384: The Celestial Venerable has fallen.

Meanwhile, the other Four Great Heavenly Venerates were already covered in wounds, having besieged the Formation's core for three full hours, yet they still couldn't shake its foundation—the central Puppet control of the Metal Department was protected by the Geng Metal Divine Talisman left by the White Emperor, and the core of the twelve zodiac signs Formation was reinforced by Chen Long's vital Dragon blood, making it impregnable!

"Brother... we can't hold on any longer." Grand Flame Heavenly Venerable half-knelt on the ground, his right arm severed, his flames as weak as a dying candle.

Taichu Heavenly Venerate's eyes were bloodshot: "You all retreat! I'll cover your escape!"

"No!" Old Ancestor Minghe suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, his eyes flaring with blood-red light, "Big Brother, you go first. In this life, we couldn't protect the Spirit Realm, but in the next life—we'll still acknowledge you as our Big Brother!"

Fairy Zi Ming suddenly turned, gazing deeply at Taichu Heavenly Venerate, tears in her eyes like stars falling into a cold pool.

"Taichu..." Her voice was as soft as the wind, yet it pierced through the clamor of the entire battlefield, "There's something I've hidden for ten thousand years... Today, if I don't say it, there will be no other chance."

She gazed at him deeply, a tragically beautiful smile gracing her lips:

"I love you."

The next moment—

She clasped her hands together, and her Divine Soul ignited!

A cold wave beyond all limits erupted from her body, freezing not space, but time itself!

In an instant, an area of a thousand li fell into absolute stillness—Yan Emperor's fiery mace hung suspended in mid-air, Chen Long's Dragon roar solidified in his throat, and even the Immortal Court's pressure was frozen!

"Now!" Grand Flame Heavenly Venerable roared to the sky, his true fire surging against the heavens, transforming into a sky-burning pillar of flame that crashed violently into the Metal Department's Formation eye!

"Big Brother, for our sake... live on!"

Boom—!!!

Fire and ice exploded together, gods and Dao burned as one!

Old Ancestor Minghe and Great Evolution Heavenly Venerate followed closely, one triggering the Origin of the Nine Netherworlds to self-destruct his black river, the other reversing the astrolabe to burn his fate, two destructive forces precisely blasting into the last two crucial hubs of the Formation!

Heaven and earth shattered!

Two peerless grand Formations, under the desperate resolve of four Heavenly Venerates exchanging their lives, finally—

Completely disintegrated!

One hundred and ten thousand immortal soldiers and generals suffered Law backlash the moment the Formation collapsed, with more than half dead or wounded! The elite of the Five Departments lay dead across the fields, and the Five Elements Return to the Void Grand Formation completely disintegrated!

"No—!!!"

Taichu Heavenly Venerate fell to his knees, letting out a heart-wrenching roar.

He watched with his own eyes as his four brothers dissipated into a rain of light; Fairy Zi Ming's last smile still echoed in the air; Grand Flame's flames had not yet extinguished; Minghe's black river was still whimpering; Great Evolution's starlight had not yet fallen... Tears, for the first time, rolled from the eyes of this supreme expert.

"How could you all..." His voice choked, almost collapsing.

But he knew, this was not a time for grief.

The chance at life his four brothers bought with their lives, he had to live!

He stood up abruptly, blood tears still wet in his eyes, killing intent already boiling like a deep abyss—

"Now!" Taichu Heavenly Venerate suddenly looked up, and the supreme power suppressed within him roared back to life!

The moment his Realm recovered, he was like a Divine Dragon emerging from an abyss, striking a palm at the nearest Five Great Star Lords—

Wei Yang, Wu Ma, You Ji, Xu Gou, and Hai Zhu, without even a chance to scream, their Physical Bodies and Primordial Spirits were annihilated simultaneously, turning into five clusters of blood mist!

Flame Emperor Jiang Lieshan roared in defiance, his World-Burning Fire Mace sweeping with immense power, but Taichu pointed a finger at his chest—

"Pfft!"

Jiang Lieshan spat out blood, his chest armor shattered, half his body scorched black like charcoal, his Divine Soul trembling, actually severely wounded to the brink of death by a single strike!

Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan tried to seal space with the Law Heaven Ruler, but Taichu flung out Sword Intent of Chaos with a backhand, forcing him to retreat repeatedly, utterly unable to stop him!

"Stop him!" Chen Long roared, but it was already too late.

Taichu Heavenly Venerate didn't even look back, his figure transforming into a streak of light that tore through the Void Realm, heading straight for the horizon—

His target was Tianqi Continent, the shattered Small World where Emperor Qin resided!

He knew, this was the last chance.

As long as he converged with Emperor Qin, and with the help of Emperor Qin, Shen Wuya, and Ling Tian, he would have a chance to truly Breakthrough, and still have a chance to turn the tide!

The wind howled in his ears, blood dried on his robes.

He carried the last hope of the Spirit Realm, and the last wishes of the four Heavenly Venerates, charging forward without hesitation, towards that sliver of life.

"Stop him! He absolutely cannot be allowed to escape into the shattered Small World!" Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan shouted sharply, his Law Heaven Ruler pointing directly in the direction Taichu Heavenly Venerate had fled, "He is going to rendezvous with Emperor Qin! Once the three souls resonate, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

The remaining nearly fifty thousand immortal soldiers and generals moved at his command; though exhausted and their armor stained with blood, they gritted their teeth and formed a Formation, attempting to seal the Void Realm fissure. However—

Taichu Heavenly Venerate's figure was like lightning, his Sword Intent of Chaos sweeping out, yet he did not kill, only used skillful force to blast the crowd away!

Some crashed into ruins, some fell into abysses, but not a single person died on the spot.

"Strange..." Flame Emperor Jiang Lieshan clutched his severely wounded chest, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, "He clearly had the power to slaughter them, why did he only repel them and not kill?"

Is he conserving energy? For a later Breakthrough?!

The immortal army desperately intercepted, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

They watched helplessly as the white-haired figure tore through space, disappearing into the shattered world gate leading to Tianqi Continent.

"It's over..." The severely wounded Jiang Lieshan's face was ashen, his voice hoarse, "If he truly joins forces with Emperor Qin and the others, none of us can stop him."

Xuanyuan's expression was grave; he immediately turned to the remaining Four Great Star Lords, his tone brooking no argument: "We must immediately enter the Small World and stop their convergence! Will you join us, or stay outside? Please yourselves!"

Before his words finished, he had already led the remaining forty-five thousand elite of the Five Departments into the world gate—though more than half were lost, the main force remained, and their combat strength was still present.

As for the twelve zodiac signs legion... it was almost completely annihilated!

Originally sixty thousand strong, now less than six thousand remained, and most were rear-line troops like Zi Rat and Chou Niu; the six legions that charged at the front—Yin Hu, Si She, Wu Ma, You Ji, Xu Gou, and Hai Zhu—were almost completely slaughtered!

Even more bizarrely—the attacks of the Five Great Heavenly Venerates seemed to be deliberately targeting the twelve zodiac signs!

Although the Five Department legions also suffered heavy casualties, most of their generals survived; but the twelve zodiac signs were almost completely wiped out, and even eight Star Lords fell!

"Is this... a coincidence?" Chen Long surveyed the remnants, his eyes a mix of fury and chill, "Or... did they plan this all along? Deliberately weakening my Twelve Star Lords?!"

Zi Rat Star Lord shrank back, his voice trembling: "Star Lord... we can't go in any further. If we do, this last spark of ours will be extinguished too!"

Chen Long was silent for a long time, looking at the slowly closing world gate, finally gritting his teeth and saying: "Order—the remnants of the twelve zodiac signs, guard the world gate from outside!"

A look of determination flashed in his eyes: "We're not going in. We'll wait outside like hunting for rabbits. If Taichu and Emperor Qin truly manage to break out, they will be at the end of their strength—then, that will be our chance for revenge!"

However, an even more bizarre thing occurred.

The moment Taichu Heavenly Venerate fled into Tianqi Continent, the only two remaining shattered Small Worlds—Tianqi Continent and Yelang Ancient Kingdom—began to slowly move!

The earth rumbled, and the Void Realm twisted.

The two Small Worlds were pulled by an invisible giant hand, drawing closer, their edges merging, and the outlines of their mountains and rivers gradually overlapped in the resonance of Law!

"What's going on?!" Chen Long was shocked and furious at this strange phenomenon, "How can shattered Small Worlds merge on their own? This is bad! This is a premonition of the three souls resonating! Emperor Qin, Shen Wuya, and Ling Tian must be forcibly merging the two worlds to pave a path to the heavens for Taichu Heavenly Venerate!"