"Hahaha… As expected of Elder Cangsong. You really know how to deal with your own kind," Yin Yu said with amusement in his voice.
"Ever thought about joining our Ghost King Sect?"
From the clouds above, a figure slowly descended.
He was tall, with sword-like brows and piercing, intimidating eyes. His black robe rippled in the wind.
His aura… was even more overwhelming than that of Dao Xuan.
The ghost king grinned at the stunned expressions of the crowd.
"I am the Sect Master of the Ghost King Sect. I came here by invitation from Elder Cangsong to witness this grand ceremony."
Aside from Zhang Fan, who continued chanting the sacrificial text, everyone else stared in disbelief at Cangsong and the Ghost King.
The righteous Law Enforcement Elder had betrayed Qingyun Sect.
And no other Elders were stepping forward to stop him.
"I really didn't expect Elder Cangsong to subdue all of Qingyun Sect's Elders by himself… even the Sect Leader is nowhere to be seen."
"Is this your loyalty? Consider your application accepted," the ghost king said sarcastically.
Cangsong ignored the mocking tone and responded with a flattering smile.
"So long as I can help you obtain the Qilin's Elixir, I only ask that you grant me the position of Deputy Sect Master."
Disciples of Qingyun Sect shuddered.
Their world had shattered.
Moments later, White Tiger arrived with Ghost King Sect's forces. They had prepared for a potential ambush.
"Report."
"Sect Master, there's no ambush," the scout confirmed.
The Ghost King nodded, his eyes never leaving the dazzling altar atop the mountain.
Watching it all unfold from above, Liu Che couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
Cangsong, you slippery old fox. You even lured the demonic sect into this mess…
The disciples of Tianyin Temple, recently slain by Cangsong, had already turned into energy and been absorbed into Liu Che's divine power—replenishing what he had spent expanding the God's Domain.
He even received thirty Buddhist scriptures as a bonus.
Time to add a little fuel to the fire. First... I'll take the Water Qilin.
Liu Che's gaze flickered.
The Mountain and River Altar surged to its peak.
RUMBLE.
Thunder dragons tore through the sky.
A towering mountain—Luoxia Peak—was blasted to rubble in seconds by divine lightning.
The clouds above grew thicker.
Hurricanes swept across the land.
Black flames, earthquakes, and roars of thunder filled the air.
It was as if the end of the world had come.
The divine pressure continued to build.
The Ghost King and his forces paled.
What's going on? Why do I feel so uneasy…?
His hands trembled uncontrollably. He turned and glared at Cangsong.
"You backstabbing traitor… you dared to drag me into this?!"
This bastard had tricked him.
He had slaughtered his own disciples, then ambushed Tianyin Temple, and now dared to scheme against him too?
Was he trying to become the enemy of the entire world?
Beside him, Baguio dropped to her knees, trembling.
Her youthful face was filled with fear.
She didn't know why, but her soul itself felt like it was being crushed—something terrifying was descending.
Even White Tiger and Suzaku Yuki were experiencing the same soul-level pressure.
None of them could move.
"Backstabbing traitor?" Cangsong laughed.
"In order to offer a proper tribute to the Eternal God, deceiving the likes of you is a small price to pay."
He turned away with a sneer.
Drawing his longsword, he strode toward the Ghost King Sect disciples.
With each step, blood sprayed.
Slaughter.
The only regret was that Wandu Sect hadn't come—more bodies would've made better offerings.
"Enough!!"
The Ghost King finally roared, unable to sit still while his elite disciples were butchered.
He summoned spiritual power to strike Cangsong—but before he could act, the sky's pressure intensified again.
The arm he raised froze in midair.
His body collapsed, pinned to the earth.
And it wasn't just him.
Within 10,000 miles, every living being dropped to the ground—unable to stand.
In the main hall, Dao Xuan watched the clouds shifting in horror.
He couldn't move, still sealed, but his spiritual senses told him enough.
There's a sun… in the clouds?
Has the sacrifice begun? Is… is that the Eternal God?!
He didn't know for sure.
But his body trembled.
On the cliff, the other restrained Elders watched in horror.
If the world finds out Qingyun Sect slaughtered Tianyin Temple…
This won't just be a scandal—it'll be a catastrophe.
Suddenly, the blinding sunlight vanished.
In its place, a vast cosmic sea of stars appeared overhead.
A brief moment of darkness… and then—
A single celestial body appeared.
A star far, far larger than the sun.
It loomed over the world like a god gazing down from the heavens.
Cangsong's eyes widened. His sword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground.
His entire body trembled.
This... this must be the world of the gods!
Thousands of miles away, daylight continued as usual.
But within the sacred altar's domain, everything was bathed in divine brilliance.
So intense, it seemed that if it lasted too long, the world itself might wither.
"Before I was born, there was no heaven or earth... no chaos..."
"I am eternity. I am the only one…"
The voice echoed from the starry sky.
With its arrival, the five-colored divine light faded in reverence.
In the Mountain and River Altar, the Water Qilin—once roaring with defiance—began to whimper like a frightened puppy.
A mythical beast?
It had sealed itself in panic.
The being before it was vastly more powerful than its former master.
Even just a glance made the Qilin feel like it was staring into the abyss of death.
Yet strangely, Xueqi, the designated sacrifice, felt no pressure at all.
She stood there peacefully, untouched by the god's descent.
She didn't fully understand why, but the god's voice felt wonderful, stirring a deep yearning in her heart.
This resonance came from the meditation technique Cangsong had given her earlier.
Otherwise, like the others, she too would have collapsed to the ground—unable to move, like a lowly insect.
The god's voice continued to echo in the air.
Cangsong fell to his knees, trembling with joy as he kowtowed again and again.
God has arrived. The Eternal God!
Zhang Fan raised his eyes to the heavens, his mind dazed and overwhelmed.
This divine descent… it was completely different from the Shen Lin he had once witnessed.
What is this magnificent starry sky? These vast celestial bodies? This suffocating divine presence?
As the celestial voice gradually faded, a figure bathed in nine-colored divine light descended and stood atop the altar.
Light was God.
God was Light.
The nine-colored glow radiated pure, divine holiness.
Zhang Fan let out a cry of ecstatic devotion:
"All hail the Eternal God!"
Seeing this, Cangsong immediately bellowed:
"Disciples of Qingyun Sect — kneel and worship! Greet the Eternal God!"
The stunned disciples, jolted by the command, hurriedly dropped to their knees.
Their hearts pounded—not with fear, but with awe.
They didn't know this god's name, or where he came from.
But they didn't need to.
The divine pressure alone was enough to command absolute belief.
From the moment Liu Che arrived, all bindings on the people below were released.
He calmly swept his gaze across the gathered masses.
The visiting disciples from Fenxiang Valley, upon meeting his eyes, nearly wet themselves from sheer terror.
They collapsed to their knees, sobbing, kowtowing again and again.
The remaining members of the Ghost King Sect were also stunned speechless.
Faced with a true god, all they could do was kneel.
No one dared to utter a word.
Even the Ghost King himself—who had seen many horrors and feared nothing—was silent.
He understood very clearly:
Speak… and you die.
Dao Xuan and the other Qingyun Elders, still trapped on the cliffs, also bowed their heads.
Liu Che nodded slightly.
"You two did well. You may rise."
"Thank you, Eternal God!"
"Praise be to the Eternal One!"
Cangsong and Zhang Fan stood, their faces radiant with joy.
Liu Che spoke calmly:
"Cangsong, I know your intent. But let me tell you — Wan Jianyi is not dead. He still lives, hidden within your own Qingyun Sect."
"What?! Senior Brother… is alive?!"
Cangsong stood frozen. All these years of grief… and Wan Jianyi hadn't died?
He had simply hidden away?
Liu Che waved his hand.
A figure materialized instantly — it was Wan Jianyi, concealed all this time within the sect's ancestral hall.
The crowd gasped in shock.
Those who had known him were completely stunned.
Especially You Ji — her fingers trembled with suppressed rage. In her heart, she wanted to tear him apart.
"All paths and dharmas stem from the same source. The so-called Taoism of your world is nothing but another scripture.
What is righteous? What is demonic?
They are merely different methods — different styles of practice."
"I came here today in response to Zhang Fan's calling. I cannot bear to watch you all fall into ruin through internal conflict."
"From today onward, Zhang Fan shall be appointed a Second-Class Divine Priest.
Cangsong, you will also hold the same rank."
"Zhang Fan is young and lacks worldly experience. Cangsong, you will guide him.
And when My name spreads across this world, you both shall ascend in glory."
"By your divine will!"
"Thank you, Eternal God!"
Cangsong was overwhelmed with emotion.
His best friend wasn't dead after all.
And now, the god himself had acknowledged his abilities.
He believes in me. My plan worked. I've proven my worth to the god!
Indeed, he thought, the Eternal God truly hates baldies the most.
Below, the atmosphere turned solemn.
A quiet grief spread across those who watched.
So this is the fate of Tianyin Temple...
To compete with a god for faith was to commit a sin beyond redemption.
"Let none grow arrogant," Liu Che said.
"In recognition of Qingyun Sect's offering of the Qilin, a sacred beast, I grant the following blessings:
— To Zhang Fan, I bestow a Millennium Dao Fruit, to help him choose his future path.
— To Cangsong, I bestow extended longevity…"
Before he could finish, a violent roar echoed from above.
A surge of hostility filled the air.
Everyone's faces turned pale.
The power in the air was horrifying — a pressure no one present could withstand.
All eyes turned skyward.
Even the god above raised an eyebrow.
Liu Che smiled faintly.
"Ah… born from pure malice. You broke free of your seal because of my arrival?"
Far away, a monstrous entity emerged — hideous, greedy, and radiating overwhelming hostility.
It was a beast born of pure darkness.
In its twisted mind, it believed that if it could devour this radiant figure, it would evolve and escape its limitations.
It didn't care who or what it faced.
Good, evil — irrelevant.
Its thoughts were consumed by hunger.
And it lunged.
Liu Che raised a single finger.
A thin beam of divine light shot forward.
The world split.
Sky, earth, sea, and mountain — all were cleaved in two.
It took several long moments before Zhang Fan and the others could even see again.
In front of them was a bottomless chasm that split the world.
The heavens, the earth — all sliced open like paper.
"Oops... seems I used too much force," Liu Che muttered.
"Well, at least it's a unique kind of scenery."
Everyone's expressions turned bitter.
God, please — next time you say you're using "a little strength," please mean it…
You nearly destroyed our world!
If the world had truly been split, the god would've been fine.
But they… would have died instantly.
With his task complete, Liu Che picked up the Water Qilin and Xueqi, then turned and vanished — leaving no trace, only silence.
All that remained were the five radiant peaks glowing beneath the divine sky.