Inside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
"Good heavens! That's a God-King Armament! Even that kind of treasure has emerged…"
"If no Sage intervenes, who could possibly stand against a God King wielding a God-King Armament? Looks like that young man is doomed."
"Sigh… Such extraordinary talent, but far too proud. Too rigid, and he'll break…"
Watching the starry river summoned by the God-King Armament high in the sky, veteran cultivators could only sigh in lament. In their hearts, Chen Xiaoming's fate was already sealed.
God-King Armament—a peerless weapon capable of sweeping through all peers of the same realm. So long as Sages remain hidden, no one could rival its might.
And to make matters worse, the one wielding the weapon was a God King. Without a Sage stepping forth, there was simply no way to save Chen Xiaoming.
High above, Chen Xiaoming's expression grew grim. Suspended above the middle-aged man's head, the Heavenly Mirror radiated a pressure that made it hard to breathe.
Empowered by the divine weapon, the man's aura surged explosively. It was as though an endless sea of stars now empowered him—every move stirred the heavens, drawing starlight from the Nine Skies.
Overhead, the star river shimmered with boundless radiance. As it turned, it was as if the cosmos itself were being reshaped. Star after star ignited, ripping through the void with divine brilliance.
"Surrender. You have no chance of winning. Hand over the person behind you, and I'll spare your life."
The middle-aged man's cold voice echoed across the void, accompanied by the crushing aura of the rotating Heavenly Mirror. Endless starlight blanketed Chen Xiaoming.
"Hmph."
A cold snort. Spare my life? Does he take me for a fool? Who would believe that?
A look of resolute determination surfaced in Chen Xiaoming's eyes. He silently whispered a name in his heart—Tang San—before taking a single step forward. His voice, infused with divine might, resounded through the heavens:
"If you want her, then step over my dead body first!"
Those very words once spoken by Tang San to protect Xiao Wu now emerged from Chen Xiaoming's lips.
The vast starry sky trembled with his cry. The middle-aged man and his allies froze for a beat—they hadn't expected such unflinching resolve.
Inside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Ouyang Qian, who had once viewed Chen Xiaoming with disdain, now felt a twinge of guilt. She had misjudged him, assuming he was a frivolous rogue. Now she saw him for what he was—a man worth entrusting her life to.
Yet, this night… might be their last in this world.
Beside her, Nangong Xian'er, the Holy Daughter of Tian Ling Holy Land, and others were visibly moved. Their eyes shimmered as they gazed at Chen Xiaoming.
Only Wang De wore the face of a man who had lost all hope. He glared at Chen Xiaoming with teary resentment.
"Damn it, I'm gonna die because of you, and you're still out here flirting like you're on a date! I can't take this anymore! Just hurry up and die already!"
Even the ever-aloof Ruthless Emperor, whose eyes were always as still as autumn waters, revealed a faint ripple. A gleam flashed—but it vanished almost instantly.
"You go first."
Chen Xiaoming, radiating domineering intensity, sent her a voice transmission. He was already getting a headache. His bloodline's source power was still incomplete, and now this monstrous opponent had appeared—what a mess.
A fight was inevitable, but victory was uncertain. The longer this dragged on, the higher the chance another powerhouse might arrive. If another God King—or worse, a Sage—showed up, then even the Ruthless Emperor might fall.
He turned slightly, thinking his dramatic declaration might have moved her, ready to witness the emotion in her eyes.
But from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse—the Ruthless Emperor didn't even glance back, just turned and left without a word.
"Uh…"
Chen Xiaoming froze, bewildered.
Did I grab the wrong script again? Wasn't this supposed to be the part where the male lead declares his love, the female lead is touched to tears, swears eternal loyalty, and they defeat the God King together before living a shamelessly sweet life?
Director! Did I mess up my lines again?!
His mind screamed internally as he suddenly felt a terrifying power surging behind him.
The middle-aged man, eyes filled with fury, activated the Heavenly Mirror. The sky pressed down as a cosmic river of stars descended.
A rain of divine laws fell from the sky—each beam capable of obliterating a Holy Lord-level cultivator. If struck, survival was nearly impossible.
Law and starfire intertwined. The order of the Dao etched itself into space. A spear formed from the Starry Dao surged toward Chen Xiaoming. Divine light engulfed the void, Dao laws locked down every inch of space around him. Countless stars rained down, binding him within a single square foot of heaven.
Facing such a terrifying attack, Chen Xiaoming was speechless.
I definitely grabbed the wrong script… That's way too overpowered! Are God Kings really supposed to hit that hard?!
This strike could probably obliterate a planet. He'd believe it if someone said it came from a Quasi-Sage.
The starlight sealed the void around him. Chen Xiaoming could feel the killing intent locked onto him—even if he broke free, the spear would still strike true.
"Damn it! Do I look like I'm easy to bully?!"
He'd failed to woo the Ruthless Emperor and now found himself trapped in the void. Gone was his previous calm. His eyes now blazed with fury.
Slamming both arms into the void, a burst of silver light exploded. He plunged his hands into the massive phantom behind him. Radiant silver light surged around his arms, which suddenly expanded as they reached toward three shadowy willow branches within the phantom.
"Buzz…"
The void behind him shook. The willow branches stirred, releasing a gray mist that instantly annihilated his arms. The pain was excruciating, but madness burned in his eyes.
With a flick of divine will, he tapped the "Recovery" button on his system interface.
His arms, bathed in silver light, were instantly restored. He surged forward again—only to have the gray mist shred his arms once more.
But Chen Xiaoming was now utterly enraged. He didn't care. He kept spamming recovery, diving back in again and again, closing the distance inch by inch.
A mere God King dares to be so arrogant just because I don't have a weapon?
He, Chen Xiaoming, was no pushover.
Time froze.
Finally, his hands reached one of the willow branch phantoms. With a light tug—
"BOOM!"
The gray mist erupted violently. The void shattered. The phantom behind Chen Xiaoming toppled like a mountain, crashing toward the middle-aged man and the Starry Dao Spear.
In that moment, everyone felt it—a sensation like the collapse of heaven and earth, the annihilation of all living beings.
"Not good! Stop him!"
The stronger a cultivator, the sharper their intuition. The middle-aged man reacted first. He sensed something was terribly wrong with Chen Xiaoming's strange phantom—a suffocating death premonition overwhelmed him.
His face changed drastically. The Heavenly Mirror expanded into a vast star river and rushed to shield him.
Rumble—!
Divine light erupted. But beneath the falling phantom, the star river dimmed. Cracks spiderwebbed across the indestructible Heavenly Mirror—until it shattered, turning to ash.
Stunned, the middle-aged man vomited blood. He turned to flee—but realized, too late, that he was rooted in place.
"No—!"
The phantom willow branch smashed down. His divine body was instantly erased. His bitter, unwilling cry echoed through the void.
Seeing this, Chen Xiaoming suppressed the surging force of his bloodline and retracted the collapsing phantom. As his bloodline churned wildly, he spat a mouthful of blood, his aura faltering.
And yet—he stood tall, spine straight, eyes sharp as blades as he scanned the endless void.
"Who else dares challenge me?!"
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TL/N:
For those who don't know, beyond the Dragon Transformation realm lies the Immortal Platform realm, which is divided into Six Heavens.
First Heaven: Quasi or Half-Step Supreme Being or Holy Lord
Second Heaven: Supreme Being or Holy Lord
Third Heaven: God King or just King, this stage can also be called Dao Severing realm
Fourth Heaven: Sage or Saint
Fifth Heaven: Sage King or Saint King
Sixth Heaven: Great Sage or Great Saint
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