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At that moment, the Human Great Emperor let out a soft chuckle and asked, "Divine Punishment Immortal, is there truly a need for us to fight to the death? There's no blood feud between us, and I've already eliminated those pests I came to kill. Why not stop here and take a step back? What do you say?"
The woman—Divine Punishment Immortal—didn't respond at once. She coldly observed the man standing before her. She had to admit, the man had guts. Not only had he endured a relentless barrage from one of the most terrifying Lightning Tribulations, but he had also slain his enemies and remained standing against her.
Had she not witnessed it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it.
Unfortunately, she couldn't transmit any of these memories to her main body in the Heavens Above, as the upper realms had been sealed off due to the Extraterrestrial Demon Race's Invasion.
Taking advantage of the lapse in oversight, many races in the Lower Worlds had begun to rebel—and the Human Race was among the most defiant. Not only were they powerful, but they were also resolved to never bow to anyone other than their own kind.
Looking at the man before her, she felt a moment of regret. Truly, a waste of Heavenly Merit. Had this man submitted to her and the laws of the Heavens Above, he could have achieved so much more.
"Defying the Laws of Heaven is a sin you already bear," she said at last, her voice slow but cold. "Even if we share no personal enmity, your defiance alone has created a rift between us. And even if you surrender now, the rest of the Lightning Tribulation will surely annihilate you—in body and soul", Divine Punishment Immortal answered slowly as the sky above darkened once more, ready to strike down the defiler of its Laws.
Looking at the darkening sky above, the Human Great Emperor also sighed, "Then there is nothing more to say."
As he declared his final stand, the world around him surged with a tremendous force.
"Nine Heavens Sacrificial Domain - Eternal Life Burn !"
"Human Emperor Sacrificial Domain - Eternal Soul Burn !"
The moment those words left his lips, the world around him transformed.
The two orbs that had been spinning around him all this time, emitting dazzling light, suddenly shot toward him at breakneck speed, merging into his body in the blink of an eye.
In the very next moment, space itself began to stagnate—and then shattered layer by layer—as the man just disappeared from his previous position.
The Divine Punishment Immortal was momentarily stunned by the sudden change in the man's aura and the monstrous pressure erupting from him. Alarmed, she hastily raised her hands, summoning protective force to brace for the impending onslaught.
And, in the very next instant, the two figures collided.
BOOM!
The world trembled. Space itself grew unstable, shattering outward in chaotic waves that spread in every direction.
This time, neither of them summoned their divine weapons. They clashed in a savage melee, each aiming to subjugate the other in the shortest time possible. The Divine Punishment Immortal, caught off guard by the sudden charge, couldn't help but exclaim in her mind: 'How is this even possible?'
The man before her was now unmistakably displaying Domain Combat Skills—an ability possessed only by those who had stepped into the False God Realm.
False God Realm—where all beneath God were but ants.
Just moments ago, the Human Great Emperor had only been at the peak of the Supreme Realm—formidable, yes, but still within her grasp. Now, however, he had forcibly broken through that ceiling and crossed into the Realm of Gods. Her chances of suppressing him dwindled with every passing second.
Cracks began to form in the unwavering confidence she once held while dealing with this man.
The longer they fought, the more shaken she became.
This man—who had only just stepped into the Initial Stage of the False God Realm—showed no signs of stopping there. His aura grew stronger with each breath, his every movement more devastating than the last.
Punches, kicks, elbow strikes, hand seals—his onslaught was relentless. With each strike, he pushed her further back, slowly but surely gaining the upper hand in close combat.
Staggered by his sudden breakthrough, she now found herself overwhelmed by his evolving power. The Human Great Emperor, with his unorthodox combat style, was steadily suppressing her.
What kind of monster was this?
Rapidly breaking through Realms like eating and drinking!
Stepping into the Realms of Godhood as if it were a mere formality!
Enduring the Chaos Lightning Tribulation armed only with Sword Skills!
Battling a higher life-form like her—and even dominating in close quarters!
And the most terrifying part?
He is still breaking through in the midst of fighting with her!
At this moment, she had no words left. She could hardly believe someone like him had been hiding in the Lower Heavens all this time, keeping a low profile, waiting. If not for the chaos stirred by those foolish Immortals… he might still be lying dormant somewhere, utterly unknown to the world.
The Human Great Emperor, who had broken into the Initial Stage of the False God Realm only seconds ago, continued his meteoric rise. His aura surged wildly, potent and dangerous—like a primordial beast breaking free from its shackles.
Initial Stage of the False God Realm!
Middle Stage!
Late Stage!
Peak Stage of the False God Realm!
Half-Step Nascent God Realm!
Only thirty seconds had passed since his eruption and the first clash with the Divine Punishment Immortal. Yet in that fleeting moment, he had shattered nearly every limit, ascending to a level that defied logic and reason.
But this rise was not without sacrifice—and the Divine Punishment Immortal had already realized the terrible cost.
"You're burning your life force and soul force to gain more strength... just to fight me?" she asked, stunned. "Have you gone completely mad, Human Great Emperor?"
Her voice trembled with disbelief as the man rushed at her once more, a wild grin stretching across his face.
"If I'm going to die anyway," he said, eyes gleaming with madness and resolve, "whether by your hand or under the Lightning Tribulation... then I might as well see how far I can go by sacrificing everything."
She gasped, bracing herself as she blocked a lightning-fast jab and sidestepped a vicious kick aimed at her waist.
"You're insane", she hissed, regaining balance. "You could have just tried to ascend from this world instead of throwing your life away in battle!"
But the man only laughed—loudly, freely.
"I am insane", he replied, grinning like a madman. "So show me—Lady Divine Punishment Immortal—the extent of your true strength!"
Her true strength?
She clenched her teeth, inwardly cursing this lunatic of a man as they exchanged another flurry of blows.
Yes, she was a Heavenly Law Enforcer, a divine executioner revered in the Lower Heavens and feared in the Middle Heavens. But in truth, she was nothing more than a projection—an avatar formed by her main body by refining a wisp of her true soul.
Her strength, though seemingly boundless to others, also had its limits.
Her main body had forged this form while at the peak of the Middle Heavens, which meant this projection possessed only the strength of an Innate God Realm expert—one realm beneath her true form, who resided at the Peak of the True God Realm by then.
She, the Divine Punishment Immortal—who had reigned supreme for ages, delivering divine judgment upon all who defied the heavens—was now, for the first time, faced with a situation slipping completely beyond her control.
Fighting a man at the Half-Step Nascent God Realm, a whole realm lower than her, should have been a trivial task.
But the more they exchanged blows, the more cautious she became.
She couldn't see through him.
Every time she thought she had him cornered, he would perform a miracle. A reversal. An unexpected technique. An unthinkable recovery.
Unfathomable cultivation base, Overwhelming strength, Countless hidden cards.
That was her assessment of the Human Great Emperor.
No matter how she viewed him—it was clear he had not arrived at this battle unprepared.
And then, from above—
CRACK—!
The sixth bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, roaring like a god's wrath, obliterating all in its path. It split the clouds, tore the sky asunder, and carved a path straight for the earth.
Locked in brutal combat, the Human Great Emperor and the Divine Punishment Immortal both felt it at the same time—the impending judgment descending upon them.
Divine Punishment Immortal, fully aware that the descending bolt would leave her grievously injured, made a split-second decision. She broke away from the melee, retreating swiftly in an attempt to put distance between herself and the madman—to escape the heart of the impending calamity.
However, the Human Great Emperor was ready for it.
This time, he had anticipated her move.
Knowing full well that even he wouldn't be able to emerge unscathed from the sixth bolt of the Chaos Lightning Tribulation, he made his choice.
A mad, irreversible choice.
With a burst of speed, he closed the gap once more—and seized her right wrist in a vice-like grip, locking her in place.
She flinched.
"Let go!" she shouted, alarm and fury flashing in her eyes.
But the Human Great Emperor only tightened his grip, his expression resolute and grim.
"If I'm going down... you're coming with me."
"Insolence!" the Divine Punishment Immortal hissed, her voice crackling with fury as she raised her free hand, preparing to unleash her most devastating strike.
But just as she gathered her power—at the most critical moment—her body faltered.
Her arm dropped. Her knees buckled.
An unnatural numbness surged through her. All her divine strength drained from her body in an instant, vanishing faster than she could ever comprehend. All she could do now was to stare blankly at her right hand, which was firmly grasped by the Human Great Emperor.
He stood still, gazing upward, watching the lightning bolt descend with eerie calm, his expression solemn and unshaken.
"Y-You... what did you do to me?" she asked, her voice hoarse, tinged with pain and bewilderment.
The man turned toward her, his face now just inches from hers. He met her gaze with a heavy sigh.
Weakened, breathless, and robbed of her strength and pride, the Divine Punishment Immortal could only stare. Her vision swam, and in that strange stillness between life and annihilation, her eyes traced the sharp lines of his face—so close, so impossibly close. A faint blush crept across her pale cheeks, inexplicably and involuntarily.
Then, his voice—quiet and gentle, as though he were bidding farewell.
"I will return. Remember to wait for me."
The words echoed in her soul.
And then—he whispered once more.
"Explode."
Blinding golden light erupted from where their hands were joined—divine, radiant, all-consuming.
At the very same instant, the sixth bolt of the Chaos Lightning Tribulation struck them with unstoppable wrath. The sky screamed. The earth trembled.
Heaven's fury descended in a dark-golden column of annihilation, swallowing both figures whole.
For a brief moment, they were wrapped in a golden shroud—an otherworldly cocoon shielding them from the eyes of the world.
Then—
Everything turned to ash.
The storm scattered their traces into the howling winds.
And silence reigned.