"Hehehe! Demon Emperor Blood River! You simply... cannot erase this Emperor... Hahaha!"
Having been reborn from the flames of desire, the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor remained as sinister and ghostly as before, his tone still wildly arrogant. However, the dark flames upon his body were no longer strong, his aura was exceptionally weak, and a deep sense of dread seemed to flicker in his eyes.
Warrior Emperor Wuzang cautiously guarded the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's side, his gaze fixed dead on Demon Emperor Blood River standing in the distant void. He cupped his fists and bowed once more, saying, "She meant no offense. I hope Demon Emperor Blood River will be magnanimous and spare her."
Opposite them.
Demon Emperor Blood River's stern face remained expressionless. He seemed in no hurry to erase the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, replying with indifference, "She will not live."
Demon Emperor Blood River's words were undoubtedly a direct death sentence for the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, leaving Warrior Emperor Wuzang in a dilemma.
To be honest.
If Demon Emperor Blood River insisted on erasing the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor today, Warrior Emperor Wuzang wasn't overly worried.
Although he and the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor were Dual Polarity Yin-Yang, sharing life and death, where damage to one harmed the other, and if the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor died here today, he would also suffer some impact...
However, this was merely one of the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's Incarnations. Even if it were truly erased by Demon Emperor Blood River, the impact on him wouldn't be too great.
What truly worried him was that Demon Emperor Blood River's goal might not be as simple as just erasing this Incarnation of the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor.
He tried to think.
If Demon Emperor Blood River's aim wasn't merely to erase this Incarnation of the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, then what was his purpose?
Could it really be to force out the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's true body?
In Warrior Emperor Wuzang's mind, this was simply impossible.
After all, this was just one of the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's many Incarnations. Losing one Incarnation meant little to the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor; he wouldn't care. Even if losing an Incarnation caused some damage to his true body, it would only be that—some damage.
The Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's true body would absolutely not appear for the sake of a mere Incarnation.
Never mind that the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor didn't care about this Incarnation; even if he did care and wanted to preserve it, he still couldn't appear.
The reason was simple.
He knew the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's true body was not in the Kan Palace, nor even within the Primordial Nine Palaces at all.
With Demon Emperor Blood River's abilities, it was impossible he didn't know this.
Since he knew he couldn't use one Incarnation to force out the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's true body, then what was his real purpose?
Could it be to force out the elders of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven?
Warrior Emperor Wuzang had also heard of the enmity between Demon Emperor Blood River and Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven. If the goal was to force out the elders of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven, that wasn't impossible.
If that were truly the case, what did Demon Emperor Blood River mean by this?
Did he dare challenge the elders of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven with just one Incarnation?
Did he have that capability?
Warrior Emperor Wuzang acknowledged that Demon Emperor Blood River's existence was powerful, but to think he dared challenge the elders of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven with just one Incarnation? In his mind, that was simply seeking death.
Never mind just one Incarnation; even Demon Emperor Blood River's true body was absolutely no match for those elders of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven.
If Demon Emperor Blood River were truly that powerful, given his enmity with Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven, the grotto-heaven would likely have been annihilated by him long ago. How could it have become the foremost of the thirty-six grotto-heavens?
Wasn't the Great Sun Radiance Emperor powerful?
He was hailed as the Overlord of the Immortal Path, with countless experts under his command.
Everyone knew the Great Sun Radiance Emperor had always wanted to become the Lord of the Immortal Path.
But so what?
Facing Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven, even someone as powerful as the Great Sun Radiance Emperor dared not act recklessly.
As long as the elders of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven did not give their nod for a single day, the Great Sun Radiance Emperor could only remain the Overlord of the Immortal Path, never able to dominate the Xuantian Immortal Path.
Gazing at Demon Emperor Blood River standing in the void opposite him, Warrior Emperor Wuzang felt deeply hesitant.
Hesitant about whether to take action.
Having witnessed Demon Emperor Blood River's strength firsthand, Warrior Emperor Wuzang was particularly wary of him and lacked confidence.
Just as he hesitated, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. This feeling didn't come from himself, but from the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor beside him.
He and the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor were connected heart and mind. In that instant just now, he clearly felt the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's Incarnation undergo a bizarre change, as if being burned by raging flames—its mind beginning to twist, its consciousness starting to blur.
"Ah!"
Instantly!
The Heavenly Dragon True Emperor clutched his head with both hands, letting out a heart-rending, earth-shattering scream.
What happened?
Warrior Emperor Wuzang had no idea.
"You!" The Heavenly Dragon True Emperor was in unbearable agony, his entire body trembling violently, his face twisted into a hideous mask, mouth crooked, nose askew, eyes bulging as if about to pop out. He pointed at Demon Emperor Blood River opposite him and roared, "You! What... what have you done to me! Ah—!"
Demon Emperor Blood River did not respond, merely standing in the void, watching expressionlessly.
"Xuehe! What have you done to her!" Warrior Emperor Wuzang also shouted a stern demand.
"Heh!"
Suddenly.
A laugh rang out. It wasn't from Demon Emperor Blood River, but from Miao Rulai, seated cross-legged on the palm of the Sacred Great Buddha. He spoke, "Truly ignorant and foolish youngsters. Just now, this seat told you that if Xuehe wished, with his strength, killing you would be as easy as turning over his hand. Yet he deliberately spared you until now."
"Do you truly believe Xuehe dares not kill you? No! Erasing your Incarnations holds no meaning for him. However..." Changing his tone, Miao Rulai continued with a laugh, "Refining your spiritual awareness, probing all your Incarnations, hunting down your true bodies, and uncovering the secrets hidden behind you—that holds great meaning for Xuehe."
"When Demon Emperor Blood River does not act, all is well. Once he acts, rivers of blood will surely flow. He intends not only to erase this Incarnation of yours, but all your Incarnations, and even your true bodies. This is Demon Emperor Blood River. Either he does not kill, or he kills thoroughly, leaving you no chance of survival."
"Xuehe, is this seat correct?"
As Miao Rulai's words echoed, Demon Emperor Blood River paid him no heed.
"Ah!"
The Heavenly Dragon True Emperor kept letting out heart-rending screams, his mind twisting more and more, his consciousness blurring further, the pain intensifying. Warrior Emperor Wuzang wanted to stop it but had no way to intervene. The flames burning the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor were formless and intangible, like a kind of spiritual fire, leaving him unsure how to suppress it.
He could only try using his own spiritual awareness. But the moment it touched the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, his spiritual awareness was instantly ignited by this bizarre fire!
Although Warrior Emperor Wuzang withdrew his spiritual awareness immediately, it was too late. The bizarre fire had already begun burning his mind and consciousness.
"I originally thought those old fellows of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven had nurtured a heaven-defying genius. Now it seems this seat overestimated them. You are far more foolish than I imagined. This fire is called Aberrant Fire, one of the Ancestral Fires renowned alongside Netherfire. Even this seat is wary of it, yet you, not knowing life from death, actively seek your own demise. Truly the height of foolishness."