Termination

“Still, to encounter an opponent like you at the end of this era… I have to admit, it’s been quite a surprise. Not nearly as boring as I expected.”

The Chaos Demon God remained seated on the ground, as though he had left himself completely undefended before Xia Lun.

Xia Lun had no doubt that even if he were to cut off the Chaos Demon God’s head right now, the latter would not offer the slightest resistance.

Of course, severing the Chaos Demon God’s head would have no effect on him whatsoever, nor would it change anything.

“So what exactly are you trying to say?”

The Chaos Demon God raised his head. Reflected in his eyes was the sky of the Spirit Realm as it came apart. The firmament was like shattered glass, with the darkness of the depths of the universe showing through its cracks. Stars occasionally slipped through the gaps, only to be devoured by chaos almost instantly.

These were the scars left behind by their earlier battle. The Spirit Realm was on the verge of collapse.

Fortunately, Xia Lun had already fused with most of the surrounding Spirit Realm. Otherwise, he would never have possessed the power to stand against the Chaos Demon God.

Even so, Xia Lun still had no way to do anything to him.

“Let me tell you one last thing.” The Chaos Demon God grinned. “There is, in fact, a way to kill me.”

Xia Lun’s expression remained blank, but his grip tightened slightly around the sword in his hand.

“For the sake of all the enjoyment you’ve brought me in battle, I’ll tell you what it is.”

“There is only one power in this world capable of killing me: the power of chaos.”

The Chaos Demon God watched Xia Lun’s expression gradually grow solemn and let out a low laugh.

“That’s right! Your son, Aise… the power of chaos within him truly can kill me. Unfortunately, he’s already dead—killed by you, his own father.” The Chaos Demon God’s gaze was filled with malicious amusement as it fixed on Xia Lun’s eyes, trying to capture every flicker of emotion. “How does it feel? To personally snuff out the hope of your world?”

Xia Lun did waver for a moment, and a trace of emotion crossed his face. But he quickly regained his composure.

“There’s no point in saying any of this.” Xia Lun shook his head.

Aise was gone. That was something that could never be undone.

The Chaos Demon God continued speaking as though he had not heard him.

“Back then, the priestess… no, the goddess. The reason the goddess allowed that boy to grow up was probably related to this. Your son’s power was originally meant to oppose me. He was the true ‘hero’ capable of saving the world.

“Unfortunately, that power was not easy to control. Even though I did nothing, his mind was still eroded by the power of chaos.

“And the goddess preserved Aise’s soul, allowing him to train in battle beyond the boundaries of the world. Clearly, she intended to turn him into a secret weapon for dealing with me in the future…”

“But then the goddess died,” Xia Lun calmly interjected, as if they were discussing someone else’s story.

“That’s right. The goddess was killed, and a new goddess was born—your wife. She apparently knew nothing about these matters… Naturally, I couldn’t simply stand by and do nothing. So Fictional Truth sought him out and became his ally. I even helped him find a way back to your world. After that, I imagine he caused you quite a bit of trouble, didn’t he?”

Xia Lun quietly listened as the Chaos Demon God revealed the entire truth to him. Memories of everything that had happened after Aise’s return rose in his mind—the scholars and members of the Goddess Church who had been led astray, the innocent people sacrificed…

All of it had forced Xia Lun to stand on the opposite side of his own son.

He had constantly been forced to choose between saving the world and saving Aise—until, in the end, he realized that the two choices had long since become irreconcilable.

“You’re not angry?” the Chaos Demon God asked casually when Xia Lun’s reaction remained flat.

“That was Aise’s own choice,” Xia Lun replied indifferently. “You may not have done anything good, but I won’t place all the blame for this on you.”

“Heh heh. What an interesting human.”

“I should thank you for telling me your weakness.”

Xia Lun raised the only fire sword remaining in his hand toward the Chaos Demon God.

“You’re still going to do something so meaningless?” The Chaos Demon God’s tone held a trace of regret. “You should learn to face reality—whether it’s your wife, who is already dead, or this world, which is doomed to perish.”

Xia Lun remained unmoved. He swung his sword and severed the Chaos Demon God’s head.

…

In the endless starry sky.

“They’re still not awake.”

Sinking Years glanced back at Xia Lun and Aina.

“We don’t have the energy to worry about anything else right now.” For the first time, exhaustion appeared in the Arcane Sage’s voice. Countless magic arrays materialized around him, and terrifying spells poured outward without restraint. Yet the effect they produced was little more than a drop in the ocean.

Before them, more than half of the starry sky had already been covered by the writhing flesh of the Chaos Demon God. It was still multiplying without end. With every pulse, its volume increased a little more. Its rate of growth seemed to follow some malevolent mathematical law, expanding at an insane exponential rate.

A group of gods from various planets formed a tottering defensive line, preventing it from spreading into other star regions.

The Flame God released stellar flames that burned across the surface of the flesh, only for them to be swiftly covered by newly grown tissue. The Thunder Lord summoned cosmic lightning storms that pierced through thousands of kilometers, leaving behind scorch marks that vanished almost at once. The Frost Queen froze an area the size of a planet, but within seconds, the ice was shattered by the pressure of the writhing mass within.

The sheer scale of the flesh was simply too immense. Their attacks looked like ants attempting to shake a towering tree.

“At this rate, these things are going to swallow the entire universe…” The Arcane Sage floated in the air, sparks of electricity flickering around the magical field surrounding him. The astonishment in his heart was plain to see.

“But my power is almost exhausted,” Sinking Years said. His voice was no longer hoarse as it had been before. Instead, it had become as clear and delicate as a child’s.

That meant the time he had stored was nearly depleted.

And the Chaos Demon God’s current rate of growth was already the result of Sinking Years’ suppression…

Without that suppression, the defensive line constructed by the gods would soon be swallowed by the endless flesh.

“Damn it.” The light of the crystal casting apparatus controlled by the Arcane Sage had dimmed. It was a sign that the magic within it had been overused.

Sinking Years let out a baby-like wail. The Arcane Sage’s gaze darkened as well.

It seemed that everything was over.

The enormous, swollen mass of flesh was about to devour everything.

Just as everyone thought this, the massive mass of flesh in the starry sky suddenly stopped moving.

Then, the flesh began to wither.

Like firewood reduced to ash, it rapidly shriveled, as though every drop of moisture had been drained from it. In the end, it turned to dust and dispersed.