They had only just prepared to act.
Qin Tian had already noticed. His Ahoge rose slightly, putting him on alert.
"I knew it! You can't stand losing!"
Qin Tian was hardly surprised.
How could they accept defeat in the struggle for supremacy on the Emperor Road?
Especially since, in a sense, this was Ji Haoyue's debut battle.
His first battle was the decisive battle, and that decisive battle ended in defeat. Who could bear such an outcome?
Ji Haoyue was the Ji Family's hope, the bearer of a Divine King Body upon whom far too many expectations had been placed.
At their level, they did not know that an Emperor Son of the Void Emperor still lived in this world.
In their eyes, once Ji Haoyue lost, the Ji Family would have no hope of claiming the imperial throne in this lifetime.
That was something they could not allow.
Thus, the moment they saw signs of defeat, they intervened.
Naturally, they would not kill Qin Tian outright. That would do Ji Haoyue's Dao heart no good. Instead, they would use their methods to "help" Ji Haoyue defeat Qin Tian.
At Ji Haoyue's cultivation level, he would not notice anything anyway.
But Qin Tian saw through it. His Temporal-Spatial Eyes could observe the void and gaze through the ages.
A few seconds into the future, ripples "suddenly" appeared in the void, greatly boosting the power of Ji Haoyue's Void Art.
It overwhelmed Qin Tian in an instant.
Seeing the other side begin to cheat, Qin Tian decisively withdrew, refusing to remain there for even another second.
"You call for backup when you can't win? I despise you!"
Qin Tian shook his head as he spoke, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Then, with practiced ease, he took out the Profound Jade Platform and immediately used Void Shift.
Ji Haoyue stopped what he was doing. The bright moon hanging high in the sky faded away, and the blazing sun reappeared.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Qin Tian's Kunpeng King Fist had struck his chest earlier, nearly punching straight through it. Red blood tinged with silver dripped from the wound over his heart.
"You two grand uncles intervened just now, didn't you?"
Ji Haoyue's tone was solemn. Though young, he already possessed the beginnings of a Divine King's majesty.
"Did you not believe I could defeat him?"
Ripples appeared in the void, and two white-haired, aged men suddenly emerged before Ji Haoyue.
Every movement they made seemed to merge with the void, carrying a sense of the Dao following nature. Their broad sleeves fluttered, making them resemble immortals.
Hearing this, the two fell briefly silent.
Don't you know perfectly well whether you could win?
But out of consideration for the youth's pride, they certainly could not say that.
One elder hurriedly said, "No, no, of course not. Once the Divine Body emerges, it naturally has no equal. But you must not forget."
"Haoyue, your Divine Body has yet to reach minor completion. The enhancement it gives you is still limited, and it has not reached its peak."
"If your opponent focused entirely on fleeing, you might find it difficult to catch him."
"That was why we acted. We merely sealed off the space so he would have nowhere to retreat."
"Unfortunately, that boy was as slippery and crafty as a loach. The moment he noticed something was wrong, he fled."
Ji Haoyue's heart was heavy. His purple robes fluttered, but he no longer had his former otherworldly air. "I did not lose this time, and I will not lose next time either!"
Ji Haoyue took out a piece of heterogeneous source and actively drew in its vital essence to heal his injuries, pushing his cultivation toward the next secret realm to further develop his Divine Body.
His abundant essence forged a furnace of heaven and earth. Unseen, the void offered its congratulations, which echoed within his Sea of Bitterness. Standing upon the Void Divine Bridge, he traveled through the boundless void. The bridge extended into its limitless depths, once again drawing off the Great Universe's origin power to nourish his Divine King Body.
Such was the power of an Emperor Scripture. Each possessed its own wonders, and when cultivated to major completion, profound mysteries would naturally emerge.
The foundation of the Void Ancient Scripture's power lay in its ability to draw off a portion of the Great Universe's origin with every advance in cultivation.
Accumulated over time, even an ordinary physique cultivated to a sufficient level would not fall far short of a Divine Body.
In ages past, the Void Emperor had even merged his body with the Great Dao of the void, connecting to the Great Universe's origin and becoming unrivaled in his era.
With the Void Divine Bridge beneath his feet, the ends of the world were but a step away. With a thought, he crossed the heavenly threshold and broke into the Dao Palace.
Boom!
From within the gates of the heavenly palace came the aura of a deity. He sensed Dao Power reaching right up to him. The next moment, heaven rose high and earth stretched wide as he entered a new world, its space brimming with vigorous life.
At the same time, rumbling echoed within Ji Haoyue's body. Five Qi Converging Towards the Origin manifested as five dragonlike streams of divine smoke soared into the sky.
"Who is this? Five streams of divine qi pierce the heavens and soar beyond the clouds. Is this... real?" A hundred li away, someone witnessed this extraordinary sight, disbelief written across their face.
"This is truly hard to believe. Such a manifestation of the Dao is rarely seen beneath heaven. Even the great Holy Lords, in the prime of their youth and full of youthful spirit, probably could not achieve this. No such sight appeared during their breakthroughs."
A passerby said incredulously, "Who could possess such potential? Could it be a hidden genius of a Desolate Ancient Family? Or perhaps a secret genius from a holy land?"
Ji Haoyue broke through into the Dao Palace and underwent a great transformation. His blood and qi shattered the clouds, and his divine power surged to the heavens.
"Excellent! Haoyue's talent is extraordinary. How could a mere mining slave compare to the bright moon of our Ji Family?"
"Go invite the Heavenly Diviner again. Have him divine where that man will first appear after entering the Dao Palace!"
Ji Haoyue's eyes blazed. "I will find him and fight him again in the Dao Palace Secret Realm!"
The two Protectors praised him. "Such ambition! Just as expected of a son of our Ji Family!"
His emotions tangled, Ji Haoyue murmured inwardly, I couldn't beat you at the Other Shore, but I refuse to believe I can't beat you in the Dao Palace!
With that, the three left using Void Art.
After they departed, streaks of light descended upon the area from afar. They all wanted to see just who had caused such a magnificent phenomenon.
Unfortunately, they were all one step too late.
Thanks to the convenience of Void Art, the three were already a thousand li away.
Elsewhere, after shifting ten thousand li away, Qin Tian unfurled his Golden Wings again and raced across the ground.
After fleeing another thousand li, he activated the Profound Jade Platform once more and shifted another ten thousand li.
His approach was all about playing it safe.
"That scared the hell out of me!" Qin Tian patted his chest.
His Future Sight had shown him various futures, all ending the same way across multiple timelines.
Fluctuations appeared in the void, greatly increasing the power of Void Art, yet even then, Ji Haoyue still could not defeat Qin Tian.
Unable to bear watching any longer, Ji Haoyue's Protectors cast aside all concern for their dignity and forcibly intervened, intending to kill Qin Tian.
After all, the best way to solve a problem was to eliminate the person who raised it.
Having seen this, Qin Tian had decisively withdrawn from the fight and immediately activated the Profound Jade Platform, shifting ten thousand li away.
If he truly had to face Ji Haoyue's Protectors,
Qin Tian might be killed before he even had time to activate his Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon.
After all, those who cultivated the Void Ancient Scripture commanded the void and were experts at concealment and ambush.
Qin Tian could not guarantee that a mere Sea of Bitterness cultivator like him could match those two old fossils in speed or reflexes.
Since the other side had no regard for fair play, he had no intention of continuing the fight. He decisively withdrew and left.
Before you continue