[The dragon's roar tore through the sky, and the phoenix's flames scorched the earth!]
[What made the Dragon-Men even more despairing was that these two had also broken through the Air-Banning Grand Array's restrictions, able to soar into the sky and strike the Dragon-Man army from above.]
[The Cunning Heaven Venerable couldn't help but suspect that you, the one who set up this formation, had secretly opened a backdoor for them.]
[It certainly looked that way, but in truth, it wasn't the case.]
[The One-Line-Sky effect was so overbearing that it couldn't be fine-tuned too much in the details.]
[Within the formation's area, everyone was equal.]
[Li Wentian, the Dragon God, and the Phoenix God were purely overpowered in terms of stats, forcibly breaking through the system's restrictions.]
[The battle entered a white-hot phase.]
[The Human World coalition had more low- to mid-level combatants, while the Dragon-Men had more Martial God-level top-tier combatants.]
[But with the addition of Li Wentian, the Dragon God, and the Phoenix God, the Dragon-Men couldn't gain much advantage.]
[Coupled with the fact that you were firing off trait tags like there was no tomorrow, those bizarre effects made the Heaven Venerables and Earth Venerables feel very uneasy.]
[As the time limit for several Earth Venerables' Super Soul Combat Art approached, the Cunning Heaven Venerable decisively ordered.]
["Retreat!!"]
[The Dragon-Men had great skill in escaping.]
[This was evident from your earlier fight with the Earth Venerables.]
[When they committed wholeheartedly to fleeing, more than half managed to escape successfully.]
[In this battle, the 200,000-strong Dragon-Man army was reduced to around 100,000.]
[Coupled with the rebellion of all their Spirit Artifacts.]
[For the Human World, this was considered a great victory.]
[The situation was favorable, and they should have pressed the advantage to pursue.]
[But the Dragon God, Phoenix God, and Li Wentian on your side were all temporary combatants. There was a fear that if they chased halfway, one would turn into an indescribable ball of flesh, and the other two would drop below Martial God level.]
[Given the Dragon-Men's sneaky nature, relentless pursuit was not a good strategy.]
[After all, they still had two Heaven Venerables who hadn't joined the battle.]
[This battle was far from the moment of decisive victory.]
["Don't chase a desperate enemy! Regroup and fight again!"]
[Your order was passed down.]
[The Human World coalition ceased their pursuit.]
[Everyone watched as the Dragon-Men flapped their wings and fled disgracefully eastward, their spirits soaring.]
["We won! At least this battle, we won!"]
["Now that we have the Demon Tribe as allies and countless Spirit Artifacts to aid us, with this shift in balance, this world war will surely be our victory!"]
["Great! Finally, there's hope!"]
[After repelling the Dragon-Man army, Li Wentian still had some time. Amidst the vast sea of people, he immediately spotted you.]
[Li Wentian took a step forward, appearing directly before you.]
[His majestic gaze swept over you, and when he spoke, his words carried the aura of a ruler.]
["What's your name?"]
[You cupped your fists and replied.]
["Junior's name is Chen Yi."]
["Remember, I cannot make a move again for five years. If you want to use my power to set up the Seven Luminaries Immortal Array to turn the tide, you must wait at least another five years!"]
["Junior will remember. It seems the Dragon-Men's army has suffered heavy losses and lost all their equipment. Unless they can mobilize resources from other worlds later, it will be difficult for them to launch another attack on us."]
["There's one more thing…"]
[With that, Li Wentian looked up at a clump of chains not far away.]
[Inside the Soul-Binding Chains, Hua Wuyan's soul was still trapped.]
[Without a word, Li Wentian flew over in a single step and struck the chains with his palm, breaking them apart.]
["Guardian, if you wish for your soul to remain in the Human World, I can lend you a hand."]
[Hua Wuyan shook her head with a smile.]
["Humans who live long without dying become monsters. I don't want to become a freak like my master. If I'm to live, I'll live by my own ability, with dignity."]
[Li Wentian threw his head back and laughed heartily.]
["The Great Demon accomplished nothing! But when it came to choosing the Guardian's successor, he picked a good one!"]
[Li Wentian had the right to mock the Great Demon.]
[Because Li Wentian had also accepted death gracefully.]
[Even though he was the Guardian, an emperor, and a Martial God at the time, he still chose to die of old age.]
[Like Hua Wuyan, Li Wentian respected his own fate.]
[He didn't rely on crooked paths to forcibly extend his life.]
[Even though he seemed to be alive now, this was merely a trace of power, not the same existence as the real Li Wentian.]
[Hua Wuyan's soul began to fade.]
[Those who could directly or indirectly see Hua Wuyan weren't many, and they all gathered here now.]
[Shen Qingshan sighed.]
["Daoist Hua, may your journey be peaceful."]
[The leaders of the Three Great Holy Lands and the experts of the Five Regions all bowed their heads in silent mourning.]
[Unlike everyone's sorrow, Li Wentian's voice was full of rationality.]
["Has the position of Guardian been passed on?"]
[Hua Wuyan nodded.]
["Before I went to the Starry Domains to negotiate with the Dragon-Men, I had already passed it to my disciple, Li Lingyue."]
[Li Wentian's usually stern face now showed a slight smile.]
["So it's returned to my Li Family bloodline after all. You can rest assured; the Human World will be safe."]
[Hua Wuyan looked at you.]
["For the Human World to be safe, Ancestor Li, you must protect this young one. He carries the Great Dao Fruit within him, but the time isn't ripe yet."]
[Li Wentian merely nodded, without saying much.]
[As Hua Wuyan's soul completely dissipated, a group of Human World experts knelt on one knee to bid her farewell and pay their respects.]
[Li Wentian's time was also running out, and his body began to become unstable.]
[You quickly stepped forward a few paces to ask about some doubts.]
["Senior Li! Senior Hua mentioned several times that I have the Great Dao Fruit within me. What exactly is it?"]
["That was deduced by her Shaman Dao. I don't understand it, but your fate is indeed extraordinary. Just cultivate well. Always wanting to predict the future is never a good thing; it will only backfire."]
["Yes, yes, Senior is right in his lesson... By the way, Senior, you seem to know about the Seven Luminaries Immortal Array?"]
["This array was created by a great Formation Dao expert of the Real Realm. I don't know where you obtained it?"]
[You had already come up with a story to tell.]
["A woman who came to the Void Realm looking for a monkey gave it to me."]
["Is that so? In any case, use it well. A mere bunch of Dragon-Men are nothing to fear."]
[Li Wentian was absolutely the most contemptuous person you had ever seen when it came to facing the Dragon-Men.]
[He looked down on the Dragon-Men from the very core of his being.]
[Or rather, this lord looked down on everyone, carrying an air of supreme arrogance, as if he were the only one under heaven.]
[After a few more words, Li Wentian vanished, leaving behind only a strangely shaped pile of rotten flesh.]
[Li Chengqian quickly ordered his men to carefully clean up the pile of rotten flesh, with a dozen Martial Saints and Martial Kings guarding it closely.]
[This lump of flesh was indeed formidable when activated as Li Wentian, but now, if this pile of rotten flesh was attacked, the power Li Wentian had barely managed to preserve would cease to exist.]
[Not long after, in the Southern Borderlands, Hua Wuyan's homeland, the Human World coalition held a formal funeral for her.]
[In public, Li Lingyue maintained the dignity of an empress, only observing a moment of silence.]
[But in private, in your arms, she cried like a river of tears.]
