“So, you are the remnants of the Fuyao Dynasty. You will—”
Before Luo Yangtian could finish his threat, Lu Xuan slammed a palm onto his chest.
Boom! The strike instantly shattered Luo Yangtian’s Dao foundation, his Emperor-tier cultivation base dissolving into thin air, leaving him a crippled husk, his body erupting with blood.
Wang Man bowed deeply toward Lu Xuan. “Peak Master Lu, may we have the honor of dealing with these people ourselves?”
Ye Chen nodded immediately.
In an instant, Wang Man, Qing Yan, and Ye Beichen rushed toward Luo Yangtian and his group, unleashing a furious barrage of attacks.
Crack! Crack! Luo Yangtian’s bones snapped countless times, and blood flowed freely. The air was filled with his agonizing screams and groans.
Pain! It was an unbearable, soul-searing pain!
Wang Man grabbed Luo Yangtian’s thigh and twisted it viciously. “How could the vengeance for that year be settled so easily? This is far from over! Far from over!”
Moments later, Lu Xuan waved his sleeve, gently lifting Ye Chen and the others. “That’s enough. Wang Man, Qing Yan, take Luo Yangtian and the others back to Black Rock Mountain Range for your own disposal later. Our mission isn’t finished yet. We still need to save Elder Mu.”
Ye Chen immediately reported, “Master, Elder Mu was teleported away by two Six-star Great Emperors.”
Lu Xuan nodded. “I know.”
In the next instant, he led the group, traversing the void and vanishing from the spot.
Chen Changsheng frowned slightly, attempting to follow Lu Xuan, but he failed. At that moment, even he lost all sense of Lu Xuan’s presence.
***
The location was a desolate wilderness, spanning dozens of miles with no sign of life. The wind howled across the iron-gray earth, and the sky was bleak and empty.
Two Six-star Great Emperors from the Heaven-Net Hall, one in black robes and one in blood robes, stood high in the sky, sneering as they launched terrifying attacks at Elder Mu and the others.
The might of a Six-star Great Emperor was overwhelming. Each strike was like a sun collapsing, a star falling, shaking the very fabric of space. Boom! Boom! Boom! The terrifying power surged like a tidal wave, pouring over the vast, desolate land for nearly a hundred miles.
Blood trickled from Elder Mu’s lips as he shielded the Peak Master of the Body Tempering Peak and the Peak Master of Qionghua Peak. “Get behind me!” he roared.
His gray robe billowed as his frail body stood firm. He immediately activated the Grand Dao Scripture. As a Five-star Great Emperor, even at the peak of his power, he was no match for two Six-star Great Emperors. The gap between one star and the next was a chasm!
If they were within the Grand Dao Sect, Elder Mu could borrow the authority of heaven and earth, using the innate killing intent of the land to bridge the chasm between their Emperor realms. But here, he could only defend.
The terror of the Grand Dao Scripture lay in its versatility: it could advance or retreat, attack or defend. In this moment, the best choice was to use its power to merge with the surrounding wilderness and defend against the two Six-star Great Emperors.
Elder Mu’s body flowed with an incredibly profound and obscure aura. He stood with his feet on the earth and his head beneath the sky, as if his body had merged with the Dao, taking on the desolate aura of the wilderness itself. His withered frame, standing behind the Peak Master of the Body Tempering Peak, seemed to swell, becoming as tall as a mountain range, a thick, unyielding fortress wall.
Massive spiritual energy surged, transforming into obscure Great Emperor Dao patterns that formed a protective shield, desperately trying to withstand the attacks of the two Six-star Great Emperors.
Borrowing a technique from the Body Tempering Peak, Elder Mu let out a great shout. “Solid as Stone!”
In an instant, a massive Dao pattern shield materialized, covering the sky, countless spiritual runes surging within it.
But the Heaven-Net Hall’s attack was even fiercer. Two Six-star Great Emperors, two Five-star Great Emperors, and several lower-star Emperors were all attacking simultaneously!
Crack! Crack! In the span of a few breaths, countless Great Emperor Dao patterns shattered, only to be constantly reformed.
Elder Mu coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body swaying slightly, his gray robe fluttering like a lone banner in a fierce storm.
“I have already used a Supreme Secret Art to contact Senior Brother Tianxing and Senior Brother Cangxuan,” he said through gritted teeth. “They are on their way.”
The Peak Master of the Body Tempering Peak’s face was deathly pale. “Elder Mu, what about Ye Chen and the others?”
Elder Mu clenched his jaw, his heart filled with anxiety. But he was completely tied up now. He could only pray that Ye Chen possessed some life-saving means left by the powerful being of Azure Mystery Peak. If Ye Chen and the others were to suffer a mishap, the foundation of the Grand Dao Sect’s younger generation would be severely damaged. The consequences would be unimaginable!
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away, the Heaven-Net Hall Great Emperors looked on with cold expressions, continuously unleashing their ultimate killing power.
“Mu Yunhai, let’s see how long you can hold out!” the two Six-star Great Emperors sneered.
They watched as Elder Mu gradually weakened, clearly reaching his limit. However, the fact that he had held out this long against their combined forces was genuinely unexpected.
One of the lower-star Heaven-Net Hall Emperors asked, “Hall Master Fang, has Hall Master Luo Yangtian already wiped out Ye Chen and the others?”
The Six-star Gray-robed Great Emperor grinned savagely. “Nonsense! They were mere Profound Venerates! A single glance is enough to kill them! Hall Master Luo is probably torturing Ye Chen right now!”
Moments later, Elder Mu spat out a mouthful of essence blood, his figure sent reeling back tens of thousands of miles. His feet carved a massive, ten-mile-long trench in the desolate earth. Even so, Elder Mu managed to send out a gentle wave of power, protecting the Peak Master of the Body Tempering Peak and the others.
The Peak Masters wept, tears streaming down their faces. “Elder Mu…”
Elder Mu coughed repeatedly, struggling to stand. “Cough, cough… I can still fight!”
The Heaven-Net Hall Great Emperors laughed mockingly. “Mu Yunhai, the Grand Dao Sect is decaying and past its prime. It’s time for it to fall from the altar! In this era, the Grand Dao Sect must die, and our Heaven-Net Hall must rise! Die!”
With that, the two Six-star Great Emperors prepared to unleash their final strike.
Just then, Crack! The void tore open! Space twisted violently! A terrifying spatial formation ripple surged across the sky. From the swirling void, a figure in white, Lu Xuan, slowly walked out with his group.
Seeing this, the Heaven-Net Hall Great Emperors were stunned. The Grand Dao Sect’s geniuses were all alive! And a new Five-star Great Emperor had arrived!
A sense of foreboding washed over them. Had Luo Yangtian failed?
On the ground, Elder Mu and the others were utterly bewildered. Why was Ji Fuyao here? And why were there a group of Fuyao Dynasty loyalists?
Elder Mu’s voice trembled as he looked at Lu Xuan, asking respectfully, “Is the one who has arrived the existence from Azure Mystery Peak?”
Lu Xuan dispersed the divine light around him, revealing his true face. “I’m Lu Xuan, Elder Mu.”
Elder Mu’s face twitched. “Fellow Daoist, this is no time for jokes!”
Lu Xuan sighed softly. Why did no one ever believe him? He could understand, though. It was like the kid who was always last in class suddenly acing the final exam—everyone would suspect cheating.
Too lazy to explain, he completely ignored the Heaven-Net Hall Great Emperors and slowly walked toward Elder Mu. “Elder Mu, you’re injured. Let me treat you!”
Elder Mu was utterly bewildered. Now was not the time for treatment! This fellow Daoist was only a Five-star Great Emperor, albeit one skilled in spatial formations. Shouldn't he be using that skill to get them all out of here immediately?
Elder Mu coughed. “Cough, cough… Since the Fellow Daoist is skilled in spatial formations, please lead us away first.”
Lu Xuan was utterly unperturbed and nonchalant. “Elder Mu, no need to rush. We’ll kill those people later! You are heavily injured; I must treat you first, or your foundation might be damaged!”
At this point, the Heaven-Net Hall Great Emperors were furious. This man in white was courting death! Did he think they didn’t exist? How dare a mere Five-star Great Emperor be so arrogant when two Six-star Great Emperors were present!
Instantly, a Plain-robed Elder from the Heaven-Net Hall, also a Five-star Great Emperor, surged toward Lu Xuan, tearing through the void. His face was savage. “I’ve never seen such an arrogant and overbearing fool!”
Lu Xuan simply scoffed. “Noisy!”
The single word sent the Plain-robed Elder reeling back thousands of feet, a trickle of blood spilling from his mouth.
The elder was instantly enraged. He grinned ferociously. “Arrogant fool, Heaven will collect its due! Today, I shall be the one to judge your life and death!”
In a flash, terrifying Emperor might surged from the elder’s body. The spiritual energy of the surrounding dozens of miles converged into his palm, creating a violent storm. His figure vanished instantly.
When he reappeared, he was only a few dozen feet from Lu Xuan. His five fingers clenched into a fist, and he slammed it toward Lu Xuan.
Instantly, endless Great Emperor Dao patterns were layered onto the elder’s fist. The massive force tore through the sky and swallowed mountains and rivers, like a star carrying brilliant divine light, hurtling toward Lu Xuan!
Crack! Space shattered! The punch was overwhelming, slicing through the firmament, the Great Emperor Dao patterns booming like a terrifying, earth-shattering tsunami.
For a moment, the world fell silent. Everyone was profoundly shocked, their hearts churning.
This was the might of a Five-star Great Emperor—a single punch capable of shattering the sky and crushing a star river!
Elder Mu was horrified. Seeing Lu Xuan standing motionless, he shouted a warning, “Fellow Daoist, dodge quickly!”
Lu Xuan, utterly unperturbed and nonchalant, slowly raised his right hand and pointed to his head. “Come on,” he invited, “hit me right here.”
Seeing this, everyone was stunned. What did he mean? Was Lu Xuan planning to use his physical body to withstand the blow?
Elder Mu was utterly bewildered! The Peak Master of the Body Tempering Peak was astonished. “Is this Senior also a Body Cultivator?”
In the blink of an eye, the Plain-robed Elder arrived before Lu Xuan. His fist, which had been aimed at Lu Xuan’s face, suddenly dipped, rocketing straight for Lu Xuan’s groin!
The elder’s face twisted into a savage, venomous grin. “I’ll teach you to show off! I’ll cripple you first!”
Everyone was stunned. What the actual hell? That Heaven-Net Hall Great Emperor had no martial ethics!
The Peak Master of the Body Tempering Peak was dumbfounded.
Ji Fuyao immediately covered her eyes, worried. “Master…”
In the next instant, Clang! Crack! A terrifying explosion of energy echoed through the void, like a giant roc smashing into a star, a sound that pierced metal and cracked stone. The star instantly collapsed and disintegrated.
The Plain-robed Elder’s entire right arm instantly exploded into a mist of blood, staining the sky.
Lu Xuan’s lips curled into a slight smile. “My apologies,” he said, “you just happened to hit my strongest spot.”
The Plain-robed Elder screamed, looking at Lu Xuan in disbelief.
The Grand Dao Sect members’ eyes widened, but they also breathed a sigh of relief.
Ji Fuyao peeked through her fingers, her face instantly flushing crimson with a mixture of shock and embarrassment.
Lu Xuan then slapped the Plain-robed Elder’s head. “I gave you a shot, but you couldn’t handle it!”
Pfft! The elder’s head exploded like a watermelon. His body and soul were instantly annihilated, and his corpse plummeted from the sky.
Seeing this, the two Six-star Great Emperors of the Heaven-Net Hall stepped forward, joining forces to attack Lu Xuan.
In an instant, the vast Emperor might roared like a raging sea. With every step they took, the heavens and earth shook. The void was covered in the two Great Emperors’ strange and obscure Dao patterns. Their momentum grew stronger and stronger, converging into ultimate killing strikes.
“You may be invincible among Five-star Emperors, Your Excellency! But before us, you are nothing more than an ant!”
Lu Xuan shook his head faintly. “I was going to treat Elder Mu first and let you live a little longer.”