Take things, fight and run.

The Firmament of Realm now only has its middle layer intact, with the upper and lower layers each showing signs of damage.

And it's all thanks to Chen Xia.

From this, it can be seen that he truly doesn't care about the state of the Firmament, and his current attempt to mediate is just to provoke the master of the Forbidden Zone.

Now it's a standoff between three forces.

Chen Xia represents the lineage of the Saint Hall, with his strength being the weakest among the three, yet he is one of the top combatants at present.

The other saints are not much to speak of; Wang Yangzi has even become a fake saint, although he still retains some insights into sword and alchemy, he's not particularly formidable.

More formidable are those from the Heavenly Rain Realm, with Shanshui Quasi-Emperor and the Red Dress Girl leading the charge, backed by another quasi-emperor and a great saint yet to emerge. In terms of strength, they are only slightly inferior to the Firmament.

Speaking of the Firmament, with the master of the Twelve Forbidden Zones in control, it is the most powerful faction. Originally, they should have easily taken over the Heavenly Rain Realm, but then Chen Xia appeared out of nowhere.

It would have been fine if he had just shown up, everyone could have fought it out and resolved things, then the Firmament could continue to deal with the Heavenly Rain Realm and eventually break through their defenses.

But the problem is that Chen Xia doesn't engage directly. He hides within the River of Time, wielding his Immortal Sword and Four Dao of Protection, constantly evading attacks and making it difficult for anyone to get a foothold. He either dodges or retaliates when you attack, making it impossible for you to find peace.

The masters of the Forbidden Zones are baffled; how can anyone fight like this? Is he truly a saint who has comprehended the way of the sword?

There has never been a saint of the sword in history who fought like this.

But if you say Chen Xia isn't a saint of the sword, his attacks still hurt quite a bit; even Old Dragon bears scars from Chen Xia's strikes.

The current situation is somewhat deadlocked.

Although Chen Xia's side isn't particularly strong, together with the Heavenly Rain Realm, they have a chance to contend with the Firmament, especially considering that the full power of the Heavenly Rain Realm has yet to be unleashed.

Moreover, even if it's just Chen Xia alone, he isn't afraid of the masters of the Forbidden Zones. With the Past and Future Law, he can at least halve the power of the Twelve Forbidden Zone masters, and then he can make his escape. Even if there are consequences afterward, it won't cost him his life.

That's where Chen Xia's confidence lies.

At this moment, he is locked in a standoff with Old Dragon, half of his body submerged in the River of Time, ready to dive in at any moment if things turn sour.

Old Dragon is itching with hatred, but he doesn't have any good options against Chen Xia. Seeing the approaching reckoning of the Heavenly Dao, with time running short, he feels anxious and forces himself to smile, addressing Chen Xia.

"Staying here now won't bring you any benefits, you're just wasting time. Let's discuss and find a mutually beneficial solution."

"No need," Chen Xia replies firmly, shaking his head. "I refuse any bribes."

Perhaps feeling that wasn't quite strict enough, he adds, "Unless it's something truly irresistible."

His words leave everyone speechless.

After pondering for a moment, Old Dragon replies in a deep voice, "If you're willing to join forces with us, then I, representing the masters of the Twelve Forbidden Zones, will owe you a favor. We can swear by the Heavenly Dao, and we can also ensure the safety of the Firmament. After breaking through the formation, you can take control of the Firmament and become its master!"

Chen Xia retorted, not easily deceived, questioning, "Being the Lord of the Realm is one thing, but can you be my father?"

Everyone could sense the sarcasm in his words, marveling at Chen Xia's audacity to engage in such a conversation with the Forbidden Zone Master.

Old Dragon, with a grave expression, finally spoke in a low voice, "Yes!"

At that moment, tension broke. The Quasi-Emperor of Mountains and Waters couldn't contain his laughter, and even the Quasi-Emperor's umbrella almost slipped from his grasp.

Surprised by the unexpected response, Chen Xia changed his approach and continued, "I won't deceive you. I'm always willing to help, and I don't want to see you suffer. Just share half of your spiritual stones, divine powers, and artifacts with me, and I'll assist you in breaking through the limitations, becoming a future emperor, ruling over all realms!"

Now, he was laying out promises for Old Dragon.

Old Dragon, contemplating for a moment, responded with a heavy tone, "Agreed!"

Chen Xia, now on the receiving end, offered a confident pledge, "I swear by the Heavenly Dao." However, being devoid of spiritual energy, his oath had no connection to the Heavenly Dao and was merely a playful assertion.

Old Dragon, deep in thought, proposed, "You swear first."

Chen Xia complied, solemnly uttering a vow with consequences from the Heavenly Dao if broken.

Without hesitation, Old Dragon tossed out a storage artifact and said, "Start with half of the spiritual stones as a deposit."

"Alright," Chen Xia accepted, quickly assessing the loot before turning to the Quasi-Emperor of Mountains and Waters, saying, "Sorry about this."

"I'll offer double the spiritual stones from the Heavenly Rain Realm!" shouted the Quasi-Emperor of Mountains and Waters.

"He has already sworn to the Heavenly Dao. Even if you offer triple the stones, you can't help the Heavenly Rain Realm!" Old Dragon scoffed, dismissing the challenge.

"Well, maybe it's not impossible," Chen Xia said, feigning innocence.

The Quasi-Emperor of Mountains and Waters praised, "Chen Chief is truly a kindred spirit."

Old Dragon, infuriated, warned, "Chen Xia, don't push it too far. You've made an oath to the Heavenly Dao. Aren't you afraid of repercussions?"

"Are you really a person to talk about being deceived?" Chen Xia questioned precisely, then added, "And do you think the Heavenly Dao cares about you?"

The Quasi-Emperor of Mountains and Waters nodded in agreement, "Chief Chen indeed has insightful views."

"Can you offer triple the stones?" Chen Xia asked him.

"Of course," the Quasi-Emperor of Mountains and Waters generously handed over the stones from his personal realm, stored in a magical artifact, handing everything to Chen Xia.

"I'm not sure if it's triple as Old Dragon's, but it's close enough," Chen Xia casually remarked.

Looking at the gains, he couldn't help but smile, "Quasi-Emperor knows how to do business."

"Perhaps Chief Chen is even better," admitted the Quasi-Emperor of Mountains and Waters.

After this negotiation, Chen Xia made a considerable profit without any loss.

Old Dragon seethed with anger, eyes filled with killing intent, but he couldn't act, still puzzled about why the Heavenly Dao oath seemed ineffective.

Boom!

The sky curtain suddenly descended.

The reckoning accelerated, pressing down on the trembling spiritual energy, as if mountains and rivers were wailing in agony.

The Old Dragon gritted its teeth, knowing time could not be delayed any longer. With a single hand outstretched, it angrily shouted, "When mountains and rivers unite, heaven and earth exert equal force."

As a towering dragon, it overlooked the world, shouldering the burden of the Heavenly Dao reckoning while shouting towards the heavens, "Emperor Witch, are you still not coming out?!"

The sky turned into a murky darkness, as if something was stirring within it.

The upper layer of the dim sky realm reflected an extreme darkness.

The Shanshui Quasi-Emperor raised the Shanshui Umbrella, his expression heavy as he gazed at the darkened sky, murmuring, "The original Eye of Formation, Emperor Witch, rumored to have lived for two hundred and thirty thousand years with the deepest heritage. In terms of age alone, it's not inferior to the two Great Emperors."

He turned to Chen Xia and exclaimed, "Chen Chief, let's join forces against it, but you..."

The expression of the Shanshui Quasi-Emperor froze.

Because Chen Xia had already disappeared without a trace.

He remained silent for a moment, finally uttering only one word, "Coward."

When it came to taking things seriously, he was true to his word. When it came to fighting, he was truly quick to run away.