In a boundless universe where beings traversed the stars as effortlessly as breathing, their mere punches capable of tearing apart galaxies and bending the fabric of reality itself, one figure reigned supreme above all.He was beyond strength, unmatched and unchallenged. No force in the universe could stand as his equal. With the dark attribute at his command—an all-consuming power capable of erasing existence itself—he became known, feared, and revered as the Dark Lord!He dwelled in isolation, deep within a secluded cave, far from the reach of the living. Yet, whenever he emerged, his very presence sent tremors through the fabric of existence. His dark aura alone suffocated even the mightiest cultivators, drowning the universe in an oppressive shadow.And who were these so-called "mightiest cultivators"? The Nine Gods! The rulers of the universe, their cultivation having reached heights beyond mortal comprehension. They stood at the pinnacle of existence, their strength unparalleled... or so they believed.How could they, the self-proclaimed sovereigns of the universe, allow such an entity as the Dark Lord to exist—a being who could beat them into submission with nothing more than a flick of his wrist?The gods couldn't tolerate it. An existence as powerful as his could not be left unchecked. And so, after years of careful plotting, they made their move.One fateful day, the Nine Gods descended upon the Dark Lord's cave, their presence shaking the very stars. Thunder cracked across the skies, and the universe held its breath as they stood before the mouth of the cave, the air thick with tension.A god, brimming with false bravado, took the lead, his voice echoing through the void. "Dark Lord!" he shouted, his tone filled with defiance, though it trembled ever so slightly. "Today, we, the gods of this universe, have come to destroy all darkness and rid the cosmos of your cursed existence!"Silence followed. An oppressive, suffocating silence...No response.After receiving no response, the Nine Gods grew enraged. They knew, without a doubt, that the Dark Lord was mocking them with his silence—looking down on them like insignificant ants.Never before in this universe had anyone dared to show such blatant disrespect to them. Even among themselves, they acknowledged each other's power and authority—they were the peak powerhouses of this universe, the rulers of all existence.But not the Dark Lord. He saw them as nothing.Still, the gods had learned their lesson. They would not repeat the mistakes of the past—when the Soul God had foolishly faced the Dark Lord alone and was beaten like a dog, humiliated beyond measure. That memory still lingered in their minds, a bitter reminder of what could happen if they underestimated him.Yet, today was different. They were together, united. There was no room for fear. Even though their hearts clenched with a faint echo of dread, the presence of their collective power bolstered their confidence. How could they be afraid when all nine of them stood side by side?After shouting into the void and receiving nothing but silence in return, their frustration turned into cold resolve. "If the Dark Lord won't come out..." the War God snarled, eyes blazing with rage."...then we'll drag him out!" finished the Thunder God, his voice echoing like a rolling storm.Their power surged as one. The sky trembled, stars flickered, and space itself seemed to quiver under the weight of their wrath."The Punch of Valhalla!" roared the War God, his colossal fist glowing with divine fury, ready to crush mountains."Dragon Fire!" cried the Flame Goddess, her breath a scorching inferno hotter than any sun, surging forward like a tide of destruction."The Beam of Reincarnation!" intoned the Life God, summoning radiant light that carried the power to end and rebirth entire universes."The Great Heaven Punch!" bellowed the Thunder God, his strike splitting the heavens apart, charged with the might of lightning and thunder.One after another, their divine techniques ripped through the fabric of reality, converging on the cave where the Dark Lord hid. The sheer force of their combined assault tore through the sky, making the universe itself groan under the pressure.Victory was within their grasp... or they thought so. Just as their mystical powers were about to reach the cave, a sinister black mist spiraled out from its depths. The air grew thick, and heavy with an overwhelming presence that made even the gods' hearts skip a beat. Their attacks, mighty as they were, dissolved into nothing as the mist consumed them whole.A low, chilling laugh echoed through the void, sending a shiver down their spines.From within the mist, a shadowed silhouette emerged—a figure wrapped in darkness so deep it seemed to devour the light itself. His presence alone suffocated the heavens, bending reality to his will."Dark Lord..." the gods whispered, their voices trembling despite themselves.The Dark Lord stepped forward, the ground trembling beneath his feet. His eyes, burning like the void between worlds, glinted with amusement. He said nothing, yet his silence spoke louder than any word.The Nine Gods, the rulers of all existence, had finally found their equal.Or perhaps, their doom.Breaking the silence, the God of Soul sneered, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the ominous figure. "Hmph! Dark Lord, today, we—gods of this universe—shall eradicate the filth of darkness once and for all!"The Martial God, ever calm and resolute, clenched his fists and said with a solemn voice, "Enough talk. It's time to act. Together, we'll prove that darkness has no place in this universe."Before they could move, a low voice sliced through the air, as sharp and piercing as a blade. It was cold, yet strangely clear—like the sound of heaven-cleansing water striking stone."Heh... You gods are always good at justifying your lust for power, aren't you? Killing in the name of righteousness, all for power," His voice, though quiet, pierced the souls of the gods, making their hearts tremble. "I was content in seclusion, conducting my little experiments in peace... until you decided to disturb me."His gaze, darker than the void, swept over the gods, freezing them in place. "Now that you've come... don't even think about leaving without being crippled."His words carried such overwhelming authority that the universe itself seemed to tremble in fear.So domineering!A suffocating silence fell over the battlefield. The Nine Gods—beings who commanded the respect and fear of the universe—were rendered speechless. Even those who watched from afar could feel the undeniable truth in his voice. The Dark Lord's dominance was absolute, and they knew with chilling certainty that these gods would face his wrath. They would be crippled, no one in this entire universe could save them!The gods stood frozen, their confidence wavering. But as the saying goes, all men die for wealth and these were the nine gods who had reached the pinnacle of height by struggling from the weakest to where they are now. Retreat? That was out of the question!How could they even think about backing off after coming so far?"Dark Lord, do you think you ca—"Before the god could finish, an overwhelming sword aura erupted from the Dark Lord, cutting through the air with a force that made the universe tremble. The sheer pressure radiating from it was unlike anything the gods had ever encountered."The One Sword Technique!" the God of Weapons gasped in horror, his voice trembling as the realization hit him."Impossible... How can this be? Isn't that an ancient technique? It requires sword mastery beyond cultivation itself!" another god stammered, disbelief etched across his face.The Dark Lord cast a disdainful glance at the gods, his lips curling into a mocking smirk. "Eh? This is merely my basic sword technique, and you're already quaking in your boots? Pathetic. If this is enough to frighten you, then how dare you stand against me?"He sighed, shaking his head as if disappointed by their weakness. "I'm sorry, but I have nothing weaker to offer you in this fight."The gods' faces reddened with anger and humiliation. Emotions surged within them—anger, shame, horror—different kinds of emotion stirred inside them."Very well. You've wasted enough of my time. It was nice meeting you," The Dark Lord declared.Without warning, he stretched out a single finger, moving it in a swift, effortless motion from right to left. Instantly, a massive surge of dark sword aura erupted, crashing toward the Nine Gods like an unending ocean, its pressure so immense that it distorted the very fabric of space.The gods' eyes widened in terror. They unleashed their most powerful techniques—divine flames, thunderous strikes, celestial beams—but it was all in vain. The sword aura cut through their defenses with ease. They were helpless.The pressure and sharpness of the attack bore down on them, forcing every god to the brink of despair. No matter how they struggled, no matter what godly power they summoned, they knew—this one sword technique alone would be enough to tear them to pieces."Are we... are we going to die? Just by a single attack?" one of the gods muttered in disbelief, his voice trembling."I knew the Dark Lord was powerful," the God of Flame admitted, his voice weak with fear. "But this... this is beyond imagination."Amid the chaos, the God of Thunder turned to the Soul God with rage-filled eyes. "Soul God! This was your plan—to corner the Dark Lord and kill him! If I perish here, I swear I'll haunt you in the afterlife!"The battlefield descended into pure desperation. Once-immortal beings, who had reigned supreme, were now crippled and shattered. Some had their hands crippled, others were torn apart—gods who had stood at the peak of power now brought to their knees. The God of Strength had a gaping wound in his stomach, while the God of Speed lost both legs to the unrelenting sword aura. Blood poured from their bodies as they were overwhelmed, inch by inch."Haah," Dark Lord sighed, looking at them with a sense of pity, and withdrew his aura."Cultivate for trillions of years more before you dare to face me again. I have no time to waste on you."With a dismissive wave of his hand, the Dark Lord unleashed a final surge of power. The Nine Gods felt an immense force pressing down on them, a pressure so great they felt like mere insects before a dragon. Before they could react, their battered bodies were sent hurtling through the universe, propelled far beyond the reach of the Dark Lord.Bruised, broken, and utterly defeated, the gods disappeared into the void, their divine pride shattered."Now then," the Dark Lord muttered to himself, turning back toward his cave. "Time to resume my experiments."...In the aftermath of this extraordinary confrontation, the universe itself seemed to tremble. News of the Dark Lord's overwhelming power spread like wildfire, sending ripples through the entire cosmos.This was the high-level universe where even the weakest could attain immortality. In a place like that, the fact that one man had the strength to treat the gods—who were above all—like mere playthings sent shockwaves through the heavens.Inside a grand hall...The gods gathered, their once-mighty forms battered and broken. Though their bodies were wounded—some even crippled—they would recover. With their cultivation realms, even lost limbs or organs could be healed instantly. Yet, it wasn't the physical damage that haunted them.It was the memory of the Dark Lord!They all knew—he had restrained his strength. If he had unleashed his full power, none of them would have survived. The thought alone sent a cold shiver down their spines.The Martial God broke the heavy silence, his voice trembling slightly. "I am glad the Dark Lord didn't want to kill us... Otherwise, even with our forbidden techniques and treasures combined, we wouldn't have stood a chance."A heavy silence filled the room as each god kept their heads bowed, silently acknowledging the truth in his words.In the cave of the dark lord----"At last, I have finally found a way to complete this body after trillions of years of experiment" the Dark Lord spoke to the girl before him."Congratulations, 'Dark Lord'," the girl teased with a bright smile gracing her face.One should know that 'Dark Lord' was not his real name, it was merely a nickname bestowed upon him by the fearful outside world.The Dark Lord smiled, shaking his head. "Even you? So now you're making fun of me, huh?"She giggled, her laughter light as a breeze. "Hehe, no, no! How could I dare make fun of the great 'Dark Lord'?""You..." Dark Lord feigned anger, a smile playing on his lips as he said nothing.His gaze softened as he looked at her, a pang of pity surfacing in his heart. "In all my countless wanderings across trillions of universes—from the highest realms to the lowest—she was the first to offer me food, despite having nothing herself. While others kept their distance in fear, she saw me as nothing more than a starving soul. Even when they branded me 'Dark Lord' for my dark attribute aura, she saw someone in need."As he continued to gaze at the girl before him—her eyes like an endless ocean, her small, delicate nose and lips, and her long pink hair that held a distinct charm—he couldn't help but acknowledge her breathtaking beauty. She was a vision even the gods would envy. The Soul God had once tried to take her as his wife, but when she turned him down, her clan cast her aside and even tried to send her to him. Yet, she remained unyielding, defying them and fleeing. During her wandering, she learned of the Dark Lord and witnessed his battle with the Soul God from afar."I still don't understand why you were never afraid of me," Dark Lord asked her. Luise replied, a smile lighting up her beautiful face, "Like me, many people fantasize about being as strong as you and you are their role model and it was the same for me too."Her voice lowered, growing more sincere. "And I never witnessed you harming the innocent or abusing your power. I even saw your fight against the Soul God once. You were majestic, handsome, and powerful—a man any girl could only dream of being with."The Dark Lord raised an eyebrow, smirking. "What do you mean by 'were'? I'm still as majestic and handsome, you know?""Nah, after spending time with you, now I know that you're not as majestic as you appear to others, hehe," Luise teased."You..." Dark Lord pretended to be angry, a smile still on his face.After laughing and chatting for a while, his expression grew serious as he turned his gaze toward the horizon, where the dark energies danced. "My body's constitution is ranked first in the entire universe. But I still cannot break through to the 'Nature' realm."Luise's brow furrowed in confusion. "You mean there are realms above yours? How is that possible? You're already so strong—how much stronger could the higher realms be?"The Dark Lord's gaze became distant, as though he was pondering something far beyond their current conversation. "I believed this to be the highest realm. But then I sensed... something missing. A being stronger than I am. I call it the Realm of Nature."He paused, eyes narrowing as he continued, "I could break through to that realm, but... my body would be destroyed. I would become nothing but a soul. So I've begun conducting an experiment—one that will create a new type of god body. The Body of Nature. If I succeed, I'll reach that realm without losing my physical form."A flicker of happiness crossed his face, his tone eager. He seemed almost childlike in his excitement.Seeing his expression, Luise smiled, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "And after you reach this Realm of Nature, will there be even stronger realms?"The question hung in the air, but the Dark Lord fell silent, lost in thought. "I've created countless universes in this realm. Once I surpass it, I cannot imagine there being anything higher. At that point... I'll possess control over everything—existence, non-existence... all of it."Luise tilted her head, a faint smile dancing on her lips. "As always, I have no idea what you're talking about. Something about controlling everything?"The Dark Lord chuckled, his mood lightening. "Exactly. But if you want to keep up, you'd better cultivate harder. Otherwise, you'll be in trouble... You might not even survive if we, say, sleep together."Luise's cheeks flushed, her face turning red. "Shameless," she muttered, trying to suppress a smile. Without another word, she spun around and hurried off to cultivate.