Chapter 7 The Seventh Realm fell silent.
The Cloud Sea Dao Master did not comment on Chen Fan’s instructions. He nodded and said, “The Mountain Master and I will be responsible for gathering the spoils. Your share, City Lord Chen, will be delivered in due course.”
Effort deserved reward. The forces under a ninth-tier being held immense treasures. Whether it was residual world essence or Great Dao crystals, they were all valuable. Chen Fan and his companions might not need them, but they had subordinates. Apart from ninth-tiers, everyone else could benefit. Take General Lei, for instance; he was not a top-tier eighth-tier and still had room for advancement. Even if he reached the peak, absorbing more Great Dao crystals could make him stronger without increasing his cultivation level.
“Then I thank you both,” Chen Fan said. The Mountain Master and Cloud Sea shook their heads. If thanks were due, it was they who should be thanking Chen Fan for his assistance.
“Let’s rest and recuperate,” Chen Fan’s gaze swept across the battlefield, revealing a scene of utter devastation. They had won, but it was not a complete victory. The forces under the Mountain Master and Cloud Sea Dao Master had suffered considerable casualties.
At this point, the Cloud Sea Dao Master proposed, “Everyone can temporarily rest at my dojo.” The offer was well-intentioned and signaled Cloud Sea’s desire for friendship.
“No need,” Chen Fan, however, refused. To avoid any misunderstanding, he explained, “With our current cultivation, as long as we don’t leave the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, anywhere is fine. Besides, I have some matters to attend to.” As he spoke, he looked towards Illusion Sect and the Lord of Light at the edge of the battlefield. He saw urgency in their eyes. Without them saying anything, he understood they had made their decision.
“Very well,” the Cloud Sea Dao Master did not press further. He clasped his fists and said, “In that case, I will order my men to deal with the Dark Domain and the Netherworld Realm.”
“Please proceed.”
“Please.”
The two parties bid farewell. The separation was temporary; they would meet again. Cloud Sea and the Mountain Master departed, but the Emperors under their command did not leave with them. They had received their Dao Masters’ orders, and the powerful individuals dispersed to the Dark Domain and the Netherworld Realm. The battle was over, and it was time to divide the spoils.
As everyone dispersed, the scene returned to tranquility. The traces of battle were slowly being smoothed over by the Chaos. While the signs of conflict were still visible, soon, this place would return to its original state. This was the nature of Chaos; it left no lasting mark.
Illusion Sect and the Lord of Light approached together.
“City Lord.” Both showed a look of apprehension. Standing before Chen Fan, they now clearly felt a pressure that they had not sensed before. Two veteran ninth-tiers felt immense pressure in the presence of a newly ascended ninth-tier.
Chen Fan said little, smiling, “Have you two seniors made up your minds?” He still addressed them as seniors, acknowledging their age. However, this address brought wry smiles to their faces.
Illusion Sect shook his head. “Please don’t call us seniors anymore. You flatter us.” The Lord of Light agreed, nodding in concurrence.
“Haha.” Chen Fan chuckled heartily, unconcerned. “Seniors, please wait a moment. I need to recover.”
“Alright.” Chen Fan spoke no further and sat down cross-legged to recover. The consecutive kills of three ninth-tiers, while seemingly effortless, had drained his Great Dao power.
*Hum.* Chen Fan’s recovery was accompanied by a significant surge of energy. The energy within a radius of a million miles was instantly swept away.
“Hiss.” Illusion Sect had lost count of how many times he had gasped in amazement. It was utterly astonishing. Was this a newly ascended ninth-tier? Even they, as veteran ninth-tiers, could not achieve this.
“Roar.” Chen Fan’s Dao Spirits appeared. Five Dao Spirits suppressed the heavens and earth, devouring the essence of all directions. Fortunately, the Chaos energy was abundant, and the depleted areas were quickly replenished by energy flowing from elsewhere. Chen Fan then opened his eyes. It was incredibly fast; he had instantly returned to his peak state.
“Alas.” Looking at Chen Fan, Illusion Sect and the Lord of Light were at a loss for words to describe their feelings. This was especially true for the Lord of Light, who had once been aloof, looking down upon the Tenth Realm. After emerging from the Land of Sculptures, his first stop had been a defeat at the hands of this young man. Although he had lost then, he had never truly taken Chen Fan seriously, as Chen Fan had defeated him with the combined strength of the entire Tenth Realm. However, subsequent events had continuously defied his expectations. The young man’s journey had been one of challenging the world. Time and again, he had risen from chaotic battlefields, eventually achieving his current status. Ninth-tier. Upon entering the ninth-tier, he possessed a suffocating combat prowess. Netherworld, Lord of Darkness, and others were all veteran ninth-tiers, yet they were effortlessly slain by a youth who had just ascended to the ninth-tier. If this were not happening before their eyes, who would ever believe it? Even having witnessed it, Illusion Sect and the Lord of Light felt as if they were dreaming. It was truly difficult to accept.
“Gentlemen,” Chen Fan, unaware of their inner turmoil, smiled and gestured, “Please…”
*Boom.* The River of Life and Death was immediately activated. The two quickly turned back and retrieved the physical bodies of various Emperors. Only a small fraction of these were from those they had killed in the Netherworld Realm. Most were scavenged from the leftovers behind the Evil Lord.
“Fellow Daoist Evil Lord,” the Lord of Light expressed his gratitude to Evil Lord, clasping his fists. “We borrowed these corpses. When the opportunity arises, we will repay this kindness.”
Evil Lord glanced at them, then at the corpses, and turned to leave. “No need. They are just trash.” In his eyes, these were mere refuse.
The Lord of Light: “……” How should I respond to that?
Illusion Sect was also speechless… Your comment of ‘trash’ puts us in a difficult position. The two would have liked to retort, but Evil Lord had already turned and left.
“Forget it.” Illusion Sect smiled bitterly. “He’s not wrong, is he? Aren’t we two just picking up what others discarded?”
The Lord of Light: “……” Fine. No more discussion. It’s just going to be vexing.
*Whoosh.* The River of Life and Death churned, its waters flowing.
“Gentlemen, please,” Chen Fan gestured.
*Bang.* One by one, the corpses were thrown into the River of Death. The two had already made their decision and did not hesitate much, leaping into the River of Life. The water flowed, washing over them, their minds drifting as boundless vitality surged around them.
Chen Fan spoke calmly, “Walk towards the past.” Without further hesitation, they moved upstream along the river. With each step they took, their appearances began to change drastically. They were actually growing younger. Simultaneously, their Great Dao, which had been on the verge of collapse, began to disintegrate.
One step. Two steps. Three steps… They traversed the river, their steps heavy. They could not walk quickly; each step consumed their energy. Yet, their pace was resolute, moving step by step towards the past. They grew younger, their aura weakened, and their Great Dao within their bodies had long since been unable to bear the strain. At a certain moment.
*Crash!* Their Great Dao collapsed.