Chapter 116: The Great Convergence – The Sovereign's Judgment
The Jialing Pass had always been a place of blood and history — a narrow throat of stone where empires came to die. Today, however, the atmosphere was entirely different. The air no longer carried the scent of woodsmoke and iron. Instead, it hummed with a deep frequency, like the prelude to a storm that existed beyond the natural order of the world.
Above the fortress of the Spirit Hall, the sky did not simply open. It folded.
Lakan Diwa officially opened the gates of the Phoenix God Star. From a shimmering rift of Seven-Tone light, the armies of the New Era began their descent. They did not march like ordinary soldiers. They drifted down on platforms of solidified light, their bodies draped in a radiance that made even the morning sun appear dim and weak by comparison.
At the forefront stood the Golden Trio. Yan, now a true First-Class Fire God, led the vanguard. His armor pulsed with purifying heat that cleansed the very air around him. Beside him stood Hu Liena as the Goddess of Dreams and Xie Yue as the God of the Moon. Their combined presence brought a strange calm to the hearts of the soldiers marching behind them.
Among the ranks were other powerful figures who had aligned with Lakan. The legendary Dugu Bo walked with renewed strength and vigor. No longer appearing as a frail old man, he had reached Rank 98 as a Hyper Douluo. His Jade Phosphor Serpent poison had evolved into a true divine miasma. Beside him, his granddaughter Dugu Yan had attained Rank 93. A divine mark flickered on her forehead — a serpent entwining a chalice — a clear sign that she had been chosen as the successor to the God of Toxins, thanks to her refined bloodline.
Then there was Ye Lingling. Her martial soul had undergone a Sacred Rebirth, evolving from the Nine Heart Begonia into the Eternal Heart Aegis-Begonia. Its petals were no longer simple flowers but crystalline vessels of life energy that far surpassed even the Blue Silver Emperor. A soft teal mark of a blooming flower glowed on her brow. She had become the successor to the God of Healing, and her very breath could mend both bodies and souls of those around her.
In stark contrast, the Heaven Dou Empire army looked ragged and desperate. Though they had been artificially boosted by the Divine Realm's frantic intervention, they appeared more like men possessed than true evolved warriors.
Tang San stood at the center, the Asura Sword and Sea God Trident glowing with clashing, unstable light. Around him were his so-called devils. Bai Chenxiang, now the wife of Ma Hongjun, had been granted the position of Goddess of Speed — a seat originally meant for Zhu Zhuqing. She hovered nervously in the air, her speed impressive but her foundation shaky, like a bird forced to fly before its wings had fully developed.
High above the pass, Lakan hovered in the air. He activated his 6D Vision, his gaze piercing through time and space to examine the very source code of Tang San's legacy.
He saw the truth clearly.
Tang San had indeed recreated the Tang Sect, but it was built on a foundation of deceit. He had taught his followers only the surface-level techniques while deliberately omitting the core principles — the true "soul" of the arts.
"He calls it a sect," Lakan thought with quiet disdain, "but it's nothing more than a fortress for his own ego. He keeps the real keys hidden so no one can ever surpass him. Such a small and hollow heart for someone who claims to be the savior of the world."
The hypocrisy hung thick in the air.
Lakan did not allow the full Phoenix God Star to descend. He knew that its fifth-dimensional mass would crush the mortal universe like an eggshell if released without restraint. Instead, he descended alone.
The moment he stepped out of the rift, the entire battlefield fell silent.
Lakan Diwa appeared in his complete divine form. The Silakbo ng Langit armor shimmered with the accumulated light of a billion years. Behind him, the Pakpak ng Mapagkalinga — his ten-headed Wings of the Provider — unfurled like a majestic fan of living laws. The wings were breathtaking translucent glass edged with delicate glowing gold leaf. They did not flap. They simply warped space around them, granting him Paradox Movement. Above his back, the Halo of Seven Hues orbited in a slow, hypnotic heartbeat. He did not look like just another God. He looked like the very reason Gods existed.
His majesty was so absolute that mortal soldiers on both sides dropped their spears and fell to their knees in instinctive reverence before the Supreme God-King.
Lakan ignored Tang San completely. Instead, he looked up toward the sky where the fourth-dimensional shadows of the Divine Realm were gathering.
"Destruction! Life!" Lakan's voice rang out like melodic thunder that bypassed the ears and spoke directly to the soul. "I know you're watching. I have no quarrel with the fundamental forces of the universe. Come down. Let's talk as peers, not as enemies."
The sky cracked open with purple and green light. The God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life manifested before everyone.
The God of Destruction appeared as a towering titan wrapped in violet lightning and unyielding pride. He stared at Lakan with narrowed eyes. Beside him stood the Goddess of Life, her aura a gentle forest of emerald energy.
Before they could speak, Tang San surged forward, his face twisted in righteous fury.
"Don't listen to him!" Tang San roared, the Asura Sword trembling in his grip. "He is an anomaly! A cancer! He has stolen the authority of the Phoenix and seeks to overthrow the order of the Heavens! He must be executed publicly!"
Lakan didn't even turn his head toward Tang San. He stood with relaxed confidence, hands resting casually at his sides, treating the terrifying God of Destruction like an old friend he had bumped into at a quiet gathering.
"You hear that, Destruction?" Lakan said with a light, teasing chuckle that carried clearly across the entire Jialing Pass. "The boy sure is loud, isn't he? He talks about 'Order' while his own soul is a chaotic mess of borrowed power and stolen secrets."
The God of Destruction stepped forward, his voice like grinding mountains. "Lakan Diwa. You have created a realm that stands completely outside our jurisdiction. You have bypassed the sacred trials of the Gods. Why should I not destroy you here and now?"
Lakan smiled — a sharp, knowing, and confident expression. "Because you're bored, Destruction. And because deep down, you're a responsible ruler. You've spent eons wanting to expand the God Realm, to make it stronger and more inclusive. You've been fighting against the stagnation of the old council for far longer than Tang San has been alive."
Lakan gestured upward toward the invisible fifth-dimensional rift. "My Phoenix God Star is not a cancer. It is the solution. It is an infinitely expansive fifth-dimensional cradle. I am not here to destroy the Divine Realm. I am offering you an evolved synthesis. Why continue fighting for a tiny, stagnant throne when we can weave our realms together and create a true Infinite Pantheon?"
The Goddess of Life gasped softly. Her eyes widened as she sensed the pure, boundless Immortal Qi radiating from Lakan. She saw no malice in him — only the clear vision of a creator.
"It's a trap!" the Asura God's voice boomed from within Tang San. "He seeks to consume us all! Destruction, do not let his honeyed words fool you!"
Lakan finally glanced at Tang San, his gaze flat and unimpressed. "Asura, you're just afraid of losing your seat. You've spent your existence as a so-called 'Judge,' but you've forgotten how to be a true Creator. You've hitched your wagon to a boy who hides the real techniques from his own students because he fears being surpassed. Is this the 'Order' you want to protect? A legacy built on shadows and half-truths?"
Lakan turned back to the God of Destruction, his voice becoming calm and respectful. "You and I are more alike than you think, Destruction. We both understand that for something new and stronger to grow, the old must sometimes be refined. I'm offering you the expansion you've always dreamed of. A realm where the Destruction you represent becomes a sacred force of renewal instead of a feared curse."
The God of Destruction hesitated. He looked at Lakan, then at the frantic and trembling Tang San. The difference was obvious — one was a Sovereign standing on his own power, while the other was a puppet desperately pulled by strings.
"A private audience?" Destruction asked, his purple eyes flickering with genuine curiosity.
"Right here," Lakan replied, a confident and playful smile touching his lips. "In front of everyone. Let them see that a New Era doesn't need to be built on piles of bodies. It can be built on a shared vision."
Tang San's grip on his Trident tightened until his knuckles turned white. He was supposed to be the "Chosen One," yet the Gods were now looking at Lakan as if he were the one holding the true keys to the universe.
The Great Calibration has reached its most critical moment.