The Protagonists' Chat Group: Beyond the Boundaries — Chapter 348

Chapter 348: After Ascension Instance Settlement, Six Transformations

Shi Jian’s final attack within the After Ascension instance dungeon was truly an all-out effort, a culmination of his power and understanding.

As the Hand of God unleashed, it struck repeatedly with incredible, blinding speed. Each consecutive move contained supreme combat power, capable of slaughtering any god who dared to contend.

His power dominated the simulated universe, annihilating space and time, reversing Yin and Yang, transcending the Five Elements, and destroying the very planes the gods inhabited.

The native gods of the After Ascension world could not compare to his raw combat power, honed through battles across realms and insights from multiple cultivation systems.

However, they possessed something akin to the authority of Heaven and Earth within their domain, like privileged users with admin rights. They could attempt to balance the Heavenly Dao Law of their world and mobilize its fundamental power to deal with him.

Therefore, Shi Jian held absolutely nothing back after making his move. He intended to directly shatter everything, including their divine authority, with absolute, irresistible power.

One force breaks all laws. Breaking all rules.

“Hand of God: Creation!”

“Hand of God: Destruction!”

“Hand of God: Eternal Immortality!”

“Hand of God: Ancient!”

“Hand of God: Other Shore!”

…

The Hand of God unleashed nine consecutive, distinct conceptual moves. Each strike was more terrifying than the last, with every move stacked to its absolute peak, layering devastation upon devastation.

Vast and majestic, countless divine beings – phantoms born from the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength – appeared behind Shi Jian, chanting ancient hymns. These beings seemed to transcend the past, present, and future.

A terrifyingly grand, dominant will descended, bestowed upon Shi Jian. It made him feel an immense sense of accomplishment, as if he controlled all gods, held the eternal destruction of the future in his grasp, and stood at the apex of creation.

“This… this aura! How is this possible?!”

Feeling this even brighter, vaster, and purer divine aura emanating from Shi Jian, the remaining gods in the world after Ascension were utterly dumbfounded.

They were terrified. It was unbelievable.

This brilliant, holy power seemed even purer, even more fundamental, than the power wielded by their own King of Gods.

“Boom…”

The ocean of divine light conjured by the gods surged, and one massive figure after another – avatars of divine law – stepped out of the void, attempting to halt Shi Jian’s rampage.

The gods desperately used their remaining power, their divine authority, to meet the onslaught of the Hand of God.

In an instant, terrifying white light erupted, consuming the sky.

Shi Jian struck the ocean of divine light again and again, causing it to ripple violently. Cracks began to appear on the seemingly invincible Laws of the Sea conjured by the gods’ combined authority.

His vigorous Qi and blood burned like a furnace, fueling his relentless assault.

What about the Laws of the Sea? One force can break all laws.

The Lord of Order, the Lord of Conspiracy, the remaining gods and demons – all united, casting aside their eons of conflict in the face of annihilation.

Countless streams of vast divine power descended. Divine lightning struck, and Heaven and Earth continuously trembled under their desperate counterattack.

But the white light of the Hand of God instantly struck again, appearing from beyond the heavens. It bypassed their defenses and entered the body of the Lord of Conspiracy.

Before he could even scream, he exploded into pure light. A main god had instantly fallen.

His godhead, a crystal containing his essence and authority, tore through space, attempting to flee, but it was effortlessly seized by Shi Jian’s outstretched hand.

“Rebel! You are destroying the balance! You are destroying yourself!” the other gods and demons trembled upon seeing this, their unity shattering in fear.

Shi Jian, however, ignored their cries, continuously harvesting the lives of one god after another with cold efficiency.

The Lord of Destruction.

The Lord of the Abyss.

The Lord of War.

…

Many main gods, beings who had ruled aspects of reality for countless ages, were slain by him in quick succession.

All their godheads were taken into his possession, stored within his Dominator Domain.

This was the true twilight of the gods.

As the gods were continuously killed by him, the depths of the entire simulated universe experienced an incredibly violent tremor. Heaven and Earth were thrown wildly out of balance.

The world after Ascension was relatively special. This world operated under the strict existence of a Balance Law.

It was somewhat similar to the principles in Jackie Chan Adventures that Shi Jian had watched in his previous life. Yin and Yang must achieve balance.

The fundamental darkness and light of this world must also achieve balance. There must be a balance between the gods of light and the gods of darkness.

In the original work, Feng Yunwuji, upon becoming a god, eventually split his own godhood into three to maintain this balance.

The God of Slaughter belonged to the dark side.

The God of Redemption belonged to the light side.

The Sword God simultaneously possessed light attributes.

He became the God of the Human Race and a Trinity God, acting as the ultimate balancer.

Is the power of light too strong? Strengthen the God of Slaughter.

Is the power of darkness too strong? Strengthen the God of Redemption.

Relying on Feng Yunwuji’s forced balance, after the devastating War of the Demon Gods, the world eventually entered a period of fragile equilibrium.

Shi Jian was now continuously killing gods, completely disrupting this delicate balance.

Yin and Yang were thrown into chaos. The entire universe was about to fall into utter pandemonium.

Looking at the imbalanced Heaven and Earth, the chaotic energies raging, Shi Jian remained unmoved. He continued to strike, killing the remaining, terrified gods.

Yin and Yang imbalanced? he thought coldly. Then I’ll just kill all the gods.

The balance between the power of light and the power of darkness in this world was achieved through the gods, who acted as conduits and anchors. Beings below the gods did not participate directly in this grand cosmic balance settlement.

Then, if I kill all the gods, wouldn’t that solve the problem?

If you can’t solve the problem itself, solve the person who created the problem.

Unable to manually balance the power of light and darkness? Then directly eliminate both powers by removing their anchors.

Shi Jian circulated his divine power and continued his slaughter.

Gods continuously fell at his hands.

When the first few gods fell, the entire universe shook violently, as if it was about to lose balance and collapse at any moment.

But when Shi Jian had finally killed all the gods… Heaven and Earth suddenly quieted down again.

Neither gods nor demons remained to represent the cosmic forces. Heaven and Earth… naturally, paradoxically, achieved a new, empty balance.

According to the normal operating logic of this world, after a god falls, a new god must eventually emerge to fill the void. The new gods would then have to re-establish the Yin and Yang balance.

However, the one acting now was Shi Jian. He was not a god of this world. The Balance Law could not control him, nor could it compel a replacement for the power he now held.

…

After slaying all the light and dark gods, Shi Jian returned to the Primordial World, the central plane of the Human Race in this dimension.

“From now on, there will be no more light and dark gods in this world,” he announced, his voice echoing across the plane. “This world will be dominated by the Human Race!”

He swept his gaze over the many strong individuals of the Primordial Human Race – figures like Feng Yunwuji and the Four Supremes – then spoke lightly, his tone carrying undeniable authority.

He flipped his palm, and a magnificent divine temple rose from the ground in the center of the Primordial World, radiating a gentle, reassuring light.

“Henceforth, I shall impart the Dao to the Human Race. You may revere me as the Human Emperor.”

Three ancient, powerful characters suddenly appeared above the entrance of the divine temple: “Human Emperor Hall”.

Inside the Human Emperor Hall, countless profound cultivation techniques were instantly recorded onto jade slips and stone tablets. These were cultivation techniques created by Shi Jian based on the unique cultivation characteristics and laws of this specific world.

By cultivating according to the techniques within the Human Emperor Hall, henceforth, the many strong individuals of the Human Race would not need to ascend to godhood to possess Dominator-level combat power. They could forge their own path.

Many Primordial Human Race members heard these words, looked at the shining temple, and then glanced at each other, seeing the hope in their eyes. They all knelt down respectfully and shouted in unison:

“We obey the Human Emperor’s decree!”

Shi Jian smiled contentedly at this display of reverence. He then looked specifically at Feng Yunwuji and the other current leaders, the Four Supremes. “You all, follow me into the Human Emperor Hall for a discussion.”

After speaking, he turned and led the way into the newly manifested Human Emperor Hall.

Feng Yunwuji and the Four Supremes saw this and quickly followed him inside.

…

Shi Jian’s establishment of the Human Emperor Hall was not merely a sudden impulse born of benevolence.

The Eternal Heavenly Song within the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength… he had now successfully cultivated its initial form.

What Shi Jian was doing now was preparing for the cultivation of the Wheel of Fate, the next major Divine Ability recorded after the Eternal Heavenly Song.

[Inorin’s Note: The ‘Wheel of Fate’ (Mìngyùn Zhī Lún) is another supreme technique from the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength, granting control over fate, luck, and karma.]

To condense this conceptual wheel, one must gather endless Power of Faith and use the collective fate and luck of countless beings to solidify it into a physical, tangible form. Only then can it become truly invincible.

Once successful, it can engrave the Heavenly Dao, truth, gods and demons, Confucian thought, Buddhist Zen scriptures – all concepts – onto the wheel, expounding the great Dao of fate itself.

It grants the ability to reverse fate and karma; peek into the past and future, and even alter both; conceal one’s own karma, change all fate connections; discern luck, and manipulate luck. It can even allow one to comprehend the true meaning of fate, transform into a Dragon of Fate, and attack enemies with the weight of destiny itself.

Just by the description, one could tell: this Divine Ability was terrifyingly powerful.

Cultivating this Divine Ability required two key ingredients: Luck and endless Power of Faith.

Shi Jian wanted the Human Race of the After Ascension world to revere him as the Human Emperor precisely to collect their Power of Faith and harness their collective Luck to cultivate the Wheel of Fate.

…

Entering the Human Emperor Hall and sensing the palpable restraint and awe these powerful figures felt towards him, Shi Jian smiled faintly. “You all need not be nervous. As I said, I heard the prayers of the Human Race in this world, and that is why I crossed over to help.”

“Now that I have helped, I will naturally leave soon. I will not interfere with the internal affairs of your Human Race in this realm.”

He paused, letting his words sink in, before continuing. “However, I also have one small request. I want the position of Human Emperor in this world. Henceforth, all members of the Human Race must pray and offer incense to me, revering me as the sole Emperor of the Human Race.”

“I will not interfere with your development, your governance, or your lives. But in terms of status… I will not allow anyone’s status to be considered higher than mine within this world.”

He looked at them directly. “Understand?”

The many Human Race experts, including Feng Yunwuji, looked at each other, relieved. They then responded in unison, bowing deeply: “We obey the Human Emperor’s decree!”

Shi Jian’s request was not excessive, especially considering what he had done. They naturally had no reason to refuse. Compared to Shi Jian’s contribution – saving their entire race from annihilation and providing them with a path forward – this small request for reverence was nothing.

If it weren’t for him, the entire Primordial Realm would probably be gone by now.

“Wherever the Human Race resides, Human Emperor Temples must be built, and Human Emperor statues must be revered,” Feng Yunwuji solemnly promised.

The other experts echoed his pledge.

Shi Jian nodded in satisfaction. With that settled, he prepared to enter secluded cultivation within this world to digest his gains.

After slaying the light and dark gods and acquiring their godheads, Shi Jian had truly made a fortune this time. This was a perfect opportunity to digest that power and break through once more.

…

This transformation was extremely smooth.

The Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength originally contained the fundamental powers of gods (creation, order) and Hell (destruction, chaos).

The power cores (godheads) of the light and dark gods happened to perfectly align with these dual aspects of the technique.

Under such circumstances, his absorption of the light and dark gods’ power was incredibly smooth and efficient.

As he refined the power contained within the numerous godheads, peculiar phenomena appeared around him: earth, water, fire, and wind churned, and phantoms of various gods emerged and then dissipated as their essence was absorbed.

Shi Jian’s foundation was already incredibly profound, to a degree unimaginable by ordinary people. Now, undergoing another transformation fueled by dozens of godheads… the result was even more beyond normal inference.

Especially since his Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength had reached Minor Achievement!

Before Minor Achievement, the technique merely represented the potential of 840 million giant elephant embryos.

But now, after Minor Achievement, it represented 840 million times the fundamental life gene – a conceptual upgrade in power.

A majestic current of Qi continuously rotated around his body like a nascent galaxy. The phantoms of the sun, moon, and stars rose and fell unsteadily within his aura.

The concentration of God’s Blood within his body increased once again, becoming richer and purer. One must know that every slight increase in the concentration of God’s Blood required tens or even hundreds of times the energy and divinity of the previous stage. The changes in his God’s Blood alone showed how compatible the power of these light and dark gods was with Shi Jian.

Over 100 million Primordial Giant Elephant particles within his body suddenly exploded, then reformed, transforming into true Dragon Elephants. Each particle now resembled a colossal elephant covered in draconic scales, with horns on its head, exuding a terrifying divine might that blended the power of dragons and elephants.

The Divine Ability of the Dragon Elephant was much more powerful than that of the Giant Elephant. Roaming through space, traversing planes, devouring the void… like a divine Dragon Elephant, it awed all beings with invincible divine might.

The light and dark gods, plus the Hell and Heaven dimensions they controlled, and the countless living beings (believers, angels, demons) within those dimensions – their essence and power were all swallowed by Shi Jian in one go through the godheads.

His gains this time were unimaginable.

The fundamental light and dark power accumulated over hundreds of millions of years in the world after Ascension all benefited him.

Terrifying power poured into his body. His cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

Shi Jian entered the deepest level of cultivation.

Time passed day by day. A few years passed in a flash within his secluded space in the Human Emperor Hall.

Suddenly, an inexplicable, vast Power of Faith, appearing like a golden rainbow, pierced through the void and descended upon his head.

Clearly, Feng Yunwuji and the others had thoroughly carried out his instructions. All the Human Race members in this world, from the countless small planes to the central Primordial Realm, had begun to sincerely believe in him, the Human Emperor.

The pure Power of Faith entered his body.

Shi Jian felt a Primordial Spirit True Fire ignite within him. This was the fire of hope, born from collective belief. Shi Jian carefully refined the incoming Power of Faith, making it utterly pure, crystal clear, and sincere, removing any stray thoughts or impurities. Only then did he absorb the Power of Faith into his body.

A void-like light wheel appeared behind him, beginning to slowly absorb this Power of Faith.

This was the nascent Wheel of Fate.

With the faith of the entire Human Race of the After Ascension world, Shi Jian had successfully cultivated the initial phantom of the Wheel of Fate.

This wasn’t even a rudimentary form yet. The true Wheel of Fate required endless Power of Faith, and the collective fate and luck of countless beings, to condense into a tangible, physical entity. Only then could it be truly invincible.

The true Wheel of Fate… its size would be hundreds or thousands of times larger than this phantom. Its power would be tens of thousands of times greater.

However, since the phantom had been cultivated, it meant that Shi Jian’s Wheel of Fate had already been successfully condensed in concept. The next step was just a slow, grinding effort of accumulation.

Thus, Shi Jian simultaneously underwent his sixth transformation while cultivating the Wheel of Fate.

Soon, a few more years passed.

Significant, positive changes could be seen throughout the entire world after Ascension. The Human Race became increasingly prosperous and powerful. Besides the humans in the Primordial Realm, humans in other planes no longer had to live a life of hiding and fear as they did before.

The Human Race completely became the Dominator of this world.

Some of the cultivation techniques passed down by Shi Jian were also greatly promoted. After Feng Yunwuji and others cultivated them, their strength instantly increased greatly, and a large number of new experts emerged within the Human Race.

As a result, Shi Jian also received more and more pure Power of Faith.

Time flowed on relentlessly. Nearly ten more years passed.

For cultivators, not to mention ten years, even a hundred or a thousand years was but a flick of a finger.

But for Shi Jian, still technically a ‘little baby’ not yet a hundred years old in total lifespan, ten years was still a significant period.

His transformation was finally complete. He had successfully completed his sixth transformation.

Shi Jian felt the immensely powerful strength flowing within him and smiled. He now felt terrifyingly powerful.

A True Immortal… to him now… could likely be extinguished with a flick of a finger.

Shi Jian estimated that his current self, at the most conservative estimate, possessed the combat power of a quasi-Immortal King.

[Inorin’s Note: A ‘quasi-Immortal King’ (Zhǔn Xiān Wáng) is a realm just below the true Immortal King stage in Perfect World, possessing power far surpassing any True Immortal.]

The fundamental light and dark power accumulated over hundreds of millions of years in an entire world had all been swallowed by him. This kind of progress was unimaginable.

More importantly, besides the progress in his cultivation realm and transformation…

Shi Jian had also comprehended the method of condensing godheads from this world!

At Shi Jian’s brow, between his eyes, a rhomboid crystal, like a third eye made of pure light, burst forth with dazzling brilliance.

This was a “Universal Godhead” he had forged using the essence of the godheads of the numerous gods and demons he had slain!

This artificial godhead could infinitely magnify his authority over any law he comprehended.

With this godhead, he could now directly mobilize the power of time in this world. Freezing time and space, or reversing time and space locally, was now effortless.

Even if he returned to the Perfect World, with this “Universal Godhead” in existence, he could also mobilize a portion of the power of time and manipulate it to a degree previously impossible.

One must know… that level of temporal manipulation was an “authority” typically only possessed by true Immortal Kings!

“Everyone is happy,” Shi Jian exclaimed with satisfaction.

He had made a huge profit.

The Human Race had unified the world after Ascension.

The dark and light powers of this world were all taken by him, and in the future, the Heavenly Dao of this world would no longer have to worry about how to balance light and darkness.

It was simply a win-win-win!

Oh right, he could also obtain the final Heavenly Dao power reward from the chat group for completing the instance dungeon. Another win.