Chapter 568 - 339: I am the Human Emperor, and I Shall Watch Over the Common People

Surprised, he quickly spotted the Evil Eye Heaven-Reaching Tower and deduced what was happening.

’The Eternal Emperor’s newly reforged Flesh Body must have been corrupted by the Evil God’s Will. That’s why he looks like this.’

"Give me your Jade Blood Night Pearl."

Lu Mingyuan said, holding out his hand to Yun Qinghe.

"Take it."

Yun Qinghe showed no reluctance, cleanly taking out an azure pearl and handing it over.

It was never her possession to begin with.

So, of course, there was nothing to feel regretful about.

’If an Opportunity is meant for you, it will be yours in the end.’

’If it isn’t, there’s no use forcing it.’

The sky was clearly overcast and so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, yet under the radiance of the Divine Techniques, it became as bright as day.

Immense amounts of nature’s spiritual energy were being mobilized, causing the Spiritual Qi in a hundred-mile radius to become far more diluted than the air outside.

This was the resonance with heaven and earth produced by figures of the Ancestral Master Level.

There is always a taller mountain, and an Outer Heaven beyond the heavens. A person should always maintain a heart of humility and awe.

"This place has completely turned into a battlefield. You should leave first," Lu Mingyuan urged seriously.

’Someone at the Eleventh Realm doesn’t even have the right to enter the fray.’

"No, I’m staying right here."

Yun Qinghe shook her head, her voice firm.

Upon hearing Lu Mingyuan’s intention to face the Evil God, she made no attempt to dissuade him. She knew that no one could change a person’s mind; she herself was just like that.

At the same time, she would not continue to run and live on alone.

A Golden Light flashed between Yun Qinghe’s brows as her Immortal Sword instantly submerged into her forehead and vanished.

"From what the Eternal Emperor said, we can tell this Evil God wasn’t some nobody in the Ancient Era. He was one of the nine Emperors of the Old Celestial Court. If you’re no match for him, just run. There’s no shame in it. Don’t throw your life away."

"Come back alive."

Yun Qinghe paused. She hadn’t wanted to be so sentimental, but when she thought about the being before them—something people of this era had absolutely no way of dealing with—she couldn’t help but worry that Lu Mingyuan wouldn’t return.

「Above the Ascension Battlefield.」

Bai Ze and the Yuqing Ancestor Master were locked in a fierce, continuous battle with the Eternal Emperor.

Across the entire island, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky for ten thousand miles.

Ripples of Spiritual Qi continuously echoed between heaven and earth.

"He has an Undying Body?"

the Yuqing Ancestor Master said with a frown.

He and Bai Ze possessed heaven-piercing Cultivation and could suppress the man, but no matter what they did, they couldn’t harm him in the slightest.

The reason was that this bizarre Demonic Qi did not belong to this era; they had no way to eliminate it.

It was something they had never seen before, different even from the demons of the Holy Netherworld.

The inky-black qi before them appeared to be Demonic Qi on the surface—violent and filled with wickedness—but within it were many strange, dark thoughts.

These thoughts could instantly corrode a person’s spirit.

They represented death.

Even a single strand of his hair would rapidly wither if it came into contact with this strange Demonic Qi.

High in the void, the Eternal Emperor opened his hand, letting out several drops of blood. He then infused all his Demonic Qi, including his Essence Blood, into the jet-black Heaven-Reaching Tower.

The Heaven-Reaching Tower continuously expanded, transforming into a vast, boundless world that looked like a continent suspended above the Ascension Land.

On this continent, one could see endless rivers and seas formed from innumerable bones and lost souls, washed over by Demonic Qi. The sight was shocking, yet it emanated an unimaginably terrifying power.

A great serpent, ten thousand miles long, was bound to a mountain of bones, its aura incredibly faint.

It was clearly the Snake Consort who had been captured.

Thick Demon Pillars shot up from the Demon Qi Continent, blasting toward the Yuqing Ancestor Master and Bai Ze.

Each of these Demon Pillars contained an immensely powerful Divine Power, capable of leveling mountains for a thousand miles around.

The Yuqing Ancestor Master did not dodge. Instead, he actively met them head-on.

He was seen swinging his Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, meeting the bombardment of numerous Demon Pillars.

BOOM!

Countless Tao Runes flowed across the surface of the Jade Ruyi, releasing a hazy, chaotic Hongmeng Purple Qi that was indestructible, shattering every single Demon Pillar.

In the next moment, the Jade Ruyi became incomparably massive, standing between heaven and earth, seeming to pierce through the very firmament.

With a serene expression, the Yuqing Ancestor Master waved his hand and smashed the enlarged Jade Ruyi forward.

RUMBLE!

The Jade Ruyi was incredibly heavy and hard. In a single blow, it punched through the entire continent, and the world itself showed signs of collapse.

The Eternal Emperor released even more Divine Power, pouring it into the Heaven-Reaching Tower to stabilize the continent’s form.

All the blood and bones flowing across the continent rose up, transforming into an endless sea of demonic energy that threatened to submerge the Yuqing Ancestor Master.

This strange Demonic Qi had been collected from the slaughter of countless living beings, including Divine Beings. It was filled with resentful and baleful energy, so evil that even an Immortal Body or a Saint Body would be corrupted by it.

The Yuqing Ancestor Master’s body suddenly dissolved, transforming into a vast, boundless golden sea of runes that enveloped the body of the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

He reappeared above the world, extending a hand and forming a Dao Seal. Facing the Heaven-Reaching Tower, he uttered a single word:

"Perish."

In the blink of an eye, the endless demonic sea was scattered by the golden sea of runes, and the entire continent along with it was torn to pieces.

BANG!

The Eternal Emperor was hit by a violent impact, his body flying backward and crashing into the demonic clouds behind him.

Lu Mingyuan witnessed this scene, slightly astonished.

’The Yuqing Ancestor Master is truly worthy of his title as the number one expert of the Taoist Sect, the Closed-door Disciple of the Taoist Ancestor.’

’In the entire Central Plains World, besides the long-vanished Sect Leader of the Confucian Temple, there’s probably no one who could last more than ten rounds against him.’

’This Evil God, in the end, is just the remnant will of a Divine Being. How could it compare to Yuqing, who has one foot in the Fifteenth Realm?’

Lu Mingyuan watched the Eternal Emperor slowly get back up and began to ponder.

’But killing him will be very difficult.’

’In that case, it’s my turn to act.’

Lu Mingyuan held the Jade Blood Night Pearl in one hand and the Divine Blade Zhu Xie in the other. Igniting his Martial Arts Holy Qi, he soared into the sky.

The Eternal Emperor sensed a murderous aura rapidly approaching him.

Demonic Qi gathered in his palm, and he swatted out with it.

TING!

A crisp clang rang out as the palm and the tip of the saber collided.

Lu Mingyuan’s Flesh Body felt an immense force strike him from his opponent. Even with his Martial Saint Body, he could not withstand the impact and was sent flying backward.

CRASH!

CRASH!

CRASH!

In just a few breaths, he had crashed through ten large mountains.

However, Lu Mingyuan simply wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, used his saber to support himself, and stood up again.

"Fall back at once! You are not his match."

The Yuqing Ancestor Master’s ethereal voice echoed from the heavens.

This time, however, Lu Mingyuan did not heed the Ancestor Master’s words.

"It’s you."

The Eternal Emperor stared in Lu Mingyuan’s direction, his eyes moving slightly.

’He hadn’t expected someone of Lu Mingyuan’s Cultivation to dare return.’

"I told you, your Flesh Body is clearly better than this one."

In the blink of an eye, the Eternal Emperor vanished and reappeared directly in front of Lu Mingyuan.

A monstrous wave of Demonic Qi surged forth, trying to pour into Lu Mingyuan’s body.

WHOOSH!

But in that instant, Lu Mingyuan summoned a bluish-green pearl that bloomed with light like the bright moon, forcing back the Demonic Qi.

The Demonic Qi on the Eternal Emperor’s face receded slightly as he raised a hand to shield himself from the light.

The Jade Blood Night Pearl.

It was the Eternal Emperor’s own Lifebound Defense Treasure, forged through the continuous refinement of his Life Essence Blood. It used the eyeball of the Divine Beast Xiezhi as a vessel; the divine eye of the Xiezhi was incomparably bright and possessed the ability to illuminate heaven and earth.

"Returned to you, tenfold!"

Lu Mingyuan struck out with the Jade Blood Night Pearl, moving forward with unstoppable momentum.

With Zhu Xie in hand, myriad saber shadows flickered around his body. His momentum climbed continuously, and his Saber Qi transformed into a roiling sea.

And he stood atop the ten-thousand-zhang-tall waves, executing his Saber Technique.

His speed was too fast for the naked eye to follow.

"Nineteenth Form!"

Lu Mingyuan burned all the Essence in his body, unleashing the nineteenth form of the Dragon Slaying Saber Technique.

In that instant.

The Saber Qi surged toward the heavens.

RUMBLE!

A startling clap of thunder exploded in the sky, as if tearing apart the darkness and the miasma of demonic clouds that filled the air.

A celestial phenomenon of a Dragon-slaying Platform appeared in the sky.

Below the platform, Saber Qi illuminated heaven and earth.

Lu Mingyuan flicked his sleeve. His Acupoints shone like a sea of stars, dazzlingly bright. His Dharma Aspect manifested; under the coalescing of his Martial Arts Holy Qi, a Celestial King General clad in Taotie Armor rose up, leaning on its saber. It stood majestically in the firmament, tens of thousands of zhang tall.

The thunderous Dragon-slaying Platform was still glowing brightly.

For a fleeting moment.

Lu Mingyuan felt he had found the answer to the question in his heart.

"I am the Human Emperor, and I will protect the common people."

...