Chapter 628: The End of an Era

A gentle breeze swept across the top of the snow-white high-rise building.

"I can barely remember how long it's been."

Daojun stood on the rooftop, her sleeves gently swaying, looking down at the entire Nine Heavens of the Demon Realm. On the emerald green land, countless faint phosphorescent lights shimmered. Fireflies and plant spirits coexisted harmoniously, creating a peerless celestial paradise on earth.

"Lord Daojun, what are you still thinking about? Are you worried about the future?" Lin Hongfeng asked softly from behind.

"The future belongs to you."

Daojun looked up, her expression still calm. "Many times, I haven't strived for anything. I've always adapted to circumstances, letting everything flow with the great tide of history. Perhaps my era has truly come to an end." She smoothed her wind-blown hair, paused, and then suddenly smiled. "Or perhaps, my era never truly arrived."

Lin Hongfeng gazed at the most ancient deity. Her admiration and reverence were beyond words. How could there have been no era belonging to Daojun? The entire era had been hers! The Heavenly Dao of the Primordial World, and even the two great leaders of the Demon Realm and the Underworld, all implicitly acknowledged Daojun, who had always remained hidden, as the supreme power of the Three Realms. Billions of beings throughout the Primordial World had grown up listening to Daojun's stories: of her creating heaven and earth, delivering sermons in ancient times, establishing order, setting the heart for the world, and passing down supreme knowledge to future generations.

Lin Hongfeng felt a natural aura, as if embracing the warmest aspects of nature itself. It was gentle and serene, exuding an undeniable sense of affinity. Perhaps this was the essence of "Dao follows nature." In this world, no one knew how high Daojun's cultivation had reached. She was too mysterious; no one knew how many steps she had advanced on the path to the Ninth Order. Yet, even the most powerful of beings found it difficult to resist the erosion of time. In this vast world of the Three Realms, absolutely no one could defeat her, yet she was succumbing to time.

At this moment, she noticed that Daojun seemed somewhat dispirited, content to let things take their course and indifferent to the current situation. In contrast, others were far more anxious than she was.

"We will still fight with all our might," Luo Caiwei quickly stepped forward and said.

Pan Xuexian, on the other hand, merely pursed her lips beside them. "Daojun, how can there be such a peerlessly beautiful person in this world? Full of ethereal aura, detached from worldly strife... with a pure, untainted heart of glass..."

She suddenly recalled a passage from *Laozi*: "'One who does not flaunt oneself is enlightened; one who does not justify oneself is prominent; one who does not boast of one's achievements is meritorious; one who does not praise oneself endures. Only by not contending does one become unrivaled in the world.'"

If Daojun had ever wished to contend, she would have long since ruled the world. In the current era, several centuries had passed, and the remaining players, including Emperor Lei and herself, had successively achieved godhood. She had discussed it with her sister, Pan Yuxian, and decided not to inform Mengmei's group, because they couldn't be trusted! What if they were outwardly pleasant but secretly moved against them? She and the Martial God Palace were committed to protecting Daojun, and their loyalty was unquestionable. However, other forces might not be.

"Therefore, deliberately concealing the truth, faking her death to escape, and then vying for Daojun's remains is the best option." Her body swelled intensely, muscles twisting like those of a demon, transforming her into a bronze, muscular iron mountain that radiated a fierce aura. In a booming voice, she said, "The passionate brotherhood and camaraderie among us 'muscle brothers' are forged through iron-lifting. But others wouldn't understand, especially with such immense benefits at stake!"

"But, but we! How could we retreat!"

Sheila, also encouraged, swelled up and transformed into a towering demonic muscle-bound figure, her muscles gnarled and twisted like ancient tree roots, appearing fearsome.

*Boom, boom, boom!* One by one, their muscles swelled, emitting astonishing auras.

Daojun remained silent. They simply stood quietly for three days.

Day by day, Daojun's aura grew increasingly weak, becoming fainter until, gradually, the entire Nine Heavens began to subtly tremble. Lin Hongfeng's pupils contracted. She immediately sensed something and looked at the others around her. "Daojun is losing control of her divine body! Let's go together, establish ourselves in Daojun's Sea of Consciousness, and take control of her body!"

Sheila added, "Those hateful schemers are probably already watching. They'll immediately detect the turbulence within this inner world and, once Daojun passes away, they'll strike to seize control!"

Their expressions changed drastically: "Everyone wants to become the second Heavenly Dao, to govern a realm of the heavens!"

*Boom... Rumble!* Four deities soared into the sky. Their bodies, packed with rippling muscles, radiated a terrifying martial aura that could suppress the world. Like ancient mythical giants creating heaven and earth, they jointly settled into the Sea of Consciousness.

*Whoosh!* Waves of auras came from outside. Images appeared, revealing deities already stirring with anticipation.

Daojun remained unperturbed, standing quietly in place, her aura growing fainter. Her clear gaze was fixed on the distant sky, reminiscing about scenes from her life. The era of the most ancient phoenix, relentlessly pursued in deserts, soil, seas, and deep magma, then the destruction of that era. Her arrival in this world at the Creator God's behest, the creation of heaven and earth, the Ancient God era, followed by the Three Realms era... Scenes from various eras flashed by.

"Although I've always adapted to circumstances, this eighty-thousand-year life, spanning several eras and becoming a myth itself, has been extraordinary and brilliant enough. Whether I can live again or not, this life has ended perfectly."

"Eternal life is not true eternal life."

She snapped out of her recollections, suddenly recalling the very first figure, that warm embrace, as if returning to her parents' arms. "My only question now is, does everything I have done meet your requirements from back then? Does this truly count as perfecting this world and ushering in this prosperous age...?" Her eyes were serene, and her aura grew increasingly weak. In her final moments, she didn't think too much, only felt some emotion and doubt. She had never contended for anything, simply living a tranquil, worldly-unattached life somewhere.

*Boom!* The sky was trembling.

Suddenly, deities descended, enveloped in brilliant white divine light, with various colored, white electric arcs flickering around their bodies. They were great beings transcending all things, true gods of the world with lifespans of eight millennia. Like ancient eagles, they soared through ages of mortals, coldly observing the rise and fall of heroes and great figures, and the succession and decline of dynasties.

*Crack!* From the clouds, someone finally appeared. Pillars of multicolored light soared, emitting wisps of energy particles that drifted around them.

Emperor Blood smiled, "The primordial era's heaven-opening titan has fallen. Who will enter her Heavenly Body, sit upon her Sea of Consciousness, and control a realm of the Nine Heavens?" Five or six deities, forming an alliance, slowly approached.

*Crack!* Suddenly, lightning flashed again. The aura of incense slowly gathered, forming a prime minister holding an official tablet and dressed in black robes. This old man had sharp eyes and an astonishing scholarly presence, seemingly able to deter spirits and gods with a mere shout.

"What use are you deities from the Demon Realm? Have you come to seek death? This is our Primordial God, the supreme deity who created our world, and no outsider is permitted to interfere!" the Barbarian Farmer of the Great Zhou Dynasty spoke coldly, while a peerless goddess with a severed arm floated in the air, seated on a glazed flying sword. Behind these two, stood two or three deities each: gods from the Great Zhou Dynasty and a former Sect Master of Mount Shu.

"Who is that woman?" Emperor Blood and the others' expressions slightly changed, immediately sensing her terrifying and extremely troublesome aura. One Barbarian Farmer was already formidable; now there was another?

"She is Liu Wenjian, the first human empress from back then, a monstrous talent of astonishing brilliance... Indeed, she didn't die. She must have secretly cultivated martial arts and survived." A faint, ethereal voice drifted. Bai Xiaosheng appeared, accompanied by two deities. This was a force from the grotesque faction. His numbers were small, but they feared no death.

Suddenly, a faint, soft voice resonated through heaven and earth, clear and melodious, remarkably gentle and pleasant. "It's hard to imagine that beings from all sides have descended at this moment, seeking to claim her remains... Did the ancient Daojun, after all, not take that final step?"

Everyone's expressions changed completely. Even the Great Emperor of the Underworld, an ancient being who had harmonized with the world's laws, had arrived? There, Ailerming walked bathed in divine light, her body enshrouded in the laws of death and ripples, like an ancient deity descended to earth, towering over the gods and demons of the Nine Heavens. She did not look at the crowd, but instead gazed at a figure hidden somewhere in space-time, softly saying, "Ninth Order, how much further do you have to go? You've always been detached from all things, focused solely on seeking the Dao, disregarding external matters. If even you haven't stepped into it and are nearing your end, then I have even less of a chance."

Everyone fell into complete silence! This being had clearly already harmonized with the Dao, held a lofty position, and governed a realm. Now, she wanted to seize another realm? Not even giving a sliver of a chance to these newly ascended deities? This was too greedy. There were already Six Realms; did one person intend to harmonize with the Dao and rule two worlds? At the same time, since this deity had arrived, then the other...

*Boom!* Another terrifying ten-thousand-foot demon god appeared out of thin air. She revealed her form, her body as vast as a mountain, crushing the entire space. Her long hair writhed wildly like black snakes, and her eyes cast a cold gaze. She was even more ruthless, directly ignoring the new gods and letting them turn red with anger. Her gaze settled on Daojun, with whom she had once clashed in her mortal form.

"As the strongest being in this world, you are finally taking your bow. The Ninth Order, it's too terrifying. This is destined to be a blood-stained path, burying countless divine corpses—hundreds, thousands? It will ultimately be piled high. Far better to progress gradually, like me. You laugh at my foolishness, but I laugh at you for moving too fast, too soon..."

"I fear by the time I reach the Eighth Order High God, you will still be struggling to break through as Eighth Order High Gods, or... already dead!" She suddenly smiled charmingly, a breathtaking beauty, yet her expression gradually hardened. "It would be better to learn from me and stay longer at the foundational realms, solidify your power, and explore each realm to its limit. Only then will you have a chance to break through to the enigmatic Ninth Order."

At this moment, the Earth Mother Qing Teng and the Heavenly Dao faction also emerged. "Medusa, you're laughing happily now, but soon it will be Ailerming's turn. Then, who will protect you when you're in slumber? You might as well follow me."

Mengmei had now prospered. Having established the Incense Return to Ruin World, she was still not satisfied and wanted to encroach upon another realm. Behind her stood Emperor Lei and others. At the same time, she shouted to Pan Xuexian of the Valkyrie Palace inside, "Sisters inside, don't fight alone! Join forces with me and seize this realm of the heavens!"

No one knew the truth yet. Even Mengmei and her group had not been informed by Pan Xuexian. They all believed Daojun had truly fallen, and so they sought to contend for the body she left behind, to enter her Sea of Consciousness, and control this terrifyingly invincible divine body. All the great powers had arrived. No one would choose to give up such a vast and boundless world of the Nine Heavens. This was an immense land, comparable to dozens of mortal realms! This was enough to influence the entire extraordinary world's structure, forming a Sixth Realm.

If, just a second ago, people of this era had reached a ceiling due to peace and were uniting to break through to the outside world and seek new realms, now a dramatic shift in the Three Realms occurred once more—due to the arrival of Daojun's inevitable end. They would occupy it first, then discuss.

*Rumble!* "These old god titans already control one world and have harmonized with its rules. They should be content in their lofty positions, but they also want to monopolize the era and merge with another realm. How about we, the new deities, join forces?" Bai Xiaosheng smiled, looking at Emperor Blood and the Barbarian Farmer's faction, then turning to the Dream God who stood alone, having separated from his group.

There were no eternal enemies. They had once collaborated to suppress the grotesque, wishing to eradicate them from the world, but now...

"Then, let's join forces. The High Gods are too strong; together, we can contend." Emperor Blood laughed, always decisive in battle, and immediately agreed.

Almost all the titans of the Three Realms, each a top-tier prodigy and monster, had arrived. Their terrifying auras clashed, all waiting for the exact moment Daojun finally fell.

Suddenly.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Fierce winds began to howl, and streaks of snow-white lightning tore through the clear sky, like countless silver-white pillars supporting the heavens. Like pure white arrows of light, they pierced the dark night clouds, illuminating the entire cosmos.

"Daojun is still in her final moments. This celestial phenomenon!?... Is it an overflow of such immense energy that it creates such a terrifying mythical spectacle?" A deity whispered, looking up. The disparity among High Gods was also immense. No one knew how many steps this ancient Daojun had taken on the path to the Ninth Order, or how powerful she truly was.

*Clang, clang, clang...* A faint, ethereal hum of Daoist chants resonated in the air, spreading in all directions. Every common person and cultivator throughout the world could hear this faint, almost imperceptible sound, like the echoes of a valley, the chants of immortals, or the praises of gods and demons. It carried a sense of sorrow, transforming into countless fragmented ripples, and wherever it reached, everyone felt a spiritual baptism. Those who listened felt their cultivation realms subtly breaking through, receiving a grand creation from heaven and earth—a feedback of laws from a supreme deity.

"Without a word, has she become this powerful?" Medusa looked up, her skin emanating a dull glow, revealing an expression of incredible surprise. "At the time of death, there are phenomena of laws. I fear she has already touched the Ninth Order's realm of laws, and quite deeply at that."

"But ultimately, this symbolizes the fall of one era, the abrupt change of another, and the flourishing of yet another." Mengmei stared at the sky. She had almost forgotten how long she had existed. Her lifespan was immensely long; though she mostly spent it in slumber, she was undoubtedly one of the most ancient deities, a primordial Jianmu tree, a being who had once listened to Daojun's sermons. "Her passing... I already foresee the abrupt changes of eras, the transformations of the world," Mengmei sighed.

Just then. They distinctly felt a certain aura vanish. The celestial phenomenon ceased in an instant! Everyone vaguely felt a pang in their hearts. A powerful, ancient existence had vanished, leaving an emptiness within them, a strange sense of sorrow. Everyone knew instantly. She had completely fallen.

"Begin!" Some were already too late to lament, poised to act.

Just then.

*Whoosh!!* The wind suddenly stilled. A profound and enigmatic aura suddenly descended, solidifying into an imposing presence that froze the entire world. Everything around them instantly solidified: grains of sand, gentle breezes, flowing water, insects, plants, animals, and all the distant sounds. Everyone was suspended in that instant, as if encased in solidified amber.

All the deities—Bai Xiaosheng, Dream God, Liu Wenjian, Barbarian Farmer, Emperor Blood—broke out in goosebumps, their faces etched with shock. They had no idea what was happening or what kind of celestial phenomenon this was at the moment of death.

Mengmei froze, her eyes shining brightly. "With every dramatic change of eras, every transition between old and new, I almost forgot... isn't this precisely..." A shiver ran through her body. "Too powerful! Daojun's merits are too immense, and she was tasked with opening up heaven and earth. So now, even *that one* has descended to bid her a final farewell? This kind of unique celestial phenomenon... that is the supreme glory!"

"It's *Him*," Medusa whispered, her mouth slightly agape, a look of joyful surprise on her face.