Chapter 1236: Heavenly Tomb Civilization

Within the nearly shattered and obliterated Xuantian World, a radiant sword light clashed fiercely with a blazing fireball, like two stars colliding.

Boom!

In an instant, the Xuantian World, already on the verge of destruction, could no longer withstand the power of these two combatants. It disintegrated into nothingness, becoming a void devoid of spacetime.

Ye Guan forcefully severed the flaming pillar with his sword, but the immense force that erupted from it sent him flying. During his retreat, both his fleshly body and soul ignited in flames.

This ignition wasn't intentional; the residual power of the flaming pillar had enveloped him, sending waves of scorching pain through his entire being.

Ye Guan's expression remained calm. He gripped his sword tightly, and with a tremor, a powerful surge of sword force erupted outward, instantly dispelling the flames covering him.

When he finally halted, blood was trickling from the corner of his lips.

In the distance, the Daoist Zhang held a horsetail whisk in his right hand, his left hand forming a mysterious gesture. A faint smile graced his face. "They say swordsmen are the most difficult opponents. Indeed, it seems to be true. Come, let us continue."

With that, he extended his left hand and clenched it tightly.

Boom!

Above Ye Guan, within the fractured spacetime, a colossal hand suddenly materialized, formed from countless ancient runes. When it emerged, an archaic aura spread through the heavens, as though it hailed from an era millions of years ago.

"Hand of the Upper God!"

The monk standing behind Fan Zhaodi grew visibly solemn at the sight of the massive hand.

Upon hearing the monk's words, the expressions of the three Divine Attendants revealed shock and disbelief.

While the spell was unknown in this universe, it was a legendary spell in Tier Nine Civilizations. The mere mention of it sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it.

The Upper God was a terrifying figure from the Heavenly Tomb Civilization—an individual worthy of being enshrined in the mythical Heavenly Tomb. In the history of the Heavenly Tomb Civilization, fewer than ten individuals were granted that honor.

The Hand of the Upper God was a divine spell created by

him.

Its power was unparalleled, dominating an entire era.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Everyone was stunned, not expecting Daoist Zhang to have mastered such an extraordinary ability.

Fan Zhaodi glanced briefly at the colossal hand before turning her gaze toward the devastated Tribulation World.

Within the shattered Xuantian World, the appearance of the Hand of the Upper God brought with it a Great Dao that did not belong to this realm. Its immense pressure, honed over countless ages, descended like a tidal wave, suffocating all in its path.

As Ye Guan felt this overwhelming force, his expression turned grim for the first time. However, in the next moment, his eyes sharpened. He stomped the ground, transforming into a radiant sword light that shot towards the heavens.

His left hand wielded a sword made from sword intent, and his right hand wielded the Qingxuan Sword.

Ye Guan's sword force and battle intent reached an unprecedented peak.

Under the watchful eyes of all present, Ye Guan's dual swords slashed fiercely at the Hand of the Upper God.

He chose a head-on confrontation!

Boom!

The resulting explosion echoed through the shattered Xuantian World. The shockwaves generated by the collision spread outward, forcing Ye Guan to retreat repeatedly. During his retreat, his fleshly body began to crack and bleed profusely.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Ye Guan finally stopped. By then, his fleshly body was battered, and his consciousness was barely holding on.

The pressure of the Hand of the Upper God still loomed, steadily eroding his sword force.

Outside, Divine Attendant Pei and the others stared at Ye Guan intently.

Though Ye Guan was clearly at a disadvantage, they couldn't help but be awed by his strength.

This was the Hand of the Upper God, a divine technique from a Tier Nine Civilization. It wasn't just any technique; it was a Divine Magic capable of annihilating an entire Tier Seven Civilization with ease.

And yet, Ye Guan had managed to withstand it.

Fan Zhaodi's gaze remained as calm as ever as she observed Ye Guan in the devastated Xuantian World.

Opposite Ye Guan, Daoist Zhang seemed slightly surprised. He studied Ye Guan for a moment before breaking into a smile.

"Young Master Ye, you've truly impressed me..."

"Shut your damned mouth!"

Ye Guan vanished from his original position.

Boom!

A sea of blood surged as the power of the Mad Demon Bloodline exploded.

As Ye Guan activated his bloodline, his sword force underwent a transformation. The terrifying force of his sword force tore apart spacetime itself.

Opposite him, the smile faded from Daoist Zhang's face. Forming a gesture with his left hand, he conjured an eight trigram shield.

Clang!

Ye Guan's sword shattered the shield in one strike. However, Daoist Zhang had already retreated thousands of meters away. His left hand formed another gesture, surrounding him with radiant Daoist light.

Just as Ye Guan prepared to attack again, Daoist Zhang pointed at him with his left hand. "Seal."

Boom!

Suddenly, spacetime solidified. Countless eerie chains materialized from the void.

"Dao Soul Chains!"

Outside the battlefield, the monk behind Fan Zhaodi exclaimed, his gaze filled with gravity.

One of the ten grand divine spells of Daoism. Upon activation, these chains, formed from karma gathering, ensnared the target, dooming them to death and soul obliteration.

The monk stared at Daoist Zhang, his tone heavy. "Old Zhang has hidden his true strength well."

He had spent most of his time with Daoist Zhang, but in truth, he knew very little about Daoist Zhang's strength. Rarely had he seen Daoist Zhang take action. He usually acted carefree and jovial, giving off no impression of being a master.

However, the moment he struck, it became clear how deeply Daoist Zhang had hidden his power.

Even the three Divine Attendants, including Divine Attendant Pei, were astonished. Daoist Zhang's strength would not only place him among the elites of a Tier Eight Civilization but also rank him as a formidable force within a Tier Nine Civilization.

Fan Zhaodi remained as composed as ever, her expression devoid of any emotion.

Within the Xuantian World, the appearance of these Dao Soul Chains caused Ye Guan's speed to visibly slow down. When he was ten meters away from Daoist Zhang, he suddenly felt an immense weight pressing down on him, as though he were carrying tens of thousands of mountains.

The Dao Soul Chains were weighing down on him. He had a powerful destiny aura protecting him back then, so no karma could cling to him. But now that his destiny aura had vanished, he could no longer remain untouched by karma.

As countless karma descended upon him, Ye Guan felt suffocated.

What was karma?

Where there was a cause, there would be an effect. At this moment, the karma weighing on Ye Guan did not stem from his own actions. Instead, Daoist Zhang had used supreme techniques to forcibly transfer others' karma onto him, making him bear the burden of it.

The immense power generated by the karma pressed down on Ye Guan, threatening to crush him completely. His soul, in particular, struggled to endure it.

Within a single breath's time, Ye Guan felt as if he were about to vanish entirely from existence. He clenched his fists tightly, unleashing his bloodline power and sword aura from within. Yet even this combination could not repel the countless karmic forces assaulting him.

At that moment, Ye Guan was profoundly shaken.

He wasn't simply shocked by the terrifying might of karma; it was his aunt who came to mind.

In the past, with his aunt's protection, no karma could touch him. As a result, he had never held any reverence for the concept of karma. To him, karma was something inconsequential, something that could not bind him no matter what he did. This lack of fear had allowed him to act recklessly, never considering the consequences.

But now, without his aunt's shelter, he finally realized how terrifying karma's power truly was.

Even his bloodline power and sword force were insufficient to withstand it.

Ye Guan tightly gripped his swords. Inside him, the power of his Mad Demon Bloodline and sword intent surged like a tide, striving to dispel the karma. Yet it was all in vain. His power could only slow down the encroachment of karma.

The karma, however, grew stronger and more overwhelming.

At that moment, Ye Guan suddenly raised his head sharply.

Boom!

The Mortal Bloodline!

The Phoenix Emperor Bloodline!

Three bloodlines emerged simultaneously!

In an instant, the countless karmic forces surrounding him were forcibly repelled.

Across from him, Daoist Zhang frowned deeply. Stepping forward, Daoist Zhang unleashed a surge of karma through the Dao Soul Chains, which rushed toward Ye Guan. Within moments, Ye Guan's position was once again enveloped by an ocean of karmic power.

Ye Guan slowly lifted his head to look at Daoist Zhang in the distance. Around him, the power of his three bloodlines surged violently, combined with his sword intent and sword force. His aura became overwhelmingly fearsome, such that even the karmic forces could not approach him.

Suddenly, Ye Guan raised his swords and slashed downward with immense force.

Slash!

A Dao Soul Chain in front of him was instantly torn apart, creating an opening. The next moment, Ye Guan broke through, charging straight toward Daoist Zhang.

Behind him, the remaining Dao Soul Chains did not disappear but instead pursued him at an incredible speed.

Ye Guan fixed his gaze firmly on Daoist Zhang. He understood that he had to eliminate this foe first. Otherwise, the karmic forces would inevitably wear him down.

As Ye Guan charged, Daoist Zhang remained eerily calm.

Suddenly, three burning, blood-red incense sticks appeared in Zhang's left hand. He recited an ancient incantation under his breath.

"Let the incense rise to the heavens to open the celestial gates. I summon the Upper God of the Heavenly Tomb Civilization. Descend to obliterate all life!"

As his words fell—

Boom!

A colossal, thousand-meter phantom materialized behind Daoist Zhang.

It was the Upper God!

A pinnacle expert from a Tier Nine Civilization!