The explosion came too suddenly.
Mengheshang and the Fisher were severely wounded.
"Whoosh."
Even so, the Fisher still swung his fishing rod, snatching Ba Wang's physical body at the crucial moment.
"Rumble."
The storm of destruction engulfed Liang Mountain whole.
In an instant, a mountain vanished.
The destructive force did not dissipate but continued to spread outwards, chasing the fleeing Mengheshang and the Fisher.
Within Mengheshang's lantern, lay the nearly annihilated soul of Ba Wang.
Boom!
The storm returned.
"Amitabha."
Mengheshang suddenly stopped.
The Fisher was terrified: "What are you doing? Run..."
"We can't run."
Mengheshang's face was filled with helplessness and heartache: "I didn't expect Tianzi to betray us,"
The situation before them explained everything.
They weren't fools.
Mengheshang's expression turned resolute: "You take Ba Wang and escape, I'll hold back the destructive storm..."
The Fisher's lantern contained Ba Wang's residual soul and a sliver of hope. There was no other choice; he had to cover their retreat.
Otherwise, they would all be consumed by the destructive storm, and not a single one would survive.
The Fisher gritted his teeth under his bamboo hat: "Tianzi, that traitor..."
"Amitabha."
Mengheshang clasped his hands together again.
Behind him, with a 'boom', a colossal Dharma image that reached to the heavens appeared.
Twelve arms spread wide, seated cross-legged, immovable as a mountain.
"Acalanatha."
Mengheshang closed his eyes and chanted ancient scriptures.
In the Immortal Realm, there had once been Buddhism, and he, Mengheshang, was the last of its followers.
The grand chanting echoed across the sky above Liang Mountain.
Tears welled up in the Fisher's eyes: "Brother, walk well..."
There was no reply.
Without looking back, the Fisher broke into a run.
"Boom."
The destructive storm collided with Acalanatha.
Crack.
With the very first impact, Acalanatha showed cracks.
But it held firm, buying the Fisher a chance to escape.
Only then did the Fisher force himself to look back... and saw the scene of Acalanatha being devoured.
"Go."
At this moment, the Fisher ran with all his might.
He had to escape.
Tianzi had betrayed them, and others might have also met their end.
...
Meanwhile, in the Central Continent.
This was once Emperor Huang's territory, yet two figures were fleeing desperately.
Behind them, an endless host of pursuers.
The leading figure was none other than a first-tier Emperor.
"You run."
Yan Wushuang stopped and transmitted to Ninth Sword Cultivator.
"Don't stop, run," Ninth Sword Cultivator pulled Yan Wushuang and fled madly.
Yan Wushuang was someone he had brought in.
After the battle in the Mad Realm, Yan Wushuang had broken through his inner demons, and Ninth Sword Cultivator had then recruited him into the organization fighting against the Green Emperor.
And now, he had led him to the brink of death.
"Where can we escape to?"
Yan Wushuang gave a bitter smile: "It's a pity I can't participate in the fight against the Green Emperor anymore. What a regret, Brother Ninth, you go. I'll buy you a moment. If you don't stop me, neither of us will escape."
Tears of blood streamed from Ninth Sword Cultivator's eyes, but he remained silent, dragging Yan Wushuang along.
This time, Ninth Sword Cultivator and his companions had been gathered.
Dozens of talented prodigies, all ambushed and killed.
In the end, only he and Yan Wushuang had escaped, and now, Yan Wushuang was sacrificing himself.
"There's nowhere to run."
Yan Wushuang sighed: "Our strongholds have been discovered. There is no place for us in the Eastern and Central Continents."
"No, there is still one place."
Ninth Sword Cultivator's voice was firm: "Sword City. As long as we can escape to Sword City, there is a glimmer of hope."
Yan Wushuang froze for a moment.
He thought of that excessively young young man.
That youth with no fear in his eyes, only his own defiance.
His arrogance was unparalleled in the world.
What was a Heavenly Emperor to him? He held no place in his eyes.
Thinking of this, Yan Wushuang smiled: "Yes, there is still Sword City. That fellow, he surely wouldn't care about a Heavenly Emperor."
"So..."
Chik.
His gaze pierced the heavens.
A powerful force instantly broke free from Ninth Sword Cultivator's grasp.
Then, this force landed on Ninth Sword Cultivator, pushing his body rapidly away: "Tell that fellow for me, I, I am not convinced by him."
"Hahaha."
With that, he laughed and faced the approaching enemies.
"I, Yan Wushuang, am unparalleled in the world. Emperor, come and fight." At this moment, Yan Wushuang was utterly dominant.
His gaze split the heavens and shot directly at the pursuing first-tier Emperor.
As long as he could stop this person, no one else could defeat Ninth Sword Cultivator.
Boom.
His gaze boomed, shattering the void.
The approaching Emperor's figure instantly halted, forced to intercept this gaze.
It was powerful.
"Break."
The Emperor's punch shattered the gaze.
The next moment, figures emerged from Yan Wushuang's eyes.
Each one was a prodigy who had once walked the lands of the Immortal Realm.
When Mengheshang emerged from them...
"You died too?"
Seeing Mengheshang, Yan Wushuang hadn't expected it. A smile appeared on his face instead.
This fellow had someone to accompany him now.
Mengheshang was already dead, but he had been summoned back by Yan Wushuang's gaze.
When he understood what had happened, he sighed softly: "Brother Wushuang, you shouldn't have stayed to cover the retreat. Your divine pupils have too much potential."
The fact that he could summon those who had just died showed immense potential.
The only pity was that at this moment, Yan Wushuang could only summon Half-Emperors at most, as his own cultivation was that of a Half-Emperor.
Mengheshang said again: "One day, when you achieve the rank of Emperor, perhaps... you will be able to summon fallen Emperors to your service."
"I know."
Yan Wushuang smiled: "But I also know that I will absolutely never be able to advance to the Emperor realm."
Mengheshang opened and closed his mouth a few times, finally saying nothing.
Indeed, if he could see it, could those Heavenly Emperors not see it?
Back then, Yan Wushuang had offended a Heavenly Emperor, and his cultivation path was severed, preventing him from ever reaching the Emperor realm.
It seemed now, this was all due to his divine pupils.
"I understand."
Mengheshang nodded, then said: "If that's the case, let's fight one last battle."
"Kill."
No further words were needed; it was time to kill.
Several prodigies summoned by Yan Wushuang all attacked, their target... the Emperor.
They intended to fight this Emperor.
"Rumble."
The space was immediately shattered.
What if he was an Emperor?
His opponents were all prodigies capable of challenging an Emperor, and under their fearless assault, his physical body was continuously collapsing.
"Get away."
The Emperor roared in anger and blasted one of the prodigies to death with a punch.
"Into Dream."
Mengheshang attempted to forcibly drag an Emperor into his dreamscape.
However, his body disintegrated.
But his action caused the Emperor realm expert to falter for a moment.
And that moment was enough.
"Kill."
Yan Wushuang and the others unleashed their combined attack.
The Emperor's physical body was strong, but under the momentary lapse in his senses, the instinctive defensive mechanisms were unable to withstand the combined assault of these prodigies.
"Boom."
The Emperor's physical body was directly blown apart.
"Ah..."
The Emperor's soul appeared.
"Kill again."
Full power unleashed.
Amidst the 'rumbling' explosions, the soul... annihilated.
A first-tier Emperor was slain by their combined might.