Chapter 563: I Won't Overreach

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The war drums thundered, and the Realm Sea trembled.

The flames of war, sweeping through endless, infinite dimensional interlayers, surged from the other side of the Realm Sea. The layers of space-time along its path roiled and shattered like waves, unable to bear the might of the descending army.

“Haaah… Wushi Domain Lord, I’m leaving the bulwark in your hands. I’m counting on you.”

On the great dam at the front line, the newly appointed Guan Lord, Emperor Chixiao, cut an imposing figure. His blood-red battle armor clanged as he wielded a Fangtian Halberd, an All Heavens Emperor’s Weapon, and his gaze, fixed on Wu Dao, held a grim resolve.

According to reports from the frontline scouts, the Marshal of this Mountain and Sea Army was an Eleventh Heaven All Heavens Ancestor King from the Taotie Race. The vice commanders were two Fifth Heaven and two Sixth Heaven All Heavens Ancestor Kings, also from the Taotie Race.

However! Those four All Heavens Ancestor Kings of the Di Race were suspected to be equipped with High-Level Celestial Soldiers, allowing them to participate, to some extent, in the battle between the Marshal and the Guan Lord.

In other words…

Before military reinforcements arrived, Emperor Chixiao would have to single-handedly stop those five great Mountain and Sea Ancestor Kings and keep them outside the bulwark. If even one got through, the area would suffer a devastating blow!

Wu Dao said, shaking his head. “They might not necessarily get tangled up with you.”

Emperor Chixiao’s plan was based on the assumption that all the Mountain and Sea Ancestor Kings would besiege him alone.

In reality, the Eleventh Heaven All Heavens Ancestor King from the Taotie Race could tie down Emperor Chixiao by himself; they wouldn’t do something so foolish.

“…”

Emperor Chixiao fell silent.

Then, he sighed, gave Wu Dao a deep look, and said, “I will do my best to hold them back. You… if it becomes impossible, just retreat. I heard of your deeds before I came to the bulwark. You have a long future ahead of you, and the Elder Council won’t blame you.”

He knew in his heart that this bulwark was most likely doomed. All he could do was stall the All Heavens Ancestor Kings from Mountain and Sea for as long as possible to minimize the losses.

As for retreating without a fight?

Not a single one of the soldiers who had made it to the Eight Celestial Passes would entertain such a thought.

“Leave the rest to me,” Wu Dao said calmly, his expression indifferent and devoid of any pessimism.

“What?”

Emperor Chixiao was stunned for a moment.

“They’re here!”

Wu Dao’s gaze sharpened, but he offered no explanation.

He knew that Mountain and Sea had dispatched so many All Heavens Ancestor Kings most likely because they had learned he had broken through to the All Heavens Ancestor King combat power level at this very bulwark.

After one failure after another, Mountain and Sea had grown much more cautious.

Dispatching five All Heavens Ancestor Kings of the Fourth Layer or higher at once was precisely to prevent a variable like him from influencing the course of the battle.

After all, the gaps within the All Heavens Ancestor King Realm were too vast.

No matter how heaven-defying and incredible a mere All Heavens Emperor of the First Layer like him was, it was impossible to overcome a gap of several layers within the second tier of the Infinite Domain.

This was something Wu Dao had done intentionally.

Since arriving at the Eight Celestial Passes, he had basically never used his Evil Lotus State.

This led Mountain and Sea to believe that his power-amplifying technique had become ineffective.

RUMBLE—

As these thoughts crossed his mind, space-time beyond the bulwark was crushed into a state of Chaos. Layer after layer of the Realm Sea evaporated into nothingness as the desolate, primordial aura of the Exotic Mountains and Seas swept over, blanketing everything!

Everything within his perception felt as heavy as a falling sky.

A blood-red light of slaughter illuminated this stretch of the Realm Sea. The shadows of wild Desolate Gods filled the sky, creating a scene like an Asura Purgatory.

“Where is the new Guan Lord? Come out and receive your death!”

Beneath the Central Army Banner, the Eleventh Heaven All Heavens Ancestor King of the Taotie Race, whose physique was indescribably immense, let out a challenge to Emperor Chixiao. Its great Taotie maw seemed to devour and spit out the heavens, its roars shaking the Realm Sea.

The previous Guan Lord had died at its hands. After being besieged, he was ultimately defeated and swallowed alive by this very All Heavens Ancestor King of the Taotie Race.

“Hm?”

At the same time, this Ancestral King of the Taotie Race noticed Wu Dao standing beside Emperor Chixiao on the dam. Its gaze turned cold as it ordered the other vice commanders:

“If you get the chance, you must capture him alive. If it proves impossible, don’t force it.”

They had suffered far too many losses at the hands of this monster, Wu Dao.

They had to be extremely cautious when dealing with him, even if their own power was completely overwhelming.

“Don’t worry. If he dares to court death, heh!”

The four Taotie Vice Commanders nodded.

With two Fifth Heaven and two Sixth Heaven All Heavens Ancestor Kings joining forces, as long as Wu Dao dared to resist and not retreat, they would achieve an unparalleled feat today!

“Insolent! Today, I will use your blood as a sacrifice to the souls of the past Guan Lords and their soldiers!”

On the dam, Emperor Chixiao roared, his cold eyes flashing like lightning.

BOOM—

Wielding his Fangtian Halberd, which billowed with Slaughter Qi, he channeled layers of the All Heavens’ Great Cosmic Power. He struck the weapon fiercely upon the dam to activate the Grand Array enveloping it, then charged alone toward the Taotie army.

VMMMM~

The moment the bulwark’s domain Grand Array activated, Wu Dao sensed the battlefield’s space-time being sliced into different levels, forming tree-like nodes similar to those beneath the Six Celestial Passes. The stronger the Desolate God, the harder it became to approach the dam.

“Heh, a desperate struggle!”

But the All Heavens Ancestor King of the Mountain and Sea Taotie Race sneered contemptuously, fearlessly meeting Emperor Chixiao in a king-to-king confrontation!

As long as it tied down Emperor Chixiao, the remaining All Heavens Ancestor Kings could break the Array with little effort.

Today, this bulwark they had been trying to crack for so long would surely fall!

“Hm? Hahaha, truly courting death!”

But just then, the Taotie Marshal was stunned to discover that behind Emperor Chixiao, Wu Dao had also stepped off the dam, seemingly intending to join the great battle of the All Heavens Emperors.

A mere All Heavens Emperor of the First Layer. Did he think this was like fighting below the Great Emperor realm, where he could just leap across levels at will? How absurd!

“Capture him!”

There was no reason not to accept a gift delivered right to their door.

The Taotie Marshal immediately ordered the other four vice commanders to hunt Wu Dao.

“Lord Wu, are you really confident?”

Emperor Chixiao had already prepared for a glorious death fighting one against five, but seeing that Wu Dao wasn’t joking and had actually stepped forward, he couldn’t help but believe him a little, as incredible as it seemed.

Because ever since this Wushi Domain Lord had arrived at Shanhai Pass, he had risen meteorically and never seemed to do anything reckless without being certain of the outcome.

VMMMM~

Wu Dao didn’t answer. He simply nodded calmly and took a multicolored Divine Iron staff from his ear. It was covered in the patterns of the All Heavens’ Sacred Spirits and emanated a pressure that could collapse endless space-time.

This was an All Heavens Emperor’s Weapon.

Its material was a peak divine material of the All Heavens Emperor level: the Holy Spirit Emperor’s Plate.

Not long after ascending to become an All Heavens Emperor, Wu Dao had wanted to use his accumulated battle merits to exchange for a top-tier All Heavens Soldier, but he discovered that what he had was a mere drop in the bucket.

And so, he changed his thinking. He provided the Holy Spirit Emperor’s Plate material himself and spent his battle merits to have the Dao Celestial Stele forge a top-tier All Heavens Emperor’s Weapon for him.

He had no choice.

As the Creator of the Primordial Magnetism Path, he hadn’t fully matured yet. He was incapable of creating things that surpassed the authority of his current level.

If he were to forge it himself, even with his power fully unleashed, he could at most have created a Ninth Heaven All Heavens Emperor’s Weapon, which would have been a waste of the Holy Spirit Emperor’s Plate.

“This weapon…”

Emperor Chixiao glanced at the Holy Spirit Staff in Wu Dao’s hand with surprise. How could he fail to recognize that this was a top-tier All Heavens Emperor’s Weapon?

But before his surprise could even settle,

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The resounding clang of assembling armor rang out.

Layers of Defense Armor, each an All Heavens Emperor’s Weapon, assembled around Wu Dao. His frame instantly grew immense, like a giant, armored beast.

More importantly,

Not a single piece of this Defense Armor was below the Sixth Heaven of the All Heavens Emperors, a display of extravagance that made Emperor Chixiao’s face twitch.

He couldn’t understand where Wu Dao had gotten so many All Heavens Emperor’s Weapons. Exchanging them with battle merits was impossible—the cost was too high. It must have been his own fortuitous Creation.

With so much Defense Armor, plus that top-tier Holy Spirit Staff, even if he couldn’t defeat those four Ancestral Kings, stalling them for a short time would be no problem at all.

No wonder he was so confident.

Emperor Chixiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, who wanted to die if they could live? Perhaps he wouldn’t need to make a glorious sacrifice to defend the bulwark today after all.

“Rest assured, Guan Lord. I won’t be reckless,”

Wu Dao said, his voice resonating as he held the Holy Spirit Staff.

Hidden at the core of the layered Defense Armor, all of which were All Heavens Emperor’s Weapons, his immense physique was surrounded by rings of Dao that birthed and destroyed layers of universes. His aura far surpassed the domain of a First Heaven All Heavens Emperor.

Secretly, he had also equipped the Primordial Magnetic Armor.

“Haha! Trying to erase the gap with external Power is truly naive!”

The four Taotie Vice Commanders were startled to see Wu Dao equip so many All Heavens Emperor’s Weapons, but after a moment, they sneered in disdain.

The gap between All Heavens Emperors was too vast.

Each new heaven was a qualitative, exponential leap in power within the second tier of the Infinite Domain, a gap that could not be erased by external force.

External Power might hold out for a moment, but to put it bluntly, if your own strength couldn’t keep up, the sheer reverberations could shake you to death!

“My sons, kill!!”

It all happened in less than the span of a thought.

BOOM!

The All Heavens Ancestor King of the Taotie Race took a single step with its vast, immense true body, arriving before the dam’s tree-like Space-Time Array.

Without another word, it instantly clashed with Emperor Chixiao, shattering layer after layer of infinite universal space-time barriers. The aftershocks alone evaporated an unknown number of layers of the vast Realm Sea.

“Wu Shi! Today you will meet your doom!”

The four vice commanders also charged into the second Space-Time Node.

They all revealed their true forms, surrounding him from all sides and summoning their All Heavens Emperor’s Weapons to seal off the battlefield, intent on capturing Wu Dao alive.

“Devour them all!”

“Kill!!”

At the same time, the rest of the Taotie army, those below the All Heavens Ancestor King rank, charged into the various Space-Time Nodes, engaging in a brutal slaughter with the Hongyuan Armies from the domains within the dam.

“Meet my doom?”

Wu Dao’s armor clanked as he shouldered his Holy Spirit Staff.

The immensity of his physique was not the slightest bit inferior to the four Taotie Vice Commanders. His ferocious, hungry gaze pierced through his helmet, locking onto one of the Fifth Heaven All Heavens Ancestor Kings as he spoke:

“You’re absolutely right!”

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

In that instant, the Heart Lake Alarm Bell of the Fifth Heaven Taotie Vice Commander that Wu Dao had targeted began to ring wildly. It felt as if its very life was being squeezed by an invisible hand!

In its perception, Wu Dao, who it thought could be crushed with ease, had suddenly transformed into the vast and boundless Great Dao of the firmament. An uncrossable, two-fold Abyss suddenly separated them!

‘Not good!’

‘This monster tricked us!’

BOOM—

Before the other vice commanders could even react!

“Kneel!!”

The sound of Celestial Thunder exploded across infinite dimensions.

Wu Dao erupted with power, unleashing his Primordial Magnetic Armor to the realm of the Sixth Heaven as he swung the Holy Spirit Staff—a weapon that could crush past and present!

RUMBLE!!

The Holy Spirit Emperor Patterns covering the staff were unleashed to their absolute peak. Figures of Sacred Spirits roared, shaking the myriad Daos of the All Heavens, as the staff struck with a peerless might that could shatter all existence and crush everything!

“You’re courting death!!”

The roar had just begun!

CLANG—!!

The top-tier All Heavens Emperor’s Weapon summoned by the Fifth Heaven Ancestral King couldn’t withstand the peerless, crushing might. The instant it collided with the fully unleashed Holy Spirit Staff, it was sent flying!

And then…

BANG!!

Layer upon layer of the infinite universes of the All Heavens collapsed!

Under the crushing power of the Holy Spirit Staff, the immense physique of the Fifth Heaven Taotie Ancestral King shattered and exploded, layer by layer. Every insignificant wisp of its splattering Ancestral Blood gave birth to innumerable great universes.

Only to be extinguished in the very next instant!

All of them were crushed into dust by the Holy Spirit Staff!

“ROAR!!!”

Wu Dao was not one to be wasteful.

The instant he struck, he opened a great Abyss of a mouth and ruthlessly swallowed the All Heavens Ancestor King of the Taotie Race that he had just blown apart!

That single bite!

He instantly devoured a Civilization Fruit of the All Heavens Emperor’s Great Dao with a volume of (∞^∞)^5!

Although at the same sequence it was no match for him,

it was still an incredible supplement!

The taste was indescribably delicious!

To kill a Fifth Heaven All Heavens Ancestor King in one blow!

This wasn’t unreasonable at all.

His Main Body was now at the Second Heaven of the All Heavens Emperors.

When the Divine Image Heaven of the Primordial Magnetic Armor he created was fully unleashed to its self-destruction point, it could, for an instant, reach the Seventh Heaven of the All Heavens Emperors before it collapsed!

In a sudden burst of power, a mere Fifth Heaven All Heavens Ancestor King simply couldn’t react in time!

‘Rest assured, Guan Lord. I won’t be reckless…’

In the first Space-Time Node,

Emperor Chixiao, observing Wu Dao’s ferocious display of killing a Fifth Heaven All Heavens Ancestor King with a single blow, couldn’t help the corner of his eye from twitching.

‘You call *that* reckless?’