Slowly, he opened his eyes, gazing upon the worried faces of Jiu Feng and Xi Yang, sweeping his view over Bing Ming and the others, and then turning his attention toward the Far West, where a woman he loved still waited. Finally, his gaze drifted East, where a brother he trusted most, Liang Xiaoke, remained.

Big Brother, if I fail, you must promise to look after Feng'er and the others? Their safety is entrusted to you… A soft sigh escaped him in his heart, and a look of fierce determination flashed in Ye Jingyu’s eyes… “Heaven and Earth, Black and Yellow; Universe, Heaven and Earth; Primordial Harmony Sacred Body, eternally undying…” A low yet solemn voice emerged from Ye Jingyu’s lips, immediately followed by the Donghuang Bell floating out from his Sea of Consciousness, hovering above his head and showering down streaks of azure light.

The Fantian Seal and the Tianzun Blade also materialized, guarding him in front. Once everything formed an encompassing circle, he suddenly took a step forward, letting out a thunderous roar: “Primordial Harmony Sacred Body, achieved today!

Shatter! Shatter!

Shatter! Shatter!

Shatter! Shatter!

Shatter! Shatter!

Shatter!” Uttering the word 'shatter' nine times in quick succession, a massive explosion then erupted from within his body. His nine Golden Cores detonated simultaneously, sending nine intensely powerful beams of light soaring into the heavens… Hearing the tremendous blast, Jiu Feng and Xi Yang felt as if their own hearts were breaking; involuntary tears flooded their eyes, as if they were about to lose the most important person in their lives.

Han Ba, Zhu Rong, Ju Mang, Tian Wu, Hou Yi, Xuan Ming, and the others clenched their hands tightly, clearly tense about Ye Jingyu’s current condition. Ni Bo, Tao Tie, Bing Ming, and the rest watched their surroundings vigilantly; this was the most critical moment, and absolutely no one could be allowed to interrupt.

Frenzied power surged upward from Ye Jingyu’s core, unleashing destructive force equivalent to the self-detonation of several Zhou-level experts. It was only due to the Donghuang Bell vibrating intensely and spinning continuously that this surge of energy was prevented from striking his companions.

With the simultaneous shattering of the nine Golden Cores came agonizing pain in the corresponding nine acupuncture points. Ye Jingyu nearly succumbed to the agony and passed out, yet he understood that succumbing now would render all his efforts utterly useless.

The chaotic energy relentlessly bombarded his physical form. His outer skin, his flesh, his very sinews were utterly annihilated by this power, only to be rapidly restored by the immense influx of Wood Spirit Qi.

Then, they were crushed into dust again by the energy surge, even his very bones were utterly destroyed, only to be swiftly reassembled. His spirit and body were already inextricably linked, and he felt every shred of this colossal torment, unable even to shut off his five senses.

Pain. Pain.

Pain. Pain.

Pain. Pain.

Pain. Pain.

Pain! At this moment, only this single thought resonated in Ye Jingyu’s mind—a searing pain that pierced the bone, a deep agony that permeated the marrow, a torment that ripped through the very soul… Inexpressible pain, silent agony, the pain of utter despair… His divine sense was on the verge of being completely torn apart by this energy; even the Donghuang Bell struggled to suppress this terrifying force, as the nine ultimate streams of power surged outward in all directions… Hold on, I must hold on.

I absolutely cannot give up. For Ling’er, for Feng’er, for Xixi, I absolutely cannot surrender now, absolutely not… The most persistent cry echoed from the deepest recesses of Ye Jingyu’s Sea of Consciousness.

Forcing back the darkness that threatened to consume him, he forcefully activated the final stage of the Ba Yuan Jue incantation… In that instant, he felt as if he were being continuously sliced by a thousand knives, then cast into a raging inferno to bake, immediately followed by being thrown into an icy hell to endure the biting cold of winter, then crushed by an immense mountain, all while lightning, starlight, and wind blades relentlessly ravaged his body and tormented his very spirit… Such excruciating torment was almost unbearable; even Ye Jingyu’s tenacious and formidable divine sense threatened to collapse under the strain… “A’Yu, hold on!” Seeing Ye Jingyu’s expression twisted in such agony, the worry etched on Jiu Feng’s face was overwhelmingly intense. If possible, she would gladly endure this suffering in his stead, but that was impossible; the only thing she could do was silently pray for him.

Beside her, the forthright and typically optimistic Xi Yang watched Ye Jingyu with equal concern, silently praying as well… As if hearing the calls of the two women, Ye Jingyu’s consciousness, which had begun to blur, sharpened once more. Yes, he still had them to protect.

They had waited for him for a thousand years; he absolutely could not fail them again, absolutely not… Scenes from his life involuntarily flashed through his mind, especially the moment when Ling’er offered her soul to the demon for him—the feeling of helpless despair he’d experienced then. He needed the ultimate power to protect those he cherished.

For this single step, how many roads had he traveled? How many experiences had he endured?

How much hardship had he borne? Should he abandon it all now?

No, he absolutely could not give up… A magnificent fighting will emanated from his divine sense. The various powers that had been surging violently in all directions suddenly began to merge… The complete fusion of forces carrying entirely different attributes astonished everyone watching.

Gradually, the nine streams of energy slowly transformed into a single grayish-white force—the primordial energy of the world: Chaos Power… And Ye Jingyu’s already shattered body began to slowly reassemble under the impetus of this power… Seeing this spectacle, the worried expressions on everyone’s faces finally eased slightly. He was about to succeed… But just then, the sky, which had remained utterly calm, suddenly bore a monstrous hand—a hand so vast it spanned millions of feet, completely engulfing the entire canyon… When this colossal hand appeared, every heart present shuddered.

They were struck by the sudden realization that they were as insignificant as ants on the ground, susceptible to being utterly annihilated by a mere gentle squeeze of that palm… This was the majestic might of the Heavenly Dao. As Ye Jingyu’s Chaos Body neared completion, the very rules of Heaven, which had long ignored him, had finally arrived… This was not a Heavenly Tribulation, nor Divine Punishment… This massive hand, carrying the awe-inspiring authority of the entire cosmos, slammed down fiercely toward Ye Jingyu… Faced with this overwhelming pressure, none present, not even Bing Ming wielding the Kongtong Seal, could move, let alone attempt to rescue Ye Jingyu.

Yet, at this moment, Ye Jingyu’s eyes blazed with fanatical battle intent, and an aura of ultimate dominance erupted from his being… “If Heaven presses down upon me, I will crush Heaven! Break for me…” A mighty roar tore from Ye Jingyu’s mouth, and immediately, his body shot skyward, throwing a single punch directly at the enormous hand… (The War Soul Divine Venerable group chat has become quiet; I checked yesterday and saw many members hadn't spoken in months, so I removed them.

Brothers, please understand. The group number is now public: 33727695.

Those who haven't joined, please do so. War Soul Stars reached capacity yesterday!

Two more chapters coming later tonight.)

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