Speeding Up the Fifth Step

Deep within the void of the Great Heaven.

Daoist Suppressing Heaven's blackDaoist robe was intact, but his body was constantly bleeding, resembling a porcelain vase about to shatter—surface seemingly whole, but no longer able to hold the liquid within.

Martial Emperor stood a head taller than Daoist Suppressing Heaven, his golden aura of martial fortune slightly weaker than at the beginning of the battle, though not by much. A small wound on his chest barely counted as injury. He looked down at Daoist Suppressing Heaven, now battered and bruised, and questioned.

“Is it meaningful to drag this out for so long just to escape?”

Daoist Suppressing Heaven wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, gasping for air as he absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. He looked at Chen Xia and suddenly smiled.

“You’re also reluctant to kill me, aren’t you? After countless eons across the All Heavens World, I must be the oldest fossil you know, right?”

“Hmm, I suppose so,” Martial Emperor replied lightly, his golden martial aura dimming slightly. His tone was calm but tinged with nostalgia as he continued,

“You’re the second generation from Qing Province to emerge into the All Heavens World. I’m the first. You followed in my footsteps, and I granted you opportunities to become the apex. Originally, eliminating you wasn't part of the plan…”

“And it still isn’t. But your obsession is too deep. You insist on thwarting my Equal All Heavens, leaving me no choice.”

Daoist Suppressing Heaven shook his head and retorted, “If the Equal All Heavens truly succeeds, it won’t just be my life at stake—it will slowly eradicate the entire cultivation community across the All Heavens World.”

Martial Emperor countered, “You only see the cultivators. What about those who aren't? What about low-level cultivators? The disparity in individual strength, influenced by fortune and luck, is what I loathe. You understand this. Equal All Heavens is merely about redistributing some of the top benefits to the masses.”

“There will always be hierarchy among people, and the law of the jungle among beings. Does that count as Equal All Heavens?” Daoist Suppressing Heaven pressed.

“It does,” Martial Emperor nodded. “At least without the influence of fortune and luck, people can truly change their fate through effort. Once I succeed, the entire All Heavens World will uphold the law, abide by it, and strive for collective progress rather than personal cultivation. The value of the masses’ lives will grow increasingly important—this is what I aspire for.”

“Let’s hope so. But I refuse to let you gamble with the lives of countless cultivators across the All Heavens World for your so-called Equal All Heavens!” Daoist Suppressing Heaven retorted firmly.

Martial Emperor lowered his gaze slightly, his golden eyes glinting with sorrow as he spoke softly to Daoist Suppressing Heaven.

“Then, farewell… my last old friend.”

Upon finishing these words, the martial fortune in the heavens surged to an immense level, causing even the furthest heavens to tremble as if the Heavenly Dao itself was about to awaken from its slumber.

This marked the final battle of the previous apex being.

In the higher realms of the Immortal Realm.

Chen Xia’s fusion with the Immortal Realm had hit a snag in the middle, sensing that something was missing. It seemed that his connection to the Immortal Realm wasn’t deep enough, lacking unique insights necessary for complete integration.

This unique insight stemmed from the daily interactions and experiences within the Immortal Realm.

The problem was that Chen Xia had no such personal connections with the Immortal Realm. He had snuck in, a mere outsider in terms of integration.

He opened his eyes, glancing at the highest heavens. As the third-ranked being in the All Heavens World, he could naturally sense the clash of energies there and the weakening presence of Daoist Suppressing Heaven.

“Hang in there, damn it. Don’t die so quickly,” Chen Xia muttered in encouragement to Daoist Suppressing Heaven, though it was clear he didn’t expect the latter to hear him. It was more of a joke. After the jest, Chen Xia grew pensive. According to Daoist Suppressing Heaven, Martial Emperor aimed to shatter the Heavenly Dao, eradicating all cultivators across the All Heavens World.

This clashed directly with Chen Xia’s own aspirations, as he wanted to become the Heavenly Dao himself.

This wasn’t a case of “one aspires, the other compromises.” Chen Xia certainly didn’t want to become the Heavenly Dao only to have Martial Emperor shatter it.

He stood up, realizing that if he lacked personal experiences with the Immortal Realm, he’d simply forge them. At this moment, he understood the significance of Xu Zhen and Huang Qingyue’s presence—their roles had been left for this purpose.

Chen Xia stretched out his hand, and behind him, half of the Heavenly Dao flickered. He forcibly connected their intense fortune with his own, assimilating their experiences within the Immortal Realm onto himself.

Thus, it appeared as though he had entered Fuyao Immortal Sect and the Ninth Peak, engaging in relentless cultivation and battles over tens of thousands of years.

“Brother, I’m an old Immortal Realm native now,” Chen Xia declared to the Immortal Realm.

This act of creating a false identity proved effective, as the Immortal Realm believed him and opened its heart to allow complete integration.

However, solely relying on Xu Zhen and Huang Qingyue’s experiences wasn’t enough. Chen Xia then tapped into the experiences of the Heaven Pill Gate’s members within the Immortal Realm. While not as profound, these memories integrated seamlessly into Chen Xia’s mind, successfully deceiving the Immortal Realm.

With this, his progress in fusing with the inhabited regions surged.

Meanwhile, Daoist Suppressing Heaven's puppet body stood atop the Heaven Pill Gate, facing the heavens, subtly teetering on the brink of collapse. He reached out and gently drew a line, opening a profound stellar gateway.

“This will succeed, but such a scene will no longer exist. All things fade gradually.”

He murmured softly, his voice no longer stiff, his eyes infused with vitality. The past fortunes and karmic ties of the Heaven Pill Gate members transformed into threads, stretching far to connect with Chen Xia.

A slight breeze caressed the air.

Suddenly, the puppet body gripped something, pulling at the red thread in Qiu Yi’s hand. With a sharp tug, he severed it, wrapping it around the karmic ties connecting him to the Heaven Pill Gate members, then binding it all onto the Immortal Realm.

He used Martial Emperor’s karmic ties to weave a red thread connecting Chen Xia to the Immortal Realm.

"Now, there's no turning back," the puppet whispered.

Chen Xia’s eyes immediately blazed with overwhelming brightness, his mind flooded with revelations. His connection with the Immortal Realm intensified to an extreme, enabling him to fuse with a tenth of the inhabited regions in just two hours!

Fueling his ass for faster progress!