The sun hung high in the sky, casting its brilliant rays down on the Holy Capital. As the imperial city of the greatest empire in the Middle Land, it was a bustling hub with a population of millions.
Scholars, poets, and merchants from all corners of the world flocked to its prosperous streets, where cultures and treasures congregated. Yet today, a desolate silence pervaded the wide avenues, opulent mansions, and towering edifices. It was as if an invisible power had drained the life from this once-vibrant city.
However, upon closer inspection, one would realize that the people of the Holy Capital had not vanished. Rather, they were all hiding indoors.
The farther one ventured towards the outer reaches of the city, the more packed the streets were. Nevertheless, no one dared to speak above a whisper. Almost all of them craned their necks, looking up at a purple-robed figure seated aloft in the sky. A colossal black serpent coiled around him.
“It’s His Majesty.”
“It’s September 8th. Today is the day Emperor Jin will face Wu Yuan right here in the Holy Capital.”
“For the past two centuries, our imperator has dominated the world. Yet this mere kid dares to challenge his might?” Throughout the Holy Capital, crowds of nobles and commoners murmured with low voices.
This was the stronghold of Great Jin. Here, the Jin royal family commanded immense respect and admiration. Imperator Jin Quan, in particular, held a revered status in the hearts of the people as a mysterious figure shrouded in legend.
Above the imperial city, nearly twenty figures hovered in the air, each emanating extraordinary auras. They were all Heavenly Rankers.
“Where is Wu Yuan? Why haven’t they arrived yet?”
“Did he get cold feet at the last minute?”
“It’s difficult to say. We’ve all witnessed Wu Yuan’s strength. Can we really say that he isn’t strong? He’s someone who fought head-on against several Spiritual Body devil soldiers.”
“Spiritual Body devil soldiers? What a joke! Can they even compare to true Golden Core cultivators?”
“If Wu Yuan, Fang Xia, and the Arctic King joined forces, the outcome would be hard to say. However, Wu Yuan dares challenge the imperator alone? It’s a guaranteed defeat for him!”
These Heavenly Rankers were mostly loose Cultivators. Most of them participated in the war against the worm devil and would simply follow whichever side was stronger. Obviously, they had more faith in Jin Quan, who had broken through to the Golden Core phase.
Jin Ji and Zhao Xing, standing at the front of the Heavenly Rankers, exchanged glances.
“Don’t worry. Father will definitely kill Wu Yuan.” Jin Ji reassured them.
Zhao Xing nodded, “I have witnessed the Superior’s methods. He’s indeed powerful, even stronger than when he attacked Cloudhill previously.”
In the middle of their conversation, a cry of surprise interrupted them.
“They’re here!” someone exclaimed, pointing into the distance. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Everyone turned their gazes and witnessed dozens of light streaks crossing the sky, rapidly approaching their location.
“They’re all here.”
“Even Bu Yu and Huan Jian, mere first-stage Qi Sea cultivators, have come to watch.”
“How bold.” The Heavenly Rankers of Great Jin whispered disdainfully, but Jin Ji and Zhao Xing exchanged a wary glance. Clearly, the Middle Land Immortal Cultivators Alliance had great confidence in Wu Yuan.
Led by Wu Yuan and Fang Xia, the experts of the Middle Land Immortal Cultivators Alliance hovered in the sky, stopping less than a hundred li away from the Holy Capital.
With a thunderous rumble, Fang Xia, Liu Junxing, and the other three individuals activated the array disk and flags, forming a six-legged golden mantis.
At the same time, a colossal purple roc, spanning 100 zhangs in length, also materialized. The Septet Ignis Array was commanded by Arctic King, leading a team of mid-stage Qi Sea cultivators. Even Qiong Sea King swelled to his full size.
Their combined presence filled the sky with overwhelming pressure, causing the faces of the Heavenly Rankers from Great Jin and other martial artists with excellent vision to involuntarily pale in alarm.
The Heavenly Rankers from Great Jin were evidently inferior to the Middle Land Immortal Cultivators Alliance.
Finally, a figure clad in flowing, snow-white robes streaked across the sky and arrived above the Holy Capital. The forceful winds howled, yet failed to diminish his commanding presence.
Upon witnessing this spectacle, the millions of commoners and martial artists in the Holy Capital City easily deduced that the white-robed youth was none other than Wu Yuan, the unrivaled prodigy of the Middle Land continent in the past three millennia.
Seeing Wu Yuan’s arrival, the black serpent entwined around the figure in purple robes quickly retreated into the distance, while the figure in purple robes stood up, casting his gaze towards Wu Yuan.
Twenty li away, Wu Yuan came to a stop in the air.
Two peak powerhouses sized each other up for some time.
“Wu Yuan, you have finally arrived. I hope that your strength does not disappoint,” Jin Quan’s long hair danced in the wind as he appraised Wu Yuan with piercing eyes. His voice was amplified through an array, echoing to the farthest reaches of the Holy Capital.
“Disappoint?” Wu Yuan’s eyes grew icy cold, his voice carrying a chilling edge. “Jin Quan, I shall twist off your head and offer it to Daoist Wan Xing and Emperor Dong Pan.” Through his Domain, Wu Yuan’s words also echoed through the air.
Jin Quan laughed mockingly. “Offer it to them? Even if they had survived the worm devil calamity, I would slay them. No one can stop me from unifying the Middle Land.”
“Death was inevitable for them then,” His eyes locked onto Wu Yuan. “As it is inevitable for you now. You may have some strength, but today, I will help you understand the power of a Golden Core cultivator.”
Jin Quan’s voice boomed, filled with arrogance. “The dignity of an imperator cannot be humiliated. I am the imperator of Great Jin and I shall be the imperator of the entire Middle Land.”
Wu Yuan’s eyes flashed with indifference as he dismissed Jin Quan’s claims. “Imperator? You’re merely a little brother. [1] Enough of your nonsense. Today, I shall send you on your way!”
“After today, Great Jin will cease to exist.”
Before his words faded, earthy-yellow qi currents surged around him, spreading nearly a kilometer in radius. Simultaneously, an overwhelming aura emanated from Wu Yuan, enveloping his surroundings.
Standing tall in mid-air, he held his battle saber, his body covered in radiant battle armor like that of a war deity. The pressure he exuded left numerous Heavenly Rankers and countless martial artists breathless, unable to look at him directly.
The combination of the Domain and his strong soul brought forth an unprecedented sense of oppression.
“Hahahaha~ Impressive, Wu Yuan. Unfortunately, this is the Holy Capital, my empire.” Jin Quan’s voice held a strange power, lifting the feeling of suffocation in the hearts of the mortals in the Holy Capital.
Jin Quan was completely unruffled by Wu Yuan’s aura. There was no fear in his eyes, which instead glimmered with an intense killing intent.
Suddenly, a hazy green light filled the vast Holy Capital, enveloping every street and alley.
An aura of holiness seemed to surround Jin Quan as a vivid green sword materialized before him. Alongside it, a multitude of flying swords, matching in color, also appeared.
The sword qi crisscrossed in a mesmerizing display. However, the all-encompassing array was unable to intrude into the earthy-yellow Domain. The gathered streams of earthy-yellow qi were as solid as the land itself.
In the next instant, a pair of majestic black wings sprouted from Wu Yuan’s back, radiating with a divine light. Teng Snake ether art: Deity Step.
Wu Yuan’s figure grew to an astonishing five zhangs in height before their eyes. As he raised his battle saber, his agility and power was augmented beyond measure. Ether art: Eldritch Form.
The strands of green light from the array rippled and buckled, and the sky and earth seemed to tremble.
A dazzling blade ray cut straight toward Jin Quan with blinding speed.
Wu Yuan closed the distance of twenty li in a single second, bringing him right in front of Jin Quan.
“No!”
“He’s too fast.”
“The imperator.” The faces of the spectators contorted with worry, especially those of Jin Ji and Jin Quan.
Fang Xia and the Arctic King, on the other hand, felt a mixture of excitement and anticipation.
As the blade ray hurtled forward, Jin Quan’s eyes flashed with a cold gleam. It’s fast.
Despite having received reports of Wu Yuan’s incredible speed, it was still shocking when he faced it head-on.
Jin Quan swiftly darted out of the saber’s path as it cleaved through the air, obliterating numerous structures as it landed. His speed was faster than Wu Yuan’s, and his movements were strangely unpredictable.
He’s this fast? Wu Yuan was astonished. Jin Quan had never exhibited such a movement technique in the past, and it far surpassed the abilities of a first-stage Golden Core cultivator.
Did Jin Quan hide his true power, or did he make a breakthrough? Numerous conjectures flew in Wu Yuan’s mind.
A series of flying swords streaked across the sky, descending on Wu Yuan with astonishing velocity.
“Scram!” Wu Yuan’s wings vibrated as he swung his saber horizontally, blocking the volley of flying swords.
Clang! Clang! Clang! A rapid series of collisions rang out. More than ten flying swords relentlessly struck Wu Yuan, each one radiating immense strength. However, they were greatly impeded by Wu Yuan’s Domain.
On the other hand, Wu Yuan’s saber strikes sent every flying sword spinning off course. The scattered swords required time to recover before they could rejoin the assault. They were far from able to stop Wu Yuan’s advance.
However, each time Wu Yuan pressed forward, Jin Quan skillfully parried each of his attacks with his flying sword or dodged them with his movement technique.
Jin Quan comprehends the Wind Dao, so he is naturally swift. However, it’s unusual for a Golden Core cultivator to possess such speed. Wu Yuan’s brow furrowed.
He intended to try closing the distance and eliminating Jin Quan in close combat, but Jin Quan’s strength exceeded his expectations.
…
“Wu Yuan is incredibly fast.”
“The imperator is also extremely powerful. Those flying swords strike quickly and accurately, yet Wu Yuan flawlessly blocked every one.”
The exchanges between the two combatants were so rapid that the commoners and skilled martial artists were unable to catch any details. From what they could tell, both sides were evenly matched.
However, the Heavenly Rankers perceived a different story.
“Wu Yuan’s defeat is certain. This is Wu Yuan’s full strength, yet he’s unable to approach his opponent,” Zhao Xing stated confidently.
Jin Ji smiled knowingly and said, “My father hasn’t even wielded his lifebound flying sword yet. Wu Yuan’s defense is impressive, but each attack from the flying swords takes a toll on his body. So far, he hasn’t been able to get within 500 meters of my father.”
“Furthermore, my father still hasn’t used his ultimate move,” Jin Ji added. He knew his father’s strength better than anyone.
…
“He’s in trouble.” Within their separate arrays, Fang Xia and the Arctic King exchanged concerned glances.
They knew that when a body refiner fought a qi refiner, the key to victory lay in quickly unleashing a huge burst of power to overwhelm the opponent and close in for the kill.
If the fight was prolonged? The qi refiner had the advantage of continuously replenishing their mana and could also rely on medicinal pills to restore their mana, thus avoiding significant damage to their bodies. The longer the battle dragged on, the higher the chances of the body refiner’s defeat.
“Daoist Wu Yuan’s strength is already remarkable,” the Arctic King commented solemnly. “However, Jin Quan is stronger, and he hasn’t even unleashed his lifebound flying sword.”
“Get ready to back him up,” Fang Xia said. “Even if Wu Yuan loses, Jin Quan won’t be able to kill him that…”
Fang Xia’s expression abruptly turned anxious. “Something’s wrong. Where did Jin Quan go?”
…
Above the Holy Capital, the battle between the two combatants reached its climax.
“Wu Yuan, your strength is indeed exceptional. Given more time, you might even surpass me,” Jin Quan said, looking at the massive war deity.
“Alas, you are fated to die today. As a show of respect for your strength, I will kill you with my strongest move.” Jin Quan’s booming voice echoed through the sky and earth.
At that moment, brilliant green qi streams enveloped Jin Quan’s body, enhancing his movement technique to an unprecedented level. His control over the flying swords was also greatly enhanced, boosting both their speed and power.
Clang! Clang! Wu Yuan’s saber technique was remarkably fast, but the relentless onslaught of flying swords overwhelmed him with their sheer ferocity.
His speed slowed involuntarily, causing the distance between Jin Quan and himself to widen significantly.
In the blink of an eye, Wu Yuan was at an absolute disadvantage.
This is the Domain stage! Wind Domain! Wu Yuan stared at Jin Quan, finally understanding the mystery behind his unconventional movement technique.
Jin Quan wasn’t just an ordinary Golden Core cultivator. He was one that had reached the Domain stage!
“Wu Yuan, you can die now!” The green sword that had remained suspended in front of Jin Quan finally moved.
1. The chinese word for Imperator is 帝, pronounced ‘di’. The chinese word for little brother is 弟弟, pronounced ‘didi’, which refers to a certain male private part in slang ☜