"Hurry, support Lord Dragon!" The
Lord Dragon and Feng Jiuge were the two pillars of Heavenly Court. If Lord Dragon were defeated by
Boom!
Fang Yuan suddenly lashed out with a kick, knocking Lord Dragon's arm aside.
Lord Dragon's center was left wide open. Fang Yuan pressed in, seizing Lord Dragon's purple hair with his left hand. Then he swung his right fist — fist shadows streaked through the air, each blow slamming into Lord Dragon's face and chest like cannonballs.
In desperation, unable to break free, Lord Dragon could only roar: "Three Auras, return!"
Air currents surged wildly once more, converging upon Lord Dragon. His condition tripled yet again.
Boom boom boom! Fang Yuan pummeled Lord Dragon.
He beat him without mercy!
…
Over a million years ago, Yuan Lian had ascended to Sovereign. Disguising himself in commoner's garb, he traveled the world.
One day, he arrived at a poor, run-down little village in the Western Desert.
There, thanks to his identity as a Gu Master, he lent a hand in resolving a few minor problems for the villagers and was treated to a warm, heartfelt welcome by the old and young alike.
One child was the most excited of all — he revered Immortal Sovereign Yuan Lian so deeply he nearly prostrated himself on the ground.
Because he had seen new hope in his life.
"Gu Master, Gu Master! I beg you, I beg you!" The child dropped to his knees, clutching the hem of Yuan Lian's robe and gazing up at the Immortal Sovereign. Tears of pleading filled his innocent eyes.
"Speak, child. No need to kneel. If it is something I can help with, I will." Yuan Lian gently helped the child to his feet.
Joy bloomed on the child's face. "Then please — please resurrect my mother! She is the person I love most, and the person in all the world who loved me most. A long time ago, my father abandoned my mother and me. I only grew up because of her toil and sacrifice."
"But she died a few days ago — she worked herself to death, and sickness took her too. Before she died, she forced the last half of a flatbread into my trembling hands with her own hands, saving it for me to eat!"
"I can't live without my mother!"
"I can't live without her!"
"I'm begging you, Gu Master! You were able to dig through all that sand and find water so precisely — surely you can resurrect my mother!"
Immortal Sovereign Yuan Lian fell silent.
The child was innocent. He did not know that resurrecting the dead was far harder than digging a well. But Yuan Lian was the reigning Sovereign — what others could not do, he certainly could.
But he could not.
He was an Immortal Sovereign — a Sovereign of Heavenly Court.
So Yuan Lian gently stroked the child's head and sighed. "I'm afraid that's not something that can be done. All living things in this world, no matter what they are, must eventually live and die. Your mother's death is her final rest. Is it not also a kind of release? You must find peace, be brave, and keep living. Live happily. I believe your mother would want nothing more than for you to live that way."
"No! I don't want that!" The child shook his head frantically. "I want my mother resurrected!"
Yuan Lian shook his head and sighed once more. "I cannot resurrect your mother."
"Why not? You clearly can!" The child's eyes went wide as he glared at Yuan Lian.
Yuan Lian shook his head again and said nothing more.
The child screamed, pointing a finger at Yuan Lian. "I hate you! I hate you, Gu Master! You could have helped me bring my mother back to life, and you won't do it! You're heartless — you're truly cruel! Is it only because she isn't your mother? If she were your mother, would you turn her away with such cold indifference?"
Yuan Lian fell deep into thought. He genuinely tried to put himself in the child's place, imagining the scenario as his own. Then he arrived at his answer, and replied with absolute sincerity: "Yes. I would do the same. I would accept death peacefully — for anyone. Because I know that all of this is the arrangement of fate."
"To hell with fate!" the child shrieked. "I don't care about any damn fate — I need my mother! I want my mother!"
The child was quickly restrained by villagers who had come running at the sound. The village head rushed to apologize to Yuan Lian.
Yuan Lian waved his hand, indicating he was unharmed.
He watched the child being forcibly held back by the villagers, struggling madly, and suddenly froze — a violent shudder ran through his entire being!
In that moment, he understood.
Why, throughout all his travels across the world, he had felt a vague, nagging unease.
The hearts of men are ever-changing. The hunger of desire can never be satisfied!
Once humanity became the dominators of heaven and earth, their desires were no longer focused on resisting the oppression and rule of other races — they had turned toward something far more dangerous: wild, fevered fantasies.
Yuan Lian stared blankly at the child before him, and realization struck him like thunder: were the people of this era not exactly like this child — struggling frantically under the shackles of fate, clinging to impossible wishes? But were these wishes truly impossible? Could one truly not resurrect the dead?
Yuan Lian knew very well that it could be done. It was simply… something he could not do.
It was not permitted.
But just because it was not permitted — did that mean no one would ever do it?
A sudden wave of bewilderment and helplessness crashed over Yuan Lian, cutting deep into his very bones. Even he — a Ninth Transformation Sovereign, the foremost being in all the world!
He could do everything in his power to stop people from doing such things while he lived. But what about after his death?
Even if he spent his entire life ensuring no one dared, could he truly stop every last person in the world from thinking about it?
And that, precisely, was the most terrifying thing of all.
By what right could he halt the fantasies burning in people's hearts?
He could never stop the desires that welled up within them!
…
Lord Dragon was getting battered by Fang Yuan!
At first, he fought back with everything he had, but Fang Yuan endured his counterattacks head-on, his expression as cold and unyielding as iron throughout.
Lord Dragon was beaten beyond recognition — his face a mangled ruin, his chest caved in, dragon scales scattering in every direction, his aura plummeting in a straight line.
"Three Auras, return!" Lord Dragon roared once more, and his aura surged back up. His injuries healed in an instant.
Boom boom boom! Fang Yuan continued his brutal assault.
The face Lord Dragon had just restored was smashed again — nose flattened, teeth shattered. Fractures spread across his body in moments, blood spraying from every wound.
Lord Dragon fought to the death, defending with all his might, and bellowed again: "Three Auras, return!"
His condition was restored once more.
The Will of Wildness shouted from within the cloak: "Keep beating him! Keep beating him! Beat him to death — blow him apart! I want to see just how much of Heavenly Court's reserves he can burn through! Hahaha!"
But Fang Yuan was calmly calculating the remaining power from the Three Wonders' fusion.
Their strength was constantly dwindling.
When the Three Wonders had first appeared, the
Fang Yuan activated his Freedom Minimizing Transformation. Although the Three Wonders' power had merged into one, it was being rapidly consumed in defense, evasion, healing, and every other aspect.
When it came to reserves — he truly could not compare with Heavenly Court!
The storm of fist shadows suddenly coalesced. Fang Yuan raised his fist high and delivered a full-force strike!
Boom!!