"Moo."
A water buffalo leaped out of its slumber.
The water buffalo, treading on empty air.
An immense wave of water converged beneath its four hooves.
The wave, formed by rules.
The water buffalo, nearly a hundred meters long, galloped across the sky above the long river.
An even vaster phantom of a water buffalo materialized, enveloping heaven and earth, carrying an unstoppable, ferocious aura.
...
"Squeak squeak squeak."
Familiar sounds, familiar figures.
A palm-sized mouse burst from the surface of the water.
This mouse carried the power of flames.
"Another rat?" Chen Fan almost burst out laughing.
Did I fall into a rat's nest?
First there was the Sky-Drilling Rat, what kind of rat is this one?
Interesting.
The types of demonic beasts are truly myriad.
"Hiss hiss."
A giant python, flicking its forked tongue, leaped out of the water.
Too many.
Dozens of demonic beasts, coming and going, continuously leaping out of the water, then falling back into the river of rules.
Truly interesting.
After watching for a while, Chen Fan also entered the river.
In his perception, the long river had grown much stronger, seeming to expand every moment.
"A good sign."
He was satisfied with this situation.
If it continued like this, one day, relying on this river of rules, he would be able to truly carve out his own world.
Chen Fan greatly needed such lofty ambitions.
He closed his eyes and began to comprehend the rules.
...
"Roar."
After an unknown period, a fire dragon roared and ascended to the heavens.
"Open."
The Dragon Spirit had awakened.
The moment it awoke, the imperial aura it had originally possessed vanished, replaced by nine battle markings flowing within its bloodline.
"As expected."
The Dragon Spirit was incredibly excited: "The demon race, utterly without need for cultivating imperial energy; the physical body is the demon race's greatest asset."
The Dragon Spirit had not awakened its bloodline memories; all of this had been told to it by the Heavenly Disaster.
Guided by the reminder from the Sky-Drilling Rat, the Dragon Spirit finally took the biggest step.
"Haha."
The Dragon Spirit was exultant: "I knew why cultivating imperial energy was so difficult before; it was wrong from the very root."
As it spoke...
"Boom."
The nine battle markings melted and entered its body.
Then, a light of the physical body appeared on the Dragon Spirit's massive draconic form, a form of power similar to the human's acupoints of the Dao.
The Dragon Spirit's aura began to climb steadily.
The nine battle markings were akin to the nine imperial energies of humans.
The Dragon Spirit had finally stepped into the realm of Emperor.
And at once became a titled Emperor.
"Haha."
Amidst laughter, the Dragon Spirit's body transformed into human form once more.
Dragon scales became clothing, worn upon its body.
"City Lord."
The Dragon Spirit bowed its head: "Thank you, City Lord, for your fulfillment."
Fulfillment?
Indeed, without Chen Fan's Dao of Heaven Opening, it was unknown when the Dragon Spirit would have reached this stage.
Chen Fan nodded, not taking credit: "Your integration of your severed Dao into my river of rules has also benefited me; it is mutual fulfillment."
That was the truth of the matter.
However, the Dragon Spirit was still genuinely grateful.
Chen Fan added: "If there is nothing else, you should go out and help Di Long now."
"En?"
The Dragon Spirit looked confused: "What happened? Did Di Long do something unlawful?"
Thinking of this, she denied it herself, shaking her head: "I know Di Long's character; he definitely wouldn't..."
"You'll know when you go out."
He stopped the Dragon Spirit's wild thoughts.
The current Sword City needed the Dragon Spirit's strength to rebuild.
"Yes."
The Dragon Spirit said no more and directly exited the river of rules.
...
Within the river.
Chen Fan spoke no further, descending into the river of rules to comprehend the continuously opening Great Daos of the demonic race.
Time flowed slowly.
Great demons continuously flew out of the river, expressing their gratitude to Chen Fan.
Chen Fan merely nodded in acknowledgment and let them leave.
As time passed, more and more people emerged.
At a certain moment...
"Boom."
The last person emerged.
Huang Die.
"Chirp."
Her wings gently fanned, as if to split the ancient heavens.
The river churned, and Huang Die, originally a soul body, was slowly becoming corporeal.
"City Lord."
Huang Die's voice carried a hint of excitement: "I am about to reunite my bloodline and physical body. I hope the City Lord can help me with something."
"What can I do?"
He stood up, looking at Huang Die.
If he could help, he would not refuse.
Huang Die spoke: "My Huang Die clan, with a single flap of our wings, can split the ancient heavens; all our power resides within our bloodline. I wish... that the City Lord could help me find the mark of the Huang Die clan within the river."
Heaven and earth, the three thousand Great Daos, the endless Great Daos.
Every Great Dao has its original creator, the opener of the Dao.
Even if the opener of the Dao has died, the Great Dao remains, waiting for future generations to open it.
For Huang Die to re-condense her demonic body, she would need the assistance of the Great Daos of heaven and earth.
"I can."
Chen Fan did not refuse.
It was a good thing for Huang Die to be able to re-condense her body: "What do I need to do?"
Huang Die said: "With this Dao, connected to the Dao of the Immortal Realm, I will search for the Great Dao of the Huang Die clan. Within it, there must be traces of the Great Dao of my Huang Die clan."
Chen Fan frowned.
He had no other intentions, nor did he find it inappropriate.
It was just not easy to handle.
But looking at Huang Die's expectant gaze, he finally agreed.
"I can."
*Swoosh.*
As he spoke, Chen Fan directly opened the river of rules.
"I'm coming."
Huang Die emerged from the river of rules, but did not fully exit.
She needed to bring the river of rules into contact with the rules of the Immortal Realm.
"Boom."
At this moment, the rules of the Immortal Realm had fractured.
"Roar."
Faintly, one could hear the roar of the Immortal Realm's rules.
Another one who severed their Dao.
The moment Huang Die severed her Dao, with a roar... a colossal phantom of a Huang Die appeared.
That was an ancestor of the Huang Die clan.
As expected, the current Huang Die had opened the ancestral Dao of the Huang Die lineage.
The essence of the Dao boomed and exploded.
"Ah..."
In heaven and earth, only a piercing scream was heard.
That was the mournful cry of the Huang Die clan's power of rules.
It sensed the tragic fate of its descendant.
"Ancestor."
Huang Die spoke, looking at the collapsing Great Dao of the Huang Die clan: "I wish to re-condense my physical body; I beg my ancestor for help."
"Boom."
The rules of the Huang Die clan, without the slightest hesitation.
The rules exploded.
The moment they exploded, the Great Dao of the Huang Die clan seemed to have found its source.
All the power poured towards Huang Die.
In the unseen realm, a sense of heavenly will descended, attempting to intervene.
The Dao of the Huang Die was about to break free from the Immortal Realm.
Once such a thing occurred, the Immortal Realm would completely lose the Great Dao of the Huang Die.
It was unwilling...
"Buzz."
Heavenly will descended, preventing the departure of the rules.
Suddenly, a furious roar spread.
"Scram."
The voice was like thunder, shaking all directions.
It was Chen Fan's voice, emanating from within the river of rules.
What about the will of heaven and earth?
I, Chen Fan, wish to open the heavens.
"Scram, scram, scram..."
The rolling sound only echoed in the unseen realm.
*Crack.*
A thunderous sword of lightning descended from the void.
"Puff."
The will of heaven and earth in the Immortal Realm was directly severed by the sword of lightning.