Chapter 256: Emperor Body Soars, Strength Explodes! Human Immortal Hall Selection, Under Fourth Generation, Ji Qing Dominates!
Black Ruins, a Curse Forbidden Zone.
Ji Qing returned to the Curse Divine Hall again.
The Spirit of the Divine Hall looked at Ji Qing’s figure and asked in confusion, “Young Master, you’re back again?”
Ji Qing smiled and said, “This time it’s a retreat, but the gains are not small. Prepare a cultivation secret chamber for me, I will cultivate in the Divine Hall for a while.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
The Spirit of the Divine Hall immediately arranged a cultivation secret chamber for Ji Qing.
Ji Qing knew that once he left with so much Chaos Origin, those cultivators would go mad.
As for Star Great Emperor and the others.
Ji Qing specifically had them stay a little far away.
They should, perhaps, be fine…
It couldn’t be helped, contention for the Chaos Origin was bound to cause damage, they could only fend for themselves.
There was still a lot of Chaos Origin in the Secret Realm.
Ji Qing didn’t think about continuing to contend for the Chaos Origin.
He wasn’t that greedy.
Since he had obtained so much Chaos Origin now, he should naturally know when to stop.
Ji Qing took out one portion of Chaos Origin after another.
This time was indeed a huge harvest.
Let’s see to what extent it could push his Emperor Body!
Thus, Ji Qing immediately began to refine the Chaos Origin.
One year, two years, three years, four years, five years…
This time, Ji Qing spent a long time refining the Chaos Origin.
That was because there was too much Chaos Origin.
And Ji Qing’s Emperor Body was incredibly powerful, requiring far more Chaos Origin than other Great Emperors.
But even so, Ji Qing’s Emperor Body was constantly soaring.
2%, 5%, 10%, 15%…
Ten years later, Ji Qing stopped.
In the end, his Emperor Body progress stopped at 52%.
Ji Qing’s Emperor Body had actually surged by over 50%.
This was simply too fast.
Of course, the reason it was so fast was that there was too much Chaos Origin obtained this time.
Such an opportunity was rare and could not be sought.
Therefore, Ji Qing firmly seized it.
“A 52% Emperor Body is about 167 times Great Emperor Combat Power! If we add the armor, the Immortal Slaying Saber, the Giant Spirit God Clan, etc., that’s 272 times Great Emperor Combat Power!”
“This doesn’t even include the Curse Body… the Curse Body can affect even the Fifth Life Demon Emperor, its actual combat power is definitely above one hundred times Great Emperor…”
Ji Qing was shocked.
If he met that Fifth Life Demon Emperor again now, wouldn’t he be able to directly kill her?
She could only abandon one life to save herself.
“I’ll go back and see.”
Ji Qing got up and left the Curse Divine Hall, returning to Human Immortal City.
As soon as Ji Qing returned to Human Immortal City, he immediately sent a Communication Talisman to Star Great Emperor and the others.
To inquire about the situation of the contention for the Secret Realm.
As a result, after a long time, Star Great Emperor replied, “Go to the Human Immortal Hall.”
Soon, Ji Qing went to the Human Immortal Hall.
He met Star Great Emperor and the others.
Fortunately, the four Great Emperors were still there.
However, Star Great Emperor and the others looked at Ji Qing with some “resentment.”
Yes, “resentment.”
Star Great Emperor said slowly, “Fellow Daoist Ji, why didn’t you take us with you when you ran away? It was too scary, we were just a little bit away from having to abandon one life to save ourselves…”
Listening to Star Great Emperor, did something even more terrifying happen in the Secret Realm later?
Myriad Phenomena Great Emperor took a deep breath and said, “Fellow Daoist Ji, you don’t know, the contention for that Secret Realm really escalated, many cultivators above the Seventh Generation came out to fight.”
“Suspected Ninth Generation cultivators appeared, and the terrifying aftershocks caused countless Great Emperors to abandon one life. In the end, the Secret Realm was almost shattered… Later, the three major powers of the Forbidden Zone, Demon Immortal City, and Human Immortal City reached an agreement, all cultivators withdrew from the Secret Realm, and the three major powers would select some strong individuals for a fair decisive battle to ultimately determine the ownership of the Secret Realm.”
“Alas, no one can enter the Secret Realm now. The Chaos Origin is right there, but no one can get it. Only those who obtained Chaos Origin before count as a huge harvest…”
Hearing this, Ji Qing finally understood why Star Great Emperor and the others had such “resentful” eyes.
So they encountered such a terrifying event later?
Ji Qing ran away after obtaining the Chaos Origin.
He was stuffed to the brim, with huge gains.
While Star Great Emperor and the others, and later some Great Emperors, even suffered heavy losses.
A Great War broke out between Nine-Life Great Emperors, what kind of existences were they?
Even a little aftershock was enough to collapse the Secret Realm.
To ensure the Secret Realm didn’t collapse, the three major powers had to jointly seal it.
“So that’s how it is…”
Ji Qing also felt a little scared.
He didn’t have a life to sacrifice.
If he encountered a cultivator at the level of a Nine-Life Great Emperor, wouldn’t he be instantly annihilated?
Even with the Curse Divine Hall, he might not have enough time to return to it.
The Void might even be blocked.
He wouldn’t be able to return at all!
“Fellow Daoists, the situation was urgent at the time, I could only leave on my own, and couldn’t take anyone with me…”
Ji Qing explained.
But in reality, Star Great Emperor and the others all knew that such a contention for Chaos Origin was inherently every man for himself, and extremely dangerous.
They were already very lucky to have gotten out safely.
There was no reason to blame anyone.
They were just joking earlier.
“Fellow Daoist Ji, we didn’t mean to blame you. This Secret Realm contention resulted in heavy casualties for many cultivators on the Immortal Path, and the three major powers couldn’t decide a winner in the end. But this time, the three major powers will have a fair competition, and once the ownership of the Secret Realm is decided, the Chaos Origin within the Secret Realm will definitely be distributed to the cultivators who contributed to obtaining it.”
“Therefore, Fellow Daoist Ji, this might still be an opportunity for you!”
Ji Qing’s eyes also lit up.
Who would dislike having more Chaos Origin?
Ji Qing originally thought that all the Chaos Origin in the Secret Realm had been snatched away and there would be nothing left for him.
He didn’t expect such a turn of events.
He still had a chance.
“How does the Human Immortal Hall select the participating cultivators, and has the selection ended?”
Ji Qing asked.
“The Human Immortal Hall mainly selects cultivators in three tiers based on their cultivation level. Two-Life and Three-Life Great Emperors are one tier, Fourth Generation to Sixth Generation Great Emperors are one tier, and Seventh and Eighth Generation are one tier. Each of these three tiers will select the strongest cultivator, who will then engage in a great battle with the cultivators selected by the Forbidden Zone and Demon Immortal City to determine the ownership of the Secret Realm.”
“For the selection method, registration is required at the Human Immortal Hall, and one must be a member of the Human Immortal Hall. It is said that the cultivators in the first and second tiers have already been selected, and it seems that there are still some disagreements among the cultivators in the third tier, and the final list has not been confirmed.”
“If Fellow Daoist Ji is willing to compete, it’s not impossible to have a chance.”
Myriad Phenomena Great Emperor said.
He wanted Ji Qing to compete in the first tier.
In the tier of Two-Life and Three-Life Great Emperors, Ji Qing currently had a significant advantage.
Even for a Three-Life Great Emperor, calculating based on a maximum of one hundred times Great Emperor Combat Power per life, a Three-Life Great Emperor would have at most 300 times Great Emperor Combat Power.
And Ji Qing?
He currently had a staggering 272 times Great Emperor Combat Power.
This didn’t even include the Curse Body.
Once the Curse Body was unleashed, Ji Qing’s overall combat power would far exceed 300 times Great Emperor!
This was beyond doubt.
Moreover, could the Human Immortal Hall truly find a Three-Life Great Emperor with 300 times Great Emperor Combat Power now?
It was probably difficult.
A single life could at most have eighty or ninety times Great Emperor Combat Power.
One hundred times Great Emperor Combat Power?
Ji Qing had also heard that Vast Universe Emperor had surpassed one hundred times Great Emperor Combat Power.
But besides Vast Universe Emperor, other Great Emperors couldn’t even get close to one hundred times Great Emperor Combat Power.
The only trouble was that the first tier had already been clearly decided.
Someone had already been chosen.
Ji Qing had to hurry now.
“Who is the selected Great Emperor for the first tier?”
Ji Qing asked.
“It’s Great Emperor Heijin! This Great Emperor is a Three-Life Great Emperor… his strength is immense! He probably has at least around 270 times Great Emperor Combat Power!”
Star Great Emperor said with a solemn expression.
“Thank you all, Fellow Daoists. I will hurry to the Human Immortal Hall to register.”
“Let’s go with you, Fellow Daoist. The Human Immortal Hall is also a place of fame and fortune. The selection list for each tier involves significant interests. If you go alone, you might be fighting a lone battle.”
Star Great Emperor said.
The others also nodded in agreement.
This was not a simple matter of just going and saying something.
If Star Great Emperor and the others went with Ji Qing.
They would be seen as thorns in Great Emperor Heijin’s side.
It would surely anger Great Emperor Heijin.
Furthermore, it would also anger some other cultivators involved in the vested interests.
This choice was not that “easy.”
But the Great Emperors still chose to believe Ji Qing and stand firmly with him.
Ji Qing cupped his hands towards the four, “Then thank you, four Fellow Daoists!”
The five of them immediately set off, flying towards the Human Immortal Hall.
Inside the Human Immortal Hall, as usual, many cultivators were interacting.
When the Human Immortal Hall opened and everyone saw Ji Qing and the four others, their gazes inevitably fell on Ji Qing.
There were many rumors about Ji Qing.
It was said that Ji Qing performed impressively in this Secret Realm contention.
Crucially, Ji Qing snatched the Chaos Origin from a Fifth Life cultivator, and then disappeared without a trace.
Now he had finally returned.
Some also said that Ji Qing had toyed with many Great Emperors, snatching a large portion of the Chaos Origin right under the eyes of over a hundred Great Emperor experts, becoming the “winner” of this Secret Realm contention.
In short, there were many rumors.
But these rumors basically had one common point: Supreme Great Emperor Ji Qing was basically victorious and had reaped abundant rewards.
Therefore, seeing Ji Qing now naturally made many cultivators in the Human Immortal Hall envious.
Ji Qing did not hesitate and immediately said, “I heard that the Human Immortal Hall is selecting cultivators to participate in the Secret Realm contention, and I, Ji Mou, wish to register for the first tier selection!”
As Ji Qing’s voice fell, the entire Human Immortal Hall fell silent.
Coming to participate in the first tier selection now?
It was too late!
After all, the cultivators for the first tier had already been selected, and even the list was confirmed as Great Emperor Heijin!
At this moment, Star Great Emperor, Myriad Phenomena Great Emperor, and the others stepped forward, making their stance clear, and said loudly, “We are willing to recommend Supreme Great Emperor! This Secret Realm contention concerns the interests of all cultivators in the Human Immortal Hall, so we must select the strongest cultivator from each tier. Otherwise, if we lose, wouldn’t it be a loss for all cultivators in the Human Immortal Hall?”
“Let alone the list being confirmed, even if it were truly confronting cultivators from the other two major powers, as long as no action has been taken, it can be changed. Everything respects strength!”
Star Great Emperor’s words were met with some agreement from the cultivators.
Indeed, there was no behind-the-scenes manipulation in the selection of cultivators this time.
Everything was fair and open.
Only strength was respected.
If Ji Qing wanted to register for the first tier selection now, he should naturally be given a chance.
“Go, notify Great Emperor Heijin, and tell him to come to the Human Immortal Hall quickly.”
A Great Emperor spoke.
“Yes.”
As some Great Emperors sent messages.
Soon, a black-robed Great Emperor walked into the Human Immortal Hall.
As soon as he entered, his gaze fixed on Ji Qing, his eyes unfriendly.
“Great Emperor Heijin, the selection list was originally confirmed, but this Supreme Great Emperor wishes to register and believes he is more suitable to represent the Human Immortal Hall. What is your opinion?”
Great Emperor Heijin’s face sank.
He really didn’t want to accept any more challenges deep in his heart.
But he also understood that he had no choice.
This kind of selection respects strength.
Moreover, it was a public and transparent selection; any excuse he made would be seen as weakness.
Therefore, he had to accept this battle!
“Alright, but I have one condition: we don’t hold back in this battle! If Fellow Daoist Ji is afraid, then…”
Upon hearing this, many people’s expressions changed slightly.
Not holding back meant it would almost be a fight to the death.
Once defeated, it might not just be a simple loss; it could lead to sacrificing one life to pay for another.
Doing so would almost sever a cultivator’s potential.
Especially Ji Qing.
He hadn’t truly lived out his second life yet.
Ji Qing could not sacrifice one life to pay for another.
If Ji Qing faced a life-or-death crisis, he might truly perish.
This was Great Emperor Heijin’s counterattack.
A righteous counterattack!
If you dare not, then don’t challenge.
Thus, everyone’s gaze fell on Ji Qing.
“I can.”
Ji Qing agreed.
Instantly, many people became solemn.
Even Great Emperor Heijin was the same.
He didn’t believe Ji Qing hadn’t understood his strength before coming.
He dared to agree to this.
There could only be one possibility.
Ji Qing was truly confident that he was no worse than Great Emperor Heijin!
“This is going to be a good show. Great Emperor Heijin versus the Supreme Great Emperor, not only will they decide victory, but they will also decide life and death!”
“The Supreme Great Emperor agreed so readily, indeed showing full confidence. And Ji Qing previously killed the End Great Emperor and even performed excellently in the Secret Realm contention; his strength might not necessarily be inferior to Great Emperor Heijin’s.”
“Great Emperor Heijin might have encountered his true opponent this time.”
Even Great Emperors like Myriad Phenomena Great Emperor, Star Great Emperor, and others who had confidence in Ji Qing now wore solemn expressions.
Great Emperor Heijin was by no means weak.
In a fight to the death between the two, one would surely be injured!
Under normal circumstances, the Human Immortal Hall would not allow them to fight to the death.
But in this situation, they could only let it be.
“Let’s go to the Immortal Path.”
Great Emperor Heijin took a deep breath.
Since Ji Qing had agreed, he could not back down any further.
Thus, Great Emperor Heijin and Ji Qing went to the Immortal Path.
They left Human Immortal City far behind.
Both sides stood in the void, confronting each other from afar.
Great Emperor Heijin looked at Ji Qing with a complicated expression and said coldly, “Supreme Great Emperor, we have no grudge, and the list has clearly been confirmed. Why must you contend with me? Even if you win, you will have to face the experts from the Forbidden Zone and Demon Immortal City. It’s still hard to say who will win. You want to fight for such a hot potato?”
Ji Qing also replied with a smile, “Great Emperor Heijin, cultivation is like sailing against the current; retreat if you don’t advance. There is Chaos Origin in the Secret Realm that I need, so naturally, I must fight for it at all costs!”
“Chaos Origin… yes, you want Chaos Origin, and I want it too… then let’s rely on our own abilities.”
Great Emperor Heijin stopped speaking and faintly emitted three terrifying auras.
Those were the auras of his three lives.
Ji Qing felt the accumulation of Great Emperor Heijin’s three lives.
It was true to the rumors; each life was approximately ninety times Great Emperor Combat Power.
The total was around 270 times Great Emperor Combat Power.
This was already very strong.
Silver Moon Demon Emperor, whom Ji Qing had killed, only had eighty times Great Emperor Combat Power.
Great Emperor Heijin before him was almost the strongest one-life combat power Ji Qing had ever encountered!
However, Ji Qing was not to be outdone.
He quickly covered himself with the Black Immortal Battle Armor.
His Emperor Body also appeared.
In his hand, he held the Immortal Slaying Saber.
Instantly, a murderous aura permeated the void.
“Clang.”
Ji Qing drew his sword.
The shining blade light was like a galaxy, cutting through the dark void.
This strike was almost the strongest strike Ji Qing could unleash now.
Apart from his Curse Body, Ji Qing had used almost all the power he could muster.
The might of this strike reached 272 times Combat Power!
Such a terrifying strike made Great Emperor Heijin’s expression change slightly.
But that was all.
Great Emperor Heijin, as the strongest Three-Life Great Emperor selected by the Human Immortal Hall.
His strength was also not to be underestimated.
He directly threw a punch.
This punch was enveloped in black light, as if it had exploded the void.
Concentrating the power of three lives into one, he unleashed his strongest punch, causing the void of the Immortal Path to vibrate intensely.
One punch, one saber.
They collided with a roar.
“Boom.”
Terrifying aftershocks spread in all directions.
“What?”
“Such terrifying power, it’s truly… death by touch.”
“It’s understandable for Great Emperor Heijin, as he was selected by defeating countless opponents, but for the Supreme Great Emperor, although his battle record is impressive, to actually be able to contend with Great Emperor Heijin?”
“Are the two… evenly matched?”
When the smoke cleared, everyone saw the situation of the two.
This exchange was evenly matched.
“Again!”
Ji Qing unleashed another saber strike, and then another.
Each strike was 272 times Great Emperor Combat Power.
Great Emperor Heijin also responded with punch after punch, colliding with Ji Qing’s blade light.
It was a pure head-on clash, but they were not inferior.
However, even though Ji Qing and Great Emperor Heijin were evenly matched, everyone knew that Ji Qing’s Emperor Body was not yet at Perfection, while Great Emperor Heijin had already gathered the power of three lives.
The superiority was clear at a glance!
However, they were not comparing potential this time.
But true combat power!
With each collision, they began to compete in endurance.
However, Ji Qing understood clearly.
Great Emperor Heijin’s strength was only this much.
“Let it end…”
Ji Qing activated his Curse Body.
“Buzz.”
Curse Power descended.
It instantly enveloped Great Emperor Heijin.
Countless Curse Powers eroded Great Emperor Heijin’s three lives.
“Swish.”
Ji Qing’s blade light followed closely.
Great Emperor Heijin’s heart leaped in shock.
He knew that this time, he was going to lose.
Lose completely!
Utterly defeated!
This time, he could only use one life to pay for another.
If one life was severed, his cultivation would plummet from then on.
He would have no hope of the immortal path in the future.
Great Emperor Heijin showed a wry smile.
He did not blame heaven or man.
Because this was the price he had to pay!
The blade light fell.
“Huh?”
After a long while, Great Emperor Heijin opened his eyes.
He knew that in the scene just now, he definitely couldn’t block Ji Qing’s blade light.
His one life would surely be severed by Ji Qing’s blade light.
But, nothing happened.
“You…”
Great Emperor Heijin’s eyes widened.
He saw that Ji Qing had already sheathed his saber.
Even the invisible curse had disappeared.
“Cultivation is not easy. It would be too much of a loss if your one life was lost here! Have you surrendered, Fellow Daoist?”
Ji Qing said indifferently.
“I surrender! I willingly admit defeat!”
Great Emperor Heijin surrendered decisively.
In fact, a smile appeared on his face.
He was very happy and excited.
He hadn’t expected Ji Qing to show mercy.
He hadn’t severed his one life.
His Foundation was not destroyed.
He felt a sense of having regained what was lost.
Disappointment, regret, and everything else were absent from Great Emperor Heijin at this moment.
He only felt relief.
He even felt grateful to Ji Qing.
The two of them had no grudge to begin with.
They were only representing Human Immortal City.
Naturally, there was no need for a fight to the death.
Moreover, Great Emperor Heijin had completely come to terms with it.
If he had represented Human Immortal City and encountered an opponent stronger than him, wouldn’t his one life be severed?
That price was too great.
Now that Ji Qing’s strength was greater than his, having Ji Qing represent Human Immortal City was the best choice!
With Great Emperor Heijin’s defeat, the surrounding onlookers erupted in an uproar.
A storm of shock raged in their hearts.
Ji Qing was too strong!
He defeated Great Emperor Heijin head-on before his Emperor Body was even at Perfection?
That was a Three-Life Great Emperor!
It was simply unbelievable.
Crucially, Great Emperor Heijin accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.
He was even very grateful to Ji Qing.
“Good! Supreme Great Emperor, you will represent the first tier of cultivators to contend for the Secret Realm!”
As a Seven-Life Great Emperor’s voice echoed, this challenge was finally settled.
Ji Qing returned to the Human Immortal Hall.
Many cultivators congratulated Ji Qing.
Great Emperor Myriad Phenomena and Great Emperor Star were also incredibly excited.
“Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Ji, you actually defeated Great Emperor Heijin so easily, and even made him genuinely admit defeat. It’s truly unbelievable. However, whether it’s the Forbidden Zone or Demon Immortal City, they should not be underestimated!”
Great Emperor Star also reminded Ji Qing.
It wasn’t a time to rest easy just because Great Emperor Heijin was defeated.
On the contrary, defeating Great Emperor Heijin was merely the beginning.
Ji Qing’s true test would be when competing for the secret realm.
Those Forbidden Zone Monsters and the powerhouses of Demon Immortal City were the greatest threats!
“I will be careful.”
Ji Qing nodded.
“Supreme Great Emperors, gather at the Human Immortal Hall in one month.”
“Yes.”
Ji Qing immediately flew out of the Human Immortal Hall.
The first and second tiers of the list were basically finalized.
Only the third tier still had some changes.
Therefore, this month was likely for selecting the third-tier list.
The third tier was, after all, different.
They were Great Emperors of the seventh and eighth lives!
To some extent, the individuals on the third-tier list were almost the strongest in the Human Immortal City below the Great Emperors of the ninth life.
As for why the Great Emperors of the ninth life weren’t participating.
It was probably because the powerhouses of the ninth life were generally the absolute top existences within the three major forces.
With Mortal Immortals not appearing, the ninth life reigned supreme.
The contention for the secret realm had caused the Great Emperors of the ninth life to clash fiercely, igniting true anger and nearly destroying the secret realm itself.
Therefore, for this secret realm contention, the strongest participants were Great Emperors of the eighth life, with no Great Emperors of the ninth life taking part.
Naturally, there was no fear of Great Emperors of the ninth life clashing.
As for how this third-tier list would be specifically determined, no one knew.
It wasn’t until a month later that Ji Qing received a Communication Talisman.
Ji Qing arrived at the Human Immortal Hall once more.
However, this time, there weren’t many cultivators in the Human Immortal Hall.
Only a handful of three.
The leader of these three was a blue-robed cultivator whose aura was as deep as an abyss, incredibly profound.
Upon seeing Ji Qing, the blue-robed cultivator also showed a hint of a smile.
If there was any cultivator among the third-tier individuals who could definitely secure a victory, it would undoubtedly be Ji Qing!
The strength of this Supreme Great Emperor had won the admiration of all cultivators in the Human Immortal Hall.
“Ji Qing, I am Great Emperor Wuliang. This time, I will lead the three of you to compete for the secret realm.”
Ji Qing’s heart tightened. The blue-robed cultivator was actually Great Emperor Wuliang?
This was the renowned Great Emperor of the ninth life!
Ji Qing had naturally heard of him.
This Great Emperor Wuliang had also ascended to his current position from weakness, step by step. His deeds were legendary, and he was one of the emblematic Great Emperors of the Human Immortal Hall.
“Greetings, Great Emperor Wuliang!”
Ji Qing also bowed to Great Emperor Wuliang as a sign of respect.
“These two are Great Emperor Shenfa of the sixth generation and Great Emperor Tianye of the eighth generation! Both are outstanding individuals among the second and third-tier cultivators. Within the Human Immortal Hall, no one of the same tier is stronger than them.”
Ji Qing also cupped his fists and said, “Greetings, Fellow Daoist Shenfa, Fellow Daoist Tianye.”
Neither of them was an arrogant cultivator; they also returned the greeting. “Supreme Fellow Daoist is renowned. According to the best-of-three rule, your strength will basically secure the first victory steadily. This is extremely important for our Human Immortal City. We all have to rely on Supreme Fellow Daoist…”
This was not untrue.
Ji Qing’s tier was the most assured.
“Alright, let’s depart!”
Great Emperor Wuliang wasted no more time and, taking Ji Qing and the other two, directly traversed Space towards the secret realm.
Soon, the group of four arrived at the secret realm.
To be precise, they arrived at the Immortal Path outside the secret realm.
They dared not fight within the secret realm anymore.
They were afraid that the ninth-life powerhouses would flip the table and start fighting directly, which could then collapse the secret realm.
When Great Emperor Wuliang and the others arrived at the secret realm, they found they were the last faction to do so.
The people from Demon Immortal City and the Forbidden Zone had already arrived and were assembled.
At this moment, Demon Emperor Tianhu from Demon Immortal City spoke, “Great Emperor Wuliang, we were just waiting for your Human Immortal City!”
“The time hasn’t come yet, what’s the rush?”
Great Emperor Wuliang and Demon Emperor Tianhu immediately engaged in a verbal sparring match.
In contrast, the Forbidden Zone faction was very quiet.
“Let’s draw lots first. Whoever gets lucky gets the bye.”
Demon Emperor Tianhu said.
All three factions attached great importance to this draw.
After all, drawing the bye offered a significant advantage.
After all, if one had to fight an intense battle first, even if they defeated their opponent, they might sustain injuries, which would be troublesome.
It would be equivalent to fighting the bye-earning side in the final battle while injured.
The side that benefited the most would naturally be the one with the bye.
Whichever faction received the bye depended on luck.
And luck was often considered part of strength!
“Draw!”
Great Emperor Wuliang also agreed to the draw.
Only the Forbidden Zone faction remained.
The Forbidden Zone faction consisted of figures that were dim and semi-transparent.
Their appearances were unclear.
It was unknown what kind of monsters they were.
However, being able to lead a team, they were likely comparable to Great Emperors of the ninth life.
The other party also nodded.
Thus, the three of them immediately began to draw lots.
A ball of light appeared in the Void.
The three of them reached into this ball of light.
Then they opened their hands.
The expressions of Great Emperor Wuliang and Demon Emperor Tianhu were somewhat grim.
Neither of them had received the bye.
The Forbidden Zone faction had received the bye.
“Very well, we will defeat your Human Immortal City first, and then deal with the Forbidden Zone!”
Demon Emperor Tianhu said coldly.
“The first match can only feature cultivators of the second and third lives!”
As Demon Emperor Tianhu’s words fell, Demon Emperor Xuangui appeared.
He was a Demon Emperor of the third life.
And he was the strongest among the Demon Emperors of the third life, having been meticulously selected from within Demon Immortal City!
Great Emperor Wuliang’s gaze also turned to Ji Qing.
Ji Qing naturally understood and thus voluntarily moved into the Void, facing Demon Emperor Xuangui from afar.
The cultivation of both sides could naturally not be hidden from the Great Emperors of the ninth life.
It was impossible to cheat in terms of cultivation.
Upon seeing Ji Qing, Demon Emperor Tianhu’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint.
“The Great Emperor with the highest talent in Human Immortal City? It’s rumored he shaped his Emperor Body with eleven Supreme Laws, yet he hasn’t even reached his second life. And he dares to participate in the secret realm contention? Wuliang, are you truly not afraid of him perishing here?”
Demon Emperor Tianhu saw through Ji Qing’s identity and cultivation at a glance.
Great Emperor Wuliang said indifferently, “The secret realm contention does not distinguish between life and death! If Demon Emperor Xuangui can kill Supreme Fellow Daoist, then feel free to do so.”
Demon Emperor Tianhu said nothing further.
The battlefield was handed over to Ji Qing and Demon Emperor Xuangui.
Demon Emperor Xuangui looked at Ji Qing from afar.
To him, Ji Qing was merely a junior.
He was a junior who hadn’t even reached his second life, yet he stood before him, wanting to contend.
“Xuangui, remember, go all out, spare no expense in killing this Ji Qing. He hasn’t even reached his second life, so if you kill him, he will be truly dead!”
Demon Emperor Tianhu transmitted to Demon Emperor Xuangui.
This was a death order to kill Ji Qing.
After all, Ji Qing was a top human genius.
With such a good opportunity, they naturally couldn’t hold back.
Demon Emperor Xuangui’s heart tightened.
Demon Emperor Tianhu spoke well, saying to kill Ji Qing.
But was Ji Qing really that easy to kill?
Ji Qing was already completely enveloped in the Black Immortal Battle Armor.
He held the Immortal Slaying Saber in his hand.
A fearsome Saber Intent emanated from Ji Qing.
Simultaneously, Ji Qing also revealed his colossal two-hundred-zhang true body.
“Clang.”
Ji Qing drew his sword.
A radiant Blade Light flashed.
The Saber Intent locked onto Demon Emperor Xuangui.
Demon Emperor Xuangui, however, let out a low roar and revealed his true tortoise form.
His four limbs were even retracted into his shell.
Demon Emperor Xuangui was like this; his strongest point was his defense.
Considering defeat before victory.
It was through his terrifying defense that Demon Emperor Xuangui had managed to defeat numerous Demon Emperors and participate in this secret realm contention.
This demonstrated how strong Demon Emperor Xuangui’s defense was.
“Bang.”
Ji Qing’s Blade Light fiercely slashed down.
The terrifying Combat Power, reaching 272 times that of a Great Emperor, struck the shell of Demon Emperor Xuangui but was like facing an impenetrable wall, unable to even shake it.
Ji Qing’s heart sank.
Demon Emperor Xuangui’s defense was too strong.
Let alone his current 272-fold Great Emperor Combat Power.
Even if it were 280 or even 300-fold Great Emperor Combat Power, it likely wouldn’t be able to harm Demon Emperor Xuangui in the slightest.
Ji Qing unleashed more slashes.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.”
Slash after slash.
Each slash was executed with full effort.
The Immortal Slaying Saber itself was indestructible.
The result was an initial setback.
On the shell, only a faint white mark was left.
And it recovered instantly.
It was impossible to shake Demon Emperor Xuangui.
If this continued with the current consumption, Ji Qing would surely be defeated!
It’s important to note that up to this point, Demon Emperor Xuangui had not launched any counterattacks.
Once he counterattacked, how terrifying would his Might be?
“It really is a turtle shell, I can’t cut through it…”
Ji Qing was also somewhat helpless.
If it were any other Great Emperor facing this turtle shell of Demon Emperor Xuangui, they would likely have no recourse and would eventually be counter-killed by Demon Emperor Xuangui.
But Ji Qing’s offensive wasn’t just head-on.
Although Demon Emperor Xuangui’s turtle shell was extremely tough.
Ji Qing’s Curse Body, however, ignored all kinds of defenses.
It could directly reach the opponent’s internal body.
No matter how hard a turtle shell was, how could it block the intangible curse?
“Hum.”
The next moment, Ji Qing immediately unleashed his Curse Body.
The massive Curse Body instantly enveloped the turtle shell.
Endless Curse Power fell upon Demon Emperor Xuangui.
Instantly, Demon Emperor Xuangui felt as if his entire being was being eroded from the inside out by the terrifying Curse Power.
“How can this be? This power is too strange… This is not the power a Great Emperor possesses!”
Demon Emperor Xuangui’s heart began to panic.
If this power were solely present, Demon Emperor Xuangui could still resist.
If it were only this single power, Demon Emperor Xuangui could still resist.
But the key was that at this evenly matched moment, such strange power suddenly appeared, bypassing his turtle shell defense and causing him great trouble.
And the victory or defeat between experts is decided in a single thought.
The Curse Body was unleashed by Ji Qing, so Ji Qing naturally sensed at the first moment that the Curse Body had taken effect and was impacting Demon Emperor Xuangui.
Therefore, Ji Qing unleashed another saber slash.
“Crack.”
This time, the turtle shell became fragile, even cracking directly.
Demon Emperor Xuangui was enraged.
His massive body directly charged towards Ji Qing.
However, the terrifying Blade Light showed no fear.
This time, Demon Emperor Xuangui’s turtle shell could no longer hold on, and within the Blade Light, the shell shattered instantly.
At the same time, the Blade Light also struck Demon Emperor Xuangui’s body.
Without his turtle shell, Demon Emperor Xuangui could not withstand this saber slash from Ji Qing.
“Puchi.”
The Blade Light cut through Demon Emperor Xuangui.
At the critical moment, Demon Emperor Xuangui instantly abandoned one life, saving his own.
But Demon Emperor Xuangui also fell from Three Lives to just Two Lives.
He was even less of an opponent for Ji Qing then.
“I surrender…”
Demon Emperor Xuangui directly announced his surrender.
Although the consequences would be severe if he surrendered, it was still better than losing his life.
If he continued to fight, he feared he wouldn’t even be able to preserve his Two Lives.
“Snap.”
Demon Emperor Xuangui surrendered, and Ji Qing naturally sheathed his saber.
In this battle, although Ji Qing used all his techniques, he indeed suffered no damage.
Demon Emperor Xuangui couldn’t even make him expend any energy.
For a moment, Demon Emperor Tianhu’s expression turned grim.
He hadn’t expected to lose the first match.
This was a bad start!
“Curse Power? Your Human Immortal City truly has some skill, to be able to cultivate Curse Power…”
Demon Emperor Tianhu recognized at a glance that Ji Qing was cultivating Curse Power.
But he couldn’t discern the essence of the Curse Body.
The laws cultivators practice are varied and strange.
Cultivating Curse Power doesn’t even rank high among them.
There are even stranger powers.
With the aid of Curse Power, Ji Qing’s ability to deal with Demon Emperor Xuangui was a perfect counter.
Demon Emperor Xuangui was also genuinely convinced of his defeat.
“Second match… Demon Emperor Jukun, step forward.”
Demon Emperor Jukun stepped onto the stage; he was a Six-Life Demon Emperor, exuding an incredibly formidable aura.
On the Human Immortal City side, Great Emperor Shenfa also stepped onto the stage.
He primarily cultivated Lightning Laws.
He was considered a Six-Life Great Emperor with extremely terrifying offensive power.
During the Human Immortal City selections, Great Emperor Shenfa’s lightning was something that peers dared not directly confront.
To directly confront it meant either death or severe injury.
“Roar…”
Demon Emperor Jukun made his move.
He directly manifested his true Demon Emperor form, opening his massive maw as if to swallow Great Emperor Shenfa whole.
Great Emperor Shenfa waved his hand.
Dense lightning descended from the void.
“Rumble.”
This was like lightning plowing the earth.
Unbearable!
Truly unbearable!
Demon Emperor Jukun’s true form was too massive.
Yet, it couldn’t withstand the dense lightning.
“I surrender… I surrender…”
Demon Emperor Jukun also surrendered.
At this point, Demon Emperor Tianhu’s expression became extremely grim.
Three matches to win.
Demon Immortal City had already lost two matches.
The third match was no longer necessary.
No one had expected it to be such a crushing victory!
It’s worth noting that Human Immortal City and Demon Immortal City had been in conflict for an extremely long time.
They had always been evenly matched, with neither able to gain an advantage over the other.
But now?
In a best of three, Human Immortal City had utterly crushed Demon Immortal City.
However, Demon Emperor Tianhu knew clearly that the variable was actually the Supreme Great Emperor Ji Qing.
If it were any other Great Emperor from Human Immortal City facing Demon Emperor Xuangui, they would surely have lost!
But it was Ji Qing.
If Demon Immortal City had won the first match, even if they lost the second, Demon Immortal City could have deployed an Eight-Life Demon Emperor.
It would have been truly difficult to say who would win.
Unfortunately, there are no ‘ifs’.
Losing is losing.
No matter how unwilling Demon Emperor Tianhu was, he had to abide by the rules set by the three factions.
“Fine, your Human Immortal City has the upper hand this time, but you still have the Forbidden Zone to contend with. Don’t lose to those monsters, that would be truly laughable!”
Demon Emperor Tianhu said coldly.
Human Immortal City and Demon Immortal City were sworn enemies, fighting to the death whether on the Immortal Path or in the Black Ruins.
The only entity that could unite Demon Immortal City and Human Immortal City was the Forbidden Zone!
Neither Demon Immortal City nor Human Immortal City wanted the Forbidden Zone to obtain the Secret Realm.
“Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Tianhu, but our Human Immortal City will surely win!”
“First match, Ji Qing, do you need to rest?”
Ji Qing shook his head.
He was completely unharmed; why would he need rest?
“Good, Ji Qing will go first.”
Thus, Ji Qing arrived in the void of the Immortal Path, his gaze falling upon the four monsters from the Forbidden Zone.
One of the monsters, without uttering a word, silently flew into the void.
This monster was covered in sharp spikes, resembling a hedgehog, yet it was massive and exuded a terrifying pressure.
Ji Qing’s heart tensed.
The monsters of the Forbidden Zone were bizarre and their abilities were unfathomable.
This monster, with its body covered in spikes, looked like it would be a big trouble if one were to get pricked.
The opponent didn’t even seem to have any intention of announcing its name.
“Whoosh.”
The Hedgehog Monster charged directly at Ji Qing.
“Clang.”
Ji Qing instantly drew his saber.
A brilliant Blade Light cut through the void.
But the moment the Blade Light struck the Hedgehog Monster, the monster’s body trembled.
“Swish swish swish swish swish.”
The countless spikes exploded outwards.
Most of them flew towards Ji Qing.
The spikes were dense, blocking out the sun.
If one were to be impaled, the consequences would be unimaginable.
As for Ji Qing’s saber slash hitting the Hedgehog Monster.
The opponent had clearly prepared to sacrifice one life.
This was a mutually destructive tactic!
Ruthless!
Truly ruthless!
The Forbidden Zone monsters were indeed venomous.
Not only ruthless to their enemies, but even more so to themselves!
Willing to abandon one life just to strike down Ji Qing.
Ji Qing possessed the Third-Tier Giant Spirit Race Physical Body, and his Emperor Body contained the Law of Life.
Logically, Ji Qing should not fear any tactic that involved trading damage.
But the opponent was a Forbidden Zone monster, which could not be judged by normal standards.
Moreover, if the opponent were to abandon one life, Ji Qing could die.
Even if a Spiritual Imprint were slowly nurtured in the Black Ruins, it would take a long time, rendering it not worthwhile.
The key was that even if it could be nurtured, Ji Qing would lose this round.
Therefore, Ji Qing sheathed his saber.
Blade Light encircled Ji Qing’s entire body, precisely protecting every inch of his physique.
Even the dense spikes could not harm Ji Qing.
But Ji Qing did not let it go unchecked.
The Curse Body instantly descended, enveloping the Hedgehog Monster.
Even though new spikes quickly grew after the Hedgehog Monster’s spikes exploded,
the Curse Power, being all-pervasive, still had some effect on the Hedgehog Monster.
Ji Qing then directly created distance and unleashed a saber slash.
The Hedgehog Monster attempted to repeat its tactic.
Unfortunately, the distance was too great, and Ji Qing could easily dodge.
However, the terrifying saber slash with 272 times Great Emperor Combat Power squarely struck the Hedgehog Monster.
“Puchi.”
The Hedgehog Monster’s physical body was cut open.
It quickly abandoned one life, thus managing to survive.
“Surrender.”
The Hedgehog Monster finally spoke.
So it could speak after all.
It had remained silent before, and Ji Qing had genuinely thought it couldn’t even speak.
The monsters of the Forbidden Zone were indeed terrifying.
Despite being weaker than Ji Qing, they could still prolong the fight for so long.
However, the outcome was good.
Ji Qing lived up to expectations and secured the first round!
“Excellent! Ji Qing has won the first round. Great Emperor Shenfa, it’s your turn!”
Thus, Great Emperor Shenfa once again stepped into the void to face the second Forbidden Zone monster.
However, when the second Forbidden Zone monster appeared, everyone’s pupils suddenly contracted, and their expressions changed drastically!
