Chapter 704 - 20: The Final Calamity Descends, Era Remnants, Shangqing Draws His Sword

"This level of power..."

Another Fu Xi walked over, standing before the corpse of the previous one, his expression growing more solemn by the second.

He gazed up at the Infinite Giant and spoke softly,

"Fellow Daoist Lu, you always manage to exceed my expectations..."

The Infinite Giant, formed from eighty-four thousand Daos, looked down upon Fu Xi, its expression still placid. It simply reached out a hand and gently plucked at the strings of time and years.

It said,

"The Final Tribulation..."

With the end of the pilgrimage, the entire Era had completely slid into its final stage, beginning to show signs of decay. In the unseen world, the Final Tribulation was beginning to descend.

"First came the [Transformation Dao], then the [Integration Dao]. I am quite curious, Fellow Daoist Lu, does this path you've created have a next realm?"

"It does."

Lu Xuan said calmly,

"That would be... Enlightenment."

Transformation Dao, to transform into the Dao. Integration Dao, to become one with the Dao. Enlightenment, I am the Dao.

The Infinite Giant struck again. Eighty-four thousand Daos resonated in unison: Years, time, Life and Death, Cause and Effect, space, life and death...

All Daos unleashed at once, all converging at the tip of a single finger.

Fu Xi was killed again.

"Interesting, very interesting..."

A new Fu Xi walked over once more, his eyes filled with a thick curiosity. He seemed relaxed, as if everything was back under his control.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, your current state is likely above [Enlightenment] but below [Perfection]. Yet, the number of Transcendent Traits within you exceeds my imagination. With all these traits gathered, you can actually unleash the might of [Perfection]?"

As he spoke,

he approached, his form growing immense, and engaged Lu Xuan in a fight to the death.

The two of them fought from one end of Chaos to the other. Their battle raged for countless years; the eighty-four thousand Daos were annihilated an unknown number of times, only to be revived again and again!

Fu Xi possessed six great Transcendent Traits and two Transcendence Origins. He was already on par with the level of a [Perfect Dao Fruit]. He was just one final step away, one last Transcendence Origin short of achieving true Transcendence!

Lu Xuan also possessed six great Transcendent Traits. This body of his contained nearly half a Transcendence Origin, and with the boost from the [Integration Dao] realm, he was no weaker than a [Perfect Dao Fruit]!

However, even among those at the level of [Perfection], there were differences in strength.

Lu Xuan could clearly feel himself growing weaker against Fu Xi. He was no match for Fu Xi, and even the two of them combined were no match for his master at his peak explosive power.

"Fu Xi..."

"Have you had enough fun?"

From the depths of Chaos, a laugh rang out. Taiyi strode over, his hands clasped behind his back, his aura a match for Lu Xuan's.

He said nonchalantly,

"Xiaoxuan, you are not Fu Xi's opponent. Let me lend you a hand. What do you say?"

"Taiyi, so you've come as well..."

Fu Xi let out a hearty laugh.

"All things will end at this very moment. The Final Tribulation is just missing a catalyst, and I am that catalyst!"

Despite his words, he was not careless. Facing two beings comparable to a Perfect Dao Fruit at the same time, a single misstep could mean disaster!

Fu Xi's body suddenly expanded, his head touching the limits of Chaos, his feet standing on the Boundary of Chaos. He spread his hands, his left touching the most ancient of years, his right touching the Years of the Current World!

"The boundless myriad of living beings..."

"Who among them is not me?"

He asked softly. Throughout all of time and space, in every world and every era, nearly every living creature looked up and repeated,

"The boundless myriad of living beings, who among them is not me?"

A terrifying power erupted. Taiyi was knocked back, and Lu Xuan's chest was pierced through, but for beings such as them, injuries had already lost all meaning.

The Dao dies, the Dao is born. I die, I am born.

Within ten breaths, Lu Xuan was killed seventy-eight million times, and revived seventy-eight million times.

His eighty-four thousand Daos resonated as he mobilized everything he had, revealing his supreme might.

"If all living beings are you, how are they not also me?"

Lu Xuan activated [Body Transformation], replacing one living being after another. Taiyi beamed with amusement.

"Don't forget about me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he too began to activate [Body Transformation].

Fu Xi's expression changed slightly.

"You two... What exactly is your relationship?"

He was filled with shock and suspicion. He could now see clearly that Taiyi and Lu Xuan were each unleashing five Transcendent Traits!

Stunned, Fu Xi tried to defend himself as all three sides began to compete for control over the living beings of the Celestial Realms, a contest of efficiency.

An ordinary mortal might be Fu Xi one moment, Lu Xuan the next, and Taiyi the moment after that, in an endless cycle!

If this was the case for a common man, what about all the other people, all the other living beings?

The shattering of Lu Xuan's Dao heart grew even more severe.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, Fu Xi seemed to lose his patience and spoke coldly,

"Taiyi, Lu Xuan..."

"I'll let you see what I'm truly capable of."

Just as he spoke, suddenly,

a flicker of candlelight drifted over and disintegrated. The Sea of Transcendence within it was released, and a woman with waist-length hair awoke, merging with Fu Xi in a single step.

With that, the six great Transcendent Traits were finally united as one.

"Your methods are all bizarre. I don't understand where your Transcendent Traits come from, but..."

Fu Xi stretched lazily and chuckled softly.

"But, in the end, you're still a step behind me... Era."

He pointed a finger, forcefully activating the complete Transcendent Trait, [Era Essence]. The Great Era trembled, spontaneously gathering its power and bringing down a finger of its own.

Just like the Supreme back then.

Facing the immense finger, Taiyi showed no surprise or anger, merely taking a smiling step back. Lu Xuan, on the other hand, closed his eyes and tried to communicate with the [Era Essence]. Immediately after,

"Oh, Fu Xi, Fu Xi..."

the Infinite Giant spoke softly.

"What you have learned, what you can do... how could I not know it as well?"

He extended his finger, and the [Era Essence] trembled, just as it had for Fu Xi.

"How is that possible?!"

Fu Xi's face completely changed, an expression of disbelief appearing as he muttered to himself,

"Where did you get it? Where in the world did you get it?!"

Lu Xuan did not answer. He was only coughing up blood, appearing to be severely injured. This body did not possess the [True Form of Transcendence], nor did it have any other Transcendence Origin.

Forcibly mobilizing the [Era Essence] had wounded him gravely!

But he forced the corners of his mouth into a smile.

"I told you. What you can do, how could I not?"

"Is that so?"

Fu Xi narrowed his eyes, mobilizing the many Dao Fruits under his control before his voice boomed,

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Sheng, aid me!"

From The Beginning of Ancient Times, a sigh echoed, and a giant hand struck out, carrying the momentum of all living beings from all realms!

Taiyi glanced aside, letting out a soft sound of surprise, and engaged the [Daluo Ancestor] who stood at The Beginning of Ancient Times. They were evenly matched, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Meanwhile, Lu Xuan continued his battle with Fu Xi. Though he was at a slight disadvantage and was being beaten horribly, he truly managed to tie Fu Xi down!

Time ticked by. The battle was exceptionally brutal; the River of Time itself was severed, forming an indescribably terrifying chasm!

"It's here."

In the midst of the battle, Fu Xi suddenly looked up, gazing above Chaos. Lu Xuan, Taiyi, and Xuan Sheng Dao Ancestor also ceased fighting one by one and looked up.

The overall progression of the great Years and the Great Era had completely and utterly entered the [Final Tribulation].

The concepts of decay, collapse, and destruction appeared at the End of the River of Time. In the Current World, everything became unstable. Spiritual Qi, Primordial Qi, and more began to drain away madly as an age of Dharma's End descended!

The Current World and The Beginning of Ancient Times were the only places untouched by this great battle,

but now, the Current World was facing a true [Apocalypse]. Mysterious substances drained away, True Immortals decayed, Golden Immortals aged, and even those at the Taiyi level were nearing the end of their lifespans!

At that time, Wu Xiaoxu, who had already reached the Taiyi Realm and was equivalent to his past self at the level of the Celestial Realms, stood in the Current World, trying to maintain order. But order had long since collapsed!

All transcendent beings, as long as they were within the Years of the Current World and had not attained a Dao Fruit, began to weaken and revert to being [Mundane]!

The Final Tribulation had begun.

And this was only the beginning.

A formless tide of the Final Tribulation washed in from outside the Era, crashing down upon this Great Era. And within that tide...

there was clearly a corpse!

The corpse was so immense that as it approached this Era with the tide, a single one of its finger bones was already larger than the entire River of Time!

The width of one finger spanned from The Beginning of Years to the End of Years.

"The time has come..."

Taiyi murmured softly, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

"Xiaoxuan, come, let me... devour you!"

He struck out domineeringly at Lu Xuan. Fu Xi frowned for a moment, a glint in his eyes.

'That is your true body, your trump card? You want to devour Lu Xuan that badly? Fine, just fine...'

He struck as well, slashing at Lu Xuan, but not to help Taiyi—he was competing with him!

"ROAR!!"

Lu Xuan let out a deafening roar. Hunted by two Supreme Beings, he was in a wretched state, covered in wounds and on the verge of death!

Meanwhile, the rumbling from above grew closer. The corpse within the tide of the Final Tribulation was forcing its way in!

...

"Remember, you must be broken before you can be remade."

Inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, the Lame Daoist gave his final instruction.

Lu Xuan's true body slowly opened its eyes and asked in confusion,

"Master, am I... not considered 'broken' yet?"

"No."

The Lame Daoist's eyes were sharp and bright as he spoke calmly,

"I can see that Taiyi has revealed his trump card, but Fu Xi is still holding back. The Final Tribulation has already begun, and this Era is about to end..."

He paused for a moment, then continued,

"Xiaoxuan, tell me, what do you think are your chances... of breaking this stalemate?"

"I cannot see the path forward."

Lu Xuan's true body looked through the Eight Trigrams Furnace, watching the terrifying corpse that descended bit by bit with the tide of the Final Tribulation, and felt an indescribable sense of suffocation!

He spoke with bitterness,

"This corpse... is it from the previous Era?"

"It should be..."

The Lame Daoist sighed softly and also looked up, gazing at the colossal corpse. Within it, he saw the great seats of the Nine Directions Dao Fruit from the previous Era, and he saw the light of Transcendence, also from the previous Era!

This corpse was not a remnant of Transcendence. It was more like...

more like the remnants of the previous Great Era.

Taiyi's true body.

"Xiaoxuan, you still have a chance." The Lame Daoist stood up, a broad smile on his face. "Remember, you still have a chance, but you need a little time... I will buy that time for you."

He drew his sword, and with sword in hand, he prepared to leave.

Lu Xuan suddenly panicked. His first master had dissipated, his second master was in a deep slumber, the Lady had practically become a living corpse, devoid of consciousness, and now...

He lowered his head, his eyelids drooping, and spoke with a tremor in his voice,

"Master, you..."

"Child, for the period of Years to come, you will be all alone. You must... hold on."

The Lame Daoist looked back and gave a simple smile.

"This will be hard on you."

Soon after he spoke, a figure silently walked out of the Eight Trigrams Furnace and soared toward the heavens.

"The Final Tribulation is the Old Master's home turf!"

Following a thunderous shout, a ray of sword light flared to life.

The sword light was magnificent, containing everything, burning everything, incinerating everything. It pushed back the tide of the Final Tribulation and held the corpse formed from the Era Remnants at bay!

"Shangqing..."

Taiyi said with a smirk,

"Is that useful?"

As he spoke, he leaped up, no longer paying any mind to the dying Lu Xuan, and flew to intercept the Lame Daoist. Seeing this, Fu Xi's eyes flickered, and he suddenly glanced sideways at Daoist Ancestor Xuan Sheng.

"The Dao Fruit I promised you. Here's half of it first."

Fu Xi extended his hand, and half of 'Houtu's' Dao Fruit appeared. Xuan Sheng Dao Ancestor subconsciously reached for it, when suddenly—

'ROAR!'

Fu Xi opened his cavernous mouth and, with a ferocious gulp, swallowed Xuan Sheng whole.

"This is..."

His face twisted and his body swelled, a look of pleasant surprise appearing on his face.

"This is... Lu Xuan..."

Taiyi, who was fighting fiercely with the Lame Daoist, abruptly lowered his head. He seemed stunned, then enlightened, and then utterly enraged.

...

"The time has come..."

'Haotian', 'Amitabha', and the others slowly walked into Douluo Palace and gently lifted the lid of the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

"The final Origin..."

The Eight Trigrams Furnace was opened. The Goddess lay unconscious inside, motionless, like a lamb to the slaughter.

Only the Goddess was inside, along with a pile of burnt, self-immolated ashes, and a wisp of Shangqing Sword Light that had not yet dispersed.