Chapter 37: The Great Sage of the Xiyue Sacred Land Kneels in Supplication, the Supreme Dao Scripture, Chen Xiyue Arrives!

The two figures kneeling on the ground were none other than the two Great Sages of the Xiyue Holy Land: Saint Ancestor Ji Chun and Saint Ancestor Wu Xian.

They were drenched in blood, their flesh torn away to reveal their sacred bones, and their expressions shifted with agonizing intensity.

"Great Emperor, please, kill us quickly and leave at once! This place is perilously dangerous!" Ji Chun kept his head bowed, blood dripping from his body as he held up a jade slip with both hands.

Something had gone terribly wrong—a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions!

Wu Xian’s sacred body trembled slightly. He had never imagined such a disaster could befall the Xiyue Holy Land. A demonic abyss had erupted, releasing six Saint-level monsters, but that was not the most terrifying part. After the Great Emperor descended, they finally realized what those monsters were, and even more horrific creatures had crawled out from the depths.

Two Saint King-level monsters!

And within the abyss, they sensed an even more malevolent aura—one that made them feel as though resistance was entirely futile. They had fled here with their last ounce of strength, desperate to warn the Emperor. They were terrified; the Great Emperor had reached his twilight years and must not perish within their walls. The Xiyue Holy Land had already failed him—it was their fault. They had used the abyss and sought to suppress it, and now, this was the consequence of their sin.

***

The remaining Saints of the Xiyue Holy Land were bewildered. Why had their ancestors been reduced to this? Why did they want the Great Emperor to execute them and everyone associated with the Holy Land? They were confused, yet they could not sit idly by. They did not want to die, and a strange, unsettling feeling gnawed at them.

"Ancestors, what has our Holy Land done wrong? Why must we be destroyed?"
"Our Holy Land is innocent!"
"The Great Emperor has already killed our disciples, and now he wants to annihilate us too?"

The disciples clamored in protest. Xu Geng, kneeling on the ground, felt his heart tear. No, something was wrong—terribly wrong. The remaining Saints of their Holy Land were acting strangely. He chose to trust the Great Emperor and their ancestors. Trembling, he opened his mouth, wanting to speak.

At that moment, Li Xuan swirled his teacup, his gaze finally resting on Wu Xian and Ji Chun. He said calmly, "Rise. I will handle the mess left by an old acquaintance; there is no need for you to die."

He had come this time specifically to resolve the matters of the Xiyue Holy Land and to meet this old friend. As for Ye Bufan and the others, they were merely swept aside in passing. Ye Bufan had actually given him a surprise; if not for the fact that Ye Bufan’s master, the Saint Lord of Xiyue, had appeared at the Li family, he might not have discovered the true nature of the Xiyue Holy Land. Perhaps if he had waited for them to call for help, he would have been blindsided.

"Great Emperor," Ji Chun looked up, stunned. The Emperor intended to handle this himself? He didn't want to harbor doubts, but he was truly worried. The Great Emperor was in his twilight years—could he truly suppress such a chaotic uprising? He didn't know what lay in the depths of the abyss, but the power emanating from it made him tremble. It was not impossible that a peak Saint King existed within. If the Emperor suffered a mishap, it would be the end. The Supremes of the alien races would surely emerge, plunging the world into a slaughter.

Wu Xian took a deep breath, looked up at the Emperor, and bowed his head slowly. "Great Emperor, please, leave. Let us handle the affairs of the Xiyue Holy Land ourselves!" He, too, feared for the Emperor. The Emperor’s lifespan was nearing its end; he could not allow him to expend his strength and vitality for them. It was rumored that in their later years, Great Emperors would face ominous calamities. They had been wrong to summon him today. If the Holy Land was to be destroyed, so be it—it deserved it. But if the Great Emperor could not suppress the abyss, everything would be truly lost.

The Saints of the Xiyue Holy Land, naturally, did not understand the thoughts of their Great Sages. Beside them, the Saint Lord of Xiyue was deathly pale. She was wrong—so wrong! Their Holy Land was truly finished. Their foundation, the Great Sages, had been reduced to such a state, their flesh entirely stripped away.

"What Great Emperor? Kill him! He is no Emperor at all!"
"Our Holy Land is like this only because of him!"
"He is an evil spirit occupying an Emperor's body!"

The severed heads of the Xiyue disciples began to wail, their words intended to sow discord. Li Xuan swept his gaze over them, and in an instant, the heads turned to ash. On Duxiu Peak, the few remaining Saints and the Saint Lord looked on in shock. The Great Emperor had obliterated those heads! No, something was wrong.

*Gulp.*

Xu Geng swallowed hard. He realized that those heads had not been preserved by the Great Emperor! If the Emperor had meant to keep them, why would he let them stay to slander him? It made no sense. Then who was controlling them? A great panic rose in Xu Geng’s heart. Their disciples...

Wu Xian and Ji Chun’s expressions remained unchanged. Those disciples should have died long ago; the fact that they were still "alive" was only because someone wanted to smear the Emperor's name.

Li Xuan raised his hand and took the jade slip from Wu Xian and Ji Chun. Both men breathed a sigh of relief—as long as the Emperor took the slip, they would leave the rest to him. Li Xuan looked at the two Great Sages, feeling a bit speechless. Their unabashed gazes and worried expressions made it seem as though they viewed him as a bedridden old man incapable of action. He wanted to tell them he wasn't that weak, and he wanted to ask what gave them such an impression. He, the Xuan Emperor, was still in his prime!

"Great Emperor, please, leave quickly." Ji Chun bowed, standing up with a tremble. He forced a smile, though with little skin left on his face, the expression was terrifying.

Wu Xian saluted. "Great Emperor, thank you for coming to our Holy Land. It is we who have failed you." Thinking of the abyss and how they had treated the Emperor as an enemy, he felt profound shame. He knelt and kowtowed. "We respectfully send off the Great Emperor!" A wave of sacred power surged from him, and the other Saints immediately knelt, though they looked confused and angry.

"Shut up! All of you, hold your tongues! Otherwise, my Dao weapon shall not be merciful!" Xu Geng roared. He then bowed to Li Xuan. "We respectfully send off the Great Emperor!" Though he didn't know what was happening, he would understand once the Emperor left. He knew the Emperor could not be allowed to fail.

Ji Chun kowtowed again and straightened up. "Great Emperor, I beg you, once you leave, seal off the Xiyue Holy Land."

Li Xuan toyed with the jade slip, then suddenly laughed. "When did I say I was leaving?"

Everyone froze. Li Xuan nodded slightly, the jade slip vanished, and he looked at the gathered Saints. "You juniors really do underestimate people!" He raised his hand, gripped the air, and looked coldly at the Holy Land. "Is hiding in the shadows that satisfying?"

Li Xuan tightened his grip. Suddenly, from the Saint Lord, Su Wan, the other Saints, the disciples, and even Ye Bufan, grey, horrific, ghastly shadows were ripped out. Everyone watched in terror; they hadn't even realized these things were clinging to them!

*Gulp.*

The Saints of Xiyue swallowed hard, overcome by immense dread. How could these things attach to them without their knowledge? Even more terrifying, the countless ghosts merged into a single figure—a man with an ordinary face and an ordinary hat, smiling kindly at Li Xuan.

His cultivation: Peak Saint King!

Everyone stared in horror. He looked plain, yet they all knew he was a supreme powerhouse! Even Wu Xian and Ji Chun were chilled to the bone; they hadn't even noticed when he appeared. He had been attached to them too—and they were Great Sages!

"Greetings, Great Emperor." Cui Ning’s smile was full of confidence. "Great Emperor, today my master has prepared for you..."

*Snap.*

Li Xuan flicked his finger—the *Buddha-Slaying Sword Scripture: Demon Annihilation*. In an instant, sword energy sliced through Cui Ning’s head, but it passed through as if slicing through thin air. Cui Ning’s figure flickered. "Hahahaha! Great Emperor, you are truly the weakest Emperor. You want to kill me? Do you know the origin of the Dao scripture I cultivate?"

"Even the strongest Emperor could not kill me." Cui Ning leaned forward, laughing. "Truly the master’s bosom friend, I didn't expect you to be so naive..."

Li Xuan looked at Cui Ning as if he were a clown. "Do you think you’re brave? I thought you had some real tricks up your sleeve, but you’re just a jumping clown. I actually looked forward to a good show."

"Making me wait so long—boring and idiotic," Li Xuan said indifferently.

Cui Ning straightened up. "You think you’re so powerful..." He stopped mid-sentence. His throat tightened, his form dropped out of its special state, and blood gushed from his neck.

"Gurgle..." Cui Ning clutched his throat, grey matter spilling out alongside his blood. He stared at Li Xuan in disbelief. "How... how is this possible?!" His Dao scripture was a supreme, nameless text he had encountered in a dream—a scripture that allowed one’s body to transcend the world, making one untouchable by even the greatest of Emperors. And yet, his state of untouchability had been shattered by a single flick of the finger from the "weakest" Emperor?

"I told you, you are just a jumping clown," Li Xuan remarked.

Cui Ning’s face twisted in madness. "No, it’s impossible!" He stepped forward, his figure vanishing instantly to appear before a Saint of the Xiyue Holy Land, trying to merge into the Saint's body. But he failed. He stumbled back, staring at Li Xuan in sheer terror. "This... this..."

He couldn't even possess a body?!

Li Xuan sneered. "Ugly creature."

Li Xuan raised a finger. Cui Ning’s hair stood on end, his face turning pale. "Don't kill me! I can give you my Dao scripture! It is a supreme text that can help your cultivation reach the next level! You are in your twilight years—my scripture can help you live a second life! You could have infinite lifespan!"

Li Xuan laughed coldly. "Hiding underground like you, afraid to come out, and then occupying others' bodies? Weaklings absorbing flesh, the strong manipulating them? You are nothing but a disgusting parasite."

"I shall slay you as I would a dog."

Li Xuan's words made Cui Ning’s face contort. He couldn't stay calm! The worst part was that Li Xuan was right—that single finger had shattered his state, forced him to reveal himself, and done something that made possession impossible!

*Damn it!* Li Xuan was nothing like the rumors! Who the hell started the rumor that he was the weakest Emperor?! Cui Ning wanted to kill whoever had spread that lie! How could someone who could kill him with a flick of a finger be the weakest?

Cui Ning’s figure grew ethereal, blood still streaming from his neck. His expression shifted, and he suddenly knelt. "Great Emperor, I surrender! I am willing to be your dog!"

Cui Ning was terrified—his power was fading. He had no choice!

Ji Chun and the others stared at one another. Was the Emperor truly this powerful? With one finger, he had forced a Saint King to kneel and beg for his life as a dog!

*Gulp.* The Saint Lord of Xiyue felt her face drain of color, her emotions a complex tangle. *This* was the true demeanor of a Great Emperor. Unfortunately... she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Xu Geng gazed at Li Xuan with adoration. He knew the Emperor wouldn't be weak! The Emperor had ascended during the Darkest Turmoil! People thought he had picked up a bargain, but Xu Geng never believed it. If the Emperor were weak, how could he have survived the Supremes? He was strong—undoubtedly strong!

He stared at Cui Ning with hatred. This monster had used their disciples as fuel! He deserved to be torn to pieces!

[You have shocked the Child of Destiny, Ye Bufan. Obtained 999,999 Villain Points. Lifespan +999.]

Li Xuan’s expression remained calm as he looked at Cui Ning. "Oh, are you finished?"

Cui Ning’s face changed abruptly.

Just then, a voice echoed. "I beg the Great Emperor to spare his life."

Li Xuan looked over. Nine figures had appeared, surrounding them from all sides. A chill permeated everyone’s hearts. Two were beyond the Saint King realm—a level they couldn't even fathom! Two were Saint Kings, three were Great Sages, and two were Saints. Another two figures were walking toward Duxiu Peak.

One of them was hunched over, with white hair, deep wrinkles, and a grey, withered body. He looked at Li Xuan with a sense of nostalgia. "This old man greets the Great Emperor. Emperor, you are still so young."

*Cough, cough.*

The old man coughed. Li Xuan looked at him calmly.

"Chen Xiyue! Chen Xiyue, save me! Slaughter this Emperor! Eat him! We can live for another ten thousand years!" Cui Ning was ecstatic, looking at the old man. Chen Xiyue had arrived!

"Chen Xiyue... Brother Xiyue, it has been a long time. You’ve been plotting against me for so long, luring me here. I didn't expect you to actually show yourself." Li Xuan smiled at the old man.