The sky, which had just been torn apart, was beginning to calm, but the devastation left behind was undeniable. The lingering mist of energy from the battle slowly dissipated, revealing two figures standing in the middle of a massive crater.
Shao Xian stood firm, his eyes radiating absolute composure, while Tian Xuan remained upright, his body covered in wounds, yet a smile never left his face.
"It's been a long time since I felt this way," Tian Xuan said, raising a hand to wipe the blood trailing from the corner of his lips. "I can feel my body trembling… This is a sensation I had forgotten after so many years."
Shao Xian remained silent. His gaze was sharp, analyzing every movement and breath Tian Xuan took.
Tian Xuan sighed. "So, will we keep fighting until one of us disappears? Or do you have another purpose, Dao Sovereign?"
Yan Yue and Wei Tian, watching from a distance, dared not make a sound. They knew this was no ordinary battle. This was a duel between two monsters who had transcended the limits of ordinary beings.
"My goal is not to destroy you," Shao Xian finally spoke, his voice cold and commanding. "But I will not allow—"
(My goal is not to destroy you," Shao Xian finally spoke, his voice cold and commanding. "But I will not allow—")
Tian Xuan let out a dry chuckle. "Not allow what? For me to exist? For me to stand in your way?" His voice was hoarse, yet his aura had not diminished in the slightest.
Shao Xian's expression remained unreadable. "I will not allow anything to disrupt the path I have set."
The tension between them thickened like a suffocating storm. Though they had paused their fight, the air around them crackled with suppressed power. It was as if the world itself held its breath, waiting to see who would make the next move.
From the ruined mountains surrounding them, figures began to emerge—cultivators from various sects who had been watching from a safe distance, stunned by the sheer destruction wrought by these two titans. Some bore expressions of awe, others of terror.
One of them, a middle-aged man clad in the robes of the Azure Cloud Sect, stepped forward cautiously. "Honorable experts, may I—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a mere flicker of Shao Xian's gaze sent a wave of invisible force slamming into him. He was thrown back, coughing blood, as fear seized his heart.
"I did not give you permission to speak," Shao Xian said coldly. His tone was not loud, yet it carried an undeniable authority that crushed all who heard it.
The other cultivators, who had initially gathered to observe, immediately lowered their heads in fear. None dared to utter another word.
Tian Xuan chuckled again. "You've changed."
"I have merely returned to who I truly am," Shao Xian replied.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the battlefield, carrying with it the faint scent of blood and ash. The silence that followed was heavy, as if the world itself acknowledged Shao Xian's declaration.
Tian Xuan straightened his posture despite his wounds. "Then what comes next?"
Shao Xian took a single step forward, and that movement alone sent ripples through space. His presence, already overwhelming, seemed to grow even more boundless. "You have two choices. Submit—or be erased."
Tian Xuan's eyes narrowed. He had fought countless battles in his lifetime, had stood atop the heavens alongside the strongest of his generation, yet he had never felt such pressure before. It was not merely strength—this was absolute dominion, the presence of one who had already decided the fate of everything before him.
"You expect me to kneel?" Tian Xuan's voice was filled with both defiance and curiosity.
Shao Xian's answer was simple. "I do not expect. I decide."
A heavy silence fell upon the battlefield once more. Even the clouds above seemed to freeze in place, as if afraid to move in Shao Xian's presence.
For a moment, Tian Xuan simply stood there, staring into the abyss that was Shao Xian's gaze. Then, without warning, he let out a hearty laugh. It was not one of mockery, nor one of resignation—it was the laughter of someone who had finally found clarity.
"I see," Tian Xuan murmured. "Then show me, Dao Sovereign. Show me why the heavens must bow to you."
With those words, he raised his sword once more. Though his body was battered and bruised, his spirit burned brighter than ever.
Shao Xian did not hesitate.
He moved—
And the heavens trembled once more.
Tian Xuan's sword gleamed as he raised it high, his aura surging with a final, desperate resolve. The world around them trembled as their powers clashed once more, the very laws of existence seeming to bend under their overwhelming might.
Shao Xian moved without hesitation. His body flickered, vanishing from sight, only to reappear behind Tian Xuan in an instant. A single strike—light as a feather, yet carrying the weight of countless eons—descended upon his opponent.
Tian Xuan barely managed to raise his sword in defense. The moment their weapons met, an earth-shattering explosion erupted, sending shockwaves rippling outward. Mountains crumbled, rivers reversed their flow, and the very sky seemed to crack under the pressure.
Tian Xuan gritted his teeth, his entire body shaking from the force. Blood seeped from the corners of his lips, yet he did not falter. Instead, he pushed forward, channeling every last ounce of his strength into his blade.
Shao Xian remained unfazed. His expression was cold, indifferent, as if he were merely swatting away an insect. With a flick of his wrist, he redirected the force of Tian Xuan's attack, sending him hurtling through the air like a broken arrow.
Tian Xuan crashed into the remains of a shattered peak, the impact sending debris flying in all directions.
For a brief moment, silence reigned.
Then, with a cough, Tian Xuan struggled to rise, his arms shaking under his own weight. Yet, before he could fully stand, Shao Xian was already before him.
"You are persistent," Shao Xian remarked, his voice devoid of emotion.
Tian Xuan let out a breathless chuckle. "Persistence is all I have left."
Shao Xian's eyes narrowed. "Then it is time to take that from you."
Without another word, he raised his hand. The surrounding air twisted, space itself distorting as an invisible force bore down upon Tian Xuan.
It was not an attack.
It was a declaration.
A proclamation that resistance was meaningless.
Tian Xuan's vision blurred. His body refused to move, his very soul trembling under the sheer weight of Shao Xian's will. He had faced countless foes, battled beings who could shake the heavens themselves, yet never had he felt so utterly powerless.
Was this the true difference between them?
The difference between a man and a sovereign?
As he struggled to lift his head, his gaze locked onto Shao Xian's. There was no hatred in those cold, golden eyes. No anger. No cruelty.
Only certainty.
The certainty of one who had already decided the outcome of this battle before it had even begun.
Tian Xuan let out a slow breath. He understood now.
This was not a fight.
This was a judgment.
And he had already been sentenced.
A faint smile crossed his lips. "I suppose this is the end."
Shao Xian did not respond. He merely lowered his hand.
And the world collapsed.
The space around Tian Xuan imploded, folding in on itself with an overwhelming force. For a single, fleeting moment, his entire existence seemed to unravel, his consciousness fading into nothingness.
Then—
Darkness.
Silence.
Oblivion.
Shao Xian exhaled softly, his expression unchanged. His gaze lingered on the empty space where Tian Xuan had once stood, before finally turning away.
One more obstacle removed.
One step closer to his goal.
As he turned, the gathered cultivators—those who had dared to bear witness to this battle—fell to their knees in unison. Their faces were pale, their bodies trembling.
There was no need for words.
They understood.
This was not just a man.
This was a force beyond comprehension.
A sovereign reborn.
A being who stood above all.
Shao Xian did not acknowledge them. To him, they were insignificant. Insects that had merely happened to survive the storm.
His path was clear.
His dominion was inevitable.
And nothing—nothing—would stand in his way.