[9K Words]
Qin Tian pointed his sword at the tide of darkness. "This is boring. Come out."
"Hahaha!"
Just then, a loud laugh suddenly echoed from the depths of darkness. The next moment, a woman whose face was obscured, only a rune adorning her features, and shrouded in darkness, slowly emerged.
As she appeared, all the Great Daos of the world surfaced, coalesced, and evolved.
Darkness itself submitted beneath her feet. Those peerless powerhouses from unknown eras, after their deaths, transformed into dark beings, becoming the steps beneath her feet.
She was the possessor of all the Great Daos in the world, the source of darkness, the Heavenly Dao that ruled over heaven and earth.
Upon seeing her, Han Xiu's expression became incredibly solemn. This person was terrifying beyond measure. Before her, he felt like an ant gazing at the heavens.
After emerging, She glanced at Han Xiu first, then fixed her gaze on Qin Tian, and said, "My previous conditions still stand."
Qin Tian smiled and replied, "The same goes for me."
She remained silent for a moment, then said, "Then come on. You will regret it. You will watch your loved ones, your wife and daughters, die here. They will become the foundation of the new world, swallowed by darkness, just like these dark creatures, trampled under my feet."
Hearing the words of the Heavenly Dao avatar, Gu Qinghan's eyes turned cold. She transformed into a sword light and soared into the sky, instantly slashing towards HER.
The Heavenly Dao avatar raised his hand to block, unleashing the power of the Dark Dao.
Gu Qinghan's sword light was forced to a halt in front of HER, unable to advance even half a step.
Gu Qinghan stood beside Qin Tian, her breathtakingly beautiful face fixed on the Heavenly Dao avatar. In an icy voice, she said, "If you want a man, at least act like a woman."
"If you want to be a concubine, then show your love."
"If you want to be a slave, then strip naked and kneel before my husband, begging for his favor."
Gu Qinghan displayed the full majesty of an empress.
"However, although my husband is lustful," Gu Qinghan's icy immortal robes seemed to emanate from her, radiating celestial energy! She truly appeared as a celestial being from the Immortal Realm.
With a single step, the entire universe seemed to freeze, "...but he doesn't just fancy anyone."
As she spoke,
Gu Qinghan instantly unleashed a sword light that struck the Heavenly Dao avatar. The avatar pointed a finger, and Gu Qinghan's figure materialized, frozen in mid-air.
But the next moment, the sword in Gu Qinghan's hand transformed into solid ice.
Boom!
As a burst of icy blue sword light erupted, this sword actually shattered the power of the Heavenly Dao Avatar's Great Dao, striking towards her brow. However… *Swoosh!*
Gu Qinghan's sword missed completely, because the Heavenly Dao Avatar was no longer in its original position; it had appeared a thousand feet away.
The Heavenly Dao Avatar opened its palm, and in its hand, a Dao seal appeared. The next moment, that Dao seal transformed into beams of light and rushed towards Gu Qinghan.
Gu Qinghan raised her hand and thrust her sword at that Dao seal, but in an instant, she felt countless Great Daos crushing down upon her.
Great Dao Suppression!
Boom!
In an instant, Gu Qinghan felt her Ice Dao and Eternal Immortal Power being suppressed, but the next moment, Gu Qinghan's two Great Daos suddenly merged, and together with her True Immortal Power, the three forces actually managed to resist the suppression of the Heavenly Dao Avatar's Great Dao.
The Heavenly Dao avatar waved its sleeve.
Boom!
Gu Qinghan was directly blasted back tens of thousands of feet.
The avatar of the Heavenly Dao stared at Gu Qinghan and said, "You are outstanding. In an era where immortal energy was exhausted, you cultivated to the level of Immortal Venerable through your own efforts. But you are a creation of mine. I allowed your soul to travel to the present. I allowed you to experience the love you've always dreamed of. Will you still attack me?"
Gu Qinghan: "But you brought me here so that I would kill Qin Tian!"
"You used my hatred, used my love for Qin Tian, to pull me out of this false world, to make me possess the real Gu Qinghan, to make me kill the one I love with false hatred!"
"My experiences are all false, all your creations."
"But!"
Gu Qinghan held her sword to her chest, and an identical, semi-transparent figure appeared beside her, "But our love is real!"
The future Gu Qinghan previously lived in a fictional world constructed by the Heavenly Dao. In that world, Qin Tian was a ruthless, cold-blooded demon, and she was hopelessly in love with him.
In the end, her family was destroyed, her loved ones died tragically under Qin Tian's sword, and she herself became an insignificant stepping stone.
But she didn't die. She thought she had returned to the past, before she fell in love with Qin Tian.
But now she realized that her existence, everything she had experienced, was nothing but a deception.
She was a "protagonist" created by the Heavenly Dao to deal with Qin Tian, the "villain."
"So it was you who bullied my daughter-in-law, huh?"
The star patterns on Gong Xiaoyue's immortal robe lit up one by one, and silver-blue spatial ripples spread beneath her feet.
She stared at the blurry figure millions of miles away.
"This child is my acknowledged daughter-in-law, how dare you touch my person!" Her right fist slowly retracted to her waist, crystalline light overflowing from between her fingers, seven spatial dimensions folding into a dazzling prism at the tip of her fist.
The moment the fist was thrown out, the entire star field echoed with the crisp sound of a mirror shattering.
The universe, stretching thirty thousand miles ahead, appeared to be devoured by an invisible behemoth; stars, dust, and even light displayed bizarre cross-sections.
Dozens of planets simultaneously developed spiderweb-like cracks, and countless fleeing dark beings were suddenly frozen, their bodies splitting into countless repeating afterimages.
The ripples of spatial collapse, advancing towards the Heavenly Dao avatar, had evolved into a dimensional storm.
Countless fragments of parallel universes tumbled within it; one fragment reflected an exploding supernova, while another showed a completely still nebula.
This was Gong Xiaoyue's all-out attack, the pinnacle of her spatial abilities.
"Return to the Void of Myriad Realms."
The destruction of one hundred thousand parallel universes was instantly superimposed onto the main universe.
The Heavenly Dao avatar raised a hand composed of black starlight.
His movement was slow, yet precise, pressing down on the singularity of the storm. The dimensional cracks, powerful enough to tear stars apart, suddenly became docile, like tangled hair being smoothed with a comb.
Gong Xiaoyue's pupils constricted sharply. She saw her spatial power undergoing a conceptual collapse, not being resisted, but being declared "never existed" by some higher power.
"Gong Xiaoyue, remnants of the Primordial Heavenly Dao..."
The Heavenly Dao avatar withdrew its hand, looked at Gong Xiaoyue, and asked, "Do you remember who you are?"
Gong Xiaoyue stood beside Qin Tian. Now, mother, son, and daughter-in-law were on the same side.
"Hmph, of course I am Gong Xiaoyue, the mother of my son."
"Oh? The mother who committed incest with her own son?" The Heavenly Dao avatar said calmly.
However, its voice wasn't loud, and Gong Xiaoyue's earlier punch had nearly shattered this universe, isolating everyone else, so no one heard it.
Gu Qinghan was clearly taken aback, looking at Gong Xiaoyue with some surprise, but then understood.
Han Xiu frowned, looking at the three of them with their chaotic family relationships, his eyes filled with disgust.
He looked at the Heavenly Dao avatar and asked, "I only have one question: Did you pull me from Earth to this world?"
The Heavenly Dao avatar looked at Han Xiu and said, "It was me."
"Send me back."
"Earth is in another dimension. Sending you back requires the awakening of the main body."
"But the awakening of the main body will destroy the world and create a new one, restarting all worlds in the universe, including Earth, right?"
"You're very clever. You managed to connect to the main body yourself. You must have obtained a lot of information from there."
"In that case, I'll find my own way back. You can die now."
Han Xiu said no more. His high-tech battle armor, the "Thunder Saint Armor," instantly activated, crackling with electricity, its surface flowing with blue and white lightning patterns.
He suddenly raised his right arm, the miniature particle accelerator in his palm humming, condensing a blazing plasma laser, and blasted it towards the Heavenly Dao avatar!
The Heavenly Dao Avatar snorted coldly, the Great Dao Seal reappearing in its hand, transforming into a golden light barrier to meet the plasma laser.
Boom!
The laser collided with the light barrier, erupting in blinding sparks. The golden light barrier was actually scorched through by the plasma laser, shattering into fragments.
The Great Dao Seal was also repelled by the shockwave, emitting a buzzing sound.
Qin Tian was somewhat astonished by this. The power of Han Xiu's cultivation techniques combined with high-tech weaponry was terrifying!
This was a path he had forged himself, a path unique to him.
Back then, this guy was still using machine guns, those bullet-firing weapons; now he'd become Iron Man.
Han Xiu, his attack unsuccessful, didn't stop. He flashed his armor's thrusters blasting blue flames, instantly charging towards the Heavenly Dao Avatar.
The left arm of the battle armor transformed into an electromagnetic pulse cannon. Once fully charged, it unleashed a beam of lightning, tearing the entire universe of the Great Thousand Dao Domain apart into nothingness.
The Heavenly Dao Avatar was somewhat surprised by this. Its Great Dao Seal met the attack once more.
The power of the Great Dao collided with the lightning. The Great Dao was melted and torn apart by the lightning, but before it could reach the Heavenly Dao Avatar, it was erased again.
Immediately afterward, it flicked its sleeve, and a monstrous storm of Great Dao power condensed, sweeping towards Han Xiu.
However, the lightning shield on Han Xiu's battle armor suddenly lit up, arcing with electricity, shattering the Great Dao power.
In an instant, he was in front of the Heavenly Dao Avatar, his right arm's overclocked laser sword springing out, slashing down with the power of lightning!
The Heavenly Dao Avatar's right hand condensed endless darkness, fusing with the power of the Great Dao to form a jet-black greatsword, which violently collided with the laser sword.
Boom!
The two forces converged, scattering countless strands of Dao power. The spacetime they inhabited instantly turned pitch black, and the surrounding galaxy began to crumble inch by inch, like a painting being scorched by intense heat—a truly horrifying sight.
"Rise!"
Just then, the voice of the Heavenly Dao Avatar resounded in the pitch-black space-time.
Countless Dao patterns condensed from the heavens and earth, transforming into terrifying pressure that crushed towards Han Xiu.
Below, Han Xiu's eyes flashed with electricity. His armor's thrusters activated at full power, transforming into a bolt of lightning that shot into the sky.
His right arm's particle cannon fired several plasma beams in quick succession, while his left arm's electromagnetic pulse cannon simultaneously unleashed its power, forcefully tearing a path through the endless pressure of the Dao.
The Heavenly Dao Avatar frowned, a hint of regret creeping into her heart for having brought Han Xiu along to deal with Qin Tian.
No one had expected the combined power of technology and cultivation to be so monstrous!
The Heavenly Dao Avatar waved its hand, and countless Dao patterns condensed once more, this time even more solid. The boundless pressure of the Dao converged, transforming into a colossal mountain that crushed towards Han Xiu.
Facing the overwhelming pressure, Han Xiu showed no fear. The lightning patterns on his armor shone brightly as he soared into the sky, unleashing a barrage of particle cannons, electromagnetic cannons, and laser swords.
Seeing Han Xiu's attacks about to tear through the pressure of the Great Dao once more, the Heavenly Dao avatar frowned deeply.
Han Xiu was a "protagonist" archetype.
Those with this archetype essentially had cheat-like growth and strength. In other words, Qin Tian possessed the "villain" archetype; any other villain would have been tormented by Han Xiu long ago.
But whether "villain" or "protagonist," they were all manifestations of the Heavenly Dao's authority, products of its creation.
Once the authority belonging to the protagonist was reclaimed, these protagonists and villains would be mere playthings to be manipulated at will.
However, one of these two had connected with the Heavenly Dao itself, seizing its authority; the other had broken through his own level, no longer bound by his villainous identity.
There was also a True Immortal whose soul coexisted in both the illusory and real worlds, and a remnant incarnation of the Primordial Heavenly Dao.
Each of these four was a headache for HER.
The problem was, all four were creations of HER under the operation of the Heavenly Dao.
It was as if she had created four for herself.
Just as Han Xiu was about to tear apart the Great Dao, the Heavenly Dao incarnation suddenly stretched out her right hand and shouted, "Destroy All Daos!"
Boom!
The power of the Great Dao was instantly annihilated!
The spacetime region where Han Xiu was located was directly reduced to ashes, becoming nothingness.
Qin Tian, holding Gu Qinghan and Gong Xiaoyue's hands, explaining his relationship with Gong Xiaoyue to Gu Qinghan, glanced over after hearing the Heavenly Dao incarnation's shout.
Now the battlefield was divided into two parts: one was a chaotic battle between dark beings and the Great Thousand Dao Domains, and the other was the main battlefield that Gong Xiaoyue had broken through and separated.
If he could deal with the Heavenly Dao Avatar on his side, the other battlefield would naturally be safe.
He and Han Xiu weren't particularly close friends. If Han Xiu wanted a one-on-one fight, Qin Tian wouldn't interfere. Besides, whether Han Xiu won or lost, it would be good for him.
"Aren't you going to help?" Gu Qinghan asked.
"It would be best if he died." Qin Tian held Gu Qinghan's small hand; her cool hand felt very comfortable. Although he wanted Han Xiu to be killed by the Heavenly Dao Avatar, he didn't think Han Xiu would die so easily here.
After all, he knew these protagonists better than anyone else; putting everything else aside, they were incredibly resilient.
Sure enough, in the next moment, Han Xiu, clad in armor, burst out of the void. His lightning shield flashed, his armor shattered, and countless terrifying arcs of electricity exploded on his body!
He had withstood the Heavenly Dao Avatar's "Myriad Dao Annihilation"!
Han Xiu, panting heavily, collapsed weakly to the ground. His armor had lost 80% of its function, making even movement extremely difficult.
"Heh...still not enough?" A flicker of despondency crossed Han Xiu's eyes, but he was unwilling to give up; he couldn't fall here.
He had to go back!
There was no one waiting for him there.
Gu Qinghan watched Han Xiu struggle to his feet. Her beautiful eyes turned to Qin Tian, her red lips parted, and she said, "Next, it's my grudge with HER. I need to settle things with HER."
Qin Tian: "Need any help?"
"No, this is our business. After all this is over, you will marry us."
Qin Tian knew that "we" referred to her two lifetimes; within her was another Gu Qinghan.
Before Qin Tian could speak, Gong Xiaoyue beside him said first, "I've agreed to this. It's time for you two to officially get married."
"Mother..." Qin Tian was taken aback. Although he also liked Gu Qinghan, he had promised to marry his mother as his principal wife.
Gu Qinghan looked at her future mother-in-law, a hint of melancholy flashing in her eyes.
She said nothing more, taking a step forward and looking directly at the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao.
"Now, it's our turn to settle accounts!"
Her icy immortal robes erupted with terrifying cold, her jet-black hair turning a beautiful silver at one end, silently fluttering in the vacuum, each strand imbued with a chill enough to freeze stars.
With each step she took, shattered ruins of the immortal realm appeared beneath her feet. Those once glorious stairways to heaven now only had her lingering immortal aura still shining.
As the only true immortal of the Immortal Era to achieve her status through her own efforts, she had gained the approval of the Immortal Will!
She opened her eyes; her left eye was icy blue like ancient ice, her right eye crimson like a churning sea of blood.
Two completely different Daoist auras intertwined and flowed around her.
"Gu Qinghan, you were originally the most perfect pawn," the voice of the Heavenly Dao avatar whispered as if a thousand worlds were speaking simultaneously. "Why did you defy your predetermined fate? Don't you like the path I arranged for you?"
"You deceived me!" She swung her sword, unleashing a ten-thousand-foot-deep icy river that froze the power of the Heavenly Dao avatar's Great Dao. "You gave me false love, and then ruthlessly destroyed it. You ask me if I like it!"
"I like it very much, but it's not you I like!"
Gu Qinghan slashed with her sword again.
"I like Qin Tian. He made me understand that even if everything I did before was fake, my love for him can become real!"
The Heavenly Dao avatar gently raised its hand, and the frozen Great Dao suddenly burst forth with golden light. The immortal energy contained within the icy river was transformed into a rain of fire that lashed out from the sky.
Gu Qinghan neither dodged nor evaded, letting the heavenly fire pierce her body. The flames solidified into ice crystal flowers the instant they touched the hem of her clothing.
"All my suffering is caused by you," she said, her left eye blazing with blue light. "In the false memories you created, even Qin Tian's temperature was wrong." Her right hand suddenly released the Frost Heaven Sword, transforming it into a torrent of millions of ice swords that surged towards the Heavenly Dao Avatar.
The universe began to tremble.
The Heavenly Dao Avatar finally abandoned its mocking expression, its hands forming an ancient hand seal.
Countless Dao runes emerged from the void, forming a galaxy that stretched across the sky. The torrent of ice swords crashed into the galaxy, the shockwave pulverizing three nearby dead stars.
"How can you be so sure your experiences are fake?" A pale, gigantic hand emerged from the darkness behind the Heavenly Dao Avatar, its palm displaying the most painful scenes from Gu Qinghan's memories, presented one by one before her eyes.
The moment Qin Tian pierced her heart with his sword.
The moment her parents were killed by the one she loved most.
The moment her clansmen wailed in the sea of fire.
The moment she shamelessly craved the love that person didn't even possess.
All these memories exploded in Gu Qinghan's mind and arms in an instant.
The Frost Heaven Sword suddenly let out a mournful cry.
The crimson color in Gu Qinghan's right eye spread wildly, and the murderous aura erupting from her body crushed a meteorite cluster within a million miles into ice dust.
Just as she was about to lose control, the blue light in her left eye suddenly became incomparably bright, and a phantom figure reached out a gentle hand and pressed it against her right hand, which was holding a sword.
"Don't be deceived by HER," another cold voice echoed in her mind, "Those tears... were all fake."
The Heavenly Dao Incarnation frowned upon seeing this.
A phantom figure was separating from Gu Qinghan's body.
Two Gu Qinghans stood back to back, one in white robes stained with blood and exuding murderous aura, the other in a flowing blue dress, cold as ice.
A miniature ice lotus bloomed from the fingertip of Gu Qinghan in the blue dress. Its heart reflected every moment with Qin Tian in this life—the initial hostility, the later submission—all precious memories for them.
The crimson Gu Qinghan suddenly laughed.
This laugh caused the temperature of the entire universe to drop by another third.
"Hahaha, still trying to fool me! No matter how despairing the memories you present me with, they cannot shake me, because…"
"We are not alone!"
Two Gu Qinghans spoke simultaneously, one illusory, one real, their swords once again pointing towards the heavens!
The Heavenly Dao finally lost patience.
Its body released a gray mist large enough to cover the galaxy, each wisp of mist displaying scenes of destruction from different worlds.
"Disobedient pawns have no reason to live."
The Three Thousand Great Daos simultaneously manifested as destructive lightning, striking down.
Gu Qinghan, however, plunged the Frost Heaven Sword into the void, its blade blooming with ice crystal lotuses.
"Eternal Immortal Technique Final Form..." The two souls simultaneously formed hand seals, their voices rippling through the river of time, "Eternal Moment - Other Shore Ice Lotus!"
The instant the ice lotus bloomed, the flow of time throughout the universe slowed abnormally.
The Heavenly Dao avatar was horrified to discover that the chains of the Great Dao, which should have been under absolute control, were freezing inch by inch before its eyes.
Even more terrifying was that not only the laws of the present were freezing, but the laws of the past and future were also simultaneously solidifying.
"Oh, so the happiness you finally obtained, are you going to destroy it yourself?" The Heavenly Dao avatar's eyes showed a hint of solemnity as it continued, "Freezing cause and effect, time, space, past, and future will shatter your immortal foundation forever. Perhaps you'll even die by your own hand. Does he know you're doing this?"
Gu Qinghan's blood-red body began to become transparent, yet she smiled as she poured her last strength into the ice lotus.
"Wrong. Only I will disappear. Gu Qinghan will still be by his side." Her figure gradually dissipated, finally transforming into a red lotus and merging into the body of the girl in the blue dress.
Gu Qinghan, in her blue dress, caught the falling Frost Heaven Sword, its tip lightly touching the collapsing core of the universe.
Tears streamed down her face. She was no longer weak, no longer running away. "This sword, I slashed for her, severing her suffering, severing her destiny. She is no longer a lie, no longer your pawn, she is Gu Qinghan!"
The ice lotus suddenly spun in reverse, carrying eternity, crashing into the avatar of the Heavenly Dao.
Amidst the indescribable explosion of light, the mournful shriek of the Heavenly Dao's will faintly echoed.
When the light dissipated, countless ice crystal fragments floated in the universe, each sealing a distorted memory.
Within these fragments, every moment of Gu Qinghan's life surfaced.
But in the end, they all transformed into a smiling face, gently gazing upon Gu Qinghan and Qin Tian… Gu Qinghan knelt in the void, the Frost Heaven Sword broken in two.
She gazed at the fragments of memory around her, as if they were embracing her, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, yet tinged with a relieved smile.
"We succeeded..." Before the shattered ice lotus fragments in the void had completely dissipated, Gu Qinghan suddenly clutched her chest, spitting out a pale golden mist of blood.
This was a plan she and her other self had devised together. Initially, she had vehemently disagreed, but ultimately, she couldn't persuade her more assertive counterpart.
She was, in essence, an illusion, fabricated by someone.
She should never have existed.
Having gained Qin Tian's love, she had no more attachments. She had to make a clean break, for herself, and for the real Gu Qinghan.
Just as Gu Qinghan composed herself, not wanting Qin Tian to know that her other self had vanished, suddenly, all the ice lotus fragments trembled simultaneously.
A crisp sound like shattering glass echoed from the depths of the universe; the frozen chains of the Great Dao snapped inch by inch.
Darkness, like viscous ink, seeped from the cracks, gradually coalescing into a sky-obscuring vortex.
"You think you can destroy me like this?" A gigantic, scarlet eye opened at the center of the vortex, its pupil reflecting countless shattered worlds. "That false Gu Qinghan died meaninglessly, just like you now..."
The cold voice abruptly stopped.
A black sword wreathed in chaotic energy pierced the gigantic eye, its tip crackling with black flames that even the Heavenly Dao feared.
"I've never lost a woman in my entire life. Do you want me to lose a wife in my final moments?"
"What about my lifelong reputation?"
The familiar voice sent shivers down Gu Qinghan's spine.
She turned around and saw Qin Tian standing beside her. His left arm encircled her swaying waist, while his right hand, fingers forming a claw, clawed at the blood-red curtain of light.
The fading fragments of memory suddenly solidified, transforming into countless crimson specks of light that converged in his palm.
The Heavenly Dao vortex churned violently: "Qin Tian! How dare you..."
"Shut up, I'll deal with you later." Golden light surged in Qin Tian's eyes, and the crimson specks in his palm spun wildly, finally condensing into a crystal-clear blood jade bead.
Sealed within the bead was Gu Qinghan's final, crimson smile.
He gently placed the blood bead in Gu Qinghan's palm, instantly warming her icy fingers.
"I won't abandon either of you," Qin Tian wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, his voice gentle, "whether it's you or her." He lightly touched the blood bead with his fingertip, "you are both my wives."
Just then...
"Qin Tian!!!"
A piercing shriek echoed from the vortex, countless dark tentacles lashing out at the two, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier three zhang away.
Qin Tian didn't even look up, focusing intently on smoothing Gu Qinghan's disheveled hair.
"Brother Qin... thank you..." Gu Qinghan clutched the precious pearl to her chest, tears forming tiny pearls on her icy cheeks.
Qin Tian suddenly lowered his head and kissed her trembling lips.
The kiss carried the burning heat of chaos, yet also the cool purity of immortality.
Gu Qinghan's wide eyes reflected Qin Tian's face, and she slowly closed them.
When their lips parted, Qin Tian chuckled softly, his forehead pressed against hers: "Why say thank you between husband and wife? Take her with you, and once it's all over, we'll rebuild her body."
Gu Qinghan nodded. Qin Tian patted her head, then turned to look at the enormous eye within the vortex.
"I am weary... You ants, one after another, daring to challenge the Heavenly Dao. Since that's the case, then come!"
The enormous eye slowly closed, and then, from within the dark vortex, a Heavenly Path shot forth. The appearance of this Heavenly Path startled everyone.
The spatial isolation previously erected by Gong Xiaoyue shattered at this moment, allowing those on the outer battlefield to see this Heavenly Path.
The dark creatures all ceased their attacks and knelt on the ground.
The next moment, footsteps suddenly came from the end of the Heavenly Path, and soon, a phantom slowly emerged.
The people of the Great Thousand Dao Domain all looked up at the end of the Heavenly Path, but in their eyes, there was only a phantom; they couldn't see it clearly at all.
Indescribable!
This was not an avatar of the Heavenly Dao, but the Heavenly Dao itself.
After emerging, it gently pressed its hand down.
On the right side of the sky, the River of Time slowly appeared.
In the next instant, before the astonished gazes of all living beings in the Great Thousand Dao Domains, the primordial chaos, before heaven and earth were separated, revealed a chaotic land in the long river of time.
In the scene, heaven and earth gave birth to the first generation of beings: three thousand chaotic gods and demons transformed from the three thousand Great Daos.
At the center of this chaotic land stood a middle-aged man clad in black armor, his robes flowing, his right hand behind his back. The oppressive aura he exuded was chilling even through the light barrier.
He was the Heavenly Demon.
However, at some unknown time, a sudden change occurred. A wisp of eerie black energy from beyond the heavens seeped from the void, silently invading the Heavenly Demon's body.
The Heavenly Demon's eyes suddenly turned crimson, and his aura became violent.
Afterward, he unleashed endless slaughter with a wave of his hand. The chaotic gods and demons, infected by the black energy, clashed and killed each other, staining the chaos with blood.
The flames of war spread, plunging the entire Chaotic Era into madness. Heaven and earth shattered, and all living beings perished.
In the end, all the Chaos Gods and Demons perished, turning to dust, thus ending the Chaos Era.
Only the Heavenly Demon survived the slaughter, becoming the ruler of heaven and earth, the source of all fear.
The Heavenly Demon slaughtered the heavens, the entire world becoming his hunting ground. His minions destroyed countless civilizations every day, causing endless carnage.
The powerful beings of the Great Thousand Dao Domain witnessed this scene, their hearts trembling.
However, the Heavenly Dao's actions did not cease.
It gently raised its hand again, and with a resounding boom, the River of Time surged, and the fallen Chaos Gods and Demons were resurrected from the dust, reborn on the spot!
Even more astonishingly, with a single finger, it shattered the time shackles of the Chaos Era, forcibly merging the past and present.
Within moments, all the resurrected Chaos Gods and Demons traversed time, descending upon the present Great Thousand Dao Domain, their terrifying aura shaking heaven and earth.
Before the powerful figures of the Great Thousand Dao Domains could recover from their shock, He pointed again, and another river of time appeared.
This time, the scene depicted the Five Immortal Realms: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, shrouded in immortal energy, their grandeur breathtaking.
The supreme beings of the Five Immortal Realms stood atop their respective realms, their gazes piercing, guarding their domains.
The scene shifted, revealing an epic battle.
A dense black aura surged from the horizon of the Five Immortal Realms, transforming into countless ferocious dark creatures that swept across the land.
The supreme beings of the Five Immortal Realms led their armies in a fierce resistance, the most dazzling among them being the ruler of the Golden Immortal Realm.
He wore golden immortal armor, wielding an immortal sword whose light shone like a rainbow, slaying countless dark creatures.
However, the power of darkness was too great; the black aura corroded everything in its path, dimming immortal light and causing countless lives to perish.
The Supreme Ruler of the Golden Immortal Realm roared, transforming into a golden light and charging towards the core of darkness, attempting to shatter the veil of darkness single-handedly.
His sword light surged, tearing through the darkness and penetrating the core.
However, moments later, a deafening crash echoed as the Supreme Ruler's corpse plummeted from the darkness, his immortal armor shattered, lifeless.
The powerful figures of the Five Great Immortal Realms, witnessing this, were filled with rage. They ignited their immortal souls, transforming into streaks of light, fearlessly charging into the darkness.
However, like moths to a flame, the powerful figures of the Five Great Immortal Realms perished one after another under the crushing weight of the darkness.
In the end, the Five Great Immortal Realms were utterly destroyed, reduced to a deathly silence.
The powerful figures of the Great Thousand Dao Domains, witnessing this scene, were utterly shattered.
The power of darkness was so terrifying; even the Five Great Immortal Realms had been destroyed. Who could possibly withstand it?
Qin Tian, Liu Qingping, and Kui Yanshuang, the survivors from the Immortal Realm, all looked grim upon witnessing this scene.
The ruler of the Golden Immortal Realm was none other than Lord Qin.
When Qin Tian stormed into the core of darkness, he was unaware of the battle outside. He never expected Lord Qin to perish in such a manner.
Liu Qingping and Kui Yanshuang also saw the people from the Myriad Spirits Vast Sect and the Boundless Abyss. They were fortunate not to have participated in that battle.
However, His actions did not cease.
The Heavenly Dao extended two fingers, gently lifting them. With a resounding boom, the ruler of the Golden Immortal Realm abruptly opened his eyes. Simultaneously, all the fallen Immortal Realm powerhouses were resurrected! The timelines of the five Immortal Realms were forcibly pulled into the present. The Immortal Realm armies reappeared in the Great Thousand Dao Domain, their immortal light rising once more, shaking heaven and earth.
Not only that, her power continued to operate. Countless Emperor-level powerhouses who had perished in the Dark Invasion were resurrected one by one and forcibly teleported to the Great Thousand Dao Domain.
Chaos gods and demons, the five immortal realms, and all the top powerhouses of the past and present had gathered here.
The powerhouses of the Great Thousand Dao Domain, witnessing this scene, were utterly filled with despair.
So many era-level powerhouses resurrected, such terrifying power gathered—how could they possibly cope?
She, with her own power, resurrected all the powerhouses of the Chaos Era and the five immortal realms, even pulling all the top powerhouses of the past and present into the present.
What kind of method was this?
Is this the Heavenly Dao?
Indeed, it is a terrifying existence that human power cannot contend with.
The high-ranking officials of the various forces in the Great Thousand Dao Domain showed panic; the atmosphere was as heavy as lead.
The Supreme Ancestor of the Nine Heavens Immortal Sect, his face pale, his eyes filled with despair, exclaimed, "Chaotic Gods and Demons... the Five Immortal Realms... and countless Emperor-level experts! How can we possibly withstand this? We don't even have a one in ten chance of winning!"
The other leaders of the forces beside him nodded in agreement. Some even whispered, "Perhaps... surrender is our only way out. Maybe we can survive and continue living in the new world."
Panic spread like a plague across the Great Thousand Dao Domains, and the fighting spirit of the various forces rapidly crumbled.
Some sects had already begun secretly withdrawing from the center of the battlefield, preparing to flee this universe on the verge of destruction.
Qin Tian's gaze swept over the Chaotic Gods and Demons and the experts of the Five Immortal Realms, his eyes remaining completely unmoved.
He saw the Qin Clan among the Five Immortal Realms, his family from his previous life.
He saw his grandfather, Qin Yuanshou, his white hair still exuding an air of otherworldly grace, holding an ancient longsword, standing tall within the ranks of the Golden Immortal Realm.
And there were those familiar faces—all his blood relatives from his past life.
After the powerful figures of the Chaos Era and the Five Immortal Realms were all resurrected, their first glance was directed at the Heavenly Dao. His expression was incredibly solemn, a mixture of anger, terror, indifference, and doubt.
They quickly understood why they were here.
Without much hesitation, almost ninety percent chose to submit to the Heavenly Dao.
They too had defied the heavens, broken free of shackles, and believed they could rebel against the heavens, but they had all died. The result had proven that before the Heavenly Dao, they were like ants.
Now, given a chance for rebirth, they naturally cherished it.
But some chose to stand, refusing to kneel.
The Heavenly Demons of the Chaos Era.
The Qin Clan of the Golden Immortal Realm.
The Heavenly Demon, clad in black armor, glared at the Heavenly Dao, his eyes flashing with ferocity. He grinned, his demonic energy erupting like a volcano, covering billions of miles, the terrifying aura nearly engulfing everyone present.
His bloodthirsty gaze was fixed on the Heavenly Dao.
"I just remembered," the Heavenly Demon said, "that's why I always had this urge to kill. It was you behind it all."
The Heavenly Demon suddenly burst into laughter. He understood. He understood everything. The moment light was born, darkness was born at the same time.
To replace light, darkness subtly influenced the Heavenly Demon's consciousness, initiating slaughter and destruction.
And all this slaughter and destruction would become nourishment for his birth.
"So, you still have to call me 'Mother' then," the Heavenly Demon said, looking at the Heavenly Dao. "After all, without me, you wouldn't have been born."
The Heavenly Dao's faceless head turned towards the Heavenly Demon, but he didn't reply.
The Heavenly Demon clenched his fist, his face contorted with madness. "I'll beat you to death today, you unfilial child!"
The Heavenly Demon's fist tore through the void, carrying a power capable of shattering stars as it slammed into the Heavenly Dao.
Space itself distorted and shattered under this punch, time seemed to freeze, and countless blood-red patterns appeared on the pitch-black demonic armor, writhing like living creatures, devouring all the spiritual energy within a radius of ten thousand miles.
"Die!"
The Heavenly Demon's roar shattered cosmic nebulae, countless great stars annihilated.
However, the Heavenly Dao merely raised his palm, and an invisible barrier appeared before him.
The Heavenly Demon's fist struck the barrier, erupting with blinding light, but could not advance an inch further.
"Ants," the Heavenly Dao's voice was devoid of emotion. "You think you can touch the heavens with such meager power?"
The Heavenly Demon's eyes flashed with even more bloodlust. He suddenly grinned, revealing gleaming white teeth: "Is that so?"
In an instant, the demonic energy covering billions of miles suddenly surged back, all flowing into the Heavenly Demon's body.
His body began to swell, countless fissures cracking across his skin, from which jet-black flames erupted. Wherever those flames passed, even space itself was scorched with eternal scars.
The Heavenly Dao finally changed its expression slightly. Fine cracks, as thin as hair, appeared on the invisible barrier. The Heavenly Demon seized this fleeting opportunity, his other fist striking out at speeds exceeding the speed of light.
"Break!"
Crack... A crisp sound of shattering echoed throughout the universe.
The barrier before the Heavenly Dao shattered like glass, the fist striking the Heavenly Dao's chest solidly.
This was the first time in billions of years that someone had truly touched the Heavenly Dao's true form.
But the Heavenly Dao remained completely still. The Heavenly Demon had touched it, but only touched it.
"Unfortunately, you are a very good pawn..."
The Heavenly Dao's voice remained calm as it raised its hand and pressed it against the Heavenly Demon's forehead.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, no dazzling light.
The Heavenly Demon's body dissipated like sand, starting from his fingertips, but his smile grew even more ferocious.
"Hahaha, damn Heavenly Dao! I can't beat you, so I'll let someone else do the work!" The Heavenly Demon's voice carried a hint of satisfaction.
Just as he was about to completely dissipate, endless demonic energy suddenly condensed into a wisp of extremely pure black light, shooting towards Qin Tian at a speed beyond cause and effect.
The Heavenly Dao immediately sensed it and waved its hand to intercept, but the black light pierced through all obstacles, directly piercing Qin Tian's chest.
"Boy, my power... is all yours..." The demon's last voice echoed in Qin Tian's mind, "Help me... punch her..." Qin Tian trembled violently, feeling an unprecedented power explode within him.
That was the purest divine and demonic essence, now resonating with the Heavenly Demon Body within him, making him whole. It could be said that Qin Tian before only possessed the titles of Heavenly Demon Successor and Heavenly Demon Reincarnation.
But now, he has truly become a Heavenly Demon!
The Heavenly Dao's gaze fell upon Qin Tian once more, a hint of… apprehension in that gaze?
"I see," the Heavenly Dao's voice returned to calm. "The greatest variable is still you."
"A Heavenly Demon cannot change your fate. He is merely a pawn of mine, and so are you. Only you two are disobedient pawns that need to be destroyed."
The Heavenly Dao stretched out its hand, intending to obliterate Qin Tian and the others.
Then, a figure stood before Qin Tian.
It was a stern-faced old man, exuding an aura of quiet authority.
But within his eyes lay a gentleness.
Qin Tian trembled. Looking at the old man's back, his heart was filled with incredibly complex emotions.
"Grandpa...Grandpa..." Qin Yuanshou turned to look at Qin Tian, a smile appearing on his stern face. He reached out and gently stroked Qin Tian's head.
"Good child, you've worked hard."
"Grandpa...I...I still couldn't save everyone." Qin Tian felt guilty, his eyes slightly moist as he looked at the Qin clan members who had all sacrificed themselves in the battle against darkness.
"You've done very well."
"Heh, the Qin clan didn't perish, did it?"
"Your grandpa also burdened a child like you with such a heavy responsibility."
"I'm sorry..." Voices and figures appeared around Qin Tian, men and women, young and old.
They were all Qin Tian's blood relatives, the family of Qin Wudao from his previous life.
They were also Qin Tian's family.
At this moment, a man and a woman embraced Qin Tian, their eyes brimming with tears as they murmured, "You've grown up... You've grown up so well, it's truly wonderful..."
"Mother, Father..." Qin Tian had never met them before.
But he could sense that these were his parents from his previous life.
Qin Tian had three lives in this existence.
His first life was on Earth, where his only relative was his aunt.
His second life was in the Immortal Realm as Qin Wudao, where he had many relatives, but only his grandfather remained.
His third life was the present Qin Tian, who possessed everything.
"Child, let us do something for you too." They released Qin Tian and walked together to him, shielding him behind them.
"That's right, we can't let you bear this alone."
"It's just the Heavenly Dao, right? Let's do it!"
Soon, a crowd gathered before Qin Tian, showing no fear even when facing the Heavenly Dao itself.
The Heavenly Dao couldn't understand why these people rebelled, why they weren't afraid of death. They had already failed, they had already died, why, knowing they were invincible, did they still choose the same path again?
Before Qin Tian.
The figures of the Qin Clan from the Immortal Realm formed a Great Wall of flesh and blood before Qin Tian. Their robes fluttered without wind, and each person began to radiate a faint golden light.
That light was like the rising sun, warm but not dazzling, yet containing a powerful force.
"This is…" Qin Tian felt his blood resonate within him, the sound of his heart beating echoing in his chest like a war drum.
Qin Yuanshou stood at the forefront, his white hair flying.
He turned to look at Qin Tian, his eyes filled with loving kindness: "Child, with you in the Qin Clan, we are at ease. Today, let us, these old bones, pave your way one last time."
"Grandpa! What are you doing?" Qin Tian suddenly realized something, reaching out to grab the old man, but only grasping a wisp of drifting golden light.
The bodies of all the Qin clan members in the Immortal Realm began to turn transparent, transforming into countless golden specks of light.
These specks of light, like a swarm of fireflies, traced graceful arcs in the air before surging towards Qin Tian.
"No! Stop! I don't need your power to defeat HER!" Qin Tian roared, but he couldn't stop this sacrificial ritual.
Qin Tian's mother from his previous life turned around, tears welling in her eyes with a smile of relief: "Tian'er, my last wish was to see you live well. Now I have no regrets." Her body began to dissipate; her fingertips lightly touched Qin Tian's cheek, but passed right through him.
"In the previous life, we owed you something. We couldn't be there to watch you grow up. Now, your father and I have nothing to leave you."
Qin Tian's father opened his arms, his figure gradually blurring in the golden light. "Only this cultivation of mine, I hope it can lend you a hand."
The Heavenly Dao could no longer tolerate it. It didn't know why, but looking at these people, at these things beyond its comprehension, it felt immense anger and confusion. For the first time, a look of anger appeared on that blurred face: "You're all the same! Foolish! How dare you defy the will of Heaven!"
He raised his hand, and a bolt of black lightning, powerful enough to tear through space, struck Qin Tian.
Just at this critical moment...
"Boom!"
A muffled sound, seemingly from ancient times, shook the heavens and earth. The void suddenly cracked open, and a colossal bronze gate, reaching to the heavens and the earth, appeared out of thin air.
Countless ancient runes were carved on the gate, each line flowing with the aura of time.
The instant the gate opened, time seemed to stand still.
"This is... the Gate of Return to Nothingness?" Qin Yuanshou's remaining figure showed shock.
The Qin Lord, radiating golden light, looked at the bronze gate and smiled with relief. This gate was one of the Qin Clan's most treasured artifacts, capable of separating life and death.
"That child, Wuhun, has suffered too..." Within the doorway lay endless darkness. Suddenly, a pure white, jade-like arm emerged, so perfect it seemed otherworldly. With a gentle press, it imprisoned the Heavenly Dao in the void.
The black lightning dissipated halfway, and the Heavenly Dao roared in resentment, unable to break free from the seemingly gentle restraint.
Deep within the Qin Clan's ancestral abyss, Qin Wuhun, seated cross-legged on the altar, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Her skin withered visibly, her hair instantly turning completely white.
"Elder Sister!" Qin Wuming, who had been watching over her, cried out in alarm.
Qin Wuhun waved her hand, a sorrowful smile on her lips: "I'm alright... I've lived until now... all for... to help him one last time..." Her gaze seemed to pierce through endless space, seeing Qin Tian, "Husband... this is all Wuhun can do..." Before she could finish speaking, Qin Wuhun's body suddenly slumped forward, falling to the ground like a withered leaf.
Meanwhile, on the Heavenly Dao Battlefield:
The Qin Clan of the Immortal Realm had all vanished.
They had all transformed into countless golden lights, merging into Qin Tian's body. His body hovered in mid-air, his eyes tightly closed.
Suddenly, a visible energy ripple erupted from him. When he opened his eyes again, it seemed as if countless worlds were being born and annihilated within his pupils.
The Heavenly Dao broke free from the white jade arm's restraints. The Gate of Return to Nothingness shattered, and the perfect arm vanished completely.
Qin Tian clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, the power from his ancestors throughout the ages.
He looked up at the Heavenly Dao and calmly said, "Now, it's time to settle things."
Qin Tian glanced at the vanished Gate of Return to Nothingness and said to Qin Wuming, "Go back and take care of your sister."
Qin Wuming nodded. She knew her sister's current state. Having attacked the Heavenly Dao so directly, it was no exaggeration to say that her life or death was now uncertain.
Qin Tian looked again at the lofty Heavenly Dao.
His left eye was like that of an immortal, its clear light flowing, as if countless ancient stars were born and died within it; his right eye was like that of a demon, pitch black and deep, like a bottomless abyss that devoured everything.
Immortal and demonic energy intertwined around him, transforming into a rotating yin-yang sun, black and white entangled, like the beginning of chaos, or the end of the Great Dao.
And before him lay endless darkness.
The Heavenly Dao watched Qin Tian approach, a strange emotion stirring within it, a feeling that was strangely comforting. After reading the memories of the world, it understood what this was.
Was it fear?
"Kill him."
It refused to believe it could be afraid, and with a single command, it gave the order.
The dark creatures and the resurrected gods, demons, and immortals transformed into a black tide, engulfing and devouring everything, even distorting time and space under its influence.
Qin Tian took a step.
With each step, the light of the Yin-Yang Sun surged, illuminating all directions.
The black tide churned, countless dark creatures roaring as they charged. They had no reason, no fear, only a pure desire for destruction. They had once been immortals, demons, monsters, and gods, but now they were merely the Heavenly Dao's claws, manifestations of darkness.
However… the instant they touched the Yin-Yang Sun, their bodies crumbled inch by inch, turning to ashes and vanishing into nothingness.
Qin Tian did not stop.
The second step saw the Yin-Yang Sun expand once more; wherever its light passed, darkness melted silently, like snow meeting the blazing sun.
The third step saw the black tide torn apart, the void trembling as if unable to withstand the force.
The Heavenly Dao remained indifferent; its existence was the rule, eternity itself. It needed neither anger nor fear; it was as it should be… yet it felt uneasy… Qin Tian continued forward.
Finally, he stood before the Heavenly Dao.
The Heavenly Dao was formless and shapeless, like a chaotic mist, bearing the supreme laws of the universe, indescribable, possessing only a vaguely feminine outline.
However, a cold smile curled at the corner of Qin Tian's lips. His hands suddenly formed a seal, unleashing supreme power from within him, like billions of stars exploding simultaneously.
"This is too ugly. I'll change your appearance!" Qin Tian uttered, endless Dao light emanating from his palms, the power of immortals and demons surging forth like a torrent, forcefully anchoring the core concept of the Heavenly Dao.
The void trembled, laws intertwined, and golden chains extended from the depths of the universe, binding the chaotic mist and forcibly dragging it into reality.
The mist struggled violently, but was powerless against Qin Tian's overwhelming force.
In an instant, the mist dissipated, and a peerless figure slowly emerged—a woman of unparalleled beauty, capable of bewitching all beings.
Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her eyes possessing a deadly allure. Her red lips were slightly pursed, a half-smile playing on her lips, carrying a hint of wanton provocation.
Her figure was even more captivating. Her slender waist was so delicate it seemed one could encircle it with a single hand, yet it accentuated her full, enormous breasts. The thin gauze dress could not conceal her proud curves, and her rounded hips swayed with endless temptation.
Her long, jade-like legs were faintly visible beneath the gauze skirt, her skin as smooth and delicate as jade, radiating a soft glow that made one's blood boil.
However, beneath her beauty lay an aura of supreme majesty.
Her eyes were as deep as the starry sea, seemingly containing the mysteries of the universe's creation and destruction. With every gesture, the laws of nature resonated, and heaven and earth bowed before her.
She was the Heavenly Dao. Even anchored in physical form, she still radiated supreme holiness and indifference, like an empress ruling over all beings, inspiring awe and reverence.
The Heavenly Dao lowered its head, gazing at its newly formed body, a flicker of shock and disbelief in its eyes.
Just as the Heavenly Dao was bewildered, Qin Tian's right fist, wreathed in boundless demonic flames, slammed forth, striking the Heavenly Dao's flawless, beautiful face.
"Bang!" A deafening crash echoed as the Heavenly Dao's exquisite face was struck, her delicate cheek instantly shattering.
She was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into several burning stars. The stars shattered, turning into a rain of fire, tearing apart the void, and scattering spatial fragments like blades, cutting terrifying cracks in the air.
Qin Tian hovered in the void, retracting his fist, and said, "Heavenly Demon, I took this punch for you!"
Amidst the ruins, the Heavenly Dao slowly rose, its left cheek swollen, ruining its flawless beauty.
Her eyes blazed with boundless fury, the power of laws erupting from within her body, instantly collapsing the surrounding star field. She gritted her teeth, her voice filled with endless rage: "Qin Tian, how dare you desecrate my dignity! Today, I will make sure your soul is annihilated!"
A great battle erupted instantly!
The two figures moved with extreme speed, transforming into two streaks of light, colliding and intersecting in the universe.
Each exchange caused the void to shatter and galaxies to cease flowing.
The force of the fists intertwined with the laws of nature, transforming into a destructive storm that swept across billions of miles.
The cultivators and creatures in the distance were terrified, fleeing the battlefield in droves, fearing the aftershocks.
Gong Xiaoyue quickly retreated with Gu Qinghan, and then the others gathered around.
"What should we do?" Yan Duo'er asked.
Gong Xiaoyue surveyed the battlefield for a moment, then smiled and said, "This is no longer our concern. Let's go back and wait for him."
The women nodded; they trusted their man.
"There are still many unfamiliar faces among you sisters. Let's get to know each other better," Hu Jiuli chuckled, her gaze sweeping over the group.
"Let's go. If he wins, he'll come looking for us. If he loses, we'll all have to go with him. Staying here will only distract him," Xiao Meng said, then led the way.
The women looked at each other, then also left.
The Qin Clan and the people of the Great Thousand Dao Domain were helpless. The battlefield's reach was expanding rapidly; if they didn't leave, they would become cannon fodder.