Gaze and you will become stronger: starting from Doupo

There was no earth-shattering roar, for the surrounding space lost its medium for sound transmission the instant the two supreme forces collided. Yet, the energy shockwave spread out visibly, as if the world itself had been reshuffled. The once dark sky erupted with billions of divine rays of light, then instantly fell silent, only to light up again, repeating this cycle endlessly, as if the world was constantly being reopened and reforged. The light screen above the immortal city and the runes on the decree collided, annihilated, and regenerated violently. Each collision was accompanied by the shattering and reorganization of laws; the spectacle was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Even supreme-level cultivators could only feel a tremor deep within their souls.

The phrase "the heavens and earth trembled" is insufficient to describe the scene before them; the entire boundless battlefield shook violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment. Enormous cracks appeared in the void, filled with endless darkness that devoured all light and energy. Faintly, it seemed as if countless wronged souls were weeping and wailing in the darkness—a bizarre phenomenon caused by the forced distortion of the rules of heaven and earth, a true depiction of ghostly wails and divine howls. Especially the decree issued by An Lan, emanating the aura of an immortal king that swept across the land like a tsunami. Wherever it passed, cultivators from the nine heavens and ten earths, as well as beings from other realms, could not help but lower their heads. It was a suppression originating from bloodline and soul, an unparalleled domineering aura that was invincible above heaven and earth, looking down upon the past, present, and future!

At this moment, only the alternation of light and darkness, the cycle of life and death, remained between heaven and earth. Above the abyss, turbulent energy currents raged like a raging torrent. The light of the immortal city gradually dimmed under the impact of the decree, and the golden light on the decree also slightly subsided. However, the two forces continued to struggle fiercely, and every collision of energy contained the power to destroy a great world. This was the highest level of confrontation, a clash of two great paths, a battle between the will to protect and the will to invade. Ordinary cultivators could not comprehend the mysteries within, and could only tremble in fear from afar, feeling the terror that came from the depths of their souls.

An unknown amount of time passed—perhaps a moment, perhaps eternity—and as the last trace of energy dissipated after the collision, a deathly silence descended upon the world. All that remained in everyone's sight was a chaotic void, a void formed by the energy collision, devoid of light, sound, and the passage of time; it was as if everything had returned to its origin. On the boundless battlefield, all the cultivators held their breath, their souls seemingly frozen, stiff in place. No one dared to utter a sound, for fear of disturbing the terrifying being within this chaos.

After a long while, the chaos gradually dissipated, and the scenery became clear again. The crowd, still shaken, looked on to see the desert, which should have been shattered, still standing there, its sand dunes stretching endlessly, yellow sand filling the sky, without a trace of damage. At that moment, everyone understood. Whether it was the Crimson-Eyed Elder or An Lan, although they possessed unparalleled power, in the clash just now, all their attacks were contained to the extreme by their supreme divine abilities, without a single trace of power leaking out. Therefore, they caused no collateral damage to this battlefield. Millions of cultivators from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, millions of troops from the foreign realm—all were unharmed. Such control had reached an inconceivable level.

“If you had taken another step, I might have taken you seriously. But you have ultimately stopped, and remain a crippled body.” An Lan’s indifferent sigh came from inside the chariot. There was no emotional fluctuation in the sigh, but it carried a condescending air, as if he were evaluating something insignificant.

Following the sound, everyone looked and saw that in the center of the battlefield, the imperial edict was still suspended in the void. Although the golden light was not as intense as before, it still exuded an aura of immortality. The immortal city had not collapsed either, but the light on the city had become very dim. The previous brilliant light had completely disappeared, leaving only the ancient city body trembling slightly in the void, like an old man who had exhausted his strength.

On the city wall, the figure of the crimson-eyed old man still stood, but he was no longer the same as before. His flesh and blood had long since turned to ashes in the fire, leaving only a stark white skeleton, teetering precariously in the void. Only in the sockets of his head did two beams of crimson light still burn, the light no longer containing the previous resolve, but instead filled with deep sorrow. He turned his head with difficulty, his crimson eyes gazing at the heavens and earth behind him, his gaze slowly sweeping over the land he had protected with his entire life, over the cultivators who looked up at him from below the city wall. His gaze was filled with reluctance and longing, as if he wanted to etch every inch of this world into the depths of his soul.

A moment later, he withdrew his gaze and returned it to An Lan's chariot. The crimson light in his eyes suddenly turned cold and fierce, containing undisguised killing intent and determination. Even though only a skeleton remained, his will to protect had not been extinguished.

The crimson-eyed old man took a step forward, his seemingly slow steps causing the entire world to tremble. The void beneath his feet groaned under the unbearable weight, emitting an eerie buzzing sound, as if the heavens and earth were weeping, mourning for this guardian whose life was about to burn out.

"Crack...crack..." A crisp cracking sound rang out as the crimson-eyed old man's skeleton began to crumble inch by inch after taking that step. White bone fragments detached from the skeleton, falling into the void and transforming into specks of light. But at the same moment the skeleton shattered, a black flame rose from the broken bones. This flame was no ordinary fire, but a soul fire condensed from his last remaining life essence and understanding of the Great Dao. The black flame expanded rapidly, instantly transforming into a sea of ​​fire that enveloped the heavens and earth, then contracted in a flash, finally condensing into a black fireball only the size of a fist, yet radiating a terrifying aura.

That was the final form of the Crimson-Eyed Elder. He had burned everything within himself, transforming into a black fireball filled with endless resentment and a will to protect, charging headlong towards An Lan's chariot. He knew he could not defeat the Immortal King, but he wanted to use his last breath to deliver his final blow, even if it was in vain, to let his opponent feel the indomitable spirit of the guardians of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

However, faced with this resolute impact, only a faint sigh emanated from within the chariot. Immediately afterwards, a colossal hand, obscuring the sky, slowly emerged from the chariot. The hand was formed from endless divine light, its lines clearly defined, each finger seemingly containing the power of a universe. The giant hand made no fancy movements, simply gently slapping towards the black fireball.

With a soft "sizzle," as if cold water had been poured on a flame, the black fireball that contained the last of the Crimson-Eyed Elder's life force vanished into nothingness under the strike of the giant palm, leaving no trace, as if it had never existed.

"The Crimson-Eyed Elder... he... he ascended..." In the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths camp, a white-haired elder asked in a trembling voice, his voice filled with disbelief and grief. Millions of cultivators stared blankly at the void that had turned into nothingness, their faces turning ashen in an instant, their eyes filled with shock and sorrow.

In an instant, all the cultivators were moved, a nameless sorrow rising in their hearts and permeating the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Earths camp. Many of them did not recognize the Crimson-Eyed Elder, and even those who knew the name had only glimpsed a few words in ancient, dusty books, knowing nothing of his past. But they clearly saw that just moments ago, the one-armed old man had burned his last breath, using his crippled body to shield the Heavenly Abyss, protecting the Imperial Pass behind him, until his lifeblood was exhausted, until his body turned to ashes, without ever flinching!
His life's song burst forth at this moment. He demonstrated his resolve with his life, interpreting the meaning of protection in the most heroic way, exerting his last bit of strength, and vowing to protect the gateway to this world with his life.

"Master, is that grandpa dead?" A childish voice rang out from the crowd. The little boy tightly gripped Wu Fang's large hand, his eyes blurred with tears, his face filled with confusion and sorrow. Although he was young, he could sense the dissipation of life force and feel the tragic grandeur.

Wu Fang nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. His chest felt heavy, as if weighed down by a boulder, and his voice carried an undisguised sorrow: "Yes, he's gone. Your master… couldn't save him." Faced with the power of an Immortal King, even he felt a profound sense of powerlessness. On the city wall, the assembled Supreme Beings exchanged glances, seeing the same heaviness and helplessness in each other's eyes. They then looked at the Immortal City, still suspended in the Heavenly Abyss, now deserted, their faces grim. The sacrifice of the Crimson-Eyed Elder weighed heavily on their hearts, bringing them unprecedented pressure.

"Are there any remnants from back then?" An Lan's voice rang out again from inside the alien war chariot. This voice was like a thunderclap, piercing through the heavens and earth, spreading to every corner of the nine heavens and ten earths, carrying an undeniable pressure, as if it were a judgment.

One second, two seconds, three seconds… Time seemed to stretch out in that instant, and a deathly silence fell over the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths camp. No one dared to respond. All eyes involuntarily turned in a certain direction—where Wu Fang stood. They knew that Wu Fang was one of the few remaining top experts in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and they placed their last hope on him, hoping that he would step forward, even if it was just to say a word, to offer them a sliver of comfort.

Despite being surrounded by so many encouraging and expectant gazes, Wu Fang remained silent. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He had a clear understanding of his own strength and knew that if he rashly stepped forward to respond with his current cultivation level, he would likely end up like the Crimson-Eyed Elder, easily obliterated by An Lan. That would not only fail to save anyone but would also only increase the number of casualties.

"Are they all dead?" An Lan's voice rang out again, tinged with impatience. As his words fell, the chariot being towed by the nine-headed golden ancient dragon trembled violently once more. This time, what emerged from the chariot was not a giant hand, but an enormous fist. This fist was entirely composed of golden divine runes, radiating an aura of world-destroying power. Even before it was fully extended, the surrounding void began to collapse inch by inch.

This punch, without any fancy moves, struck directly at Tianyuan! Wherever it passed, the Milky Way reversed, billions of stars collapsed like fragile glass, and countless chains of laws were forcibly torn apart, emitting a piercing wail.

"Buzz buzz buzz!" Tianyuan sensed this deadly threat and began to tremble wildly. Unparalleled devouring power surged from the huge black hole, and black energy tides crashed towards the fist like a tsunami. This was the power of the laws that Tianyuan had formed over billions of years, and it was desperately resisting this attack from the Immortal King.

With a crisp "crack!", a few cracks appeared in the spatial barrier surrounding Tianyuan. A wisp of aura from that fist, like an indestructible blade, seeped out through the cracks and silently arrived in the territory of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

"Ah—" In an instant, a chorus of shrill wails and screams echoed throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths camp. The dozens of cultivators closest to that wisp of aura didn't even have time to utter a complete scream before their bodies exploded like burning paper, turning into puffs of blood mist. Cultivators a little further away had their skin crack instantly, blood gushing wildly from the fissures, as if being cut by countless invisible blades. Their faces were filled with extreme fear and pain, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

"Retreat! Retreat immediately!" Meng Tianzheng reacted instantly, issuing an urgent order, his face also showing undisguised terror. Although it was merely a wisp of aura emanating from the Immortal King's fist, the level of power and profound mysteries of the Great Dao contained within it had already exceeded his comprehension. Even as a peak supreme being, he felt his soul tremble and couldn't help but kneel down before that aura in worship.

Wu Fang's expression grew increasingly solemn. He could clearly sense the terrifying power contained within that aura—a power that transcended the existing rules of heaven and earth, making him realize even more deeply the might of the Immortal King! "Is this the strength of the Immortal King from another realm? With just one punch, even a natural barrier like the Heavenly Abyss couldn't withstand it!" He murmured to himself, a chill running from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

"If the Heavenly Abyss is breached, will the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths truly perish?!" A cultivator roared in despair, his eyes bloodshot.

"Has this day finally come?" An old cultivator with white hair looked at the fist that was constantly approaching from the abyss, his eyes filled with despair and resentment.

The cultivators from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths stared at the fist in the abyss, their faces filled with fear and their eyes with deep terror. Many of them even began to tremble, their fighting spirit almost completely crushed by this absolute power.

In contrast, the cultivators from the foreign lands were incredibly excited. They gazed up at An Lan's chariot, erupting in fervent cheers and shouts, their eyes filled with worship and bloodthirsty desire. In their eyes, the destruction of Tianyuan was only a matter of time, and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths would soon be theirs. (End of Chapter)