"A pity."
This sigh came from the Immortal Emperor.
He had originally intended to foster good relations with the Heavenly Emperor of Life and Death.
It was stillborn.
...
"Do you intend to continue fighting?"
The Dark Emperor, deflecting the spatial blades with his black sun, spoke calmly, "If you have no other trump cards, this battle has already been lost by the Immortal Realm."
With that, the Dark Emperor's voice echoed through the chaos, "White Emperor, Green Emperor, Crimson Emperor... the three of you were born from the primal essence of my Dark Realm. If you rebel now, all past transgressions will be forgiven."
His voice reverberated, reaching the ears of the three Heavenly Emperors locked in fierce combat.
Boom.
At the rift of the Immortal Realm, the Black Emperor emerged from the pervasive blood mist.
His aura was immensely powerful.
The blood mist surged skyward, exerting the pressure of a fifth-tier Heavenly Emperor.
"Hahaha."
The Black Emperor burst into laughter.
As his laughter echoed, a voice laden with deep sarcasm reached the ears of the White Emperor and the other two, "If they can betray the Immortal Realm today, they could betray the Dark Realm tomorrow. You three, who are mere fence-sitters, even if you join the Dark Realm, you will eventually be discarded like pawns."
His words were contemptuous and utterly piercing.
Though harsh, his words held undeniable truth.
The scales of battle were already beginning to tip.
His divine sense swept through the interior of the Immortal Realm, and out of the countless beings across the Five Continents, more than half had already perished.
The entire Immortal Realm had descended into a living hell.
Powerful Great Yu Emperor Sovereigns were continuously tearing apart the Great Dao of the Immortal Realm.
With the shattering of each Great Dao, countless lives were extinguished.
Defeat was inevitable.
This was a war of annihilation; if the Immortal Realm was defeated, everyone would die.
The Immortal Realm's Will would suffer the most.
The Immortal Realm's Will resisted most violently. Others, upon defeat, could surrender or flee, but it could not.
"Wuji."
The Immortal Realm's Will was truly frantic.
It cried out loudly, "Do you have any trump cards left? If those three betray us, the Immortal Realm will truly be finished."
Now, Wuji was the only hope for a reversal.
For a moment, all attention focused on Wuji.
This included the three Heavenly Emperors who were already contemplating betrayal.
"Heh heh."
At this moment, Wuji's laughter suddenly rang out.
Still with his back turned, his laughter was calm, "Why are you all pinning your hopes on me? The true trump card has already appeared, have you not noticed?"
Wuji was puzzled. Were they all fools?
The Emperor Palace beside him was no longer collapsing; its aura was subtly growing, yet they failed to see it.
Upon hearing this, everyone froze.
Then, as if sensing something.
"Swish."
A series of astonished gazes suddenly turned towards the Emperor Palace floating in the chaos.
The Emperor Palace, which had been on the verge of collapse, reappeared before everyone's eyes in its perfect state.
On the palace walls, a portal appeared.
A familiar figure stepped out once more.
"Hello, everyone."
Chen Fan smiled, even stretching his limbs.
This nap had felt like a mortal's lifetime, even though only a short time had passed here.
He had emerged from the River of Life and Death, growing from an infant to his current state.
It was like reincarnation, but true life and death.
"Boom."
Above his head, the River of Life and Death materialized.
This time, the River of Life and Death was vastly different from before.
The once smooth and flowing river was now more immense, and its waters were more refined.
The Great Dao served as the foundation of the river.
A powerful aura spread across heaven and earth, the forces of life and death seemingly poised to assimilate this realm.
"Impossible..."
Sounds of horrified shock reverberated through the chaos.
How could someone killed by the Chaotic Thunder Tribulation possibly be resurrected?
"No."
This statement came from the Dark Emperor.
Within his dark domain, the Dark Emperor's aura pierced the heavens like the Grim Reaper.
His pair of dark divine eyes, like twin beams of aurora, swept towards Chen Fan.
Beneath his gaze, it was as if Chen Fan's entire life was being examined.
Death by thunder tribulation, followed by rebirth from the river.
Swish.
His gaze receded, and the shock in the Dark Emperor's eyes was undeniable.
"Rebirth, he has truly been reborn." He saw Chen Fan's birth and growth from the river.
It was astonishing.
"Is this the Great Dao of Dual Extremes, Life and Death?" The muttered words were only audible to himself.
Over the years, the Dark Emperor had witnessed countless deaths.
Yet, Chen Fan was the first Emperor Sovereign of Life and Death he had ever seen, no... he should be called a Heavenly Emperor of Life and Death now.
Fourth tier, Heavenly Emperor.
A Heavenly Emperor of Life and Death, emerged from death.
But then, something even more shocking was about to happen.
Whoosh.
The river surged.
The River of Life and Death swept through the chaos, as if something was being drawn into it.
Then, Chen Fan's hand reached into the River of Life and Death.
"Awaken."
A great roar, like the thunderclap of the Great Dao.
He slowly pulled his palm out of the river, and a phantom shadow gradually emerged.
The shadow was ethereal, initially appearing confused, but then it came to its senses.
"I'm still alive?" Old Demon Chu exclaimed in disbelief.
His last memory was of being killed by a third-tier Emperor Sovereign.
"Is this a dream?"
"It's not a dream."
Chen Fan provided the definitive answer, stating solemnly, "You were dead. I pulled you back from the brink of death."
There was no need for further words.
Old Demon Chu immediately came to his senses, his soul flowing back, and his physical body reformed.
Looking at the City Lord again, he felt an invisible pressure.
The two were intimately familiar, having journeyed together from the lower realms to reach this point.
In the past, when facing Chen Fan, he would also feel pressure, but it was merely due to the latter's formidable strength and talent.
Now, looking at him, he felt a tremor from the depths of his heart.
"City Lord, you..." Old Demon Chu suddenly remembered, wasn't the City Lord dead?
Knowing his question, Chen Fan offered no explanation.
He shook his head, looked at Zhao Kai and the Mad Emperor, and said, "Go..."
As he spoke, he beckoned.
Boom.
In the Realm of Life and Death, a vast world power instantly manifested.
World power had appeared.
The Great Yu Realm, and the Dark Realm, both possessed world power.
The world, the vessel of the Great Dao.
Only when an Emperor Palace broke through to become a world would it possess the ability to radiate its influence.
Now, the Realm of Life and Death could do it.
The power of the Realm of Life and Death spread out, enveloping the two.
Hum.
Their auras instantly strengthened.
"Hahaha."
The Mad Emperor roared with laughter, "City Lord, I love you to death, hahaha..."
His laughter echoed, expressing the Mad Emperor's excitement.
He had finally waited for this day.
The City Lord could resurrect people.
And it seemed to come at no great cost, appearing effortless.
"Hahaha."
His excitement was unrestrained as he clashed furiously with his opponent.
Previously, he had reservations, but now he fought with the ferocity of someone risking it all.
Come at me, who fears whom?
I have the Heavenly Emperor of Life and Death backing me, capable of resurrection. Can your Great Yu Realm do that?
And his opponent truly had lost his former imposing demeanor.
The scene that had just unfolded had instilled fear in him.
Resurrection, happening right before his eyes.
Zhao Kai and the Mad Emperor were in the same vein, fighting desperately.
Chen Fan watched with a calm gaze, making no move to intervene.
No one knew that within his body, a crack had appeared in his Great Dao and was slowly healing.