“Boom!”
A colossal palm, harboring an endless dark world, came crashing down. Despite being prepared, the Swordmaster still felt an overwhelming pressure. “The Summer Emperor was right. This Undying Underworld Emperor’s strength is indeed on par with his—truly terrifying.”
Before taking action to intervene, the Swordmaster had consulted the Summer Emperor, who had warned him, “Demon Sword, the Undying Underworld Emperor’s power is immense, no less than mine—perhaps even greater. He has been away from the Heart Realm Continent for too long, making his true strength unfathomable.”
Now, it was clear.
The Undying Underworld Emperor was indeed on the same level as the Summer Emperor. As for being stronger? It wasn’t obvious. Even if he was, the difference was marginal.
What the Swordmaster didn’t know was twofold: first, the Undying Underworld Emperor hadn’t yet unleashed his deadliest techniques, and second, his greatest achievement over the eons was devising the method to forge the “Deathwalkers.” If he succeeded in his sacrificial ritual and created one, it would qualify as a “Semi-Chaos Origin Lifeform,” capable of rivaling the weakest of the true Chaos Origin beings in combat!
“Demon Sword, remember—your mission is to protect the weak, not the Snow Eagle Emperor. Do not provoke the Undying Underworld Emperor into open hostility! A mere warning should suffice. He’s not foolish enough to make an enemy of our Summerwind Empire over this,” the Summer Emperor had instructed.
And indeed, the Summer Emperor had no reason to fear.
With countless avatars, the Summer Emperor’s presence was ubiquitous. The capital of the Summerwind Empire alone was the largest city on the Heart Realm Continent, teeming with countless lives. The core members of the Xia Clan were spread across several major cities, each guarded by one of his avatars.
Even if the Undying Underworld Emperor dared to retaliate, the empire’s most vital cities would remain secure.
The Summer Emperor was confident that without a deep-seated grudge, the Undying Underworld Emperor wouldn’t be so reckless.
And indeed, it was the Snow Eagle Emperor who had disrupted the sacrificial ritual. The Undying Underworld Emperor’s wrath was directed at him, not at the Summerwind Empire. He wouldn’t foolishly provoke a formidable enemy over a minor grievance.
—
**BOOM!**
The colossal palm struck again, shattering countless sword beams.
The Swordmaster was sent flying backward, crashing into the protective barrier of Snow Eagle City before immediately rising again.
“Oh? Your weapon isn’t a Supreme Treasure, yet you possess invincible strength?” The Undying Underworld Emperor sneered. “Pity. Before me, none of you have the right to claim invincibility.”
Across the entire Heart Realm Continent, only two beings stood above the so-called “invincible” ones.
One was the Summer Emperor, capable of wounding the Eternal Night Progenitor and forcing him to flee in battle.
The other was the former strongest of the Heart Realm Continent—now returned, even more formidable—the Undying Underworld Emperor.
Both had mastered two ultimate Daos, placing them a tier above the rest.
Yet, this advantage in battle wasn’t overwhelming—it merely granted them the upper hand.
For those deemed “invincible,” retreat was always an effortless option.
**BANG! BANG!**
The Swordmaster unleashed a flurry of strikes.
The Undying Underworld Emperor countered with massive palm strikes, each blow sending the Swordmaster reeling. Though blood trickled from his lips, his injuries were minor.
“Demon Swordmaster, I grow weary of this!” The Undying Underworld Emperor’s patience wore thin. His right hand swept out once more, this time wreathed in black flames. The sky-darkening palm smashed down, and despite the Swordmaster’s desperate parry, he was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth.
As the Swordmaster was flung aside, the Undying Underworld Emperor turned his wrath upon Snow Eagle City below.
“Cease!” Another voice thundered.
An endless expanse of dark clouds materialized, intercepting the descending palm.
**BOOM!**
The clouds shattered, dispersing into countless tiny insects.
The swarm swiftly coalesced around a single figure, forming a loose black robe draped over his form.
This was a humanoid insectoid warrior, clad in dark scales, with two soft antennae upon his forehead and translucent, crystalline wings at his back. The robe of insects settled around him as he gazed up at the Undying Underworld Emperor. “Underworld Emperor, I implore you—stop.”
“The Insect Ancestor?” The Undying Underworld Emperor scowled. “You dare oppose me?”
The two had some history.
They had traded in “World-Devouring Nectar,” and the Undying Underworld Emperor had no desire to antagonize the Insect Ancestor—especially since, after this failed ritual, he might need to purchase more of the nectar from him.
“The Snow Eagle Emperor has countless avatars. You cannot kill him. Why vent your fury on the innocent?” The Insect Ancestor’s voice was hoarse.
Even the Swordmaster was stunned.
Across the Heart Realm Continent, countless factions observing the scene were equally shocked. The Demon Swordmaster’s intervention was understandable—the Snow Eagle Emperor was a guest elder of the Summerwind Empire and rumored to be close to the Swordmaster.
But the Insect Ancestor?
His relationship with the Summerwind Empire was far from amicable. Once a lieutenant of the World-Devouring Emperor, he had slaughtered countless lives. Since when did he care for the innocent?
“You care for these ants?” The Undying Underworld Emperor was incredulous. “Insect Ancestor, did I hear you correctly?”
“I owe the Yingshan Clan a debt,” the Insect Ancestor replied. “A great one, in fact. That is why I am here—to ask you to stand down.”
—
While the entire Heart Realm Continent watched Snow Eagle City, another message swiftly reached the depths of the Broken Tooth Mountain Range.
“My Lord, the true identity of the Heavenly Heart Daoist is the Snow Eagle Emperor! He intervened to save the lives of fifteen nations, thwarting the Undying Underworld Emperor’s plans. Enraged, the Emperor has descended upon Snow Eagle City, intent on annihilating the entire Yingshan Clan—and the city itself.”
The news quickly reached one of the worlds hidden within the Broken Tooth Mountain Range.
This vast realm was sparsely populated, but every inhabitant was formidable—even the weakest infants were at the Void God level.
And the ruler of this world was currently spending time with his child.
“Hmm?” The man in starlight robes, who had been smiling at his daughter, suddenly frowned.
“Heavenly Heart Daoist, you once saved my daughter. For that, I cannot stand idly by.” Though his avatar remained, his true form had already departed—speeding toward Snow Eagle City on the Heart Realm Continent.
—
**Snow Eagle City.**
Dongbo Xueying stared in disbelief at the unexpected arrival of the Insect Ancestor.
“The Insect Ancestor is here to help me?” He couldn’t believe it. “He claims a connection to the Yingshan Clan, yet our records mention nothing of this.”
Even the Yingshan Clan’s founding ancestor, the Yingshan Matriarch, had no knowledge of such ties.
From afar, the Insect Ancestor turned his insectoid, scale-covered face toward Dongbo Xueying, offering a faint, kind smile. Yet inwardly, his emotions were tumultuous.
*You don’t recognize me. Even I barely recognize myself now. But I can never forget… my true name is Ba Tuochen—the last surviving core disciple of the Ba Tuo Clan.*
Ba Tuochen would never forget.
In the Kingdom of Bitter Flowers, when his clan was annihilated and even his wife was revealed as a spy, it was a white-robed youth named Yingshan Xueying who saved him in his darkest hour, sending him to the Summerwind Empire.
There, in the capital, his legend began.
But before his rise, he was imprisoned due to a feud with the Fan Clan. Though he could have eventually escaped, his growth would have been stunted. Once again, it was “Yingshan Xueying” who freed him, allowing him to soar like a dragon unleashed upon the seas.
He hated many—this cruel, merciless world where the strong preyed upon the weak. Yet even in his despair, that white-robed youth had been a glimmer of light in the darkness.
And so, while countless lives meant nothing to him, “Yingshan Xueying” was someone he *had* to save.
“But this foe is too powerful.” The Insect Ancestor, Ba Tuochen, knew his limits. Despite his rapid ascension, he was no match for the Undying Underworld Emperor.
Then—
**”Whoosh—”**
A dazzling radiance of starlight erupted above Snow Eagle City, coalescing into a resplendent figure clad in celestial robes.
The Swordmaster and the Insect Ancestor were stunned.
Even the enraged Undying Underworld Emperor paled slightly, sensing the threat emanating from the starlight.
The light solidified into a noble, transcendent figure who regarded the Undying Underworld Emperor calmly.
“Undying Underworld Emperor?”
“And who are you?” The Emperor’s tone was grave. Of all beings on the Heart Realm Continent, only he could sense the newcomer’s true nature—for he had encountered such beings before.
“The Lord of the Starlight World, from the Broken Tooth Mountain Range,” the starlit figure replied with a faint smile.
“A World Lord?” The Undying Underworld Emperor’s expression darkened.
He knew all too well the terror of those who ruled the inner worlds of the Broken Tooth Mountain Range. It was why he sought to forge a Deathwalker before daring to venture there. Of course, World Lords were but one of the mountain’s many dangers. Outside their domain, he feared them not.
“What business does a Broken Tooth World Lord have here?”
“The Snow Eagle Emperor once saved my daughter. I owe him a debt—and thus, I stand with him today.”
—
Dongbo Xueying was speechless.
The Swordmaster’s aid made sense. But the Insect Ancestor and this enigmatic Starlight World Lord? He had no memory of them, yet here they were, standing against the Undying Underworld Emperor in his darkest hour.
Unknowingly, his countless acts of salvation had woven a web of gratitude—one that now shielded him in return.
*”As you sow, so shall you reap. Is this not the way of the Supreme Rules?”*
A revelation dawned upon him. Since comprehending the joy of liberated souls and glimpsing the path of the Soul Dao, he had sensed a higher truth governing existence.
He had saved the multitudes, and from them, he had gleaned the essence of the Illusory Dream Dao.
Now, in his time of need, the multitudes—embodied by these mighty figures—stood with him.
The cycle was complete.
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