At this moment, all the heavens and myriad worlds were boiling.
The Heavenly Dao, that transcendent will which both exists and doesn't, resided in every realm.
It was a will, a law, and a silent master hiding behind the scenes, observing all creation with an emotionless gaze.
It allowed the rise and fall of all things, like the tide or the bloom and wilt of flowers.
The Heavenly Dao had always existed.
Often, what mortals call "defying the heavens" is not just rebellion against fate, but a desperate pursuit of the impossible—an ambition to reach what cannot be reached.
Yet none had imagined that among all the heavens and endless worlds, there existed someone fierce enough to truly challenge the will of the Heavenly Dao.
And the image from the World of Gods and Demons continued.
Those who climb high must be humbled, and those who travel far must go farther. In this world, what matters is not where one stands, but the direction they move.
A man stood beneath the sky. His black hair flowed like a waterfall, his diamond-like eyes shone with light, and his face was carved like a blade.
"I am immortal in a hundred battles. I live to fight. My name is Chen Zhan."
"You don't need to worry. No one in this world can kill me."
Suddenly, the screen flashed.
A lightning bolt like a divine blade tore open the endless night sky.
Thunder rolled in endless waves, turning the entire Wang Yang into a thunderous sea stretching for a million miles.
Boom.
Thunder reigned like a prison, lightning weaving a storm across the land.
Everything was ablaze with divine thunder.
Within that sea of lightning floated countless corpses, rising and falling with the tides.
These bodies differed. Some glowed like sun, moon, and stars. Mist steamed from their forms, and their crystalline bones shimmered with flowing starlight.
Others were small, no taller than mortals, buried in shadow, pale and decaying. Their bones cracked and rotted under thunder's wrath.
Hundreds of millions of skeletons drifted in the thundering ocean, each one unique.
Some calm. Some furious. Some screaming. Some twisted in agony.
But they all shared one thing.
Each corpse held its chest high and its gaze upward. Each gripped a sword and stared at the heavens.
They all looked skyward as though waiting, challenging.
Just looking at them, an overwhelming grief and sorrow welled up inside.
What were they doing?
Throughout the myriad worlds, countless beings trembled and speculated.
Suddenly, the image broke once more.
A deep voice, like a roar echoing across endless time and space, filled the heavens and the earth.
"Sharpen my sword, and I shall cut down the Nine Heavens. Spill my blood, and I will march forward."
"I, Chen Zhan, kneel neither to heaven nor earth. I only respect myself."
Boom.
A brilliant white light erupted, drowning everything.
The boundless radiance forced countless beings watching from countless worlds to narrow their eyes.
As the white faded, at the edge of sight appeared a lone figure, walking against the light. His spear was soaked in blood, and he unleashed a magnificent formation that tore through the skies.
Thunderclouds spanning thousands of miles were swept away by his shattered spear.
Above the sky, blood poured down.
As if the Heavenly Dao itself were weeping blood.
"This is..."
Across the heavens, countless people widened their eyes.
The next second, gasps rang out across every world.
They could finally see clearly.
That lone figure standing in the Thunder Prison was defying the heavens.
He was fighting the will of the world itself.
Their scalps tingled and their hearts froze.
This man had actually challenged the Nine Heavens with his own strength.
How daring was this?
What monstrous combat power did he possess?
"Is that Chen Zhan?"
"In the past, the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons commanded hundreds of millions of soldiers and led millions of gods and demons into battle. Now, Chen Zhan alone raises his battle blade against the heavens."
"The gods and demons of that world are all madmen."
The heavens trembled. Countless people shouted and roared.
And in the world of gods and demons, the purple-gold ruffian dragon's eyes widened. He slapped the shoulder of the man beside him, Chen Hei, shouting:
"Holy hell, Chen Hei, that's your father! He's too damn cool!"
Chen Hei, who had only recently recovered and still suffered memory loss, showed a dazed expression.
That man...
Could he really be his father?
Before he could react further, the image shifted again.
The broken sky vanished. The sea of thunder and corpses disappeared.
Galaxy-like chains descended from the sky, shooting from every direction.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The man who fought against the heavens was pierced by the chains and sealed within the Nine Heavens.
Drops of golden blood fell from his body and soaked into the earth.
His limbs were broken. A massive hole gaped in his chest where something had pierced him.
The divine spear in his hand had already snapped in two.
Yet his back remained upright.
And at the corners of his lips appeared a faint, mocking smile.
"Even if I stand before the ancestors, even before the heavens, can I, Chen Zhan, kneel for even half a moment?"
Then he raised his head slowly and looked toward the heavenly realm of the Chen family.
"Great Ancestor. Second Ancestor. Third Ancestor..."
"I told you. There's no need to resurrect the ancestors. Give me time, and I'll surpass them all."
"I am immortal in a hundred battles."
"I will return."
Boom.
With another thunderous blast, the image was torn apart.
In a vast cemetery where gods and demons were buried, immortal qi rose into the sky by day, forming sacred patterns shaped like ancient deities.
But when night fell, the sacred aura vanished. In its place, black demonic energy began to spread from the graves, polluting the land.
From a lonely tomb in a forgotten corner, a large pale hand burst from the soil.
A young man with deathly pale skin and ragged robes slowly climbed from the grave.
He stood beneath the full moon, wind lifting the tatters of his ancient robe.
He raised his eyes toward the void of the Nine Heavens and whispered in a hollow voice:
"God is dead."
"The devil is gone."
"Why... am I still alive?"
...
...
Thus came the end of the tenth-ranked World of Gods and Demons.
The image slowly faded to black.
But countless beings still stared, stunned and shaken.
At this moment, only one thought echoed in their minds:
Was this... truly just the tenth-ranked world?
If so...
What kind of worlds could possibly rank higher than this?