"Ice... Emperor!"
Jiang Chen spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes flaring with a brilliant light as he fixed his gaze on the figure hovering in the air.
The Ice Emperor!
He was the strongest expert in the Eastern Continent, and its one and only Demigod!
He struck with thunderous force. Even with the protection of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle, Jiang Chen was still grievously injured.
RUMBLE!
Jiang Chen and the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle crashed violently into the ground, shattering the glacier below. Countless ice-blue shards flew toward the Celestial Vault, merging with the raging blizzard to become an even more terrifying snowstorm. The gale was filled with frozen shards, as sharp as blades, that slammed into the surrounding icebergs.
Those icebergs were pulverized by the impact.
"Pfft!"
Jiang Chen spat out another mouthful of fresh blood.
That last strike had already wounded him.
With a flash, he vanished into the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle.
The Black Emperor and Little White saw Jiang Chen immediately and rushed over, their faces fraught with anxiety. "Jiang Chen, are you okay?"
The Black Emperor took out a blood-red Dragon Ginseng.
This was a treasure the Black Emperor had pilfered from one of the Treasure Vaults while wandering the Celestial Secret Pavilion during Jiang Chen’s training. It was a Saint-grade Spiritual Medicine containing immense life force. He had never been willing to use it, but seeing Jiang Chen injured, he took it out without a second thought.
The Black Emperor winced, his heart aching at the loss. "Quick, eat it!"
"Right."
Jiang Chen nodded, sat down cross-legged, and swallowed the Dragon Ginseng.
Potent medicinal energy surged through him, nourishing his injured body.
Outside the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle.
The Ice Emperor hovered in the air, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Hahaha, Jiang Chen, you brat! I know you’re not so easily killed. If you don’t come out within three breaths, I’ll start slaughtering these friends of yours!"
"One!"
"Two!"
"It seems you really don’t care if they live or die!" the Ice Emperor sneered. A giant hand of energy materialized in the air, snatching Wei Lihuang and clutching his neck. The Emperor grinned savagely. "Jiang Chen, if you don’t come out, I’ll start with Wei Lihuang!"
"Jiang Chen... Don’t come out..."
Wei Lihuang’s voice was anguished. He roared, "Ice Emperor, you want to use me to threaten my brother Jiang Chen? You’re dreaming!"
BOOM!
A terrifying, bloody light suddenly erupted from Wei Lihuang’s body.
His entire body swelled to its absolute limit, his features twisting grotesquely as the powerful True Essence of the Early Stage of the Emperor Realm, combined with his domain and Martial Soul, was unleashed in an instant.
BOOM!
A dazzling sun blazed into existence between heaven and earth.
The terrifying Energy Storm blotted out the sky, eclipsing the sun and moon. Even the Celestial Vault itself was torn asunder, leaving a void fissure hundreds of kilometers long.
However...
The Ice Emperor was completely unharmed.
A potent Divine Power radiated from his body, preventing the Void Storms from even touching him. His face was a mask of cold indifference. "Idiot... I have already ascended to the Demigod Realm and forged a Divine Body. You are nothing but an ant who just stepped into the Emperor Realm, yet you thought you could harm me by self-destructing? What a fool’s dream."
The Ice Emperor’s icy gaze fell upon the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle. "Jiang Chen, Wei Lihuang is dead. If you don’t show yourself, I’ll continue the slaughter!"
Inside the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle.
Jiang Chen sensed Wei Lihuang’s aura vanish from the world. The shock sent his inner energy into turmoil, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. He nearly suffered a cultivation deviation.
Fortunately, he had already condensed a Sword Heart.
It allowed Jiang Chen to steady his mind at the critical moment. A bloody film washed over his golden pupils, and a suffocating pressure built in his chest as rage tore through him. "Ice Emperor," he snarled, "I, Jiang Chen, swear that we cannot both exist under the same sky."
He moved to rush out of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle but was forcefully held back by the Black Emperor.
All traces of the Black Emperor’s usual playful demeanor were gone. His expression was incredibly grave and serious as he said in a low voice, "Jiang Chen, don’t be impulsive. Going out there now won’t help anything."
Jiang Chen glared at the Black Emperor, his blood-red eyes blazing with boundless fury. "If I don’t go out, he’ll continue the slaughter! Gai Jinlong, Elder Asura, and Elder Celestial Secret will all fall to his demonic grasp! Are you telling me to just sit here and do nothing?"
"No!"
The Black Emperor shook his head. "Calm down and listen to me," he said gravely. "With your current strength, you have no chance of defeating the Ice Emperor. Your only hope is to gain complete control of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle. Only then might you have a sliver of a chance to survive."
As he spoke, the Black Emperor gently beat his wings, creating a soft, crackling sound. A golden light erupted from his body.
His purple-black body was completely enveloped in a brilliant golden glow.
The Black Emperor said gravely, "Jiang Chen, normally you’d need to reach the Emperor Realm to open the second Treasure Vault of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle. But we don’t have time. I have a drop of the Celestial Demon Emperor Venerable’s Essence Blood. With it, you can open the second Treasure Vault. Not only will you get the treasures inside, but you’ll also gain complete control of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle. It might be your only chance!"
At this moment...
The Black Emperor’s figure suddenly seemed to become immense and imposing.
His voice grew hoarse and ancient, laced with grim finality. "I can hold him off for one hour. Whether we succeed or fail... it’s all up to you!"
WHOOSH!
With a flash, the Black Emperor’s figure vanished from the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle.
Jiang Chen stared at the drop of the Celestial Demon Emperor Venerable’s Essence Blood in his palm. A sharp light gleamed in his eyes as he clenched his fists. "One hour..." he muttered. "Little Black, wait for me!"
He immediately turned and charged toward the second Treasure Vault.
Meanwhile...
Just as the Ice Emperor was about to attack Gai Jinlong, a golden figure suddenly shot out from the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle.
The figure was initially no larger than a palm, but as it rose into the sky, it grew continuously, expanding to a massive size.
One thousand feet!
Ten thousand feet!
One hundred thousand feet...
It was a colossal beast, one hundred thousand feet tall, terrifyingly powerful. The beat of its wings shook the very void, and a golden radiance enveloped it, making it look like an invincible Golden Armored Beast God!
"Hm? You’re Jiang Chen’s Battle Pet?" The Ice Emperor narrowed his eyes.
The aura emanating from the Black Emperor was now immensely powerful, having actually reached the Early Stage of the Emperor Realm!
The Ice Emperor sneered. "What? Is Jiang Chen too scared to come out himself? Did he send his little Battle Pet out to die in his place?"
"Junior, you think you’re worthy of killing me?"
The Black Emperor laughed coldly. With a flap of his wings, the massive Celestial Demon Ancient Castle flew toward him and merged with his body, transforming into a suit of black battle armor. "I am the great Purple-winged Heaven-devouring Bat, supreme in the Eight Desolates and Six Harmonies! Back when I roamed the Qiankun Continent, devouring True Dragons and boiling Divine Phoenixes for dinner, you weren’t even born yet! If you want to take Jiang Chen’s life, you’ll have to get through me first!"
"Hmph. Devouring True Dragons and boiling Divine Phoenixes? Quite the boast. Since Jiang Chen is too afraid to show his face, I’ll capture you first and see if that lures him out!"
The Ice Emperor snorted and struck out at the Black Emperor with his palm...