Chapter 2205: He Is the World

Zu An was startled. He quickly checked her pulse and confirmed she wasn't faking it; rather, she had completely exhausted herself protecting him in the preceding days, reaching a state of extreme fatigue. Now, finally relaxed, she had simply given in to sleep.

Zu An first took out a spiritual medicine and fed it to her, nourishing her now damaged meridians.

Next, he scooped her by the legs, lifting her horizontally into his arms, while continuously channeling primal energy into her body to help her absorb the medicine's effects.

She had merely fainted from exhaustion, not from injury, so there was no need for the Primordial Chaos Sutra for healing, nor would she be troubled by the strange properties of the Primordial Chaos Qi combined with the Golden Phoenix's abilities.

Shang Liuyu whimpered softly in her sleep, and her slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, indicating she had completely relaxed into a sweet slumber.

As Zu An was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and bowed towards the massive stone statue in the void, saying, "Goodbye, old friend."

When the entity transmitted the Underworld Life-Death Scripture to him, that wisp of residual soul had already completed its mission and, along with the fragmented soul in the Underworld Netherworld, had fallen into eternal slumber.

Although their time together had been brief, he still felt an endless surge of sadness in his heart.

After bidding farewell to Emperor Fengdu, Zu An carried Shang Liuyu and began his journey back.

He soon returned to the bridge where the monsters that had pursued them had previously stopped.

He did not stop, but continued walking forward with Shang Liuyu in his arms, completely unconcerned about the terrifying monsters ahead.

Not long after, roars echoed as the dragon-like, lizard-like monsters (neither fully dragon nor lizard) smelled living humans. They quickly rushed over, vaguely surrounding Zu An and Shang Liuyu. Each bared its fangs but did not attack, instead showing hesitation.

Soon after, several three-headed, six-armed monsters arrived. Their originally ferocious faces suddenly froze when they saw Zu An, first appearing puzzled, then showing fear.

Then, they all knelt on one knee and bowed to him. With them leading, the remaining monsters also knelt and bowed, as if welcoming a master.

Zu An was momentarily stunned; he had expected another battle, but now things were much simpler.

Of course, he didn't believe they feared his current strength; it was more likely because he now carried the aura of Emperor Fengdu or wielded the authority of the Underworld Netherworld.

He wondered if these monsters had once been Emperor Fengdu's subordinates or something similar.

Zu An nodded slightly, then walked into the main hall from before, where the altar still stood quietly at the most prominent position.

In the center, the world's law beacon, shimmering like a rainbow, exuded dazzling and beautiful colors.

Next to it, the Divine Dragon Immortal Herb still glowed brightly, emitting rings of seemingly substantial misty energy. The rich, fragrant medicinal scent filled the entire space, and even Shang Liuyu, in her sleep, appeared more comfortable after smelling the fragrance.

Remembering the powerful restrictions near the altar, Zu An worried about harming Shang Liuyu. He first placed her gently against a corner of the wall. Concerned she might get cold, he took off his jacket and laid it on the ground as a cushion before carefully moving her onto it.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, quite the gentleman, aren't we?" Mi Li's red silhouette suddenly appeared beside him, her expression a playful half-smile.

Zu An retorted irritably, "Can't you give a warning before you appear? It's really startling every time you just pop out like that."

"Hmph," Mi Li said lightly, "If you've done nothing wrong, why fear a knock at the door?"

"What wrong have I done?" Zu An muttered. "She exhausted herself protecting my physical safety like that, so what's wrong with me taking care of her? Besides, you're not my wife."

A blush flashed across Mi Li's face. "Bah! You even dare to take advantage of your master! As your master, it's natural for me to vet your wife. Just recently, you were making vows of eternal love with Chu Chuyan under the Bridge of Helplessness, so passionately that I was almost moved. Yet, the next moment, you're getting intimate with other women. To be honest, sometimes I think your behavior is quite schizophrenic."

Zu An glanced at her, clearly not in the mood to discuss views on love with her.

His attention quickly returned to the altar. "Did you appear suddenly because of this?"

"Exactly. I was afraid you wouldn't know how to use it." Mi Li put away her teasing smile and also looked at the shimmering law beacon on the altar. "Once you acquire it, you need to bind it to an item on your person. This way, you will completely control the authority of this world. In a sense, only then can you become the master of this world."

Zu An wasn't particularly interested in becoming the master of this world. After all, he was already at the pinnacle of various races in this world: Empress Liu of the human race, the Little Demon Queen of the demon race, and the Mermaid Queen of the sea race had all knelt before him and called him master...

However, it was indeed necessary to solidify this authority to prevent demons from coveting it, and also to completely stabilize the world barrier, ensuring demons could never enter again.

Mi Li's voice continued, "Oh, and that item should preferably be very sturdy, difficult to destroy. Otherwise, if it breaks, the law beacon will disappear and reform in some hidden place, making it very troublesome to find again."

Zu An nodded slightly, agreeing that he couldn't just pick any item to bind it to.

"How about the Tai'e Sword?" he subconsciously wondered.

"No, the Tai'e Sword is my territory. I don't want other things disturbing it," Mi Li refused directly.

Zu An was speechless.

She really treated that sword as her home.

Immediately after, various other items appeared in his mind. When it came to sturdiness and indestructibility, divine artifacts were naturally the top choice.

For example, the Sun-Slaying Bow, the Human Emperor Seal, or the Crown of the Sea God...

However, the Sun-Slaying Bow inevitably reminded him of the Old Demon Emperor, the Human Emperor Seal was Zhao Hao's signature weapon, and the Crown of the Sea God was similar. While those weapons were powerful, they ultimately lacked something.

Zu An's heart suddenly stirred, and he retrieved a jet-black dagger from the void.

The Poison Dagger!

This dagger, it must be said, had been with him the longest. Back when he was weak, he had relied on it countless times to turn the tide. Although it wasn't a divine artifact and lacked their inherent special pressure, it was no less effective even in a direct confrontation with one, and its unique abilities even surpassed those of some divine artifacts.

"This one," Zu An said, gently caressing the dagger's blade, a hint of tenderness appearing on his face.

Mi Li smiled. "As I expected, it's quite suitable."

She then immediately gave him the method for binding the world's law beacon to an item. It wasn't very complicated, but this obscure knowledge was likely known by very few people in the world.

Zu An, long accustomed to her mysterious nature, didn't ask much but walked directly towards the altar.

As he approached, the terrifying pressure he had felt before reappeared, seeking to impede his progress. It also contained a warning: if he persisted, there would be a devastating strike.

Zu An did not stop; he continued walking further in.

At this point, many runes around the altar flashed, clearly brewing a destructive attack.

At this moment, Zu An had a realization: these rune arrays seemed capable of communicating with the primal will of this world through the world's law beacon. No wonder the previous attacks were something even his cultivation couldn't withstand.

No matter how strong an individual, they cannot be stronger than an entire world.

He had already prepared. His entire being suddenly exuded an imperial aura, as the presence of the Underworld Emperor manifested in this realm.

At this point, several other runes on the altar suddenly lit up, and a gentle light immediately shone upon him, seemingly examining something.

Perhaps sensing the special authority he carried, the runes around the altar, which had been growing brighter, gradually dimmed, and the destructive power also gradually dissipated.

Zu An understood that the altar had completely opened its embrace to him, allowing him to enter and exit freely.

As expected, as he continued walking forward all the way to the very center of the altar, he didn't feel the slightest danger.

Zu An reached out and gently grasped the world's law beacon. He found it hard to describe the sensation.

It felt like grasping a rainbow.

It was as if he held something, yet simultaneously held nothing at all.

But in that instant, he felt the vast, ethereal sky; the heavy, solid earth; countless streams converging into rivers, finally flowing into the sea.

He felt the faintly trembling feathers of birds soaring in the sky and the small blades of grass gently swaying in the wind.

He felt the roars of beasts, the chirping of insects, and the emotions of countless living beings.

He felt the entire world.

He was the world!

When he opened his eyes, countless lights and shadows seemed to flicker in his pupils, finally merging into a single point of starlight that was absorbed into his vision.

Mi Li had already come to his side. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like I've become stronger," Zu An said, looking a little puzzled. "There's clearly no increase in my cultivation, it's strange..."