195: Chapter 196 No Family Affection

A soul contract binds the soul; as long as one does not dissolve it themselves, even if the other party's methods reach the heavens, they cannot undo it.

Just like the Undying Emperor Little Yellow Chicken; previously he was only a God King while the other was an Emperor, yet he still had no way to resolve such an agreement.

To prevent this fellow from changing his mind and causing a backlash, the Master Teacher Continent had specifically established that even if the other party could escape the heavenly dao scroll, they could not break free from an agreement between souls!

"A soul contract indeed cannot be split from the sea of consciousness, but I have fused with a special gas that can even dissolve the Heavenly Dao. Dissolving this kind of contract is not difficult... as long as there is enough power to strike the place where the contract resides, it can be done!"

Vicious said.

Soul contracts are built on the foundation of the Heavenly Dao. If a special power can even dissolve the Heavenly Dao of the Firmament, what difficulty would there be in dissolving a soul contract, provided it is handled properly?

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

"Telling you this much can be considered my thanks for bringing me to the Firmament!"

After explaining, Vicious said no more. The aura on his body became increasingly ancient and distant, and the black hole behind him grew even larger. Clearly, during the time he spent talking, he had swallowed an unknown amount of power as nourishment.

"Zhang Xuan, the more the black hole swallows, the stronger his strength becomes..."

Luo Ruoxi also noticed something was wrong and hurriedly sent a telepathic message.

"Prepare to strike!" With the doubts in his heart cleared, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, and the long sword in his hand suddenly rose: "In that case, let's see who's truly superior!"

Boom!

The most powerful sword intent was unleashed once again.

In life, I shall return to you; in death, I shall yearn for you forever!

When one cares for neither life nor death, what else can stand in their way?

Although this sword technique had not reached the level of an Emperor's realization, it contained all the obsession in his heart, pushing the Heavenly Love Technique to its limit.

Hu!

A single sword strike sliced Vicious's attack in half.

At the same time, Luo Ruoxi also made her move. Her jade-like hands moved, and sword light fell like snow.

Her sword technique was somewhat similar to that of the young man from Sword God Heaven, carrying an unstoppable momentum and the elegance of the natural heavenly dao.

"Your moves are very powerful, but compared to me, they are still a bit lacking..."

With a light laugh, Vicious grabbed downward once more.

In an instant, it blotted out the sun. The palm enveloped the heavens and earth, space shattered, and it seemed as if the sun, moon, and stars were about to be forcibly struck down.

Pfft! Pfft!

Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxi were sent flying backward simultaneously, spraying blood while in mid-air.

With the strength of the two of them, they actually couldn't withstand it!

Just what realm has this fellow reached?

"Impudent!" The clone strode forward. With every step he took, a lotus flower bloomed, and the sound of flowing water echoed in the void.

From a distance, he looked incredibly impressive.

Having refined the nine heavens chaos golden lotus, his cultivation was not a bit weaker than Zhang Xuan's.

Raising a fist, his power surged up to the nine heavens.

He collided with Vicious and was likewise sent flying backward, unable to withstand a single move.

Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead.

Even after becoming an Emperor, the clone still hadn't changed his nature of acting cool...

Instead of such a flashy display, it would have been better to concentrate his power for greater impact!

"Strike together! Otherwise, if they die, we will all die..."

Little Yellow Chicken gave a loud shout, and crimson flames burned, making the sky look as if it had been set on fire.

The remaining Six Great Emperors also utilized their respective methods.

The Seven Emperors joined forces, a power capable of destroying the heavens and earth. Not even a world could withstand it. However, their opponent was Vicious, who had absorbed a special power. As the attack reached him, the black hole suddenly expanded, swallowing the power whole in the blink of an eye before launching a counterattack.

Bang bang bang bang!

The Seven Emperors, just like Zhang Xuan and the others, were sent flying.

The Ten Emperors, united together, actually couldn't even block a single move from the opponent!

How could this fellow be so powerful?

"You may die now..."

Having defeated everyone in one move, Vicious took a step forward, flipped his wrist, and struck down again.

"How dare you, you scoundrel!"

Accompanied by a loud shout, The Elder from Sword God Heaven from before suddenly appeared, blocking the way, his long sword transforming into a galaxy.

"An Emperor? He also has the strength of an Emperor?"

Zhang Xuan's pupils constricted.

This elder had followed behind the young man earlier. Zhang Xuan had thought he was just a follower, at most a God King of the Seal. Only after he unleashed his power did Zhang Xuan realize that he was actually an Emperor-level expert!

If he was an Emperor, then what was that young man?

"He himself is the Emperor of Sword God Heaven..." Luo Ruoxi said through gritted teeth as she struggled to stand up.

"Then... what about the young man who taught me the sword technique?" Zhang Xuan could no longer hold back.

"He is..." Just as Luo Ruoxi was about to answer, space distorted, and they saw the Emperor of Sword God Heaven also being sent flying back, landing not far away and smashing a large crater.

Zhang Xuan's current strength and understanding of the Sword Path far exceeded his, yet even Zhang Xuan couldn't contend with the enemy. Even though this man's cultivation was not weak and his swordsmanship was superb, he was still no match.

"Haha, Emperors? Just a bunch of clay chickens and pottery dogs! Today, I shall destroy the Nine Heavens, destroy this Firmament, and trample all the rules!"

Having defeated the Emperor of Sword God Heaven, Vicious laughed maniacally. The surrounding space collapsed continuously, making him look like a demon or devil.

"What should we do?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists.

Just now, both he and his clone had exerted their strongest combat power, and even Luo Ruoxi had used her most powerful move, yet they couldn't even block a single strike from the opponent...

Could it be that in the Firmament, there really is no one who can stop this person?

And just let him destroy the world?

"The only way... is for your defective heavenly dao to return to the Heavenly Dao itself, allowing the Heavenly Dao to suppress him..." Luo Ruoxi's delicate fists were clenched, and her eyes were rimmed with red.

"Return to the Heavenly Dao itself?" Zhang Xuan knew what she meant.

The library in his mind was originally a part of the Heavenly Dao. Once it returned, the Heavenly Dao would be completely whole, perhaps allowing it to fix the loopholes and expel Vicious on its own.

It was like the human body's immune system.

If the immune system is complete, it can easily drive away viruses; if it's broken, it cannot resist the invasion, and even the strongest person will die because of it.

"Only..."

"He is too powerful. Even if the Heavenly Dao returns to being whole, it probably won't be able to suppress him!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Viruses can be killed by the immune system, but... what about a fierce tiger?

No matter how strong the immune system is, what can it do?

The person before them could have been easily killed by the Heavenly Dao if he were a normal God King, or even a God King of the Seal. But he was now stronger than even an Emperor... He was already beyond what the Heavenly Dao could contend with.

"This..." Luo Ruoxi paused, a look of disappointment appearing on her fair face: "Yes... there's no way to suppress him, but if the Heavenly Dao is whole, He will be able to wake up. Killing this person wouldn't be difficult for Him!"

"He?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"I'll take you to see him; he's in Freedom Heaven..." Taking a deep breath, Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth, turned, and flew forward.

"Want to escape?" Vicious snorted coldly and pressed down.

Bang!

Luo Ruoxi fell from the sky.

"You..." Zhang Xuan unleashed his sword technique once more, the sword intent radiating brilliantly.

Ding ding ding!

It was blocked by Vicious again.

"You guys go quickly, I'll hold him back..."

Knowing that they were looking for a way to save the Firmament rather than just fleeing, the clone and the Undying Emperor gave a loud shout and blocked the way. Luo Qiqi also transformed, returning to her original form as the jingkong pearl.

The surrounding space solidified.

"Go!"

Seeing everyone desperately blocking the path behind them, fearless of death, Zhang Xuan's eyes turned red. However, he also knew that now was not the time for many words. He grabbed Luo Ruoxi, and with a flicker of his body, he tore through space, appearing within the range of Freedom Heaven in the next moment.

Freedom Heaven no longer had its previous freedom; the Firmament was collapsing, and everywhere was in chaos.

"Where is this 'He' you mentioned?"

Having no time to observe the lives of ordinary people, Zhang Xuan looked at the girl in his arms.

If the person she spoke of could truly save the Firmament, what would it matter if he sacrificed himself!

"He is my father. The blood in your pendant is his. The Undying Emperor was once his tamed beast..." Luo Ruoxi explained after catching her breath.

"Father?"

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

No wonder he had always felt that the blood in the pendant was similar to Luo Ruoxi's yet different; it turned out to be her father's.

This also explained why the thought-will left by the Undying Emperor immediately recognized him as master after seeing the pendant.

"Your father is also an Emperor? Or does he possess strength beyond an Emperor?"

He couldn't help but ask.

When the library was in chaos, it was the blood in the pendant that allowed him to regain clarity. Could it be that not only was she an Emperor, but her father was one too, or even stronger?

If that were the case, why would he be in a coma?

And why would he need the defective heavenly dao to wake up?

"He is not an Emperor, but... the Heavenly Dao!"

Luo Ruoxi clenched her delicate fists.

"The Heavenly Dao? Your father... is the Heavenly Dao?" Zhang Xuan was shaken, unable to believe it.

"Yes! Fifty years ago, Father could not withstand that giant hand and fell into a coma. The Heavenly Dao shattered into three parts. The orderly heavenly dao and the defective heavenly dao entered the spatial turbulence. I took over the natural heavenly dao to maintain the balance of the Firmament. To let him recover, those scattered parts must be collected... That is why I was so determined and could not fail! That is why I specifically entered the Master Teacher Continent to study the spring and autumn annals and find a way to defeat Master Kong! The thing I entrusted to Master Kong during our battle was also this."

Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan was enlightened.

Not long after they met on the Master Teacher Continent, the girl before him had told him her story about needing to save a close relative. He hadn't understood back then, but now he finally did.

It was actually her father, and he was the Heavenly Dao of the Firmament!

Can the Heavenly Dao really take human form and bear children?

"Taking over the natural heavenly dao... You don't have a Heavenly Dao fragment in your body?" Suddenly, realizing the nuance in her words, Zhang Xuan looked over.

Taking over control and having it fused within one's body like himself were two different concepts.

"I only control it; I am not a part of the Heavenly Dao..." Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

This meant that he only needed to strip the defective heavenly dao from himself; she wouldn't have to die.

Although he was unwilling to accept such fate, he was even more unwilling to see the girl before him get hurt.

"If I strip the defective heavenly dao from my body, your father will come back to life and even kill Vicious, right?" Zhang Xuan looked at her.

"This... I'm not sure either..."

Looking up at the already collapsing Firmament, Luo Ruoxi hesitated.

The Firmament was her father's foundation. Now that the foundation was like this, even if he woke up, could he really defeat that powerful Vicious?

It was hard to say!

"It seems you aren't certain either. In that case, it's better to rely on ourselves than on others... We have to find a way ourselves!" Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth: "You, me, and my clone, along with the Nine Heavens and Nine Emperors—if we also coordinate with Master Kong, we might not necessarily lose!"

"Master Kong? He..." Luo Ruoxi frowned.

"Master Kong is dead, right? He didn't truly die. If I'm not mistaken, his being killed by you was just a method to escape the Heavenly Dao... If nothing unexpected happened, he should be a Congenital Fetal Soul Body, just like Wei Changfeng!"

Zhang Xuan said.

Seeing Wei Changfeng, he understood. Master Kong's so-called maintenance of consciousness was likely because he, too, was a Congenital Fetal Soul Body.

He could achieve clarity within the womb.

Coupled with the preparations he left behind, resurrection was only a matter of time.

Luo Ruoxi was stunned; it seemed she hadn't expected this to be the case.

"We'll know once we go and see. If my guess is correct, he should have already recovered. Otherwise, it's impossible that his students didn't even go to the Tidal Sea..." Zhang Xuan said.

Master Kong's students, like Ancient Sage Ziyuan and the others, were all incredibly powerful. Even without an Emperor's help, they would surely have found a way into the Tidal Sea, yet not a single one was seen.

There must be something more important waiting for them, something they wanted to do while all the Emperors were occupied at the Tidal Sea!

And this important matter was clearly to facilitate Master Kong's recovery.

"This..." Luo Ruoxi's heart shook as she came to a sudden realization.

"Let's go!"

Without further explanation, Zhang Xuan made a stroke with one hand and returned to the place where Master Kong resided. As expected, he saw an old man floating cross-legged in the air. Seeing them arrive, the old man smiled slightly and said, "You've come!"

Who else could it be but Master Kong!

This teacher of all generations truly did not disappoint!

Just as guessed, he had taken advantage of everyone's attention being focused on the Tidal Sea to be resurrected.

"You..." Luo Ruoxi's delicate body trembled.

She knew that Emperors could be resurrected—the Undying Emperor had also come back to life—but... she hadn't expected it to be this fast!

"I concealed myself from the Heavenly Dao and prepared a backup plan in advance. That nameless giant in the Ghost Pool was what I left behind. When you killed it that day, I took the opportunity to break free from the shackles of the Heavenly Dao and re-condense my physical body. I've only just recovered now!"

Master Kong smiled slightly.

He was proficient in time abilities. While it seemed only a day or two had passed in the Firmament, he had actually spent an unknown amount of time to recover his power.

It had been decades of time.

"The strength of the three of us is very great, but winning against Vicious won't be that easy..."

Seeing that Master Kong had indeed recovered, Luo Ruoxi still shook her head.

She wasn't trying to puff up the enemy's prestige while diminishing their own; it was simply the truth.

Just now, even with so many people united, they couldn't block the opponent. Even if one Master Kong was added, what difference would it make?

It still wouldn't change the situation!

"Our individual strengths, or even when united, are indeed no match for the opponent, but... what if we fuse everyone's power into a single person?"

Master Kong looked over with a smile.

"Fuse into a single person?"

This time, not only did Luo Ruoxi frown, but Zhang Xuan was also full of confusion.

"That palm was able to tear the Firmament apart and scatter the Heavenly Dao; its strength is beyond doubt. Vicious absorbed all of that power and swallowed fifty years' worth of spiritual energy from the Firmament. Based on pure strength, even if we dozen or so Emperors were taken individually, we are indeed no match..."

Master Kong said, "But if we unite and concentrate our power on one person... it might not be the case!"

"How to concentrate it?"

Luo Ruoxi looked over.

It was easier said than done.

Emperors already stood at the absolute peak of the Firmament. If it were that easy to absorb someone else's power, she wouldn't have remained stagnant for so many years.

"It's very simple... we concentrate the power in our bodies onto Zhang Xuan. Once he can break through the shackles of an Emperor, he will be able to save the Firmament!"

Master Kong said.

"Me?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. "Why me?"

"Emperor Lingxi's cultivation is about being free and unfettered, transcending nature! But with the constraints of her father and the Heavenly Dao, and having people she cares about, she can never truly transcend! If I'm not mistaken, when you fought me back then, you once gave up and intended to be killed by me!"

Master Kong said.

Luo Ruoxi was speechless.

During that battle, she indeed had such intentions. That's why when the two of them fought at the beginning, they both held back, as if they were sparring rather than in a life-and-death struggle.

"Without transcendence, one naturally cannot exert the strongest power. Even if given more zhenqi, one still wouldn't be able to impact that supreme realm! As for me..."

Master Kong nodded and said, "I harbor all living beings in my heart and wish to deliver the whole world, yet I am unwilling to let others sacrifice themselves for me. Too much benevolence is also a weakness! If I had been more ruthless and exterminated the Alien Spirit Race, the current situation wouldn't have occurred..."

If he could have killed all the Alien Spirit Race members back then, Vicious would never have been resurrected, and the current situation wouldn't exist.

"Therefore, I am also unsuitable. But Zhang Xuan, your cultivation technique follows your heart and has no flaws. You emphasize living as your true self—even if you die, as long as you live without regrets, your heart is clear. Such a person possesses greater inclusiveness and a larger space for development. Only in this way can one go higher and further!"

Master Kong continued.

In life, one should return; in death, one should be remembered forever!

If one doesn't even care about death, how could they be shackled by other matters?

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned and was about to say something when he saw Master Kong looking over with piercing eyes. "No need to decline. Firstly, there's no time to go and train someone else. Even if there were time, I don't believe anyone could do better than you! Although Emperor Lingxi doesn't have a fragment of the Heavenly Dao in her body, she has controlled the Heavenly Dao for many years and has her own understanding of it. I control the orderly heavenly dao. If we instill our power into you, your body will possess the power of the complete Heavenly Dao! Combined with your clone's nine heavens chaos golden lotus, you can completely stabilize the Nine Heavens, control the universe, battle the heavens, and annihilate all things!"

"Alright!"

Seeing that the other party had already made a decision and further explanation would be useless, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Rumble!

He sat down cross-legged, and in the blink of an eye, two surging surges of power poured in from both sides.

Zhang Xuan's entire body stiffened, and he felt as if he had instantly become the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, soaring above the Nine Heavens.

His soul, physical body, and zhenqi were all baptized in an instant, becoming stronger and more majestic.

...

"You want to stop me too? Fine, I'll kill you all first, then go and kill Zhang Xuan..."

After swatting Luo Qiqi, the clone, and the others away, Vicious smiled coldly.

The power the clone and the various Emperors displayed together was indeed very strong, but compared to him, it was still a bit weak.

The Tidal Sea had swallowed almost all the spiritual energy in the Firmament outside of the cities. Now, all that power had become his nourishment. Every movement he made carried the ability to destroy heaven and earth. These Emperors and God Kings, despite representing the peak of the Firmament, were still vulnerable.

At this moment, Vicious seemed to represent the entire Firmament, and no one could stop him.

"If the Firmament is destroyed, there's no meaning in us living. I, Yun Chi, will perish together with you..."

Great Emperor Yun Chi transformed into his true form, a massive Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, and lunged at him from the sky.

"Just you? You're not worthy!"

Vicious squeezed his palm, and the golden dragon was trapped in his grasp. No matter how it struggled, it couldn't escape.

"Old friend, wait for me!"

Fumeng Emperor also gave a loud roar, transforming into his White Tiger True Form and arriving before him.

The Undying Emperor's Undying Fire Phoenix True Form manifested, its flames illuminating the sky.

Great Emperor Xuan Ming's true form was a massive turtle, looking as if it were holding up the heavens.

The Four Divine Beasts, who guarded the four poles of the Firmament, transformed into their true forms simultaneously. The collapsing Firmament even slowed down its descent.

The universe seemed to be frozen in an instant.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

With four consecutive palm strikes, Vicious suppressed the four beasts. A thick killing intent flashed in his eyes. "Since you're looking for death, I'll grant it to you..."

Amidst his roar, just as he was about to deliver the killing blow to wipe them all out, he felt his raised arm tighten and stop in mid-air.

"If you want to kill them, have you asked me first..."

Then, under everyone's shocked gazes, a figure slowly walked out from the sky.

It was none other than Zhang Xuan!

The young man's current power was surging, more than ten times stronger than before. Coming from the heavens, it was as if he himself were a world.

"You've improved quite a bit..."

Vicious stopped, his gaze solemn.

He clearly didn't understand why the other party's strength had undergone such a massive change in just a few short minutes.

"But so what if you've improved? The Firmament at its peak couldn't withstand me. I don't believe you can stop me..."

With a cold snort, Vicious struck down again.

Zhang Xuan raised his long sword and met the attack.

Both sides fought together, tearing the space apart piece by piece as air currents surged everywhere.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?"

At Master Kong's residence in Freedom Heaven, Luo Ruoxi looked over, full of worry.

She and Master Kong had transferred their power to Zhang Xuan. Their own cultivation had dropped to only the God King level, no longer as glorious as before.

However, their level was still there. As long as they had enough power, they could recover one day.

"With his current strength, it's very hard to win! Unless... he can comprehend a power that transcends an Emperor!"

After a moment of silence, Master Kong said.

Even a dozen Emperors united couldn't defeat Vicious. Even if they transferred all their power to him, it wouldn't be that easy to win.

The reason for doing this was because... only by concentrating power on one person was it possible to touch the peak, to truly transcend limits and break through oneself!

"Power that transcends an Emperor?"

Luo Ruoxi's gaze drifted far away.

When her father was still conscious, he had told her the same thing, but... she couldn't do it. Could the man she loved do it?

"He definitely can... he has an unyielding heart! And a sense of pride towards this world."

Seeing the doubt in her heart, Master Kong smiled.

...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After several consecutive moves, Zhang Xuan's webbing between his thumb and index finger split open, and a huge wound appeared on his chest, hideous and terrifying.

Just as Master Kong had said, even after fusing their power and forming a complete Heavenly Dao within his body, he was still no match.

"Haha, I thought you were so powerful, but you're only at this level!" Vicious smiled coldly.

"Since I'm no match for you anyway and will be killed sooner or later, in that case, I want to die under your strongest attack..." Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan stopped. Instead of attacking, he looked at the Vicious before him.

"Fine, I'll grant your wish and give you my strongest attack..."

Hearing him say this, Vicious was stunned for a moment, then he snorted coldly and raised his palm.

Whoosh!

A green light appeared in his palm and struck down violently.

It was indeed his strongest attack. The entire Firmament roared as if it could no longer bear it, and another huge crater was blasted out.

With his eyes tightly closed, Zhang Xuan did not dodge.

Bang!

His head exploded, and his soul scattered in all directions.

"Zhang Xuan..." Seeing this scene, everyone's faces turned pale.

Luo Qiqi seemed to go mad.

Great Emperor Yun Chi and the others also widened their eyes, trembling uncontrollably.

Master Kong and Luo Ruoxi, who saw this scene, were also stunned.

The intention was for him to break through the shackles and impact the realm beyond the Emperor Realm. Why didn't he resist and instead willingly went to his death?

Wouldn't this waste their good intentions?

"No, it's the Undying Emperor's method of immortality..."

While they were wondering, Master Kong suddenly spoke.

Everyone then saw that although Zhang Xuan's head had exploded and even his soul had shattered, the pendant on his chest suddenly burst open. A drop of blood floated up and burned, forming a mass of searing flames. From within the flames, a perfectly intact figure slowly stepped out.

"He... used the opponent's power and the blood in the pendant to separate the defective heavenly dao from his soul?"

Luo Ruoxi's pupils contracted.

After being reborn through the fire, Zhang Xuan no longer had the library of Heaven's Path in his body. Without the interference of the Heavenly Dao, he had broken free from it!

"How did he do it?"

Master Kong was also full of disbelief.

The Heavenly Dao and the soul were fused together, indistinguishable from each other. To break free, he had to have his soul scattered and use the Ghost Pool to re-condense it.

The person before him had only been killed once and completely broke free. What method did he use?

"I know... he used Vicious's method of breaking free from the soul contract..." Luo Ruoxi realized.

A soul contract binds the master and the servant. If the master doesn't release it, the servant is forever restricted... the library of Heaven's Path was also like this; it could be said to be an enhanced version of a contract.

Bound to the soul, it wouldn't leave unless one died.

But... Vicious had used that special power to break free from the soul contract. Zhang Xuan had asked about the specific method in detail before; he probably already had this in mind back then.

That's why he deliberately risked his life to let the other party use his strongest power to attack him.

By using this power to be reborn through fire, he had actually succeeded!

"So that's how it is. This is the way to break through the Emperor Realm..."

Zhang Xuan, who stepped out from the flames, had a faint smile on his face, as if he had understood something. He suddenly beckoned, and the clone on the side immediately turned back into a lotus flower and flew over.

In an instant, it perfectly fused with him.

In the blink of an eye, everyone felt as if the Zhang Xuan before them had become the Nine Heavens, and the Nine Heavens were him.

He lightly stepped on the ground.

The chaotic Nine Heavens immediately stabilized.

The nine heavens chaos golden lotus appeared at the birth of the Nine Heavens and was capable of stabilizing them. At this moment, his clone and his true self merged perfectly, becoming indistinguishable from one another, which meant he now controlled this power.

Not only that, by integrating the cultivation of the nine heavens chaos golden lotus, his cultivation, which had already reached its peak, began to loosen, seemingly on the verge of a breakthrough at any moment.

"The bond between master and servant, the bond between brothers, the bond between teacher and student, the bond between parents and children, and love... when merged together, they comprise all things in the world. This is what it means to be human!"

With a smile on his face, Zhang Xuan murmured to himself.

The moment the library of the heavenly dao detached from his soul, he understood.

Is it because humans observed the world that the world exists, or did the world exist first, and then humans?

Is it the wind that moves, or the heart!

This question has eternally troubled countless people.

Of course, now... none of that matters anymore!

Without life and without emotion, even if the world exists, what meaning would it have?

Therefore, beyond love is the Love for All Living Beings! It is the emotion that intertwines the entire world.

All things in the world possess emotion. Only with emotion can there be a world; only with emotion can life be sustained.

Hate is an emotion.

Hatred is an emotion.

Joy is an emotion.

Pain is an emotion.

Parting is an emotion.

Reunion is also an emotion!

"Myriad emotions, serve me..."

With a low cry, the cultivation realm imprisoned within Zhang Xuan's body instantly broke open.

The shackles of the Emperor realm were broken!

In an instant, he felt as if he had touched a brand-new world and a new gate, and his soul received rapid nourishment.

Countless surges of chaotic energy rushed toward him, and his physical body also improved at lightning speed.

Previously, he could only progress by absorbing spiritual energy, but now the spatial turbulence, chaotic energy, and even the opponent's blue light could all be used by him, becoming one and the same.

"You..." Vicious didn't expect that his full-strength attack, instead of killing him, had actually helped him. He screamed in rage and shouted as he attacked again.

"You resent the high and mighty Emperors for not saving you in the spatial turbulence; that is emotion. You feel that having been my servant was humiliating and feel anger; that is emotion. You want to destroy the God Realm to vent your fury; that is emotion. You want to become even stronger; that is also emotion... If emotions control you, how can you ever defeat me and not be controlled by me?"

With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan's voice became faster and louder as he made a light grasping motion with his palm.

The originally invincible Vicious was bound by countless fine threads of emotion, his hands and feet tied, unable to move.

As long as one had emotions, they would be used and controlled by him!

"You..."

Vicious's eyes were filled with terror: "Master Zhang, I am your servant, do not kill me... I am willing to offer a soul sacrifice..."

"It's too late to say these things now..." With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Having mastered the emotions of the world, things like servants no longer held any meaning for him.

He had killed so many people in the God Realm, injured his girlfriend, Luo Qiqi, and so many other friends. Today, how could he possibly be forgiven!

"No..."

Sensing his determination, Vicious's pupils contracted. Before he could finish speaking, he immediately felt a burst of intense pain throughout his body.

Bang!

In an instant, he exploded, turning into countless spiritual energies that poured into every part of the God Realm.

All the power that the Tidal Sea had swallowed before was now completely returned. The once-withered wilderness began to radiate life once again.

"This..."

"He was killed just like that?"

Great Emperor Yun Chi, Undying Emperor, Fairy Linglong, and the others all widened their eyes in disbelief.

They had just fought Vicious and knew how terrifying he was. For such a powerful person to be wiped out so casually, just what level had this Zhang Xuan... reached?

Could it be that there really was another realm above the Emperor realm?

"He succeeded..."

Master Kong and Luo Ruoxi released their clenched fists.

"This is a part of the Heavenly Dao, so I will return it to the Heavenly Dao now..."

Seeing the 'defective heavenly dao' that had just been separated from his body still floating in the air, Zhang Xuan smiled slightly and flicked his finger.

Buzz!

The library that had accompanied him since his rebirth crashed into the sky of the God Realm.

With a chime like a great bell, the collapsing God Realm began to recover slowly to the naked eye, and the chaotic air currents gathered once more.

The collapse of the God Realm finally stopped, and the dried-up spiritual energy slowly began to revive following Vicious's death.

"It seems the God Realm is about to welcome a new era of spiritual energy revival..." Zhang Xuan smiled.

With the completion of the Heavenly Dao, the hole in the Tidal Sea had been repaired. It was only a matter of time before the God Realm returned to its former glory.

"Zhang Xuan, come this way..."

Just as he finished this, a voice sounded in his mind. Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment and took a step forward.

With this one step, he didn't know how far he had flown, but he soon saw a young man standing before him.

It was the same person who had taught him the swordsmanship before.

"Senior, you..."

Seeing him, Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He had previously felt that this person was unfathomable, but only now did he realize that compared to himself, he was only a tiny bit behind. He had already reached the very peak of the Emperor realm, far stronger than Luo Ruoxi had been before.

"You can just call me by my name. My name is... Nie Tong!" The young man spoke indifferently, a sword intent that moved forward without hesitation radiating from his body.

"Nie Tong?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

It was the first time he had heard this name.

"Follow me, I'll take you to see my brother!" The young man named Nie Tong smiled faintly and stepped forward.

Zhang Xuan followed closely behind. After flying an unknown distance, they stopped in front of a mountain peak.

Then, he saw another young man.

He didn't look much older than himself, with upturned eyebrows that gave off a profound and impenetrable feeling.

"This strength..." Zhang Xuan trembled.

The strength of the young man before him was actually even greater than his own. He had also broken through the shackles of the Emperor realm, and his cultivation was even deeper and more profound!

"I am Nie Yun!" The young man smiled faintly and looked over: "That is to say... I am the father of Nie Lingxi, whom you call Luo Ruoxi!"

"Ruoxi's father?"

Zhang Xuan was shocked: "You... are the Heavenly Dao of the God Realm?"

Luo Ruoxi had said before that her father was the Heavenly Dao, but he never would have imagined it was such a young man.

"I transformed into three pure ones, and a part of my soul became the Heavenly Dao! Besides, this world was created by me, so it's not wrong to say I am the Heavenly Dao!" Nie Yun smiled faintly.

Zhang Xuan could not believe it.

The God Realm was actually created by this person?

Then just how powerful must his strength be?

"Wait, if the God Realm was created by you and you are the Heavenly Dao, why did you let Vicious run rampant and not take action..." Zhang Xuan looked over.

If he hadn't broken through, the God Realm would most likely have completely collapsed. Why did the person before him not care at all?

Did he not even care about his own daughter's life and death?

Without answering his question, Nie Yun looked over calmly: "Do you think... that above the God Realm, there are even more powerful life forms?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan paused for a moment: "There probably are..."

Although he hadn't seen them, since he could cultivate to this level, perhaps others could too, or even be stronger.

Just like the person before him.

"I once suspected that there were more powerful life forms above the God Realm, so I used all my strength to peer beyond, and ultimately drew a backlash from a higher world... a palm crashed down through the void!"

Nie Yun looked over: "At that time, if I had dodged, it's highly likely the entire God Realm would have been wiped out, with not a single life remaining... So, I blocked that move, but because of that, my incarnation of the Heavenly Dao was split away."

"In that situation, I could have recovered with just a single thought, but... I understood that to truly transcend the shackles of the God Realm, to explore where that palm came from and what lies beyond the God Realm... it would be very difficult to do so alone. So, I wanted to see if any life form could break through the shackles of the Emperor realm and reach a level equal to mine!"

"Therefore, I sent the scattered thoughts of the Heavenly Dao to the lowermost worlds... and bestowed them upon a soul that originally belonged to this world and a soul that did not. And you, in the end, did not disappoint me!"

Nie Yun laughed.

"A soul that doesn't belong to this world... so you're saying my transmigration was also because of you?" Zhang Xuan was shaken.

No wonder he could transmigrate; he hadn't expected it was all the doing of the person before him.

"Hehe!" Nie Yun smiled softly and said: "Those who originally belong to this world have a sense of reverence for it, making it much harder to break through the world's shackles. It was just a whim of mine; I didn't actually expect you to succeed..."

"I..." Zhang Xuan's face flushed: "If it weren't for Master Kong, I could never have reached this level..."

Without Master Kong's selfless sacrifice, reaching his current realm would have been impossible.

"I gave him the chance, he just didn't grasp it. His duel with Lingxi was actually his best chance for a breakthrough, but unfortunately, he chose to retreat, thinking he had left a backhand to escape unscathed. In reality, he lost his aggressive drive. If one doesn't even have that spirit when facing those who surpass us, how can they ever hope to contend with them?"

Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan remained silent.

He had seen their battle with his own eyes, and Master Kong indeed had been somewhat lacking in decisiveness.

Perhaps he was simply unwilling to kill Luo Ruoxi.

Unfortunately, because of that single thought, he missed the chance to advance.

"If Master Kong had won, Ruoxi would have died..." After a moment, Zhang Xuan looked over, his eyebrows furrowed.

Could it be that the person before him didn't even care about his daughter's life?

"With me here, she wouldn't have died..." Nie Yun smiled faintly: "Your current strength isn't much different from mine. Do you think that with our strength, if we wanted to save someone at the moment of life and death, could we do it?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.

Breaking through the Emperor realm and being an Emperor were two different concepts. If he truly wanted to act, he could indeed save someone at the last moment and ensure they didn't suffer even a single injury.

"Lingxi was born to my other wife, Luo Qingcheng, which is why the name she used as a disguise was Luo... To make her believe it and not let emotions get in the way, she has thought until now that I am still in a coma..."

Nie Yun gave a wry smile: "I suppose I've been quite a harsh father... How about this, you should be the one to explain it to her. After all, her heart is now set on you, and she probably can't even remember this old man of hers... Haha, I won't show myself for now. I'll hide for a while, otherwise, I'm afraid she'll turn the world upside down..."

Seeing such an unreliable father before him, Zhang Xuan's face twitched, and he could only agree: "Alright..."

He had no choice but to agree, since he was the one who had made off with the man's daughter...

"The library of the heavenly dao was formed from a thought of mine; it was a foundation, but also a shackle. That you could break through those shackles on your own strength shows your ability and potential. Your future is limitless. That my daughter can be with you, as her father, I am quite relieved."

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