Chapter 179: Battle of the Heavens

Chapter 179: The Heavenly Dao Conflict

Xie Xiyi had never known fear in his life.

As the Crown Prince of Great Xia, his comprehension and wisdom far surpassed those of ordinary men. He learned everything quickly, grasping concepts with ease and applying them with flexible ingenuity.

After entering the Buddhist order, his innate spiritual state allowed him to cultivate Buddhist techniques with exceptional speed, and his internal cultivation advanced far beyond that of most senior monastic brothers.

He had always been composed, elegant, powerful, even aloof and arrogant.

Thus, he never felt fear.

But because of Chi Yu, Xie Xiyi experienced a myriad of emotions—joy, anger, worry, longing, sorrow, surprise, doubt, suspicion...

And the last emotion he comprehended was fear.

Under the overwhelming pressure of the Heavenly Dao, the gradual loss of memories brought Xie Xiyi deep, overwhelming dread.

He had no profound understanding of this complex emotion himself. He only knew that if the principles were truly allowed to act in this way, he would completely lose Chi Yu.

He had already lost Chi Yu once after losing his memories and being controlled by the Demon Heart, and in doing so, he had deeply hurt Chi Yu.

If he were to lose his memories again, Chi Yu, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, would have a long lifespan. Throughout that long life, he would spend it waiting for Xie Xiyi.

How could Xie Xiyi bear to hurt Chi Yu again before fully making amends?

He also could not tolerate losing Chi Yu.

Therefore, he resisted assimilation by the principles.

The power of the principles, which never truly belonged to him, was devouring the Heavenly Dao while simultaneously assimilating him. Already divided in focus, it showed its frustration when resisted by Xie Xiyi.

It spoke with the will of the Demon Nation's Xie Xiyi: "Destroy the Heavenly Dao of this world, and you can take its place. You can obtain whatever you desire. But if you fail to destroy the Heavenly Dao and are instead devoured by it, you will lose everything."

Xie Xiyi remained silent. The moment his body began dissolving under the principles, he gained clarity. Even if the Demon Nation's Xie Xiyi was also him, how could one empathize with one's past self? How could Xie Xiyi avoid this?—His goals and those of the Demon Nation's Xie Xiyi were not aligned.

Although Xie Xiyi despised the fate arranged by the Heavenly Dao, he always prioritized his actions. In his heart, Chi Yu was the most important. Thus, he would choose to go to another world with Chi Yu. Even if he harbored the idea of destroying the Heavenly Dao, he would shelve it indefinitely without urgency.

The Demon Nation's Xie Xiyi was different. His primary motivation for establishing the Demon Nation was to use the functions of the Heavenly Dao to destroy the original Heavenly Dao.

The Heavenly Dao was his demonic hindrance. If not for the designs of the Heavenly Dao, how could the Xie clan have been annihilated? How could he have been destroyed by the Son of Destiny, Yang Min?

Yang Min even ascended to the immortal realm, becoming a lifeline for the primordial Heavenly Dao. As long as Yang Min lived, the original Heavenly Dao would endure.

After establishing the Demon Nation, the Demon Nation's Xie Xiyi was filled with bottomless despair. He endured this despair for thousands of years. He seemed to have won, but in reality, he had lost.

To achieve this goal, he was even willing to sacrifice another version of himself.

This was their divergence.

And Xie Xiyi was exceptionally adept at learning. His wisdom was unparalleled. During the period when he was controlled by the Demon Heart, he was extremely skilled at creating forbidden curses. After merging with the Demon Heart, Xuan Ji's comprehension abilities grew even stronger, even allowing him to create benevolent incantations completely opposite to the black forbidden curses.

Although there were still many flaws, compared to the purely destructive and lethal black runes, this had already reached divine and Buddhist realms.

Therefore, Xie Xiyi's resistance was not futile; he was deconstructing the principles.

The principles also noticed this and pleaded with him: "Although the Xie clan was not annihilated in this timeline, past events never truly vanish just because time has been reversed and the timeline reshaped. They will inevitably leave traces. Now is the only opportunity to destroy the Heavenly Dao. Do not resist me; merge with me, and only then will there be hope for victory."

Xie Xiyi did not respond. If he showed even a moment of relaxation, the principles would exploit the opening.

The Demon Heart, which he had once insisted on suppressing, now became a moat of defense. The Demon Heart, having endured two lifetimes, remained as solid as a rock and possessed some capability to resist the principles.

This was a long, grueling battle.

And because of this grand battle, the realm of Haoyuan suffered greatly. The spiritual storms caused by the conflict of principles were like the most terrifying meat grinders, capable of pulverizing even the most powerful cultivators. This also caused the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to grow increasingly dense. The more spiritual energy the storms absorbed, the greater the damage to Haoyuan, creating a vicious cycle.

The principles carrying the will of the Demon Nation's Xie Xiyi did not care about this, but the Heavenly Dao did. The Heavenly Dao and the world were one—their fates intertwined. The Son of Destiny, Yang Min, was still weak, and the backup Son of Destiny, Chi Yu, who was meant to replace Yang Min, had been taken away by Xie Xiyi and sent elsewhere. The Heavenly Dao had no backup or retreat, yet it was full of weaknesses.

In the previous two restarts, the Heavenly Dao had little memory. Only because of the resonance with the principles did it faintly sense something. That was why it summoned Chi Yu to replace Yang Min.

Mortals have gamblers who, once they sit at the table, will not leave unless they die. The Heavenly Dao was the same. Once it sat at the table, it would never leave. Thus, each time, the Heavenly Dao made the same choice.

It was only when Xie Xiyi came knocking and countless world-destroying storms swept through Haoyuan that it began to faintly regret its actions.

It wanted to beg for mercy, to seek peace, but it could not bring itself to speak. It was so arrogant and so powerful. Under its control, even the divine bloodline would become its nourishment. Even if it had to start over again and again, it still greedily sought the infinite benefits brought by the principles' evolution. How could it possibly set aside its pride and admit defeat so easily?

Thus, it could only dig in and endure.

But soon, it noticed that the opposing principles were slowing down. Seizing the opportunity, the Heavenly Dao devoured a significant amount of the principles' power. Seeing that Xie Xiyi did not resist, it was overjoyed and quickly quickened its consumption.

The power of the principles flowed into it, and the Heavenly Dao grew more tangible. If this continued, Xie Xiyi would undoubtedly lose.

The Heavenly Dao also detected the divergence between the principles' power and Xie Xiyi. With a slight thought, it understood the reason. It could not help but feel ecstatic—Chi Yu, as Yang Min's replacement, although taken away and sent back by Xie Xiyi, seemed not entirely useless. He had eroded Xie Xiyi's Buddhist heart, causing his obsession to shift to love and desire, thus becoming his greatest weakness.

Since both sides had weaknesses, it was a matter of who could let go faster and more completely.

The principles carrying the will of the Demon Nation's Xie Xiyi snarled at Xie Xiyi, "Enough! Stop resisting me! If this continues, we will surely lose!"

Xie Xiyi still did not respond. He continued deconstructing the principles. He was not without a sense of the bigger picture, but for him, the priority of love and desire would always outweigh the desire for revenge.

The principles soon gave up on eroding Xie Xiyi's memories and instead used Xie Xiyi's will as a vessel to continue devouring the Heavenly Dao.

However, it was clear that their side was at a disadvantage in this battle.

The principles felt frustrated with Xie Xiyi's stubbornness. "Does the hatred of your clan's annihilation mean nothing to you?"

Xie Xiyi still did not respond. The principles seemed to despair and fell silent.

Thus, all living beings in Haoyuan could sense that the clash of principles seemed to have entered its final stage, as the spiritual storms began to dissipate.

After an unknown amount of time, Xie Xiyi finally completed deconstructing the principles, while the Heavenly Dao had devoured nine-tenths of them.

Xie Xiyi had no chance of winning.

Forgetting its earlier fear, the Heavenly Dao arrogantly said to Xie Xiyi, "Regardless of past victories or defeats, this time, I, the Heavenly Dao, have won."

The Heavenly Dao could naturally sense from the principles that the gambling table had been overturned twice. Since there was a third time, it meant it had lost the previous two times.

But this time was its victory. It only needed to win once, and Xie Xiyi would be finished.—However, failing to turn the Xie clan into nourishment and even losing many cultivators due to this conflict of principles meant that, although it seemed to have won, it had actually lost.

But surviving the siege of Xie Xiyi and the accumulated grievances of past lifetimes was its greatest fortune. It still had plenty of time to do as it pleased.

After deconstructing the principles, Xie Xiyi used the remaining principles to reconstruct his body. Divine blood cut through the principles, flowing into Xie Xiyi's palm.

The Heavenly Dao sensed something was wrong and tried to continue devouring, but Xie Xiyi was faster. With his hands, spiritual sense, and the principles, he wielded the divine blood, writing one forbidden curse after another. Having deconstructed the principles, Xie Xiyi was now fully capable of creating more principles.

For the Heavenly Dao, this was terrifying. Countless fragments of principles overflowed from the forbidden curses, merging into ribbons of dense principles after the curses shattered.

With such ability, Xie Xiyi was now fully capable of creating a world of his own.

The Heavenly Dao exclaimed in disbelief, "How is this possible!? How did you achieve such a thing?"

It did not know that at the end of every cycle, it broke down similarly, yet each time it began anew, it would continue to underestimate Xie Xiyi, and each time, it would plunge into failure due to this underestimation.

This time seemed to be the last.

The laws created by Xie Xiyi surged forth like tidal waves, denser, fiercer, and more powerful than the laws given by the Xie Xiyi of the Demon Kingdom. Even the Heavenly Dao, which had already devoured the laws of the Demon Kingdom's Xie Xiyi, was overwhelmed.

The law imbued with the Demon Kingdom Xie Xiyi's will watched quietly, "You surprise me."

The tides of battle began to turn.

Amidst the fusion of countless laws, the powerful Xie Xiyi glimpsed further.

What kind of scene was it?

The beautiful and powerful Chi Yu, dressed in bright red robes like blazing fire, was facing his ascension tribulation.

He carried immense fortune, with countless people guarding him. Xie Xiyi even saw another version of himself among them.

The tribulation appeared grand and imposing, but it was clearly more show than substance. The laws under Xie Xiyi's control allowed him to understand everything, so he knew the Heavenly Dao was giving Chi Yu an unfair advantage.

Chi Yu was about to ascend to the immortal realm with such powerful fortune, and this was the reason the Heavenly Dao had won the second time.

Under the laws, Xie Xiyi could clearly see Chi Yu's expectant, glowing face illuminated by the tribulation. He was whispering to himself, "As long as I ascend, I can go home."

The thunder tribulation seemed to strike him mercilessly, but it always left a means of survival, something Chi Yu was completely unaware of.

He was resilient—the thunder tribulation stripped him to the bone, yet he never gave up.

At the same time, he was fragile. He used layers of magical artifacts to block the gazes of his friends and subordinates, but behind these artifacts, he wept and said, "It hurts, it hurts so much. How can it hurt this much?"

So, he was this afraid of pain.

Xie Xiyi saw another version of himself rushing to the edge of where the tribulation was falling. He couldn't see his own face, but through the laws, he sensed an intense yet vague emotion.

With such immense fortune, the tribulation Chi Yu experienced was also grand and imposing—a full eighty-one strikes. It seemed impossible to survive, but due to the Heavenly Dao's deliberate arrangements, ascension was an inevitable outcome.

After eighty-one thunder strikes, Chi Yu was reduced to scattered remains. His battered heart beat in the deep pit, and the laws within the thunder tribulation caused Chi Yu's body to rapidly regenerate from the heart. Soon, his body was restored, and a brilliant light poured down from the sky. The immortal gate opened, guiding him to ascend.

Xie Xiyi, who understood everything, was strangely enraged.

The Chi Yu he cherished and loved was merely a pawn for the Heavenly Dao to ensure its survival. He would never return home.

And Chi Yu was unaware of this. He ascended with expectations and hopes, only to receive deception.

How dare the Heavenly Dao do this?!

The divine blood in Xie Xiyi's hands grew increasingly scarce, all transformed into the most fierce and unrelenting laws. The counterattack was fierce, carrying Xie Xiyi's rage, driving the Heavenly Dao to its limits.

The Heavenly Dao retreated step by step, finally shedding its pride and arrogance, and begged Xie Xiyi for mercy, "Xie Xiyi, I won’t contend with you anymore. As long as you stop devouring, I will leave the Haoyuan Realm to you."

Xie Xiyi laughed lowly, "Contend? Are you worthy of contending with me? You’re merely an insect."

The Heavenly Dao snapped angrily, "Don’t go too far! If I fight to the death, you will never defeat me!"

Xie Xiyi said no more. Just as forbidden curses were like an extension of his will, after deconstructing the laws, he still wielded them with the same mastery. Such terrifying comprehension was beyond even deities or buddhas.

The Heavenly Dao was devoured to the point of despair. "I admit defeat, Xie Xiyi. I surrender to you. Spare me!"

It faintly sensed that this moment of begging for mercy had happened more than once—it seemed even the Heavenly Dao could not avoid repeating its mistakes.

Xie Xiyi sneered. The Heavenly Dao should have no emotions; that was normal. Once it developed selfish desires, it became the source of endless resentment and bloodshed.

He dared not imagine the despair Chi Yu felt as a pawn for the Heavenly Dao, ascending to the immortal realm.

For cultivators, ascending to the immortal realm was the greatest expectation and honor.

But Chi Yu's heart was both vast and small. He was a remarkable person, whose desires and aspirations were simply for a "home."

And Chi Yu would never return home. A pawn would never have freedom; its entire life would be controlled by the highest existence.

A fish swimming on lotus dew cannot see the vastness of heaven and earth.

Frantic rage and malice surged in Xie Xiyi's heart, preventing him from easily destroying the Heavenly Dao.

At the end of the devouring, a core imbued with the Heavenly Dao's will fell into Xie Xiyi's palm. He looked down at it and chuckled softly, "It seems I’ve won this time."

The Heavenly Dao trembled, wanting to speak, but Xie Xiyi sealed its spiritual essence, rendering it unable to utter another word.

The spiritual energy storm transformed into vast droplets of spiritual liquid rain, which fell to the ground and gave birth to countless Spiritual Plants. The spiritual energy of the Haoyuan Realm flourished once again.

All living beings sensed that the struggle over the laws had ended and emerged from their hidden shelters, curiously savoring the dense spiritual energy.

Meanwhile, the immortal and demon realms held their own meetings, deciding to press their advantage and continue fighting!

The war between cultivation and demons, which should have ended over a hundred years later, would not cease due to the change in the Heavenly Dao, just as destiny would not be easily altered.

Xie Xiyi, observing the Haoyuan Realm—now his asset—through the laws, saw Yang Min, whom he despised, in a hidden realm.

With a mere flick of his finger, Yang Min would be crushed to powder.

But after a moment of thought, Xie Xiyi chose not to do it.

Their karmic debt was resolved. He had no reason to kill Yang Min, so he might as well let him go.

Xie Xiyi tore open a stellar rift, preparing to enter Chi Yu's world.

Yet, at the moment of entry, he paused.

Xie Xiyi was no longer who he used to be. He was now the Heavenly Dao of the Haoyuan Realm, even stronger than the original Heavenly Dao. For the Heavenly Dao to have emotions was terrifying, but since his emotions were solely for Chi Yu, the impact was not as significant.

He had grown so powerful that, even outside the laws of Chi Yu's world, he could see all.

In Chi Yu's world, there was another version of him—Xie Xiyi from the second incarnation.

The same intense, indistinct emotions, so intense it was like an overflowing cup, yet so indistinct it was turbid.

Xie Xiyi had no desire to explore the reason for his appearance in this world, crossing the laws between realms. He merely observed everything from outside the world.

His heart was not broad. The intensity of his feelings had bred a strong possessiveness. He disliked Chi Yu's gaze falling on anyone other than him, even if it included his own past shadow after the world's reformation.

However, as Xie Xiyi looked at this version of himself, identical in appearance but different in stature, he felt an indescribable subtle peculiarity.

This subtle peculiarity prevented him from feeling hostility. After a moment of contemplation, he offered his counterpart respect.

Two months later, Xie Xiyi finally tore open the passage and entered Chi Yu's world.

During this process, Xie Xiyi could clearly sense the old shadow faded away under the heavy pressure of the laws.

That cup of overflowing, murky water gave off a sweet scent at the very last moment.

"You mean, you've become the Heavenly Dao of the Haoyuan Realm now?" Chi Yu asked incredulously.

Xie Xiyi said with a low laugh, "Yes, I can now easily create natural laws."

Chi Yu: "For example?"

Xie Xiyi said, "For instance, Earth has no gravity, 1+1=11, wife cakes will actually contain wives, humans can only reproduce with trees..."

Chi Yu cut in with a weird cry, "Wait, wait, hold on, have mercy! You'll overturn the entire scientific community. If that happens, won't my gaokao be doomed?"

Xie Xiyi smiled, a cute-looking doll appearing in his palm. "This is a gift for you."

Chi Yu: "Huh?"

His eyes brightened as he took the doll. "Why give me this? I don't even like this kind of thing."

As he spoke, he squeezed the doll's belly hard. The doll's black eyes showed a flicker of anger, and a mechanical voice came from its belly, "Have mercy, have mercy! Have mercy!"

"How childish, Brother Xuan Ji," Chi Yu said.

Xie Xiyi gazed at his beautiful face and said in a pleasant voice, "This is the Heavenly Dao of the Haoyuan Realm."

Chi Yu's eyes went wide: "Huh???"

He looked down at the cute-looking doll and its desperate eyes, like salted fish gazing hopelessly at the stars, and instantly channeled his inner Bruce Lee—"Hii-yah!"—kicking the doll flying with one foot. "Die!"

"Don't underestimate a high schooler's frustration, damn it!!!!"

The Heavenly Dao: "..."

Its whole existence was basically over.