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As Bi’an let out a shout, the other great emperors rose from their seats. All of them were top experts of the Upper Three Realms. It was no exaggeration to say that any one of them could single handedly destroy multiple cities.

Several comparably powerful divine powers intercrossed. The sheer momentum, this display of raw power, was almost impossible to top.

The surging divine power sent the clouds flowing in reverse, and stirred up towering waves in the surrounding waters.

The ordinary folk of the cities lining the Sea of Innocence felt their pupils constrict. They looked up at the sky, as if they’d received a warning. No one left the cities, and the local rulers and diviners went so far as to unleash their power to create a towering wall to block off the seas.

Waves so vast, they threatened to destroy the world, crashed into the divine powerful walls, then bounced off harmlessly.

“Heh.” Venerate Spirit Treasure merely twisted his neck and took a step forward.

To their surprise, when the great emperors and Venerate Spirit Treasure clashed, Ye Zichen didn’t try to play mediator. As soon as they took action, he made way and headed for a corner.

Two shadows appeared beside him, seemingly out of nowhere. They were none other than the Hermit Emperor and the Ocean Emperor’s avatar.

“Alliance Head Ye, Ocean Emperor, it seems you’ve reached some form of tacit agreement?” The Hermit Emperor looked them over, his eyes flashing with indescribable light.

The Ocean Emperor said nothing, but Ye Zichen cupped his fists and smiled. “We had little choice.”

“Actually, this is likely for the best. If we let Venerate Spirit Treasure intimidate Bi’an and the others a little first, the rest of our discussions will go far more smoothly. Otherwise, given their accumulated resentment, there’s essentially no way they’d sit down and talk things over in peace.” The Hermit Emperor smiled sagely. “Hmm. Could we describe this as ‘playing unassuming before the big reveal?’?

Neither Ye Zichen nor the Ocean Emperor said anything. They simply narrowed their eyes. The Hermit Emperor was among the most ancient of the major powers. Indeed, his wisdom was terrifyingly sharp.

Letting Venerate Spirit Treasure and Bi’an duke it out was indeed part of Ye Zichen and Xue Yang’s plan.

The Ocean Emperor was fully aware of just how much hatred Venerate Spirit Treasure had provoked. He also knew that Venerate Spirit Treasure had treated the Four Directions Palace as if he owned the place. Whenever Bi’an obtained a new treasure, it inevitably wound up in the hateful old toad’s hands.

You couldn’t settle a grudge like that with a few mere words.

But if they gave Venerate Spirit Treasure a chance to show his strength, if the great emperors realized they couldn’t so much as scratch him, well, the tone of their conversation would change. Everything would become much easier.

None of them had discussed this with the Hermit Emperor in advance; he’d picked up on the clues and pieced their plan together himself.

It was enough to make one gasp!

In stark contrast with Ye Zichen and the Ocean Emperor’s steady silence, Pu Jingwan made no attempt to hide anything. When she heard the Hermit Emperor describe their plan in full detail, she was so shocked, her jaw dropped. “How did you know?”

The Hermit Emperor smiled, his expression profound and inscrutable. He glanced first at the great emperors’ and their display of spiritual pressure, then at the nevertheless advancing Venerate Spirit Treasure. He nodded. “It seems in the past ten thousand years, Venerate Spirit Treasure’s cultivation has increased a fair bit. Where’s it at now?”

“It’s already above Zhou Wu’s,” said the Ocean Emperor.

They’d already seen it, so there was no point in hiding it. Besides, there was no grudge between Venerate Spirit Treasure and the Hermit Emperor.

Actually, it was strange; back in the day, Venerate Spirit Treasure had robbed just about every peak expert.

The only exception was the Hermit Emperor; he’d never once taken so much as half a step into his territory.

“He really is an unparalleled genius.” The Hermit Emperor nodded, as if gratified. When they saw his expression, Ye Zichen and the Ocean Emperor couldn’t help but frown.

Venerate Spirit Treasure, meanwhile, had walked until he was only about ten meters away from the group of great emperors.

Even now, he still wore that same frivolous grin. He stared hungrily at Bi’an’s Hidden Dragon Sword. I’ll be taking that.”

“Hah, I’m afraid you’ll just wind up hiding in that shell of yours again!” snorted Bi’an. “I’m nowhere near as even-tempered as Xue Yang; don’t think you’ll get off with a mere ten thousand years’ confinement!”

“Is that so?”

Boom!

As soon as the words left his mouth, Venerate Spirit Treasure’s lazy demeanor sharped. In a flash, an aura like a beast emerging from an endless abyss billowed forth. The instant it appeared, the great emperors’ collective spiritual pressure tore apart as if it were made of paper, and their domains instantly crumbled.

“He’s actually reached this stage?” The Ocean Emperor stretched out his hand and created a water curtain, blocking off Venerate Spirit Treasure’s aura.

Actually, Venerate Spirit Treasure had made no deliberate attempts to spread his aura to where they were; what the Ocean Emperor was blocking was actually just the steam created as his aura flowed out.

Otherwise, given that this was just an avatar, how could he possibly block Venerate Spirit Treasure’s full power?

The great emperors facing down Venerate Spirit Treasure’s pupils constricted. They never would have guessed that Venerate Spirit Treasure, whose cultivation had been on par with theirs ten thousand years ago, was now so far removed from them.

Hadn’t he been locked in the Xue Family dungeons this whole time?”

“I’ll happily accept your divine artifact.” Venerate Spirit Treasure gleefully took the Hidden Dragon Sword straight from Great Emperor Bi’an’s hand. Throughout this process, Bi’an made no attempt to resist. He was in no position to fuss about that; Venerate Spirit Treasure’s aura and spiritual pressure alone made him feel as if he were being crushed beneath a mountain.

Venerate Spirit Treasure got his hands on the Hidden Dragon Sword without a hitch, but then...

“Stop!” Ye Zichen couldn’t stay quiet any longer. He frowned and rushed over to Venerate Spirit Treasure. “Give the Hidden Dragon Sword back to Great Emperor Bi’an.”

“Why should I? I won it fair and square.” Venerate Spirit Treasure had already dispersed his aura, giving Bi’an and the others a chance to catch their breath.

Empress Su Qingyan, Great Emperor Chao Feng, and the Jade Pool Palace Master frowned at Venerate Spirit Treasure, while Bi’an’s eyes had gone completely bloodshot. “Give me back my sword!”

“Hey, Bi’an, I don’t remember you being such a hooligan. We already agreed, didn’t we? You said if I won, I could keep the sword. When did you start playing such shameless tricks?” Venerate Spirit Treasure met his gaze and stubbornly refused.

Ye Zichen frowned. “Give it back!”

“I won’t! This is mine….!”

“Big Sister Xiang!” Ye Zichen didn’t waste any more words. He directly summoned Xuan-Yuan Xiang.

In the blink of an eye, the proud, wantonly arrogant Venerate Spirit Treasure’s demeanor changed completely; it was as if he’d met his natural enemy. He visibly drooped.

“Give it back.”

“Ugh, fine.” Venerate Spirit Treasure smiled appeasingly and returned the sword to Bi’an. Bi’an accepted it, then looked it over cautiously. Venerate Spirit Treasure’s gaze never once left the Hidden Dragon Sword, and he looked deeply redundant.

“That’s a good boy.” Xuan-Yuan Xiang laughed and patted him on the shoulder. Then, she walked right up to him and her smiling eyes turned grim. “Be a good boy and do as Ye Zichen says. If he has to summon me again, I’ll let you savor the feeling of your body blowing apart once more.”