A terrifying explosion swept through all of Pingyang Heaven, tearing a massive hole through the chest of the Heavenly Dao incarnation.

  The overwhelming aura raged like a gale, affecting countless small worlds. Fortunately, their world barriers protected them—though shaken, they were not destroyed.

  No one had time to be shocked.

  The apocalyptic shockwaves left everyone struggling to survive.

  Lu, transformed into a demonic sovereign, had pierced the Dao incarnation with one arrow—nearly shredding it.

  With this arrow, the battle grew even more chaotic.

  Upper-realm Saints clashed with Micah’s followers and the Five Phoenix Immortals.

  The frenzied fighting shook the entire outer void battlefield.

  In Pingyang Heaven,

  Micah drew a deep breath and broke free of the rule chains. The Heavenly Dao will was powerful—even its incarnation was this difficult to handle.

  If the true Heavenly Dao will descended, only an Emperor could survive.

  Yet Micah was astonished by Lu’s strength—far beyond his expectations.

  “This is… a special physique.”

  Micah inhaled deeply, gazing at the black demonic qi coiling around Lu, silver wings flapping behind him.

  The overwhelming demonic aura, like a tidal wave engulfing the heavens, left Micah stunned.

  Even as a Quasi-Emperor, his aura was not much stronger than Lu’s at this moment.

  “Incredible…”

  “How long has this child been cultivating?”

  Micah marveled.

  The Holy Hall had once collected intelligence on the Five Phoenixes and Lu.

  Their Saints had speculated that an Ancient Emperor stood behind Lu—explaining his rapid growth.

  But now, with Micah’s insight, he could tell: it was unlikely an Ancient Emperor supported Lu.

  Even an Ancient Emperor would struggle to cultivate someone like Lu—comparable to a Quasi-Emperor—in such a short time.

  Quasi-Emperor realm was not something even an Ancient Emperor could easily forge.

  Having lived hundreds of thousands of years, Micah watched the demonic qi surge around Lu, his heart surging with emotion.

  Could it be… Lu was not backed by a nine heavens powerhouse?

  But by some mysterious entity beyond the nine heavens?

  The thought made Micah draw a sharp breath. His eyes flickered. He felt even less regret for his decision.

  Having broken free of the rule chains,

  Lu and the Five Phoenix Xuan Immortals stood before the Five Phoenixes, blocking all terrifying power.

  The Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao had been drawn out by the nine heavens’ Dao and now floated above.

  Dao essence surged across it like rivers and lakes.

  Lu stood firm, Five Phoenix Bow in hand, expression cold. One arrow had pierced the Dao incarnation’s chest, yet his heart remained calm.

  He knew the Five Phoenix Bow was powerful, but destroying the incarnation required more.

  It wasn’t a matter of insufficient power—but of qualitative difference.

  The Dao incarnation possessed some characteristics of the Heavenly Dao… nearly immortal and indestructible.

  To destroy it, Lu needed another way.

  Boom!

  Lu put away the Five Phoenix Bow. His silver wings flared.

  He no longer wished to waste time.

  The mysterious Ancient Emperor still watched from the Void Heaven rift.

  The longer he remained exposed, the more thoroughly they could study him.

  Lu’s figure streaked across the void, leaving countless afterimages.

  His speed was so great that time seemed to freeze—each afterimage lingered in place.

  From beyond the Five Phoenixes, he crossed directly into Pingyang Heaven.

  Straight toward the Dao incarnation’s colossal form.

  The incarnation had slain many Saints, using the Dao aura from their deaths to turn the tide.

  But Lu had his own methods.

  Rumble!

  Explosions continued to ring out.

  The massive wound began to heal.

  The huge hole in the incarnation’s chest slowly closed, disappearing.

  Like writhing flesh regenerating.

  Micah shot forward, joining Lu to slay the incarnation.

  He felt hope. Lu’s current aura alone astonished him.

  Two Quasi-Emperors—there was still a chance to destroy the incarnation.

  As he passed, Lu glanced at Micah.

  In truth, Lu did not care whether Micah acted or not.

  He simply refused to drag this out any longer.

  The Dao incarnation was indeed powerful.

  If the current Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao collided with it directly, it would likely be crushed!

  Buzz…

  Lu appeared before the incarnation.

  With a flip of his hand, a small tower appeared.

  The Heaven-Stealing Tower.

  Lu gripped it and smashed it down toward the incarnation’s head.

  The Five Phoenix Bow had broken the seal—the Heaven-Stealing Tower was Lu’s true weapon.

  Pfft!

  The tower struck the incarnation’s head.

  Terrifying pressure erupted from the incarnation.

  Unlike when the Five Phoenix Bow pierced its chest, this time… Lu felt as though he had struck something solid.

  The Heaven-Stealing Tower was a system reward—an Innate Spirit Treasure.

  Though usually unremarkable, the moment it struck the nine heavens’ Dao, it erupted with terrifying radiance!

  Seven-colored light flowed, making the tower increasingly divine.

  Bang!

  The incarnation’s head exploded.

  Lu’s brows rose. His eyes gleamed. As expected—the Heaven-Stealing Tower was effective against the nine heavens’ Dao incarnation.

  He could feel a powerful suction force emanating from the tower.

  It devoured the incarnation’s energy relentlessly.

  The incarnation roared continuously.

  From within, it unleashed terrifying counterforce.

  Yet Lu held the tower firmly, allowing it to continue devouring the incarnation’s power.

  Utterly savage. Utterly shameless.

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  Micah sensed the incarnation’s anomaly and was startled.

  His gaze shifted to the Heaven-Stealing Tower in Lu’s hand.

  His heart jolted. Was this a unique imperial weapon?

  No—it felt even more profound than an imperial weapon.

  What kind of weapon was this?!

  The incarnation’s aura steadily weakened.

  Its colossal body shrank as the Heaven-Stealing Tower devoured it…

  Micah hovered in the air. He felt no need to act further.

  The incarnation… was finished.

  Its struggles grew futile. In time, it would be completely drained.

  In Void Heaven, the massive rift like an abyss stretched across the sky.

  The enormous eyeball rolled within.

  The entity inside seemed speechless.

  Perhaps unsure what to say—or unable to speak at all.

  The Ancient Emperor who had tried to take advantage of the chaos fell silent.

  He had expected Lu to be crushed by the Dao incarnation.

  Instead, the opposite occurred.

  Even without their help, Lu had effortlessly suppressed the incarnation.

  The opportunistic Ancient Emperor felt as though he had been slapped in the face.

  A faint, sinister aura began to stir.

  This dangerous aura seemed to catch Lu’s attention.

  Lu pressed the Heaven-Stealing Tower against the incarnation, then slightly turned his head toward the rift in Void Heaven.

  Always some petty schemer trying to harm him.

  Lu thought: was it the entity in that rift?

  He exhaled slowly.

  Once again lamenting the lack of trust between people.

  This Ancient Emperor not only tried to rob him—but now even wanted to harm him.

  He, Lu Ping’an, sought no conflict—yet this was the result?

  Turning back, he looked at the shrinking incarnation. This thing too—he, Lu, had stayed quietly in the Five Phoenixes, cultivating peacefully, causing no trouble.

  Yet this Dao incarnation had come knocking, intent on slaying him and destroying the Five Phoenixes.

  Not seeking conflict—a simple goal—yet so hard to achieve?

  Lu gave the rift one last deep look.

  Then withdrew his gaze.

  Cause today, consequence tomorrow.

  Lu was now certain: the entity in the rift was one of the Ancient Emperors who vanished in the ancient war.

  The voice had confirmed it—an Ancient Emperor.

  Clearly, the Five Phoenixes had now entered the eyes of these Ancient Emperors.

  Their earlier “protection” had merely been to make future plundering and control easier.

  Lu shook his head.

  It wasn’t that he was petty—these Ancient Emperors coveted the Five Phoenixes, took advantage of chaos, and sought to seize it.

  He, Lu, treated others with sincerity—yet they wanted to occupy the Five Phoenixes.

  The kind are bullied.

  Endless yielding was not always the answer.

  One day, Lu felt he might personally enter that rift and reason with those Ancient Emperors.

  Finally.

  The uproar began to subside.

  Soon… the Dao incarnation was completely drained by the Heaven-Stealing Tower.

  A lifeless Saint’s body fell from the void. The Heavenly Dao will that had possessed it vanished completely.

  Lu held the Heaven-Stealing Tower. At this moment, its aura grew even more terrifying—as though it could crush the void itself.

  Micah flew over. As Holy Hall Master, he looked at the tower in Lu’s hand with some wariness.

  Such a terrifying Dao incarnation—suppressed just like that?

  “The Heaven-Stealing Tower didn’t fully drain the nine heavens’ Dao incarnation. The Dao will sensed something wrong and gave up resistance, scattering and fleeing…”

  Lu narrowed his eyes and drew a deep breath.

  The nine heavens’ Dao indeed possessed intelligence. Glancing back at the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao—still innocent and ignorant—the gap was clear.

  If Heavenly Daos had ranks, the current Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao was likely the weakest.

  Did Heavenly Daos have ranks?

  Lu paused at the thought. Perhaps they truly did.

  “The nine heavens’ Dao will has scattered… Young Master Lu, your methods are truly unfathomable. I am in awe.”

  Micah looked at Lu and bowed.

  Originally, he had harbored some arrogance toward Lu.

  But in this battle, Lu had displayed strength comparable to his own Quasi-Emperor level.

  He no longer underestimated him—he began to take Lu seriously.

  With the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao and now Quasi-Emperor combat power, the future… was impossible to predict.

  Lu smiled. Though Micah helped the Five Phoenixes out of self-interest,

  Lu had always treated others with sincerity. Since Micah had shed blood for the Five Phoenixes, Lu would not be ungrateful.

  In the outer void battlefield,

  The Five Phoenix Xuan Immortals clashed with many Saints. As the nine heavens’ Dao slew Saints,

  Many fell, granting the Five Phoenix Immortals vast fortune. Their cultivation advanced significantly.

  This battle yielded great rewards.

  Of course, the losses fell on the upper-realm holy clans—or rather, the Holy Hall Saints.

  Many Holy Hall Saints died in this battle—not mostly at enemy hands, but slain by the nine heavens’ Dao.

  The Heavenly Dao was ruthless—they had experienced it fully.

  With the matter settled, the Five Phoenix Immortals returned, still exhilarated.

  Whoosh! Whoosh!

  Sounds of fleeing echoed—the upper-realm holy clan Saints.

  The moment the Dao incarnation vanished,

  They no longer lingered. Why stay?

  Micah had betrayed them. The Five Phoenixes had Lu—a Quasi-Emperor. Two Quasi-Emperors—if they wanted to kill them, escape would be impossible.

  So the Saints fled in panic.

  In the rift of Void Heaven,

  The massive eyeball rolled.

  The pupil seemed to reflect a mocking smile—as though watching a show.

  “The Heavenly Dao is the most difficult to deal with. Did you think it would end so easily?”

  “Emperors have fought the Heavenly Dao for millions of years. Did you think it would be so simple?”

  “This Emperor said… hand over control of the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao, and this Emperor will save you.”

  A faint voice drifted from the rift.

  Lu’s brows furrowed slightly.

  Micah’s expression changed.

  The Ancient Emperor’s will…

  But what Micah cared about most was the meaning behind those words.

  The Heavenly Dao is the most difficult to deal with?!

  Micah drew a deep breath. He did not doubt the Ancient Emperor’s words.

  After all, the nine heavens’ Ancient Emperors had battled the Heavenly Dao will for millions of years. If anyone truly understood it, it was they.

  “Young Master Lu… be careful!”

  Micah said gravely.

  The moment his words fell,

  It was as though a storm approached—black clouds sweeping in from the horizon.

  Terrifying pressure suffocated the air.

  Several Saints who had fled to the edge of Yuan Magnetic Heaven—nearly entering the upper realms—suddenly stiffened.

  Their eyes blazed with white light. Their bodies were seized by the Heavenly Dao will.

  These were Saints who had lost composure in their escape.

  Five in total.

  Meaning—in this moment—five more Dao incarnations had appeared.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Like raging waves crashing down.

  Micah’s relaxed body tensed again.

  “Five Dao incarnations at once?!”

  The might of the Heavenly Dao was unimaginable.

  Micah’s pupils shrank.

  Only after clashing could one understand how powerless and terrifying it was to fight the Heavenly Dao.

  The Emperors of the nine heavens had struggled against it for so long without suppressing it—let alone them.

  “Not just that… the true, complete Heavenly Dao will seems to be approaching!”

  “It is an unparalleled terror!”

  Micah said gravely.

  The birth of the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao had truly provoked the nine heavens’ Dao.

  Perhaps Quasi-Emperor births did not concern it—but a second Heavenly Dao within its domain… that was intolerable.

  Even Gu Mangran felt it—a suffocating pressure, greater than any Ancient Emperor’s!

  Lu held the Heaven-Stealing Tower, staring at the five incarnations.

  “I am heaven. Heaven’s will—cannot be defied.”

  “Heaven’s will—is everywhere.”

  The five incarnations spoke in unison. Their voices shook heaven and earth.

  Lu looked up toward the rift in Void Heaven—but the rift had already vanished, as though hiding.

  Clearly, the true Heavenly Dao will was about to descend, causing the Ancient Emperor in the rift to retreat.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The five incarnations’ bodies blazed with extreme light.

  The light stacked. The five incarnations fused into one colossal figure of light.

  Dazzling radiance—like a star burning at full power.

  Utterly blinding.

  The entire nine heavens seemed illuminated in this moment!

  “Act now… it’s summoning the true Heavenly Dao will!”

  Micah, having lived countless years, seemed to guess the incarnation’s intent. He roared.

  Micah moved.

  Transforming into a streak of light, he charged toward the fused Dao will.

  But the colossal light figure slowly raised a palm.

  Boom!

  Micah—Quasi-Emperor—bled instantly, becoming a blood-soaked figure.

  He was sent flying.

  Unmatched pressure—nearly indistinguishable from true Emperor might.

  Gu Mangran also charged. His coffin lid had shattered in earlier clashes.

  This time, he swung the coffin itself…

  Unfortunately, he fared even worse than Micah.

  Upon clashing with the Dao will’s palm, the coffin disintegrated into dust. His resting place—destroyed!

  Blood-soaked, coughing blood, he fell.

  Terrifying pressure surged like tidal waves.

  Even Lu’s expression grew grave in this moment.

  The Five Phoenix Xuan Immortals and Immortals trembled faintly.

  Such terrifying pressure!

  True Emperor might!

  Not from imperial weapons, Quasi-Emperors, or imperial blood.

  But genuine Great Emperor pressure!

  At this moment, the Heavenly Dao will possessed Great Emperor-level might!

  “What does it want?”

  Lu stared at the Dao will, gaze heavy.

  “One strike didn’t kill me! It’s still missing that final step to true Emperor power! We still have a chance!”

  Micah, blood-soaked, rose from the void. His eyes burned with madness.

  He glared at the colossal light figure—unwilling to accept defeat.

  The Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao was his only hope.

  After hundreds of thousands of years stuck at the bottleneck, unable to break through—now, when hope finally appeared, the nine heavens’ Dao sought to destroy it.

  How unjust the Heavenly Dao was!

  Micah roared.

  He looked at Lu—at the Heaven-Stealing Tower in his hand.

  The only hope was Lu’s tower. Since it had shattered the first incarnation, it could shatter the second!

  “Young Master Lu, I’ll block its attacks. Use the tower… smash it!”

  Micah coughed blood. His aura began to climb.

  Gu Mangran also bled, but the bewilderment in his eyes had vanished.

  He knew what he must do.

  His feelings toward the Five Phoenixes were complex.

  Having watched it grow from weak to strong, he refused to see it destroyed!

  So…

  The divine herb energy he had stored for so long surged within him.

  In the void,

  The colossal Dao incarnation seemed to sense their intentions.

  It let out a human-like laugh.

  “Heaven knows all.”

  It seemed to know Micah and the others’ plans.

  The next moment.

  The massive light palm rose—then clenched.

  Whoosh! Whoosh!

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Terrifying explosions rang out!

  Blood Fiend Heaven, Yuan Magnetic Heaven, Pingyang Heaven—every world in Void Heaven had its essence, energy, and spirit transformed into rule chains, dragged out by the Dao incarnation.

  Every high-martial world had one such chain.

  These were the energy sources the Heavenly Dao had provided them.

  Mid- and low-martial worlds were stripped of their world protection barriers—also transformed into Dao chains.

  The massive fist tightened, seizing the chains of every world except the Five Phoenixes. All the Heavenly Dao’s distributed energy gathered in the incarnation’s palm.

  Boom!

  Countless energies converged. The Dao incarnation erased the final gap Micah had spoken of—fully stepping into Emperor realm.

  Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Explosions thundered.

  The heavens and earth seemed utterly silent in this moment.

  Worlds drained of their Dao chains shattered.

  In the lower three heavens, every world—high-martial, mid-martial, low-martial—exploded into countless bloody fragments.

  Countless lives were extinguished in this instant.

  The nine heavens’ Dao incarnation remained cold and ruthless, unmoved.

  These ordinary, weak lives—once dead—would be reborn in time. It cared not.

  What it cared about… was devouring the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao!

  A newborn Heavenly Dao—once devoured, the nine heavens’ Dao might grow even stronger!

  Micah despaired.

  He stared in shock as continents shattered into bloody fragments. His hair stood on end.

  He truly understood what the Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor had once said: the Heavenly Dao is heartless.

  Boom!

  The Dao incarnation that had stepped into Emperor realm blazed with boundless light.

  Its massive light palm reached toward the only surviving world—the Five Phoenixes.

  Seeking to seize the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao.

  The Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao stars trembled violently—as though quaking in fear.

  This unmatched power.

  Filled everyone on the Five Phoenix Continent with despair.

  The time array ceased operating.

  The Heaven-Covering Formation could form no barrier.

  The light palm descended.

  Suddenly.

  Above the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao stars,

  Lu’s figure appeared.

  He slowly sat down. The thousand blades stacked into a wheelchair.

  Watching the massive, sky-covering light palm descend.

  His expression was calm. His white robes whipped in the wind.

  His eyes reflected the scene. He exhaled.

  His arms slowly spread.

  Clang! Clang! Clang!

  The phoenix plume sword burned like fire, hovering above Lu’s head.

  “Heavenly Dao… empower me.”

  “With the Heavenly Dao… battle the Heavenly Dao…”