Six Great Emperors from the Heavenly Net Hall descended, their presence a suffocating weight. The air thickened, and the terrifying might of the Emperor Realm surged outward like a tidal wave.
They were all One-star Great Emperors.
Chen Changsheng, observing from a hidden vantage point, frowned slightly. "Huh? Why are they all only One-star Great Emperors?" He scanned them with his Divine Sense, confirming their cultivation. They weren't hiding anything.
Seriously? Master only told me to handle the high-star ones. "Well, looks like I can stay out of this one," he muttered, settling back to watch the show. This was clearly part of the 'life-and-death grind' Master had set up for Senior Sister.
One of the Grey-robed Elders sneered, raising a hand. A colossal phantom finger, imbued with world-shattering power, materialized and slammed down onto Ji Fuyao's spirit boat.
CRASH!
Ji Fuyao’s face paled, and she instantly darted backward, moving with the speed of pure lightning. The spirit boat was pulverized into dust, the resulting shockwave tearing through the air like a raging inferno. The sheer force of the explosion hit her, causing her body to tremble violently. She coughed up a mouthful of crimson blood, but her eyes remained sharp as she stabilized herself in the ravaged void.
The Grey-robed Elder’s face was sinister. "Ji Fuyao! We heard you managed to slay three One-star Great Emperors back in Fangzhou! Truly remarkable for an ant! But let's see how long your luck lasts against six of us!"
The six Great Emperors completed their formation, their combined Emperor might descending like the weight of the cosmos—a crushing pressure that felt like ten thousand mountains. Ji Fuyao’s expression was icy. Without hesitation, she summoned the six-star Emperor Weapon, Heaven-Rending. The spear erupted in a torrent of crimson fire, manifesting the aura of a raging fire dragon. Faint traces of Dao and Stance flowed across its surface, and the spearhead pulsed with a cold light capable of ripping the firmament in two. In an instant, the crushing pressure from the six Great Emperors was completely dissolved.
"As expected of a six-star Emperor Weapon!" the Elder mocked. "Too bad you can't use its full power! External power is useless if your foundation is weak!"
Ji Fuyao let out a low, fierce cry. She charged, the Heaven-Burning Art roaring to life. Her aura exploded, transforming the surrounding void into a sea of scorching, endless fire, the intensity of the flames crashing against the Great Emperors like a tsunami.
"A firefly daring to compete with the sun and moon!" the Elder roared, leading the charge. "Attack together! Capture Ji Fuyao!"
Six terrifying streams of power converged on Ji Fuyao. She met them with a sweeping strike of Heaven-Rending, a rainbow of fire slicing through the darkness. BOOM! The impact sent her reeling back hundreds of yards, fresh blood staining her lips.
Her face was pale, but her mind was clear. If she continued to face their combined assault, her spiritual energy would be rapidly depleted. She had to eliminate them individually. And the target must be the strongest: the Grey-robed Elder, who was only a step away from the Two-star Great Emperor realm. Strike the horse before the rider, capture the king before the army.
Ji Fuyao bit down on her lip, her battle intent reaching a fever pitch. The Elder, seeing her intent, unleashed his own Emperor Weapon: a battered, ancient war chariot. Though rusted and severely damaged, it pulsed with a terrifying, blood-red Stance, charging at her with a deafening rumble.
Ji Fuyao met the charge head-on. Her spear strike was a torrent of the Path of Spirit Fire, instantly shattering the mysterious Stance surrounding the chariot. The vehicle still hurtled toward her, but Ji Fuyao, relying on her profound Divine Sense, had already locked onto its structural flaw.
CLANG! Heaven-Rending struck the weak point. The six-star Emperor Weapon’s power was absolute, crushing the ancient chariot. It disintegrated, revealing the scars of countless millennia of war before collapsing into fragments.
The Grey-robed Elder cried out in disbelief, "How is that possible?"
Ji Fuyao’s hand, holding the spear, was slick with blood, and she spat out another mouthful. The clash of Emperor Weapons was immense, even for her Profound Saint body. But the physical agony was nothing compared to the surging determination in her heart.
This journey to the Blackflame Mountain Range is the ultimate crucible! she realized. What doesn't kill me will only forge me into a true Empress!
She surged forward, her body now a conduit for devastating power. To break the deadlock, she had to be swift and decisive. The energies of the Heaven-Burning Art and the Grand Dao Scripture surged through her, beginning to coalesce into a unified Dao rhythm.
Then, she unleashed the ultimate trump card Lu Xuan had gifted her: the Dao of Fire Principle.
A boundless, illusory Sea of Spirit Fire materialized behind her, flowing not just with energy, but with fundamental Dao. Her momentum exploded again.
Three supreme powers—the Emperor Art, the Sect’s Scripture, and the fundamental Dao Principle—were channeled into Heaven-Rending.
CHIIII!
The spear strike was no longer a simple attack; it was a river of pure, incinerating spirit fire, tearing through the sky, swallowing mountains and rivers.
The Grey-robed Elder’s eyes were bloodshot, consumed by fury and crippling jealousy. "Damn you, Ji Fuyao! I am a Great Emperor, yet I lack even a fraction of your terrifying foundation!" His envy curdled into murderous intent. He threw everything he had into a massive palm strike.
BOOM! The Spirit Fire River annihilated the palm print, the residual force slamming into the Elder. His Great Emperor Dao Pattern shield shattered like glass.
He stared, utterly aghast. His head detached from his neck, soaring into the air.
Instant Decapitation! The One-star Great Emperor was slain in a single, overwhelming strike.
The attacks from the five remaining Great Emperors arrived. Ji Fuyao felt the icy touch of death. She had no time for another strike.
Master's gifts!
From her Storage Ring, several defensive Forbidden Formation Plates and talismans—loot Lu Xuan had casually tossed her way after annihilating the Heavenly Net Hall Branch—flew out and activated instantly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A blinding network of Dao patterns erupted, shielding her. The fatal strikes were deflected, but the shockwave still rattled her bones, forcing another spray of blood. The deadly assault was completely blocked!
"That damned Grand Dao Sect!" the five Great Emperors roared, their faces contorted in rage. "How many Emperor-tier resources did they pile onto this girl? A six-star Emperor Weapon, the Dao of Fire Principle, and now multiple defensive formation plates! How are we supposed to fight this?"
One Black Robe Great Emperor snarled, "Attack! She used the six-star weapon; her spiritual energy must be depleted! Now is our chance!"
Ji Fuyao’s eyes were cold. She charged the five, her figure wreathed in fire, unleashing her full power.
The battle raged, but the tide had turned. Ji Fuyao was now overwhelming them.
"Ji Fuyao, you can't possibly—" a Black Robe Great Emperor began to shout, but the words died in his throat.
Pfft!
Ji Fuyao’s spear flashed. The man froze, his head sliding cleanly from his neck. Instant Decapitation.
The remaining four froze, their eyes wide with terror. Ji Fuyao's Spirit Fire power had surged again!
"She's gaining enlightenment in battle!" one shrieked. "That's Spear Intent!"
Indeed, her movements were sharper, her strikes imbued with a profound, focused will. Spear Intent had awakened.
CHII! Another Great Emperor fell.
The final two exchanged a look of sheer panic. They tore open the void, attempting to escape! Ji Fuyao didn't pursue. Heaven-Rending shot from her hand, transforming into a crimson river of fire that spanned thousands of feet.
A moment later, two more bodies were severed in the distance.
Heaven-Rending returned to her hand.
"Pfft!" Ji Fuyao collapsed onto the void, coughing up a final mouthful of blood. She had reached her limit. She immediately sat cross-legged, taking out an Emperor-tier Healing Pill, and began to cultivate. The Sea of Spirit Fire roared around her, the Heaven-Burning Art advancing rapidly.
The battle had shaken several nearby cities. Thousands of Divine Senses probed the scene, utterly stunned. A single Profound Saint was not only fighting six Great Emperors but crushing them.
"Unbelievable! She is truly the disciple of that supreme magnate!" one Emperor-tier expert exclaimed. "Such peerless talent!"
A nearby Quasi-Emperor nodded, "It seems the Grand Dao Sect's declaration across the Three Thousand States of the Southern Wilds had an effect. The Heavenly Net Hall didn't dare send high-star Great Emperors."
From his vantage point, Chen Changsheng watched as Ji Fuyao's aura stabilized, subtly shifting into the commanding presence of an Empress.
"Senior Sister is undergoing a profound transformation," he mused internally. "She is determined to Re-establish the Fuyao Dynasty. Conquest and battle—that is her Dao."
He understood now. Master had only tasked him with neutralizing the high-star threats to ensure Senior Sister survived, but the low-star ones were necessary 'whetstones.' This was a trial by fire, a true life-and-death grind.
A powerful Dao, but not mine. Chen Changsheng sighed. His path was Longevity. Power was merely a tool to prolong existence. If he couldn't achieve eternal life, what difference did immense power make?
***
Meanwhile, far away in Yinzhou (Fallen State), at a Heavenly Net Hall Branch, the Great Emperor Gu Lang sat upon his throne, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
A Black-robed Great Emperor stepped forward and bowed low. "Grand Elder, the six One-star Great Emperors sent to Hezhou were all slain by Ji Fuyao. Furthermore, she gained enlightenment during the battle, increasing her strength again."
Gu Lang merely smiled faintly. "Did you detect any powerful protectors guarding her in secret?"
The subordinate shook his head. "None, Grand Elder. But her ability to kill Great Emperors while only a Profound Saint is truly monstrous."
Gu Lang laughed heartily, clapping his hands together. "Excellent! Truly excellent! Although six Great Emperors perished, we have lost nothing!"
He leaned forward, his voice filled with smug certainty. "The Grand Dao Sect is blinded by arrogance. They believe they can simply give her powerful artifacts and a strong foundation, then leave her to grow, thinking this is a 'test' of her mettle. They provided the foundation but no high-star protector! The death of those six fools only confirms my theory. Ji Fuyao is arrogant and predictable. Now we know exactly how to strike."