Daoyan's Defeat

Nine Great Emperor Runes coalesced around the Ancient Life Tree in Daoyan's hand, while one or two ancient characters adhered to the Immortal Robe, enhancing its defensive power.

Xu Changqing stood beneath the dark red sky, his white hair gently drifting, his aura terrifying beyond measure, as if suppressing the Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations—all enemies before him were destined to fall.

If he couldn't even defeat Daoyan, then he had no business going after that woman.

That Female Demon—merely mentioning her in later ages made people tremble, fear, and shock.

The Great Emperor that Black Emperor and Duan De feared most; they weren't afraid of Wushi or Ye Fan, only the Ruthless Great Emperor.

Just her name alone could terrify the Ancestor of Grave Robbers—imagine how strong she truly was.

To defeat her and leave a name in Ancient History was no simple task...

So he'd start by honing his skills on Daoyan!

The battle reached its climax, the victor soon to be decided; both unleashed their strongest Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities.

Xu Changqing transformed into a white sun, standing beneath the blood-red sky, his entire person visibly burning with white flames.

At this moment, his aura had surpassed the Half-Saint realm by far too much; the whole world trembled, heaven and earth inverted, the Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood quaked, spilling forth even more Blood Rivers.

On the ground, Daoyan's eyes blazed with blue flames, his entire person turning into a blue sun. Silver runes, purple-gold runes, and blue runes formed various blades and Spaceships.

Behind him, countless warships emerged from Black Holes; above his head, an endless forest of saber tips gleamed with cold light.

The Ancient Tree radiated green light, and nine ancient characters exuded a primal, vast aura.

Their gazes collided, forming a momentum—a terrifying momentum—that shattered the surrounding Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood, reducing it to dust.

"Kill!" Daoyan roared, erupting into motion.

He leaped high into the air, swinging the Ancient Life Tree in his hand; green leaves separated from the tree.

At the same time, the countless Spaceships behind him tore through the void, the Steel Jungle instantly appearing before Xu Changqing, charging straight at him.

Facing the dense Steel Jungle and countless blades, Xu Changqing's Facial Expression remained utterly calm, neither joy nor sorrow.

He sheathed the Saber Intent he had nurtured for centuries into the Saber Sheath, fusing Heaven's Will Saber Art into the Ancient Saber.

Xu Changqing lowered his head slightly, his White Hair falling across his chest and gently swaying. His right hand gripped the white saber hilt, his left hand lightly held the Saber Sheath. After taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.

Hum!

The void trembled violently; the Silver Arena began shedding iron chunks, eventually tearing apart under some unknown energy.

Click!

Xu Changqing slowly drew the saber from its sheath, producing a soft sound.

Just a sliver of white blade exposed was enough to blind everything on the scene.

An extremely dazzling saber light burst forth, blazing beyond measure; the entire world became nothing but white, as if heaven and earth were shredded by the Saber Intent.

With a clang, when Xu Changqing fully drew the saber, time itself seemed to freeze, the world a vast expanse of white.

If this strike had been unleashed outside, it could have instantly killed several Saints, extinguished the Starry Sky, and reduced countless warships to scrap metal.

Daoyan's pupils contracted sharply, then he suddenly felt searing pain. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared ahead.

Rumble Rumble...

The Steel Jungle and warships he had constructed with Great Dao Laws exploded in an instant, vanishing into light particles.

The green leaves unleashed from the Ancient Life Tree all flew forward; when they reappeared, large splashes of blood erupted in the white world.

Sparks of fire burst forth continuously. Daoyan gripped the Ancient Life Tree tightly in his hand, but its light was slowly fading.

Flames erupted from his body; his arms, face, and neck were covered in dense bloody gashes.

The terrifying Saber Intent rampaged wildly.

Bang!

It was, after all, not a true Dao Tribulation Immortal Robe; it couldn't withstand Xu Changqing's terrifying attack and exploded outright.

But it had helped Daoyan block most of the strike.

Bang!

The unstoppable Saber Intent pierced straight through Daoyan's chest. In an Instant, a torrent of blood gushed from his chest, and his entire person was sent flying.

Thud!

He slammed straight into the edge of the arena, then crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out large mouthfuls of blood.

Daoyan's breathing was ragged; his body was covered in wounds, white bones exposed, some Flesh and Blood stuck to the ground.

Though he was merely an imprint, he was not much different from a True Person.

He lifted his head with some difficulty. In the vast white world, countless emerald green leaves danced endlessly in the air, occasionally carrying away large splashes of blood.

Nine ancient characters also trapped a certain area, refusing to disappear.

Seeing this, Daoyan smiled. After coughing up two mouthfuls of blood, he spoke weakly with a faint laugh: "Though you've beaten me to the point of losing combat ability, you'll fall too."

Xu Changqing's strike was far too terrifying; even with his full defense, he couldn't withstand it.

"You're celebrating too early!" Xu Changqing's voice suddenly appeared beside Daoyan.

Shiiing!

The brilliant blade light rose again. Daoyan's smile froze—he could barely move now, utterly unable to block this strike.

Then his head flew straight off.

Not far away, Xu Changqing emerged expressionless, drenched in blood, his clothes torn to shreds by green leaves.

His sturdy body was covered in wounds dozens of centimeters long, green light flickering over them. The wounds wouldn't heal, blood streaming endlessly.

Those dense wounds were all left by those few ancient characters and the Ancient Life Tree.

When the blade light on the arena faded, the scene was a mess—blood everywhere, the pungent stench of gore filling the entire space.

Xu Changqing looked at the headless corpse before him and let out a breath of relief.

He had won. If Emperor Daoyan's true battle robe were still here, he might not have been able to break through the defense.

"Only forty percent strength left..." Xu Changqing murmured. After defeating Daoyan, he had only forty percent of his power remaining.

This was still because Daoyan's attack power wasn't that strong. If it had been a bit stronger, he would have had to pay some price.

"Emperor Daoyan, how does it feel to taste defeat?" Xu Changqing said softly.

A moment later, a loud laugh rang out. The headless corpse slowly regrew its head, and Daoyan reappeared.

He laughed heartily. "Hahaha, not bad, not bad. I never thought a figure as heaven-defying as you would emerge in a later era."

"But the taste of defeat really isn't pleasant."

"I imagine in this life, you will surely become an emperor."

Xu Changqing shook his head, however. "Not necessarily."

"Oh? How so?" Emperor Daoyan wasn't angered or humiliated by his loss. After all, he was already dead—what was there to hold onto?

Xu Changqing slowly shook his head again, saying nothing, just quietly watching Emperor Daoyan.

Emperor Daoyan understood. He pondered for a moment, then said, "The Ancient Life Tree and my Immortal Robe aren't here. The only thing I can give you is a little something I left behind here when I fell."

Xu Changqing nodded slowly, but then Emperor Daoyan's tone shifted, turning cold as he spoke: "I hope that after you leave, you won't destroy the Eternal Star Domain."

"If someone provokes you, you can strike the living being who provoked you. But don't drag the innocent into it—otherwise..."

Emperor Daoyan's gaze turned icy. Xu Changqing nodded lightly and said, "Rest assured."

He still wanted to obtain Emperor Daoyan's things and then go into secluded cultivation to train. He had no desire to stir up trouble.

"Mm. Follow me." Emperor Daoyan's demeanor returned to calm. The Silver Arena vanished, replaced by a small path.

It was a blue steel road, looking full of technological sense—smooth lines, flowing with iridescent light.

What lay at the end was unknown.

But Emperor Daoyan was an emperor who proved Dao with external objects. At the very least, he should have left behind some technological weapons, life-saving items, or precious liquids to boost one's strength, right?