Chapter 32: Weren't You Trying to Kill Me? Why Are You Kneeling and Begging Now?

The voice of the Great Sage from the Xiyue Sacred Ground reverberated throughout the heavens and the earth.

No one had yet recovered from the rapid succession of events. It was simply too fast. In the blink of an eye, Hong Wei, who had been shouting about his own invincibility, had his body crushed by a Great Sage-level demonic creature.

Three Sages, two Great Sages, one Saint King! This was the absolute pinnacle of combat power! In an era where Quasi-Emperors had yet to emerge, a single Sage was enough to roam the world unchallenged. Yet, at this moment, three Sages, two Great Sages, and a Saint King had all appeared at once!

What kind of power was this? Were they mad? How could such terrifying entities exist within the demonic abyss beneath the Xiyue Sacred Ground?

As Hong Wei was left half-crippled, countless experts in the vicinity of the Xiyue Sacred Ground froze in shock.

"Leave quickly! Something is wrong! A catastrophe is about to befall the Xiyue Sacred Ground!"

"The sky is falling! There are so many demonic creatures beneath the Xiyue Sacred Ground! Those are three Sages, two Great Sages, and a Saint King!"

"My heavens! That Great Sage-level demon crushed Saint Hong Wei with a single palm!"

Cries of terror rose one after another. Everyone began to flee from the Xiyue Sacred Ground; this was a Holy War! A single slip could reduce everything within a hundred thousand miles to ruins, turning the region into a dead zone.

Domain gates opened and closed. Saint-level powerhouses carried entire cities away, while others with divine eyes watched from afar. The matters unfolding within the Xiyue Sacred Ground were far beyond their ability to intervene. This time, the Xiyue Sacred Ground would likely be reduced to rubble.

"Can the Xiyue Sacred Ground hold on?"

"It’s difficult, but it seems they are calling upon the Great Emperor!"

"The Great Emperor..."

"Is that Great Emperor about to appear?"

Everyone felt an inexplicable sense of awe. No one had expected that a grand ceremony for accepting disciples at the Xiyue Sacred Ground would evolve into such a situation. With each development, the question remained: was the Xiyue Sacred Ground finished? Or was someone merely trying to observe the state of the Great Emperor?

Human experts pondered, a chill running down their spines. Something major was likely to happen today! The first Master of the Xiyue Sacred Ground was a close friend of the current Great Emperor and had been left with a promise. Now that the Xiyue Sacred Ground was in peril, if they sought aid, the Great Emperor... should appear, right?

*

Inside the Xiyue Sacred Ground, disciples fell like rain.

Panic gripped everyone. The Great Sage of the Xiyue Sacred Ground stepped forward, reaching out to grasp the Quasi-Emperor weapon of the sacred ground, bracing himself against the six Saint-level demonic creatures. Behind him, other figures appeared—the Saint-level powerhouses of the Xiyue Sacred Ground.

"Why did I not detect your presence within our Xiyue Sacred Ground?"

Wu Xian, the Great Sage of the Xiyue Sacred Ground, gripped the Quasi-Emperor weapon, studying the six demonic creatures before him. He felt an ominous premonition, along with a strange sensation. He felt that these six creatures gave him a sense of familiarity—a very familiar feeling!

The six creatures did not speak. Their gray eyes held no emotional fluctuation as they stared coldly at Wu Xian. Wu Xian took a deep breath. He knew that in the current situation, one wrong move could mean the disappearance of the Xiyue Sacred Ground! Therefore, he had to ask the Great Emperor to intervene!

The first generation of the Xiyue Sacred Ground Master had made the Great Emperor leave behind a promise, and now, it had to be used!

"Go and summon the Great Emperor!"

The voice of the Holy Ancestor echoed in the ears of the Xiyue Sacred Ground Master. She nodded sharply, gritting her teeth. Summon the Great Emperor! Immediately, they must summon the Great Emperor to intervene!

"Bufan, Su Wan, protect yourselves. I am going to ask the Great Emperor to take action!"

Without hesitation, the Xiyue Sacred Ground Master gave her instructions and vanished. Ye Bufan and the others were still in shock. Hearing the Master's words, Ye Bufan was stunned. Summon the Great Emperor? Yes, ask the Great Emperor to intervene—their Xiyue Sacred Ground was a sacred ground founded by a close friend of the Great Emperor! Faced with these dangers, the Great Emperor would suppress them with a single hand.

Ye Bufan’s expression was filled with excitement. Seeing the demonic abyss appear, he had thought the Xiyue Sacred Ground was finished, but now, the Xiyue Sacred Ground had the Great Emperor! Whoever came to kill would be killed! Perhaps he could even meet the Great Emperor and become his disciple. After all, he possessed dual pupils and had awakened the Dragon-Roar Body! With such unparalleled talent, surely even the Great Emperor would find it hard to resist taking him on!

Ye Bufan calculated in his heart that he might truly succeed if he only sincerely sought an audience with the Great Emperor. Then, if the Great Emperor took a liking to him, he would become his disciple. Although the current Great Emperor had a long lifespan, he believed the Great Emperor would certainly accept him, and he would become an Emperor himself in a thousand years!

Nearby, Su Wan and the others looked solemn. Upon hearing that the Master was summoning the Great Emperor, they breathed a sigh of relief. That was right—there was still the Great Emperor! Who didn't know that the Xiyue Sacred Ground was built by a friend of the Great Emperor? Now that the sacred ground was in danger, the Great Emperor would surely provide help. Su Wan’s expression was cold, filled with killing intent and excitement. She would be able to see the Great Emperor, and perhaps the Great Emperor could avenge her! After all, Li Xuan had destroyed the Xiyue Sacred Ground; without him, how could it have fallen to such a state? Therefore, the Great Emperor would act against the Li family. No matter how strong the Li family was, or how strong Li Xuan was, in front of the Great Emperor, they were nothing but ants!

*

"Summon the Great Emperor?!"

Old Ancestor Su looked at the Saint-level figures appearing in the sky. He and the Su family were completely bewildered. The demonic abyss had erupted, the Quasi-Emperor weapon had emerged, and then Saint Hong Wei had been left half-crippled. Now, six powerful Saint-level creatures had emerged from the abyss, and they were actually going to see the Great Emperor?!

*Gulp.* Old Ancestor Su swallowed. He was left with only a head, his body long gone, and at this moment, he wished he could grow legs on his neck and run for his life! Was this really something they could be involved in?

The movements of the Xiyue Sacred Ground Master drew everyone's attention, jolting them awake! In the great city, which had gathered people from over a hundred thousand miles away, there were guards, and now both this city and nearby ones had experts broadcasting the scenes from the Xiyue Sacred Ground.

Some shrewd sacred ground merchant guilds were already selling seats for those who wanted to admire the glory of the Great Emperor up close!

"The Xiyue Sacred Ground Master has moved. She must be going to summon the Great Emperor!"

"The Great Emperor! The Great Emperor will likely appear!"

"I wonder where the Great Emperor is at this moment?"

"What are these dangers to the Xiyue Sacred Ground? The Great Emperor will suppress them with a single finger."

The experts in the city discussed it heatedly. An old man and a young girl sat at a roadside tea stall, listening to the gossip around them. It wasn't that they couldn't afford to enter the teahouses, but experts had paid a high price for their seats, and they hadn't wanted to leave, but the experts had paid too much.

The little girl sat on a stool, eating fruit, and looked up at the old man. "Grandpa, have you ever seen the Great Emperor?"

Instantly, everyone around them looked over. The old man stroked his beard, wearing a look of deep reflection. "The Great Emperor... of course I haven't."

The little girl and the nearby guests were speechless. The little girl complained, "Grandpa, if you haven't seen him, why are you reflecting?"

The old man patted the girl's hair, stroked his beard, and laughed. "I haven't seen him, but today, we will."

...

At the Xiyue Sacred Ground, in just an instant, the Master appeared on the highest peak. On this peak, a pavilion covered in dense Dao patterns stood quietly, untouched by dust, radiating a faint aura of Dao. The pavilion was sealed and could not be opened by anyone. In front of it stood an incense burner where people from the Xiyue Sacred Ground would come every year to offer incense and pray for the Great Emperor's blessings.

The pavilion itself was covered in Dao patterns; the entire structure was seamless and airtight. The Master did not know what was inside. It had been passed down through generations that this pavilion was brought back by the first Master of the Xiyue Sacred Ground and placed on the highest peak. It was said to contain the Great Emperor's promise—likely a decree! It could force the Great Emperor to act.

In previous times of peril, they had never called upon the Great Emperor and had always managed to survive. But this time, it was different.

The Master took a deep breath and bowed deeply. "Reporting to the Great Emperor, I beg the Great Emperor to intervene and save the Xiyue Sacred Ground."

Silence. A breeze blew by, but the pavilion did not open. There was not a single sound.

The Master looked up, bewildered. What was going on?

"I beg the Great Emperor to save the Xiyue Sacred Ground!"

She bowed again, but... it remained silent. She looked up in confusion at the quiet pavilion. The Great Emperor... did not respond? Was the Great Emperor not going to save their sacred ground? The Master swallowed, her expression lost and fearful. Why was there no response? Was the information left by the first Master false? Or was there something wrong with the Great Emperor?

A chill ran down her spine. She turned and walked off the peak, seeing the Sages already engaged in battle with the demonic creatures. The Sages were trying to lead the demons away from the Xiyue Sacred Ground, out of the Tianwu Continent and into the outer realms, but they were being held back.

The Master stood dazed and returned to Ye Bufan’s side. Seeing her, Ye Bufan was visibly stunned. He looked up but saw no sign of the Great Emperor.

"Master, the Great Emperor..." Ye Bufan asked in a low voice.

The Master’s voice was dry and bewildered. "The Great Emperor... he did not respond."

No response? Ye Bufan was also confused.

"You did it wrong. The current Great Emperor loves face. How did you pay your respects?" A voice came from behind. The Master turned and quickly bowed. "Ancestor."

The person who arrived was a withered old man, skin and bones. Yet, he was an ancestor of the Xiyue Sacred Ground, a Great Sage! The Master hadn't expected this ancestor to appear; she had assumed he had already passed away. She quickly said, "I bowed and paid my respects, but the Great Emperor did not respond."

The ancestor, Zhao Dian, shook his head. "You did it wrong. The current Great Emperor loves face..."

As Zhao Dian spoke, he paused, stopping his words to watch the battlefield in contemplation. Ye Bufan, standing to the side, felt a sense of dread, especially when the ancestor glanced at him while speaking. The unease vanished in a blink.

The Master didn't disturb the ancestor and left immediately to try paying her respects again. In the great city, seeing the Master appear and leave again, everyone was puzzled. Where was the Great Emperor? A coldness settled in their hearts. Had something happened to the Great Emperor?

The little girl widened her eyes, sensing the atmosphere. She blinked. Had something happened to the Great Emperor? She hoped the Great Emperor was alright.

The Master arrived at the pavilion again and immediately knelt, knocking her head three times. "I beg the Great Emperor to save the Xiyue Sacred Ground."

Still, silence. The Master looked up and was stunned. The Great Emperor still did not respond. Her body trembled, and her hair stood on end. If the Great Emperor did not respond, wouldn't the Xiyue Sacred Ground be finished?!

The Master left, soul-shattered. Seeing her return, Ye Bufan grew uneasy. "Master, the Great Emperor..."

She shook her head. Ye Bufan’s heart turned cold, as did Su Wan’s and the others'. Leng Yanshuang’s body swayed, her face turning deathly pale. How could this be? Her disciples from the Linglong Sect hadn't left, and now, if the Great Emperor didn't appear, wouldn't they... be destroyed? Mo Yao swallowed, regretting her presence and wondering if her great-grandfather would come to save her.

"Master, perhaps our sincerity is not enough. Why don't we have all the disciples kneel and pray to the Great Emperor to save our sacred ground?" Ye Bufan blurted out. He paused, and everyone’s eyes lit up.

Zhao Dian came back to his senses, nodded, and glanced at Ye Bufan. "This disciple is good. Go."

With that, he stepped into the battlefield, roaring as he grabbed a Great Sage-level demon, unleashing a barrage of divine powers!

In the great city, there was silence. When the Master appeared alone for the second time, their hearts turned cold. They knew exactly what this meant! Had something happened to the Great Emperor?

The Master immediately led the disciples of the sacred ground up the peak. She knelt first. "I beg the Great Emperor to save the Xiyue Sacred Ground!"

Behind her, one by one, the disciples in their black Xiyue robes knelt down, their voices rising as one. "I beg the Great Emperor to save the Xiyue Sacred Ground!"

Ye Bufan, Leng Yanshuang, Su Wan, and Mo Yao all knelt, bowing deeply. In an instant, a special aura of Dao permeated the air. Everyone shuddered, looking up at the pavilion. Purple energy billowed and filled the air above the pavilion.

Ye Bufan looked at the pavilion with immense excitement. The Great Emperor was about to appear! No, he didn't know what was inside. It should be said that the Great Emperor had heard their plea!

*

Ye Bufan clenched his hands, his eyes widening, and he shouted, "Xiyue Sacred Ground, disciple of the Master, Ye Bufan of the Dual Pupils and the Dragon-Roar Body, begs the Great Emperor to save our sacred ground!"

Silence.

The pavilion, sealed for ten thousand years, slowly creaked open. Everyone looked up.

...

In the great city, seeing the aura of Dao suffusing the Xiyue Sacred Ground, someone exclaimed:

"The Great Emperor! The Great Emperor is going to act!"

"The Great Emperor is fine! The Great Emperor is fine!"

"The Xiyue Sacred Ground really scared me!"

"It was just a small matter! Strange, why can I no longer see the scene at the Xiyue Sacred Ground?"

"The Great Emperor's actions and appearance are not for us to pry into. I suppose even sacred grounds with Emperor weapons can't see it, right?"

Everyone felt relieved. The Great Emperor had appeared! Fortunately, fortunately!

*

The river flowed quietly. Li Xuan sat steadily on a lounge chair, looking at the system. There was a lot of Villain Value. Li Xuan pondered briefly and immediately exchanged it for eleven blind boxes, spending all his Villain Value.

[You have exchanged for blind boxes and received: Ginseng Fruit x6, Bagua Formation x1, Innate Five Essences x1, Floating Sword Canon x1, Yuantu Sword x1.]

Li Xuan looked at the rewards, a smile appearing on his face. These rewards were interesting. He claimed them instantly, swallowing the six ginseng fruits without hesitation. A powerful inner essence was suppressed by Li Xuan, used to repair his body. The Bagua Formation was a technique for controlling life, death, fortune, and disaster—a formation for one-versus-many combat. Li Xuan felt it was quite good and could be used to trap enemies, though it was a pity he probably wouldn't have much use for it. The Innate Five Essences—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—were for enlightenment or refining weapons and medicine. The Floating Sword Canon contained three killing moves: Slashing Demons, Protecting the Heart, and Extinguishing the World.

Li Xuan closed his eyes as he studied the sword canon. It was powerful—a lethal sword technique. After a glance, he gained some insights. He put away the sword canon. As for the Yuantu Sword, he remembered it from his previous life on Earth as the sword of the Ancestor Styx. The Ancestor Styx had two swords: Yuantu and Abi, which killed without incurring karma. Yuantu killed people, severed their cultivation, and destroyed their primordial spirits, possessing unparalleled baleful energy.

Li Xuan claimed the Yuantu Sword. A bone-white sword emitting a cyan light appeared in his hand. Li Xuan stroked the Yuantu Sword, wondering about its origins. Could it really be the weapon of that Ancestor Styx? He flicked the blade; after claiming it, the sword was already his, as if he had tempered it countless times. As for its power, it was comparable to an Emperor weapon—perhaps even stronger!

Severing cultivation... Li Xuan smiled.

The Emperor blood in his body was boiling. The six ginseng fruits were digested, and his current combat power... was only slightly stronger than when he had first become a Great Emperor, and less than his full strength. Li Xuan was not very satisfied. It was a bit weak. However, if he could get another wave of Villain Value...

Li Xuan put away the Yuantu Sword.

Several figures landed in the distance. Seeing Li Xuan’s back, Kou Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. "Senior, it’s fortunate you are here..."

Kou Zhong caught his breath and bowed hurriedly. "Senior, the Xiyue Sacred Ground has Sages fighting, and now they are being forced by the demonic abyss to summon the Great Emperor. If the Great Emperor intervenes, should we leave here quickly?"

Kou Zhong was terrified. He really hadn't expected things to turn out this way. The demonic abyss at the Xiyue Sacred Ground had erupted and left one of their Sages half-crippled! And now, three Sages, two Great Sages, and a Saint King had walked out of the abyss! The Xiyue Sacred Ground hadn't hesitated to summon the Great Emperor! At this moment, Kou Zhong and his brothers were very worried. That was the Great Emperor!

Li Xuan did not speak, watching the Xiyue Sacred Ground Master and the others kneeling before the pavilion. Kou Zhong thought Li Xuan was unwilling to leave and worried, "Senior, you may not know, but the Xiyue Sacred Ground was established by a close friend of the current Great Emperor. Now that the sacred ground is in danger and the Master is begging for help, the Great Emperor will surely intervene!"

"That’s right, Senior. Why don't we go to other star domains to have some fun and come back after the Great Emperor does his thing?"

"Senior, as the saying goes, if you keep the green hills, you don't have to worry about running out of firewood. We are still young, and we will destroy the Xiyue Sacred Ground sooner or later!"

"Exactly, Senior. It's not that we are afraid of the Xiyue Sacred Ground or the Great Emperor, we are just going out to play. This is called having foresight."

Li Xuan laughed as he listened to Kou Zhong and his brothers. "No matter. You are right; if the Xiyue Sacred Ground is in trouble and calls for help, the Great Emperor will indeed intervene. But you won't live to see the day the Great Emperor dies, and the Xiyue Sacred Ground will be destroyed today."

Kou Zhong and the others felt their hearts jump. Senior was being too blunt! The Great Emperor's aura was already permeating the Xiyue Sacred Ground; how could Senior speak so openly?! It was terrifying. Their hair stood on end, fearing that the Great Emperor would descend directly and crush them with a finger!

Kou Zhong opened his mouth. "Senior, this... do you have some kind of reliance?"

Kou Zhong felt bitter inside and his face turned green. He felt he would have to accompany Senior to the Xiyue Sacred Ground today. If things went smoothly, he might be meeting his son in the underworld today!

Li Xuan smiled. He turned around, looked at the Xiyue Sacred Ground, and asked Kou Zhong and the others, "Do you think the aura on me looks like the Great Emperor’s aura over the Xiyue Sacred Ground?"

As he spoke, specks of aura drifted from Li Xuan's body.

Kou Zhong smiled bitterly. "Senior, please don't joke... around..."

As Kou Zhong spoke, he stopped. He stared blankly at the aura on Li Xuan, then back at the Great Emperor’s aura above the Xiyue Sacred Ground.

Kou Zhong subconsciously said, "Senior, did you steal the Great Emperor’s aura?"

Looking at the stunned group, Li Xuan smiled slightly. "Is it possible that I am the current Great Emperor?"

Li Xuan took a step and vanished.

At the Xiyue Sacred Ground, on the peak:

"I beg the Great Emperor to save our Xiyue Sacred Ground!"

The disciples shouted sincerely, kneeling on the ground. The pavilion slowly opened. Everyone watched in excited tremors. As the pavilion opened, a painting faintly appeared. It must be the painting of the Great Emperor!

The Master, Ye Bufan, Su Wan, Leng Yanshuang, and Mo Yao knelt on the ground, looking up at the painting, feeling a faint sense of familiarity. At this moment, a familiar voice rang out:

"You weren't planning to kill me? Why are you kneeling and begging now?"