Chapter 2230: Lo Qi Qi, Peak of the Divine King

He had personally witnessed the power of the Conferred God King; against the Book of Heaven's Path, they were utterly powerless to resist. The power now appearing before him was even stronger and more radiant, like the great sun in the sky, overwhelming, impossible to contend with or even resist. There was only one possibility: an Immortal Emperor had acted!

It seemed this Immortal Lady Linglong of Linglong Heaven was not as detached from worldly affairs as he had imagined; seeing the God King she had conferred killed, she could not restrain herself.

"Immortal Emperor?" Fu Jiangchen and the others also sensed the anomaly; their expressions changed, and they no longer dared to look up, prostrating themselves on the ground. Shangguan Yunwan also clenched her fists, but her face showed relief. As a fellow Conferred God King, with one of their own being slain at their very doorstep—it would be truly disheartening for an Immortal Emperor to tolerate such an act.

Rumble! Like the arrival of a typhoon, the continuously gathering vital energy ceased its turbulent boiling. A colossal face abruptly materialized before Zhang Xuan, suspended in the air like the sun.

The Immortal Emperor did not appear in person, but rather condensed a thought manifestation using primal energy.

"How dare you slay my Conferred God King!" The voice resonated, piercing directly into his soul, rendering him utterly unable to resist. After hearing just one sound, Zhang Xuan felt his mind explode. This enormous head before him, though merely a thought manifestation condensed by the Immortal Emperor and not his true form, was still beyond the ability of a mere High-tier Heavenly God like him to withstand.

"Perish!" Knowing that if the Immortal Emperor truly attacked, he would very likely be slain on the spot, Zhang Xuan's expression darkened. The Book of Heaven's Path, which had just crushed Baiye Qinghong and consumed most of its energy but had not yet disappeared, flew up again and slammed towards the colossal face before him.

"You overestimate yourself!" With a snort, the colossal face made no visible movement. The air boomed, and the Book of Heaven's Path instantly vanished, as if it had never existed. His greatest trump card, which could easily crush a Conferred God King, couldn't even withstand a single thought manifestation from the opponent. Zhang Xuan's body stiffened, and he stumbled back repeatedly. He had thought that even if the Book of Heaven's Path couldn't harm the opponent, it could at least obstruct them for a moment. He hadn't expected it to last even a single breath... Although he still had one more in his library, he dared not use it lightly.

"Youthful vigor is good, and talent is admirable, but excessive arrogance is a grave taboo..." Expressionless, the colossal face remained motionless as it gazed at him. Zhang Xuan's heart tightened. He hurriedly raised the God King Sword in his hand and unleashed his most powerful sword art. Before the sword qi could spread far, it disintegrated bit by bit. At the same time, a sharp pain shot through the web of his thumb and forefinger, and the God King Sword flew straight out of his hand. Immediately after, his chest felt as if it had been crushed by a massive hammer, his face turned pale, and he suffered severe injuries. Zzzzz! Fine threads circulated within his body, and his injuries rapidly healed. "Your reaction isn't slow..." The colossal face hadn't expected this young man to actually block its attack. Slightly surprised, it showed a hint of praise in its gaze, opened its mouth, and continued with a snort: "As an Immortal Emperor, I will not bully the weak. Since you could withstand one of my attacks, I can spare your life. However... while death can be averted, punishment is inescapable. You are merely at the peak of a High-tier Heavenly God, yet you are so arrogant and overbearing, killing my Conferred God King and showing such disregard for me. If I don't mete out punishment, how can my venerable Linglong Heaven maintain its standing in the God Realm?" Suddenly, a chanting-like voice rang out: "I declare, your cultivation will be stripped!"

Boom! Following the words, a colossal power immediately enveloped Zhang Xuan. He then felt his body stiffen, and the True Qi in his dantian visibly dissipated as if being stripped away. "This..." His pupils constricted. Zhang Xuan wanted to resist, but he was utterly powerless. The opponent seemed to have decreed a law with a single word, and no matter how he argued against it, there was nothing he could do!

"Am I, Zhang Xuan, to fall here? No, what if he's an Immortal Emperor? As long as his true form hasn't appeared, it's impossible for him to kill me!" Clenching his teeth, just as he was about to unleash the last Book of Heaven's Path to smash the colossal head before him into a pulp, he suddenly felt a lightness in his body. He quickly looked up and saw a perfectly round bead, which had appeared between the colossal face and himself at some unknown moment, spinning ceaselessly. The surrounding space seemed to solidify in an instant. Even the Immortal Emperor's immense power was unable to extend past it. "This is..." Zhang Xuan was startled, his body involuntarily tensing. "The Still Void Pearl?"

What appeared before him was none other than the Still Void Pearl, the family's inherited treasure he had seen Luo Qiqi control back in the Luo Clan! Luo Xuanqing had once said that after he left the Master Teacher Continent, Luo Qiqi also departed. He had thought she went to the Firmament, but the major sects searched for a long time without any news. He had speculated she might have come to the God Realm, but was never certain. He had assumed it would be an unknown time before they met again, but he hadn't expected her to suddenly appear and block the Immortal Emperor's attack for him.

"Qiqi, what are you doing?" The colossal face also seemed perplexed; its attack ceased, and its tone carried displeasure.

The Still Void Pearl gently shimmered, transforming into a graceful woman who hovered in the air, standing with her fists clasped. "He... is the one I love. Please, Immortal Emperor, show him mercy!" Zhang Xuan looked over; it was none other than Luo Qiqi. After several months apart, the girl was still as serene and incredibly beautiful as before. As she looked at him, her eyes were still filled with anticipation and complexity. Her appearance and feelings remained the same, but her strength had undergone a drastic transformation. Upon closer inspection, she had actually reached the peak of the God King realm, just like the now-breakthrough Fu Jiangchen! He had previously wondered why the Netherworld Pool's power of vows had increased so rapidly; now he understood that her power of vows must have played a significant role. The Still Void Pearl at the peak of the God King realm... its combat power was incomparably stronger than Fu Jiangchen's, and not at all weaker than Baiye Qinghong's from earlier.

Seeing the girl, with her delicate body, stand in front of the Immortal Emperor without the slightest hesitation to save him, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists.

"My feelings for you... are more than just liking!"

This girl, for his sake, didn't hesitate to turn against her family, didn't hesitate to confront the Immortal Emperor... Yet he himself had never given her any promises, not even a glimmer of hope...

"The one you constantly think about... it's actually him?" The colossal face paused in surprise. "But he doesn't like you! I can see from his eyes that he has someone else he loves. Is it worth defying me for someone who doesn't like you?" The colossal face and Luo Qiqi seemed to have known each other for a long time, sharing a very familiar relationship.

"It's not about whether it's worth it. As long as I can do something for him... as long as he is safe and unharmed, for me..." Luo Qiqi stood delicately in place, the turbulent space completely blocked before her. Her face showed no excessive emotion, only an unshakeable resolve: "...that is enough!"