“Azure Mystery Peak is a sacred place, no entry without permission. - Lu Xuan.”
Two Stabbing Heaven Palace Great Emperors exchanged glances, then abruptly transformed into two wisps of black mist, concealing themselves within the array.
“An array on this measly Azure Mystery Peak?”
“Be careful!”
They proceeded with extreme caution, their feet never touching the ground, maintaining distance as they delved deeper into Azure Mystery Peak.
The two continued their advance, soon spotting a second wooden sign.
“The array is boundless; turn back while you still can.”
One Great Emperor’s expression flickered. “Retreat!”
It was a fundamental tenet of their assassin’s creed: if failure was even a possibility, retreat was mandatory! Always wait for the next perfect opportunity.
Their forms were like wisps of wind, almost perfectly evading some of Chen Changsheng’s sealing Restrictions. However, Chen Changsheng had been in command of this array all along.
Boom! The situation changed in an instant! An incomparably profound power of array patterns surged around them, endless brilliant spirit runes swirling like constellations. The two Stabbing Heaven Palace Great Emperors were instantly exposed, their faces turning grim.
“But they said the White Robe Great Emperor was a reckless brute! How could he possibly lay such an intricate, heaven-defying array?!”
They instantly hurled out several Array Disks, monstrous Divine Radiance surging like a vast ocean, attempting to counter the array patterns on Azure Mystery Peak. Their hands wove through spirit incantations, ancient, obscure powers intertwining around them. In a single breath, both were suppressed! Though they were also skilled in array patterns, before Chen Changsheng, they were completely out of their league!
In that instant, terrifying teleportation power surged forth. The two Stabbing Heaven Palace Great Emperors frowned, shouting in a low voice, “White Robe Great Emperor, you’re courting death!” Both unleashed their Nine-star Emperor Realm power, an utterly terrifying force erupting as they tried to forcibly resist the teleportation. But it was useless! Utterly useless!
The two transformed into streaks of light, rocketing out of Azure Mystery Peak, directly towards the hidden depths of the Grand Dao Sect.
Chen Changsheng, casually twirling two ancient Storage Rings in his hand, mimicked Lu Xuan’s voice. “Tianyuan Daoist Friend, I’ve sent you a grand gift!”
Boom! The heaven-reaching array patterns of the hidden realm suddenly flared to life, and the two, swept up in an endless Grand Terrain Stance, plummeted into the secluded area. The two Stabbing Heaven Palace Great Emperors slammed into the earth with a resounding crash. The Grand Terrain Stance condensed around them, and the power of the Grand Dao Scripture flowed forth, transforming into heaven-reaching chains that coiled around them.
The next instant, Tianyuan Old Ancestor slowly emerged from the depths of the void, and behind him, two more Nine-star Great Emperors appeared—none other than the recently emerged Ancestors of the Heaven Lineage! Three Nine-star Great Emperors stared down at the two Stabbing Heaven Palace assassins.
The two tried to activate their Emperor Weapons, only to freeze in shock. Their Nine-star Emperor Weapons remained inert. They glanced down, only to find not just their Emperor Weapons, but their Storage Rings gone! What the hell?! When had their Storage Rings been pilfered? How were they supposed to fight now?! As assassins, knowing their remaining trump cards and killing moves was paramount. Yet now, their Storage Rings had been stolen without them even realizing it! They had committed a cardinal sin! They had utterly misjudged the White Robe Great Emperor! This man wasn’t a reckless brute at all. He was a true Gou Saint!
Tianyuan Old Ancestor’s face was icy cold as he looked at the two assassins. “What? Your leader, Xiao Ke, intends to wade into these murky waters as well?”
The two Stabbing Heaven Palace Great Emperors scoffed. “The Stabbing Heaven Palace fears no Grand Dao Sect! We’ll give you one chance: release us, or face the endless pursuit of my Stabbing Heaven Palace!”
Tianyuan Old Ancestor’s face broke into a playful smile as he looked at the other two Nine-star Great Emperors. “It seems our Ancestor’s instruction to develop discreetly and await this epoch’s Supreme Path was absolutely correct. To this day, the entire Southern Wilds believes my Grand Dao Sect is past its prime.”
The other two Ancestors merely smiled faintly. “Indeed, quite right!”
Hearing this, the two Stabbing Heaven Palace Great Emperors’ expressions turned utterly grim. They knew escape was impossible. With that thought, both moved to bite their tongues, intending to end their own lives!
Tianyuan Old Ancestor swept his sleeve. “Daoist Friend White Robe’s grand gift—how could I let you off so easily?!” The myriad threads of the Grand Dao Scripture’s power instantly bound them to the ground, like puppets on strings, piercing through their physical bodies, souls, and Dao Foundations. Neither life nor death would be an escape!
Tianyuan Old Ancestor immediately performed a Soul Search! Before long, his expression turned grim. He now knew the Stabbing Heaven Palace had allied with the Silent Destruction Sect! This was no small matter!
Tianyuan Old Ancestor severed the heads of the two Stabbing Heaven Palace Great Emperors and summoned the Sect Master. The Sect Master, seeing the scene, was utterly stunned. “Nine-star Great Emperors from the Stabbing Heaven Palace actually infiltrated our sect?”
Tianyuan Old Ancestor smiled faintly. “The White Robe Great Emperor discovered their tracks and teleported them directly here!” A monstrous wave surged in the Sect Master’s heart. “This White Robe Great Emperor is simply unfathomable!”
Tianyuan Old Ancestor placed the two Stabbing Heaven Palace Great Emperors’ heads into a Storage Ring and handed it to the Sect Master. “Deliver these two heads to the Merchant Guild; have them pass them on to the Stabbing Heaven Palace!”
The Sect Master said in a deep voice, “I’ll go at once!”
Boom! Divine Radiance surged beneath the Sect Master’s feet, and he shot out of the hidden realm. Watching the Sect Master’s retreating figure, Tianyuan Old Ancestor’s gaze turned profound. “With the Bronze Ancient Palace’s descent, the Southern Wilds is on the brink of an Era of Chaos!”
***
Bingzhou.
Ji Fuyao, clad in a fiery red gown, stood atop a Spirit Boat, holding the Ultimate Emperor Weapon Howling Heaven. Her aura was utterly dominant, like a female sovereign descending upon the mortal realm. The Bingzhou Heavenly Net Hall Branch had been annihilated!
Ji Fuyao looked at Wang Man and the others. “To the next state!” Only one Heavenly Net Hall Branch remained!
Qing Yan’s brow furrowed slightly as she spoke with a hint of worry. “Empress, many Ancient Great Powers have emerged recently. Now, the Southern Wilds is teeming with rising magnates; an Era of Chaos is upon us!”
Ji Fuyao’s starry eyes flickered, as cold and solitary as an iceberg. Her lips parted slightly. “No matter! I will carve a bloody path for us!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Over a dozen Fuyao Dynasty Spirit Boats streaked across the void, tearing through the firmament, leaving an endless river of stars in their wake.
In the shadows, Chen Changsheng’s brow furrowed slightly. He had already detected several Stabbing Heaven Palace assassins hidden deep within the void, patiently waiting for the perfect One-Hit Kill opportunity against Ji Fuyao!
Just then, in the distant void.
Boom! Crack! Space twisted violently! Several ghostly figures emerged from the spatial rift. Their forms were spectral, eerie aura surging around them—it was the Ghost Shadow Race!
Chen Changsheng extended his Divine Sense further out. Ten thousand miles! A hundred thousand miles! Hundreds of thousands of miles! He saw streaks of crimson lightning traversing the void, carrying monstrous demonic auras, terrifying beyond compare, like an ocean overturning, causing the heavens and earth to tremble. The newcomers were none other than the Red Serpent Race!
Chen Changsheng sighed softly. “This is getting out of hand! Senior Sister is merely a Quasi-Emperor, yet they’ve sent so many high-star Great Emperors!” There were human, Foreign Magnates, and Monster Race Magnates! Chen Changsheng felt that the Causality piling up on Azure Mystery Peak was growing immense! At this rate, won’t Azure Mystery Peak become the public enemy of the Southern Wilds? This simply won’t do! One must remember, after several epochs of accumulation, the Southern Wilds now held far too many Overlord-level Powers. If they all ganged up on the Grand Dao Sect, on Azure Mystery Peak, life would become unbearable!
Soon, the high-star Great Emperors of the Red Serpent Race arrived, led by a Nine-star Great Emperor. They made no attempt to conceal their auras, directly tearing open the void and locking onto Ji Fuyao’s life force. With a thunderous roar, the Red Serpent Race magnates emerged from the spatial rift, their monstrous demonic aura surging like a tidal wave, crushing down upon this corner of the world. For a moment, the heavens and earth lost their light, and the aura of death descended.
Witnessing this scene, all the magnates in Bingzhou felt their scalps tingle with dread! The Red Serpent Race had arrived! These were the agents of the Demon Court, emerging early by the Demon Lord’s command! The White Robe Great Emperor had once slain several Nine-star Monster Race Magnates and even forced the Golden Crow Old Ancestor and Fire Dragon Old Ancestor to kneel in submission. In the eyes of the Monster Race, this was an unforgivable humiliation! Today, they had come for vengeance! Perhaps other Monster Race factions feared the White Robe Great Emperor, but the Demon Hall would never! For they served directly under the Demon Court!
At this moment, a Grey-robed Demon Elder coldly stared at Ji Fuyao. “Call for help! Bring your master out!”