Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

A pillar of golden light burst from the ground, shooting straight to the Celestial Vault and scattering the layers of rolling clouds above.

Brilliant golden light surged in all directions, transforming into motes of gold that rained down like stars.

It was a dazzling, spectacular sight!

RUMBLE...

Swathed in pulsing golden light, like a Supreme War God in Golden Armor, Jiang Chen slowly ascended from deep within the earth.

High in the Celestial Vault.

The golden pillar of light shrank, continuously contracting as it was drawn into Jiang Chen’s body.

SWISH!

Jiang Chen hovered in the air, his body pulsing with golden light.

A tremendous pressure surged outward in all directions.

"The Ninth Stage of the Human King Realm? What on earth did that brat do? How could his power increase so quickly?" Huang Xianyi’s eyes widened in utter disbelief.

Naturally, the change in Jiang Chen drew everyone’s attention.

The look on everyone’s face changed dramatically. "I remember his cultivation was only at the Fourth Stage of the Human King Realm before. How did he suddenly ascend to this level?"

"That’s a jump of five whole Small Realms! How is that possible?"

「Within the majestic Imperial Palace in the Imperial Capital.」

Two figures stood shoulder to shoulder.

One of them had a menacing scar on his face. A wide, black Heavy Sword floated behind him, and his gaze was sharp enough to pierce the very void.

His icy eyes fell upon Jiang Chen with a contemplative look. "Jumping five Small Realms from the Fourth Stage of the Human King Realm all the way to the Ninth Stage? This little fellow is full of secrets. If a Secret Technique like that were to fall into my hands..."

A flash of fervent desire passed through his eyes.

This man was the Sovereign of the Six Mountains Dynasty—the Six Mountains Sword Venerable!

The red-haired, middle-aged man standing to his right, dressed in a fiery red Phoenix-embroidered robe, was Yang Qiong, Sovereign of the Fengyang Ancient Country!

Yang Qiong nodded and looked to the Six Mountains Sword Venerable. "Six Mountains, that boy has many strange abilities. Are you sure you won’t deal with him yourself?"

"It’s of no concern. Everything is under my control!"

The Six Mountains Sword Venerable said with a confident wave of his hand.

Yang Qiong raised an eyebrow. ’In any case, Huang Xianyi isn’t a Human Emperor from my Fengyang Ancient Country, so whether he lives or dies is none of my concern.’ His expression then turned grave. "My Ancestor has said that the Mystic Sect will soon appear. When it does, all the dormant Emperor Realm masters across the Eastern Continent will re-emerge. But it seems the Emperor Realm masters are constrained and will not act lightly, so in the end, they will still have to rely on us Human Emperors. Six Mountains, don’t you forget the conditions you promised me. Once the Mystic Sect opens, you are to join my Ancestor’s camp!"

The Six Mountains Sword Venerable nodded. "Don’t worry. As long as you have what I require ready, I will naturally lend my aid."

"Mm."

Yang Qiong acknowledged, raising an eyebrow with a slight smile. "It looks like Jiang Chen is about to make his move."

...

「Outside the Imperial Capital.」

Jiang Chen was bathed in golden light. His gaze transformed into two blinding beams that shot through the Celestial Vault toward Huang Xianyi. ’I can’t maintain this state for long,’ Jiang Chen thought. ’And the Six Mountains Sword Venerable is definitely watching from the shadows. I have to make this quick and take care of Huang Xianyi.’

With his Divine Thought Power now at the level of a Fifth Grade Spirit King, Jiang Chen could unleash his God-Devouring Realm at full force. By paying no heed to the cost, he could raise his cultivation by five small realms.

However...

Jiang Chen could not maintain such a Peak state for long.

He could only sustain it for the time it takes half a stick of incense to burn.

If he tried to maintain it longer, his Divine Thought would be over-consumed. Just like what happened in the Ancestral Land, his Divine Thought would be completely depleted, leaving him as helpless as a fish on a chopping block.

At the mercy of anyone.

This was, after all, the main territory of the Six Mountains Dynasty, home to countless experts. More importantly, the Six Mountains Sword Venerable, a master ranked in the top ten of the Celestial Venerable List, was personally overseeing things here.

Jiang Chen had to defeat Huang Xianyi as quickly as possible and take him hostage. Only then would the Six Mountains Sword Venerable be forced to hesitate, granting Jiang Chen the leverage to negotiate.

This was all part of Jiang Chen’s plan before he even reached the Imperial Capital.

He wasn’t arrogant enough to believe he could take on the entire Six Mountains Dynasty by himself.

"Jiang Chen, I don’t care what Secret Technique you used to increase your strength. In the end, you’re still just a Human King, and there is an insurmountable chasm between a Human King and a Human Emperor!" Huang Xianyi’s expression was dark as his cold gaze swept over Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen grinned. "A chasm? More like a stinking ditch, if you ask me!"

"A stinking ditch?"

Huang Xianyi froze for a moment, his face turning incredibly grim. He gritted his teeth. "Jiang Chen, you’re too arrogant. I will show you that the might of a Human Emperor is inviolable!"

SWISH!

The Long Spear in Huang Xianyi’s hand danced through the air, resembling a peacock fanning its tail.

A dazzling barrage of spear lights rained down like a torrential storm.

Each beam of spear light was like an inverted river of stars, stretching across the Celestial Vault high above the clouds.

It surged toward Jiang Chen with overwhelming force.

"Celestial Punishment!"

The word flowed from Jiang Chen’s lips, and as they parted, a golden rune shot forth.

Surging Divine Thought Power stirred claps of thunder in the void, coalescing into a Divine Punishment Holy Sword that slashed down from above.

RUMBLE!

The Divine Punishment Holy Sword collided with the torrential storm of spear lights. A pair of azure wings behind Jiang Chen trembled, and he instantly dodged several dozen kilometers away. Then, guided by his Divine Thought, another Divine Punishment Holy Sword materialized behind Huang Xianyi and hacked down at him.

Huang Xianyi sneered. "Petty tricks. Break for me!"

BOOM!

He swept his Long Spear out.

The void vibrated. Though the distance between the two seemed short, it was in truth impossibly vast.

The Divine Punishment Holy Sword was unable to draw near to his body.

Instead, it was the beam of spear light that pierced through layers of distorted space to strike the Divine Punishment Holy Sword.

BOOM—

Space quaked and True Essence churned violently.

The ever-unfailing Divine Punishment Holy Sword was forcefully hacked in two by Huang Xianyi’s strike!

Jiang Chen’s face paled slightly from the massive expenditure of Divine Thought Power.

Huang Xianyi flew rapidly toward Jiang Chen, his face ruthless. "Jiang Chen, use whatever other moves you have!"

"Fine. I’ll oblige you!"

Jiang Chen nodded.

His gaze was exceptionally sharp. With a cold smile, he formed several profound Hand Seals in front of him, and an icy, spectral light flared in his eyes. He raised both hands above his head. The space above him trembled as a vortex abruptly appeared in the void.

Spatial storms and gales of Annihilation Gang Wind emerged simultaneously.

The vortex spun faster and faster, growing ever larger until it seemed to devour even light itself.

Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, the tip of an immense, pitch-black ancient castle suddenly emerged from the vortex.

RUMBLE...

The void shook, and the entire Imperial Capital began to tremble violently.

Flickering light pulsed as the powerful Arrays protecting the city proved as fragile as paper, shattering one after another while the city walls crumbled.

Mountains shattered, the ground buckled and sank, and rivers began to flow backward...

It was a scene straight out of the apocalypse!

And this was only from the revelation of the tip of the black ancient castle.

"This is bad!"

"Damn it, Xianyi is in danger!"

Within the Imperial Capital, the previously unflappable Six Mountains Sword Venerable’s expression changed drastically. He was about to intervene when he saw the pitch-black ancient castle suddenly unleash a ray of black light.

It was like a towering mountain.

It crashed down heavily upon Huang Xianyi.

"What is this thing? Get away from me!" Huang Xianyi’s expression changed as he lashed out with a vicious spear light at the suddenly appearing castle.

However...

The Saint-tier Profound Weapon in his hand exploded with a BANG the moment it touched the pitch-black ancient castle. Then, under everyone’s horrified gaze, a swath of black light fell from the castle.

It engulfed Huang Xianyi completely.

BOOM!

Heaven and earth shook violently. The ground trembled as a cataclysmic roar, one that seemed capable of destroying the world, exploded across the land.

When everything fell silent.

There was no trace of Huang Xianyi to be found. All that remained was the visible tip of the pitch-black ancient castle and the young man bathed in flickering golden light, a cold smirk gracing his lips...

[Author’s Note: Caught a cold, so the update is a bit late. Little Tian is going to keep writing!]