Chapter 1553: the Qi Dynasty Emperor’s Return

The patriarch of the Secret Talisman Gate indeed had extraordinary skills, seeming to be extremely adept at using talismans in combat.

His ability to use talismans in a fight was impressive, but the quality of his talismans was a little lacking when compared to what Shang Xia made.

With a single Myriad Tinted Cloud Talisman, he stopped the patriarch’s special 3-talisman combo. Tossing out another Golden Phoenix Leaving Flame Talisman and a Void Capture Talisman, he managed to force the fifth tier True Immortal away, buying him enough time to distance himself from the Essence Xing World.

No matter how hard he tried to shake off all the obstructions, it was an undeniable fact that he was still located around the Essence Xing World!

Having shaken off the Chen Dynasty Emperor and the combined assault of the 5 high-level True Immortals, Shang Xia felt the anger from the Essence Xing World.

The dreadful sensation was not unfamiliar to Shang Xia. He had experienced something similar in the Essence Du World before.

It happened when a Sage wielded the World’s Will in order to suppress their target.

Now that he felt the same familiar feeling, Shang Xia knew that the Sage of the Essence Xing World was about to reveal himself!

Even though that was the real crisis, he felt strangely relieved now that they had appeared. He had been prepared all along and he would have found it unbelievable if they didn’t actually do anything.

The only thing he didn’t know was if the Sage who made the move was Chen Ji or Yu Tang.

Shang Xia knew that trying to flee at that point was useless, so he simply stopped and turned around to face the heavenly screen of the Essence Xing World.

Facing the increasingly oppressive force, Shang Xia was not worried at all. He looked strangely composed.

It wasn’t his first time confronting a Sage. In fact, he had faced the Sage of the Essence Du World head-on, which allowed him to make a somewhat vague judgment about the strength of Sages.

From the pressure he was facing, Shang Xia felt that even though it was powerful, it couldn’t be compared to Sage Yan Yu of the Essence Du World. Shang Xia could be certain the Sage had to be weaker than Yan Yu.

One had to know that Yan Yu only managed to ascend less than 100 years ago. He was still stuck in the first star of the Martial Emptiness Realm.

So... that begged the question. Who exactly was the Sage who had come? Who was it that seemed so formidable, but was actually so weak?

Shang Xia deduced his identity right away!

With the appearance of a Sage, the Essence Xing World fell into silence right away.

That included the 5 high-level True Immortals who had been choosing Shang Xia. Even the Chen Dynasty Emperor didn’t make any strange moves for the time being.

Ever since Sage Qi Jing’s passing, several years had gone by. However, they finally managed to recover the third Sage to take charge of their world!

The Sage who had just revealed himself was naturally the Qi Dynasty Emperor, who had been in seclusion all along!

From how he manipulated the World’s Will, it was evident the Qi Dynasty Emperor didn’t just complete his ascension. He had already consolidated his foundations!

However, it was curious why the Qi Dynasty Emperor’s ascension did not cause any heavenly phenomena. The Qi Dynasty Dao Field might not have been enough to conceal his advancement unless Qi Jing left behind some treasures or secret arts. It was also possible the other 2 Sages had helped.

Of course, the possibility of the latter happening was slim.. It was more likely that Qi Jing left behind some sort of treasure.

The Qi Dynasty Emperor’s ascension to the Martial Emptiness Realm would inevitably change the dynamics of the Essence Xing World, a change not necessarily welcomed by all factions...

That might also be why the high-level True Immortals were stunned the moment he revealed himself.

As for the Qi Dynasty Emperor himself... The opinions of experts from other factions were no longer a problem after his ascension.

At this moment, the Qi Dynasty Emperor was in an unprecedentedly powerful state, with the strength he wielded and the confidence that came with it, Shang Xia seemed to be the perfect target for him to establish his authority.

What surprised him, though, was that instead of fleeing in panic as he expected, the foreign True Immortal remained in place and calmly waited for his arrival.

How dare he?

Who gave him the courage to confront a Sage?!

His act of provocation was simply trampling on the prestige of a Martial Emptiness Realm expert!

For a moment, the Qi Dynasty Emperor’s fury seemed to seep into the World’s Will he was controlling, making it seem as if the Essence Xing World was boiling with rage!

Thunder was generated in the void, and bolts of primal lightning that resembled divine retribution tore through tens of thousands of miles of void and descended on Shang Xia.

Facing the terrifying lightning bolts, the projection of the Crimson Soul Tablet had already appeared in his hand.

Swiping it in front of him, the void split open. A massive region of separate space was created and from afar, it looked like a giant mouth that swallowed the lightning that came.

The temporarily opened spatial realm was extremely unstable, and swallowing the lightning instantly triggered a spatial storm. The region of space was turned into chaotic space as Shang Xia retreated tens of thousands of miles further from the heavenly screen. He felt the suppression of the World’s Will weakening once again.

In fact, had it not been for the Qi Dynasty Emperor’s appearance while wielding the World’s Will, Shang Xia should have already returned to his peak state.

Whatever it was, to be able to block a strike from the newly ascended Qi Dynasty Emperor had already shocked everyone who was present.

But Shang Xia understood that every time he summoned the projection of the Crimson Soul Tablet, he wasn’t just using up his inner qi. The world origin he had plundered would also be consumed.

That was the reason Shang Xia only used the Crimson Soul Tablet when absolutely necessary.

As Shang Xia became more adept at controlling the Crimson Soul Tablet, along with its restoration, the amount of world origin it consumed each time was growing less and less.

His improvement was evident. When the Qi Dynasty Emperor launched another strike in anger in frustration, Shang Xia continued to wield the Crimson Soul Tablet to protect himself.

This time, a wooden staff pierced through the void and flew at him. The staff was what Qi Jing used to support himself during his waning years.

In the hands of the current Qi Dynasty Emperor, it was a treasure that far surpassed that of Divine Weapons!

Even before it reached him, Shang Xia could feel the intense chill emanating from the staff.

Shang Xia didn’t hesitate. He revealed the full extent of his abilities immediately.

With the projection of the Crimson Soul Tablet in hand, Shang Xia unleashed his martial intent, Six Harmony Supporting the Heavens. The projection slammed into the staff that had pierced through the void.

From the powerful impact, the void started to shatter. Spatial waves that could cover more than half the spatial barrier of the Essence Xing World started to rampage around the void.

Beneath the turbulent void, the staff that the Qi Dynasty Emperor unleashed flew back unsteadily, with a sense of decay now evident.

Shang Xia wasn’t in a great state either. He was swept deeper into the void from the powerful shockwaves and spatial folds that were created during the exchange. He barely managed to maintain his domain in order to avoid suffering severe injuries.

However, his wrists snapped during the exchange earlier and he felt as though someone slammed a sledgehammer into his stomach. His organs felt like they shifted and he spat out god knew how many mouthfuls of blood.

Through the final exchange, Shang Xia managed to free himself from the Qi Dynasty Emperor’s pursuit!