Chapter 1446: Life Like Summer Flowers, Death Like Autumn Leaves

The sky vibrated violently as two fists, as white as jade, collided with a metallic clang. Each collision sent sparks flying, with streams of light resembling fire. In fact, these were rules bursting forth, the Great Dao crumbling and burning!

A world-shaking showdown!

Two beings, unmatched throughout history, engaged in a deadly battle. It was exceptionally terrifying, with blood energy surging like an ocean, gushing towards the star sea and engulfing the dark and cold outer reaches.

How many such ultimate beings have there been throughout history? Even if they met, they would strive to avoid conflict, yet today they were fighting fiercely, sweeping across the mortal realm and severing the Great Dao.

This battle was destined to leave the most profound mark in history!

With every move they made, the heavens and earth were in turmoil, and primordial chaos exploded. It was like two galaxies colliding, shaking the past, present, and future, threatening to bring down the Thirty-Three Heavens!

At this moment, projections descended from beyond the endless sky, seemingly disturbing extraterrestrial beings who swiftly began to investigate.

"Li, let me see if you are human or ghost!" the Martial Maniac roared, his black hair dancing. His eyes were terrifyingly brilliant, like suns burning with supreme rules.

He breathed deeply, exhaling white immortal mist; even his soul light was inhaling ancestral matter. At this moment, he was overwhelmingly dominant; with a single palm strike, the long river of time appeared, suppressing all time.

He was arrogant and domineering, his aura devouring the star sea, not considering anyone in the world worthy of his attention. Even when facing Li, his former archenemy, he remained utterly self-assured, believing himself to be the only invincible one!

Li straightened his spine, his decaying body thundering. Even though his blood energy was unstable, his divine might remained world-shattering. Every pore on his body spewed forth chains of divine order, the sky above his head exploded, the star sea surged, and the entire universe seemed on the verge of disintegration.

He ascended into the air, confronting the Martial Maniac, meeting him head-on, intent on shattering this being revered as the Martial Emperor.

The two fiercely contended, becoming golden figures, bodies of lightning, covered in energy and veiled by rules, truly seeming to pierce through eternity.

Their speed was incredibly fast; fragments of time danced, flashing around them. The two frequently entangled, like two beams of light colliding and burning, frequently spewing forth energy waves that surged into the outer star sea, sweeping across the celestial dome.

This was a manifestation of their extreme control. Standing in the sky, they did not affect the ground below; even when fragments of the Great Dao flew out, they vanished into the depths of the cold universe.

Boom! Some barren great stars in the outer reaches exploded like splendid fireworks, shattering the stillness of the desolate universe.

"Heroes of old all met a desolate end, from brilliance to oblivion," an ancient voice echoed from Hezhou. The most ancient Buddhist temple there had opened, revealing an old Buddha, like a withered skeleton, sitting cross-legged amidst the dust.

"Who is immortal? Fall and decay are predetermined. When will the slaughter cease? Has the blood of prehistory not been enough? The recent past brings new turmoil." Such a sigh emanated from the legendary forbidden grounds of the Taiyi journal, the place where the progenitor of that organization meditated into nirvana, as a life fluctuation surprisingly appeared.

Taiyi, a being truly belonging only to legend, was never seen in reality. Even Taiheng, a dark source in the underground world, was rumored to be merely his second son.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

In the outer reaches, brilliant light flashed as silver chains appeared one after another in the Martial Maniac's hand, like indestructible ancestral dragons returning from a dark abyss, rushing towards Li.

"Heaven's Prison!?" an ancient entity in the mortal realm exclaimed softly, unable to conceal his astonishment. This was a legendary technique, long studied by many, but with little success.

Long ago, there were legends that the Martial Emperor had thoroughly mastered it, able to imprison even the universe and restrain the heavens—a prison from which there was no escape.

Indeed, the silver chains interwoven, illuminating the cold, dark space beyond, trapping heaven and earth, covering and enveloping the area where Li stood. Most terrifyingly, within that special prison space, countless dense runes appeared, sealing the sky and locking the earth, instantly transforming it into a land of vanishing laws.

Heaven's Prison was formed!

"I am the Martial Emperor, invincible across the Eight Desolates!" the Martial Maniac declared, indeed overbearing. Even when facing Li, his archenemy, his terrifying adversary of old, he remained so confident, full of swagger, as if he were the only one in the world, with no opponent in his eyes.

Li acted, unleashing punch after punch, causing the prison to tremble and roar incessantly, making the entire vast starry sky violently shake. One could see Heaven's Prison bulging, with cracks even appearing, about to burst open under Li's brilliant fist prints.

This was horrifying. On one hand, people marveled at the Martial Emperor's power, having thoroughly mastered such legendary heaven-reaching techniques. On the other hand, they were even more astonished by Li's strength: Could even such a supreme secret technique not seal his decaying body?

Boom! A corner of the prison was torn apart. Li's invincible fist prints blasted through, and he stepped forward, with most of his body freed, his fist prints unrivaled, shattering all obstacles. At the same time, the great banner in his other hand trembled, rattling loudly, shaking the entire star sea until it seemed to shatter. Primordial chaos swept through the outer reaches, utterly terrifying.

Although the great banner was tattered, its surface continuously expanded, almost covering the entire sky. Its divine might surged, terrifying all cultivators of the present age. Wherever the great banner pointed, nothing remained unbroken!

Li, holding the banner with one hand, blasted towards the Martial Maniac. Although he appeared ancient, his domineering aura and his invincible belief in devouring the world had not diminished in the slightest compared to when he ruled this prehistoric land, still overwhelming the present age!

The Martial Maniac let out a long howl, exhaling a stream of air that was innate essence, primordial chaos energy. It transformed into a dazzling light screen, consolidating into a golden spear, which he then thrust forward.

Spear against all laws!

This was the Martial Maniac's martial belief: he wanted to pierce through all obstacles and shatter all enemies. In essence, he was a lunatic. In his eyes, even the heavens could be struck down and the high heavens pierced. No one could halt his advance. Whether Li was human or ghost mattered not; what if he had resurrected? He would still kill him!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Order collapsed as thousands of silver chains of divine rules fractured, burning fiercely in the outer reaches, poised to become eternal flames that would illuminate the ages. This was a battle of beliefs and a clash of the Great Dao of rules; all divine chains and order were remnants of the immense aftershocks of their duel. The overflowing energy and surging rules repeatedly clashed and crushed each other within the primordial universe, intensely and dazzlingly.

As for the golden spear and the great banner, after they met, they caused the area to collapse, becoming completely indistinct, transforming into a realm of the Great Dao's origin! All energy, as well as destructive energy rules, radiated from that place, vast and awe-inspiring.

"No, is my path of evolution about to be severed?" someone cried out in alarm.

On the mortal realm's land, many powerful cultivators from unknown eras lay dormant or lived in seclusion. Some, incredibly audacious, sought to approach the battleground and arrived in the outer reaches. But by getting too close, those who wished to observe the clash of the two ultimate powerhouses were utterly horrified, feeling their own Dao fruits unstable and their future paths about to be erased. Some old monsters coughed up blood and fled far away.

This was shocking and left people speechless. That someone dared to try and glimpse the foundations of the two supreme powerhouses was terrifyingly audacious. However, people were also certain that these were undoubtedly extraordinary beings; otherwise, how would they dare to do so?

In the sky, several more powerful cultivators emerged, their faces pale. Then, some had half their bodies explode, others had their lower bodies severed—this was due to cracks appearing in their own Dao fruits, externally manifested. The void rumbled and the rules of heaven and earth became chaotic. They swiftly pierced through space, rapidly retreating after recovering themselves, no longer daring to approach too closely. In fact, these individuals were still extremely far from the battleground of the two powerhouses, more than half a state away, yet still affected to this extent—truly terrifying.

"Boom!" A massive explosion erupted in the outer reaches, energy sweeping across the Eight Desolates!

One could see that even the formidable Martial Emperor and the powerful Li were as tiny as dust in the vast cosmos. The two were like two particles of light, each sent flying backward. In the vast universe, the energy they unleashed surged outward like an ocean; some great stars continuously exploded, rapidly turning into fiery light.

The two, tiny as dust in the universe, yet amidst the roaring of the Great Dao and the trembling of the star sea, unleashed such powerful energy. Powerful individuals from all sides, clan leaders, and others, all responded with silence, watching the battle in stillness.

This was a battle that filled many with despair—a height and state they could never hope to reach in their lifetimes. They found themselves unable to articulate anything, only able to watch in silent attention. And these were already powerful cultivators. As for other cultivators, they couldn't even grasp this feeling; it was like being separated by two worlds, so incredibly... distant.

As all the observing powerhouses fell silent, the outer reaches once again intensified.

After the Martial Maniac shone brilliantly, his location rapidly collapsed, becoming as black as ink, then violently exploded, his single body splitting into seven! These Martial Emperors instantly surged out, each as powerful as his peak true body, collectively attacking the figure holding the great banner in the universe. Heaven and earth exploded violently; massive black cracks spread across the star space, densely packed and expanding outward, making the scene somewhat terrifying.

Li alone faced the multitude of enemies, his body like a blazing sun, as if melting all ten thousand Dao, shining through ancient times and illuminating the future! His true body was invincible, daring to contend with seven Martial Emperors with a single body, moving swiftly, waving the great banner, summoning peerless sword energy with his fingers, and unleashing supreme fist prints, causing the cosmic star sea to tremble!

"Invincible in the world, only my true self!" This was his belief: cultivating only one body, to be revered by all under heaven! The pinnacle of the Great Dao, recreating the ultimate peak—this was his path. Even if oceans turned to dust and ages changed, he never wavered, shattering heaven and earth with a single force, spanning ancient times and the present!

"Boom!" Li's body erupted with dazzling light, as if immortal, eternally existing across all ages and timelines, single-handedly covering the sky. Regardless of the winds from all directions, regardless of how the seven death-bodies swarmed him, he remained fearless. A massive explosion of energy, freely unleashed, swept across the cosmic star sea. One body faced the seven death-bodies alone; this was the ultimate manifestation of power, recreating the peak of the Great Dao.

Fierce collisions, the birth and burning of rules, all transformed in an instant. The two battled fiercely, with true blood splashing and the sound of cracking bones echoing in the outer reaches.

At the pinnacle of the ultimate path, recreating myths!

Li, dragging his aging body, battled the Martial Emperor. The two were like primordial gods splitting chaos, fighting with frenzy, battling into a state of madness.

"Hah, haha..." The Martial Maniac cackled wildly, arrogant and domineering, like the most terrifying madman, incredibly sharp and unmatched in his generation. His body split further. The Seven Death-Bodies transformed again, becoming Forty-Nine Death-Bodies!

Everyone's expressions changed. Those old monsters, prehistoric living fossils, all had their pupils contract, secretly alarmed. This madman had indeed made another breakthrough. He had cultivated the Seven Death-Bodies to the extreme, thoroughly understanding it. He could not only return from death seven times in one domain but also transform again across seven major levels! This technique originally meant enduring several death tribulations in a single realm; surviving a certain number of times would result in that many death-bodies. If this applied to two major realms, it could be superimposed: seven deaths in one realm, theoretically fourteen death-bodies in two realms. By the same logic, three realms... four realms... If it was seven major realms, then the ultimate limit would naturally be forty-nine death-bodies! Although called death-bodies, they were actually immortal; if successfully refined, they became forty-nine indestructible bodies!

The Martial Maniac laughed loudly, as if possessed by a demon or an immortal Heavenly Emperor had descended, overwhelming heaven and earth. His truly invincible posture was fully displayed, unstoppable by human power. Dozens of Martial Emperors descended. What a sight was this? The sky collapsed, the star sea sank, and the primordial universe seemed on the verge of collapsing under the pressure. This was an aura of world annihilation, surging fiercely, reaching everywhere, vast and boundless, expanding at extreme speed.

The Martial Maniac's blood energy was world-shattering, with dozens of his bodies appearing simultaneously, forcefully suppressing Li, causing his entire body to rupture, blood splattering, and his bones almost breaking off. The Martial Maniac was like a tyrannical overlord. Though not tall, his current bronzed physique was powerful and robust; a slight movement would shake the starry sky.

"Li, you should not have returned. Dead is dead. Time flows, great eras change. You can no longer fight me. Your return is meaningless!" the Martial Emperor roared.

Li let out a great roar. He had once been invincible under heaven, having even forced the Martial Emperor to retreat, and now blood streamed from his forehead. As an invincible figure of a generation in the mortal realm's ultimate domain, how could he now be willing to be suppressed by his former opponent?

"Roar!" His voice shook the Nine Heavens, terrifying the Nine Netherworlds. His roar was filled with rage, shaking the long river of time, causing all ten thousand Dao to resonate and vibrate in unison, and the star sea to crack.

"One force pierces all heavens, one body melts ten thousand Dao!"

Li roared. A beam of light formed by runes appeared above his head, instantly piercing through this universe, as if connecting directly to the Thirty-Three Heavens. Endless mighty power and all Great Dao from the heavens descended, melting into his single physical body. One body melting ten thousand Dao—he walked the supreme path of one body revered by all under heaven! It could be said that this path and choice were destined to be contrary to the Martial Emperor's.

With a boom, Li's body rapidly expanded. This was not merely the physical body expanding, but a resonance of the Great Dao and soul light, strengthening his entire being, transforming him into an invincible Great Dao body. With ten thousand Dao melted into one furnace, after this terrifying aura was unleashed, other rules and orders of insufficient level could not approach, all turning into fiery light, burning and breaking apart, extinguishing, and dispersing into the distance.

Li's body surged, his physique powerful and robust, no longer frail or hunched. He stood tall in the starry sky; a single strand of his hair, as it drifted by, was far larger than a great star. Amidst the rumbling, as his hair scattered, some passing great stars instantly turned to dust! Stars were like dust, weak and minuscule compared to Li's true body at this moment, truly incomparable.

Yet, the Martial Maniac remained fearless! His madness was fully displayed, his voice like a great bell, deafening, echoing throughout the outer reaches, shaking people's soul light to the point of explosion. He declared: "Do you think you're strong enough? You're still not! Watch as I transform my nine realms, becoming sixty-three death-bodies. Who can contend with me?!"

With a loud boom, beams of light boiled between heaven and earth as sixty-three Martial Maniacs stood side by side, unmatched in the current age, suppressing Li.

Li's voice was grand. He said: "Though there are many death-bodies, there cannot be sixty-three true self-powers. They are merely external paths, and flaws will ultimately be found. I will break them with a single force!"

"With your old age, with you neither human nor ghost, what do you have to contend with me? You are no longer an opponent worthy of my serious attention!" The Martial Maniac revealed chilling killing intent, intent on suppressing his former adversary.

At this moment, Li's body glowed, exuding a rich vitality. His grey hair gradually turned black, and his entire being became upright and valiant, unexpectedly regaining... his peerless demeanor from back then! In an instant, he exuded monstrous blood energy, the universe trembled, and a world-shaking aura permeated, intimidating heaven and earth. Countless beings trembled, ready to kneel.

At this moment, Li was very young, heroic and magnificent, his face handsome and flawless. Although known as the prehistoric grand schemer, his demeanor was truly unparalleled. He was still young, his eyes like stars! Of course, most importantly was his aura: "Who but I? With me, none are invincible! The world is in my palm!" —absolute, invincible confidence! His immense pressure intimidated the star sea, solidified the sky, fully displaying his world-shattering presence!

At this moment, he was as splendid as a summer flower, his aging body instantly revived, blood energy surged anew, displaying the most vigorous vitality. He instantly reached the peak, perfect and brilliant, blooming fully.

"Suppress and kill!" Li roared. Who could underestimate him? Who dared to underestimate him!? He was an undefeated, peerless overlord, invincible in this life!

The Martial Maniac was very surprised. However, he was not anxious, but said indifferently: "So... you are about to die." He was expressionless and unmoved, his hands clasped behind his back, looking down ahead. He said: "Ultimate splendor ultimately returns to darkness. You are merely a final blaze. I... will see you off!"

In the depths of the Martial Emperor's eyes, scenes of crumbling heavens were reflected. In that imagery, there was also Li withering and passing away forever, like a yellow leaf wilting and falling.

"Have a good journey." The Martial Maniac attacked. Instantly, heaven and earth shattered, the Great Dao collapsed, the Thirty-Three Heavens violently shook, endless Great Dao fractured, and ten thousand Dao disintegrated. His blood energy covered the sky, obscuring everything...

Soon, Li's mournful sigh was heard. True blood splattered, each drop capable of piercing through a stretch of starry sky, as great stars fell in clusters, exploding.

"From now on, in this world... there is no Li!" the Martial Maniac spoke indifferently, like an eternal demonic sovereign in the darkness.

"An era has ended," someone sighed.