Most lives are not the same.
As an abandoned child, some might dream of destroying the Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground, taking revenge, and relishing in it.
But in this world, countless prodigies and heroes die on battlefields every single day. Compared to their obscure and forgotten deaths, Martial Heaven Paragon clearly chose another path.
He proved his worth to the Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground, was recruited back, and eventually became the Sacred Lord of the previous generation.
That was his life.
Martial Heaven Paragon also faced his own life squarely. Looking at Xu Zimo, he said: “Since matters have come to this point, there is no room for negotiation. After today, either my Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground perishes, or your True Martial Sacred Ground dies.”
At his side, the might of one at the Zenith Immortal realm surged. His seven-colored robe blazed with divine light, a rainbow of radiance shooting skyward.
It became a rain of multicolored brilliance, weaving a rainbow road across the gray and gloomy heavens.
“I heard you stepped into Immortality through martial arts, capable of mastering every martial discipline under heaven,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. “Now I’d like to test it myself.”
What does it mean to step into Immortality through martial arts? Most people think that once you reach the Immortal Path, you are a true immortal.
But that is a mistake.
Becoming Immortal, becoming an Emperor, these are merely stages on the endless, winding path of cultivation.
Compared to true immortals, they still fall far short.
And what are true immortals? The storytellers in city teahouses have long claimed: There are indeed immortals in this world. Some roam the drifting clouds, some appear in bustling marketplaces, some dwell in ancient temples deep in the mountains, and some live freely upon distant fairy isles.
The greatest difference between immortals and mortals is that they sever the seven emotions and six desires. They have no wants, no cravings.
Thus, becoming Immortal, being a true Immortal, and entering Immortality through martial arts are three distinct things.
Becoming Immortal is merely a realm. A true Immortal is an actual eternal being. And stepping into Immortality through martial arts means pushing the path of martial arts to its ultimate extreme, to a point of mastery so profound it is akin to the divine, hence, called “Immortal.”
But the end of martial arts is still martial arts. “Immortal” here is only a title of reverence. That is why people came to call him Martial Heaven Paragon.
“Please enlighten me,” Martial Heaven Paragon said. He swept his right hand, and a flash of sword light glimmered in the distance.
He gathered heaven and earth’s spiritual energy, condensing a long sword into his grip.
With sword in hand, any form he invoked seemed effortless, as though martial and mind were one, the blade moving in harmony with his thoughts.
“Raging Waves Overwhelm the Sky!”
The long sword descended. A seemingly simple tidal sword technique, but in his hands, it unleashed breathtaking might.
Like a masterpiece of gods and demons, flawless and transcendent.
Waves a thousand fathoms high annihilated the void, his sword transforming into a monstrous tidal surge, roaring and crashing toward Xu Zimo.
Xu Zimo’s blade, Shadow Tyrant, drew itself from its sheath. A world-shaking blade aura swept through the void, cleaving the onrushing tide in two.
The waters split, surging past his sides as he strode forward step by step.
“Flooding Tide!” Martial Heaven Paragon swung again.
The divided waves transformed into an endless river and sea, the rise and fall of tides carrying faint traces of Daoist profundity.
The cycles of arising and passing, the endless rotation of reincarnation, all revealed within the crash of each wave.
With a thunderous boom, the tides engulfed Xu Zimo, the crushing force hurling him high into the sky.
Martial Heaven Paragon swung once more. This strike carried no trace of sword intent, only the pure essence of the Grand Dao itself.
Those at the Nirvana Void Realm comprehend Primal Daos.
Those who step into the Path of Immortality comprehend Nomological Truths.
And Martial Heaven Paragon, now at the pinnacle of the Immortal Path, seemed to be brushing the threshold of Primal Daos, though still far away.
His Nomological Truth was aligned with water, but at the same time, not entirely so.
Xu Zimo did not fully understand the intricacies of the Immortal Path.
Water-element truths surged from the long sword, his inner meridians roaring with power, channels bursting open one after another with resounding cracks.
“All Rivers Return to the Source!” Martial Heaven Paragon shouted.
The tides that had buried Xu Zimo converged once again, condensing into an unparalleled tsunami.
The heavens around were obliterated. Even other combatants nearby were swept away by the sheer force of the waters.
Above, the fine drizzle mingled seamlessly with the waves, no one could tell rain from sea.
The skies blazed with thunder, lightning tearing down in jagged bolts.
Beneath that dark, oppressive firmament, titanic waves soared tens of thousands of feet high, surging like a wrathful sea to drown everything.
Torrents swallowed the heavens, white waves engulfed the skies, Immortal Mountain itself seemed cast adrift for ten thousand miles.
Martial Heaven Paragon’s gaze was calm as he looked toward the heart of the deluge. When the endless tide seemed to bury all,
Suddenly, a long blade tore out of the waves, trailing blood and storm, splitting a colossal wave as it cleaved toward him at lightning speed.
Martial Heaven Paragon hastily raised his sword in defense. With a deafening crash, Shadow Tyrant struck his blade’s hilt, spun, and flew past.
The sheer force of the blow drove him back five or six steps.
Then, as the blade spun back, a great hand caught it. Xu Zimo emerged from the waves, striding forward.
“Paragon, is that all?” Xu Zimo said with a faint laugh.
“In that case, I too will stop holding back,” Martial Heaven Paragon replied evenly.
“If Holy Son Xu can break this strike of mine, then I shall admit defeat.”
He pressed his palms together, standing still in the void, immortal energy radiating from his body.
His eyes were calm, his voice rang with clarity and force as he uttered four words, “Dust-Severing Immortal Scripture.”
“It seems I underestimated you,” Xu Zimo said with a smile, sensing the overwhelming force gathering around his foe.
“I thought you had only entered Immortality through martial arts. I didn’t expect you to cultivate a true Immortal Scripture.”
“Once, as a wandering recluse, I came upon this Immortal Scripture. Though I did not ascend to Immortality, I forged a fusion of martial and immortal arts,” Martial Heaven Paragon said calmly. “I created a few techniques of my own. I would ask Holy Son Xu to appraise them.”
At this moment, two currents of Dao power swirled around Martial Heaven Paragon.
One was martial. One was immortal.
As they merged, the void shuddered with violent tremors, ripples spreading across space.
And the instant they fully fused, the surrounding void shattered, not cracked, but pulverized into dust.
Within the howling torrents of chaotic void, Martial Heaven Paragon’s seven-colored robe flared with sharp whistling sounds.
His long sword vanished, replaced by a colossal battle axe.
He held it aloft, endless sharpness radiating from its edge.
“Heaven-Splitting Strike!” Martial Heaven Paragon roared, stamping his foot upon the void.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance to Xu Zimo.
The immense axe fell straight down, its edge so fierce that even Xu Zimo felt a flicker of awe.
Xu Zimo’s figure darted aside. With a thunderous boom, the strike landed, annihilating everything within miles of space.
It was as if the heavens themselves had been cleaved apart, the sky collapsing utterly.
The might of a single axe, enough to destroy heaven and earth.
“Not bad,” Xu Zimo nodded slightly.
“Holy Son Xu, why dodge? Face me head-on, what say you?” Martial Heaven Paragon bellowed with laughter.
At that moment, he seemed not like an Immortal Paragon, but a simple martial warrior, returning to the true essence of battle.