Gaze and you will become stronger: starting from Doupo

Deep within the Jin family ancestral land, all the Jin family elders who had been in seclusion emerged, their faces ashen as they stared at the sky. The moment they witnessed Jin Taijun being lashed felt as if their own cheeks had been struck hard, and the family's honor had been shattered in that instant. Some younger disciples wanted to rush out to aid Jin Taijun, but were firmly held down by the elders, their eyes, filled with fear, utterly devoid of any resistance.

Behind Jiang Han, the Demon King, the Gluttonous King, and other powerful figures at the Transcendent Realm watched with awe. They had once been overlords of various forces, considering themselves knowledgeable and experienced, but what they witnessed today made them understand what it truly meant to be the "Number One Person of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths." Every move Jiang Han made, seemingly casual, contained profound truths of the Great Dao; his effortless composure inspired deep respect in them.

"Well done!" Ye Qingxian stood in the void, clapping her hands and laughing, her eyes gleaming with pride. She knew her grandmaster all too well—able to traverse the river of time at will and rewrite altered history, even her father, hailed as the "Number One Prodigy of All Ages," was far inferior to Jiang Han in the art of time travel. She knew that the power Jiang Han was displaying now was probably less than a tenth of his true strength; if it weren't for the suppression of this world's rules, Jin Taijun wouldn't even have the right to make him take action.

At the edge of the battlefield, Meng Tianzheng, Wang Changsheng, and Zhao Haotian stood side by side, silently gazing at the scene in the sky. All three were ancient monsters who had lived for millions of years, knowing each other intimately. They were all too familiar with Jin Taijun's strength—blessed by the inheritance of a True Immortal, his physical body unified with the Great Dao, his combat power enough to rank among the top three in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Yet, such a supreme being was utterly powerless before Jiang Han, which, while shocking them, also added an indescribable heaviness to their hearts.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In the desolate star field, battle broke out once again.

Jin Taijun had completely turned to demonic power. Her skin glowed with an unnatural gold, and she was surrounded by a thick black mist—the immortal laws twisted by rage and murderous intent. Like a wild beast that had lost its mind, she roared and pounced on Jiang Han, her claws forming hooks, tearing at his head with a force that could rip everything apart.

However, her attacks were still full of flaws in front of Jiang Han.

Jiang Han moved slightly, dodging her sharp claws as if strolling in a garden. With a casual flick of his right hand, a pale golden ripple shot out from his fingertip. The ripple struck Jin Taijun's back, producing a dull thud. Jin Taijun groaned and staggered forward dozens of steps, golden blood trickling from the corner of her mouth once more.

"Again!" Jin Taijun roared and turned around, her blood and energy boiling again. A golden longsword materialized in her hand, its blade engraved with the Immortal Slaughtering Array, clearly indicating that she had used her natal magic weapon.

She swung her sword, and a golden sword aura swept across the void, shattering stars wherever it passed.

Jiang Han neither dodged nor evaded, but instead used his left hand, fingers pointing like a knife, to lightly slash at the sword energy. A blue-green power of faith transformed into a long blade, precisely striking the center of the golden sword energy.

"Crack!"

The golden sword energy snapped in response, dissipating into countless points of light.

A flicker of despair crossed Jin Taijun's eyes, yet she still refused to admit defeat. She discarded her longsword, clenched her fists, and braced herself against Jiang Han with her bare body. Her fists rained down on Jiang Han like a tidal wave, each punch containing the power to shatter stars.

Jiang Han's eyes turned cold, and he no longer held back. Ripples spread out beneath his feet, his figure weaving through the shadows of fists. His right hand sometimes transformed into a palm, sometimes into a fist, and each collision with Jin Taijun caused her blood and qi to surge.

"Snapped!"

Another crisp sound rang out, echoing throughout the heavens and the earth.

This time, Jiang Han's slap landed squarely on Jin Taijun's left cheek.

It was more ferocious and domineering than the previous two times.

The force of the impact exploded to its peak upon contact, producing a resonant "humming" sound. Jin Taijun's left cheek felt as if it had been struck by an invisible giant hammer; half her cheek caved in, and shattered bone fragments mixed with golden blood splattered out. She screamed in agony as several golden teeth were knocked out of her mouth, arcing through the air before falling into the distant black hole.

Even through the view in the sky, countless cultivators felt their scalps tingle. The scene was far too gruesome—a supreme being had been beaten beyond recognition. This was beyond their understanding of "battle," more like a one-sided crushing defeat.

You've insulted me three times! I'll drag you down with me even if it kills me!

Jin Taijun covered her sunken left cheek, her eyes filled with madness that completely overridden her reason. Her gaze, like that of the most venomous snake, was fixed on Jiang Han, as if she wanted to etch his image into the depths of her soul.

With her roar, the Great Dao within her body began to tremble violently, emitting creaking sounds, as if it were about to collapse at any moment. The golden blood around her began to evaporate, turning into crystal-clear blood beads that floated around her body, each bead radiating terrifying energy fluctuations.

"Oh no! She's about to burn her life essence and reach the ultimate sublimation!" Meng Tianzheng's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in shock.

Burning one's essence blood is the ultimate forbidden technique in the Supreme Realm. It sacrifices one's very essence for a temporary surge in power; once unleashed, it can cause anything from a drastic drop in cultivation to the complete shattering of one's foundation, resulting in eternal damnation. Jin Taijun's ability to go this far clearly indicates she was truly driven to the brink.

The golden blood beads began to burn fiercely, igniting raging golden flames. As the flames burned, Jin Taijun's aura surged at a visible speed, his previously chaotic blood and qi became violent, and the black mist around him intertwined with the golden flames, forming an extremely eerie aura.

The stars around her began to self-destruct uncontrollably, one, two, ten... countless stars shattered under her pressure, turning into dazzling fireworks that reflected her hideous face.

"Qiang!"

Jin Taijun formed a complex hand seal, clasped her hands together, and then abruptly separated them. At her fingertips, a wisp of golden light slowly condensed. Initially only the size of a grain of rice, the golden light radiated a pressure that made heaven and earth pale in comparison, and even the distant black hole trembled slightly under its illumination.

As Jin Taijun continuously infused her burning essence blood, the golden light grew brighter and more solid. Wherever it passed, the void transformed into chaos, countless Dao runes were crushed, and even the Milky Way above the nine heavens was stirred by it. A phantom of a celestial river composed of nine-colored starlight spanned the desolate star field, continuously supplying power to the golden light.

"This is... the True Immortal Secret Technique 'Star-Pointing Finger'!" Wang Changsheng's pupils shrank drastically. "Legend has it that this is a forbidden technique left behind by Jin Taijun's True Immortal master. It uses one's own essence and blood as a conduit to communicate with the Nine Heavens Star River, and can destroy a universe with a single finger! She actually used even this!"

Zhao Haotian's expression turned grave: "Burning her life essence and drawing upon the power of the Heavenly River, she's trying to take everyone down with her!"

Beneath the sky, countless cultivators held their breath, their eyes fixed on the ever-brightening golden light. They could sense that the power contained within that light had surpassed the limits of the Supreme Realm, reaching a level beyond their comprehension. "Die!"

Jin Taijun abruptly opened her eyes, the last vestige of clarity replaced by madness. She thrust her fingertips forward, and the golden light that seemed to pierce the heavens, like a divine dragon breaking free from its restraints, roared with a tearing edge, instantly traversing the endless void and shooting towards Jiang Han. Wherever it passed, the illusory image of the Nine-Colored Heavenly River shattered inch by inch, transforming into pure energy that merged into the golden light, amplifying its power by another threefold.

Jiang Han finally lost his composure and slowly opened his half-closed eyes. He could feel that this attack had touched the threshold of a True Immortal. If it were an ordinary Supreme Being, or even a powerful figure like Meng Tianzheng, he would probably die on the spot.

But he is, after all, Jiang Han.

The rippled path beneath his feet instantly extended, like a silver ribbon spanning the entire battlefield, infinitely widening the distance between him and the golden light. Above his left hand, a pale golden, shimmering halo spun rapidly, emitting a frequency that resonated even in space; in his right hand, blue-green faith power surged like a tide, condensing into a massive sphere of light, on the surface of which countless phantoms of believers whispered prayers.

Just as the golden light was about to reach him, Jiang Han suddenly clasped his hands together.

The power of the Tremor and the power of faith merged perfectly in his palm, transforming into a strange two-tone flower. The flower was interwoven with pale gold and blue-green, its petals layered upon each other, each petal engraved with runes of the Great Dao, radiating an aura that was both domineering and gentle. It was a wondrous balance achieved at this moment between the destructive power of the Tremor and the protective power of faith.

"go."

Jiang Han gave a soft shout, and the two-colored Great Dao Flower slowly floated out, meeting the world-destroying golden light.

"Boom——!"

A deafening roar, powerful enough to make the entire universe tremble, erupted.

The two-colored flower and the golden light collided in the void. There was no earth-shattering explosion, only an invisible shockwave spreading outwards from the point of impact. Wherever it passed, the desolate star field vanished completely, replaced by chaos, even the flow of time became disordered. The phantom of the nine-colored celestial river was crushed by the shockwave, turning into countless stardust; the distant black hole contracted violently within the shockwave, ultimately disappearing without a trace.

Beneath the sky, countless cultivators of lower cultivation levels were directly knocked unconscious by this invisible pressure. Even powerful cultivators at the Great Saint Realm had to summon their magical treasures to protect themselves, their faces as pale as paper. Although they were only watching the scene, they felt as if they had personally experienced the collision, and a sharp pain emanated from the depths of their souls.

As the shockwave slowly dissipated, two figures gradually became clear in the desolate star field.

Jin Taijun was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. Her golden Taoist robe was already torn to shreds, revealing deep, bone-revealing wounds on her exposed skin, from which golden blood gushed out like a fountain. She tumbled hundreds of times in the air before crashing heavily onto a shard of meteorite, making a dull thud. She struggled to get up, but could only cough up more golden blood, her breath as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, her eyes filled with resentment and despair.

On the other side of the battlefield, Jiang Han remained standing, his figure not retreating an inch. His black robe was still neat and his aura was as steady as ever, as if the collision that had just destroyed a universe was nothing more than a gentle breeze to him.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Jiang Han stood with his hands behind his back, stepping on the rippled path beneath his feet, walking towards Jin Taijun step by step. With each step, a two-colored flower of the Great Dao would bloom beneath his feet, blooming and withering, emanating a pressure that was almost tangible, causing the remaining space around him to tremble slightly.

His eyes were calm and still, yet they carried an undeniable resolve.

"Fellow Daoist Hongjun, this battle doesn't need to be a fight to the death, let's end it here."

Just as Jiang Han was less than a thousand feet away from Jin Taijun, two figures suddenly appeared on the battlefield, blocking his path. They were Wang Changsheng and Zhao Haotian.

The two men wore complex expressions, their eyes filled with apprehension as they looked at Jiang Han, yet they still stood tall. Wang Changsheng took a deep breath and spoke first: "Fellow Daoist Hongjun, the situation in the borderlands is tense, and the extraterrestrial demons are stirring. Jin Taijun is one of our strongest forces; under no circumstances can she die!"

Zhao Haotian interjected, "The Jin family was indeed wrong in the matter of besieging the Seven Kings of the Borderlands back then. But now the truth has been revealed to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and the Jin family has received its due punishment. From today onwards, we will take the lead in establishing the 'Borderlands Guardian Shrine' to treat the descendants of the Seven Kings well and compensate all the forces that were implicated. How about we call this battle over?"

They knew Jiang Han's power and understood that Jin Taijun deserved her punishment, but as guardians of the Imperial Pass, they had to consider the bigger picture. The border defenses were already strained; if they lost another supreme being, the consequences would be unimaginable should the demons launch a full-scale invasion.

Jiang Han stopped and glanced at the two of them indifferently. His gaze was calm, but it sent a chill down Wang Changsheng and Zhao Haotian's spines, as if they were being watched by some terrifying being.

"You have to pay the price for your mistakes." Jiang Han's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached their ears. "Get out of my way."

"Fellow Daoist Hongjun!" Wang Changsheng stepped forward, his tone pleading, "Please consider the bigger picture!"

"The bigger picture?" Jiang Han's lips curled into a cold smile. "Where was your so-called 'big picture' when the Seven Kings of the Borderlands died in battle? Where was your 'big picture' when the Jin family persecuted loyal officials?"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a power that pierced the soul: "Today, she must die!"

Having said that, Jiang Han continued walking forward. With each step, the aura within him grew increasingly intense, a pale golden halo and blue-green faith power swirling around him, forming a terrifying aura. When he was less than a hundred meters away from Wang Changsheng and Zhao Haotian, he parted his lips slightly, and a single word exploded like a thunderclap from the heavens:
"roll!"

The instant the word "Get out" was uttered, an invisible sound wave erupted from Jiang Han's center. The sound wave contained a resonant power and the oppressive force of faith, directly impacting the soul. Wang Changsheng and Zhao Haotian's expressions changed drastically; they felt a deafening roar in their minds, as if countless mountains were pressing down, and the Dao within their bodies instantly became chaotic.

The two involuntarily staggered back dozens of steps before barely managing to regain their footing. Their faces were ashen, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of their mouths. They exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes—a single word had forced these two supreme beings back; such power was beyond their comprehension. (End of Chapter)