Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

In the void.

A Cyan Ox, covered in blue-green fur with two crescent-moon-shaped horns, trod through the air.

The Cyan Ox seemed lazy, each step slow and deliberate, yet its speed was terrifying.

When it first appeared, it was on the distant horizon. But with a single step, it had arrived right before them.

The Cyan Ox hovered in the air before the Fire Emperor. Its bovine eyes swept over him once, then dismissed him.

It was as if, in the Cyan Ox’s eyes, this Mysterious Dharma Body of the Fire Emperor was beneath its notice.

Atop the Cyan Ox sat a herdboy as adorable as a porcelain doll, wearing a red dudou and with his hair in two horn-like pigtails. He carried a long flute. His cheeks were rosy, and he stared at the Fire Emperor with eyes as bright as black pearls, his crisp voice ringing out, "Old man, are you tired of living?"

The Cyan Ox Child’s voice was clear and pleasant, possessing a child’s ethereal quality.

But when those words reached the Fire Emperor’s ears, a tremor ran through him, and the hand gripping Jiang Chen froze.

A look of utter horror filled his eyes as he looked at the Cyan Ox Child. "Who are you?"

"I am who I am. Who else could I be?"

The Cyan Ox Child rolled his eyes and patted the Cyan Ox’s back, and the ox moved toward the Fire Emperor.

The Cyan Ox’s body wasn’t large.

Before the Fire Emperor’s palm, it was only the size of one of his fingers. Yet this very ox made the Fire Emperor not dare to make a single move.

"MOO!"

The Cyan Ox let out a low bellow.

It gave a light nudge with its horns. The spiral patterns on them bloomed with a cyan light, which rippled through the air like waves on water.

「Then...」

The Fire Emperor, the Ice Emperor, and the others watched in horror.

Within those seemingly gentle ripples, the hand with which the Fire Emperor gripped Jiang Chen shattered inch by inch, dissolving into motes of light. Silently, the entire hand turned to dust and dissipated into the air.

Freed from the hand’s grasp, Jiang Chen fell onto the Cyan Ox’s back.

Only then did the Fire Emperor react.

His face instantly turned ashen. Even though this was just a Mysterious Dharma Body, veins throbbed on his forehead. "Wh-what just happened?"

The Fire Emperor looked at the Ice Emperor.

The Ice Emperor’s face was also a mask of shock and bewilderment; clearly, he didn’t know what had just occurred either.

The Cyan Ox Child glanced at the unconscious Jiang Chen, then swept his gaze over the Ice Emperor and Fire Emperor. Pointing a chubby finger at them, he spoke with the pompous air of an old man, "Are you two not convinced?"

"..."

The Ice Emperor and Fire Emperor exchanged a look, a bitter taste in their mouths.

The bizarre Cyan Ox’s effortless destruction of the Fire Emperor’s hand was enough to fill them with profound dread.

Although neither of them wanted to believe it.

They had to admit that even if their true selves were here, they might not be a match for this strange ox and child. What’s more, this was merely a Mysterious Dharma Body, possessing only one percent of their true power.

The Fire Emperor gave a wry smile. "I admit defeat!"

The Ice Emperor also shook his head, a helpless look on his face, and stared intently at the Cyan Ox Child. "Might I ask who you are?"

"What? You want to find out who I am so you can get revenge later?" the Cyan Ox Child asked with a half-smile.

The Ice Emperor quickly replied, "That’s not my intention at all! I am merely curious about your identity!"

"The only ones who know my name are my friends... and the dead. Are you sure you want to hear it?" the Cyan Ox Child said, that same half-smile on his face.

The Ice Emperor’s expression changed slightly. His eye twitched, and he gave an awkward laugh. "There’s no need."

The memory of the Cyan Ox’s terrifying power was still fresh in his mind. He didn’t want to provoke this entity.

The Ice Emperor glanced at the Fire Emperor and sent a telepathic message: "Elder Fire, given the current situation, I don’t think it’s realistic for us to make a move on Jiang Chen."

"Are we just going to let it go?" the Fire Emperor transmitted back, unwilling to concede.

The Ice Emperor shot him a look. "Are you confident you can deal with that bizarre child?"

"I..."

The Fire Emperor’s face changed. He glanced at the seemingly ordinary Cyan Ox, a deep sense of dread in his eyes. He then shot a venomous glare at Jiang Chen and gritted his teeth. "Let’s go!"

The two Emperor Realm masters were about to leave.

But the Cyan Ox Child grinned. "Leaving so soon? Aren’t you going to leave a little something behind?"

Both the Ice Emperor and the Fire Emperor froze.

They frowned at the Cyan Ox Child in unison and said in a low voice, "What do you mean by that?"

The Cyan Ox Child toyed with the flute in his hands. "I came to see Jiang Chen but forgot to bring a gift. Why don’t I just use these two Mysterious Dharma Bodies of yours as a welcoming present for him?"

"What?"

"Haven’t you gone too far?"

The two Emperors were stunned. Fury appeared on their faces as they glared at the Cyan Ox Child.

While it wasn’t difficult for beings of their power to condense a Mysterious Dharma Body—it just consumed some energy—

a Mysterious Dharma Body was a symbol of their dignity and reputation. If they abandoned it just to escape, wouldn’t they become a laughingstock among the other Emperor Realm masters?

Facing their angry gazes, the Cyan Ox Child waved his hand dismissively. "I’m just informing you, not negotiating. I suggest you cooperate obediently. Otherwise, if you displease me, I might just have to pay a visit to your little nests!"

"..."

The two Emperors’ faces stiffened.

They had witnessed the Cyan Ox Child’s power and didn’t dare truly provoke this Evil Star.

The Fire Emperor’s eyes darted. With a grim face, he gritted his teeth and said, "I have been on the Eastern Continent for over a hundred thousand years and have never heard of an expert like you. You must not be from our Eastern Continent!"

The Cyan Ox Child gave a noncommittal nod.

The Fire Emperor and Ice Emperor exchanged a look that said, ’Just as I thought.’

The Ice Emperor narrowed his eyes and continued, "There was an agreement made back then between the Five States Continent. If any expert at or above the Human Emperor realm interfered with the balance of another continent, they would face the combined wrath of the experts from all Five Continents. Aren’t you afraid of causing a public outrage by doing this?"

"Don’t try to scare me with some old agreement. In this Eastern Continent of yours, where your only Demigod is dead, who could—and who would dare—sanction me?"

The Cyan Ox Child waved his hand impatiently. "Alright, I know what you’re worried about. If I were interested in that Mystic Sect, would you even have had a chance? I was merely entrusted by someone to save him this one time. Even if you invited me to this godforsaken Eastern Continent, I wouldn’t be willing to set foot here a second time."

Hearing this,

A glint flashed in the eyes of the two Emperors. The Ice Emperor asked, "You mean to say that after today, you will not set foot on the Eastern Continent again?"

The Cyan Ox Child nodded.

The Fire Emperor narrowed his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping over Jiang Chen. "So if this kid’s life is in danger next time, you won’t interfere?"

The Cyan Ox Child said impatiently, "Next time, even if you kill him, it will be because his skills are inferior. I absolutely will not interfere."

"Good!"

"Since you’ve said so, I’ll give you face. It’s just one Mysterious Dharma Body, isn’t it? It’s yours!"

The Fire Emperor’s indifferent gaze swept over the unconscious Jiang Chen, and he sneered, "Kid, you got lucky today. If you fall into my hands next time, I’ll make sure you wish for a death that will never come."

The two great Emperors snorted coldly. Their Mysterious Dharma Bodies trembled, the light in their eyes dimming as they abandoned them.

The Cyan Ox Child grabbed the two Mysterious Dharma Bodies and looked at Jiang Chen with a playful expression. ’Master cares so much for this little guy, so it can’t be wrong for me to get on his good side. Heh heh, with these two Mysterious Dharma Bodies as a gift, he’s sure to remember me fondly, heh heh...’

The Cyan Ox beneath him let out a disdainful snort, then trod off into the void and vanished...