The void trembled under the onslaught of Emperors, as dozens of shattered star realms crumbled around them, like the rain of the apocalypse, carrying the savage aura of destruction.
Emperors' blood splattered, falling into the endless void, seeping into star realms, and droplets of blood coagulated into stars within those realms.
The Way of Heaven descended rapidly, targeting the entire battlefield. The top Emperors, no longer hiding, led the charge, with the only five-Dao Emperor of the Great Heaven taking the forefront, colliding with the entire Way of Heaven, attempting to halt it single-handedly.
It was a foolish idea, yet also a magnificent one.
Emperor Tianhe traded half his life with a remnant of an Emperor, falling onto the shattered city walls, gazing at the dazzling Emperors above, like brilliant stars.
The scene was breathtaking, a riot of colors.
Chen Xia transformed into a pale sword light, darting through the void, searching for Yan Zi to engage in battle. Ancestral Dragon wielded a celestial sword, accompanied by thunder and Time Dao. The four top Dao forces clashed, overwhelming Yan Zi, who could only rely on his substitute Dao to escape.
He had already been struck down by Chen Xia three times, and as he fled, he cried out,
"Chen Xia, Chen Ge, slow down! I can't run anymore!"
Chen Xia, however, remained indifferent, the pale sword light exploding in the void, momentarily eclipsing the radiance of all other Emperors.
A flash.
Yan Zi's left hand held the black void of Yin, his right hand the white substance of Yang. The two intersected, forming a circular Yin-Yang shield, desperately protecting him.
The sword light descended.
The Yin-Yang shield creaked under the pressure, Yan Zi gritted his teeth, his hands trembling but refusing to let go. If he did, the sword qi would strike him.
But would he escape unscathed if he held on?
Not likely.
The creaking shield had already developed a crack, thin but deep.
The pale sword qi, like a torrent seeking an outlet, surged into the crack, brimming with murderous intent!
It was beyond defense!
Yan Zi's heart skipped a beat. He dared not continue resisting. Switching his Yin-Yang Dao to pure Yin, he used a yielding technique to deflect the sword, retreating to catch his breath.
Click.
A faint footstep echoed.
Claws of a hand gripped Yan Zi's shoulder, and Chen Xia's voice followed.
"Gotcha."
Yan Zi turned, astonished to see Chen Xia behind him. He hadn't expected Chen Xia to reach him first. Was this the terrifying aspect of Time Dao?
Foreknowledge.
"Chen Ge, I surrender." Yan Zi understood the adage "a wise man submits to circumstances." He raised his hands without hesitation.
His three-Dao Emperor status seemed no match for Chen Xia's four-Dao quasi-Emperor. Chen Xia's combat power was already on par with top three-Dao Emperors, especially those focused on battle.
Yan Zi, however, was different. His three Dao were purely for survival, not combat. Surrendering was his best option.
Chen Xia remained silent.
Yan Zi then offered a bright smile, hoping to appeal to Chen Xia's better nature. After all, no one hits a smiling face, right?
But Chen Xia didn't strike him. Instead, he raised his hand and swung a sword.
An extreme sword intent exploded, and in terms of sword intent alone, Chen Xia was no less than an Emperor of the Way of the Sword.
Yan Zi took the blow, not fatal but far from pleasant.
His body was sent plummeting by the sword intent, his chest's magical robe shattered, crashing through countless star fragments, finally landing on a shattered star realm. A sword mark appeared on his chest, blood seeping out.
It was a moderate injury, a sign Chen Xia had held back.
Yan Zi lay in the crater he had created, gazing at the ripples of Emperor battles above, smiling calmly.
He didn't rise, deciding to stay put, far from the battlefield, avoiding detection by the Way of Heaven, which might target him first.
As for Chen Xia's safety, he could only pray for the best.
He watched Chen Xia's pale figure, curious about what Chen Xia would do next.
Though he knew Chen Xia couldn't withstand the Way of Heaven, he couldn't help but feel a strange expectation for Chen Xia, the four-Dao quasi-Emperor.
It was when Chen Xia, as a four-Dao Saint, had torn off an Emperor's head that he began to feel this way.
Chen Xia was just... different.
And what happened next confirmed Yan Zi's suspicions.
His eyes widened, reflecting an unbelievable sight—pure white sword qi.
In his vision, a streak of purest white sword qi shot skyward, carrying unyielding courage, like a dazzling firework ascending toward the Way of Heaven, incredibly beautiful yet fleeting.
The sword qi pierced through everything, directly into the Way of Heaven's reckoning.
Was it suicide?
Yan Zi didn't know how to describe it. His expression was frozen, stunned by Chen Xia's audacity. He began to wonder...
Did Chen Xia have some mental issues?
Probably.
He thought.
A sudden burst echoed from the Way of Heaven, and no one knew what had transpired inside, only that it soon fell silent.
Emperor Tianhe, having traded half his life with an Emperor remnant, also fell, severely injured, barely managing to rise and quickly taking out a healing elixir given by Chen Xia to recover his vitality.
He too looked up at the Way of Heaven's reckoning, finding it eerily calm.
Chen Xia had charged in, like a small pebble thrown into a vast lake, creating a brief ripple before sinking into silence.
A fleeting moment.
Was that all?
Emperor Tianhe lowered his head, puzzled by certain things.
Like why Chen Xia had such audacity.
While Emperor Tianhe wasn't afraid of death, he dared not charge directly into the Way of Heaven's reckoning. It was a blasphemous act, with far-reaching consequences.
Even four-Dao Emperors only dared to resist the Way of Heaven's reckoning, never to engage it in battle.
But Chen Xia did, and he acted on it.
And then?
Yan Zi's calm eyes widened again, reflecting another light.
A light that burst out from the Way of Heaven, like a falling meteor, swift and intense.
He saw what was inside the light.
It was Chen Xia!
Boom!
In an instant.
Chen Xia crashed down, landing in the same shattered star realm as Yan Zi, the crater almost identical.
But Chen Xia's injuries were far more severe.
The Way of Heaven wouldn't hold back.
Chen Xia clutched his chest, trembling as he stood, struggling to turn his head, his blood-streaked eyes meeting Yan Zi's, offering a difficult smile.
"Hello, what a coincidence."
Yan Zi was momentarily stunned, then shook his head.
He's so polite, I'm touched.