The First Imperial Envoy!?
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed.
Especially the Third and Fourth Imperial Envoys, whose faces lit up with joy as they looked toward the rear.
The starry sky twisted, and without a sound, a handsome figure with flowing, brilliant golden hair appeared. He looked to be in his early twenties, with an upright posture. He wasn't particularly tall, but his physique was of perfect golden proportions. Clad in a moon-white robe that shimmered with flowing radiance, he appeared exceptionally sacred.
His arrival brought little oppressive aura, yet it caused everyone across the entire universe to shudder.
For he was the First Imperial Envoy, the undisputed leader of the Nine Great Emperor Envoys.
He was also a peerless Monarch!
Compared to Cang Xiong's aged and declining state, the First Imperial Envoy was undoubtedly younger. Even without releasing his corresponding blood energy, anyone could sense the terrifying, heaven-submerging, star-drowning, universe-suppressing blood energy contained within his body. Who could compare?
Even Ye Chen, currently undergoing his tribulation, was likely a step inferior when compared to him.
"First Imperial Envoy, sir!"
Hearing this, the several Star Sky Overlords and the thirty-six Ancient Monarchs of the Soul-Restraining Hall all revealed expressions of delight.
The First Imperial Envoy was the veritable leader of the Nine Great Emperor Envoys, an existence at the Monarch level, with one foot already in the Emperor's domain. His strength was supreme and invincible.
"Big Brother!"
The Third and Fourth Imperial Envoys looked upon the First Imperial Envoy with reverence and awe. Though they were all among the Nine Great Emperor Envoys, the other eight, even the Second Imperial Envoy if he were still alive, would indisputably need to revere the First Imperial Envoy.
The First Imperial Envoy's power was undisputed. His might was such that even if the other eight Imperial Envoys combined their strength, they would not be his match.
It was widely rumored that the First Imperial Envoy had great hope of attaining the Emperor Dao. When he achieved Monarch status, his lifespan was still quite ample, even in the rising phase of his human prime, far from half an epoch old. He had sufficient time to assault the Emperor's domain.
However, the Heaven Soul Great Emperor suddenly died, and the Nine Great Emperor Envoys successively entered slumber and sealing, including the First Imperial Envoy.
That was an unresolved mystery from that era. Ultimately, the First Imperial Envoy's lifespan far exceeded the other eight; he shouldn't have been sealed in slumber like this but should have been accumulating strength, awaiting his chance to attain the Emperor Dao.
"The First Imperial Envoy has actually come too."
Unsurprisingly, the expressions of the Ultimate Ancient Path faction's experts were extremely grim. The First Imperial Envoy was not only a Monarch but a Monarch in the prime of his human life. In comparison, Cang Xiong was merely a Monarch in the twilight of his years. Even though both were Monarchs, there was still a considerable gap between them.
Once battle commenced, the situation would be extremely unfavorable for Cang Xiong!
Even Ye Chen, undergoing his tribulation, sensed an extremely terrifying pressure spreading from the First Imperial Envoy, making him feel suffocated.
This was a true Monarch. Without relying on the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body, even someone as powerful as him would find it difficult to truly fight one.
Of course, after completing the tribulation and achieving a Monarch-level physique, he would have the power to fight.
The First Imperial Envoy gave a faint nod to the two Imperial Envoys. His golden hair flowed loosely, casual and natural, noble as a knight. Then he looked at Cang Xiong, his blue eyes like an ocean, and said, "I know of you, Cang Xiong. Monarch of the Ultimate Ancient Path, also one of the invincible overlords of the Ultimate Ancient Path from the previous epoch. Very powerful. But unfortunately, you are old now."
Such an evaluation of Cang Xiong, while seemingly high, carried a tone of contempt.
So what if they were both Monarchs? In the end, he was old. An aged warrior, how could he stand in battle?
The experts of the Ultimate Ancient Path were furious but dared not speak, also feeling a sense of sorrow.
Cang Xiong was indeed old. How could he fight against the First Imperial Envoy, who was in the rising phase of his human prime?
"Senior, please leave. Rest assured, they cannot kill me."
Ye Chen coughed up blood during his tribulation but still urged Cang Xiong to depart, truly unwilling to see this respectable and admirable elder come to harm because of him.
Moreover, though the First Imperial Envoy was powerful, so what? Over the years, he had encountered enemies ten or a hundred times stronger than the First Imperial Envoy—such as Great Emperors, even Eternal Giants. Each time, hadn't he turned misfortune into blessing and successfully avoided calamity?
This time, he also felt certain he could pass through this tribulation.
A mere First Imperial Envoy couldn't do anything to him.
Cang Xiong, however, did not leave. Calmly, he said, "It's fine. Even if he wants to kill me, it won't be that easy."
"Very well. Since you insist on intervening, this sovereign has no choice but to act. You are, after all, a Monarch. Your origin imprint is still somewhat useful to this sovereign." The First Imperial Envoy spoke. As he took a step forward, billions of strands of dazzling golden light flowed from his body, spreading around him and enveloping his hair, which lifted without wind.
From him erupted a monarchial heavenly might far surpassing that of the Third Imperial Envoy, accompanied by threads of supreme imperial might contained within, forming the unique aura of a Monarch.
It possessed both monarchial heavenly might and supreme imperial might, fused into one—this was the might of a Monarch!
As the golden light appeared, a longsword materialized in the First Imperial Envoy's slender, pale hand. It was a straight, long cruciform knight's sword. The entire man resembled a noble knight.
"A knight's sword!?"
Seeing the First Imperial Envoy's equipment, many were surprised.
Among the myriad races of the starry sky, and even across the various Chaos Ancient Universes, there naturally existed cultivators of the knight class, with Dragon Knights being the most revered and powerful. Generally, however, they needed to be paired with a mount to unleash their strongest combat power.
But currently, the First Imperial Envoy was clearly not like that. He only had a knight's longsword, and even that casually, without donning true armor.
Evidently, even facing Cang Xiong, this old Monarch, the First Imperial Envoy was quite casual, not treating him as a life-and-death enemy at all.
This state of contempt made the many experts of the Ultimate Ancient Path both furious and relieved. Perhaps only this way could Cang Xiong survive to the greatest extent possible.
"Heh, looking down on me like that, are you?"
Cang Xiong chuckled indifferently, as calm and natural as ever.
The First Imperial Envoy said flatly, "In your current state, the fact that this sovereign is willing to wield his Monarch's sword is already out of respect for you as a fellow Monarch."
"Is that so? But I hope you won't regret underestimating me like this." Cang Xiong smiled. Though he seemed on the verge of collapse, his withered figure appearing shaky and unsteady, at this moment he slowly stood up. Faintly, Ye Chen, undergoing his tribulation, felt a shock and a strange sense of resonance with Cang Xiong.
Ye Chen thought with inner surprise, "Could it be that Senior Cang Xiong is also..."
Whoosh—
Suddenly, the First Imperial Envoy made his move. Swinging the knight's sword, a simple, unadorned slash produced a sword radiance that spanned the starry sky across countless star domains, vast and immense, as if intending to cleave the entire great universe in half!
That kind of power was simply not something ordinary Ancient Monarchs could withstand; even Star Sky Overlords were the same. Perhaps even being grazed by a corner of it would be enough to sweep them in and grind them into bloody mist.