Running Away

In the starry sky, the blazing lightning tribulation raged violently, stirring up storms of the Great Dao. A single bolt of lightning was enough to severely wound or even kill a Saint.

When the Two Saint Spirit Great Sages saw so many people carrying their heavenly tribulations toward them, they were immediately displeased.

Once they made a move, the heavenly tribulation would lock onto their auras. At that point, a Great Sage lightning tribulation would descend. Carrying a Great Sage lightning tribulation while capturing or killing several peerless Heavenly Prides would be quite worthwhile.

But the problem was that after overcoming the tribulation, they would be weakened and heavily injured. If the Human Race's Guide Envoys attacked then, they would be in danger.

"Hmph, can a few little brats really bully us?" One Saint Spirit Great Sage immediately became unhappy. He held a black warhammer, and his stone body had almost completely vanished, leaving only his right hand made of stone.

Yet his entire appearance made him look like a Black Ghost.

His true body was Black Star Divine Iron, a material even Great Sages longed for. Used to forge a Great Sage weapon, it was comparable to Great Luo Silver Gold.

In the starry sky, two streaks of rapidly moving light came to a stop. Facing the vast heavenly tribulation, they had remained at its outer edge.

Smiling playfully, they watched the many Heavenly Prides.

They simply refused to attack, staying just outside the heavenly tribulation's locking range.

Several Heavenly Prides were instantly stunned. Pain twisted their faces as lightning coiled around their bodies and the Saint King Tribulation continued to descend.

Xu Changqing glanced at the people who had just arrived in the starry sky and was somewhat speechless.

Great Sages were so fast. How could they possibly allow the heavenly tribulation to lock onto them?

Xu Changqing, Duan De, and the Woman in White had only wanted to use the heavenly tribulation to frighten off the Saint Spirit Great Sages so they could retreat safely.

Unexpectedly, this group had mistaken them for intending to use the heavenly tribulation to battle Great Sages.

In the starry sky, several Heavenly Prides wore pained expressions, but their eyes remained incomparably resolute. Radiating unstoppable momentum, they continued pursuing the Two Saint Spirit Great Sages.

If those two dared to attack, they would be locked onto by the heavenly tribulation. Once the Great Sages acted, Tian Youqing and the others would use their trump cards to block the Great Sages' attacks and avoid being injured.

Their plan was beautiful, but unfortunately, the two Black Ghost Great Sages did not attack. Instead, they watched them chase after them as though watching monkeys.

Xu Changqing turned his head and saw the baffled look on Duan De's face.

Duan De also looked at him, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Ha ha ha..."

"Boundless fucking Heavenly Venerate, wonderful. They're helping this poor Daoist draw the Saint Spirits' firepower."

"I'm running away, hahaha!"

Duan De burst into laughter, turned around, and fled without paying that group any attention.

The Woman in White stood proudly amid the heavenly tribulation. She glanced at the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass, then turned back toward Xu Changqing and discovered that he had also run away.

She was not surprised and followed him.

No one had expected the three of them to actually flee.

And so openly, at that. Did they have no shame?

When Tian Youqing and the others saw Xu Changqing's group fleeing, their mindsets completely collapsed. Their faces filled with disbelief, and disappointment showed in their eyes.

"Fuck, they just... ran away?"

"We kindly came to help them, yet they did not even say a word. They did not even acknowledge us before running away..."

A purple-haired young man could not help swearing. He began questioning his entire life. Originally, he had planned to temper himself for a while longer before undergoing tribulation to become a Saint King.

But when he saw the Saint Spirits bullying their way to their doorstep, and the people being hunted were the Human Race's two strongest Heavenly Prides, his blood had boiled. He had wanted to resist foreign enemies, but unexpectedly...

The passion in his heart was extinguished as though by a basin of icy river water.

Three figures turned into white light and shot off in unknown directions. None of the three traveled together; they fled in opposite directions.

Duan De wanted to stay far away from the two demons. Xu Changqing wanted revenge. The Woman in White wanted to seek all kinds of opportunities.

Everyone who saw this scene was dumbfounded.

"This... they... are they even worthy of being Heavenly Prides of this generation?!"

"They possess terrifying cultivation and peerless combat strength, yet instead of joining the other Heavenly Prides to fight and uphold the Human Race's dignity, they ran away. Doesn't that make their hearts ache?!"

"I think they did the right thing. They are competitors, after all. What does another person's life or death have to do with me? Besides, they went there themselves. Did Wuqing ever call for aid? From beginning to end, the Twin Demons of the Era never spoke."

"Female Demon and Heartless Heavenly Demon—those two names already explain everything."

Within the city, everyone discussed the scene. The Guide Envoys merely watched silently, quite disappointed in the three of them.

However, no one knew that fat man. The fact that he could travel alongside Wuqing, produce a Great Sage weapon, and even be personally hunted by Great Sages meant he was definitely no ordinary person.

Everyone felt that this fat man would surely become a formidable rival.

When Mu Miaomiao saw Xu Changqing flee, she was also stunned.

Since she had met Xu Changqing, she had never seen him run away or compromise. He had always pressed forward without hesitation; no difficulty could stop him.

Yet now, while several peerless Heavenly Prides carried heavenly tribulations to chase Great Sages, they had instead run away.

Tian Youqing wore a veil, making her expression impossible to see. Disappointment showed in her clear almond-shaped eyes as she carried the vast heavenly tribulation away from the area and arrived above the city.

"Perhaps, in their eyes, our burning passion is merely foolishness."

"Perhaps they never needed our help at all."

"We were simply being sentimental."

Although they were enemies, they could not bear to see them perish at the hands of Saint Spirit Great Sages. Otherwise, if one of them became Emperor in the future, people would criticize them, saying that if those three had still been alive back then, they would never have had any hope of becoming Emperor.

But now, they were somewhat embarrassed.

"Heh, these are the two strongest people from your Burial Emperor Star? They are nothing special. With such little courage, how will they face the experts of All Heavens and Myriad Worlds in the future?" A black-haired man radiating domineering might sneered.

The terrifying Saint King Tribulation struck him, yet it did nothing to him.

He was an Overlord Body, one of the strongest Heavenly Prides on the Emperor's Road.

He was deeply disdainful of Xu Changqing's group. Although the strength they had displayed earlier was powerful and terrifying, they lacked an invincible heart and the state of mind to fight desperately no matter what.

They did not possess an Invincible Heart!

This was Overlord Emperor's evaluation of Xu Changqing's group.

If Xu Changqing knew, he would surely disdain it and might even look down on this group.

Invincible Heart? What was an Invincible Heart? Who since ancient times could explain it clearly?

Did believing yourself invincible and powerful truly make you invincible?

In any case, Xu Changqing put himself first and placed his own life above everything else.

Seeing this, the Guide Envoy was somewhat helpless. He stepped directly out from the city gate, radiating powerful and terrifying pressure.

Originally, he had wanted the younger generation to make the two Great Sages suffer humiliation. Unexpectedly, before everyone's eyes, the two Great Sages had remained at the edge of the heavenly tribulation.

They had thought the two were arrogant enough to treat the Great Sage tribulation as nothing, and would eventually carry it while killing several great Heavenly Prides.

It seemed they had thought too simply.

"Foreign Race members who slaughter Human Race Heavenly Prides and treat the Human Race's Emperor's Road as nothing must be executed!"

"Saint Spirits who seek to use the blood of our Human Race's special physiques to nourish their unborn Heavenly Prides must be killed!"

"Do two mere Great Sages dare provoke the Human Race?"

After the Human Race's Guide Envoy of the Fiftieth Pass appeared, several aged voices echoed through the starry sky.

Everyone became excited. Were the Guide Envoys going to join forces to kill the Saint Spirit Great Sages?

"Oh? Are you sure your aged bodies and depleted blood energy can contend with us?" The Black Ghost Great Sage's eyes flashed coldly. His tall, muscular body exuded immense pressure as he restrained his aura.

The Guide Envoys did not speak. They merely silently surrounded the Two Saint Spirit Great Sages, then spoke a sentence before them.

"Since they came to hunt you down, you should also go hunt Saint Spirits. Do not fear some so-called curse. That curse is nothing. Is Wuqing afraid of it? He is not afraid at all."

"When you see a Saint Spirit, kill it immediately."

The Guide Envoys spoke with sonorous force. Finally, through Divine Sense, they sent the route to the Emperor's Path of the Holy Spirits to Xu Changqing and the Woman in White, who were currently fleeing.

Although Xu Changqing and the Female Demon had already fled far, far away, they could not outrun a Great Sage's Divine Sense.

"Qing Ming, take everyone in the city and leave. The Human Race's Fiftieth Pass is in danger. It is about to collapse." One Guide Envoy spoke.

Another Guide Envoy nodded and instantly vanished. He appeared above the Fiftieth City, waved his hand, and a Teleportation Array emerged.

"Master, are you going to make a move?" Mu Miaomiao asked the figure beside her. She also wanted to know how strong her master was.

"Not yet. The Saint Spirit Race will not allow those two Great Sages to die. Besides, these two Great Sages came from the Heavenly Severance Forbidden Zone..."

"Cast a long line to catch a big fish," the figure said softly.

Great Sages? However many came, They would kill them all.

As for why Mu Miaomiao had not been allowed to participate in the Emperor's Road, it was because she was not suited for it.

If she was unsuited for it yet still entered the Emperor's Road, it would be a dead end. Even with Their guidance, even if she became stronger and had higher cultivation than others of her generation, it would be useless.

In the end, it still depended on the individual.

However, Mu Miaomiao's master had been watching Xu Changqing, and regret also appeared in Their eyes.

Such a rare talent. What a pity...

They watched Xu Changqing leave the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass behind and undergo tribulation in a Starry Ruins, becoming a Saint King. That heavenly tribulation was incomparably terrifying, countless times more fearsome than ordinary tribulations.

"Of Xu Changqing and the Woman in White, one of them should be able to reach the summit."

As one of the top experts in All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, They could see through Xu Changqing and the Woman in White's foundations and strength at a glance.

The Woman in White had created a terrifying demonic art, one exceptionally suited for every person and every living being to cultivate. In Their view, even an Overlord Body and an Innate Dao Embryo were merely nourishment for her.

As for Xu Changqing, he had walked a path unprecedented throughout ancient and modern times—and had even succeeded.

Both possessed unmatched talent, their own Secret Techniques, their own Forbidden Secret Techniques, and even the embryonic forms of Emperor Scriptures.

At the same time, both remained in the Forbidden Domain, able to activate Divine Prohibition for battle at any moment.

In the starry sky, several peerless Heavenly Prides underwent tribulation and became Saint King experts. For a time, lightning filled the sky above the city as all kinds of Visions emerged. Several special-physique experts displayed various Secret Techniques.

The Innate Dao Embryo, Tian Youqing, formed a seal with her jade-like hands. Finally, she pressed her hands together before separating them again, revealing a crystalline White Lotus. The lotus contained Great Dao patterns and endless laws, causing even the heavenly tribulation to freeze for a moment.

She then tossed the lotus in her palm into the heavenly tribulation. It exploded directly, turning countless Seas of Lightning into raindrops. A huge hole was blasted through the Sea of Lightning, and the entire heavenly tribulation stalled for a moment.

The starry sky trembled, space shattered, and countless stars turned to dust.

On the other side, Overlord Emperor wore black robes. His stern face, flying black hair, and muscular body made him appear overwhelmingly oppressive. Facing the vast and boundless lightning tribulation, his expression remained utterly calm.

The Saint King Tribulation was nothing much to him. It presented virtually no difficulty.

Though it was slightly stronger than ordinary heavenly tribulations, it was not stronger by much.

As for the tribulations facing Xu Changqing and the Woman in White, they were far more terrifying.

The dreadful lightning tribulation blazed with incomparable intensity. A single bolt split the starry sky apart, evaporating countless Star Seas and dimming entire star fields.

Chaos Qi wrapped around lightning as it descended, instantly blasting Xu Changqing apart and sending flesh and blood scattering.

Chaos Divine Thunder descended, making the starry sky tremble. Fortunately, he was far from the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass, and aside from Mu Miaomiao's master, no one noticed.

The Chaos Divine Thunder left Xu Changqing in a miserable state, but it was not over. All kinds of heavenly tribulations descended rapidly.

Azure lightning carrying terrifying auras fell from above. There were even tribulations containing the Laws of Five Elements, while rules and order transformed into swords and blades.

This heavenly tribulation was very unusual. There was no Humanoid Lightning, only all kinds of rare and terrifying divine thunder.

The Woman in White's situation was different. She used the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art to absorb the heavenly tribulation. Though she was also injured, she was able to maintain her condition throughout.

Several hours later, Tian Youqing and the others passed their tribulations, while the Two Saint Spirit Great Sages finally began fighting.

A Great Sage battle erupted in the starry sky. Three Great Sages fought two Saint Spirit Great Sages, but unfortunately, the Guide Envoys had been pushed into a disadvantage from the beginning.

A day later, Xu Changqing and the Woman in White successfully overcame their tribulations and became Saint Kings. The moment they broke through, they reached the Saint King Third Heaven.

After overcoming the tribulation, Xu Changqing planned to leave. He wanted to go to the Emperor's Path of the Holy Spirits and slaughter them until they trembled in fear.

The Human Ancient Path could be traveled at any time, but if he did not avenge this grievance for even a day, he would feel uncomfortable all over.

The coordinates and route given to him by the Guide Envoy were in his mind: enter the Emperor's Path of the Holy Spirits through the Golden Seven Cities.

No one knew where Duan De had run off to. No one had seen his figure; it was as though he had vanished in an instant.

Suddenly, Mu Miaomiao's master saw a change occur around Xu Changqing. It was not just him—the Woman in White had also encountered a change.

A smiling old man stopped Xu Changqing and said kindly, "Little friend, would you like to visit my clan?"

Xu Changqing said nothing. He merely stood silently in the starry sky, adjusting his condition.

Having just broken through, his body was covered in countless wounds, yet his aura was exceptionally vigorous. His blood energy was as vast as an ocean, and he had reached the Saint King Third Heaven immediately upon breaking through.

The Supreme Heartless Body activated, spreading an indescribable profound meaning. Several special runes appeared in Xu Changqing's eyes. They resembled the origin of the Great Dao, yet also the origin of living beings.

He looked at the old man ahead and discovered greed and killing intent spilling from the old man's crown.

The visitor had ill intentions.

Not everyone on the Human Race's Emperor's Road was as kind as the previous Guide Envoys.

The Woman in White was not so fortunate. That blurry figure did not speak. After stopping her, it directly imprisoned her.

"You are very unlucky. You encountered me, and you encountered her. If you had kept a lower profile, perhaps I would not have acted against you."

"Unfortunately, you are too astonishing. Even I am alarmed by you, so I cannot let you live."

On the Emperor's Road, perhaps many experts possessed pure hearts that sought competition, wishing to rely on their own strength to defeat every enemy.

Unfortunately, the clans behind them would not permit any accidents. Those who were too strong would not do. There was no certainty; once they lost, they would be ruined.