This was a figure both blurry and radiant, standing in the vast, infinite void, as if emerging from the depths of multidimensional time and space.
Divine halos surrounded her, each layer resembling a ring of nebulae, within which various worlds and universes were scattered.
Each divine halo seemed to contain endless multitudes of beings, with countless worlds being born, destroyed, and evolving within.
Her face was sometimes ancient and obscure, sometimes majestic and solemn, sometimes charming and alluring, and sometimes cold as ice. It constantly shifted, impossible to truly discern, filled with boundless divine light.
The entire space-time continuum seemed unable to contain her true form. A single divine halo was enough to fill this vast, boundless void.
As her finger descended, endless divine power surged through the void, carving out an independent space for her.
This space continuously descended, undergoing billions of transformations every moment. Chaos was born, the pure and the turbid alternated, and in an instant, it transformed from an independent space into an independent time-space domain.
This time-space domain was absolutely still. Within her grasp, its dimensions were stretched and compressed, eventually collapsing into a single point of light.
From her brow, a faint, blurry figure identical to her emerged and merged into that point of light.
Then, this point of light fell from the void where she stood.
"Today, I will help you blaspheme the gods, watching as this deity descends into the mortal world."
Her gaze was filled with curiosity as she watched the point of light pierce through the vast expanse of time and space, landing in the Kunxu True World, and then descending toward a world called the Tai Xu Realm.
During this time, the name of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had resounded throughout the Vast Expanse, stirring unease and fear among many cultivators and living beings.
Even Innate Gods like her had been startled by the discussions among the gods, opening their eyes and casting their gazes across the distant time and space.
The Immortal Dao Civilization and the Divine Dao Civilization were the two largest and most ancient civilizations in the vast Vast Expanse, with the most branches of evolution.
However, the Immortal Dao Civilization and the Divine Dao Civilization had long since ceased to interfere with each other, each following its own path of development.
The Divine Dao Civilization gathered faith and worship, condensed divine authority, divided the authority of heaven and earth into divine duties, and established divine positions.
Ancient and immortal Innate Gods sat atop the clouds, creating their own divine kingdoms, overlooking everything.
Weaker deities spread their faith across various worlds, developed followers, collected wish power, and harvested the fortune of heaven and earth, transforming it into their divine power.
The Immortal Dao Civilization and the Divine Dao Civilization were evenly matched.
Moreover, the Divine Dao Civilization also faced the Heavenly Decline Tribulation. Even Ancestral Gods who nurtured billions of beings and ruled over endless divine kingdoms were not exempt.
The Heaven-Slaying Alliance, as a force within the Immortal Dao Civilization, was now engaging in Divine Dao practices, crossing boundaries, amassing followers, harvesting faith and wish power, and competing for the authority of heaven and earth that belonged to the Divine Dao system.
As an Innate God who surpassed ordinary Ancestral Gods, she naturally did not care about such trivial matters.
Besides, the Divine Dao Civilization had long since faded. Within the Immortal Dao Civilization, there were already many who followed the Divine Dao system, such as the Buddhist Sect, the Ancient Divine Sect, and the Daoist Sect.
However, the emergence of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had caught even this Innate God off guard, foreshadowing unpredictable changes for the Divine Dao system.
It might even lead to the fall of the gods, as had happened during the Black Calamity Era.
Even the gods who survived would become tools for spreading followers and collecting faith.
Blasphemy against the gods, for the newly evolved Divine Dao system, would result in consequences akin to the collapse of a cultivator's Dao heart in the Immortal Dao system.
In the Kunxu True World, within the Tai Xu Realm.
Before the grand Heaven-Slaying Shrine that resembled a celestial palace, white mist surged like vast clouds, the power of faith gathered from all corners of the world.
Countless living beings and cultivators knelt in虔诚, chanting prayers to the shrine. The entire world was filled with their figures.
Within the shrine, the ancient statue seemed to come alive, breathing in the mist.
From across infinite time and space, he sat at the end of the world, gazing down.
Chen Jinhán stood there, her eyes filled with reverence.
"What reward do you seek?"
The majestic, god-like voice echoed once more in her mind.
"The Heaven-Slaying Guard is willing to offer everything to the Heaven-Slaying Lord, seeking no reward."
Her resolute voice, unchanged from before, rang out again, as if to prove her loyalty and determination.
Thousands of years had transformed her from a naive princess into the most powerful figure in the Tai Xu Realm during this era of declining laws.
Especially since she had personally received the grace of the Heaven-Slaying Lord, gaining immortality.
This had allowed her to exact revenge, making her ruthless sister pay the price she deserved.
Over these thousands of years, she had upheld her role as a Heaven-Slaying Guard, fulfilling the vow she had made in that remote temple.
She had brought more followers to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, building Heaven-Slaying Shrines in every territory.
She had even mobilized the entire Tai Xu Realm to construct this shrine, which reached into the depths of the heavens, resembling a celestial palace.
"Your devotion has moved me. You may make one request."
The blurry statue was shrouded in thick mist.
But now, before Chen Jinhán, the mist began to dissipate. She saw a pair of deep, boundless eyes calmly gazing at her.
The strange desire within her heart surged like wild grass.
"Really... is it really possible?" Her voice trembled slightly.
"Yes," the majestic voice replied, calm and unwavering.
"From this day forward, everything about you will belong to me—your future, your emotions, your memories, your countless lifetimes. Even if you die, turn to ash, and all traces of you vanish from this world, you will still belong to me."
At this moment, the words she had heard in that remote temple, when she was on the brink of despair, echoed in her mind.
Those words, like a contract, stirred the same intense desire within her.
Then, a nearly imperceptible point of light descended from beyond the barriers of the Tai Xu Realm, merging into the endless streams of faith power.
Chen Jinhán stood before the Heaven-Slaying Shrine, the power of faith flowing around her like light.
Unnoticed by her, a point of light drifted with the faith power and landed precisely on her brow.
She felt a slight warmth and coolness on her brow, as if touched by a drop of water.
Her consciousness blurred for a moment, then cleared.
"I am willing to offer everything to the Heaven-Slaying Lord."
"I wish to receive the grace and favor of the Heaven-Slaying Lord."
Chen Jinhán murmured, gazing at the statue that seemed so close. Unconsciously, she stepped forward, engulfed by the swirling mist.
The mist surged, revealing the朦胧轮廓 of a flawless, swan-like figure.
She reached out, wanting to touch the statue.
Crack!
Suddenly, a crisp sound of cracking echoed within the shrine.
Chen Jinhán instantly snapped back to reality, her face pale as she stared at the cracked statue.
She stood there, stunned, unable to comprehend what she had done.
"The statue has cracked... I can no longer sense the presence of the Heaven-Slaying Lord..."
She clutched the scattered clothes, collapsing to the ground, utterly lost.
At the same time, in the Heaven-Slaying Shrines across the Tai Xu Realm, the blurry statues began to crack, one after another.
The entire Tai Xu Realm trembled. Countless cultivators and living beings were stunned and horrified. No one knew what had happened or why the statues in the shrines had cracked.
Had someone angered the gods, provoking their wrath?
"What's going on?"
"It seems someone couldn't resist and tried to destroy my divine faith avatar."
In the Immortal Spirit Civilization, within the drifting Purple Mist Forest.
Gu Changge, dressed in loose, moon-white robes, his ink-black hair casually tied with a ribbon, was playing chess with Mu Yan.
The chessboard was intricate, with white pieces dominating. Vast scenes seemed to unfold within the game.
Mu Yan, resting her chin on her hand, was fully focused on the board, not daring to relax for a moment.
But now, she raised her beautiful face, curious, and asked, "Destroying your divine faith avatar... does this mean someone is targeting the Heaven-Slaying Alliance?"
Gu Changge shook his head slightly, the chess piece in his hand gently rubbed between his fingers.
"The Heaven-Slaying Alliance's followers have grown too quickly, drawing the displeasure of some gods. But I will deal with these beings sooner or later. They have divided too much of the authority of heaven and earth, and it must be returned."
He crushed the chess piece in his hand, then casually grabbed a strand of radiant, thumb-thick faith power.
But now, this strand of faith power was tainted, many parts blackened and corrupted.
"Back then, I accidentally overheard your innermost thoughts. Seeing that you were a person of great fortune, I gave you a push. I never expected it would become a hidden danger for your blasphemy against the gods."
"But such an obvious scheme... do they really think I wouldn't notice?"
Gu Changge's gaze was calm as he looked at the corrupted strand of faith power. With a casual squeeze, it turned to dust and dissipated.
He did not allow this strand of faith power to return to its source.
The damage was insignificant to him. The other party clearly knew this, and this act was merely a provocation.
For Gu Changge, a thousand years was not a long time.
After leaving the Prime-Origin Civilization, he had returned directly to the Dao Prosperity True World.
Perhaps it was the words Uncle Fu had spoken before his death that had touched him.
Thus, his emotions had become somewhat complicated.
Gu Changge had wondered if he had truly cared too little about the feelings of those around him.
Had he ever truly considered the feelings of those who cared for him?
Their affections, their pursuits, their thoughts and opinions—had he ever taken them into account?
At the moment of his death, Uncle Fu had at least died with satisfaction and a smile. There were things in this world that transcended life and death, things that could not be judged by simple gains and losses.
Relentless pursuit and scheming, achieving his goals by any means necessary.
This process had never brought him true happiness, not even a hint of joy.
Because to him, everything was as natural as breathing.
Everything was within his expectations and plans, so there were no emotional fluctuations.
He was a cold person, a heartless person, perhaps not even a person.
Because from the moment of his birth, he was destined to stand above the Great Dao, above all living beings.
His experience in Qingshan Village had given him some understanding of what it meant to be "human," some experiences as a "person."
The things he did not care about, the things he deemed unimportant or trivial, might be precious to those around him.
These were things he had overlooked before. Gu Changge did not want them to look back with regret.
Thus, Gu Changge had chosen to return to the Dao Prosperity True World, not to observe the changes in the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, but to see those close to him.
He first went to the Mingkong Palace, where Yue Mingkong was still in seclusion, her aura profound and deep, her cultivation constantly evolving.
With the True World Seed he had left behind, her breakthrough to the Dao Realm was only a matter of time.
Next, he visited the Human Ancestor Hall and the Saintess Palace. Both Jiang Chuchu and Wang Zijin were in seclusion.
After he left the Dao Prosperity True World, life for them seemed to have become monotonous, and they had all chosen long periods of seclusion and cultivation.
Even Yin Mei, who had little interest in cultivation, had chosen to enter seclusion. His former followers, the geniuses of his era, were also out training and cultivating.
Gu Changge remained silent, not disturbing anyone.
He then sought out Gu Xian'er, only to learn that she had left the Dao Prosperity True World centuries ago to train in the Vast Expanse, as she was on the verge of breaking through to the Dao Realm.
Despite thousands of years of flourishing development, the Dao Prosperity True World was still a newly born True World.
In the vast Vast Expanse, it was insignificant, with few cultivators reaching the Dao Realm.
Gu Changge had no great attachment to the Dao Prosperity True World. When he left, he had already made many preparations, with no plans to return anytime soon.
Even when the Dao Prosperity True World was invaded by the Turbid Clan of the Immortal Spirit Civilization, he had not descended in person.
He had left the subsequent affairs of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance to the elders of the Gu Family.
Now that the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had taken root in the Prime-Origin Civilization, the branch in the Dao Prosperity True World was of little importance.
This time, he returned to the Dao Prosperity True World without alerting anyone.
Finally, he went to Qingshan Village, where he lived with Su Qingge for several centuries, telling her about his experiences in the Immortal Spirit Civilization and the Prime-Origin Civilization.
Gu Changge planned to refine the Orb of Great Vow once more, merging it with his body.
However, Luo Xiangjun had not come to find him. Her search for the Eternal Primordial God's secret treasury seemed to have hit a snag, with no results in sight.
Gu Changge could only set the matter aside once more.
Then, he quietly left the Dao Prosperity True World again, heading to the Immortal Spirit Civilization to prepare for his next arrangements...