Chapter 842: The Universe Upside Down

Zu An looked up at the sky. A massive lightning bolt descended from above, then split into several branches, illuminating the previously dark sky as if it were daylight.

If he had seen this in his previous life, Zu An would have undoubtedly posted online with a topic like "Which fellow Daoist is undergoing tribulation here?" However, now that he was experiencing it firsthand, he had no such thoughts.

After reaching the eighth rank, cultivators could harness the power of heaven and earth. Zu An had already experienced that feeling, but compared to the true might of nature, it was still far, far inferior.

It was clear that the power of heaven and earth was incredibly chaotic and turbulent at that moment. The Emperor's recent move had caused a disturbance in the surrounding vital energy, inadvertently drawing the initially aimless lightning bolts towards that area, which then accidentally dispersed his attack.

Zhao Ruizhi looked up at the sky, his face grim. He clearly realized this: if he continued to attack Zu An with his full cultivation, he would certainly attract the wrath of heaven and earth again. But if he deliberately suppressed his power, he might not be able to harm Zu An.

A wave of irritation swept through him. Under these circumstances, forcefully attacking was pointless. He decided to let that guy live a little longer.

However, seeing Zu An and Bi Linglong tightly embracing, he felt a surge of jealousy. Zu An was the first person to openly flaunt something in front of him whom he couldn't immediately punish.

Rage points from Zhao Hao +444,444,444...

Bi Linglong had originally closed her eyes, resigned to death. But she never expected Zu An to block the Emperor's attack. Filled with shock and delight, she couldn't help but look up at the man holding her. She had been incredibly astonished when she saw him slay Shi Tong and later the Azure Moon Dragon. Yet, she never imagined he could withstand two direct attacks from the Emperor!

How many people in the world could achieve that?

Zu An also looked at the sky, the apocalyptic feeling making him uneasy. The lightning was truly terrifying; some bolts even struck dangerously close to him. If he hadn't dodged quickly enough, he might have been instantly charred.

"Empress... Master, what exactly is happening?" Although Zu An's cultivation had grown rapidly, his knowledge in other areas was still quite lacking.

At that moment, Mi Li's expression was also complex. "There's a familiar feeling, but unfortunately, this familiarity disgusts me."

Zu An was startled and urgently asked her what was going on, but no matter how he asked, she no longer responded.

He glanced warily at Zhao Ruizhi in the distance, seeing him also looking up at the sky with no intention of attacking again anytime soon. Only then did Zu An slightly relax.

Just then, a sudden change occurred.

From the distant dense forest, a flurry of bird cries suddenly erupted. Following this, countless birds flew out of the forest, a vast dark mass. He hadn't imagined there could be so many birds in the woods.

At the same time, countless fierce beasts roared as they streamed out from the mountains. There were all kinds, some familiar and some unseen, including even some whose auras and cultivation levels surpassed the previous Azure Moon Dragon.

Of course, most were weaker beasts. Normally, they were either hunter or prey, but now, none showed any desire to fight or kill. They were all fleeing for their lives, as if by unspoken agreement.

"I'm afraid something major is happening," Zu An said gravely. Even Zhao Ruizhi in the distance changed his expression, clearly having never witnessed such a spectacle.

Just then, a rumbling sound echoed. The distant mountain began to collapse, and countless plumes of dust billowed, surging towards them like a mudslide. The slower beasts were almost instantly engulfed.

Everyone present was greatly alarmed. Zhao Ruizhi was the first to fly into the air, and Zu An also took Bi Linglong airborne to dodge. But for some reason, Zu An felt incredibly unstable in flight, almost falling several times.

He simply attributed it to the massive drain from withstanding two direct attacks from the Emperor and didn't pay it much mind.

The death warriors from Prince Qi's manor also began to flee. Zhao Ruizhi snorted, then with a casual flick of his sleeve, a gentle force swept them all onto a nearby towering tree. They clung to the branches, their faces pale.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," He Li said, thanking the Emperor on behalf of Prince Qi's manor. However, Zhao Ruizhi didn't even glance at them, instead looking up at the sky with a contemplative expression.

Zu An considered seizing this opportunity to escape, but then worried about alarming the Emperor and provoking him to attack recklessly. He was momentarily caught in a dilemma.

At that moment, Mi Li's voice sounded: "Heaven and earth are about to undergo a massive change. Be prepared."

"What do you mean?" Zu An was startled. Just as he was about to ask, the world suddenly shook violently. Even in the air, he felt a nauseating wave of dizziness.

An earthquake?

That was Zu An's first reaction, but he immediately dismissed the idea. With his current cultivation and floating in the air, even the largest earthquake from his previous life wouldn't cause him to feel like this.

Just then, a trembling voice came from one of Prince Qi's death warriors: "The... the sky... is it splitting open?"

Zu An suddenly looked up. Just then, a bright lightning bolt flashed across, revealing that the red mark spanning the sky like the Milky Way was significantly wider than before. It was now visibly expanding outwards at a rapid pace.

"The sky is cracking?" Zu An was dumbfounded. The current situation fell completely outside his realm of knowledge.

He wanted to ask Mi Li, but she still wouldn't respond.

He gritted his teeth in frustration. This woman's habit of going offline without warning was truly infuriating; he needed to find a chance to properly deal with her.

In that short time, the red mark in the sky suddenly expanded outwards at an exponential rate, revealing a massive, pitch-black fissure.

By now, the ground was already cracking everywhere. The previously solid earth undulated like an ocean caught in a hurricane, with waves of earth rising and falling.

Enormous fissures spread out, and in some places, lava even gushed directly forth.

Furious winds swept through the air. Even with Zu An's cultivation, he couldn't stand firm, swaying erratically. Fortunately, he managed to grab onto a nearby large tree, barely maintaining his position.

Unfortunately, with the ground violently shifting, he didn't know how long this tree could last.

Everyone was in a sorry state. Only Zhao Ruizhi remained unmoving, floating in the air, completely unaffected by the surrounding tempest.

Zu An couldn't help but feel a touch of admiration. This guy was truly formidable.

He hastily asked Mi Li, "Empress Master, it feels like this secret realm is about to collapse. Why doesn't he take this chance to leave? Why insist on staying here? If this world truly collapses, even with his cultivation, surely he'll face certain death."

"Just 'Master,' not 'Empress Master'!" Mi Li was clearly displeased with his address. "The reason he's not leaving is, of course, because he's recognized this as a prelude to the fusion of two secret realms. This represents an immense opportunity; how could he bear to miss it?"

Zu An wanted to ask more, but then the world suddenly spun, and he was instantly inverted.

"What's happening?" Zu An was horrified, noticing the various screams of Prince Qi's death warriors around him. Many, caught off guard, tumbled from the large trees they had been clinging to and fell into the air.

It was strange; normally, falling from a tree would mean falling to the ground, but instead, they were falling *into the sky*!

This was because the sky and the earth had twisted, with the sky now below and the earth above.

This sudden change left even Zhao Ruizhi, who had been calmly floating in the air, in a dishevelled state. Several times, he couldn't stabilize himself, and his awkward, scrambling movements had now been seen by many.

Just as he was about to get angry, his expression suddenly changed. He found he could no longer maintain his levitation, and he plummeted sharply towards the sky beneath his feet.

The people from Prince Qi's manor were in an even worse state, screaming as they fell into the sky.

Zu An's expression shifted. He held Bi Linglong with one arm and desperately clutched the nearby large tree with the other. Unfortunately, the tree didn't hold for long; it was ripped directly from the soil, and the entire tree, along with the earth beneath it, plummeted towards the sky.