Chapter 128: The Terrifying Duel

"The Emperor has long since fallen; I witnessed that battle from afar."

The mysterious figure remained expressionless, effectively confirming his status as an ancient powerhouse.

"Impossible. He was undefeated throughout his life. I do not believe it."

The Empress's emotions fluctuated violently, her terrifying aura erupting like a volcano, turning the horizon into a blaze of brilliant, chaotic light.

"There is no 'impossible.' He was too arrogant. He refused to heed warnings and insisted on standing with those people. In the end, he fell from the Nine Heavens, his physical body torn asunder and his primordial spirit extinguished."

The mysterious figure sneered. Behind him, a massive rift in space tore open, revealing a churning sea of primordial chaos where a seated figure could be faintly discerned. This was the mysterious figure's true form, channeling his vast power through secret arts to engage in a peak-level confrontation.

"I said it is impossible, and so it remains. He must have left a contingency; he would not fall so easily."

The Empress’s voice grew steady as she emerged from her rage, but her eyes were chilling—they had turned a deep, blood-red.

"Delusional. You are all of the same ilk. Those who do not know how to revere the heavens will eventually be erased by the firmament."

The mysterious figure frowned, yet he remained convinced that the Emperor could not possibly still be alive.

"A person who was not even qualified to participate in that battle dares to speak of him in my presence? You are courting death."

The Empress regained her composure. With a flick of her finger, the heavens seemed to shatter. Her aura surged, causing the earth to tremble and split into jagged fissures. The Four Symbols Array was indeed designed to sustain Wang Lun and the others, but its primary purpose was to protect the Empress, which was why she possessed such immense power—she had already firmly ascended to the realm of an Emperor.

"Yet, you were not qualified back then either. Since the Empress has already fallen, please continue your eternal slumber. I shall take the Cycle Seal you possess."

The mysterious figure’s expression remained unchanged, brimming with confidence. His secret arts had reached their zenith; though he could not fully command the combat power of his true form, he had attained sixty or seventy percent of it.

"It seems you wish to take that step as well. You want my Cycle Seal? Come and take it yourself."

The Empress sneered. A delicate, jade-like hand pierced through the void, moving with a grace that stirred no ripples, yet it descended with devastating intent. Though arrogant, she did not underestimate her opponent, especially since she had yet to recover to her peak. Thus, she struck first, aiming to sever the connection between the mysterious figure and his true form.

"As expected of the Empress."

The mysterious figure’s expression grew grave. He stared intensely at that jade hand, cold sweat beading on his forehead. The Empress had unleashed the power of her origin; if that strike landed unimpeded, it would be enough to sink an entire continent.

"But this is no longer your era. Yet, I remain invincible."

The mysterious figure let out a long howl, his aura peerless. He severed his connection to his true form, causing the Empress's attack to strike empty air. Immediately afterward, he threw a punch that shattered the heavens, moving like a Kunpeng spreading its wings to strike across three thousand worlds.

If one side was calm and still, the other was a tempest crashing against the shore. The influential figures in the distance retreated several thousand feet, their faces filled with horror; they dared not draw near.

"Too terrifying. Who exactly are they?"

The Master of the Ancient Buddha Domain’s face changed drastically, mysterious light flowing in his eyes. He subtly began transmitting word of these events to the true powerhouses of the Great Jin Kingdom.

"This single blow would be enough to destroy the entire foundation of the Xiang family."

The patriarch of the Xiang family sighed deeply. He was unaware of the current plight of his family, or he would have surely moved against the Old Pavilion Master of the Purple Robe Pavilion and the others. The Old Pavilion Master, by contrast, was filled with excitement, as everyone now knew he was a subordinate of this mysterious figure.

Radiance shimmered everywhere as divine light rose from the ground. The Four Symbols Array unleashed its power, sealing the space; otherwise, the earth would have collapsed under the pressure of an Emperor-level battle.

"Not enough."

The Empress’s expression shifted, and a beam of light condensed, blindingly bright.

"Since you have betrayed him, let me use his own technique to grind you into dust."

Her cold, clear voice rang through the firmament. The Empress ascended from her crystal coffin and waved her palm. A massive sphere of light emerged—it was an ancient world!

"The Emperor's technique!"

The mysterious figure’s expression finally changed completely. He had not expected the Empress to commit to a full-force strike without holding anything back.

A blade of light slashed out from the chaos, embodying the very essence of creation and destruction. It was terrifying, as if it had traveled from the dawn of time, its peerless sharpness chilling to the bone. The strike was magnificent; galaxies sank and stars exploded. The mysterious figure wielded a great saber, unleashing a powerful killing blow. This artifact, which had been a Semi-Ancestor weapon, now tore through its seals, erupting with terrifying might—it was a high-tier Ancestor weapon, and it had fully awakened.

"Breaking Illusions with a World."

The Empress remained expressionless, as if she did not see the incoming attack, and slowly reached out her hand. The ancient world collapsed, spilling radiance everywhere. The heavens cracked as her jade hand struck the blade light directly, without a hint of retreat.

"Boom!"

The blade light shattered. The force was so immense it felt like a sun exploding. The resulting sonic wave spread like the apocalypse, extinguishing everything within ten thousand feet. Those who could not escape in time were instantly obliterated.

"Heaven Opening!"

A roar shook the clouds. The mysterious figure swung his saber again, carving a path across the world. A blade of light, tens of thousands of feet long, emerged, swallowing the sun and moon, crushing black holes, and driving directly toward the Empress’s hand.

"Three Realms Extinguished!"

The Empress’s expression flickered. She knew this was the mysterious figure's ultimate divine ability, possessing supreme power. Even she dared not take it lightly, so she unleashed the third movement of the Emperor’s technique.

A black void manifested, silencing the heavens and emptying the ages. Everything was extinguished, returning to the primordial state of all things. The terrifying blade light vanished into the void.

"The Empress is truly terrifying. It seems it is not just your seal that has reincarnated, but the Emperor’s supreme arts as well."

The mysterious figure staggered back, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes burned bright as two massive stars.

"Return to Nothingness!"

The mysterious figure struck again. His saber roared, emitting a thunderous sound that threatened to shatter the firmament. This was a supreme divine ability; a star above the heavens was blasted to pieces. If 'Extinction' was the beginning of all things, then 'Return to Nothingness' was the end. Gods and demons wailed as the heavens trembled. A giant blade descended from beyond the thirty-third heaven, crushing the universe as it fell toward the Empress’s head. The mysterious figure was simply too strong, possessing a world-shaking, invincible power.

"So this is your strongest technique. It is a pity that you must fall today. My dignity is not to be violated."

The Empress remained expressionless. She moved forward slowly, her aura surging. Seven massive worlds manifested behind her. For the first time, figures appeared within these worlds—the same individual, progressing from an infant to an old man on the verge of the grave.

"Seven Realms of Reincarnation!"