Chapter 1023: A Peak Boundless Immortal

Outside the imperial capital of Dayu, ripples of void energy spread out from above the imperial palace. The entrance to a hidden realm was located there, and the disturbances within were strong enough to shake the outside world. Numerous cultivators were waiting anxiously outside.

Just then, a man in blue robes flew over. "How is Emperor Yu? Why are all of you gathered out here?"

"Dayan Hierarch, Xiao Nanfeng suddenly appeared today and requested a private sparring match with His Majesty. His Majesty agreed, and they've been in the hidden realm ever since. Everyone inside was expelled. We have no idea what's happening ourselves," a Dayu official reported anxiously.

"Step aside. I'll have a look," the Dayan hierarch replied.

"But His Majesty forbade anyone else from entering," the official said.

"Don't you know that Xiao Nanfeng killed the Immortal Emperor of Daru? Make way now!" the Dayan hierarch shouted.

The officials were about to continue protesting when one of the seniormost officials abruptly shook his head and stopped them.

The Dayan hierarch reached out for the entrance to the hidden realm, tearing it apart and revealing the mountains and forests within.

At the peak of one mountain, Xiao Nanfeng stood with his eyes closed, golden lightning flashing around him. Incredible pressure radiated from his body.

At the foot of the mountain was a man in a pool of blood, his limbs broken, his entire body covered in wounds, barely clinging to life.

"Your Majesty!" the Dayu officials cried out.

The bloodied figure, upon seeing the entrance to the hidden realm open, suddenly shouted, "Stop him! He's on the verge of his final breakthrough! Hurry!"

"What?!" The cultivators were stunned.

Several Dayu warriors charged toward Xiao Nanfeng, slashing at him with their blades.

Just then, a deep chime resounded from within Xiao Nanfeng's body. A storm of flames erupted from him, accompanied by a terrifying shockwave that blasted outward, tearing through the surrounding void and striking the charging warriors.

"Be careful!" the crowd shouted.

But it was too late. With an earth-shattering explosion, the foremost warriors were instantly torn apart, their bodies disintegrating into clouds of blood that dissipated.

The remaining warriors halted in their tracks, inhaling sharply in horror. "How is this possible? The mere residual force of his breakthrough was enough to kill our generals!"

Xiao Nanfeng slowly opened his eyes, which gleamed with satisfaction. "This last Heaven's Hand finally triggered my peak Boundless Immortal breakthrough. Excellent!"

Below, the bloodied Immortal Emperor of Dayu gritted his teeth in hatred. "Xiao Nanfeng, I curse you!"

Xiao Nanfeng sneered coldly as he looked down. "Emperor Yu, when you and the Immortal Emperor of Daru conspired to seize my golden tree, you should have foreseen that this day would come."

He dove down from the mountain peak and launched himself toward the bloodied Immortal Emperor of Dayu.

"Stop him!" the Dayu warriors cried out in desperation, but they were far too slow compared to Xiao Nanfeng. In an instant, Xiao Nanfeng had arrived by the Immortal Emperor of Dayu's side.

The emperor's face twisted in terror. He tried to scream, but it was too late.

"Halt!" the Dayan hierarch shouted, striking at Xiao Nanfeng with a powerful punch.

"Another one? Don't worry. I'll deal with you next," Xiao Nanfeng said coldly.

With a deafening explosion, their fists collided and tore apart the void. The Dayan hierarch was sent hurtling backwards and forcibly expelled from the hidden realm.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng brought his foot down on the Immortal Emperor of Dayu's head. His skull exploded, sending blood splattering in all directions. He perished instantly, and the sea of fortune high above Dayu began to fade away.

"His Majesty has fallen! This can't be!"

"Xiao Nanfeng killed His Majesty?!"

"Your Majesty!"

Countless cries of anguish echoed through the air.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Xiao Nanfeng, how dare you?!" the Dayan hierarch roared.

Xiao Nanfeng paid no heed to the fallen emperor. Instead, he stepped out of the hidden realm and looked toward the Dayan hierarch with cold indifference.

"Dayan Hierarch, you certainly do like meddling in others' affairs."

Though he spoke softly, his voice was edged with terrifying killing intent that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard him.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you have unleashed massacres on countless holy lands. You've murdered the Immortal Emperor of Daru, the Dahuai Hierarch, and now the Immortal Emperor of Dayu. Just what are you planning? Don't you know that the Darkborn are upon us? All supreme cultivators may be crucial to the fate of the world. Can't you wait until the present crisis is over first? Do you intend to betray the world?!" the Dayan hierarch shouted.

Countless cultivators in Dayu's capital were looking toward Xiao Nanfeng in shock.

Just then, a beam of golden light shot toward Dayu's capital from afar. "He is not Xiao Nanfeng."

"What?" Everyone turned to the newcomer.

The newcomer was bathed in golden radiance. His hands were clasped together in a gesture of benevolence, but his eyes gleamed sharp and cold.

"Buddha Jinshan?" the Dayan hierarch exclaimed.

"The deaths of the Immortal Emperors of Daru and Dayu have caused their empires' seas of fortune to collapse, but that fortune has not been remitted to Dazheng. Xiao Nanfeng wasn't their killer."

"What? Who is he, then?" Many gasped in astonishment.

Meanwhile, those with avatars in Yongding quickly verified Buddha Jinshan's words.

"Who are you? Why are you impersonating Emperor Xiao?" Buddha Jinshan demanded.

"Just who are you?" the Dayan hierarch thundered.

This Xiao Nanfeng was naturally the Superior, who had possessed Xiao Nanfeng's physical body.

Despite the fact that the Superior had grown stronger, he was far from pleased. He was still fuming over his encounter with the real Xiao Nanfeng in the white life hidden realm.

He glanced scornfully at the two supreme cultivators before him. "Ignorant fools!"

The two supreme cultivators charged toward him in fury.

Buddha Jinshan and the Dayan hierarch were among the strongest cultivators of the world. Even so, they didn't dare take any chances against this fake Xiao Nanfeng. Three branches of the world tree appeared behind each of them.

"Divine Palm of Rulai!"

"Dayan's Palm of Creation!"

The six branches of the world tree provided both cultivators with immense power. Their fists unleashed two black holes above Dayu's capital, causing the void to shudder.

The Superior's eyes turned cold. Behind him, the void trembled. A colossal golden tree erupted with radiant light, infusing him with boundless power. His fists shot forward and ripped through the void.

As their attacks collided, the black holes in the sky exploded, growing to over ten times their initial size. The six branches of the world tree shattered as Buddha Jinshan and the Dayan hierarch fell like meteors. They sprayed out mouthfuls of blood, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"Impossible!" they cried out in shock.

They had each mastered three branches of the world tree, and were over thrice as strong as they had been against Sibyl. Even so, their combined attacks had done nothing against Xiao Nanfeng's impersonator. Just who was he?

"The fact that you were able to block a blow from me in such a state is surprising enough. That said, I don't have time to play with you any longer. It's time for you to die."

The next moment, he flashed toward the Dayan hierarch, pummeling him on the head. The Dayan hierarch's eyes widened in shock.

He attempted to defend himself with the three branches of the world tree he had mastered, but it was useless against the Superior.

"Impossible! No!"

The Dayan hierarch's head burst open in a shower of blood, and the Superior turned toward Buddha Jinshan.

"No!" Buddha Jinshan cried out in shock.

Before he could react, the Superior had already sent a palm his way. Buddha Jinshan was forced to defend in haste, only for his arm to shatter on impact. He whirled and ran.

"Do you think you'll be able to escape?" the Superior demanded, closing in on him.

"Hold it!" A stern shout came from afar.

The Superior ignored the shout. His fist landed squarely on Buddha Jinshan's head with a deafening impact. The Buddha's skull exploded into fragments as blood sprayed in all directions. He died on the spot.

Just then, a purple fist shot toward the Superior from below and to the side. The Superior countered with a punch of his own.

The collision of their fists tore through the void and created a massive black hole. The tremendous force sent the Superior hurtling backwards. He flew several miles into the sky before he managed to steady himself.

His eyes narrowed as he turned toward the figure who had suddenly appeared in the distance—the Yuqing Grandmaster.

"You!" the Superior exclaimed coldly.

He had expected his killing spree to eventually draw the Yuqing Grandmaster's attention, but not so quickly.

"You're the Superior?" the Yuqing Grandmaster demanded.

The Superior wasn't particularly surprised that the Yuqing Grandmaster had recognized him—they had known each other for ages, after all.

"Long time no see, Yuqing. Where are the others?" The Superior sneered.

"I alone will suffice," the Yuqing Grandmaster replied.

"You've grown more arrogant."

"It's too cramped here. Let's head up and discuss our arrogance there," the Yuqing Grandmaster suggested.

The Superior stared at the Yuqing Grandmaster, knowing that it would be impossible to evade him. If a battle were inevitable, he had nothing to fear.

"Let's go," the Superior declared.

The two cultivators transformed into beams of light and shot skyward. They pierced through the atmosphere in an instant and emerged beyond the heavens.

Countless cultivators followed after them in astonishment. They now knew that this wasn't actually Xiao Nanfeng—but when had such an overwhelming cultivator appeared in the world?

In the vacuum of outer space, a colossal golden tree, thousands of meters tall, materialized behind the Superior. Opposite him, behind the Yuqing Grandmaster, was a similarly tall tree that gave off purple light. Its metallic sheen bore an uncanny resemblance to the Superior's.

"Impressive. You were able to manifest a purple tree from your Yuqing Yin Body, just like I manifested a golden tree from my Body of Yin. Your intuition is remarkable," the Superior murmured.

"I was careless. I should have realized that you were responsible for Xiao Nanfeng's golden tree—but that doesn't matter. I'll make up for my mistake now!" the Yuqing Grandmaster replied.

The two cultivators charged toward each other. Their fists met in a devastating impact, sending shockwaves rippling through the dark matter of the vacuum. A violent tremor spread outward and blasted in all directions.