Shenkong Ye Falls, the Divine Emperor Treasure Chest, and a Gift of the Divine Emperor's Throne!

Golden blood rained across the sky. The tremendous impact sent Shenkong Ye flying backward, plowing two deep golden furrows through the ground. Soil churned, and wherever his divine blood fell, every blade of grass and tree withered.

At the Ancient Emperor Festival, the people of the various Emperor Clans stared at the scene in disbelief, their pupils contracting sharply.

"What kind of strength is this?!"

Shenkong Ye, inheritor of the Primordial Imperial Court.

This peerless prodigy, whose greater mastery of the Divine Emperor Physique let him defeat even the monsters of the Emperor Clans, had not lasted so much as the time it took to drink a cup of tea before being brought to his knees!

"Elder, can you tell what cultivation the Su Family's Divine Son has?" Ji Wuye asked hoarsely.

The Ji Family elder narrowed his eyes and spoke gravely.

"The Su Family's Divine Son... his strength is unfathomable. Even I cannot see through him!"

"But that power just now... seemed to be the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body's law of strength!"

The power of a divine law?!

Ji Wuye's eyelid twitched violently.

Several Emperor Clan prodigies beside him exchanged glances, their lips moving without making a sound.

Su Linxian spoke indifferently.

"Shenkong Ye, more than a hundred years have passed."

"Is this all the progress you've made?"

Shenkong Ye knelt on the ground, his face contorted by the agony of shattered kneecaps. Golden divine blood kept spilling from the corners of his mouth.

He jerked his head up, his hollow eyes fixed on the white-robed figure ahead.

His golden origin power circulated frantically, healing the bones in his knees at a speed visible to the naked eye.

That invisible pressure still bore down on his shoulders, as heavy as ten thousand tons.

Shenkong Ye clenched his teeth, forcing each word through them. "Su Linxian!"

"Do you think you've won?!"

"I haven't lost yet!!"

Boom!

Shenkong Ye abruptly raised his head. Golden divine light burst from his eyes, and his aura surged!

He unleashed the origin power of his Divine Emperor Physique without restraint. A golden divine halo rose behind him, dazzling enough to illuminate the entire Ancient Emperor Festival!

His domain, impervious to all arts, unfolded once more. This time, he concentrated all his power on a single point and broke free of the pressure. The golden halo revolved, and a divine emperor phantom appeared behind him, towering between heaven and earth, looking down upon all living beings.

The Divine Emperor Physique had reached perfection!

Rumble!

Golden divine light shot into the sky. Shenkong Ye's aura climbed steadily, soaring to a terrifying level in moments. Heaven and earth trembled, and even the laws of the Dao Domain's world twisted beneath his might!

"Is that... a perfected Divine Emperor Physique?!" an Emperor Clan elder exclaimed. "He can still break through!"

"Wait, something's wrong!" someone noticed.

"He's burning his origin... he hasn't perfected his Divine Emperor Physique at all. He's burning his vital essence! He's gone mad!"

Shenkong Ye stood bathed in blood, golden divine light swirling around him as he spoke coldly.

"You forced me to do this..."

"Even if you are a Great Emperor... today, I, Shenkong Ye, will show you what it means to be chosen by destiny!"

He took a step forward, and the entire Ancient Emperor Festival shook.

Yet Su Linxian merely watched him quietly.

"Burning your origin?"

"Perfect," Su Linxian said softly. "I'll test the Heavenly Prison Art on you."

He raised his right hand and gently pointed his index finger forward.

There was no earth-shaking surge of power, no phenomenon blazing with boundless light.

Just an utterly ordinary gesture.

Shenkong Ye stopped dead.

His body froze in midair, still poised to take a step, yet he could not advance another inch. Golden divine light still burned, and the divine emperor phantom still roared, but his body—could no longer move.

He had not been bound or restrained.

He had been "imprisoned."

Heavenly Prison Art. Heaven and earth became the prison, laws became its locks, and the Great Dao became its chains.

His body, his power, and his soul were all sealed within an invisible cage.

Shenkong Ye's eyes flew wide, his pupils shrinking sharply.

"No... impossible..."

Feeling his origin burning fiercely within him, he struggled with all his might to move. His power battered his surroundings frantically, but every attempt was futile.

It struck the invisible cage like a clay ox sinking into the sea, unable to stir even the slightest ripple.

"You... what did you do to me?!" Shenkong Ye roared, a trace of terror finally entering his voice.

"Do you dare fight me!"

Su Linxian did not answer.

His oppressive might surged forth.

He gently pressed his finger downward.

Hum!

An enormous golden finger imprint thundered down!

Shenkong Ye's body slammed toward the ground!

Rumble!!

Dust billowed in every direction. Shenkong Ye was driven into the ground, golden divine blood splashing as the divine emperor phantom was forcibly pressed back into his body.

His body sank deep into the Ancient Emperor Festival's solid stone. Weblike cracks spread around him for tens of thousands of yards!

One finger!

Just one finger.

Everyone was stunned. Not a sound broke the silence.

[Ding! Congratulations on defeating Heaven-Destined Protagonist Shenkong Ye. You have earned 300,000 Villain Points!]

At the Ancient Emperor Festival, thousands upon thousands of gazes converged on Su Linxian, filled with horror and disbelief.

The Emperor Clan prodigies turned deathly pale. Some with weaker cultivation even felt their legs go soft.

"So this is the power of a Great Emperor..."

An Emperor Clan elder forced the words from his parched throat, the shock in his eyes beyond measure.

"He really is in the emperor realm... there's no mistaking that aura!"

"The emperor realm at his age..." An Emperor Clan elder trembled all over. "Even the Great Emperors of old... never advanced this quickly!"

"The Su Family's Divine Son... the Su Family's Divine Son..."

Someone repeated the title, his voice filled with nothing but profound despair.

Even the Great Emperors present felt their hearts shudder.

Their gazes settled on Su Linxian. His calm composure, his ability to suppress heaven's chosen with a casual gesture, filled them with particular dread!

"Suppressing heaven's chosen with one finger..." a Great Emperor murmured, his face pale. "With strength like this... how could he belong to the younger generation?"

"What kind of monster... has the Su Family produced!?"

Shenkong Ye lay in the deep crater, golden divine blood staining the broken stones beneath him red. His consciousness struggled between lucidity and oblivion. His Divine Emperor Physique frantically repaired his injuries, yet helplessness engulfed him like a rising tide.

He had lost.

Utterly and completely.

He had unleashed his Divine Emperor Physique to its fullest, only to be suppressed by one finger.

Su Linxian looked down at him.

"All right. I've played with you long enough. It's time to end this."

Shenkong Ye's body jolted.

Played?

He was Shenkong Ye, a hundred-year-old Quasi-Emperor, bearer of the heaven-chosen Divine Emperor Physique, inheritor of the Primordial Imperial Court.

Yet in Su Linxian's mouth...

This was nothing but a game?

"Heh... hehehe... hahahaha!"

"A farce?! What a fine farce!" Shenkong Ye trembled all over and jerked his head up. Golden divine light mingled with bloodshot veins in his eyes, his face twisted to the extreme.

"It isn't over yet!!"

His body began to burn.

Golden flames erupted from every pore—the flames of burning vital essence, the flames of his life's origin.

Su Linxian frowned slightly.

"Primordial Imperial Court—appear!"

Shenkong Ye roared, his voice tearing through the sky.

Rumble—

The entire Dao Domain's world trembled.

High above, the void split apart. An enormous fissure stretched across the heavens, and an ancient, immense palace slowly descended from within.

The palace was pitch-black, radiating the aura of the primordial wilderness. Imperial Court Dao Markings covered every inch of its bricks and tiles. Though incomplete, with one corner collapsed and cracks covering its walls, its oppressive might, which had subdued countless ages, still made everyone's heart sink.

The Primordial Imperial Court!

"That's the Primordial Imperial Court!!"

"How can he summon the Primordial Imperial Court!?"

It was the supreme divine artifact of the primordial age, the imperial court that ruled all heavens, an unparalleled existence that had once subdued an entire era.

Even damaged, its pressure was enough to make Great Emperors pale.

Now, it tore through the sky and slowly descended.

Rumble—

The Dao Domain's world began to collapse. The fissures in the sky kept widening. The earth shook, mountains and rivers fractured, and seawater surged inland. The laws of the entire world twisted beneath the Imperial Court's pressure, as though unable to withstand its power.

"Shenkong Ye! What are you doing?!" an Emperor Clan elder shouted furiously.

Shenkong Ye laughed madly amid the golden divine flames. "Emperor Guards!"

Within the Primordial Imperial Court, puppet figures with terrifying auras appeared one after another.

They wore ancient armor, their faces indistinct, yet every one of their auras was at the emperor realm or above. Dozens of puppets emerged from the Imperial Court and formed orderly ranks, their killing intent soaring skyward.

"Those are... the Primordial Imperial Court's puppets!" an Emperor Clan elder exclaimed, his expression changing drastically. "He's even gained control of these?!"

"Dozens of first-level emperor realm puppets..." Someone sucked in a cold breath.

But an Emperor Clan elder soon snorted disdainfully. "Nothing but a bunch of damaged puppets. Does he think these can deal with our Emperor Clans?"

"Emperor General!"

Shenkong Ye's roar rang out again.

Boom!

Deep within the Primordial Imperial Court, a silver divine radiance shot into the sky. A silver battle puppet descended from the Imperial Court. Its body was forged from silver divine gold, its face indistinct, but cold killing intent shone in its eyes. Its aura—the peak emperor realm!

"A peak emperor realm battle puppet!" Wang Ling's expression changed completely. "He really has gone mad!"

Everyone from the Emperor Clans grew solemn.

A peak emperor realm battle puppet, dozens of emperor realm puppets, Shenkong Ye burning his vital essence, and the Primordial Imperial Court itself—this force was already enough to threaten any Great Emperor present.

"Today... none of you will leave!" Shenkong Ye laughed within the divine flames. "Su Linxian! I want you dead!"

He had gone utterly mad.

Su Linxian watched him, his gaze still calm.

"Is this your trump card?"

He stepped forward.

Boom!

He unleashed his peak emperor realm cultivation without restraint!

His terrifying aura swept over everyone like a tsunami, changing the very color of heaven and earth. It was stronger than Shenkong Ye's aura after burning his vital essence, stronger than the silver battle puppet's aura, stronger—than the auras of every Great Emperor present!

"The peak emperor realm!" a Great Emperor cried out involuntarily, his mind trembling violently.

"At his age... the peak emperor realm!"

Shenkong Ye's laughter stopped abruptly. His breathing froze, and the madness in his pupils was instantly replaced by fear.

"The peak of the Great Emperor realm?!"

"Impossible. This is absolutely impossible..."

Su Linxian raised his hand, and the Diya Sword appeared in his grasp.

Its blade was black as ink, profound imperial markings flowing across it. He slashed once.

A streak of Sword Qi swept across the sky.

Boom!

Beneath the Sword Qi, the dozens of emperor realm puppets were instantly obliterated as though made of paper. Their armor shattered, their bodies disintegrated, and fragments rained from the sky. One slash, dozens of emperor realm puppets—all destroyed.

The silver battle puppet charged at incredible speed. Its silver fist tore through the void, hurtling toward Su Linxian with the full power of the peak emperor realm.

Su Linxian sidestepped the blow and reached out with his right hand. Spreading his fingers, he clamped his palm onto the silver battle puppet's head.

Crack—

His fingers closed, crushing the silver battle puppet's head outright! Fragments of silver divine gold flew everywhere. The puppet's body shook violently, then collapsed with a thunderous crash.

[Ding! Congratulations, Master, on destroying a peak emperor realm battle puppet. You have earned a reward of 100,000 Villain Points!]

Clatter.

Su Linxian casually tossed the battle puppet's ruined body aside like trash.

His gaze settled on Shenkong Ye.

"Are you done?"

His tone was so relaxed that he sounded as though he were coaxing a child.

Shenkong Ye knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

His final trump card, every means at his disposal, had been nothing but child's play before Su Linxian.

The Divine Emperor Physique, the Primordial Imperial Court, the Emperor Guards and Emperor Generals... all had been crushed, shattered, and erased with effortless ease.

Su Linxian looked down at him and said indifferently, "Do you have any other tricks?"

"Will you do it yourself, or shall this emperor help you?"

Shenkong Ye said nothing.

He bowed his head, golden divine blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

He remained silent for a long time.

Shenkong Ye raised his head and looked at Su Linxian, his lips twisting into a bleak smile.

"Su Linxian... you won."

He raised his hand and struck the crown of his own head with his palm.

Golden divine blood splattered.

Shenkong Ye's body slowly toppled over. The golden divine light in his eyes gradually dimmed, and the aura of the Heaven-Destined Son vanished completely.

[Ding! Heaven-Destined Protagonist Shenkong Ye has fallen!]

[! Congratulations, Master, on killing the Heaven-Destined Protagonist! You have been rewarded with 1,000,000 villain points!]

[Ding! Obtained Divine Emperor-grade Treasure Chest x2!]

There are treasure chests, too?

Su Linxian raised an eyebrow.

He turned to look at the enormous imperial court overhead.

With a casual grasp of his hand, the imperial court gradually shrank and settled into his palm!

[Congratulations on obtaining the Primordial Imperial Court · Incomplete! You have been rewarded with 300,000 villain points!]

"The Primordial Imperial Court..." Su Linxian put it into his system storage space, then looked indifferently at the crowd, who stood frozen like wooden chickens, and spoke.

"This Ancient Emperor Festival will continue."

Below, the prodigies of the Emperor Clans watched the scene, speechless for a long time.

Every face was deathly pale, every body trembling, and nothing but profound despair remained in their eyes.

"The Su Family's Divine Son..."

"He truly leaves you in despair..."

Everyone knew.

There was no longer any point in competing at an Ancient Emperor Festival like this!

The outcome had already been decided!

Just then.

The heavens shook.

Rumble!!

A deafening explosion rang out across heaven and earth.

"What's happening?!"

At that moment, within a Life Forbidden Zone somewhere in the heavens, a passage to another world opened.

Dense ominous aura surged out as a rift slowly opened.

An eerie light shone through the rift, filled with the aura of chaos and destruction.

Deep within the great Emperor Clans, soft sighs rang out.

"It has come at last."

Within the Su Family's ancestral grounds in the Sage Emperor Dao Domain.

Su Qi sat beside the river and gently lowered the fishing rod in his hand.

He raised his head to look at the sky, his eyes flickering as the corners of his mouth lifted.

"It has begun."

"We have laid our plans for a million years. In this lifetime, I ask all of you to lend your aid."

A voice came from the void. "We know."

"That fine son of yours has already reached the peak of the Great Emperor realm at such a young age, defeating this era's Heaven-Destined Son with a single finger. Even if we wished to compete, our juniors would be no match for him."

Su Qi smiled.

"I have little to offer in compensation."

"So let me give you a Divine Emperor's seat."