Even the Three Brush Emperor Venerable, who saw no enemies besides the Heavenly Emperor, found himself challenged by this mere Half-Emperor.
"Ink drops shake the heavens."
The Three Brush Emperor Venerable finally unleashed his killing blow. He intended to pen this so-called undying Half-Emperor to death.
*Boom.*
Dao marks cleaved the firmament. The brush descended like a blade.
"Good, hahaha, good..."
The Overlord roared with laughter. Within the Life and Death Realm, the physical body's great star trembled furiously. Waves of immense power surged from the walls of the Emperor Palace. Lu Feng of the great star's eyes snapped open, a trace of helplessness appearing in his gaze. "Damn it..."
He had anticipated that the Overlord would not remain idle after leaving. But how long had it been? Power was being drained relentlessly, until the great star was almost completely hollowed out.
*Boom.*
A violent roar echoed, even reaching into the Life and Death Realm. Beings within various great stars opened their eyes, their gazes piercing the Emperor Palace's walls to look outside the city. They witnessed a blood-red dragon, under the strokes of the brush's Dao marks, collapsing inch by inch. The Overlord's physical body was also disintegrating. However, the Dao marks that could kill a third-tier Emperor Venerable were something the Overlord could not withstand.
"Hmph."
A cold snort reverberated through heaven and earth. The Overlord was dead. The Three Brush Emperor Venerable withdrew his gaze, but his brush Dao rules reached out to gather the Overlord's dissipating essence. He greatly desired the Physical Body Dao. Many others, watching from afar, also coveted it.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, the Three Brush Emperor Venerable let out a surprised sound. Something was wrong. It felt… off. The Physical Body Dao was resisting.
"Not dead yet?"
There could only be one explanation for such a phenomenon. The Physical Body Dao, once brought out of the Emperor Palace by the Overlord, would dissipate unless personally summoned by Chen Fan. Therefore... the Overlord was not dead.
*Chirp.*
The Three Brush Emperor Venerable's eyes glowed with golden light. The light spread, observing the resisting rules. A drop of blood pulsed, its vitality boundless.
"Hahaha."
The Overlord laughed heartily, reborn. No, it wasn't rebirth; he had never truly died. The limit of his physical body meant he was immortal. As the Overlord returned, a fierce gale swept through the scene.
*Boom.*
Dark clouds gathered above his head. A bolt of lightning struck his crown. The lightning spread throughout his body.
"Three Brush," the Overlord roared with laughter, "That was just the first stroke. Come... let me see the second!" His aura was brewing, rising, and constantly growing stronger. He was merely a step away from the Emperor Venerable realm.
...
In Sword City.
Chen Fan glanced at the Overlord's battle and smiled. "Good. The Overlord is indeed a genius, perfectly suited for the Physical Body Dao. In his hands, it has been developed to its absolute limit."
He withdrew his gaze and looked towards the direction of Zhongzhou. Sword City divided the Eastern and Central Continents.
*Whoosh.*
With a single step, the world spun. Simultaneously, the Life and Death Emperor Palace vanished from Sword City. No one knew where he had gone. His departure went unnoticed.
Moments later, Chen Fan reappeared in a distant mountain range, accompanied by Old Demon Chu and the Mad Emperor.
"Have you attained Emperor status?" he asked Old Demon Chu.
The Mad Emperor grinned. "I have not failed in my mission."
Old Demon Chu felt a pang of envy. This was the benefit of residing in City Lord Rong's Emperor Palace. Unfortunately, the City Lord had instructed him to forge his own path.
"Where to?" the Mad Emperor inquired.
"Hm?" Chen Fan chuckled. "Didn't I say we were going to Zhongzhou?"
The Mad Emperor shook his head. "No, Zhongzhou is not your destination. Tell me, Xizhou or Nanzhou?"
Xizhou was controlled by the White Emperor. Nanzhou was controlled by the Crimson Emperor.
Chen Fan smiled. "Xizhou." While others believed he was heading to Zhongzhou, Chen Fan's true target was Xizhou. The White Emperor. Among the Five Heavenly Emperors, all but the Black Emperor were manifestations of the Dark Realm's origin. Killing any of them was the same. The strongest, Zhongzhou, would be left for last. The White Emperor was a fourth-tier Heavenly Emperor.
"Let's go."
The power of instantaneous movement activated. This time, he brought the Emperor Palace with him, but deliberately left the Overlord's Physical Body Dao behind, bestowing it upon him. With all his resources, and without any elaborate plans, he charged recklessly towards Xizhou.
...
The Overlord's battle was his own. Chen Fan, however, had his own matters to attend to. Three months had almost passed. He could no longer concern himself with the Azure Emperor's affairs for the moment; battling another Heavenly Emperor had been his plan for a long time. The Azure Emperor commanded Metal and possessed the most lethal offensive.
Compared to Zhongzhou and Dongzhou, Xizhou was permeated by the pervasive aura of Geng Metal the moment one entered its territory. This omnipresent Geng Metal aura was perfectly suited for cultivators of the Metal attribute. Upon entering Xizhou, Chen Fan seemed to see a sword. It was a sword of Dao, visible only to Emperor Venerables, suspended above Xizhou. The distant White Emperor Mountain resembled a divine sword piercing the heavens.
"Impressive," the Mad Emperor exclaimed. "As expected of the Heavenly Emperor with the most formidable offense, the entire Xizhou has been refined into White Emperor's domain. Fighting here will increase White Emperor's combat power by thirty percent." The Mad Emperor's words seemed intended to warn Chen Fan. With his insight, he immediately recognized the unusual nature of the place.
"It's alright," Chen Fan replied calmly, standing before a large city. "Since we've come, there's no reason to retreat." The Mad Emperor pondered for a moment and said nothing. Who was the weakest of the Five Heavenly Emperors? It certainly wasn't the White Emperor, who had the strongest offense.
At this moment, Old Demon Chu asked, "Are there any powerhouses in the city ahead?"
"There is an Emperor Venerable," he sensed the sword intent of Chongxiao. The city ahead was a vital stronghold, guarded by an Emperor Venerable. It seemed this city held significant importance for the White Emperor. Chen Fan then asked, "Shall we try our luck?"
"Yes," Old Demon Chu replied gravely. "As a demon, I gain the most from combat. My understanding deepens through battle."
"Then go. I can guarantee your safety here," Chen Fan stated. As a third-tier Emperor Venerable, he was qualified to make such a promise. However, Old Demon Chu refused. "You two continue forward. Leave this to me. I will either advance to Emperor Venerable through combat or perish here." He had made the same choice as the Overlord. This was the decision of a belligerent soul.
Chen Fan frowned. "Why must it be like this?" He did not wish to see those around him die. Old Demon Chu was someone he had brought up from the lower realms and a subordinate he truly trusted. He did not want Old Demon Chu to meet his end here, especially since he was an Emperor Venerable.
As if sensing the City Lord's thoughts, Old Demon Chu said solemnly, "City Lord, I have my own Dao, my own path to tread. I hope the City Lord will grant me this."
Chen Fan hesitated.
"City Lord," the Mad Emperor suddenly spoke, "Let him stay. The path of the strong is never smooth. Rather than living a life of mediocrity, it is better to take a gamble." The Mad Emperor understood Old Demon Chu's intentions. Chen Fan also understood, but he did not desire this outcome. "I can escort you safely into the Emperor realm, why risk your life?" But Old Demon Chu's words left him with no reason to refuse.
Finally, he could only sigh. "I will await you at White Emperor Mountain."
"Mm," Old Demon Chu nodded solemnly.