Chapter 436: Unexpected Turn, the Holy Heavenly Demon Emperor
"Put down Lord Wang Quan!"
Northern Beiming Continent, outside Zhuxian City.
Inside the spirit array, the tension reached its peak.
The severely injured Heavenly Demon Emperors Shihai, Shishan, and Wang Quan had begun to regenerate. Even though Xiao Tiance's strikes had been devastating, capable of obliterating their bodies, they were far from death.
At the Heavenly Sovereign level, death became extraordinarily difficult. As long as their core energy remained intact, even catastrophic injuries were recoverable.
Despite the fear in their eyes, the four remaining Heavenly Demon Emperors dared not approach Xiao Tiance to save Wang Quan, who remained in his clutches.
Xiao Tiance, gripping Wang Quan by the neck, grinned darkly.
"Put him down? Haha, are you joking? We're enemies who in their right mind would let their enemy go?" Xiao Tiance mocked, his tone icy.
He tightened his grip, ensuring Wang Quan could neither move nor recover. Without the Golden Emperor Flame continuously eroding the demonic energy, Wang Quan would regenerate within a minute, fully restored.
Although Xiao Tiance had temporarily enhanced his power to mid Saint grade Heavenly Sovereign through his sacred bloodline and the Three Mystical Transformations of Heavenly Fire, these techniques came with severe repercussions.
Even more troubling was his sacred bloodline, which differed from the typical Xiao Clan lineage. Unlike others who merely experienced temporary weakness after using their bloodline, Xiao Tiance's sacred bloodline consumed his essence irreversibly.
This was why, despite possessing an extraordinary talent, Xiao Tiance had refrained from using his bloodline to cultivate.
Now, facing this life and death struggle, Xiao Tiance had no choice but to draw on his sacred bloodline's power.
"Attack!"
Shihai and Shishan exchanged a glance before launching a coordinated assault on Xiao Tiance.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Their speed was blinding barely perceptible to the naked eye.
But Xiao Tiance's vast soul power tracked their every move.
With a slight shift, Xiao Tiance narrowly evaded their strikes, retaliating with devastating precision:
A punch to Wuming (Nameless), blasting him backward.
A brutal kick to Wutian (No Heaven), shattering his chest.
The speed of Xiao Tiance's counterattack stunned the Heavenly Demon Emperors.
Before Shihai and Shishan could regroup, Xiao Tiance wielded Wang Quan's battered body as a weapon, swinging it with ruthless force.
"Boom! Boom!"
Using Wang Quan's body, Xiao Tiance smashed Shihai and Shishan to the ground.
Suddenly, with a sickening tear, Shihai and Shishan pulled with all their might, ripping Wang Quan's body from Xiao Tiance's grasp.
"Ahhh!"
Wang Quan screamed in agony. His body was torn apart, leaving only his head and neck in Xiao Tiance's grip while the rest of his body fell into Shihai and Shishan's clutches.
"Bind him!"
Shishan roared, coordinating with Shihai to retreat with Wang Quan's remains.
At the same time, Wutian and Wuming launched a relentless assault on Xiao Tiance, attempting to trap him.
Though their strength couldn't match Xiao Tiance in direct combat, their combined efforts successfully stalled him.
While Xiao Tiance struggled with Wutian and Wuming, Shihai and Shishan's demonic energy surged, enveloping themselves and Wang Quan's broken body in a dense black mist.
Even Xiao Tiance's powerful soul energy couldn't penetrate the shroud.
"Damn it!"
Realizing their plan, Xiao Tiance unleashed his full strength:
Wutian and Wuming's bodies were obliterated, their limbs torn off with bone cracking force.
With a mighty leap, Xiao Tiance hurled himself at the black mist, channeling his full power into a single strike.
"Eight Imprints Combined!"
As he pushed his Eight Imprints to their peak, a rainbow colored palm strike formed in front of him, glowing with destructive energy.
"Boom!"
The strike shattered the air and space itself, barreling toward the black mist.
Suddenly, a massive black hand emerged from the mist, intercepting Xiao Tiance's attack.
"Clang!"
The rainbow palm strike shattered upon impact, leaving Xiao Tiance stunned.
The massive hand unscathed retreated into the mist, only for a deafening explosion to force the black mist to recede momentarily.
In that brief moment, Xiao Tiance caught a glimpse of the transformation inside the mist.
From within the shroud, a horrifying presence emerged.
Standing where Wang Quan, Shihai, and Shishan had been was now a single figure a Holy Heavenly Demon Emperor whose aura dwarfed anything Xiao Tiance had ever encountered.
"Impossible!"
Xiao Tiance's eyes widened in disbelief.
The figure before him exuded the aura of a Saint grade Heavenly Sovereign at its peak, far exceeding the combined power of the five Demon Emperors.
"You've forced our hand, Xiao Tiance," the towering figure said, its voice a chilling mix of Shihai, Shishan, and Wang Quan.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Xiao Tiance gritted his teeth, preparing for what could be the most desperate battle of his life.
Xiao Tiance was utterly stunned. The newly emerged Heavenly Demon Emperor exuded an aura entirely different from that of Shishan, Shihai, or even Wang Quan.
"What happened? Who is this person?" Xiao Tiance muttered, his disbelief evident.
If the five Heavenly Demon Emperors together had been manageable for him barely this new presence was something entirely beyond his league. Even with his enhanced strength, Xiao Tiance knew he was no match for this terrifying individual.
"Bang!"
His body slammed into the spiritual array's barrier, cracks splintering across the wall before mending themselves. Being the core of the array, Xiao Tiance's own vitality reinforced its integrity.
"Cough, cough!" Blood spilled from his lips, mixed with fragments of internal organs. Even the golden patterns across his face, fueled by his sacred bloodline, began to fade as his power ebbed away. His strength collapsed back to the early Heavenly Sovereign tier, leaving his body battered and broken.
Eyes sharp, his voice steady despite his injuries, Xiao Tiance asked coldly:
"Who are you?"
The towering figure cast a calm glance at him and replied:
"I am Sheng Tian."
"Sheng Tian? The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor?"
The name sent a jolt through Xiao Tiance.
"Heh, I'm surprised you've heard of me."
The confirmation made Xiao Tiance's heart sink. The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor leader of the Saint Demon Clan was renowned as the strongest being under the Sky Evil God. Second only to the Evil God himself, Sheng Tian's power rivaled that of the Undying Lord and Azure Robed Sword Saint, approaching the realm of the Dominators.
"Why would someone of your stature appear here?" Xiao Tiance asked, his tone tinged with both shock and suspicion.
Sheng Tian's faint smile carried a trace of mockery as he responded:
**"Because of you. If not for your interference, Shishan and Shihai wouldn't have resorted to sacrificing Wang Quan to escape.
"As the summoning channel was about to close, I came out of curiosity curiosity about the person who forced those fools to take such desperate measures. Sadly…" Sheng Tian paused, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Tiance dismissively. "You're not worth my attention."
The statement was a bitter truth. Strength ruled all, and even Xiao Tiance's full power was no match for Sheng Tian.
From a distance, Wutian and Wuming, now restored, knelt before Sheng Tian.
"Greetings, Lord Sheng Tian!"
Their reverence was palpable, underscoring Sheng Tian's overwhelming strength.
"Rise," Sheng Tian said nonchalantly, sparing them only a glance.
Xiao Tiance's expression darkened. He knew he wasn't Sheng Tian's match, but he couldn't afford to back down. If the spiritual array was released, Sheng Tian could annihilate everyone outside with a single move.
Sheng Tian, seemingly disinterested, remarked:
"This spiritual array is impressive… but only just."
He raised a hand, and an immense surge of energy erupted.
"Crack, crack!"
The spiritual array shattered. Xiao Tiance vomited blood as his connection to the array of which he was the core was severed.
"Hmm, interesting." Sheng Tian observed Xiao Tiance, noting his resilience. "You're not a Saint tier Array Master after all. Still, for an early Heavenly Sovereign, your accomplishments are remarkable."
"Master! Teacher! Tiance!"
Cries of alarm came from outside as everyone turned toward the broken array. They saw Xiao Tiance's bloodied figure and began to move toward him, but he raised a hand, signaling them to stop.
Sheng Tian's gaze flicked over the group before settling back on Xiao Tiance.
"What is your name?"
Before Xiao Tiance could respond, Wutian and Wuming eagerly answered:
"He is Xiao Tiance, the Lord of Bai Yujing."
Xiao Tiance sneered but said nothing. Whether Sheng Tian knew his name or not made no difference without reinforcements, everyone here was doomed.
Unfazed, Sheng Tian continued:
**"You're impressive, Xiao Tiance. Would you consider submitting to me?
"If you swear allegiance, I'll spare everyone here."**
The implication of refusal was clear.
Xiao Tiance glanced at the people behind him his friends, his comrades and then back at Sheng Tian. With a cold determination, he replied:
"Submit? Never. My life is here take it if you can."
His words tightened the hearts of everyone present, but before they could react, Sheng Tian tilted his head, his gaze shifting upward toward the void above Zhuxian City. A faint smile crept across his face.
"Qin Tian, you've come. Why not show yourselves? Or will I have to kill everyone here before you make your grand entrance?" Sheng Tian's voice echoed.
The air trembled as the void above split apart.
Out stepped Qin Tian, Lu Tong, and a dozen other powerful figures.
"Sheng Tian," Qin Tian said, his tone heavy. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Heh," Sheng Tian chuckled. "Why wouldn't I be? But I must admit, I'm surprised you managed to escape from my grasp back then."
Qin Tian's expression darkened. Memories of his narrow escape from the Demon Realm resurfaced an ordeal that had nearly cost him his life.
"Hmph! I survived because my time hadn't come. But you what's your aim here? Are you looking to start an all out war?"
Sheng Tian's smile widened.
(To be continued…)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1