Countless Heavenly Demons hovered above the skies of the Heavenly Spirit World, guarding its every direction while their gazes pierced down at the realm below.
Following their line of sight, the vast expanse of the Heavenly Spirit World was collapsing. The continents fractured like a spider's web, the seas churned into towering waves, and yet, all of this destruction had suddenly come to a halt.
"The aura of the Xuanhuang Demon Gods has vanished. How is this possible…?"
"All those Xuanhuang Demon Gods were annihilated in an instant. Just how powerful is Sword Master of the Dao's cultivation?"
"Why hasn't His Majesty appeared? Could he have…"
"That's impossible! He is the Heavenly Demon Emperor, the strongest existence of our Heavenly Demon Clan. There's no way anything could have happened to him. He must have been delayed by some other matter."
"Will Sword Master of the Dao come out?"
The Heavenly Demons murmured among themselves, their voices laced with fear. They had all experienced the overwhelming aura of the Xuanhuang Demon Gods before. The presence of even one Xuanhuang Demon God was enough to make them feel as insignificant as ants before a towering mountain. And yet, so many Xuanhuang Demon Gods had been obliterated in the blink of an eye by Sword Master of the Dao. How could they not tremble before such a being?
Suddenly, a beam of golden light shot out from within the Heavenly Spirit World, piercing straight through the encirclement of Heavenly Demons. The demons closest to the beam scrambled out of its way, terrified.
Fixing their gazes on the source of the golden light, they saw a lone figure walking toward them. It was none other than Gu An.
Dressed in flowing white robes, holding the Pen of Destiny in one hand and wearing the Immortal King's Crown, Gu An exuded a presence far beyond that of an ordinary Free Immortal. His mere appearance caused the surrounding Heavenly Demons to freeze.
Unlike the Xuanhuang Demon Gods, Gu An's aura wasn't overbearingly oppressive. Yet, at the sight of him, the Heavenly Demons found themselves utterly devoid of any will to fight.
They didn't feel the oppressive discomfort of their flesh or souls being suppressed, but an instinctive reverence arose from deep within their beings. Those of weaker cultivation even dropped to their knees, involuntarily bowing to Gu An.
Gu An kept his gaze fixed ahead, walking through the golden light with an ethereal grace. His figure blurred as residual afterimages followed him, making him appear like an immortal descending from the heavens.
Following the direction of the golden light, deep in the void of the cosmos, rolling black mist churned violently. Within it, the Annihilation God Emperor was making his way toward Gu An.
The two locked eyes on each other, neither paying the slightest attention to the Heavenly Demons or falling stars along their path.
The distance between them rapidly closed as the aura of the Annihilation God Emperor grew ever more overwhelming.
The Heavenly Demons turned to watch, knowing that this battle would determine whether or not they could conquer the Heavenly Spirit World.
Meanwhile, the countless living beings of the Heavenly Spirit World held their breaths in anticipation. Though they could not see the battle beyond the heavens, the natural disasters around them remained frozen in time, a clear sign that Sword Master of the Dao was still present and the calamity was not yet over.
Li Ya waded through towering walls of waves, marveling at the seemingly miraculous sight of these stationary tsunamis.
"Why does the voice of the ancestor sound different? It feels familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before…"
Li Ya muttered to himself, an absurd thought taking root in his mind.
He resolved that after this calamity ended, he would return to the Tai Xuan Sect to investigate.
If his suspicions proved true, then his entire understanding of the world would be shattered.
It couldn't be, could it?
Was he simply hearing things?
Li Ya's expression grew more conflicted the more he thought about it. His thoughts became so chaotic that he even considered never returning at all.
Standing on Li Ya's shoulder, the Divine Spirit gazed up at the heavens. Though the oppressive aura of the Annihilation God Emperor weighed heavily on it, the immortal remained filled with unwavering confidence that its master would not lose.
All living beings across the realm focused their hopes on the battle beyond the heavens. Meanwhile, Gu An, carrying the weight of their faith, closed the distance to the Annihilation God Emperor with each step.
Watching the Annihilation God Emperor's aura climb to even greater heights, surpassing the Free Immortal Realm, Gu An remained unmoved.
To summon so many Xuanhuang Demon Gods, the Annihilation God Emperor's physical body could not possibly be that of a mere Free Immortal.
Gu An could feel the faint and elusive aura of karma emanating from the Annihilation God Emperor. This karmic energy seemed to originate from another universe, with its trajectory incomprehensible, immeasurably deep and vast.
"Sword Master of the Dao, who exactly are you, and what is it that you seek?"
The voice of the Annihilation God Emperor resonated, his tone cold and indifferent.
Walking amidst the golden light, Gu An replied calmly, "That's precisely what I want to ask you."
Regardless of whether he had surpassed the true body of the Annihilation God Emperor or not, Gu An would never willingly reveal the existence of his Lifespan Reincarnation ability. The evolution of his lifespan was his greatest trump card. Not even the most trusted people in his life would be privy to this secret, which would remain eternally sealed in his heart.
Without the experience of Lifespan Reincarnation, Gu An would not have been able to discern the true identity of the Annihilation God Emperor—at least not yet.
"I am searching for someone. But you, despite your cultivation at the Dao Fruit Realm, choose to hide within this world. I assume you must also be searching for something," the Annihilation God Emperor stated, his voice steady and calm.
As his words fell, the aura of a Dao Repository Free Immortal erupted, shaking the entire universe.
The laws of the Great Dao in the void began to tremble violently, and an endless torrent of Dao spirit energy surged forth, creating waves that roared through the cosmos.
In the Heavenly Spirit World, the expressions of the Free Immortals drastically changed.
At this moment, they could confirm that the Annihilation God Emperor had already surpassed the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Dao. The difference of one realm was akin to the divide between mortals and immortals. They gazed up at the void, anxiety evident in their eyes as they worried for Gu An.
Even Ji Xiaoyu lifted her head to look skyward. Her face was concealed beneath her mask, hiding her expression from view.
"Are you trying to reach some kind of agreement with me? My demands are simple: let the living beings of this world determine their own fate," Gu An declared resolutely.
Having revealed himself, there was no longer any reason to entertain the thought of the Annihilation God Emperor retreating. Gu An was prepared to become the mortal enemy of the Annihilation God Emperor!
Upon hearing Gu An's words, the Annihilation God Emperor immediately raised his right hand, palm facing upward. In an instant, the black mist surrounding him exploded outward, roiling and condensing behind him into a colossal dark purple gate.
The gate was incomparably massive, its surface adorned with intricate carvings of various scenes—vistas of heaven and earth, depictions of ferocious beasts and divine creatures. Just the sight of this gate was enough to evoke an overwhelming sense of ancient power from anyone who gazed upon it.
Gu An could feel the surrounding laws of the Great Dao solidify in an instant, and the Dao spirit energy was forcibly pushed away. It was as if an invisible domain had unfolded, trapping him within its bounds.
"I have long known that you've stepped into the Dao Fruit Realm. If that's the case, then let us test our Daos against each other," the Annihilation God Emperor's voice echoed once more.
As his words fell, the Dao Gate behind him rumbled open, releasing a blinding light. One by one, figures emerged from the gate.
Gu An's brows furrowed slightly.
This is...
His gaze turned icy, and a surge of killing intent rose within him.
Without saying another word, Gu An lifted the Pen of Destiny and drew a massive circle in the air. The ink erupted with terrifying force, shaking the void.
Moments later, an enormous wheel materialized behind Gu An.
The Supreme Hunyuan Dao Disc!
Gu An followed up with another stroke of his pen, and the Supreme Hunyuan Dao Disc unleashed an overwhelming aura. It swept past Gu An and charged toward the Annihilation God Emperor with unmatched force.
The Annihilation God Emperor raised his hand and swung his palm toward Gu An. Behind him, the countless figures emerging from the Dao Gate mirrored his movement. A sea of palm shadows, each imbued with a unique rule of the Great Dao, surged toward Gu An, displaying the full might of a Dao Repository Free Immortal.
The two forces collided instantly!
The Supreme Hunyuan Dao Disc obliterated the sea of palm shadows in its path with relentless speed. It pressed onward, smashing into the Dao Gate behind the Annihilation God Emperor.
The collision caused the Supreme Hunyuan Dao Disc to momentarily halt, but it ultimately shattered the Dao Gate, leaving it suspended behind the Annihilation God Emperor.
In the vast, boundless void of the universe, a seemingly endless stream of energy erupted, expanding rapidly and forming a torrent that stretched across the cosmos.
Gu An and the Annihilation God Emperor stood at the heart of this cosmic torrent, their clash transforming the universe itself into a battlefield.