I want to tread the heavens

For the first time, a ripple appeared on that enormous face that blotted out the starry sky.

It's not anger.

Rather, it's...interest.

"I see." The Demon Emperor's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of inquiry in his indifference. "The perfect fusion of the Thunder Path and the Star Path... and that familiar scent. Little princess of the Starfall Clan, you've made your move too."

Only then did everyone realize—

Before anyone knew it, Su Yingxue had already taken a step forward.

A thousand-petaled lotus flower, formed from pure starlight, bloomed beneath her feet. The lotus slowly rotated, each petal reflecting the phantom of an ancient star. In her hand, a transparent celestial sword pointed forward, its blade containing a galaxy that swirled at an unprecedented speed.

The reason that shot just now was able to injure the Demon Emperor was not because Ling Zhan's lightning was not strong enough.

Rather, it was because Su Yingxue drew her sword just before the gun and hand collided.

There was no earth-shattering fanfare.

Only a sliver of starlight, gentle as moonlight and clear as a stream, silently merged into the thunder.

That glimmer of starlight was "Star River Guidance," one of the three forbidden techniques of the Starfall Clan.

It can draw upon the power of the stars in the heavens, empowering any supernatural power or technique, causing it to undergo a fundamental transformation.

Therefore, Ling Zhan's "Purple Heaven Divine Thunder" transformed into the more ancient, sublime, and closer to the origin of the universe, "Creation Thunder"—the first thunderbolt that split the chaos and established the earth, fire, water, and wind when the world was created, the ancestor of all thunderbolts and the source of all laws.

"The Starfall Clan truly lives up to its reputation." The Demon Emperor's voice held even greater interest. "Unfortunately, you are too weak. If your clan's ancestor, who had reached the Dao Ancestor realm, were here, perhaps I would take him more seriously. As for you..."

The giant hand pressed down again.

This time, it's not a "hold," but a "pat."

It is simple and brutal, yet it contains the absolute power to shatter the Great Dao.

Ling Zhan and Su Yingxue both changed color at the same time.

They could sense that with this strike, not only the two of them, but also the entire Sky Palace, and even a small part of the Purple Qiong Starfield, would be reduced to dust.

The Demon Emperor finally lost his patience.

"Yue Rong!"

Ling Zhan roared.

"Your subordinate is here!"

The severely wounded general struggled to straighten his spine, and although every movement caused broken bones to pierce his flesh, he still stood as straight as a spear.

Yue Rong knelt on one knee atop the watchtower at the highest point of the fortress, his left hand resting on his dulled saber, his right hand pressed tightly against his chest. There, a gaping hole of blood stretched between the front and back, its edges writhing with dark green demonic energy that was frantically eroding his Golden Immortal-level body. Each breath felt like swallowing a thousand steel needles, the pain piercing to the very marrow of his bones.

But he did not fall.

Can't fall down.

Because Ling Zhan was just ten feet in front of him, fighting three demon generals all by himself.

No, it's not "war".

It is "obstruction".

They sacrificed their lives to buy time for the "Return to the Void Protocol" that was being initiated in the rear.

"Uncle Rong, how much longer can we hold on?"

A divine thought entered Yue Rong's mind; it was Ling Zhan's voice, terrifyingly calm, making it impossible to discern the pain he was enduring.

Yue Rong struggled to lift his head.

His vision was blurred due to excessive blood loss, but he could still see clearly—

Ling Zhan stood in the void, the Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Spear held horizontally in front of him. The thunderous Dao patterns on the surface of the spear had dimmed considerably, and the wound on his left shoulder inflicted by the Demon Emperor was now continuously oozing purplish-gold Dao blood. Each drop of blood that fell burned in the void, creating sparks that lingered for a long time.

Opposite him, three towering demon generals surrounded him in a triangular formation.

The one on the left has nine ferocious heads, each spewing different calamity-inducing flames—corroding soul fire, bone-eating yin fire, heart-burning demonic fire… It is none other than the "Nine-Headed Calamity Demon General" under the Seven Sins Demon Lord.

The one on the right has a body made up of countless writhing tentacles, each with a scarlet eye at its end. Wherever its gaze falls, space begins to distort and become alienated. This is the "Thousand-Eyed Evil Heart Demon General".

The one in the very center was the most terrifying. It had no human form, but was merely a mass of darkness that constantly expanded and contracted, within which the faces of countless living beings, wailing in agony, would occasionally appear. That was the "Demon General Who Weeps for All Souls," which fed on the painful emotions of living beings, plunging everything into eternal despair wherever it passed.

Each of the three demon generals possesses strength comparable to a peak Golden Immortal.

Ling Zhan, still recovering from serious injuries and with his Dao foundation damaged, also had to focus on maintaining the crumbling defensive array behind him.

By any measure, it's a desperate situation.

"At most... fifteen minutes."

Yue Rong responded with his divine sense, each word carrying the scent of blood.

His Golden Immortal Dao Fruit had already developed cracks, and his immortal essence was rapidly dissipating. If Ling Zhan hadn't forcibly extended his life with his own life essence just now, he would have already perished.

"Fifteen minutes...not enough."

Ling Zhan's voice remained calm:

"The Guixu Protocol will take half an hour to activate. Yingxue will also need time to prepare 'that' in the rear."

"That" refers to the forbidden technique that Su Yingxue is preparing.

Yue Rong didn't know exactly what it was, but for Ling Zhan to call it "that" must be an ultimate method with an unimaginablely heavy price.

"Then..." Yue Rong gritted his teeth, using his broadsword to support himself as he stood up, "until we've killed enough!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly tore open the already shattered breastplate on his chest.

Behind the mirror was a palm-sized, blood-red talisman.

On the surface of the talisman, eight ancient seal characters were written in gold dust—

"I would give my immortal soul for a single breath of yours."

"Yue Rong! No!!!"

Ling Zhan's expression finally changed, and he tried to stop them, but he was tightly entangled by the simultaneous attacks of the three demon generals.

"Big brother."

Yue Rong smiled.

That was the first time in three hundred years that Yue Rong had called Ling Zhan "Big Brother".

Three hundred years ago, when Ling Zhan saved him in the spacetime turbulence of the Burial God Starfield, he swore to address him as "Lord" and to serve him as his servant for eternity.

Ling Zhan replied, "In my life, I, Ling Zhan, have no servants, only brothers."

From then on, Yue Rong only referred to himself as "Governor" and "Sir".

But deep in his heart, he remembered that "elder brother" for three hundred years.

"When you saved me back then, I said—"

Yue Rong's voice was soft, yet it pierced through all the noise of the battlefield and clearly reached Ling Zhan's ears:

"My life belongs to you, even unto death."

"Today, Yue Rong... has kept his promise."

The talisman is lit.

"Activate the 'Return to the Ruins' Protocol!" Ling Zhan's voice was resolute, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying the taste of blood and fire. "Take 'Xiao'er' away! Go to the 'Old Land'! This is the Garrison Commander's final order!"

Yue Rong trembled violently.

The Return to the Void Protocol—this is the highest-level top-secret plan of the Heavenly Palace, known only to successive guardians. Once activated, the guardian will abandon all hope of survival, completely merge with the core of the array, detonate the spiritual veins of the entire defense zone, and perish together with the enemy.

This is a case of mutual destruction.

This is a certain death sentence.

This means... he will never be able to be reincarnated.

"grown ups--!!!"

"Execute the command!!!"

This time it was Su Yingxue's shout.

She turned back to look at Yue Rong one last time. In those eyes that reflected the Milky Way, there was no fear, no sadness, not even reluctance, only a resolute commitment to entrust everything, and a profound tenderness that Yue Rong could not understand.

"Protect him. Tell him... that his parents love him."

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Yingxue turned around and stood side by side with Ling Zhan.

Both of them raised their hands at the same time.

Ling Zhan's left hand and Su Yingxue's right hand clasped tightly together in the void.

Then they looked at each other and smiled.

The smile was faint and gentle, yet it was like two stars shining simultaneously in the dark night, illuminating each other's faces and the dying starry sky.

"Are you scared?" Ling Zhan asked.

"I'm afraid," Su Yingxue replied, her eyes full of tenderness. "I'm afraid our children will blame us in the future."

"He won't." Ling Zhan squeezed her hand. "He'll understand."

"Um."

The two stopped talking.

Because they know that they have said everything that needed to be said.

What shouldn't be said, there's no need to say anymore.

With tears welling in his eyes, Yue Rong kowtowed three times. With each kowtow, his forehead struck the Starfall Jade Steps, spurting out golden blood that stained the jade steps and his face red.

Then, he transformed into a streak of blood-red light and rushed into the depths of the observatory.

There, there is a cross-star teleportation array that has been hidden for three thousand years.

Within the formation, an infant still in swaddling clothes was fast asleep. Around his neck hung a seemingly ordinary jade pendant, which was now emitting a warm glow, forming a thin protective shield around the baby.

That was the last gift that Ling Zhan and Su Yingxue prepared for their unborn child.

"Trying to leave?"

The Demon Emperor's voice turned cold.

For the first time, the eyes on that giant face showed a change in emotion—displeasure at being provoked by an ant.

Demonic clouds surged, and seven terrifying auras, so powerful they made even the stars tremble, descended simultaneously—

Gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, pride, wrath, lust.

The Seven Deadly Sins are the seven strongest generals under the Demon Emperor. Each of them has destroyed countless worlds, and the blood on their hands could form a galaxy.

Ling Zhan and Su Yingxue stood side by side, blocking all the demon lords and the teleportation array.

Their figures appeared so small and insignificant against the backdrop of the collapsing starry river behind them and the boundless demonic tide in front of them.

Yet it stands tall and upright.

Ling Zhan raised the Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Spear.

Su Yingxue raised the immortal sword that sealed the Milky Way.

Guns and swords clashed in mid-air.

Lightning and starlight merged perfectly at this moment, blending seamlessly and becoming one.

"I've named this move 'Thunderous Starfall,'" Ling Zhan said softly, as if introducing a work of art.

"It sounds beautiful." Su Yingxue nodded, her eyes sparkling. "Then let's teach it to our children from now on."

"it is good."

As soon as the words fell—

The gun is fired.

The sword is drawn.

Lightning and starlight transformed into a purple-gold pillar of light that pierced through heaven and earth. Within that pillar were both the primordial thunder that created the world and the annihilating starlight that ended everything. These two forces, which should have been opposing forces, achieved an incredible harmony and unity under the Dao realm where their hearts were in sync.

Then, towards the Seven Deadly Sins Demon Lord, towards that gigantic face that blotted out the starry sky, towards the entire demonic tide—

It erupted with a roar.

The light swallowed everything.

Sound, color, time, space... all concepts lose their meaning at this moment.

Only light.

Pure light.

The light of creation, the light of destruction, and the light of farewell.