The person before them was none other than Ouyang Yu, who had taken one-fifth of Moon Hall's experts and left.
He stood blocking Chen'er's path with those experts, a seemingly gentle smile on his face that carried undertones of mockery, indifference, and schadenfreude. He chuckled, "Hall Master Chen'er, I wonder where you intend to take these young masters and mistresses? Could you enlighten me?"
"Ouyang Yu, get out of the way!" Chen'er urgently tried to act. If they didn't hurry, they would be caught up by the other Ancient Path Overlord experts, making escape even more difficult.
Ouyang Yu struck, clashing with Chen'er. The power of a Half-Step Quasi-Monarch was displayed, forcing Chen'er to retreat without success.
"Ouyang Yu, you—" Chen'er glared at him furiously. Blocking their path at this moment was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.
Ouyang Yu gazed at Chen'er with fervor, his eyes reminiscent of how he once looked upon the Goddess. He had designs on all three of these peerlessly beautiful Moon Hall mistresses. "Hall Master Chen'er, you, Hall Master Jingruo, and Hall Master Yi Wu are all women I, Ouyang Yu, admire. If you are willing to hand the three of you over to the three Ancient Path Overlords, I, Ouyang Yu, can swear a Heavenly Dao oath that you will be safe and sound. You only need to stay by my side."
"Don't even think about it!" Though Chen'er had always been as innocent as a maiden, she was not utterly naive. Her exquisite face was now filled with rage. On the Twelve-grade Lotus Throne, Qian Xun, Yaya, and Little Chenxi all glared at Ouyang Yu with blazing anger.
This despicable traitor! Not only had he taken many of Moon Hall's experts and left at a critical moment, but now he was blocking their escape and even dared to covet Chen'er. It was simply intolerable.
Seeing the fury on their faces, Ouyang Yu revealed a trace of disdain, then unleashed the peak power of a Half-Step Quasi-Monarch, sweeping his attack toward them.
Though Chen'er was not like the Goddess—a Quasi-Monarch level Ancient Path Overlord—she was no weakling either. At this moment, she also displayed astonishing methods. Waves of precious lotus light swept across the sky, transforming into a vast azure lotus ocean that collided with Ouyang Yu's attack.
Brilliant multicolored light exploded everywhere as both sides' attacks canceled each other out.
However, Ouyang Yu was not surprised. He naturally knew that none of the three Moon Hall mistresses were simple characters.
A fan appeared in his hand, painted with the sun, moon, stars, and an endless starry sky.
With a flick of the paper fan, a rustling sound echoed as the endless starry sky flew out, projecting itself between heaven and earth. Countless stars floated and rotated, shining brilliantly with boundless starlight.
The starry sky transformed, seeking to trap Chen'er and the others.
"Scram!" Qian Xun roared, unleashing the Battle Saint Method. Accompanied by surging golden Saint Body blood energy, he struck that starry sky, shattering numerous stars and causing it to disintegrate.
Ouyang Yu was startled. Though he knew of Qian Xun's might, this was their first direct confrontation. He hadn't expected him to be so powerful, capable of tearing through his starry sky descent with bare hands.
But he too was extraordinary. At this moment, his aura erupted fully—he had truly stepped into the Quasi-Monarch realm, becoming an early-stage Quasi-Monarch superpower.
Sensing this flawless Quasi-Monarch aura, Qian Xun and the others immediately paled.
If Ouyang Yu were merely a Half-Step Quasi-Monarch, they would still have confidence to break through the blockade and escape. But now that Ouyang Yu had become a Quasi-Monarch, even if only at the early stage, even if they could jointly resist him, they wouldn't be able to get away in a short time.
"Ouyang Yu, you are truly despicable, hiding your true strength. Not only did you not help our Moon Hall, but you stabbed us in the back," Yaya said, her delicate fists clenched tightly. Such Quasi-Monarch combat power, if used to aid Moon Hall, would have been a tremendous help, at least greatly reducing the pressure on the Goddess.
Though the hope of turning the tide was slim, it would have been infinitely better than this betrayal from behind.
"Hahaha, the victor is king, the loser a bandit! Since the three Hall Masters—the Goddess, Yi Wu, and Chen'er—refused to become my Dao companions, they are doomed to destruction. Don't blame others!" Ouyang Yu laughed heartily. The starry sky that had flown from his paper fan grew even more vast and majestic, rumbling forth with terrifying stellar might.
Faintly, it even carried a hint of monarchial heavenly might—it had clearly integrated monarchial rule power within it. Though not much, it was far beyond what any Divine King could withstand.
"Ah—" Qian Xun, Chen'er, and Yaya attacked with all their might, desperately trying to hold it back.
Little Chenxi and the Golden Little Divine Dragon also acted, unleashing considerable Divine King might.
The Golden Little Divine Dragon, it turned out, possessed power comparable to a peak Divine King.
Four peak Divine Kings resisted the descent of that vast starry sky with all their strength.
Among them, Yaya projected a world illusion, no weaker than a real great world, blocking the starry sky's descent—this was the astonishing ability of the World Tree.
"Just stay here," Ouyang Yu said coldly, his Quasi-Monarch might suddenly increasing.
"Beast!" Qian Xun cursed loudly, his peak Divine King aura erupting. Moreover, there were faint signs of him reaching the Half-Step Quasi-Monarch level. Golden blood energy flooded the heavens, submerging the firmament. Wielding his war weapon, he clashed head-on with the starry sky.
That starry sky could not truly descend.
Boom—
Ouyang Yu's expression darkened. An ancient cauldron appeared in his hand, releasing wisps of monarchial heavenly might—it was clearly a Quasi-Monarch War Weapon. He said coldly, "Though you are a Battle Saint, this lord wishes to see if your mere Divine King-level Battle Saint Body can withstand the attack of a Quasi-Monarch War Weapon."
The cauldron, a Quasi-Monarch War Weapon, blasted toward Qian Xun, carrying immense monarchial heavenly might.
An unparalleled pressure completely bore down. Strong as Qian Xun was—a Half-Step Quasi-Monarch on the verge of becoming a true Quasi-Monarch—facing the cauldron, a Quasi-Monarch War Weapon, he felt a terrifying pressure as heavy as a sea of stars, his entire body's muscles and bones on the verge of splitting.
As if about to explode.
"Xun'er, no—" Chen'er watched this scene, her apricot eyes wide with horror, her beautiful face deathly pale. Yaya and Little Chenxi also cried out in shock and worry.
Under the fully awakened attack of a Quasi-Monarch War Weapon, akin to a Quasi-Monarch striking personally, Qian Xun might not die, but he would undoubtedly suffer the most terrible injuries.
"Goddess, you'd better surrender quickly. Otherwise, your children will all die here today," the three Ancient Path Overlords sneered cruelly as they watched the Goddess's lovely face turn pale upon seeing Qian Xun about to be struck by the monarch cauldron.
Under those horrified gazes, Qian Xun let out a great roar, his Battle Saint blood erupting completely as he prepared to resist with every ounce of his strength.
But at this very moment, the golden blood energy that had surged through the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths suddenly stilled.
Looking up, he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appear before him without any warning. That face, once loathed yet also missed, looked at him with a gentle smile, as if gazing upon his own child: "Child, you've done very well. But if the sky falls, your old man will be standing in front, holding it up."