True greats engage in lengthy battles, and the clash between Chen Xia and Emperor Witch is no exception. Since they ascended to the sky, numerous days have passed, yet the outcome remains unresolved.
"These two are incredibly evenly matched. Who knows how long it will take for them to determine a victor," remarked the Lord of the Divine Realm.
Standing beside him, the Supreme Being and Star Lord remained undisturbed. Among cultivators, there are no strict notions of right or wrong. As long as the Lord of the Divine Realm remains alive, they are still allies.
The Supreme Being suddenly shook his head.
"In terms of true strength, Chen Xia is superior. You can't judge solely by combat prowess."
"What do you mean?" the Lord of the Divine Realm inquired.
"Don't you remember? Chen Xia isn't a Five-Path Great Emperor; he merely possesses the combat strength of one. His true cultivation level is at the Four-Path Great Emperor stage!"
"..." The Lord of the Divine Realm fell silent. He had been so struck by Chen Xia's combat strength that he overlooked this fact.
Indeed, if Chen Xia were to reach the Five-Path Great Emperor realm, he might even rival the highest realms!
"Certainly," Star Lord concurred.
"Do you only know how to say 'certainly'? Don't you have any original thoughts?" The Lord of the Divine Realm's aged brows furrowed as he questioned Star Lord.
Star Lord remained silent, as if deep in thought. After a while, he suddenly nodded and smiled.
"Certainly."
It was a bit hard to take.
At the Heaven Pill Gate, a group of people anxiously waited. The specifics of the battle in the sky were indiscernible, but it was clear that the fight was intense and closely contested.
Emperor Capital couldn't help but curse.
"Damn, why is he so tough to beat? Did my brother Chen Xia go easy on him too much?"
"If you want to show off, use your own name; don't drag Chen Xia into it," Qiu Li retorted, casting a glance at him.
"Using my own name would've gotten me killed long ago," Emperor Capital shot back, fully aware of his limitations.
"Stop arguing; Xu Zhen and Huang Qingyue are already anxious enough. You two are still joking around," Li Yang scolded Emperor Capital.
Emperor Capital rolled his eyes, declining to argue with the women, and focused on observing.
The Big Yellow Dog sat cross-legged on a high point, his paws folded across his chest, his expression grave. Since Chen Xia and Emperor Witch began their battle, he had not spoken a word, intently watching the sky. From the residual ripples, he could deduce some hints of the ongoing conflict.
Wang Yangzi tended to his dānlú (Dantian furnace, possibly a medicinal furnace), occasionally glancing at the sky, though he dared not look too long, fearing his worry would cloud his focus. Instead, he concentrated on refining medicines, waiting for the result.
Qiu Yi was not at the mountain gate; she had been called away by Daoist Suppressing Heaven.
The two stood at the edge of East Jia State. Qiu Yi was unsure why Daoist Suppressing Heaven had summoned her, but she suspected it wasn't for anything good, her heart filled with apprehension.
Daoist Suppressing Heaven spoke first, his puppet form emitting stiff words.
"Have you ever considered why you, by sheer luck, made your way from Qing Province to the Immortal Realm, and even arrived at the foot of Heaven Pill Gate?"
Qiu Yi was taken aback, pondering for a moment before stammering with a nervous laugh,
"Because... because I have really, really good luck?"
"...," Daoist Suppressing Heaven glanced at her briefly before nodding. "You have great confidence in your luck, but what if it wasn't luck, but a scheme instead?"
As the word "scheme" was spoken, Qiu Yi's body stiffened, the possibility occurring to her. She shuddered, her expression turning bitter as she struggled for a response.
Daoist Suppressing Heaven calmly gazed at her, then with a gentle pull, drew a thin red thread from her wrist. The other end of the thread stretched far into the unknown beyond the sky.
"This is a fate thread forcibly connected by the Martial Emperor," Daoist Suppressing Heaven explained.
Qiu Yi's face froze again. Although she had never met the Martial Emperor, she was well aware of his legend. Her panic was evident as she quickly asked,
"Then... then what should I do?"
Daoist Suppressing Heaven looked towards the sky, remaining silent for a moment before quietly replying,
"The Martial Emperor merely connected you and Chen Xia with this fate thread. But the thread is set by you. If you wish to end it, simply sever the thread. Cut the fate, and the scheme will unravel."
Hearing this, Qiu Yi's face turned pale, her breathing shallow. Her emerald eyes closed as thoughts raced through her mind. After a long while, she spoke in a trembling voice,
"Then please, help me sever it."
“No, I refuse,” Daoist Suppressing Heaven shook his head before adding, “If it can only be cut, then my scheme is inferior to the Martial Emperor's. That would make me the lesser. I won't accept that.”
"I will use this scheme to turn the tables. Using this fate, I'll turn it against the Martial Emperor, proving the might of my predictive path."
His voice grew louder as he asked Qiu Yi,
"Are you willing to join me in this plan, to scheme against the Martial Emperor, and to help Chen Xia carve out the title of number one under heaven!"
"Yes," Qiu Yi nodded without hesitation.
The sky was dark that day.
At noon, a figure descended, crashing into the Immortal Realm sea, causing waves to ripple violently.
Looking closely, everyone saw that the figure was clad in green robes.
It was Chen Xia!
Had he fallen into a disadvantage?
As they examined further, they were shocked to find that on Chen Xia's immortal sword, there was a rich streak of blood, glistening and vibrant, suffused with spiritual energy, and imbued with profound Daoist resonance. The blood moved beyond the capability of any Great Emperor.
It was the Heart Lake True Blood of Emperor Witch!