Chapter 4241: It's Over
"So this is the form of the Heavenly Dao's origin?"
Lady Shiji stared intently at the circular diagram in the sky, feeling it resembled the Eye of Heaven, encompassing all phenomena, its Dao resonance inexhaustible.
If she could cultivate by observing this diagram, she felt that even without the girl's help, she could comprehend the Ancestral Dao.
This was the Heavenly Dao's origin!
Yan Wushen was also captivated by the Heavenly Dao's origin: "Why does it feel so similar to Zhang Ruochen's Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram, but... this diagram's Dao resonance is more primal and dense, its aura more majestic and profound. I wonder, if Zhang Ruochen manifested his Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram at his current realm, how would it compare?"
Hao Tian said, "The Heavenly Dao's origin cannot have a form; it is formless and shadowless. It must have taken the shape of a Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram only after being captured."
"Exactly as we speculated. All Divine Martial Marks from ancient times to the present have been born from the Heavenly Dao's origin. The Human Ancestor, by mastering the Heavenly Dao's origin, gained control over all cultivators in the universe. Spiritual power cultivation methods were likely created by someone to break this absolute control of the Human Ancestor," said Heavenly Mother.
Zhang Ruochen's will, attached to the fragments of the Nine Cauldrons, noticed that the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram formed by the Heavenly Dao's origin was identical to the one he had condensed after cultivating the First-Rank Sacred Intent at the singularity.
This Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram was born together with heaven and earth during the singularity explosion.
Zhang Ruochen sent out a divine thought, attempting to communicate with the Heavenly Dao's origin.
But as soon as the divine thought approached, it was refined by a ring of civilization fire at the edge of the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram, then captured and drawn into the divine diagram, severing contact with him.
The main altar of the Divine Realm was destroyed by the remnant lamp, which was a cause for celebration—no more worries about the doomsday sacrifice.
But at the same time, the Human Ancestor no longer had to cling to the doomsday sacrifice, completely free of obsession and restraint, able to summon the Heavenly Dao's origin for his own use.
Zhang Ruochen transmitted an ancestral sound, warning Yan Wushen and the others: "There is a strange and unpredictable artifact imprisoning the Heavenly Dao's origin... Be careful, it's coming for you!"
Before the sound faded, the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram had already crossed space, striking at Yan Wushen.
As it flew, the spinning divine diagram emitted sound waves that shook the souls of Ancestors. All the defensive rules and order fields around Yan Wushen proved extremely fragile, unable to block it for even an instant.
Without time to recall the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror, Yan Wushen had to raise the Nether City and the Six Paths Reincarnation Diagram Seal to protect himself.
"Pfft!"
The Nether City shattered into fragments.
The Six Paths Reincarnation Diagram Seal, like a painting on paper, was burned to nothing by the civilization fire.
Yan Wushen couldn't even see what artifact was imprisoning the Heavenly Dao's origin before the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram cut him in two.
His Ancestral body was severed at the waist, flying in two directions, blood spilling everywhere.
Heavenly Mother and Hao Tian had to support the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror and couldn't escape in time, so they could only strike out with the Earth Fiend Bell and the Xuan Yuan Halberd.
The two divine artifacts, upon contact with the Heavenly Dao's origin, shattered into pieces.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Heavenly Mother and Hao Tian were struck by the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram, one after the other.
Heavenly Mother's Ancestral body exploded into a mass of blood and mud, wrapped in the Houtu Wedding Garb, fleeing at great speed.
The wedding garb seemed to become a shroud.
Hao Tian fared no better; his clear radiance extinguished, his physical body and the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor exploded together into countless bright fragments flying into the void, his divine soul and consciousness eroded to an unknown degree.
His aura became unstable, as if he were about to fall in realm! When the Human Ancestor's fantasy of sacrificing the entire universe was shattered, he, wielding the Heavenly Dao's origin, was at his strongest.
The rapidly spinning Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram soared into the sky, its might majestic and unstoppable, flying toward the chaotic and turbulent temporal storm, aiming to lock onto the rain of Nine Cauldron fragments.
It intended to draw Zhang Ruochen into the diagram and erase his consciousness.
"Whoosh!"
A bright streak of light flew out of the black hole formed by the collapse of the main altar.
Lin Ke, holding a single halberd, swung his arm, and the halberd's light split heaven and earth, dividing the void, colliding directly with the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram.
Instantly, a terrifying energy storm erupted.
The sparks of the clash were larger than stars, millions of times brighter.
"Boom!"
After several clashes, Lin Ke used the halberd to block the rapidly spinning Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram, his body flying backward like a meteor, colliding with a fragment of the Divine Realm the size of a great world.
His feet tore tens of millions of miles of earth cracks across this land.
"Ten thousand divine lamps, heaven and earth share the same lifespan."
Blood trickled from the corner of Lin Ke's mouth, and behind him, ten thousand divine lamps rose into the space.
In each divine lamp, divine shadows flickered, like an army of ten thousand gods, attempting to stabilize the Heavenly Dao's origin.
"Zhang Ruochen, Tai Shang used the Civilization Ring to imprison the Heavenly Dao's origin of this universe. Its power is beyond my ability to contend. I can hold it for a moment, but if you have no way to kill the enemy, we'll all die here." Lin Ke's blood flowed faster.
As he resisted, the rotation speed of the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram slowed considerably.
At this moment, Yan Wushen, Heavenly Mother, and Hao Tian, who had reformed their bodies, finally saw clearly: the divine diagram was encircled by rings of flame. Within the flames, a metallic luster gleamed.
The flames were civilization fire.
The metal in the flames were ring-shaped artifacts of varying sizes, imprisoning the Heavenly Dao's origin.
This must be what Lin Ke called the "Civilization Ring."
Without time to ponder why Lin Ke called the Human Ancestor "Tai Shang," Heavenly Mother and Hao Tian almost immediately stepped forward, channeling divine Qi within their bodies, reversing it toward their divine sources.
No one had expected the Heavenly Dao's origin to be so terrifying, making even Ancestors seem extremely fragile before it.
Now, there was no way to slowly weaken the Human Ancestor and suppress him.
They could only take advantage of the fact that the Heavenly Dao's origin had not yet returned to the Human Ancestor's hands, self-destruct their Ancestral divine sources, kill the Human Ancestor, or severely wound him to the point of greatly diminished combat power, buying Zhang Ruochen an opportunity.
But at this moment, Zhang Ruochen and the Human Ancestor were locked in fierce combat.
The fragments of the Nine Cauldrons and the Seventy-Two Layer Tower were almost mixed together, indistinguishable.
This left the originally decisive Heavenly Mother and Hao Tian in hesitation.
Zhang Ruochen's voice came from the Nine Cauldron fragments: "Heavenly Mother, Hao Tian, hear my command. I, the Emperor, order you to assist Yan Wushen in establishing reincarnation. Use reincarnation to reverse chaos into order, preventing entropy increase and the Great Calamity."
"Yan Wushen, I entrust this universe to you!"
"Whoosh!"
Time rules boiled, and a bright, magnificent River of Time materialized.
The Nine Cauldron fragments dragged the Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments along the River of Time, heading toward the future.
"I understand. He's going to pull the Human Ancestor into the future, into the Great Calamity. No matter how strong the Immortal is, he has no certainty of withstanding the Great Calamity, especially since the Human Ancestor is severely wounded now."
Hao Tian's eyes were complex, feeling a stifling pressure in his chest that he couldn't release. He wanted to go to the future to fight for Zhang Ruochen's slim chance of survival, but stopping entropy increase and establishing reincarnation was an urgent matter.
This universe-wide chaotic battle had already caused entropy to skyrocket, bringing the Great Calamity's arrival much closer, possibly imminent at any moment.
The method Zhang Ruochen had proposed to the Supreme Group to stop the Great Calamity was to establish reincarnation.
Consciousness and soul energy, key factors driving entropy increase, would be absorbed by reincarnation.
And the birth of life was precisely the reverse process of entropy.
Entropy increase became entropy reversal; chaos became order.
The Supreme Group's discussion concluded that this method was feasible, but they unanimously believed it had less than a twenty percent chance of success. They held a pessimistic view of entropy increase.
After all, the destruction of epochs was the will of heaven and earth.
Entropy increase was the law of heaven and earth.
Fengdu Dadi had willingly given his life to Yan Wushen, helping him attain the Ancestral Dao, precisely because he knew that "reincarnation" was the hope for the entire universe's continuation.
It wasn't just trust in Yan Wushen.
It was also trust in Nuwa, the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, and all the Qi Refiners of the ancient era.
Zhang Ruochen, Yan Wushen, and Fengdu Dadi had all speculated that the Six Paths Reincarnation was led by Nuwa. Because it was Nuwa who ended the era of ancient shamanism and began the era of Qi Refiners.
And in the endless years of the ancient era, generation after generation of Qi Refiners spent their entire lives refining the Six Paths Reincarnation.
The Immovable Bright King Great Venerable was responsible for bringing the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror to the future, to their era.
But the River of Time was severed by the Nether Ancestor, and the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable couldn't cross over.
To prevent the Six Paths Reincarnation from falling into the hands of the Nether Ancestor and the Human Ancestor, the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable had to use more obscure methods, hiding it in the Chaotian Que of the Ancient Desolate Ruins City.
Messages like "Those who cherish life, stop here," using the Five-Colored Glass Cover and the Xiongxiao Demon Divine Hall to suppress the dark hand, and other measures, were all meant to confuse and hide the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror.
Otherwise, Yan Wushen would have had no chance to find the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror at Chaotian Que.
Watching the temporal storm gradually receding into the future, Yan Wushen felt an indescribable heaviness, as if the entire world was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
This spiritual pressure was far heavier than ten great worlds pressing down.
At this moment, he truly understood the immense burden Zhang Ruochen had once carried.
When the hope of the entire universe is placed on you, where is there room for carefree joy, where is there room for emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness? Only heavy responsibility remains.
"Go in peace. I promised Fengdu Dadi that even if I die, I will establish reincarnation before I die." Yan Wushen's resounding, deep voice carried into the future.
Heavenly Mother also knew that the most effective means against the Immortal was the Great Calamity. Chasing into the future now was meaningless.
Without a word, she charged at the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram.
No matter what, she had to help Lin Ke hold it back first.
Once the Human Ancestor was erased by the Great Calamity and no one controlled the Civilization Ring, the Heavenly Dao's origin would naturally regain its freedom. Unfortunately, by then, the Heavenly Dao's consciousness would also be destroyed in the Great Calamity.
Perhaps then, the universe could be reshaped, and a new order could emerge.
Hao Tian said, "The Great Emperor dragging the Human Ancestor into the Great Calamity will inevitably cause a collapse of future time, and the Great Calamity may descend at any moment."
"I'm more worried about the Dark Sovereign and the White Jade Divine Emperor."
After a moment's thought, Yan Wushen added, "And Ji Fanxin, who may or may not be the Nether Ancestor!"
"If they dare to covet the Heavenly Dao's origin, I will self-destruct my Ancestral divine source and take them with me immediately." Hao Tian charged out, attacking the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram that was about to pursue the River of Time.
Many saw the Nine Cauldron fragments and Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments rushing toward the future along the River of Time. Without even a moment for grief, figures rushed toward the River of Time, chasing after the Emperor's footsteps.
The foremost figure among them was Chi Yao.
When a person becomes a faith, a banner, then whether ahead lies a mountain of blades or an abyss of death, they can follow without hesitation.
But all were repelled by the temporal storm.
The River of Time grew increasingly faint, finally disappearing completely.
The Dark Sovereign, hidden in the shadows, was overjoyed. This was the result he most wanted to see.
If the Civilization Ring lost its power, it meant the Human Ancestor had died together with Zhang Ruochen in the Great Calamity. Then, if he acted in time, he could surely seize the Heavenly Dao's origin.
The Dark Sovereign noticed the White Jade Divine Emperor emerging from the black hole.
This was a significant competitor.
Gray Sea, Biluo Pass.
Ji Fanxin stood as still as an orchid beneath the pass, her eyes flickering with Nether light.
The magnificent River of Time naturally presented itself before her.
The temporal storm stirred up by the Nine Cauldron fragments and Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments shattered the River of Time.
Ahead of the temporal storm, the destructive radiance of the Great Calamity was like a fire at the end of heaven and earth, formed by the explosion of all stars in the universe, its aura so blazing and terrifying it could incinerate everything.
"Chi!"
Two rays of life's dawn finally overpowered the Nether light in her pupils.
Ji Fanxin transformed into a wisp of flowing light and white mist, disappearing from beneath Biluo Pass.
The next moment, she crossed time and space, appearing in the future, standing before the temporal storm, with the destructive brilliance of the Great Calamity behind her.
Her figure was so slender and delicate, yet like a stabilizing pillar, exuding an invincible, majestic bearing.
"I thought you would wait until we were submerged in the Great Calamity, then launch a Minor Calamity at Biluo Pass, becoming the final victor. What made you change your mind?"
Amid the rain of flying Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments, a massive silhouette of the Human Ancestor condensed, still with that immortal, transcendent demeanor.
Ji Fanxin's two snow-white, jade-like fingers formed a seal, and sixty-five bronze bells flew out, neatly arranged before her, ancient and resonant, their chimes melodious.
Her voice was cold: "Why so many questions?
I simply don't want to see the one I love perish in the Great Calamity, that's all. He is, after all, often too foolish and too naive!"
The distance was closing!
The vortex of the Eternal Divine Sea rapidly contracted, and the Nine Cauldron fragments and Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments separated at great speed.
Zhang Ruochen's translucent silhouette formed at the center of the vortex.
The rain of Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments transformed into a massive seventy-two-string zither, its strings made of fragments, playing a killing heavenly sound.
Instantly, all the rules in the universe resonated like strings.
Ji Fanxin swung her arm.
The sixty-five bronze bells struck out like a heavenly divine seal, their sound waves colliding, sending the Human Ancestor's silhouette and the rain of Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments hurtling toward the Great Calamity.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen successfully condensed the Nine Cauldrons, drawing nine Dao rules, blasting the Human Ancestor's silhouette and the seventy-two-string zither form of the fragment rain apart, giving the Human Ancestor no chance to counterattack.
Zhang Ruochen walked step by step toward Ji Fanxin, all matter and souls flying toward him continuously, his body rapidly solidifying.
His gaze, however, was fixed on the direction of the Great Calamity.
He saw the Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments completely engulfed by the Great Calamity's destructive storm. Every time they tried to break out, they were struck back by the Nine Cauldrons and the bronze bells.
Gradually, their aura grew weaker and weaker, until they could no longer escape the Great Calamity.
At this moment, the stone that had been hanging in Zhang Ruochen's heart finally fell.
The entire world seemed to become quiet and peaceful.
An unprecedented wave of fatigue washed over him. He felt incredibly exhausted, wanting to sleep soundly, to sleep through eternity, never again to think about the troubles of the world's survival.
Whoever wanted to think could think.
The string that had been taut for hundreds of thousands of years could finally relax a little.
"Is it really over like this? Do you think the Human Ancestor died in the Great Calamity?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Ji Fanxin said, "Hard to say. He was severely wounded, but even as he fell into the Great Calamity, he still maintained the level of 'Heaven Begins, Self Ends.' However, even if he didn't die, the Great Calamity would be enough to wound him further, greatly reducing his combat power. With the two of us joining forces, who in the world is there to fear?"
Zhang Ruochen could finally calm down and gaze intently into her water-cut eyes: "Why, exactly?"
If Ji Fanxin had acted ten or more days ago, the cultivators of this era would have had a much easier time dealing with the Human Ancestor.
Undoubtedly, during those ten-plus days, she must have harbored the intention of watching from the sidelines, waiting for Zhang Ruochen and the Human Ancestor to destroy each other, aiming to be the final victor.
Zhang Ruochen didn't doubt Ji Fanxin, but he suspected the Nether Ancestor might be at work.
The Nether Ancestor might have already returned!
"Is the process that important?"
Ji Fanxin, abandoning her usual pure and ethereal gentle demeanor, stood with one hand behind her back, exuding an imposing aura, her tone cold: "As long as the result is good, you shouldn't doubt my intentions. My Heavenly Dao Great Emperor, if you don't go back to clean up the mess, you might let two rats turn the world upside down."
Zhang Ruochen studied her carefully, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.
But he had to admit that if she hadn't changed her mind in time, he would now be buried in the Great Calamity alongside the Human Ancestor.
He had to concede that even between two people who were once close, once a favor was owed, one's momentum would inevitably weaken by three parts.
I'll let you have this one for now.
Zhang Ruochen hurried back to his own era, gently stroking his chin, then turned back to cast a scrutinizing glance at Ji Fanxin in the distance.
"I'll stay here to guard against the Human Ancestor faking his death. Don't look at me like that. If I were the Nether Ancestor, I wouldn't have helped you at all; I would have seized the Heavenly Dao's origin by now."
Ji Fanxin turned her back to Zhang Ruochen, Nether light flickering in her eyes again, until Zhang Ruochen disappeared into the River of Time. Then, as if talking to herself, she murmured, "I've laid my plans for years, and everything was developing as expected. I never thought that, in the end, you would be the one to make it all fall apart."