The man before him was simply too powerful.
No, perhaps "powerful" was not quite accurate. When they first clashed, his opponent had only been at the level of an ordinary practitioner of alternative Dao attainment.
As a former Heavenly Venerable and the current Prison-Suppressing Emperor, even after his self-slash, he had been utterly confident that he could kill an opponent of this caliber.
And that had indeed been the case.
Without the Immortal Ascension Cauldron's protection, he would have torn Qin Tian apart many times early in the battle, staining the starry sky red with emperor blood.
But as the battle continued, the situation began to defy understanding.
Qin Tian's growth exceeded all imagination. Not only had he rapidly adapted to extreme Dao attacks, but he had also developed a complete combat system.
Now, with the Immortal Cauldron in hand, Qin Tian's combat strength rivaled that of a flawless Great Emperor, gradually leaving him feeling unequal to the task.
At one point, the Prison-Suppressing Emperor bypassed the Immortal Ascension Cauldron's defenses and pierced Qin Tian with his Nether Spear. Crimson beads of blood floated through the universe, emanating a unique aura of origin.
"This constitution?!"
"What is your relationship with Wushi?!" The Prison-Suppressing Emperor was astounded. Looking at the bead of blood in his hand, he sensed a familiar presence within it.
After all, Great Emperor Wushi's parents had died because of the Underworld. How could he possibly have left such a blood feud unavenged?
After Great Emperor Wushi attained the Dao.
The Underworld had been pursued by Great Emperor Wushi until there was no road into heaven and no gate into the earth, forcing it to retreat into chaos.
Now, only the Prison-Suppressing Emperor had returned to the Underworld. In the original work, even after his death, the Heavenly-Penetrating