Meng Qi's brow split open, and before him floated an ancient lamp without color. Its black-and-white light flowed endlessly into the pitch-black world, revealing the illusory world of karma, crisscrossed with brilliant Star Lines.
The saber severed the past, the sword cut down the future. The threads of karma stirred without wind, swaying violently. Overlord, Guerduo, Su Daji, Master Lu—even the entire tomb—seemed to grow somewhat unreal. Once the world of karma collapsed, all things would fall into utter chaos and return to the Cause of All Fruits.
Meanwhile, the phantom Overlord had summoned from the River of Time grew fainter and fainter, as though it had lost its connection. At that moment, the divided sword lights came slashing down, changing their fates. They veered away from their original targets, and the halberds, sabers, cauldrons, and other weapons wheeled around to attack Overlord. Light interwove, pouring down like a torrential rain, leaving not a single angle for him to dodge. No—not a single angle except the spot Overlord himself occupied.
But Master Lu formed a formation with one sword, uniting the six directions. He drew out the full meaning of the six directions—"above, below, and the four quarters make the universe"—from the most basic sword techniques, pouring all the power of his Inner World into it as he slashed toward that spot with an overwhelming force.
At that moment, Overlord seemed to be surrounded by an endless starry sky, enemies on every side. Looking back at the past, none had come before him; looking ahead to the future, none would follow. In the long, long universe, he wept with sorrow. An unprecedented loneliness overcame him, as though he were fated to stand against the whole world.
"Come on, then!" Overlord roared. His body expanded rapidly, a layer of black armor