The sea of clouds churned as a calamitous aura rose.

Several of those present had no idea what to make of what the monk and the Monarch of Endless Tribulations were saying. Xiao Jian? Who’s that?

But Wang Zhiwu and Lu Shi had participated in the Battle for Order, so they recognized Xiao Jian at a glance.

This was that tall, thin scholar who’d fought alone in the endless void beyond the God Domain, forcing back multiple Heavenly Sovereigns!

But even after the curtain fell on the Battle for Order, no one knew where Xiao Jian came from or how he was connected to Su Yi.

Don’t tell me Xiao Jian is still alive!? Lu Shi’s heart shook. He vividly recalled that word of Xiao Jian’s death had spread after the Battle for Order. They’d seemed sure of it, too.

Xiao Jian? Is he Fellow Daoist Su’s true trump card? It seems those two old-timers know Xiao Jian, too, murmured Wang Zhiwu.

He gripped the Book of Legends firmly, one hand on its last remaining page. He planned to use his greatest trump card without hesitation the moment Su Yi ran into danger.

The sea of clouds churned.

Su Yi stood there, one hand holding the Book of Destiny, the other behind his back. He couldn’t help but chuckle after seeing his two opponents. “You two seriously haven’t determined a victor yet? It seems that breaking the shackles of destiny is no guarantee that someone has grasped its true essence.”

His voice was like the clanging of swords echoing throughout heaven and earth.

In that moment, Su Yi was Xiao Jian!

The monk clasped his palms together and sighed, while the Monarch of Endless Tribulations furrowed his brow. “Are you really dead? You shouldn’t be. Those who become Destiny’s Chosen are like rulers of destiny. Even if they die, they can take hold of the mysteries of destiny to live again, so why have you been reduced to a mere imprint?”

“This me has already died,” Xiao Jian said calmly, “but another me stands before you.”

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations furrowed his brow, but just as he was about to say something, Xiao Jian shook his head. “No need to say anymore. Let’s determine a victor first. It won’t be too late to chat afterward.”

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations laughed. “Alright!”

No one saw him move, but the surrounding sea of clouds filled with tribulation light, which condensed into dazzling lightning.

Light filled the dome of heaven, and thunder rumbled and boomed.

A vast, unfathomable abyss appeared behind him, revolving like a whirlpool as it emanated power terrifying beyond measure.

It was as if an apocalyptic tribulation were descending upon the entire world!

Lu Shi shuddered, his knees turning to jelly. His heart and soul were under terrifying suppression, leaving him on the brink of collapse.

He’d overcome numerous tribulations during his many breakthroughs. At its most perilous, the tribulation left him with nothing but a wisp of soul.

But this was far, far more terrifying than even the most perilous tribulation Lu Shi had ever faced. A single look was enough to fill his heart with deep-seated despair!

Wang Zhiwu and River Empress Lu Ping felt the same way. River Ancestor Shen Xiao fared somewhat better, but his expression was still incomparably ashen, and chills coursed down his spine. He felt as if he’d been plunged into an icy abyss.

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations’ majesty was just too terrifying!

Meanwhile, the monk swung his sleeve. Boundless Buddhist light lit up, separating heaven and earth and blocking off the Monarch of Endless Tribulation’s imposing majesty.

Wang Zhiwu, Lu Shi, and the others gasped for breath, like men saved from the brink of drowning. Their faces were still full of lingering terror.

When they next gazed into the dome of heaven, they could only dimly discern the scenery through the barrier.

“Take this!” The Monarch of Endless Tribulations raised his right hand, like a ruler commanding the world.

Churning tribulation lightning transformed into countless spears, tearing through time and space as they shot at Xiao Jian. Fighting the spears was like opposing the apocalypse head-on.

But Xiao Jian didn’t even pause to look at it. He just swung his sleeve.

Boom!

A streak of Destiny’s Wrath condensed into a sword. Xiao Jian gripped it by the hilt and attacked.

His bearing was calm and unaffected. He swung his sword casually, cleaving through the churning lightning with the utmost ease.

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations raised an eyebrow, then took a sudden step forward and raised his hands into the air.

Boom!

Tribulation light churned like lava in the depths of the massive abyss. Countless Laws interwove within it, and as it fell, it was like the descent of a black hole.

Xiao Jian didn’t retreat. On the contrary, he attacked, his sword letting out a strange hum as he attacked suddenly.

The moment he attacked, heaven and earth dimmed, and a massive ruin rose, following the sword qi.

Chaos power rose from the ruin, and the power of the Laws churned. Countless prisoners of destiny rose from the ruin’s depths.

This was the Divine Punishment Destiny Ruin!

If the Monarch of Endless Tribulations controlled a vast abyss, the origin of all tribulations, then Xiao Jian’s strike was like the judgment of destiny!

Ruin and abyss clashed, throwing the depths of the firmament into upheaval.

The dome of heaven was instantly thrown into upheaval, becoming explosive and tumultuous beyond measure. Surging tribulation power and the power of divine punishment swept out like a windstorm. The curtain of heaven shook as if about to fall.

Before all of this had ended, Xiao Jian let out a long burst of laughter and propelled himself forward. With every step he took, a new streak of sword qi rose.

His sword qi was like the current of destiny, condensing into waves of sword light.

As Xiao Jian approached, waves of the current of destiny formed of sword light, blanketing the sky.

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations didn’t back down. He was like a black hole or an abyss in human form. Countless streaks of tribulation light shot out of his body as he met Xiao Jian’s attack head-on.

Within moments, they’d clashed over one thousand times. Countless streaks of sword light scattered, and countless beams of tribulation light withered and faded.

Their movements were so swift that they seemed to shatter time and space.

River Ancestor Shen Xiao could just barely follow it with his eyes, but he couldn’t discern its mysteries. Still, he knew with certainty that in Su Yi’s shoes, he’d have been defeated instantly.

No, he would have been doomed!

Both Xiao Jian and the Monarch of Endless Tribulations displayed power far beyond the limits of a Heavenly Sovereign. They were no longer subject to the shackles of destiny, so they fought with the unsurpassed majesty of one truly unfettered!

Both were supreme experts of their respective domains, like ancestors of their Daos. Their power was unbelievable to the extreme.

Within moments, a wave of sword light slammed into the Monarch of Endless Tribulations, making him stagger on his feet, his skin tearing in numerous places.

Practically simultaneously, wisps of tribulation light relentlessly bore into Xiao Jian’s flesh, like maggots gnawing on bones. His vital energy showed signs of descending into chaos in numerous places.

“Fortunately, this isn’t your true body. If it were, defeating you would be very difficult indeed, Fellow Daoist Endless Tribulations,” said Xiao Jian.

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations said calmly, “You ought to celebrate. If this were my true body, this imprint of yours would have dissipated a long time ago.”

Xiao Jian burst into laughter. “Monk, don’t just stand there and watch. You join in too!”

The monk in tattered robes sighed. “That would be unfair to you.”

“Cut the crap and get over here!” Xiao Jian laughed. “Otherwise, we might suspect that you’re just waiting for an opportunity to swoop in and reap the benefits of our battle!”

The monk paused, then inclined his head. “Well said, Fellow Daoist!”

He then took a step forward and arrived on the battlefield. Once he’d steadied himself on his feet, his entire body shone with immeasurable radiance.

Dazzling Buddhist flames blanketed the sky and blotted out the sun. The sound of Sanskrit chanting echoed throughout heaven and earth.

This dark-skinned, steely-featured monk instantly transformed into the grandest, most radiant beam of light in heaven and earth.

His majesty was dazzling and immeasurable, like the sole, unsurpassed sovereign of heaven and earth. When others saw him, they could only lie prostrate before him in worship.

As he raised and swung his black jade ruler, Xiao Jian and the Monarch attacked as if by prior discussion.

All three supreme experts fought at once, shattering the firmament, throwing the sky into chaos, and collapsing the Grand Dao.

Sword light shot forth, Tribulation light churned, and holy Buddhist light illuminated all of creation.

Three starkly different powers of the Grand Dao and three experts who’d long since reached unbelievable heights clashed in fierce combat, determined to settle their ancient enmity once and for all.

Their conflict began on account of the Book of Destiny. Now, it was thanks to the Book of Destiny that it would finally draw to a close.

None of them held back in the slightest, nor did they back down in any way. This was a clash of the Grand Dao, and they wouldn’t stop until there was a clear victor!

The group watching from the ground wasn’t affected, but they could no longer see the battle raging beneath the dome of heaven.

But it was for this reason that they were all dazed and overcome with astonishment.

Select any one of them at random, and you’d have a supreme expert of the Grand Dao. River Ancestor Shen Xiao, in particular, was comparable to a Heavenly Sovereign.

Yet now, all of their hearts were filled with deep-seated dread, terror, and helplessness.

As the old saying went, there was a heaven beyond the heavens. There was always someone stronger out there.

This was the sort of phrase you could hear on any street corner, as it had stood the test of time.

Who stood at the pinnacle of the Grand Dao?

Who’d dare to proclaim themselves invincible? Who’d dare to call themselves undefeatable?

The stronger your cultivation, the more keenly you understood that everyone in this world was ultimately a frog in a well!

Within just a few blinks of an eye, a massive impact rang out, shaking the entire stretch of heaven and earth. It threatened to overturn the firmament itself.

The three figures locked in fierce combat suddenly separated.

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations’ hair was disheveled, his body covered in gashes.

The monk looked as he did before, except that his holy Buddhist light had dimmed considerably.

Xiao Jian was using Su Yi’s body, but the power of his imprint was in disarray, and it was showing signs of breaking and withering.

“Fellow Daoist Xiao, lend me the Book of Destiny, and I can end this battle. Keep fighting, and your only remaining imprint will be destroyed,” said the monk.

Xiao Jian shook his head. “No matter who I give the Book of Destiny to, it would be unfair and unsatisfying. More importantly...”

An exasperated smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “The Book of Destiny doesn’t belong to me anymore. I can’t just lend it to other people.”

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations said expressionlessly, “If it’s no longer yours, why stubbornly stick out your neck?”

Xiao Jian laughed and winked mischievously. “Because... Su Yi is another me. Why wouldn’t I help myself?”

Neither the monk nor the Monarch of Endless Tribulations knew what to say to that. You just said the book didn’t belong to you anymore, so you can’t lend it to other people. Now you’re saying that Su Yi is another you, and that you’re helping yourself. Xiao Jian is really as... frustrating to talk to as ever!

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations took a deep breath, then said, “The monk is right. Keep fighting, and your imprint will soon be destroyed. You have no hope of victory, so why remain stubborn?”

The monk looked at Xiao Jian, too. If he and the Monarch of Endless Tribulations joined forces, their victory was assured.

Even if Xiao Jian fought with all his might, there was no way he could win.

Xiao Jian’s eyes shone with intense light. He said with confidence, “You’re mistaken. I’m sure to win!”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, the Sword of the Nine Hells shook in Su Yi’s sea of consciousness.

Xiao Jian’s Dao Imprint had awakened!