Chengtian stood amidst the shattered Ninth Heaven, with endless nothingness behind him.
As his words resounded, across the River of Years of ancient and modern times, a mysterious power responded. An ancient, rust-stained war chariot imbued with the most profound sense of age and vicissitude tore through the void, bearing an ancient battle banner that fluttered noisily against the Great Dao gales.
Where the reins of the chariot should be, there was originally a void. But as this ancient war chariot rumbled down, phantoms of ancient sacred beasts such as the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird emerged and coalesced.
Resplendent rain of light fell from the heavens, crystalline and dazzling. On the skeletal frame formed from the void, the four sacred beasts materialized, roaring skyward as they pulled Chengtian's chariot.
The mere sound of their roars caused Ancestral Dao Realm existences to feel their blood and qi churn, unable to stand steady, their eyes filled with terror.
"Where are my generals?"
"Where are my warriors?"
Chengtian stepped forward, the divine light of the Great Dao emanating and being trampled beneath his feet. He strode onto the ancient war chariot, one hand gripping a sword, the other pulling the reins. Upon his heroic imperial robe, rust-stained, blood-soaked armor materialized, soon adorning his body.
Each piece of the armor was incomplete, bearing the marks of ancient wars—sword scars, arrow holes, saber wounds. As they attached to him, they rang ceaselessly with a clang, like the very sound of the Heavenly Dao.
The enemies who had once fallen before him, those who had left these sword scars and saber wounds, seemed to be reviving from the land of oblivion, their indistinct phantoms flickering by his side.
His stature grew even more towering. Merely by standing there, he compelled others to unconsciously kneel and kowtow to the ground.
In life, he had been the First Emperor who founded an immortal empire that nearly unified the Vast Expanse. After death, he was a Heavenly Avatar, embodying the Heavenly Dao's Will.
At this moment, he resembled even more an unsurpassed Son of Heaven, personally leading a campaign to subjugate rebellious subjects.
Before the shattered Ninth Heaven, the Gravekeeper, Huang Lord, Yong Zu, and the others paled, feeling that the power radiating from the newly revived Chengtian did not seem like that of someone who had just awakened. He was even capable of suppressing all three of them by himself, not at all at a disadvantage.
Moreover, it was continuously rising, perhaps even surpassing his former peak.
"Act! Do not let him summon back the Dependents of Heaven."
"Delay invites change. Chengtian's power is growing; he might even become a Great Heavenly Avatar."
"Since ancient times, a Great Heavenly Avatar has never appeared."
Without any hesitation, the three stepped forward in unison. Boundless light manifested, like the booming of billions of worlds, as if trillions of universes surfaced along with their movements.
Before them, Great Dao symbols surged like a torrent, transforming into rivers and vast oceans, blotting out the sky and engulfing the great cosmos.
In a mere instant, they transformed into billions of beams of talismanic light, each strand containing a power that surpassed the Ancestral Dao Realm. Beneath those lights, one could see the myriad forms of all living beings, the rise and fall of civilizations, the contention of myriad Daos, and a return to pristine simplicity.
As existences at the End of the Path, in the Old Order Spacetime they were Dao Ancestors. What is a Dao Ancestor? The ancestor of the Great Dao.
Their comprehension of their own Daos had reached the very endpoint of becoming an ancestor and being revered.
At this moment, as the three struck, the scene was like that of the creation of heaven and earth, enlightening all beings and expounding for them what the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth truly is.
It had already transcended the concept of divine abilities and arts; it was an ultimate understanding of the Dao.
Even an Ancestral Dao Realm existence could not hope to discern this scene; their vision was completely veiled by inexhaustible Great Dao light.
Yet Chengtian, standing tall before the ancient war chariot, merely held his imperial sword and slashed forward with ease. A brilliant sword light, as if piercing through the ancient history of heaven and earth, overshadowing all past and present, overwhelming the myriad heavens of the cosmos, transcending the ultimate of the Dao, effortlessly cleaved apart the Great Dao torrent that the three had mustered together.
With a thunderous boom, one Great Dao symbol after another shattered into fine dust, the sight too horrifying to behold.
The ultimate fringes of heaven and earth seemed to cease to exist in an instant, all traces vanishing into nothingness.
Even chaos could only shatter under such power, utterly unable to withstand it.
And this was merely the first exchange of blows.
Yong Zu attacked again soon after. With a light shout, an eternal light emerged above his head, which transformed into a violet-gold Dao gourd. From the gourd's mouth, a dense eternal light spread, seeking to blanket Chengtian before him, covering him and turning him into substance within the eternal light.
"Return..."
From beneath Huang Lord's wide robes, a fragrance of medicine filled the sky. Many holy medicines and immortal divine medicines manifested, transforming into a river of essence qi that wound around him.
This river of essence qi stretched far and wide, turning into billions of divine lights, instantly extending into unknown spacetime, as if becoming thread after thread that bound one powerful figure after another, dragging them over to fight for him.
He had entered the Dao through the art of healing. His medical skill could heal the dead, reverse yin and yang, and even, from unknown spacetime domains, borrow the corpses of the long-dead to briefly "revive" them.
The Gravekeeper's methods were even more terrifying. Behind him, a boundless, desolate graveyard manifested, within which a blood river surged to the heavens, sword lights danced, and beings slaughtered each other.
With a wave of his hand, endless blood radiance flew out, and within each streak of blood light, it seemed a living being sat cross-legged. From that desolate graveyard, coffins emerged like swords, then opened in the void. Amidst the hazy light that seeped out, supremely powerful beings walked forth.
In an instant, a great battle surpassing all of ancient and modern times erupted here. Flying sword light and blood radiance intertwined, while eternal light pierced through from beginning to end.
Chengtian fought against three beings at the level of the End of the Path, and from start to finish, he was not at a disadvantage.
Such a scene made all cultivators and beings in the Land of the Nine Heavens pale with shock. These were three End of the Path figures—any one of them could establish a super multiverse; even a thousand epochs might not give birth to one.
Yet now, they could not even suppress a single Lesser Heavenly Avatar.
"Since ancient times, the Land of the Nine Heavens has sealed a total of nine Lesser Heavenly Avatars. Should they all emerge, the consequences would be unthinkable."
"Who in this world could still suppress them?"
"The former sages paid an unimaginable price to seal these Lesser Heavenly Avatars..."
Many beings paled, unable to suppress their trembling. The younger and middle-aged cultivators trembled even more, feeling an invincible despair.
In their eyes, an Ancestral Dao Realm cultivator like the Eternal Life Dao Lord was already an existence they could only look up to, unreachable in this lifetime.
As for figures at the End of the Path, before this era they had never even heard of them—they were beings existing only in ancient myths and legends.
Now this era had let them know of the existence of End of the Path figures, and also made them experience the cruelty and despair of this epoch.
If the epoch of heaven and earth were to end, all the Lesser Heavenly Avatars would revive, and even the Great Heavenly Avatar—whom even End of the Path beings had never seen—would appear.
Then who could stop their reckoning?
In the main hall of the Eternal Life Dao Lord's dojo, many returning members of the Palace of Fate Defiance wore grave expressions. Now, the Palace of Fate Defiance had only two leaders left. If the Great Heavenly Avatar appeared, they could only rely on Ju Lord to act.
After all, Si Lord, like other True Path-level figures, wielded the Fate Authority among the Nine Great Authorities of the Heavenly Dao. If she intervened, she would surely suffer backlash.
"Chengtian's Dependents of Heaven are still on their way..."
"If the Dependents of Heaven descend, even we will be drawn into the great battle. It seems the Land of the Nine Heavens cannot be held."
Many in the hall were deeply worried, sensing that an unimaginable calamity was about to befall the Land of the Nine Heavens. They had to find a way to leave this place before that.
The Nine Heavens Tombs were impossible to hold.
After Chengtian's emergence, the other Lesser Heavenly Avatars were probably not far from breaking their seals...
Swoosh!!!
Suddenly, spacetime in the hall twisted and shattered like a mirror. A slender, graceful figure clad in a moon-white robe stepped out. Her features were indistinct, but her eyes were as clear as mirrors, as if reflecting all the profound truths of the myriad worlds.
Around her, countless planes seemed to constantly shift and intersect like mirror surfaces, making it impossible to discern her true body's location.
Upon seeing this person appear, all the Palace of Fate Defiance members in the hall, regardless of their cultivation levels, greeted her respectfully: "Greetings, Lord Mirror."
Mirror Lord was an End of the Path level figure who followed Si Lord, and had been in the Palace of Fate Defiance for a very long time.
No one knew her origins; even members of the Palace of Fate Defiance had rarely seen her.
Generally, Mirror Lord acted as Si Lord's mouthpiece. Her personal appearance likely meant that something had arisen that even Si Lord found grave and troublesome.
Wielding the Authority of Fate, in a sense, allowed one to glimpse some true future scenes, to know in advance of impending catastrophes and seek fortune while avoiding disaster.
"The Heavenly Dao's Will has revived ahead of time and is far angrier than before. The Heavenly Tombs sealed in the Land of the Nine Heavens will also be broken open prematurely..."
"After Chengtian, the other heavens, such as Shentian, Xiantian, Kuotian, Suitian... will all revive and descend one after another."
"Once the Dependents of Heaven from the nine heavens have gathered, the epoch of heaven and earth will also commence ahead of schedule."
"Lord Si is concerned that the Ancient Treasure Civilization may have already received some kind of signal or message. Next, they will likely cooperate with the Dependents of Heaven to bring about the descent of the Great Heavenly Avatar and trigger an early reckoning."
"At that time, the Reckoning Envoys of the Ancient Treasure Civilization will also appear."
"The Vast Expanse will fall into the greatest catastrophe in all of history."
Mirror Lord's red lips parted slightly, her voice calm. But her words caused the expressions of all the Palace of Fate Defiance members to change, making them feel a tremendous oppressive force and heart palpitations.
"How can this be...?"
"Could it be that this time we must abandon the Land of the Nine Heavens?"
The Eternal Life Dao Lord's expression turned grim. In such a great heaven and earth calamity, even Ancestral Dao Realm beings might become cannon fodder, mere ants.
Every Reckoning Envoy possessed power comparable to the True Path Realm.
In past Major Reckonings, when Reckoning Envoys descended, they only presided over the overall situation and did not interfere much.
Because the Land of the Nine Heavens had True Path-level figures stationed there and sealed Lesser Heavenly Avatars, it was very special. Even if Reckoning Envoys searched, they might not necessarily find its location.
The other super multiverses were also deeply hidden.
Thus everyone coexisted peacefully, considering themselves transcendent.
But now, at the end of the epoch, it was very likely that more than one Reckoning Envoy would appear.
At that time, who could escape unscathed?
For a moment, the hall fell deathly silent. Everyone sank into silence, feeling utterly powerless.
"All along, our Land of the Nine Heavens has been responsible for sealing and guarding the Lesser Heavenly Avatars. The other super multiverses hide far away, unwilling to assist and not wanting to be tainted by even a trace of karma."
After a moment, an ancient being with an extremely weathered aura spoke, his eyes filled with grief and indignation, but also helplessness.
"We have truly done all we could. Now that Chengtian has broken the seal and revived, all the major super multiverses have long noticed this scene, yet they remain unmoved, standing by and doing nothing, just watching the show."
"In this great calamity of heaven and earth, all beings are equal; no one can truly extricate themselves. So rather than have us shoulder all the consequences, it would be better to let go..."
"Let everyone share the consequences. We will no longer guard these Nine Heavens Tombs."
"The overall situation has already reached this point, yet some still pursue selfish interests. Since that is the case, then let's flip the table. Let no one just watch the show anymore, and instead think of ways to deal with this."
The others were also deeply resentful.
The Three Pure Ones Dao Realm claims to be the source of the Dao, the ancestor of ten thousand Daos. Yet at this critical juncture, they merely stand by and watch, sanctimonious.
The Tathagata Buddha Kingdom claims to universally save all beings, rescuing them from suffering and calamity. Yet now, are they not also just watching the show?
Aren't the other super multiverses with End of the Path figures seated in them the same?
As for those Supreme Shattering existences, or the True Path-level figures who hold the Authority of the Heavenly Dao, what are they doing now?
"Flip the table..."
Mirror Lord seemed not at all surprised by everyone's reaction.
She also knew that in the current Vast Expanse, countless beings and existences were watching the Land of the Nine Heavens.
But until now, no one had shown themselves.
Since that was the case...
Quickly, she shook her head slightly, parted her red lips, and a calm voice, wrapped in supreme might, spread from the Land of the Nine Heavens toward all the worlds of the Vast Expanse.
"The heavens and earth undergo great change. Our Land of the Nine Heavens has guarded the Nine Heavens Tombs for generations, and has now done all it can. Faced with such a great calamity, all the worlds of the Vast Expanse should unite their hearts and efforts, and help each other. Only then can there be a sliver of hope to safely overcome this disaster..."
"Since all you fellow Daoists care only for immediate petty gains and are unwilling to step in to help, then let these Nine Heavens Tombs be allowed to shatter on their own. When the nine heavens emerge, whatever the consequences, they will no longer be something our Land of the Nine Heavens can control or manage."
Clearly, this had already received the permission of Si Lord and Ju Lord.
Otherwise Mirror Lord would not have come forward and spoken these words in front of all the worlds of the Vast Expanse.
Everyone wanted to watch the show, unwilling to help. Fine, then none of us need play anymore. In any case, this great calamity of heaven and earth swept across the entire Vast Expanse, not just a private matter of the Land of the Nine Heavens.
Of course, the current Land of the Nine Heavens truly could not handle this matter well. No matter how powerful the Palace of Fate Defiance was, no matter how deep its foundations, it could not contend with the great momentum of heaven and earth.
The moment Mirror Lord's words spread, rumbling echoes resounded throughout the myriad worlds of the Vast Expanse, among various true worlds, civilizations, and super multiverses. The Yuan Realm, the Confucian Realm, the Barbarian Realm... many End of the Path-level figures' expressions changed slightly.
"The Land of the Nine Heavens is trying to force everyone into the fray..."
In the Three Pure Ones Dao Realm, the Three Pure Ones Dao Lords also frowned slightly, their expressions soon darkening.
In the Tathagata Buddha Kingdom, within the Mahavira Hall, Buddha light blazed brilliantly, countless Buddha Kingdoms encircling it, resonant Buddhist sounds echoing throughout. Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, and Arhats filled the entire space.
"The return of heaven and earth to the void is not necessarily a great calamity. Within destruction, new life is gestated. In the moment of despair, hope is seen. The path ahead may indeed lie within this great catastrophe..."
The Buddha Lord sat cross-legged upon a nine-colored lotus platform, chanting a Buddhist verse, his expression compassionate as if illuminating the sufferings of all beings.
Behind him, his three bodies—Past, Future, and Present—simultaneously emanated vast Buddhist light. Dao Fruits condensed, and within each Dao Fruit, billions of reincarnation seals seemed to shimmer faintly.
At this moment, the Buddha Lord's eyes became extraordinarily profound, suffused with supreme wisdom, as if he saw through the fog and glimpsed the unknown future.
He simply sat within the Tathagata Buddha Kingdom and extended a great hand. This hand blazed with Buddha light, each finger seemingly nurturing billions of Buddha kingdoms, with billions upon billions of Buddha kingdom subjects chanting sutras and providing him with inexhaustible faith.
Behind him, countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifested, chanting Buddhist verses.
The boundless darkness of the Vast Expanse was suddenly illuminated by this beam of Buddhist light, instantly bright as daylight.
The Buddha Lord made his move. Sitting in the Tathagata Buddha Kingdom, he pressed a palm down beyond the Nine Layered Heavens, like a Five Finger Buddha Mountain, vast, supreme, grand, and towering, joining forces with Yong Zu, Huang Lord, and the Gravekeeper to suppress Chengtian together.
With the Buddha Lord joining the fray, the situation instantly changed. Even Chengtian now came under immense pressure.
"Good, suppress Chengtian first."
Yong Zu's gaze was profound as he struck again, a beam of eternal divine light piercing through.
Huang Lord and the Gravekeeper followed closely behind. Their methods shifted endlessly in an instant, transforming into two golden Great Dao seals that contained the will to suppress and seal everything, and the surging determination that mankind's will could overcome Heaven.
Rumble!!!
This place seemed to instantly become a chaotic void where heaven collapsed and earth crumbled, with eternal darkness and no light. All light vanished, merging into a single all-devouring dark point, as if it were the very source of the end of all worlds.