Arrival on the Heaven-Connecting Road

War raged across the Path to Heaven, blood staining the ancient road through the void.

"Damn it! At this rate, we won't hold out!" An ancient god swung his spear in a savage arc. Its piercing light tore through the sky and killed a sixteen-winged angel on the spot. But wounds covered his body, his divine power was nearly spent, and his breathing grew more ragged by the moment.

The surviving ancient gods at his side gritted their teeth and held their ground. "Hold on! The Demon Lord said that once all the mighty warriors of the Primordial Wilderness arrive, the Heavenly Dao will fall!"

Uncertainty and unease flickered in one god's eyes. "Can we really count on that? Does the Primordial Wilderness truly have the strength to crush the Heavenly Dao? We've left the Space-Time God's protection behind. If this campaign fails, he won't be here to open a tunnel through space-time where we can hide and wait. Nothing but death awaits us!"

"Ah... I don't know what lies ahead either." An elderly ancient god gazed at the flames of war filling the sky, his eyes weary with the weight of ages. "I've long been tired of these endless conflicts. This will be my last battle. I only hope my worn-out life can buy future generations one more chance to survive."

With that, he looked fondly over the comrades who had fought and bled beside him, then smiled in acceptance. "My friends, I'll go on ahead!"

Before his words had faded, he charged without hesitation into the densely packed army of the Heavenly Dao and detonated his own body!

A thunderous blast shook the void. Boundless divine power swept outward, wiping out a swath of the enemy. At the cost of his life, he bought his comrades a brief