Xuanqing Sect, Quiet Reflection Pavilion.
The skies over the land suddenly gathered with wind and clouds. Dark clouds churned, and all sorts of strange celestial phenomena appeared at once.
A heavy, suffocating pressure bore down.
Qing Province!
At that moment, all the sects within a radius of several hundred li sensed it.
The sect leaders and elders of the various sects flew out, climbing to high places to gaze into the distance and look toward Xuanqing Sect.
Some wore grave expressions and secretly shook their heads with a sigh!
Others took pleasure in their misfortune.
A thin, gaunt old man watched the strange celestial phenomena and sighed. "Xuanqing Sect is undergoing a tribulation!"
"If they make it through, they'll soar to the heavens. If they can't hold on, they'll vanish without a trace."
Suddenly, a deafening boom came from the distance.
The terrifying shockwaves were so powerful that even from several hundred li away, cultivators at the Spirit Transformation Realm or above could feel their astonishing might.
All kinds of immensely powerful arts collided in the sky!
They unleashed one earth-shaking storm after another.
There were arts that sealed a thousand li in ice and brought snow across ten thousand li, as well as divine abilities that burned the heavens and boiled the seas.
The dazzling light radiated deadly power.
Even a Spirit Transformation cultivator would perish on the spot if touched by it!
Inside Quiet Reflection Hall.
Yan Changkong sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. His plump body trembled as he tried to pop a few more pills.
But he found he was out.
All that remained was an empty bottle.
Still, he knew he had no way back now. He had to hold out to the end.
"No one's managed to break in even now. That means my reasoning was right!"
Yan Changkong held his breath and focused, struggling to calm himself.
In the end, he stopped thinking about it and waited quietly.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from outside. Its overlapping tones made it impossible to tell if the speaker was male or female. It sounded like a question, yet also like a confession:
"Who wouldn't want to know the secret of the Immortal Great Emperor? Why fight to the death?"
"Why not search his soul right here and share what we find? What do you say?"
At that moment, the fierce clashes of spell arts came to a halt, and the earth quieted somewhat.
Yan Changkong's heart leaped into his throat again. He silently pleaded, Don't scare me like that! I'm about to piss myself!
After a moment of silence,
an aged voice rang out. "The Immortal Great Emperor once showed kindness to my sect. No matter what, I won't let you harm a single person from Xuanqing Sect tonight."
Zhao Shanhe of the Liyue Immortal Dynasty stood atop a Black Bird, holding a blood-red saber. He declared sharply, "The Black Bird Guard of the Liyue Dynasty will defend this place to the death!"
It was blunt and to the point. He didn't care in the least that he'd revealed his identity.
Then Liu Piaopiao's calm voice rang out as well. "The Jade Pool Holy Land stands with them!"
Silence fell once more.
After their fierce battle just now, the various parties in the sky had each gotten a clear sense of their opponents.
They quickly split into two camps.
The two sides faced each other.
For a time, they were evenly matched, and neither could do anything to the other.
"Phew..."
Yan Changkong let out a long breath when he heard that, his hands trembling nonstop.
At least for now, he was safe.
Seeing that neither side could reach an agreement, both camps once again unleashed their auras.
A murderous chill surged into the sky.
After the brief lull, an even more earth-shaking storm began to brew.
But right then, an unexpected change took place!
Both camps jolted in alarm and looked up at the sky.
The moonlight had been completely blotted out!
Boundless black fog churned, plunging the entire area around Xuanqing Sect into utter darkness.
Not even a trace of light remained!
Someone cried out in shock, "That aura—it's a Great Emperor!"
Great Emperor wasn't merely a title.
Only cultivators who had reached the Tribulation Transcendence Realm were worthy of being called Great Emperors.
A Great Emperor was the strongest being on this land!
In an instant, the world sank into boundless darkness. Not a trace of light remained.
Even the flames radiating from the Black Bird couldn't illuminate so much as a speck.
Then a pair of eyes appeared in the darkness.
Pale violet pupils watched everyone below with cold indifference. Their deep gaze struck terror into the heart.
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"Everything belonging to the Immortal Great Emperor can only be destroyed by me!"
"Get lost!"
"Or I'll show no mercy!"
The voice brimmed with killing intent, like a mountain crashing down upon everyone's hearts.
Atop a mountain several hundred li away,
a handsome young man dressed in white watched the scene and shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Master left behind way too many romantic entanglements. What a headache!"
He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to intervene.
All in all, things were still within a manageable range.
A Great Emperor had arrived in person.
No one had expected that. Without much hesitation, the two opposing camps wisely withdrew.
They couldn't stand against a Great Emperor.
A moment later, the strange phenomena above Xuanqing Sect vanished, revealing a sky dotted with stars.
Everything returned to normal.
It was as though nothing had ever happened—as though this were just a peaceful night.
The forces that had been protecting Xuanqing Sect also went their separate ways.
They all knew Xuanqing Sect was safe now. If that Great Emperor had wanted to capture Yan Changkong and search his soul, all it would've taken was a flick of his finger.
Why wait until now and come in person?
Liu Piaopiao flew away, frowning. "When did another Great Emperor appear in this world? Strange!"
She thought for a moment, but still couldn't recall anything. The person must have broken through not long ago.
Suddenly—
Liu Piaopiao sensed something and glanced back. A streak of sword light flashed into view amid the darkness!
A long sword tore through space and shot downward!
It flew straight toward the valley outside Xuanqing Sect where the Former Residence of the Great Emperor stood.
The sword hovered above the Former Residence of the Great Emperor, its sword energy raging in every direction!
The sword was unmistakably a Dao-grade magic treasure!
"Immortal Great Emperor, you owe me this!"
An angry roar rang out, echoing between heaven and earth for a long time. Everyone from Xuanqing Sect could hear it clearly.
Inside Quiet Reflection Hall.
Yan Changkong's heart pounded wildly, and huge beads of sweat rolled down his face.
He stared at the person before him in terror.
More precisely, it was a mass of black fog. But the pair of pale violet pupils within it made his heart tremble.
How could Yan Changkong not know that the being before him was a Great Emperor?!
And this Great Emperor seemed to have a deep-seated grudge against Lin Feng.
"Am I still doomed to die after all?"
Yan Changkong's face turned deathly pale. He steeled himself for the worst.
Yet after a moment of silence,
a sentence that he could hardly believe came from the black fog. The voice was cold, but carried no killing intent.
"Keep up the good work. I believe in you!"
After a pause, the figure in the black fog continued, "Protect the sect until he returns. Understand?"
"If a powerful cultivator makes a move, my sword will protect you!"
Yan Changkong had already closed his eyes, waiting to die. He sat stunned for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes.
But there was nothing before him.
The mass of black fog had already vanished without a trace.
"This..."
It took Yan Changkong a good while to collect himself. Then he murmured, "Could they not be enemies after all? That made no sense! You nearly scared me to death."
Just then, the sun rose in the east, and a ray of light streamed through the window, falling on him.
Yan Changkong took a deep breath. Feeling its faint warmth, he felt as though he'd been given a new lease on life.
"Haha! I made it through alive!"
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Great Elder Chen Xiu rushed in with a group of people.
"Sect Leader!"
"Are you all right?"
Chen Xiu and the other Xuanqing Sect elders saw him, their faces lighting up with delight as they cried out in celebration.
Yan Changkong put on a stern face. "What could possibly be wrong with me? What's with all this rushing around? Where's your composure? Keep calm!"
Chen Xiu and the others felt ashamed, and their admiration for the sect leader only grew.
At such a dangerous moment, Yan Changkong had remained so calm, sitting there without moving an inch.
That composure alone was enough to earn their respect!
Chen Xiu said sheepishly, "Since the sect leader is fine, we'll be on our way."
"Wait."
"Help me downstairs. I took too many pills, and I can't stand up now."
Chen Xiu: "..."
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