Chapter 1254: Conflict of the God Emperors (Part 2)

"Hehe," the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor smiled slightly. "I don't deny what the Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor said. But it seems he doesn't fully understand my intention."

He looked at Yun Che, smiling gently. "I don't just want to bring Yun Che into my Heaven Smiting Realm; I want to... take him as my personal disciple!"

The Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor's casual remark was like a thunderclap resounding in everyone's ears.

Even the Guardians and Exorcist Venerables suddenly looked up, their faces filled with shock.

Becoming a part of the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm and becoming the Heaven Smiting Realm King's personal disciple were two entirely different concepts, a world apart.

Because the latter... meant a direct disciple of a Divine Emperor!

Entering the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, with Yun Che's current cultivation, he would only be at the bottom. However, a Divine Emperor's personal disciple... in terms of status, was almost comparable to a Guardian!

In the Heaven Smiting Realm, Guardians were second only to the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor.

"Ah... ah... ah..." The disciples and palace masters of the Snow Song Realm all gaped, their jaws unable to close for a long time due to shock.

"Personal... personal... disciple?" Mu Huanzhi clutched his beard tightly with his right hand. Even though his face was twitching from the pain, he still couldn't believe his ears.

Entering a King Realm was every profound practitioner's dream, but becoming a Divine Emperor's personal disciple was something they dared not even dream of!

"Oh my heavens..." Huo Rulie's eyes widened. The Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor's personal disciple would have a status no less than any Upper Realm King. As for them, the Middle Realm Kings... they could practically be ignored.

"Hahahahaha!" Amidst the widespread astonishment, the Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor laughed calmly. "What a coincidence, I also happen to be looking for a personal disciple."

When the Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor spoke, the jaws that had barely managed not to drop earlier now clattered to the ground.

Yun Che: "..."

The Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor turned his gaze, also smiling faintly. "In terms of the profound way, I am indeed slightly inferior to you, Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor. However, your current achievements are due to your lifelong obsession with profound cultivation, single-mindedness, and your unwillingness to ever divert your energy to younger generations. If I'm not mistaken, you have never had a personal disciple."

"Therefore, in teaching others, you, Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor, are probably far inferior to me."

"Hahahahaha," the Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor burst into laughter. "Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor, you are mistaken. The reason I never take personal disciples is not that I don't want to, but that no one is worthy! But if it's someone with Yun Che's exceptional talent, I would not only be willing to teach him personally but also go all out."

"Furthermore, although I have never had a personal disciple, I am certainly not someone who never teaches others, as the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor claims." He turned his gaze to Qianye Ying'er, a proud look on his face. "Ying'er was personally taught by me back then. Her current achievements, I fear, might be slightly superior to those of the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor's descendants."

Qianye Ying'er: "..."

The Conferred God Stage fell silent; apart from the voices of the two Divine Emperors, there was not a single other sound.

"..." The Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor was silent for a moment. He knew very well that Qianye Ying'er's cultivation was far more than "slightly superior" to that of his descendants.

The Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor took a step forward and continued, "It is precisely because I have dedicated my life to profound cultivation to the point of obsession that I believe my understanding of the profound way surpasses anyone else in the Eastern Divine Region."

"My Brahma Monarch God Realm is the foremost King Realm in the Eastern Divine Region. In terms of history, heritage, and accumulated resources, we are slightly superior to your Heaven Smiting Divine Realm. And as for precious elixirs and divine jade, no one else can compare."

The Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor smiled faintly. "I wouldn't dare say he'd progress a thousand miles in a single day, but I can assert that if Yun Che becomes my disciple, he will certainly become a Divine Sovereign within a hundred years!"

"Will certainly become a Divine Sovereign within a hundred years"... These words, coming from the Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor's mouth, sent shockwaves through the hearts and souls of all profound practitioners.

"Heh, a hundred years?" The Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor smiled. "Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor, do you know how long your 'hundred years' translates to in my Heaven Smiting Realm?"

He extended a finger. "Only a mere month."

"The Heaven Smiting Pearl is indeed a heaven-bestowed treasure of the Heaven Smiting Realm, capable of allowing a person to reach their peak in the 'shortest' time. However, since Yun Che is a Child of Heaven's Chosen, he already has the qualifications to enter the Heaven Smiting Pearl." The Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor conceded nothing. "After three thousand years in the Heaven Smiting Realm, the power of the Heaven Smiting Pearl will likely be depleted. Will it still have enough power for Yun Che to enter it again then?"

"No, no," the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor shook his head. "Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor, you seem to have forgotten that of the original one thousand Children of Heaven's Chosen, only nine hundred and ninety-eight remained due to the devil 'Wei Hen.' Although Li Jianming unfortunately perished on the Conferred God Stage, his status remains. However, Wei Hen left a vacancy, and that vacancy..."

The Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor smiled slightly. "If Yun Che becomes my personal disciple, I will enter the Heaven Smiting Pearl with him and personally guide Yun Che in the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm... I fear you, Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor, cannot do that."

"..." The Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor's brow furrowed.

On the Conferred God Stage, countless mouths hung wide open, staring dumbfounded at the clash between the two Divine Emperors. The Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor and the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor, the two most supreme figures in the Eastern Divine Region in terms of profound way, power, and prestige, were now squaring off, verbally sparring, even shamelessly boasting of their advantages and revealing their family's assets—all to contend for a single personal disciple. The esteemed Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor even brought out the Heaven Smiting Pearl.

In the history of the Eastern Divine Region, such an "extraordinary" scene had never occurred, nor had anyone ever received such an honor.

The Star God Emperor and Moon God Emperor sat silently in their places, neither uttering a word. Of course, they also wished to take Yun Che, but... among the four King Realms of the Eastern Divine Region, the Brahma Monarch God Realm was strongest in profound ways, and the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm held the highest prestige. The Star God Realm and Moon God Realm were, in the end, weaker than them. With the Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor and the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor already shamelessly vying for him, there was no place for the Star God Realm and Moon God Realm to intervene.

"Both of you, please calm down."

The Dragon Monarch spoke, his words resonating with authority. He looked at Yun Che and said, "It is a spectacle to see two Divine Emperors contend so fiercely for a young man. However, the outcome of this matter should be decided by Yun Che himself."

"Heh, naturally," the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor smiled. "Yun Che, my Heaven Smiting Realm is the most righteous and illustrious place in the Eastern Divine Region. If you become my personal disciple, you will certainly be qualified to inherit the will of the Heaven Smiting Realm and be admired by all beings in the Eastern Region!"

"Heh," the Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor let out a faint chuckle and declared loudly, "Yun Che, I don't care about your aspirations or ambitions. However, if you wish to pursue the pinnacle of the profound way, then come to my Brahma Monarch God Realm. Because I am the ultimate profound practitioner in this Eastern Divine Region!"

The two most powerful Divine Emperors of the Eastern Divine Region were openly vying to take a young profound practitioner from a Middle Star Realm as their personal disciple... Everyone present had bulging eyes and mouths wide open, unable to close them no matter what.

After the two Divine Emperors finished speaking, their gazes fixed intently on Yun Che, as if fearing he wouldn't see their sincerity and fervor. A Divine Emperor's majesty? A Divine Emperor's decorum? A Divine Emperor's reputation... At this moment, all of it was meaningless.

This scene was also something Yun Che had not anticipated.

If it had been anyone else, they would have been overwhelmed with flattery, unable to suppress their wild joy. But after their astonishment, what people saw on Yun Che's face was an entirely unexpected calmness.

Yun Che raised his hands in a bow and respectfully said, "I am incredibly humbled by the undeserved kindness of both Divine Emperors. However... I already have a sect and a master. When I first entered the God Realm, my sect took me in, and my master's kindness to me is as vast as a mountain, something I can never repay in this life. If I were to abandon them for my future, not only would I be letting down my sect and master, but I believe everyone, including both Divine Emperors, would look down upon me."

The Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor smiled slightly. "Yun Che, that you think this way shows you are not one to forget kindness for profit, which is excellent. However, you need not worry at all. If you become my personal disciple, your sect and master will not only not be shamed by it, but will gain immense glory, and no one will criticize you; they will only admire and envy you."

There was not a single false word in the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor's statement. If Yun Che were to betray the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect and join another sect, given his status as a direct disciple of the sect master, it would undoubtedly incur the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect's wrath. But what kind of places were the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm and the Brahma Monarch God Realm? For a Divine Emperor's personal disciple to come from the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect—what immense glory that would be for the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect! The status of the entire Snow Song Realm in the Eastern Divine Region would also skyrocket as a result.

Everyone in the Snow Song Realm was flushed with excitement, waiting for Yun Che to agree... no, to make his choice. In anyone's eyes, Yun Che had no reason, nor was it possible, for him to refuse.

However, Yun Che still kept his head down, stating with extreme calm, "This junior comes from a lower realm, of humble origin. To be able to enter the Snow Song Realm is already a great fortune in this life, and I am ashamed to be unworthy of entering such a sacred place as a King Realm. Moreover... this junior has a deep attachment to my sect and master and has never considered leaving, so... I can only disappoint the benevolence of both Divine Emperors."

Both the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor and the Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor simultaneously lowered their brows, and everyone on the Conferred God Stage was dumbfounded.

Yun Che's previous words, to anyone, seemed like a reasonable preamble to an acceptance. But what he was saying now... was clearly a refusal!?

Refusing to enter a King Realm, refusing to become a Divine Emperor's personal disciple!?

"He... what is he saying? Is he insane?"

"A personal disciple of the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor and the Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor! That one status alone would allow him to walk sideways in all Upper Star Realms, something others wouldn't be able to achieve in a thousand lifetimes... He, he, he... Is he refusing?"

"A King Realm and the Snow Song Realm... they're poles apart! He's actually choosing to stay in the Snow Song Realm? Is his brain damaged?"

"He might even infuriate the two Divine Emperors... What on earth is he thinking?"

"Yun Che!" Mu Huanzhi was so anxious he nearly jumped up. "What nonsense are you spouting! If you could become a Divine Emperor's personal disciple, the Sect Master would be happier than anyone, you, you, you..."

Staying in the Snow Song Realm, even if he were first in the Conferred God Battle, he would ultimately still just be a disciple of a Middle Star Realm. But if he became a Divine Emperor's personal disciple, he would have a Divine Emperor and a massive King Realm backing him! The difference between the two was like heaven and earth.

Not to mention the disparities in status, standing, and future... Just one point: in this Conferred God Battle, Yun Che had thoroughly antagonized the Sacred Universe Realm. If Yun Che, backed by the Snow Song Realm, were to face retaliation from the Sacred Universe Realm, the Snow Song Realm, even with all its power, couldn't protect him. But if Yun Che were backed by a King Realm... even with ten times the courage, the Sacred Universe Realm would never dare touch a single hair on Yun Che's head.

"Isn't this kid usually very shrewd? How did he suddenly get kicked in the head by a donkey?" Shui Qianheng shook his head. Yun Che had attracted the Nine-Stage Heavenly Tribulation and matched the 'True God' prophecy, which would undoubtedly alarm the entire God Realm, and countless eyes would be on him. Therefore, what he needed most right now was a powerful umbrella of protection.

And he actually refused it!?

And even if he genuinely lost his mind and didn't want it... to publicly refuse two Divine Emperors, that was beyond mere foolishness!

However, an even more incomprehensible scene unfolded...

After his initial surprise, the Heaven Smiting Divine Emperor instead smiled gently and said, "Having deep affection for your sect is, of course, not a bad thing. This matter concerns your life, and it truly requires careful consideration, so there's no need to answer today. Make your decision after you've thought it over thoroughly."

"..." A dignified Divine Emperor, publicly refused by a young profound practitioner, showed no anger or displeasure, didn't even put on a cold face, and instead offered warm words of persuasion!?

The Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor also showed no signs of annoyance. Instead, he smiled faintly. Just as he was about to speak, a woman's voice transmission suddenly reached his ear.

His expression changed, and he suddenly turned his head to look at Qianye Ying'er. "You... are serious?"

Qianye Ying'er's lips curved slightly, her beautiful lips gleaming as if painted with balsam juice. "The Nine-Stage Heavenly Tribulation, the True God prophecy... Is he not worth my seriousness?"

"..." The Brahma Heaven Divine Emperor turned around, chuckled, and said, "Yun Che, whether you join my Brahma Monarch God Realm will, of course, depend on your wishes. If you are willing, I will be extremely delighted; if not, I certainly won't force you. However... I have another question I'd like to ask."

"Do you... have a wife?"