Chapter 896: Destiny

The combined attack from the Four Great Divine Emperors crashed down on Li Pin all at once with full force.

Held back by Divine Emperor Qiu Yu, Li Pin couldn't dodge in time, and every strike landed with perfect accuracy.

The resulting torrent of energy surged outward in all directions. It was so destructive it could wipe out hundreds of miles, even in the outskirts of the Abyssal Rift, deep within the Astral World's core layer. The shockwaves and distortions in spacetime were so intense that not even the Divine Emperors could perceive what was happening inside.

It was as if that space had been smashed back into chaos.

"

Hahaha!

He's as good as dead being hit by my Crimson Death Beam!"

"And here I thought he was special. Turns out he's just all show and no substance."

"Still, he's not weak. To stand against Qiu Yu's Primordial Abyss Force... in a one-on-one fight, he is stronger than any of us. No wonder he was able to kill Yuan Jie, Zhu Zhao, and Xuan Huang."

Amid the excited and surprised voices of the other Divine Emperors, Zhong Yan's calm tone stood out, laced with a touch of commentary, "It's a shame. His greatest mistake was challenging all five of us alone. He should never have done that."

Just then, a wave of inner spirit rippled out, "Enough. Quiet."

Zhong Yan's voice cut off instantly.

He, along with Tian Yu, Mo Xing, and Yang Guang, all turned to stare at that chaotic zone, where the flood of energy and twisted spacetime had made it impossible to sense anything clearly.

Even Qiu Yu's expression changed the moment he heard those words.

As the chaotic energy slowly faded and the warped spacetime began to settle, a figure reappeared in their senses.

It was Li Pin.

The five Divine Emperors' pupils all dilated at once at the sight of Li Pin. He stood there, enveloped in a soft, clear light, with not a single scratch on him. Calm and steady, he looked exactly the same as before the attack, as if nothing had ever happened.

Tian Yu's expression froze. "How can this be...?"

The other three Divine Emperors struggled to accept what they were seeing.

"No! That's impossible!"

"My attack hit him... it definitely did..."

Even Qiu Yu sensed that something had gone terribly wrong.

Li Pin... he is completely different from how we imagined.

"Have those behind you come out. Let them show me the true form of that so-called Dao Realm power you wield."

As he spoke, the Great Dao Radiance around him surged, condensing into a beam of Eternal Swordlight.

Unlike before, when the Eternal Swordlight could still be broken or erased with ease, this time it was forged entirely from the Great Dao Radiance. Its essence was pure and everlasting, nearly indestructible.

As the swordlight appeared, it lit up the surroundings. Its sharp brilliance seemed to cut through time and space, piercing straight into the inner spirit. The sense of danger it brought made Divine Emperor Qiu Yu's heart ring with alarm. "Not good!"

He immediately poured all his power into the jewel, creating an absolute domain of rule-based control around it.

At the same time, a towering phantom rose behind him. Within it lay a world teeming with tens of thousands of beings, most possessing Solar Flare-level strength. Among them were many Sacred Monarchs and Heavenly Emperors as well.

As the phantom world unfolded, every being within turned their gaze toward Li Pin. Their eyes were hollow, their expressions numb, like puppets under control.

As the phantom world churned, their combined power surged forth, rushing toward the Eternal Swordlight that Li Pin had unleashed with the Great Dao Radiance.

The swordlight broke through the absolute domain around the jewel and pierced straight into the phantom world.

Despite the tidal wave of power from tens of thousands of beings crashing down on it, the Eternal Swordlight stood firm, like indestructible steel, unmoved and unshaken.

When it reached the core of the phantom world, a brilliant light suddenly exploded outward, like a star igniting at its center.

Light, flame, and a mysterious dissolving force swept out in all directions. In an instant, the entire phantom world crumbled like a sandcastle before a tsunami. It was shattered, then turned to ash.

Divine Emperor Qiu Yu roared in fury and shock, "Origin!"

That single sword strike had completely destroyed the world he manifested.

As the world shattered, his aura dropped sharply, from near-perfection at the Divine Emperor level, down to the Heavenly Emperor Realm. It continued to fall, with signs of slipping further into the Sacred Monarch level.

Seeing this, the remaining four Divine Emperors moved again.

Divine Emperor Zhong Yan raised a short sword about a foot long. A dark red glow frantically condensed and compressed around the blade.

In the next instant, the blade shot toward Li Pin, carrying with it a sharpness that tore through everything and a force strong enough to shatter space.

Its speed, pushed to the extreme through time acceleration, had gone beyond the limits of reaction.

Even Divine Emperors, who constantly distorted space to guard themselves, couldn't keep up with an attack so fast.

Zhong Yan growled, his voice low and cold, "My Crimson Death Beam represents the end of all life. There's no way it could possibly—"

But his words were cut short when he saw the attack he had pinned his hopes on, one that had killed enemy Heavenly Emperors more than once, sank into Li Pin like a stone disappearing into the sea.

Bathed in gentle, rippling light, Li Pin appeared more like an illusion that didn't truly exist, or a divine mountain that couldn't be moved. No matter how sharp or fierce the Crimson Death Beam was, it couldn't stir up the slightest ripple when it hit him.

It wasn't just the Crimson Death Beam. The attacks from Divine Emperor Mo Xing and Divine Emperor Tian Yu came right after, yet they met the same result.

Having learned from their previous mistake, the two no longer used large-scale destruction techniques that could erase entire regions. This time, they concentrated their power into piercing divine arts. These were attacks refined to the limit, sharp enough to penetrate even a Supreme's True Body.

Yes, Divine Emperors possessed the power to pierce the Supreme's True Body.

Of course, the True Bodies of Supremes were massive. They could continuously absorb matter and energy from the universe, and with time-accelerated regeneration, they would recover quickly. Even an attack refined to the extreme might not cause serious damage. But at the very least, it could still wound them.

Divine Emperors, however, were not Supremes. They didn't possess such rapid recovery.

In theory, this kind of attack was the most effective way for the weak to strike the strong.

Yet the final result... was the same as the Crimson Death Beam. Other than a faint ripple of clear light spreading from Li Pin, there wasn't even a scratch left on him.

An attack that even Supremes couldn't ignore had done nothing to Li Pin. It was as though Li Pin was completely immune to their attacks. Not even a symbolic "-1" damage had gotten through.

And this time, there was no overwhelming energy blast or twisted spacetime to blur their vision. The whole process played out clearly before their eyes.

That cruel truth sat there, plain as day, leaving them no room for denial.

All three Divine Emperors' expressions faltered.

Divine Emperor Yang Guang, who had prepared a similar attack, froze mid-action, unsure if he should even continue.

A long silence passed before Divine Emperor Tian Yu finally spoke, his voice dry and strained. "Highlord's Body..."

The Highlord's Body. The defense Li Pin just displayed is exactly like the indestructible, law-immune bodies the Highlords forged. But... how could that be possible?

He is just a Divine Emperor! Not even someone who had broken free from the Astral World. How could he have forged a Highlord's Body?

"Reduce me to ashes?" Li Pin looked at the pearl that Divine Emperor Qiu Yu had unleashed, its Dao Realm power now fading fast. "Seems like that's no longer something you're capable of."

He raised his hand and formed a sword with his fingers. A beam of Eternal Swordlight shot through space at incredible speed, carrying a razor edge that tore through all in its path and warped spacetime. In the blink of an eye, it struck the pearl that Divine Emperor Qiu Yu had summoned.

Divine Emperor Qiu Yu had sensed the Eternal Swordlight coming, but he couldn't block it, not at all. All he could do was watch as it hit the pearl, which now held only a faint trace of Primordial Abyss power.

Bang!

As invisible ripples spread from the pearl, countless cracks instantly webbed across its surface.

Qiu Yu's panicked voice rang out. "No! No!"

But it was too late. His most powerful weapon, that pearl, shattered right before his eyes.

The Absolute Domain collapsed in an instant.

With its disappearance, the Eternal Oblivion Force seemed to sense the Great Dao Radiance on Li Pin's body. It began to stir, surging restlessly.

But before it could descend, the nature of that Great Dao Radiance had already changed. Through simulation, it had perfectly aligned with the laws of this universe, forming a new Highlord's power.

In an instant, the Eternal Oblivion Force, which had just been on the verge of erupting calmed once again.

Divine Emperor Qiu Yu's expression shifted between rage, fear, and unwillingness, before finally giving way to a deep sense of powerlessness.

He knew Li Pin wasn't bluffing.

In the end, he had no choice but to look toward the depths of the Abyssal Rift.

Just then, a sigh echoed from within the rift.

A moment later, a figure stepped out from the abyss.

Because of the distance and the interference from the Abyssal Rift, Li Pin hadn't sensed him at first.

But as soon as he saw the figure, he recognized him right away.

Li Pin called, "Divine Emperor Zang Xu?"

Over the years, the Astral Lord Council had stepped into the light, and the names and identities of its lords and elders had gradually become known.

"That's not my real name," the figure replied calmly, eyes fixed on Li Pin. "With your talent and potential, you now qualify to know our true names."

He paused, swept his gaze around, and for a moment, nostalgia and sentiment flickered in his eyes.

"My name... is Creator Miao Ya."