The mysterious carvings on the forehead of the Ancient God instantly erupted with an incomparably intense radiance, unleashing a terrifying aura that shook the heavens and the earth.

"Crack, crack."

The Ancient God's body grew wildly, fissures appearing across its skin, widening into chasms like collapsing mountains and rivers. Its muscles seemed distended by an indescribable, colossal force, on the verge of bursting its very form!

"Die!!"

The Ancient God roared toward the sky, its fury unbound, and slammed out a devastating punch, striking the shoulder of the Ancient War Venerable.

Boom!

The entire shoulder of the Ancient War Venerable exploded into a bloody pulp, an entire arm snapping off and hurtling into the distant void. Golden blood poured violently from his own wound; though it healed at a visible rate, the torrent of blood refused to cease.

The Ancient God’s face contorted hideously as it roared, "Take ten of my punches!"

Roar!

It unleashed another punch with terrifying force!

A world-shaking explosion slammed into the body of the Ancient War Venerable. The Ancient War Venerable stared at the Ancient God in horror and disbelief, raising a palm to parry the gigantic fist.

Bang!

The palm blew apart, scattering into countless fragments of flesh and blood.

"Third punch!!!"

The Ancient God shrieked to the heavens, its eyes burning crimson.

As the third punch struck, the heavens and the earth seemed to fall into a suffocating silence.

The chest armor of the Ancient War Venerable suddenly burst open, sending the flesh and blood beneath it flying.

"How is this possible? How can you be this strong? If you possessed this kind of power, why didn't you use it in the Primordial Era? How could this be!" The Ancient War Venerable looked panicked. This power was simply too immense. He had laid countless traps, fearful that the Ancient God possessed a hidden trump card, but he never imagined this concealed killing move would be this potent!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Under the relentless barrage of the Ancient God's fists, the Ancient War Venerable’s body was forced violently backward with every blow. Flesh and blood were blasted away from his body; seven or eight holes were pierced through him, only for new flesh to regenerate instantly.

"You cannot kill me! You cannot kill me!" The Ancient War Venerable’s face twisted into madness as he roared, "My energy is endless! All living beings are my believers! You cannot kill... cannot kill!!!"

"Tenth punch!"

The Ancient God grunted low, its eyes blazing with a frantic yet resolute light. The fist smashed out with astonishing speed, connecting directly with the Ancient War Venerable's head.

Bang!

The head exploded, blood spraying everywhere.

The body of the Ancient War Venerable suddenly froze, as if paralyzed.

The Ancient God panted slightly, its surging aura receding like the tide. Deep wrinkles appeared across its skin, and its body rapidly withered. In an instant, its black hair turned snow-white, wrinkles mapping the corners of its eyes, transforming it into the likeness of an old man.

"Is it over..." A cold, venomous voice drifted slowly from the body of the Ancient War Venerable. Then, before the stunned gaze of the Ancient God, the head of the Ancient War Venerable slowly coalesced again, a cruel smile playing on its lips. "I knew... unleashing your true power would come at a significant cost. I never imagined it would consume your life force. Now, it's my turn..."

He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking audibly.

The shock on the Ancient God’s face gradually subsided, and it chuckled softly, "Being able to unleash true power for one real fight—that was exhilarating. Everything should end now..."

"It will end after you die," the Ancient War Venerable sneered, stepping forward.

Just then—

"No!" A frigid phrase suddenly echoed throughout the heavens and earth, like a cold wind rising from the Nine Hells, causing the very form of the Ancient War Venerable to pause slightly as he turned to look.

That single glance seemed to stop the world.

Ye Chen, who had moments before been shattered into countless shards, had now reformed into human shape. He stood clad in long, flowing black garments, his dark hair drifting in the air. His gaze, cold and piercing, looked down upon the Ancient War Venerable with detached disdain. A cool, arrogant curve touched his lips as he nodded slightly toward the Ancient God beside him. "You have worked hard. Leave the rest to me."

The Ancient War Venerable’s expression darkened. He spoke coldly, "It seems I was too merciful earlier. You were foolish not to seize the chance to flee!"

Ye Chen looked at him indifferently and slowly raised both hands. Intense black flames materialized in his left hand, their density far surpassing the Dao Flames manifested by Da Dao, powerful enough to incinerate the entire world. In his right hand, a brilliant, majestic light appeared—the Light of Civilization!

This dense Light of Civilization shone with an unprecedented luster, as if countless beings were offering devout prayers.

"Everything must end now..." Ye Chen spoke coldly, his voice merging with the chant of all creation: "The Final Judgment—Dark Civilization!"

He pressed his palms together!

Darkness in the left hand, Civilization in the right, they gradually merged.

The flames that could incinerate existence and the hope of all life fused completely in that instant.

An indescribable, terrifying aura emanated from between Ye Chen's palms, causing the surrounding void to tremble under the pressure of the fluctuation.

Ye Chen lifted his head and looked coldly at the Ancient War Venerable. "Everyone’s struggle was for this moment. It is time for all of this to conclude. This world will not be dominated by you!"

The Ancient War Venerable felt the terrifying energy fluctuation, shock blooming in his eyes. "What is this energy? How can it be this powerful? Impossible! Everything is under my control! How could you possess such strength?"

Ye Chen’s palm slowly manifested a ball of pitch-black light, shifting and coiling like threads, unleashing unfathomable, terrifying power.

"Since the eons before time, I planned this day with the Ancient God, all so that I could finally rebel against you, enrage you, and have you destroy me," Ye Chen stated coldly. "Originally, I lacked the capacity to wield this power myself. But just now, the Ancient God sacrificed everything to dismantle your body, and the boundless fragments—rich with energy—were devoured by me, granting me the strength to unleash this technique."

The Ancient War Venerable shuddered inwardly and glanced back at the Ancient God, who stood silently on Da Dao’s back, watching him with a faint smile.

"Impossible!" The Ancient War Venerable refused to believe it. "All your movements were within my grasp. Even if you obtained the power of Civilization, how could you acquire such a potent Light of Civilization? I expended immense effort just to decipher that light initially! You only managed to obtain some Civilization Genes, learned their innate skills, and fused them into an ordinary Light of Civilization—how could it possess such power?"

"Nothing is impossible," Ye Chen mocked him. "Your Civilization Armor indeed contained the essence of the power of Civilization. My 'Myriad Heavens God-Melting Art' merely extracted that power and fused it into my body, creating only an illusion of the Light of Civilization. But... don't forget where that power of Civilization originated!"

"Da Dao!" The Ancient War Venerable spun around abruptly to look at the Ancient God's mount. "Impossible! I destroyed Da Dao! How could he impart the application of the power of Civilization to you? I have always monitored you—this is impossible!"

"When you engineered my rebirth ten years in the past, attempting to alter my fate and evade the Ancient God's notice, you were unaware that both the Ancient God and I knew your actions all along," Ye Chen sneered. "The monster that killed me back then was Da Dao’s reincarnation. The Ancient God had long since planted something on Earth to confuse your senses, ensuring that when Da Dao killed me, he successfully imprinted the mark of the power of Civilization onto my soul, set to awaken automatically once my strength reached a certain level!"

Ye Chen fixed him with a cold glare. "Even the Nine Great Celestial Gods were part of our scheme. Intentionally hunting me within the River of Time—I knew the twelve fractured timelines were all your clones, monitoring us. Thus, when I traveled through the past timelines, it was a blind spot for you. During that time, I seized the opportunity to comprehend the powers of the Three Thousand Civilizations, all in preparation for this day!"

Stumble, stumble, stumble!

The Ancient War Venerable staggered back three steps, his body shaking violently. "How is this possible? My plan was foolproof! It's impossible!"

"In truth..." Ye Chen looked down upon him scornfully. "Let me tell you the truth: you are merely a substitute for this world. I am the true King, the genuine origin of this world, not some boundary-sealing treasure. The reason I concealed myself before was because it was a trial set by the founder of the Ancient Realm. My mission was to wait until you were fully mature, and then, kill you!"

"Nonsense!" The Ancient War Venerable roared, launching himself violently toward Ye Chen. His massive body tore a rippling wave of distorted light across the sky.

"Die!" Ye Chen thrust his palm forward. The Dark Civilization Light from his hand shot out like a brilliant meteor, slamming into the body of the Ancient War Venerable.

Bang!

The Ancient War Venerable’s body began to burn away rapidly, like ice and snow. Even his soul contorted under the flames.

"No! Impossible! This isn't real!!" The Ancient War Venerable howled in agony, his heart filled with terror. Eons of planning had amounted to nothing. This sudden reversal of fortunes was beyond his comprehension; his sanity began to fracture.

The flames continued to burn, the Light of Civilization slowly purifying his body.

"Xiao Dao, I beg you, spare me..." The Ancient War Venerable cried out in unbearable pain, starting to plead.

Ye Chen’s expression remained cold. "Everything will begin anew. The world I create has no place for you!"

"Xiao Dao, don't... Ah! You bastard! If you kill me, I'll make your Blade Spirit die with me!!" The Ancient War Venerable raved madly.

Ye Chen gave a cold smile and beckoned toward the distance.

Whoosh!

A flash of brilliant light darted over from afar, gracefully appearing beside him.

White robes like snow, beauty that could topple kingdoms—this stunning woman possessed a face of indescribable perfection, radiating an aura of elegance and nobility. Her pure eyes resembled a tranquil lake. It was none other than Bai Yijun!

"What!" The Ancient War Venerable glared in rage.

"The one you imprisoned in the Golden Hall earlier was just a substitute," Ye Chen stated coldly. "My Blade Spirit had already quietly transformed into Bai Tu. Even the news about the Ancient God Cave in the Ancient Realm Peak that suddenly appeared was deliberately manipulated by the Ancient God. It was to give me a reason to go there, and seize the opportunity to quietly retrieve the Blade Spirit, which had transformed into Bai Tu, from the Ancient Realm Peak."

The Ancient War Venerable felt as if he had been drenched in ice water, his entire body frozen. Then, with a sudden jolt of realization, he roared hysterically, "I don't believe it! I am not reconciled! Not reconciled!!!"

Ye Chen watched silently as his massive body was slowly reduced to ashes by the black flames. The entire world instantly became vast and empty, devoid of all life.

"It is finally over..." The Ancient God let out a long sigh of relief.

Ye Chen smiled faintly, looked at Bai Yijun beside him, and gently took her delicate hand. He walked toward the Ancient God. "Thank you this time. If it weren't for you, it would have been incredibly difficult for me to kill him alone."

The Ancient God smiled softly. "My mission was to assist you; there is no need for ceremony. Now that the heavens and earth have returned to chaos, a new era must be opened. You are the world's origin now. What kind of world do you intend to create?"

"Create a world..." Ye Chen looked out at the empty expanse and sighed gently. "The ideal world in my heart is pure and ethereal. I shall create such a world..."

The Ancient God paused for a moment, then smiled.

"When your world is opened, I will definitely come to visit," the Ancient God said with a smile.

"Where are you going now?" Ye Chen asked.

"Back to the Ancient Realm, to report to the Master," the Ancient God replied with a wry smile. "I activated the Slave Seal; I must find my Master, or my life will be forfeit."

"The Ancient Realm..." Ye Chen gazed into the distance.

"Will you come along?" the Ancient God asked with a smile. "Let’s go together for a visit. I heard the Master is currently creating an entirely new world, one that is in no way inferior to this one. Are you interested in seeing it?"

"Oh?" Ye Chen looked intrigued.

"In that case, let's go together, and I can see how he creates a world," Ye Chen smiled, wrapping his arm around the beautiful woman beside him. He stood upon Da Dao and galloped toward the endless void in the distance...

Hoo, the darkness has finally concluded. All mysteries are unraveled—the scheme of the Ancient War Venerable, the counter-intelligence plot of the Ancient God and Ye Chen—it was all fate's arrangement.

Writing the latter half of the dark period was quite taxing.

The later stages of an apocalypse theme are always difficult to pen; the beginning is easy, but the end requires more effort. My own condition was unstable, leading to frequent breaks, for which I feel truly ashamed and apologize.

Regardless of everything, the darkness is finally over.

A great weight has been lifted from my heart, and I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Every time I finish a book, regardless of whether I managed to keep up with updates, it remains a heavy stone in my mind.

The end of the darkness is not the end of the story.

There are still countless stories waiting.

The mysterious Ancient Realm will be the primary setting for Old Gu’s next book.

That is an incredibly novel theme with a magnificent setting, but my current skill level is insufficient to do it justice. However, I believe it won't be too long; I hope when that book appears, it will bring everyone a surprise.

Throughout this journey of darkness, I sincerely want to thank the support of so many brothers. Without you, there would be no darkness. Thank you so very much, especially Old Gu's shameless updates that kept so many people persisting—you are truly the core supporters. Thank you so very much, truly thank you!

Old Gu bows deeply to all the brothers!

The darkness is over, finally over. I don't know if I feel happy or sad; there's a strange feeling lingering. Thankfully, there is a new book to fill this void.

I will continue to work hard!

GO! (To be continued)