely manifested as sound.This was its "hearing" and "speaking."It actually couldn't move.Over nine hundred years, it could only move its bear paws.It also could not think calmly, because its thoughts were constantly tormenting themselves, constantly battling in chaos, and occasionally it would fall into madness...And all of this was Zhujiuyin's masterpiece.Not long after Huang Weizhen died, they had a great battle.The result of the great battle was a wound on Zhujiuyin's concealed abdomen that had not healed to this day. And it lost all five senses, retreating to the Abyssal South, and remaining there until today.Heaven knows how it didn't go completely mad!Heaven knows how it struggled until now!

Huang Weizhen had never assigned divine positions to anyone back then. Besides the rules of the world, nothing was left behind. All the divine positions were the result of the struggles and choices of the living beings in this realm.The so-called heavenly bestowed divine name, in fact, could belong to anyone.All things in the frosty sky...compete for freedom.

Falling, Chaos was indescribably ugly, yet its posture was like a Buddha.Making one feel its solemnity and reverence.Mountain-shattering and sea-overturning world pressure came rolling in. This collapsing world still gave Zhujiuyin immense support. At the level of world rules, Zhujiuyin was still "maintaining" this world.And this kind of power, it could no longer resist.Both it and Zhujiuyin understood.So it was indeed solemn at this moment.

"Zhujiuyin." Chaos's Dao speech resounded: "Today I will tear open your false mask!"Behind it, a white tower suddenly appeared.At first, it was just a phantom.But at the same time the phantom appeared, it had already solidified.This tower struck the sky above and the ground below.Pale and eerie, it directly shook Zhujiuyin's definition of this heaven and earth, breaking the world's rules themselves.

Jiang Wang, of course, recognized it; this was the Withering Tower that had pierced the firmament of the Mountain and Sea Realm.But looking at it now, where was this just a tower?It was clearly one skull after another—from thousands of types of exotic beasts.Layer upon layer, piled high.It itself was a measurement.It was the anger of hundreds and thousands of years, the accumulated hatred, the long-suppressed pain!This was a world that was approaching reality and gradually becoming alive, and in the process of growing...it was the dust it truly crushed.Withered into mud and crushed into dust...piled into the Withering Tower.So this was what was meant by "withering."

On Zhujiuyin's majestic human face, a look of fear appeared for the first time.Scarlet veins bulged on its forehead, twisting into majestic patterns.Fine scales grew on its python body, and with just a flick, it was already pressed against Chaos's face.Two muscular human arms sprouted from its upper body, bound with divine patterns!With a sweep of its left hand, it grabbed Chaos by the neck, like strangling a dog, and lifted it up. With its right hand, it dug forward, directly into Chaos's chest!

And Chaos...Opened its mouth.Revealing its interlocking canine teeth and half-broken tongue."Oooh-hoo-hoo-hoo ha ha ha ha ha..."It made a sound!Not a Dao principle, not the manifestation of "information."It was a real sound, categorized as one of the five senses!"You are afraid!"It laughed so loudly.Even though Zhujiuyin had captured it and was about to kill it.It was so arrogant as if it were the victor!

"Bearing ten thousand sins for freedom, I am indeed to die!"Its voice spread throughout the mountains and seas; all who had ears could hear it."You gave your lives to me; I chewed on evil to survive, committed sins to open a path, and now I shall repay!""I will open my seven orifices...to show the world!"

Chaos raised its eyes to look at Zhujiuyin!In its expressionless eyes, there was suddenly a divine light.Zhujiuyin's face showed horror, and it immediately tried to retreat.But two bear paws firmly grabbed its wrists!Both of Zhujiuyin's human arms, one still gripping Chaos's neck, and the other still in Chaos's chest, were now unable to move.

And Chaos's drooping ears perked up.Its seemingly wooden nose was now greedily twitching.At such a moment, it forcibly chiseled open its seven orifices, that sensory world that had been sealed for over nine hundred years!And thus gained terrifying power!It finally felt the pain of its physical body, but this perception of pain fascinated it!Its ugly face contorted.Both in pain and in pleasure, it roared fanatically: "The world I see, you can all see. The world I hear, you can all hear. The world I feel, you can all feel. Look! Listen! Feel! What the real world is like!"

With a powerful twist of its two bear paws, it directly broke Zhujiuyin's two wrists.Then, it grabbed its human head, which bore a majestic face, and crushed it on the spot!It tore off its python body and directly lifted it up and smashed it down!Space itself shattered.The rules of this world no longer applied.Zhujiuyin's powerful body fell downwards, its neck shaking, and a new old woman's head rapidly grew. Its eyes flickered intensely, thinking of a way to break the situation. Its arms were broken, but its scales were still shimmering with light.It still wanted to capture the rules of this world, it might be able to borrow the power of the Nine Chapters Jade Tablet, and it still wanted to call Kongyuan back...But the massive Withering Tower, made of ten million piled skulls, suddenly appeared above it. Like a seal of authority, it ended this document.The skulls all vanished, and the Withering Tower remained pure white and spotless, tower-shaped. Only its tip was inverted, like a spear piercing Zhujiuyin!

"With me...together..." Chaos whimpered in pain."Feel...the world!"

The giant white tower pierced through Zhujiuyin, rapidly withering its life force, and carried it howling downwards.The divine light barrier was like an illusion, offering no resistance at all.The Withering Tower, thus carrying Zhujiuyin's dying body, fell, its pale tip directly hitting the Central Mountain!

Rumble rumble rumble!Zhujiuyin's human face immediately cracked, blood surged like a river, and its massive scarlet python body disintegrated section by section.One saw the celestial pillar break, and the terrestrial ties sever.Thus the heaven tilted to the northwest, and the earth was not filled in the southeast!Hence the floating mountains and clouds shifted, hence the seawater and dust returned.Hence this world completely collapsed, the tangible and intangible shattering together.Including the limitations of thought, including the end of space, including the river of flowing time!

Thus—All the mountain and sea gods of this realm saw the real world from this realm.They saw what Chaos saw, heard what Chaos heard, felt what Chaos felt.From then on, they realized...the real world.

At the broken location of the Central Mountain, a light and shadow between the real and the虚 slowly flowed. Fantastical and ever-changing, it was the river of time and space.The other side of the river was reality. It was the real world.The leader who pursued freedom was dying.But the spark of freedom burned in the heart of every living being.From now on...eternal.

The majestic Central Mountain was collapsing.The powerful Zhujiuyin was disintegrating.The boundless black tide dispersed.The bewildered mountain and sea gods were still outside the divine light barrier, silent to each other.The trial-takers within the divine light barrier gathered in one place, preparing for their final self-rescue.

At this moment, Chaos's abdomen was split open by itself, and its chest was hollowed out by Zhujiuyin.And it stood erect in the air, its seven orifices open.Its power was disappearing, its life was withering.It gazed into the distance, looking across the collapsing realm to the other realm it had imagined for countless years and months.It was already impatient; it felt an innate freedom.Its life force was dwindling, but its eyes became increasingly bright.There was no chaos in them, no tyranny, no cruel emotions...only pure light. The most fundamental longing.

It flew up, spreading its bear paws, soaring like wings.Its huge form crashed into that distant place.In the boundless shattering.Crossing the river with its body.But that long river was between the real and the虚. But that long river could be seen but not approached.Freedom always seemed within reach, but in reality, it was always very far away.It clearly had its seven orifices open, yet it was like a blind person, a mute, a sightless being who couldn't find its goal at all.Forward, forward...Always unable to get closer.It clearly heard, it clearly saw, it clearly felt.There was a chasm in between.

At the end of its burning life, it shouted loudly, like crying, like wailing, like sorrowing—"Huang Weizhen!""Huang Weizhen!""Huang Weizhen!"

It shouted three times in this way.And leaped up!It pounced towards that river!Between the real and the illusory, in the hazy light and shadow, it collapsed.Its ugly and grotesque body shattered into billions...colorless and lightless dust motes.Scattering in the wind.

Hoo hoo hoo.The wind was blowing lonely.Soon after, there was a pattering sound, and the sky began to rain.Black rain.Light rain, heavy rain, torrential rain.The evil of the world, the sins of the world, were all within it.What would this world be like after this rain fell?Chaos could never see again.

Chaos opened its seven orifices and only then died.It did indeed not die in a cage.