Chapter 2158: Heavens Tremble (Part 1)

Waves of palm strikes surged as Zhao Ya's strength recovered, her energy soaring like a rainbow. Having been somewhat disheveled and pressured moments ago, she now pressed forward relentlessly, and the White Tiger could barely resist.

After attacking for a while, she felt her energy waning and took another pill. After consuming three pills consecutively, the White Tiger was completely unable to resist. Its massive body swayed twice before crashing to the ground.

Only then did Zhao Ya breathe a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

If it weren't for her teacher's pills and her pure Yin constitution, she certainly wouldn't have lasted this long. Far from defeating her opponent, she might have even been killed, ultimately gaining nothing.

"Isn't divine energy supposed to be easy to obtain? What's going on?" she wondered.

Filled with doubt, she looked at the White Tiger on the ground. Then, with a gentle flicker, she watched it transform into a golden-yellow stream of energy, quietly hovering before her.

Zhao Ya was filled with astonishment.

The color of this energy stream was similar to what the rabbit had transformed into earlier, but the intensity it contained was vastly different. The former was like a gentle stream, while this one was like an ocean, boundless and endless.

"Could it be... that divine energy also has levels?" a thought stirred in her mind.

She had never heard of such a thing before, but without this explanation, she truly couldn't fathom what was happening.

"Never mind for now..." Knowing she couldn't figure it out just by thinking, she immediately sat cross-legged on the ground. All her pores opened, and her spirit stirred powerfully.

The golden-yellow energy, which was once the White Tiger, surged wildly into her body.

*Crack! Crack!* As the power entered her body, the divine shackles she had been unable to break through immediately shattered, and her overall strength visibly and rapidly increased.

"Such powerful divine energy..." Zhao Ya's pupils contracted and her muscles tensed.

This divine energy carried a sharp metallic aura, as if it would tear her meridians apart, yet it was also like roaring sword energy, sweeping away all obstacles within her body.

In less than ten minutes, she broke through the peak of False God and became a true deity.

Immediately upon becoming a deity, a pure white light enveloped her, making her appear like an angel as her already slender figure radiated dazzling light.

She herself was completely immersed in her cultivation, seemingly unaware of any of this.

While Zhao Ya was breaking through, Lu Chong also arrived at the other end of the mountain peak. What appeared before him was a shadowy figure.

It was neither a rabbit nor a tiger, but its appearance was somewhat human-like and entirely composed of mist.

Using the pills his teacher had given him, he killed it and likewise felt a rich surge of power entering his body, rapidly increasing his Witch Soul power.

The same phenomenon also occurred with Wang Ying, who encountered a snow-white ancient tree.

Zheng Yang encountered a giant beast covered in flames, and Wei Ruyan encountered a river capable of devouring life...

Each of the disciples experienced different opportunities.

In the northern part of the God Realm, within a boundless, vast ocean, a massive palace hovered on the water's surface, emitting dazzling light like a scorching sun.

Below, rays of light shone, holding it aloft. Reflected in the seawater, the palace and its inverted image mirrored each other, creating a dreamlike and ethereal sensation.

Inside the hall, on a magnificent and massive throne, a white-bearded old man sat, gazing into the void, seemingly lost in thought.

"Emperor!"

A middle-aged man approached, standing respectfully with cupped fists.

The old man nodded, his gaze filled with a touch of melancholy. "When is the match between the Revered One from Zizaitian and Emperor Tianzong scheduled?" he asked.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it's the fifteenth of next month!" the middle-aged man replied.

"The fifteenth? The night of the full moon?" The old man paused, surprised. "That Revered One from Zizaitian is quite decisive to agree so quickly!"

"Your Majesty, your subordinate... has a question, but is unsure if it's appropriate to ask," the middle-aged man said, looking over with uncertainty.

"You are an old retainer who has followed me for a long time," the old man said. "Whatever it is, just speak your mind; there's no need to hold back!"

"Yes!" The middle-aged man nodded. "Is that... Emperor Tianzong truly that formidable? Are even the eight Emperors no match for him?"

Without directly answering, the old man paused for a moment, then sighed, saying, "Unfathomable!"

"Then... what about the Revered One from Zizaitian?" the middle-aged man asked. "He has never appeared, and no one has ever witnessed his true strength. Compared to Emperor Tianzong, who is more powerful?"

"That Revered One from Zizaitian is equally unfathomable," the old man replied. "Although I haven't seen him, I have felt his aura. It's like the vast sky hanging high, or the Milky Way inverted—simply not something human power can contend with! As for... who is stronger, I cannot say for sure."

The old man shook his head.

"In that case, their battle will truly be a battle of the ages..." the middle-aged man said with a wry smile, sighing with emotion. "I genuinely wish I could go and watch, but alas, in a fight between such formidable experts, with my current strength, I would likely be pulverized before even getting close!"

In an Emperor-level battle, even a Conferred God King would be easily shattered by the aftershocks if they dared to approach.

Though there is only one level difference between them, one is like heaven and the other like earth; they are simply not on the same plane of existence.

This fact is evident from the God Realm's history: despite countless years since its creation, there have only ever been nine Emperors.

"Watch the battle? It concerns the prestige of the Nine Heavens, so it certainly won't be made public..." The old man shook his head, then suddenly froze. "This..."

"Your Majesty, what happened?" the middle-aged man couldn't help but ask, seeing the Emperor's expression.

"That Revered One from Zizaitian just sent a message to the world, saying... he invites us eight old fossils to witness next month's decisive battle!" the old man said with a wry smile.

He had just declared it impossible to be public, yet in the blink of an eye, an invitation arrived.

Previously, such an idea would have been unthinkable.

After all, their duels with Emperor Tianzong had always been private; even their own Conferred God Kings, let alone other Emperors, never knew the outcomes or the specifics of the battles.

"That Revered One from Zizaitian dares to publicly compete; does this mean he is confident he can defeat Emperor Tianzong?" the middle-aged man asked, looking over with doubt.

"Perhaps..."

The old man's gaze was solemn. "However, when cultivation reaches their level, there isn't much difference between them. No one can claim certain victory! As for the specifics, we'll just have to wait and see... Oh, by the way, the Fourth Spiritual Energy Tide is approaching again. Are there any formidable geniuses from my Xuanming Sea's domain?"

"Not at the moment!" the middle-aged man replied. "The God Realm's spiritual energy is waning, and while cultivators cherish cultivation opportunities more, true geniuses don't appear so easily! Furthermore, to shine brightly during the Spiritual Energy Tide, one's talent must be at the absolute pinnacle, destined for achievements no less than a God King... Such individuals are simply too rare; they are encountered by chance, not sought out!"

"I heard that old ghost Qiankun from Ghost Soul Heaven acquired a soul with decent talent!" the old man remarked.

"That's true," the middle-aged man confirmed. "It's said to have been found in the lower realm, and the soul was directly taken into the Ghost Soul Pool... I heard Emperor Qiankun is personally helping him reforge a body!"

The old man said, "For him to personally reforge a body, it means this individual's strength is certainly not simple... It's a pity such talent didn't appear in our Ghost Soul Heaven. Otherwise, no matter the cost, I would properly cultivate him to quickly become a master, and thus influence the arrangements for this Spiritual Energy Tide..."

"Yes..." the middle-aged man replied. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I've made arrangements on the Divine Mountain as you instructed. If any genius suitable for our Xuanming Heaven appears, we will notify you immediately."

The old man acknowledged, and just as he was about to close his eyes to rest, he heard the bell outside the hall suddenly ring out urgently.

He abruptly stood up, all sleepiness gone. "The Conferred King Bell?"

The middle-aged man's face also lit up with excitement.

"The Conferred King Bell ringing means a cultivator with Conferred God King talent has appeared..." The old man's eyes gleamed.

Conferred God Kings are limited in number, and their rarity is no less significant than that of an Emperor.

The emergence of someone with such talent was an immense temptation for them.

"Quickly go and summon this genius..."

Understanding what was happening, the old man waved his hand. Before his words fully finished, he said, "Never mind, you're too slow; I'll go myself!"

With that, his body flickered, and he instantly vanished from his spot, teleporting away.

Cultivators at the Emperor level could already teleport; no matter how significant the spatial constraints of the God Realm, they posed no obstacle.

"It seems that with this Spiritual Energy Tide, my Xuanming Heaven will finally rise to prominence..."

Seeing the Emperor personally go to fetch the genius, the middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief, then his eyes gleamed.

Gengjin Heaven.

Emperor Fumen sat high on his throne, presiding over court discussions, and also heard the sound of the Conferred King Bell.

"A genius suitable for my Gengjin Heaven has appeared. I will go personally to fetch them..."

Emperor Fumen vanished from his spot.

Yunchi Heaven.

"Such geniuses, throughout countless years of the God Realm's existence, have been few and far between—only Emperor Tianzong and his few disciples have appeared... This time, we absolutely cannot miss this opportunity! You all prepare here; I will go personally to check!"

With a gentle flicker, Emperor Yunchi transformed into his true form—a five-clawed golden dragon—and likewise vanished from his spot.

"Haha, my Blazing Sun Heaven also has such a formidable genius! Let's see if that brat, Demon Lord Qiankun, still dares to show off to me! This time, I must personally cultivate him; even at the cost of accelerating time ten thousandfold, I will ensure he breaks through to the Conferred level before the Spiritual Energy Tide!"

With a hearty laugh, Emperor Zhuoyang flicked his robe, revealing his legs. Behind him, an old man said with an awkward expression, "If you go out, please... wear underwear. It would damage your prestige if others saw you!"

"I control the blazing sun, and heavenly fire flourishes within my body," Emperor Zhuoyang scoffed. "Clothes burn to ash as soon as I put them on... It's simply too much trouble to keep putting them on and taking them off! I might as well go naked..."

"Going naked is certainly cool, but... isn't Your Majesty going out to invite a genius this time?" the old man quickly interjected. "Going out like that, you'll inevitably be looked down upon..."

As the Emperor's attendant, he knew too much about this particular Emperor's habits. As one of the Nine Emperors, he actually disliked wearing underwear...

Fortunately, this was in his own sleeping quarters. If he were seen outside, the dignity of Blazing Sun Heaven would be completely lost.

"I know, wait here. I'll be back as soon as I pick up the person!"

His body flickered, and as divine power shifted to form underwear, Emperor Zhuoyang vanished from his spot.