Chapter 1071: People Have Gathered

This hand was thick and muscular, its veins engorged, and its entire form blood-red. Covered in decaying tentacles, it appeared monstrous and disgusting, yet a terrifying power surged within it. Its power seemed capable of propping up the sky, affecting its surroundings and tearing through the void. Its astonishing immensity shook one's very soul. It further conveyed a divine presence, twisting everything and encroaching upon all existence.

The moment it appeared, time seemed to freeze and space shattered in the eyes of everyone present. Everything seemed to be a mere backdrop before this blood-red hand. Only this hand was the sole focal point in the area. The savagery and cruelty it contained formed a will capable of crushing all sides, causing all the masters present to tremble in their souls, their spirits to waver, and their physical bodies to be so suppressed they couldn't move an inch.

Xu Qing and the Captain were no exception. Facing the power of this blood hand, blood flowed from their seven orifices, their world was inverted, and their perceptions were chaotic. They felt like a lone boat in a raging storm, constantly on the verge of capsizing.

At this critical moment, Xu Qing, suppressing his sense of collapse, swiftly took out the token given by the Empress and squeezed it hard. Immediately, the token emitted a gentle power, enveloping both of them and neutralizing the storm of pressure from the blood-red hand.

The one whose emotions fluctuated most was the black-robed figure in mid-air. His pupils contracted, and the instant the great hand appeared, he retreated abruptly without the slightest hesitation. Simultaneously, as he formed hand seals, rattling sounds filled the air as numerous black iron chains appeared out of nowhere from the surrounding void, like black snakes, heading straight for the blood-red hand.

These chains were burning, emitting terrifying flames. Upon approaching, they swiftly coiled around it. In an instant, they bound the blood-red hand. They pulled fiercely, attempting to hinder the great hand's momentum. But a bizarre scene unfolded. The black iron chains, which had previously been highly effective against the immortal remains, clearly encountered a stronger entity now. After coiling around it, they actually failed to restrain it.

The great hand was like orbiting celestial bodies; it could not be restrained. As it surged forward, the chains binding it emitted a grating cracking sound. They crumbled and shattered one by one. In the blink of an eye, they all recoiled.

The unconstrained blood-red hand gained even greater momentum, carrying immense power and destructive might, heading straight for the black-robed figure. Seeing this, the black-robed figure's expression changed drastically. He activated a secret technique at all costs, spitting out fresh blood, hoping to retreat as the great hand approached. But ultimately, it was too late.

As this blood-red hand, extending from the vortex, whistled, it directly shattered space-time and sealed everything. With an unevadable, irresistible momentum, it swept everything away, arriving before the black-robed figure. No matter how bizarre the black-robed figure had been before, now, before this blood-red hand, all actions were futile. Finally, with a pale face and a low roar, his body was ultimately seized by the blood-red hand!

All of this shocked the cultivators from all sides to their very souls. Considering the previous scene, the layout of this underground palace and the Cloud Family Patriarch's sacrificial method to revive the immortal remains and suppress the various masters were clearly all designed to lure the black-robed figure to appear and plunder the fated soul. This was clearly a trap and bait specifically prepared for him.

Now, with the bait set and the prey fallen into the trap, the great hand appeared. The black-robed figure, seized by it, tried to struggle and counterattack, even with a twisted face, black flames emanating from his body, and sigils appearing. But it was to no avail. With a tremor of the blood-red hand, it was about to drag the black-robed figure back into the vortex.

But at this critical moment, suddenly... the black-robed figure, seized by the blood-red hand, his eyes flashed with eerie light, and a low sound emanated from his mouth.

"Separate!"

The moment this word was uttered, his body instantly felt superimposed. This superimposition instantly became a phantom image. Vaguely, another figure seemed to appear within the black-robed person. The appearance of this figure was completely different from the black-robed person. This person had a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, seemingly accustomed to a high position, with an expression that commanded respect without anger, and filled with terrifying pressure.

The moment he clearly saw this person, Xu Qing's heart was stirred. This person... was actually Emperor Moyu, who had previously brought people to the cultivation platform and sat cross-legged atop it, awaiting everyone's return when the seclusion area opened!

Clearly, the Moyu outside was not his true body. And the one who appeared here now was his true self. As for the black-robed figure, he was controlled by him, merely the first layer of protection enveloping his true body. Because as the phantom image became clear, the moment the great hand dragged him back, Moyu's figure flickered like a cicada shedding its shell, directly separating from the black-robed body.

The moment he appeared, the cultivation fluctuations of an Emperor violently surged from his body, and his body rapidly condensed, transforming into his true form. Emperor artifacts appeared around him, one by one, authority sigils ascended upon his body, and rings of black mist rotated behind him. The might of an Emperor was incredibly intense. His gaze was astonishingly sharp, like contained lightning, as he stared at the great hand.

"You finally appeared!"

As Emperor Moyu spoke, the black-robed figure, amidst mournful wails, was dragged into the vortex by the blood-red hand and disappeared. This scene shook the souls of everyone around. And Emperor Moyu's voice still echoed.

"Ming Yan, I knew long ago you weren't dead, but merely clinging to life. The previous world of memory fragments was just a means for you to deceive others. Even this place is merely your illusion. However, one thing surprised me, Ming Yan, you truly have courage; to draw me into this game, you actually placed the true fated soul here, making me watch as it was absorbed and refined, forcing me to intervene and interrupt."

Emperor Moyu coldly stared at the blood-red vortex below, his voice hoarse and imbued with intense killing intent. The vortex continued to spin, emitting rumbling sounds, but offered no verbal response.

"But how could I come here without any preparations?" After Emperor Moyu finished speaking, he did not look at anyone present. Instead, he looked up at a closed stone door and spoke indifferently. "Empress, since you've arrived, are you still not going to show yourself?"

As soon as these words were uttered, the masters from all sides here all changed their expressions drastically, uniformly looking towards where Emperor Moyu was gazing. Because the title 'Empress', in their knowledge, belonged to only one person. That was the Human Emperor Li Xia, who had ascended to divinity!

And the instant they looked, the Empress's figure slowly revealed itself from where Emperor Moyu was gazing. First, it was the body of Lu Lingzi, then it slowly faded, revealing the Empress's true form! Destiny swirled around her, manifesting countless human figures, converging from all directions to form a dazzling imperial robe around her and an awe-inspiring imperial crown above her head.

At this moment, outside Moyu Sacred Land, the human realm and the will of humanity were all rising, merging into the destiny and empowering the Empress. Thus, a terrifying aura and a heaven-shaking momentum surged from the Empress, rising to the heavens.

All the masters present trembled under this momentum, their breathing quickening. Especially those who had once considered sparring with Lu Lingzi gasped in disbelief. It was surprising, yet not surprising. It was surprising because it was unexpected, but not surprising due to Xu Qing and the Captain's appearance. Regardless, at this moment, all the masters were extremely solemn.

The Empress, with her expression unchanged, took a step forward and landed, appearing before Xu Qing and the Captain. She blocked the storm and dispelled the pressure. Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief, and the Captain also relaxed. Without hesitation, they immediately bowed in reverence.

The Empress did not turn around. Instead, she looked up at Emperor Moyu in mid-air. Her identity being called out was within her expectations, so she spoke indifferently. "Moyu Sacred Land, leave the human realm, and the soul of Ming Yan belongs to me."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Moyu's face broke into a smile. He knew that he had discerned the other's identity, and it would be hard to conceal it from them. Although they were currently at war, he clearly understood that for him, the important thing was not the outcome of the war, but Ming Yan's life or death. He hoped Ming Yan would die, and then he would retrieve his own fated soul. This point was not in conflict with the Empress's goal. So, after he suspected Lu Lingzi's identity, he did not interfere. Instead, he allowed her to return and open Ming Yan's seclusion area. Ultimately, he hoped the Empress would test the waters for him and then join forces at the critical moment.

And the Empress's demand was also within his expectations. "I have two fated souls. I've now obtained the first one. I can sense the other one below." Emperor Moyu's eyes showed resolve. "Let's join forces. You take Ming Yan, I'll take the fated soul. We each get what we need. Afterward, Moyu Sacred Land will leave the human realm."

"Deal!"

After Moyu finished speaking, he took a step forward, directly reaching the outside of the vortex, and looked at the Empress. The Empress's gaze swept over the masters present, especially the old man skilled in death energy. Under the Empress's gaze, his heart trembled, and he immediately bowed his head in respect. Even though they were adversarial, facing a divine stage, he lacked the courage to meet her gaze. Especially... he knew very well that this gaze was a warning.

The Empress withdrew her gaze, and with a single step, she was beside Moyu, standing atop the vortex. Both their bodies simultaneously sank, directly falling into the vortex, and the next instant, they disappeared.

As for the others, they were currently hesitating whether to follow. But before everyone could decide, the space transformed from this underground palace emitted an aura of annihilation, and all directions withered. It was disappearing. Seeing this, these masters gritted their teeth, their bodies surging forth and flying towards the vortex below. They entered it one by one. The old man who had a conflict with Xu Qing and the Captain seemed worried about being misunderstood. He dared not be the last to enter, instead rushing ahead of Lin Kun and flying into the vortex. Soon, all these masters disappeared.

Xu Qing and the Captain looked at each other. Both saw the resolve in each other's eyes. Then they took a deep breath and rushed forward in an instant. They also stepped into the vortex, and amidst a roaring sound, their figures vanished.

When they reappeared, they were in a blood-red world! The sky was made of flesh and blood, covered with countless fine hairs. The earth was a completely transparent sea. On the sea, countless masses of flesh and blood piled up, forming a gigantic fleshy tumor. Inside the fleshy tumor, a middle-aged cultivator sat cross-legged. An ancient and profound aura emanated from him, accompanied by a terrifying presence. His eyes slowly opened and closed, staring at the people descending from the sky, and he cracked a smile.

"Everyone's here. Welcome to witness my rebirth."