260: I clearly... could have turned the tables.

Lu Chen held the nine lives reincarnation lamp, feeling the vast, ocean-like Heavenly Dao rules within it. The corners of his mouth slowly curved upwards, his laughter growing louder, finally turning into a skyward roar: "Hahaha! Bai Qi, oh Bai Qi, you're too foolish! If I still possessed complete Heavenly Dao power, would I need to waste so much breath with you? A single thought to kill would be much more satisfying!"

“Blame yourself for being too arrogant. If you had seized the nine lives reincarnation lamp just now, while I was preoccupied fighting Wan Yuan, and immediately chose to self-destruct, I truly would have been helpless against you!”

“But you just had to stand there, showing off, clamoring, declaring victory…”

“You wasted your only chance!”

Bai Qi trembled all over, his face ashen, the scene replaying in his mind—

His ecstasy upon obtaining the treasure, his mockery of Lu Chen, his declaration of "victory is assured"… all of it was wrong!

All of it was a fatal delay!

"Ah ah ah ---!!!"

He roared skyward, hoarse and exhausted, his eyes filled with regret and unwillingness:

"Why did I... why did I waste words? I clearly could have left! I clearly... could have turned the tables!!!"

But now, the nine lives reincarnation lamp had fallen into Lu Chen's hands.

He was completely at the mercy of others.

Bai Qi finally calmed down, his eyes hollow, looking at Lu Chen, his voice low and hoarse:

"Heavenly Dao... can you let me die with understanding? Who exactly are you? Why did you create these civilized worlds? What is your ultimate goal?"

Lu Chen slowly put the nine lives reincarnation lamp into his grotto-heaven, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace.

He finally had a true trump card and no longer feared any accidents.

He chuckled softly, looking up at the Void Realm, as if answering Bai Qi, yet also speaking to himself: "As you guessed—I am indeed the 'Heavenly Dao,' but the Heavenly Dao is not the only endpoint. The Heavenly Dao also has Ranks, with higher and lower distinctions! And I, only by continuously creating civilizations and destroying civilizations, can I raise my Heavenly Dao Rank."

"As for the ultimate goal..."

He paused, a profound bewilderment flashing in his eyes:

"Actually... I don't know either. Perhaps, just like how you all desperately seek the truth, wanting to slay the Heavenly Dao and control your own destinies... I am also searching."

"Is there a higher Heavenly Dao above me as well?"

"Only by constantly upgrading and constantly making Breakthroughs can I possibly see It... only then can I possibly know what the end of all this truly is."

Bai Qi listened, silent for a long time.

Then, he actually laughed, his laughter starting low and rising, finally turning into a sorrowful roar:

"Heh... Hahaha! So that's how it is... the strong prey on the weak, intertwined! There's always a higher mountain, and beyond the Heavens, there are other Heavens!"

He looked up, his final gaze at Lu Chen devoid of resentment, only relief remaining: "Heavenly Dao... one day, you too will face the same fate as us. You too will be mercilessly crushed by a higher-Ranked Heavenly Dao! I await that day..."

Before his words finished, he suddenly detonated his Golden Core!

Boom ---!!!

A terrifying energy storm swept through the hall. Bai Qi's body instantly exploded into nothingness, not even a trace of his Divine Soul fragment remaining.

Silence.

Lu Chen stood still, his expression calm.

This time, Bai Qi left no energy behind.

This indicated that the Bai Qi before him was merely a Puppet, a replica created by the instance to fix a bug.

The real Bai Qi had already been killed by Lu Chen before!

Lu Chen stood in the center of the grand hall, his gaze sweeping over the eight heaven-reaching spirit treasuress scattered across the floor—the haotian seal, xuanming shield, earth-splitting axe, thunder sound cone, wind god wings, blazing phoenix wheel, earth mother robe, and taiyin mirror.

Any one of them was enough to make a Nascent Soul Cultivator tremble.

With these eight heaven-reaching spirit treasuress, Lu Chen could essentially walk sideways as long as he didn't encounter a Deity Transformation Realm Cultivator.

He lightly raised his right hand, and a swirling vortex of faint light appeared in his palm—the grotto-heaven's door opened!

The eight Spirit Treasures seemed to be summoned, rising into the air one after another, transforming into streaks of light, and disappearing into his grotto-heaven.

In an instant, Lu Chen's aura surged several times over. Although he hadn't broken through his Realm, his combat power was no longer what it used to be!

As long as he didn't encounter a Soul Transformation Realm expert, he was invincible!

Even when facing a Nascent Soul Cultivator, with the power of the eight treasures, he had the strength to fight!

Lu Chen was not in a hurry to leave the instance.

He knew deeply that—

Once he left, this instance would completely close and disappear.

Before leaving, there was one crucial matter that had to be completed.

He turned and stepped into the spatial rift, returning to the third stage—the Battle Royale battlefield.

Not long after, four sky-obscuring figures descended from all directions—

The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, the Four Great Divine Beasts, arrived through the air, divine light swirling around them, their pressure as deep as an abyss. With every step they took, the earth trembled!

But when they saw Lu Chen, they all lowered their proud heads, a trace of instinctive fear appearing in their eyes.

Although they were Divine Beasts, under the suppression of Lu Chen's "Heavenly Dao authority," they were like tamed beasts, incredibly obedient.

Lu Chen's gaze was cold, his decision already made.

He tried to bring the Four Great Divine Beasts into his grotto-heaven—

But no matter how he activated his authority, the grotto-heaven's door could not accommodate their figures.

The reason was simple—

The Four Great Divine Beasts were Heaven-Reaching Realm Cultivators, their true forms as vast as mountains, their Divine Souls resonating with Heaven and Earth. How could a Golden Core Cultivator's grotto-heaven possibly contain them?

Moreover, they were not truly existing living beings, but rather digitized Divine Beasts temporarily generated by the instance to maintain the "Battle Royale" rules. Essentially, they were the concretization of rules and could not be taken out of the instance world.

"Cannot take them away..."

Lu Chen sneered, "Then don't blame me for being ruthless."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, his voice like a Heavenly Dao decree, not to be disobeyed:

"Listen to my command—"

"Four Great Divine Beasts, fight each other to the death!"

The Four Great Divine Beasts trembled, a look of pain flashing in their eyes, but under the Heavenly Dao authority, they could not defy the command!

Even Divine Beasts had to execute the will of their creator!

The battle erupted instantly!

The Azure Dragon struck first, its Dragon tail sweeping with thunderous force, directly at the Black Tortoise!

The White Tiger roared, its sharp claws tearing through the sky, pouncing towards the Vermilion Bird!

The Vermilion Bird spread its wings, burning the Heavens, flames sweeping out, battling the White Tiger!

But the Black Tortoise's defense was extremely strong, its shell like a Chaos barrier, ordinary attacks simply unable to break through.

Lu Chen watched coldly, then gave another command:

"Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird—join forces to attack the Black Tortoise!"

The three Divine Beasts immediately shifted their attacks, their three Heaven-Reaching Realm pressures combining, slamming into the Black Tortoise!

The Azure Dragon drew down the Lightning Tribulation of the nine heavens, the White Tiger tore the earth and pierced the heart, and the Vermilion Bird burned the Heavens and scorched the earth!

The combined attack of the three Divine Beasts finally shattered the Black Tortoise's defense, crushing its divine body. Its enormous form crashed down, dissipating into specks of light.

Immediately after, Lu Chen gave another command:

"Azure Dragon attack White Tiger, White Tiger attack Vermilion Bird, Vermilion Bird attack Azure Dragon! Come on! Whoever dies first, I'll give a reward!!!"

Azure Dragon: ???

White Tiger: ???

Vermilion Bird: ???