The Agony of Wang Yue resonated deepest within Luo Chen. He was one with Wang Yue, and without hesitation, he strode forth. His right hand clenched into a fist, he unleashed a strike of unparalleled fury.

This fist, a thunderous roar made manifest, surpassed his battle against Wang Lin tenfold! Within the punch, the spectral beast-spirit, a colossal phantom, howled and transformed into a swirling black aura around Luo Chen’s fist. As it struck, the sound of monstrous bellows echoed, and phantasmal forms erupted from the very wind of his blow, hurtling toward the iridescent qi.

A deafening boom rent the air as shockwaves reverberated outwards. The seven-colored energy recoiled momentarily, only to surge forward with renewed speed, instantly consuming the retreating spectral titan.

Near the water’s edge, the multicolored essence surged toward Qing Shui. His left eye gleamed with icy resolve. He did not retreat, but instead, with his right hand, he touched his brow. A crimson-purple thread was drawn forth, shimmering in an arc within his grasp.

“In my immortal cultivation, I have refined seven Roots of Transcendence, and ascended to become a Celestial Monarch. I have slain countless foes, but never have I battled the very fabric of Heaven!” Qing Shui roared, as if struck by lightning when the seven-colored energy manifested. The moment the crimson-purple arc appeared, crackling energy crackled around it, unleashing an awe-inspiring power.

“Heaven?” A low voice echoed from within the rift, followed by a soft chuckle. The speaker did not sound old. “To you, these denizens of the Sealed Realm, I am, in truth, akin to your Heaven! Wang Yue, these two Ancient Gods, and you, the one who wields the Extremes of Asura, shall all accompany me to the abode of Heaven. Consider it your fortune!”

Qing Shui’s eyes blazed with cold fire. As the iridescent qi engulfed him, he charged forth. The crimson-purple thread in his hand flashed, weaving through the multicolored energies, as explosions echoed wildly.

Wang Lin, too, was besieged by the seven-colored essence. An overwhelming power of seal emanated from it, preventing his escape. His eyes flashed with murderous intent. He brandished the Celestial God Spear, and roared, “Collapse!”

A cataclysmic explosion ensued. The ten feet at the tip of the hundred-foot spear shattered, transforming into a tempestuous blast aimed directly at the seven-colored energies.

Wang Yue’s roars intensified as it struggled against its bonds. Its colossal form was enshrouded in multicolored qi, resembling a dazzling, aberrant sun.

Yet amidst the splendor, the mournful cries of the beast infused the scene with a grotesque and unsettling aura.

Half of Wang Yue’s immense body had already been dragged into the abyss, and it was being pulled further in. Under the oppressive influence of the seven-colored qi, it had lost all ability to resist. Even its struggles were tinged with a desperate, fearful despair.

Wang Yue’s cries pierced Luo Chen’s heart. United in soul with the beast, he charged with clear eyes. The five star points on his brow spun, and one suddenly flew off, exploding in a burst of light! Ancient God Star Shatter! The star’s destruction unleashed a wave of frenzied power that threatened to tear the void apart. But as it teetered on the edge of utter chaos, Luo Chen inhaled with all his might! The star’s shattered essence surged into his mouth. Howls of agony erupted from him as his form ballooned. In the blink of an eye, he grew from three hundred to over seven hundred feet tall, becoming like a celestial giant! He broke free from the seven-colored energy and, in an instant, reached the rift. With a mighty roar, he unleashed his colossal fist. As it struck, a second star point on his brow shattered, unleashing a surge of unimaginable power. This force flowed directly from his brow into his right arm, culminating in a strike of absolute power! This fist, empowered by the collapse of two stars, granted Luo Chen a fleeting taste of the extraordinary strength he had possessed at his peak! The echoes of the monstrous bellows rang out. Ten phantom images of colossal beasts materialized, roaring as they charged forward.

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

The void resonated with a deafening symphony of destruction. Even Wang Lin felt a searing pain in his ears. It was as if a cataclysmic storm had swept across the void beneath his feet. Looking down from above, one would see that the void, spanning hundreds of thousands of miles, had been scraped raw, replaced by shimmering, interconnected webs of energy! Even the seven-colored essence surrounding Wang Lin and Qing Shui was tossed and scattered. Under the force of this punch, the rift that had consumed Wang Yue was torn asunder. The iridescent qi within recoiled, revealing a vague figure hidden deep within the chasm.

In a heartbeat, the figure was revealed. It was a young man, unassuming in appearance, yet his gaze was as cold as the void.

Upon his brow was the mark of a crescent moon. He cast a chilling glance at Wang Lin and Qing Shui. He remained unfazed by Luo Chen’s near-peak power, raising his right hand and stating calmly, “Ninety-Nine Formations of the Sealed Realm – Devouring Formation, Open!”

As he spoke, a rapidly spinning vortex materialized before him. It was a swirling mass of inky darkness, a gaping maw capable of consuming all. It expanded, encompassing Luo Chen’s fist, and swallowed it whole! However, this vortex was not enough to contain the power of an Ancient God. It began to groan and rumble, on the verge of collapse.

The young man’s face contorted in a grimace. He stepped back, forming hand seals as he bellowed, “Ninth Formation of the Sealed Realm – Heaven-Splitting Formation, Open!” As he spoke, the youth bit the tip of his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood. At once, beams of crystalline light coalesced from within the rift, transforming into a massive axe.

As the axe materialized, a force capable of shaking heaven and earth emanated from it. The surrounding space began to crumble and collapse.
The great axe flashed, a silver streak aimed straight at Luo Chen. His answering fist met it with earth-shattering force. A resounding “BANG” echoed through the heavens as the axe shattered into a thousand glittering fragments. Luo Chen coughed crimson, stumbling back before lunging forward once more. This time, another of the three ancient god stars upon his brow fractured! The shattering of the third star unleashed a tempest swirling around Luo Chen, transforming his form. From a mere seven hundred fathoms tall, he swelled to over a thousand, becoming a true giant of the ancient gods! Though far from his prime, he possessed power beyond imagining.

Wang Lin’s eyes blazed with grim determination. If Luo Chen fell, his own doom was certain. With a clenched jaw, he surged forward. The power of the four-star ancient god king coursed through him, and without hesitation, he hurled the God-Slaying Spear. His thumbs and forefingers met, forming a diamond sigil which he thrust forward. The light of the sigil flowed into the spear, propelling it through the tear in reality, aimed squarely at the youth.

Qing Shui, unwavering, wove arcane signs with his hands. Seven slender strands of extreme ice appeared, linking together into a shimmering web that hurtled forward with blinding speed.

Luo Chen roared, his thousand-fathom form clenching into a fist of pure, unbridled power. His eyes were clear, reflecting a fearless spirit as he charged.

The combined might of their onslaught caused a flicker of panic in the youth’s eyes. His pupils constricted, and at that instant, a withered hand shot out, grasping the youth’s shoulder and pulling him back. A white-haired elder stepped forward, shielding the youth from the storm.

“Master!” the youth began, but the elder silenced him with a sharp command, “Silence! Who authorized you to open the Boundary Seal?!” The elder’s hands flew in a whirlwind of incantations, his eyes burning with arcane light. “I call upon the Ninth Array’s Spirit – the Heaven-Cleaving Axe!”

The moment the elder uttered those words, the void itself responded. Countless motes of light erupted into existence within tens, hundreds, even millions of leagues. These crystalline points surged towards Wang Lin and his allies, drawn by an unseen force.

Their speed was terrifying, surpassing the very limits of natural law, even exceeding the combined fury of Wang Lin, Qing Shui, and Luo Chen.

The empty void blazed with sudden light. What was once a black abyss now pulsed with countless threads of crystalline light, converging almost instantly around the three warriors.

There, suspended in the air, formed a colossal battle-axe, hundreds of fathoms long! Woven from pure, condensed light, it radiated an aura of ancient, primordial power, a palpable weight that pressed down upon them. The axe descended, blocking the path of their attacks, meeting them head-on.

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

Thunderous sounds reverberated as Qing Shui coughed up blood, hurled backward by the force of the impact. Wang Lin’s body shuddered, cracks spiderwebbing across his skin. The four ancient god stars on his brow spun furiously, desperately trying to counteract the unimaginable backlash. He too was forced back.

Luo Chen’s titanic form began to shrink, the power of his shattered star fading rapidly. He looked at the Heaven-Cleaving Axe with mournful eyes. “Wang Lin, does your heritage tell you of this weapon? It is a sacred treasure of the ancient god race!”

With a final *CRACK*, the Heaven-Cleaving Axe dissolved into a cloud of shimmering motes, blanketing the rent in reality, swiftly mending the shattered web of the Boundary Seal.

The elder, his eyes glinting with strange light, waved his hand. The countless motes of light solidified into three gigantic hands. One seized the monstrous Wang Yue, dragging it forcibly back across the boundary! Another reached for Luo Chen, who was now powerless to resist! The third crystalline hand lunged for Wang Lin.

In that final moment, Luo Chen’s eyes hardened with resolve. As the hand approached, he raised his own, clawing at the ancient stars still embedded in his brow. With a pained cry, he ripped out his last two stars and, with a sad smile, hurled them towards Wang Lin. His gaze softened, filled with a tenderness he had never shown before, like an elder looking upon a cherished child.

“Your coming-of-age trial… you have excelled! Even the younglings of my bloodline could not match you… every child of the ancient gods receives a gift upon their trial’s completion. These two stars are my gift to you, Wang Lin!”

His voice was filled with both release and sorrow as he gazed into the empty void. The crystalline hand closed around him, dragging him towards the boundary…

“Ancient god… ancient god… you defied fate, but you could not escape destiny… I, Luo Chen, am not an ancient god… but a god alone…”