Deep within the Sea of Karmic Force, a complete upheaval erupted.
Driven by the rage of the Ancestral Dragon Remnant Soul, a rage capable of burning all things, the final resentment of the Dragon Clan's countless dead souls condensed into an indescribably black, dragon-shaped shockwave.
It was not a divine ability, nor was it a law.
It was the pure grief and hatred of an entire race, from its pinnacle to its extinction.
It tore through the deathly stillness, shattered every weak resentful spirit in its path, and crashed viciously toward Yang Chen's Divine Soul body, which was so tiny before it as to be nearly nonexistent.
Even a dead overlord's dignity was not something just anyone could trample!
However.
Faced with this ultimate strike, enough to instantly shatter even a Quasi-Saint's Divine Soul, Yang Chen could not even be bothered to lift an eyelid.
He merely yawned.
A remarkably genuine yawn, full of drowsiness and boredom.
Then he slowly raised a finger and gently wagged it before himself.
"Hey."
His voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the deafening roar of resentment.
"Don't start fighting."
"It might hurt our harmony."
The instant the words fell, the expression on his face changed strangely.
The impatience and laziness that had seemed ingrained in his bones vanished without a trace.
In their place was an expression of extreme "sincerity."
He gazed at the boundlessly immense Ancestral Dragon Remnant Soul, his eyes clear and his tone earnest, as though he were discussing a serious matter with an old friend he had not seen in years.
"Actually, you have a point."
That single sentence caused the world-destroying black dragon-shaped shockwave to hesitate ever so slightly just three feet away from him.
The seemingly fragile Profound Yellow light barrier cast down by the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda effortlessly halted the force of the blow.
Yet what truly made it stop was Yang Chen's unexpected concession.
The hollow eye sockets of the Ancestral Dragon Remnant Soul, burning with ghastly green flames, flickered violently.
Had he backed down?
Yang Chen continued in that incomparably sincere tone:
"A debt must be repaid. That is only natural."
"This karma of mine really is a terrible mess. It gives me quite a headache too."
His words brought a brief calm to the once-raging Sea of Karmic Force. Even the wills of the Phoenix Ancestor and First Qilin, hidden deeper within and maintaining their proud stances, turned their attention toward him.
Had this junior finally realized just what kind of terrifying existences he faced?
Was he going to repay them?
The brutal fury within the Ancestral Dragon's will receded slightly, turning into a cold appraisal.
It wanted to see how this junior intended to repay this blood-deep enmity.
At that moment, under everyone's watchful gaze, the "sincerity" on Yang Chen's face reached its peak. He even clapped his hands and revealed a smile that could only be called "radiant."
"So, I just thought of a once-and-for-all solution that will perfectly resolve every problem!"
That smile caused an inexplicable chill to rise in the depths of the Ancestral Dragon's heart.
Something was wrong.
There was something wrong with this junior's gaze!
That was not remorse, much less fear.
It was... the relief of finally finding a way out, the pure delight of being about to throw off every last bit of trouble!
"That is..."
Yang Chen's voice suddenly rose, brimming with passion and infectious fervor, as though he were announcing a great decision worthy of being recorded in the history of the primordial world.
"I'll drop all my defenses right now and let this boundless karmic force blow me up!"
Boom!
Those words exploded through the depths of the Sea of Karmic Force like a chaotic divine thunderbolt.
The Ancestral Dragon froze.
The Phoenix Ancestor's will went rigid.
First Qilin's mournful cry abruptly ceased as well.
The cores of their thoughts seemed to have been seized tightly by an invisible hand. For a moment, they could not comprehend the meaning of those words.
Blow himself up?
He wanted to self-destruct?!
Yang Chen paid no attention whatsoever to their stunned silence. He simply went on, explaining his "repayment plan" in detail with an almost boastful tone.
"If I die, karma will be settled. Your great vengeance will be avenged, and your resentment will dissipate. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"And!"
He stressed the word, and the smile on his face grew increasingly crazed.
"I'll also blow the entire primordial world sky-high, along with those six high-and-mighty Saints and that blind Heavenly Dao!"
"I'll have them buried alongside your three clans!"
"Now then, are you satisfied with this repayment plan?"
As he spoke, he truly began to act.
Buzz—
The phantom of the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda hovering above his Divine Soul body began to thin and dim at a visible rate, its countless streams of Profound Yellow energy fading away.
That absolute defensive barrier was being withdrawn by his own hand!
Without the suppression of the merit treasure, the boundless black karmic aura belonging to Rahula on Yang Chen's Divine Soul body instantly became active.
Threads of black flame, like awakened venomous snakes, began to race wildly across the surface of his Divine Soul.
A pure, undisguised aura of destruction and mutual annihilation spread outward from him once more, suffusing the entire Sea of Karmic Force.
The dead souls of the three clans were far too familiar with this aura!
This was it!
This was the terrifying aura that, not long ago, had forced the Six Saints to bow their heads and made the Heavenly Dao bestow merit to placate it!
He was not joking!
He truly wanted to die!
He truly dared to die!
"No—!"
This time, the terrified roar did not come from any individual dead soul.
It came from the combined remnants of the Ancestral Dragon, Phoenix Ancestor, and First Qilin—the collective embodiment of the highest wills of those former overlords!
Their fury, their pride, and their venomous resentment were, in that instant, completely replaced by an even more primal and purer emotion.
Fear!
What they wanted was vengeance. They wanted this sinner who had inherited the karma to suffer their pain for all eternity, repaying the blood debt over endless years!
Not for him to die swiftly and painlessly, while conveniently blowing the entire primordial world—and their final lingering fragments of soul—into nothingness!
They were creditors!
What did creditors fear most?
Their debtor dying!
Especially this kind of ultimate deadbeat, who could drag every creditor down with him the moment he died!
At that instant, the dead souls of the three clans finally understood how the Heavenly Dao and the Six Sages had felt.
That frustration, that helplessness of fearing to harm the innocent, that powerlessness of holding an absolute advantage in both reason and strength yet being utterly controlled by the other party's "life."
"So, think carefully."
Yang Chen's voice turned icy, filled with the weight of a final ultimatum.
The black karmic flames upon him burned ever more fiercely, as though they would completely lose control the very next moment.
"Do you want me to repay this slowly, or do you want me to 'pay it all off at once' right now?"
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the completely frozen wills of the Ancestral Dragon, Phoenix Ancestor, and First Qilin. A supremely malicious curve rose at the corner of his mouth.
"Try arguing with me again."
"I'll die right in front of you!"
Before you continue