"Ten-Absolute Immortal Emperor, your strength is indeed formidable, worthy of witnessing the fusion divine ability this seat has created during my ten thousand years of seclusion!" Qingyun Immortal Emperor suddenly sheathed his Qingyun Divine Spear, fixing his gaze on Zhang Fan with a serious expression.
"Fusion divine ability?" Upon hearing this, the many Immortal Emperors present were all astonished. Even Xuanlong Immortal Emperor and Hunyuan Immortal Emperor hadn't expected Qingyun Immortal Emperor to have reached this stage, capable of creating fusion divine abilities.
For individuals at the Immortal Emperor realm, divine-grade divine abilities were no longer considered extraordinary. The four peak powerhouses at the Heavenly Dao realm pinnacle already possessed at least several divine-grade divine abilities each. However, fusing divine-grade divine abilities was truly terrifying.
"Quite interesting. This Emperor also has methods yet to be unleashed. Let's see whose divine ability is stronger!" Zhang Fan's heart was fearless. Having reached the Immortal Emperor realm, his Ten-Absolute Heavenly God Record was considered complete, and he had also mastered the final divine ability.
"Oh?" Zhang Fan's demeanor greatly surprised Qingyun Immortal Emperor. He hadn't anticipated that even after their battle had reached such a fierce intensity, Zhang Fan still held back. This made Qingyun Immortal Emperor's expression immediately solemn.
"Rise!"
Qingyun Immortal Emperor raised his hands. As his Dao law circulated, a bone-chilling ice heart appeared on his left hand, while a scorching inferno rose from his right. In this instant, the entire universe seemed to plunge into a world of alternating ice and fire, chilling to the bone yet intensely hot. Weaker cultivators, even from afar, felt their bodies on the verge of combustion.
As Qingyun Immortal Emperor brought his hands together, the ice heart and inferno violently collided. He grasped the Qingyun Divine Spear and thrust it forward with immense force.
"Ice and Fire Annihilation!"
With Qingyun Immortal Emperor's low roar, the power of the entire starry sky was integrated into the Qingyun Divine Spear. The Immortal Emperor True Artifact transformed into ice dragons and fire dragons, entwining with each other, forming an incredibly terrifying crushing force. Space was frozen, time fell still, and the entire world seemed to be left with only the majestic figure of Qingyun Immortal Emperor.
As Qingyun Immortal Emperor unleashed his divine ability, the various Chaos Imprints within Zhang Fan's body were ignited, furiously absorbing the power of the universe within him. Subsequently, a figure reaching one light-year in height coalesced above Zhang Fan's head.
The figure bore the same likeness as Zhang Fan, but the gaze that surveyed all beings with utter indifference made one suspect if this was the true appearance of the Ten-Absolute Immortal Emperor.
"Heavenly God Descends!"
The ultimate divine ability contained within the Ten-Absolute Heavenly God Record, when unleashed, gave Zhang Fan a fleeting illusion that the boundless universe before him was merely a pond, easily extinguishable.
Of course, this was merely an illusion born from the sudden possession of immense power. The figure, resembling a heavenly god, seized the Seven Stars Tower, which had transformed into its true form, and brought it crashing down.
The Seven Stars Tower, several light-years in length, now resembled a pillar of world destruction as it collided with the Qingyun Divine Spear. The entire void fell into a deathly silence. Following this brief stillness, an unstoppable force erupted. Qingyun Immortal Emperor finally could not withstand it; his divine body cracked, and he was sent flying at speeds exceeding light, disappearing into the deep cosmic void.
Zhang Fan did not pursue. The Heavenly God Descends technique was his most powerful move at present, yet it had only heavily injured his opponent, not killed him. Even if the fight continued, it would be difficult to deliver the final blow.
"Disperse!"
The spatial blockade formed by the joint efforts of the Immortal Emperors was shattered by this strike. As the terrifying aftermath threatened to spread to the surrounding starry sky, with countless stars on the brink of falling, Zhang Fan uttered a single word. The entire starry sky instantly returned to tranquility.
The brief silence was followed by an earth-shattering outcry. The cultivators of Cloud Mist City descended into a frenzy, unable to believe that even Qingyun Immortal Emperor was no match for Zhang Fan. Did this mean Zhang Fan was now an invincible existence in the Eastern Starry Sky?
One of the Immortal Emperors present also wore a peculiar expression. Apart from the four peak Heavenly Dao realm powerhouses, another being capable of slaying Immortal Emperors had emerged in the East.
Hunyuan Immortal Emperor and Xuanlong Immortal Emperor exchanged glances, their eyes filled with intense fighting spirit. For those who stood at the pinnacle of power, the appearance of a peer was a cause for joy.
Among those present, the most terrified was undoubtedly Xuantian Immortal Emperor. As Zhang Fan's gaze fell upon him, Xuantian Immortal Emperor's heart trembled. He knew clearly that if Zhang Fan wished to kill him, he stood no chance of survival.
"Xuantian, to be so pathetic as an Immortal Emperor is truly disgraceful." Zhang Fan did not spare Xuantian Immortal Emperor any consideration and continued, "Go back and tell Qingyun Immortal Emperor that I will give him an opportunity. The Heavenly Mandate will descend in a few hundred years. If he is not convinced, he may challenge me when it arrives."
Xuantian Immortal Emperor remained silent and departed stealthily. Even Qingyun Immortal Emperor had been defeated by Zhang Fan; what else could he say?
"Congratulations, Ten-Absolute Daoist friend. Today's battle ends here. I hope to have the opportunity for a spar in the future." Hunyuan Immortal Emperor cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan nodded. For Hunyuan Immortal Emperor or Xuanlong Immortal Emperor, engaging in sparring with peers at the same level was immensely beneficial for the advancement of their Dao laws. However, for Zhang Fan, it held no further significance.
With the battle concluded, numerous Immortal Emperor powerhouses came to offer their congratulations. After all, this was a being comparable to the four peak Heavenly Dao realm powerhouses. Even though they too were at the Heavenly Dao realm, they had to humble themselves.
As the crowd departed, the starry expanse returned to silence. However, the entire Central Continent erupted once more. A vast number of cultivators surged into the clouds, eager to experience the current grandeur of Cloud Mist City, even if they couldn't catch a glimpse of Zhang Fan.
Xuantian Sect, within the Qingyun Imperial Palace.
Qingyun Immortal Emperor's cracked divine body had fully recovered. His eyes were as deep and dark as a frigid pool. He had not lost his fighting spirit due to the temporary setback. On the contrary, he had gained profound insights from the battle, which bolstered his confidence in perfecting his own Dao law.
"Experts are emerging one after another; the glorious era has truly arrived," Qingyun Immortal Emperor murmured softly.
Xuantian Immortal Emperor nodded and said, "The other three star systems have also been restless in recent years. It is likely as the Ten-Absolute Immortal Emperor stated: the Heavenly Mandate of this era is about to descend. Will we contend for it?"
"A glorious era. Since one has reached the peak of the Heavenly Dao realm, one must naturally contend. It is just that I originally believed my strength was sufficient. However, the battle with the Ten-Absolute Immortal Emperor made me realize that without perfecting one's Dao law, there will be no opportunity in this era."
"From this day forward, I will enter absolute seclusion until the Heavenly Mandate shines upon the sky."
As the gates of the Qingyun Imperial Palace slowly closed, Xuantian Immortal Emperor also issued an order: even if the sect faced a life-or-death crisis, Qingyun Immortal Emperor was not to be disturbed.