Controlling the Heavenly Path's Will, the Sacrifice Cannot Be Avoided
Controlling the Heavenly Path’s Will, the Sacrifice Cannot Be Avoided
This day, for all the cultivators and living beings of the entire Profound Sword World, was an absolutely catastrophic, pitch-black day.
Across all Thirteen States, despair and wailing filled the air, and countless cultivators wept in anguish.
Blood and fire spread, the earth split apart, mountains and rivers overturned, and the sun and moon lost their light.
A vast and terrifying fluctuation came from the edge of heaven and earth.
That place was a blur; one could only faintly hear furious roars and see collapsing Chaos Energy.
In the end, that place crumbled—a huge chunk of the sky caved in, and five-colored divine fire flowed down, like the legendary Domain of Eternal Fire, capable of burning all things in existence to ashes.
Amid this catastrophe, a horrifying giant hand, iron-blue in color and wreathed in the rules of destruction, reached down from the edge of heaven and earth, seizing billions upon billions of living beings.
Like the Great Millstone of World Destruction, it stretched across heaven and earth, slowly turning, pushing all rules and order toward their end.
Countless cultivators and living beings were ground into nothingness, vanishing from the cycle of reincarnation, never to exist again.
Even Earth Sword Immortals were as fragile as fireflies, reduced to flying ash in an instant.
The Heavenly Path’s Will of the Profound Sword World had awakened, wielding the Heavenly Dao Authority, attempting to destroy all living beings and sacrifice them in order to achieve Absolute Detachment.
But even this terrifying Great Millstone of World Destruction was then cleaved apart by a single halberd light, shattering into pieces, black blood flowing from within—an utterly horrifying sight.
Billions of living beings and cultivators trembled as they watched this scene, as if witnessing a divine miracle.
Gu Changge’s dharma body manifested between heaven and earth, spanning beyond tens of millions of miles; even a strand of his hair was larger than a star, wrapped in boundless Chaos Energy, like the creation deity of myth who split apart the primordial chaos.
He reached out and tore open that rift, instantly breaking through endless Restrictions and space, charging into a void of another dimension.
“Found you. How much longer did you plan to hide?” His expression calm, he strode inside.
In Gu Changge’s eyes, this great battle would soon come to an end.
The Heavenly Path’s Will had been hiding from his pursuit, fleeing from underground all the way into another space.
But in the end, its true body’s location had been discovered by him.
The gap in power was not small, and before him, all resistance would be futile.
“There is no enmity or grudge between us. Why do you keep hunting me down?”
The Heavenly Path’s Will stood at the dim edge of heaven and earth, manifesting its true form—an extremely burly, tall black-haired man.
A pair of blood-red eyes, cold and merciless, with the light of merit swirling around him, seven-colored auspicious clouds shrouding him, which then transformed into a suit of seven-colored battle armor covering his body.
Endless golden light of merit surrounded him, setting him off like a lord of heaven and earth, revered by all races.
Hazy world phantoms rose and fell around him, as if he stood upon endless divine radiance.
“Someone like you actually enjoys the light of merit—how truly ironic.”
“I kill you? You seem to have it backwards. Wasn’t it you who struck at me first?”
Footsteps rang out within this void of dim space as Gu Changge spoke with a light chuckle, advancing step by step to kill his way over.
The Eight Barren Demon Halberd pointed diagonally toward the horizon; everything in its path crumbled, all rules and order shattering.
His aura was far too terrifying—so much so that this space could not bear it and began to collapse, all rules and order disintegrating.
“Who exactly are you?”
The Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body asked coldly once more. Within his icy eyes, there was a trace of deep apprehension.
Gu Changge’s strength had exceeded his imagination.
Even though he now possessed the power of a Remnant Immortal, he was falling into a disadvantage in this confrontation.
That was how Gu Changge had found his true body’s location and killed his way here.
He had originally thought that once he awakened, he could reopen this world, rebuild his true body, and thereby take that final step.
He never expected a Gu Changge to suddenly come killing his way out of nowhere.
Even the other True Daoists of the Beyond were beneath his notice, utterly insignificant.
Only Gu Changge was troublesome to the extreme—both his origins and his strength were unfathomable.
“Who I am doesn’t matter. Hand over the World Source, and perhaps you can be swiftly erased by me.”
The smile faded from Gu Changge’s face as he spoke indifferently, stepping forward, intending to refine and devour the Heavenly Path’s Will.
Boom!
As his words fell, this space trembled, ripples spreading one after another.
Immediately after, a terrifying hurricane seemed to rise, sweeping over everything in all directions.
At the same time, sky-blotting black mist spread out instantly like a domain.
Within it surged a chaotic and muddled aura of disorder, like a cosmic black hole, devouring everything.
“Who exactly are you?!”
The expression of the Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body changed once more, feeling an intense threat.
Not just from Gu Changge’s methods, but also from the heart-palpitating aura Gu Changge exuded at this very moment.
“I already said, who I am doesn’t matter. Be sensible and hand over the World Source.”
Gu Changge said indifferently.
With a weng, black light cascaded down, boundless and endless, shrouding this place.
The Grand Flask emerged—though only the size of a palm.
Yet within it, countless divine principles rose and fell, intertwining, finally transforming into a heaven-swallowing black hole, with the stars of the cosmos condensed within.
The Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body felt an enormous threat. That palm-sized flask seemed to contain the most terrifying thing in the world, capable of swallowing him into it.
He dared not be careless. A Pool of Principles emerged beside him, silver lightning boiling, transforming into True Dragons, Celestial Phoenixes, Black Tortoises, and White Tigers that pierced through the sky, charging at Gu Changge.
Boom!
But Gu Changge merely swept the Eight Barren Demon Halberd horizontally, as if to destroy an entire great world.
All the principles shattered, like eggs striking stone, instantly breaking apart and exploding into a void of dust.
Even the Pool of Principles collapsed in an instant, unable to withstand such power.
Roar— The Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body let out a long howl, his five-colored armor radiating ten thousand zhang of light, his head of black hair dancing wildly.
He took the initiative to attack, launching an assault—otherwise, sooner or later, that mysterious flask would swallow him whole, leaving him without even a burial place.
Boom, boom, boom—
The aura here grew even more terrifying, as if it would overturn heaven and earth and carve out a new world.
Gu Changge’s expression did not change. Hazy world outlines emerged around him, and around each world, silver divine flames boiled.
As the Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body charged over, the silver divine flames beside Gu Changge grew ever more dazzling, burning through the void, advancing to meet that world-shaking assault. Even as that giant black hand slammed toward him, he did not dodge at all.
Boom!
The next instant, a terrifying tremor of the void rang out. One giant hand of the Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body could pulverize a True Daoist.
But when it struck Gu Changge’s body, it only produced a violent tremor, failing to kill him—while his own palm and fingers burst with blood, bones snapping, nearly shattering.
“Your Physique...”
The expression of the Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body changed again and again. He quickly withdrew, retreating backward, sensing something was wrong.
The toughness of Gu Changge’s Physique had even surpassed what this world could bear.
“It seems you still can’t see the situation clearly.” Gu Changge chuckled lightly, his gaze without the slightest ripple, still cold and emotionless.
The Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body’s expression changed. Since gaining consciousness, this was the first time he had felt such unease, his life under extreme threat.
He roared furiously once more. Terrifying chains of rules emerged around him, the Great Dao rumbling, heaven and earth shattering.
Each chain seemed to be wrapped around an ancient world, drawing out its Source principles, surging forth, attempting to drown Gu Changge.
“Tell me where the World Source is.”
Gu Changge’s expression was cold, his white robes whiter than snow, his hair gleaming with lustrous light, his features peerlessly handsome as he strode through this ruined stretch of heaven and earth.
All offensive techniques, upon reaching him, were devoured and dissolved by layers of black light.
This was different from the Completely Invulnerable Technique—this was total devouring, one could even say immunity to everything.
After all, even principles approaching the Immortal Realm were utterly useless.
“Heh heh, you want to know where the World Source is? Then you’d have to destroy this world. Could you bring yourself to do it?”
“This world’s Source is contained within its countless living beings. Only by sacrificing everyone can it be condensed. If you want the World Source, it’s simple—destroy this world.”
The Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body manifested in the distance, his body tattered, thick black blood seeping from many places as he laughed coldly.
He had suffered considerable Dao injuries. The power emanating from the Grand Flask was simply too terrifying.
Even as he drew upon principles from all over to repair his wounds, it proved futile.
Seeing Gu Changge so insistent on obtaining the World Source, he simply told him everything, hoping to make Gu Changge give up in despair.
Sacrifice an entire world?
Besides himself, who else could do such a thing? After all, it sounded utterly insane.
Moreover, doing so would not only invite endless Karmic Hellfire, but also damage one’s merit, hindering future cultivation.
“So I have to destroy this world?” Gu Changge’s brow furrowed slightly, then quickly relaxed.
He did not doubt the Heavenly Path’s Will’s words. Judging from its previous world-destroying actions, sacrificing all living beings was clearly its only chance at transcendence.
And this time, the first thing it did upon awakening was attempt to destroy this world, using all living beings as nourishment for the sacrifice.
Seeing him fall silent, the Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body assumed Gu Changge had misgivings, and could not help laughing loudly. “I’m not like you cultivators. When I launch a world-destroying war, it follows the natural cycle of heaven, the reincarnation of karma. Not only will I not invite Karmic Hellfire, I’ll even gain merit.”
“But if you do it, you’ll inevitably be plagued by Karmic Hellfire, leaving endless scourges behind. Have you thought this through?”
Gu Changge shook his head gently and sighed. “Fortunately, you reminded me, otherwise it really would have caused trouble. Looking at it this way, I can’t kill you just yet.”
“What do you mean by that?” The black-haired man formed by the Heavenly Path’s Will stared fixedly at Gu Changge with icy eyes.
He had a bad feeling in his heart.
“This world-destroying catastrophe must still be launched by you.” Gu Changge’s face was utterly calm, without the slightest ripple, and the depths of his eyes were even colder.
The Grand Flask rose and fell, wisps of black light spreading, and this space instantly froze still.
Vast and terrifying demonic qi surged forth, blotting out everything, pouncing toward the incarnation of the Heavenly Path’s Will.
At the same time, Gu Changge’s sleeves fluttered as he reached out, billions of crimson rays blooming like a prison of heaven and earth, emitting the sound of the Great Dao, seeking to suppress and seize it.
This was an incomparably domineering strike, unfathomable and vast, beyond the power of words to describe.
All manner of Great Dao light and primordial sounds spread and bloomed, even evolving into scenes of world creation.
For a time, this place became a blur, all manner of rules and order intertwining.
The Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body displayed its strongest power since awakening, seeking to resist Gu Changge’s suppression.
However, after several hundred exchanges, the sky-blotting demonic qi seeped through, corroding the light of merit around him, transforming into star-like chains that bound his body.
No matter how he struggled, he could not break free, reduced to a fish on the chopping block.
“Though formed of the Heavenly Path’s Will, your true body is already no different from a living being. That actually makes you easier to control.” Gu Changge murmured softly, black and white light blooming in his eyes.
He descended from the void, darkness spreading behind him like a tide, instantly swallowing the Heavenly Path’s Will.
Grand Runes flickered and intertwined, seeping along the chains, then slowly sinking into its body like brands, allowing him to control its life and death with a single thought.
“If you don’t want your consciousness erased right now, then you’d best obediently do as I say.”
Gu Changge’s expression was cold.
After all, the Heavenly Path’s Will controlled this world’s Heavenly Dao Authority—within this world, it was the very representation of invincibility.
Even Earth Sword Immortals were no different from ants before it.
As long as it did not intervene to stop things, sacrificing all living beings and condensing the World Source was only a matter of time.
“What...”
“You...”
After hearing what Gu Changge wanted it to do, the Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body suddenly felt a chill of fear, its gaze toward Gu Changge filled with dread.
It had assumed Gu Changge would give up on obtaining this world’s Source, but it never expected that Gu Changge actually planned to borrow its hand to destroy this world and thereby obtain the World Source.
The survival of the Profound Sword World truly meant nothing in Gu Changge’s eyes. Moreover, Gu Changge’s methods were far crueler than its own—he simply treated everyone as tools to be used.
After taking control of the Heavenly Path’s Will, Gu Changge had no intention of wasting more words on it.
Then this space split open, and he stepped out, quickly vanishing.
This place was actually still within the Profound Sword World, but it existed in another dimension, one that ordinary cultivators simply could not perceive.
Now, the arrival of the world-destroying catastrophe could no longer be avoided. Gu Changge only needed to wait quietly.
“So many True Daoists died on the Beyond’s side—they’ve probably long since guessed it was my doing. They don’t dare say much now, but once I return to the Beyond, trouble will inevitably remain.”
Gu Changge’s figure left this space and appeared in the sky of the outside world, somewhat thoughtful, planning to take this opportunity to eliminate these hidden troubles all at once.
He looked down at the devastated land below and shook his head gently.
The battle between the Heavenly Path’s Will’s true body and himself had nearly destroyed half of the Profound Sword World.
Of the Thirteen States’ territory, a full five states had been sunk, to say nothing of the overseas regions.
Those had been evaporated dry, leaving only terrifying riverbeds behind.
But this world still had many living beings and cultivators remaining, so it should not greatly affect the sacrifice.
Weng—
The void blurred. Gu Changge stepped forward and vanished, crossing tens of millions of miles in an instant, rushing toward where the ancient war vessel hovered beyond the sky.
Back in the Ancient Arcane Ruins, he had deliberately let the Abundance Sword Immortal and the others go—precisely so he would now have a pretext to move against the various orthodoxies and forces that had descended upon this world.
Besides, even if he had killed the Abundance Sword Immortal and the others back then, the various orthodoxies would still have had ways to deduce that he was the one who had killed all those True Daoists.