Chapter 1982 I am Not Alone On My Path, For I Have A Rival

Mi Wuya only felt pure surprise when he learned of Lin Xun's battle record. Then, his crystal-clear eyes bloomed with an astonishing light.

“He can be one of us,” he remarked before bursting into a laugh that came from his heart, one that no other disciple of Panwu Dao Court had ever seen before.

The Mi Wuya in their impression had always been a recluse unfettered by worldly concerns and worries.

In fact, he often emanated a sense of forlornness that belonged to someone who stood at the peak.

The current Mi Wuya, however, was different.

He was showing a kind of joy and happiness that came from deep within him, as if he had finally found his soulmate after a thousand years of solitude.

“Senior Brother, do we give chase?” someone asked Mi Wuya.

“What I want is a fair fight with him. This isn’t the right time for it, so just let him leave,” replied Mi Wuya leisurely.

No one knew better than him how lonely it was when one stood at the peak of the cultivation stage and looked around to see not a single worthy opponent in sight.

To Mi Wuya, the most rewarding thing to rejoice in on the path of the great dao all came down to just six words: ‘Finding my match; diamond cuts diamond!’

And what Lin Xun had displayed finally gave Mi Wuya the feeling of ‘I am not alone on my path, for I have a rival.’

“Let's go. I need...to prepare properly.” Mi Wuya walked away with a smile.

It had been far too long since he had prepared for a battle because in the six hundred years that he had been dominating the All Heavens Saint-King Rankings, he hadn't been able to meet his match.

Jin Duyi, I desire not that opportunity of becoming an Emperor and an Ancestor, but instead...a defeat! Mi Wuya whispered in his heart.

The crowd looked at each other in disbelief. This was the first time they had seen Mi Wuya value an opponent so highly, and the other party was still someone that none of them had expected—Jin Duyi!

……

Outside, on the Mount of Clouds.

Seven days had passed since the opening of the Ancient Immortal Forbidden Zone.

At this time, Taishu Hong, Xia Xinglie, Emperor Fire Spirit, and a host of other Emperors were sitting properly in the air as they discussed the dao.

In front of each of them was a low desk.

On the desks were bronze lamps that emitted miraculous fluctuations.

These were the life lamps of their respective sect’s disciples.

When the lamp was on, it meant that the respective contestant in the Ancient Immortal Forbidden Zone was alive.

When the lamp went out, it meant they had died!

In these seven days, on the occasion that a life lamp went out, it would gather all eyes in the area while the Emperor in charge of it would respond with either a gloomy expression or a look of relief.

Only the bigshots from the Great Six Courts and Great Ten Battle Clans had always remained composed, as the life lamps of their sect’s disciples had hardly ever gone out during this time.

Someone inferred, “Calculating the time, our young talents will take at most half a month more to enter Mount Heedless.”

Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor of Primordial Dao Court suddenly said, “That disciple of Absolute Origin Dao Court, Jin Duyi, doesn't even have a life lamp. Really makes one wonder if he's still alive.”

His comment put strange expressions on the other Emperors’ faces.

Jin Duyi, a disciple of Absolute Origin Dao Court!

However, those who knew the inner workings knew that this was nothing more than a front; in fact, he had long since become the eye of a storm!

Xia Xinglie slowly said, “Don't you worry, old codger, he'll definitely outlive you.”

Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor snorted, “Xia Xinglie, be careful not to jinx it so that it won’t end up becoming a slap on your own face.”

Xia Xinglie frowned but didn’t say anything in response.

Over the past seven days, he had keenly sensed something amiss in the atmosphere here. No matter who it was, they would have quite a strange reaction whenever Jin Duyi was mentioned.

“It seems that there is something off somewhere…”

Xia Xinglie silently contemplated. With his current cultivation, it wasn't difficult to do prophecies and deduce some truth from it.

However, when he did so, he was shaken to the core as he couldn't deduce anything at all about Lin Xun.

It was as if there were countless shadows shrouding him, making his future foggy and full of unpredictable variables!

“Something really isn’t right!” The depths of Xia Xinglie's eyes gleamed with a terrifying light.

He leapt to his feet and said, “If you would excuse me, everyone. I need to leave for a while. Let’s resume our dao discussion when I return.”

“Why are you leaving?” Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor feigned surprise. “Brother Xia, are you not going to stay here until the end to see if Jin Duyi is dead or alive?”

Xia Xinglie's eyes flickered sharply, and he was about to say something when he saw that…a life lamp on the desk in front of Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor had suddenly gone out.

Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor's smile instantly froze when he recognized the life lamp to be of Wang Zong, a core disciple of his sect.

“Haha, Ultimate Seal, my old man, you'd better keep your worry for your own disciples!” Xia Xinglie boomed with laughter.

The other Emperor judges also glanced over in surprise. It was only the seventh day in the Ancient Immortal Forbidden Zone, and a core disciple of Primordial Dao Court had already forfeited their life?

After all, the core disciples in there were all stunning geniuses of the nebula. Losing just one of them was already a considerable blow to even a behemoth such as Primordial Dao Court.

Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor inhaled deeply before he said, “Deaths are normal in a perilous place such as the Ancient Immortal Forbidden Zone. I’ve never guaranteed that our disciples wouldn’t encounter any danger.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, another life lamp on his desk was extinguished.

This time, every eye in the entire field was drawn over while revealing strange looks.

Xia Xinglie couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud again. “Looks like the dangers that your disciples are encountering are not ordinary.”

Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor grunted coldly, “It’s only a few casualties. Our court can afford it, so there's no need for you to make snide remarks, Xia Xinglie!”

Despite his rebuttal, he was frustrated inside. None of the life lamps of the other great dao courts had gone out yet, while two of his had already been snuffed out in succession!

Xia Xinglie sat back down with a smile. “I’ve changed my mind; I’m not leaving for now. I’d like to see your Primordial Dao Court lose a few more disciples.”

“You…” The furious Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor just wanted to tear up Xia Xinglie's mouth. Is that something you can just say out loud?

Before he could retort, however, another lamp on his desk went out…

This time, everyone present was startled. What on earth are the disciples of Primordial Dao Court facing that they’ve actually lost three people out of nowhere?

Xia Xinglie stopped laughing and donned a look of pity. “Alas, that’s three core disciples with high hopes to be certified as Emperors! And they were gone, just like that! Could it be that the heavens are really jealous of geniuses?”

Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor’s face clouded over.

To his dismay, in the next moments, the life lamps on his desk acted as if they were being swept through by a gale as they began to fizzle out one after another.

Four life lamps out.

Five life lamps.

Six life lamps.

As it went on, the atmosphere became oppressive. The crowd of Emperors repeatedly gasped as their expressions all changed slightly.

What exactly is going on in the Ancient Immortal Forbidden Zone?

How... How have the disciples of Primordial Dao Court come to suffer such a severe blow?

Is it a man-made calamity or an environmental one?

Meanwhile, Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor's pupils quickly dilated as his old face had completely stiffened. As if bewitched, he sat still looking incredulously at the desk before him.

Indescribable anger and doubt surged in his heart. How can this be possible?

His Primordial Dao Court had been thoroughly prepared for this trip to the Ancient Immortal Forbidden Zone, especially equipping their disciples with abundant methods to avoid danger.

Despite that, they still encountered this kind of disaster. What was happening here?

“Successive deaths like this are impossible if it’s a natural disaster. After all, those core disciples aren’t stupid. How can’t they not quickly retreat after seeing that the situation is dangerous?” Taishu Hong mused, “In my opinion, this is most likely man-made!”

“A man-made disaster?” Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor's eyes flickered, and his heart grew more and more alarmed. Could it be that the disciples of some great power are targeting our court?

As time passed, the lamps on the desk in front of Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor continued to go out.

Every time one did, the atmosphere in the field grew a little more suffocating, and the Emperor experts grew a little more alarmed until later when even Xia Xinglie became serious.

This was clearly an extermination operation targeting the members of Primordial Dao Court!

“Why…why is this happening? Can anyone tell me who is doing this?” In his utter fury, Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor’s face was as dark as a rain cloud, his gaze terrifying.

Everyone else was silent.

It was impossible to get a glimpse of the events in the Ancient Immortal Forbidden Zone even with their abilities, so who could know what was actually going on?

Emperor Fire Spirit suddenly said, “It couldn't have been Jin Duyi, could it?”

Only she, Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor, and Panwu Dao Court’s Great Emperor Yun Yan knew that the disciples of their courts had planned to deal with Jin Duyi in the Ancient Immortal Forbidden Zone.

If a conflict erupted, then the opponent would most likely be Jin Duyi as well.

After all, the disciples of Mythical Huang and All-Demon Dao Courts certainly wouldn't go out of their way to clash with them at this point.

As for the talents from the other worlds in the nebula, who would go and deliberately provoke the disciples of the mighty Primordial Dao Court?

Lastly, the contestants from the various states of the Primordial Chaos World were completely negligible. Let alone starting a fight, they wouldn’t even have the guts to appear before the disciples of Primordial Dao Court!

After excluding everything, it seemed that…Jin Duyi was the only possibility left!

“Impossible!” Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor didn't hesitate to dismiss it. “How could a puny character like him be a match for my court disciples?”

Emperor Fire Spirit reminded him, “Don't forget how he, all on his own, was able to break the siege of Zu Feiyu, Tu Qianjue, and their groups in the Mythical Huang Secret Realm!”

The expressions of all the Emperors present became odd upon hearing that. They, too, recalled the scene when Zu Feiyu’s and Tu Qianjue’s group had been dominated.

As such, they actually became suspicious that Lin Xun was the one doing this!

Meanwhile, Ultimate Seal Battle Emperor had completely frozen on the spot, unable to say a single word, but his eyes were surging with horrifying chills and murderous intent.

It was because at this moment, on his desk, the life lamp belonging to Kong Zhao suddenly went out as well…