Twelve Chaos-tier beings?!
The situation instantly made the five divine demon emperors feel a surge of difficulty, and it wasn't just tricky—they even suspected this was a conspiracy and trap aimed right at them.
However, their plan to invade the human race and capture Lu had been kept extremely secret, with almost no one aware of it. So, the divine demon emperors realized this might just be a pure coincidence.
"The Beast Ancestor inheritance, huh?"
The Fire Emperor's expression turned gravely serious.
Originally, they had planned to overwhelm with numbers, taking advantage of the human race's temporarily insufficient Chaos-tier count to strike decisively and complete their scheme.
But they hadn't expected the humans to inherit the Beast Ancestor legacy in such a short time.
In truth, it hadn't been that short. From the Wood Emperor's injury and his possession of the Wood Elemental God to recover to his peak, it had taken thousands of years. For a divine demon emperor whose foundation had been shattered, regaining full strength at this speed was already remarkably fast.
Yet, the human race's growth was even quicker.
Setting aside the five inheritors of the Beast Ancestor legacy, just Tonggu Daoist, Lu Jiulian, and Lu breaking through to Chaos-tier was enough to shock them.
As for the suddenly appearing Devil Lord and Demon Lord, those left them completely baffled.
In fact, it wasn't just the divine demons.
Even the powerhouses on the human side were somewhat dumbfounded.
When had the human race gained so many Chaos-tier experts?
Lu's ascension to sainthood was understandable—thousands of years ago, he had slain the Wood Emperor with a single arrow, so breaking into the saint realm wasn't surprising.
Lu Jiulian... could勉强 be explained as well.
But who were this Devil Lord and Demon Lord?
Even the Eternal Sage was a bit clueless about their identities.
However, the Eternal Sage wasn't one to be underestimated. After staring at the Demon Lord and Devil Lord for a while, he gave Lu a meaningful glance.
He seemed to notice some subtle connections between the Demon Lord, Devil Lord, and Lu.
"This kid... he's just bluffing."
"But adding two more Chaos-tier beings does boost the human race's momentum—it's pretty intimidating."
The Eternal Sage chuckled.
Regardless of whether the Demon Lord and Devil Lord were truly Chaos-tier, at least the human race's presence was now asserted.
Originally, the five divine demon emperors had charged into the Five Phoenixes with overwhelming aggression, relying on their superior numbers to bully and outnumber the humans.
But now, the tables had turned.
The situation had become incredibly delicate.
The auras of twelve Chaos-tier beings surged like a torrent, bursting out of the Five Phoenixes, through the Primordial Immortal Domain, beyond the Ninth Heaven, and rampaging wildly across the ancient starry sky.
Many powerful races in the starry sky changed expressions drastically.
Numerous quasi-saint peaks among them sensed these waves of Chaos-tier auras, their faces filled with utter astonishment.
Besides the five Chaos-tier divine demon emperors, twelve more Chaos-tier auras had erupted from the human ancestral land.
That meant within the human ancestral land, there were a whopping twelve Chaos-tier humans?!
What the hell... was going on?
Had the humans anticipated the divine demons' emperors uniting to attack?
Was this a deliberate trap set for the divine demons?!
With twelve Chaos-tier combatants, the five divine demon emperors suddenly seemed insignificant.
In an instant, the eyes of powerhouses from various races in the starry sky flickered.
They sensed that this time, things had escalated big time.
Twelve Chaos-tier beings—had the human race's power grown to such an extent?
Perhaps after this battle, the structure of the ancient starry sky would be completely rewritten.
Many races stirred with restless thoughts.
They didn't know about the "gate," but they did know that if all the divine demon emperors were left behind in the Five Phoenixes by the humans, it could be an opportunity for them.
A chance to rise by leveraging the divine demons.
Without their emperors, the divine demons lost their dominance. Though the elemental realms had been breached by the humans, they still held immense resources.
If acquired, it could propel many races to new heights.
In a flash, numerous powerhouses gazed intently at the battle within the human ancestral land of the Five Phoenixes, their eyes burning with fervor.
...
"Don't panic... Those who broke through via the Beast Ancestor inheritance surely can't fully control it, and it's an unorthodox path. Compared to us veteran Chaos-tiers, they're bound to be much weaker."
In the Five Phoenixes starry sky.
The Fire Emperor took a deep breath, rallying the other emperors.
The current situation was extremely dangerous for these divine demon emperors.
One misstep, and all the divine demon emperors might fall here.
"What a clever scheme..."
The Wood Emperor stared at the many Chaos-tiers in the Five Phoenixes, feeling a chill run through him.
But the divine demon emperors had no retreat left.
Yun Qiangu was healing his wounds. At this point, he had recovered somewhat. Caught off guard by the five divine demon emperors, even he had suffered significant injuries.
He had been worried about the human race, but now, the tide had completely turned.
Tonggu Sage was also a bit stunned.
What was happening?
Before, the humans had no Chaos-tiers, and now that he had finally broken through, a bunch more popped up, making his new saint status seem utterly unremarkable.
It felt inexplicably frustrating...
But Tonggu Sage quickly came to terms with it— the human race's strength was what mattered.
Lu was somewhat surprised as well.
Bai Qingniao, Nie Changqing, Sima Qingshan, and the others who obtained the Beast Ancestor inheritance breaking into Chaos-tier was indeed beyond Lu's expectations.
However, upon closer thought, it made sense—they were bound to reach Chaos-tier eventually, after all. The Beast Ancestor inheritance wasn't something trivial.
Even if their current breakthroughs made them the weakest Chaos-tiers, they were still Chaos-tiers.
Lu narrowed his eyes.
Staring at the Wood Emperor, who returned a rather cold glare.
"It seems you know something..."
The divine demon emperors actively invading the Five Phoenixes together—there was something fishy about it. Such a blatant move must have a reason.
Perhaps he had exposed something that made the divine demon emperors unable to sit still.
What could it be?
Was it really the system?
The system was Lu's greatest secret. Even now at Qi Refining Level 14, Lu still didn't want to reveal it.
So...
This time, these divine demon emperors would all stay behind.
Before, Lu hadn't been fully confident.
But now, having stepped into Qi Refining Level 14...
With saint-level combat power, and his Indestructible Demon Body achieving four-element fusion—just one step from perfection—he had faith in his strength.
Against the mysterious Black and White Empress, it was uncertain, but facing divine demon emperors, Lu could give it a shot.
Lu couldn't be bothered to waste words with the divine demon emperors.
Their target was him, and Lu wasn't some bleeding heart who would let them go.
He looked up at the Eternal Sage.
"Eternal Senior... you handle one divine demon emperor."
Lu said.
"Leave it to me."
Yun Qiangu smiled.
Then, Lu shifted his gaze to Zhu Long and Lu Jiulian.
"You two also block one divine demon emperor."
Zhu Long's eyes flickered as she nodded slightly.
Lu Jiulian's palm rested on the Azure Lotus Sword at his waist, sword qi overflowing.
Lu turned to Tonggu Sage, then to the Demon Lord and Devil Lord. "You three hold off one as well."
Finally, his gaze fell on the Overlord, Bai Qingniao, and the others.
"You five stop one divine demon emperor... can you manage?"
The Overlord, clad in armor and gripping a massive axe, had eyes blazing like torches, flames roaring within.
"Count on us!"
Roar!
With a fierce bellow.
Earth Origin Profound Meaning surged from the Overlord, as if the phantom of the Earth Source Beast Ancestor appeared behind him. He turned into a streak of light, charging swiftly toward the Gold Emperor.
"Fight!"
"Come face me!"
The Overlord roared across the starry sky.
The Gold Emperor's face darkened slightly.
He struck out fiercely, thousands of golden rays flashing in the Five Phoenixes starry sky, illuminating the heavens.
The rampaging Overlord was hit by this strike, sent flying back, crashing through the void with endless turbulent flows whipping at him.
Yet the Overlord leaped up from the chaos without a care.
"Again!"
His face boiled with battle intent, charging forward relentlessly, leading the front.
Bai Qingniao, Sima Qingshan, Nie Changqing, and Kong Nanfei couldn't just watch the Overlord take the beating.
They all acted.
In an instant, brilliant profound meaning fluctuations swept across heaven and earth.
The Gold Emperor was entangled by the five.
On the other side, Yun Qiangu smiled faintly, tearing through spatial turbulence with a step, extending a hand that transformed into a heaven-and-earth prison.
The Fire Emperor released endless flames, but they were confined by Yun Qiangu's palm.
Zhu Long and Lu Jiulian burst forth.
Zhu Long's black-and-white eyes shimmered, black-and-white yin-yang profound meaning surging. A massive millstone hovered in the starry sky, smashing down toward the Earth Emperor's head.
Lu Jiulian drew his sword, five-colored sword lights exploding. One after another, profound meaning rage lotuses were hurled out, detonating with earth-shaking power.
The Earth Emperor was also pinned down.
Meanwhile, Tonggu Sage, teamed with the Demon Lord and Devil Lord, launched their attacks.
Facing three peers, the Water Emperor showed some strain.
The Demon Lord and Devil Lord weren't strong fighters, but they were genuine Chaos-tiers. Tonggu Sage was a new saint, not overwhelmingly powerful either.
So while the Water Emperor felt the pressure, there wasn't a sense of dire crisis.
In contrast, the Wood Emperor...
Locked onto by Lu, a sudden deathly peril surged in the Wood Emperor's heart.
The Wood Emperor's expression shifted. Though the human Chaos-tiers weren't very strong individually, their numbers were overwhelming...
One-on-one, they might not match Yun Qiangu, but catching him off guard with five against one had injured him.
Now, the divine demon emperors faced what Yun Qiangu had endured.
"This time... we have to get serious."
The Wood Emperor spoke gravely. Last time, being slain by Lu's arrow was due to the gate, but this time, he had to overcome his inner fear of it.
Moreover, the Wood Emperor guessed that their current move, drawing the Water Emperor and Gold Emperor away from the ancient starry sky's depths, must have alerted the Black and White Empress and the Myriad Treasures Saint.
If the gate reappeared...
All the Chaos-tiers in the Five Phoenixes starry sky could sense it, and the arriving Black and White Empress would notice too.
Then, Lu would have some explaining to do.
After all, the gate's existence was an endless calamity, set to destroy everything in the ancient starry sky.
At that point, whose side the Black and White Empress would take was uncertain.
So, the Wood Emperor decided to push Lu to his limits this time.
At least, force him to summon the gate again.
Boom!
Endless Wood Origin Profound Meaning erupted from the Wood Emperor's body, turning the starry sky into a scene of vibrant life in an instant.
Willow branches whipped through the starry sky, as if a willow tree spanning the cosmos pressed down upon the world.
The branches lashed toward Lu, shattering space inch by inch.
The Five Phoenixes starry sky became the battlefield, but Chaos-tier fights were pulled into another dimensional arena.
There, they could battle freely without affecting anything in the Five Phoenixes.
Lu sat on the Thousand Blades Chair, facing the incoming willow branches. His palm slowly swept across the wheelchair.
Silver light exploded.
Instantly, silver blades clashed with the willow branches, detonating tremendous power.
The Wood Emperor's heart skipped a beat—Lu's strength had grown much stronger than before, truly at saint level!
And not the kind of a new saint; that robust power made him wary.
The willow branches kept whipping down, void cracking inch by inch.
Yet each time Lu flicked the silver blades, the branches' assaults were halted.
It was like they were trading blows, clashing in the starry sky.
Lu's expression was indifferent, calmly watching the Wood Emperor.
Once, without relying on the Five Phoenixes Bow, Lu could hardly handle the Wood Emperor. But now, at Qi Refining Level 14, even without the bow, he could easily contend with him.
This was progress.
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The Wood Emperor sensed it too, growing solemn.
But he had never treated Lu as a mere new saint—the gate's existence and the Five Phoenixes Bow's killing power prevented any underestimation.
They exchanged blows for a while.
Lu leaned on the Thousand Blades Chair, fingers tapping the armrest lightly.
He stopped the exchange.
Facing the still incoming branches, Lu stood from the chair.
The Indestructible Demon Body began surging on him.
The Five Elements Indestructible Demon Body emerged continuously. Silver blades stacked with the Phoenix Plume Sword, finally forming a silver-red flying sword.
Water, fire, gold, wood... four attributes fused together.
The next moment, a faint purple aura began spreading from Lu, as if he were walking out from chaos itself.
He raised a hand, grabbing the whipping willow branch.
The Wood Emperor's mind tensed.
But Lu calmly stared straight at him, then yanked hard.
The Wood Emperor felt a massive force erupt from Lu, pulling him uncontrollably toward him.
Lu clenched his fist, purple qi gathering like chaos, heavy and immense, bursting with heaven-shaking power!
Thud!
The punch collided with the Wood Emperor.
The Wood Emperor blocked with both arms, but... now at only eighty percent recovery, facing Lu's punch felt like being crushed by chaos.
Terrifying force instantly blasted through his body!
"This..."
The Wood Emperor was horrified.
What technique was this?!
Attempting to fuse five origin profound meanings into the body...
Madman!
But during the Five Phoenixes Bow eruption before, the Wood Emperor had already known Lu was a madman...
His arms exploded, face filled with uncertainty.
Lu raised a hand, gripping the silver-red flying sword formed from the Thousand Blades Chair and Phoenix Plume Sword stack.
"Do you know something?"
Lu looked at the Wood Emperor, asking faintly.
The Wood Emperor's heart jolted.
It seemed Lu understood the purpose of him uniting with the other four divine demon emperors to invade the Five Phoenixes.
From the Wood Emperor's demeanor, Lu knew he had indeed guessed something.
"This is my greatest secret, but since you've learned of it, you... will stay behind."
"Last time, I let your foundation escape. This time... you won't get away again."
Lu said calmly.
Lu believed the Wood Emperor knew about the system on him.
But in reality, the Wood Emperor only suspected Lu's connection to the gate.
The atmosphere grew somewhat silent.
Neither side said more.
Yet Lu moved instantly, slowly raising a hand.
The Spiritual Pressure Chessboard floated around him.
The chessboard domain expanded, enveloping the Wood Emperor. He was startled to find the surrounding void sealed by Lu.
Lu, sword in hand, stepped through the void toward him.
Terrifying killing intent erupted from Lu.
The Wood Emperor unleashed world-shaking attacks, but... found them all blocked by Lu.
Lu's body was incredibly tough, utterly fearless of his assaults.
Soon, Lu closed the distance.
Lu stared indifferently, eyes filled with terrifying intent to destroy everything.
This killing intent made the Wood Emperor feel like his throat was being gripped.
"You..."
The Wood Emperor opened his mouth.
But...
Lu wasted no words, slashing down with the sword.
How could the Wood Emperor's body, possessed from the Wood Elemental God, withstand a strike from a body fused with four Indestructible Demon elements?
Their bodies weren't on the same level.
So, the Wood Emperor's body exploded.
Boom!
A terrifying explosion erupted.
A small willow twig rushed out from the blast, escaping the dimensional space.
In the Five Phoenixes starry sky.
Luo Yang, Tantai Xuan, Chai Feng, and other human quasi-saints watched the battle in the other dimension.
Suddenly.
A terrifying energy fluctuation burst from the other dimension—if it spread, half the Five Phoenixes might be destroyed.
Then, space shattered.
A small willow twig darted out swiftly.
Hmm?
Everyone's expressions shifted, some looking oddly amused.
The Wood Emperor... blown up again?!
The other besieged divine demon emperors all changed expressions drastically.
Blown up again?!
This time... it seemed without sensing the gate's aura.
Whoosh!
A terrifying sonic boom tore through the Five Phoenixes starry sky. Silver-red light exploded, nailing the Wood Emperor's origin twig in the void.
The Wood Emperor's will let out a shrill scream!
This time, he was truly going to die!
Lu, purple robes fluttering, stepped out from the other dimension one by one.
He walked slowly to the nailed twig in the void.
Raised a hand, gripping the Wood Emperor's twig.
Outside the Five Phoenixes starry sky.
Void shattered.
The Myriad Treasures Saint and Black and White Empress crossed the ancient starry sky simultaneously.
But upon arrival, they found the situation in the Five Phoenixes not as they imagined.
The Black and White Empress paused.
On the other side, the Myriad Treasures Saint was utterly stunned.
When had the humans... become this strong?!
They exchanged glances, teleporting into the Five Phoenixes starry sky, immediately spotting Lu clutching the Wood Emperor's origin.
The Wood Emperor's shrill screams exploded in the starry sky.
"Wood Emperor?!"
The Myriad Treasures Saint's expression turned strange.
The Black and White Empress seemed to understand something, her expression shifting.
Lu glanced at the Black and White Empress, without reminiscing or saying anything.
Power began erupting in his palm, intent on crushing the Wood Emperor.
"Wait... don't kill him."
"The gate is about to open; we need them to block the existence behind it."
The Black and White Empress thought for a moment and spoke to stop him.
This crisis was unlike previous epochs; she felt that one more divine demon emperor could mean one more shred of hope.
"That's right! Spare me! I'll use my life to block the gate!"
The Wood Emperor's voice exploded in the void.
Lu looked at the Black and White Empress expressionlessly.
"He tried to kill me."
Lu said.
"Everyone knows... my temper, Lu Ping'an's temper."
"Try to kill me and still want to live?"
With Lu's words.
His palm clenched fiercely, terrifying power erupting, directly annihilating the Wood Emperor's consciousness.
The Wood Emperor's aura completely vanished.
A divine demon emperor, fallen.
In the instant of the Wood Emperor's fall.
The ancient starry sky seemed to roar deafeningly, terrifying booms exploding, countless beings sensing the heaven's change.
Last time, the Wood Emperor's death was fake, but this... was real.
Thus, phenomena erupted in the ancient starry sky.
Blood-colored stars fell rapidly like rain.
In the starry sky, countless powerhouses paled—this phenomenon signified an emperor's fall!
The divine demon powerhouses of the divine demon race looked ashen.
The Myriad Treasures Saint said nothing.
The Black and White Empress furrowed her brows slightly, sighing helplessly.
Fine, one Wood Emperor dead—the others remained; his strength was weaker anyway, so dead it is.
However...
What the Black and White Empress didn't expect.
After Lu crushed the Wood Emperor, with a flip of his hand, the Five Phoenixes Bow crafted from the Wood Emperor's body fell into his grasp.
The Black and White Empress was stunned.
Killing the Wood Emperor... wasn't enough?
The next moment, she understood...
Lu drew the Five Phoenixes Bow.
Five elements united in chaos power surged in, along with innate purple qi, primordial spirit power, endless spiritual energy, and the Five Phoenixes Immortal Origin from the torn origin universe behind him.
On the Five Phoenixes Bow, a pitch-black arrow emerged.
Whoosh!
The arrow shot silently.
The next instant, it plunged into the dimensional battlefield where Tonggu Sage, Demon Lord, Devil Lord battled the Water Emperor.
Boom!!!
A black hole instantly devoured the other dimension.
A heavy water drop, carrying the Water Emperor's will, fled madly from the dimensional battlefield.
Intent on escaping the Five Phoenixes into the boundless ancient starry sky.
However...
Lu's purple robes fluttered as he tore through space.
Precisely grasping the water drop.
This was the Water Emperor's foundation, like the Wood Emperor's twig.
Lu gripped the drop, ignoring the Water Emperor's pleas, crushing it and erasing her will.
Boom!
Phenomena erupted again in the ancient starry sky—another divine demon emperor... fallen!
The Black and White Empress's eyes narrowed—this kid... killed another emperor?!
Lu looked at her calmly.
"Today, emperors... not a single one spared."
Chapter 668: The Reward of Qi Refining Level 14
Lu's words weren't loud, but they made every cultivator in the Five Phoenixes starry sky feel a flame surging wildly in their chests.
Dominant!
Emperors... not a single one spared!
Lu intended to leave all the divine demon emperors behind!
The Wood Emperor had already fallen, and the Water Emperor followed suit.
In mere moments, two divine demon emperors had perished.
These were divine demon emperors, beings at the pinnacle of the ancient starry sky, yet slain effortlessly by Lu.
This was true annihilation, not like before where they could revive.
The Wood Emperor was dead, consciousness utterly obliterated.
The atmosphere heated up—that was the human powerhouses, oppressed by the divine demons for countless ages. Now, the humans had reclaimed their pride, and Lu's dominance made the human will condense like a blazing bonfire, rushing to the skies.
The human will had never been so unified.
The Black and White Empress's black-and-white eyes narrowed slightly.
Lu's killing intent was thick.
But she felt Lu was too reckless.
"You're at saint level now; there are many things you might not fully understand..."
"To block the existence behind that gate, the more Chaos-tier beings we have, the higher the success rate."
The Black and White Empress said.
"So, no more killing—leave them to block the portal."
She disagreed with Lu slaughtering all the emperors. This destruction was unlike previous epochs; even she lacked confidence in surviving this calamity.
Thus, if these divine demon emperors could be spared to help, the chances of success might increase.
The Myriad Treasures Daoist stayed silent, squinting with a smile.
Though he knew the Black and White Empress made sense, he wouldn't interfere, didn't want to, and even subtly supported Lu.
After all, these divine demon emperors had concealed information and ambushed the humans.
If not for the humans' strength exceeding the divine demons' expectations, the one dead might have been the Eternal Sage.
Thus, he had no desire to speak.
What if these divine demon emperors died?
He'd long wanted to off them.
Lu held the cooling Five Phoenixes Bow, smiling neither humbly nor arrogantly at the Black and White Empress.
Indeed, the Black and White Empress had aided him before.
But on this matter, Lu wouldn't yield—these divine demon emperors must die, not just because they schemed against him and tried to kill him, but because they were plotting something more.
Leaving them alive was no good.
"Spare the rest."
The Black and White Empress spoke again.
Yet Lu merely stroked the Five Phoenixes Bow gently.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Lu's rapid growth surprised the Black and White Empress. She had thought it would take eons for Lu to reach saint level, uncertain if he'd make it before the gate opened.
But Lu's progress was indeed swift.
And not just that—Lu wasn't an ordinary saint; his combat power was exceptional.
With the power to slay Chaos-tiers.
The Five Phoenixes Bow, and that special physique...
Made the Black and White Empress sense something unusual.
"No..."
"They tried to kill me, so I must wipe them all out."
"I'll admit, Lu Ping'an... I have a bad temper, but..."
"So what if I do?"
Lu said calmly.
He stopped stroking the Five Phoenixes Bow, looked up, and gazed calmly at the Black and White Empress.
The next moment, he raised the Five Phoenixes Bow abruptly. Five energies converged again, pouring into it, condensing a black arrow on the bow.
Bow drawn to full moon, terrifying killing intent burst forth.
At this moment.
In the instant the Wood Emperor and Water Emperor fell, the Fire Emperor, Earth Emperor, and Gold Emperor sensed it. Their expressions changed drastically, but escaping wasn't easy.
Though injured, the Eternal Sage's base strength was solid. He blocked the Fire Emperor with a smile, his heart somewhat shaken.
"Lu's really going big this time..."
"With the Wood Emperor and Water Emperor dead, is Lu planning to leave all divine demon emperors behind?"
The Eternal Sage's eyes flickered.
As a powerhouse long stationed in the ancient starry sky's depths, he knew well that without these divine demon emperors, the pressure would be immense once the gate opened.
But...
Recalling how the divine demon emperors schemed against him, invading the Five Phoenixes to suppress Lu.
The Eternal Sage stopped thinking about it.
This was all self-inflicted by those divine demon emperors!
Lu had never left the Five Phoenixes; it was they who came to kill him—Lu was just defending himself.
The Eternal Sage had no reason to stop Lu and wouldn't.
He'd even help.
"The calamity behind the portal... hmph! So what if we're short a few divine demon emperors? Now the Beast Ancestor inheritances are all with the humans—kill them all!"
The Eternal Sage's eyes shone.
The Fire Emperor panicked.
He felt the humans' malice toward them was overflowing; he even regretted entering the human ancestral land.
The current Five Phoenixes was the human ancestral land, and far more terrifying than before.
Twelve Chaos-tiers...
It was a dead end.
The Fire Emperor roared in fury, but stuck like glue by the Eternal Sage... he still couldn't break out.
The Gold Emperor and Earth Emperor felt the same.
The three emperors were flustered.
Especially when Lu drew the Five Phoenixes Bow, the unparalleled crisis made these divine demon emperors taste despair.
The Black and White Empress took a deep breath, her ample chest heaving.
In the end, she didn't act.
She understood the situation—after all, this was essentially the divine demon emperors' own doing.
Lu hadn't planned to kill them; it was the divine demons who initiated the assault.
To capture Lu, to kill Lu.
Thus, she had no grounds to intervene.
"What a pity..."
The Black and White Empress shook her head, her gaze tinged with regret.
The Beast Ancestor inheritances appearing should have been good news, but the impending fall of five divine demon emperors offset the joy.
"In this state, I wonder if we can hold when the gate truly appears."
"I don't know if there'll be a next epoch after this one."
"Perhaps from now on, the ancient starry sky will return to chaos, with no beings left."
The Black and White Empress shook her head, filled with emotion.
But emotions aside, she didn't stop Lu.
Her strength was great, but Lu's chaos arrow made even her sense danger and difficulty.
Seeing the Black and White Empress not intervening, Lu exhaled in relief.
His lips curved up slightly.
Then, he released the drawn chaos arrow.
Whoosh!
Dimensional space seemed to twist under this arrow.
It shot out, soon plunging into the dimensional space where the Fire Emperor battled the Eternal Sage.
Boom!
A terrifying black hole instantly devoured the entire dimension, annihilation energy sweeping through.
The Eternal Sage crossed the void, his face slightly pale.
The power of Lu's arrow horrified even him.
If hit by it, he'd likely perish.
Thankfully, the humans had Lu.
Or rather, thankfully Lu was human, not divine demon—otherwise, the humans would be the ones suffering.
The Eternal Sage sighed.
In the distance, the Myriad Treasures Saint returning from the ancient starry sky's depths looked gravely serious—this arrow... so strong!
He'd heard of the human prodigy slaying the Wood Emperor with one arrow and was amazed.
He'd imagined it strong, but not this strong.
The humans had truly risen.
This must be Lu Ping'an.
Shrill screams erupted from the black hole. A flame streak shot from the twisted space, the Fire Emperor's will surging with unwillingness and terror!
"Lu Ping'an, you really intend to kill us all!"
The Fire Emperor shrieked.
"You tried to kill me, Lu Ping'an—why can't I kill you?"
Lu laughed.
He stepped out, strolling leisurely through the starry sky, extending a hand to seize the flame.
The flame showed the Fire Emperor's distorted face.
"Spare us, and we can help block the world-destroying gate!"
The Fire Emperor said.
"Lu Ping'an... you have a deep connection to that gate!"
"The Wood Emperor said that when you shot him, he saw the gate behind you!"
"You might be targeted by the existence behind the gate! You'll end up like us eventually!"
The Fire Emperor wailed.
Yet Lu's face remained cold.
He crushed it directly, erasing the Fire Emperor's will.
Fire Emperor, fallen!
Boom!
In the ancient starry sky, apocalyptic scenes appeared again. Blood-colored stars emerged like meteors, booming deafeningly.
The divine demon race's countless powerhouses slumped in the starry sky.
As if drained of strength, even heavenly god-tiers were the same.
Despair came so suddenly.
What was thought to be a decisive battle between divine demons and humans.
Turned out to be the divine demons' doomsday.
Five divine demon emperors, three already fallen—what a bone-chilling horror.
In the ancient starry sky, with countless beings and divine demons over endless ages, only five emperors had ever emerged. Now, emperors were falling...
Many racial powerhouses in the starry sky trembled in awe.
The humans were now the undisputed overlords of the ancient starry sky, the top race.
Boom!
Time ticked by.
In the ancient starry sky, it seemed blood flowed, countless souls wailed.
Heavens collapsed, star rivers churned.
Blood became the theme of the world.
Phenomena proliferated in the starry sky, as if profound meaning powers returned to origin...
The Gold Emperor and Earth Emperor...
Had fallen too.
Fallen in the humans' new ancestral land, the Five Phoenixes.
Powerhouses from various starry sky races sighed, then emerged from hiding.
Adjusting their attire, preparing to visit the ancient starry sky's newest overlord in the human ancestral land.
Before, the humans had the overlord title, but without fallen divine demon emperors, it wasn't secure.
Now, having slain five divine demon emperors.
The humans' overlord position was rock-solid.
Now was the time to declare their stances—better not wait for human armies to reach their ancestral lands; by then, it'd be too late.
From now on, in the starry sky, the divine demon race would never recover.
...
In the Five Phoenixes starry sky.
Dead silence.
Overwhelming death qi lingered, the aftermath of five emperors' falls.
Lu's purple shirt fluttered, his expression calm.
Around him floated five divine demon emperors' foundations, their consciousnesses erased.
A clump of crimson fire, a crystal water drop, a willow twig section, a lump of mud, and a gold stone.
These were the five divine demon emperors' foundations, containing five elements origins.
Each a peerless treasure, capable of forging top artifacts.
Lu had erased their consciousnesses but preserved the foundations.
These were valuable items.
After slaying the divine demon emperors, Lu no longer maintained the Indestructible Demon Body.
Stepping back, thousand blades stacked into the Thousand Blades Chair.
Lu sat, purple shirt turning white, elegant and graceful like a banished immortal.
With a light smile.
Lu flicked a finger.
The crimson flame flew toward Bai Qingniao.
"This is an emperor's fire origin foundation—master it well, strive to fully absorb the Beast Ancestor inheritance."
Lu said.
Bai Qingniao held the flame, her eyes brightening slightly.
"Thank you, Young Master Lu."
Lu turned, pushing gently.
The water origin foundation flew toward Kong Nanfei, who caught it and grinned widely.
"Thanks, Young Master Lu."
Lu nodded slightly, raised a hand, and flicked—the twig shot toward Sima Qingshan.
The gold stone and mud flew toward Nie Changqing and the Overlord respectively.
Distribution complete, Lu smiled.
"You obtained the Beast Ancestor inheritances through your own opportunities, but greater crises loom in the starry sky ahead—this crisis demands your efforts. So... strive to refine the Beast Ancestor inheritances, reach Beast Ancestor level, or even surpass it, to gain a sliver of survival in future calamities."
Lu said.
They nodded solemnly.
Lu then turned to the Eternal Sage, Tonggu Sage, Lu Jiulian, and Zhu Long.
"Except for the Wood Emperor's body, which I handled earlier, the other emperor corpses are top treasures—divide them among yourselves."
Lu laughed.
The Eternal Sage stroked his beard at this.
Time to split the spoils.
He had no major objections to Lu's allocation.
Dividing the emperor foundations among the five Beast Ancestor inheritors was the best choice.
As for the emperor corpses, equally top treasures, the Eternal Sage didn't hold back.
Tonggu Sage felt a bit embarrassed—he thought he'd done nothing and was getting a free emperor corpse.
But embarrassed or not, he wouldn't give it up.
After distribution, Lu turned the five emperors' fall sites into cultivation holy grounds.
The will storms from emperors' falls greatly aided tempering primordial spirits and wills, serving as sites to assist human will cultivation.
When it came to utilizing tools, Lu was a pro.
With everything handled, the rest didn't need Lu's involvement.
Luo Yang, Chai Feng, and other human quasi-saints led the human army out through the Ninth Heaven passage.
"Gold, wood, water, fire, earth—the five great divine demon emperors, all executed, fallen in the human ancestral land. From now on, no more divine demon emperors in the ancient starry sky!"
Luo Yang gripped his fire-tipped spear, speaking coldly.
He harbored genuine disgust and hatred for these divine demons who repeatedly attacked the humans.
Luo Yang's words shocked the myriad races in the starry sky.
"Kill!"
After the words.
Ignoring the despondent, fleeing divine demons.
The human army charged out, momentum like roaring waves, pursuing the divine demons.
The divine demon race scattered in disarray.
Utterly losing the capital to contend with the humans.
The divine demon era, completely over.
...
On the Five Phoenixes Continent.
Lake Heart Island.
Gentle breeze, peach blossoms drifting.
Lake water rippled brilliantly under the wind, like spring rain in March pattering on a pond, spreading circles.
Atop the pavilion.
Lu sat.
The Myriad Treasures Saint, Eternal Sage, and Black and White Empress all sat in the pavilion.
The atmosphere wasn't too tense or murderous.
Though the Black and White Empress found the divine demon emperors' falls regrettable, she didn't dwell on it. Over the ages, hadn't she seen enough fallen Chaos-tiers?
Just five dead emperors—she hardly cared.
"You really shouldn't have killed those divine demon emperors. They were Chaos-tiers, after all—keeping them would have been useful."
The Black and White Empress elegantly held her wine cup, long legs crossed, swirling the liquid.
The Eternal Sage and Myriad Treasures Saint smiled mildly, saying nothing.
Lu shook his head: "Saying that now is pointless."
"Clearing them out is fine—things are quieter now."
"Your Majesty, don't you think without those divine demon emperors, the air smells sweeter?"
Lu laughed.
The Black and White Empress rolled her eyes.
You kid are just being petty.
"Besides, I didn't kill those divine demon emperors solely because of my bad temper."
Lu said.
The next moment, with a thought.
The primordial spirits of the Water Elemental God, Gold Elemental God, and Earth Elemental God, imprisoned in the preaching platform, emerged.
The three elemental gods' primordial spirits appeared in the pavilion.
They were stunned at first, then overjoyed.
Were they free?!
But upon seeing the surroundings, the three elemental gods' primordial spirits despaired, huddling together, squatting on the ground, trembling.
The Black and White Empress, two human saints, and Lu...
All Chaos-tier auras, comparable to divine demon emperors, utterly terrifying.
Escape?
With these four watching, even if given a billion-li head start, they'd still be caught.
Escape was impossible.
"Hmm?"
The Black and White Empress was surprised— these elemental gods, long rumored dead, were actually alive.
Seemingly used as labor by Lu.
"Tell them about the emperors' schemes."
Lu leaned on the Thousand Blades Chair, speaking as if basking in spring breeze.
But to the elemental gods, this spring-breeze pose was like the scariest nightmare.
The Water Elemental God's primordial spirit trembled, speaking first.
She vaguely revealed some of the divine demon emperors' past plans, as she didn't know much.
"Now you see? These divine demon emperors were likely plotting something big, so killing them ends it all—prevents another crisis later."
Lu laughed.
The Black and White Empress fell silent.
The Eternal Sage and Myriad Treasures Saint exchanged glances, surprised.
While everyone focused wholeheartedly on opposing the existence behind the portal, these divine demon emperors planned to defect.
Though the Water Elemental God was unclear, they could infer from fragments.
"Fine..."
The Black and White Empress shook her head.
"Losing five divine demon emperors will have some impact, but now with five Beast Ancestor inheritance bearers, it's manageable. However... this crisis is terrifying, at least more than previous epoch crises."
The Black and White Empress said.
Suddenly, her eyes fell on Lu.
"Earlier, the Fire Emperor said that during the clash with the Wood Emperor, the gate appeared behind you?"
At this, the Eternal Sage and Myriad Treasures Saint also gazed intently.
They had heard it too.
Lu's smile faded from his face.
He sank into thought.
Because... he truly didn't know about this.
The gate had appeared behind him?
"I don't know, and I'm unsure if what they said is true or false..."
Lu didn't hide it, saying directly.
"But when the Beast Ancestor inheritances appeared before, the gate did show up... and knocked on the door."
At this, the Black and White Empress and others looked over, eyes filled with gravity and shock.
But after speaking, Lu thought of something.
With a thought, he recalled the reward for entering Qi Refining Level 14. Right after breaking through, the divine demon emperors caused trouble, leaving him no time to check what the reward was.
Though the system had prompted.
Thus, Lu now prepared to investigate.
"A skyscraper rises from the ground—congratulations to the host for entering Qi Refining Level 14, taking a solid step toward building a super fantasy world."
"Reward issued, please check."
After the system prompt popped up.
Lu narrowed his eyes.
He was genuinely curious what the Qi Refining Level 14 reward would be—after all, at Level 13, the Indestructible Demon Body had already reached perfection.
With a thought.
The system panel emerged.
His gaze swept across, finding the reward section, and within it...
The Qi Refining Level 14 reward lay quietly.
Yet this reward surprised Lu somewhat.
Because...
The Qi Refining Level 14 reward was a... key.
