"There are quite a few powerful individuals, but their numbers mean little to me!"
As the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor activated his Azure Cloud Divine Spear, an indescribable imperial might swept across the entire Central Continent. The major immortal sects were all alarmed, their eyes filled with doubt. Subsequently, Immortal Emperors transformed into streaks of light and flew towards Cloud Mist City.
"Though I may not be able to defeat you, I am willing to try!" The Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's prayer beads, like a string of glazed relics, gathered together to form a multicolored halo. The many Immortal Venerables behind him activated the power of their battle formations, pouring their formidable energy into it.
The multicolored halo instantly unleashed a powerful divine radiance, engulfing the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor. At the same time, a Buddhist seal appeared in his hand. As he hurled it forward, the seal transformed into a resplendent Buddhist realm, suppressing the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor. This Buddhist seal was the Immortal Emperor artifact he had refined after entering the Immortal Emperor realm, the Myriad Ages Seal.
Facing a peerless powerhouse like the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor, the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable harbored no illusions. He unleashed his full might from the outset, hoping to exert some pressure.
The Profound Heaven Immortal Emperor retreated behind the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor, casting a deep glance at the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable. This individual had only entered the Immortal Emperor realm a century ago, yet his strength had reached such a level. Such talent was likely not much inferior to the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's. If Cloud Mist City were given enough time, it would undoubtedly become a major power in the Central Continent, holding a status no less than that of the immortal sects.
Facing the combined attack of over a dozen Immortal Venerables and one Immortal Emperor, the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor appeared rather calm. He held the spear with one hand. As the long spear swung, flames filled the sky, incinerating the multicolored divine radiance into nothingness. Concurrently, the suppressing Buddhist realm was sent flying backward by his strike, returning to the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's hand.
"The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's path of the Seven Heavens has become even more complete. Once this Blazing Fire Heaven is fully unleashed, its unquenchable fire can engulf a realm. Even the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's relic-filled Buddhist realm cannot withstand it!"
Some Immortal Emperors had already arrived at Cloud Mist City and were observing in secret, filled with awe at the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's power.
"The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor has already fused six of his Heavens. His strength is already on par with the Profound Dragon Immortal Emperor and others. If his Seven Heavens are completely fused, then the struggle for the Mandate of Heaven in this era will likely be his alone."
The Seven Heavens cultivated by this Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor are the Blazing Fire Heaven, the Vajra Heaven, the Thick Earth Heaven, the Styx Heaven, the Divine Wood Heaven, the Taiyin Heaven, and the Sun Heaven. Once all seven Heavens are fully fused, his strength could very well break through the shackles of the Heavenly Dao realm and reach a legendary level.
"Evil Buddha, your talent is not much inferior to mine, but unfortunately, you have little time left." A murderous glint flickered in the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's eyes. He had only been an Immortal Emperor for a century, yet this Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's strength exceeded his expectations. If allowed to grow, he would surely become a formidable enemy in the future.
"Though the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's strength is immense, it won't be easy for him to destroy my Cloud Mist City!" The Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable clasped his hands together and retreated with the others into Cloud Mist City, intending to rely on the city's protective array to defend.
The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor sneered and remained silent. Worldly illusions appeared behind him. When he struck again, the power of the Seven Heavens surged madly into his Immortal Emperor artifact. The artifact erupted with resplendent divine light. With a single-handed thrust, the Azure Cloud Divine Spear, carrying immense power, hurtled towards Cloud Mist City.
With such a peak strike, even the meticulously arranged protective array of Cloud Mist City was made to shake precariously. However, with the array patterns flowing, it recovered completely in less than a breath.
"This Cloud Mist City's protective array is so strong that even the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's strike with an Immortal Emperor artifact could not break it?"
"This level of defense is no less than that of an immortal sect's protective array. That Ten Absolutes Immortal Venerable is truly remarkable." Immortal Emperors, one after another, arrived and were greatly astonished by this sight.
"Perfect and flawless. Is this the array set up using the Path of Extremes?" Not having broken through with a single strike, the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor became even more expectant. His desire to comprehend the essence of the Path of Extremes cultivated by that Ten Absolutes Immortal Venerable grew stronger.
If he could grasp its essence, his path of the Seven Heavens would surely be perfected.
The Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable calmly watched this scene, feeling no joy. As the one controlling the protective array, he clearly sensed that the array's defensive power had reached its limit, yet the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor had not yet unleashed his full strength.
His only recourse now was to stall for time. The moment the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor appeared, he had already sent a message to his master. Once his master returned, the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor would be no threat.
"Again!"
The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor, holding his Immortal Emperor artifact, sent his spear like a falling meteor, smashing into the protective array.
Rumble!
The violent impact resounded through heaven and earth. The cultivators within Cloud Mist City watched this scene with bated breath, their hearts pounding in unison.
"Spear of Five Elements, Chaos of Yin and Yang!" The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor struck again, this spear fusing the boundless great daos of the Six Heavens. The forces of heaven and earth were instantly drained. The spear's emergence caused cycles of reincarnation to collapse, and a portion of the starry sky above Cloud Mist City was annihilated, causing many Immortal Emperors present to feel a profound sense of threat.
Under this world-shattering spear strike, the protective array of Cloud Mist City finally could not hold on and exploded with a bang. The powerful aftershocks instantly swept through Cloud Mist City, reducing buildings within the city to ruins and sending countless cultivators flying backward, spitting blood.
"Hm?"
Just as many Immortal Emperors lamented the fate of Cloud Mist City, they witnessed an astonishing and horrifying scene.
Cloud Mist City seemed to fall into a state of temporal reversal. The countless ruined buildings slowly recovered, and the group of severely injured cultivators flew back to their original positions, their wounds healing completely.
"Time reversal? Who possesses such a method?"
Zhang Fan descended upon Cloud Mist City like a divine being. He looked at the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor, his old adversary from days past, with a faint smile in his eyes.
"Ten Absolutes Immortal Venerable?" The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor's gaze fell upon Zhang Fan. He paused, then added, "Perhaps I should address you as Ten Absolutes Immortal Emperor now, shouldn't I?"
The moment these words were spoken, even the people of Cloud Mist City were slightly taken aback. Had Zhang Fan broken through to the Immortal Emperor realm?
Wasn't it said that once a cultivator mastered the Heavenly Dao, it would cause a resonance, and the Immortal Emperors would be alerted?
What they did not know was that within the Myriad Realms Mountain, countless worlds overlapped, sufficient to conceal the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, Zhang Fan's breakthrough to the Immortal Emperor realm this time had been silent and unnoticed.
"Other Immortal Emperors might not detect it, but I knew for sure you wouldn't be able to hide it from me." Zhang Fan's gaze was profound. "Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor, have you come to my Cloud Mist City merely to learn from that Profound Heaven Immortal Emperor, and steal my Path of Extremes?"
"Your Profound Heaven Sect has provoked me time and again. Are you not afraid that I will annihilate your Profound Heaven Sect?"
"When you grow to the peak of the Great Dao realm, perhaps you will have this strength. But now, even though you have broken through to the Immortal Emperor realm, you are still too immature. Without an Immortal Emperor artifact, how will you fight me?" the Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor said with a light laugh.
"Is that so?" Zhang Fan beckoned with one hand, and an octagonal treasure pagoda appeared in his hand – the Seven Star Pagoda.
"How is the Seven Star Pagoda in his hands?"
"Since I cultivated the Primordial Chaos Dao, I have been searching for the Seven Star Pagoda for hundreds of thousands of years. I never expected it to have fallen into someone else's possession." An old man in white robes, observing from within the void, could not help but cry out in anguish, beating his chest and stamping his feet.
This was the Primordial Chaos Immortal Emperor of the Five Elements Immortal Sect. He had achieved the Primordial Chaos Dao through the Five Elements and Space-Time, and his origin was one with that legendary Seven Star Immortal Emperor. The Seven Star Pagoda was the most fitting Immortal Emperor artifact for him.
The Primordial Chaos Immortal Emperor, having searched fruitlessly for the Seven Star Pagoda for decades, was dismayed to see it so easily obtained by Zhang Fan, and let out a long sigh of lament.
The Azure Cloud Immortal Emperor also did not expect that in the short span of a hundred years since this Ten Absolutes Immortal Venerable had left, he had not only broken through to the Immortal Emperor realm but had also acquired an Immortal Emperor artifact. However, this would not change the outcome of today's events.
...