Chapter 257: The Second Thread of the World-Destroying Rule

Looking at the text before his eyes, Lu Yan’s lips curled slightly.

“Erased… harmonized. That does sound oddly appropriate.”

With the erasure rule forcibly suppressed by the Great Collapse Heavenly Dao, and the final medium lost, the Main God completely withdrew its gaze from the Great Collapse Version.

High above the sky, the enormous white sphere trembled slightly. Cracks appeared across its surface like ancient jade shattering.

Those cracks rapidly spread, weaving into a mysterious network, light leaking from every gap as if struggling against an invisible shackle.

In the next moment, the white sphere that had replaced the sun completely disintegrated. Countless fragments of Dao principles scattered, returning to the world.

If any Reincarnator had survived, they would have discovered in shock that the Main God’s control over them had vanished. The wristwatches symbolizing their identity had lost all function.

But unfortunately, every Reincarnator had either been killed by Lu Yan or erased by the Main God’s mission punishment. Not a single one remained, and thus no one could break free from the Main God Space.

Lu Yan stood in the void, black-gold banner in hand, silently observing it all.

His expression remained calm, but within his eyes flickered countless starlights—reflections of the computational rules from the Netherworld Minor Realm.

Lu Yan was using the Netherworld Minor Realm to search for any lingering contingencies the Main God might have left behind.

After being ambushed by the entity behind the Longevity Heaven, he had become exceptionally cautious of every “this world’s sole existence.”

Within the interwoven threads of starlight deduction, Lu Yan swept his gaze across the realm, finding no traces of the Main God. Only then did he breathe a little easier.

Truthfully, Lu Yan had always harbored deep wariness toward the Main God.

Among all the “sole existences of this world” he had come across, the Main God was undoubtedly one of the most unique.

The Main God had established the Main God Space, selecting Reincarnators to traverse countless worlds, cultivating the systems of various versions.

In a sense, the Main God Space imitated the operation of version updates—emulating how the world evolved through patches and changes.

By simulating countless worlds through creation, the Main God was inching closer to the very essence of version updating—something even the Longevity Heaven Sovereign fell short of.

It was precisely because of this that Lu Yan had resolved to attack the Main God version fragment the moment he sensed its involvement in the Great Collapse Domain. He had even destroyed several other version fragments beforehand to accelerate the recovery of the Great Collapse Heavenly Dao.

Looking at the result, it was clear his decision had been the correct one.

Had the Main God been allowed to continue controlling the Reincarnators in the Great Collapse Domain, more unforeseen calamities might have unfolded.

Just as these thoughts flashed through Lu Yan’s mind, the sky above once again began to change.

Following the collapse of the white sphere, a mysterious force tore through the silence of the void. Heaven and earth held their breath—as though even time dared not move.

Lu Yan’s gaze pierced layers of illusion, landing on the strange sight that had appeared where the white sphere once hovered—two interwoven strands of yin and yang energy.

“World-Destroying Rule!”

His voice trembled with excitement. Within his eyes, galaxies spun wildly—his heart clearly stirred.

Over the past seven days, Lu Yan had destroyed numerous small and mid-sized version fragments, but none had revealed the legendary World-Destroying Rule like the ones in the Technocratic Version or the Xianxia Version.

Those fragments merely helped grow the sliver of the rule he already possessed.

Never would he have imagined that within this version lacking any foundational suppression, the Main God version fragment, he would encounter such a rare and precious rule.

The strands of yin and yang, freed from the suppression of the white sphere, began to stir with dormant power from tens of thousands of years ago. The interweaving energies gradually formed a massive illusionary grindstone.

It rotated silently, drawing in all things. The power of destruction crushed everything within the version fragment.

The heavens quaked. The boundaries of the version fragment began to crumble first.

Faraway mountains were torn like paper, towering peaks reduced to dust, scattered across the void. The earth split open with countless cracks stretching like spiderwebs. Rivers reversed, droplets of water hovered before vanishing into nothingness.

The power of the World-Destroying Rule intensified. The entire fragment twisted and warped, like a painting being crumpled by a merciless hand.

Countless hairline fractures appeared in the sky, growing into a massive web that engulfed the heavens.

Cities turned to ash in a blink. Pavilions and towers faded like illusions.

All the myriad Dao principles that descended with the white sphere—all the core rules that the Main God version fragment had maintained for tens of thousands of years—vanished under the yin-yang grindstone like bursting bubbles.

Lu Yan’s heart surged. This strand of World-Destroying Rule was far stronger than the one he’d encountered in the Technocratic City, and even more potent than the one he’d cultivated thus far.

But Lu Yan did not choose to forcibly suppress it. Instead, he withdrew from the version fragment and silently watched the final collapse of the Main God version.

Under the nourishment of world destruction, the World-Destroying Rule grew stronger.

The heavens collapsed. Stars fell. The version fragment shattered into pieces. Just as the World-Destroying Rule was about to break free from the boundaries and expand outward, a mysterious tremor rang out from deep within the void.

A golden radiance streaked across the sky like the first light of dawn after eternal night. It was the order of the Great Collapse Heavenly Dao descending—vast, sacred, and inviolable.

The golden light, like countless chains, wrapped around the expanding World-Destroying Rule, binding it firmly within the realm.

Destroying version fragments might accelerate the awakening of the Great Collapse Heavenly Dao, but it would never permit the World-Destroying Rule to spill across the wider realm.

Through this display, Lu Yan could clearly sense that the Great Collapse Heavenly Dao had grown significantly stronger.

The awakening brought by destroying this Ninefold Heaven-level version fragment had surpassed all ten version fragments he’d shattered over the past seven days.

The rapidly growing grindstone quickly dissipated, and the yin and yang energies returned to dormancy.

Lu Yan, seeing this, did not hesitate to summon the Gate of Mystery Womb.

The violet gate emerged, manifesting the foundation of all laws and Dao, opening silently in the void.

Within the Gate of Mystery Womb, a familiar aura similar to the yin-yang energies flickered faintly—that was the World-Destroying Rule he had sealed long ago. Now sensing a kindred force, it stirred restlessly.

Lu Yan gently beckoned, and the World-Destroying Rule within burst forth, merging with the new strand from the Main God version. The two kindred forces intertwined, releasing a brilliant light that illuminated the dying world.

Bathed in that light, the grindstone of yin and yang grew more real, shifting from a conceptual form into a tangible entity.

At that moment, Lu Yan felt within the rule a deep, ancient presence—a force that had existed since the beginning of creation, an inevitable destruction written into the world’s very origin.

After merging the new strand into the Gate of Mystery Womb, Lu Yan closed his eyes, quietly comprehending the changes.

Moments later, he opened his eyes and sighed.

“Still not enough.”

Though the World-Destroying Rule had grown substantially, it still wasn’t strong enough to break open the Seed of Supreme Divine Power.

Yet the appearance of this strand within the Main God version had shown Lu Yan a new path forward.

“In all known version fragments of the Ninefold Heaven tier, without exception, a World-Destroying Rule is sealed within.

If I can destroy more Ninefold Heaven version powers before the Longevity Heaven completes its formation… perhaps I can reach Golden Core Realm early and begin nurturing the Supreme Divine Power.”

He murmured to himself.

It was clear that to confront all Ninefold Heaven powers, brute force would not be enough.

Lu Yan had only taken down the Main God Space so easily because the Joint Assembly had drawn away its top Reincarnators.

Had all ten-plus Nascent Soul experts, including three peak Nascent Soul Reincarnators, remained behind, even Lu Yan would have had no choice but to retreat.

“What’s more, among the Ninefold Heaven version powers, the Main God Space isn’t even the strongest—only mid-tier.

With no inheritance or foundation to speak of, the Seven God Church and the Nation of Gods—who have accumulated for tens of thousands of years—must possess far more terrifying trump cards.”

His voice paused as a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

“But… to destroy a version fragment doesn’t necessarily mean I have to fight its power head-on.

With the fall of the Main God Space, if I play my cards right… I may be able to subdue them without drawing my blade.”

“The real turning point… starts now.”

His gaze swept across the desolate land slowly being restored by order. Lu Yan turned into a golden streak and vanished from the world.

—

At the ruins of Technocratic City, within the central grand hall.

The representatives of all major versions were still seated, their eyes fixed in the direction the Reincarnators had departed.

“Those Reincarnators were quite disrespectful, leaving the assembly unfinished.”

“They’ve always done as they pleased, caring nothing for the oaths or promises between version powers—let alone a doomed assembly.”

“But their faces looked grim. Something serious must have happened.”

“That… would be good news indeed.”

The lower representatives whispered among themselves, making no attempt to hide their disdain for the Main God Space.

It was understandable. Over the years, the Main God Space had struggled to compete with other Ninefold Heaven powers due to its limited scale.

With Reincarnators being selfish and unwilling to unite, their occupied resource zones were few and far between.

As time went on, many Reincarnators, lacking resources, turned to smaller version powers—using their strength to plunder techniques and gather cultivation systems.

If it had only happened a few times, it might’ve been overlooked. But with new batches of Reincarnators appearing every few decades, constantly pillaging, and never passing down what they stole, it became a cycle of predation.

Naturally, the Main God Space’s reputation among the version powers had long since hit rock bottom.

As murmurs echoed below, the seven Ninefold Heaven representatives seated above grew somber.

They had dealt with Reincarnators for years. Some even knew bits about the Main God and the nature of their missions.

The Reincarnators’ sudden urgency could only mean something had gone terribly wrong.

But with too little time passed, they had no way of confirming what had occurred.

After exchanging glances, the representative of the Seven God Church, Saint Xien, spoke first.

“Since the Reincarnators of the Main God Space are absent, let us postpone today’s agenda. We can reconvene when they return.”

But before his words fully landed, from the seat of the Immortal Alliance, the Killing Sovereign suddenly rose and declared:

“No need to wait. They won’t be coming back.”

The entire room turned toward him in shock.

The Marquis of Valor from the Great Dawn Dynasty asked bluntly, “Sovereign, what do you mean?”

The Killing Sovereign’s expression was calm. He rose from his seat and raised a hand, announcing:

“Welcome the arrival of Envoy Lu!”

As the words fell, the dome of the grand hall lit with silvery moonlight. A tall figure descended, sketched in radiant lines.

His silhouette gradually materialized, emanating a profound aura. With every step, he exuded a transcendent air—his presence as immovable as a mountain, pressing down on all within the hall.

He bore an aura both divine and human, sacred yet not devoid of warmth.

“Who is this?” asked Saint Xien.

The Killing Sovereign replied solemnly, “This is our Immortal Alliance envoy—Envoy Lu from the Netherworld.”

“The Netherworld Envoy?”

“Is he the one who manifested the Netherworld Ghost Gods?”

“The one suspected to be a taboo existence…”

“The same Envoy who once slew dozens of demigods in fury and nearly forced a true god to intervene?”

The crowd stirred.

Lu Yan’s deeds in the Urban Version and the Apocalypse Version had long echoed across other versions, thanks to his Unchanging Trait.

Now seated upon the Immortal Alliance’s throne, Lu Yan’s gaze swept the hall. His voice was calm and indifferent.

“The Main God Space’s core territory has fallen. All Reincarnators are dead. The Great Collapse Domain… no longer holds the Main God Space.”

A wave of shock rippled through the hall.

If not for his confirmed identity, many would have dismissed him as a madman.

“How is that possible?”

“They left just minutes ago. How could they all perish?”

“What in the world happened?”

The Ninefold Heaven representatives, naturally skeptical, began trying to contact familiar Reincarnators or use divinations to trace their whereabouts.

But within moments, their expressions turned pale.

Neither divination nor messaging worked. Even the art of tracking soul signatures returned nothing.

It was as if every Reincarnator had been erased from existence in the span of minutes.

A peak demigod from the Nation of Gods looked at Lu Yan, face grim, and asked:

“Envoy Lu… please, tell us what happened.”

Lu Yan replied plainly:

“It’s simple. Some being destroyed the Main God Space. All Reincarnators… were erased.”

He hadn’t spoken the name outright, but given the circumstances, every representative immediately thought of one name:

Longevity Heaven.
(End of Chapter)