Yan Tu's soul was scattered, and his body plummeted rapidly through the air.
Upon witnessing this, everyone was incredibly excited. After all, they had achieved ultimate victory in this battle, finally defeating the powerful alien demon.
Roar!
The Taotie emitted a low growl, soared into the sky, and swallowed Yan Tu's body whole.
Crunch, crunch!
Accompanied by the Taotie's chewing, crackling sounds emanated from its mouth.
At this very moment, a dazzling divine light emerged behind Chen Nan. Within it, exquisite pavilions and ornate buildings, dragons soaring, and phoenixes flying, resembling the heavens.
Simultaneously, Chen Nan felt a surge of electricity flow into his body, causing him to twitch uncontrollably. Despite this, he felt refreshed and invigorated, without any discomfort. He even felt like having a cigarette.
"Indeed, it's just like in the second heaven. Whenever the alien demon of a heaven is annihilated, one obtains the power of merit," Chen Nan sensed the change in his soul. Although it had only improved slightly, his current soul power was comparable to a quasi-saint.
"With my current strength, I could defeat the former Yan Tu single-handedly." His strength improvement left him very satisfied.
He then looked down at the destroyed mountain range. Although the mountains were ruined, he sensed the presence of a formation. He pointed into the distance, and a ray of divine light surged out from the ruins, transforming into a road leading to the sky, connecting to the night sky.
Chen Nan looked at the human powerhouses below and said, "Esteemed ones, please remain here to rebuild the third heaven. I hope we can meet again someday!"
"Holy Lord, we are willing to follow you into the fourth heaven!" Feng Jiu was the first to express her stance. The leaders of several other tribes also declared their willingness to follow Chen Nan into the fourth heaven.
Chen Nan shook his head, "We each have our own mission. Your mission is to rebuild the third heaven and propagate your descendants!"
"The three Beast Gods will accompany me." With that, he ascended the stairway to heaven.
Tantai Shuang opened her mouth. She wanted to leave with Chen Nan, as she had long harbored feelings for him. However, seeing Xuan Qingniao holding a rabbit and following him, she abandoned the idea. As a nascent stage Divine King, what right did she have to follow Chen Nan? In terms of cultivation, she couldn't compare to Xuan Qingniao. In terms of demeanor and appearance, she was also far behind Xuan Qingniao.
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In the night sky, the brilliant Milky Way hung overhead, seeming within reach. The Nine-Headed Flame Lion followed Chen Nan, speaking human words, "Boss, you should have brought Miss Tantai along. You shouldn't be so heartless!"
Chen Nan replied, "Sentimental attachments only affect my drawing speed!" Although he could sense Tantai Shuang's affection for him, Chen Nan did not wish to be constantly lenient. As the last hope of the Three Realms, his mission was to traverse the Nine Heavens as quickly as possible, ascend to the Lingxiao Palace, and retrieve the Sansheng Stone. Sentimentality would only become his stumbling block.
Upon hearing Chen Nan say that sentimental attachments only affected his drawing speed, Xuan Qingniao felt a pang of displeasure, sensing her lack of presence in Chen Nan's heart. She then let it go. Although they had been intimate several times, and Chen Nan had always been the initiator, his initial intention was to extend her life. Furthermore, after she recovered, they had not had a single soulful connection. To put it plainly, their relationship was purely physical, not emotional.
Upon reaching the end of the stairway to heaven, a distorted void appeared before them. Chen Nan stepped into it first. Afterwards, a clear starlit sky came into view. Below were majestic mountains. The air here was fresh, and the outlines of human city-states could be seen. There was no demonic energy.
The Ox God spoke, "Although the alien demons have occupied Lingxiao, the fourth heaven is the territory of the ancient gods. They have not dared to occupy this land." Chen Nan understood. He had heard from the Azure Dragon that there was a race of ancient gods in the Divine Realm. They were an extremely powerful race with terrifying strength. For instance, his former master, Wu Shan, was from the ancient god race.
"The ancient gods do not seek fame or fortune. Otherwise, most of the gods in the Divine Realm would be their kin," the Ox God sighed, "It is precisely because they do not seek fame or fortune that they did not intervene to resist the alien demons back then."
"If they had intervened, would the outcome be like this?"
"Cowardly, cowardly, they are all a bunch of deathly afraid cowards!" The rabbit in Xuan Qingniao's arms let out a sharp screech, its crimson eyes daring one not to look.
The Nine-Headed Flame Lion mumbled, "I'm wondering why the alien demons didn't occupy the fourth heaven?"
The Ox God replied, "Perhaps the ancient gods and the alien demons reached some kind of agreement!"
Chen Nan sneered, "Even if they reached some kind of agreement, what of it? Cooperating with alien demons is like seeking refuge with a tiger."
"How can a nest remain intact when the eggs are overturned?"
The Pig God, with a pig's head and human body, said, "Young Master is right. The ancient gods' thinking is too naive."
"If the alien demons extinguish the hope of the Three Realms rising,"
"At that time, the alien demons will definitely not tolerate the existence of the ancient gods."
The Taotie spoke, "In my opinion, it's best to let me deal with these so-called ancient gods. I will act on behalf of heaven and destroy these deathly afraid cowards!"
The Nine-Headed Flame Lion slapped it and roared, "You want to act on behalf of heaven? You're clearly just hungry!" The Taotie lowered its head dejectedly.
"You go to the small world first!" Chen Nan directly put the Taotie into his small world, fearing its presence might attract unnecessary trouble. Then he brought everyone down to the ground and said, "First, we need to determine one thing: where is the entrance to the fifth heaven?"
"And the distribution of the ancient gods in the fourth heaven."
The Ox God stated, "The ancient gods are extremely mysterious. Ten thousand years ago, when the alien demons invaded Lingxiao, the Jade Emperor wanted to issue an edict to ask the ancient gods to intervene. However, even after Lingxiao was occupied, the messenger never found the whereabouts of the ancient gods."
"However, the ancient gods are very protective of their people."
"As long as we enter the city, I believe we can inquire about the ancient gods' territory."
Chen Nan hesitated, then looked at the Ox God and the Pig God, "To be cautious, you should also go to the small world!" He then left only Xuan Qingniao, instructing the Ox God, Pig God, Rabbit God, and the Nine-Headed Flame Lion to enter the small world. He, along with Xuan Qingniao, walked towards the majestic city under the starry sky.
Although it was late at night, the city was brightly lit, filled with prosperity and peace.
"Is this what prosperity and peace look like?" Xuan Qingniao's beautiful eyes were filled with amazement. She had never seen such a large city-state, nor had she witnessed such a vibrant night scene with lights on at night.
Chen Nan, chewing on a blade of grass, casually replied, "It's alright, I suppose!"
Xuan Qingniao looked at him, "Compared to your hometown, which is better?"
Chen Nan shrugged, "It's obvious, of course, my hometown is better."
Xuan Qingniao couldn't help but ask, "If there's a chance, can I go and see it with you?"
A wicked smile flickered on Chen Nan's lips, "Do you know what it means for a woman to suggest going to a man's home?"