Chapter 165 : Chaper 165
Chapter 165: Slaying the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor
The instant he laid eyes on the Ghost Lightning Banner, Lin Chongtian's expression turned grim.
"Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor, you've slaughtered this many living beings and you're not afraid the righteous Immortal Emperors will come to end you?"
The Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor threw his head back in raucous laughter.
"I am an Immortal Emperor! Who under heaven can do anything to me?!"
"Besides, do you really think those who are stronger than me would bother sticking their necks out for the sake of ants?"
Lin Chongtian's face was ugly beyond measure. He swept his hand out and summoned his Natal Immortal Weapon.
"Then it seems today, I'll have to carry out justice on heaven's behalf."
With that, Lin Chongtian struck first, thrusting his spear at the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor in a devastating blow.
The Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor showed no fear and brandished the Ghost Lightning Banner.
In an instant, countless souls poured forth from the banner, each one radiating formidable power. The weakest among them were at the True Immortal level, and more importantly, the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor had imbued them all with his ghost lightning power, making each one far stronger than an ordinary cultivator of the same realm.
But Lin Chongtian was unfazed. He swept his spear in a single arc, and the charging souls were obliterated on the spot.
The Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor remained unperturbed. He waved the Ghost Lightning Banner, and another wave of countless souls surged forth.
With each successive wave, the souls grew stronger--first True Immortals, then Immortal Kings, then Immortal Monarchs, until finally they reached the Immortal Venerable level.
Sensing the escalating power of the souls, Lin Chongtian's expression turned grave.
Then, amid those souls, Lin Chongtian spotted Xu Kun. He spotted Heavywater Immortal Monarch and the other two.
The realization hit him immediately.
They must have come to pledge their allegiance to the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor, only to be refined into the Ghost Lightning Banner instead.
"But even if you've been refined into the Ghost Lightning Banner, I'll drag you out and kill you all over again!"
Lin Chongtian snarled. His spear thrust forward with explosive force, and what appeared to be a great dragon erupted from the weapon, swallowing those souls into its belly.
The dragon's power didn't diminish. It continued onward, hurtling toward the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor.
The Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor snorted coldly and brandished the Ghost Lightning Banner, blocking the dragon in its tracks.
From that point, the two remained locked in fierce combat, seemingly unable to determine a victor any time soon.
The shockwaves of their battle were entirely contained by Lu Xunxian, not a single trace leaking out. Otherwise, every powerful being in the Immortal Realm would have come to investigate.
"Master, do you think Brother Tian can beat the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor?"
Hua Rouyu asked with some concern.
Her talent was inferior to Lin Chongtian's, so even after all this time of cultivation, she had only just barely broken through to the Late Immortal Monarch Realm.
She simply couldn't follow the battle between the two of them.
Lu Xunxian's expression remained calm.
"I've given him so much. If he can't even kill a single Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor, he might as well end his own life."
That was a Dao Venerable Inheritance. If someone who had absorbed a Dao Venerable Inheritance couldn't even defeat an Early Immortal Emperor, then there truly was no point in continuing to cultivate.
So when it came to the outcome of this battle, Lu Xunxian had no doubts.
He was, however, mildly interested in the Ghost Lightning Banner--but only mildly.
"Heavenly Emperor Forges the Nine Provinces!"
Lin Chongtian was no longer willing to drag this battle out. He wanted a swift finish. After all, Xu Kun and the other three were already trapped inside the Ghost Lightning Banner, so all he needed to do was eliminate the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor and then extract them from the banner to kill them.
Heavenly Emperor Forges the Nine Provinces was the Innate Divine Ability that Lin Chongtian had comprehended upon cultivating to the Immortal Emperor Realm inside the Space-Time Tower.
After breaking through to the Immortal Stage, one would comprehend a new Innate Divine Ability with each Major Realm breakthrough. By the time one reached the Immortal Emperor Realm, the total number of Innate Divine Abilities would reach six.
Innate Divine Abilities were critical to an Immortal cultivator's combat power.
They were further divided into four tiers: Lower, Mid, Upper, and Top.
Lin Chongtian's Heavenly Emperor Forges the Nine Provinces was a Top-tier Innate Divine Ability.
As Lin Chongtian unleashed it, the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor's expression grew equally grave.
"Netherworld Dao Heaven!"
Netherworld Dao Heaven was the Innate Divine Ability that the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor had comprehended upon breaking through to Immortal Emperor. It, too, was a genuine Top-tier Innate Divine Ability.
In an instant, the two Innate Divine Abilities collided. The terrifying force of the impact annihilated Ghost Lightning Mountain entirely.
But the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor had no time to mourn the loss. If he didn't finish Lin Chongtian off, he would die here. What attention could he spare for a mountain?
Their strength was nearly matched, and both wielded Top-tier Innate Divine Abilities. For the time being, they were locked in a dead stalemate, unable to determine a victor.
Watching the scene unfold, Lu Xunxian furrowed his brow. Though he had said from the start that he wouldn't intervene, if he didn't step in soon, Lin Chongtian could still defeat the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor--but it would take several years at minimum.
That would mean missing the Tiansheng Grand Tournament.
With that thought, Lu Xunxian acted without hesitation.
With a single sweep of his hand, the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor's Innate Divine Ability was annihilated.
Seeing this, the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor's face changed dramatically. He turned to stare at Lu Xunxian--the most unassuming figure present.
He had never imagined that the most understated person here was actually the most terrifying. But before he could even get a word out, he was engulfed by Heavenly Emperor Forges the Nine Provinces.
After the technique dissipated, the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor lay on the ground, barely clinging to life, his eyes wide with terror.
He hadn't expected to fall in the gutter like this.
Watching Lin Chongtian advance toward him step by step, the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor finally gave in to fear.
Every man feared death--and Immortal Emperors were no exception.
He had fought so hard to reach his current level of power. He had no desire to lose everything now.
"Fellow Daoist--Fellow Daoist--Senior! I'm willing to hand over those four and swear a Heavenly Dao Oath never to provoke you again! Please, Senior, spare my life!"
The Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor begged Lin Chongtian desperately, but Lin Chongtian was utterly unmoved.
"I said I would carry out justice on heaven's behalf today. Accept your death!"
"Since you insist on killing me, then no one walks away alive!"
Seeing that Lin Chongtian truly had no intention of sparing him, the Ghost Lightning Immortal Emperor steeled himself and prepared to self-destruct.
But before he could detonate, Lu Xunxian annihilated him with a single palm strike.
"Thank you for stepping in, Master."
Lin Chongtian hurriedly cupped his fists in thanks.
But Lu Xunxian merely waved a hand. "If he'd managed to self-destruct, it would have been troublesome."
With that, Lu Xunxian turned his gaze to the Ghost Lightning Banner. He extended a hand and summoned it to him.
Seeing the expression on his master's face, Lin Chongtian asked curiously.
"Master, is something wrong with the Ghost Lightning Banner?"
"Nothing, really. It's just that the Ghost Lightning Banner doesn't belong to the Immortal Realm."
"Put simply, the Ghost Lightning Banner is most likely a creation from beyond the Immortal Realm."
Lu Xunxian's tone was calm, but his words left both Lin Chongtian and Hua Rouyu anything but.