A Will Eternal

Even as Bai Xiaochun scowled on the verge of tears, the Celestial looked at the gravekeeper and coolly said, “So what if you knew? Whether I lured you into the open, or you did it to me, in the end… it will all come down to who wins the fight!”

Even as he spoke, a domineering air exploded out from him that made him seem like the ultimate entity in heaven and earth!

In the moment that he finished speaking, the little girl chuckled oddly and began to blur into the form of a black hole. At the same time, that odd voice of hers which seemed to be composed of countless living things spoke.

“Void Devouring Grand Magic!!”

Black light erupted from the black hole that was the little girl, filling a 30,000-meter area and pulling everything toward it. Plants, vegetation, rocks, mountains; everything began to fly through the air toward her.

The gravekeeper was in that 30,000-meter-area, and was actually the focus of her Void Devouring Grand Magic. From the look of things, it had him locked in place and incapable of moving!

Even as the girl attacked, the Celestial took a step forward. He knew that this battle needed to be ended quickly, and was prepared to make that happen. As his foot descended, the lands quaked. At the same time, he reached out with his right hand and made a grasping gesture.

“Heavenspan Sea!” he said coolly. Rumbling sounds could be heard, and ripples filled the air, along with a golden color that bore the appearance of a sea!

Bai Xiaochun’s jaw dropped and his mind began to reel. He immediately identified that golden, illusory body of water. It was none other than… the Heavenspan Sea!

“What kind of magical techniques are these?” he thought, his heart racing. “He’s actually using the Heavenspan Sea as a weapon?!” As of this moment, he came to the conclusion that the techniques being used by these three were true divine abilities. In fact, they made the magical techniques he usually used seem almost embarrassing. But then he reminded himself how amazing the Waterswamp Kingdom and Undying Emperor’s Fist were, and felt a bit better. If he had a higher cultivation base, his Waterswamp Kingdom would probably crush these people like dry weeds.

“Ai, my cultivation base is really just too weak.” he thought with a scowl. At the same time, he backed up as quickly as possible. The Grand Heavenmaster and the other powerful experts all had very serious expressions on their faces. They too realized that the Celestial was making drastic transformations to heaven and earth by using a projection of the Heavenspan Sea itself!

The entire sky became a huge sea, with churning water and huge waves. Within moments, that golden water transformed into the shape of a massive hand, which began to crush down toward the gravekeeper!

The sky had become a sea, and the sea had become a hand. With the little girl’s Void Consuming Grand Magic locking the gravekeeper in place, it seemed impossible for him to evade that all-destructive attack.

It was a moment of crisis that had Bai Xiaochun’s heart leaping into his throat. However, that was when the gravekeeper looked up, his eyes flickering with profound light as he lifted both hands above his head and spoke in a gravelly voice.

“Underworld River!”

A powerful aura of death sprang up around him, along with raging black river water that quickly filled all creation. Then he took a step forward, and the river water roared forth like a black dragon!

The gravekeeper was like the source of the Underworld River water, which erupted like a fountain, growing more numerous by the moment. The water seethed madly around him as he climbed into the sky to meet the gargantuan hand that was the Heavenspan Sea!

They grew closer and closer together, and then collided with force to shatter mountains, destroy the sky, and crush the land. Countless lines spread out across the surface of the hand as deafening rumbling sounds filled the air. It was an attack in which the gravekeeper and the Celestial were facing off using the Underworld River and the Heavenspan Sea as their weapons.

A black dragon was fighting a golden hand!

The golden hand was the first to lose out. It shattered into pieces which, as they fell apart, revealed the sinister Celestial floating up above!

As for the Underworld River, it was clearly stronger. After destroying the hand, it continued onward like a black lightning bolt, striking directly at the Celestial, with the gravekeeper in the forefront!

A boom rang out as the Celestial backed up. However, in the moment before impact, the gravekeeper turned to the side, revealing that his target wasn’t actually the Celestial, but instead, the little girl!

The girl’s face fell, and she immediately fell back with incredible speed. Unfortunately for her, her shocking speed still wasn’t a match for the gravekeeper. A moment later, a huge boom rang out as the majestic Underworld River slammed into the unkillable soul that was the little girl.

The girl screamed as the river made contact with her, and she shattered into countless motes of light. The light shot off into the distance and reformed into a soul shadow. She had not been destroyed. After all, she called herself unkillable. However, the gravekeeper’s blow had clearly wounded her seriously!

In fact, it seemed likely that if she sustained enough blows of that level, she actually could be destroyed!

The Grand Heavenmaster and other powerful experts were all enlivened by that revelation. Furthermore, it was now possible to see how powerful the gravekeeper truly was. If he hadn’t had another purpose in mind requiring the Celestial to be present, he very likely could have defeated the young girl.

When the Celestial saw that the gravekeeper in Underworld River form was shooting toward the newly reformed girl, his expression turned very grim. He couldn’t just look on while the girl was killed; not only were they allies, but he had an oath binding him. Most importantly, he wasn’t confident in being able to take on the gravekeeper by himself. He needed help!

Therefore, his eyes immediately began to shine with fierce determination.

“If the Heavenspan Sea can’t put you in your place, then how about… the Heavenspan continent!” His hands flashed in a double-handed incantation gesture, and then he pointed at the sky. Instantly, the sky began to peel back, layer by later, as if it were completely transforming!

Then… the Heavenspan Sea appeared again!!

This time, it was even more magnificent, shining with boundless golden light. Shockingly, a black island was visible in the middle of the sea. Furthermore, there were four mighty rivers stretching out from it in four directions. Land surrounded those rivers, which contained rolling mountains, vast plains, and thick jungles!!

Close examination would even reveal the four enormous sect headquarters at the mouths of the rivers. But that wasn’t it. The Middle Reaches, the Lower Reaches, and even the delta regions were all clearly visible!

Bai Xiaochun stared in shock as he realized that even the River-Defying Sect was there! Projected right there in the sky… were all the lands of Heavenspan!

“Gravekeeper! You said in the past that you wouldn’t open the Worldgate for me because I was illegitimate! But all you are is a gravekeeper! You’re an old ghost who watches over the Worldgate. I might not have the blood of the Arch-Emperors in me, but the lands of Heavenspan approve of me! What right do you have to withhold your approval!?!? You will either open that gate for me right now, or die!!” The Celestial blurred into motion, merging into the projection of the lands of Heavenspan, becoming something like their soul!

Massive energy began to build up, as if the will of the Celestial were drawing upon all the power of the entire world!

At that point, a gleam of madness appeared in the eyes of the little girl. Seemingly ready to put everything on the line, she shrieked loudly as she transformed into a paper crane!

Black mist surrounded her, within which existed innumerable howling ghost projections. In fact, it was obvious to Bai Xiaochun that this was… power from beyond the heavens!

Such power did not conform to the nature of this world. It was like a black glob of ink on a white sheet of paper. It was instantly obvious!

The black paper crane surged with power from beyond the heavens, joining the Celestial in an attack on the gravekeeper.

“Are you gonna open that gate or not, you old ghost?!?!”

The Grand Heavenmaster and the other experts were all completely shocked by the divine abilities and energies on display. As for Bai Xiaochun, he was wailing inwardly, filled with incredibly uneasy feelings as he fell back at top speed.

The gravekeeper looked up at the Celestial, his expression the same is it had been the entire time. However, there was a certain exhaustion visible within his eyes as he sighed and said, “You still don’t understand. You are illegitimate, not because of matters of bloodline or approval, but because… you lack the legacy!”

For some reason, the retreating Bai Xiaochun suddenly had the feeling that upon uttering those words, the gravekeeper… was looking at him.