Ling Yun hovered in the radiant shroud infused with the Dao of Life above the withering World Tree like he was the creator of the Bewildering Dustlands. Ripples of life energy radiated visibly outward, spreading a profound unease among all those present. Ling Yun's expression remained calm. A vortex slowly revolved between his brows, creating a suction that drew in the surrounding vitality. All the Outer Gods and True Gods in the Bewildering Dustlands found that the vitality deep within their bodies was affected by that vortex. Ancient beings long erased from the river of time flickered silently into view behind Ling Yun. Merely gazing upon Ling Yun made one feel as if they were facing a being of ultimate evil. Everyone's heartbeat quickened. His Dao of Life had infiltrated their bloodstreams. Veins and crystal bloodline chains tangled into disarray. Dong Tianze doubled down despite the crushing pressure and the mutating blood essence in his body. "If you were the victor, you wouldn't be here," he said bluntly. "A victor would still reign supreme over the bizarre mist and still be the World God Paragon. But you? You perished in defeat. You even lost against Pang Jian in the Ruin Realm. What are you, if not a failure?" There was no retreat from this starry region. Only two paths remained: Kill or be killed. There was no third option. Dong Tianze was a loner, with no family and only a few dear friends. He had also never feared death. In his eyes, leaving the Abyss and witnessing the wonders in the vast starry skies was more than enough. Not to mention, he had even met the seniors he revered as a youth and had explored both the Darkcloud Realm and the Bewildering Dustlands. He had no regrets. He would rather die than grovel before someone like Ling Yun. "Not even Fu Ya or that Black Empyrean Phoenix dare to speak to me ." Ling Yun raised his hand, palm aimed straight at Dong Tianze. A scarlet world emerged from the center of his palm. Gem-like drops of blood essence shimmered within like stars, far more numerous and radiant than the blood essence Dong Tianze had gathered by far. "I am the end game of the Dao you seek. What I've achieved in a lifetime, you may never reach. Yet you dare call me a failure?" Ling Yun had no intention of wasting more words. The blood-red world in his hand pressed downward. Drops of blood essence bore down on Dong Tianze's crown like shooting stars, releasing a devouring force. All the blood essence Dong Tianze had obtained from the Celestial Phoenix, Pang Jian, and the major races in the Abyss wasl wrenched out in a single overwhelming sweep. Even the blood coursing through Dong Tianze's body was torn away. His cultivation realm plummeted, slipping from the True God Realm to that of a mortal on the verge of death. "I dare you to act cocky again," Ling Yun threatened. Dong Tianze bared his teeth in a savage grin, trying to sneer defiantly— His body exploded with a loud bang. Within the droplets were flickering images of Dong Tianze, flashes of the Celestial Phoenix soaring, and glimpses of the bloodline mysteries of various races. A blood-drenched divine sword drifted alongside the scattered chunks of flesh, its sword soul letting out a mournful wail. Why did you have to do that? Didn't we agree to pursue our own path to strength? You knew who he was. You knew he was invincible. Why did you provoke him? What am I supposed to do now that you're dead? The sword soul of the Bloodthirsty Blade despaired within the sword, aware that its end was near as well. "Dong Tianze!" Li Zhaotian cried. He had invested heavily behind the scenes to help Dong Tianze, even gifting the Bloodthirsty Sword to him. Pei Lin's death had left him feeling stifled, but in the end, they had only just met and had no emotional bond. Dong Tianze, on the other hand, was one of the juniors he had invested time and effort into. In his heart, he regarded Dong Tianze as one of the Sword Pavilion's own. He never imagined Dong Tianze would be the second to fall, right after Pei Lin. The loss of Pei Lin and Dong Tianze also left the True Gods below, like Li Wang, Su Wanrou, Zhu Ji, Li Yuqing, and Wu Yuan, in grief. Ling Yun's appearance and overwhelming power left them feeling helpless. The fierce battles in the Bewildering Dustlands came to a halt. Both the Outer Gods and the True Gods were shaken to the core at the sight of the long-dead Ling Yun's return and his slaying of Pei Lin and Dong Tianze. Everyone knew Ling Yun was not a Sovereign. At most, he was only in high-ranking godhood. Despite this, the methods he displayed inspired both fear and awe. It drove home a sobering truth for all those present: A reborn Sovereign could not be judged by their cultivation realm alone. A Sovereign was still a Sovereign, even in death! At the center of the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis in the Ruin Realm, Pang Jian's body trembled from grief and sorrow. Reaching out to the Soulstream in the Nether Abyss, he repeatedly called to Pang Lin, Find a way to send me to the Bewildering Dustlands! I need to go to the Bewildering Dustlands! He hoped to use her Illusory Void Realm to go to the Bewildering Dustlands and avenge Dong Tianze. Memories streamed like rivers through his mind. The path he had walked with Dong Tianze was unlike any other, going from foes to allies through strange twists of fate. "Ling Yun!" Pang Jian roared in frustration, voice booming across the Ruin Realm. A tangle of emotions rose within Pang Jian's heart. The energies of the Ruin Realm stirred in response. Explosions erupted across the continents, blossoming into cascading shooting stars. Dazzling, turbulent, and overflowing with rage. "He's gone mad..." Mu Duo murmured in alarm. On a verdant star, terrifying ripples of energy detonated left and right in the lush forest where he resided, annihilating swathes of woodland spanning tens of thousands of li and splitting the ground apart. Even the essence of the vegetation carried Pang Jian's fury. This apocalyptic sight made Mu Duo realize that Pang Jian's attunement with the Ruin Realm had reached an extremely high level. His unsteady state of mind was triggering the destruction of the Ruin Realm itself. The painstakingly refined stars and continents risked crumbling into nothingness. "His will is the will of the Ruin Realm. He is the foundation of its Dao. If he loses control, this realm will cease to exist. What in the world happened to drive him to this state?" Mu Duo considered making an appearance to attempt to calm Pang Jian down and stop him from spiraling further. However, he feared it would have the opposite effect and that, in his frenzy, Pang Jian would turn on him instead. "Let's just hope he comes to his senses before the Ruin Realm is destroyed," Mu Duo muttered to himself. Eventually, Pang Lin's voice finally rippled out through the Soulstream. I'm here, Brother.I felt your fury, and I know something has happened to Brother Dong. Brother, existences like you and me can't lose our composure so easily. Don't worry. Brother Dong protected me in the Abyss. I have a way to revive him. I left a mark on him when he fused with a drop of my blood essence and became one of the Celestial Phoenix Divine Guards. As for the Bewildering Dustlands, just give me some time. At the Bewildering Dustlands, Zi Wu let out a long sigh, tension easing out of him. "It's over," Zi Wu mumbled. "The ways of the world are truly unpredictable. That terrifying Sovereign who once led the charge from the bizarre mist into the starry skies and nearly seized control of the Hall of Gods actually reconciled with his disciple." This matter was not a secret. Ling Yun, having elevated the Spirit Race's status in the starry skies and the bizarre mist, had enjoyed greater prestige and authority in his time than Fu Ya now. The Spirit Race had been the foremost force of the starry skies when he was alive. This was the reason he dared to dream of the Spirit Race ruling all the other races. For Ling Yun to appear in the Bewildering Dustlands was clear proof that the master and disciple had reconciled. With Ling Yun here, the True Gods could not possibly stir up new waves. "Don't mention the past between Ling Yun and Fu Ya from now onward," Ling Xuan said, glancing coldly at Zi Wu as he toyed with the black crystal orb radiating the aura of time. "Our race is about to have two powerhourses shine forth together—one of the past, and one of the present. I won't let your words sow discord between them." Zi Wu's figure trembled, and he instinctively lowered his head in deference. "Understood." Ling Xuan's words similarly left the other Outer Gods shaken. Everyone could not help but feel that the Spirit Race was truly positioned to reign supreme over both the starry skies and the bizarre mist. Ling Yun alone had once elevated the Spirit Race to terrifying heights. After joining forces with the God of Wisdom, Fu Ya, nobody would dare challenge the Spirit Race in the future. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱 With his head lowered, Zi Wu slipped into a spatial rift, preparing to use his secret techniques to report this monumental news to Tian Yu. Zi Wu suddenly froze. He could not establish a connection with Tian Yu as usual. Then, he tried to head to Tian Yu in person. Something's wrong. Why can't I find the way back home? This startled Zi Wu more than anything. Every spatial rift was anchored on the other end to the Voidstar, the central hub of the Void Race in the starry skies. Regardless of his location, he had always been able to glance back and see the valley on Voidstar. However, no matter how he looked now, there was nothing. Someone like me, a God of the Void Race, lost in a spatial rift? That's impossible! Despite Zi Wu's attempts to reassure himself, he could not help feeling disquieted.