From the sky, a vine descended, bridging the space between Xu Zimo and the tower.
The vine pierced through the void, stretching across endless light, its length unseen and its root unknown.
As it connected, countless multicolored flowers began to bloom upon it.
Each flower spanned dozens of meters across, forming a radiant path of blossoms that led from where Xu Zimo stood to the tower where the Myriad Flowers Fairy awaited.
A single vine linked the heavens, and ten thousand flowers bloomed along it.
Xu Zimo stepped forward, his foot landing upon the petals of the massive flowers beneath him.
Red, green, violet, black, and white flowers opened in the air, forming a breathtaking painting of life.
When he finally reached the tower, he could see clearly that the space surrounding it had the feeling of standing above all things.
From the tower, when he gazed outward, his eyes pierced through layers of void.
He saw Blackwater Lake, Ten Mile Slope, the South Martial Pass, and even the greater half of Heaven’s End, Ocean’s Edge spread beneath him.
Turning back, he looked upon the Myriad Flowers Fairy.
She appeared as a young maiden, her hair tied in soft braids, her cheeks flushed with youth.
Her dress was adorned with countless blossoms, and her eyes were as clear as crystal. Her nose was high and straight, her lips red, her teeth white, her brows graceful.
Before her stood a painting frame. She held a brush dipped in freshly ground ink, concentrating on her work.
“What is it you want from me?” Xu Zimo asked.
The Myriad Flowers Fairy set down her brush, gently removed the sheet from the frame, and handed it to him. “A gift,” she said softly.
Xu Zimo frowned as he examined it.
The image depicted what seemed to be a great war.
The heavens were raging, the skies split with thunder and lightning, the firmament torn open by a massive rift.
A rift that could never be healed.
High above, an eye appeared, mysterious, vast, like the Eye of the Heavenly Dao itself.
It radiated majesty and authority, untouchable and terrifying, as though even looking at it was an act of defiance.
It seemed to dominate all things, its single gaze perceiving all yin and yang, all sorrow and joy, all races and beings throughout the world.
And from beyond the distant stars, an enormous cosmic hand reached forth.
That hand of stars grasped the Heavenly Eye.
Below, a sea of blood and endless suffering stretched into the distance, filled with countless struggling figures.
The paper was only so large, and what Xu Zimo could see ended there.
Yet the image felt strangely familiar.
He closed his eyes, thought deeply, then exhaled slowly.
He remembered the palace once belonging to the being known as the Empress, where he had encountered remnants of Martial Heaven Emperor and Nine Nights Immortal Monarch.
Inside that palace, there had also been a mural, one that depicted a great heavenly war.
The two images were almost identical in meaning, differing only in the figures portrayed.
“What do you see?” the Myriad Flowers Fairy asked, standing up.
“A great war,” Xu Zimo replied.
“To be precise,” she said with a faint smile, “it is the Ninth Heavenly War.”
“The Heavenly War?” Xu Zimo frowned.
“The Nine Heavens have existed since the Primordial Ages, spanning billions of years. Did you think you were the only one who ever defied fate?” she replied with a teasing tone.
“I see,” Xu Zimo said, nodding slightly.
“Each Heavenly War represents the apex power of that era,” she continued. “No one person could fight it alone.”
“Behind me stands the entire Ancient Demon Race,” Xu Zimo answered. “When have I ever been alone? Besides,” he added, “I came here only for the Xuanyuan Clan.”
“You cannot touch the Xuanyuan Clan,” the Myriad Flowers Fairy said firmly.
“I once made a promise to Grand-Pivot Saint Sovereign to protect his descendants.”
“I never said I would harm them,” Xu Zimo replied. “I only seek to borrow the Grand-Pivot God-Sword.”
“The Grand-Pivot God-Sword ranks third among the Grand Thousand Treasures,” she said. “Do you think they would lend it so easily?”
“If they lend it willingly, all the better. If not, well, I can’t be blamed for what follows,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “How many matters in this world are not settled by strength?”
“So, the Infernal Lord wishes to stand against me?” the Myriad Flowers Fairy asked with a smile.
“It’s you who stands against me,” Xu Zimo replied. “You seem to know many things. I’m quite curious about you.”
He slowly took out the teleportation token that Zhang Bei and the others had given him before.
Crushing it, a powerful aura burst forth instantly.
The space around the tower began to twist, forming a massive vortex in the void.
It spun faster and faster, reflecting across the heavens, until waves of teleportation energy overflowed.
“The Brahma Monarch God Realm,” the Myriad Flowers Fairy said with a knowing smile. “It seems those people couldn’t wait any longer.”
As her words fell, several massive hands tore open the heavens, ripping through the vortex as figures emerged.
Buddha and demon energy erupted, shaking the void itself.
Myriad Buddha, Arcane Demon, and Zhang Bei all appeared.
“Fairy, it has been a long time,” Zhang Bei greeted with a grin.
“All four of you, come at once,” the Myriad Flowers Fairy said lightly, waving her right hand.
The space before them shifted instantly.
The tower where Xu Zimo and the others stood was forcibly transported to another realm of the void.
“Let us battle here,” she said calmly, “so as not to disturb the peace of my Flower Valley.”
This new space was pure nothingness, infinite and immeasurable.
“Fairy,” Zhang Bei said, “if you agree to leave this place, we will withdraw. How about that? We have no wish to fight you.”
“When Saint Sovereign Brahma first created this particle world, I was already here,” she said. “Your ancestors had no objections then. It is only you later generations whose ambitions have grown too large.”
“In that case, there’s nothing left to discuss,” Arcane Demon snorted coldly.
Dark demonic energy burst from his body, spreading like fog through the void.
“Lesser Saint Demon Fist!”
He roared, his right fist radiating immense power.
Thunderous booms echoed from his fist as he charged at the Myriad Flowers Fairy.
The entire void trembled and began to collapse.
Beside him, Myriad Buddha straightened his body, palms pressed together, chanting softly.
“Purple Mist Heavenly Net!”
A vision of an ancient Arhat appeared, striding through the void, scattering golden light across the world.
Each step of the Arhat created a new heaven and earth, while the Buddha’s voice echoed in all directions.
Zhang Bei stood tall beside them, his body growing several times larger, his white robes fluttering.
Behind him was a massive stone tablet, ancient and majestic.
The single character “Heaven” was engraved at its top.
Unfortunately, the tablet was broken in half, the other portion long lost.
Even so, its power could not be diminished.
“Suppress!” Zhang Bei commanded softly.
The stone tablet shot upward, transforming into a streak of black light as it descended upon the Myriad Flowers Fairy.
The Myriad Flowers Fairy merely smiled faintly.
With a flick of her right hand, a single petal drifted down gently.