552: Chapter 552 Undercurrents Between Two Realms - The Holy Lord's Game

Jiang Chen waved his hand, his eyelids lifting to reveal an expression that screamed "wordy." He turned around and, with a flash, disappeared into the direction of the Great Desolation.

"Disperse. This matter is already settled; worrying further is useless. There is one more thing—the New World has just opened, and rare treasures will surely fall like rain. Who can obtain them depends on their own Luck. However, you must wait until the Great Tribulation begins before taking action. During this time, train your Disciples well. Do not wait until an Opportunity arrives only to lose face."

Hearing this, the Six Saints felt a chill down their spines and hastily bowed their heads. "Yes, Revered Master! Your Disciples will keep this in mind!"

"Mhm. From now on, the amount of benefits you receive will depend entirely on your own abilities. As your teacher, I will neither interfere nor show favoritism."

The hearts of the Six Saints burned with excitement—the New World was about to open, resources would be redistributed, Luck would gather anew, and the rise or fall of their sects rested on this battle! After bidding farewell to Heavenly Dao Hongjun, everyone began plotting in secret, considering how to seize the initiative, how to expand their Luck, and how to cultivate their direct lineages... All desired to claim the hardest cornerstone in the new landscape.

Although Jiang Chen had already departed, he was well aware of the Six Saints' calculations. This was something that should be fought for; not fighting for it would be unnatural. He only hoped they would compete with restraint and fight within limits, so as not to toss the Foundation of the Great Desolation until its Origin Qi was severely damaged.

Sure enough, as the news spread, the eyes of the Disciples of various sects—whether they had just survived the fires of tribulation or had just entered the path of Dao—lit up, and smiles touched their lips. It was as if they could already see spirit mountains everywhere and immortal mines laid out before them, so delighted they could hardly contain themselves.

The Earth Star remained as usual, calm and tranquil. The wheels of history moved forward as planned—the Western Zhou replaced the Shang, taking control of the Human Race's world.

Jiang Chen had no intention of changing anything. He simply stood in silence, his gaze calm, stepping one footprint at a time toward that yet-to-unfold heaven and earth. How the river of fate surged or diverted was like passing clouds to him; only what was held in his hand was the most solid reliance at this moment.

The Western Zhou lasted for several hundred years, gradually sliding from its peak toward decline. The royal family was forced to move east, and the atmosphere of the old days vanished, replaced by the Eastern Zhou. A brand-new era quietly sprouted; the Foundation of slavery loosened, and the vines of feudalism were struggling to break through the soil.

The Outer Chaos was not peaceful either. Air currents churned like boiling water; even the domain governed by Pangu's Heavenly Dao could hardly suppress the turmoil. The Chaos occasionally exploded, as if to collapse the universe and crush all existence, its power terrifying to the extreme. The Six Saints did not dare to be careless, holding their breath and focusing their minds, waiting solemnly for that final moment.

"Fellow Daoist, I must trouble you." Heavenly Dao Hongjun once again bowed and performed a Kowtowing (jishou) salute to Jiang Chen.

He knew in his heart that this was a contest at the level of the Heavenly Dao Hongjun was bound by the iron Laws of the Great Dao and could not intervene personally. Jiang Chen, however, walked the path of a Great Dao Saint, and his every move aligned with the order of the Origin. Not only did he not violate heavenly regulations, but he also received unseen blessings. Even Hongjun had not fully grasped the mystery within this; only Jiang Chen, who experienced it personally, understood.

"Very well."

As the words fell, Jiang Chen spoke no more. The chaos bell entered his hand, its true form reappearing, its divine light restrained yet impossible to look at directly. The bell chimed softly and silently, yet the violent Chaos was seen receding like a tide, calming in an instant. The world on the opposite side manifested accordingly, its silhouette clear and its barriers stern.

Witnessing the power of the chaos bell, the Six Saints could not hide their envy. However, they knew even better that this was the token of the Saint Lord and not something they could covet, so they could only sigh inwardly. But when the New World revealed its full appearance, everyone's gaze suddenly became burning—who would dare to assert that within that world, there were no world-shaking treasures lying dormant?

"Lord, what has happened?" A twelve-winged birdman sped over and knelt before a person with a holy face holding a classic text, his posture extremely respectful, even deliberately softening his breathing.

"I have seen that world." The man's voice was steady, and no ripples could be seen between his brows. "That world has likely caught sight of us as well. My warriors, are they already assembled and awaiting orders?"

"Yes! Michael is willing to follow the Lord's command, faithful unto death, to manifest the Lord's glory."

"Very good. Immediately summon the four Archangels Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and Jeremiel to the Holy Temple for discussion."

"As you command, Lord!" Michael flapped his wings, and his figure suddenly disappeared into the light and shadows of the dome.

The other figures in the hall could no longer remain silent. Their expressions were solemn, and their backs were slightly tensed—this was no empty bluff, but a truly powerful enemy pressing upon them. Just as they were about to investigate further, they suddenly heard a dull boom in the air that pierced their eardrums, sounding like thunder from the Nine Heavens exploding inside their skulls.

What was going on?

The two worlds had not yet merged, yet the other side had already struck first?

Not good... Could their power be far beyond estimates?

When the Chaos cleared slightly, the scene on the opposite side became abruptly clear: eight figures stood silently, yet only six had detectable auras. Several of those pressures were unfathomably deep, even faintly overriding their own side—how was this possible?

The fact was established and beyond dispute. The man's right hand slapped heavily onto the spine of the book, and the classic text opened in response. Page after page of golden light flowed, turning into thousands of Law threads that rapidly dispersed at the junction of the two worlds. He had to stabilize the balance—he could neither drag down the world behind him nor abandon what he relied on as an isolated island, so he gave his all, refusing to yield an inch.

"Oh? Someone still wants to resist?" The corners of Jiang Chen's lips curled slightly as he turned his head toward Hongjun. "Fellow Daoist, it seems your job in the future won't be easy. Haha."

He clearly perceived the opponent's counterattack—that book could actually trigger the world's Origin to patch the gaps in the Laws; it was indeed a curious technique. Unfortunately, before the chaos bell, it was ultimately just a petty trick confined to a corner.

"Fellow Daoist, please do not tease this old Daoist." Hongjun shook his head and sighed softly. "This person actually dares to attempt to resist the might of the Great Dao with a Mortal Weapon... Little does he know that the chaos bell's original name is 'Suppressor of Three Thousand Grandmists.' How can an ordinary Spirit Treasure compare? Like a mantis trying to stop a carriage, it is nothing but a joke."

Jiang Chen nodded without speaking and raised his hand to strike the chaos bell again.

An invisible bell wave attacked for the second time, without any hindrance, piercing straight through.

The person holding the book suddenly jolted, his fingertips went numb, and the pages snapped shut, impossible to open again. His heart was greatly shaken: What kind of existence is this? How could such a figure emerge out of nowhere? Hateful! Terrifying!

By the time the five Archangels arrived at the Holy Temple, he did not open the book again—because he had thoroughly understood: this battle could not be resolved by the book.

"Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and Jeremiel pay our respects to our Lord. May the Lord's glory shine through all worlds."

"Rise. This time, the opponent is abnormally strong and extremely difficult to deal with."

"Sigh... If not for Lucifer's fall, the Heavens should have been more stable. Forget it, now is not the time to bring up old matters. Has there been any progress in the contact? Even if Satan holds a grudge against me, he absolutely cannot allow outsiders to step into this world—is there any reply?"

"Reporting to the Lord, Satan has sent word: with a foreign enemy present, he is willing to temporarily set aside past grievances and join forces to resist; there is no need for our side to send troops."

"In that case, let him be. To have reached this step is already rare. Begin preparations."

"As you command, Lord! We will immediately assemble our forces and vow to break the enemy world to glorify the Lord's name."

In an instant, the army of angels finished their formation and stood solemnly behind the 'Lord,' silent and awaiting the command.

"Fellow Daoist, look at this formation—their troops are already gathered. But on our side, there are only a few people; isn't it a bit thin? Haha."

"Fellow Daoist, do not mock me. At this moment, having just passed through a great tribulation, the world has just stabilized; how can we move lightly? It is better to remain still for now and watch the changes."

Jiang Chen pondered for a moment and nodded. "It is indeed so. Pangu's Heavenly Dao has not yet recovered; even if it does not fear battle, it will surely lose Origin Qi. Then let's suppress them first—this old Daoist will take the lead."

Upon hearing this, Heavenly Dao Hongjun showed no hesitation on his face; instead, a trace of hard-to-detect joy surfaced.

Jiang Chen said no more, drew the hunyuan sword, and slashed toward that newborn world through the air. The Chaos split open in response, and Sword Qi traversed the Void Realm, pouring down like a flood toward the New World. The merging of the two worlds actually stalled; the majesty was so great that even Hongjun could not help but squint his eyes, and the other Six Saints felt their hearts shake, holding their breath in silence.

The beings of the New World suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure, as if the sky were collapsing and ten thousand tribulations were imminent. This was especially true for the one revered as 'Lord'—his expression changed drastically, losing all composure, feeling that this tribulation was not for victory, but was the beginning of annihilation.

He immediately spread out the classic text in his hand, triggering thousands of Laws to pour into the world, wanting to stabilize the signs of collapse. However, the Sword Qi was destructive, breaking through layer after layer; before the Laws could solidify, they had reached the baseline of survival. The veins on his forehead throbbed slightly, and his expression stiffened several times, ultimately failing to hide his disarray.

"Jehovah—what, can't hold on? Do you still have to rely on me, Satan, to save you? Ahahaha!"

Before the voice had even faded, a profound black light suddenly tore through the sky. It was not stained with holiness, yet it ran parallel to the light, instead becoming a barrier that quietly took the remaining force. Within the black light, a figure appeared; though his words were mocking, his brow was locked tight like iron, and the waves churning in his heart were not at all inferior to Jehovah's.

"You have finally come." Jehovah lightly stroked the pages of the book, the Laws surged again, and the holy radiance grew more brilliant, with hidden blades beneath the splendor. "This enemy is no small matter; only by joining forces can we protect ourselves."

"Enough nonsense." Satan clapped his hands together, and a Black Book appeared, completely devoid of light, yet appearing as if it could swallow all things—its form was unseen, yet its presence was known; its power was not displayed, yet it already made one's heart tremble. "Blocking this current hurdle is the only way there can be a future. I know better than you which is more important."

The two no longer cared about past grudges, only pointing their spears outward in unison. Otherwise, all disputes would become bubbles.

Even with the two powers combined, it was still difficult to resist the momentum carried by the hunyuan sword Qi. That invisible pressure instantly filled the entire world, and all living beings were like being caught in a swamp, suffocating on the edge of death, despair pouring over them like a tide, with no escape.

Aside from Heaven and Hell, all other forces also lost their color, panicking like ants. This kind of great power was far beyond imagination—it was not a god high above, but an absolute existence capable of wiping out an era.

"Oh? To actually be able to take a strike from this old Daoist... it's quite interesting." Jiang Chen sheathed his sword, his smile indifferent. "Fellow Daoist, it seems I must trouble you to take a trip."

Having already tested their depth, striking again would be a loss of decorum. With his seniority, how could he repeatedly humiliate juniors? It would only invite gossip and damage his reputation.

Heavenly Dao Hongjun looked at the abruptly stopped majesty and sighed inwardly: If you had truly given your all in that strike, this world would likely be half-destroyed. Why hide it? If you don't want to act, just say so.

However, those words were naturally swallowed, and he only nodded, saying, "Fine. Then this old Daoist will act on your behalf. Fellow Daoist, take a rest."

As for the other Six Saints, they looked at each other with expressions of shock and suspicion. How could a figure that even the Heavenly Dao had to yield to only show this much skill? It was likely he was too lazy to truly exert himself and was just putting on a show—but even so, it had already shaken them until their chests felt tight.

"We finally blocked it... They really have some skill." Satan's chest heaved as he raised a hand to wipe away sweat, his gaze sweeping over that glowing classic text in his hand as he blurted out.

"The opponent didn't even use ten percent of their strength." Jehovah's brows were tightly locked, his voice low. "Didn't you see that moment just now? It was clearly them restraining each other and competing in secret. If we were to crash into them so openly, I'm afraid not even our bone fragments would remain—if that strike had truly hit solidly, who could have withstood it?"

"What? That... that's not very likely, is it?" Satan's Adam's apple bobbed, half-believing and half-doubting.

"Believe it or not, weigh it yourself. Look, they've changed people again—this one is just as unfathomable."

Satan stopped speaking, gritted his teeth, and his entire Qi was as tense as a fully drawn bow, just waiting for the next strike to arrive so he could stabilize his footing first.

But they were completely wrong. Hongjun had already intended to establish his authority; previously, he had some reservations when facing Jiang Chen and had slightly held back. Now that he was acting personally, how could he allow for any mercy? He wanted all the heavens to understand exactly how much weight the Heavenly Dao transformed from Pangu held.

A phantom slowly rose from behind Hongjun, its wheel shape initially appearing, then solidifying layer by layer, finally becoming a solemn and majestic Heavenly Dao Dharma Wheel. Once its silhouette was completely stabilized, it suddenly erupted with vast power, carrying the majesty of the Heavenly Dao Laws, piercing straight through the enemy's Heavenly Dao barrier; before the first strike had ended, a second strike arrived, continuous and unending.