Chapter 1796: Two Great Emperors Arrive

"Where do you think you're going?"

Yan Qing Ancient Sage roared again, his Sky-Halberd transforming back into a streak of light. Zhang Hongtian also lunged forward, his entire being transforming into a sharp longsword, piercing through the air in swift pursuit. Man and sword as one!

Seeing the combined attacks of these two masters, which sealed off space and made a forced escape risky—potentially throwing him into chaotic temporal currents with unknown consequences—Emperor Chen Yong abandoned his attempt to flee. He spun around, his long blade sweeping horizontally once more.

The forces of both sides clashed in the sky, and the three masters again spat out blood, flying backward. Exhausted from continuous battles, they had reached their limits; their continued resistance was purely due to sheer willpower.

"The revenge for today's grievances will surely be exacted another day..."

Suppressing his internal injuries, Emperor Chen Yong stood up. As if sensing something, he no longer cared about finishing off the two. Gritting his teeth, he pointed his long blade into the void. A dark passage appeared, and with a wobble, he leaped straight into it.

If he were allowed to enter the passage, it would be like a fish swimming into the ocean or a tiger entering deep mountains; catching him would become impossible.

Yan Qing Ancient Sage clenched his teeth, his Sky-Halberd trembling as he tried to seal off space. However, the passage extending into the distance suddenly stopped. Emperor Chen Yong, who had been on the verge of escaping, was now like a fish pulled onto the shore, unable to leave no matter how much he thrashed.

"Emperor Yong, don't rush off. Old friends have arrived; we should at least chat for a bit..."

Immediately after, a faint voice sounded, and then, from the depths of the void, two tall figures emerged. These two wore clothes similar to Emperor Chen Yong's, each with a crown on his forehead. Their killing intent was as dense as ink, making anyone who saw them feel as though they had fallen into hell.

"Could it be... the other two emperors?" Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted. Judging by their attire and the power of their bloodlines, it was clear that these two were none other than Emperor Chen Ling and Emperor Chen Xing, who wished to slay Emperor Chen Yong! He hadn't expected these two emperors to also leave the Spirit Clan and come here in person! And by their appearance, they had been hiding nearby all along, not daring to show themselves until the Spirit God departed!

"If you attack me, the Spirit God already knows the truth and will never let you off..."

Seeing the two, Emperor Chen Yong could no longer restrain himself. His hair and beard bristled, and his long blade fiercely chopped down. Swoosh! The blade energy tore through space with immense power, but given his severe injuries, it was insufficient against the two emperors. With a gentle pinch of his fingers, Emperor Chen Ling blocked the blade energy.

"Emperor Yong, there's no need to be agitated. We brothers are merely having a heart-to-heart. Why be so crude as to talk about killing? Besides, even if the Spirit God knew we intended to kill you... she has returned to the Spirit God Temple now, and is beyond reach! Furthermore... gods are emotionless. You couldn't possibly be so naive as to think that a dignified deity would stand up for you, could you?"

A smirk played on his lips as Emperor Chen Ling looked at him with pity. "She merely used you to find the Spring and Autumn Grand Ceremony. You didn't actually believe she valued you, did you?"

"You..."

Knowing that escape was impossible with these two present, Emperor Chen Yong's expression calmed. He straightened his back again, standing like a spear, with an unassailable sharpness in his brows. "I have always treated you well. Why betray me..."

"Why betray you?" Emperor Chen Ling scoffed, "You've been too obedient to this new Spirit God's orders! The previous Spirit God would bestow countless treasures upon us whenever we sacrificed master teachers. What has *she* given us? And she won't even let us attack! If we don't attack, do you expect our millions upon millions of Spirit Clan members to simply stay confined to that place?"

"You dare defy the Spirit God's command?" Emperor Chen Yong frowned, surprised that the most fundamental reason lay here. He had thought it was a culmination of their dissatisfaction with him, reaching an irreconcilable point. He never dreamed the root cause was actually the Spirit God. The Spirit God's command not to attack was meant to prevent harm to the Spirit Clan and protect her people. Why, then, did it become a restraint in their mouths?

"Of course, we wouldn't dare defy the Spirit God's command, but... if I kill you, I will be the strongest emperor of the Spirit Clan... and whatever I say will be law. Do you truly believe the Spirit God would descend again to investigate? Traversing worlds isn't that easy; even a deity would suffer insurmountable backlash. Otherwise, she wouldn't have spent over half a year recuperating on the Master Teacher Continent."

Emperor Chen Ling sneered, raising an eyebrow. "Don't worry, after your death, I will report to the Spirit God that you were jointly killed by the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Pavilion. I will claim that by the time I rushed to rescue you, it was already too late, and that before your death, you passed the position of First Emperor to me, entrusting me with leadership over our entire race. Then, I will use your demise to incite our people to seek revenge against humanity..."

"You..." Emperor Chen Yong staggered. This fellow's scheme was clever; everything was calculated! He had initially thought that if he were truly killed, his subordinates would surely seek revenge. Now it seemed that by pinning the blame on the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Pavilion, not only would Emperor Chen Ling be safe, but he would also incite widespread anger, thereby fulfilling his ambitions!

"Emperor Chen Ling, don't forget our agreement..."

Hearing this, Yan Qing Ancient Sage's expression also changed, and he couldn't help but speak. He had believed that killing Emperor Chen Yong would severely weaken the Spirit Clan. To his surprise, their true warmonger was Emperor Chen Ling. If Emperor Yong truly died, the battles between humanity and the Spirit Clan would likely become more frequent and even harder to control.

"Rest assured, I will honor the agreement! However, whether it will be for three hundred years is another matter..." Emperor Chen Ling gave a cold smile. If humanity had obtained the Spring and Autumn Grand Ceremony, hiding for three hundred years would have been reasonable. But the Ceremony had been taken by the Spirit God, leaving humanity with nothing, and now the ancient sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Master Teacher Pavilion were also severely wounded... For them, this was the greatest opportunity!

"What do you mean?" Yan Qing Ancient Sage's pupils constricted, and he raised the Sky-Halberd in his hand. Many other ancient sages also gathered together, fearing that this fellow would suddenly attack. Just one Spirit Clan emperor had nearly wiped out their forces; if this one attacked again, they would surely fall into another perilous situation.

"It means nothing in particular. Since we have an alliance, I cannot attack you, or I would suffer the backlash of the oath... Rest assured, once I've dealt with him, we can discuss in detail the future of our two races..."

Seeing the wary expressions on Yan Qing Ancient Sage and the others, Emperor Chen Ling knew that even with their severe injuries, if they unleashed all their techniques, they might still have a chance to drag him down with them. Moreover, his priority now wasn't to turn against humanity, but to consolidate his own power. Only by truly controlling his entire clan would he be in a position to decide whether to continue fighting or honor the agreement.

Understanding this, he smiled faintly and looked back at Emperor Yong before him.

"Emperor Yong, farewell!"

With a cold scoff, he raised his palm and fiercely brought it down. Like the heavens inverted, an incredibly powerful force shattered space and crushed down on Emperor Chen Yong.