Chapter 728: Ji Family's Ji Wangxian

A soul pact, intricately linked to the soul, could not be undone by anyone, no matter how powerful, unless the individual who made it chose to release it.

It was like the case with Emperor Undying, the little yellow chick; even when he was just a God King, and then later an Emperor, he still couldn't break such an agreement.

To prevent this fellow from going back on his word and causing a backlash, the Master Teacher Continent had specifically decreed that even if one could escape the Heavenly Dao records, they could not break free from a soul pact!

"A soul pact truly cannot be separated from the sea of consciousness, but I have fused with a special gas that can even dissolve the Heavenly Dao. Disintegrating this pact isn't difficult... As long as there's enough power to strike where the pact resides, it can be done!" the Cruel Person said.

A soul pact was based on the Heavenly Dao. If this special power could dissolve even the Heavenly Dao of the God Realm, dissolving a soul pact, if handled properly, would pose no challenge.

"So that's how it is..." Zhang Xuan's eyes gleamed.

"Telling you all this is my way of thanking you for bringing me to the God Realm!" After explaining, the Cruel Person said no more. The ancient aura emanating from him intensified, and the black hole behind him grew even larger. Clearly, while he spoke, he had devoured an unknown amount of power for sustenance.

"Zhang Xuan, the more he consumes with that black hole, the stronger he gets..." Luo Ruoxi also noticed something was amiss and quickly sent a telepathic message.

"Prepare to attack!" With all doubts cleared from his mind, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath. His longsword suddenly rose. A rumble echoed as his most powerful sword intent was unleashed once more.

"If I live, I will return; if I die, I will long remember you!" With no regard for life or death, what could possibly stop him? Although this sword art had not reached the level understood by an Emperor, it contained all the obsessions in his heart, pushing his Heavenly Path Empathy Art to its limits. With one strike, he sliced the Cruel Person's attack in half.

At the same moment, Luo Ruoxi also made her move, her fair hands swirling, sword light like falling snow. Her sword art was somewhat similar to that of the young man from Sword God Heaven, carrying an unstoppable momentum and the elegant naturalness of the Grand Dao.

"Your techniques are impressive, but compared to me, they still fall short..." With a light chuckle, the Cruel Person reached down again. In an instant, his palm covered the sky and obscured the sun, enveloping heaven and earth. Space shattered, and the sun, moon, and stars seemed about to be forcibly struck down. Puffs of blood splattered as Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxi were simultaneously sent flying backward, coughing up blood in mid-air. With their combined strength, they couldn't even resist! What cultivation realm had this fellow reached?

"How dare you!" The clone strode forward, lotuses blooming with each step, the void echoing with the sound of flowing water. From afar, his presence was imposing. Having refined the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, his cultivation was in no way inferior to Zhang Xuan's. He raised a fist, and power surged into the Nine Heavens. Upon clashing with the Cruel Person, he was also sent flying backward, unable to withstand a single blow. Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead. Even after becoming an Emperor, the clone still hadn't changed his pretentious nature... Such dazzling pretense was less effective than concentrating his power for greater impact!

"Attack together, or else if they die, we'll all die..." The little yellow chick roared, crimson flames burning as if the sky itself was ignited. The remaining six Emperors also unleashed their techniques. The seven Emperors united, their combined might capable of destroying heaven and earth, a whole dimension unable to withstand them. But facing the Cruel Person, who had absorbed special power, his black hole suddenly expanded, devouring their energy in the blink of an eye before counter-attacking. *Bang bang bang bang!* The seven Emperors, like Zhang Xuan and the others, were sent flying backward. Ten Emperors, united, couldn't even block a single one of his moves! How could this fellow be so powerful?

"You can all die now..." Having defeated everyone in one move, the Cruel Person took a step forward, flipped his wrist, and slapped down again.

"You rodent, how dare you!" Accompanied by a shout, the old man from Sword God Heaven suddenly appeared, blocking their path, his longsword transforming into a galaxy. "An Emperor? He's also an Emperor?" Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted. He had initially thought this old man, who followed behind the young man, was merely a retainer, at most a Titled God King. Only upon seeing him unleash his power did he realize the old man was also a powerful Emperor! If he was an Emperor, then what was the young man?

"He is an Emperor of Sword God Heaven himself..." Struggling to stand, Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth.

"Then... what about the young man who taught me the sword art?" Zhang Xuan couldn't hold back his question any longer.

"He is..." Just as Luo Ruoxi was about to answer, space distorted, and they saw the Emperor from Sword God Heaven also being sent flying, landing not far away and creating a large crater. Even with Zhang Xuan's current strength and understanding of the sword dao, which far surpassed his, he couldn't resist. So, even if his cultivation was not weak and his swordsmanship was superb, he was still no match.

"Hahaha, Emperors, nothing but a bunch of pathetic chickens and dogs! Today, I shall destroy the Nine Heavens, obliterate this God Realm, and trample all its rules!" After defeating the Emperor from Sword God Heaven, the Cruel Person laughed maniacally. The surrounding space continuously collapsed, making him appear demonic and monstrous.

"What should we do?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists. Just now, he and his clone had unleashed their strongest combat power, and even Luo Ruoxi had used her most powerful techniques, yet none of them could block a single one of the opponent's moves... Could it be that there was truly no one in the God Realm who could stop this individual before them? Would they simply let him destroy the world?

"The only way... is to return your Flawed Heavenly Dao to the Heavenly Dao itself, so that the Heavenly Dao can suppress him..." Luo Ruoxi's delicate fists clenched, her eyes reddening.

"Return to the Heavenly Dao itself?" Zhang Xuan understood what she meant. The Library of Heaven's Path in his mind was inherently a part of the Heavenly Dao. Once it returned, the Heavenly Dao would be completely whole, perhaps allowing it to fix its flaws and expel the Cruel Person on its own. It was like the human body's immune system: if the immune system was intact, it could easily drive away viruses; if it was broken, it couldn't resist viral invasion, and even the strongest person would die. But...

"He's too powerful. Even if the Heavenly Dao is fully restored, it might not be able to suppress him!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. The immune system could kill a virus, but what about a fierce tiger? What could even the strongest immune system do against that? The individual before them, who could easily kill even ordinary God Kings or Titled God Kings with the Heavenly Dao, was now stronger than an Emperor... He was no longer someone the Heavenly Dao could contend with.

Luo Ruoxi paused, a look of despair appearing on her fair, jade-like face. "Yes... it can't suppress him, but if the Heavenly Dao is complete, he can awaken, and then defeating this person won't be difficult!"

"He?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"I'll take you to him, he's in Zizaitian..." Taking a deep breath, Luo Ruoxi gritted her teeth and turned to fly forward.

"Trying to escape?" The Cruel Person snorted coldly and pressed down. Luo Ruoxi fell from the sky. Zhang Xuan's sword art was unleashed again, sword intent radiating magnificently. *Ding ding ding!* It was blocked by the Cruel Person once more.

"You two, hurry and leave, I'll hold him off..." Knowing that they intended to find a way to save the God Realm rather than escape, the clone and Emperor Undying roared and stood in front. Luo Qiqi also transformed, returning to her original form as the Serene Space Pearl. The surrounding space solidified. "Go!" Seeing everyone fearlessly block the path behind them, Zhang Xuan's eyes reddened. However, he knew this was not the time for words. He pulled Luo Ruoxi, his body flickered, tearing through space, and in the next moment, they appeared within the boundaries of Zizaitian.

Zizaitian had lost its former tranquility; the God Realm was collapsing, chaos everywhere. "Where is he, the one you spoke of?" With no time to observe the lives of ordinary people, Zhang Xuan looked at the girl in his arms. If the person she mentioned could truly save the God Realm, what did his own sacrifice matter?

"He is my father. The blood in your pendant belongs to him. Emperor Undying used to be his beast pet..." Luo Ruoxi took a moment to compose herself, then explained.

"Father?" Zhang Xuan suddenly understood. No wonder he had always felt the blood in the pendant was similar to Luo Ruoxi's, yet different—it belonged to her father. This also explained why the remnant will of Emperor Undying 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. The pendant's blood had restored his clarity when the Library was in chaos. Could it be that not only was she an Emperor, but her father was too, or even more powerful? If that were the case, why would he be in a coma? And why would he need the Flawed Heavenly Dao to awaken?

"He is not an Emperor, but... the Heavenly Dao!" Luo Ruoxi's delicate fists clenched.

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

"Yes! Fifty years ago, Father couldn't resist that giant hand and fell into a coma. The Heavenly Dao fragmented into three parts: the Orderly Heavenly Dao and the Flawed Heavenly Dao entered the spatial turbulence, and I took control of the Natural Heavenly Dao to maintain the balance of the God Realm. For him to recover, I must gather the scattered parts... That's why I was so determined, unable to fail! That's why I specifically entered the Master Teacher Continent, studied the Spring and Autumn Annals, and tried to defeat Master Kong! And what I asked him to do during our battle was also this." Luo Ruoxi explained.

Zhang Xuan suddenly realized. Shortly after they met on the Master Teacher Continent, the girl before him had told him her story about wanting to save a beloved relative. He hadn't understood then, but now it all made sense. It was her father, and he was the Heavenly Dao of the God Realm! Could the Heavenly Dao truly take human form and have children?

"Proxy control of the Natural Heavenly Dao... You don't have a Heavenly Dao fragment in your body?" Suddenly realizing the oddity in her words, Zhang Xuan looked over. Proxy control and his own integration of it into his body were two different concepts. "I merely control it; I am not a part of the Heavenly Dao..." Luo Ruoxi said.

Zhang Xuan sighed in relief. This meant he only needed to separate the Flawed Heavenly Dao from himself; she wouldn't have to die. Although he was unwilling to accept such a fate, he also didn't want the girl before him to be harmed.

"If I separate the Flawed Heavenly Dao from my body, your father will come back to life and even kill the Cruel Person, right?" Zhang Xuan asked. "This... I'm not sure..." Luo Ruoxi hesitated, looking up at the collapsing God Realm. The God Realm was her father's foundation. Now that the foundation was in such a state, even if he awakened, could he truly defeat that powerful Cruel Person? It was hard to say!

"It seems you're also unsure. If that's the case, it's better to rely on ourselves than on others... We'll just have to find a way!" Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth. "You, me, the clone, united with the Nine Heavens' Nine Emperors, and if Master Kong joins us, we might just win!"

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

"Master Kong is dead, right? He didn't truly die. If I'm not mistaken, your killing him was just a method for him to escape the Heavenly Dao... Unless something unexpected happened, he should be like Wei Changfeng, a Congenital Embryonic Soul Body!" Zhang Xuan said. Seeing Wei Changfeng, he understood. Master Kong's claim of retaining his consciousness must have been due to being a Congenital Embryonic Soul Body, just like him, allowing him to avoid confusion even within the womb. Coupled with his pre-arranged contingencies, resurrection was only a matter of time.

Luo Ruoxi froze, seemingly not having expected this.

"We'll know if we go and see. My guess is correct; he should have recovered. Otherwise, his students wouldn't have even gone to the Tidal Sea..." Zhang Xuan said. Master Kong's students, such as Ancient Sage Ziyuan and others, were all very powerful. Even without the help of Emperors, they would surely have found a way to enter the Tidal Sea, yet none were seen. There must have been something more important awaiting them, something they wanted to do while all the Emperors were preoccupied at the Tidal Sea! And this important matter was clearly Master Kong's recovery.

Luo Ruoxi's heart trembled as she suddenly understood.

"Let's go!" Without further explanation, Zhang Xuan swiped his hand and reappeared at Master Kong's residence. Indeed, he saw an old man floating cross-legged in the air. Upon seeing them, the old man smiled slightly. "You've arrived!" Who else could it be but Master Kong! This Master for Ten Thousand Generations truly didn't disappoint him! Just as he had guessed, he had revived while everyone's attention was focused on the Tidal Sea.

Luo Ruoxi's delicate body trembled. She knew that Emperors could revive, and Emperor Undying had also returned to life, but... she hadn't expected it to be so fast!

"I concealed myself from the Heavenly Dao and prepared a contingency beforehand. The nameless giant in the Nether Soul Pool was left by me. When you killed it that day, I seized the opportunity to break free from the Heavenly Dao's restraints and re-condense my physical body. I've only just recovered now!" Master Kong smiled faintly. He was proficient in time manipulation. Although it seemed only a day or two had passed in the God Realm, in reality, he had experienced an unknown amount of time to recover his power. It had been decades.

"Our three's combined strength is indeed formidable, but defeating the Cruel Person won't be easy..." Seeing that Master Kong had indeed recovered, Luo Ruoxi still shook her head. This wasn't about inflating the enemy's might or diminishing their own morale; it was simply a fact. So many people united just now couldn't stop the opponent, so what difference would adding Master Kong make? It still wouldn't change the situation!

"Individually, and even united, we are indeed no match for him, but... what if we fused all our power into one person?" Master Kong looked at them, smiling.

"Fused into one person?" This time, not only Luo Ruoxi but Zhang Xuan too was filled with doubt.

"That hand could tear apart the God Realm and scatter the Heavenly Dao; its strength is beyond doubt. The Cruel Person absorbed all that power and then devoured fifty years of spiritual energy from the God Realm. Individually, any of us dozen or so Emperors are indeed no match..." Master Kong said, "But united, concentrating all our power into one person... then it might be different!"

"How do we concentrate it?" Luo Ruoxi looked at him. It sounded simple but was difficult to achieve. Emperors already stood at the pinnacle of the God Realm. If it were so easy to absorb others' power, she wouldn't have stagnated for so many years.

"It's simple... We will concentrate our power on Zhang Xuan. Once he breaks through the Emperor's shackles, he can save the God Realm!" Master Kong said.

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

"Emperor Lingxi cultivates freedom and detachment from nature! But with the constraints of her father and the Heavenly Dao, and people she cares about, she can never truly transcend! If I'm not mistaken, when you fought me, you also gave up, intending to be slain by me!" Master Kong said.

Luo Ruoxi was speechless. During their battle, she indeed had such an intention, which was why their initial exchanges felt like sparring, with both holding back, unlike a life-or-death struggle.

"Unable to transcend, she naturally cannot unleash her strongest power. Even with more zhenqi, she cannot reach that supreme realm! As for me..." Master Kong nodded, "I care for all living beings and wish to enlighten the world, but I'm unwilling for others to sacrifice for me. Too much benevolence is also a flaw! If I had been a little more ruthless and exterminated the Qingtian aliens, we wouldn't be in this situation now..." If he had completely annihilated the Qingtian aliens back then, the Cruel Person would not have been able to revive, and the current situation wouldn't exist.

"Therefore, I am also not suitable! But Zhang Xuan's cultivation method aligns with his heart and has no flaws. He believes in living authentically; even if he dies, as long as he lives without regrets, his heart is clear. Such a person possesses greater tolerance and greater room for growth. Only in this way can one go higher and further!" Master Kong continued.

"If I live, I will return; if I die, I will long remember you!" If even death held no fear, how could he be shackled by other matters?

Zhang Xuan frowned, about to say something, when Master Kong's piercing gaze fell upon him. "No need to decline. Firstly, there isn't enough time to cultivate someone else, and even if there were, I don't believe anyone could do better than you! Although Emperor Lingxi doesn't have a Heavenly Dao fragment in her body, she has controlled the Heavenly Dao for many years and possesses her own understanding of it. I control the Orderly Heavenly Dao. If we imbue you with our power, you will possess the complete power of the Heavenly Dao! Coupled with your clone's Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, you can absolutely stabilize the Nine Heavens, control the universe, battle through the nine firmaments, and annihilate all things!"

"Alright!" Seeing that the other party had already made a decision, further explanations from him would be futile. Zhang Xuan nodded.

*Rumble!* He sat down cross-legged, and in the blink of an eye, two vast streams of power surged in from both sides. Zhang Xuan's whole body stiffened, and in that instant, he seemed to transform into the Heavenly Dao itself, soaring above the Nine Heavens. His soul, physical body, and zhenqi were all instantly baptized, becoming increasingly strong and vast.

"You want to stop me too? Very well, I'll kill you all, then go and slay Zhang Xuan..." After swatting Luo Qiqi and the clone away, the Cruel Person smiled coldly. The combined power unleashed by the clone and the numerous Emperors was indeed formidable, but compared to him, it was still somewhat weaker. The Tidal Sea had almost completely devoured the spiritual energy of the God Realm outside the cities, and now all that power served as his nourishment. Every movement he made carried the power to destroy heaven and earth. These Emperors and God Kings, despite representing the pinnacle of the God Realm, were still no match for him. At this moment, the Cruel Person seemed to embody the entire God Realm; no one could stop him.

"If the God Realm perishes, our lives are meaningless. I, Emperor Yunchi, will perish with you..." Emperor Yunchi transformed into his true form, a colossal five-clawed golden dragon, and lunged at him from mid-air. "You? Unworthy!" The Cruel Person clenched his palm, and the golden dragon was suspended within it, unable to escape no matter how it struggled.

"Old friend, wait for me!" Emperor Fumen also roared, transforming into his true form, the White Tiger, and appeared in mid-air. Emperor Undying's true form, the Immortal Fire Phoenix, appeared, its flames illuminating the sky. Emperor Xuanming's true form was a massive turtle, appearing to support all of creation. The Four Divine Beasts, guardians of the God Realm's four poles, simultaneously revealed their true forms. The collapsing God Realm even seemed to slow down. The universe itself seemed to freeze in that instant. *Boom boom boom boom!* With four consecutive palms, the Cruel Person suppressed the four beasts, a fierce killing intent flashing in his eyes. "Since you seek death, I shall grant it to you..."

Amidst his roar, just as he was about to unleash a fatal blow to annihilate everyone, he felt his raised arm tighten and stop in mid-air. "Do you think you can kill them without asking me first...?" Immediately, to everyone's shocked gaze, a figure slowly walked out from the air. It was none other than Zhang Xuan! At this moment, the young man's entire body surged with power, more than ten times stronger than before. He seemed to descend from the heavens, as if he himself were a world.

"You've improved quite a bit..." The Cruel Person stopped, his gaze solemn. He clearly didn't understand why the opponent's strength had undergone such a tremendous change in just a few minutes.

"But what if you have? Even the God Realm at its peak couldn't resist me. I don't believe you can stop me..." With a cold snort, the Cruel Person slapped down again. Zhang Xuan raised his longsword and met the attack. The two fought, space tearing open in streaks, and air currents scattering everywhere.

"Can Zhang Xuan win?" From Master Kong's residence in Zizaitian, Luo Ruoxi watched, filled with worry. She and Master Kong had transferred their power to Zhang Xuan, and their own cultivation had fallen to only the God King level, no longer as splendid as before. However, their true foundation remained; as long as they had enough power, they could eventually recover.

"With his current strength, winning... is difficult! Unless... he can comprehend power beyond that of an Emperor!" Master Kong said after a moment of silence. More than a dozen Emperors united couldn't defeat the Cruel Person. Even if they transferred all their power to him, winning wouldn't be easy. The reason they did this was because... only by concentrating power into one person could they potentially reach the apex, truly surpass their limits, and break through themselves!

"Power beyond an Emperor?" Luo Ruoxi's gaze became distant. When her father was still conscious, he had told her the same thing, but... she couldn't do it. Could the man she loved achieve it?

"He definitely can... He possesses an unyielding heart! And a proud disdain for this world." Seeing the doubt in her heart, Master Kong smiled.

*Bang bang bang!* After several consecutive moves, the web between Zhang Xuan's thumb and forefinger split open, and a huge, ghastly wound appeared on his chest. Just as Master Kong had said, even after fusing with their combined power and forming a complete Heavenly Dao within him, he was still no match.

"Haha, I thought you were more impressive, but you're nothing special!" The Cruel Person sneered.

"Since I'm no match for you and will be killed sooner or later, I wish to die by your strongest attack..." Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan stopped attacking and instead looked at the Cruel Person before him.

"Very well, I shall grant your wish and give you my strongest attack..." Hearing him say this, the Cruel Person was momentarily stunned, then snorted coldly and raised his palm. *Whoosh!* A green light appeared in his palm and slammed down fiercely. It was indeed his strongest attack; the entire God Realm roared as if it could no longer bear the force, and another massive crater was created. With his eyes tightly shut, Zhang Xuan did not dodge. His head exploded, and his soul scattered everywhere.

"Zhang Xuan..." Seeing this scene, everyone's faces turned pale. Luo Qiqi looked as if she had gone mad. Emperor Yunchi and the others also widened their eyes, trembling uncontrollably. Master Kong and Luo Ruoxi, who witnessed this, were also stunned. Their original intention was for him to break through his shackles and attempt to surpass the Emperor realm. Why did he not resist and instead willingly court death? Wouldn't this betray their good intentions?

"No, it's Emperor Undying's method of immortality..." Just as they wondered, Master Kong suddenly spoke. Everyone then saw Zhang Xuan, whose head had exploded and even whose soul had shattered, as the pendant on his chest suddenly burst open. A drop of blood floated up and began to burn, forming a scorching flame. From within the flame, an intact figure slowly walked out.

"He... used the opponent's power and the blood in the pendant to separate the Flawed Heavenly Dao from his soul?" Luo Ruoxi's pupils contracted. After being reborn from the flames, Zhang Xuan's body no longer contained the Library of Heaven's Path; he was free from the Heavenly Dao's interference and had detached himself from it!

"How did he do it?" Master Kong was also filled with disbelief. The Heavenly Dao and the soul were merged indistinguishably. To break free, he had to scatter his soul and re-condense it using the Nether Soul Pool. This person before them, however, was only slain once and completely broke free. What method did he use?

"I understand now... He used the Cruel Person's method for breaking free from a soul pact..." Luo Ruoxi realized. A soul pact bound master and servant; if the master didn't release it, the servant would forever be controlled... The Library of Heaven's Path was similar, arguably an enhanced version of such a pact. Once bound to the soul, it wouldn't detach unless one died. But... the Cruel Person had used that special power to break free from his soul pact. Zhang Xuan had inquired about the specific method in detail before, and it was likely then that he had started contemplating this. That's why he deliberately risked his life, allowing the Cruel Person to unleash his strongest attack on him. He used this power to be reborn from the flames, and unexpectedly, it was a great success!

"So that's it, this is the way to break through beyond the Emperor realm..." Zhang Xuan, walking out of the flames, displayed a faint smile on his face, as if he had understood something. He suddenly beckoned, and the clone on one side immediately transformed back into a lotus flower and flew over. In an instant, it perfectly merged with him. In the blink of an eye, everyone felt that the Zhang Xuan before them had transformed into the Nine Heavens; the Nine Heavens *was* him. He gently stepped his foot on the ground. The chaotic Nine Heavens immediately stabilized. The Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, which appeared at the birth of the Nine Heavens, could stabilize them. Now that the clone had perfectly merged with his true self, indistinguishable from him, it meant he controlled this power. Furthermore, with his cultivation fused with the Nine Heavens Chaos Golden Lotus, his already peak realm loosened, seeming ready to break through at any moment.

"The affection between master and servant, the bond between siblings, the relationship between teacher and student, the love between parents and children, romantic love... When fused together, they become all things in the world. This is what it means to be human!" Zhang Xuan murmured with a smile. The moment the Library of Heaven's Path detached from his soul, he understood. Did humans see the world, and thus the world came into being, or did the world exist first, and then humans? Was it the wind moving, or the heart moving? This question had plagued countless people throughout eternity. Of course, now... none of that mattered! Without life, without emotion, what meaning would the world have even if it existed? Therefore, after breaking through romantic love, came the affection for all living beings! It was the interwoven emotions of the entire world. All things in the world possessed emotions; only with emotion could there be a world, and only with emotion could life continue. Love was emotion. Hatred was emotion. Joy was emotion. Pain was emotion. Separation was emotion. Reunion was also emotion!

"Thousands of emotions, all for my use..." With a low cry, Zhang Xuan's confined realm instantly shattered. The Emperor's shackles were broken! In an instant, it was as if he had touched a brand new world and a grand gate. His soul rapidly received nourishment. Countless streams of chaotic qi surged toward him, and his physical body rapidly ascended. Previously, he could only progress by absorbing spiritual energy, but now, spatial turbulence, chaotic qi, and even the opponent's green light could all be his, indistinguishably.

The Cruel Person hadn't expected his full-force attack to not only fail to kill him but instead complete him. He screamed in frustration, then roared and attacked again.

"Your resentment towards the high and mighty Emperors for not saving you in the spatial turbulence is emotion; your feeling of once being my servant, containing humility and anger, is emotion; your desire to destroy the God Realm and vent your fury is emotion; your desire to become even stronger is also emotion... Emotions control you, so how can you defeat me, how can you not be controlled by me?" With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan's voice grew faster and louder. He gently clutched his hand. The previously invincible Cruel Person was bound by countless threads of emotion, restrained and unable to move. As long as there was emotion, he could be used and controlled by Zhang Xuan!

The Cruel Person's eyes were filled with terror. "Master Zhang, I am your servant, don't kill me... I am willing to sacrifice my soul..." "It's too late for that now..." With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Controlling the emotions of the world, concepts like 'servant' held no meaning for him anymore. Having killed so many God-level individuals, and harmed his girlfriend, Luo Qiqi, and so many friends, how could he possibly forgive today?

"No..." Sensing his decisiveness, the Cruel Person's pupils contracted. Before he could finish speaking, he felt an intense pain surge through his body. In an instant, he exploded, transforming into countless streams of spiritual energy that surged throughout the God Realm. All the power previously devoured by the Tidal Sea was now returned, and the withered wildernesses regained their vitality.

"Just like that, he was killed?" Emperor Yunchi, Emperor Undying, Immortal Fairy Linglong, and the others all widened their eyes in disbelief. They had just fought the terrifying Cruel Person and knew his might. Such a powerful individual was annihilated with a casual move. What level had this Zhang Xuan truly reached? Was there really another realm above Emperors?

"He succeeded..." Master Kong and Luo Ruoxi relaxed their clenched fists.

"This is a part of the Heavenly Dao, so I shall now return it to the Heavenly Dao..." Seeing the "Flawed Heavenly Dao" that had just been separated from his body still suspended in the air, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly and flicked his finger. The Library, which had accompanied him since his rebirth, thundered as it embedded itself in the sky of the God Realm. With a bell-like chime, the continuously collapsing God Realm visibly began to slowly recover. The chaotic air currents also gathered once more. The collapsing God Realm finally stopped, and the depleted spiritual energy, along with the Cruel Person's death, slowly began to revive.

"It seems the God Realm is about to welcome an era of spiritual energy resurgence once more..." Zhang Xuan smiled. The void left by the Tidal Sea had been repaired with the completion of the Heavenly Dao. The God Realm returning to its former glory was only a matter of time.

"Zhang Xuan, come here..." Just as he finished these tasks, a voice echoed in his mind. Zhang Xuan was startled, then took a step. That step carried him an unknown distance, and he then saw a young man standing before him. It was precisely the one who had previously taught him the sword art.

"Senior, you..." Seeing him, Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned. He had always felt this person was unfathomable, but now he realized that he was only a whisker away from Zhang Xuan's own power, having already reached the absolute peak of an Emperor, countless times stronger than Luo Ruoxi had been before.

"You can just call me by my name. I am... Nie Tong!" The young man, emanating an unstoppable sword intent, said faintly.

"Nie Tong?" Zhang Xuan frowned slightly. He had never heard that name before.

"Follow me, I'll take you to meet my elder brother!" The young man named Nie Tong smiled faintly and strode forward. Zhang Xuan followed closely behind. After flying for an unknown distance, they stopped before a mountain peak. There, he saw another young man. His appearance wasn't much older, and his eyebrows were raised, giving him a profound, unfathomable aura.

"This strength..." Zhang Xuan trembled. The young man before him was actually even stronger than he was, having also broken through the Emperor's shackles, and his cultivation was even more profound and substantial!

"I am Nie Yun!" The young man smiled faintly and looked over. "Which means... Nie Lingxi, the father of Luo Ruoxi, as you know her!"

"Ruoxi's father?" Zhang Xuan was shaken. "You... are the Heavenly Dao of the God Realm?" Luo Ruoxi had said earlier that her father was the Heavenly Dao, but he never imagined it would be such a young man.

"I divided myself into three pure ones; a part of my soul became the Heavenly Dao! Furthermore, this world was created by me, so there's no harm in saying I am the Heavenly Dao!" Nie Yun smiled faintly.

Zhang Xuan was incredulous. The God Realm was created by this person? How powerful must he be then?

"Wait, if the God Realm was created by you, and you are the Heavenly Dao, why did you allow the Cruel Person to run rampant without taking action...?" Zhang Xuan looked at him. If he hadn't broken through, the God Realm could have completely collapsed. Why had this person before him not intervened? Did he even care about his daughter's life or death?

Not answering his question, Nie Yun looked at him faintly. "Do you think... there are even more powerful beings above the God Realm?"

Zhang Xuan paused. "There should be..." Although he hadn't seen them, since he could cultivate to such a realm, perhaps others could too, or even be stronger. Just like the person before him.

"I once suspected there might be more powerful beings above the God Realm, so I used all my might to peek, which ultimately drew a backlash from a higher world... A hand tore through space and descended!" Nie Yun looked at him. "At that time, if I had dodged, it was highly likely that the entire God Realm would have been flattened, with no life remaining... So, I blocked the attack, but as a result, the Heavenly Dao, which was my incarnation, was split apart."

"In that state, merely a thought of mine could restore me, but... I understood that to truly transcend the shackles of the God Realm, to explore where that hand came from, and what lies beyond the God Realm... it would be very difficult for me alone. So, I wanted to see if any being could break through the Emperor's shackles and reach a level on par with me!" "Therefore, I sent the scattered Heavenly Dao consciousness to the lowest realm... granting it to a soul originally belonging to that world, and one that did not. And you, ultimately, did not disappoint me!" Nie Yun smiled.

"A soul not belonging to this world... So, my transmigration was also because of you?" Zhang Xuan's heart trembled. No wonder he was able to transmigrate; he never expected it was all due to the person before him.

"Heh heh!" Nie Yun chuckled softly and said, "A soul originally belonging to this world would have a reverence for it, making it much harder to break through the world's shackles. I merely had a thought and didn't expect you would actually succeed..."

"I..." Zhang Xuan's face flushed. "If it weren't for Master Kong, I wouldn't have been able to reach this level at all..." Without Master Kong's selfless dedication, reaching his current realm would have been impossible.

"I gave him the opportunity, but he didn't seize it. His duel with Lingxi was actually his best chance for a breakthrough. Unfortunately, he chose to retreat, thinking he had a contingency to escape unscathed. In reality, he lost his courageous advance. When facing someone beyond us, if one doesn't even have that much spirit, how can they contend?" Nie Yun said.

Zhang Xuan remained silent. He had witnessed their battle at the time and indeed, Master Kong had been somewhat lacking in decisiveness. It was also possible that he was unwilling to kill Luo Ruoxi. Unfortunately, in that single thought, he missed his chance for advancement.

"If Master Kong had won, Ruoxi would have died..." After a moment, Zhang Xuan looked over, his eyebrows furrowed. Could it be that this person before him didn't even care about his daughter's life or death?

"With me here, she wouldn't have died..." Nie Yun smiled faintly. "Your current strength is not much different from mine. Do you think, at a moment of life and death, if a person of our strength truly wanted to save someone, could they do it?"

Zhang Xuan gave a bitter smile. Breaking through beyond an Emperor and simply being an Emperor were two different concepts. If Nie Yun truly wished to intervene, he could indeed save someone at the last moment and ensure they suffered no injury at all.

"Lingxi was born to my other wife, Luo Qingcheng, which is why she used the surname 'Luo' as her disguised name... To make her believe and not act emotionally, she has thought I was still in a coma until now..." Nie Yun gave a wry smile. "I suppose I've been a pretty cruel father... How about this, you explain it to her. After all, her attention has now shifted to you; she probably won't even remember her old dad... Haha, I'll disappear for a while for now. Otherwise, I'm genuinely afraid she'll turn the world upside down..." Seeing this incredibly unreliable father before him, Zhang Xuan's face twitched, and he could only agree, "Alright..." There was no other choice; after all, he was the one who had taken the man's daughter.

"The Library of Heaven's Path was formed from a thought of mine. It was both a foundation and a limitation. Your ability to break through that limitation on your own demonstrates your capability and potential. Your future is limitless, and as a father, I am truly comforted that my daughter can be with you."