“Self detonation!” Chi Wuxia’s voice shook when he heard Lu Yun’s warning.

Huo Shentong was no match for Chi Wuxia, but if Huo Shentong threw caution to the wind and self detonated, he’d take out ten Chi Wuxias.

As a premier eternal overlord, Huo Shentong fought at the peak of his cultivation level. How much power would his core essence explode with? No one below sovereign realm would be able to withstand it!

Lu Yun had already fled back to the palaces with Ying Luo and the others. Chi Wuxia stared at the blazing Huo Shentong, a forceful smirk forming on his face.

“You want to self detonate in front of me? DIE!!”

Hummm.

An enormous black hole abruptly appeared in front of Chi Wuxia and flared with extensive suction force. It enveloped a Huo Shentong on the verge of losing control, fully devouring the man just before his self detonation ripped throughout the chaos. It then vanished completely, and a tiny tendril of black smoke wafted out of Chi Wuxia’s mouth as he emitted a satisfied, mighty belch.

“Nirvana… a return to quiet. The final extinguishment! I see!” Black sparkles shimmered into existence around him as he entered a strange mental state, replacing the flames previously leaping from his body.

Nirvana!

The order of nirvana surged into Chi Wuxia from all directions, affecting their immediate vicinity and redirecting tiny sizzles of black electricity into his body. He realized with utmost shock that he… seemed to be able to control the dreadful chaos tribulation!

That thought existed for only half a second before he plunged back into a mental state of quiet and nothingness.

Breakthrough!

Swallowing Huo Shentong’s power propelled Chi Wuxia through that last layer of obstruction, enabling him to reach sovereign realm!

“Chi Wuxia, you will answer for my son’s life!!” A grief-stricken howl rose in the chaos as a scarlet figure descended like a blazing meteor. It crashed straight down on Chi Wuxia—the prime of the fire origin sacred land, Huo Shentong’s father!

Having just witnessed Chi Wuxia swallow his son whole, the fire origin prime lost all rational thought. He mobilized all of his power so that he could take Chi Wuxia’s head!

The primes of the nine sacred lands had long become sovereigns thanks to guidance from the Hongmeng creatures. Though their foundations weren’t as strong as veteran sovereigns, the throes of tremendous fury and despair pushed this prime’s strength to new heights.

He was one massive fireball about to crush the ascending Chi Wuxia.

Preoccupied with his breakthrough, Chi Wuxia’s tribulation for setting foot into sovereign realm was upon him. However, the black lightning of the chaos tribulation continuously burrowed into his body and restrained his strength. He could already sense impending danger, but there was nothing he could do other than quietly wait for death.

BOOOM.

A gigantic collision echoed, like a chaos star had exploded.

Sparks spewed in all directions, the scintillating radiance forcing even sovereigns to avert their eyes. A momentary lull appeared in the frenzied melee of the darkened chaos.

“That traitor deserved his death!” exulted the sacred lands. In their eyes, Chi Wuxia was a heinous traitor that had turned on them and all of the chaos.

“No, he deserved more than death!” Curses and insults for the newly fallen shattered the momentary peace in battle.

Those of the sacred palaces looked on grimly. Chi Wuxia had yet to light a soul lamp, so he really was completely dead if he was gone. His mother, the sacred princess of Nirvana Palace, wasn’t here. She’d rushed into the chaos to save mortal beings the moment the chaos tribulation reared its head.

As the searing splendor faded away, everyone looked eagerly in Chi Wuxia’s direction, hoping to see what they wanted to see.

……

Chi Wuxia remained seated cross-legged in the void. He hadn’t suffered any harm—not even his robes were ruffled. A medium-sized figure stood in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest. He’d taken the brunt of that horrific impact.

It was a man who looked neither young nor old. He wore long robes of red and was as pale as a sheet, a trickle of blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth.

He was the prime of the fire elemental sacred land. Chi Wuxia’s father.

Though Chi Wuxia had joined the Nirvana Palace and become its sacred prince, his father hadn’t left the fire elemental sacred land. He was still its prime and wielded its greatest authority, defying the six palaces.

But when his son faced mortal danger, he still stepped forward to block the fatal blow for his child.

“Are you setting yourself against the nine sacred lands?!” A completely enraged fire origin prime bawled at his counterpart. He’d been sent flying from the collision and his scarlet colored hair scattered messily down his back.

“There will be no more sacred lands in the chaos after today, nor will there be a fire elemental sacred land.” The fire elemental prime heaved a long sigh and murmured, “I am already the sinner of the sacred lands, having led us to these straits. I cannot lose my son.”

“Then what about my son?!” the fire origin prime shrieked back with lunacy. His peer had done this for his son, as had he! Otherwise, he would’ve led the core fire origin disciples away from here a long time ago!

“Chi Wuxia will pay for Huo Shentong’s life today!” he roared and charged Chi Wuxia again.

“Your son is dead because he lacked sufficient skill! Don’t blame me for answering in kind if you want to bully the weak!” Anger stirred in the fire elemental prime as well and he released his greatest strength, blocking the fire origin prime. The two engaged in a no-holds-barred battle where they stood.

No one had anticipated that this would happen.

Those of the fire elemental and fire origin sacred lands looked blankly at the scene. They’d been bound by hatred for a common enemy just moments ago, striking out at palace experts together. However, their primes were now fighting each other, and fighting to the death!

Two of the Hongmeng creatures were dead, the remaining seven being hunted by the six monarchs. The sacred land primes were their mainstays, but two of them were now enemies. Not only were the two fire sacred lands at a loss, so were the other seven.

“Ai…” sighed Lu Yun from his position in Inception Palace. “If only… if only this chaos tribulation hadn’t occurred.

“Resentment from the innocent deaths in the chaos will only be washed clean with fresh blood. If the nine sacred lands aren’t exterminated before the chaos tribulation ends, this resentment will never abate. The chaos will turn into a zone forbidden to life then and no life will be able to survive here…”