The sky was no longer blood-red.
Above the land once ravaged by spiritual chaos, a false peace began to settle. Golden clouds hung like curtains, signaling that a great shift had occurred. Yet behind that quietude, divine whispers echoed—a resonance from a place unreachable by mortal beings: the Palace of the Gods.
Here was where it all began.
And perhaps, here was where it would all end.
---
The 33rd Heaven – Palace of the Gods
The Great Deities gathered in a grand hall glittering with bound starlight. In the center stood an empty throne—once occupied by the Supreme God of Light before his fall thousands of years ago. Now, that throne shimmered—not with power, but with the unease that cloaked those who remained.
"Yuehuang has been defeated," spoke one god, robed in cosmic strands woven like the night sky. "He even surrendered the Essence of Forsaken Divinity."
"The imbalance has begun," replied the Celestial Water Deity, eyes narrowing. "That mortal—Xuantian—has pierced through limits even we cannot cross."
"What shall we do?" asked the Eternal Law Deity. "Erase him? But now, not even divine weapons can breach his aura."
Silence fell.
Then, from the shadows, a voice emerged. Heavy. Ancient. One that made the skin of gods crawl.
"In that case… let us summon the Guardian of the End Gate."
All eyes turned.
That name was taboo. Even among the gods, that figure was only spoken of in dark whispers and forbidden prophecies.
"If he is released, there is no return," warned the Time Deity. "It may hasten the Great Collapse."
"Better a controlled annihilation than an uncontrolled rebellion."
The decision was made.
And from the depths between realities, an ancient seal began to crack.
---
Back in the Mortal Realm
Xuantian stood atop a crystalline spiritual hill, observing the flow of qi across the lands. With his newfound mastery of Transcendent Rebirth, he could now feel even the faintest pulse at the edge of the world.
"The heavens have changed," he murmured. "And the gods… are stirring."
Ruyue approached. "You know they'll retaliate, right?"
"Yes. And this time… I won't be the only target."
Suddenly, the sky trembled.
Black lightning cracked through the air—not from weather, but from a rupture in the celestial laws.
Across the horizon, a massive rift split the skies like shattered glass, and from within it… emerged a colossal figure clad in black armor etched with ancient sigils.
"I am Muragan, Guardian of the End Gate. In the name of the gods, I have come… to sever the chains of your hope."
His voice shook the soul.
Ruyue stepped back— even the air seemed to reject this entity's presence.
"So this is their answer," Xuantian said flatly. He raised his sword. "You've come to erase me?"
"Not just you. The entire world that has known your name will vanish from history."
---
The Battle Begins
Muragan advanced.
Each of his steps sent tremors through the earth. A divine darkness—qi once used to annihilate fallen heavens—spilled from his body like an endless tide.
Xuantian roared inwardly, summoning his strongest technique.
"[Void Sutra: Endless Radiance]."
His body shone like a blazing sun, wings of light inscribed with ancient scripture spreading behind him. He launched skyward and clashed with Muragan's iron fist.
A thunderous boom erupted.
The earth exploded. Mountains crumbled. Dimensions cracked.
They exchanged blows like colliding stars. Each strike, each slash, was more than power—it was philosophy in motion. Muragan was the void, embracing destruction as destiny. Xuantian was the light, refusing to dim even in oblivion.
---
The Price of Power
Xuantian's body screamed in protest.
The power of Transcendent Rebirth was not limitless. And Muragan… he did not tire. He did not bleed. He was not a living being, but the very manifestation of divine law.
But then—
Someone arrived.
"I won't let you fight alone, Xuantian!"
The voice belonged to Fenglie, once an enemy, now an ally. Behind him, dozens of sects and great clans appeared—leaders who once trembled in fear now stood united under a single banner.
Ruyue stood beside Xuantian, her eyes glowing with sacred flame.
"If this world is to fall, then let us fall with it. Together."
---
The Awakening of Rebellion
The battle changed.
What began as a duel became a war. Muragan versus the world.
Thousands of techniques surged through the battlefield. The world burned, but the spirit of resistance blazed brighter.
Xuantian, though exhausted, stood firm. His eyes looked to the heavens.
"If you wish to erase hope… then we shall become hope itself."
And with one slash, he tore open a gate to the Origin Realm—the source of all divine energy. Its pull was immense, summoning all who carried the will to defy fate.
A new war was about to begin.
But this time, not to survive—
To reclaim the heavens.
---