Above the void, a figure in a gray robe stood, a 'Tianluo' (Heavenly Net) mark emblazoned on his chest. This was the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor. His expression was sinister and grim as his divine sense swept across the Grand Dao Sect's territory, a look of utter disdain on his face. Behind him, two Great Emperor servants followed like mindless puppets.
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor made no effort to conceal the monstrous killing intent radiating from his body. It surged like a vast, churning sea, rolling across the sky and crushing down directly onto the Grand Dao Sect.
In an instant, the entire Grand Dao Sect was alerted.
Countless Elders and disciples extended their divine senses, peering into the distance.
An enemy has arrived!
What was happening? Someone dared to cause trouble right at the Grand Dao Sect's doorstep?
Lu Xuan lifted his head, slightly stunned. He murmured, "The Heavenly Net Palace actually had the nerve to show up?"
Divine light shimmered in Ji Fuyao's eyes as she instinctively moved to stand beside Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan, with a completely unperturbed expression, stated, "No worries. Even if the Palace Master of the Heavenly Net Palace showed up today, they wouldn't be able to take you."
Just then, the void behind the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor continued to tear open.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
More Great Emperors traversed the void, descending upon this corner of the world. Unlike the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor, however, they immediately concealed their forms, only extending their divine sense to observe from a distance. These were the Emperor-realm experts from various provinces, mostly belonging to intelligence organizations.
A white-haired Great Emperor stroked his beard. "Tsk, tsk! An Elder from the Heavenly Net Palace actually dares to step onto the Grand Dao Sect's mountain gate! In my memory, this is the first time in thousands of years!"
Another Great Emperor in black smiled faintly. "This one is only a Six-star Great Emperor. He's not much in the Grand Dao Sect's eyes. I wonder how the Grand Dao Sect will handle this?"
One person spoke with a grave expression. "The Grand Dao Sect has always been aloof in the Southern Wilds, but that doesn't mean they are weak. The Grand Dao Sect is like a crouching tiger; while lying down, it resembles a mountain range, but when it rises, the world will witness its true majesty!"
Everyone watched with anticipation. The Grand Dao Sect and the Heavenly Net Palace were both hegemonic powers in the Southern Wilds. How would this clash end?
At that moment, Boom!
The Sect Master, along with Pill Peak Peak Master Gu Yuefang and others, shot out on a divine rainbow, streaking toward the Grand Dao Sect's main gate.
Divine light surged, making the void incredibly bright.
The Sect Master bowed slightly toward the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor. "Esteemed Senior, may I ask the purpose of your visit to our Grand Dao Sect?"
Seeing this, the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor instantly flew into a rage.
He was a Six-star Great Emperor! A Six-star Great Emperor descends upon the Grand Dao Sect, only to be greeted by a few Saint King juniors?
This was a blatant sign of disrespect!
Utterly preposterous!
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor's face instantly became ferocious, and he snarled, "What? You refuse to give my Heavenly Net Palace face? Call your Grand Dao Sect Old Ancestor out to speak!"
The Sect Master smiled faintly. "The Cangxuan Old Ancestor said that regardless of your reason for coming to the Grand Dao Sect, we do not welcome you."
We do not welcome you!
Saying this, the Sect Master made a gesture to indicate they should leave.
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor's face twisted as if he had swallowed ten pounds of filth, and his fury instantly soared a hundredfold!
Damn it!
Clearly, the Grand Dao Sect was humiliating him! They weren't taking the Heavenly Net Palace seriously at all!
The strong figures watching from afar were slightly stunned. They hadn't expected such a scene.
However, they quickly understood why the Grand Dao Sect would treat the Heavenly Net Palace this way. Even among hegemonic powers, there were differences in standing. Although the Heavenly Net Palace had risen rapidly in recent years, known for its decisive and ruthless actions, the old-guard hegemons like the Grand Dao Sect and the Supreme Profound Sect likely looked down on them.
There was a clear "pecking order" even among the most powerful factions.
In the arena, the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor could no longer restrain himself. His fists were clenched tight within his sleeves, and he looked at the Sect Master with murderous intent. "Junior, I'll give you ten breaths! I came to the Grand Dao Sect today for only one thing!"
"Hand over Ji Fuyao!"
His voice boomed across the sky, echoing for thousands of miles.
The world instantly fell into a dead silence.
Just then, a voice rang out from Azure Mystery Peak.
"Who dares lay a hand on my disciple!"
The next moment, a divine rainbow rose beneath Ji Fuyao's feet, carrying Lu Xuan as they slowly ascended into the void.
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor turned his head. When he saw Lu Xuan, his killing intent and rage instantly multiplied by a hundred!
His face was savage as he roared, "You ant, what right do you have to speak here?"
In his eyes, the Sect Master, a mere Saint King, was an ant. How much less was Lu Xuan, who was only at the Qi Condensation Stage!
In the distant void, the strong figures from various provinces couldn't help but chuckle.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Heh heh heh..."
Why did Lu Xuan suddenly run out? If the words "Who dares lay a hand on my disciple!" had come from the Cangxuan Old Ancestor, they would have carried weight. But coming from Lu Xuan's mouth, they really wanted to burst out laughing.
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor pointed at Lu Xuan and addressed the Sect Master. "Very well. Now I demand that, besides Ji Fuyao, I will also take Lu Xuan with me..."
Lu Xuan was speechless.
Weren't you here to take Ji Fuyao? What the hell are you taking me for? I'm just trying to lie flat here!
Before the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor could finish, an ancient voice emerged from the Grand Dao Sect's back mountain.
"You won't be taking anyone today!"
Boom!
The heavens and earth suddenly churned. The Cangxuan Old Ancestor, his gray robe billowing, abruptly appeared in the void. His steps were light, yet each one spanned tens of thousands of miles. A terrifying, boundless aura, like a sea pouring backward, surged from his body. Above the sky, a storm instantly gathered.
One step, two steps...
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor's momentum grew stronger with every step. Brilliant Great Emperor Dao patterns swirled around him, and an incredibly profound energy poured out.
Everyone was shocked.
This was the power of the Grand Dao Scripture!
The Grand Dao is formless, secretly aligning with Heaven and Earth, merging the body with the cosmos!
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor stood tall in the void, looking down at the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor with endless coldness and indifference, as if the latter were nothing.
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor was instantly enraged. He and his two Great Emperor servants rose into the sky, reaching the same altitude as the Old Ancestor.
"It's you!"
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor gritted his teeth, his eyes bulging with fury.
It was this man who had destroyed the projection he had left on the Remnant Sun Great Emperor, and who had dared to challenge him to come to the Grand Dao Sect to demand the girl!
And today, he had come!
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor sneered. "You are merely a Six-star Great Emperor as well! If my true body had been present that day, it would have been you who perished! Do you really think you can protect Ji Fuyao? Go on, call for more help!"
Call for more help!
He was a Six-star Great Emperor Late-stage!
And the Cangxuan Old Ancestor was only a Six-star Great Emperor Mid-stage!
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor was confident that, in a true body-to-body confrontation, he could annihilate the Cangxuan Old Ancestor!
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor scoffed. "You think too highly of yourself."
Hearing this, the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor gave a savage laugh. "Is that so? You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! It seems the Grand Dao Sect needs to shed some blood before the real person in charge will come out!"
As his voice fell, the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor struck instantly!
In a flash, monstrous spiritual energy surged from his body. A rolling sea of blood churned violently, and the world abruptly turned crimson. The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor's hair whipped around him, his face contorted savagely, as he stood atop the boundless blood sea. With every movement, blood-red energy surged, staining the sky.
"Blood Sea Palm!"
Rumble!
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor instantly condensed a colossal, blood-red palm print. It was as vast as a continent, crushing down directly toward the Cangxuan Old Ancestor.
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor remained calm. His spiritual seals shifted in his hand as he slowly spoke.
"When destiny aligns, all forces conspire!"
The next instant, the world exploded as if struck by thunder. A dormant power seemed to awaken, and endless profound energy transformed into a torrent. This surging power, fierce and overbearing like a falling star, collided directly with the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor's attack!
In a moment, boundless divine light surged, like a giant sun rising in the sky!
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor had temporarily seized the authority of Heaven and Earth, borrowing a sliver of Heaven and Earth's Killing Intent to strike down the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor!
In just a breath, the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor's attack disintegrated and was annihilated!
Crack!
Boom!
The Blood Sea Palm, the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor's supreme attack, shattered upon contact! It vanished without a trace!
Pfft!
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor spat out a mouthful of vital blood and was instantly sent flying a million miles. His face was filled with disbelief. "How is this possible... How could you borrow Heaven and Earth's Killing Intent?"
He was shocked that the Cangxuan Old Ancestor's strike had been derived from Heaven and Earth's Killing Intent!
Emperor-realm experts could draw upon the power of Heaven and Earth, but Heaven and Earth's Killing Intent was fundamentally different! It was the source power of the Heavenly Dao itself. How could a cultivator possibly control it?
But the Cangxuan Old Ancestor had done it!
How could he possibly fight this?
Seeing this, the strong figures from the various regions were utterly horrified.
"When destiny aligns, all forces conspire!"
This was the supreme secret art of the Grand Dao Sect, derived from the Grand Dao Scripture. This ancient secret art, which involved primordial secrets, had reappeared in the Southern Wilds today!
Everyone gasped. This was Heaven and Earth's Killing Intent!
The Killing Intent of Heaven and Earth could decide life and death in a single thought! It completely surpassed ordinary Emperor-tier cultivation methods!
Someone shook their head. "With the appearance of this supreme secret art, the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor is certainly doomed today!"
The strong figures from all provinces looked solemn, recalling the ancient secrets surrounding the Grand Dao Sect.
Divine light surged in Ji Fuyao's eyes, and a massive wave crashed in her heart. She looked at Lu Xuan. "Master, what is 'When destiny aligns, all forces conspire'?"
Lu Xuan was about to speak when the Sect Master quickly explained, "This is the supreme secret art from the second volume of our sect's Grand Dao Scripture. Our Grand Dao Sect occupies this tens of thousands of miles of land, which secretly aligns with the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, the Cangxuan Old Ancestor can borrow Heaven and Earth's Killing Intent to unleash a devastating strike!"
"In other words, within the territory of our Grand Dao Sect, our sect can temporarily seize the authority of Heaven and Earth, briefly acting as the Heavenly Dao, and wielding the power of slaughter!"
Ji Fuyao was utterly astonished. The Grand Dao Scripture was this terrifying? It could temporarily take over the authority of Heaven and Earth and briefly act as the Heavenly Dao!
The so-called Heaven and Earth's Killing Intent was equivalent to the Heavenly Dao personally entering the fray! Who could resist that?
The essence of the Grand Dao Scripture was to align with Heaven and Earth, but it could also borrow the power of the Heavenly Dao to execute judgment upon the world!
Lu Xuan, standing nearby, recalled something and muttered, "When destiny aligns, all forces conspire; when luck runs out, heroes lose their freedom."
The original quote came from Luo Yin's poem, but Lu Xuan's mind also conjured the story of two old men—one named Yuan and one named Qi—where the latter's single phrase, "When destiny aligns, all forces conspire," was enough to slaughter the Imperial Astronomers and guards. A truly magnificent tale.
The Sect Master let out a soft "Eh?" and looked at Lu Xuan with confusion. "Lu Xuan, you also know the supreme secret of the Grand Dao Scripture?"
Lu Xuan smiled faintly. "I read it in a storybook."
The Sect Master chuckled, then looked at Ji Fuyao. "Your Master is right. Aligning with Heaven and Earth is about timing, luck, and destiny. Our Grand Dao Sect also spent countless years to obtain the authority over this small piece of Heaven and Earth!"
Ji Fuyao's delicate body trembled, and a faint divine light flowed around her, as if she had gained a profound insight.
Meanwhile, the residual power of the Cangxuan Old Ancestor's killing strike continued its relentless pursuit.
Like a vast, overwhelming heavenly might, the Cangxuan Old Ancestor, having temporarily seized a sliver of Heaven and Earth's authority, stood tall in the sky, backed by the rumbling Heavenly Dao, like a Divine King. Divine light shone brilliantly around him, and various auspicious phenomena appeared.
Profound Dao essence flowed freely!
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor was continuously forced back by the residual power.
One hundred thousand miles!
Two hundred thousand miles!
...
A million miles!
A single strike from the Cangxuan Old Ancestor was enough to leave the Blood-Fiend Great Emperor utterly defenseless!
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The Blood-Fiend Great Emperor continuously spat blood, and even his boundless blood sea became thin and dissipated!