In the time that followed, the Void Swallowing Flame completely submitted, and Yan finally came to terms with himself.
On this Da Luo Divine Mountain, everyone was a supreme being not to be trifled with.
From the conversations among the residents of Da Luo Divine Mountain, he finally understood what kind of existence Shen Lian truly was.
He dominated the Nine Heavens and was invincible across the ten directions. Even the starry sky had to bow before him.
He was hailed as the most astonishing existence in the universe.
In the annals of human history, no emperor had ever been stronger than him.
With a single thought, he could foresee a calamity a million years in the future, traverse time and space, and annihilate the rising threat along with its entire era.
With a single glance, he could destroy entire realms.
Lifting one hand, he could turn the sun, moon, and stars into mere marbles in his grasp.
Just speaking his true name could shatter entire worlds.
Yan was utterly dumbfounded. His mind went blank, and he was completely overwhelmed.
The thought that he had once dared to strike at Shen Lian back in the Dou Qi Continent filled him with unspeakable dread.
Now fully reformed, he only sought to cling to Shen Lian's power and had no desire to return to the Dou Qi Continent.
As he declared proudly, "What's so special about the Dou Qi Continent? I was born in this vast universe and if I must die, I'll die here too! Everyone around here is a big shot, and they speak so elegantly. I love it here!"
Hearing this, Shen Lian chuckled but showed no disapproval. He turned casually and threw the Void Swallowing Flame into the magma at the foot of Da Luo Divine Mountain, letting it consume the origin of fire.
He wanted to see just how far this innate flame law could evolve.
Meanwhile, Xuan Ba, Yuan Ye, and the others entered secluded cultivation one after another.
They had a vague sense that a war unlike any before in history would soon erupt across the Great Universe World.
As for Shen Lian, he continued traversing the heavens and myriad worlds, collecting the blessings of Heavenly Dao and strengthening himself.
…
…
Sword World
Every living being was scorched and charred. The land was barren as far as the eye could see.
Above the ground, not a single dwelling remained intact.
The six realms had plunged into chaos. The human realm was especially devastated and bereft of humanity.
All of this stemmed from a single individual — the Evil Sword Immortal.
He existed outside the Three Realms and beyond the Five Elements.
Originally born from a wicked thought of the Five Elders of Shushan, the Evil Sword Immortal grew in secret within the Demon-Locking Tower.
When the Demon-Locking Tower was destroyed, he was fully born, feeding on resentment from all six realms. He became a demonic entity with power rivaling the gods themselves.
At his emergence, he annihilated entire worlds.
At Shushan Square, the Evil Sword Immortal sat on a massive throne, overlooking the masses. He laughed and declared:
"From this day forward, all beings in the six realms shall revere me, the Evil Sword Immortal..."
But before he could finish—
Boom!
A vast hand, white as jade, descended from the heavens.
Thousands of miles of cloud cover were obliterated.
Under that colossal palm, the Evil Sword Immortal's body shattered inch by inch, reduced to ashes. He was annihilated — body and soul.
A young man with hair as black as ink, clad in a black-feathered imperial robe, with neither joy nor sorrow in his expression, descended slowly from the Ninth Heaven.
His eyes fell upon the Devil Venerable's tower and the figure of Sedum on Shushan Square.
"The six realms belong to one, and I came to break it."
"Faced with true enemies, even gods should feel envy."
"You two are the strongest this world has to offer."
Shen Lian spoke with calm detachment.
Crack!
The Evil Sword Immortal's chains shattered instantly.
Devil Venerable Heavy Tower, once bound and dispirited, now had light returning to his eyes.
"Oh? This is getting interesting."
With the chains broken, the Devil Venerable stepped forth.
He was the supreme being of the Demon Realm, the strongest under the heavens, an immortal demon who knew no rival.
He was also a solitary figure, bored with a world too weak for him.
Being bound by the Evil Sword Immortal had been nothing more than an idle game to him.
The so-called Evil Sword Immortal had never been worthy of his attention.
Boom!
An earth-shaking wave of battle intent erupted from the Devil Venerable.
Dark demonic energy condensed into solid form, plunging the human realm into total darkness.
His crimson eyes glowed with terrifying power.
Elsewhere—
Sedum's pupils dilated, his expression grew dazed.
In the next instant—
Between his brows, a pale golden divine pattern slowly emerged.
Divine light surged from his eyes.
A presence and gaze entirely foreign to Sedum radiated from within.
A soft sigh left his lips.
"Who are you to force me to awaken?"
As he raised his head—
The shackles placed by the Evil Sword Immortal crumbled to dust.
He stepped forward, silver gentian armor appearing on his body piece by piece.
"Sword, come."
With a gesture, a divine sword glowing with endless celestial brilliance streaked down from the heavens, splitting the sky itself.
Clang!
A deafening sword cry echoed across the heavens.
The Demon-Suppressing Sword fell into his hand.
Divine General Fei Peng.
The first Divine General of the Celestial Court.
For millennia, he had been the highest combat power in the Celestial Realm — none could surpass him.
As long as he remained, the Celestial Court would stand eternal.
He was the Divine Needle of the Immortal Court.
"It's been a long time."
The Demon Realm's supreme being, Devil Venerable Heavy Tower, and the Immortal World's mightiest Divine General, Fei Peng, locked eyes once more.
Then, without a word—
Boom!
Both of them soared skyward and charged toward Shen Lian.