The light and shadow dissipated, revealing a figure.
It was a man.
A man of imposing stature, with an awe-inspiring aura and a solemn expression.
Everyone present recognized him. It was none other than Changfeng Great Emperor.
No one had expected Tian Kui of Purple Cloud Immortal Realm to suddenly make a move.
Even less had anyone expected Changfeng Great Emperor, hailing from Nine Heavens Immortal Palace, to step in and block the sword technique unleashed by Tian Kui.
"Chang! Feng! Great! Emperor!"
Tian Kui stared at Changfeng Great Emperor, his face a mixture of shock and fury, as he spoke through gritted teeth, "What is the meaning of this!"
Changfeng Great Emperor countered, "I should be asking you the same question!"
"My intention, of course, is to annihilate You Di!"
Tian Kui made no attempt to conceal his purpose, not even bothering with pretense, stating outright his desire to kill Gu Qingfeng.
"With just you?"
"That's right! With just me, Tian Kui!"
A trace of disdainful mockery curled at the corner of Changfeng Great Emperor's mouth. "If you wish to kill You Di, you must first get past me. Let's see if you have the capability!"
"You!"
Tian Kui was seething with rage, yet utterly helpless. Deep down, he was acutely aware that he was no match for Changfeng Great Emperor.
At that moment, Lieyin Patriarch stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute. "Changfeng Great Emperor, what is your intention here? You Di has committed countless atrocities, wreaking havoc upon heaven and earth. In the Primordial Age, he even set the Nine Heavens ablaze—a fact you, Great Emperor, should be well aware of. We of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao share an irreconcilable enmity with You Di! Now is the perfect opportunity to execute him. As an Immortal Dao Great Emperor, not only do you refrain from acting, but you openly shield him?"
"A true man of honor acts with integrity, standing tall between heaven and earth, his deeds open and aboveboard. If one wishes to kill You Di, do so openly and honorably. How can one stoop to taking advantage of another's plight, striking from the shadows? What kind of heroism is that? Is there no justice left to speak of?"
No sooner had his words fallen than Qingli Junwang of Loulan Blessed Land stepped forward to refute him. "What justice is there to discuss with a being like You Di? What principles could possibly apply?"
Immediately after, Kunwu Immortal King of Feather Transcendence Immortal Realm and others also stepped forward one after another to question Changfeng Great Emperor. Although each harbored their own private schemes, their goal was identical: to seize the moment while You Di was trapped within the Blood-Sucking Cauldron and eliminate him.
Changfeng Great Emperor's sudden intervention to protect You Di caught them completely off guard, filling them with both intense anger and urgent anxiety.
They all knew that opportunities were fleeting and might not come again. No one wanted to miss this chance to annihilate You Di.
Alas.
No matter how they accused or berated him, Changfeng Great Emperor's stance remained unequivocal: to kill You Di, they must first get past him.
With this, Changfeng Great Emperor had thoroughly incited the collective wrath of the assembly.
Qingli Junwang of Loulan Blessed Land, Kunwu Immortal King of Feather Transcendence Immortal Realm, Lieyin Patriarch and Yuyang Immortal King of Purple Cloud Immortal Realm, and others were burning with impatience. Yet, facing Changfeng Great Emperor, they were powerless, unsure of what course to take.
Even against a You Di who appeared on the verge of death, trapped within the Blood-Sucking Cauldron, they still harbored a measure of fear.
The prestige of Changfeng Great Emperor was in no way inferior to that of You Di. Moreover, during the Primordial Age, he had once suppressed You Di. Who could fathom how terrifying his strength might be after ten thousand years in the Modern Age?
What were they to do?
Engage Changfeng Great Emperor in combat?
Who had the confidence?
No one did.
Even if they joined forces, they might not be able to suppress a Changfeng Great Emperor at the peak of his power.
Opposite them.
Changfeng Great Emperor stood with his hands clasped behind his back, paying them no heed. His gaze was fixed upon Gu Qingfeng, ensnared within the Blood-Sucking Cauldron.
His emotional intelligence might not be high, but that did not mean his intellect was lacking.
He understood perfectly well the schemes brewing in the minds of these Ancestral Patriarchs.
As for rescuing Gu Qingfeng from within the Blood-Sucking Cauldron, he might lack the certainty. For now, the only thing he could do was prevent others from taking this opportunity to strike Gu Qingfeng from the shadows.
To be frank.
He held none of these Ancestral Patriarchs—be it from Loulan Blessed Land, Purple Cloud Immortal Realm, Feather Transcendence Immortal Realm, or figures like Qingli Junwang, Kunwu Immortal King, or Yuyang Immortal King—in any regard. What truly concerned him were Mantufan and the demoness. However, his greatest worry remained the dozens of Divine Senses that had previously enveloped Gu Qingfeng.
These Divine Senses had all mysteriously vanished the moment Gu Qingfeng made contact with the Blood-Sucking Cauldron. Now, with Gu Qingfeng trapped within it, they had reappeared.
Who exactly were the owners of these Divine Senses, and what were their intentions?
Changfeng Great Emperor did not know. He only knew they came with ill will and possessed an existence so powerful it surpassed imagination.
Not far away.
Qianye Immortal King watched Changfeng Great Emperor, her beautiful face etched with worry, her eyes filled with helplessness.
The two were Immortal-Fated Dao Companions.
They had lived together for a very, very long time.
In this world, no one understood Changfeng Great Emperor's character better than she did.
Changfeng Great Emperor was a man of immense stubbornness. Although he would listen to her opinions on minor daily matters, those were just trivialities.
On major issues, once Changfeng Great Emperor made up his mind, he would heed no one's counsel—not even hers.
Precisely because she had discerned that Changfeng Great Emperor was determined this time to step forward and aid You Di, she had neither stopped nor attempted to dissuade him when he made his move. She could only pray for his safety.
As Qianye Immortal King was offering her silent prayers, she suddenly sensed something amiss. Looking up, she was startled to see a mass of radiant light descending from the sky.
This radiance resembled a cloud of mist, yet more like a swift gust of wind.
It took the shape of a head, the semblance of a face.
The face was that of an old man.
With a single glance, Qianye Immortal King recognized it as a Divine Sense.
To be precise, it was a Divine Sense Incarnation!
And an Incarnation emanating an utterly terrifying, overwhelming might!
They had made their move!
Finally, they had acted!
Qianye Immortal King's deepest fear had materialized. Those dreadful Divine Senses that had previously enveloped You Di could no longer restrain themselves.
Her worry was not for the safety of Gu Qingfeng, trapped within the Blood-Sucking Cauldron.
It was for the safety of her Dao Companion, Changfeng Great Emperor.
Because she knew Changfeng Great Emperor would fight to the death for You Di, that friend who was also a rival.
Though she could not comprehend such behavior, that was simply the kind of man Changfeng Great Emperor was!
Sure enough.
The moment that Divine Sense Incarnation appeared, Changfeng Great Emperor's tiger-like eyes widened. In a flash, he teleported, materializing before the Blood-Sucking Cauldron.
"Young man, this matter does not concern you. Scram for this old one!"
The Divine Sense Incarnation suddenly extended a hand, shaped like a celestial hook, and without even looking, clawed directly toward Changfeng Great Emperor's head. Its speed was extreme, arriving in the blink of an eye.
Changfeng Great Emperor was no pushover either. In an instant, he raised his left arm in a fierce block and roared, "You Di is my friend. His affairs are the affairs of I, Gu Changfeng!"
Boom!
Crack!
The collision of two immense forces erupted in a deafening sound.
Knowing this Divine Sense Incarnation was no ordinary existence, Changfeng Great Emperor dared not take it lightly, exerting himself almost to the fullest. He had already imagined this Incarnation to be immensely powerful, but after that initial exchange, he realized its existence far surpassed even his estimations.
And yet.
This was merely a Divine Sense Incarnation.