Between Heaven and Earth.
This withered and thin old man drew everyone's gaze. He walked slowly, yet every step seemed to land upon everyone's hearts, filling all present with alarm and dread.
Setting everything else aside.
The terrifying blood radiance emanating from his body alone.
Had already surpassed the understanding of many present.
"True Essence surges to the heavens, spilling in every direction!"
Luo Mengxian's expression had turned ugly to the extreme.
She was the Saintess of Qianqiu Pavilion, so she naturally understood Martial Artists of the Transcendent Realm. She knew that the scattered blood-red light was True Essence overflowing from the withered and thin old man's body.
The Huangfu Family truly had no intention of leaving Luo Mengxian any path to survival.
They had actually concealed a Martial Artist of the Transcendent Realm as their final safeguard!
Luo Mengxian was already like this, while the Empress, Phoenix, Sword Demon, and the other nine Martial Saint Realm existences only felt unprecedented terror as they looked at the withered and thin old man before them.
To them.
They could be said to stand at the pinnacle of Great Gan's power or Martial Dao.
Yet ordinarily, they did not even have the qualifications to come into contact with Martial Artists of the Through Profound Realm.
Much less Martial Artists of the Transcendent Realm.
At this moment.
The Empress stared at the withered and thin old man before her, and an unprecedented despair rose in her heart.
Even Martial Artists of the Transcendent Realm were this terrifying.
They could look down on all beings.
Then what of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm above the Transcendent Realm?
Could she truly break free from Qianqiu Pavilion's manipulation?
The Empress only felt that.
She, who had painstakingly plotted everything.
Seemed like a clown leaping on a beam.
Ridiculous to the extreme.
At this moment, the old man in purple robes also bowed and cupped his fists toward the withered and thin old man. "Senior Evil King, this junior is incompetent and could not deal with the person before us, forcing you to show yourself."
The Purple Robe Elder was also of the Through Profound Realm.
Ordinarily, he was incomparably arrogant.
But before the withered and thin old man.
The Purple Robe Elder was like a disciple seeing his teacher.
Trembling with fear.
Humble to the extreme.
Daring not show the slightest disrespect.
"Evil King?"
Upon hearing the Evil King's title, Sword Demon's eyes widened as he said in disbelief.
"Senior, you are the Evil King? I heard my Master mention you before, but hadn't you already met a natural death thirty years ago? How could you..."
After hearing Sword Demon's words, the Evil King's gaze fell upon him. "You carry the aura of an old friend. I presume your Master is my friend from those days, the Sword Venerable?"
"That is correct!"
Sword Demon nodded. "It is only that this junior's skills are lacking, and I could not completely inherit my Master's legacy. I remain in the Martial Saint Realm, making a fool of myself before Senior Evil King."
"The Martial Saint Realm is not bad either."
The Evil King shook his head.
"Cultivating the Martial Dao is inherently difficult. Aside from those sects with secret inheritances spanning a thousand years, the endpoint for ordinary Martial Artists like us in this life is merely the Martial Saint Realm."
As he spoke.
The Evil King's expression became incomparably complicated, and he continued.
"Thirty years ago, I was fortunate enough to break through into the Through Profound Realm. I believed myself invincible beneath heaven, yet I never expected that there were always greater people beyond people and higher heavens beyond heaven. I provoked a force I should not have provoked and was nearly blasted apart by one of their successors, forcing me to fake my death to escape."
"For more than twenty years afterward, I hid like a rat in a gutter. Later, it was the Huangfu Family within Qianqiu Pavilion that helped me resolve this calamity, allowing me to walk openly among the world once more."
"Moreover, I could attain the Transcendent Realm only because of the Huangfu Family's support."
"And now, it was indeed time for me to repay the Huangfu Family's favor."
Then.
The Evil King's gaze fell upon Luo Mengxian. "Saintess, do not blame me for being heartless. The Huangfu Family has already decreed that you must die today."
The Evil King's voice was calm.
But when it fell into Luo Mengxian's ears.
It was like the whisper of a nightmare.
Her face could not help turning deathly pale.
Luo Mengxian knew clearly that out in the world, once one was targeted by a Martial Artist of the Transcendent Realm, surviving was harder than ascending to heaven!
However.
Luo Mengxian still forced herself to hold on. She met the Evil King's gaze and said.
"Evil King, you are different from the others. You are in the Transcendent Realm, a rarity in the outside world. If you kill me, Qianqiu Pavilion will easily trace you. If you harm Qianqiu Pavilion's Saintess, even the Huangfu Family will not be able to protect you."
"It does not matter."
The Evil King said indifferently, "I do not have much lifespan left to begin with and have relied on Blood Pills to prolong my life. To repay the Huangfu Family's favor before death, this old man is more than willing."
After hearing the Evil King's words.
The heart Luo Mengxian had been holding onto utterly died.
She took a deep breath, looked at Ren Xiaoyao before her, and said.
"Senior, thank you for helping me today. But I truly have no path to survival now. Please take my disciple Ruyan and flee this place. This junior will be eternally grateful."
This Evil King was a Martial Artist of the Transcendent Realm.
Moreover, he carried the resolve for certain death.
Under such circumstances.
Luo Mengxian did not wish to drag Ren Xiaoyao down with her.
"Trying to flee? I am afraid it will not be so simple!"
At this moment, the Purple Robe Elder gave a cold laugh.
"Now that Senior Evil King has acted, the Huangfu Family has been exposed in full view. If we leave survivors to reveal these matters, would that not bring immense trouble upon the Huangfu Family?"
The Evil King nodded as well. Only then did his gaze fall upon Ren Xiaoyao, and he said indifferently.
"Junior, this old man can see that you do possess some skill. You even discovered this old man's presence. But today, I still must send you down the Yellow Springs."
After hearing the Evil King's words, Ren Xiaoyao chuckled. "Evil King, are you so confident that you can kill me?"
The Transcendent Realm.
To others.
Might truly have been like gods and devils.
But to Ren Xiaoyao.
This Evil King was nothing more than that.
When Ren Xiaoyao had first arrived at the Imperial Palace, his Spiritual Sense had already covered everything. He had discovered the Evil King's presence long ago, but when had he ever cared in the slightest?
A mere Transcendent Realm!
After hearing Ren Xiaoyao's words, the Evil King smiled faintly.
"Junior, it seems you still do not know the gap between the Through Profound Realm and the Transcendent Realm. Since that is so, I shall let you experience Transcendent Power before death."
Upon hearing the Evil King's words.
The Purple Robe Elder gave a cold smile. Looking at Ren Xiaoyao, he said.
"You brat, I clearly warned you before, yet you insisted on remaining stubborn and seeking your own death. Then you cannot blame me. You brought all of this upon yourself!"
The Purple Robe Elder's eyes were filled with mockery and ridicule.
He had suffered a great loss at Ren Xiaoyao's hands.
He could not recover that lost face himself.
Now that the Evil King would kill Ren Xiaoyao.
He naturally felt incomparably delighted!
As for Sword Demon and the other nine Martial Saint Realm existences.
Their gazes also fell upon the Evil King and Ren Xiaoyao. Although there was no suspense whatsoever regarding this battle's outcome, they also knew that this battle would surely be the most dazzling one they had ever witnessed in their lives!
"To witness a Transcendent Martial Artist act, I can die without regrets in this life!"
"This Through Profound Martial Artist is rather unfortunate. Of all people, he had to encounter the Evil King!"
"No matter what, if this battle spreads, it will shake the entire world!"
Sword Demon and the other nine Martial Saint Realm existences.
Their expressions were also excited to the extreme.
As for the Empress.
Her gaze toward Ren Xiaoyao was likewise filled with venom and hatred.
That kneel just now had swept away her imperial majesty, so she naturally wished for the Evil King to blast Ren Xiaoyao apart on the spot.
To relieve the hatred in her heart.
At this moment.
The Evil King stepped forward and looked at Ren Xiaoyao before him. "Junior, use your strongest Martial Art as you please, lest you die with regrets!"
Accompanied by the Evil King's words.
The Evil King stood in the air.
His gaze looked down arrogantly.
Despising everything.
Ren Xiaoyao did the same. He rode the wind into the air, standing in the void as he said, "Then let me see exactly how much fighting strength you, a Martial Artist of the Transcendent Realm, possess."
"Hahaha!"
"Good!"
Seeing that Ren Xiaoyao truly had the courage to contend against him, the Evil King laughed heartily.
"This old man has not acted for thirty years. Since I am killing you today, I shall give you sufficient respect. I will use my strongest fighting strength and will not hold back in the slightest!"
As his words fell.
The Evil King's aura grew even stronger.
He turned his hand into a palm, blood radiance surging behind him.
It seemed to dye half the Capital City blood-red.
At this moment.
Endless violent winds churned.
The winds swept over the Imperial Palace.
As though they would blow these centuries-old palace towers into ruins.
The winds also blew against the faces of Luo Mengxian, the Empress, Sword Demon, and the other nine Martial Saints.
They only felt an unprecedented feeling of suffocation well up in their hearts.
At this moment.
Everyone found even breathing incomparably difficult.
The might of a Martial Artist of the Transcendent Realm.
Was displayed to its fullest at this moment.
Like gods and devils.
Afterward.
The Evil King let out a roar.
The blood radiance around him surged even more violently, as endless True Essence spilled from his body.
The Evil King's body, originally incomparably withered and thin, unexpectedly became immensely burly at this moment. His entire person resembled a blood Asura, proudly standing in the void.
"Is this the Transcendent Realm?"
The Purple Robe Elder looked at the Evil King in the heavens.
A feeling of powerlessness rose in his heart as well.
The Through Profound Realm and the Transcendent Realm appeared.
To differ by only one realm.
Yet the gap between them was an uncrossable heavenly chasm.
"This old man also has regrets. Since attaining the Transcendent Realm, I have never acted even once. Today, I have finally gained a battle. I must give it my all; even death will bring no regrets!"
The Evil King spoke, his voice carrying regret as well as unrestrained ease.
Ren Xiaoyao chuckled as well. "Then let me see what the might of the Transcendent Realm truly is."
"Hahaha! Good!"
The Evil King laughed loudly.
Then.
Before everyone's horrified gazes.
The Evil King charged toward Ren Xiaoyao. Both hands became palms, and surging True Essence poured forth from them. Even the void was blasted apart, followed by thunder-like rumbling.
The Evil King roared, "Junior, please proceed to your death!"
In an instant.
The violent wind blew even Martial Saint Realm experts unsteady, their bodies swaying. The Empress, Phoenix, Liu Ruyan, and the others were blown to the ground by the gale raised by the Evil King, rolling about in utter disgrace.
Only the Purple Robe Elder of the Through Profound Realm.
He did not move a muscle.
His gaze was fixed firmly on the Evil King's palm strike.
He did not dare blink in the slightest.
Because this palm strike
was the most stunning palm strike he had ever seen in his life.
Ren Xiaoyao faced the Evil King's killing blow head-on.
He did not move at all.
Yet at the instant the Evil King was about to close in on him,
an incomparably enormous phantom suddenly emerged behind Ren Xiaoyao. Like a deity, his face could not be seen clearly, and he was shrouded in mystery. Yet behind this phantom floated a dazzling Light Wheel, like a blazing sun illuminating the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers.
Radiant Sun Celestial Venerable!
Ren Xiaoyao had previously inherited the Supreme Yang Divine Art.
From it, he had comprehended an Ultimate Martial Skill.
Accompanied by the appearance of the Radiant Sun Celestial Venerable, all the bloody radiance Between Heaven and Earth vanished without a trace. In the span of an instant, the entire Capital City was lit as brightly as day, the glare so piercing that no one could open their eyes.
Only the Purple Robe Elder endured the pain and stared fixedly at the heavens.
Then he saw the most unbelievable sight of his life.
He saw—
Ren Xiaoyao remained motionless.
The deity-like phantom behind him
struck the Evil King with one palm.
In a single instant, that palm strike pierced through the Evil King's body.
The lingering force of the palm then slammed into the halls of the Imperial Palace.
It instantly blasted countless great halls into ruins.
Sand and gravel flew wildly.
The earth shook and the mountains swayed.
The Evil King still stood in midair.
But after that palm pierced through him, he only felt every acupoint throughout his body being torn apart, every tendon and vein snapping. He could even sense his consciousness collapsing.
The Evil King could not die in peace. His eyes widened as, with his last shred of will, he trembled and said, "This... what... martial skill..."
The phantom behind Ren Xiaoyao followed and dissipated. He looked at the Evil King, who was already falling through the air, and said calmly, "This technique is called the Radiant Sun Celestial Venerable. I comprehended it on my own."
"Radiant Sun... Radiant Sun Celestial Venerable... good... I... I did not die... unjustly..."
Before you continue