Chapter 1223: Battle for the Throne

"Ying'er," the Brahma Heaven God Emperor turned his gaze. "You've been observing from afar these past days, never getting close. Why have you suddenly come today?"

"Yun Che, he has piqued my immense interest."

Qianye Ying'er's lips moved slightly, her words devoid of emotion. Her snow-white neck, fair wrists, and every exposed part of her skin were as pristine white as the most flawless jade, subtly radiating a faint, ethereal glow, enchanting and perfect.

"As expected," the Brahma Heaven God Emperor nodded, asking no further questions. Qianye Ying'er was well aware of the consequences her presence would bring, yet she still came. Clearly, her "interest" in Yun Che was far from ordinary.

On the Conferred God Stage, Yun Che's gaze also lingered on Qianye Ying'er for a long time before he finally managed to tear it away.

She was... the Brahma Emperor Goddess...

Without even seeing her face, her grace was already captivating, eclipsing the sun, moon, and stars. She was truly worthy of the title "Dragon Empress Goddess."

At that moment, he suddenly noticed a clear change in Luo Changsheng's aura and demeanor, no longer retaining his previous composure.

The ultimate pursuits a man could imagine in his life were nothing more than the highest profound way, the greatest power, and the most beautiful woman. The "Dragon Empress Goddess" represented the pinnacle of beauty in the God Realm.

The Dragon Empress was the Dragon Monarch's wife, and the Dragon Monarch was the foremost figure in the God Realm. He naturally deserved the Dragon Empress, and only a woman like her was truly worthy of him.

As for the Goddess...

Should any man ultimately earn her favor, it would undoubtedly spark insane envy among countless men in the God Realm!

Including Luo Changsheng.

However, given the Brahma Emperor Goddess's standing, even a figure like Luo Changsheng would never truly dare to dream of gaining her favor. Perhaps, merely catching a glimpse of her true face once in this lifetime was an extravagant hope.

"Begin!"

Revered Quhui's fierce roar, like a clap of thunder from a clear sky, dragged everyone's gaze and attention back to the Conferred God Stage.

The instant Revered Quhui's voice fell, Yun Che's and Luo Changsheng's profound energy simultaneously erupted.

Luo Changsheng's long hair flew upwards as fierce winds swept the surrounding space and lightning crackled. With the Sacred Lightning Sword in his right hand and the Divine Wind Halberd in his left, the entire Conferred God Stage changed dramatically because of him.

Before he even made a move, this sudden surge of power astonished everyone, instilling a deep sense of awe. Watching Luo Changsheng bathed in wind and lightning, they felt as though they were witnessing an emperor standing atop the heavens, a feeling of humility quickly rising within their souls.

*Crackle!*

Luo Changsheng moved. Amplified by the storm, his speed became incredibly fast. The Sacred Lightning Sword and Divine Wind Halberd tore through the air, leaving two vicious streaks of light, like ruthless and terrifying demonic talons capable of instantly claiming countless lives.

"Aaaah!" Countless profound practitioners in the Eastern Divine Region gasped in shock. None of them had expected Luo Changsheng to unleash such a ferocious attack right from the start, its might almost surpassing all previous ones in the Conferred God Battle... Facing Yun Che, it seemed he immediately went all out without holding anything back.

This power, bursting forth with wind and thunder, completely changing the very colors of the sky and earth... Could Yun Che truly withstand it?

At the same instant, Yun Che also unleashed a furious attack. Possessing the Buddha Heart Divine Veins, his explosive power was unmatched. His strength erupted from stillness, the Heaven Smiting Sword blazed with raging inferno, and as it swung, golden flames scorched the sky, colliding directly with Luo Changsheng's wind and lightning in a dazzling display.

*Boom!*

Like a divine thunderclap, the Conferred God Stage below violently cracked, its fragments instantly pulverizing into fine dust, swept towards the sky by an incomparably violent torrent of power.

The moment Revered Quhui's "Begin!" command fell, there were no probes, no eye contact, no verbal sparring. Both combatants' powers erupted with brutal ferocity. In the history of the Conferred God Battle, the Conferred God Stage was rarely destroyed, yet in their match, it shattered directly at their very first clash.

Exploding thunder, raging flames, hurricanes... The Conferred God Stage area was entirely filled with three wild forces. Had it not been for the protective barrier, it would have been enough to engulf all the spectator stands. Amidst the dazzling and violent profound light, two figures collided madly. Each clash was like a divine thunderbolt descending, and in mere seconds, the Conferred God Stage had completely transformed into a catastrophic hell, with terrifyingly extreme power raging in every corner, every inch of space.

Everyone in the spectator stands seemed petrified. They had hoped for an intense and exciting duel, but none had imagined it would be this fierce right from the start.

"Luo Changsheng's power... it's terrifying! But with such terrifying Luo Changsheng... Yun Che actually isn't at a disadvantage?"

"Hiss... When fighting Jun Xilei, Yun Che truly wasn't using his full power!"

"Nonsense, he even blocked the might of the Nameless Sword! This is Yun Che's true power; he's completely holding his own against Luo Changsheng! My heavens, in this battle, perhaps... perhaps he truly has a chance to defeat Luo Changsheng!"

In Yun Che's battle with Jun Xilei, he initially "ambushed" her, directly pushing her to the brink of defeat, and then entirely focused on defense against the Nameless Sword. At this very moment, the power he unleashed against Luo Changsheng made them truly realize that Yun Che's strength had indeed reached a level comparable to Luo Changsheng's.

"Ah... ah... ah..."

Huo Poyun's eyes widened, his pupils constricting, as if he were staring at an absurd scene completely beyond his comprehension, guttural sounds involuntarily escaping his throat.

"Th-that... that... is that really... Brother Yun?"

It wasn't just Huo Poyun; everyone from the Snow Song Realm and the Blazing Heaven Realm, including Huo Rulie, Yan Juehai, and Mu Huanzhi, stood rigid, eyes wide open, utterly unresponsive to Huo Poyun's words.

"No wonder... no wonder Yingyue conceded." From the Glazed Light Realm's seats, Shui Yinghen's throat audibly gulped.

Shui Yingyue: "..."

"Ying'er," the Brahma Heaven God Emperor spoke indifferently. "Between Luo Changsheng and Yun Che, who do you think is superior?"

Qianye Ying'er's gaze remained still, yet a mocking curve appeared at the corner of her lips. "Luo Changsheng? Is he even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Yun Che!?"

"Oh?" The Brahma Heaven God Emperor looked at her sideways.

"Luo Changsheng's profound energy has reached the peak of the Divine Spirit Realm, just half a step away from the Divine King Realm," Qianye Ying'er said coldly. "But it seems everyone has subconsciously forgotten that Yun Che's cultivation is merely at the Divine Tribulation Realm."

"Based on that alone, Luo Changsheng isn't even fit to carry Yun Che's shoes, let alone be mentioned in the same breath."

"Heh heh," the Brahma Heaven God Emperor chuckled. "It's quite rare for someone from outside the King Realms to catch your eye."

The Brahma Heaven God Emperor's words seemed plain and straightforward, but they held profound meaning.

"...That depends on his capabilities," Qianye Ying'er said indifferently. "He'd better not disappoint my expectations for nothing."

The Brahma Heaven God Emperor smiled again but did not press further... because he knew his daughter too well.

*Boom! Rumble! Crack!*

The Conferred God Stage was like two savage beasts fighting to the death, each moment unleashing a catastrophic force field.

Luo Changsheng, wielding the power of storms, was far faster than Yun Che. His movements were at times as swift as lightning, at others as elusive as a hurricane. Although Yun Che's speed was inferior, he calmly countered with the Broken Moon Flowing Shadow, and each swing of his massive, blunt Heaven Smiting Sword unleashed a domain of destruction, completely annihilating Luo Changsheng's power.

"Universe Evasion Space!"

A green light flashed in Luo Changsheng's eyes, and suddenly, fierce winds swept across the Conferred God Stage. A vast domain expanded in just a breath, covering a hundred miles. Within this storm domain, Luo Changsheng's speed surged once more, while Yun Che was caught in the tempest, not only experiencing a drastic reduction in speed but also visibly constrained in movement.

*Bang!*

Seizing a momentary opening, the Sacred Lightning Sword suddenly pierced through the Heaven Smiting Sword's domain of destruction. A bolt of lightning, like a thunder serpent from the abyss, struck directly at Yun Che's chest.

Yun Che leaned his upper body back, taking a sharp step backward. This single retreat swept him a hundred zhang away, yet he didn't stumble. Instead, he spun around like lightning, a blue light flashing in his eyes as raging flames transformed into Ice Phoenix. He slammed out his sword, filling the sky with ice rays and casting a vast ice domain.

"Ice Phoenix Domain!" The Snow Song Realm spectators unconsciously whispered.

Luo Changsheng's "Universe Evasion Space" was unleashed extremely quickly, but Yun Che's "Ice Phoenix Domain" was even a fraction faster, causing a clear moment of astonishment to flash across Luo Changsheng's face.

Both Universe Evasion Space and Ice Phoenix Domain were control-type domains. One transformed the environment into a storm favorable to Luo Changsheng and suppressive to Yun Che; the other transformed it into an ice prison favorable to Yun Che and suppressive to Luo Changsheng. As they overlapped, the Conferred God Stage once again saw dramatic changes, stirring up an incredibly terrifying ice storm. Within this ice storm, the two resumed their battle, and even under their mutual suppression, the roaring of energy remained earth-shattering.

"Strange," the Brahma Heaven God Emperor slightly furrowed his brow. "Luo Changsheng's body has undergone tempering with Primeval Divine Water, making his body and meridians vastly different from ordinary people, allowing him to expand a domain so quickly. But Yun Che... he was actually a fraction faster?"

Qianye Ying'er: "..."

*Boom... Boom... Tear!*

The ice storm grew even more rampant. At this point, even if a mountain descended onto the Conferred God Stage, it would instantly be reduced to dust. Just then, their figures crossed paths, separating by a great distance. When they collided again, both their powers had condensed to their absolute peak.

"Annihilating Heaven and Earth!"

"Shattered Heaven Sword!"

At the center of the Conferred God Stage, a three-colored energy vortex suddenly burst open.

Instantly, the entire world fell silent, only to erupt the next moment with an earth-shattering roar.

Two figures flew horizontally in opposite directions, and the long-raging ice storm suddenly split down the middle, as neatly as a water surface cut by a sharp blade.

Subsequently, all the power rapidly dissipated, finally revealing Yun Che's and Luo Changsheng's figures once more. They stood twenty li apart, neither making another move, as if by mutual understanding.

Luo Changsheng's white robes were stained with dust, his long hair slightly disheveled, and his body covered in shattered ice. Yet, his gaze remained as calm and unwavering as before.

There wasn't a single scratch on his entire body.

Yun Che's face, neck, the backs of his hands, and his snow-white robes bore countless marks left by wind blades. However, such injuries were negligible for profound practitioners of their level. A patch of blood on his chest also posed no hindrance to him whatsoever.

"The warm-up is pretty much done," Luo Changsheng stated calmly. "Unleash your Phantom God now."

That single sentence nearly made countless profound practitioners' jaws drop to the ground.

"Warm... warm-up?" Huo Poyun leaned forward, almost biting his tongue. "That was just... a warm-up!?"