With a sharp motion of his hand, Dian Xiang pushed Qianye Ying'er away, his movement decisive and without hesitation. At the same time, a brilliant flash of light burst from his palm as he threw a protective treasure toward her, enveloping her within a golden barrier just as the crushing auras of their enemies descended.
In the next instant, the silent calm around Dian Xiang shattered completely.
"BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!"
With an explosive surge of power, the terrifying might of a Divine Extinction Realm expert erupted from Dian Xiang's body, distorting the space around him and causing cracks to splinter through the very air itself like fragile glass breaking under impossible pressure.
Golden light surged from his body, pure and domineering, as if tearing through the grayness of the Abyss with its radiance. His entire figure glowed like a war god descending to the battlefield.
Without pause, Dian Xiang shot forward like a golden comet, charging directly at the encroaching soldiers without a trace of fear.
"!!!!!!!!!!"
Within the safety of the protective barrier, Qianye Ying'er's eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding violently in her chest. That feeling— that pressure radiating from Dian Xiang in that moment— it felt all too familiar.
It was the same.
The same divine might… as her Brahma God Power!
Her heart shook uncontrollably.
But there was no time for further thought.
"BOOOOOOOMMMM!!! CRACKKKKKKKKKKK!!!"
Dian Xiang's golden fist, carrying terrifying divine might, crashed ruthlessly into the skull of the nearest soldier. The sound was deafening — bones splintering, the protective energy around the soldier crumbling like paper before absolute force.
These soldiers may all be at the First Level of the Divine Extinction Realm…
But in front of him, they were nothing more than fragile insects!
Dian Xiang's overwhelming power wasn't just on par with the First Level — it was frighteningly close to the might of a Level Three Divine Extinction Realm cultivator!
The soldier didn't even have time to scream.
His skull shattered instantly, and in the next moment—
His entire head exploded into a mist of blood and bone, scattering through the air like red rain beneath the golden glow of Dian Xiang's divine might.
Seeing their comrade's head explode like fragile fruit, the remaining nine soldiers reacted instantly, their eyes burning with fury. Without a word, they pulled out their weapons in unison, and their bodies erupted with blinding golden light as their profound energy surged to the peak.
"Boundless Mortal Sword Formation!" they roared, their voices echoing across the gray wasteland as their golden auras merged into one.
The air twisted violently, and above Dian Xiang's head, a massive sword of pure energy began to form — its edges sharp enough to slice through mountains, its pressure so immense that even space itself trembled beneath its weight. The energy condensed within it was terrifyingly precise, and shockingly, the force radiating from the formation was nearly equal to Dian Xiang's own divine aura.
A blow designed to kill in one strike.
Their coordination was flawless.
Their hatred was real.
But Dian Xiang stood his ground.
The golden radiance around his body flared even brighter, like a divine sun tearing through the thick Abyssal mist. Calmly, he raised one arm, and in the next instant, a sword appeared in his hand — its glow ancient, its presence oppressive.
And behind him—
A faint, divine silhouette took shape.
A four-armed god, rising from the golden light like a memory of divinity long lost.
It wasn't fully materialized, nowhere near the overwhelming manifestation once wielded by Dian Rahu, the former God of the Boundless Divine Kingdom.
But for Dian Xiang… it was enough.
As the golden sword in his hand pulsed with light, the same weapon appeared in the hands of the phantom behind him, mirroring his every move with eerie precision.
Then—without a cry, without hesitation—
He raised his sword, and so did the divine image behind him.
Together, they slashed upward.
"BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!"
The world shook.
The sky split.
The moment sword met sword, the Boundless Mortal Sword Formation let out a deafening scream. Cracks spread across the massive conjured blade, and in the next breath—
It shattered.
A golden explosion erupted in the air as fragments of divine light burst in all directions, the formation torn apart under Dian Xiang's might, his will, and the lingering power of a divine legacy that still burned within him.
"Ughhhhh!!!!"
Agonized groans erupted from the nine soldiers of the Divine Extinction Realm as their bodies trembled violently, blood spewing from their mouths in thick streams. Their sword formation, which they had absolute confidence in, had been shattered mercilessly, and the resulting backlash tore through their bodies like a raging storm, leaving them wounded and barely standing.
But before they could even steady themselves—
"USELESS!!!!"
A thunderous roar exploded across the battlefield.
The voice came from Knight Captain Li, who had been silently watching from the side until now. His furious bellow carried terrifying might, shaking the very air, shaking the earth, and shaking the hearts of everyone present.
Inside the protective barrier, Qianye Ying'er's expression changed drastically.
Even with the protection Dian Xiang had cast upon her, the sheer force of that roar was enough to pierce through, invading her soul like countless needles. Blood leaked uncontrollably from the corner of her lips, her face turning pale.
Her cultivation... was simply too low to withstand this level of power.
This was the weight of a true powerhouse of the Abyss.
Before she could recover, the Knight Captain's figure blurred—moving at a speed so fast it was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye. In the next instant, he appeared right in front of the nine heavily injured soldiers.
Without hesitation, without mercy, his weapon—bathed in divine golden light—sliced through the air in a perfect, ruthless arc.
One swing.
That was all it took.
"SWOOSH!!"
The world fell silent for a split second… before blood erupted like a storm.
The nine soldiers, already grievously wounded, didn't even have time to react — their eyes wide with disbelief, their expressions frozen in shock — as their bodies were severed cleanly in half.
In that single instant, nine became eighteen.
Nine bodies became eighteen bloody halves.
"C-Captain...?"
Weak, disbelieving voices escaped their dying throats, their eyes filled with confusion, betrayal, and horror as they looked upon the man they once followed loyally.
But their vision blurred.
Their souls faded.
Their lives… were already gone.
As their bodies fell to the ground, lifeless and cold, the battlefield was painted in blood, leaving only Knight Captain Li standing tall — his expression cold, merciless, without the slightest ripple of emotion except madness!
At this moment, how could Dian Xiang not realize that something was very, very wrong with this Knight Captain standing before him?
Without wasting another breath, Dian Xiang's sharp eyes narrowed. With a flick of his wrist, all the remaining protective treasures in his possession shot out like shooting stars, forming layers of glowing barriers around him, each one pulsing with powerful defensive energy.
But before he could even activate them fully—
The golden figure of Knight Captain Li had already appeared right before him, moving with terrifying speed that broke through space itself, his body wrapped in blinding golden light, his eyes filled with merciless killing intent.
There was no hesitation.
No pause.
Only a single, overwhelming punch.
"BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!"
The world seemed to explode.
The force behind that punch crushed directly into Dian Xiang's protective barriers. In an instant—
"CRACKKKKKKK!!!!"
Every defensive treasure shattered like fragile glass. The divine light around Dian Xiang broke apart layer by layer until nothing remained between him and that monstrous strike.
"UGHHHHHH!!!!"
Blood erupted from Dian Xiang's mouth as his entire body was sent flying like a broken arrow. The force behind that blow not only tore through his defenses but cracked his bones mercilessly, the sound of shattering echoing alongside his pained groan.
"BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!"
The ground trembled violently as Dian Xiang's blood-covered figure smashed into the earth far, far away, carving a long, deep trench into the Abyssal wasteland before finally crashing into a pile of jagged stone and rubble.
Dust billowed into the air.
Blood splattered across the broken earth.
The proud figure of Dian Xiang… was now half-buried amidst the ruins, his breath weak, his body broken, yet his eyes still burning with cold determination.
But there was no doubt—
He had been severely injured.
"DIEEEEEE!!!!"
With a roar filled with murderous madness, the Knight Captain appeared once more, his golden figure descending like a demon from the heavens. His fist, wrapped in terrifying divine light, raised high into the air — its target, the heavily injured Dian Xiang, lying half-buried amidst shattered rubble and blood-stained earth.
He was going to end it.
He was going to kill this discarded prince with his own hands.
But just as that fatal blow was about to fall—
"How impudent!"
A voice, ancient and wild, thundered through the heavens like a furious god descending into the mortal world. It was neither sharp nor loud, but it carried with it a madness that shook the very soul.
The moment that voice rang out, a terrifying pressure, vast beyond comprehension, erupted from the sky and came crashing down onto the Knight Captain.
"BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!"
The Knight Captain's entire body froze.
His golden fist stopped in mid-air, trembling violently, unable to move even an inch further.
"How dare a mere Knight raise your hand against a member of the royal bloodline!"
The voice grew colder, its killing intent surging like a tidal wave crashing through the heavens.
"You do not deserve to live any longer!"
"BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!"
Without even a chance to resist — without even the chance to regret — the overwhelming force crashed down like divine judgment.
The mighty Knight Captain Li, the fearsome Seventh Level Divine Extinction Realm powerhouse… was reduced to nothing but bloody mist in an instant.
There was no scream.
No struggle.
Only silence.
The battlefield grew deathly still.
From the sky above, a golden figure slowly descended, wrapped in divine light so bright and pure it cleared away every trace of Abyssal Dust in the surrounding area. The world beneath his presence became clean, pure, untouched by corruption.
His aura was boundless.
His might unquestionable.
A true god walking upon the earth.
Yet, as soon as this golden godlike figure landed, his gaze did not fall on Dian Xiang, whose body lay covered in blood and broken bones.
Instead, his figure flickered, his divine presence arriving softly before Qianye Ying'er — whose injuries were light in comparison, with only a thin trail of blood trickling from the corner of her lips.
And with a voice overflowing with care and gentleness, he asked—
"Fairy… are you okay?"
Not even sparing the gravely injured Dian Xiang a glance… ignoring him completely… as though his very existence was secondary to the delicate woman standing before him.
"You..."
Perhaps it was the severity of his wounds, or perhaps it was the sudden realization—the connection forming in his mind between the Knight Captain's madness and the unnatural timing of this new arrival—but Dian Xiang's body trembled, and without warning, his consciousness faded. His bloodied figure collapsed heavily to the ground, his vision going dark as he passed out completely.
Meanwhile, Qianye Ying'er stood within the fading barrier, the golden light flickering around her.
Her figure appeared frozen, her breath faint, and her golden eyes wide with what seemed to be dazed disbelief—as if the arrival of this godlike figure had completely stunned her.
A flawless portrayal of shock.
Like a divine beauty overwhelmed by the grandeur of a higher being.
But beneath that porcelain-perfect mask… her mind was sharper than ever.
She had seen enough.
The sequence of events, the way the Knight Captain turned from cautious to insane, the precise timing of this so-called savior's arrival, and the complete indifference toward Dian Xiang's broken body—it all pointed to one thing.
This man... had orchestrated everything.
And now, he was standing before her not as a rescuer—but as someone who had taken a clear, possessive interest in her.
That gaze. That concern. That tone. She had seen it countless times in her life. This man had taken a fancy to her. And that… was something Qianye Ying'er could use.
Her expression did not betray her thoughts.
"You are...?"
Her voice trembled slightly, her tone soft and ethereal, like a goddess lost in awe. She tilted her head ever so slightly, her golden eyes shimmering with just enough vulnerability.
The man smiled, clearly pleased by her reaction, his voice steady and filled with pride as he answered.
"I am the Boundless Rage Divine Regent — Dian Juizhi."
---------------
In the quiet depths of the Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom, within the vast and majestic Divine Son Palace, Yun Che sat alone.
The grand hall that once felt distant and unfamiliar now felt suffocating, heavy with silence, as his mind spiraled in chaos, trying desperately to come to terms with the shocking declaration his "father" had given him not long ago.
A God's position.
The Dreamweaver's Divine Regent inheritance.
Power, status, authority—things countless beings across the Abyss dreamed of their entire lives.
Naturally, anyone would desire such power. Yun Che himself, in his heart, was no different. The path of strength was the path he always walked… and always would.
But right now… the current him…
With the oddity of his profound veins, the abnormality of his body, the uniqueness of his existence—it wasn't so simple.
He knew far too well.
Even if he forcefully inherited the Dreamweaver God Source, even if he absorbed that terrifying divine power into his body, there was an incredibly high chance… he wouldn't advance.
Or worse.
Perhaps he would only gain a minuscule improvement at best—or at worst, the process might trigger a reaction, exposing the strangeness of his profound veins, his existence, his true identity.
He could not afford that.
Not now.
Not when everything he had built, everything he had prepared, could crumble from a single slip.
He clenched his fists tightly.
The risk… was too great.
The timing… was too early.
And so, of course, without hesitation, he refused his "father's" offer.
A refusal that should have shaken any father, any ruler.
But Meng Kongchan, his so-called father, had reacted with nothing but calmness. As though… he had long expected Yun Che's refusal.
There was no disappointment.
No anger.
Only that same steady gaze, deep like an ancient well, watching him quietly.
Meng Kongchan merely left behind a few words, telling Yun Che to take his time, to adjust his state of mind, and when he was ready… when his heart was ready… then they would speak again.
As if in his eyes, this was never a matter of if—but only a matter of when.
Just as Yun Che was quietly feeling a faint sense of relief in his heart, having successfully rejected the Divine Regent inheritance for now, he had even begun to carefully consider his next step — to take the initiative, to request his "father" bring him to the Pure Land, to meet the Abyssal Monarch personally — yet before he could even open his mouth...
A bombshell was dropped right on his head.
Without the slightest warning, Meng Kongchan, his so-called father, spoke in that same calm, steady voice — completely casual, as though what he was about to say was perfectly natural.
He told Yun Che that this matter was not just his decision alone.
That after Yun Che had been rescued from the hands of the Fog Monarch, he and Hua Fuchen had already discussed things thoroughly, talked long into the night.
And their conclusion...
Their arrangement...
Was marriage.
Yun Che's mind went completely blank.
His heart, which had just begun to settle, once again sank like a rock thrown into deep water.
Meng Kongchan told him plainly — they wanted him and Hua Caili to marry.
Not in the distant future.
Not someday far away.
But soon.
Very soon.
Thirty days from now.
Thirty days later — not only would he and Hua Caili be married — but if possible, that day would also be the day when both he and Hua Caili ascended together, stepping into the God Realm as newly crowned Divine Regents, uniting the Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom and the Heaven Breaking Divine Kingdom through marriage and power.
Ascend to God.
Marry Hua Caili.
In thirty days.
And as if that wasn't enough to choke him completely—
Meng Kongchan dropped the final blow with casual ease.
The invitations…
Had already been sent out.
Throughout the Abyss.
To countless powers.
To countless regions.
Their wedding… their ascension… was no longer a private matter.
It was a grand event that would shake the entire Abyss.
An event that could no longer be stopped.
---------
Inside the boundless stillness of the Cradle, a place where even time itself seemed reluctant to flow, the faint blackened figures that had lingered within the mist slowly began to fade away. Their outlines dissolved piece by piece into the emptiness, until not even a shadow of their presence remained.
Mo Su stood there quietly, unmoving like a statue carved from eternity itself.
His gaze, however, never once left the coffin before him.
Within that coffin — perfectly preserved in eternal slumber — lay her.
The woman who, even after countless years, still occupied a place within the heart of the Abyssal Monarch… a place untouched by power, untouched by madness, untouched even by the endless cruelty of this world.
During this period of seclusion, Mo Su had immersed himself within the Cradle, discussing countless matters with the Heavenly Treasure Spirits — ancient consciousness fragments of immeasurable wisdom, remnants of the will of heaven itself.
Here, deep in this forbidden place, they had spoken of many things — the current state of the Abyss, the subtle shifts in fate, the scars of the world, the future paths that stretched before him like veiled possibilities.
But despite the importance of these conversations, despite the weight of everything at stake, Mo Su had never once neglected her presence.
She lay silently within that coffin.
And he remained beside her.
Accompanying her quietly.
Watching over her.
A man like Mo Su, who stood above the heavens and earth, feared by all creation, revered as the Abyssal Monarch… had spent all this time like a simple man keeping silent company with the one who once mattered to him beyond anything else.
Perhaps it was foolish.
Perhaps it was pointless.
But to him — this was something beyond reason, beyond power, beyond obligation.
It simply was.
He was confident — utterly, completely confident.
The three Ancient True Gods he had personally sent out were not ordinary beings. They were existences that stood at the peak of the Abyss, ancient monsters whose names alone could silence the Abyss. They were his hands, his will, his unstoppable force. Once they moved, there was nothing in this world that could oppose them.
Especially not Meng Jianyuan.
No… not Meng Jianyuan.
Yun Che.
The Fog Monarch himself.
Mo Su's cold, unfathomable eyes carried a faint trace of amusement whenever he thought of that name. Yun Che had staged a bold performance, casting himself as both victim and villain, appearing openly before the world in a twisted play of deception.
But so what?
Since Yun Che dared to show himself… since he went so far as wanting to "rescue" his own false identity from the hands of the Fog Monarch… then Mo Su would simply entertain him a little.
He didn't mind. He could watch this little farce play out for a while. After all, the ending was already decided.
There was no suspense. No risk.
Because in Mo Su's eyes… Yun Che was nothing more than a clever child playing games within a cage he had long since locked shut.
No matter how the Fog Monarch raged, no matter how Yun Che struggled — all roads would lead back to him.
The Abyssal Monarch.
And yet…
When Mo Su finally stepped out from the timeless stillness of the Cradle and returned to the vast skies of the Pure Land — what greeted him was not calm victory.
What greeted him… was silence.
A silence far colder than anything the Cradle had ever held.
Standing before him, waiting quietly… were the three Ancient True Gods.
Big Rage.
Liu Xiao.
Wan Dao.
But this time… there was no pride on their faces. Only a heaviness that weighed down even the air around them.
And when they spoke — when they uttered the words that should never have existed within Mo Su's reality — the world itself seemed to still.
Their voices were quiet. Their words were simple. But each syllable was heavier than mountains.
"Ling Xian… is dead."
For the first time in a very, very long time — the footsteps of the Abyssal Monarch… came to an abrupt halt.
That eternally calm gaze darkened.
That faint trace of amusement within his eyes… vanished without a trace.