Unlike their previous reluctant state, the cultivators from both the divine and demonic races were now giving it their all, channeling their true energy into the Qiankun Cauldron with all their might.

It's as if they wish they could squeeze every last drop out of their dantian.

Even the cultivators suffered secondary injuries due to the loss of too much true energy in a short period of time, and their internal injuries worsened, causing the gradually growing pillar of light to become tinged with blood.

Even so, the pillar of light that rises now is still less than one-fifth of what it was before.

Understanding this true energy was far from enough; everyone knew what it meant, and the glimmer of hope they had initially held gradually turned into despair.

No one spoke again, and the entire Sword Testing Square fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

Is this how it's all going to end? Will their fate be left to be controlled by such an unjust heaven?

A sense of desolation and sorrow quickly spread through everyone's hearts, and the entire continent of gods and demons was tacitly plunged into an indescribable sadness at this moment.

With these emotions in mind, low sobs began to be heard in the square.

One stone stirs up a thousand waves.

Even those who had never shed a tear before had their eyes redden in this atmosphere.

I'm not reconciled...

How could I be content with this...?

But... there's nothing I can do...

When people are at their wits' end, they instinctively pray to the gods for the power to overcome their suffering. But now, their own gods have abandoned them…

Who can save them?!

Drops of desperate tears slid down her cheeks and seeped into the ground.

It was as if they were mourning in advance, commemorating their deaths.

...

Liu Ying gazed at the pillars of true energy gradually forming above the two continents of gods and demons, her fair fingers clenched into fists.

Although the combined light pillars of the gods and demons are now less than a quarter of what they used to be, if she were to replenish them with the ten-thousand-year-old spiritual veins of the Forbidden Forest, she might be able to make up for the gaps.

The price to pay for doing so is that the Forbidden Forest's vitality will rapidly wither away, and she will disappear along with it.

But if sacrificing her alone could bring about the freedom of all living beings, then it would be a very worthwhile deal.

And she was finally able to fulfill Chu Ya and the others' wishes.

Liu Ying didn't really understand Chu Ya and the others' thoughts. But she figured their desire to protect all living beings was similar to her desire to protect the Ancestral Dragon.

Tens of thousands of years ago, she failed to protect the Ancestral Dragon. Today, she will not allow such a regret to happen before her eyes again.

Liu Ying turned to Yin Ming and Ling Yao and told them her decision.

"After I dissipate, everything else will be up to you."

Fortunately, Lingyao had previously read an ancient book recording the technique of unifying the world, so Liuying didn't need to spend time teaching him again.

Time was of the essence. As soon as Liu Ying finished speaking, she immediately formed a hand seal, using herself as a bridge to connect with the spiritual power of the Forbidden Forest.

After the spiritual vein power is transformed into spiritual energy, it is continuously fed into the Qiankun Cauldron in front of him.

Yin Ming knew he had no right to say anything about her decision, so he could only stand quietly by and watch her actions.

Seeing that she had made up her mind, Lingyao stopped trying to dissuade her.

He stepped forward, about to unleash the Unification of Heaven and Earth technique to gather the true energy pillars of both the gods and demons into the Qiankun Cauldron on the altar, when he suddenly heard Yin Ming exclaim in surprise:

"What's going on?! Senior Liuying, please stop what you're doing. The pillar of true energy seems to have changed!"

Upon hearing this, Lingyao lowered his hand that was casting the spell to his side and looked up in the direction of the pillar of true energy.

Out of the corner of her eye, Liu Ying noticed that the pillar of spiritual energy of the gods had indeed changed, and she slowly stopped the spell she was casting.

Suddenly, the pillar of spiritual energy from the gods expanded rapidly, and soon it reached the same size as before.

Even after it grew to the same size as before, it didn't stop; it continued to grow until it doubled in size before slowing down.

Not only did the spiritual energy pillars of the gods surge, but the resentment pillars of the demons also underwent the same change.

Liu Ying stared in astonishment at the energy beam that had expanded to nearly three times its original size.

But now is not the time to ponder why. She quickly stepped forward to cast a spell, bringing the energy from both sides together. Lingyao also stepped forward on his own, preparing to guide the fusion of the spiritual and resentful energies.

As the spiritual and resentful energies within the Qiankun Cauldron gradually grew stronger, Liu Ying suddenly sensed some familiar auras within it.

Watching the spiritual and resentful energies swirl and intertwine under the pull of the spirit, transforming into primordial true energy, Liu Ying murmured:

"This is... the residual power of the dead..."

...

The cultivators of both the gods and demons were unaware of what had happened.

Not long after they shed tears of blood, many points of light suddenly rose from the ground and slowly merged into the pillar of light.

Many points of light even drifted from the direction of the Fallen God Ruins and the Demon Sect Cemetery, continuously strengthening the pillar of true energy.

Although they didn't know what was going on, all the cultivators wept with joy upon seeing the pillar of light, which was nearly three times larger than before.

They're saved!

...

The energy of the black and white light pillars that had been re-merged grew stronger and stronger, and a sudden gust of wind made Yin Ming's robes flutter loudly.

Fortunately, with the protective shield that Lingyao had placed on him, Yin Ming felt no discomfort except for the strong wind.

Yin Ming was not far from Liu Ying and clearly heard her soft murmur just now.

"The power of the dead?"

Yin Ming repeated the word in confusion, then suddenly remembered the stone tablet in the ruins of the fallen gods, and a look of understanding immediately appeared on his face.

"Like the remnant soul within the monument of the fallen god's ruins?"

"Mm." Liu Ying nodded with a complicated expression.

"It's not just the remnants of souls within those monuments; some cultivators have no one to inherit their cultivation, while others met with accidents and were unable to leave any legacy for their descendants..."

"In short, after they perish, their souls will return to the earth, and their true energy will merge into the ground."

"Logically speaking, only those with great opportunities can awaken the souls of the dead and obtain their inheritance under certain circumstances, but the probability of this is extremely small."

"Yet now, so much power of the dead has emerged..."

Liu Ying finished speaking, and Yin Ming nodded thoughtfully after listening.

No wonder this beam of light is almost three times larger than before.

The combined power of the souls of cultivators who died unexpectedly throughout history must number in the tens of thousands, so it's not surprising that such a large pillar of true energy could be condensed.

However, according to Liuying, it was already difficult to awaken even one person, but now so many have suddenly appeared...

What could be the reason for this?

Could it be that they were inspired by the plight of the people, realized the injustice of the world, and felt the suffering that the people were enduring, just as they had before, so they used their last bit of energy to fight for a bright future for them?

...

Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from the black and white pillars of light, the white-clad man's expression was no longer relaxed and casual.

But when he saw that even the surrounding flowers, plants and trees were emitting tiny specks of light that merged into the pillar of light, his forced composure finally cracked.

"Even you betrayed me?!"

"Ha...good...very good...die! All of you die! Those who betrayed me...all of you deserve to die!"

The man in white screamed wildly with a ferocious expression, while the golden light behind him shone even brighter.

Since the whole world has betrayed him, what meaning does this continent of gods and demons have to exist?

Die! All of them die!

He will use the tide of the world-cleansing era to wipe them all out! Then he will start everything anew, slowly turning it back into the divine and demonic continent that he was once so satisfied with!

It's almost done! The ritual of the Qing Shi Zhi Chao is almost complete, and then he will still be the high and mighty embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, whom everyone regards as a god and worships!

The sound of the tsunami grew closer and closer. Yin Ming could even see the golden splashes of water rising in the mountains and forests. He feared that in just a few minutes, the tide of the Qing Shi would engulf the entire Forbidden Forest.

At this moment, the energy on the black and white light pillars finally merged completely.

Just as Liu Ying was about to take the Lingming Sword from Ling Yao's hand, he pressed down on her fair hand: "Your energy has not yet recovered, let me do it."

Liu Ying frowned. "But... guiding the fusion of spiritual and resentful energies must have consumed a lot of your true energy, you..."

"It's alright." Lingyao replied briefly, then, without further delay, picked up the Lingming Sword and flew forward.

He did indeed have very little true energy left in his body, but after reaching the peak of the ninth realm, he discovered that he could directly command the spiritual and resentful energies floating in the air.

Given his past grievances with the man in white... it's very suitable to entrust this matter to him.

"Do you really intend to do this to me?" The white-clad man's voice was tinged with fear.

"It's time for everything to end here."

Lingyao's fingertips swiftly brushed across the Lingming Sword, the blade, having absorbed his essence and blood, flashed with a dazzling red light, its power surpassing even its former glory.

Lingyao tossed the Spirit Cry Sword upwards, clasped his hands together, and then separated them again. The black and white pillar of light behind him transformed into a majestic five-clawed dragon as his hands moved.

"I did all this for you!" the man in white cried out desperately, trying to evoke his guilt or soften his heart.

Lingyao ignored the warning, flew up and caught the falling Lingming Sword. The giant dragon behind him also let out a deafening roar, and together with the divine sword in his hand, they pierced towards the white-robed man in mid-air!

Yin Ming squinted, watching Ling Yao's movements with a burning anxiety. He felt that the moment Ling Yao leaped up, he seemed to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with a god with a mortal body...

Then came a blinding white light that lingered for a long time.

Whether it was because the white light was too dazzling or for some other reason, Yin Ming suddenly felt his head go heavy and fell backward, fainting.

In the instant he closed his eyes, Yin Ming vaguely saw a white figure fall from mid-air, transforming into thousands of milky-white light spots that merged into the earth...

***

In the darkness, Yin Ming felt someone gently push his body.

He tried to open his eyes, but his head was still a little dizzy.

"Ah Yao?" Yin Ming looked at the nervous expression on the person in front of him and asked, somewhat puzzled.

When Lingyao saw that he had woken up, she finally breathed a slight sigh of relief and then reached out to hug him.

"You suddenly fainted."

Yin Ming leaned on his shoulder, his hazy mind finally clearing up a bit, and he quickly remembered everything that had happened before.

"That incarnation of the Heavenly Dao... is it dead?"

Lingyao held him tightly, "Mmm."

"Where is Senior Liuying?"

"She's fine."

"That Qing Dynasty tide...?"

"The tide of the Qing Dynasty has receded, and the sea has returned to calm."

So, it's all over? No one will ever suddenly appear again, shouting for their lives and forcibly changing their fate?

This time, it was Yin Ming's turn to breathe a long sigh of relief.

The man in white, who constantly referred to himself as an ant, would never have imagined that the ant he looked down upon would one day ignite a spark that would ignite his own flame.

But the sparks gathered into a raging inferno, eventually burning down his vast plain.

It seems that in the future, there will be no more distinction between protagonists and supporting characters in this continent of gods and demons, and no more being subject to the so-called Heavenly Dao. Everyone will be the master of their own world...

Everyone was given a new lease on life.

...

Lingyao gently patted Yin Ming's shoulder, waking him from his thoughts.

He was the first to stand up from the ground, and then reached out his hand to Yin Ming.

"Yin Ming, let's go."

"Huh? Where to?" Yin Ming looked up at him, his face full of doubt.

"We'll go wherever you want, and no one will bother us anymore." Lingyao smiled, her smile as gentle and warm as the sun.

Yin Ming smiled and shook his hand in return.

Hmm, it seems like this time I can really start my retirement life.