The powerhouse who stepped out from space-time turned out to be Heavenly Venerable Shashen! Heavenly Venerable Shashen had clearly already been slain—how could he be alive again?
In truth, Heavenly Venerable Shashen had not truly revived. He had been re-summoned through a space-time reversal. In theory, it counted as being "alive," but only for a single day.
That meant he could remain in this world for just one day before vanishing again.
Regardless of how long he could stay, the fact was that Heavenly Venerable Shashen had reappeared here, and he did so with the bearing of a king. Razor-sharp killing intent spread outward in all directions—an intangible aura that could be felt but not touched.
Just sensing a trace of it was enough to throw cultivators into disarray, plunging the situation into extreme danger, stirring impulses of madness and loss of reason.
"Heavenly Venerable Shashen?"
Yi Tianyun's pupils shrank. The Heavenly Venerable Shashen before him possessed Upper-stage Heavenly Venerable, mid-stage cultivation—not late stage. Even so, for the two of them to sacrifice themselves and summon a mid-stage Upper-stage Heavenly Venerable was already terrifyingly impressive.
Heavenly Venerable Shashen:
Upper-stage Heavenly Venerable (mid-stage). Possesses overwhelmingly powerful killing intent that can condense into any form to attack. Wherever the killing intent passes, it not only seizes the soul but can also cleave the void itself.
Overall combat power: 10 billion points of Star Power (moderate burst state).
Weaknesses: None.
Ten billion Star Power—this combat power was shocking. At his absolute limit, Heavenly Venerable Litian could only reach a bit over eight billion Star Power. Heavenly Venerable Shashen exceeded him by more than two billion, and this was still only a moderate burst, not his peak.
If he were to fully unleash his power, it would easily surpass twelve or thirteen billion. In that state, Heavenly Venerable Litian would have no chance of winning.
Against an Upper-stage Heavenly Venerable at the early stage, they could still manage. But against a mid-stage powerhouse—especially Heavenly Venerable Shashen, a name that struck terror across realms—it was an entirely different matter.
Heavenly Venerable Litian and the others likewise felt their hearts sink. A chill surged from deep within. An Upper-stage Heavenly Venerable at mid-stage was bad enough—let alone one as monstrous as Heavenly Venerable Shashen.
As for the imprint left by Heavenly Venerable Vast Heaven, it simply didn't exist. Space-time reversal clearly restored him to a state before any attack imprints were placed upon him. There was no imprint on him at all.
"Indeed… it's Heavenly Venerable Shashen. This time, we're finished…" Heavenly Venerable Litian forced a bitter smile. Their recovery abilities were incredibly strong, yes—but against Heavenly Venerable Shashen, a single sword strike could reduce everything to nothingness. What use was healing then?
Heavenly Venerable Jiansi and the others also wore bitter smiles, their fighting spirit nearly gone. Only their master, Heavenly Venerable Vast Heaven, could contend with Heavenly Venerable Shashen.
Even with reduced cultivation due to space-time reversal, his overall strength was still far beyond anything they could withstand.
"Junior Brother, run—now! The Three Realms God Domain must be abandoned, and the core token as well. Otherwise, you'll be hunted endlessly…" Heavenly Venerable Litian immediately turned to Yi Tianyun, urging him to flee—escape with as many as possible.
Heavenly Venerable Jiansi and the others did the same, transmitting messages to Yi Tianyun, telling him to take everyone and run as far as they could.
"Are you discussing how to escape?" Heavenly Venerable Shashen spoke calmly. He didn't attack immediately. Instead, he walked toward them step by step. With each step, the surrounding space was sealed by killing intent.
Their breathing stagnated. Was Heavenly Venerable Shashen about to strike?
They instantly prepared for battle—this time, a fight to the death.
"Relax. I won't kill you that quickly," Heavenly Venerable Shashen said with a faint smile. "After all, you're disciples of Heavenly Venerable Vast Heaven. I should savor this properly. I do have a full day, after all."
He paused, then added with a cold grin, "I never thought I'd see the light of day again. The time is short, but at least I get to return once more… And you—yes, you're the one who killed me. Who would've thought we'd meet again here?"
His smile was icy to the core. Though he claimed he wouldn't kill them so quickly, the blood-red divine sword in his hand gleamed ominously, ready to reap lives at any moment.
As his words fell, Heavenly Venerable Shashen casually slashed to the side. A streak of extreme crimson light tore through the void, cleaving into a nearby planet.
Boom!
A deep gash was carved into the planet. Its defensive grand formation was nearly useless—at best, it mitigated a tiny fraction of the damage. Without it, the planet would likely have been split in two.
The slash sent explosions rippling across the planet's interior, causing massive casualties.
"You—!" Yi Tianyun's gaze darkened. He clenched his fists, fury surging sky-high.
"My apologies," Heavenly Venerable Shashen chuckled coldly. "I was just testing a casual strike to see how strong it is. It's weaker than my peak, but overall… not bad."
"At least there's no disgusting imprint," he sneered. "If not for that imprint, do you really think you could have killed me?"
Though this was a space-time reversal, his memories remained intact. What had been summoned was the real Heavenly Venerable Shashen—not a phantom.
This technique was not something that could be used casually. It required sacrificing oneself and could not be repeated endlessly. It was a forbidden art, normally used only when driven into a corner—seeking mutual destruction.
Yi Tianyun's expression turned terrifyingly grim. If this continued, Heavenly Venerable Shashen would inevitably wipe out the Three Realms God Domain. With his cultivation, he wouldn't even need a full day—just a few hours would suffice.
"However, my mission upon being summoned is to kill you and destroy your forces," Heavenly Venerable Shashen said calmly, crimson light flickering in his eyes. "So let's do this—first I'll erase your God Domain, then I'll deal with you last. You'll watch as everything you built is destroyed, piece by piece."
Though his tone was even, the hatred in his eyes was unmistakable. He wanted Yi Tianyun to suffer—slowly—before finally killing him.
A single strike would be far too boring. He had only one day of life. Once it ended, there would be nothing left to do.
As Heavenly Venerable Shashen calmly laid out his plan, Yi Tianyun and the others had already exchanged countless messages—searching desperately for a plan that could turn the tide.