“So be it then.”

Hongjun said with no small hints of pity. As the old man looked upon Da Hai’s advancing form, he couldn’t help but see him as a cautionary tale of the dangers attachment. At the end of the day, too much emotions getting in the way.

Hongjun’s closed closed for a brief second in the real world. But in his mind, countless years went by as he recounted every moment he’d ever known Da Hai. For an ancient being like him, any and all things, even those that caused him harm brought him a sense of nostalgia.

His entire cultivation journey throughout the Primitive World. All the actions he took, those that became fruitful and those that turned out pointless. Even though he had a goal and a plan to reach that goal, these were all things subject to change. In retrospect Hongjun was never some kind of ultimate schemer.

And neither was Da Hai. He was even worst in that regard. Now that he’d reached the ultimate realm, he saw through all of Da Hai at a single glance. All the pain he buried yet carried for so long, the single minded pursuit of hate, the love he’d grown despite it all. It seemed so tragic to the purple robed immortal.

At his state, he no longer felt any strong desires anymore. Despite the humiliating method it took to get there, once he’d made the breakthrough, everything before had seemed so childish. Even Da Hai who had been close to his power for the longest time, perhaps even stronger appeared little more than a child throwing a tantrum over small matters.

He opened his eyes sadly. In his view as he was now, Da Hai had truly been a talented individual. Every cultivator who belonged to the third order of celestial beings, that was to say those above Golden Immortality, had to rely on themselves. They could not afford to listen too deeply on others lest their Dao paths diverge from originality.

Look no further than the trap that was the Devilish Dao, so many people who inadvertently trudged along the same pathway. By doing so they lost the ability to advance after a certain point. People like Da Hai, like the Chaos Godfiends, like the elders of all living beings were all talented people who found their own way way and ascended to a higher state of being. But those who reached their peak, then broke that peak to walk the truly boundless path was nigh unheard of.

In the history of the godfiends, who had done so before Da Hai? The great ancestor Tai Chu was the only one in recorded history to have done so. Even if Hongjun discovered the path forward, and invented the three corpse method to help himself reach it. Da Hai was the one who got there first.

With all that considered, when he opened his eyes Da Hai’s situation was truly disheartening.

“What is this?” Da Hai spat while his pupils constricted. Hongjun was the Dao and the Dao was Hongjun, it was painfully easy to see how the old man was feeling considering the conceptual changes around the Chaos Sea.

Da Hao felt his anger boil at being shown such pity.

“Master” Zulong called out with a slow and pleading voice. The dragon knew it was over the moment Hongjun ascended. Gui Daiyu placed a hand on his body with a bitter look at the situation.

“Husband, it’s a miracle we even got this chance…”

“I’ll at least watch,” the former sovereign of the Primitive World’s seas said. “He is my mentor, my father.”

All the dragons who floated in the Chaos Sea felt bitter at the situation. It was split weather they understood why Da Hai decided to foolishly stand his ground instead of turning away. But when Gui Daiyu waved her hand, they knew it was time to leave.

Within the Primitive World, despite the collapsing of countless landmasses and the deaths of countless living beings who could not resist the void or the backlash from the Great Wilderness breaking apart. The innate gods of the third generation and other mighty experts watched the ensuing confrontation with mixed feelings.

This was not exactly the hopeful conclusion to the war they’d just fought. The innate gods who’d worked on the Netherworld project in particular did not know how to react.

Within the void, as Nuwa uncoiled to reveal the primal humans under her protection. The congenital goddess’s celestial eyes zeroed in on Da Hai, struggling due to the intense phenomena that was Hongjun’s Dao.

“Mother Nuwa, what is happening?” Suiren said taking her gaze away. Her creations, humanity made to complete the Reincarnation Disc.

The blood god Minghe sat pale as snow in the ruined Netherworld. He felt profound respect despite a hidden hate for the sea god. To truly fight to the death as was only fair in bloodshed. From the very beginning Minghe, who’d known of his own unkillability since brith, cannot truly claim to have thought of such no matter how much the thrill of battling and drawing blood enthralled him.

Yuanshi out of the three pieces of Pangu’s Nascent Soul on the other hand was deeply confused by the sudden shifting of events. Why? Why were Hongjun and the alliance designed to take down the devils suddenly at odds? Why was the Heavenly Dao supporting him over them?

Yuanshi felt a deep connection to the cause despite his initial arrogance due to being so integral in the conflict. What could this mean for them who while not part of the dragons and phoenix factions, were integrated into their relationship. He glanced at his newly returned brother Taishang the Grand Pure One questioningly.

Perplexingly, Taishang was completely at ease despite his weakened state. He returned Yuanshi’s gaze with an assuring gesture.

“Do not worry, master has no other intentions,” he said. “At least, I don’t think he do.”

“Master? When did you have time to take a teacher?” Tongtian suddenly spat. Her grip on the Qingping Sword was enough to make her knuckles white.

“From the beginning,” Taishang casually said. “You didn’t think I was sitting idly as a gas cloud did you?”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“You never told us.”

“Didn’t I?”

As Hongjun’s presence expanded again in the face of an approaching Da Hai, Taishang hummed a strange sound. ‘I guess those memories ring true? Then is he…’ he glanced quickly at Yuanshi without him noticing.

‘Another time, another.’

Within the Chaos Sea, Da Hai walked into Hongjun’s boundaries. His face filled with the intense emotion living beings associated with HATE.

His form flickered between that of his regular form and the appearance of a majestic sea serpent. One that was supposed to appear mighty and mysterious. An unreachable yet visible being who wielded true power.

Da Hai had lived for countless years by this point. His scales gleamed with the colour of the East Sea. His fangs sharper then the greatest of immortal swords. Profoundly boundless concepts emanated from him showcasing that even in this state, he could annihilate ordinary Chaos Immortals with but a glance.

Yet he appeared wrong, wounded, tiny next everything that was Hongjun. As Da Hai walked forwards, he was like one simple man walking against the barrage of a sandstorm. To the unobservant, he was barely even visible.

“For Huoyun, for Huoyun” Da Hai muttered. His true form was clearly seen despite maintaining his Dao body. His lack of all of his heads on full display as a tangible shadow for all to see. But he cared nothing for his disheveled state, none of the pride and immortal of his stature naturally had.

Da Hai hardly came out of his fight with Luohu unscathed. The light shadow of his true form showed only five heads. Three stumps littered one side of his body, hanging loosely as if they were completely dead. It was hard to watch for Zulong or anyone who were close with Da Hai.

“Patriarch,” a dragon said uneasily to Yinglong who rested in a body of water floating in the void.

“Gather all the seawater towards me, no use standing idly by,” the winged dragon commanded. Yet his eyes never left his master’s advancing form. ‘Why? Just why must you choose this?

“Huoyun, I’m so close,” Da Hai muttered. He clasped his hand and roared through the cloud of myriad concepts projecting from Hongjun’s form. His Dao fruit spun as fast as it could, turning away the encroaching influence of Hongjun.

This was far from the likes of Liu Er. That monkey’s Dao would’ve been nothing compared to Hongjun. Should Da Hai’s mind even ponder of the monkey, he’d find it hilarious the that transmigrator ever thought he had a chance.

“How sad, how sad,” Hongjun merely shook his head. “Observe dear disciples. This is what obsession does to a cultivator’s path. Talented he may be, such things is inevitably the end of one’s journey towards the Dao.”

The disciple being addressed, Haotian did try to meet Da Hai’s eyes but the latter did not notice. Haotian appeared passive, not revealing what he was feeling. There was no hint of sadness, regret, nor satisfaction at what was happening. Even the connection hidden beneath layers of the Distant Seas Dao was devoid of feelings.

“That so,” he softly uttered.

Da Hai’s roar was combined with all five of his remaining heads screaming to high heavens. The Chaos Sea twisted and turned at his command, yet his own influence was minuscule compared to a genuine Dao Ancestor like Hongjun.

The enormous Chaos World of Pangu’s making seemed to bask in his suffering, specifically it’s living will the Heavenly Dao. Compared to its pre war counterpart, the Heavenly Dao was drastically different.

Despite playing the role of audience, it alone had power to exceed Da Hai after it’s latest transformation. Too many life’s had been lost, all mighty individuals perished during the war. Their corpses, their cultivation transforming into nutrients for the universe’s growth.

Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao were partially one as well. In a way, the Heavenly Dao itself had the power of the Dao realm as a result of the tribulation. In a way, it and it alone was the greatest winner out of all involved. This same being sent messages after messages towards it’s spokesperson.

“I know, I know, I’ll draw it out.” Hongjun straightened his back and sung a hymn of profound concepts. All stemming from the inferring of Pangu filtered through his cultivation of Pangu’s Dao fruit. ‘Hai, this petulant child. Does it know how hard it is to hold back all this power?’

Despite himself, Hongjun’s hand shook uncontrollably.

One of Da Hai’s hands grabbed his head as a wave of nausea assaulted him. He dealt felt as if his entire being was laid bare and torn apart. His very identity being destroyed on such a level that he’d be erased from existence.

His hand reached forwards and the blooming form of the 12 Petals White Lotus appeared in his hand. Yet instantly, it’s white petals were blown back, making the lotus a convex shape in Da Hai’s palm.

The sea god gritted his teeth, the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword appeared once again in his hand. The light of the lotus merged into the cracked blade as Da Hai stabbed it into the Chaos Sea to prevent his body from loosing its footing.

“Da Hai,” Wangshu whispered with concern.

“Hongjun, today either you die or I will!” Da Hai challenged the first Dao Ancestor to be born in his living memory.

In the middle of the wave of power surrounding him, this Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal raised his sword into the sky. His body became shrouded in water. A giant half man, half sea serpent appeared holding the sword with both hands.

He stood in the middle of a vast sea of Dao like a lone man trying to fight a hurricane. No, it was even more ridiculous then that. All the immortals watching could see it, they could all see the end result. Yet they could not look away.

“RRRAAAAGGGHHH!” Da Hau swung down with everything he had left in his own body. He felt nothing but hate for the man he held responsible for causing him so much grief for hundreds of thousands of years. He desired nothing but to fully avenge the life of a brother who meant so much to him.

His sword swing amazingly enough cleaved through the sea of Dao, reaching for the purple robed Hongjun. To the eyes of the beholder, it was a magnificent display of insight into the Dao. A beautiful attack from a mighty immortal cultivator.

“Such resilience,” Hongjun nodded with approval while the Heavenly Dao scoffed in disdain. Hongjun raised a single finger and waved it sideways.

In simple, quick, and very much insignificant motion a small cone of fire manifested in front of Da Hai’s attack. A quick manifestation that brushed against Da Hai’s offence. It was like a quick breeze.

The world became silenced in that same instance. The Chaos Sea became orderly and no phenomena changes occurred in its depths.

Da Hai stood still breathing heavily observing at his handy work.

Hongjun returned his uninjured hand to his back. “Good effort,” he praised in what sounded to Da Hai like mockery.

“For fuck’s sake.” Da Hai raised his head to the edge of his blade. It’s tip that had already cracked from his battle against Luohu was already disintegrated. In his hands was no longer a top grade xianxia spiritual treasure, just a hunk of spiritual metal.

His body on the surface appeared fine, but the light shadow around him displayed his true condition.

A long scaled limp body. Seven motionless stumps attached to a body with multiple patches of scales torn clean off. Holes in the flesh revealing bone and muscle underneath. Rotting patches of skin around a single remaining head. It’s hissing was barely audible.

“Master,” Zulong and Yinglong alike gritted their teeth. They barely held themselves back until Da Hai’s last remaining gaze landed on them. ‘Don’t.’

Nuwa and Yuanshi who’d both worked with Da Hai felt the urge to say something to plead for Da Hai. But neither could find the voice to do so.

A single small butterfly stood along the handle of the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. Its shape slumped in tiredness. The 12 Petals White Lotus hung loosely by its stem along the hilt, seemingly devoid of vitality.

“That attack,” Hongjun began as he started walking forward. “It was barely ten percent of what you managed against Luohu just now. For a man who self immolated, it was impressive what you pulled off despite the state of your being.”

He stopped right in front of Da Hai. A hand was raised, poised to slap Da Hai’s brains out.

Quickly, Da Hai dashed a distance away from the slow raise. The sea god’s injured form crouched admits the Chaos Sea with a look of unwillingness. As he straightened his form out, his unwilling did not change.

He seemed to think briefly. Hongjun shook his head and approached again. But Da Hai reached into his sleeve and pulled out a lustrous orb.

“Here.” He tossed it.

It never reached Hongjun as it was never meant for him. Instead, a surprised Wangshu caught the orb before it impacted her chest. She instantly understood as she saw the orb and nodded in agreement.

“Wise, she wouldn’t have to suffer your fate,” Hongjun said. “I am curious where she’d go. Don’t worry, I won’t kill her. I don’t think heaven even minds her continued existence.”

Her, was not referring to Wangshu. Da Hai scoffed at Hongjun’s words. The ruined sword in his hand was slowly let go as he drew a new weapon while grabbing hold of the lotus. The butterfly on the handle glanced one last time at Da Hai and made a salute with its small limbs.

“The Xuanyuan Water Control Flag? What makes you think that’ll perform any better?” Hongjun asked. “As it once belonged to Pangu, I will try not to harm it. It too is an existence of great destiny.”

The Heavenly Dao hummed in approval. Da Hai only raised the flag like a polearm. It’s banner coiled itself into a makeshift spear edge while Pellucid Divine water sharped into a dragon wrapped around its shaft.

“Dimensional displacing liquid. Curious yet effective before my current realm. Now useless.” Hongjun glanced over and easily reached Da Hai across all dimensions no matter how he tried to shift away. His Dao that tried to make him unreachable couldn’t function properly and Hongjun could easily touch him.

“Talking was all you do wasn’t it?”

“Without words, we’re nothing more then uncivilized barbarians.”

Da Hai, all five of his remaining snake roared in unison. “Fuck you and your words Hongjun!”

In a motion similar to a monkey king of the far flung future, Da Hai raised the flag pole with both hands and swung down at Hongjun’s head. Wangshu chose that moment to look away. Many of those who’d respected him did the same.

Zulong felt a cry wallowing up within him.

In response, a index finger raised in pity touched Da Hai’s forehead. Hongjun met Da Hai’s furious one with that was akin to a seasoned teacher watching a promising youngster destroy himself with devastating lifestyle choices.

A single motion before a burst of radiant light.

“MASTER!” Zulong cried.

And Da Hai was gone.