Earth, in a city, a young girl and an old man walked down the street. The girl was a loli, short in stature, with a pout and tender skin, looking incredibly cute, even making one want to dote on her. The old man and the girl walked along the road, and the girl bounced along happily, saying, "Grandpa, the style of this universe is so strange, and the food here is delicious."
"Slurp, slurp!"
In the loli girl's hand was an ice cream, which she was happily eating. It was delicious. It seemed that their trip here could leave some good memories. The old man beside her was dressed in ancient Chinese attire, with a white beard that reached his belly. The beard did not bother him. He stroked his beard and said, "Granddaughter, don't forget our purpose here. Don't get carried away."
"I know, Grandpa, you just don't understand how to adapt."
The girl's stern look was anything but that of a junior. The old man doted on his granddaughter too much to possibly reprimand her. The old man sensed a faint aura and said, "Granddaughter, you wander around here for a bit. Grandpa will be back soon."
"Okay, Grandpa, if you're busy, you don't need to worry about me. This world poses no threat to me."
It was the living beings of this world that should feel danger. The aura emanating from the two of them was completely different from their surroundings, yet it did not cause any repulsion. The old man's figure flickered and disappeared. No one in the crowded city street noticed his disappearance, leaving only the girl to continue her happy stroll.
"Since Grandpa is busy with his own affairs, I'll have some fun. Hee hee."
Her figure moved towards another part of the city. As for the old man, he went to a distant mountain range. Above the mountain range was a barrier that blocked a woman's path. Xie Ou was not in a hurry; it was just the Heavenly Dao making a move. She could not hold on for much longer and only needed to wait. Although she could forcefully break through the barrier, there was no need to do so.
Suddenly, Xie Ou's expression turned serious because an old man appeared before her. This old man looked radiant, his beard long, and his eyes revealed murderous intent. Xie Ou spoke, "Are you sending someone else to contend with me? However, your strength is still considerable, much better than those three useless wretches."
"I have come here to take your life. Die!"
His entire body erupted with power. The moment he erupted, the woman's expression changed drastically. Then she spoke, "You are not a creature of this universe. Why are you helping this universe?"
"For no other reason than to fulfill a promise and follow instructions."
The old man said indifferently. This old man was not a creature of this universe but came from another. Perhaps the universe he came from was of the same level as the Xie Ling clan's universe. Judging by the power he unleashed, this fellow was stronger than her.
Xie Ou could not figure out if the Heavenly Dao had asked him or if Chen Tian and his group had found a helper. While she hesitated, the old man paid no mind. He needed to end the battle quickly and then see his granddaughter.
His figure vanished, completely disappearing. Xie Ou's figure soared through the sky, moving at an extreme speed that made her impossible to track. She remained calm. Although she could not control her body, she calmly analyzed the situation and soon found a pattern. The Xie Ling Claw extended, and the claw collided with a fist. A thunderous explosion of air waves swept out, and the clash of two powers affected the three people at the fortress.
"Who possesses such immense power?"
"The Xie Ling clan. Who is fighting the Xie Ling clan?"
"Chen Tian, is this the helper you found?"
"No!"
Chen Tian's clone was bewildered. A helper? He didn't even know about it. In the fortress room, a light appeared, and a portal opened. A mysterious young man slowly walked out and said, "I asked him to help you. Don't worry, I have no ill intentions towards you. I only hope that your universe maintains its balance. I eagerly await the day it is governed."
As his words fell, his figure vanished. Shu Zi Ge Zi and the other were both filled with questions. Could that young man just now be...?
They dared not imagine further because that existence was beyond their comprehension, unless they wanted to die. They stopped that thought. If that were indeed the case, then the crisis could be averted.
In the cultivation world, the young man was fighting Xie Shang. A power not belonging to this world appeared. Xie Shang spoke, "You are not of this universe. Why are you helping the creatures of this universe?"
"For no other reason than that your Xie Ling clan is disgusting."
The young man's back unfurled illusory wings. As the wings flapped, spiritual energy formed a storm. This power stirred the spiritual energy into a storm that carried a continuous force, sweeping outwards. A long staff appeared in his claw. The black Xie Ling Staff swept in a 360-degree arc, with a resounding explosion as the storm dissipated.
Beside them, Sheng Qing saw that he could not hold on much longer. Several rays of light appeared from behind and engaged the opponents one by one.
"You are not creatures of this universe either. Damn it! Who is disrupting the plan?"
Xie Shang roared in fury. The situation had taken an unexpected turn. Beings not of this universe were taking action. They came from other universes, yet the universe consciousness did not reject them. Damn it.
Normally, when entering another universe, one would be repelled unless the universe itself consented. These people before him had been recognized by the will, which was unbelievable. Could it be that the universe's will was going to intervene in this battle? This violated the definition of a universe.
The universe's will could only intervene in any matter of the universe under the premise of maintaining cosmic order. Yet, they were sending people to obstruct him before such a situation had even occurred.
Xie Shang's individual clones faced their respective opponents, and the scene turned into a series of one-on-one battles. They seized openings to attack. Figures lunged out, fists and palms colliding in a chaotic fashion. It was impossible to distinguish a punch from a palm. As they reached him, the Xie Ling Claw produced the Xie Ling Sword. Each clone was an independent entity, possessing its own consciousness, and even their weapons were not uniform.
The young man had the Xie Ling Staff, while these had the Xie Ling Sword, Xie Ling Dual Blades, and so on. In short, the battle was extremely fierce.
The battlefield was divided into seven or eight sections, and the world trembled due to the impact of the battles. The resulting sounds echoed out and only ceased when a colossal black hole devoured everything.
The sounds disappeared, the black hole vanished, and so did everyone else. It was the universe's will that had created a space for them to fight, otherwise, the world would have collapsed.
On the mountain range, the old man found the pattern of Xie Ou's attacks, making it very simple to counter. The old man said kindly, "Not bad, a good prospect."
Few could find the pattern in his attacks, which was worthy of praise. Even some of those on his level would take some time to find the pattern.
"Old man, today is where you die."
Xie Ou felt no concern for the mysterious old man. With a trump card, he was sure to win. This was his confidence. The mysterious old man attacked. Xie Ou had deciphered his attack patterns. Their figures moved, light clashed, and both sides retreated a step, evenly matched.
"You are not a creature of this universe, yet you appear in this one and are not repelled. It seems that 'that person' is planning to attack the Xie Ling clan?"
"I do not know about that. Furthermore, I came here to fulfill a commission. Anything else is irrelevant to me."
He stroked his beard, his gaze fixed on his opponent. They moved simultaneously, almost at the same instant.