All eyes were locked on the external realm, teetering on the brink of collapse!
Inside, Ye Xuan’s sword had reached the Defier!
*Boom!*
The spacetime before the Defier caved inward.
His pupils shrank—his Power of Defiance could no longer reverse Ye Xuan’s sword!
Without hesitation, he thrust his left fist forward!
A surge of raw power erupted from his punch.
A straightforward strike!
No flair, no tricks!
*Boom!*
Under everyone’s gaze, a clash of sword light and fist aura exploded violently.
In the distance, Ye Xuan, sprawled on the ground, slowly closed his eyes. In the next moment, his thumb flicked upward.
*Buzz!*
Another sword shot from his sheath!
This was his final strike!
His true last blow!
It was a gamble—his strength was utterly spent—but he unleashed it anyway!
In all things, one must give their all!
Especially in a fight—if you don’t go all out, you might not survive!
As that sword slashed forth, Ye Xuan’s aura weakened rapidly. He paid no further heed to the Defier.
He’d given everything. If that wasn’t enough, so be it!
Far off, his fifth sword struck the Defier’s fist. The Defier’s formidable power couldn’t halt it—the blade pierced through his hand and plunged into his chest.
*Boom!*
In an instant, the Defier was flung backward. But then, the sixth sword came slashing toward him!
He looked up at the oncoming blade, eyes narrowing. His left hand opened, then clenched tight.
*Boom!*
His physical body shattered!
Self-destruction!
The moment his body broke apart, the fifth sword exploded with it. His soul flickered, turning illusory—Ye Xuan’s fifth strike had carried the terrifying momentum of the myriad realms!
Then, the Defier closed his eyes, slamming his hands together.
*Boom!*
His soul clamped down on Ye Xuan’s sixth sword!
Rumble!
He was forced back tens of thousands of ten feet again, his soul plummeting into a pitch-black spacetime abyss. Yet he held fast, stopping the sixth sword half an inch from his brow!
But the sword’s power still surged within it!
The Defier gripped it tightly—he couldn’t let go. If he did, the blade would pierce his brow, and in his current state, it would shatter his soul and possibly erase his consciousness entirely!
He lacked the strength to destroy this sword now!
The fifth had already dealt him a devastating blow!
By then, the external realm had completely vanished.
Yet the battle wasn’t over!
Neither the Demonic Vein nor the Sacred Vein intervened—nor dared to.
Any interference would mean total war.
So, Ye Xuan and the Defier remained locked in a stalemate.
Who would recover first?
Suddenly, Ye Xuan, lying on the ground, opened his eyes. Seeing this, Xu Chong and the others outside erupted in excitement!
Gu Qin and his group, however, turned ashen!
Ye Xuan rose slowly. His face was still deathly pale, but far better than before!
His rapid recovery stemmed from his Undying Bloodline!
As long as the Defier didn’t kill him outright, he could keep regenerating!
Seeing Ye Xuan stand, the Defier’s eyes narrowed, but his expression remained calm.
Ye Xuan took a deep breath. His body still felt limp, as if drained dry!
Those six swords had exhausted every ounce of his strength!
After a moment, he began walking toward the Defier. The Defier’s hands trembled as he held the sword.
Ye Xuan glanced at his left-hand sheath—another sword appeared!
At this, Gu Qin’s expression shifted outside, his hand twitching as if to act. But he froze, then calmed, refraining from intervening!
Ye Xuan stopped walking. He looked at the Defier and, after a pause, smiled faintly, “How about we call this one a draw?”
A draw!
Outside, Xu Chong and the others frowned.
Xu Chong opened his mouth to speak, but Elder Shen stopped him.
Elder Shen gazed at Ye Xuan, “Don’t meddle in their affairs!”
Xu Chong hesitated, then held back.
The Defier, after a moment’s silence, nodded, “Agreed!”
He released his hands—and the sixth sword dissolved into nothingness!
Xu Chong’s pupils shrank.
The Defier had been holding back, waiting for Ye Xuan to strike, ready to deliver a fatal counterblow!
Ye Xuan had clearly seen through it. That’s why he didn’t attack—he held back too!
If Ye Xuan didn’t strike, the Defier wouldn’t dare either!
Both feared the other had a hidden card!
The Defier looked at Ye Xuan, “You chose to align with the Heavenly Dao?”
Ye Xuan smiled, “Yes!”
The Defier frowned, “We cultivators are destined to defy the heavens from the moment we begin! Aligning with the Dao… it’s a form of submission!”
Outside, Xu Chong and the others tensed.
Was the Defier shifting to a battle of words?
Could Ye Xuan hold his own?
A verbal duel often aimed to break an opponent’s resolve!
Ye Xuan shook his head with a laugh, “There’s nothing wrong with cultivating, but what fault does the Heavenly Dao bear? It’s part of this vast universe too. You cultivate, fine—but why defy it for no reason? What has it done wrong?”
The Defier stared, “Cultivating is a struggle against the heavens, isn’t it?”
Ye Xuan shook his head again, “In some small worlds, humans must survive and develop. That development destroys environments and ecosystems… essentially, the places that nurtured them. I can’t say humans are wrong—they need to live and grow. But what fault lies with their planet? You’re born there, raised by it. Then one day, you grow strong, decide it’s holding you back, and choose to defy it…”
He smiled faintly, “It’s like a man raising his son for decades, only for the son to resent him as a burden in old age!”
The Defier glared, “You’re twisting concepts!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “Then let me ask: Were you born in this universe? If so, didn’t it nurture you? It raised you, yet you defy it… What did the Heavenly Dao do wrong?”
Suddenly, the surrounding world trembled faintly, countless streams of spiritual energy flowing toward Ye Xuan.
The Heavenly Dao was responding!
Gu Qin’s face darkened at the sight.
Ye Xuan continued, “Humans cultivating, surviving—it’s understandable. But I think it’s our own ambitions and desires at play, not the Heavenly Dao’s fault. Blaming it for our greed—isn’t that a bit much?”
The Defier stared, “But cultivating *is* defying the heavens!”
Ye Xuan blinked, “The Heavenly Dao cultivates too. Who’sától
it defying?”
The Defier’s expression froze.
Ye Xuan pressed on, “People are selfish—I am too. But we shouldn’t play the victim while acting righteous! If the Dao truly harmed you, defying it would make sense. It hasn’t, yet you still defy it… That’s just nonsense to me! I’d rather befriend every good Heavenly Dao out there!”
As his words fell, a faint figure coalesced in the sky!
A woman!
She wore a pristine white gown, a red dot between her brows—stunningly beautiful.
The Heavenly Dao!
Seeing her, Xu Chong and the others frowned. Why was the Heavenly Dao appearing?
The Great Motian Domain had its own Dao, but it rarely asserted itself—especially since, to powerhouses like Xu Chong, it was feeble!
In the sky, the woman smiled at Ye Xuan, “Thank you!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “For what?”
She chuckled softly, “For speaking up for us!”
Ye Xuan smiled back, “I should thank you for helping me earlier. If you ever need anything, come to me. If it’s within my power, I’ll help!”
She hesitated, then asked, “Really?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
She bowed slightly, “Young one, I know you’re no ordinary person. I’ll remember your words today. If trouble comes, I’ll seek you out. I hope you won’t refuse!”
With that, she opened her palm. A white mark drifted down, sinking into Ye Xuan’s brow.
*Boom!*
His body trembled, a faint mark appearing between his brows.
Ye Xuan frowned, “What’s this?”
She explained, “The Mark of the Heavenly Dao. With it, all spirits in this universe will aid you. Beyond that, other universes’ Daos will trust you upon seeing it. If you need us, we’ll do our utmost to assist!”
Below, Xu Chong’s eyes narrowed, “She’s forging a bond with him…”
Elder Shen murmured, “This kid… he’s about to rise!”
Xu Chong turned to him, “Why do you say that?”
Elder Shen said gravely, “Before, he could only wield a world’s momentum. But now, with the Daos’ recognition, it’s not just momentum—it’s the full power of worlds…”
He glanced at Ye Xuan, “This guy’s become a friend of the Heavenly Dao!”
