Imperial Might

"Cangwu!" Another face suddenly grew from the back of God King Xuanhao's head. Its gaze fell upon the grey-robed elder, registering surprise. "You old ghost actually came back to life. I have heard of you—a former divine emperor of the Netherworld, one of the Four Titans." Great Emperor Cangwu approached at an unhurried pace. The crack crackled and snapped as it snaked outward, extending right to God King Xuanhao's feet. God King Xuanhao exerted force through his feet, halting the fissure beneath them and preventing it from spreading further. He chuckled. "I have also heard that the Divine Emperor Cangwu of antiquity resided between the realms of Yin and Yang, the very incarnation of a cosmos rift—vast in divine powers, boundless in magic strength. His divine power was as profound as Cangwu, and his miraculous abilities as magnificent as a brilliant galaxy." Great Emperor Cangwu continued walking forward. The tremors shaking the earth grew increasingly violent, yet once the fissure reached God King Xuanhao's feet, it remained unable to advance. This rift in the cosmos seemed to have been forcibly halted by this god king! "Yet later, you died. I have seen your corpse, buried within the Cangwu Abyss," God King Xuanhao laughed. "I once descended to the mortal realms to view it, sighing with endless sorrow and lamentation. I saw that Brother Cangwu died without stiffening, and within the Cangwu Abyss across the myriad heavens and worlds, divine beings were stationed to oversee you. Holding long whips, whenever your corpse slackened, they would lash down. Each time, your corpse convulsed in agony, thrashing before being forced to continue its labor. Alas, how lamentable! That a dignified divine emperor should end up in such a state." His mockery provoked even Great Emperor Cangwu to anger. The emperor took a sudden step forward. *Boom!* The fissure beneath God King Xuanhao's feet violently shuddered as a tremendous force surged forward. In the next instant, the rift broke past his feet, supreme might tearing through his divine power! *Chhh!* A crisp sound rang out. The Heavenly Dao cloak behind God King Xuanhao split with a tear identical to the crack in the earth. Even the Heavenly Dao runes woven into the cloak fractured along with it! More terrifying still, the earth behind God King Xuanhao split into a clean rift that stretched endlessly into the distance. And the sky behind him tore open as well, resembling the Cangwu Abyss! Great Emperor Cangwu took another stride forward. *Boom!* The Benshi world quaked violently. Deep within the earth, a deafening roar like that of a dragon-ox erupted, as if a colossal beast beneath the ground were churning up rivers and seas! This was an omen that the world was about to tear apart! Not only was the Benshi world on the verge of fracturing, but God King Xuanhao also felt his divine body threatening to split open. With that single step from Great Emperor Cangwu, the Cangwu Abyss seemed to grow across his very flesh, poised to rip him and his Primordial Spirit in two! Cold sweat poured from God King Xuanhao's forehead. Countless legends regarding the Four Titans of the Netherworld instantly flashed through his mind. Those legends had come from the old gods of the Heavenly Dao world. Those old gods loved to brag about how they had pacified the rebellions in places like the Netherworld and Kunlun. When speaking of the Four Titans of the Netherworld, there was always heavy exaggeration. They described the Four Titans as unimaginably terrifying beings whose divine power was boundless and unfathomable, and whose divine powers were incomprehensible. Their strength far exceeded that of a God King, making them nearly impossible to truly slay. Back then, God King Xuanhao had thought the old gods only exaggerated the Four Titans' might to heap glory upon themselves. But now, facing a revived Great Emperor Cangwu, he realized there had been no exaggeration at all! No one had offered sacrifices to Great Emperor Cangwu for over sixty thousand years, yet his divine power remained terrifyingly formidable! His divine arts remained utterly inconceivable! "Cangwu, you old fool, I am no trifling figure either!" God King Xuanhao suddenly vaulted into the air. The Heavenly Dao cloak behind him billowed wide, and the snapping fabric merged into the heavens in an instant, transforming the surrounding sky into the Heavenly Dao world. Each Heavenly Dao rune materialized as a phantom of a Heavenly Dao god! In a flash, his divine power escalated to its absolute peak. In terms of pure divine power alone, he was no longer inferior to Great Emperor Cangwu! "After you primordial deities declined and perished, the incense of the realm fell to the Heavenly Dao!" God King Xuanhao lunged forward with supreme divine power. Raising his arm, he brandished a Heavenly Sabre. The phantoms of gods filling the sky swirled around his arm, blessing him and making his strike even more overwhelming! The Heavenly Sabre slashed down. The Heavenly Will surged; the Heavenly Eye locked onto Cangwu's Primordial Spirit; Heavenly Law bound Cangwu's physical body; Heavenly Principle operated through the Grand Dao; Heavenly Secrets hid within the blade's edge. This single slash harnessed Heavenly Thunder and heavenly fire, commanded Heavenly Wind, and descended toward Great Emperor Cangwu carrying the supreme majesty of the Heavenly Dao! Excitement gleamed in God King Xuanhao's eyes. His voice thundered with the resonant Dao sounds of the Heavenly Dao as he cried, "After enjoying forty thousand years of incense smoke qi gathered from all souls under heaven, my accomplishments are no longer inferior to those of your four Netherworld emperors back then—in fact, I have surpassed you!" His divine power was truly dreadful. Both Xu Ying and Chongxiao felt that such divine power was beyond their reach in this lifetime; it was simply too vast. The power of a god king forged from the incense of all living beings across the myriad heavens and worlds was genuinely extraordinary! God King Xuanhao bore down with crushing pressure as his blade light struck toward Great Emperor Cangwu's head. The strike was despotic and fierce. Though Xu Ying spotted many flaws in the Heavenly Dao runes, the sabre's might was simply too immense; he knew that had he faced it, he would have had no way to unravel it. Even if he could find a way, he would still have been hacked to death by pure force. Chongxiao's face went pale as well. Having cultivated bitterly in the Benshi world for forty thousand years, he had believed he could stage a comeback, return to the Heavenly Dao world, and reclaim what he had lost. By driving his Heavenly Dao domain, he could even manifest a minor Immortal Realm, just like a god king. But it was only "like" one. A god king blessed with the incense power of the myriad heavens and worlds remained unmatched in raw power! As the blade light fell, the closer it got to Great Emperor Cangwu, the greater the counterpressure grew! With a sharp rip, the blade light split clean in two, shearing past either side of Great Emperor Cangwu's body! The terrifying blade intent carved two abysses ten thousand li long into the earth on both sides of Great Emperor Cangwu! This strike appeared to hit Great Emperor Cangwu, but before reaching his body, it was already cleaved into two by an abyss, leaving Cangwu completely unharmed! What was split by the abyss was not just the Heavenly Sabre; God King Xuanhao's hands gripping the blade were split in two as well. At the same time, a rift appeared across God King Xuanhao's glabella, the bridge of his nose, his lips, and his throat. A seam opened along his midline, revealing his internal anatomy, as if the Cangwu Abyss were growing straight out of his body! Even more dreadful was his Primordial Spirit. His Primordial Spirit, forged from divine power, soul, and willpower, was also being torn by the abyss, on the verge of splitting into halves! Within him, nearly every Heavenly Dao rune cracked! This was a sign that even his Heavenly Dao was about to be torn asunder! "Back then, the adversaries of our Netherworld's Four Titans were never the heavenly gods and god kings created by the immortals," Great Emperor Cangwu remarked placidly. "They were the immortals themselves." God King Xuanhao's expression changed drastically. Only now did he realize the old gods of the Heavenly Dao world had not lied—the four emperors of the Netherworld truly possessed astonishing might. Yet they had lied in claiming credit for themselves. *The main force that slew the four emperors back then was definitely not those old gods we chased out! They never had the strength!* Seeing Great Emperor Cangwu take another step forward, God King Xuanhao's face contorted in horror. His entire face split apart, and his god king body was virtually torn in half! God King Xuanhao coughed up mouthfuls of blood and fled in panic, turning into a beam of divine light that shot into the heavens. He shouted, "Cangwu, you old fool, I won't settle scores with you this time—we will settle this next time! The Immortal Realm will never let you off!..." Xu Ying suddenly shifted, arriving beside the Son of Heaven of Zhou. Without another word, he snatched the Five-Colored Immortal King Banner, activated the immortal artifact with all his might, and gave it a violent shake! Once raised, the banner's pole grew immensely thick, requiring Xu Ying to wrap both arms around it just to swing it. As the immortal banner fluttered, five beams of immortal qi soared into the heavens, churning the firmament. Five-colored immortal lights crisscrossed the sky, depleting Xu Ying's magic power in an instant! The sky suddenly turned blood-red. Crimson bled outward, dyeing the firmament ever deeper, before a torrential downpour plummeted from the clouds. The rain was made of divine blood, pouring down noisily! In a flash, the mountains and rivers ran red. That blood belonged to God King Xuanhao. Severely battered by Great Emperor Cangwu's few steps, he had already suffered grave injuries, with even his Heavenly Dao runes fractured. Now, as Xu Ying waved the Five-Colored Immortal King Banner, the five-colored immortal light blasted his divine body apart! "You dare touch my woman?" Leaning on the five-colored banner like a staff, Xu Ying looked up and snarled viciously, "Even if you don't die, you'll lose half your life!" The Son of Heaven of Zhou's expression shifted slightly. He whispered to Grand Preceptor Jiang, "Write this down: do not touch Brother Xu's woman." Grand Preceptor Jiang hurriedly jotted it down. Reluctant to part with it, Xu Ying returned the Five-Colored Immortal King Banner to the Son of Heaven of Zhou and asked, "Where did Your Majesty pick this banner up?" The Son of Heaven of Zhou hurriedly snatched it back, looking wary. "Pick it up? This is an ancestral heirloom of completely legitimate origin!" Xu Ying held onto the fabric, still loath to let go. "Your Majesty has an Immortal King among your ancestors? No wonder you are so handsome. How about lending me this banner for a couple of years..." The Son of Heaven of Zhou yanked it away by force and put it away. He eyed Xu Ying with deep suspicion, thinking to himself, *Better to be robbed by a thief than to have him keep eyeing your goods. Now that my treasure has been exposed, We must keep our distance from him.* Xu Ying still lingered wistfully on the banner until Great Emperor Cangwu walked over, which finally made him rein in his greed. Xu Ying bowed deeply to Great Emperor Cangwu in sincere thanks. Great Emperor Cangwu reined in his cultivation, allowing the sky of the Benshi world to close up and the earth to mend as before, preventing the realm from breaking in two. He smiled and said, "Think nothing of it. Can this old man be considered to have saved Fellow Daoist Xu's life this time? Does this square things with the Northern Emperor?" As he said this, his expression flickered slightly, and he thought with mild chagrin, *Perhaps it doesn't count as saving his life. After all, they have an Immortal King banner. By activating that banner, they might have been able to preserve their lives. What I gave is still less than what the Northern Emperor gave...* He pondered for a moment, deciding it was still safest to offer his daughter. The Son of Heaven of Zhou, Grand Preceptor Jiang, and Chongxiao stepped forward and bowed in sincere gratitude. Great Emperor Cangwu glanced at Chongxiao, anger flaring within his heart, and snorted, "A running dog of the Heavenly Dao!" Chongxiao's expression shifted instantly, and he sneered, "Netherworld old scoundrel!" With daggers drawn, the two were on the verge of fighting. Xu Ying stepped between them and asked, "Brother Cangwu, is that God King Xuanhao dead?" Great Emperor Cangwu, glaring hostilely at Chongxiao, shook his head. "How could the King of Divine Dogs among the Heavenly Dao running dogs die so easily? Still, after the heavy wounds you and I dealt him, even if he didn't die, he lost half his life. However, now that the Dog King has fled, he will surely report this to the Immortal Realm. I can no longer remain here; I must leave promptly to lie low." Xu Ying also knew the gravity of the situation. Turning to Chongxiao, he said, "Chongxiao, you promised me that you would copy your Heavenly Dao runes for me. Do not break your word. Come with me to the Cangwu Abyss and transcribe them there." Chongxiao cast a glance at Great Emperor Cangwu, hesitated, but ultimately followed Xu Ying. The fierce glint in Great Emperor Cangwu's eyes made Chongxiao feel as though needles were pricking his back. "A running dog of the Heavenly Dao knows nothing more than some false Heavenly Dao," Great Emperor Cangwu scoffed. "Isn't Fellow Daoist Xu asking the blind for directions by studying Heavenly Dao runes from him?" Xu Ying smiled. "Brother Cangwu, you might not know, but Chongxiao has already comprehended the true essence of the Heavenly Dao. All he lacks is magic power comparable to a god king's. His Dao attainment is likely not inferior to yours." Dao attainment referred to one's comprehension of the Dao, one's depth of Dao cultivation. For Xu Ying to praise Chongxiao so highly, claiming his Dao attainment rivaled ancient primordial deities like Cangwu, was immense commendation. Great Emperor Cangwu was visibly moved and glanced at Chongxiao. Xu Ying said, "Chongxiao, demonstrate your Heavenly Dao attainment for Brother Cangwu to see." Chongxiao replied impassively, "A white-haired old thief, a gray-bearded scoundrel—nothing more than an ignorant deity created out of thin air by mortals. How could he possibly understand my Heavenly Dao?" *This fellow really had it coming when he lost the factional struggle in the Heavenly Dao world and got kicked down to the mortal realm,* Xu Ying thought to himself. *For Chongxiao to make it out of the Heavenly Dao world alive, his strength must truly be formidable,* Grand Preceptor Jiang thought. *If he served as an official under Us, he wouldn't live to see the court adjourn,* the Son of Heaven of Zhou thought. Great Emperor Cangwu's fury flared. He already harbored bitter enmity toward the old gods of the Heavenly Dao, having suffered death at their hands, and now he was beside himself with rage. He was about to strike Chongxiao dead to vent his anger. Just then, incense smoke qi flickered around Chongxiao, coalescing into one Heavenly Dao rune after another. Great Emperor Cangwu froze, gazing at those flickering Heavenly Dao runes. The principles contained within most of the runes were remarkably clear, and one could plainly perceive the profound mysteries of the Heavenly Dao embedded in them. Great Emperor Cangwu's fury vanished completely. He asked, "From where did you comprehend these mysteries of the Heavenly Dao?" Chongxiao recounted how he had divided himself into countless incarnations, presiding over various temples and fulfilling different duties to absorb incense. Great Emperor Cangwu fell silent for a moment before saying, "You have indeed grasped the wonders of the Heavenly Dao. Your future achievements will be limitless." Xu Ying said, "I also noticed the extraordinary nature of his Heavenly Dao runes, which is why I spared his life." Great Emperor Cangwu whispered, "This outer god is fine in every regard except for that foul mouth of his." Xu Ying leaned in close and murmured, "Brother Cangwu noticed that too?" Great Emperor Cangwu nodded slightly and lowered his voice. "It's fortunate he holed up in the Benshi world and never stepped outside all these years. Had he gone out, he would have been killed long ago." Xu Ying could not agree more. They returned to the Cangwu Abyss. The Son of Heaven of Zhou and Grand Preceptor Jiang immediately dispatched orders to the Qi Refiners of the Great Zhou, instructing them to return from the myriad heavens and worlds as quickly as possible. Zhu Chanchan was still on Feilai Peak helping Chu Xiangxiang refine magic treasures, and the two women had not descended the mountain once. Xu Ying summoned the big bell and Grave Grass, who had been cultivating while bathed in immortal light and immortal qi. However, Juan Qi was still seated cross-legged there, yet to wake. He was still cultivating the ancestral method, attempting to open the Mud Pill Palace Nuo ancestor cave-heaven. Xu Ying furrowed his brow, his heart sinking slightly. *If Seventh Master cannot open the Nuo ancestor cave-heaven, that means even with the ancestral method, the Nuo method cannot be passed down...* Great Emperor Cangwu walked over and said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I have only one daughter. As this old man must flee to take refuge, I entrust my daughter to you." Xu Ying replied solemnly, "Rest assured, Brother Cangwu. I will certainly treat Xiangxiang like my own flesh-and-blood daughter!" "This..." Great Emperor Cangwu hesitated, then shook his head, thinking to himself, *Forget it. I have said all I can say.* Just as Xu Ying was about to wake Juan Qi and leave the Cangwu Abyss, Juan Qi suddenly opened his eyes and woke up. "Ah Ying, I did it!"