Chapter 4237: The Final Campaign
Zhang Ruochen considered himself to have experienced countless great storms and separations between life and death, yet at this moment, his emotions still surged violently.
The decision was so difficult, like walking on a single-plank bridge—one step to the left was an abyss, one step to the right was also an abyss, with only one unique choice.
He swept his gaze across the figures before him, each of their eyes so fervent and resolute.
"Did you say a proper goodbye to Sixue?"
Zhang Ruochen patted Xiang Chunan on the shoulder. This third brother was the worst at hiding himself, tears in his eyes like rain filling a tidal lake.
Xiang Chunan nodded vigorously.
Zhang Ruochen asked again, "And the children?"
"They're all fine! Big Brother, you should know well—the Truth Temple has no cowards." Xiang Chunan said.
"Of course I know. Back then, the old Temple Master was unyielding and hated evil like a personal enemy. Without her, there would be no Zhang Ruochen today."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fell upon the Five Dragon God Emperor, Cihang Venerable, Shang Tian, Xuanyuan Lian, Hai Shang Youruo, Feng Yan, Feng Xi, Han Qiu, and Xuanji Sword God. "Cultivation is a gradual process, step by step. To break through realms consistently in just half a day—how could that be easy? It requires unimaginable resources and energy, and many will die."
"Time reversal does indeed hold hope of saving the thousands of great worlds in the Wuding Divine Sea, and also of eliminating the Doomsday Sacrifice at its source. But this is to oppose the rules of heaven and earth, to be at odds with the order of cause and effect. Even more people will die."
"So-called 'I am the Heavenly Dao' is merely a speculation."
"I cannot deceive you. I must tell you the truth. I am not omnipotent, nor can I bring the dead back to life. To die here, to die in the River of Time, is truly to vanish into ashes!"
Feng Xi pressed her palms together before her chest, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "If any of us harbored even a shred of fantasy about surviving, we would never have come here. Imperial Dust underestimates us!"
"No matter how many sacrifices, it's better than having the entire universe destroyed by the Doomsday Sacrifice. Big Brother, you should know better than us which is heavier and which is lighter. If you keep dithering, I might not be able to hold on much longer..."
Feng Yan's body kept splitting open, the five-colored merit energy within him erupting like a volcano.
"Swoosh!"
"Swoosh!"
Countless gods from the Sword Realm star fields rushed in from the depths of the starry sky, approaching from far to near.
Among them were Zhang Ruochen's wives and beloved women, such as Bai Qinger, Yuan Sheng, Wu Yue, Moon God, Yan Zhexian, Yu Chenjing, and others. They had all coiled up their long hair and donned battle robes and armor.
Some held spears, some held staves... No seductive makeup, no gorgeous clothes, only a murderous aura of iron horses and golden spears.
There were also his children, such as Zhang Hongchen, Chi Kongle, Zhang Nihe, Yan Ying'er, Zhang Gushen, Zhang Su'e, and Zhang Beize. Their eyes blazed like torches, and the war weapons in their hands flashed with cold light.
There were also close friends who had accompanied him through thorns and hardships all the way, such as Xiao Hei and A Le, as well as the Devouring Elephant Rabbit and the Demon Ape who had long been cultivating under Gai Mie.
Almost all the surviving Sword Realm cultivators who could have stayed in the Heavenly Court had arrived.
Zhang Ruochen was well aware that it was Ji Fanxin's doing that they, including Xiang Chunan and the others, could reach the Northern Universe so quickly.
Behind them, in the spatial rifts, were tributaries of the Santu River.
Ji Fanxin intended to use these people to force him to break through.
Chi Kongle held a war sword in hand, her battle robe like an iron sail, and said in a loud voice, "Father! Empress, Yuyan, Xingchen, Nicai, and the others all died in the Wuding Divine Sea. Only by reversing time can we save them. You said it yourself—not a single brother or sister can be missing!"
"Thousands of great worlds in the Sword Realm were annihilated there. All the blood qi, souls, matter, and energy were turned into offerings to nourish the Immortal. I, this Emperor, refuse to accept this!" Xiao Hei roared.
"The entire world is being sacrificed. Even if we defeat the God Realm, it's a complete defeat—we've lost everything. I refuse to accept this either!" Zhang Gushen said.
"Please, Imperial Dust, break through to mend the heavens, lead us to conquer the God Realm."
"Please, Imperial Dust, break through to mend the heavens, reverse the sacrificial calamity's edge, and fight for the hope of survival for the universe. We all do not fear sacrifice!"
Truth Heaven Domain.
The Heavens, God Kings and God Venerables, the Heavenly Punishment Divine Army, and the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals surrounded the God-Sealing Platform in layers upon layers.
The Time Divine Temple, Space Divine Temple, Array Extermination Palace, Red Dust Unrivaled Tower, Red Cloud Flying Immortal Valley... hundreds of the most top-tier divine temples floated in the sky, stabilizing time and space, suppressing the rules of heaven and earth.
The Ancestral Dragon corpse coiled above the God-Sealing Platform, with the Dragon Lord standing between the two horns on the dragon's head.
Halfway up the mountain, Panyuan Ancient God rode a Snow Carbon Dragon Steed, wielding a battle axe. The rules and order of a Half-Ancestor peak were fully released, and the blood qi flowing within him rumbled like thunder.
All cultivators stared at the "Space-Time Heaven and Earth Diagram" on the God-Sealing Platform.
Such a vigilant formation, such a lineup, showed how seriously the Heavenly Court gods regarded the Heavenly Demon.
The reason they knew the Heavenly Demon and Hao Tian were inside was, first, Chan Bing had sent a message in advance, and second, Zhang Ruochen had informed them from the Northern Universe through divine thought.
"Boom!"
Beams of Heavenly Punishment Divine Light shot up into the sky, converged in midair, and struck the "Space-Time Heaven and Earth Diagram."
Instantly, a crack was torn open in the scroll world.
"Swoosh!"
Brilliant clear radiance shot out from the crack, spreading across the Four Great Continents of the Heavenly Court in an instant, illuminating the sea of clouds and the starry sky.
Meng Ge and Hao Tian rushed out, one after the other.
As soon as Hao Tian rushed out, he immediately turned back. The Xuanhuang Halberd in his hand turned into an arrow, dragging a bright tail, striking the Heavenly Demon who was about to chase after them, sending him back into the "Space-Time Heaven and Earth Diagram."
"Where are the Heavenly Tiao Order?"
Hao Tian's divine voice boomed, one hand reaching toward the sky.
Instantly, the wind stirred and clouds raced. The Heavenly Tiao Order converged into a bright celestial river, descending from the sky toward the "Space-Time Heaven and Earth Diagram" to seal the Heavenly Demon inside.
Hao Tian knew too well that if an existence like the Heavenly Demon descended upon the Heavenly Court, it would surely turn the world upside down and cause rivers of blood.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Court gods had long been prepared, all assembled in the Truth Heaven Domain, enough to help him suppress it.
"It really is the Heavenly Venerable! It's Hao Tian Heavenly Venerable!"
Bian Zhuang and Zhao Gongming, along with the other nine War Gods, were overjoyed beyond words. They turned into nine divine lights and flew rapidly toward Hao Tian.
This was a bond of over a million years!
That clear radiance was their spiritual pillar and faith, irreplaceable by anyone.
"The Heavenly Venerable is not dead! Like Imperial Dust, he has returned! He has returned as an Ancestor!"
"Who says the universe is doomed to destruction? Behold, in this age, another Ancestor has emerged to face the calamity of the end times."
The Heavenly Tiao Order transformed into thick chains, wrapping around the "Space-Time Heaven and Earth Diagram," firmly suppressing the demonic qi that tried to escape. It seemed they were about to seal it.
Suddenly.
The myriad realms star field where the Heavenly Court was located trembled.
A radiant hand, glowing with light, crushed through the void and appeared above the Four Great Continents of the Heavenly Court.
This hand was filled with infinite Dao charm, imposing a spiritual pressure on all cultivators, like the hand of the heavens, the palm of the Great Dao. Countless cultivators across the myriad realms were pressed to their knees, their souls trembling.
Hao Tian looked up, his gaze sharp.
This aura did not belong to the Second Confucian Ancestor or Murong Zhuzai. It was even more terrifying than the Dark Lord's Myriad Forms Formless. Without a doubt, it was the Immortal of the God Realm making a move.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"
Zhen Yuan, Xianxia Chi, Old Wine Ghost, Immortal Music Master, Lian Xi, Demon Butterfly Princess, and other experts were long prepared. Together with the spiritual power gods of the Heavenly Court and over a trillion spiritual power cultivators from the myriad realms, they activated the myriad realms grand formation to its extreme.
Every great world was a formation platform.
The combined spiritual power of trillions formed a formation plate seal with a diameter of one light-year, welcoming the descending hand from the sky.
Hao Tian donned the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor, reached into the void to grab the Xuanyuan Halberd of the Xuanyuan Clan, and with his other hand grabbed the Xuan Emperor Golden Seal. The Heavenly Punishment World was strapped to his back.
Clear radiance, Heavenly Punishment Divine Light, and Xuanhuang Divine Radiance made him shine like a heaven-covering god.
The massacre caused by Yongzhou in Xuanyuan City, the death of Xuanyuan Tai Zhen—Hao Tian knew all of this.
Old grudges and new hatreds turned into a raging inferno.
Carrying the military formation power of the Heavenly Punishment Divine Army, Hao Tian thrust his halberd toward the sky.
"Boom!"
The Xuanyuan Halberd collided with the sky-reaching great hand, turning into a heavenly pillar supporting the myriad realms.
The power of the Human Ancestor was too terrifying. Neither the myriad realms grand formation nor the Heavenly Punishment Divine Army could withstand it. Many cultivators wavered on the verge of collapse.
From within the Heavenly Palace, the Thousand Armies War Flag flew out.
The war flag grew as it caught the wind, releasing the light and shadow of thousands of troops and horses, erupting with Ancestral Divine Radiance.
The thousands of troops and horses, bathed in Ancestral Divine Radiance, seemed forged from gold and iron.
This war flag was left by Zhang Ruochen in the Heavenly Palace, containing his Ancestral power. At a critical moment, even if he was tens of thousands of star fields away, he could send his Ancestral divine power to protect the Heavenly Court.
At the same time, Ji Fanxin crossed space, manipulating thousands of tributaries of the Santu River like the roots of a great tree, spreading into that sky-reaching great hand to split it apart.
It could be said that although Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin were in the distant Northern Universe, they could still send their power to any place in the universe.
Just like the Space-Time Human Ancestor, this sky-reaching great hand of his was also sent from the God Realm.
The sky-reaching great hand was shattered. The gods of the Heavenly Court were greatly encouraged, their morale boosted as never before.
"Haha! The Immortal is not invincible after all!"
"Space-Time Human Ancestor, do you dare come to this mortal world? The gods of the Heavenly Court will fight you to the death!"
Hao Tian could not muster any joy, because he discovered that although the sky-reaching great hand was shattered, the "Space-Time Heaven and Earth Diagram" on the God-Sealing Platform had disappeared, swept away by a space-time vortex.
If the Space-Time Human Ancestor truly descended upon the Heavenly Court in person, his combat power would only be more terrifying. Who could stop him?
Zhang Ruochen's voice echoed in Hao Tian's mind: "The Human Ancestor will not descend upon the Heavenly Court. Once he does, he and I will trap him in the Heavenly Court, preventing him from ever returning to the God Realm."
"Under the Doomsday Sacrifice, he intends to wait at ease in the God Realm?" Hao Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You just lead the great army to conquer the God Realm. He is my opponent. If he does not descend, I, this Emperor, will force him to fight."
Hao Tian sensed a decisive and sharp momentum in Zhang Ruochen's voice, like a divine sword unsheathed, a thunderbolt patrolling the sky, unstoppable.
Hao Tian soared into the sky, appearing at the highest point of the myriad realms star field, and shouted, "The Human Ancestor has stolen the origin of the Heavenly Dao. He holds the Heavenly Dao but wants to destroy the world. How can we accept our fate?"
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Voices like tidal waves rose from all the myriad realms.
"The Doomsday Sacrifice uses all living beings as offerings, devouring flesh and blood, destroying homes, leaving us no path to survival. Cultivators of the world, dare you follow me, Xuanyuan Taihao, to conquer the God Realm? If we cannot level the God Realm, we will bury our corpses there."
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Infinite battle intent was ignited, endless killing intent soared to the nine heavens.
Just as Hao Tian's halberd pierced through the spatial barrier between the myriad realms star field and the God Realm, with a loud crash, a Six Paths Reincarnation Seal shot up from Fengdu Ghost City.
Six divine lights tore through the star sea, and Yama killing intent surged straight toward the God Realm.
Majestic Ancestral Divine Might erupted. Yan Wushen, with Buddha and demon in one body, stepped on a boundless sea of corpses, with ten thousand Buddha lights above his head. His roar spread across the Hell Realm: "Where are the armies of the Ten Clans of Hell? Hurry to Fengdu Ghost City. Today, I, Yan Wushen, carry the will of Fengdu Dadi, and I swear to sweep through the God Realm and cut down all enemies."
The shadow beneath Yan Wushen's feet was the form of Fengdu Dadi.
Fengdu Dadi had always achieved the Dao through the earth soul of Xinghuan Heavenly Venerable, and the earth soul was the shadow.
Rakshasa Clan.
Luo Suo Female Emperor had long assembled her army. Gods, Great Saints, Saint Kings, Saints, Half-Saints—anyone with even a shred of combat power was gathered within the military formation.
Even if it was the light of a firefly, it had to converge into the battle flame to kill an Ancestor.
Guye Jing donned divine armor, her heroic spirit awe-inspiring. Beneath her was a divine beast mount. She said, "Yan Wushen actually broke through to Ancestor in this way!"
"Fengdu Dadi is indeed a generation's great ruler, sacrificing a million years of cultivation to help a junior achieve the Dao. Admirable!" Luo Sheng Tian said.
Luo Yi Female Emperor said, "It's all out of necessity. Heavenly Mother is trapped in the Jade Desolate Realm. Without an Ancestor to lead the Hell Realm, how can we conquer the God Realm? Yan Wushen is the only one with a chance to achieve the Dao in a short time, and he did not disappoint the Great Emperor. Brother, you should stay and leave a seed for the Rakshasa Clan!"
Luo Sheng Tian charged ahead on his divine beast mount, rushing into the Ancient God Path leading to Fengdu Ghost City, and said, "Leave what seed? Either the entire clan dies in battle, or the entire clan returns in triumph."
Luo Yi Female Emperor no longer persuaded. Her phoenix eyes sharpened: "March!"
"Rumble!"
The divine lords of the seven divine kingdoms of the Rakshasa Clan led seven mighty armies, under the blessing of tens of millions of formations, following Luo Bi Female Emperor into the Ancient God Path.
"Set out!"
Ni Xuan Bei Shi, Lan Ying, Feng Chen Sword God, and other new-generation experts, along with a large number of older-generation Shura Hall Masters, led the Shura Clan army, marching through the void, pushing space and rolling star clouds forward.
War flags fluttered, drums and horns sounded.
"This journey to the God Realm is a million deaths with one chance of life. The Undying Blood Clan has a tradition: let the old die, spare the young. Xue Jue, Xia Huangchao, you two stay." Undying War God said.
"I think you're getting senile. Where did this damn tradition come from? I am the clan leader of the Undying Blood Clan. I have the final say."
Xue Jue Clan Leader released the Fivefold Sea, raised the Blood Dragon War Halberd, and roared with a disdainful gaze: "Undying Blood Clan, anyone who can still breathe, follow this clan leader and charge into the God Realm to destroy the main altar. As long as we release the origin of the Heavenly Dao, Imperial Dust will be invincible in the entire universe. What Human Ancestor, what Eternal True Ruler, will all be slapped to death. This is our only chance to turn the tables. Kill!"
Inside the divine temple, Yan Ting helped Blood Butcher put on heavy armor. Tears never dried in her eyes.
She choked, "We've barely had a few days of peace, and now we have to go to war again. When will this chaotic world end?"
"The death knell has sounded. Yan Wushen, the clan leader, and the master have all sent out the call to war. What can we do?"
"This is the final campaign. After we fight this battle with senior brother, the clan leader, and the master, the world will be at peace forever."
"Then... I will no longer be the palace master of the Fierce Demon Divine Palace, nor will I be exhausted from cultivation. I'll take you, and Ci'er, back to the Blood Heaven Tribe, back to our ancestral land. We'll live a good life."
A lifetime spent weary from cultivation, fighting for opportunities, fighting for the future, fighting for fate.
Seeming glorious and boundless, but in truth, his head was hanging on his belt, ready to fall at any moment. Blood Butcher was tired.
"Father... Father... are you leaving again?"
Blood Ci'er, about five or six years old, with a tender and childish voice, ran in from outside, crying. Her hair was a bit messy, as if she had just woken up.
She tightly hugged Blood Butcher's leg, not letting him leave.
"When Father returns, I will definitely bring Ci'er many, many gifts, and then I will never leave again!"
Blood Butcher forced a smile, picked up his youngest daughter, and spun around in the hall.
Then, under the watchful eyes of Yan Ting and little Ci'er, he walked toward the temple's exit.
Blood Butcher knew very well that his entire life had been sustained by good luck to reach where he was. But conquering the God Realm was truly a million deaths with hardly a chance of life. This time, he probably wouldn't make it back.
His good luck had long run out.
Looking back on the past, he thought of his stern father, Blood Yao Divine Lord, of his acquaintance and rivalry with senior brother, of the dangerous trials in the Abyss...
Becoming a disciple of Xue Hou and Feng Tian, thinking of the Origin Divine Temple and the Darkness...
Too many past events surged into his heart.
Until, from behind, came the crying voice of his little daughter calling "Father." Blood Butcher could no longer hold back the hot tears in his eyes. He quickened his pace, striding forward like a meteor, not daring to look back.
The final campaign. After this battle, he would return to reunite with them.