"Yeah! Who else have you got?"
The Nine Heavens crowd jeered!
"Ah...! You've insulted me too far! I'll fight you to the death!"
A Foreign Realm supreme with wings growing from his back rushed out. He was young, perhaps only a little older than Lin Yue. His Divine Marks bore no traces of the passing years. As a prodigy of the younger generation, he simply could not stomach those three words from Lin Yue.
"Kuai Ying, come back! Don't be rash!"
Lin Yue swung his sword backhanded. Its light became a slash of heaven's will that swept across the void. The winged man from the Foreign Realm named Kuai Ying exploded outright, even his primordial spirit annihilated!
No one from the Foreign Realm dared breathe loudly. Their Extreme Dao figures were being held down by the Nine Heavens, and no one dared step forward to challenge his edge.
"It seems I arrived at just the right time!"
Just then, someone arrived on the Foreign Realm's side, drawing every supreme's attention as he spoke!
"Lord Yan Ni!"
"Lord Yan Ni is finally here!"
"Lord Yan Ni! It's Lord Yan Ni! He's finally here! Our realm's Emperor Clan has taken the stage! Hahahaha! Boy, your time is up! Enjoy your final moments! You'll be damned beyond redemption!" a supreme roared, almost crazed!
"Lord Yan Ni, please slay this fiend! Show our realm's might!"
He was a young man with a long halberd slung across his back! His aura was restrained, and a fissure between his brows resembled a third eye. An outstanding member of the previous generation's leading figures, he came from an Emperor Clan of the present age. He was an unparalleled figure half a step into the Extreme Dao, with combat strength far beyond others at his cultivation level.
Yan Ni frowned deeply. "Just one person warranted all this commotion, even an encirclement-and-kill order? I thought it was the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan!"
"L-Lord Yan Ni, he killed fourteen of our experts in a single battle!" someone beside him said, his voice still trembling!
"Oh! Interesting! I wonder which Immortal King's son has come in person!" The young man put aside his disdain. He could not dismiss such a battle record, and he flew forward!
"It's him! Yan Ni, the Emperor Clan's peerless prodigy!" Someone on the Nine Heavens' side recognized Yan Ni. It was an old man, his voice trembling as he revealed the man's identity!
"Senior, how strong is he?" a member of the younger generation beside him asked!
"Terrifying! A fiend who once slaughtered people of our realm on the level of Immortal Kings' sons! Rumor has it he's honing his foundation, about to truly join the ranks of the invincible Extreme Dao experts! I never imagined he would take action today!"
"Then does Lord Lin Yue stand a chance?"
"Alas! It's hard to say! His opponent truly inspires despair! But Lord Lin Yue is indeed powerful too. His flesh has reached divine heights, something rarely seen throughout history! He can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan!" The old man's brows knitted tightly, his eyes full of worry!
While his opponent put aside his disdain, Lin Yue remained expressionless. This was the invincible confidence that came from pushing his flesh to its utmost limit, his confidence in cultivating the Human Body Divine Universes. He had always firmly believed that there were no invincible arts, only invincible people. As long as he was strong enough, nothing was unbeatable!
Amid the Foreign Realm's cheers and beneath the Nine Heavens crowd's watchful eyes, the two stood facing each other in the void! The war seemed to be shifting toward duels between champions.
With both sides' Extreme Dao figures tied down, the strongest fighters beneath the Extreme Dao would become the factor that could sway the battlefield! Both sides took this very seriously. Otherwise, even if their upper ranks won, having all their lower ranks slaughtered would make it nothing more than a pyrrhic victory! Preserving the fighting strength of the younger generation was also a paramount concern for both sides!
"Your name is Lin Yue?" the young man asked, or rather, sought confirmation!
"A descendant of an Immortal King? Perhaps it's time to get a little serious!" Lin Yue spoke expressionlessly, perfectly calm!
Yan Ni said, "You're strong. I can feel it. But I'm not like them!"
Lin Yue chuckled without any hint of mockery. Everyone who stepped into the Extreme Dao possessed such confidence, himself included!
Lin Yue said, "To me, there's no difference between the souls beneath my sword!"
"Arrogant! I hope you can hold out a little longer!"
As Yan Ni's words fell, the long halberd in his hand pierced through the void with a razor-sharp gleam, its speed surpassing the utmost limit! He wanted to end the battle with a single thrust!
Facing this strike, Lin Yue raised his hand slightly and slashed!
Golden light erupted above the sky. Their mighty energies collided, changing the colors of heaven and earth. Thunder sprang up all around, intertwining in the void!
"Ah! How could this happen to Lord Yan Ni!"
Yan Ni was sent flying by a single slash, his face full of alarm. Had his opponent skipped probing him entirely? Since that was the case, he would fight to the death!
"Heaven-Slaying Halberd! Break!"
Boom...
Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the void. Surging waves became blasts of air that exploded outward. Phenomena formed the instant the two exchanged blows, then shattered. As Divine Marks emerged, spear shadows and sword lights swept across the void.
As their battle unfolded, the Nine Heavens crowd's worry began turning into hope, while the Foreign Realm crowd's smugness gave way to frowns. The crushing victory they had imagined never came. Instead, their opponent fought with apparent ease.
Every one of Yan Ni's attacks was blocked, achieving nothing!
Lin Yue unleashed supreme divine might throughout his body, his Black-Gold Long Sword slashing with divine power pushed to its utmost limit. With every stroke, distorted Divine Marks crossed the void and struck his opponent's halberd. The golden weapon looked ready to snap!
Yan Ni frowned deeply as he was driven back once again. Feeling the divine might transmitted through his spear and the distorted force field around him, his palms went numb!
Was this man from the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan? Such invincible divine might made him practically a vicious beast in human form!
"Life-Less Yin-Yang Sword!"
With a single sword strike unleashed, even yin and yang could be severed. Nothing could escape its edge!
Since Lin Yue had entered One with the Dao, almost no one at the same cultivation level could withstand this supreme killing sword art head-on. Especially after comprehending the Indestructible Scripture, Lin Yue had incorporated its indestructible properties into his swordsmanship. The art's already ultimate killing power seemed to become a slash from heaven, a sword of the Dao imbued with heaven's will!
What was indestructibility? Only the Dao was indestructible!
"Ah! That sword art again! Could it be his ancestral art? Lord Yan Ni, be careful!"
Gripping his halberd, the young man felt Lin Yue's heaven-destroying, earth-annihilating slash approach as divine ability runes swirled around him.
"What a joke! You're not the only one with an ancestral art! I have one too! God-Slaughter! Rise!"
Yan Ni roared in fury, and a phantom behind him was born from his primordial spirit! An unrivaled pressure spread from the depths of his soul! A sky-piercing halberd gathered into being, vowing to destroy this Ancient World!
The Nine Heavens crowd trembled. This was an Immortal King's invincible ancestral art, bearing a king's mark as it pressed down upon heaven and earth. Their souls shook instinctively, trying to break free of their bodies and flee this Ancient World!
"Hahaha! This is our realm's Emperor Clan! Accept your death!"
The invincible ancestral art, the God-Slaughter strike, clashed with Lin Yue's Life-Less Yin-Yang Sword. There was utter silence, yet the intense energy stirred the stars!
Only after some time did a tremendous explosion resound through the void. The supremes of the Nine Heavens and the Foreign Realm acted to protect their respective lower-level cultivators! Otherwise, the shock would split their bodies apart!
"Who won?"
Someone from the Foreign Realm sent a voice transmission!
As the dust settled, a broken halberd fell from the sky!
"Lord Yan Ni lost!"
"How could this happen! Impossible! It must be an illusion!"
"Our realm's Emperor Clan cannot lose...!"
A man in black battle clothes fell from the sky, landing before the battle line!
Chapter 21: The Emperor Clans Gather
Just as the Foreign Realm crowd was about to howl, a golden spear streaked across the battlefield like a meteor, shooting straight from the rear of the Foreign Realm's forces!
Lin Yue held his sword across his chest, but was still sent flying by the thrust, his blood and qi churning! The golden war spear plunged into the ground and stood there, Thunder Dragons coiling around it and lightning crisscrossing its length. No living being dared approach!
"Good...!"
"Good...!"
"Which lord has acted?"
Their impending howls instantly became cheers. They had always dominated the battlefield, yet the slaughter had shattered their composure. It had been far too stifling! Now someone had struck with overwhelming power and driven Lin Yue back, giving their pent-up feelings an outlet!
"Ah, Lord Lin Yue!"
Unlike the Foreign Realm crowd, the Nine Heavens crowd had just been about to celebrate. Seeing Lin Yue knocked away, every heart leaped into their throats!
"Who? Who else has attacked?"
"Damn it! All you do is gang up on people and launch sneak attacks! A pack of rats! Don't you dare fight a proper battle?"
Young and old alike on the Nine Heavens' side cursed furiously!
Everyone stared toward the direction the golden war spear had come from. A young man clad in golden battle armor walked slowly toward them, his expression dark. He looked at Lin Yue as though they shared an immense blood feud, seemingly crossing endless distances in just a few steps!
Once the newcomer's face became clear, not only the Nine Heavens crowd, but even the Foreign Realm crowd drew sharp breaths!
"An Ming!"
A Foreign Realm supreme spoke gravely! This was an unparalleled prodigy who had been famous for a long time. He had spent years honing himself at this cultivation level, and his rise into the ranks of the invincible was as certain as a nail driven into a board.
"Lord An Ming! You must slay this fiend! He deserves death for daring to insult us! You must extract his primordial spirit and nail it to the wall!"
"It's Lord An Ming! I never expected someone from this clan to emerge!"
At this moment, everyone from the Nine Heavens grew anxious. The older generation knew this man quite well, for his background was far too formidable. His family had a king named An Lan, whose name shook the Nine Heavens. He was an unparalleled king who could sense even the utterance of his true name. They had never expected to see his descendant!
Just as An Ming was about to speak, a long halberd descended, blocking Lin Yue's path. Another young man stood atop it, with the same heavenly eye between his brows. His face bore a sixty- or seventy-percent resemblance to Yan Ni's, and he had stared at Lin Yue ever since entering the battlefield.
"Yan Luo!"
"He's finally arrived?"
Someone from the Foreign Realm spoke quietly, not daring to raise his voice. A member of that clan had just died, and he feared becoming the target of misplaced anger!
"Damn it! Have this many of their Emperor Clan members come? Normally, it's hard to see even one, but now they've all popped out?"
Someone spoke worriedly. No one could escape an encirclement by Emperor Clan members like these! Even the mighty Immortal Kings of the Nine Heavens had fallen in bitterness under such encirclements!
"Alas, this is the Foreign Realm's encirclement-and-kill order. How many prodigies and Immortal Kings' sons have met bitter ends beneath it?"
"Young friend Lin Yue, fall back! Don't act rashly!" Someone behind him sent a voice transmission, urging Lin Yue to retreat!
The words had barely fallen when another sword light flew toward him. Its keen sword intent cleaved the void and hemmed Lin Yue in. Fluctuating Divine Marks that surpassed the limits of One with the Dao announced the arrival of another Emperor Clan member!
It was a woman in red battle clothes. No one could tell whether that was the clothing's original color or whether it had been dyed red with blood. Her sword intent pierced the heavens!
"Good, good, good! Today's battle will settle everything! We'll keep every one of them here! Let them learn the consequences of angering us!" someone from the Foreign Realm declared, their morale soaring!
"Oh my! Oh my! What's going on today? Having a get-together? How rare! Finding time for fun in the middle of your busy schedules! If you can, count me in!"
A flippant voice rang out. Someone from the Foreign Realm was about to rebuke him for daring to joke at a time like this-such insolence. But the person beside him stopped him, his own expression grave as he stared fixedly at the battlefield.
Even in this situation, no one dared ridicule the voice's owner. Those who knew this man, whether kings or Emperor Clan members, dared not underestimate him. Even An Ming of the ever-flamboyant An Lan clan frowned deeply!
The man named Yan Luo spoke solemnly. "You actually left your ancestral land. What a surprise! Chi Xie!"
A red-haired young man slowly took shape in the void. It did not feel as though he had passed through it. Rather, he seemed to manifest from nothing, slowly growing into being with the passage of time. It was incredibly eerie, sending chills down their spines!
"It's him!"
An old man from the Nine Heavens nearly collapsed as his legs weakened! Luckily, the man beside him reacted quickly and supported him!
"Senior, who is he?"
"A descendant of the Red King. Someone from that clan has actually emerged again. Does heaven truly wish to destroy us?" the old man said sorrowfully!
"What! The Red King!"
The crowd erupted at once. That clan's fearsome reputation was simply too great. Its ancestor had once killed Immortal Kings of the Nine Heavens.
Even in a great realm like the Foreign Realm, no one could compare to the Red King. He was a titan among kings, his might surpassing even An Lan, Yu Tuo, and the others!
No one knew what race the Red King belonged to. Even in the Foreign Realm, few knew. Only those who had fought him knew his true form. Unfortunately, no one who had fought him had ever emerged alive. Perhaps only Immortal Kings such as Wuzhong and Reincarnation knew, but now some were dead, while others were missing!
"Senior, don't be so pessimistic. Didn't Lord Lin Yue just win? We'll help hold them back in a moment. There's still a chance!" someone said with great optimism!
"You don't understand! You don't understand!" the old man wailed, his eyes vacant!
"Why did you come here?" the Red-Clothed Woman among them asked!
The man named Chi Xie said, "I heard a member of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan had appeared! Rumor has it that their clan represents the utmost pinnacle of strength in this world. I wanted to see whether they could affect our clan's divine abilities! I came for them, but someone beat me to it! So I could only come take a look at the target of the other encirclement-and-kill order!"
Yan Luo said, "It seems you'll have made another trip for nothing. This man killed my useless younger brother. As his elder brother, I must take his head as a sacrificial offering!"
An Ming said, "Sorry to interrupt, but I have something to ask him!"
Lin Yue watched the few people showing off in the battlefield, with no intention of speaking. He was adjusting himself, preparing to face his enemies at his strongest.
These people were unquestionably the strongest at this cultivation level. In the future, they would surely become the mightiest peerless figures in this world. One-on-one, he had absolutely nothing to fear!
But among them was an extremely strange existence: the man named Chi Xie. Others did not know what the Red King was, but he did-a beast of time! And now one had actually appeared!
What was strongest throughout all the heavens? Force. This did not merely mean having great physical strength. Force could be called the ultimate evolution of a law, a conceptual quantity produced when a law evolved to its utmost limit. Boundless force was a concept pushed to its extreme, and this was called force. The force of time, the force of space, the force of light, the force of darkness! These were some of the most representative laws!
Across the myriad worlds, when force did not manifest-or rather, when force could not transcend the utmost limit and reach the point of breaking all laws-then time reigned supreme and space was king! This was also why the Foreign Realm's Void Beasts could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor Clans! These two powers were truly far too uncanny! One governed time, the other the void!
I must prepare to face his uncanny methods! Still, this is good. It's the perfect chance to verify my Dao!
Before you continue