The void was slowly cleaved, several figures rippling out like water, the Dark Celestial standing with his hands behind his back, looking down at Ye Chen with cold indifference. "Do you truly believe that a mere hundred thousand years is enough to stand against us?"

"Make your move," Ye Chen stated coldly.

A flicker of rage crossed the Dark Celestial's eyes as he swiftly raised his hand. Five divine seals, each radiating a distinct light, hovered before him, channeling mysterious energy from the unseen depths, causing the surrounding void to ripple with turbulence.

Sensing this overwhelming power, Ye Chen's heart filled with sky-piercing battle intent. His gaze was like lightning; black flames billowed out from his skin like smoke, enveloping his body. His black hair whipped wildly in the wind, and faintly behind him, in the void, a magnificent saber shadow capable of dominating heaven and earth could be glimpsed.

"Five Emperors' Absolute Kill!" the Dark Celestial roared, thrusting his hands forward like the Taiji symbol, causing the air around them to surge as if boiling water. Space coiled up like a carpet and shot toward Ye Chen in a deadly strike.

Within this torrent, the five divine seals transformed into five tiny, ephemeral throwing knives, weaving and crisscrossing as they lunged to execute Ye Chen.

"Hmph!" Ye Chen’s eyes held a look of disdainful pride. He clenched his hand, and a phantom saber aura materialized in his palm, sweeping out to envelop the five small knives.

"Annihilation!"

The ethereal saber aura instantly became substantial. It flashed only briefly, like a shooting meteor—simple and fleeting, yet in that instant, it erupted with a brilliance and grace destined for eternity!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The five small divine seal knives struck an invisible wall, repelled backward by immense force, slamming toward the Dark Celestial like a barrage of incoming projectiles.

The Dark Celestial grunted, a trace of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. He concentrated all his mental energy just to regain control of the chaotic, unruly throwing knives, forcing them back into the shape of divine seal orbs.

The Light Celestial, the Earth Celestial, and the others frowned. They hadn't expected the Dark Celestial, empowered by all five divine seals, to be defeated by Ye Chen in a single exchange. The legendary Supreme Divine Artifact of Heaven and Earth was indeed extraordinary.

They exchanged glances, nodding slightly. Led by the Light Celestial, they each began to chant an ancient and mysterious incantation toward the heavens: "The freedom of faith, the far shore of reincarnation, the end of the world—I implore the God of the World to strip away my divine seal and summon the return of the Ancient True God. Forbidden—Divine Descent!"

This incantation, lost to the river of time and unknown to the masses, was slowly voiced by the great Celestials. Dazzling, brilliant light erupted from their bodies. Each person’s form seemed to dissolve into pure light, leaving only vague outlines; their faces blurred into indistinction.

The Dark Celestial gasped slightly. Seeing them, his eyes flickered with light. He took a deep breath, then coldly faced Ye Chen. The anger in his eyes vanished, replaced by an icy indifference and nobility, as if he had instantly transformed into a True God from the Ninth Heaven, looking down upon all living things, deeming everything insignificant.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Light Celestial, the Divine Wind Celestial, the Earth Celestial, and the other great Celestials, their bodies transformed into white light, instantly contracted towards their chests, condensing into single white points of light that shot into the Dark Celestial's body like comets.

With every white light particle that struck, the Dark Celestial’s aura intensified, surging outward like tidal waves. Once all the light particles were absorbed, the entire world suddenly fell silent.

Time abruptly halted.

Rumble~~~

Several seconds later, a world-shattering roar, like the sound of howling mountains collapsing, resonated from within the Dark Celestial's body. He slowly raised his head. His face flashed with an array of colors—red, white, black, and green—and two golden pillars of light shot from his eyes. An overwhelming, transcendent aura erupted from him.

A power not possessed even in the Primordial Era descended upon the world at this moment. No one knew the ultimate strength achieved when the Nine Gods united as one.

Ye Chen's brow furrowed. The saber energy within him seemed to hum, agitated by the aura released by the Dark Celestial. This was a sensation he had only experienced when facing the Ancient War Venerable and the Ancient Gods. The Dark Celestial before him now possessed power likely equal to that of the Ancient Gods.

Ye Chen's eyes flashed, and he abruptly turned, rapidly retreating. His body darted away like a swallow, weaving through intersecting voids in different dimensions.

"You cannot escape," the Dark Celestial’s domineering voice echoed from behind. "You were too arrogant. If you had chosen to flee while I was fusing, perhaps you would have a chance, but now, you have none!"

Boom!

Heaven and earth churned. All space and time were instantly sealed, forming a barrier that enveloped Ye Chen, cutting off even the passage through spacetime tunnels.

Ye Chen was inwardly startled. "Absolute control, manipulating the timelines of past and future—this legendary realm truly exists! Even the Ancient Gods did not employ such tactics in their battles. Could he have surpassed the Ancient Gods?"

As he felt the shock, the Dark Celestial towered like an omnipotent deity. His body instantly grew mountain-sized, and he reached out to grasp Ye Chen.

"Die!" the Dark Celestial roared with maniacal laughter. "I never imagined that the union of the Nine Gods would grant such power, far exceeding my estimations. Even without you, the Ancient Gods and the War Venerable would be no match for me!"

"Is that so?" A detached voice suddenly sounded from beyond the heavens, like the ethereal whisper of a supreme being from the Ninth Heaven. Immediately following, the void behind Ye Chen exploded in a burst of shattering black light, from which a man clad in golden armor slowly strode out.

His black hair was casually draped over his shoulders. His handsome features were accentuated by pupils as brilliant as the starry sky. Coupled with the suit of armor inscribed with three thousand civilizational innate runes—the Armor of Civilization—who else could it be but the Ancient War Venerable?

The Ancient War Venerable, who had suddenly ripped through the void, stood smiling behind Ye Chen, gazing lightly at the Dark Celestial. "I always knew that you truly could not perish back then. You were all created by me. As long as I exist, you will have eternal life. I never expected you all to mature to this degree."

The Dark Celestial’s expression shifted. "How can you be here?"

"Don't forget, I can perceive everything. When you sealed space and time here, I naturally sensed it. And the only one capable of forcing you to seal space and time is Xiao Dao," the Ancient War Venerable chuckled softly. "Coincidentally, the Ancient God emerged some time ago and has already found his shattered body and the incarnation of his mount, Dao. Before I fight him, I'll use you for a warm-up."

The Dark Celestial’s face darkened. "I am now the union of the Nine Gods. My cultivation is beyond your imagination. Since you have come today, you won't be leaving!" With that, he swept his hand out, completely imprisoning the surrounding void. A nearly primal force burst forth from his body, creating a devastating energy that enveloped both the Ancient War Venerable and Ye Chen.

"Xiao Dao," the War Venerable looked up at the sky-occluding hand, his expression calm, his hands clasped behind his back. "Do you still remember the days when we fought the Ancient Gods and slaughtered the masses?"

Ye Chen stood behind him, his brow slightly furrowed.

That almost insane and glorious era was etched into his very bones; how could he forget it?

"After countless epochs, at the terminus of destiny, let us once again have a truly satisfying battle today!" The War Venerable’s entire body erupted with soaring battle qi. His surging energy was in no way inferior to the Dark Celestial's in that instant—perhaps even superior.

Ye Chen felt a rush of blood surge through him.

He threw back his head and roared. His entire body transformed into a nearly transparent, icy saber that emitted a clear, resonant hum, drifting automatically toward the Dark Celestial's hand.

The Ancient War Venerable grasped the saber hilt, looking down at the gleaming blade. He murmured, "Fighting the Ancient Gods, extinguishing the masses—let the blood of the gods be drunk by you once more!"

Hum~

The saber body resonated, seeming to respond.

"Good!" The War Venerable’s eyes blazed with light. He suddenly looked up to see the Dark Celestial's sky-covering hand already descending. The primal energy condensed in its palm formed an intense magnetic field, poised to destroy everything. Pfft!

A brilliant, dazzling, intense beam of saber light, like the dawn breaking, slashed across the fingers of the black hand. Several fingers instantly snapped off like stalagmites. The sharp saber light was swung countless times like a scythe, slicing the entire massive hand into countless fragments.

Yet the War Venerable merely stood quietly in the void, holding the battle saber horizontally, as if he had not moved at all from beginning to end.

No one could perceive the speed of his strike; it had already surpassed light speed by countless times, exceeding the laws of this universe!

The Dark Celestial roared, and his hand reformed, but his gaze was filled with shock and fury. First, he was alarmed by Ye Chen's sharpness, and second, he was stunned by the formidable strength of the Ancient War Venerable.

He had not anticipated that even after fusing the divine seals of the nine great Celestials and exceeding the level of a Celestial to reach an entirely new realm, he would still be inferior to the Ancient War Venerable!

"I don't believe it, I don't believe it!" the Dark Celestial roared, smashing out a punch. Nine brilliant lights flashed from his fist, driving towards the Dark Celestial, rotating like a small, exquisite shield.

The Ancient War Venerable watched with a smile. "A little trick." He shifted his body slightly backward, elegantly evading the rotational impact of the fine shield. His body floated upward as lightly as goose down, and the battle saber in his hand suddenly hacked down like lightning, striking the wrist. Saber energy, like white waves, shot out, cleanly severing the entire massive wrist!

The Dark Celestial was inwardly horrified. He finally understood the predicament the Ancient Gods faced when confronting the Ancient War Venerable back then. In combat, the Ancient War Venerable did not need to expend much effort; simply relying on Ye Chen's sharpness, he could effortlessly gain the upper hand.

Faced with this situation, only ranged attacks would be effective.

However, at the level of cultivation they had reached, distance no longer posed a limitation. Both the Ancient God and the Ancient War Venerable himself excelled in close combat. Consequently, the Ancient War Venerable, wielding his battle saber, was practically invincible, easily overpowering opponents of the same rank.

...

On a side note, the update speed previously was abysmal, as I was swamped with various matters and truly unable to separate myself. I also felt very suppressed; I could only manage to write late into the night every day. Recently, I have finally sorted out everything, and unexpected situations should no longer occur.

I feel quite ashamed about this period; I dared not look at the reviews or the group chat. Today, I managed to wake up early, and upon checking around, I found that many friends are still supporting me. I was instantly moved to tears—truly touched and deeply grateful for all your support, and thanks to the many brothers who have followed since Storm and continue to support me.

Old Gu is truly sorry to you all.

One more thing: the arc involving the Dark Celestial was supposed to conclude much earlier, but there were simply too many plot points, which is why it extended this far. Now that my state has returned and everything is stabilized, updates will resume normally starting today, with two chapters daily.

I had intended to add an extra chapter today, but my routine has just been restored, and my mind is still rather chaotic. If nothing unexpected happens, the third chapter will be postponed until tomorrow.