Chapter 997: Gu Nian? Who Do You Think You Are? (1)

The Greenridge Continent was vast beyond measure, spanning over a hundred billion li. As the very heart of the Greenridge Immortal World, it had known no strife for countless eons.

At the center of the continent stood a colossal teleportation array.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, several figures emerged, their vital auras pulsing with immense power. All were Astral Monarchs.

The four Astral Monarchs, each wearing a tense expression, departed the array with alarming speed. They soared towards the cloud-shrouded temple complex atop the highest point of the Greenridge Continent.

"I can't help but feel that the Greenridge Continent is different from other celestial landmasses," remarked the youngest-looking of the four, a black-robed youth, his voice low and thoughtful.

His perception extended, taking in the breathtaking beauty of the continent. Countless halls and pavilions hung suspended in the void, while exotic beasts and birds of myth roamed freely. Archimmortals and Archdeities traversed the realm in great numbers. Truly befitting the core of the macrocosm's foremost faction.

"Fu Ting, this is the first time you’re visiting the Greenridge Continent," the leader of the four, an elderly man in black robes, spoke in a deep voice. "We all felt similarly on our first visit. Legend has it that the entire continent is forged from countless powerful Dao Instruments and arrays.

“It may be called a continent, but in truth, it's a city of arrays and defense measures," the elderly man in black robes continued.

"Indeed. This Greenridge Continent is the very core of our Greenridge Immortal World. For eons, no external force has dared to invade it," added a golden-haired man.

The black-robed youth named Fu Ting nodded in understanding.

He had only recently broken through to become an Astral Monarch. By rights, he should have an audience with the Sovereign, but before a private summons could be arranged, he was suddenly called upon by several elders to join them in meeting the Sovereign.

"Senior Uncle, why have the highest echelons of our Nine Heads Valley gathered so hastily and rushed to the Greenridge Continent?" the golden-haired man couldn't help but ask.

The others turned their gazes to the elderly man in black robes as well. He was the only late-stage Astral Monarch among them.

"You are all Astral Monarchs, the upper echelons of our Nine Heads Valley. I'll not keep you in the dark," the elderly man in black robes said gravely. "I'm sure you've all heard about the recent incident – the dissolution of the Greenridge Immortal Voidrealm."

"I've heard about the voidrealm's dissolution."

"Could the rumors be true?"

"Has Sovereign Qing Ling really fallen?" The Astral Monarchs' expressions shifted subtly.

Events had unfolded rapidly, and even as high-ranking members of the Greenridge Immortal World, they had only caught wind of various rumors. But nothing had been confirmed yet. The news had only been passed to a handful of late-stage Astral Monarchs.

"The great Sovereign Qing Ling has indeed perished," the elderly man in black robes said solemnly. "I don't yet know the identity of the killer, but Sovereign Hai Xuan sent word, ordering me to bring all the Astral Monarchs of our Nine Heads Valley faction to the Greenridge Continent immediately.

“Our Greenridge Immortal World may well be facing a catastrophe," the elderly man in black robes sighed. "We are the first to arrive, but more and more Astral Monarchs will be coming soon."

The golden-haired man and the black-robed youth nodded, their minds shaken.

Sovereign Qing Ling had been the pillar holding up the sky for the Greenridge Immortal World, the most formidable powerhouse in the entire macrocosm. His death truly heralded a calamity for the Greenridge Immortal World!

"Will our enemies invade the Greenridge Immortal World?" the black-robed youth asked. "Don't we still have several Sovereigns in our Greenridge Immortal World?"

"Sovereign Qing Ling's demise may not have occurred within the macrocosm. It could have happened beyond its borders," the elderly man in black robes shook his head and sighed. "But without Sovereign Qing Ling, our Greenridge Immortal World still occupies the largest spacetime territory in the entire macrocosm.

“Powers like the Cang Feng Eldritch World, the Voltari Temple, the Eternal Sun Immortal World, and others won't stand idly by. War is highly likely," the elderly man in black robes assessed. "The decision for war lies with the Sovereigns, and has little to do with us Astral Monarchs."

The Astral Monarchs all felt a heavy weight settle in their hearts as they glimpsed the possibility of a war engulfing the entire macrocosm. Sovereign clashes could shatter heaven and earth.

"Then, might the Sovereigns of other factions attack the Greenridge Continent?" the black-robed youth asked anxiously. "Will we be safe hiding in the Greenridge Continent?"

"It shouldn't come to that. Though Sovereign Qing Ling has fallen, we still have six Sovereigns standing guard. With the myriad arrays and defense measures of the continent, our defenses will not fall easily," the elderly man in black robes analyzed. "Even if we can't hold onto most of the immortal world's territory, defending the Greenridge Continent itself shouldn't be an issue. Here, at least, we should be safe and sound."

The Astral Monarchs all nodded, the tension in their minds easing somewhat. They trusted the elderly man in black robes' judgment.

"Senior Uncle, Gui You, look there!" The black-robed youth's expression changed abruptly as he pointed towards the distant void.

There was no need for his warning. The elderly man in black robes, the golden-haired man, and the other two Astral Monarchs had already sensed the immense presence descending from the void, and the overwhelming pressure bearing down. It seemed to engulf the entire Greenridge Continent.

In the void ten billion li away, countless strands of sword qi churned through the dimly lit outer space.

A white-robed youth stood upon the void, his gaze cold as ice – aloof, noble, boundless!

Around him, strands of sword qi spontaneously formed, each capable of slicing across billions of li. Sword qi crisscrossed the void as sword intent soared to the heavens. One man seemed to tread the entire Greenridge Continent beneath his feet.

"This?"

"He!" The elderly man in black robes, the black-robed youth, and the other Astral Monarchs' expressions changed dramatically. They all craned their necks, gazing at the white-robed figure in the void, sensing the terrifying strands of sword qi.

That white-robed figure appeared as unstoppable as the heavens themselves in their eyes, instinctively evoking fear in their hearts.

Those strands of sword qi made their hearts tremble. If unleashed, the mere aftershocks of a single strand could annihilate them.

How terrifying! He is ten times, no, a hundred times more powerful than any Sovereign I've ever encountered.

The elderly man’s eyes flashed with terror. If even he felt this way, the other Astral Monarchs surely fared far worse.

Wu Yuan had activated his burst state. With his nine lifebound flying swords unleashed, his aura was so terrifying it rivaled that of an Overlord. Many ninth-stage Sovereigns couldn't match Wu Yuan in sheer presence.

"Qing Ling is dead!" Wu Yuan strode across heaven and earth, looking down upon those below, his voice cold and detached. "Hai Xuan, Jin Xu, come out at once and kneel in submission."

Wu Yuan's voice seemed to possess magical abilities, penetrating layer upon layer of arrays, resounding throughout every corner of the Greenridge Continent, echoing in the spirits of countless cultivators.

"Who is that?"

"Qing Ling is dead? Could he be the one who slew the great Sovereign Qing Ling?"

"Has Sovereign Qing Ling truly fallen?" The entire Greenridge Continent, home to thousands of Astral Monarchs and a vast sea of immortal cultivators, was awash in shock and fear.

This was the first time anyone had dared to launch a direct assault on the Greenridge Continent. Moreover, his words shook the very foundations of what every powerhouse in the Greenridge Immortal World believed.

"His appearance... Why do I feel like he resembles Ming Jian? That legendary monstrous prodigy."

"Sovereign Ming Jian of the Eternal Sun Immortal World?"

"It does look like him!"

Many of the more knowledgeable Astral Monarchs recognized the identity of Wu Yuan's qi refiner self. After all, he had arrived without bothering to alter his appearance.

When weak, changing one's appearance and concealing one's identity were necessary for self-preservation. When strong, such petty tricks became unnecessary, as raw power trumped all else.

In Wu Yuan's current view, with Sovereign Qing Ling dead, no one in the entire Greenridge Macrocosm could stand against him. Even the arrays would struggle to obstruct him. Naturally, he acted as he pleased, without restraint. This was the meaning of true freedom.

"Didn't this Ming Jian only recently become a Sovereign? How dare he come charging into our Greenridge Continent?"

"Damned upstart."

"He's seeking death."

"Where are our Sovereigns? Are they just going to let him act so arrogantly?" The many Astral Monarchs communicated telepathically, fury burning in the eyes of many.

After countless ages, the Greenridge Immortal World had laid down deep roots here. Many Astral Monarchs and even Sovereigns felt a strong sense of belonging to the Greenridge Immortal World. Naturally, Wu Yuan's provocation set their anger ablaze.

Of course, anger was one thing, but no Astral Monarch was foolish enough to rush out and fight.

Boom!

Waves of overwhelming power suddenly erupted from the temple complex atop the Greenridge Continent. Immediately after, several figures flew out from the temples, appearing in the void.

At the forefront was Sovereign Hai Xuan, clad in blue robes, followed closely by the other Sovereigns. Nine figures in total – six were true selves, while three were mana bodies.

This wasn't surprising, as less than one hour had passed since Sovereign Qing Ling's death. Events had unfolded so suddenly that of the six Sovereigns of the Greenridge Immortal World, three of their ether bodies were still on expeditions and hadn't had time to return. Thus, nine Sovereign-level combat bodies gathered.

"Nine Sovereigns?"

"No! Some must be Sovereign mana bodies or ether bodies, but their combat power is nearly identical."

"With nine Sovereign-level combatants unleashing their might, bolstered by the power of the arrays and defense measures, they should be able to destroy Ming Jian in one go."

"Kill him." Many among the thousands of Astral Monarchs taking refuge within the arrays of the Greenridge Continent harbored such thoughts.

Limited by their perspective, most only knew that Sovereign Qing Ling was immensely powerful, the foremost powerhouse of the macrocosm. But just how much stronger was he compared to other Sovereigns? They weren't sure. Moreover, most Astral Monarchs still weren't certain if it was Ming Jian who had slain Sovereign Qing Ling.

With the advantages of terrain and numbers on their side, these Astral Monarchs naturally believed that victory was assured.

However, while the majority of Astral Monarchs in the Greenridge Immortal World believed victory was within grasp, Sovereign Hai Xuan and the other five Sovereigns did not share this optimism.

A flicker of fear flashed through the eyes of the six Sovereigns, for they knew well the terror of Ming Jian.

"Sovereign Ming Jian. Your actions are far too overbearing," Sovereign Hai Xuan roared in anger. Auroral light shimmered around his body, revealing the presence of arrays amplifying his might and making his aura even more commanding. At this moment, his strength rivaled that of a late-stage Sovereign.

This was merely a basic-level activation of the array's power. If fully activated, it would be far stronger.

This was the stronghold of a major faction, formidable beyond measure. Even with an absolute advantage in strength, most super powerhouses were reluctant to rashly invade an enemy's lair.

"Ming Jian, you killed our Greenridge Immortal World's leader, Sovereign Qing Ling, without reason. And now you dare attack our Greenridge Continent?" The golden-robed man, Sovereign Jin Xu, also roared in fury: "Do you think that you can slaughter all six of us Sovereigns here in the Greenridge Continent with your strength alone? Don't push us too far."

The voices of the two Sovereigns echoed across heaven and earth, instantly reaching the ears of countless Astral Monarchs and immortal cultivators in the Greenridge Immortal World.

A wave of shock rippled through them.

"It was really Ming Jian who killed Sovereign Qing Ling?"

"Sovereign Ming Jian killed Sovereign Qing Ling, so does this mean Sovereign Ming Jian is now the strongest in the macrocosm?"

Countless immortal cultivators were astounded.

The strongest in the macrocosm! Over endless years, countless living beings and numerous geniuses emerged from thousands of immortal nations and millions of immortal continents. Yet, only one could stand at the absolute pinnacle! In the past, it was Sovereign Qing Ling. Now, it was Sovereign Ming Jian.

For a moment, panic spread across the Greenridge Continent.

"From what the Immortal World Sovereigns are saying, even with so many Sovereigns working together, and the support of the arrays, they might not be a match for Sovereign Ming Jian?"

"Is Sovereign Ming Jian really that strong?"

"Although he's a Saintcrest Prodigy, he's only cultivated for less than a hundred thousand years, right?" The thousands of Astral Monarchs were even more shocked. It was too inconceivable.

At this moment, the many Astral Monarchs of the Greenridge Immortal World looked up at the void. Though they had insufficient strength to participate in the battle, they were at least qualified to observe, able to roughly discern the situation.

In their eyes, although Wu Yuan had come alone, his aura absolutely dominated the continent. He truly had an invincible bearing!

"The pinnacle of the macrocosm, unrivaled."

"When will I be able to achieve it?" Many Astral Monarchs thought instinctively. On the long path of cultivation, who wouldn't yearn for this?