The Victor Becomes King, the Vanquished an Outlaw! We'll Fight Again in the Next Life!

Qi Yun slowly lowered his eyes.

His gaze fell on the outstretched right hand—a slender, fair hand with distinct knuckles, which was now enveloped in an indescribable aura.

It clung to my fingertips like a docile, dark ribbon, eerily quiet.

However, only Qi Yun himself knew what terrifying and immense power lay hidden beneath these seemingly docile silk ribbons.

A slight upturn at the corners of her lips created a very faint curve.

In that arc, there was no pride, no arrogance, only a calm understanding of the overall situation.

The tides turn, fate demands its favor—you have no choice but to obey Qi's orders—

He raised his eyes, looking at the countless righteous cultivators standing proudly behind that majestic golden light, at the three intertwined dragon mights in the distance, and at the faintly flickering Buddhist light in the distance.

Everyone who enters the game believes they are the one making the moves.

Little did they know, another hand had already been placed on this chessboard.

"Cough----"

A very soft, muffled cough escaped from Qi Yun's throat.

A trickle of blood slowly snaked down from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his chin and turning into specks of blood mist in the void before being crushed and dissipated by the extremely oppressive aura around him.

Within his body, the vast and boundless energy was surging and churning wildly!

That was the power of a million Devil Cultivator, the intent of the eternal demonic path, and the convergence of all the evil forces in this world.

Even if he forcibly restrains and suppresses them with his [Wield Myriad Laws] Divine Ability of control.

That power was still too immense and too violent.

Every breath is a backlash.

Every moment is a tearing apart.

Deep within the Purple Mansion, the Great Luo Heaven trembled violently, chaotic energy surged wildly, and even the Primordial True Body that suppressed all laws faintly showed subtle cracks.

If it were an ordinary cultivator, even a Great True Person, their mind would probably have been overwhelmed and their Dao Foundation shattered by this power.

Even Qi Yun was merely using himself as a dam to forcibly block this raging torrent.

Dikes will eventually collapse.

But "that won't happen soon."

He spoke softly to himself, his voice as calm as if he were recounting a trivial matter.

Deep within those eyes, which had turned into a chaotic color, a deeper light seemed to be slowly igniting.

The next moment.

He moved.

The right hand, entwined with the demonic energy of this world, slowly extended.

The movements are very slow.

It was so slow that everyone could clearly see the spread of the five fingers, the trajectory of the outstretched palm, and how the fingertips extended forward little by little.

However, the instant that palm touched the radiant golden light, "whoosh—"

A soft sound.

It was as light as a sharp blade cutting into flowing water, or a hot knife slicing through butter.

That Profound Heart Orthodox Unity Forbidden Art, capable of rendering a million Devil Cultivator cultivators helpless, that supreme restriction laid down by the Hao Ran Holy Land with all its resources.

It was brutally pierced through by this hand in full view of everyone!

There was no loud noise, no explosion, no earth-shattering phenomenon.

That single hand pierced through the golden barrier with such ease.

Like piercing through a thin mist.

The magnificent golden light trembled violently!

Countless golden characters swirled wildly, and the chanting of "Heaven and Earth are filled with righteous energy" suddenly rose to a crescendo, like a roaring torrent!

However, wherever that hand passed, all the golden light, all the words, and all the majestic spirit retreated to the sides as if a subject were meeting his king!

True Person Sansi's pupils suddenly contracted!

Lady Jiuli suddenly stood up!

The dark yellow bamboo True Person Zַhuanlun's hand cracked open with a snap!

The three Great True Person all paled in shock!

"He's about to break the formation?!"

"The Profound Heart Orthodox Unity Forbidden Art —has it really been broken?!"

At that moment, countless gazes, whether from demonic cultivators, the Three Seas Dragon Clan, or the righteous cultivators behind the golden light, all converged on that outstretched palm!

Everyone thought -

That imposing barrier that has separated the Liaozheng and the demonic forces and kept the two armies locked in a stalemate until now is about to be completely torn apart by this hand!

A crazed light ignited in the eyes of the million Devil Cultivator!

Behind the Three Seas Dragon Clan, the sea army roared deafeningly!

After the magnificent golden light, countless righteous cultivators tensed up, clenching their teeth in preparation for the final bloody battle!

However, after piercing through the golden light, that hand did not tear forward.

Instead, it turned around.

It was as if it had found some unseen thread in the the Unseen, turned slightly, and then reached out and grasped it from afar in some place in the void.

"Boom-!!!"

The void exploded!

That hand, entwined with the demonic energy of this world, disregarded the distance of space and the barriers of cause and effect, and traversed millions of miles, probing straight into another realm!

Beyond the golden light, deep within the ruins of the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm.

In a secluded Zen temple, a figure dressed in a black robe sat in meditation on a futon with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide!

In those eyes, a flash of golden dragon energy appeared, along with the illusory images of mountains and rivers, and a barely audible sigh, tinged with astonishment and understanding, escaped. "They've come."

Before the words were even finished!

The void above his head tore apart without warning!

A hand wreathed in chaotic energy emerged from the crack!

That hand, with its five fingers spread out, gently grasped his.

The next instant, the hand was withdrawn.

He was dragged along with the entire body into the torn void.

The Zen temple returned to its usual tranquility, as if nothing had happened.

Only a faint lingering aura of imperial dragon energy remained on the futon, slowly dissipating.

Before the magnificent golden light.

The void twisted and cracked open, revealing a deep fissure.

The hand that had reached inside slowly withdrew.

There was one more person in my hands.

The man was dressed in a black robe, with an ordinary face and a calm demeanor, no different from ordinary cultivators.

However, at this moment, the disguise he wore was being peeled away inch by inch.

The gray monk's robe turned to ashes, revealing the illusory shadow of a dark golden imperial robe beneath.

Although the phantom was faint, it exuded a majestic aura of ruling over mountains and rivers and dominating all people.

He slightly raised his head.

That once ordinary face now shed all pretense, revealing its true appearance.

With sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, he possessed a composed and dignified air. His brows hinted at the weight of mountains and rivers, and his eyes seemed to hold the weight of the rise and fall of an entire dynasty.

Zhao Qian, the Crown Prince of the Southern Yin Dynasty!

At that moment, he was held in that hand, suspended in mid-air.

Behind them, the vast golden light still flowed.

Before him stood a deep blue figure with his hands behind his back.

Countless gazes, initially shocked, bewildered, and confused, gradually transformed into unbelievable awe!

The hand of the True Person Sansi gripping the sword hilt trembled slightly.

Within the phoenix eyes of the Lady Jiuli, the flames flickered violently.

The ethereal green eyes of the Wheel -True Person Zַhuanlun flowed slowly.

"This—this is—"

"The Crown Prince of Southern Yin?! Wasn't he dead?!"

"Thirty years ago, the Southern Yin Dynasty collapsed, and the Crown Prince had already—"

"No! The aura emanating from him—that's— Supreme Dao Foundation?!"

In the void.

Qi Yun slowly released his grip on the neck of the Crown Prince of Southern Yin.

He stood there with his hands behind his back, looking down at the man before him, whom he had once regarded as a formidable rival, who had almost caused his Dao Foundation to crumble.

Deep within those chaotic eyes, there was neither joy nor sorrow, only an unfathomable calm.

Crown Prince of Southern Yin raised his head.

He gazed at Qi Yun, at those eyes that had turned to murmurs, at that face that was more composed and profound than it had been back then.

There was no fear on his face.

There was no panic.

It didn't even attempt to struggle.

There was only a trace of clear-headedness and openness.

From the moment he witnessed Qi Yun's Dharma Body attain enlightenment on Spirit Mountain and become the Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord, he knew that this day would come.

When supreme beings clash, the victor reigns supreme.

This was the destined fate between him and Qi Yun.

You can't dodge it, you can't escape it, you can't avoid it.

Qi Yun spoke slowly, his voice calm, as if stating something perfectly ordinary. "Fellow Daoist, it's been a long time."

He paused, his gaze settling on that composed face. "If I wish to ascend to the supreme throne, I need to borrow your Great Dao."

"Please, fellow Daoist..."

"Help me."

After he finished speaking, a deathly silence fell over the surroundings.

Let's borrow the power of the Great Way.

It was said so casually, as if it were just an ordinary object.

But everyone understood what that meant.

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince of Southern Yin remained silent for a moment.

Then he smiled.

The smile was faint, almost imperceptible, yet it carried a sense of relief and composure born from experiencing the vicissitudes of life.

He raised his head slightly to meet Qi Yun's chaotic eyes, and slowly spoke, his voice clear and each word like iron. "The victor is king, the loser is villain; fellow Daoist, there's no need for further words."

Qi Yun remained silent, simply watching him quietly.

The smile on the face of the Crown Prince of Southern Yin slowly widened.

There was no resentment or bitterness in that smile.

There is only one kind of open-mindedness: to meet a worthy opponent and accept defeat gracefully.

He took a deep breath and looked at the man before him, the man he had clashed with twice and who had ultimately trampled him underfoot.

Looking at the vast and boundless sky, at the rolling and surging demonic clouds, at the countless gazes filled with shock, complexity, or awe.

Then, he looked up to the sky and laughed loudly, a clear and unrestrained laugh carrying a kingly pride and a sense of relief at the end of his life, "In this life, you have won, fellow Daoist."

He paused, and in his eyes, it seemed as if the mountains and rivers, the people, and the great cause of restoring the country that he had planned for half his life flashed before his eyes.

In the end, all of this turned into a peaceful smile.

He looked at Qi Yun, and said each word as if making a vow, "In the next life, I will still strive to catch up."

Fellow Daoist -

"Let's fight again in the next life!"

As he finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes.

On that face, there was no fear, no regret, only one thing—

The calm that has settled the dust.

In the void, the hand that was entwined with the demonic energy of this world rose once more.

It slowly descended towards the top of his head.

Qi Yun's chaotic eyes, now silently gazing at his opponent who calmly faced death, seemed to flicker with a faint, almost imperceptible glint deep within them—

Respect.

Then, his palm fell.

"Boom-!!!"

The world was utterly silent.

Only that deep blue figure stood with his hands behind his back in the void, his robes motionless in the raging wind.

Behind them, the vast golden light still flowed.

Before him stood the Crown Prince of Southern Yin, who had closed his eyes and calmly accepted his fate.

In the distance, the Three Seas Dragon Clan remained silent.

Further away, the faintly flickering light of the Buddha suddenly froze for a moment.

At this moment, the entire flow of Qi in the Xuanhuang Home Realm seemed to tremble slightly.