Borderless Heavenly Capital, land of the living:
After making a bet with Gu Hai, Cangjie kept a close eye on him. What surprised Cangjie was that Gu Hai traveled alone to Xuanyuan City.
Being at the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm’s eighth layer, Gu Hai should have taken some time to reach Xuanyuan City. However, his explosive speed had him on the outskirts of Xuanyuan City in mere moments.
Stunned, Cangjie stared at the distant Gu Hai. “Is Imperial Emperor Gu really going into Xuanyuan City alone?”
“Mister Cangjie, watch closely. Imperial Father is taking a monumental risk for this bet,” Gu Han replied solemnly.
Cangjie remained silent.
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Outside Xuanyuan City:
Gu Hai raised his head and looked at the fog-covered Xuanyuan City, a hint of a sneer in his eyes.
The fog is just there to confuse me. This is the trap Ji Dihong laid for me? However, the fog is giving off Shaman Energy of the same level as Chiyou’s head. I can feel that aura even from afar. This is bait to pull me in.
“Xuanyuan City?” Gu Hai narrowed his eyes. “Ji Dihong, you forgot about our Gu’s Immortal Firmament, right?”
“Collect!”
Gu Hai waved his hand, and a large spatial passageway suddenly appeared.
Gu Hai wanted to pull the entire Xuanyuan City into the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.
“Roar!”
The Huang Nation’s dragon vein roared in sudden alertness from deep underground as if trying to repulse this suction. However, the Gu’s Immortal Firmament overwhelmed it. The entire city trembled, on the verge of being sucked into the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.
“What’s going on?” exclaimed the citizens, their faces filled with shock.
“His Holy Eminence…His Holy Eminence is currently attacking Great Desolation City! This is bad!” officials shouted in sheer terror.
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Great Desolation City:
The atmosphere in Great Desolation City was tense as well.
Ji Dihong had mobilized unparalleled experts to lure Gu Hai to Xuanyuan City.
Standing on a massive flying ship were Ji Dihong, Fengbo, Limu, Ao Ying, Xiong You, and others. Their overwhelming aura pressed directly on Great Desolation City’s Divine Flame Hall.
At Divine Flame Hall’s entrance, Ba stood with her civil and military officials, her gaze icy as she looked up at the flying ship in the sky.
“Is it Ji Dihong? He issued a declaration of war not long ago, and now he’s actually here?”
“Nearly all the Huang Heavenly Dynasty’s consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivators are here?”
“What should we do now?”
…
Many officials displayed faces of terror.
Hou Yi and Xingtian showed aloof expressions, unafraid.
Clad in fiery-red imperial robes, Ba stood at the front, not showing any fear as she stepped forward.
Ji Dihong, dressed in golden imperial robes, looked down coldly at Ba.
“Ji Dihong, you failed to do anything to Gu Hai, yet you dare to come to our Great Desolation City to cause trouble?” Ba said distantly.
There were few soldiers, but there were plenty of experts. Everyone could see the danger Great Desolation City faced.
Ji Dihong smirked. “Ba, you were once a general under me!”
“When you fought with Chiyou three thousand years ago in his bid for the throne, Jiang Lianshan had indeed assigned us under you to help you deal with Chiyou’s army. However, back then, we were still the Yan Nation’s princess. You still had to salute me when you met me, isn’t that so?” Ba said indifferently.
“You’re right, Ba. We watched you grow up. It’s disheartening that you would collaborate with Gu Hai. During the war between the Huang Nation and the Han Nation, you even attacked Xuanyuan City. We don’t want to make things difficult for you, given our seniority. Hand over the ones who attacked Xuanyuan City, and we can let bygones be bygones and retreat immediately. What do you say?” Ji Dihong suggested gravely.
Hand over Xingtian and Hou Yi? The Yan Nation officials looked at Ji Dihong with disgust. This was simply humiliating. Ba would lose all credibility if she handed over the War God Marquis and Archer God Marquis.
“Hah! Ji Dihong, we don’t understand. What makes you so confident that you dare utter such nonsense?” Ba retorted icily.
“Strength is everything, don’t you know?” Ji Dihong riposted in a chilly voice.
“Strength? You mean like when Jiang Lianshan was stronger than you, and you could only be his obedient watchdog, right?” Ba shot back.
“Huh?” Ji Dihong glared.
“Your Holy Eminence, Ba is ungrateful! Allow me to wage war and assert the might of the Huang Nation!” Ao Ying yelled, his eyes wide.
“Your Holy Eminence, a subject should perish for an insult to the sovereign. This official volunteers to fight!” Xiong You shouted.
Ji Dihong smirked at Ba.
However, his target was not Ba but Gu Hai.
As long as he fought Ba, Gu Hai would not miss the chance to seize Chiyou’s head or even destroy Xuanyuan City to tarnish his reputation. At that time, he could swiftly conclude the fight with Ba and return to Xuanyuan City, and Gu Hai would be doomed.
He was keen on fighting Ba because he knew the fight could readily be stopped, and he could leave the Yan Heavenly Dynasty’s territory. Ba could not drive her nation’s power beyond its borders; if she dared to chase him, he could finish her off easily.
In Ji Dihong’s eyes, Ba was just a consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator. How could she be a match for him?
Ao Ying and Xiong You can test Ba’s strength. If she doesn’t drive the power of her nation, she won’t be a match for either of them. It won’t be too late for me to make a move when she drives the power of her nation.
“Permitted!” Ji Dihong said.
“Yes!” Ao Ying and Xiong You immediately stepped forward and flew over, pressing their powerful auras at Ba.
“Hah! Ji Dihong, is this your strength? Just a few consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm followers, and you dare to be so bold? Instead of acting yourself, you simply send two subordinates to die?” Ba sneered.
“Humph! Ba lass, disrespect His Holy Eminence again, and I’ll leave nothing alive in your Great Desolation City!” Xiong You shouted.
“You’re not even worthy to fight His Holy Eminence!” Ao Ying yelled.
Hou Yi’s and Xingtian’s faces sank as they made to step forward.
This should be a match between two sovereigns. Why are the subjects interfering? Are they trying to say that our emperor is only on the same level as the enemy’s subjects?
Sensing Hou Yi and Xingtian’s rage, Ba gently raised her hand, forestalling their eruption.
As Ba looked at Ji Dihong, she revealed a faint, supercilious smile. Then she turned to Xiong You and Ao Ying.
“Xiong You, weren’t you sent by Jiang Lianshan to assist Ji Dihong? When your bear race faced annihilation, wasn’t it Jiang Lianshan who saved you all? Not only did you betray him, but now you dare raise a hand against us?” Ba sneered.
Xiong You glared and opened his mouth to speak. However, Ba looked at Ao Ying instead. “Eastern Sea Dragon King Ao Ying, Jiang Lianshan did not send you to Ji Dihong. You’re an outright traitor. Back when the Yan Heavenly Dynasty [old] fell, you were indifferent. You even nearly caused my younger sister Jingwei’s death. Excellent! Excellent! Very excellent, indeed!”
Ao Ying’s expression chilled. “The winner is king, and the loser is evil. Jiang Lianshan’s time is over, Ba. You don’t even acknowledge him, so why bring him up?”
“We did disown him, as his schemes ruined our life; we wish we could have killed him with our hands. Now that he has died, our fury has abated significantly. After all, he is still our blood father, right?!” Ba’s eyes widened with killing intent.
“Huh?” Ao Ying’s face sank.
“We may have disowned him, but that doesn’t mean we can’t avenge him. People like you two should die for your betrayal and kicking us while we’re down!” Ba glared.
Boom!
A wave of murderous intent surged like torrential floodwaters towards Ao Ying and Xiong You, making their hair stand on end.
“We deserve to die? Hahaha! Your Yan Heavenly Dynasty is already in deep trouble. Who can you kill? With His Holy Eminence here, we will destroy your Great Desolation City today!” Xiong You retorted as he threw a palm strike from above.
“You’re dreaming if you think you can kill us, Ba lass. We watched you cultivate from the beginning. You received benefits from Jiang Lianshan, but you are not him in the end. Kill us? Let’s see who will be killing whom!” Ao Ying shouted as he also threw a palm strike from above.
When Xiong You and Ao Ying—two consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivators—threw palm strikes, a destructive might rushed over, trying to smash the entire Great Desolation City to pieces.
The officials and citizens wore faces of horror and despair.
Only Ba, Hou Yi, and Xingtian remained calm.
High above, Ji Dihong smirked as he looked at Fengbo beside him. “It’s been so many years, and Ba has grown increasingly arrogant and ignorant. She thinks she can face two consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivators without driving the power of her nation?”
Fengbo was about to start mocking Ba when he suddenly saw an icy glint in Ba’s eyes.
“No one can ever prevent us from killing those we want to kill, no matter who it is!” Coldness flashed in Ba’s eyes.
Ba stomped and vanished from her original spot. She seemed to warp through space, instantly arriving just three meters away from Ao Ying and Xiong You. Then she strangely turned into two identical Bas. They looked equally ferocious, and both sent out a resplendent manifested saber, using a knifehand.
“What?” Ao Ying’s and Xiong You’s expressions changed dramatically.
The two did not even know how Ba had approached them. She had been too fast, giving the two no time to react.
Ba’s manifested sabers immediately struck the two on their heads and sliced down vertically.
The attack was too fast and too strange. When the resplendent manifested sabers appeared, the murderous intent sent a chill through everyone’s heart.
“This is a compressed flame? The murderous intent!” Limu’s expression changed.
It was not just Limu; Ji Dihong’s expression also changed. How did Ba become two? More importantly, Ji Dihong felt extremely restless because of the two manifested sabers’ aura. A feeling that the situation had gone beyond his control filled his body.
Ji Dihong’s expression changed. “Oh no! Stop!” he roared as he threw a palm strike at Ba.
On the other side, Ao Ying’s and Xiong You’s expressions changed dramatically as they suddenly felt the threat of death. They wanted to resist, but Ba was too close. Furthermore, she was too fast—so fast that the manifested sabers had already cut down the two consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivators’ heads before they could react.
“No!” Ao Ying and Xiong You suddenly roared.
Shing!
The two manifested sabers flashed and vanished.
Only Ji Dihong’s manifested palm remained, shooting over at Ba to try and save the two.
The two Bas wavered and merged into one. Then Ba glared as she thrust a hand forward.
Boom!
A loud report rang out as the two palms crashed into each other, and space shattered. Great Desolation City had ritual arrays to protect it, so the citizens did not suffer much harm. On the other hand, the immense rebound force immediately shook the flying ship Ji Dihong stood on.
Fengbo and Limu stared at Ba in shock.
“That’s impossible! To think you are this strong! You are also at the consummation of the spiritual souls?” Ji Dihong exclaimed.
Ji Dihong initially thought Ba was only in the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm. However, his earlier palm strike had done nothing to Ba. That meant she was about as strong as him?
How can she be at the consummation of the spiritual souls?
Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, Ao Ying’s and Xiong You’s bodies split in half vertically, starting from their heads. Blood spurted everywhere, and they stopped breathing.
“That’s impossible! Prime Ao Ying! Prime Xiong You!” Limu waved and pulled the two’s bisected bodies to the flying ship’s deck.
“They are dead? That’s impossible! How could they die?! What just happened?” Limu exclaimed.
“Quickly! Use the Resurrection Pill! Hurry!” Fengbo exhorted.
“There’s no need to try rescuing them. No one can bring back the people we kill!” Ba remarked indifferently.
Ji Dihong stared at Ba as if seeing a stranger.
“Ji Dihong, did you think we would drive the power of our nation? Don’t worry. We won’t use the power of our nation today. Continue attacking and see what happens,” Ba taunted with an icy smile.
This demonic-looking smile made Limu, Fengbo, and the others on the flying ship shiver in fear.
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