The Day Breaks

Chen Xia's fifth technique was rarely used, but when it was, it always had a spectacular effect.

This was the technique he relied on for survival: the Call for Backup Path.

The Three-Path Great Emperor hadn't yet realized the gravity of the situation. His head was covered by Chen Xia's palm, blocking all senses and preventing him from seeing any changes in Chen Xia.

He was still reaching out to grab Chen Xia's head.

He managed to grab it.

But who would live and who would die was still uncertain.

"Why would Chen Xia be so reckless as to trade his life for mine? That doesn't make sense," the Three-Path Great Emperor wondered aloud.

He speculated, but he was wrong. Soon, he was shocked.

Because the hand gripping his head suddenly exerted an immense force, a force strong enough to crush his skull, as if an entire realm had been compressed into it!

The Three-Path Great Emperor let go of Chen Xia's head and immediately mobilized all his spiritual energy, trying to pull back and create distance.

But it was too late.

Boom!

His head exploded, and his body was lifted by Chen Xia. Chen Xia's blood-red eyes showed no joy, only a slight frown as he murmured softly,

"A decoy."

He shook his head in dissatisfaction, raised his immortal sword, and obliterated the decoy. Then, looking up at the encroaching darkness, he spoke calmly but with firm conviction,

"Next time, I'll cut you down."

The heart demon couldn't cross realms and traverse such vast distances for too long.

He returned to the Great Death Realm.

Chen Xia's eyes regained their clarity. Pointing at the encroaching darkness, he also issued a warning,

"Next time you dare to chase me, I'll definitely take you out!"

The Three-Path Great Emperor, hidden within the Dark Invasion, was breathing heavily, his mind still reeling from the shock.

He had truly felt the threat of death earlier. Fortunately, he had been cautious and used half of his vital energy to create a decoy within the Dark Invasion, which had saved his life.

However, he now had another puzzle. Just now, Chen Xia had been incredibly powerful, so much so that he didn't seem like a Three-Path Sovereign at all. He had felt as if an entire super realm was bearing down on him, even more powerful than a Four-Path Great Emperor.

There was something terrifying about Chen Xia!

He confirmed this and decided not to pursue Chen Xia so recklessly next time. It was better to just circle around and avoid direct confrontation.

Joining the Dark Invasion didn't offer much benefit anyway. Why risk his life?

The battle between Chen Xia and the Three-Path Great Emperor was unclear to the lower-level cultivators. They only knew that after a fierce exchange, the Three-Path Great Emperor had escaped using a decoy. No one knew exactly what had happened.

Today's battle ended here, and Chen Xia returned to the city walls.

In fact, by now, large-scale battles had decreased significantly. Most of the cultivators and Dark Invaders were dead. Even if cultivators went out to fight, they might not find any opponents. It was a situation of drawing a sword but not knowing where to strike.

Now, it was the battlefield of the Great Emperors. The true high-end combatants would determine the outcome. If they won, they could temporarily ease the Heavenly Judgment. If they lost, the Heavenly Judgment would accelerate its descent.

The six Great Emperors on the left frontline no longer defended the city but actively engaged in battle with the remaining Dark Invaders. Their strength was evenly matched, and after several battles, there was still no clear victor.

Perhaps due to the impending Heavenly Judgment, the frontline experienced day and night cycles, alternating roughly every three days.

The night wasn't pitch black but had a faint glow.

Chen Xia enjoyed sitting under this light, gazing into the void.

This was the highest point of the Great Heaven, or perhaps the most remote.

"Longing for the mortal world after living in the heavens," Chen Xia muttered softly, shaking his head.

"Chen Xia, you have a good mood, able to recite poetry and enjoy the scenery," a familiar voice chuckled. It was the Three-Path Great Emperor.

"You still dare to come? Didn't you get enough of a beating last time?" Chen Xia asked calmly, not flustered.

The Three-Path Great Emperor nodded honestly. "I was indeed scared, so this time I prepared many escape methods before coming."

"Why come at all?" Chen Xia asked again.

"Just to chat. There's no one in the Dark Invasion. It's quite boring," the Three-Path Great Emperor said with a laugh. Then he added,

"Let me introduce myself. I am Yan Zi. Yan as in 'day and peace,' Zi as in 'son of Laozi.' I've forgotten how many years I've lived, but I'm quite an old-timer among the Great Emperors. If it weren't for this Heavenly Judgment, I probably would have never emerged."

"You're quite afraid of dying, aren't you?" Chen Xia commented.

"Most cultivators are, I think," Yan Zi admitted, then continued, "Actually, there's no need for us to be so tense. We see each other all the time. It's better to get along."

Chen Xia frowned and retorted, "Do you think it's appropriate to say that? You've been chasing me down every day. You're really something else."

"Fighting leads to friendship. First time's awkward, second time's familiar. That's how it works," Yan Zi explained with a smile, then shook his head, his expression somewhat melancholy. He said softly,

"Actually, the Great Emperors who joined the Dark Invasion don't want to fight either. But to survive, there's no other choice. We wait for the lower-level saints to die out, and when there's no one left to kill, we have to step in and fight ourselves."

"I really don't want to fight, but what can I do? There are Four-Path Great Emperors above us, and the Heavenly Path forcing us. Not fighting means death."

Chen Xia asked, "Then why not switch sides and join us in resisting the Heavenly Path?"

Yan Zi quickly shook his head.

"No way, no way. The Heavenly Path's collapse is not something mortals can resist. Even the strongest, the Supreme Warrior Emperor, couldn't stop it. We'd just be throwing our lives away."

"You should know how the frontline resists the Heavenly Path. It's by constantly sacrificing cultivators, using their deaths to temporarily appease the Heavenly Path."

"Once the saints are gone, it's the Great Emperors' turn to die."

"Both sides are at risk of death. I'd rather bet on the Heavenly Path having a higher chance of survival."

Chen Xia shook his head. "That's where our paths diverge."

Yan Zi nodded and waved his hand.

"Yes, that's it. Talking to you like this is quite interesting, though. It's much better than staying in that gloomy Dark Invasion. Thanks for the chat, Chen Xia. Goodbye."

His figure flickered and disappeared from the city walls.

The night was gradually giving way to a faint white dawn.

Chen Xia stood up on the city walls.

Day had broken.