At the summit of the sea of clouds.
Li Qianyuan stood in the clouds with his hands behind his back, silently gazing south.
Even with thousands of miles of mountains and rivers between them, even through layer upon layer of clouds.
He seemed still able to see that young girl's cool, proud figure.
"Mountain-Viewing... killed Lamp-Lighting..."
Even he.
Even the former emperor of Great Tang, who had once commanded lands stretching ten thousand miles, pored over every dossier under heaven, and knew countless secret truths.
At this moment.
Found it unbelievable.
Too fast.
It was simply too fast.
So fast that even he, a Chessmaster, felt a trace of terror at losing control.
Even if she was supremely gifted, even if she carried immense fortune.
But that was Lamp-Lighting.
A saint who had lit the Heart Lamp, who could wrest life from the heavens and reverse karma.
Looking across hundreds of thousands of years, ancient and modern.
Turning through historical records and classics as vast as a sea of smoke.
When had such an absurd thing ever happened?
Li Qianyuan's gaze turned dark as he looked toward Chang'an.
"Back then, the Founding Ancestor rose from humble beginnings, received Heaven's mandate, bore nine dragons upon his body, and swept across the six directions... Yet even when the Founding Ancestor was in the Mountain-Viewing Realm... if he had faced a Lamp-Lighting Demon Sage, he likely could only have avoided the sharp edge for the time being and plotted slowly."
Li Qianyuan shook his head.
A trace of self-mockery flashed through his eyes.
"Monster..."
"A true monster."
In that case.
That earlier scheme would likely come to nothing.
If she were given a little more time.
Not to mention this half-dead remnant body.
Even if he used his final trump card...
Could he