He held his sword, no different from an ordinary man.

Step by step, he walked toward Xu Zimo.

He knew he was already defeated. No matter what, death awaited him. He merely wished to die with some dignity, not end in such humiliation.

Everyone present was infected by this resolve.

So what if they were to die!

“Remember my name, Zhuo Bufan.”

“Hidden Sovereign Sacred Ground, Wang Lin.”

“Azure Cloud Sacred Ground, Li Yuntian.”

“Void Dao Sacred Ground, Yang Teng.”

………

Name after name was shouted aloud, each carrying a tragic grandeur.

At this moment, none of them sought to inherit Heaven's Will, nor even to survive. What they truly sought was only to be remembered.

If, in the years to come, when people occasionally mentioned them, even if their names were only brushed over in passing, that alone would be enough.

Such is humanity, desires never cease.

From the very beginning, one only seeks three meals a day and a place to rest.

Then later, comes the longing for power, kingdoms, or dominion over the world.

Yet for most, it is only in death that they finally let go of their endless greed.

“If you had known it would come to this, you should never have joined the battle for Heaven's Will,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “Alas, apart from death itself, few ever awaken with true clarity.”

Each person held their weapon, shouting their name aloud.

Every one of those names had once resounded across the lands, well-known in their regions, their deeds recorded.

But here, all were like fish crossing a river, countless and indistinguishable.

“Phoenix Terrace, Ning Yue.”

“Soaring Camel Race, Luo Wenzhou.”

Even now, names continued to be declared, figures rushing toward Xu Zimo.

Though they were no stronger than mortals in this state, they still charged forth.

“We only wish to declare this, each of our deaths is not in vain!” Luo Wenzhou roared.

“To die by my hand is not in vain. It should be considered an honor,” Xu Zimo smiled.

He showed no mercy. Lifting his blade Shadow Tyrant, he struck down.

Thunder shook the heavens, rainbows split the skies, and like a demon king descending, with each swing countless dozens of prodigies perished.

With every step he took, miles of ground collapsed beneath him.

Above the Heavenly Pits, the slaughter raged on.

Many watching from outside could no longer bear to look directly.

“Too brutal.”

“In all past struggles for Heaven's Will, none have been like this. This isn’t a battle, it’s a massacre, a slaughter without resistance.”

“I knew Wang Lin, he was a prodigy of our Western Continent, once renowned. What a pity.”

“Yes, and Li Yuntian too, a famed genius of the Southern Continent, yet he fell so easily.”

“This era’s Grand Emperor will most likely be him.”

“Not so simple. The struggle for Heaven's Will isn’t over yet.”

“If he inherits Heaven's Will, I wonder, what title will his imperial reign take?”

The murmurs spread among the spectators.

………

At this moment, within the Heavenly Pits above Sky-Trap Island, rivers of blood already flowed; corpses lay strewn everywhere.

The bodies piled high, thousands, even nearly ten thousand.

The stench of blood thickened the air, so dense it seemed the pit itself had been dyed scarlet.

The fissure at the center of Sky-Trap Island widened, splitting the landmass apart.

The once-mighty island now divided into northern and southern halves, collapsing away from each other.

Yet the island did not truly fall, some mysterious force caught it, holding its fragments aloft in the void.

This was the same force that had always allowed Sky-Trap Island to drift in the skies.

Xu Zimo’s blade intent swept across, severing the final foe before him.

His gaze swept the battlefield, as though death itself were walking among them.

Whomever my eyes behold and still see move, kill!

Whomever my ears hear and still make sound, slay!

Step by step, he walked across the sea of corpses, moving from the southern half of the island toward the north.

The island was vast, its size comparable to six or seven True Martial Sacred Grounds combined.

He raised his head toward the still-flickering Heaven's Will above. That it continued to shine meant the struggle was not yet over.

He lifted his eyes toward the distance.

All across Sky-Trap Island, jagged peaks rose into the heavens, strange and perilous.

To the north, golden flames burned, distorting and incinerating the void itself.

To the south, axe intent split the sky, thunder crackling as though to sunder the heavens.

To the east, ripples spread across the void, cosmic phenomena erupting, the Dao of Absolute Beginning, origin of all, root of everything.

To the west, beastly roars shook the heavens. Colossal shadows loomed upon mountain peaks, hefting entire mountains as weapons, their bestial might stirring storms of blood and wind.

Everywhere across the sky, phenomena surged.

“Since you’ve finished probing, show yourselves. I’ve no patience to hunt you down one by one,” Xu Zimo’s voice resounded, carrying across all of Sky-Trap Island.

In the next instant, a dozen figures stepped forth into the air.

During the earlier battle, some had hidden in the shadows, never once joining in.

Thus, the Hexa-Genesis Immortal Formation had not trapped them.

Xu Zimo glanced upward, some familiar faces, others unknown.

Jiang Mochou, Tan Jiulin, Primordius, Jian Yushang………

The spectators outside, who had thought the battle finished, instantly revived with excitement.

“That’s Chu Tianyang of the God Race. And there, that’s Qing Ruoshui of the Celestial Race.”

“Those two, Wang Buhui and White Lotus Fairy of the Magpie Bridge Wonderland! Both competing for Heaven's Will? But there is only one Heaven's Will, who will claim it?”

“Look carefully, the God-Demon Well has sent its people! In all these eras, the God-Demon Well never interfered in the Heaven's Will battle. I’d nearly forgotten that colossus still exists.”

“It seems the true powerhouses only reveal themselves at the end. Pity those before, they were nothing but cannon fodder, yet died without even realizing it.”

Seeing the gathered dozen, Xu Zimo shook his head with a laugh.

“You’d best all come at once. My patience is limited.”

“Holy Son Xu, I admit you are strong,” Primordius, Holy Son of the Supreme Primal Sacred Ground, spoke. “But do not think this world holds only mediocrity.”

His Primordius Physique awakened, light of origin surging around him.

His snow-white hair streamed behind, and though he was a man, his beauty was eerie, almost otherworldly.

“They say the Primordius Physique traces back to the River of Fate itself,” Xu Zimo chuckled. “Tell me, have you ever glimpsed yourself shouldering the Heaven's Will?”

“The River of Fate cannot be casually gazed upon,” Primordius replied coolly.

“A pity,” Xu Zimo shook his head. “Had you glimpsed your fate, you would never dare speak to me in such a tone.”

“Do you understand the meaning of the word arrogance?” Primordius’s brows furrowed. “In my life, I have never feared anyone.”

“From this moment on, your life will know fear,” Xu Zimo answered.

Beside them, Jiang Mochou and Tan Jiulin exchanged a glance.

The Army Breaker Imperial Physique and Scarlet Flame Imperial Physique awakened together.

Two tyrannical forces churned the heavens, their power surging into the skies above.