Chapter 210: Cutting the Jianmu Tree to Mend the Heavens

"What is this?" Dao Changsheng was covered in blood, his black hair falling over his shoulders. His vast, blood-soaked giant body raised an arm as his consciousness grew dim. For the first time, he saw a colossal giant other than himself.

Was it an illusion?

One must know that in this realm, two Heavenly Emperors had already fought to a devastating extent, leaving no other living beings.

"No, this isn't an illusion," he muttered. His arms struggled to support heaven and earth, his mind gradually losing consciousness, yet he saw that figure slowly approaching. He couldn't help but utter in a hoarse voice, "Who are you?"

That person merely smiled.

On the other side.

Emperor Qi was gradually moving away from this barren land.

He also could not return to the Great Luo Heaven, for he had already integrated it into his Nine Revolutions Profound Art. This was originally a battle he believed he would win, leaving himself no retreat.

The dark, boundless earth was desolate.

He walked across the vast land, turning his head to look at Dao Changsheng's colossal figure supporting heaven and earth, as if recalling the ancient times of creation:

"In primordial darkness, heaven and earth were chaotic like a chicken's egg. The Yang God was born within the egg, enduring seven calamities of chaos, commanded to descend upon this world to open the heavens. With a roar, he separated heaven and earth, scorching the sky and burning the earth. Heaven rose a zhang each day, and the earth thickened by a zhang each day, thus the world was created."

Born from the creation of heaven and earth, he was the world's oldest life. He once possessed fervent ambition, but later succumbed to time, choosing to seek transcendence with Ruyun. What then of the lives of all beings under heaven?

The lives of sentient beings were like wild grass; even after being mown, they would grow back.

Until Human Ancestor Xu Younian appeared. That person was truly terrifyingly strong, coming to the Sun God Palace to suppress the Nine Golden Crows. At that time, a tumultuous storm raged in his heart. For the first time in the world, someone possessed such power, capable of forging a completely new path.

At that time, he genuinely could not defeat Xu Younian and chose to endure in silence.

He was like Dao Changsheng fighting a century ago, retreating into the Great Luo Heaven, constantly observing Xu Younian's path and cultivation techniques in the shadows. By the time he ascended to suppress the Sun God Palace for the second time, he could already defeat Xu Younian with ease.

But as he sat on the golden imperial throne in the Sun God Palace, watching the old man, bathed in blood, sitting before the Sun God Palace and fighting fiercely against the other Golden Crows alone, he ultimately chose to endure, not descending from the throne to kill him.

He disliked the weak but respected the strong.

He possessed great magnanimity, choosing to grant Human Ancestor Xu Younian a lifetime of dignity. He did not wish to shatter his undefeated myth, leaving behind a beautiful legend for future generations. He even hoped Xu Younian could live longer, but the hidden injuries were too numerous, leading to his premature passing.

"The world is a cycle, Dao Changsheng. Like Xu Younian back then, I won't kill you. You are already exhausted from fighting for all beings under heaven, and you will die of old age. I, however, will remain eternal, but I will place you in a corner of my memory."

Emperor Qi muttered to himself, striding forward.

As he walked, his body suddenly halted, beginning to crack and bleed.

Crack!

A trickle of blood began to flow from the corner of his mouth. He could only stop on a small black hill and sit cross-legged. He was too weary, almost at death's door, and needed rest.

No one would believe it if he said it: that a dignified Heavenly Emperor could also feel exhaustion and need to rest.

In reality, if Dao Changsheng had not ceased, he would surely have fought to the point of exhaustion and death. The battle was too fierce; it was as if only the two of them remained in heaven and earth.

He slumped onto the ground, retrieving a table, chairs, and fine wine from his inner space. "The Dao Lord has already left this world. Is there anyone alive who has lived longer than me?"

No one.

In this life, having lived two identities, he had experienced far too much.

He looked back at his past, at the glorious years that spanned the entire ancient era of creation. He had witnessed the Dao Lord's evolution of heaven and earth, ruled the Heavenly Court of Ancient Primordial Gods, reigned over the Ancestral Witch Heavenly Court era, and lived to this very day.

If he hadn't willingly revealed himself, who would believe it?

But suddenly, his expression gradually froze, revealing an extremely incredulous look.

The flow of time in the Primordial World was changing at an incredibly rapid pace!

His mind violently shuddered. He saw a towering, vast giant, covering the sky and earth, crossing the world's barrier silently and unimpeded, gently descending onto the land, like an ordinary woodcutter, lightly carrying a bucket and an axe.

He had a slender build, black hair, and black eyes. Clear light shimmered in his pupils, filled with a harmonious aura. His body was veiled in a faint white glow, making his face indistinct.

Emperor Qi was instantly horrified, goosebumps erupting all over his body. An unbelievable thought suddenly flashed through his mind:

"A Primal Chaos Saint, crossing realms to arrive?"

Xu Zhi walked with small steps.

In the barren black land, blood was everywhere, imbued with a terrifying stillness.

He wore black canvas shoes, covered in blood, flesh, and mud, walking as casually as if in his own yard. Carrying a bucket and axe, he descended to work underground. Looking up, Dao Changsheng at this moment stood towering, several times taller than him.

He already stood eight meters tall, his hands propping up the sky.

"He is already unconscious, yet he is still forcefully supporting heaven and earth to prevent my cellar from collapsing. Truly, his merits are boundless. His normal 'Pangu Golden Body' form should be over three meters, which is the most suitable combat form. Now, to hold up the sky, he has forcibly increased his body size to eight meters. However, this will lead to less dense musculature and osteoporosis, which actually reduces his combat power."

Xu Zhi continuously assessed the heaven-defying technique of the Pangu Golden Body.

When he superimposed the energy of a hundred lives, his body naturally and irresistibly expanded, turning him into a giant. His combat power naturally increased manifold, but the consumption was also enormous. Even though his size increased tens of thousands of times, his combat power only increased by about a dozen times. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to fight Emperor Qi's perfected "Great Luo Heaven Scripture" to a standstill.

It was a form of "Heaven and Earth Manifestation."

This transformation increased combat power by more than ten times, but the consumption was astounding, making it a "do-or-die" combat state.

"This cellar beneath the orchard isn't the surface, for you to just mess around with. Now that it's been fought to this extent, naturally, heaven and earth are collapsing, and I have to come out and clean up." Xu Zhi was somewhat speechless again. He slowly and leisurely pulled a stick of Wrigley's Doublemint gum from his jeans, peeled off the wrapper, and put it into his mouth to chew.

He set down the bucket beside him and began to wield the axe with both hands, still chewing the Doublemint gum. He approached the colossal emerald tree, wide enough for several people to embrace, and slowly raised his axe. "Let's chop down the Jianmu and mend the heavens."

With one swing of the axe, it actually produced a clang like metal striking metal. Coupled with the shamanic spell's enhancement, Xu Zhi began to swiftly swing the axe, carving out indentations, and the Jianmu gradually tilted.

"This giant, descending upon our Primordial World, is holding an axe and felling the Jianmu?"

In the distance, Emperor Qi, hidden in the shadows, watched his expression gradually change. "And this ancient Primal Chaos Saint can interfere with time; it's too terrifying. What is he eating? Chewing constantly, with a serious expression, is it some unimaginable ancient treasure?"

He had never seen such a being.

He instinctively began to feel fear and awe. After all, this being could cross the barrier of a primordial world, traverse myriad heavens, and span countless realms. He must be a terrifying ancient saint of the Dao Lord level.

Emperor Qi lowered his gaze, hesitating for a moment. "I must observe."

If it were any other Heavenly Emperor, they might have been drenched in cold sweat and fled continuously. Yet, he was drawing closer, dragging his dripping blood across the ground, carefully approaching an obscured position, intending to observe from up close.

His talent was utterly terrifying.

He understood that this could be a deadly crisis, but also an incredibly terrifying opportunity!

An ancient supreme being, at least a Primal Chaos Saint, had appeared before his eyes. This was the best opportunity to observe and learn his Dao.

His eyes gleamed with brilliant light, filled with passion and fanaticism. "This is enough to let me ascend to heaven in a single step."

Another axe swing landed fiercely, and the Jianmu almost split open. A terrifying sound wave gradually resonated between heaven and earth.

With another swing, the Jianmu collapsed with a crash.

Xu Zhi then chopped the Jianmu into four sections. With a wave of his hand, the four enormous emerald sections of Jianmu, shadowing the sky, suddenly flew up and landed precisely where the four previously broken Sky-Supporting Pillars had been.

Then, he lightly pointed a finger at the four sections of Jianmu.

The four rounded wooden sections of the Jianmu, as if withered wood had met spring, continuously sprouted and grew, sending forth emerald branches and leaves, constantly rising, gradually transforming into towering emerald trees that began to support heaven and earth.

Chewing the Doublemint gum, he leisurely carried the bucket and approached the roots beneath the Jianmu to water them.

The four Jianmu, having received water, gradually rose completely, becoming the new pillars of heaven and earth.

"He is actually mending the heavens!"

Seeing this, Emperor Qi finally understood everything. His voice grew hoarse, and his expression turned grave. "This world is about to collapse. This Primal Chaos Saint, crossing realms to descend upon this world, might be a friend of the Dao Lord who opened the heavens, coming to mend this realm on her behalf!"

This was the best possible conjecture.

A Primal Chaos Saint already possessed the ability to traverse worlds and heavens. Such ancient and terrifying beings would undoubtedly know each other, call each other 'fellow Daoists,' and participate in the rise and fall, and destruction, of various worlds.

The four Jianmu continuously rose higher, unfurling endless green vitality, intertwining and solidifying.

Emperor Qi's voice trembled slightly, secretly startled. "Jianmu, the Azure Vine Earth Mother, usually takes hundreds of years to grow to this extent. Yet he did it with a mere flick of his hand. What kind of Dao is this?"

"A woodcutter saint! The technique for mending the heavens must be earth-shattering!"

He displayed a rare look of excitement.

He quickly observed meticulously, his fervent eyes almost popping out, fearing he might miss even a trace of energy circulation. His mind raced, calculating.

Yet, his expression gradually froze as he looked at the young Primal Chaos Saint with black hair and black eyes, who was chewing, making the Jianmu grow continuously, and carrying a bucket. A hint of surprise and doubt began to appear on his face.

"Impossible... impossible..."

He mumbled, growing more astonished with each deduction, as if even his Dao heart had developed a crack!

In an instant, his mind was violently shaken. Startled, he stumbled back several steps, murmuring in disbelief, "No matter how I observe him, there are no energy fluctuations from any Dao technique. It's as if it's all naturally occurring! This is the first time I've been unable to learn or discern someone's cultivation method!"