The heavens ripped open with lightning and thunder, the very power of the cosmos surging madly. The violent wind pressure, like razor-sharp blades slicing through the void, shredded the endlessly surging monsters before they could even breach the domain of the Godly Path experts.
Only the golden monstrosities and a select few mutated beasts with hides like iron plating managed to survive. Yet, even they hastily retreated, surrendering the immediate space entirely.
In this ravaged world, scenes of clashing thunder and lightning were now exceedingly rare. Such a spectacular phenomenon could only be conjured if a Godly Path expert pushed their very essence to the limit, hoarding the power of heaven and earth.
Since every single Godly Path expert was gathered here, it was blindingly obvious whether someone was drawing upon that colossal power.
“Rumble…”
A tremendous roar erupted, and with the first clap of thunder, countless louder, more potent echoes cracked across the firmament like firecrackers igniting the world.
The previously dim and unremarkable entrance to the portal suddenly exploded with infinite radiance, the light shooting straight into the heavens, bathing the entire sky in a dazzling spectacle.
The immense might, now unleashed without restraint, struck the heart of every Godly being present, forcing them to acknowledge a profound and unfamiliar shift in power.
“What in the world is this?” Mou Zilong murmured, barely audible.
The others exchanged bewildered glances. They were veterans of countless struggles, yet this sudden transformation far exceeded the scope of their expectations.
The vast power of heaven and earth churned violently in the vicinity. They could feel the escalating intensity of this cosmic shift, reaching an almost unbelievable zenith.
On past occasions—when the Divine Dragon assisted He Yiming in forging divine artifacts, or when He Yiming used two such artifacts to incinerate the monster's nest—unparalleled disturbances in cosmic energy had occurred, also marked by thunder and lightning. But compared to this moment, those events were but flickering candles beside a raging sun, utterly insignificant.
The newly ascended experts, like Di Shitian, felt a deep dread, unable to comprehend the unfolding events. Yet, the eyes of the older generation of Godly Path masters began to gleam. In the deepest recesses of their memory, this was not an entirely unfamiliar scene.
Buried within their recollections, five centuries ago, when all human Godly Path masters and Divine Beasts across the realms joined forces, unleashing their divine majesty to its absolute peak, a manifestation of cosmic power of this very magnitude had occurred.
A realization struck them, causing the expressions of the veteran Godly Path experts to flicker. Bao Yanzhu stammered, “Lord Divine Dragon, this is…”
Every gaze swung towards the Divine Dragon. Though He Yiming and the Dragon both knew the underlying cause, He Yiming had no intention of stepping forward as the herald.
Without overwhelming, undeniable strength, revealing such a secret could trigger unknown and disastrous consequences.
However, looking at the earth-shattering scale of the event, He Yiming understood that this outcome could not possibly remain hidden.
The Divine Dragon drew its gaze back from the bizarre, kaleidoscopic portal entrance and announced in a clear voice, “You all see it. This portal is about to close.”
“Impossible…” Ma Yu muttered. “Even when all our Godly Paths combined in the past, we couldn't seal it. How can it possibly close on its own now?”
The hearts of Ao Minxing and the others pounded fiercely. They desperately hoped the Dragon’s words were true. Centuries of battle had left them profoundly weary of this place; they yearned to return to their homelands, unwilling to linger another minute.
But these individuals possessed immense self-control. They understood that holding the line at the portal entrance meant containing and perhaps even annihilating these terrifying foes. But if these monsters ever breached the entry point and reached their homes, even Godly Path experts could not prevent the world’s destruction.
This was because, on their home ground, Godly Path experts could never unleash their power without restraint. Furthermore, even if they fought without reservation, the sheer numbers of these creatures, once dispersed, would render their efforts futile.
Thus, for hundreds of years, even the most optimistic among them had resigned themselves to ending their lives right here. Hearing the Divine Dragon speak of the only possible solution naturally filled their hearts with a complex mixture of hesitation, doubt, and disbelief.
The Dragon turned its massive head slowly. “You can feel whether the portal is closing or not. If you refuse to believe me, you are welcome to stay and continue fighting those things.”
Ma Yu’s eyes lit up, yet his heart was filled not with anger, but with an overwhelming, incredible ecstasy.
“Time is short, Lord Divine Dragon, please expedite the arrangements for withdrawal,” He Yiming’s voice rang out clearly. It acted like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of the vastly excited veteran Godly Path masters, snapping them back to reality.
The next instant, every human and Divine Beast looked at him with a strange intensity.
The closure of this portal was an established consensus, forged over centuries of failure. Yet now, after He Yiming and his group had entered, the portal was unexpectedly capable of sealing. Moreover, He Yiming appeared remarkably calm, showing no hint of excitement.
In contrast, even Di Shitian and the others displayed subtle traces of confusion and elation.
The human Godly Paths and Divine Beasts who had managed to ascend to this realm and survive here were no simple characters. With a single glance, they were certain: He Yiming must have known about this beforehand. There must be some clandestine relationship between the Divine Dragon and He Yiming for them to be so composed and prepared.
Mou Zilong sighed deeply. “I understand now, Brother He. You and Lord Divine Dragon journeyed to the monster nest, braving unimaginable peril, all to open this passage, correct?”
The others nodded subtly. Besides this explanation, they simply could not fathom why the Divine Dragon and He Yiming would risk such dangers just to strike at the enemy’s core base.
He Yiming coughed lightly. While he was certain that the Dragon’s insistence on destroying the monster nest had no actual connection to sealing the portal, seeing the looks on their faces, he knew that even with a thousand mouths, he couldn't convince them to change the conclusion they had already firmly drawn.
Shrugging his shoulders, he wisely chose to remain silent.
“The passage is relatively stable for now. We will proceed in groups of three. Wei Jinshun, Sydney, and the Twin-Winged White Tiger will go first,” the Divine Dragon stated softly. Its voice was not raised, yet it carried an undeniable authority.
And it was clearly prepared: the first trio designated comprised one expert from the East, one from the West, and one Divine Beast, ensuring that no disputes would arise upon their passage.
Though the three named maintained outward composure, their eyes betrayed intense excitement. After exchanging a glance, they charged toward the mouth of the colossal, dozens-of-feet-long portal.
A series of continuous ripples spread outward from the entry point, expanding in concentric circles—waves mirroring the unsettled emotions of the onlookers, which refused to settle down quickly.
“The second batch…”
The Dragon remained utterly composed, its voice showing no fluctuation. In truth, this was only because it had already been aware of the situation beforehand; had the sudden change caught it unaware, maintaining such tranquility would have been difficult.
A huge, piercing shriek suddenly cut through the air, cutting through the roar of the wind and the thunderous barrage.
As if sensing the strange shift occurring here, the most intelligent entities hidden deep within the monster hordes could hold back no longer.
It issued the final command to attack—a desperate clarion call for an all-out charge. In the previous centuries, such an order had only been given during the final, desperate offensive; yet now, it was issued without hesitation.
“Hurry,” the Divine Dragon’s cold gaze swept over the remaining figures. “All Pseudo-God realm masters and Divine Beasts remain. Release the Mutated Thunder Spears. In this final moment, no error can be tolerated.”
The few remaining Pseudo-God experts and the three Divine Beasts unleashed their most ferocious counterattack. They poured out their power without reservation, the Mutated Thunder Spears flying out as if they were limitless, striking not just the golden monsters soaring in the sky, but even the lowest-ranked creatures crawling on the ground.
At this moment, all the remaining human Godly Paths and Divine Beasts seemed to have gone mad, slaughtering with abandon, transforming themselves into demons returned from a bloody hell, cutting down every monster that dared approach them.
Under the Dragon’s direction, the rest passed through the portal in succession, vanishing from sight. But He Yiming felt a creeping sense of worry. Whether by design or accident, even after all the Void God realm experts had left, the Divine Dragon had still not called his name, acting as if it had forgotten him entirely.
Clutching the Five Elements Ring tightly, He Yiming struggled to calm his heart.
The core of the monster nest was still in his possession. No matter what calculation the Divine Dragon was making, it could not afford to abandon that item.
“Ao Minxing, White Dragon, Leopold, you may go.”
He Yiming’s eye twitched. Even the Pseudo-God realm masters were beginning to withdraw, yet he was still barred from leaving. To claim he felt no resentment or anxiety would be a lie.
Glancing between the portal entrance and the Godly Path puppets standing beside him, He Yiming even entertained the thought of abandoning everything and rushing into the passage.
However, he couldn't be certain that even if he willingly abandoned his Godly Path puppets, those constructs could truly withstand the full power of the Divine Dragon.
The trio of Ao Minxing immediately ceased fighting and retreated, entering the passage without hesitation.
With three Pseudo-God experts gone, the pressure on those remaining intensified exponentially, yet not a single person displayed any sign of panic.
“Liu Mu, Ma Yu, Western Divine Dragon, you go.”
Ma Yu and the Western Divine Dragon immediately turned and stepped into the portal, but Liu Mu said in a deep voice, “Brother Divine Dragon, please allow Yiming to depart first. I can still hold the line…”