98: Chapter 98: Slashing the Emperor, Refining the Void, Rising Up in Chaos

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins, Reincarnation Sword Domain — Open!"

As Lin Wan's cold voice fell, the "Five Elements Returning to Ruins Reincarnation Formation" that had already been set up centered on him suddenly contracted and condensed, transforming into a — Chaos Sword Domain — only a hundred zhang in size, yet far more solid and profound, appearing to contain countless miniature worlds rotating in birth and destruction within!

Within the Sword Domain, the Five Elements were no longer simple generation and restriction, but were constantly rotating, deriving, and extinguishing according to the rhythm of "Reincarnation"; the power of Returning to Ruins was no longer merely about ending, but was the "End" aspect of "Reincarnation," carrying a fateful, irresistible, and all-concluding aura.

Furthermore, wisps of emerald radiance, containing the creation of "Life," acted like a lubricant, harmonizing the opposition between life and death, filling the entire Sword Domain with a strange, grand, and cold "Dao" aura that was both endlessly regenerating and destined to eventually return to ruins.

The Flame Emperor, Tiangongzi, that "Envoy of the end," as well as the three "Tiangong Divine Puppets," were all now trapped within this "Reincarnation Sword Domain."

They felt as if they had fallen into a mire; every movement became incredibly difficult, the circulation of their internal mana became sluggish and unbearable, and their Divine Souls were wracked with intermittent palpitations and dizziness, as if they might be lost in this endlessly rotating Dao aura at any moment, forgetting themselves and dissolving their existence.

"This... what kind of hellish Domain is this?!" Tiangongzi's face turned pale. He felt the connection between himself and his "Tiangong Divine Puppets" being rapidly weakened, and the intricate Formation structures inside the Puppets began to show signs of disorder and collapse under the erosion of that strange "Reincarnation" power that seemed to "decompose" and "assimilate" everything.

"Reincarnation... true power of Reincarnation..." The body of that "Envoy of the end" shrouded beneath its cloak seemed to tremble slightly, its voice filled with unbelievable horror, "Impossible! How could a mere ant from the Lower Realm possibly master power of this level?! This should absolutely not appear here!"

Only the Flame Emperor, though his eyes were also filled with shock, felt more of a madness and rage born of being driven to a desperate situation! He did not believe it! He absolutely refused to believe that he would be defeated here, defeated by a junior who had been cultivating for less than a hundred years!

"Lin Wan! Stop playing tricks! Break for me!"

The Flame Emperor roared, his crimson-gold Emperor Flame exploding around him. Burning his essence blood and Lifespan, he forcibly broke through part of the "Reincarnation Sword Domain's" suppression, and the Emperor Flame spear in his hand erupted with unprecedented, scorching radiance, as if a small sun were condensing in his grasp!

"Emperor Flame — Burning Heaven and Boiling the Sea, World-Breaking Strike!"

Boom!

A massively thick spear radiance, containing the Flame Emperor's lifelong cultivation and the most fundamental essence of his "Dao of Emperor Flame," carrying a trace of tyranny, supremacy, and a desire to burn all the heavens and myriad worlds, tore through the layers of Dao aura suppression in the "Reincarnation Sword Domain." Like a world-destroying fire dragon, it thrust madly toward Lin Wan in the center of the Domain! Wherever it passed, even the "Reincarnation" Dao aura seemed to be scorched, twisted, and forced to retreat!

This was his strongest strike, and also his final madness! He wanted to use absolute power to shatter this strange Domain and completely incinerate Lin Wan!

Faced with this strike, capable of burning heaven and boiling the sea, and threatening enough to affect the Void Refining stage, Lin Wan's expression remained calm, even carrying a hint of faint mockery.

"Emperor Flame? Tyranny? Supremacy?"

He shook his head gently, and the "Reincarnation Dao Sword" in his hand—formed from various Dao auras and appearing both ethereal and real—was slowly raised. The sword tip pointed from afar at the wildly thrusting, crimson-gold dragon-shaped spear radiance that seemed capable of destroying everything.

"In the face of true 'Reincarnation,' your 'tyranny' is nothing more than a cluster... of dying... embers."

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins, Rotating Life and Death, Karma Concluded — Sword Breaks Reincarnation!"

"Hum — —!!!"

There was no earth-shattering sound, no blinding explosion.

There was only a strange, peculiar Dao aura that seemed capable of soothing all violence, ending all clamor, and letting all things return to "Silence" and "Fate," which permeated the air as Lin Wan thrust this unremarkable sword.

The tip of the "Reincarnation Dao Sword" lightly touched the edge of that crimson-gold dragon-shaped spear radiance.

There was no violent collision or energy annihilation as one might imagine.

That crimson-gold dragon-shaped spear radiance, which seemed capable of burning heaven and boiling the sea and destroying everything, instantly froze upon touching the tip of the "Reincarnation Dao Sword," as if fixed in the river of time. The crimson-gold Emperor Flame burning fiercely upon it dimmed and extinguished at a visible speed, as if the "tyranny" and "supremacy" contained within were forcibly "concluded" and "assimilated" by a grander, more fundamental "Reincarnation" Dao aura that represented "the rotation of the heavens, and the fate of life and death."

The spear radiance froze, dimmed, and then, like a sand sculpture scattered by the wind, disintegrated inch by inch, turning into countless tiny sparks before completely annihilating, as if it had never existed.

This eerie scene caused the Flame Emperor's pupils to constrict, his eyes filled with extreme fear and disbelief. His strongest strike, the heaven-burning strike that contained his lifelong insights into the "Dao," was just... gone?! Without a sound, without even stirring up a ripple?!

"No... this is impossible..." the Flame Emperor muttered to himself, his Dao Heart suffering an unprecedented shock. He felt that his "Dao of Emperor Flame," which he relied upon for fame and took such pride in, was so fragile and ridiculous before that strange power of "Reincarnation," like a toy wielded by a child, unable to withstand a single blow.

"There is nothing impossible." Lin Wan's calm voice rang out. After annihilating the crimson-gold spear radiance, the "Reincarnation Dao Sword" in his hand did not lose any momentum; it continued unhurriedly, thrusting leisurely toward the Flame Emperor's glabella.

The sword speed was not fast, even somewhat slow, carrying a fateful, unavoidable, and irresistible aura.

The Flame Emperor wanted to dodge, but found that the power of the "Reincarnation Sword Domain" around him suddenly tightened, trapping him firmly in place; he could not even move a single finger. He wanted to defend, but found that the Emperor Flame Nascent Soul energy within him, the moment it touched that "Reincarnation" Dao aura, began to dissipate and disintegrate on its own, as if it had encountered its natural nemesis, unable to coalesce at all. Even the thought of bringing out a life-saving Magic Treasure became incredibly sluggish and blurred.

"No! This Emperor is the Flame Emperor! The Sect Master of the Skyfire Sect! The future Void Refining, the controller of the Eternal Fire! This Emperor cannot die here! Lin Wan! You cannot kill me! If you kill me, 'the end' will not let you go! The Five Directions Council will not let you go either!" The Flame Emperor let out a desperate, mad roar, attempting to use his status and threats to exchange for a glimmer of survival.

However, Lin Wan's eyes were as cold as eternal black ice, without the slightest wavering.

"Colluding with 'the end,' betraying the clan, such a crime deserves death. Today, I shall use your blood to pay tribute to those innocent lives who died because of you, and also let this so-called 'Dao of Emperor Flame' of yours... completely... reincarnate."

The moment his words fell, the tip of the "Reincarnation Dao Sword" lightly tapped onto the Flame Emperor's glabella.

"Ssh..."

A soft sound, like a water droplet falling into a pot of boiling oil, or like spring snow melting away.

The expression of madness, despair, and unwillingness on the Flame Emperor's face suddenly froze. At the glabella, the point touched by the sword tip, a strange light—interwoven with Chaos and emerald, seemingly containing the endless mysteries of "Reincarnation"—suddenly lit up and instantly spread to his entire body.

There was no blood, no scream.

The Flame Emperor's towering body, which had reached the Late Stage of Soul Transformation and had once been feared and revered by countless people, along with the crimson-gold Nascent Soul, tyrannical Divine Soul, and all the insights, Foundation, and Origin of his so-called "Dao of Emperor Flame" within him, were all, under the radiance of this "Reincarnation" light, forcibly "erased," "returned to silence," and "concluded" from the level of "existence," as if by an invisible hand.

The light faded, and the spot was empty.

It was as if the Flame Emperor had never appeared in this world. Not even a trace of aura or a single mark was left behind.

Only a faint, lingering Dao aura in the air, seemingly of liberation and the end, signaled that a silent yet earth-shattering "conclusion" had just taken place here.

Tiangongzi watched helplessly as the Flame Emperor disappeared before his eyes, so "cleanly" and so "thoroughly," without even leaving behind a complete final word. He was instantly scared out of his wits, his liver and gallbladder splitting in terror!

He no longer cared about the "Tiangong Divine Puppets" or any ancient Artifact Refining secret techniques; he let out a strange cry and turned to flee!

However, being within the "Reincarnation Sword Domain," how could it be easy for him to escape?

"Want to leave?" Lin Wan swept a cold glance at him and waved the "Reincarnation Dao Sword" in his hand casually.

"Entangled in Karma, aiding and abetting the wicked, you shall enter Reincarnation to cleanse your sins."

A streak of Chaos-colored, emerald sword light swept past. Tiangongzi's figure stiffened, and a look of confusion appeared on his face. Immediately after, his body, like a pencil sketch erased by a rubber, rapidly faded and became transparent, finally turning into specks of spiritual light that merged into the circulating "Reincarnation" Dao rhythm in the surroundings and vanished.

He did not "die"; rather, Lin Wan had forcibly wiped away his memories and cultivation of this lifetime using the power of "Reincarnation," casting him into a profound state of Reincarnation similar to the "Mystery of the Womb."

His true spirit would, at some time and place in the future, "reincarnate" and start anew.

Whether it would be a blessing or a curse depended entirely on his own fortune.

This could be considered a unique form of "mercy" from Lin Wan to this Cultivator who was obsessed with Artifact Refining but had walked the wrong path.

As for the three "Tiangong Divine Puppets" that had lost their master's control and were suppressed by the "Reincarnation Sword Domain," they stood stiffly in place like three metal statues, having lost all their spiritual light and becoming ownerless objects.

In the blink of an eye, of the four attacking Soul Transformation Cultivators, three were dead and one had been sent into "Reincarnation," leaving only the "Envoys of the End" shrouded in a pitch-black cloak.

That "Envoys of the End" had witnessed the entire terrifying scene of the Flame Emperor being "obliterated" and Tiangongzi being "cast into Reincarnation," and was now so frightened that his soul had left his body.

He finally realized that the power mastered by this seemingly young Cultivator far exceeded their estimates, and it might even be... stranger and more terrifying than some of the "Lord"-level existences under their "Holy Master"!

"Escape! I must escape! I must bring this news back to the Holy Master! This child has become a great threat!"

The "Envoys of the End" no longer had any Battle Intent. He bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of essence blood that was as black as ink and emitted a dense aura of "the end."

It merged into the fragment of the "Void Burial Talisman" in his hand, which had already dimmed significantly.

At the same time, his hands frantically formed seals, and he chanted ancient, eerie incantations.

"With my blood, I summon the power of the Holy Master. Shadow Veil, escape!"

"Hum—!"

Black light burst forth from his entire body, combining with the residual power of the "Void Burial" Domain in the surroundings.

In an instant, he transformed into a pitch-black shadow that almost merged with the Void Realm, silent and fast as lightning, fleeing frantically toward the outside of the "Reincarnation Sword Domain"!

This was his trump card for survival—a shadow escape technique that burned his Origin and invoked the power of the "Holy Master's" mark.

Its speed and stealth were enough to allow him to escape right under the eyes of a Late Stage Soul Transformation Cultivator!

However, he underestimated the profoundness of the "Reincarnation Sword Domain" and Lin Wan's determination.

"Want to leave? Did you ask this Envoy?"

A cold light flashed in Lin Wan's eyes, and the Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit between his brows suddenly shone brilliantly.

The emerald radiance within it, symbolizing "life" and "Reincarnation," was brighter than ever before!

He raised his hand and, aiming at the pitch-black shadow about to escape the Sword Domain, clenched his five fingers tightly!

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins, Reincarnation—Seal!"

Inside the "Reincarnation Sword Domain," all the rhythms of the Five Elements, Returning to Ruins, life, and the end suddenly reversed and collapsed, forming an invisible, intangible net of Dao Laws that contained the supreme "Reincarnation" Law, instantly shrouding the pitch-black shadow!

"No—!"

A desperate roar came from within the shadow from the "Envoys of the End."

He felt like a bug trapped in amber; the surrounding space, time, and even his own concept of "existence" were being forcibly solidified, locked, and stripped away by a more grandiose, more fundamental power of "Reincarnation"!

His shadow escape technique, which he took pride in, failed instantly!

"Come here!"

Lin Wan grasped the air with his hand and pulled back.

The pitch-black shadow, imprisoned by the net of "Reincarnation" Dao Laws, was pulled back like a fish caught on a fishing line, completely unable to resist, and hovered before Lin Wan.

The shadow twisted and struggled violently, but it could not break free from the shackles of the "Reincarnation" power.

"Tell me who the 'Holy Master' behind you is, where they are, and what their plans are. Also, the details of all transactions between the Flame Emperor and you."

"Speak, and this Envoy will allow you to... enter Reincarnation and reincarnate to Cultivate again. Otherwise, I will let you experience... the annihilation of 'existence,' which is more thorough than 'Void Burial.'"

Lin Wan's cold voice, like the declaration of a grim reaper, penetrated deep into the Divine Soul of that "Envoys of the End."

"Dream on!" The "Envoys of the End" emitted a hoarse, frantic mental fluctuation.

"I am a loyal servant of the Holy Master! The Holy Master will surely descend and devour and assimilate you ants, along with this world! You will never get anything from me..."

"Stubborn."

Lin Wan stopped wasting words, his eyes turned sharp, and his five fingers tightened abruptly!

"Reincarnation—Soul Search!"

"Ah—!!!"

A miserable scream, so shrill it didn't sound human, erupted from the black shadow, but it was tightly locked by the "Reincarnation Sword Domain" and could not escape.

Lin Wan's peerlessly tyrannical Divine Sense, containing the "Reincarnation" Dao rhythm, acted like the sharpest drill, forcibly breaking into the depths of the "Envoys of the End's" Divine Soul to scavenge all his memories and secrets!

Such soul searching was a torture more painful and thorough than death for an existence like the "Envoys of the End."

Under the impact of the "Reincarnation" power, his Divine Soul rapidly collapsed and disintegrated, and his memories, like shattered glass, were forcibly seized and read by Lin Wan.

A moment later, the pitch-black shadow completely stopped struggling and turned into wisps of black smoke, slowly dissipating.

The "the end" Origin contained within it was also purified and absorbed by the "Reincarnation Sword Domain," becoming nutrients to strengthen Lin Wan's Dao Fruit.

And Lin Wan slowly opened his eyes, a trace of gravity and... a trace of cold murderous intent flashing within them.

He had obtained much fragmented but extremely important information from the memory shards of this "Envoys of the End."

The "Holy Master"... was not a single entity, but one of the supreme Dominators of a larger, more terrifying organization called the "Void Church," which had been eroded and assimilated by "the end," calling itself the "Void Overlord."

Under its command were levels such as "Apostles," "Lords," and "High Priests."

The erosion of the Tiannan Continent was merely an insignificant part of the "Void Church's" massive erosion plan.

Their goal seemed to be to find and devour certain specific worlds or existences that contained "positive" Origins like "life," "creation," and "Reincarnation" to complement and strengthen themselves.

The Flame Emperor was merely one of the countless "collaborators" and "pawns" developed by the "Void Church" in this world.

His rank was not high; he was only slightly valued because he controlled the passage in Burning Flame Valley that was suspected of connecting to some ancient "Fire Origin" fragment.

As for those who met secretly with the Flame Emperor and provided support such as the "Void Burial Talisman," they were indeed these two "Apostle"-level existences, who were responsible for the erosion affairs in the Eastern Wasteland and Northern Plains regions of this world.

The "Void Church's" strongholds in this world were definitely not limited to just one place.

Besides the passage at Liangjie Mountain that Lin Wan had destroyed, there were at least three other suspected large-scale "anchors," located in the Western Desert, the Southern Region, and... somewhere in the Central Province!

Moreover, it seemed that higher-level "Lord"-level existences were already watching from the shadows, and might even have already infiltrated the Tiannan Continent!

"Western Desert... Southern Region... Central Province..." Lin Wan's brows furrowed tightly.

The Western Desert had the Buddhist Kingdom guarding it; Master Liaoyin should be able to detect the anomalies.

The Southern Region had his own Anti-Calamity Alliance, which had also been monitoring things.

But the Central Province... that was where the waters were deepest and the forces were most complex.

If the "Void Church's" stronghold was truly hidden there, there would likely be big trouble.

"I must inform Emperor Yan and the Alliance of this intelligence as soon as possible!"

Lin Wan made a decision in his heart.

He withdrew the "Reincarnation Sword Domain," collected the three ownerless "Tiangong Divine Puppets," and the storage Magic Treasures left behind by the Flame Emperor, Old Ancestor Guyou, and the others.

Only then did Yue Lingfeng and the others dare to fly closer.

Looking at the empty battlefield before them, which seemed as if nothing had happened, and then at Lin Wan, whose expression was calm but whose aura seemed even more profound and vast, their eyes were filled with unparalleled awe and excitement.

"My Lord..." Yue Lingfeng's voice was a bit dry.

"It is nothing, just a few clowns."

Lin Wan waved his hand, his gaze cast toward the direction of the distant Tiandu City, his eyes deep.

"However, this matter is likely just the beginning. The real storm is coming."

"Pass the order down: strengthen the guard at Liangjie Mountain. Without this Envoy's written order, no one is allowed to approach."

"In addition, relay everything that happened here and the intelligence obtained from my soul searching to His Majesty Emperor Yan, as well as... Senior Sword Master Jian Wuming, Fairy Yaoxi, and Master Liaoyin, with the fastest speed possible."

"Yes!" Yue Lingfeng replied solemnly.

Lin Wan did not linger.

With a movement of his figure, he transformed into a stream of light and shot rapidly in the direction of Tiandu City.

He knew that the death of the Flame Emperor and the intelligence obtained from the soul search would surely stir up another huge uproar.

The interior of the Alliance would likely have to be completely reshuffled.

And the "Void Church" would definitely not let this rest.

However, he was fearless.

He would face whatever came his way.

His "Reincarnation" Dao had only just begun to shine.

In this "war of the end" that concerned the fate of the Tiannan Continent and even the myriad worlds of the heavens, he was already at the eye of the storm.