Chapter 1615: Death of the Undead Emperor

"Since this sword is forged from countless human souls, I shall allow these myriad spirits to achieve transcendence through my hands! Yin-Yang Arcane Art, Limitless Taiji!" Xu Yang's resonant eight-word declaration echoed forth.

In an instant, a Yin-Yang Taiji totem swiftly materialized beneath his feet. Guided by his spiritual energy, it firmly locked onto the Wraith Emperor's true form before him. Not only did it lock his ethereal, illusory body within the Taiji totem's formation halo, but his soul, and even the sword aura in his hand, which blazed with the souls of countless human cultivators, also began to tremble.

"The so-called Limitless realm is considered the ultimate peak in the Kunlun Divine Path's cultivation system. Little do you know, the Dao I have evolved is a sublimation of the Limitless realm. Beyond Limitless, there must be Taiji! The Limitless realm you venerate is merely the end of a Dao's cultivation. However, the Taiji Dao I have evolved opens up an entirely new realm after reaching that end. It creates an endless cycle within oneself: birth leading to death, death leading to rebirth, a ceaseless circulation! In my Dao, your so-called Limitless realm holds no meaning. It can only represent a beginning or an end. To put it simply, within my Taiji Dao, no matter what form your cultivation techniques and laws take, once my Taiji locks onto them, they can never break free."

Upon hearing Xu Yang's explanation, the Wraith Emperor couldn't help but burst into laughter. "A mere binding technique? Do you truly believe it can restrain me? I'll show you what power can be unleashed the instant these countless souls of human powerhouses erupt!"

The Wraith Emperor had already entered a state of frenzy. Gripping the massive sword, which blazed with a greyish-white soul light, tightly in both hands, he fiercely thrust it towards the core of the Taiji totem beneath his feet. However, he was utterly stunned by the scene that unfolded next. The Taiji totem beneath his feet, with its ceaseless, cyclical power, began to devour the soul sword in his hand, bit by bit, right before his eyes.

The enormous sword aura, originally over three feet long, was astonishingly consumed by more than half in an extremely short time. The sword's power was utterly incapable of being fully unleashed in the face of the Taiji totem's might. Instead, it rapidly dissolved, as if caught in a devouring vortex, within an incredibly short period. Little did he know, the soul power dissolving into the Taiji totem had all transformed into the purest soul essence, integrating into Xu Yang's soul world. While depleting the opponent, Xu Yang also used his supreme Taiji Yin-Yang Dao to convert the opponent's original power into his own, devouring it. With one waxing and the other waning, the outcome of this battle was never in doubt from the very beginning. With this Dao, Xu Yang was omnipotent, battling heavens and earth, having never tasted defeat. How could he possibly be defeated by this individual before him, who merely understood how to manipulate soul energy to imprison spirits and had betrayed his own faith?

"Your realm and perspective are far too narrow. You could never comprehend the mysteries of my Taiji Dao in your entire lifetime. Even if I were to pass on the complete true essence I obtained to you, you would never be able to grasp it. Today marks the end of your life. Do you have any last words?"

Witnessing his soul sword finally being ground into nothingness by Xu Yang's Taiji Dao, the Wraith Emperor had lost his most powerful trump card. As the guardian of the first forbidden zone on the Path to Heaven, he was now no longer qualified to be Xu Yang's opponent. Raising his head, his eyes gleaming, the Wraith Emperor knelt dispiritedly in the void, looking up at this unrivaled human powerhouse. At the same time, his strong life essence gradually began to dissipate and evaporate as time passed. After all, his very existence was essentially identical to that of the one whose statue of faith power had been shattered by Xu Yang; both were mere puppet-dolls orchestrated by the will of the supreme god. Once he lost his duty to guard his forbidden zone base, his life would also wither away.

Before his last wisp of soul energy completely dispersed, the Wraith Emperor seemed to see through everything, finally achieving his self-redemption just before his impending demise.

"It seems my existence for countless years has been utterly meaningless. Perhaps those human souls I once enslaved are the ones who truly lived a lifetime! As for me, I chose to betray my former beliefs, becoming a puppet of the supreme will, foolishly hoping to reach a higher realm. But in the end, what am I? Nothing more than a dog for the supreme god's will." The Wraith Emperor let out a hysterical, bitter laugh. But now, whom could he blame for such an outcome? He was not defeated by Xu Yang or any powerful cultivation technique; he was defeated by himself, losing to someone who truly lived with clarity.

Soon after, the Wraith Emperor completely abandoned any hope of survival. His entire bodily outline began to rapidly dissipate within a very short time. As the black and white life essences around him faded, all surrounding darkness and gloom also gradually vanished. Xu Yang's Law of Light illuminated everything around him. The Path to Heaven was no longer a bleak expanse of darkness and stillness, but a broad, clear road leading forward.

When Xu Yang's figure reappeared before the monster beast army, everyone understood that he had finally achieved victory. The stele of the Path to Heaven shattered beneath his feet. And yet, with his own strength, he had forged a path of light for the monster beast army. The vast army gazed at the brilliant light ahead, and profound emotions welled up in the hearts of each and every one of them.

"Heavens, this path was carved out for us by you, Big Brother, one sword stroke at a time! How can we ever repay you?" The Four Demon Sages looked at the blood-stained path laid out before them, and their hearts filled with endless emotion. Their gratitude for Xu Yang's heaven-defying act was beyond words.

Xu Yang merely smiled in response: "This was just one obstacle on our path forward. Clearing it and continuing our advance is the only thing we need to do. Perhaps my previous actions seem unbelievable to you, but that's only because fear of wraith power still lingers in your hearts. As long as you believe in your own strength and are resolute in defending your faith, no matter how powerful the opponents we encounter on this path, we will always have the motivation to press forward."

Xu Yang's words enlightened the monster beast army and the powerhouses within his core team, leading to a truly significant soul transformation.