The heavens were furious.
Lightning crackled across the sky, divine flames rained from above, and the very fabric of the world trembled under the overwhelming presence of twelve celestial beings. Each one stood tall, radiating a power that surpassed mortal comprehension. These were the Divine Lords of Judgment, envoys of the Supreme Celestial Emperor himself—sent to eradicate Xiao Lan from existence.
Yet, amidst this storm of divine fury, Xiao Lan stood unshaken.
His black robes fluttered, his crimson eyes gleaming with defiance. The Abyssal Demonbane Sword in his grip pulsed with dark energy, hungry for battle. He had just slain an Immortal King, an act that had never been done before, and now the gods themselves had descended to stop him.
But Xiao Lan?
He only laughed.
"Twelve gods? The heavens must be desperate." His voice was filled with arrogance, his smirk unwavering. "Are you here to die one by one, or all at once?"
The central figure among the gods, Lord Tianxu, narrowed his golden eyes. His presence alone bent space around him, and his divine armor shimmered with celestial inscriptions. "Xiao Lan, you have committed an unforgivable crime. The decree has been made—your very existence is a threat to the order of the universe. You must be erased."
Xiao Lan rolled his shoulders, his grip tightening around his sword. "The heavens talk too much."
BOOM!
The first strike came instantly—a golden spear materialized out of nowhere, piercing through the air at unimaginable speed. The power behind it could shatter mountains, rip apart dimensions, and obliterate weaker cultivators instantly.
But—
CLANG!
Xiao Lan deflected it with a single flick of his sword. The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, splitting the earth beneath him. The divine attack that should have vaporized him had been repelled as if it were nothing.
The gods flinched.
"What?!" one of them gasped. "How can a mortal withstand celestial judgment?!"
Xiao Lan grinned. "Did you really think I was still a mere mortal?"
His aura surged.
A mix of abyssal darkness and celestial radiance intertwined, creating an energy never before seen. The heavens screamed in protest, unable to comprehend his existence. It was neither demonic nor divine—it was something beyond.
Something the gods feared.
Lord Tianxu's expression darkened. "Enough. All forces—attack!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Twelve divine beings unleashed their full might, each attack carrying the power to wipe out entire realms. Blades of heavenly fire, chains of divine law, spears of endless judgment—an onslaught that no mortal could survive.
But Xiao Lan?
He rushed forward.
CLANG! SHING! BOOM!
One by one, he deflected their attacks. A single man against twelve gods—and yet, he was not the one being overwhelmed. He was forcing the heavens back.
With a single slash—he cut through the first Divine Lord.
Golden blood splattered across the battlefield. A god had fallen.
The remaining eleven paled in shock.
"This is impossible!" one of them roared. "He is breaking the laws of the universe!"
Xiao Lan licked the blood from his blade. "Laws?" His smirk turned savage. "I don't follow laws. I break them."
His power flared once more, sending cracks through the sky itself. The gods realized too late—they were not hunting Xiao Lan. He was hunting them.
The war between mortal and divine had truly begun.
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