Chapter 561: Rules Dissolve, the Lines Disappear!

Chapter 561 The Melting of Rules, the Line Disappeared!

Yuan fell silent.

Sheng Nü fell silent.

The irascible bearded one also fell silent.

Furious as he already was, with a temper quite so foul, he had never even considered striking out against the Black Sky and Dark Earth under such circumstances.

Generally speaking, in a clash within the void sea, the Sacred Wood Universe would avoid it if it could.

To take the initiative and strike was almost unheard of.

"If the World Master can ensure his own safety, he may take the initiative at his own discretion," Yuan finally said, his voice level.

The irascible bearded one added, "World Master, exercise every caution. The void sea is a labyrinth of complexities; a single misstep will grind your bones to dust."

Even this short-fused, bearded man had begun to urge Qi Yuan to keep a cool head.

"Right, very well, I shall go and have a look at this so-called army of the Black Sky and Dark Earth."

Qi Yuan spoke no further, venturing out alone into the void sea.

Within the void sea lay a vast expanse of primordial chaos, strewn everywhere with motes of multi-colored light, a kaleidoscopic display.

These motes of light resembled fractured shards of broken rules, or perhaps the raw matter of a time before chaos was ever rent asunder, fraught with peril.

They could even corrode the corporeal form of a Yang God.

Half a day slipped away in an instant, and Qi Yuan’s silhouette came to a halt.

The seven artifacts of Human Dawn Radiance emanated a terrifying aura, like a blazing, fierce sun.

Qi Yuan looked ahead to see a colossal warship spanning the length of the freezing void sea.

That warship was immense, utterly immense!

One might even say it was a fraction larger than the Qingshan Realm.

"As expected of the Black Sky and Dark Earth, a warship of such magnitude... if it were to fall from the heavens, wouldn't it crush ten thousand ants to death?"

Qi Yuan murmured to himself.

Holding the seven artifacts of Human Dawn Radiance, the environment of the void sea around Qi Yuan shifted; he was like the moon encompassed by a host of stars.

The blazing light framed him, making him look for all the world like a god of war.

"World Master, a standoff will suffice! It is enough to block the warship’s advance!" Yuan reminded him.

The irascible bearded one also hurried to say, "The World Master must remain calm."

Qi Yuan gazed at the grim warship, his eyes deep: "I might want a standoff, but they have to agree to it first, don't they?"

Hearing this, Yuan's expression changed abruptly.

Could it be... some unforeseen turn of events?

The thoughts of the remaining Ancestral Gods raced furiously, as they too seemed to realize something.

Just as Qi Yuan’s voice fell.

Suddenly, a majestic figure surged out from within the warship.

An eternally burning fire crackled and roared, tossing aside the multi-colored light motes within the void sea.

The terrifying flame giant bellowed: "Qi Yuan, go to your grave!"

The Flame World Master struck out in a fury.

When a supreme being of this caliber moved, the strike was extraordinarily overbearing, defying all reason.

In mere breaths, the surrounding space transformed into a domain of fire.

Having attained the realm of a World Master, one could already alter the environmental conditions and rules of heaven and earth.

Indeed, if the Flame World Master were to sneeze, he could turn a cultivation world the size of the Canglan Realm into a realm of fire, the great conflagration stretching on for hundreds of millions of years without extinguishing.

And that was merely a casual sneeze; if he actually struck, the might of his flames was enough to swallow everything.

A violent sensation of searing heat rushed over; even with Qi Yuan’s strength, he felt the burning warmth.

"The eternal fire can burn through even heaven and earth! Qi Yuan... where can you flee? Submit quietly to the burning of my flames!"

The Flame World Master roared, and flames erupted from every corner of the cosmos.

Absolute Adaptation!

At this very moment, Qi Yuan manifested the rules he had comprehended.

In an instant, his entire person also turned into a man of fire.

"Oh dear, I really have been burned into a man of fire," Qi Yuan said easily.

He did not deploy the Human Dawn Radiance, relying solely on Absolute Adaptation to combat fire with fire.

The Flame World Master froze, his expression turning furious: "Die!"

The flames swelled with renewed vigor, their might ten, a hundred times greater than before!

Among rules like Qi Yuan’s, the Flame World Master had seen similar ones before.

However, most were clumsy imitations.

Qi Yuan shrugged, his gaze shifting: "You are a bit difficult to kill."

His eyes could discern a great deal.

Once someone reached the realm of a World Master, they were not so easily slain.

Unless the disparity in their power was simply too vast.

The current Qi Yuan had only just ascended to the Realm of All Things.

To destroy a Rule Realm entity like the Flame World Master would take at least a whole day of slaughter.

To Qi Yuan, this was simply too slow.

"Hmph, you are difficult to kill as well," the Flame World Master said in earnest.

What he understood by 'difficult to kill' was different from what Qi Yuan meant.

To his mind, it meant that given his own power, even if they fought to the very brink of the universe, it would be hard for either to vanquish the other.

"However... though you are difficult to kill, this deity shall slay you nonetheless!" The fire in the Flame World Master's eyes grew even fiercer, a sinister look appearing in his gaze. "This deity possesses the Ghostly Source, this deity fears not death, what do you have?"

At this moment, beyond the void sea, the expressions of Yuan, Sheng Nü, and the rest of the Ancestral Gods changed dramatically.

"Not good, this Flame World Master has gone mad, he means to trade life for life!"

"How can this be? Is the one resurrected by the Ghostly Source even truly him? How can he be so reckless?"

"World Master, retreat quickly, do not linger in battle, stay far away from the Flame World Master!" Yuan hastened to warn him.

The hearts of the Ancestral Gods present tightened.

Between World Masters, neither could truly overcome the other, but if one party threw away their life, consuming their fundamental rules in the form of self-detonation, then a single instance was enough to severely wound an opponent of equal strength. Twice... and they would surely perish together.

In the past, no Yang God of the Black Sky and Dark Earth had ever used such a method, because no one knew whether the person resurrected by the Ghostly Source would still be themselves.

But the Flame Realm Lord paid no heed to all this.

"Void, lend me the Abyssal Source and block this man's retreat!" the Flame Realm Lord bellowed.

The Void Realm Lord, his expression neither sorrowful nor joyful, sent the Abyssal Source flying into the Flame Realm Lord's hand, his towering form just then blocking Qi Yuan's path.

"With me here, he cannot escape," the Void Realm Lord said calmly.

"What are you planning?" A terrifying suspicion arose in Qi Yuan's heart.

"Hmph, don't you already know?" The Flame Realm Lord's countenance was stern.

"This... is most unwise," Qi Yuan said, feigning terror.

In truth, his heart was bursting with joy.

Truly, he was worthy of being Qihuang's uncle—or rather, Qihuang's original form—just as foolish as Qihuang.

He actually intends to self-destruct, not knowing... that I have a lock-blood cheat?

The heavier the injury, the more terrifying the absolute adaptation under the blessing of Death Radiance.

"Seven pieces of Human Enlightenment can block seven instances of my rule dissolution, but after seven times, what then?"

Rule dissolution—that is, a realm lord's self-destruction.

A realm lord's self-destruction, naturally, does not involve the body exploding, but rather the dissolution of rules.

The power unleashed when rules dissolve and shatter is no less than a great earthquake occurring on the dimensional level of the universe.

"To kill you, I specially borrowed the Abyssal Source from the Void Realm Lord, enough to sustain my rule dissolution thirty times... How will you survive?"

The Flame Realm Lord roared, his eyes bloodshot.

Qi Yuan's face turned solemn. "No, don't!"

He wanted to act more convincingly, to say, "After the Abyssal Source revives you, will you still be you?"

But he feared his words would be too harsh, scaring the Flame Realm Lord.

So he could only keep shouting, "No, don't!"

In his heart, though, he was saying, "Hurry up and self-destruct!"

After all, killing him would take a whole day!

But self-destruction takes but an instant!

"Die!" the Flame Realm Lord shouted.

Endless flames of rules dissolved in that moment.

The Void Sea itself seemed to tremble.

The majestic warship also appeared to rock from the shock.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan raised Human Enlightenment.

"Block it for me!"

In truth, he let all the dissolving rules strike his own body.

Death Radiance and Absolute Adaptation fear nothing more than the self-destruction of those weaker than him.

Of course, if someone ten times stronger than him self-destructed, this blood lock might not hold.

In an instant, a torrent of experience poured in.

Qi Yuan felt refreshed and invigorated.

This was far more satisfying than killing Qihuang and his ilk for years. Truly a family—equally foolish.

A blink of an eye passed, and the Flame Realm Lord's form reappeared.

He looked no different from before.

Even Qi Yuan's eyes could only discern the slightest nuance between this figure and the Flame Realm Lord of moments ago.

The Flame Realm Lord gazed at the dimmed Human Enlightenment, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, then said, "Human Enlightenment is stronger than I imagined. It seems the Abyssal Source in my hands is insufficient."

He was not the least bit anxious.

There was plenty of Abyssal Source in the warship.

If need be, he could borrow from other Yang Gods.

He would wear Qi Yuan down to death.

"Again!" the Flame Realm Lord roared, shattering like a brilliant firework.

"Block it for me!" Qi Yuan roared back, though in his heart he longed to say to the Flame Realm Lord:

Could you perhaps not speak before self-destructing?

If you think it lacks style, I could provide the sound effects?

At that moment, outside the Void Sea, Yuan, usually composed, could no longer remain steady.

"Human Enlightenment can only block... perhaps fifteen instances of rule dissolution. For the rest... the Realm Lord will find it hard to withstand!"

"Damn it, the Black Heaven and Black Earth have no martial honor!"

"The Void Realm Lord is blocking Lord Qi Yuan's escape route; the Realm Lord cannot flee!"

"What can we do?"

Everyone's hearts were heavy.

In this battle, the Black Heaven and Black Earth were utterly determined, bent on completely slaying Qi Yuan.

Just then, a woman's voice suddenly rang out in the void.

"Yuan... seek the help of the Radiance Dao Lord in this matter. Only the Radiance Dao Lord can save Qi Yuan."

All the Ancestral Gods immediately looked toward the void, where a woman bearing a three-tenths resemblance to Yuan stood.

She was clad in blood-red robes, exuding a seductive charm.

"One!"

The Ancestral Gods present were moved.

This person was none other than "One," the leader of the Radiance Assembly and Yuan's sister.

The Radiance Assembly had long been at odds with the Human Enlightenment Assembly.

Though surprised to see One appear, they were not alarmed.

Yuan's expression shifted repeatedly.

For a being as lofty as the Radiance Dao Lord, Yuan could not fathom his thoughts.

Yet, if he was to seek an audience, he would surely have to sacrifice something.

Otherwise, why would the Radiance Dao Lord intervene?

Now, with the Flame Realm Lord self-destructing, time was running out.

He could hesitate no longer.

"Good." Yuan agreed.

But he also understood that this was merely Yi's suggestion; the Radiant Dao Lord might not necessarily lend aid.

"This is a Light Void Talisman." Yi looked at Yuan and tossed him a talisman.

Without any hesitation, Yuan activated the Light Void Talisman.

In an instant, the surroundings around him transformed.

When he reappeared, it was as if he had entered a world of blazing radiance.

This world seemed entirely constructed of light.

Dazzling and ethereal, unlike any light of the mortal realm.

"The head of the Radiance Society seeks an audience with Lord Lightless!" Yi said, head bowed, her voice clear.

As her words fell, a child of six or seven years approached.

Lips red, teeth white, hair fine and not black but entirely snow-white.

The child's body seemed untouched by any ray of light.

The Lightless Realm Lord was the Radiant Dao Lord's attendant, a Yang God of the Opening Heaven Realm.

He smiled lightly and said, "I already know the purpose of your visit."

"We beg Lord Lightless to..."

"Stop." The Lightless Realm Lord extended a plump, short, fair finger, his smile not fading. "I will not intervene."

Yi's expression changed abruptly.

She had not expected such an outcome.

Yuan gritted his teeth and said, "The Divine Wood Universe is willing to pay a price that will satisfy you!"

He knew that the Lightless Realm Lord was bargaining.

Now time was running out; even if it pained him, he had to sacrifice.

At that moment, the Lightless Realm Lord shook his head. "It is not a matter of price."

Yuan and Yi both froze slightly, not understanding what the Lightless Realm Lord meant.

"Come with me and see." The Lightless Realm Lord waved his hand.

Instantly, the scene before the three of them changed.

"Look... the line that the Master drew back then."

The Lightless Realm Lord pointed with his fair finger into the distance.

Yuan and Yi looked over; both their expressions froze, revealing terror and perhaps despair.

Even Yuan, who was always composed, now had an ashen face.

"The line... it's gone... How can this be? Wasn't there still ten thousand years of time?" Yi shouted, her expression agitated.

Back then, the Dao Lord had drawn a line.

The Dao Lord had said that the line was slowly fading, and when it completely vanished, that would be the moment the Black Heaven "awakened" and truly devoured the Divine Wood Universe.

The so-called Black Soil was merely a parasite on the Black Heaven.

The Black Heaven was the true terror; even the Radiant Dao Lord was unwilling to confront it directly.

According to the speed at which the line was disappearing, the Divine Wood Universe had at least ten thousand years left.

But now... only a sliver remained, which meant the Black Heaven could "awaken" at any moment.

Perhaps, in the very next breath.

At this moment, the battle in the Void Sea was no longer important.

The most important thing was: with the Black Heaven awakening, how would the Divine Wood Universe respond?

"How can this be!" Yi muttered to herself. "The Dao Lord is omniscient and omnipotent—how could He have miscalculated?"

She was in despair.

In Yi's eyes, the Dao Lord was an omniscient, omnipotent, all-powerful being.

With a single word, the Dao Lord could restart the universe; with a single word, He could reverse the laws.

But now, the line drawn by the Dao Lord had not followed its original course—how could she not be shocked? She could only hope it was all false.

The Lightless Realm Lord shook his head. "The Dao Lord's omniscience and omnipotence are limited to the Radiant Universe.

But the Black Heaven... is very special; even the Dao Lord can easily make erroneous judgments."

At this point, Yuan's expression shifted from numbness to calm. He looked at Yi and said seriously, "Please send me back to the Tai Star Domain."

Now that the line manifested by the Dao Lord had vanished, he needed to inform the Renqi Council of this matter.

The time truly left for them was short—perhaps less than a single day.

Yuan had not expected that an ordinary standoff like usual would escalate into a great war, and moreover, into a world-ending catastrophe.

"Take this Light Void Talisman." Yi gritted her teeth and handed the talisman to Yuan.

"Thank you." Yuan expressed his thanks, and his form dissipated at that moment.

At this moment, his heart was filled with complex emotions.

The time remaining for the Divine Wood Universe was too short—merely a day... How... could they break the deadlock?

...

"Cough, cough... I was this close to dying, Flame Realm Lord, you are so fierce!" Qi Yuan said, coughing blood from the corner of his mouth.

The Flame Realm Lord's face was stern, anger flashing in his eyes. "You're playing me!"

He had self-destructed twenty-three times, yet each time Qi Yuan seemed on the verge of death.

Although his reason and realm-lord-level insight told him that Qi Yuan was truly about to die,

But... he still felt that the other was toying with him!

How could someone half-dead block his several instances of rule dissolution?

(End of this chapter)