A great wind swept through the Immortal Realm, shrouding the surroundings in obscurity.
The Way of Heaven hung precariously at the apex, on the verge of collapse, covering the entire Immortal Realm with its shadow and blocking out all light.
The Martial Emperor calmly gazed at the tall, green-robed figure, his arms crossed as he murmured softly,
"Before you think about fighting me, you should consider how to face the Way of Heaven above."
"I'll deal with both together," Chen Xia replied disdainfully, also crossing his arms.
"Heh, humor," the Martial Emperor chuckled, a rarity for him. He studied Chen Xia for a moment before nodding,
"This is the first time I've seen a truly formed False Heavenly Dao. Not bad, it's indeed incredibly powerful. Your version of it is the pinnacle among all False Heavenly Daos—it's only with a False Heavenly Dao that one could attain supremacy with five dao paths."
"It's just my nature," Chen Xia retorted dismissively. At the same moment, a piercing sword cry echoed, and dense swarms of sword qi unfolded above the Way of Heaven. A celestial sword hovered beside him, and the imposing aura of a Sword Emperor was fully revealed.
The Martial Emperor shook his head and proposed once more,
"No matter how much we talk, the Way of Heaven is descending with the aim of destroying you and the entire Immortal Realm. Why don't we join forces and shatter the Way of Heaven together? What do you say?"
He intended to utilize Chen Xia's False Heavenly Dao.
Chen Xia remained silent, his fingers lightly tapping his arm.
Swish!
The celestial sword, carrying three million sword qi, surged toward the heavens, merging with the River of Time to form a formidable force that launched an assault on the Way of Heaven, aiming to hold it back.
So, what about Chen Xia?
He had already appeared beside the Martial Emperor, his palm spread open, gathering heavenly thunder from the Way of Heaven. He aimed to press it against the Martial Emperor's head and fling him skyward.
Snap!
Chen Xia did manage to press his hand against the target, but he couldn't move him.
The Martial Emperor wasn't cooperating.
Golden martial qi began to ignite through his palm, piercing through the heavenly thunder. The Martial Emperor gripped Chen Xia's hand with an indomitable strength, forcefully removing it and revealing his pair of scorching golden eyes that could even incinerate the Way of Heaven. He asked calmly,
"Your Five Dao paths shouldn't be a match for me, right?"
With his hand grasped, Chen Xia responded with a smirk,
"Wanna give it a try?"
Buzz!
Golden martial qi surged violently across the Martial Emperor's body—the most refined martial qi accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years. His hand, following Chen Xia's arm, gripped with enough strength to burn through this entire sky, aiming to seize Chen Xia's head.
In the blink of an eye.
Chen Xia's eyes shone brilliantly, resembling a deity descending. He uttered a sacred decree,
"Countermand."
The Immortal Realm seemed to stir faintly.
The Martial Emperor's hand halted abruptly as Chen Xia disappeared before him.
In his place stood Chen Xia behind him, his celestial sword poised at the Martial Emperor's neck. The sword emitted a resonant buzz, ready to strike, yet it did not cut through, as it clashed with the concentrated martial qi guarding the Martial Emperor's neck.
"You have the most formidable 'Command Reality with Words' I've ever seen. I couldn't sense any changes in you—is this the power of the False Heavenly Dao?" the Martial Emperor inquired, turning to face Chen Xia.
"You're really tough," Chen Xia remarked, realizing he couldn't pierce the Martial Emperor's refined martial qi. He retracted his sword, his figure turning grayish-white as he instantly reappeared far away. He proposed,
"How about we each take a step back? You don't shatter the Way of Heaven, and I won't shatter you."
"What kind of compromise is that?" the Martial Emperor retorted, then couldn't help but chuckle,
"If you could shatter me, then I wouldn't have a say in what you do with the Way of Heaven."
He possessed an overwhelming confidence, certain that Chen Xia would not be his match. Even with the Fifth Dao being a False Heavenly Dao, what could that matter? If he could even engage the real Way of Heaven in a contest of strength, why would he fear a False Heavenly Dao?
The Martial Emperor pointed to the heavens and proposed further,
"Let's join forces to shatter the Way of Heaven. That would conclude my obsession. Afterward, I won't interfere with your actions. All the causalities and fortunes of the All Heavens World will vanish, and cultivators will gradually decline in realm, ushering in a new era soon."
"No, that would be a slow murder of all cultivators across the All Heavens World," Chen Xia argued, his eyebrows furrowing.
“Correct. Because if these cultivators don’t perish, how can a new era be ushered in?” the Martial Emperor replied calmly, his eyes gleaming with eagerness.
Perhaps he was entranced by his obsession, or perhaps he genuinely believed in the emergence of the equal world he envisioned.
But what did that have to do with Chen Xia? All he wanted was for those he cared about to live out their lives peacefully. Therefore, he proposed to the Martial Emperor,
"Couldn't we just wait a bit longer? After this Great Age..."
The Martial Emperor shook his head resolutely,
"It can't be delayed. After this Great Age comes another, and with you gone, new friends will appear. Being sentimental leads to endless cycles."
With that, there was no room for negotiation. Chen Xia sighed, took up his celestial sword amid the strong winds of the Immortal Realm, and spoke,
"I'll try to hold the Way of Heaven, and I'll try to hold you back. If not..."
Chen Xia glanced at the darkened sky, seemingly able to see the distant Blue Sky Sword Sea beyond the chaotic heavens of the All Heavens World. He suddenly laughed heartily, flipped his sword, and continued,
"Then let me be the one to die first."
After living for tens of thousands of years, even a dog would have had enough!
The False Heavenly Dao descended, and the five supreme dao paths were fully empowered. Chen Xia walked along the gray-white River of Time as the ruler, surrounded by dense swarms of sword qi. He pointed his finger briefly.
The Ancestral Dragon emerged entirely, its immense body capable of consuming both heaven and earth, to withstand the entire Way of Heaven.
Chen Xia now engaged the Martial Emperor in full battle. No words remained between them, and the murderous intent in their eyes only intensified.
His eyes shone with the most supreme light in all the world, pushing the False Heavenly Dao to its peak.
He became this very piece of heaven in the Immortal Realm.
No...
For a moment, he became the Way of Heaven of the entire All Heavens World. He spoke the most sacred decree of the world, uttering,
"Ascend."
His head was adorned with the exquisite crown of the Way of Heaven, his feet rested on the primordial land of the myriad worlds. By igniting his qi, boiling his sea of consciousness, and shouldering it with his heart lake, he forcefully erased the word 'false' from himself...
Achieving the true Way of Heaven.