A colossal figure slowly loomed over the entire fortress, its shadow engulfing the sky. Pigeon gazed upon this colossal being, whose entire body was composed of demonic energy. Its black form stretched across half the southern sky, and its terrifying roar echoed, a sound Pigeon sensed was not of Earth, certainly not of any creature it knew. As the black roar surged, the very air it swept over turned to nothingness. Pigeon extended an arm, raising the divine shield to defend, the fortress's inhabitants behind him. The sheer force of the roar alone threatened to shatter Pigeon's divine shield.
This creature before them was undoubtedly an extraterrestrial being, one Pigeon had never encountered. The divine shield protected the assembled crowd as Numbers and Chen Ling moved behind Pigeon, placing their hands on his shoulders. Pigeon felt energy surge into him, and he exclaimed in shock, "Quick, stop! This way, your fusion progress will collapse completely. Don't do this."
"It's alright, we can handle it. This is the only way. We'll send the fused origin within us into you. You must defeat this thing completely, or this world will never find peace. We do this to save the world, without regret."
Numbers spoke with firm resolve, his face pale. His internal origin was slowly being stripped away, his life force ebbing. Chen Ling was the same. Seeing their determination, Pigeon did not refuse. He accepted the origin power of both individuals. A torrential force erupted from Pigeon's body. His aura transformed into armor, and the divine shield, bathed in light, began to change. Facing the sonic attack head-on, Pigeon gripped the shield tighter. The next moment, the sonic assault shattered.
Numbers fell unconscious, and Chen Ling, swaying unsteadily, collapsed backward. Fortunately, Ling Fengyun caught him. Watching Chen Ling pay such a heavy price for this world, Ling Fengyun couldn't understand why the princess would make such a sacrifice when this world was not her ultimate destination.
In truth, even Chen Tian, Numbers, and Pigeon's group didn't understand. This was not the divine realm, yet they had abided by the Heavenly Dao contract signed long ago, all for world peace and an end to the war. A conflict that had raged for millennia was bound to conclude. Pigeon's internal energy became chaotic, but his body remained stable. He was receiving three origins, three fused essences: Pigeon from the divine realm, Numbers from the divine realm, and Chen Ling from the divine realm. Their essences merged without affecting their individual forms. A tremor shook his body, sending ripples of energy that dispersed the black sky. This surge of terrifying power enveloped Pigeon in armor. A three-colored armor encased him tightly. Pigeon's entire being transformed. A third eye opened on his forehead, its pupil red, while his left eye was white and his right was azure blue. The design of the three eyes was strikingly handsome and swift. His armor bore various weapons on its back, with magical formations etched onto the vambraces and intricate patterns covering the greaves, each symbol representing a form of power.
Pigeon's hair curled and turned pink. The divine shield now bore sacred wings on either side. The energy sword’s wing-like formations and magic circles converged. The overall shape of the divine shield changed, and within it, the divine swords, which had numbered three, now became two.
"Trinity, Numbers, Chen Ling, let's go!"
Pigeon murmured. Three pairs of wings unfurled from his back, soaring towards the heavens. The enormous black-shrouded figure in the sky was indistinguishable, but that didn't deter the desire to vanquish it. Such a thing shouldn't exist in this world; cosmic beings belonged in the cosmos. Pigeon didn't understand what had driven Xie Yuan to this state, transforming into a mere beast. Seeing Pigeon charge forward, the black sky unleashed a torrent of black swords, forged from demonic energy. Pigeon raised the divine shield to intercept, and the swords clashed against it, yet the shield remained unharmed. Pigeon continued to advance. In the next instant, countless black swords swarmed him.
Facing this onslaught, Pigeon unfurled his wings, unleashing a barrage of feathers like a storm. Explosions resounded through the clouds as feathers met swords. Pigeon weaved through the swords, his figure dodging and slowly advancing. At this distance, Pigeon had no means to kill the enemy; he needed to engage in close combat, to penetrate the black sky. His sole objective was the being hidden within the dark expanse – a swift, decisive blow. He had only one chance.
The black sky coalesced into a colossal sword, its shadow spanning a hundred miles. The sword descended, encompassing Pigeon's surroundings. He had no choice but to withstand it, unable to evade. Pigeon drew the divine sword, channeling energy into it. Under the immense power, the sword seemed to extend endlessly, creating a phantom image. The giant sword and the illusory blade collided. Shockwaves spread, and the giant sword vanished. Pigeon staggered back three steps.
"Such terrifying power. Even as a Trinity, I'm at a disadvantage?"
Pigeon felt a touch of fear towards the celestial being. In this form, he wielded the combined abilities and power of Numbers and Chen Ling, a Trinity granting him even greater strength. To be at a disadvantage in this collision was a testament to the sky-dweller's dreadfulness.
Another pair of wings sprouted from Pigeon's back, and as they did, a previous pair detached. His waist was then encircled by two rotating wings. The black energy from the sky surged towards him, but the wings spun, protecting him. The black energy was sliced apart by the rotating wings. Against such ranged attacks, Pigeon could trust his wings to keep him safe. He continued his charge, his movements growing swifter, as a vortex formed in the black sky.
A thunderous bolt of black lightning descended. Pigeon halted his advance, a sense of crisis emanating from the lightning. He clapped his hands together, the surrounding wings merging to form a shield. A beam of light shot down towards the ground, followed by a deafening roar. A pit hundreds of meters deep was gouged into the earth. A ray of light then shot up from beneath the ground, and Pigeon, unharmed, patted his chest.
He was fortunate his reaction was swift; otherwise, that strike would have been severely debilitating. Pigeon's intuition was spot-on. The moment the lightning appeared, he had already defended himself. Though he sustained minor injuries, his instincts had not erred. Pigeon knew he couldn't withstand that head-on. As it turned out, his assessment was correct; a direct hit would have been catastrophic.
"What kind of creature is this in the sky, possessing such immense power?"
Pigeon gazed at the pitch-black sky. This sky was a manifestation of demonic energy, concealing the true heavens. While Pigeon pondered, attacks continued to rain down from above. He flew, evading.
Pigeon's figure weaved left and right, dodging the rain of sharp swords from the sky. He was protected by an energy shield. He ascended once more. This time, he didn't advance with his usual impetuosity. Pigeon needed a plan to approach the enemy; this method was unsustainable, but the opponent wouldn't grant him any respite. The attacks from the sky were relentless, not even sparing the ground. Pigeon knew he had to end this quickly, lest the northern fortress be reduced to nothingness, beyond repair.
Even the Heavenly Dao wouldn't be able to fully restore it. With this thought, Pigeon decided on a desperate strategy: charge in, absorb the attacks, and penetrate the sky at maximum speed to finish the enemy swiftly. The creature's appearance remained hidden, perhaps for a reason. This was his chance. With this realization, Pigeon's body blazed with light from his magic formations, transforming into an energy shield. His luminous wings erupted with unparalleled speed, and in the next instant, he covered several thousand meters.
The sky's height and expanse were unknown. To Pigeon, these few thousand meters were insufficient. He increased his speed, transforming into a streak of light. The black sky rumbled, the heavens trembled, and attacks continued to barrage him. Pigeon pressed on, welcoming the onslaught, protected by his energy shield. This shield, formed from the remnants of Chen Ling's origin power and magic, could hold for a while. As long as he reached the sky within this time, it would be a victory.
A beam of light shot from the ground straight into the heavens, as if humanity sought to pierce the sky. The light advanced, undeterred by the attacks, and finally pierced through the celestial expanse, vanishing into silence. Inside the sky, Pigeon's vision was clouded by the demonic energy, making it impossible to discern his surroundings. How could he find the enemy? Suddenly, his sixth sense alerted him to danger behind him. He thrust the divine sword backward. With a *thwack*, a sound of flesh being pierced echoed. Pigeon felt an immense force hurl him away.
Pigeon stabilized himself. Finding the enemy here was incredibly difficult. His three eyes blazed with light, and with full exertion, he glimpsed a fleeting, translucent figure, which vanished the next moment.
"Damn it, is it this difficult inside?"
Pigeon's alertness heightened. A flash of light streaked past his eyes, so fast he barely registered it. The blackness merged perfectly with blackness, rendering him almost blind. This streak of light struck Pigeon's face. He saw what the attack was: a long, black tail that sent him flying. His cheek was wounded, flesh torn. His regenerative ability quickly healed him, taking little time.
Yet, Pigeon still couldn't find the enemy. He could only defend. His mind raced for a solution. He remained cautious, and after a long period of inactivity, an unsettling quiet descended. The enemy had stopped attacking. Why?
Pigeon dared not let his guard down. Then, with sounds of things shattering, the sky began to disappear. The black sky gradually vanished, and the dense demonic energy dissipated rapidly. The true sky reappeared. Pigeon stood in the sky, the sudden change leaving him bewildered.
How did it end? He hadn't defeated the enemy. Why had the demonic energy receded?
Pigeon pondered but could find no answer, so he stopped thinking about it.
In a spatial tunnel within the universe, Chen Tian watched the unfolding events with furious indignation. "Damn it! Damn it! Tian, you actually used that thing! Do you know that even the leaders of the seven tribes cannot control it? Aren't you afraid of bringing ruin to the entire universe?"
"Hmph, what concern is it of mine? As long as this world is destroyed, our armies from other universes can enter. What do I have to worry about? You'll have to watch this good show with me. You're not leaving here."
Tian stood before Chen Tian, whose face was etched with icy fury. Chen Tian hadn't returned to the fortress immediately because Tian had cornered him. This peculiar space was the arena for a wager between Chen Tian and Tian. Chen Tian could not attack Tian and disrupt the wager. He hadn't anticipated Tian's madness in using that thing, even a fraction of it being beyond Tian's control.
Chen Tian was unaware that Tian had no intention of controlling it. As long as that thing successfully destroyed Earth, this universe would undergo earth-shattering changes. That was his objective. Chen Tian only now realized that both Huaxia and the divine realm served as connecting points to the universe. Beings from other universes, like Xingyao, needed to find these two worlds to enter this one. If the divine realm and Earth were destroyed, those restrictions would vanish.
According to Tian, the space outside this universe was filled with warriors, beings, and cultivators from other cosmic realms. Once the restrictions were lifted, this universe would descend into chaos. However, this was not Chen Tian's immediate concern. The world had its divisions, and the higher powers would bear the brunt of any fallout. Even if they couldn't withstand it, they could hold on for a while.
"Now, let's see what happens to the world you love so dearly," Tian said with an evil grin, relishing Chen Tian's grim expression, a sight he had long desired.
Chen Tian remained silent. He trusted that Numbers and the others would find a way. He was currently unable to leave this space unless he or Tian won. Such was the nature of the wager. Until its outcome, neither could depart, not even Tian's avatar. This was the will of the universe, immutable.
Chen Tian placed his faith in Numbers and the others, entrusting the world to them for now.
Chen Tian continued to watch the scene. At the fortress, Pigeon landed on the ground, observing the surrounding environment turn to void. Heavenly Dao energy poured down from the sky, and the void gradually began to mend, though some areas remained irrecoverable. The extent of the damage exceeded the Heavenly Dao's repair capacity, requiring its own ascension to rectify.
The Heavenly Dao's power restored approximately fifty percent of the area. The remaining fifty percent was forcibly integrated into a single region by the Heavenly Dao's might.
Pigeon nodded. The Heavenly Dao's power in the sky dissipated. Two beams of light emerged from Pigeon's body and entered Numbers and Chen Ling, respectively. These were their divine realm origins, now depleted. Their strength would significantly decrease, and recovering it would be an arduous, almost impossible task.
Numbers was the first to stir, but he remained unconscious. This was not right. Pigeon saw that Chen Ling was also still unconscious. Logically, their origins should have recovered by now, and they should have awakened. Chen Ling's prolonged unconsciousness was alarming. Pigeon sensed Chen Ling's aura – it was unfamiliar. Was it a new origin within Chen Ling that could not return to its original body, preventing the consolidation of consciousness? This situation was dire.
"This is troublesome!"