The Ultimate Victor

Universe Domain.

Heaven Mending Pavilion.

On a celestial mountain suspended in the firmament, shrouded in auspicious mist, the fair, porcelain-like face of Yue Chan was deathly pale. Yet, she did not withdraw from that profound state, choosing instead to gnaw on spirit herbs while continuing to contemplate those arcane runes.

She was deeply perplexed; it was not as if she had never studied powerful precious techniques or divine abilities before, but none had ever drained her mental energy to such an extent.

However, despite the immense exhaustion, she refused to give up. Firstly, this precious technique was incredibly potent, and secondly, it was currently complete and flawless. If she were to withdraw now and lose the resonance, would she not be missing out on a Heaven-tier precious technique?

Radiant light suffused Yue Chan's body. The void behind her rippled, manifesting a passage where auspicious mists billowed and brilliant, ethereal light shimmered. Within that radiance stood a figure identical to Yue Chan, yet her temperament was even more sacred than the one present, appearing like an immortal sitting enthroned within the moon.

This was Yue Chan's main body. Since it was difficult for her avatar to fully comprehend the Heaven-tier precious technique in a short time, the avatar was communicating with the main body to study it in tandem.

Cosmos Domain.

Heaven Severing Sect.

In a sacred, hidden realm, the Witch lay on the ground with no regard for her image, staring at the jade bone covered in runes, her eyes filled with resentment.

There was a problem with this precious technique—a massive problem.

Of course, the issue was not with the technique itself, but rather that during the process of contemplation, the jade bone would devour her power of faith.

The power of faith originated from one's essence, energy, and spirit; it was a mysterious and profound force. A small amount would be negligible, but this was not a small amount—it was a continuous, relentless drain.

Though resentful, she did not complain. As it stood, this was an equivalent exchange: the other party revealed a complete Heaven-tier precious technique, and she had to pay with her power of faith.

"I haven't even worked this hard for my own Sacrificial Spirit. This is like draining the pond to catch the fish."

The Witch grumbled indignantly, taking out a spirit herb and swallowing it directly. Simultaneously, the void behind her roared as Heavenly Passages emerged one after another. Figures stepped out from within: there were cold, aloof fairies, charming and alluring fox-women, and...

Desolate Region.

Mist Mountains.

The center of the Lotus War Goddess's brow glowed, as if it contained a world of its own. Auspicious mists billowed, and a stunningly beautiful figure sat cross-legged within.

At this moment, the aura of the Lotus War Goddess was incredibly imposing. The armor on her body clattered, then shattered, transforming into a rain of silver light that merged into the war halberd in her hand.

"Pfft."

The Lotus War Goddess appeared instantly before God Emperor Qimu, the silver halberd in her hand piercing directly through the center of his brow.

God Emperor Qimu's expression was one of horror. How could she be this strong? Who was providing her with such a constant stream of power? Who?

The Lotus War Goddess remained silent, the long spear in her hand erupting with light, and the body of God Emperor Qimu gradually dissipated within that radiance.

Even in death, God Emperor Qimu was filled with unwillingness. Everything had clearly been within his grasp; he possessed that Totem Pillar of heaven-defying origin and an endless supply of power. Even if it were a god, he should have been able to wear them down, yet he was the one who had been worn down to nothing.

"Dead?"

Su Ye looked at the shattered remains of God Emperor Qimu. This time, the opponent did not recover, and the surrounding world began to collapse.

The long spear in the Lotus War Goddess's hand vanished, and her body became incredibly ethereal, as if a gust of wind could scatter her.

Su Ye hurried forward, though he did not get too close. He looked at the Lotus War Goddess with a hint of wariness and asked, "You won?"

The Lotus War Goddess looked at Su Ye, her expression somewhat desolate.

Won?

She had indeed won, but she had also lost.

She no longer had the strength for another battle; in the end, everything would belong to the youth before her.

Su Ye looked at the spot where God Emperor Qimu had dissipated. The opponent had not recovered, and he could no longer sense his aura; it seemed he was truly dead. He turned his gaze to the Lotus War Goddess, who could not even maintain her dharma body, clearly having exhausted herself completely.

The final victor was him.

When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman reaps the benefit.

As the ultimate winner, a brilliant smile appeared on Su Ye's face. With a wave of his hand, the Totem Pillar fell back into his grasp, and he felt the immense power contained within it.

"Um, is God Emperor Qimu really completely wiped out?"

Su Ye looked at the Lotus War Goddess. Although the current God Emperor Qimu was only a remnant soul, he had once been a powerful Heavenly God. If he had left behind any contingency plans, it would not be something he, a mere Blood-Moving Realm cultivator, could contend with.

"Dead," the Lotus War Goddess said.

"Dead is good then."

Su Ye breathed a sigh of relief. He no longer needed to worry about anything. He looked at the Lotus War Goddess and said with a smile, "Do you want this Totem Pillar?"

The Lotus War Goddess looked at Su Ye with a puzzled expression. She could not see through this person. To say he was clever—he truly was, as he had not been deceived by God Emperor Qimu and had instead outmaneuvered him. To say he was foolish—he was certainly foolish enough to dare keep God Emperor Qimu by his side, and now, he hadn't killed her at the first opportunity, instead allowing her to recover.

"Why are you looking at me like I'm an idiot?"

Su Ye frowned, feeling a bit indignant toward this woman who looked like a peerless war goddess of unparalleled grace. He retorted, "Don't assume everyone is as bad as you think. Even though you are a divine herb and eating you could quickly increase my strength or even improve my constitution to become a peerless genius, it holds no great attraction for me, because I am already invincible."

By the end, his expression was arrogant, filled with absolute confidence in himself.

The Lotus War Goddess looked at him in astonishment, sensing that he was not lying. This left her deeply shocked. She was a divine herb; even a Sect Master would not dare to treat her with such disregard, yet this person looked at her as if she were nothing.

Are the young people of today all this extraordinary?

Su Ye smiled and said, "Refusal is the greatest form of greed, for I do not have my eyes on your dwindling essence, but rather on you yourself."

The Lotus War Goddess furrowed her delicate brows upon hearing this, her expression turning icy.

"Do not misunderstand; what I have my eyes on are your precious techniques, your knowledge, and your future. Simply put, I need a protector to safeguard my path."

Su Ye hurriedly explained. He was not a lecherous man... well, perhaps a little, but he knew one thing: lust is a blade. He would not throw himself at someone or make a wrong decision that would land him in danger just because of beauty.

After this incident, he realized that this world was far more dangerous than he had imagined. If he wanted to survive here, he needed a protector to watch over his path.

One must know that even the Desolate Heaven Emperor had many protectors by his side throughout his journey, such as the Willow Deity, Little Pagoda, Qi Daolin, and the Great Elder.

He chose the Little Dream God Lotus because, at least in his current view, she was not an evil existence; otherwise, he, the "fisherman," would have already been dead.