Chapter 1680: Emperor's Fall

The Emperor emerged, arriving at this critical juncture. His power was beyond doubt, easily comparable to that of the Undying Empress and the Old Woodcutter.

The Old Woodcutter was covered in blood, a gaping wound on his forehead still gushing. His condition was dire, yet he was the only one capable of standing against the Emperor.

The area immediately fell silent as everyone held their breath, watching with tense anticipation.

As the nine suns set in the west, the entire Heavenly Court palace complex was bathed in a sacred glow, making the area even more solemn and majestic.

"Give it to me!" the Emperor commanded, extending a hand. Clad in crimson dragon armor, his physique was lean and powerful, his grip strong. With a casual movement, imperial runes materialized in the void around his fingers.

"It would be useless to you," the Old Woodcutter replied, shaking his head. His deep eyes held a glint of wisdom. "You have spent your time in regret and lost your Dao heart. Even a true immortal scripture would not allow you to achieve enlightenment."

"Give it to me!" the Emperor retorted coldly, his aura intensifying severalfold. The Old Woodcutter's words had struck a nerve, and his outstretched hand burst into a fiery crimson glow.

The immortal tree, uprooted and suspended in the void before the Heavenly Palace, stood between the two figures. Its body was dull, its ancient bark cracked, utterly devoid of luster.

Was this truly the Undying Tree, nurtured by the Emperor and watered with divine life spring fluid? Many widened their eyes, feeling even more sorrowful than before. The very fact that impending Dao achievers would fight over it spoke volumes.

The Old Woodcutter shook his head, refusing to yield an inch.

In fact, a powerful field had already formed between them, causing the immortal plant to sway. The sheer terrifying power of such divine energy was indescribable; any imbalance could reduce the immortal medicine to ash.

Thus, neither dared to exert full force, treating it with extreme caution.

"Then let us fight, and let the outcome decide!" the Emperor declared, his hair flying. He transformed into a dragon-like form, soaring skyward.

A mighty roar! A colossal crimson dragon materialized in the cosmos, its body blood-red, scales formidable, as if forged from phoenix blood-red gold. Perched atop its head was a Vermilion Bird, gazing down.

The crimson dragon coiled, its supreme physique radiating light. It twisted downward, shattering star rivers in its wake.

The old Daoist ascended, calmly pushing out a palm. It seemed utterly devoid of flashiness, not even a single divine light burst forth. Yet, a terrifying phenomenon occurred: the stars ahead dimmed in vast swathes, the entire night sky plunged into darkness, and the blood dragon itself trembled violently, roaring through the heavens.

This palm strike was utterly horrifying, silently obliterating an entire star river, sending shivers down spines.

Clanging sounds resonated endlessly as nine ancient characters continuously appeared beside the Emperor. One by one, they illuminated, like nine suns shining in the sky, enveloping him below.

These were the nine ancient characters from the Dao Scripture, capable of suppressing oneself, achieving eternity, and possessing an immortal power. They now displayed formidable defensive capabilities.

The Old Woodcutter's ten fingers, like drills, jabbed forward with immense offensive power. Ten streaks of immortal light shot out, akin to the legendary archer Hou Yi shooting down the suns, ten arrows shaking the heavens!

The nine ancient characters trembled violently, erupting with a terrifying aura like suns on the verge of destruction, sweeping across the cosmos and transforming into a cosmic storm.

Ye Fan was moved. He was very familiar with the nine ancient characters from the Dao Scripture, having used them many times and knowing their profound subtleties and powerful mystical energy. He had never imagined someone could decipher them in such a way.

That was an Imperial Dao technique. Of course, the most crucial factor was the Old Woodcutter himself; he possessed a power that could turn decay into wonder, his ten immortal lights cleaving the sky with deafening clangs.

The crimson dragon ascended, letting out a great roar and unleashing a torrent of flames from its mouth. The overwhelming heat reduced some stars to liquid, and then to dust.

Passivity was not the Emperor's choice. He began to retaliate, the dimmed nine ancient characters once again shining with a more dazzling brilliance as he himself charged forward.

The Old Woodcutter made a sweeping gesture, and a yin fish appeared, suppressing forward with Lunar power. It collided with the scorching waves of flame, causing annihilation in that area.

"Whoosh!" Suddenly, the seemingly small Vermilion Bird perched atop the crimson dragon flapped its wings, dancing through the heavens, transforming into a streak of blood-red lightning that struck down.

The Emperor possessed the Vermilion Bird bloodline. His manifestation as a crimson dragon was due to his armor; his most fundamental bloodline power was that of the Vermilion Bird.

This strike shook the past and illuminated the present, far exceeding human comprehension. Though small, the fiery red bird possessed world-shaking divine power, and one of its wings seemed poised to instantly cleave the Old Woodcutter's body.

With a clang, a streak of pure white saber light shot skyward. The woodcutting saber on the old Daoist's back was unsheathed, its blade energy surging in countless layers, rushing forward like a vast ocean.

The Vermilion Bird let out a long cry, piercing through the cosmos.

The light then engulfed the area, making it impossible for those in the Heavenly Court ruins to see clearly.

When all had settled, the Old Woodcutter swayed, now even more covered in blood. A terrifying crack had appeared on his left side, almost splitting his body in half.

That was the power of the Vermilion Bird's sky-rending wing strike!

On the other side, the Emperor also showed flecks of blood, having been grazed by the saber light. It was a terrifying force that had pierced a blood hole through his shoulder.

Suddenly, the Emperor's figure flickered, employing the Vermilion Bird's technique of traversing three thousand realms, causing time to halt. He moved backward and downward, seizing the immortal tree.

The old Daoist intercepted, pursuing him. The two continuously clashed in the void, truly unleashing their full power this time, with thousands of Dao flowers blossoming.

Swathes of runes appeared, a fluctuation of supreme laws.

Suddenly, the immortal tree in the Heavenly Court ruins emitted a soft sound. Its roots shattered, turning into ash, and the main plant body fell to the ground.

The Emperor let out a roar, diving down. The Old Woodcutter intercepted him, and after several mighty clashes, they finally landed before the Heavenly Court ruins.

"The roots were fake, deceptively real! The true Immortal Tree of the Emperor has long been gone; its roots were moved!"

The old man with yellow teeth, enraged, threw his wooden bucket to the ground. Golden lightning elements spilled from it, startling all the powerful experts into scattering, as those elements could certainly harm even Great Sages.

"It's all for naught; the immortal plant has been moved." The Emperor felt a pang of loss, then his eyes suddenly turned chillingly cold as he looked at Ye Fan, the Black Dog, and the others in the distance, his killing intent fully revealed.

With a hiss, he pointed a divine light, aiming to destroy them. Little Nannan was not there, so he had no qualms.

"Bang!" The Old Woodcutter shifted positions, blocking his attack.

"You meddle too much!" the Emperor's eyes were cold, his crimson dragon armor glowing, and his aura growing even stronger.

"Old man, have you forgotten how a little girl scared you witless not long ago? What are you trying to prove now?" the Black Dog taunted him.

"All of you, leave," the Emperor swept his gaze across the old man and the burly fellow, then fixed it on the old Daoist, saying, "You too, leave this place and make way." Finally, he looked at Ye Fan, the Black Dog, and the others, declaring, "These few must die."

At this point, everyone could see that the old Daoist seemed to have lost the strength to fight. His situation was dire; the blood hole on his forehead, struck by the Undying Empress, was worsening. The wound could not heal and had been exacerbated by his recent battle with the Emperor.

The Emperor was now brazen, openly threatening him, telling him to leave, or a bloodbath would ensue.

"You overestimate yourself," the old Daoist said calmly. "Even if we are both on the verge of achieving Dao, and I am gravely wounded, it doesn't mean you can overpower me with sheer force."

Behind him, Ye Fan drew his Green Lotus. The Monkey raised his Immortal Iron Rod, the Human Demon gripped his stone weapon, and the Black Dog began setting up a grand formation, preparing for an unpredictable decisive battle.

"Then all of you shall die," the Emperor raged, driven to madness. He had lost everything not long ago, his Dao heart shattered, and he was now almost pathological: if he couldn't have it, he would destroy it.

The Emperor's immortal tree was the object of his hope, but now it was gone.

With a resounding clang, the Old Woodcutter unsheathed his woodcutting saber. Its dark back and gleaming blade sliced through the starry sky. His entire body burned with blood, his primordial spirit emerged from his physical form, and his body slumped.

The entire saber shone brighter than a galaxy, imbued with all of the old Daoist's vital essence, qi, and spirit. His primordial spirit had fused into it. He no longer had the strength for protracted combat or a bloody struggle, so he launched his most potent attack, aiming to end the battle in the shortest possible time.

The maddened Emperor was instantly jolted awake. This was the most perilous kind of battle, with two beings on the verge of achieving Dao fighting to the death. One could fall at any moment.

In that single instant, heaven and earth vibrated ten times, like ten strikes that sundered the firmament. People were terrified to discover that this aura was so horrifying it rivaled the dark turmoil of over three hundred years ago.

Many felt their hair stand on end as the woodcutting saber clashed with the Emperor ten times, giving rise to scenes from the dawn of creation, with various chaotic deities roaring.

Finally, the crimson dragon armor shattered, and the great dragon disintegrated. Although the Vermilion Bird that burst forth from within let out a mournful cry, it could not escape the deadly blow and was struck by the woodcutting saber.

"Thud!" A bloodied head flew up, then fell before the Heavenly Court ruins, exploding into a bloody mess, its primordial spirit annihilated.

The woodcutting saber fell to the ground, and the old Daoist's primordial spirit, incredibly dim, sank back into his slumped body. With great difficulty, he ascended the Dao platform, his eyes dim and lifeless.

This was a bitter victory, achieved at an immense cost.

The Emperor was dead, slain by another. One of the few supreme powerhouses in the current cosmos had been killed in such a manner, making it feel utterly surreal.

Blood spilled, signaling the downfall of a colossal entity. People knew that the Divine Court was finished, its last glimmer of hope extinguished.

"The Emperor is dead!"

A wave of frenzy ensued, and the news swept in all directions, spreading like a tide. Some even crossed the starry sky to flee directly.

The demise of the Divine Court was inevitable, and many had already begun making their plans to leave.

The headless corpse fractured inch by inch, then dissolved into a pool of blood, finally burning away until nothing remained. The Emperor was dead.

"The world will descend into chaos. The Undying Empress seeks a path of bloody enlightenment, bathing in the divine blood of all living beings. I intend to establish a Dao Palace, restore order to the universe, and quell this bloody turmoil," the old Daoist said slowly, standing with difficulty, supported by Zhou Yi.

His tone was calm, yet his words reverberated across heaven and earth, as if an ancient deity had returned. For that brief moment, the stars in the cosmos ceased their rotation, with only his voice echoing.

On this day, the Dao Palace, founded by the old Daoist, was formally established, shaking the cosmos. Its ranks were filled with masters like clouds and powerhouses like a forest.

On this day, the Divine Court was annihilated, the Emperor's lineage severed. It was swept clean by several major powers.

On this day, the Undying Empress announced to the world her intention to establish an immortal imperial dynasty. From all living beings, powerhouses gathered like clouds, all races that had once regarded the Undying Heavenly Emperor as their supreme deity.

On this day, the Underworld showed signs of unusual activity. Many witnessed numerous spectral soldiers passing through various star regions, traversing star rivers as if marching to war.

On this day, the Divine Organization also undertook major actions, with ancient divine statues in some regions suddenly glowing.