1445 Chapter 1439: CKC, Evercrown (43); Last Second
An inexplicably consistent stifled breath conjured itself in each and every cultivator present; they were rendered speechless by the events that had just unfolded as all eyes were focused intently to a literal extreme on the Evercrown.
In a flicker of dark light as radiant and mysterious as the night sky itself and as sharp as a peerless blade swept over the Evercrown and vanished swiftly into the distance. The lingering trail of sharp dark light remained yet it was only with despair that they could observe it.
Just like that—the Evercrown was taken.
Countless hidden plans and carefully prepared strategies had been rendered useless before absolute strength, no—ABSOLUTE SPEED!
They paled; this was what they had feared! What all of the Ascendants had feared!! Whether they were Prime Ascendants, Commanders, or regular members, they were all fully aware of Su Mei's disastrously world-shattering speed!
There were still some Chosen that hadn't given up on the Evercrown. These Chosen belonged to the World Beyond and thought of using their Mystic Ascendant Realm cultivation bases to contest for the Evercrown at the last second. They might seize both the crown and the wish! It was a potential reality!
They wanted it!
THEY WANTED IT!!!
Numerous Chosen and Ascendants were still being pulled viciously by the gravity of the black hole. They struggled but to no avail. What type of strength was this black hole? It was far from ordinary and carried strength that even Demi-Mystic Lords struggled to resist, and Tambu Ma had to dig his hands deep into the earth, melding himself with it and had his allies hold his body as if he was a grounded pole to prevent them from jetting upwards. They had veins on their foreheads and arms as they held on for dear life.
Tian Yinwu's eyes were calm as he stared into the black hole. There was a peculiar glint within his eyes as he seemingly grasped some of its intricate secrets. Under his breath, he muttered: "It's only in its second phase."
San Yongli was right next to him, and she frowned intensely at his comment. Second phase?
Shockingly, while the others despaired, the Ascendants were doing nothing of the sort. Moreover, the An Sisters descended beside Xue Yifei, holding hands as they flew. The gravitational forces of the black hole were acutely contorted by their will, allowing them to move, not only unhindered but several times faster than before.
"Your Royal Majesty!" The An Sisters called out respectfully with a tinge of panic. They no longer hid their relationship with Xue Yifei. The situation was too concerning! Su Mei was long gone, speeding away at speeds that they couldn't even perceive. What else was there to do? All their effort of utilizing their ultimate trump card and sacrificing their World-Bound Star Domains would be wasted.
However, they still had faith in Xue Yifei, the rightful Bloodforge Princess, the Dragonborn Saintess, and his Majesty's concubine. If there was anyone with sufficient intelligence and means to change this unfavorable situation, it was her! Only her!
Xue Yifei glanced at them, her expression incomparably solemn and grim. "KEEP ME ALIVE!!!" Three words. They were shouted with an intensity that could shake hearts and quake worlds. The An Sisters were taken aback.
BOOSH!
Xue Yifei's demonically draconic aura explosively erupted! Just as she did so, an arrow forged of a brownish metallic material pierced toward her from afar. Tracing its origins would be Yao Houyi, his two eyes fully uncovered, and his hands nocking another arrow.
Xue Yifei punched!
The punch was ocean-tilting, mountain-flipping, and sky-splitting! Tyrannical dragon strength was unleashed in this single, imposing move! The fist force met the arrow in an unbelievable tempest of raw, swirling power. The arrow seemed as if it contained the weight of a tiny-sized planet, shot at incredible speed, building such momentum that it could puncture through a large-sized planet!
WHOOSH!
After defending against the attack, her eyes constricted violently. With an agile somersault, her robe flashed with grayish light, and she shifted through the void for five hundred miles. The An Sisters' hearts clenched as they tapped into the gravitational force of their black hole, being yanked at light speed away for three hundred miles.
BOOM!!
Where they previously were, a starry figure descended with a heavy, world-devastating stomp. The entire desert region that it landed on had tsunamis of sand erupt and pushed away, covering the nearby regions in coarse sand!
Wu Baozhai, without her halberd, had crushed downwards like a starry meteor, her 3rd Grand Transformation fully unleashed. She glanced at Xue Yifei from afar and she kicked off, inducing a widespread earthquake that spread for thousands of miles. She was like a starry comet as she soared toward Xue Yifei, her eyes cold and exuding violent murderous intent.
Xue Yifei had only just shifted when she felt a sensation of deadly crisis impact her Sea of Consciousness, Astral Soul, and her bestial instincts, her eyes flickered as she clenched both fists, her heart pounding so fiercely that a draconic roar parted fixed space itself!
With a thrust, she lanced both fists toward three brownish arrows flying her way. As she did, she exclaimed in a powerful roar: "HONG CHUNHUA!!"
Yao Houyi had unleashed three Grand Earth Core Arrows, and his eyes of an Internal World and Time Vortex swirled intensely. There was a murderous serenity in his expression. He didn't hesitate to launch three more!
As they were nocked, Wu Baozhai had already traversed two hundred and fifty miles toward Xue Yifei. She held her hand out as her halberd drew a beautiful arc in the far distance, still trying to reach her from her earlier throw to halt Yao Houyi's attack, and her other hand formed a spear that exuded silvery light as she viciously thrust it at Xue Yifei! A gigantic manifestation of a silver halberd formed and stabbed toward the Dragonborn Saintess at sky-shattering speeds!
A sword hum resounded at this moment as a pervasive, profusely fragrant scent permeated the world. Wu Baozhai watched as her spear manifestation was met head-on by a sword light. It wasn't enough to destroy it, but the strength within halted its lethal advance.
At the same time, the An Sisters manipulated the black hole's gravitational force to slow down the spear manifestation, their hearts pounding fiercely as they acted without thinking, only seeing that Wu Baozhai was intent on slaughtering Xue Yifei!
Those who were trying to stabilize themselves above, dealing with the frozen space alongside the spiritual disruption aura, were utterly shaken by what was happening! Even the regular Ascendants and Bei Weiwei were thoroughly taken aback by the fact both Wu Baozhai and Yao Houyi were trying to kill Xue Yifei, but they were even more shaken by the fact both Hong Chunhua and the An Sisters were assisting her!
Could this be due to her status as His Majesty's concubine? They were baffled. Yet their hearts were pounding because every attack was filled with lethal intent, and they fully knew that both of these cultivators were trying to end her life!
The question did linger in their hearts: Why?
Unfortunately, there was no answer amidst the intensity of the battle. Xue Yifei gathered her demonically draconic strength once more, and she didn't try to dodge the three arrows, knowing that Yao Houyi did not miss! The arrows could only be veered off temporarily or destroyed; this was the power of his Archery Intent, a Unique Intent! This ability of his hadn't been fully utilized due to her meticulously careful planning around it, but it was his most frustrating power!
This was why she was intent on destroying the arrows!
Wu Baozhai hadn't expected Hong Chunhua to appear. She flew toward her as a flash of light, her Mortal World Intent fully unleashed. While she was in her 3rd Grand Transformation, and therefore faster than Hong Chunhua herself, Hong Chunhua's sword light was faster than her by a tad bit! She possessed Dawnbreaker Swordlight!
Wu Baozhai was forced to use her hand as a spear as she clashed dozens of times with Hong Chunhua's sword light. Her eyes grew calmer, yet the killing intent within was tyrannical without limit.
Meanwhile, the An Sisters were providing support as she felt herself weighed down by the gravity of the black hole twisting around her and her attacks. This allowed Hong Chunhua to meet her speed and delayed her halberd's return!
While one sister acted against Wu Baozhai, the other acted against Yao Houyi. This was the benefit of their unity! Unlike most cultivators, they could divide their strength fully into different purposes. Moreover, they could unleash combination-type Spiritual Arts and Spells and rely on each other.
Yao Houyi, however, wasn't too bothered by their persistent hindrance. He unleashed arrows at a steady pace, each aimed at Xue Yufei's vitals. Additionally, despite the gravity attempting to hinder their flight speed or send them off course, they would correct their course constantly and bore down on Xue Yifei without fail.
"Why are they fighting each other?" Yi Xuehan was baffled by what was happening. She couldn't help but say despite being tethered to Tian Yinwu's manifested arms and hands, holding Yi Yun tightly. The young man was pressed against her ample chest, buried within face first.
San Yongli frowned slightly.
Tian Yinwu's eyes glowed intensely; he seemed to be following an illusory figure that was flitting through the world unhindered at speeds beyond ordinary mortals' imagination.
Wen Mingna looked at the intense fighting. She looked as if she had no difficulties existing in this multi-layered, multi-oppressive environment of frozen space, disrupted spirit, and vicious gravity. She explained softly, "It's the final stretch. Eliminate the toughest competitor most likely to win."
"What?!" Yi Xuehan was stunned. Hadn't that peerless saber-wielding woman taken the Evercrown? What competitor? She was already gone!
"Think carefully. That fight between all of them versus a single woman was very restrained. To add, the killing intent was almost non-existent. They were all laying the foundations of different strategies. That was simply the planning phase. Unfortunately for so many, their plans were rendered useless by others."
She said as she stared up at the black hole. When she saw the gigantic figure of Da Shan with gritted teeth and fists, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart. She was rooting for her. Well, she was rooting for a few. But Bei Weiwei and the An Sisters had thoroughly destroyed her strategy. And she wasn't the only one.
The issue with many different plans was that quite a few would conflict and be prematurely ended. However, there were some still in play!
"What was that saber-wielding woman planning?" Yi Xuehan couldn't help but ask this strange woman. She sensed the aura of a Heavenly Seer, so she placed severe importance on her words. They were mysterious and powerful in profound ways, and she didn't dare to dismiss her casually despite being a mere mortal.
"Trying not to exhaust her astral force and die," Wen Mingna faintly smiled. Su Mei's plan was always absolute strength. There was never any reason to resort to anything else. She just couldn't leave any openings for anyone else to use their trump cards! Moreover, if she could get an idea of their plans mid-way, she could overcome them with that absolute strength of hers! Getting sealed? Fine! What she was worried about was not knowing how they would take the Evercrown should someone else possess it!
This was the true goal!
"Cunning and meticulous; they've gathered these traits from their Emperor," Wen Mingna's smile grew as she thought of how the subordinates displayed the characteristics of their leader. Even Su Mei who used absolute strength displayed traits of Wei Wuyin's forceful and absolute will of his saber.
If he drew his saber, a life must be taken!
"..." Yi Xuehan was shaken by these terrifyingly powerful mortals. Why were they here?!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Xue Yifei destroyed another trio of arrows with a continuous launching of powerful, roaring fists. She exuded the ferocity of a demon and the tyranny of a dragon, perfectly melded together, unleashing unfathomable power within her slender body. Despite that, her beauty was not diminished one iota as she seemed like a peerless dragon princess!
"..." Hong Chunhua was somber as she was enveloped in a fragrant sword light. She was as beautiful and refreshing as a new dawn gracing a field of blooming flowers! Wu Baozhai stood in the sky, the backdrop of a gargantuan black hole and her long hair fluttering upwards from the gravity. Her starry form made her seem endlessly imposing and domineering as if all beneath the heavens was hers to rule.
Rightfully so!
With her halberd in her hand, three World Heart Intents merged profoundly with her Mystic Rune Seed—the Exalted Heaven World Rune!
MORTAL WORLD INTENT!
She exuded an exalted radiance resembling a divinity far beyond mortal comprehension as if she was ordained by the heavens to rule. When she did so, far away, in two different locations, one within the Sealed Regions and one within the Azure-Prime Galactic Region, began to experience starry phenomena without warning.
A brief resonance formed, and her eyes filled with endless stars rotated miraculously, yet as she did, endless Imperial Heaven Aura rolled off her flawless skin and elongated hair.
"..." Hong Chunhua's somber expression fell to the depths of darkness, manifesting as a grimly, unyielding yet oddly frustrated light within her gaze. She readied herself! Just a few seconds! If she couldn't last that long, she was unworthy of the First Commander title!
COME!
Wu Baozhai stepped toward her and the world shook!
Meanwhile, the An Sisters flew before Xue Yifei and acted as her shield, using their Aquaflame Force to smash against the incoming arrows! Within three seconds, each sister had two arrows in each of their bodies, profusely bleeding from their seven orifices, but they held on and persisted!
Xue Yifei looked into the distance.
An ethereal figure was flying swiftly away, carried by a slender white sword. She vanished within a single breath.
Then, she looked upwards.
A fiery figure was distorting wildly as they seemingly couldn't quite get a grip on resisting the black hole, only able to muster enough to prevent himself from being sucked into it and turned into flaming spaghetti!
Then, she took a deep breath!
00:05.
She formed a hand-seal.
00:04.
Then, another.
00:02.
And finally, a last hand-seal!
00:01!
The Evercrown within the next second was going to be active!!!
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