Prologue - A Lone Branch Opposing the Heavens

"The will of the heavens be damned! My fate is mine to decide! My destiny is mine to seek! My Dao is mine to pursue! So what if my existence to you is intolerable? So what if the heavens refuse to accept my Dao? Eat shit! I don't give a fuck! You want me dead? Come at me you sons of bitches! I will drown these heavens in your blood!" The young man bellowed with the last of his strength.

At the edge of the Universe stood a young man, his figure drenched in blood, his body covered in wounds, yet he still stood tall, his legs strong, his back straight, he alone stood firm atop the endless black abyss below, proud and aloof. His gaze, sharp and clear, fixed upon the resplendent heavens above, staring ahead at his innumerable foes, every single one a formidable adversary.

Although he refused to fall, it was clear that the young man was on his last legs, but as the last embers of his vitality gradually dispersed, something in him stirred. It was as if a dragon inside of him had finally opened its eyes, a tyrannical aura surged out from within him, shaking the vast void.

"My Essence breathed life to my Dao! My body gave birth to its form! My spirit shall give it will!"

Black mist swept out as deafening bellows of the Dao rumbled out from within the young man, coalescing into a raven sun, the size of trillions of stars, towering above him. Slowly, the raven sun began to shrink and distort, forming a sharp obsidian edge that hung over the young man's head, like the blade of an executioner.

"Descend! Cleave my roots! Sever the chains that bind me! I will transcend these boundless heavens!"

The void trembled as the obsidian edge fell, tearing the young man in half, revealing bright runic chains coiled tightly around a small black ember, the size of a mustard seed, within his chest. A dazzling glow rippled out of the chains and sparks of light danced about as it collided with the obsidian edge. Although the Heavenly Laws that flowed out of the chains was able to halt the descending edge for a few breathes, it slowly grew dimmer and weaker, before finally shattering into bright motes of light.

In the following moments, the shattered pieces of the runic chains were swiftly swallowed by the small black embers. Without the chains binding it and having absorbed the might of the Heavenly Laws from within the chains, the small black ember instantly swelled into a colossal blaze.

"By my Will, my Dao shall take form!" A deafening roar echoed out from within the flames. "The Dusk of the Last Days shall pave my way! My Calamitous Dao shall shatter these damned Heavens!"

As the black flames slowly subsided, the young man was revealed once more, his long black hair billowing as waves of turbulent qi swept around him. His gaze overflowing with killing intent as he stared coldly at the figure of a youth dressed in luxurious palace robes, adorned by magnificent jewels, wearing a vibrant crown, stood a long distance away from him.

"Yaotian…" the delicate and touching whispers of a woman rang softly across the void, causing the young man's heart to stir.

Floating weakly atop the void behind the crowned youth was the pitiful figure of a young woman dressed in rags, her body pierced and bounded by countless golden chains. Surprisingly, despite the many wounds on her body, not a single drop of blood flowed out of her, and not the slightest shred of vitality could be felt from within her body, save for a small, small speck of energy that surrounded a slight bulge in her belly.

Staring past the crowned youth, the young man's eyes fell upon the woman behind him and met with her incomparably tender gaze.

"Little Xuan…have you…ever…regretted…meeting…me?" The young man uttered faintly; his expression full of remorse.

"Yaotian…why do you sound so pitiful…is the man I love…so weak?" The young woman replied weakly, a warm smile on her lips. Breaking into a feeble grin, she continued in a playful tone, "come get these chains off me…they're not very comfortable…"

*clap* *clap* *clap*

"Hehe, this is way too amusing! you actually managed to sever your connections with the Heavenly Laws with a half-formed Commandment! You're definitely gonna die, but at least you didn't die trying!" The crowned youth interrupted, jeering in amusement as he clapped. Tilting his chin forward, he stared ahead at a distant battlefield above him as he bellowed, " Princess Wugou, are you watching this? Your little boy toy actually succeeded! AHAHAHAHAHA…"

Hearing the crowned youth's blatant jeers, the young man's focus returned to him once more, and in his fury, the torrential waves of qi surrounding him intensified rapidly.

"What are you looking at, fucker? You want another go at me?" The crowned youth swore angrily, upon noticing the young man's gaze "you think a breakthrough like yours mean anything? No matter how many times you forcefully breakthrough today, your foundation is still that of a Celestial's! Do you think that you're a true 'Transcendent' just because you've severed the shackles that bound you? AHAHAHAHAHA, but I really do wonder, will your body fall apart first, or will I be able to put you down for good this time? Or even better, will you surprise me once more by attempting to attain 'Supremacy'? AHAHAHAHA!"

Ignoring the crowned youth's taunts, the young man closed his eyes gently and formed a Shunya hand seal with his right hand. In an instant, the turbulent qi surging around him instantly stilled, and in the next moment, they converged rapidly in front of his right, gradually forming a black '殃' character before him.

Sensing something amiss, the crowned youth gestured at the crowd behind him, and a bearded middle-aged man floating behind the youth quickly flashed forward in an attempt to disrupt the young man.

However, before the bearded man could get close enough, the black '殃' character sunk into the young man's chest, and his eyes snapped open. A heaven-shaking, albeit slightly unstable force erupted from within the young man's body, filling the bearded man with dread.

But it was too late for the bearded man to back down now! Brandishing a brilliant silver spear in his hands, the bearded man struck at the young man with all the strength he could muster.

Without even looking at him, the young man flicked his finger lightly, and the bearded man was instantly eviscerated, his flesh and bones blasted into dust. Witnessing this, the crowd floating behind the crowned youth couldn't help but recoil in fear. The bearded man was slain just like that?

"Well…? Come at me, you bastards…" The young man swore, smiling nonchalantly, and using both hands, gestured at the crowned youth with his middle finger.

"Hehe…not bad…not bad at all…" the crowned youth praised, his brows raised slightly in amusement, "You would have made a good rival…unfortunately, father and mother's orders are not to be ignored…"

His gaze locked against the young man's, the crowned youth leisurely floated forwards with his hands placed behind his back as his will clashed fiercely against the young man's.

Gradually, the crowned youth came to a halt a dozen li away from the young man.

With a snap of his fingers, a brilliant golden spear carved in the shape of a dragon's body materialized in the hands of the crowned youth. With a simple sweep of his spear, the heavens shuddered and groaned, distorting violently beneath the crowned youth's sheer might.

Mirroring the crowned youth, the young man withdrew a spear as well, this one pitch black, and shaped like a sharpened tree branch.

Without a word, the two spears collided, and the endless void collapsed…