Boundary.
"Impressive."
Daozun's expression was calm. "You win."
Daozun himself spoke, admitting his opponent's victory.
The spectators were confused...
"Why?"
"How could Daozun lose? Chen Fan has no strength left, while Daozun still has..."
"That last strike, Chen Fan blocked it, but..."
The crowd couldn't continue.
There was no need to say more, for the battle at the boundary had concluded.
"Crack, crack, crack."
Daozun's body was disintegrating.
Like particles, it continuously broke apart into the air.
"Qian Dao Sword, Qian Dao Sword."
Daozun murmured to himself, "Was my Dao truly wrong?"
He had pursued the path of breaking all laws with one force, of shattering all techniques with a single blade.
He had once firmly believed that mastering one path to its extreme was enough to contend with anyone; this was the path of specialization.
What of geniuses, what of prodigies?
A person's energy was limited; only by specializing in one path could one reach the ultimate Dao.
But now, he was lost.
At the moment before death, he wished to know the answer.
A complex sword intent had shattered his specialized Dao while at the same peer.
"You were indeed wrong."
At this moment, Chen Fan also displayed the expected grace.
He said solemnly, "I cultivate myriad Daos, and walk myriad paths. If I were still inferior to your single Dao, why would I bother?"
Even though he led with life and death, he had never abandoned the cultivation of other Daos.
He continued, "Breaking all laws with one force, or shattering all techniques with a single blade, both are the condescension of the strong towards the weak. Under the same realm, if I have more means than you, I will surely win. The world needs a hundred flowers to bloom, and myriad Daos to contend. If there were only one Dao in the Immortal Realm, what would that be like?"
Chen Fan spoke freely.
By the final moment, there was nothing left to hide.
It was the final wish of a third-tier Emperor.
There was no great enmity, no mortal feud to warrant him disturbing the deceased.
This was Chen Fan's thought.
"Heh."
Daozun's smile was filled with bitterness. "Alas, alas. Someone once told me, 'To hear the Dao in the morning, and die in the evening is enough.' Ah... this path, whether right or wrong, it is all in the past..."
His form scattered with the wind.
Bang.
In the sky, Daozun's Emperor Palace began to crumble.
"Ah..."
Inside the Emperor Palace, there were many people.
These were Daozun's subordinates, who cultivated the Dao of the blade.
The collapse of the Emperor Palace signified their demise.
Clang.
A battle saber tore through the storm of the Emperor Palace's destruction.
It was a man, leading a group of people out of the destructive tempest.
The Emperor Palace was destroyed, but those within were not necessarily destined to perish with it.
If they could escape and quickly connect to the Immortal Realm's Great Dao, they could survive.
The prerequisite was that they had the strength to do so.
And there was another most crucial prerequisite: Chen Fan... would not show mercy.
Mercy towards enemies was useless.
The man, trembling, looked at Chen Fan and swallowed hard.
Behind him, many people followed him out of the Blade Emperor Palace.
At this moment, if Chen Fan were to strike them down, not a single one of these individuals who had emerged from the Blade Emperor Palace would survive.
"Go."
However, Chen Fan simply waved his hand.
He had no interest in killing the weak.
He had already slain the master of the Emperor Palace, would he fear retaliation from some lesser beings?
"Thank you, senior."
Strength was the prerequisite.
Chen Fan had no intention of killing these weaker beings, and waved them away. "Go."
Whoosh.
The group quickly departed.
Run.
Some chose to return to Bai Di Mountain, while others fled to unknown destinations.
But one person did not leave.
The first half-Emperor man who had emerged knelt in the void, "Senior, this junior wishes to merge with your world. I hope for your permission."
"Hmm?"
This was rather surprising.
Was this a form of subservience?
Yes, it counted.
"Good."
Chen Fan smiled. "You must not regret this."
In the realm of life and death, there were indeed no Dao of the blade stars. It would be good for this person to merge.
"This junior will absolutely not regret it."
"Alright, then let us merge with the Dao."
"Yes."
The Blade Emperor Palace had already crumbled, skipping the process of severing the Dao. Direct merging was possible.
Buzz.
The merging was swift.
In an instant, Shuò Fāng was connected to the realm of life and death.
"This is..."
When he appeared in the realm of life and death, he was immediately shocked.
The power of life and death permeated the entire world.
Shuò Fāng was not someone without experience; he was the foremost expert under Daozun, nearly reaching the Emperor realm.
Otherwise, he would not have been able to escape.
But it was precisely because of this that he understood the potential of the realm of life and death even better.
Permeating life and death.
"I came to the right place." Shuò Fāng was extremely excited.
Above his head, countless stars flickered.
Shuò Fāng quickly found a star of the Dao of the blade.
"Whoosh."
He soared upwards and merged into the star.
The world's origin of the realm of life and death, the newly born power, instantly surged through his entire being.
At this moment, a star beside him lit up.
"What is your name?" Xi Qiu asked.
As a newcomer, Shuò Fāng was astute and quickly replied, "This junior is Shuò Fāng."
"Mmm."
Xi Qiu nodded.
He continued, "Hurry and cultivate. We might need our strength later when we fight Bai Di..."
Shuò Fāng: "???"
Wait, what did I just hear?
Fighting Bai Di?
Bai Di, one of the Five Great Heavenly Emperors.
Did I hear that correctly?
"Senior."
Shuò Fāng's face turned a little pale. "Who did you say we were fighting just now?"
"Bai Di, one of the Five Great Heavenly Emperors," Xi Qiu repeated.
"..."
Shuò Fāng wanted to cry.
Can I choose again?
Bai Di, one of the Five Great Heavenly Emperors.
He thought he had attached himself to a powerful benefactor, but this benefactor wanted to confront Bai Di head-on.
Shuò Fāng despaired.
"Heh."
Xi Qiu smiled and said nothing further.
Anyone would be terrified upon hearing such news.
Bai Di had ruled the Western Continent for over ten thousand years; his reputation was well-earned.
Shuò Fāng: "..."
I don't want to speak, just leave me alone.
...
Qing Province.
"Die."
An incredibly massive scorpion shattered in the air.
Liu Quezi's eyes were filled with boundless rage.
"As a human, to cultivate the Beast Dao, you will forever be this useless." Liu Quezi was filled with hatred.
If not for the woman before him, this Heavenly Emperor would surely have a place for him.
The venomous scorpion had absorbed his power, yet could only reach the third tier. This was a deep humiliation for him.
"Hahaha."
The venomous scorpion, severely wounded and near death, wore a twisted, tragic smile.
Amidst the tragedy was deep despair. "Liu, do you truly believe I cannot break through to the Heavenly Emperor realm? Hahaha... I know you look down on me, but back then, besides you, Liu Quezi, who in the entire Immortal Realm could compare to me, the venomous scorpion?"
This was a fact.
In Liu Quezi's generation, the venomous scorpion's talent was only slightly less than Liu Quezi's.
Liu Quezi lowered his hand. "Why?"
He remembered; the venomous scorpion had been a prodigy in his time.
If Liu Quezi was first, the venomous scorpion was surely second.
After so many years, had the venomous scorpion remained stuck at the third tier?
The rules of heaven and earth wouldn't allow it.
"Why?"
The venomous scorpion's eyes were filled with despair. "To survive, to avoid being killed."
"Hmm?"
This explanation made Liu Quezi even more perplexed.
"Hahaha."
The smile of despair for the future, in Liu Quezi's eyes, was pitiful.
The venomous scorpion roared in despair, "Because of the suppression by a group of scoundrels, whenever one of us was about to break through, they would be immediately killed..."