The Heartforce Eater Returns

1,658 words

The rumbling sound seemed to have come from Heaven itself. Countless humans and monsters throughout the Three Realms looked up at the sky in confusion. The weak were bewildered, while the powerful cultivators and great demons among them were utterly stunned.

In the endless Void, the mighty figures of both warring camps were also shaken to the core.

“That sound…” A tremor ran through Ji Ning’s heart.

BOOM

The entire Three Realms shuddered. Heaven and Earth howled. The Void itself screamed, as if some invisible force was trying to tear the Three Realms apart. This terrifying aura made even the Nuwa Camp’s mighty ones, who had held the upper hand, feel a deep sense of foreboding.

“Ignore everything else. Kill the Seamless Gate first,” Daoist Three Purities barked.

“Kill them all, then we talk,” Another voice rang out.

The black-robed Ji Ning pointed into the distance. The translucent golden divine sword shot toward the distant Seamless Gate army, its sword-light spanning a million kilometers. Its target was the closest grand formation—the ‘Grand Annihilation Formation’, formed by six Daofathers and five thousand one hundred True Immortals. The formation erupted with concentric rings of black light in a desperate attempt to hold.

Whoosh.

The translucent golden divine sword struck once. The Grand Annihilation Formation trembled and teetered on the edge of collapse.

Whoosh.

The sword struck a second time, this time executing the ‘Blood Drop Stance’ of the Brightmoon Sword-Art—ferocious and blindingly fast.

BOOM

The entire Grand Annihilation Formation collapsed. Sweeping sword-qi instantly reduced countless True Immortals to dust. The six Daofathers and thousands of remaining True Immortals fled in panic… But the translucent golden divine sword rotated in the air, transforming into a massive black hole. The black hole crazily devoured and ground up every Immortal and Fiend within range. Those who hid inside Immortal mansions found even their mansions ground to dust. Of the thousands of Immortals and Fiends, only eight survived—all by hiding inside particularly formidable cave-heavens or Immortal mansions. Among the eight survivors were three Daofathers and five True Immortals.

“Collect.” The black-robed Ji Ning flew over, waving his hand to seal and collect the eight remaining treasures.

“Dust returns to dust.”

Buddha Tathagata, commander of the Pangu Genesis Formation, strode through the Void, charging toward the Seamless Gate’s grand formations. The Seamless Gate’s formations immediately began to retreat, widening the distance… Though their formations were manned by countless Immortals and Fiends, how could they go head-to-head with Buddha Tathagata? Hadn’t a ‘Grand Annihilation Formation’ just been annihilated by Ji Ning in a single charge?

“BREAK FOR ME!!!” A roar that shook the Three Realms erupted. The endless Void trembled and swayed.

HUM

From the distant edge of the Void, a blinding golden light appeared. It looked like a massive golden crack had split the Vast Expanse. Though the mighty figures of both the Nuwa Camp and the Seamless Gate were locked in slaughter, every single one of them noticed this scene. The golden crack, spanning hundreds of millions of kilometers, made it seem as if the entire Three Realms had been torn open.

Within the golden crack, a surging river could vaguely be seen, rolling and churning.

BOOM

The surging river flowed out of the golden crack, rapidly traversing the Void until it reached the battlefield between the Nuwa Camp and the Seamless Gate.

The river rolled on and on… Meanwhile, the distant golden crack had already healed and vanished.

“Heartforce.” The Lord of All Demons spoke.

“Haha… hahahaha… I’ve finally returned. I’ve finally returned, hahaha…” Mad, wild laughter echoed through the Void. The rolling river rapidly solidified, soon taking the form of a tall, gaunt figure in a black robe. He had brows as dark and thick as ink, and a pair of eyes that could bewitch anyone who gazed upon them, forcing them into a trance of submission and infatuation!

His black robes fluttered, and his aura was overwhelming.

“Tathagata.” The tall, gaunt figure in black raised a hand. His palm transformed into a rolling river, slamming directly toward Buddha Tathagata.

Buddha Tathagata, who had been charging toward the Seamless Gate’s grand formations, was forced to turn and block.

BOOM

The entire Pangu Genesis Formation shuddered violently. Buddha Tathagata’s expression changed drastically. But the rolling river struck a second time with even greater speed, faster than anyone present could react.

BOOM

The Pangu Genesis Formation collapsed. Buddha Tathagata was sent flying backward. He hurriedly waved his hand, using his ‘Buddha’s Palm Kingdom’ technique to scoop up some of the Empyrean Gods, but over ninety percent of them were instantly annihilated.

“Die.”

Even as the figure in black struck at Buddha Tathagata, Ji Ning had already deployed his Eternal Sword Formation, charging straight at him. The translucent golden divine sword, vast and overwhelming, radiated terrifying power.

The tall, gaunt figure in black struck out with another palm strike.

The palm transformed into a rolling river, crashing against the translucent golden divine sword. The sword let out a piercing keen, and the river trembled as parts of it scattered, but the divine sword itself was soon sent flying away.

…

The entire battlefield fell silent.

The Nuwa Camp, which had been hunting down enemies, began to rapidly regroup. Ji Ning’s true body and his Primaltwin came together. Buddha Tathagata flew back as well. All of them stared at the tall, gaunt figure in black.

He had appeared and struck out twice.

One palm strike had easily suppressed the Eternal Sword Formation.

A second palm strike had, in two blows, annihilated an entire Pangu Genesis Formation commanded by none other than Buddha Tathagata himself.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

The Seamless Gate’s army also rapidly withdrew. Even Cixiu the Great Demon God and Daofather of Blades were among the first to retreat. As he fell back, Cixiu stared fixedly at the figure in black, sending a mental message to Daofather of Blades beside him: “So that’s the Heartforce Eater? His strength is terrifying. Even by the standards of the endless Chaos, he is among the absolute apex of Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals. He is infinitely close to the World level.”

“Yes. A supreme existence among Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals.” Daofather of Blades’ heart trembled as well.

An ordinary Elder God had the power of a leader-level figure—the same level as a newly born Elder God.

A top-tier Elder God was on the level of the current Ji Ning, Master Stonerule, and even Daofather Three Purities when empowered by formations. In the endless Chaos, with enough tempering, a First-Class Ancestral Immortal could generally reach this level. But the type of existence that appeared only once in a thousand Elder Gods or Ancestral Immortals… was this supreme level, infinitely close to a World God or Chaos Immortal.

…

“Everyone be careful. He is the Heartforce Eater,” Daoist Three Purities sent mentally. “Back then, he merged into the Heavenly Dao. I never expected him to break free from it now.” After witnessing what had just happened, anyone could guess that the Heartforce Eater had indeed broken free of the Heavenly Dao. If he hadn’t, how could he have attacked them and slaughtered so many Empyrean Gods?

“He broke free.” Ji Ning felt a pang of dread as well.

Too terrifying.

His Eternal Sword Formation was his strongest technique, yet it had been crushed head-on. The Heartforce Eater’s power was simply monstrous!

During the Dawn War back in the primordial era… the strongest figure of the Pangu Chaosworld was Lady Nuwa. The strongest figure of the Seamless Chaosworld was the Heartforce Eater! They were on the same level. But Lady Nuwa had long ago become a World God and left the Three Realms, while the Heartforce Eater had merged into the Heavenly Dao and been trapped for countless ages. Now, he had finally broken free.

“Heartforce.” The Lord of All Demons from the Seamless Gate had also merged his two divine bodies into one. He gazed calmly at the Heartforce Eater. “You owe us an explanation.”

“An explanation?”

The Heartforce Eater’s black robes rustled as ripples of water spread outward around him. He chuckled. “Yes, I do owe an explanation. Windfiend, you are truly clever. Even back then, I could see that although Master Stonerule’s reputation in our Seamless Chaosworld was second only to mine, you were the one who could truly be considered my equal.”

“In the last war between our two Chaosworlds, I must thank you. If not for you, I wouldn’t have any disciples or descendants left to see now.”

“An explanation.” The Lord of All Demons stared at him.

“Oh.” The Heartforce Eater smiled. “Your guess is correct. Everything that happened… it was all because of me behind the scenes.”

The Heartforce Eater’s soul-stirring gaze swept across the Nuwa Camp, and his voice echoed through the Void. “All of it was because of me. Because I needed to break free from the Three Realms. And so, I found a way to incite this great calamity.”

“What does you breaking free from the Three Realms have to do with inciting a calamity?” The Lord of All Demons frowned.

“Haha… I’ll tell you. You’ll all know soon enough. Especially you.” The Heartforce Eater’s gaze lingered on the Nuwa Camp. “Even before you die, I’ll let you die with your eyes wide open, understanding everything clearly.”

Murderous intent surged in the hearts of the Nuwa Camp’s mighty ones.

This Heartforce Eater was too arrogant.

He completely dismissed them all. Yet Ji Ning and the others understood that although the Heartforce Eater was not as utterly invincible as a ‘World God’, the power he had just displayed… would probably require several of the Nuwa Camp’s strongest fighters to join forces and fight for their lives just to hold him back.

“Ji Ning, keep your true body ready. You, Jueming, and I will act together soon to block the Heartforce Eater,” Suiren transmitted.

“Understood.” Ji Ning and Jueming Buddha both acknowledged.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The God Behind the War Steps Into the Light

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

The Heartforce Eater’s Nature: The Heartforce Eater is not a Heartforce cultivator in the conventional sense—his name derives from his ancient mastery over the esoteric Heartforce school (心力, xinli), a metaphysical power drawn from will, emotion, and Dao-heart rather than raw ki or divine power. During the Dawn War, he was the only being in the Seamless Chaosworld capable of standing as an equal to Nuwa, and his fusion into the Heavenly Dao was a mysterious act that trapped him for eons. His escape now signals a power shift that cannot be solved by numbers alone.

The Grand Annihilation Formation vs. the Pangu Genesis Formation: The Grand Annihilation Formation (大破灭阵) is a Seamless Gate staple, formed by 6+ Daofathers and thousands of True Immortals to focus their collective power into a defensive/ offensive kill-zone. The Pangu Genesis Formation (盘古开天阵) is the Nuwa Camp’s equivalent, commanded by the most powerful—Buddha Tathagata—and composed of tens of thousands of Empyrean Gods. The Heartforce Eater’s casual destruction of the latter is a narrative device firmly establishing that he operates on a tier beyond standard army-level formations.

The River Metaphor: The Heartforce Eater appears as a primordial river before assuming humanoid form. This imagery draws from the Daoist concept that water, the softest substance, can overcome the hardest—representing the Heartforce Eater’s subtle, overwhelming control over the unseen currents of will and fate. In Xianxia, a cultivator who manifests with elemental transformation (like a river) rather than simple teleportation is often signaling a connection to a foundational cosmic element—here, the Primordial Chaos itself.

Chapter Overview

Get ready, fellow Daoists—this is the one you’ve been waiting for. The shadow behind the entire Seamless Gate conspiracy finally steps into the light, and He does not come quietly. The Heartforce Eater—the most terrifying existence in the primordial Seamless Chaosworld, the peer rival of Nuwa herself—tears himself free from the Heavenly Dao with a cosmic entrance that literally splits the sky of the Three Realms. In two casual palm strikes, he annihilates a 100,000-strong Pangu Genesis Formation and sends the Eternal Sword Formation flying like a toy. The entire battlefield freezes. Allies and enemies alike are forced to recalibrate as the Veil lifts on the true architect of this age’s suffering. This isn’t a battle—it’s a god walking into a slaughterhouse, and he’s here to collect.

Key Plot Points

The Nuwa Camp is on a relentless offensive, with Ji Ning’s Eternal Sword Formation crushing a Grand Annihilation Formation of six Daofathers and thousands of True Immortals.
A massive golden crack splits the Void, spanning hundreds of millions of kilometers; a primordial river pours out and solidifies into a figure in black robes.
The Heartforce Eater reveals himself: the oldest, deadliest being of the Seamless Chaosworld, infinitely close to the World God level.
In two strikes, he shatters the Pangu Genesis Formation commanded by Buddha Tathagata, killing over 90% of the Empyrean Gods within.
Both camps retreat and regroup in stunned silence; Cixiu and Daofather of Blades confirm he is among the apex of Elder Gods and Ancestral Immortals.
Daoist Three Purities reveals that the Heartforce Eater has broken free from the Heavenly Dao—an act everyone believed impossible.
The Heartforce Eater admits he orchestrated the entire war across both Chaosworlds simply as a means to escape his fusion with the Heavenly Dao.
Suiren mobilizes Ji Ning and Jueming Buddha as a three-man vanguard to face the Heartforce Eater.

Reading Guide

Let’s be real: this is the moment where the stakes hit a new ceiling. Everything the Nuwa Camp had been building toward—the Daofathers, True Immortals, formations, the sword-art breakthroughs—all of it gets demoted by the arrival of a single being who treats their best efforts as annoying insects. As a reader, you’re supposed to feel that chill. The Heartforce Eater isn’t just strong—he’s the final exam of the primordial era, and he’s been planning this escape longer than most cultivators have been alive. Watch closely how Ji Ning processes this: he doesn’t panic, he doesn’t rage. He mentally checks his strongest attack (the Eternal Sword Formation) against the foe, sees it fail, and immediately accepts the new reality. That’s the Dao-heart of a Sword Immortal at work. Also, pay attention to the dialogue between the Heartforce Eater and the Lord of All Demons—it’s not just lore exposition. It’s a strategic duel between two ancient minds who understand each other better than anyone else on the field. And finally, Suiren’s decision to pick Ji Ning and Jueming as his partners for the blockade—that’s a signal that Ji Ning has officially graduated from ‘promising junior’ to ‘one of the three best weapons we have’. The siege of the Heartforce Eater is about to begin.