Chapter 1362: The Heavenly Emperor's Strike

The rotten wings exploded. After the creature, poised to perform a blood sacrifice on the great world of Yang, disintegrated, the entire Soul River settled into an eerie calm, not a single ripple disturbing its surface.

However, this desolation only amplified the terrifying nature of the peculiar sounds occasionally emanating from the Soul River's depths. It was as if an ancient portal, buried for eons beneath layers of dark dust, was being slowly pushed open, threatening to emerge from the mists and reappear in the world. As the sounds grew clearer, they shattered the silence of the region, heralding an overwhelming surge of oppressive darkness.

This sensation was indescribable. Even across the Soul River, separated by countless eons and the demise of galaxies, all cultivators on the three battlefields were struck with an instinctive dread, trembling uncontrollably, their very soul-lights quivering. A pervasive unease gripped everyone, as if the world's end was nigh. Even mighty Heavenly Venerables found themselves collapsing, let alone lesser beings. Cultivators who were too close to the special passage were already covered in cracks, collapsing to the ground; even Divine Kings suffered this fate, while weaker beings had been reduced to mere pools of blood and mud. This was an overwhelming might; even its merest whispers were utterly terrifying.

At this most terrifying moment, astounding transformations also swept through certain regions of the Yang Realm. In a dark swamp, an immense fog billowed forth, seemingly plunging the world into darkness. It enveloped the sky, causing the heavens and earth to crack and crumble. Elsewhere, a source of fire essence suddenly reawakened, unleashing raging infernos that scorched the sky. The entire firmament became distorted, space collapsed, and the flames seemed to engulf all thirty-three heavens. In yet another location, the entire desert quaked, yellow sands violently surged upwards, revealing horrifying ancient truths beneath the prehistoric earth. Blood erupted like crisscrossing rivers, and then the sky itself began to bleed, crimson drops falling to the ground. Diverse and terrifying phenomena manifested across all regions.

In an instant, the sun was eclipsed, a black sun hung ominously in the sky, all realms fell silent, and even galaxies trembled. A stifling pressure permeated the Yang Realm and even beyond its borders, as if the most dreadful event imaginable was about to unfold, threatening to engulf all realms. This oppressive gloom, this terrifying pressure, and these ominous signs seemed to transcend the very confines of this world. The three battlefields glowed intensely. Without the presence of special artifacts, not a single soul would have survived there.

Amidst the boundless strangeness and under the horrifying, murky ripples, an invisible and despair-inducing aura diffused, yet it was blocked by the Mother Qi of All Things. Gradually, a fragment within the Mother Qi of All Things caused a disruption; otherwise, the terrifying consequences would have been unimaginable. Even so, the entire three battlefields remained in a dire state, suppressing Heavenly Venerables to the point of near self-detonation. Countless cultivators lay sprawled on the ground, silently gasping, greedily absorbing the vital essence of heaven and earth. Many bled from their seven orifices, their eyes veiled by crimson fluid, faces contorted in agony, enduring the pain, helplessness, and despair of hovering between life and death.

The Mother Qi of All Things circulated, its fragment traversing the banks of the Soul River. It radiated countless Dao symbols, causing heaven and earth to resonate and all Great Dao to tremble. It grew ever more brilliant, staunchly resisting the pressure. Within the mist, the unknown was the most terrifying. The slow yet powerful sounds truly resembled an ancient portal from a prehistoric era creaking open, utterly unnerving.

In the gloom, invisible energies manifested, as if a sinister domain had awakened, causing the void to tremble. Something was about to emerge, threatening to sweep across all realms and myriad worlds. Then, from the misty, dim end of the Soul River, a booming sound echoed, followed by the clanking of chains, as if a caged beast was finally breaking free. A heavy, suffocating oppression hung in the air.

Suddenly, the Mother Qi of All Things surged, and the fragment it enveloped became crystal clear, then emitted a blinding radiance that illuminated all realms. The petrified battlefield was suddenly bathed in the light of what seemed like thousands of celestial suns, illuminating eons of time. It was as if all the light from throughout history had converged upon this single moment, an unbearable brilliance and sanctity. At this very moment, the Soul River itself began to boil, like a cauldron brought to a furious boil, unleashing boundless radiance. The vast Soul River, stretching for billions of miles, trembled and roared as one. All of this was caused by the fragment, which glowed, emanating countless runes that resonated with heaven and earth—and then, it attacked!

In the gloom, the terrifying aura from the Soul River's depths permeated, an invisible energy expanding outwards, seemingly poised to sweep away and obliterate all resistance. Within the Mother Qi of All Things, a clang resounded as runes ignited. The fragment then surged forward, directly suppressing the encroaching force. The two forces were on a collision course!

"Heavens, this is the Soul River! There's truly something at its end. Back then... even the Celestial Emperor overlooked it, missed that very spot, and never managed to breach the final barrier. Now, it... it's about to emerge!?" At this moment, from a hidden mountain range within the Yang Realm, an ancient, profoundly mysterious monster, who had lived for an unfathomable age, cried out in a low, trembling voice. Its hair stood on end, roused from its slumber by sheer terror. This revealed the hidden depths of the Yang Realm, where beings not only recognized the Soul River but also knew legends concerning the Celestial Emperor and its mysterious terminus.

The most formidable power surged forth! From the misty depths of the Soul River's end, fluctuations beyond mortal comprehension emanated, so terrifying that even the heavens quaked, and all creation wailed and shivered. "Hasn't it always been said that no one can open the end of the Soul River and explore its secrets? That it's all just legend? Yet today, why is it actively choosing to emerge?!" "Even the Celestial Emperor failed to detect anything amiss there back then, completely overlooking it. Is it truly opening now? This proves, without a doubt, that something—an boundless horror—resides within!" Some, their voices trembling, spoke from within famous mountains and grand rivers; their bodies were as withered as decaying wood, yet they clung tenaciously to life.

Within the Mother Qi of All Things, the fragment sliced through fragments of time, finally surmounting the resistance of the river of time itself. It shot towards the Soul River's end, like an unparalleled, supremely sharp sword beam, piercing into the pervasive gloom. It encountered resistance; something invisible, or some force, emerged to block its path, causing its momentum to slow progressively in mid-air.

Gigantic waves surged, the Soul River churned violently, and crystalline soul-light swirled about. Some Soul River waves shockingly reached the very edge of the special passage, threatening to breach the path of reincarnation and spill into the Yang Realm. This implied crossing billions of miles of space and time, and the emanating aura was utterly dreadful. The Soul River appeared to have burst its banks! If it were to truly surge forth, it would be an apocalyptic event, striking terror into all ages.

A faint, ethereal melody, perfectly suiting the atmosphere, began to play from the Soul River's depths. Yet, several ancient monsters in the Yang Realm blanched. "What was that?!" they wondered. Was it the legendary Chaos Tribulation Tune, its true, complete chapter?! In the Yang Realm, a certain forbidden land possessed a similar wondrous technique and musical score. However, truly knowledgeable supreme experts knew that this forbidden land lacked the final chapter; the world mistakenly believed it to be complete, but it was, in fact, still a fragmented piece. Throughout history, the Chaos Tribulation Tune was counted among the top three supreme arcane arts. Yet, at the Soul River's end, it was merely a musical note. It wasn't unleashing its full power or ultimate might there; it was simply background music. This fact was utterly terrifying, sending shivers down everyone's spines. If someone were to truly make a move, what then?!

The Mother Qi of All Things burned, and the fragment it enveloped shone with blinding intensity, as if piercing through past, present, and future. Faintly, the voice of the former Celestial Emperor seemed to echo once more. That elusive male voice, though somewhat indistinct, carried the momentum of eternal invincibility, imbued with the grand spirit to suppress all enemies across past, present, and future. "I am the Celestial Emperor... who shall suppress all enemies!"

With a thunderous boom, the fragment within the Mother Qi tore through the obstruction, directly piercing through invisible runes and energies, annihilating the vast waves of the Soul River, and plunging into its deepest reaches. Simultaneously, the Chaos Tribulation Tune shifted, transforming into a different, hauntingly eerie sound that then swelled in intensity. "This is bad! If this energy fully erupts, heaven and earth will be gravely damaged; a great catastrophe is about to descend upon the world!" An ancient monster trembled, wishing to flee the Yang Realm immediately.

In the dimness, blinding runes illuminated the space. Were they scriptures? They arrayed themselves, forming a vortex, aiming to imprison the fragment within the Mother Qi of All Things. Then, the ancient portal shuddered violently. Something, some monstrous beast, seemed about to break free; it erupted! However, at this very moment, the Mother Qi was equally unstoppable, descending with crushing force. Waves exploded, and the Soul River's depths seemed on the verge of drying up. At this instant, many genuinely witnessed the truth reflected there!

There truly was a door, submerged by the mottled passage of time, buried by the dust of history. It was incredibly ancient and worn, its details exceedingly blurry. Everything that approached it became distorted. At this moment, the fragment within the Mother Qi, utterly indestructible and unstoppable, shone with extreme brilliance as it pierced the ancient portal, from which, astonishingly, blood began to flow! It pierced deeply, embedding itself into the portal, seeking to break through and unveil a truth that had remained hidden throughout all of history.

However, this place was truly terrifying. As the fragment struck and embedded itself in the portal, intending to dismantle the area, a dreadful aura erupted. On this day, the path of reincarnation trembled, the Soul River boiled, the Yang Realm seemed on the verge of explosion, beings beyond its borders gasped for air, and all realms appeared poised to shatter.

RUMBLE!

As the ancient portal violently shuddered, terrifying energy surged forth, and something seemed intent on breaking out. At this moment, on the Soul River's bank, another artifact also began to glow, activated. It was a fragment of the weapon belonging to the Great Black Dog's former master—a piece of a bell, lying on the ground, stained with blood, etched with characters and runes! It suddenly soared into the air, hurtling towards the Soul River's end. It too flew across, piercing through the Soul River, and impaled itself upon the ancient portal, seeking to shatter the very place. Likewise, as it embedded itself in the mottled and ancient portal, blood eerily began to flow.

RUMBLE!

The Soul River surged violently. In the dimness, the indistinct place erupted with unknown entities and substances, threatening to engulf the area, distorting everything within. And at this very moment, on the Soul River's bank, the broken stele—bearing the inscription left by the powerful being who once sundered past and present with a single sword stroke—also began to glow and vibrate. On the bank, an endless sea of sand rose, surging upwards. As the stone stele vibrated, it poured towards the Soul River's end, the stele itself glowing, its runes shining brilliantly. The banks of the Soul River were in a complete state of turmoil! Within this region, various energies and runes intertwined in a chaotic display.