Chapter 1091: All Devil Emperors, Kill (2)

He cared nothing for Devil Emperor Xia's strength or which Devil Emperor he had killed. But for another True Saint to order his capture? There was surely something special about him.

"How intriguing. Even if he possesses a high-grade Xiantian artifact, it hardly seems worth Ji Guang making such a fuss," True Saint Yue Luo said with a faint smile. "This Devil Emperor Xia must harbor a great secret."

"The True Saint is most perceptive," Devil Emperor Qian Ze quickly agreed.

"Haha, it's been a long time since anything so interesting happened in the Abyss," True Saint Yue Luo smiled. "If we didn't know this Devil Emperor Xia's whereabouts, I wouldn't care. But now that we do, I'm rather curious.

"Qian Ze, I imagine your true self is reluctant to go forth?" True Saint Yue Luo looked down at Devil Emperor Qian Ze.

"The True Saint is wise," Devil Emperor Qian Ze immediately grew worried.

"Don't worry, I won't force you. Just give me the spacetime coordinates," True Saint Yue Luo said with a smile. "If there end up being any benefits, I won't forget your contribution."

"Yes," Devil Emperor Qian Ze's heart leapt with joy as he bowed respectfully.

"You may watch from the side," True Saint Yue Luo instructed.

Whoosh!

True Saint Yue Luo raised his hand, his fingertips flickering as dozens of light streams shot out, piercing the void.

Hum~ Hum~ Hum~

Mere moments later, atop the towering divine mountain, one projection after another materialized in the void. Though mere projections, the auras they emanated were all extraordinary.

"Qian Guang pays respects to the True Saint."

"Jin Qu pays respects to the True Saint."

"Long..."

One Devil Emperor after another bowed respectfully. Soon, over thirty Devil Emperors had appeared.

Devil Emperor Qian Ze watched this scene with bated breath, marveling at the True Saint's influence.

Ten breaths later, calm settled over the divine mountain once more.

"Do you know of Devil Emperor Xia?" True Saint Yue Luo surveyed the dozens of Devil Emperors.

"I do."

"I've heard of him."

"Apparently True Saint Ji Guang has ordered his capture." One Devil Emperor after another spoke up, further confirming the accuracy of Devil Emperor Qian Ze's report.

"I now know Devil Emperor Xia's whereabouts and intend to have him annihilated," True Saint Yue Luo said calmly. "Are you willing to go into battle? After killing him, you may keep any treasures you seize. Those who render great contributions will receive rewards from me."

At once, the divine mountain fell silent.

Annihilate Devil Emperor Xia? Receive rewards?

The Devil Emperors hesitated. They didn't doubt True Saint Yue Luo's intelligence, but they all knew of Devil Emperor Xia's terrifying strength. A fourth-stage Devil Emperor was no easy target.

Moreover, True Saint Yue Luo's words were too vague. There would be rewards? What specific treasures? Without concrete benefits, these Devil Emperors were reluctant to act.

"Jin Qu, Jian Long," True Saint Yue Luo's gaze fell on two of the figures as he said flatly, "Are you willing to go into battle?"

Immediately, all the Devil Emperors' gazes focused on the two, some in admiration, others envious and resentful.

Devil Emperor Jin Qu and Devil Emperor Jian Long were renowned throughout the Abyss as powerful Devil Emperors. They were also the two strongest Devil Emperors under True Saint Yue Luo's command.

Devil Emperor Jin Qu comprehended the Great Dao of Destruction and was a fourth-stage Devil Emperor. Devil Emperor Jian Long, though only at the peak of the third stage, was an Overlord of Spacetime.

"This subordinate is willing to fight," Devil Emperor Jin Qu said respectfully after a brief moment of hesitation.

"This subordinate is willing to go," Devil Emperor Jian Long also replied without further hesitation.

True Saint Yue Luo rarely issued battle missions. On the rare occasions he did, these two were still willing to obey even without clear benefits.

Moreover, Devil Emperor Jin Qu and Devil Emperor Jian Long were confident enough in their abilities. Together, they might not be invincible in the Abyss, but they were certain they could protect themselves.

"What about the rest of you? Is anyone else willing to join the battle?" True Saint Yue Luo asked flatly. "I won't force you."

Seconds passed. In the end, besides Devil Emperor Jin Qu and Devil Emperor Jian Long, eleven more Devil Emperors expressed their willingness to join the battle.

"Good. The rest of you may leave," True Saint Yue Luo said flatly. "It's fine if you're unwilling to fight, but you must not leak today's events. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" The twenty-some Devil Emperors who were unwilling to fight bowed respectfully before their projections dissipated.

"Give me the approximate coordinates of your mana or ether bodies," True Saint Yue Luo looked at the fourteen Devil Emperors.

Devil Emperor Qian Ze stood respectfully to the side.

Soon, True Saint Yue Luo had learned everything he needed and issued his final orders: "Gather at Beast Deity Valley in Sector 11. I estimate it will take about 1400 years for everyone to arrive."

The Abyss was vast. Relying on flight alone to traverse countless Abyssal worlds would take an extremely long time, even for an Overlord.

"Once everyone has arrived, I'll give you the specific spacetime coordinates for Devil Emperor Xia’s location," True Saint Yue Luo said.

"Understood," Devil Emperor Jin Qu, Devil Emperor Jian Long, and the other thirteen Devil Emperors said respectfully as their projections dissipated.

At the same time, they each set out from various parts of the Abyss.

...

For Overlords, a thousand years could pass in the blink of an eye. In what seemed like an instant, 1400 years had gone by.

"So Devil Emperor Xia was hiding in the Sector River of Sector 11 all along, and Devil Emperor Qian Ze discovered him?"

"No wonder the Devil Emperors under True Saint Ji Guang couldn't find him."

"Looks like we're going to beat them to it."

The dozen or so Devil Emperors who had rushed over from Sector 10 had all gathered at Beast Deity Valley, having just received Devil Emperor Xia's spacetime coordinates.

"Everyone," Devil Emperor Jian Long stood in the void. As a member of the Devil Dragon race, his true form was enormous. Even in human form, he stood ten thousand li tall.

“For the past thousand years, I’ve been secretly infiltrating the Sector River in Sector 11 under the True Saint’s command, investigating and verifying the whereabouts of Devil Emperor Xia,” Devil Emperor Jian Long said solemnly.

The assembled Devil Emperors nodded in understanding. So during these thousand-plus years, Devil Emperor Jian Long had conducted another covert investigation, demonstrating True Saint Yue Luo's caution.

"I hope everyone will give their all in this battle. We must either kill or capture Devil Emperor Xia in one fell swoop," Devil Emperor Jin Qu's voice boomed. His towering form seemed to be carved from stone.

"No problem."

"With Devil Emperor Jin Qu and Devil Emperor Jian Long here, we're sure to succeed."

"With the thirteen of us Devil Emperors joining forces, victory is certain." The Devil Emperors spoke up, all brimming with confidence.

They exuded natural confidence, for only those with great strength dared to join this battle. At minimum, all could exert the power of a second-stage Overlord, with four among them capable of wielding the strength of a third-stage Overlord or higher.

"Let us depart!" commanded Devil Emperor Jian Long, his voice resonating with authority.

With a wave of his hand, Devil Emperor Jian Long unleashed a torrent of mana, instantly enveloping over ten Devil Emperors as they plunged swiftly into the Sector River.

As an Overlord of Spacetime, he excelled in rapid travel, effortlessly achieving speeds of fifty thousand times that of light.

The journey from the Divine Beast Valley to their destination would take a mere century.

...

Deep within Sector 11, the waters of the Sector River churned relentlessly. Here stood three grand arrays spanning nearly a trillion li.

At the core of the array, on a small island.

"Master, are you truly not worried?" Yun Yi's face was etched with concern, biting her lip. "Five centuries ago, another Overlord came to investigate."

"Yun Yi, this marks the sixth time you've mentioned this," Wu Yuan chuckled, shaking his head. "At this point, I have no choice but to stand my ground."

Unless he abandoned the Flower of Sin, Wu Yuan had no other options.

It had been over a millennium since any Abyssal Devil Emperor had dared to attack, and Wu Yuan was more than satisfied with this respite.

Less than nine centuries remained until the Flower of Sin would bloom.

The Flower of Sin.

Wu Yuan's gaze fell upon the bud. Its posture already hinted that it was on the verge of blossoming, and its aura was even more potent than a thousand years prior.

Five hundred years ago, a Devil Emperor had cautiously probed the area, retreating before Wu Yuan could even act. Thus, Wu Yuan already had a premonition of the storm to come.

The Ling Jiang Universe has been rather tranquil over these years.

Wu Yuan mused silently.

During this time, his qi refiner self had remained in the Greenridge Macrocosm, with no major incidents occurring.

This was the norm.

Of course, throughout the universes, countless Overlords debated amongst themselves, each vying for the opportunity to enter the Xuanhuang Cosmiris.

"Yun Yi, why don't you go play with Little Black again?" Wu Yuan suggested with a smile, as if coaxing a child.

Over the years, Wu Yuan had discovered that while Yun Yi displayed profound insights into arrays, her temperament resembled that of a child at times. She preferred liveliness to tranquility.

A century passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day.

Life and Death! The intertwining of Life and Death forms the Great Dao of Creation, an eternal Dao that should, in theory, be capable of absolute fusion, perfect and flawless.

Wu Yuan contemplated, continuously analyzing and deducing, gradually uncovering the flaws within his self-created ultimate techniques.

Be it the Wheel of Life and Death or the Nine Heavens Path, though they appeared to weave Life and Death together, one could still discern the auras of the Law of Life and the Law of Death.

A true eternal ultimate technique should be such that one could no longer distinguish between the Laws of Life and Death. There was only Creation itself.

Eternal Creation, only thus can it be called an eternal ultimate technique.

Wu Yuan's path forward became increasingly clear.

Hum~

A barely perceptible ripple of energy suddenly swept through, instantly alerting Wu Yuan.

Hmm?

Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, his consciousness instantly amplified by the three grand arrays.

Through the intact Realm Mirage Array, he could easily sense everything in a range of several light-years. He immediately detected the source of the disturbance.

"Master, Master, terrible news!" A panicked cry approached from afar. "So many Devil Emperors, so many! And so powerful! We're doomed, we're doomed!"

Yun Yi rushed over, her small face filled with panic.

"What’s the hurry?" Wu Yuan couldn't help but smile. "It's just a dozen or so Devil Emperors."

"Master isn't worried?" Yun Yi was dumbfounded.

"Of course I'm concerned. With so many people around, I fear my little flower will be disturbed," Wu Yuan nodded with a smile. "So, we'll simply have to kill them all to alleviate that concern."

Yun Yi blinked in astonishment.

Disturb the little flower? Kill them all? This...

"Very well, stay here and observe the battle," Wu Yuan finally stood up.

Whoosh!

Instantly, a white-robed figure appeared at his side, emanating an equally powerful vital aura, yet with a soul aura and appearance entirely different from Wu Yuan's body refiner self. It seemed subtly at odds with the entire aura of the Abyss.

This was his mana body.

His mana body took a step forward, immediately beginning to operate the three grand arrays.

Rumble~

The powers of the Nine Radiance Celestial River Array and the Realm Mirage Array activated, warping spacetime.

Though Wu Yuan's body refiner self far surpassed his mana body in strength, when it came to controlling arrays, his mana body was superior.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan's body refiner self had already left the blood sea island, seemingly teleporting outside the array.

...

In the vast, boundless void, space twisted chaotically, and surges of river water roiled with enough power to annihilate a late-stage Astral Monarch powerhouse instantly.

One by one, Devil Emperors with formidable auras appeared, some towering ten thousand li high, others with light and shadows twisting beneath their feet, some radiating brilliance as if trillions of suns had converged, and others invoking domains that encompassed hundreds of billions of li.

Thirteen Devil Emperors stood in the void, their combined aura no less majestic than the massive array in the distant void, where spacetime distorted and misty light intertwined.

Their positions, though seemingly scattered and disorderly, subtly took the form of a battle formation, ready to launch a perfect joint attack at any moment.

Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit. How much more so when facing the renowned Devil Emperor Xia?

Boom!

Devil Emperor Jin Qu repeatedly swung his rock-like palms, creating palm silhouettes spanning billions of li, fiercely bombarding the distant array in the void.

Each strike caused the spacetime within the array to quake, steadily increasing the damage.

Meanwhile, Devil Emperor Jian Long observed the array's operations, seeking to discern its weak points and vulnerabilities.

Boom!

Suddenly, the massive array activated its power, and a figure emanating a terrifying aura flew out from the misty light. He stood alone, his aura domineering and majestic, showing no fear of the thirteen Devil Emperors' combined might.

"He's here."

"Devil Emperor Xia."

"What a fierce aura!" Devil Emperor Jin Qu ceased his attacks, and Devil Emperor Jian Long and others all gazed at the figure emerging from the array.

As he stood in the void, space warped around him. Clad in black battle armor, the aura he radiated resembled a miniature Abyssal Void. It seemed to contain boundless vitality, yet also a deathly stillness.

Such a frightening aura was enough to make most Devil Emperors pale slightly. As Wu Yuan progressed in cultivation, especially after his physical body had reached the ninth-stage Sovereign level, his overall aura had grown increasingly formidable.

Without any artifacts, Wu Yuan could now annihilate a first-stage Overlord with a casual palm strike.

Even without making any moves, Wu Yuan's mere presence was enough to put the dozen or so Devil Emperors on high alert.

"Jin Qu, do you think we have a chance?" Devil Emperor Jian Long couldn't help but transmit a message.

"It will be difficult to win," Devil Emperor Jin Qu stared intently at Wu Yuan, solemnly replying via transmission. "However, he will also find it hard to kill us. With over a dozen of us Devil Emperors joining forces, we should have a chance to slay him."

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan finally came to a halt, his cold gaze sweeping across each Devil Emperor.

"Might you be Devil Emperor Xia?" Devil Emperor Jian Long called out.

"You lot," Wu Yuan's voice was ice-cold. "You all deserve death for disturbing my cultivation!"

Boom!

His aura exploded outward as saber after saber materialized in his hands. Wu Yuan didn't even bother to respond to his opponent's words, opting instead to attack right away.