Taiyi was at a loss when he heard Feng Jiu's question. For the first time, he truly looked at her.
Even though he didn't want to admit it, he had not treated her well in this life. Despite knowing her feelings for him, he never considered her when making his decisions—and at times, he even saw her as a weakness.
He realized this too late.
Even then, they had barely spent any time together before the war came—and now, they were parting.
To Feng Jiu, this was the beginning of a new life. She could see how heartbroken Taiyi was, but she could do nothing about it. All she could do was stare at him helplessly.
Taiyi raised his head to the heavens, his eyes bloodshot.
He felt the urge to kill someone.
Suddenly, the murderous intent around him intensified, and the blood of the Ancestral and Supreme Gods began surging toward him.
This was a path he never wanted to take—but what use was there in resisting now?
"Accept me and all of this will be over. Be yourself," a voice whispered in Taiyi's ears.
He just stood there, staring at Feng Jiu, who was slowly disintegrating into particles of light. Tears welled in his eyes.
He reached out as if to stop her—but caught nothing but air.
All he could see was an image of Feng Jiu smiling and waving goodbye.
His eyes turned red. The blood gathering toward him surged even faster.
"She was the only thing that kept me alive.
So what if the Heavens fall? I don't care about it.
She was everything to me.
Without her, I'll be lonely again...
And my daughter… she's lost her mother again—for the second time.
Why should I be a saint and save this world when I can just destroy it?
If not for the fact that she's still watching me from the other side… still waiting for me… I wouldn't care about this world.
I'd slaughter everything in my path.
But my daughter...
Daddy is sorry.
"No one is leaving today."
Taiyi's silver hair turned dark red. His white robes turned pitch-black, and his spirit was tainted with evil energy. He transformed into a demonic dragon, indulging fully in slaughter.
With this demonic form, his aura grew far colder than before—and everyone who saw him knew it: The Emperor Taiyi was gone for good.
Perhaps, he had died the moment Feng Jiu died.
The one standing before them now was no longer Taiyi.
The world mourned the passing of Feng Jiu, and countless beings watched the projection of what was unfolding.
"I gave my all to protect the Heavens," Taiyi said, his voice hoarse and cold,
"And yet the Heavenly Dao still saw me as a threat.
Today, I shall slaughter my way to the Heavens."
With a wave of his hand, Taiyi transported all the celestial soldiers of the Myriad Diversified World away from the battlefield.
Then, he rampaged.
He was unstoppable, fighting like a madman. He didn't care about injuries. He fought as if he had no soul. As if nothing mattered anymore.
His sword tore through gods, supreme gods, and ancestral beings alike. His hands grew sore, but he did not stop.
Bodies fell like rain, covering the battlefield.
From afar, Elliot watched all of this. He could no longer stop Taiyi. No one could.
Taiyi had lost control.
Elliot looked up to the Heavenly Dao and cried out:
"Do you want him to kill everyone before you act?!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a giant eye appeared in the sky.
Taiyi stood, straight as a spear, and pointed his sword toward it.
"So you've finally decided to appear?" he sneered.
Even his scorn carried a coldness that made everyone tremble.
As if in answer, the eye fired a beam of divine light.
Taiyi slowly rose into the sky, gathering momentum as he slashed back. For the first time, he used his emotions to drive his attack.
The beam and the sword strike collided—canceling each other out—but the shockwave blasted Taiyi back.
Then, Elliot rose into the sky, standing before the Heavenly Dao's eye.
"How audacious of you to think you can defy the Heavenly Dao. Let me end your misery."
Elliot attacked with power borrowed from the Dao itself.
He opened the Gate of Samsara and unleashed the souls sealed within to strike Taiyi.
Taiyi saw it—but he didn't care.
He raised his sword once more, gathering momentum, and attacked.
Even with the Heavenly Dao's help, Elliot failed to stop him.
Taiyi's sword slowly pierced Elliot's heart, and with one final motion, he cut his head off.
But there was no satisfaction.
Even after exacting his revenge, Taiyi didn't feel better.
A hole remained in his heart—a hole that would never heal.
He turned to the Heavenly Dao's eye above. Rage filled him.
He wanted to cut it in half—but he knew he couldn't. Not yet.
'So what? Even if I can't destroy you, he thought, I'll make sure you pay a terrible price.'
Just as he was about to swing his sword, an old man appeared before the eye and cast a spell that protected it. He was followed by eight others Taiyi had never seen before.
"So, you're the kid who broke the balance?" the old man asked.
Taiyi didn't reply. He simply raised his sword and pointed it at them.
" If I feel like doing something," Taiyi said coldly, "you should know better than to interfere. Or else... I won't spare you."
" How arrogant. Let's see how you do it," said a middle-aged man as he stepped forward and attacked.
He tried to seal Taiyi.
But Taiyi fought back—and successfully defended against the sealing attempt.
"We didn't come here to fight you," the old man said with narrowed eyes. "You've already won. You should retreat—before we make a move."
With a wave of his hand, Taiyi felt a powerful force push him back.
When he landed, his soul was injured—and his cultivation was crippled.
Taiyi burst into mad laughter.
"So even after all this… you still cripple me."
"You think that by crippling me, you've gotten rid of me?"
"Hahahaha! I'll return. I will return!"
And with that, Taiyi blew up the Purple Palace in outer space.
He had used the palace to create a dome—and now made it self-destruct, hoping to take the old monsters with him.
Still unsure if the blast was enough, he used a secret technique to teleport back to the Myriad Diversified World.
When he arrived, he found himself in the Heavenly Realm—now reduced to ruins.
Taiyi stood still, overwhelmed.
Even after trying so hard, he had failed to protect this world.
He knew it was only a matter of time before the old monsters came after him—but he did not care.
He already had a plan.
He summoned Little Fox and his daughter to the Palace of the Heavenly Emperor.
"I'm afraid my time is near," Taiyi said. "Little Fox, take her and leave. Wait for my return. I've made the necessary preparations.
Leave the Heavenly Realm—and don't come back until I call for you."
He didn't allow his daughter to speak. He knew that if she did, he might not be able to go through with it.
Little Fox tried to bow—but was suddenly encased in a space formation.
He gritted his teeth, trying to break it—but failed.
Everything was done.
Taiyi turned and looked into the distance. Then, he used his sword to support himself.
"Xue Kai, it's time we depart," Taiyi said.
"Yes, master. I will wait for you at the Emotion Severing Cliff," said Xue Kai, the spirit of the sword.
Taiyi smiled weakly.
Then, without turning around, he spoke again.
"You are here," Taiyi said.