Chapter 1472: King Meets King

"What?" Xiangliu was greatly alarmed and quickly looked back, but the huge bronze coffin behind him still lay there quietly.

Realizing he had fallen into a trap, he quickly turned and struck with his palm, while swirling black and green energies protected his body.

Almost simultaneously, a massive surge of dragon energy struck him—Zuan's attack had arrived.

The moment they clashed, Xiangliu's blood and qi surged violently. He thought, "This dragon vein power is truly formidable, but I've already shattered most of its remaining energy. Let's see what else he can do."

But just as this thought crossed his mind, he caught a glimpse of a black light piercing towards him from the corner of his eye.

He clearly saw it was an oddly shaped dagger.

Logically, even if the dagger were magnified several times, it shouldn't have been able to inflict any serious injury on him. Yet, at that moment, he sensed the aura of death and dared not meet it head-on. His body dissolved into nothingness, vanishing from his spot.

The next second, he reappeared several yards away, looking down at his clothes, which were sliced open at his waist. The dagger had come within a hair's breadth of piercing his skin.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "Young man, though your cultivation isn't exceptional, your actual combat skills are truly impressive. Even I almost bit the dust. What's the deal with that dagger in your hand? It actually sent a shiver down my spine."

Zuan, however, was a bit dejected. So close!

The "Poisoned Dagger" skill was indeed miraculous, but it was useless if it didn't hit.

He had failed to use "Poisoned Dagger" effectively in several battles already.

He used to watch TV and not understand why Ultraman always unleashed his energy beam at the very end. Now, after countless battles, he finally understood the trick: only by first exhausting the opponent's energy, successfully finding their weak point, and then confidently landing a hit, could one decide the outcome of the entire battle.

It's like playing "Fight the Landlord"—you can't win if you throw all four 2s and the Joker Bomb at the very beginning!

Having understood all this, his mindset became much calmer. In the future, he would need to be much more cautious when using "Poisoned Dagger." If it didn't succeed, it could easily expose his trump card.

Zuan put away the "Poisoned Dagger" and said with a smile, "Want to know what it is? Why don't you try it for yourself later?"

Xiangliu chuckled. "Normally, I might play along with you, but today I have a bad feeling, so let's finish this quickly."

With that, his figure vanished from the spot. Zuan and the others quickly raised their weapons to defend themselves.

Unfortunately, he was so fast they could barely make out his movements. They were knocked back one after another, but having shared life-and-death experiences on their journey, their coordination was incredibly tight.

Of course, given the absolute disparity in their strengths, if it had been a few other people of the same level, they would have probably been defeated long ago.

However, Zuan possessed a robust physique and astonishing recovery abilities when injured, allowing him to act as a meat shield at the front. Moreover, with the Gluttonous Sky-Swallowing Art, he could, to some extent, absorb and neutralize attacks from Earth Immortals. With him blocking the front, Yan Xuehen's and Yun Jianyue's exquisite techniques had room to be unleashed, and combined with Yu Yanluo's support and control methods, they truly complemented each other.

As the battle intensified, Zuan suddenly looked past Xiangliu with a shocked expression. "Yu... Emperor Yu?"

Xiangliu sneered, "Do you think I'd fall for the same trick twice?"

Just as he was about to intensify his attack, he knew that while their coordination was exquisite, they were not a single entity, and there was a substantial difference in their cultivation levels. Given enough time, he could find an opportunity to defeat them one by one.

However, the hairs on his back suddenly stood on end because he sensed a powerful aura appear behind him.

The aura was incredibly familiar.

He quickly transformed into black and green energies, dodging to the side. The next second, he reappeared in a corner and fixed his gaze on the source of the aura.

Zuan and the others nearby also watched the high platform with wary expressions.

Without any external force, the giant bronze coffin suddenly stood upright. Then, its lid slowly opened on its own, and a majestic man slowly emerged from within.

The Nine Cauldrons, stuck in the corner mechanism, vibrated violently, emitting a buzzing sound as if cheering.

The man's gaze swept across the hall, then settled on Xiangliu.

The black and green energies protecting Xiangliu's body instantly dispersed upon contact with his gaze.

"Emperor Yu, it truly is you!" Xiangliu's entire being bristled like an enraged cat. He glared at the man, gnashing his teeth. They had fought before, and the man's aura was unmistakable.

The majestic man calmly said, "Xiangliu, it's been a long time."

Zuan and the others exchanged glances, seeing the shock in each other's eyes. This man was indeed the legendary Emperor Yu; no wonder he possessed such a terrifying aura.

Remembering that Shun wanted him to deal with Emperor Yu, Zuan immediately suppressed the thought. With the overwhelming oppressive presence of this man, it seemed highly improbable, even with the Hou Yi Bow's help.

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! How could you still be alive now?" Xiangliu suddenly cried out. He couldn't believe the other party would willingly seal himself away for so long.

The majestic man replied, "Indeed, I couldn't possibly live this long. This is merely a wisp of my divine consciousness that I left behind."

"A wisp of divine consciousness?" Xiangliu was startled at first, then overjoyed. "Haha, you're far too arrogant! Do you think a mere wisp of divine consciousness can deal with us? I was defeated by you back then, but this time, I'll completely wash away that humiliation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly transformed into nine figures. Each figure unleashed a unique lifetime skill and attacked Emperor Yu.

What was even more terrifying was that the aura of each figure was consistent, no weaker than his true form.

Zuan was secretly astonished. This must be a natural talent from his nine heads and bloodline. The cost of using it must be considerable; otherwise, if he had used this against them earlier, they would have likely been defeated long ago.

Clearly, Xiangliu regarded Emperor Yu as his greatest lifelong enemy, unleashing his full power even against a mere wisp of his residual soul.

Zuan quickly focused on Emperor Yu, eager to see how he would counter this move.

Emperor Yu, however, slowly raised his hand and suddenly pointed forward. The air in front of him rippled outwards like the surface of a lake.

A divine light flashed around them, and Xiangliu's figures from all directions suddenly shattered, then converged, reforming into Xiangliu's original appearance.

"Urgh!" Xiangliu half-knelt on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

The blood sizzled on the floor, quickly corroding a large hole.

"How is this possible? Your cultivation is even stronger than it was back then?" Xiangliu's face was ashen.

Emperor Yu looked at him calmly, saying nothing.

In that instant, Xiangliu suddenly understood. After defeating him all those years ago, the other party must have continued to improve, reaching a higher realm.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

Emperor Yu finally spoke: "Your blood is highly poisonous. If I killed you, it would devastate the land for a thousand li, harming the harmony of nature. Moreover, your true nature is not wicked; following Gonggong was merely a matter of allegiance, and you committed no great evil. So, you may leave."

Xiangliu paused, a hint of admiration entering his gaze as he looked at Emperor Yu. "So be it. Gonggong's imperial ambitions were ultimately just an empty dream."

With that, he walked away somewhat dejectedly, his figure quickly vanishing.

Almost immediately after he left, a mass of black energy suddenly emerged from the air. Gonggong, clutching a crystal skull, stepped out. "Where is Xiangliu?"

He had been searching for this space throughout the entire tomb, but due to various interfering formations, it had been difficult to locate.

It wasn't until Xiangliu and Emperor Yu exchanged blows moments ago that he finally sensed the abnormal fluctuations in this area and rushed over.

Seeing the puddle of poisonous blood on the ground, his expression darkened. He evidently thought Xiangliu had met his end.

Emperor Yu glanced at him, his voice devoid of any discernible emotion. "I didn't expect you would still revive."

"Isn't that precisely your plan?" Gonggong sneered. "Using me to absorb Emperor Yao's residual power so you wouldn't incur any karma?"

Zuan's heart leaped in surprise. What was going on? Why did Emperor Yu sound so cunning? Could it be that all of this was part of his scheme?

Recalling Shun's earlier assessment of him, Zuan's heart immediately sank.