Not many beings had stepped forward—only a dozen or so.
However, their cultivation was at least in the Immortal Realm, and there were even Grotto-Heaven Immortals among them.
At this juncture, they chose to stand alongside the Heavenly Court.
As for what had driven them, no one knew. Perhaps they felt the Heavenly Court should not fall. Or perhaps they considered the two great factions traitors to this world for colluding with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons. Whatever the case, they had stepped forward under these circumstances—fear lingering in their hearts, yet standing firm nonetheless.
At this moment, Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, and the others felt a pleasant surprise. They truly had not expected any extraterrestrial beings to choose to stand with the Heavenly Court. There was no need to probe their underlying reasons; the simple fact that these figures were willing to step forward now spoke volumes.
Naturally, they also understood that even with these newcomers, the outcome would hardly change. After all, the two factions had deployed four Heavenly Rank Immortals. If those four struck, no one present could withstand them.
Even so, they were glad, feeling that no matter what happened, they were no longer fighting alone.
"Interesting." A Heavenly Rank Immortal of the Eternal Clan narrowed his eyes slightly upon seeing this, then spoke once more. "Anyone else? Step forward, all of you. I'd like to see just how many allies this so-called Heavenly Court has."
He was naturally displeased deep down that anyone would dare stand up and support the Heavenly Court at a time like this. Yet upon further thought, he felt it hardly mattered, as the end result would remain unchanged. Now, all he wanted was to slaughter every single soul who dared defy him and the Ji clan. Only then would he feel satisfied.
After his voice fell, the surrounding heaven and earth lapsed into silence once more. No one spoke, and no one else stepped forward.
"Very well. Since there is no one else, then—" the Ji clan Heavenly Rank Immortal began.
He left the rest of his sentence unsaid.
His eyes turned straight toward Mount Tai below.
In an instant, a terrifying aura surged forth. Mighty power roared, and boundless lightning raged across the heavens. The earth trembled, as though even Mount Tai was about to tear apart.
"Everyone, circulate your power!" Jiang Huanyun shouted, knowing that this Heavenly Rank Immortal was about to unleash his full strength without restraint.
Even though Earth and the surrounding world were guarded by various laws, they still struggled to hold under such force. Above all, there were heavenly soldiers and generals stationed on Mount Tai whose cultivation was not particularly high. If they faced the aura of a Heavenly Rank Immortal directly, their physical bodies would not withstand it and would likely shatter instantly.
Thus, they had to take action now.
As soon as Jiang Huanyun finished speaking, Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, exotic beasts like the Golden-Winged Great Peng, and the experts from various star sectors who had stepped forward earlier all circulated their inner strength. Channeling that power outward, they formed a colossal barrier covering a radius of ten thousand li, hoping to neutralize the Heavenly Rank Immortal's aura.
"Ants trying to shake a tree—utterly ridiculous," the Ji clan Heavenly Rank Immortal sneered.
He took a step forward.
*Rumble!*
An even mightier power erupted like a volcano. Fractures tore across the void, which clearly could not endure the strain. And the barrier, woven together by Jiang Huanyun, the Heavenly Court's core members, the exotic beasts, and the others, shattered in an instant.
*Pfft!*
Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, Little Heavenly Master Chunyang, and the rest coughed up mouthfuls of blood, their faces turning deathly pale.
The gap was simply too immense. Even though they had summoned their greatest strength, it proved utterly futile. Only Jiang Huanyun and the dozen-plus experts from the various clans fared slightly better due to their higher foundations, but even they were shaken.
"Is this a Heavenly Rank Immortal? Truly insurmountable."
"The Heavenly Court will truly be annihilated this time."
"Its fate is already sealed."
Spectators watching from afar murmured among themselves, their expressions conflicted with a sense of sorrow for a kindred soul facing destruction. They all knew that once the two great factions finished dealing with the Heavenly Court, their next target might well be themselves. Perhaps if they intervened now, even if they couldn't secure a glimmer of hope, they might at least change something.
Yet they lacked the courage, secretly harboring the frail hope that the two factions might overlook them when the time came.
Too powerful.
Looking up, Ice Fairy and the others wore expressions of pallid despair. Even though they had mentally prepared themselves long before, witnessing the true might of a Heavenly Rank Immortal still shook them to the core.
He was simply invincible.
What should they do now? Face death, await the Heavenly Court's destruction, and then watch the five super cities fall next?
"Children, don't give up! Even if there is no hope, we must hold on until the very last moment!"
A voice rang out just then. Elder Ji, Elder Yun, and other seniors had ascended Jade Emperor Peak as well. In truth, these elders had retired long ago, handing over their authority to the younger generation.
Yet now, as the Heavenly Court faced its gravest crisis, the old men had not cowered in the rear. They had chosen to step forward. On one hand, they felt they could still contribute their share of strength. On the other, they refused to let the children face this alone. Even knowing that their presence would be of little help, what else could they do?
Seeing this, the daze that had overcome Zhu Qingyu and the others in the face of the Heavenly Rank Immortal hardened into resolve once more. They all turned their heads to face the void.
Jiang Huanyun and the relatively stronger elders took deep breaths as well.
Indeed, so what if the ultimate outcome remained unchanged? At least right now, they were giving it their all.
The disciples of the Jiang clan felt the same.
At this moment, there were not many people atop Jade Emperor Peak—only a few thousand. Aside from them were the Beast Kings represented by the Peacock King, the Golden-Winged Great Peng, and others. Anywhere else, this would be a terrifying force, yet now they had to confront Heavenly Rank Immortals.
"Well, well. You at least have a bit of backbone," the Ji clan Heavenly Rank Immortal said, the smile on his face broadening.
What he enjoyed most was the feeling of crushing the resolve in people's hearts bit by bit. The reason was simple: it allowed him to savor the thrill of absolute power.
However, he said nothing more and merely stood where he was.
Behind him, the other three Heavenly Rank Immortals stepped forward in unison.
By now, these powerhouses had lost their patience. They had no desire to waste any more time. Even though the ants below hardly warranted their personal intervention, it made no difference—crushing everything beneath them was all they cared to do!
Chapter 539