The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor swept his gaze across the scene, and the eyes of the assembled Immortal Emperors converged on him. As their gazes met, many Immortal Emperor powerhouses felt a tremor in their hearts, for they sensed a formidable threat from the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor.
"Has the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor truly achieved perfect fusion of the Dao of the Seven Heavens?" the Lord of Reincarnation mused inwardly. He cultivated the Six Paths of Reincarnation, merging six Great Dao rules, and knew firsthand how much effort it took to bring them to perfection. The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's Dao of the Seven Heavens, however, encompassed seven Great Dao rules. To cultivate it to perfection would be several times more difficult than his own Dao of Reincarnation.
"This generation's struggle for destiny, none of you stand a chance. I advise you all to give up," the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor said, pausing briefly on the Lord of Reincarnation, the Emperor of Five Elements, and the Lord of Great Light, before shaking his head.
"The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor is indeed as arrogant as the legends say. Let me, the Mad Martial Immortal Emperor, test your strength!" A powerhouse in the late Heavenly Dao realm, who had followed the Lord of Reincarnation, made a decisive move. Though only in the late Heavenly Dao realm, his physical body was incredibly robust. Even the Lord of Reincarnation would require considerable effort to shatter this corporeal form. This was the source of his confidence in challenging the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor.
The Lord of Reincarnation did not intervene. The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor was somewhat unfathomable to him, and letting the Mad Martial Immortal Emperor test his depth suited his intentions.
A cold smile flickered across the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's lips. His gaze was indifferent. He merely pointed his Immortal Emperor True Artifact forward, and a perfect Yin-Yang Diagram of the Five Elements manifested on the Azure Cloud Divine Spear, striking the Mad Martial Immortal Emperor.
That physical body, which even Immortal Emperor True Artifacts struggled to wound, was pierced through by this single strike. The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor rotated his wrist, and the Azure Cloud Divine Spear rained down like an assault of raindrops. In a single breath, over a hundred holes appeared on the Mad Martial True Immortal's body, rendering it tattered and torn, bleeding profusely. His aura weakened to its absolute limit.
The Lord of Reincarnation's eyes narrowed slightly. He intervened to rescue the Mad Martial Immortal Emperor and looked at the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor with a hint of apprehension, his mood heavy.
"I never expected the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor to truly cultivate the Dao of the Seven Heavens to perfection. Such talent inspires our admiration," the Lord of Reincarnation said, enveloping the Mad Martial Immortal Emperor with the Dao of Reincarnation, his injuries healing in an instant. He continued, "However, in this struggle for destiny, relying on you alone may not be enough."
"My target is not you all," the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor said, his gaze fixed on the void. He had sensed the aura of the Ten Absolute Immortal Emperor.
The Lord of Reincarnation and the others followed the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's gaze. They saw a young man in white robes walking from the starry sky. His aura was perfect and revealed nothing. The rhythm of his every breath was so natural that they unconsciously held their own breath, finding themselves momentarily stunned and lost in thought.
"Who is he?" all the Immortal Emperors wondered. This man, who appeared to have an ordinary aura, made everyone extremely vigilant.
Zhang Fan's gaze fell upon the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor first. A faint smile touched his chiseled features. "To have actually cultivated the Dao of the Seven Heavens to perfection, Yin and Yang and the Five Elements perfectly fused. It seems our battle hundreds of years ago gave you considerable insight." It was worth noting that during the previous life's struggle for destiny, the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor had not cultivated the Dao of the Seven Heavens to its perfect state. Clearly, Zhang Fan's appearance had altered history.
The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor remained silent, his grip tightening on the Azure Cloud Divine Spear. Zhang Fan continued, "But the moment you saw me, you should have understood. Even if you cultivate the Dao of the Seven Heavens to perfection, you will not be my match."
"To meet at our peak, what does it matter if I lose? At least my life's pursuit of the Dao has not been in vain," the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor said, his state of mind unperturbed. "In this lifetime, all others are mediocre. Only you, Ten Absolute Immortal Emperor, are worthy of battling me."
From their conversation, the Lord of Great Light and the others learned that this person was named the Ten Absolute Immortal Emperor. Their hearts were filled with confusion and shock, as they had never heard of such a figure before. Furthermore, judging by the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's tone, even he had no certainty of victory against this Ten Absolute Immortal Emperor. What level of cultivation had this Ten Absolute Immortal Emperor reached? After all, with the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's Dao of the Seven Heavens perfected, even the Lord of Reincarnation and the Emperor of the Five Elements clan were no match for him. Yet, he was still inferior to the Ten Absolute Immortal Emperor.
"Rest assured, I will fulfill your wish," Zhang Fan said, his gaze sweeping across the void. "But are you not all curious about what this destiny truly is? I believe that having cultivated to such realms, you all must have your suspicions. This destiny cannot be as simple as mere Heavenly Dao origin."
"Ten Absolute Immortal Emperor, what do you wish to say?" The Emperor of the Five Elements clan transformed into human form, radiating multicolored divine light. Five elements entwined in his eyes as he stared intently at Zhang Fan and asked in a deep voice.
"The universe has existed for billions of years. Countless Immortal Emperors have seized destiny throughout history. But have you ever wondered where all those Chaos Immortal Emperors went?"
A long silence fell upon the scene at his words.
"Perhaps they went to the legendary Immortal Realm?" the Mad Martial True Immortal beside the Lord of Reincarnation ventured uncertainly.
"Immortal Realm?" Zhang Fan scoffed. He utterly disbelieved in the existence of an Immortal Realm. If an Immortal Realm truly existed, why had no one from the Immortal Realm descended into this universe? Why were there no remnants of the Immortal Realm? If one went to the Immortal Realm and could not return, what was the difference between the Immortal Realm and a prison?
Zhang Fan did not answer the Mad Martial True Immortal. He took a step, bypassing everyone, and approached the destiny that resembled a water droplet. Its immense primordial power pressed down on the surrounding space-time, making it difficult for even Immortal Emperor powerhouses to get close. However, for Zhang Fan, it felt like a gentle spring breeze.
"Stop!"
Zhang Fan's action undeniably stirred the hearts of everyone present. None had expected Zhang Fan's speed to be so astonishing, approaching the destiny without causing the slightest spatial fluctuation. Thinking he intended to seize the destiny, all the Immortal Emperors simultaneously unleashed their divine abilities, sending them hurtling towards Zhang Fan.
...