“How infuriating!” Zhang Mo humphed as he lashed out with his sword.
He had nothing to worry about, and it didn’t matter to him whether this was the Ding Clan and whatnot. A brilliant Sword Ray that stretched for almost 300 meters instantly wreaked havoc and destruction.
“Head out to fight!” Ding Ping roared.
If they were still in the small world, they could naturally soar into the sky to fight. However, their only option right now was to head outside.
“Petty kindness!” Zhang Mo couldn’t care less. In his eyes, the people here were still ants from the small world. Before, they would still be useful as ingredients of the Realm Pill. Now, however, they had even lost this tiny amount of usefulness. That being the case, he had absolutely nothing to worry about.
Boom!
Buildings were destroyed and people were killed as the devastating Sword Ray swept through the Ding Clan. This was an overwhelming power.
“Damn you!” Ding Ping roared. He unleashed his full battle prowess as he charged toward Zhang Mo. He had to prevent him from indiscriminately massacring people.
Chapter 1081 - March of the Rebels
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Ding Ping battled against Zhang Mo.
In terms of cultivation, Ding Ping was six minor levels below Zhang Mo. However, after unleashing all of his abilities, his battle prowess was surprisingly no weaker than that of Zhang Mo. In fact, due to his outstanding stamina and the limitless power of the nation, he could easily outlast Zhang Mo if they were to fight a drawn-out battle.
The two of them continued to battle, and the Ding Clan’s residence was transformed into a pile of rubble in no time at all. At least a third of the clan members had already been killed by the shock waves of the battle.
Zhang Mo became more and more astonished as the battle progressed. He had initially thought that he would be able to easily capture Ding Ping. However, his opponent’s battle prowess had far exceeded his expectations. If the battle continued in this direction… perhaps he would lose!
This fact drove him crazy.
So be it if he couldn’t defeat Ling Han. That person was a freak, after all. In fact, even his master, his master’s master, and the prodigies from the Immortal Realm couldn’t defeat him. However, even Ling Han’s disciple turned out to be so ferocious and powerful. How could he endure such humiliation?
“Heh, who would’ve thought? Not only is Ling Han freakish, but even his disciple is not someone to be underestimated!” A beautiful woman descended from the sky. There was a pair of wings on her back, and as they flapped lightly, they allowed her to soar in the sky.
These wings had been useless in the small world as all those at or above the Flower Blossom Tier possessed the ability to fly. However, everything was different in the Immortal Realm.
Only those who reached the Heavenly Body Tier could glimpse the secrets of heaven and earth, and thus gain the ability to roam the skies.
However, how many cultivators at the Heavenly Body Tier did the entire Joint Peace Planet have?
Thus, having wings in the Immortal Realm would allow one to realize the dream of flying at least several million years before others.
This woman was Dong Ling’er, an excellent disciple of the Cloud Phoenix Sect.
Due to the Spiritual Qi environment of the Immortal Realm, and due to the fact that they had arrived after opening the sky, the group of prodigies that Dong Ling’er was a part of had been blessed with fortune by heaven and earth. Of course, their blessings were similar to what other ordinary people had received, and couldn’t be compared to Ling Han’s. Even so, all of them had already reached the ninth layer of the Shattering Void Tier.
“Humph! Enough with the sarcastic remarks. Help me suppress this brat!” Zhang Mo was extremely displeased.
Dong Ling’er smiled, and said, “Wasn’t someone brimming with confidence just then and saying that they wouldn’t need any help?” Her battle prowess was no weaker than that of Zhang Mo, and she could even fly on top of that. Thus, she naturally wasn’t afraid of Ding Ping fleeing from their grasp.
Zhang Mo humphed, and said, “Rubbish! Why don’t you try to battle him yourself?”
This brat was almost as freakish as Ling Han had been. He possessed a body of incredible power that Zhang Mo barely dared to face head on.
“Letting him flee will only lead to more trouble. We need to dispose of this brat as soon as possible. There are still several Shattering Void Tier cultivators in the Imperial Capital, after all.” Dong Ling’er didn’t throw any more barbs, and immediately jumped into the battle.
“There’s no need to be afraid of the Shattering Void Tier cultivators. It’s that old dragon that we need to remain wary of,” Zhang Mo said.
“Many of our seniors have already broken through to the Immortal level. Once they join forces, that old dragon is nothing to worry about!” Dong Ling’er was extremely ruthless, with each of her attacks aiming to cripple Ding Ping.
In any case, they only needed a temporary puppet to ascend the throne. Thus, it would naturally be of no importance whether this puppet could cultivate or not.
There was turmoil in Ding Ping’s mind as he listened to their exchange.
He knew that his opponents were purposefully saying this for him to hear—their aim was to crush his fighting spirit. However, they would never have imagined that Ling Han had suddenly returned, and even created four Mountain River Tier cultivators in a mere three months!
Right now, there were close to 10 beings who had Immortal level power in the Imperial Capital. Moreover, the battle prowess of Ling Han and the Asura Demon Emperor was more so at the consummate level of the Mountain River Tier.
Taking into account the massive gulf in power after reaching the Immortal Realm, Ling Han could easily suppress these people with a single finger.
‘Hold on!’ Ding Ping said in his mind.
If he fled, would his opponents become wary and delay their attack? His master didn’t have the spare time to muck around with these small fries. Their aim was to journey through the entire Immortal Realm!
‘It’s decided, then!’
Ding Ping suddenly retreated, only defending and not attacking. “I’m willing to cooperate with you guys. However, you must guarantee that you won’t hurt me or cripple my cultivation!”
“Hmm?” Dong Ling’er and Zhang Mo exchanged a glance. They could see the strange look in each other’s eyes.
‘Why is this brat suddenly surrendering?
‘Is it because he knows that he has no chance of winning against the two of us? Hehe, humans are afraid of death, after all. This brat is only in his teens, so such kind of fear will only be stronger. As a youth, he still has many lofty ambitions, so he naturally won’t want to die.’
“Fine!” Dong Ling’er and Zhang Mo both nodded in agreement. Ding Ping was only at the Shattering Void Tier, and as long as they brought him back, there would be many elites at the Immortal level to keep him in check. This place wasn’t the small world, where elites at the Immortal level would be suppressed. Here, they could unleash their full strength!
In front of elites at the Immortal level, those at the Shattering Void Tier were nothing but trash!
Ding Ping barely uttered any words before he left with Dong Ling’er and Zhang Mo. They didn’t use force to restrain him, either. Both parties displayed a certain amount of sincerity.
They traversed mountains and crossed rivers, eventually entering a lively and bustling city. This was where the five sects had headquartered.
Sure enough, truly powerful forces secluded themselves in cities. All this while, the Rain Emperor and the others had been searching for the survivors of the five sects in secluded mountains and seas. Who would’ve thought that they would be blatantly living in such a bustling city?
He followed Dong Ling’er and Zhang Mo’s lead and entered a large manor. There was even a naturally formed lake in this manor, a
nd the warm sunlight rippled across the surface of the water, making the already splendid environment appear even more tranquil.
“He who understands the times is a wise man.” The Sword King appeared, yet he had already reached the Mountain River Tier at this moment. He didn’t suppress his aura, and the sword intent exuded from his body was almost tangible, forming rings of sword shadows around his body. A casual flick from these sword shadows could easily kill a cultivator at the Shattering Void Tier.
He had already been informed about the events just then by Dong Ling’er and Zhang Mo. His suspicion hadn’t been raised—it had only been a short two years, after all. Ling Han definitely hadn’t returned yet, and the strength of the Imperial Capital definitely wouldn’t have seen any significant improvements, either.
On the contrary, how many people had the five sects sealed away using the Time Liquid in these past 10,000 years? After ascending to the Immortal Realm, at least one-tenth of them had broken through. Right now, they had almost 40 elites at the Immortal level!
This was an overwhelming force, and the only person that they were still wary of was Helian Tianyun. That old dragon was extremely freakish, and after reaching the Mountain River Tier, his battle prowess was definitely terrifying.
“Tell us everything you know,” the Sword King said. He had to learn all he could about Helian Tianyun. Only then would he be able to form a flawless plan.
Ding Ping didn’t hesitate, and spilled everything he knew about Helian Tianyun… from three months ago. The information was so detailed that even the Sword King was astonished. ‘Brat, aren’t you a little too cowardly? We’re not even torturing you, yet you’re already spilling your guts!’
The five sects also had some information on Helian Tianyun, and after comparing it against what Ding Ping had told them, they discovered that Ding Ping had told them the absolute truth.
They believed Ding Ping’s intel. They concluded that Ding Ping was still too young, and was thus more worried about his own life and wellbeing.
Since Ding Ping cooperated so readily, they didn’t give him any more troubles. Perhaps they could use him as their dog in the future. After all, he was at the Shattering Void Tier.
They decided to launch their main assault on the Imperial Capital in 10 days.
In the past few months, they had already contacted and joined forces with numerous other forces. All they were waiting for was to launch the final attack.
Time flew by, and 10 days passed in a flash. Ding Ping obediently led the five sects, entering the city gates and marching through the Imperial Gates. They sneaked into the Imperial Palace, with several other forces gradually joining their rebel army.
Ruling an empire required more than just tens or hundreds of people, after all.
The rebel army quickly ballooned to several thousand strong, their might increasing by the minute.
Chapter 1082 - Obliterated with a Single Punch
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The rebel army charged into the Imperial Palace, and the guards continually retreated, not even daring to oppose them.
This caused the rebels to become especially smug. They were far too powerful, so powerful that even the imperial guards fled upon catching wind of their arrival.
Although the elites from the five sects didn’t believe that the Imperial Palace was genuinely this weak, they didn’t give it a second thought. After all, they had sent their most powerful forces this time, with their army consisting of 37 elites at the Immortal level.
What could Helian Tianyun do about them? If they sent 30 elites after him, they would be able to defeat him no matter what, right? In the meantime, the remaining seven elites would be able to sweep through the Imperial Palace. Were it not for the fact that they needed more than just a few people to rule the empire, the five sects definitely wouldn’t have allied themselves with so many other forces—these forces didn’t even have cultivators at the Shattering Void Tier.
One side was advancing with irresistible might, and one side was collapsing into a disastrous heap. Ding Ping naturally knew that this was Ling Han cooperating with them. His aim was to destroy all of the rebels in one fell swoop. This time, they definitely had to exterminate all future threats.
It wasn’t long before the rebel army advanced into the depths of the Imperial Palace, arriving before the “Hall of Righteous Harmony”.
This was the heart of the Imperial Palace—the hall where officials discussed affairs, and above which the totem of the empire was placed.
This hall signified the power and rule of the Great Ling Empire. If it collapsed, the power of the nation would suffer a critical blow.
Thus, even if Ling Han was trying to lure them into a trap, he couldn’t retreat any more once they reached this hall.
Feng Po Yun, the Rain Emperor, Murong Qing, and Helian Tianyun all appeared before the hall. Meanwhile, the guards of the Imperial Palace stood behind the four of them, drawing their sabers and wearing expressions of firm determination.
“Hehe, bunch of pushovers!” an elder from the five sects said with a chuckle. His name was Situ Jian, and he had been sealed away for several thousand years. He hadn’t been awoken even when Ma Duo Bao had charged into the five sects. This was because quite a number of them hadn’t been “buried” in the five sects.
He had only been awakened after arriving in the Immortal Realm, and thus he naturally didn’t know how powerful Ling Han was. He simply felt that the younger generations were too weak, not even being able to defeat this small country bumpkin.
“Dog, tell me your name!” Helian Tianyun roared. His tongue was the most toxic out of everyone present.
“Heh, so what if you’re a descendant of the True Dragons. Your battle prowess can surpass four stars at most. Don’t tell me that you’re a five-star genius of the legends?” Situ Jian waved his hand, and continued, “Follow the plan and suppress this sinful dragon first! He’s got the bloodline of a True Dragon! That’s incredibly nutritious!”
29 people immediately stepped forward to stand together with Situ Jian. They had naturally devised a plan already; these were the people tasked with dealing with Helian Tianyun.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. 30 powerful cultivators at the low extreme of the Mountain River Tier!” Helian Tianyun chuckled coldly, and said, “However, you guys have mistaken something. Because… I’m not the only elite at the Immortal level.”
Feng Po Yun, the Rain Emperor, Murong Qing, and the Rock Spirit all stepped forward, no longer suppressing their own auras. Might that was unique to Immortals instantly enveloped the entire area.
‘What!?’
The five sects, along with their lapdogs, all cried out in astonishment. When had the Great Ling Empire suddenly gained four more elites at the Immortal level? This completely ruined their plans.
“Humph, you people, how has the Great Ling Empire mistreated you?” the Rain Emperor questioned. “If it weren’t for Fourth Brother opening the sky, you people would’ve only been able to await death in the small world, suffering the fate of being refined into a pill. However, you people are actually siding with the five sects now? Does your conscience not hurt?”
Looks of embarrassment appeared of the faces of many people. However, many more people replied with cold chuckles.
As the saying went, he who understood the times was a wise man.
Ling Han had been taken away as a hostage, leaving the Great Ling Empire with only one Immortal level elite— okay, fine, there were five now. However, this was still nothing compared to the five sects.
So, should they choose to die alongside the Great Ling Empire, or should they choose to prosper alongside the five sects?
This was the Immortal Realm, after all, so they didn’t need to worry about being refined into a Realm Pill any longer. As such, they had no fundamental conflict with the five sects, meaning that there was naturally room for mutually beneficial cooperation.
“This is slightly be
yond my expectations. However, you people have only just advanced into the Immortal level. Hehe, sending out five more Immortal level elites will suffice.” Situ Jian was taken by surprise, yet he quickly regained his composure.
He wasn’t the strongest elite in the five sects, but he was the oldest. Thus, he became one of the leaders of this rebellion.
“Is this all of you?” The Rain Emperor swept his gaze over the rebels. He had noticed the turmoil hiding beneath the surface of peace in the Imperial Capital since long ago. Meanwhile, the rebellious forces that had appeared were largely within his expectations. In fact, there were a few who had hidden themselves extremely well and not left any clues at all.
However, was this all of them?
“We’re more than enough to deal with you weaklings!” Situ Jian chuckled coldly, and said, “However, before this, I still need to kill one disobedient person!” He looked toward Ding Ping.
The Great Ling Empire actually had four other Immortal level elites, yet Ding Ping hadn’t told them anything about this. It was clear that he had purposefully withheld this information.
“Kill him!” Situ Jian ordered coldly. “He’s just the sacrifice we need for our flag!” He was a hawk, and believed that they should directly change the flag of the empire after annihilating the Rain Emperor and the others. There was absolutely no need for them to use a puppet emperor as a buffer.
However, he was only one of many leaders, so he couldn’t act as he pleased. Now that Ding Ping had tricked them, he saw an opportunity to advance his case.
Peng!
Ding Ping was tossed out. Although his battle prowess was impressive, he was still helpless against strength at the Immortal level.
“Kneel!” Situ Jian said coldly. He was going to behead Ding Ping before everyone else.
“Pei!” Ding Ping spat, not afraid of Situ Jian in the least.
“I’m telling you to kneel!” Situ Jian raised his voice, his eyes sinister and radiating with might that was unique to Immortals. He was going to break Ding Ping’s mind and force him to submit.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 555