The nine heavens, Heavenly Spirit Continent.

  When a Saint’s body was seized by the Heavenly Dao’s will, the Holy Hall erupted into chaos.

  No one had expected such an abrupt turn.

  This was the Heavenly Dao’s will—descending by possessing a Saint’s flesh.

  As the Dao incarnation tore through the void, racing toward Void Heaven,

  The shocked Saints in the hall suddenly burst into joy and excitement.

  They seemed to understand something.

  The Heavenly Dao’s will had returned!

  Dissatisfied with the Five Phoenixes’ actions, it had manifested a body to eradicate them?

  “Lord Micah, if not now, then when?”

  “The Dao incarnation has acted! We follow behind—together, the Five Phoenixes are doomed!”

  “This is the perfect moment! The moment to destroy the Five Phoenixes!”

  Voices rang out one after another.

  But Micah’s expression turned icy.

  The Dao incarnation’s move was equivalent to an order from the Heavenly Spirit Emperor.

  If he delayed any longer, it would be inexcusable. The Saints present would surely grow suspicious.

  So Micah gritted his teeth and gave the order to attack.

  He shook his head and rose.

  He had no idea what Lu had done to provoke the Heavenly Dao’s incarnation.

  But one thing was certain: the Five Phoenixes now faced a colossal crisis.

  Ancient war vessels emerged one after another.

  They hung between heaven and earth, crushing the void and tearing open countless rifts.

  More than half the Holy Hall’s Saints mobilized. The rest remained behind to guard the Heavenly Spirit Clan.

  Micah boarded a vessel and set out with them.

  Their speed was swift, trailing close behind the Dao incarnation.

  As they moved out,

  The entire nine heavens exploded into uproar.

  The holy clans, beaten back into hiding by the Five Phoenix alliance, cheered wildly, gloating.

  “The Heavenly Spirit Clan has mobilized against the Five Phoenixes!”

  “No—not just them! The Heavenly Dao incarnation has descended! The Five Phoenixes… are finished!”

  “The chance to witness the Five Phoenixes’ destruction has come!”

  Saints from every clan set out, following the army.

  A vast, terrifying force gathered. Overwhelming auras blanketed every corner of the nine heavens, making the world tremble.

  Most terrifying was the Dao incarnation at the forefront—its body radiating dense Dao essence, awe-inspiring.

  The army swept forward, closing in on Void Heaven.

  …

  Five Phoenix Continent, Eastern Sea.

  The giant whale carried the immortal island. In the white-jade pavilion,

  Lu sat on the second floor. Compared to the storm raging above, Origin Lake remained peaceful.

  Chrysanthemums swayed, their petals blooming brilliantly. Peach blossoms danced, teasing the spring breeze.

  Clad in white robes, Lu reclined in his thousand-blade chair. The chair glided slowly through the flowers, relaxing his mind.

  After Tantai Xuan destroyed and rebuilt the world, the new mortal realm and cultivation world had temporarily separated.

  The new Human Emperor was not tyrannical. He governed diligently, remembering the teaching: the people are water—capable of carrying the boat, but also of overturning it.

  Thus, he worked tirelessly for humanity’s prosperity.

  Human fortune, once weak, gradually grew strong again.

  With the vast fortune they gained, the Five Phoenix Immortals all broke through.

  Now, countless True Immortals were stuck at the Half-Step Xuan Immortal bottleneck.

  Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, Empress Ni Chunchiu, and others.

  Also the younger generation: Tang Guo, Nie Shuang, and more—though “young” no longer quite fit.

  The separation of cultivation and mortal realms had meaning.

  Without cultivators interfering, the mortal world developed naturally, stable and harmonious.

  Cities expanded. The Five Phoenix Continent was vast, so new kingdoms formed everywhere.

  But the first and greatest remained the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty.

  The new humans excavated records from the Imperial City ruins, learning of the Great Xuan’s glory.

  Thus, they rebuilt the Great Xuan upon its foundations.

  The Human Emperor ruled the Great Xuan.

  But the new emperor did not centralize all power. Instead, he divided it.

  He established four dynasties.

  The four dynasties were unified under the Great Xuan’s rule.

  The four kings governed peacefully, loyal to the Human Emperor.

  Together—four kings and one emperor—they ushered in a golden age.

  Humanity’s prosperity restored their fortune to its peak.

  Cultivators advanced rapidly with human fortune.

  Many True Immortals and Half-Step Xuan Immortals were born.

  The Five Phoenixes approached their zenith.

  Amid the peach blossoms,

  Lu twirled a petal. He was quite satisfied with the Five Phoenixes’ progress.

  Beyond that, Lu also watched the many mid-martial worlds outside the Five Phoenixes.

  After setting the rules and having Lu Jiulian convey the plan to the ancestors of the lower three heavens, the ancestors descended upon Void Heaven’s mid-martial worlds.

  Over the years, many mid-martial worlds in Void Heaven began transforming, like flower buds blooming with brilliant light.

  The time array covered all of Void Heaven.

  Mid-martial worlds were protected by their world barriers, so their mortals suffered no crushing pressure or bodily destruction.

  Once a world became high-martial, the barrier vanished. Lu was prepared—he would infuse vast Five Phoenix spiritual energy during the transformation, strengthening the new high-martial beings’ bodies.

  This allowed them to withstand the accelerated time flow.

  The results were excellent.

  Many new high-martial worlds gave birth to geniuses.

  Some even astonished Lu—peerless figures of unmatched talent.

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  Rising from obscurity to greatness.

  After ascending through the Heavenly Gate and entering a grander world, their cultivation motivation soared.

  Their strength advanced rapidly.

  They provided Lu with massive spiritual energy contributions.

  Over time, many mid-martial worlds in Void Heaven became a major source of Lu’s spiritual energy.

  Moreover, the ancestors of the lower three heavens and the Five Phoenix Immortals, having tasted the benefits, began aggressively nurturing high-martial worlds.

  Elevating a world to high-martial brought fortune.

  This fortune greatly accelerated their accumulation.

  …

  Above the Eastern Sea.

  The calm ocean suddenly erupted in massive waves.

  A figure raced across the water.

  It was Micah’s avatar in the Five Phoenixes.

  He landed on Origin Island, face grave, as though facing a great enemy.

  “Young Master Lu!”

  “What have you done? The Heavenly Dao incarnation has descended—calamity is upon us!”

  Micah asked urgently.

  In the peach grove, Lu raised a brow in surprise and glanced at Micah.

  The Heavenly Dao incarnation had personally descended?

  Because of something he did?

  These years, Lu had been diligently cultivating, never causing trouble.

  The nine heavens’ Heavenly Dao had no reason to target him.

  But since it had acted, there must be a reason.

  Lu pondered, thoughts racing.

  Was it because the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao had covered Void Heaven, causing many mid-martial worlds to become high-martial?

  “Was it the world protection barriers of those mid-martial worlds?”

  Lu suddenly realized something.

  When the Five Phoenixes were still low- or mid-martial, the world protection barrier had benefited them greatly, blocking many powerful enemies.

  It seemed those barriers were linked to the nine heavens’ Heavenly Dao.

  Though Lu’s plan did not harm the barriers, connecting the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao to the mid-martial worlds had still affected them.

  Was that the reason?

  Lu frowned. This was only his guess—he did not know for certain.

  Micah shook his head. “Young Master Lu, I have delivered the message… be careful.”

  “The Heavenly Dao incarnation has descended. I cannot stop it, nor block it.”

  Lu smiled, then narrowed his eyes.

  His heart remained calm.

  After all, he had long prepared for exposure.

  It was only a matter of sooner or later.

  Micah’s avatar said no more, bowed, and dissipated.

  Lu was not surprised by the avatar’s disappearance. If the Heavenly Dao will discovered Micah’s avatar in the Five Phoenixes,

  It would surely grow suspicious.

  Moreover, though Micah wished to break through using the Five Phoenixes, if their destruction was certain, he would not die with them.

  He was not a fool.

  Their interests aligned, but he had no reason to stake his life.

  And if the avatar’s existence was exposed,

  Micah could no longer remain in the Heavenly Spirit Clan.

  Though Micah had bet on the Five Phoenixes, he had still left himself an escape.

  After Micah vanished,

  Lu’s expression grew solemn.

  He glanced at the system panel. Though he had gained vast spiritual energy contributions during this time,

  It was still not enough for Qi Refining Layer 10.

  But Lu still had confidence.

  Buzz…

  His figure blurred.

  Lu vanished from Origin Island.

  He reappeared beyond the Five Phoenixes.

  His arrival was silent. He cast array runes into the void.

  The runes stretched out, radiating powerful auras and forming profound formations.

  Thanks to the Eight Trigrams Platform, Lu had deep insight into formations.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Overwhelming auras surged, as though to destroy the world.

  Faintly,

  The once-silent nine heavens seemed to boil like water over flame.

  He saw a figure tear through the void, piercing one layer after another, wrapped in terrifying power like a meteor.

  It burst from the upper realms, ripping through space.

  It passed Yuan Magnetic Heaven, Blood Fiend Heaven, and Pingyang Heaven.

  Its terrifying aura spread.

  Powerhouses in the lower three heavens’ high-martial worlds felt their hair stand on end.

  This aura was horrifying.

  But what terrified them most was the fleet of ancient bronze war vessels crushing the void.

  The vessels hung in the air, densely packed, each radiating overwhelming pressure and boundless saintly might.

  Hiss—

  Some weaker Ninth- and Eighth-Derivation high-martial worlds fell into despair.

  Was this the prelude to another ancient war?

  That war had shattered the heavens, exploded Void Heaven, and left countless realms crippled.

  Now, it seemed history was repeating.

  “It’s the Heavenly Spirit Clan!”

  “No—not just them! The other five upper-realm holy clans have all mobilized!”

  “So ruthless! They’re trying to crush the Five Phoenixes completely.”

  “The Five Phoenixes grew too fast. They’re already Second-Derivation high-martial. Given more time, they might become First-Derivation. The Heavenly Spirit Clan cannot tolerate another First-Derivation sharing the nine heavens’ resources!”

  Powerhouses spoke.

  Many were ancient beings who had lived countless years. Their analysis was sharp and piercing.

  The Heavenly Spirit Clan’s campaign was clearly driven by fear of the Five Phoenixes.

  Perhaps the Heavenly Spirit Clan regretted not sending stronger forces to crush them earlier.

  Within the Five Phoenixes,

  The Xuan Immortals opened their eyes one by one.

  They clearly sensed the deadly threat bearing down on the Five Phoenixes.

  Overlord shouldered his axe and shield. Tang Yimo rolled up his cloth.

  Black light flashed across the Five Phoenixes. Figures shot forth.

  Even Ni Yu appeared, Little Yinglong on her head, black pot on her back.

  Originally, Lu stood alone beyond the Five Phoenix Continent.

  But soon, more figures appeared.

  From an ancient tomb,

  Gu Mangran opened his eyes.

  He sighed deeply. Sensing that familiar aura, he knew—the inevitable had come.

  He sat in his coffin and arrived at the front hall.

  In the palace, Lu Changkong was refining venom extracted from the thousand-eyed spider corpse.

  Mixing it with divine herbs.

  “Lord Lu.”

  Gu Mangran called.

  Lu Changkong carefully dripped a drop of surging, powerful venom into a vessel.

  Instantly, the divine herb turned black and withered.

  Lu Changkong sighed regretfully, then looked up at Gu Mangran.

  The experiment had failed. In a bad mood, he waved a sleeve. Bu Nanxing, who had been holding his breath nearby, quickly handed over bundles of spiritual herbs.

  Gu Mangran took the herbs, hesitated no longer, and left the tomb, appearing beyond the Five Phoenixes.

  After reflecting on the failure, Lu Changkong also departed, hands behind his back.

  …

  Overwhelming auras filled the heavens and earth.

  No one had expected such a battle to erupt so soon.

  Ancient war vessels hung in the air.

  Saints of the Heavenly Spirit Clan and the other five upper-realm holy clans stood ready.

  They followed behind the Dao incarnation radiating Heavenly Dao fluctuations.

  The incarnation descended, shrouded in dense Dao essence.

  Its eyes were completely engulfed in white light. It stared at the Five Phoenixes, weaving terrifying auras.

  Then, the Dao incarnation raised its hand.

  Whoosh! Whoosh!

  In Void Heaven,

  Countless rules surged forth. The vanished rule power reappeared.

  Each rule was like a blade, hanging across Void Heaven.

  Like wind chimes ringing.

  But this time, the blade-like rules were not for protection—they were for destruction.

  Such was the irony of the world.

  Aboard the ancient vessels,

  The holy clan powerhouses drew sharp breaths. The Dao incarnation was truly powerful—every gesture wielded the will of rules.

  Its words became law. It was the true master of the nine heavens!

  Unless the Emperor personally acted, no one could stop it.

  The Five Phoenixes… were finished!

  The holy clan powerhouses were utterly certain.

  After all, this was the Heavenly Dao incarnation.

  An embodiment of the nine heavens’ Heavenly Dao will.

  Boom!

  Countless rules transformed into sharp blades, sweeping forth.

  Lu narrowed his eyes.

  Before him, the Spirit-Pressure Chessboard appeared.

  He rolled up his sleeve, picked up a piece, and placed it casually.

  As though enjoying tea and playing chess on a spring day.

  Snap!

  The piece landed.

  Countless array patterns surged across the Five Phoenixes.

  The grand formation activated, clashing with the rule power unleashed by the Dao incarnation.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The entire nine heavens seemed to collapse from the collision. Void shattered. Terrifying roars echoed.

  The formation and rule power clashed. Though slowly suppressed and eroded by the rules,

  “Impudent!”

  Boom!

  The Dao incarnation spoke.

  Its voice was grand and solemn, like a great Buddha chanting.

  It shook the souls of all who heard.

  “The Heavenly Dao is impartial. It judges sin. The Dao acts—those who obstruct shall perish!”

  The majestic voice rang out.

  The Saint whose body it possessed could no longer endure. His flesh began to crack.

  Boom!

  Most terrifying of all, the grand formation Lu had meticulously prepared to protect the Five Phoenixes began to crumble.

  It seemed unable to withstand the Heavenly Dao’s rules.

  Yet Lu remained unhurried. He cast more arrays.

  Massive array runes stretched across the nine heavens.

  The character “All.”

  It anchored the collapsing formation, halting the erosion.

  The Dao incarnation’s incandescent gaze was cold and emotionless.

  It stared at Lu.

  It raised a hand and pointed.

  “Defying heaven— I am heaven. I judge your life and death.”

  The incarnation spoke coldly, its tone like an iceberg.

  Rumble!

  As the words fell, they rippled like a stone dropped into a pond.

  Whoosh! Whoosh!

  The countless rules clashing with the formation

  Stacked together, transforming into chains of order. They shattered the void, coiling toward Lu to bind and capture him.

  “Judging me to death?”

  Lu smiled. His white robes fluttered in the gale stirred by the chains, giving him an air of unrestrained elegance.

  “My life—even ‘heaven’ cannot take.”

  Lu picked up a piece. The chess piece gleamed white between his fingers and fell onto the board.

  The chessboard domain expanded.

  Boom!

  A thousandfold Spirit-Pressure turned into a white beam and crashed down.

  It collided with the black, cold chains.

  A terrifying explosion. Terrifying ripples spread.

  After the uproar,

  In the void, Lu remained seated in his thousand-blade chair, white robes pristine, calm and composed.

  His black hair and white clothes were untouched by chaos.

  Everyone was stunned.

  They looked at Lu with growing awe—he was truly unfathomable.

  Gu Mangran’s expression was complex. This was the Heavenly Dao incarnation—at least Quasi-Emperor strength.

  Even in his prime, Gu Mangran would lose nine out of ten battles.

  Yet Lu had effortlessly withstood this “heavenly might.”

  On the holy clan side,

  Many were shocked.

  Even the Heavenly Spirit Clan’s Holy Hall Saints sighed in admiration.

  No wonder Lord Micah had been so cautious.

  This Lu Saint of the Five Phoenixes was terrifyingly strong!

  Strong enough to contend with the Dao incarnation.

  Many Saints marveled at Micah’s foresight.

  At that moment, the Dao incarnation pointed toward the Five Phoenixes and yanked.

  The next instant,

  Above the Five Phoenix Continent,

  The Origin Space emerged.

  The Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao stars appeared within.

  Buzz!

  The Dao incarnation’s eyes blazed with blinding light!

  “In the nine heavens, a second Heavenly Dao is not permitted!”

  The Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao was fully exposed to the world.

  Everyone was stunned. The upper-realm holy clans and Heavenly Spirit Clan Saints stared in disbelief at the Five Phoenix Heavenly Dao stars.

  The Five Phoenixes—a Second-Derivation high-martial world—had birthed an independent Heavenly Dao!

  Uproar swept through the crowd.

  Micah’s gaze grew grave. He drew a deep breath.

  “Attack!”

  With that,

  Micah rose from the bronze war vessel. Quasi-Emperor aura erupted.

  He gave Lu a deep look.

  The other upper-realm holy clan Saints snapped awake and shouted in excitement.

  Boom!

  Countless saintly auras surged, shaking heaven and earth.

  Micah struck first. He transformed into a streak of light. Quasi-Emperor-level power erupted like a blazing sun!

  The attack roared toward Lu.

  Everyone was thrilled.

  The Five Phoenixes… were done for!

  The Dao incarnation was equivalent to a Quasi-Emperor. Add Micah—another Quasi-Emperor.

  Two Quasi-Emperors attacking!

  How could Lu Ping’an resist?

  How could the Five Phoenixes withstand?

  Suddenly!

  Brilliant light exploded amid the clash, dazzling and radiant, illuminating the entire nine heavens.

  The excitement on the Saints’ faces froze.

  Micah’s strike—originally aimed at Lu—had struck the Dao incarnation with lightning speed!

  In that moment, all color seemed to fade from the world.