Of course.

The most humiliating thing was that the Qingfeng Sword had no intention of letting Ji Chengtian go and even chased him into Heaven Beyond Heaven, along with other Emperor Artifacts.

"You have gone too far!"

Ji Chengtian was furious beyond measure; after cultivating for a whole cycle, he never imagined such a day would come. He thought even if he were to fall, he would drag these Emperor Artifacts down with him.

Yet at that moment, the Qingfeng Sword led a retreat.

"..."

Ji Chengtian gritted his teeth to suppress his murderous intent as he attempted to leave, but they approached slowly, as if a cat playing with a mouse.

Dangling him neither too far nor too near!

"Great Emperor, ignite me."

Ji Chengtian sent out a desperate divine sense.

He was on the verge of collapse, unable to protect Ji Chengtian any longer, and decided to self-destruct.

"Shut up!"

Although Ji Chengtian had a poor reputation from the First Era to the current Immortal Domain, he had always treated the Emperor Artifact he forged with his own hands as a younger brother.

Now.

With his own life hanging in the balance, how could he drag his younger brother to die with him?

He chose to follow Xu Lai's example, planning to let the Emperor Artifact go, bearing the Karmic Tribulation Thunder alone.

"Take one of my fingers and flee, as far as you can. Perhaps one day I will awaken," Ji Chengtian ordered without allowing refusal.

His Emperor Artifact was a blood-red curved bow, its bowstring on the verge of snapping.

"Great Emperor..."

The Immortal Slayer Bow choked out.

Faced with Karmic Tribulation above and surrounded by eight Emperor Artifacts, his Great Emperor had no chance of survival.

Having it take a finger and go wasn't to hope for revival through it, but to give it a reason to leave.

"Go!"

Ji Chengtian severed a finger, channeling half his Spiritual Energy into the Immortal Slayer Bow, sending it to the innermost depths of Heaven Beyond Heaven.

A perilous place even their Nine Kings' Palace had never ventured into.

Not covered by Tribulation Thunder, nor would Emperor Artifacts like the Qingfeng Sword pursue it there, making it temporarily safer.

After sending off the Emperor Artifact,

Ji Chengtian ceased his flight. Instead, he faced the eight Emperor Artifacts guarding the border between Heaven Beyond Heaven and the Immortal Domain, his eyes shining brightly.

An indomitable pride stopped Ji Chengtian from fleeing; he wanted to vanquish those eight Emperor Artifacts.

A mere flicker dares to compete with the sun and moon?

Crush them all!

With this thought, Ji Chengtian reached his peak, burning his life, boundary, divine soul, and everything.

For ordinary cultivators, reaching the peak meant surviving only for a moment, even a Quasi-Emperor couldn't last three days.

But in the Emperor Realm, especially for a powerful figure like Ji Chengtian, he could last at least a month.

Even withstanding Karmic Tribulation Thunder, he had enough time to deal with the Qingfeng Sword and others.

"Come!"

A mad smile curled Ji Chengtian's lips: "Let's see if I die first or if you turn to dust."

The Eight Desolate Cauldron scattered seven threads of Hongmeng Purple Qi, enveloping the Qingfeng Sword and other Emperor Artifacts, providing temporary protection from the Tribulation Thunder.

But it would only last ten breaths.

After ten breaths, the Tribulation Thunder would indiscriminately strike all Emperor Artifacts within range.

Thus.

The battle must end within ten breaths.

"Whoosh—"

The Qingfeng Sword floated in Heaven Beyond Heaven, surrounded by countless breezes, its aura converging instantly.

The Qingfeng Sword Intent had nine styles.

Each style was ten times stronger than the last but required exponentially more Spiritual Energy.

After Xu Lai became Emperor, he only used the last three styles against the Blue Giant Jellyfish and an unknown Giant Whale, typically killing enemies with the first two styles.

The Qingfeng Sword had never used the ninth style alone due to its massive consumption.

But now, with even Xu Qingfeng dead, the Qingfeng Sword no longer cared about the cost, nor about whether it could leave after unleashing the ninth style.

"Swoosh!"

Slowly raising, the Qingfeng Sword seemed held by a towering figure, who gently swung down.

"Boom!"

In an instant.

The Karmic Tribulation Thunder above Ji Chengtian trembled slightly, shocking the hearts of the Emperor Artifacts, having never seen such domineering Qingfeng Sword Intent.

They felt an illusion.

If the Great Emperor Qingfeng wielded the Emperor Artifact himself, he could slay immortals with one strike!

Yet the lone swing of the Qingfeng Sword alone was enough for Ji Chengtian to take seriously, as he swiftly unfolded the Domain Space.

But just as the Domain Space was about to form.

The Sword Intent.

Was unleashed.

"Poof!"

A soft sound.

Ji Chengtian's pupils contracted violently, looking down in disbelief at a huge bloody hole in his chest.

Moreover, he sensed the Sword Intent inside was destroying his organs, veins, and body.

...

Main Hall of the Heavenly Court.

Li Bahuang sensed Xu Lai's fall, struggling to prolong his life a few more days.

He looked amazed: "What a fast sword, Ji Chengtian will go down in history as the first Emperor Realm ever besieged and killed by Emperor Artifacts."

The Divine General Baize didn't respond.

She glanced over at the silent Great Emperor Jin Shi, who had eyes closed sensing the Heaven Beyond Heaven battle, and quietly left the hall.

First Divine General Taotie, Third Divine General Xuanwu, Fourth Divine General Yan Chunfeng, Fifth Divine General Dong Yanbing, and ninety-nine other Divine Generals, whether martial or civil, gathered at the Heavenly Court's muster ground.

Baize took a glance and calmly proclaimed: "Issue the Imperial Decree, search all the Immortal Domain for Tian Gui Yuan Yin and the Tian Gui Tribe, permission to kill first and report later."

"Yes!"

Many Divine Generals responded in unison.

First Divine General Taotie gritted his teeth: "The Supreme Emperor..."

"Announce to the Immortal Domain, the Supreme Emperor has fallen."

Baize spoke, and Taotie couldn't see any emotion on Baize's face or in her eyes. He suppressed his fury:

"Not everyone in the Heavenly Court can accept the Supreme Emperor's fall as calmly as you, this should be hidden, or it would impact military morale."

"Hide?"

Baize clenched her hand in her sleeve, her nails digging into flesh.

With an expressionless face: "The Supreme Emperor died in Heaven Beyond Heaven, internal and external threats have not been fully resolved. I have many tasks ahead and no time to console anyone."

"Any Heavenly Soldiers and Generals or even Divine Generals who cannot accept it can leave the Heavenly Court, with no one stopping them."

"First Divine General, please notify them. Ask the remaining Paoze, to serve the Supreme Emperor to their death."

Baize looked at the stalled Taotie, emphasizing: "Was I clear enough?"

"This subordinate obeys!"

Taotie knelt on one knee.

Not to serve the Immortal Domain, but to serve the Supreme Emperor to death!

The Third Divine General Xuanwu and the other ninety-eight Divine Generals all knelt with one knee, clasping their hands in one voice:

"Willing to serve the Supreme Emperor to death!"

The shouts echoed across the muster ground and reached the Qingfeng Camp guarding the South Heavenly Gate and further into the military camps across the Four Immortal Domains.

A hundred Divine Generals.

Hundreds of thousands of Heavenly Generals.

Countless Heavenly Soldiers, none deserted!

With tears in their eyes, they knelt on one knee, shouting hoarsely the same phrase repeatedly.

"Willing to serve the Supreme Emperor to death!"

"Willing to serve the Supreme Emperor to death!"

"Willing to serve the Supreme Emperor to death!"