“The ultimate winners, without a doubt, will be us.”
Several Alien Race Great Emperors and Demon Race Great Emperors remained hidden in the void, patiently waiting for the victor of the subterranean battle to emerge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, more Ancient Spirit Boats traversed the void, carving brilliant Divine Arcs across the sky, their presence radiating overwhelming power. They had traveled too far from Tianluo State and were only just arriving now.
Suddenly, the void tore open, and space twisted violently. An overwhelmingly terrifying force surged from the spatial rift, followed by the appearance of an incredibly ancient palace. Dao patterns swirled across its surface, where four massive characters were inscribed:
“Cangmu Academy!”
Standing atop the highest tier of the palace, the Jiujun Old Ancestor, clad in gray robes, surveyed the scene. When he saw the thousand-mile radius of Tianluo State reduced to ruins, he frowned and asked, “What in the world happened here?”
From the shadows, an Alien Race Great Emperor slowly recounted the events. The Jiujun Old Ancestor’s eyes deepened, and his brow furrowed in shock.
The Nine Dragons Devouring Heaven Array!
The Silent Destruction Power!
And the terrifying power that had erupted from the underground world moments ago, a force that seemed to surpass the limits of a Nine-star Great Emperor...
All of it exceeded his wildest expectations.
“Between the White Robe Great Emperor and Duan Hunsheng, who ultimately won?” the Jiujun Old Ancestor asked.
No one dared to answer. No one dared to step into the Heavenly Net Mountain Range to investigate. They could only wait.
One Demon Race Great Emperor stated flatly, “Either Duan Hunsheng is dead, or the White Robe Great Emperor is dead.”
The others looked at him, puzzled.
The Demon Race Great Emperor continued, “What I mean is, there is no way the White Robe Great Emperor and Duan Hunsheng could have reconciled!”
Everyone present agreed wholeheartedly.
The Jiujun Old Ancestor attempted to use his Divine Sense to probe the underground world, but a profound Restriction/Inhibition formed by complex Great Emperor Formation Pattern Fragments blocked him.
From the deep void, several Nine-star Great Emperors spoke up.
“Jiujun, stop probing! Unless the White Robe Great Emperor or Duan Hunsheng chooses to reveal himself, we won’t know the result.”
For a time, everyone waited in tense silence in the void.
***
Several hours later.
Ji Fuyao slowly opened her eyes. A ball of blazing Spirit Fire danced between her fingers. Its surface was perfectly gentle, yet its core contained a violent, destructive power—a perfect balance had been achieved.
The essence of the Path of Spirit Fire radiated from her, causing Ye Beichen and the other Ye Family loyalists to stare in awe.
The Ye Family members bowed respectfully to Ji Fuyao. “Congratulations, Empress, on the further advancement of your cultivation!”
Ji Fuyao tilted her snow-white neck and nodded faintly. Her mastery of the Path of Spirit Fire had directly stepped into Transcendent Realm Stage Two!
She rose slowly and looked toward Lu Xuan. “Thank you, Master.”
“Well done,” Lu Xuan smiled, shifting his gaze into the distance.
Chen Changsheng, who had been hidden nearby, stepped forward. “Master, should we leave this place now?”
Lu Xuan chuckled. “It is time to go.”
He checked the remaining time on his Experience Card; only a few hundred breaths remained.
In the next instant, Lu Xuan flicked his sleeve, effortlessly lifting the hundred-mile landmass of the Ye Family. He suddenly realized this was the perfect opportunity for Ji Fuyao to seize prestige, so he turned to her.
“Fuyao, take Duan Hunsheng’s head and announce the result of this battle to the magnates of the states!”
“Yes,” Ji Fuyao replied, her eyes flashing with understanding.
She immediately summoned the Emperor Weapon, Heaven-Rending. With a thought, the spear shot out like a dragon, piercing directly into Duan Hunsheng’s severed head.
Lu Xuan casually shattered the seals and Restrictions/Inhibitions of the underground world, causing countless brilliant spiritual patterns to instantly annihilate. He spoke calmly, “Fuyao, you go first!”
He intentionally wanted Ji Fuyao to make a grand appearance before the Southern Wilds’ magnates. She was his Senior Disciple! Soon, she would Re-establish the Fuyao Dynasty. If she appeared before the world today, holding Duan Hunsheng’s head impaled on her spear, the Southern Wilds would never forget her name.
The future belonged to his disciples!
He handed this most dazzling moment to Ji Fuyao.
Ji Fuyao’s starry eyes flickered. As if by telepathy, she immediately understood Lu Xuan’s profound intent. Her delicate lips parted. “Thank you, Master!”
The Ye Family members watched Ji Fuyao with immense reverence. They spoke in unison, “Empress!”
In a flash, Ji Fuyao soared into the sky.
Boom!
Ji Fuyao was the first to emerge from the underground world. Clad in a fiery red dress, she appeared in the void like a celestial flame, holding the Emperor Weapon, Heaven-Rending. Duan Hunsheng’s head was gruesomely impaled upon it, black blood still dripping.
Her divine posture was peerless, her long hair dancing in the wind, her skin crystalline and white. Her imposing figure outlined a seductive curve, yet her aura was chilling and majestic as she stood in the void.
The Heaven-Rending spear pointed straight toward the heavens, cutting a chilling ray of light across the sky.
She spoke slowly, her voice shaking the heavens. “I am Ji Fuyao. Duan Hunsheng has been executed!”
Seeing this scene, all the experts in Tianluo State were utterly stunned.
The world fell into a dead silence.
That was Duan Hunsheng’s head! The Hall Master of the Heavenly Net Hall was dead, beyond any doubt!
No one had anticipated this result. After all, Duan Hunsheng had activated the Nine Dragons Devouring Heaven Array, consuming the life force of countless beings. Under the terrifying power of that array, Duan Hunsheng’s strength should have reached the absolute limit of the Nine-star Emperor Realm.
Yet, even in that state, Duan Hunsheng was no match for the White Robe Great Emperor?
The battle had been sealed by the array patterns, preventing them from witnessing what had transpired underground!
After a moment of silence, someone cried out, “She is Ji Fuyao! Lu Xuan’s Senior Disciple!”
In an instant, the countless magnates observing the battle in Tianluo State memorized Ji Fuyao’s face. Ji Fuyao, the disciple of the White Robe Great Emperor, also known as Lu Xuan!
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Lu Xuan nodded faintly. He lifted the hundred-mile landmass of the Ye Family with one hand and stepped into the void. His white robes billowed, and he transformed into a Divine Arc, instantly arriving beside Ji Fuyao.
Numerous Emperor Realm Experts immediately swept their Divine Sense toward Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan was radiant and sacred, his white robes spotless, like a divine sovereign descending upon the world, radiating unparalleled majesty.
In the shadows, many Nine-star Great Emperors frowned. They had intended to check Lu Xuan’s injuries, but they were shocked to find they could not perceive even a trace of damage.
The Jiujun Old Ancestor looked at Lu Xuan with disbelief, a tremendous storm raging in his heart. He had met Lu Xuan once in Cloud State. At that time, he had assumed the White Robe Great Emperor was only a Seven-star Great Emperor. Although he could kill an Eight-star Great Emperor, Jiujun hadn't paid him much mind.
But now, the battle between the White Robe Great Emperor and Duan Hunsheng had concluded. This result proved that the White Robe Great Emperor must be a Nine-star Great Emperor!
A Demon Race Great Emperor whispered, “The White Robe Great Emperor is actually uninjured? I don’t believe it.”
Upon hearing this, a Nine-star Emperor Realm elder of the Stone Demon Race revealed a subtle, cynical smile. “How could a battle between Nine-star Great Emperors end without injury? Clearly, this White Robe Great Emperor is trying to create the illusion that he is unharmed. He fears us making a move against him!”
Another Alien Race Supreme Great Emperor nodded in agreement. “I think you are right. This White Robe Great Emperor is an insidious and cunning scoundrel. He once disguised himself as a Seven-star Great Emperor in Cloud State, then as an Eight-star Great Emperor. Now, he is faking injury/covering up his true state. Heh heh…”
Speaking thus, several Demon Race and Alien Race Supreme Great Emperors looked toward the Jiujun Old Ancestor. “You humans are so self-deceiving. This is Faking Injury/Covering Up! In our view, the White Robe Great Emperor is already severely injured!”
The Jiujun Old Ancestor’s expression darkened. “What is the meaning of this?”
Were these Alien and Demon Races planning to seize this opportunity to attack the White Robe Great Emperor? This must not be allowed to happen! The Tianyuan Old Ancestor was already Severely Injured. If the White Robe Great Emperor also suffered an unexpected calamity, the human race’s top Emperor Realm Experts would be greatly reduced!
At that moment, the Stone Demon Race Old Ancestor spoke, “What do you all think? I believe the White Robe Great Emperor is exhausted and Severely Injured. Everything now is just a ruse.”
As his voice fell, several Demon Race and Alien Race Old Ancestors concealed themselves deeper in the void, beginning to plot. They were waiting for Lu Xuan to show a flaw, waiting for the perfect opportunity for a One-Hit Kill!
After all, the White Robe Great Emperor had managed to kill Duan Hunsheng; his strength could not be underestimated. As the saying goes, even a wounded tiger can kill. If the White Robe Great Emperor fought desperately, they might suffer severe injuries, which would be a huge loss. Therefore, they had to be extremely cautious and aim for a decisive One-Hit Kill.