186: Fourth Generation: Overlord (82)

With a shout from Xu Yuan, the phantoms of the entire Tianzhu Mountain and the ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers within its range of influence suddenly emerged and solidified around him!

The majestic mountains transformed into furnace walls, the flowing rivers became the furnace rings, the various cities served as rivets, and the faith of hundreds of millions of subjects converged into a roaring furnace fire!

An incredibly massive purple-gold furnace phantom, covering dozens of miles of heaven and earth, appeared out of thin air!

This furnace was not a physical entity, yet it was more real than any physical object, for it was a Law Domain condensed from Great Shang's ten thousand miles of territory as its foundation, the hearts of billions as its fire, and the brilliant National Fortune as its fuel!

The Imperial Dao Domain!

Within this Domain, Xu Yuan's will was the Law!

His Imperial Dao was the Heavenly Rule!

“Buzz—!!!”

The Void Refining True Fire spewed from the Burning Heaven Furnace slammed violently into the Domain of this purple-gold furnace!

However, upon entering the Domain of this Mountain and River Furnace, the Void Refining True Fire—which originally incinerated all things and left nothing unburnt—actually saw its power suddenly diminish by more than thirty percent! It was as if the weight of invisible mountains and rivers and the Power Of Will of ten thousand people were suppressing and binding it! The speed of the flames also became sluggish, as if they had fallen into a quagmire!

“Bang—!!!”

The True Fire finally struck the barrier formed by the mountain and river phantoms on the inner wall of the furnace!

The furnace phantom shook violently, countless ripples appeared on the barrier, and the mountain and river phantoms flickered, looking as if they might shatter at any moment.

After all, he was using a Divine Ability to counter a physical Magic Treasure, and Xu Yuan had only just entered the Golden Core stage with an unstable Realm; resisting it head-on was extremely taxing.

His face turned pale, and a trickle of golden blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

But... this Imperial Dao Domain, which gathered the National Fortune and the power of ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, ultimately... managed to endure the burning of this Magic Treasure's fire!

Though it tottered, it did not collapse immediately!

“What?! He actually held on?!”

Flame Dragon True Person's pupils shrank, and the shock in his heart intensified.

He knew well the power of this strike from his Burning Heaven Furnace; if an ordinary Golden Core Early Stage Cultivator took this hit head-on, they would be heavily injured if not dead!

Yet this Xu Yuan actually withstood it using a Divine Ability Domain?!

“Flame Dragon True Person! Your Magic Treasure... is nothing more than this!” From the center of the furnace came Xu Yuan's voice, which, though gasping, was filled with even greater killing intent.

“Today, I shall surely slay you!”

Before his voice faded, Xu Yuan forcefully raised his core essence, ignoring his injuries to frantically drive his Imperial Dao Golden Core and the phantom of the Map of Mountains and Rivers!

The entire Domain shone brilliantly, and the weakened and refined Void Refining True Fire was actually slowly absorbed and transformed by the Domain, feeding back into himself!

At the same time, streaks of even more powerful purple-gold Imperial Dao Divine Abilities poured toward Flame Dragon True Person like a violent storm!

“Mountains and Rivers Demon Suppression!”

“Power Of Will of the People, bless my body!”

Shocked and enraged, Flame Dragon True Person could only push the Burning Heaven Furnace to its limit to defend.

For a time, furnace fire filled the sky and Imperial Authority surged as the two fought inextricably within this Domain, causing the heavens and earth to change color!

However, the more Flame Dragon True Person fought, the more alarmed and frustrated he became!

He found himself in an absolute disadvantage!

Within Xu Yuan's Imperial Dao Domain, his strength was severely suppressed, the power of his Magic Treasure was difficult to fully exert, and his core essence was being consumed enormously.

Meanwhile, his opponent could continuously receive replenishment from the National Fortune, fighting more bravely as the battle progressed and becoming increasingly proficient in the use of power!

As one waxed and the other waned, he actually gradually fell into the inferior position!

Injuries began to appear on his body, and driving the Magic Treasure became more and more difficult!

“Impossible! This Immortal Master has roamed for a thousand years, how could I lose to the hands of a mere brat!”

Flame Dragon True Person roared in his heart, his eyes filled with resentment and madness!

He could not lose; losing meant his life and Dao would be extinguished!

“I'll stake it all! Burning Heaven Furnace... explode for me!!!”

A flash of ruthlessness and heartache crossed his eyes as he actually intended to self-detonate part of the Magic Treasure's Origin in exchange for a devastating strike!

But at the very moment his mind was agitated, and his old strength had just been spent while new strength had yet to arise—

“Now is the time!”

A sharp light exploded in Xu Yuan's eyes; the opportunity he had long awaited finally appeared! Without hesitation, he burned part of his life essence blood and poured all his power into the Imperial Dao Golden Core!

“Imperial Dao... Heavenly... Punishment!!”

Buzz—!!!

The entire Map of Mountains and Rivers Domain suddenly contracted, and endless National Fortune and Laws converged at Xu Yuan's fingertip, transforming into a purple-gold thread that was extremely fine, yet seemed to contain the rise and fall of the entire Great Shang Dynasty and the will of billions of living beings!

This thread ignored space and defense, directly piercing through the fire shield of the Burning Heaven Furnace and instantly sinking into the center of Flame Dragon True Person's brow!

“Ugh...!”

Flame Dragon True Person's body suddenly stiffened, his movements instantly ceasing, as his eyes erupted with unbelievable horror and despair!

He felt his Golden Core, his Divine Soul, and his consciousness being locked, judged, and stripped away by a supreme will of Mandate!

“No...!!!” He let out a final shrill and unwilling roar, “If not for being within your territory... if not for your National Fortune's blessing... if not for this seat's greed for the Cultivation Technique delaying me... how could this Immortal Master... lose... to your hand...”

The voice stopped abruptly.

Flame Dragon True Person's gaze went completely dark, and the aura around him receded like a tide.

The Burning Heaven Furnace above his head let out a mournful cry, its spiritual light instantly dimming as it turned into a streak of light and was taken into Xu Yuan's hand.

And that red-gold Golden Core slowly flew out from his Dantian and was grabbed by Xu Yuan.

The ruler of the Lihuo Imperial Dynasty, the veteran Golden Core True Person who had undergone Reincarnation three times—Flame Dragon True Person—was dead!

Xu Yuan looked at the lusterless Golden Core in his hand, which still contained surging power, then looked at the dimmed Burning Heaven Furnace and let out a long sigh of relief, his face as pale as paper and his body swaying. In this battle, he had won with extreme difficulty, exhausting all his trump cards and sustaining significant injuries.

“A narrow victory...” he muttered to himself, a flash of lingering fear in his eyes.

He had won, but the victory was extremely perilous.

If he hadn't been in Great Shang's territory with the blessing of the massive National Fortune; if Flame Dragon True Person's strength hadn't declined due to Reincarnation and his greed hadn't prevented him from going all out from the start; if the opponent hadn't underestimated his strength and determination, giving him the chance to set up the Domain; if at the final moment the opponent hadn't lost his composure, allowing him to seize the flaw and perform the 'Heavenly Punishment' beyond his own load at the cost of his life essence blood... today, the one defeated and dead might very well have been Xu Yuan!

Golden Core True Persons were none of them easy to deal with! Especially this kind of reincarnated old monster with numerous trump cards and seasoned experience; a single moment of carelessness would lead to eternal damnation!

“However... in the end, I have won!”

Xu Yuan put away his spoils of war and swept his gaze over the subjects below who were kneeling in extreme excitement. Though his voice was weak, it carried an unquestionable authority that spread in all directions:

“Flame Dragon True Person has been executed!”

“From this day forth, Great Shang... is promoted to an Imperial Dynasty!”

“I... am Emperor Shang!”

“Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long live!”

The mountain-shaking, tsunami-like cheers resounded through the heavens and earth!

Xu Yuan stood at the mountain peak, bathed in the rising morning sun and the worship of hundreds of millions of subjects, his figure seemingly merging with the ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers behind him.