The entire universe had plunged into darkness. The Lord of Samsara, the Supreme Being of Light and Darkness, the Stone Emperor of the Undying Mountain, the Lord of the Divine Ruins, and the Dao-Abandoning Supreme Being all emerged at once — bringing chaos upon the world. Five beings bathed the universe in blood.

Beyond them, there was also the peak Heaven-Dominator Body to add to the count. He was equally terrifying — capable of challenging ancient Supreme Beings — and his true battle power was naturally peerless and unmatched. With but a lift of his hand, he could extinguish every living being on an ancient star, spattering blood across the heavens.

This was an upheaval without precedent. Six Supreme Beings hunted across ten-thousand realms, sweeping through all of existence — encountering no adversaries whatsoever.

Declared the most terrifying upheaval in all of history, it swept across the entire universe. No ancient land could escape. These Supreme Beings had once governed the cosmos; their footprints covered the eight wastelands, and there was no coordinate they did not know.

Without precedent — every living being in all the world was wailing!

Not a single person could stop them even half a step. The universe trembled. All living creatures wept.

“There is no hope left. From this point forward, it is only darkness. A new era has begun, and the light can no longer be seen…” An elderly Great Saint fled, entering the far reaches of the universe’s wilderness.

Yet even so, he could not escape death. A Supreme Being made their move — none in the world could resist. The Lord of the Divine Ruins pointed across an expanse of starfield from afar, and he and dozens of saints who had fled here all burst apart on the spot. In an instant they were reduced to a mist of blood, their vast life essence devoured clean.

The same everywhere. There was no escaping. People could see not one glimmer of hope.

“Boom!”

In another star domain, a quasi-emperor carrying a war spear, his entire body blazing with light, fled — tearing through the void and fleeing far to another domain.

Yet it was still not enough.

He had originally hidden in the most remote of star domains — a vast and boundless death zone without the faintest trace of life — yet he was still detected by the Heaven-Dominator Body passing through.

The peak Heaven-Dominator Body took one step and crossed the boundless universe, coming directly in pursuit. A great fish like this was not to be let go. For him, this was the most effective replenishment.

The stronger the person, the more vital essence they contained!

“Thwump!”

The peak Heaven-Dominator Body slapped down his palm — and it was all over. This powerful being who had only recently advanced to quasi-emperor, who had harbored ambitions for the emperor’s path, who had once appeared in the Big Dipper Star Domain and stood before the great rift of the immortal road — had thus come to his end. Together with his weapon, he was shattered to a pulp of blood and mud.

The old Dominator King inhaled the massive surge of vital essence into his mouth.

“The world has looked down on me. Cursed me. If the positions were reversed, how would you fare? What would you do? I wish all the world were peak Heaven-Dominator Bodies — every one of them like me!”

He spoke with cold indifference, his expression unspeakably cruel. That tall form was like a great black mountain, pressing down so heavily that one could not breathe. He stepped forward, heading to bathe the next ancient star in blood.

The entire universe had lost the light of dawn. People had fallen into nearly total despair. Was there any possibility left that someone could change the tragic fate of all living beings?

Perhaps the only hope was the peak Holy Body. He was locked in a desperate struggle with the Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity. The Six Paths of Samsara Fist shook heaven and earth, driving the cosmos to the point of collapse — yet he himself had entered a state of near-withering.

The Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity fought back. His state was poor. At this moment, the Zhe Character Secret was finally losing its effect — his body had been shattered multiple times beneath that peerless and unrivaled fist, and the loss of his vital essence was severe, with little remaining.

Yet even so — so what?

Even if the peak Holy Body emerged victorious, six other ancient Supreme Beings remained. How many nails could one man hold down? The outcome was already decided — he would surely shed his blood across the cosmos and come to a sorrowful end.

The Stone Emperor, the Dao-Abandoning Supreme Being, the Lord of Samsara, and others all watched with cold indifference, feeling no inclination to go there and involve themselves. They simply waited for the result.

They came from different life forbidden zones and were under no obligation to assist one another — nor did they wish to expend their imperial blood. What mattered most now was replenishing themselves to the most ideal state and recovering.

Although it seemed as though a tragedy was already visible, the ancient saints throughout the universe still prayed — hoping the peak Holy Body would win, and in winning, reverse the fortunes of all creation and bring about a series of miracles.

The Holy Body’s divine form united as one. Although it gravely wounded the Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity — nearly tearing him apart — it still could not finish him off.

This ancient Supreme Being was too powerful. He had sustained such severe wounds on the path to immortality, had been struck by the green copper cauldron as well — and yet he did not die. Exactly as his title proclaimed, long life attended him.

In the end, the peak Holy Body let out a roar. Golden fur stood on end all over his body. Every unique secret art blazed at once, inflicting grievous wounds upon the Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity — nearly tearing him into several pieces.

Yet the other man’s longevity sword had nearly cleaved the Holy Body apart as well. Even his divine soul had barely escaped catastrophe.

This was the most brutal of blood wars. Both of them had fought from then until now — no one could say how many brilliant star rivers they had destroyed, or how many blows they had exchanged. Still they were locked in a deadlock, with no resolution.

But it was evident that the Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity and the peak Holy Body had both reached the end of their lives. Neither could hold on.

The Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity was too ancient. Even though he had consumed vast quantities of living beings, possessed immortal source and primordial life stones to seal and preserve himself, and had lain hidden within the immortal mausoleum, to have endured until now meant he was approaching decay and destruction.

And the peak Holy Body was exactly as he himself had said — had it not been for that white-robed woman, he would have already passed into the Dao. His state was dire; these too were the final twilight years of his life.

“Boom!”

The master of the immortal mausoleum staked everything. He sought to restore himself to the state of a human emperor — to ascend in an ultimate blaze of glory and transform into the unconquerable Celestial Venerable of the mythological era, delivering a final killing blow.

For if it continued this way, he might perish together with the peak Holy Body — or even die first. At this most critical of moments, even the Zhe Character Secret could no longer hold.

After fighting until now, the Holy Body’s peerless fists had beaten him until his vital aura had run dry, his vital essence had declined too steeply. He had already clearly felt — the Zhe Character Secret was about to cease functioning at any moment.

Yet the outcome was merciless. He failed. He could not ascend in that ultimate blaze of glory. His body’s condition was far too wretched. Even trying to place one final desperate gamble on a near-fatal risk — he could not do it.

This was an outcome he had long anticipated — yet when it truly came to pass, his pupils still contracted sharply in alarm. This was a signal of the most extreme danger. He, the Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity, had endured through ten-thousand ages to arrive at this day — and today, at last, he might truly fall.

This battle was unknown to those outside. In truth, it had been fought to the point of madness. The peak Holy Body had clashed against a figure of Great-Emperor-level caliber — causing even the star rivers to lose their luster and grow dark.

Not to speak of the near-ancient past — even looking across the ancient, primordial, and mythological eras, few battles this brutal could be found. Holy Body blood and imperial blood splattered through the air without end. This was utterly without limits.

A peak Holy Body challenging a Celestial Venerable — fighting to a blood-soaked impasse — even though neither was at the absolute zenith of their most powerful prime, this was still fierce and intense enough.

Other than ancient Supreme Beings, no one could witness their battle clearly, comprehend the profound meaning of their laws. Anyone swept by even the residual shockwave would simply cease to exist in this world.

At last, it came to an end.

The Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity drove his longevity sword through the skull of the peak Holy Body. The immortal sword trembled, dripping one crystalline, vivid red drop of blood after another — unspeakably poignant.

The eyes of the peak Holy Body grew dim. He had fought his entire life, protected the peace of the human race, been honored with the title of human race’s holy body — yet today he had come to his end.

His life had reached its final moment. His divine soul had been pierced by an Emperor Weapon — his death was certain, and nothing could reverse it. Had he been anyone else, they would long since have dissolved into the dust of the universe. Only he stood without falling.

The Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity let out a wretched laugh as well — for his own death was equally certain. Not the faintest glimmer of life remained. That peerless fist of the peak Holy Body had driven straight into his forehead and had yet to be withdrawn — a gaping, blood-soaked hole gaped there.

In the very instant his longevity sword pierced the other’s skull, the other’s fist had shattered his immortal platform. His divine soul was obliterated. The other had sent him irrevocably down the road to ruin.

This life. This age. He had experienced far too much. He had lived for far too long. Having persisted through endless eras until now, at last it was time for his end.

He had once been an unparalleled Celestial Venerable of the mythological era, the originator of the legendary Zhe Character Secret, universally proclaimed through ten-thousand ages, unmatched in all of history within that domain. Not a single person throughout all of time could compare.

And yet even so — he could not use that one secret to save his own life.

Looking back on former years, those glorious times could never return. In the mythological era, after attaining the Dao, he had become the strongest person in the world — commanding the universe, revered by all living beings, and in his time protecting them as well.

Then he was defeated by the passage of time. He chose to sever himself with one slash, lying dormant in the forbidden zone, concealing himself within the immortal mausoleum.

Until the Dao Venerable emerged — that figure, refined to the most absolute pinnacle, had invited him out from the mountain. Granting him two thousand years at the peak of his imperial life span, and having him take charge of the Underworld, a new chapter of legend began.

Yet he too wished to ascend to immortality!

Having once been an unparalleled Celestial Venerable — how could he be content to serve as someone else’s stepping stone on the path to immortality? Naturally he had to stake his chance. And so what followed was the catastrophe in which blood flooded the skies.

Two thousand years at the peak of his imperial life span came to its end. He returned to the immortal mausoleum and lay dormant once more.

In later ages, he set off several upheavals — until he waited for the immortal road to open, and in the end arrived at this outcome.

“I am finally going to die. Having lived until now, I find myself… somewhat weary of it. Only one thing — I wish to know: am I the longest-lived creature in this heaven and earth?”

The Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity murmured to himself. If one did not count the immortals — was there anyone else who had lived longer than he had? As of now, it seemed there was not.

He had traversed the mythological era, crossed the primordial age, lived through the ancient age, and arrived at this present time. To speak of it aloud — who could believe it? It was truly against all heavenly law.

“I shall go one step ahead. I have no desire to be buried in the same star river as you.”

With those words, the Immortal Celestial Venerable of Longevity’s head shattered, dissolving into a brilliant shower of light that vanished into the depths of the dark universe.

His longevity sword let out a mournful cry — rang out clearly as it was wrenched free — and followed after him, disappearing into the star river.

The peak Holy Body was drenched in blood all over. The golden fur covering his body fell away and burned — and at last, black hair draped down over his shoulders. His true appearance was finally revealed: eyes that had grown dim and yet could not conceal that peerless heroic bearing.

Sword-brows flying upward into the temples. A face as though chiseled by a blade — utterly resolute. A body powerful and robust, carrying a presence that could swallow mountains and rivers — a form of grand and mighty stature.

His entire life had been spent in battle. This was not the first time he had faced the Dark Upheaval. He had once fought with blood through an entire age, and now appeared again in the mortal world — to die only when every last drop of blood had been shed.

“There was a Dark Upheaval in the mythological era. There was one in the primordial age. There was one in the ancient age. It has never stopped — and yet I have reached the end of my life. The world has called me the human race’s holy body — an honor I have not earned. In this age I was unable to pacify the upheaval. I can only watch helplessly as the cries of all living beings ring out — but I have spent all my strength.”

The peak Holy Body gazed out at the universe. Ancient lands were withering everywhere. He no longer had the power to fight, to quell the Dark Upheaval. And so he toppled into the pool of blood.

He would dissolve into the Dao here. He cast one final glance at the ancient star domain he had once guarded.

“So this is the ending. Sorrowful.”

From the distance came a vast and towering figure — indomitably large, like a black demonic mountain, so oppressive that one’s chest compressed and cracked.

The peak Heaven-Dominator Body had arrived. His face was written all over with ruthlessness as he stood before the fallen holy body and looked down at him.

“Your hands are stained with the blood of countless lives. I can hear the sound of innumerable souls wailing — rising from within your immortal platform!” In the final instant, the peak Holy Body’s eyes blazed with incomparable brilliance, fixed upon the dominator king before him.

“Did I have a choice? There is only this one road!” The peak Heaven-Dominator Body replied with cold indifference, then lowered his gaze to look down at him.

“Consume my holy blood — and stop the killing.” The peak Holy Body spoke.

“Ha ha ha…” The peak Heaven-Dominator Body laughed aloud, then stopped abruptly, and at last said coldly: “You have seen through the truth of my heart. You know I have no road back. Do you think to tempt me into a trap and thereby eliminate me?”

The eyes of the peak Holy Body opened wide in fury: “You should know what you are doing today. In the days to come, there will surely be someone who settles the account with you!”

And then he began to dissolve into the Dao — becoming a great expanse of radiant light, utterly unwilling to leave behind a single drop of essence blood for the Dominator King.

The peak Heaven-Dominator Body did not attempt to stop him. His expression was one of cold detachment: “Such is the nature of people’s hearts. Were all the world peak Heaven-Dominator Bodies — faced with the same situation, every one of them would do as I have!”

As he said this, he grew even colder: “The Solar Sacred Emperor shed the last drop of his blood for the people of the world, while the people of the world preserved his last remaining bloodline in the world. So this is how it ended. You must have already known — this is the truth of things. And you, the peak Holy Body, should never have existed in this world. Someone like you does not live long. Reality is what it is.”

“I — though I may be cursed through ten-thousand ages, so what? I will go on living. I endure. In the end, it is I who tread upon your corpse. It is you who lies fallen beneath my feet. What is truth? What is bathed in blood — that is what is true.” The peak Heaven-Dominator Body said with cold severity.

On this day, he had annihilated countless living beings, bathed one ancient star after another in blood. His blood had grown cold. His heart had grown hard. He had been drowned and consumed by indifference.

“You are a hero — therefore you must die. In this world, there has never been a living hero. While I — I shall live on, endure, though I bear the infamy of all the ages. It does not matter!” He cried out, his voice stripped raw.

“Boom!”

The peak Holy Body dissolved into a shower of radiant light that surged toward the distance — sweeping past one ancient land after another. These were places where he had once fought. Places he had once protected. They held the bones of his enemies, and the bones of his comrades-in-arms, and more — the ancient grave where he had buried, in grief, a woman he had loved.

And so the radiance into which he had dissolved gradually dissipated across these lands of his former days. He fought no more. He shed his blood no more. He set down everything — and closed his eyes in eternal slumber.