Cause and Effect, an Ancient Existence (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

That golden eye hung across the firmament.

Like the Eye of Judgment, it locked onto Gu Han with cold indifference. The moment its gaze touched him, Gu Han felt as if all the blood in his body had frozen solid.

Immediately following, a voice brimming with immense fury exploded in everyone's ears, shaking the entire sky above the Star Dou Great Forest:

"God of Karma!"

"I have tolerated you time and again, yet you repeatedly interfere with My divine successor and invert cause and effect. Do you truly believe I dare not utterly annihilate a godling like you who has yet to fully grow?!"

God of Karma!

These four words struck like a thunderclap, startling the Shrek group and causing Gu Han's heart to tremble violently.

Is he talking to me?

Am I... the God of Karma? What on earth is going on?

Before Gu Han could think it through, a flash of ruthlessness appeared in that eye. Vast divine power condensed, and an entire ocean instantly manifested above the Star Dou Great Forest.

In an instant, the ocean coalesced into a beam of azure divine light, crashing down upon Gu Han like a collapsing celestial river.

Wherever the divine light passed, space shattered, revealing the boundless void within.

"Watch out!"

Zhao Wuji roared, attempting to step forward, but under that divine might, he could not muster the strength to resist. As for those whose cultivation was only at the Great Soul Master level, they collapsed in a faint, unable to withstand the pressure.

Gu Han's pupils constricted; the shadow of death loomed over his heart.

Almost instinctively, he unleashed his full power. The Sky Frost Sword erupted with unprecedented chill, pushing his Ultimate Ice attribute to its limit, while his fifth soul ring—nearing one hundred thousand years—flashed frantically.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Ice Dragon Descends!"

A massive crystalline ice dragon roared as it soared into the sky, carrying an extreme chill as it slammed headlong into the azure divine light.

"Crack... BOOM!!!"

The moment the ice dragon made contact with the divine light, it lasted less than a breath before shattering into pieces, turning into a sky full of ice crystals that vanished into dust.

The divine light was only obstructed for a fleeting moment; its power remained almost undiminished, still carrying an aura capable of destroying everything as it crushed down toward Gu Han.

The gap was too vast. How could a mortal contend with a god?

Just at this critical juncture, An ancient will, far older than Gu Han's own soul power and spanning endless time and space, suddenly awakened within his body.

"Hmph."

A faint, cold snort, carrying a sense of indifference that looked down upon the ages, echoed between heaven and earth.

The voice was seven or eight parts similar to Gu Han's, yet it was filled with endless vicissitudes.

Immediately, without Gu Han even being able to react, his body ceased to be under his own control and began to move on its own.

The Sky Frost Sword in his hand dissipated silently, replaced by the Karma Scissors, which emerged from his palm wreathed in countless threads of light.

But the Karma Scissors were no longer as they appeared in his daily life; they had become more ethereal, as if woven from countless laws and timelines spanning endless space-time.

"Sea God, you dare."

The will originating from within Gu Han's body spoke.

"Gu Han" raised his hand and waved it gently. A phantom of a long river, containing the destinies of all living beings from the past to the present, stretched directly across the heavens.

Countless Lines of Karma, varying in thickness and color, spread from the river and instantly filled the entire sky, completely stalling the azure divine light.

"It is fortunate I kept an ace up my sleeve, hiding this portion of divine power deep within the origin of my martial soul. Otherwise, you might have actually succeeded."

"Gu Han" muttered to himself and took a step forward.

With the first step, the soul rings beneath his feet shattered entirely, yet his aura climbed abruptly, breaking through the bottleneck to reach the Soul Emperor level.

With the second step, the pressure of a Soul Saint swept across the surroundings.

With the third step, the aura of a Soul Douluo placed even greater pressure on the nearby soul beasts.

With the fourth step, the pressure of a Titled Douluo descended directly.

With the fifth step, he crossed that invisible threshold and stepped into the god-level.

The sixth step... the seventh step...

With every step, he ascended a realm. His aura surged wildly, and each step seemed to land on a node of the River of Time, triggering resonance across countless dimensions.

When his seventh step landed, the pressure radiating from his body was even more powerful than that of the Sea God above.

"In My name, I wield karma, trace the origin, and sever your divine will."

"Gu Han's" voice was cold. He gently slashed the Karma Scissors through the void.

This cut was not aimed at the divine light, but rather followed the countless Lines of Karma, flowing upstream. Tracing the connection between the Sea God's attack and his true form in the God Realm, it crossed endless space and struck directly at the Sea God's true body within the God Realm.

"Pfft—"

In the distant God Realm, within the Sea God Temple, the Sea God seated upon his throne suddenly opened his eyes, and a mouthful of golden divine blood uncontrollably gushed out.

He felt an irresistible force of karma strike directly at his godhead, causing severe damage to his divine soul.

"You...!"

The Sea God was both shocked and furious. He had never imagined that a God of Karma who hadn't even fully awakened could wound him from across the endless reaches of space and time.

Although it seemed the opponent had utilized a trump card accumulated over a long period, this level of control over karma was truly terrifying.

"Fine, very well. God of Karma, this deity will remember this grudge."

The Sea God's voice, laced with pain and rage, echoed over the Star Dou Great Forest for a long time, sounding noticeably weaker than before.

"Asura, the future..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the golden eye in the sky flickered violently, and with a final trace of unwillingness and fury, it slowly dissipated.

The terrifying pressure vanished along with the eye.

The Star Dou Great Forest returned to brightness, as if everything that had just happened were merely a dream.

The ancient will within Gu Han gradually receded. As he regained control of his body, his face turned pale, the toll on him having been immense.

A whisper left behind by that will still echoed in his mind, heavy with profound meaning:

"I did not expect that in this lifetime, I would be forced to activate this portion of divine power so early. The path ahead must be walked by you alone. I believe it won't be long before we meet again in the River of Time..."

"However, it is not yet time for you to know these memories. Let me erase them for you; when the time is right, you will naturally know everything."

Gu Han stood frozen in place, a trace of bewilderment in his heart. Looking at the people collapsed on the ground, he had yet to process what had happened, but his attention was suddenly drawn by the sound of the system.

[Ding! Successfully resisted a god-level threat. By utilizing external power, you have glimpsed your own divine karma and significantly altered the trajectory of fate! Reward: Divine Consciousness Seed x1, Magic Modification Points 5000! System permissions upgraded, unlocking a portion of the High-Level Information Database.]