As Shanshui Quasi-Emperor battled fiercely outside, Chen Xia was sneaking into the Forbidden Zone.
His main goal was to rescue the heart demon of Big Yellow Dog, as he had previously aided Big Yellow Dog and could not turn a blind eye.
Moreover, since the Eye of Formation was the master of the Forbidden Zone, destroying this place would undoubtedly harm them.
He shifted his gaze, searching through his memories to find where Big Yellow Dog's heart demon was sealed and suppressed.
The Forbidden Zone had some isolating formations, but this was no obstacle for Chen Xia, who could travel freely through time, unbounded by any formations.
After all, he could seek entry through formations that vanished in the future, then return to the present.
The entire process might only take ten breaths before Chen Xia entered the Forbidden Zone.
His comprehension of the Great Dao of Time and Epochs was now at the pinnacle, and few cultivators in the myriad realms could surpass him in this domain.
Chen Xia crossed four locations in the Forbidden Zone, guided by his memories, until he finally arrived at his destination.
Ahead stood a grand formation reaching up to the heavens, and within it was suppressed the heart demon of Big Yellow Dog, a former master of the Forbidden Zone.
Chen Xia raised his half-spiritual sword, displaying its four ultimates, flashing to the top of the grand formation and gazing down, preparing to forcibly break the formation with his four ultimates.
He charged from the heavens, entering the river of time midway, then emerging within the grand formation, beginning to break it from the inside.
Any grand formation has an eye, and Chen Xia sought to find the true eye, then shatter the formation with a single sword strike.
Outside the Forbidden Zone.
The battle between Shanshui Quasi-Emperor and Emperor Witch continued, the two clashing fiercely under the dim heavens, their fight so intense that even the Heavenly Dao Reckoning was delayed.
Old Dragon and Red Dress Girl also engaged in combat, their battle unfolding on the ground, displaying divine abilities and causing the entire realm's surface to shatter, with the shockwaves even killing countless cultivators.
The two Zhun Di hidden in the Heavenly Rain Realm had also appeared, but did not join the fight. Instead, they worked together to find a way to sever the connection between the Heavenly Rain Realm and this realm.
This was the most crucial task for the Heavenly Rain Realm, for even if they killed all the masters of the Forbidden Zone, the Heavenly Dao Reckoning would still purge the cultivators of the Heavenly Rain Realm in this realm.
The Zhun Di were unaffected, but the rest of the Heavenly Rain Realm cultivators would perish, severely diminishing their destiny and opportunities, crippling the Heavenly Rain Realm. Even the Zhun Di, as cultivators of the Heavenly Rain Realm, would be impacted.
At best, they might fall in cultivation level, but worse, they could be barred from the Great Dao, unable to reach the Great Emperor realm or comprehend the second Dao.
The Zhun Di of the Heavenly Rain Realm naturally did not want this outcome, so they could only confront this realm head-on.
Shanshui Quasi-Emperor, as the leader of the Heavenly Rain Realm, battled fiercely with Emperor Witch while enduring the tribulation of the Great Emperor, but he was starting to show signs of exhaustion and waning strength.
Emperor Witch, on the other hand, had not revealed their true form, with only a dim, slender silhouette visible under the dark heavens as they clashed with Shanshui Quasi-Emperor.
Sensing Emperor Witch still had reserves, Shanshui Quasi-Emperor directly resorted to the essence of the Great Dao as his divine ability, channeling the power of heaven and earth to collide with the shadowy figure and the dim heavens!
Boom!
The already tilted heavens shattered, raining fragments down on the Great Emperor, crashing into mountains and rivers, revealing the dim void beyond.
The cultivators of the realm gazed out in awe.
From the shattered heavens, a drop of fresh blood fell, landing on the earth and instantly transforming into dense spiritual energy, nourishing the mountains and rivers.
After that first drop, a torrent of blood rained down unceasingly.
The crowd followed the blood upwards.
Shanshui Quasi-Emperor stood tall above, but a slender, shadowy arm had pierced his chest at some point.
The arm dripped with blood, and tracing it back revealed a slender, unremarkable figure.
Yet this nondescript, slender figure had pierced the Quasi-Emperor's chest.
A chilling voice finally spoke from the figure, devoid of emotion, stating plainly:
"I was imprisoned for twenty-three million years, over two great eons, when I should have ascended to Great Emperor. Instead, I became this Eye of Formation, my life's limit visible at a glance."
"How boring."
He glanced up at the heavens, his chilling voice tinged with a hint of complaint, softly asking:
"Are you Supremes satisfied now?"
Evidently, there would be no response.
Emperor Witch lowered his gaze to Shanshui Quasi-Emperor and continued:
"When I could see my limit at a glance, I began seeking other paths of cultivation. But no matter what, I could not break the restrictions of this grand formation, unable to transcend the Great Sage Realm no matter how I cultivated."
"I was already a Great Sage twenty-two million years ago. Do you know how agonizing it is to have your cultivation stagnate? I could not die, nor could I live, only existing as a ghost in this realm."
"I came to detest all of existence, including myself."
"Until later, when I comprehended another Great Dao."
"The External Avatar Dao."
"Now, in this realm's twelve Eyes of Formation, seven are merely my external avatars."
Emperor Witch raised his placid gaze, as if looking into the distance, releasing the arm that pierced Shanshui Quasi-Emperor and calling out:
"Now..."
"Merge."
Brilliant light burst forth from various Forbidden Zones, converging into Emperor Witch's body, becoming his physical form, soul, divine abilities, techniques, treasures, and more.
His eyes shone brighter, suddenly turning his head and glancing towards a Forbidden Zone that flickered with faint light.
It seemed one of his avatars had encountered some unexpected trouble.
Within this Forbidden Zone.
Chen Xia's sword pierced a massive figure, tilting his head as he observed the flickering light emanating from its body, asking in confusion:
"What's going on, are you about to transform?"
He truly was skilled at stealing, and had indeed succeeded in stealing.
But it seemed he had been caught.