Chapter 1660 - A Show of Force
The Burning Moon God Emperor swiftly sensed his own loss of composure. He exhaled softly and his expression returned to normal.
His gaze swept across the entire area before coming to a halt when it alighted on Witch Chanyi’s body. After that, he gave a gentle wave of his hand.
The Moon Eaters withdrew their powers and the barrier dissipated.
Chanyi twirled around and after a thread of dark energy, that was so subtle that it was nearly imperceptible, surged through her body, she had already returned to Chi Wuyao’s side. Once again, she resumed her silent vigil behind her.
Though she had just resoundingly defeated a Moon Eater, an existence on the same level as her, whose cultivation was higher than her own, she displayed no pride or joy at her achievement. In fact, she did not even glance in Ji Daopian’s direction.
It was as if the outcome of their duel was only logical and reasonable. An ending that could not be any more common.
Thud!
Ji Daopian fell to his knees heavily, his head bowed low. He gritted his teeth as he said, “Royal father… Daopian is useless.”
“Rise, it was not your fault.” The Burning Moon God Emperor gave a dry chuckle. He gently raised a hand and a gentle but irresistible power pushed Ji Daopian to his feet. “On the contrary, your control over the Burning Moon divine power has increased yet again and your father is comforted by this fact.”
Ji Daopian raised his head, hot tears streaming down his face.
As a Moon Eater, he had caused disgrace to the Burning Moon Realm. But he was currently receiving affirmation and comfort rather than a furious glare and rebuke from the Burning Moon God Emperor.
When he rose to his feet, the frustration and humiliation he felt from being defeated had transformed into a grim determination to train and improve his cultivation with maximum intensity. He would soon gain complete control over the Burning Moon divine power and he resolved to never disappoint his father again.
The Burning Moon God Emperor had originally planned to use the result of the duel between Ji Daopian and Chanyi to gain an advantage in the situation. Yet the other party had managed to turn the tables on him in his own capital… and they had even defeated a Moon Eater! The force that formed the heart of the Burning Moon Realm, the strength that formed the spine of his king realm.
Even he had lost his composure for a brief moment.
However, in the blink of an eye, he looked completely calm and composed once more. His smile was as breezy as a gentle wind as he said, “I congratulate the Devil Queen. To think that you actually found such a prodigious talent. This king has rarely seen a person who can control darkness profound energy to such an extent. The Devil Queen truly has a good eye and great fortune. Looks like the position of Great Witch will soon be taken by someone else in a few years.”
The control Witch Chanyi showed over darkness profound energy in her battle with Ji Daopian was so shocking that it shook the world. It had exceeded the realm of all logic and common sense. Even the Burning Moon God Emperor, who thought that his control of darkness profound energy had reached the pinnacle, had to admit that he was not her match in this area.
From the perspective of any dark profound practitioner, this sort of special talent, or perhaps one should say freakish talent, would only be seen once every ten thousand years… No, it would be hard to find someone like this once every several hundred thousand years.
One could foresee that this new and freakishly talented Witch would definitely become the strongest Witch in the future as long as her talent was not damaged in any way… and she might very well become the future emperor of the Soul Stealing Realm. In fact, it was hard to see the upper limits of her strength in the future.
The battle that had taken place this very day was enough to violently shake the entire Northern Divine Region.
The Burning Moon God Emperor gave a heartfelt sigh of obvious envy and admiration. But Chi Wuyao only responded with an indolent chuckle as she said, “It definitely is this queen’s fortune to be able to obtain such a beautiful and obedient child like Chanyi. However, Chanyi’s talent isn’t considered spectacular amongst the Nine Witches and her cultivation is also the lowest. So how could I agree with the words ‘the position of the Great Witch will be taken by somebody else’?”
“Hahahaha.” The Burning Moon God Emperor let out a hearty laugh before shaking his head in response. “Devil Queen, this king has already seen what you wanted to show me with sufficient clarity. With enough clarity to shock me and fill me with jealousy. Is there any need for the Devil Queen to behave in such a manner?”
“Behave in such a manner?” Chi Wuyao slowly shook her head in the exact same manner as the Burning Moon God Emperor. “Burning Moon God Emperor, you waste your days and energy frolicking with women and it’s bad enough that you have caused the entire Burning Moon Realm to stagnate with you as well. But to think that you’re actually so naive as to believe that this queen is the same sort of person as you.”
“Yu Wu!” Chi Wuyao suddenly yelled in a deep voice.
Witch Yu Wu, who had been quietly and obediently standing behind Chi Wuyao, raised her head at this moment. She raised a small and delicate hand and made a gentle pushing motion.
Instantly, a beam of pitch-black light abruptly shot through the air and rushed towards the strongest Moon Eater, Fen Daozang. She had released that attack with such practiced ease that it seemed like the reflexive hissing of a devil snake.
Before this beam of dark devilish light had been released, the only thing the people of the Burning Moon Realm could sense was a ripple of dark energy so short that it could be ignored. But the attack was so strong and heavy that it caused the entire great hall to turn dark and cold instantly.
The smile on the Burning Moon God Emperor’s face immediately froze in place.
Fen Daozang did not get to his feet. His old eyes sank as he tried to grab the beam of black devilish light Witch Yu Wu had released.
However, the instant his hand was about to touch that black devilish light, it suddenly swerved like a darting snake even though Yu Wu had not done anything. After that, she closed her fingers and the beam of black light vanished into thin air.
It had vanished completely, without leaving a single trace of darkness behind.
Fen Daozang’s palm froze in midair, a look of shock spreading over his face.
As for the Burning Moon God Emperor… Not only did the smile on his face freeze, his entire face had also started to twist in shock. Feelings of shock and astonishment that were far more violent than before welled up in heart at this moment.
He had never seen Witch Chanyi before so he was convinced that she had been a freak that the Devil Queen had been immensely lucky to find. He was also sure that one of the reasons she had visited him today was to show her off.
However, this was not the first time he had seen Witch Yu Wu or even the first time he had seen her skills.
And the Witch Yu Wu he had seen back then most definitely could not handle darkness profound energy with such freakish proficiency!
He suddenly realized something in his extreme shock. The Soul Stealing Realm... had found a secret method to gain ultimate control over their darkness profound energy!?
Just Witch Chanyi alone had already broken all the laws of logic and common sense. But to think that even Witch Yu Wu would also...
If his conjecture was true, then the other Witches, especially the two Great Witches, and Chi Wuyao herself...
Once he thought of those things, the Burning Moon God Emperor felt his heart seize up as he felt a cold sensation suddenly permeate his body. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get rid of that sensation.
“Do you understand now, Burning Moon God Emperor?” Chi Wuyao gave a dry chuckle as she stared at the gaggle of tongue-tied Moon Eaters and Burning Moon Divine Envoys. She whispered in a languid and seductive voice, “Just because you chose to stagnate does not mean that others will also choose the same.”
“...” The Burning Moon God Emperor made no reply.
At this time, even the weakest prince or princess could sense the abnormality in the Burning Moon God Emperor’s eyes and aura.
The more powerful a person was, the higher the level they had reached, the better they would understand what such control over darkness profound energy meant.
His brain swiftly raced through his god emperor memories and the records of the Burning Moon Realm. In the entire history of the Burning Moon Realm, there had never appeared such a person who could control darkness profound energy to such an extent.
If the Soul Stealing Realm truly had found such a secret method that allowed all of their Witches to reach such a level, then the Soul Stealing Realm’s total strength could not simply be described by the word “breakthrough”. In fact… their strength had undergone a complete and genuine rebirth!
Even at the level of the king realms, the ultimate pinnacle of power in the universe, it could still be called a rebirth.
At this time, Fen Daozang suddenly started rising to his feet and took a single step forward. It was so heavy that it caused the entire hall to vibrate, causing every eye in the room to turn toward him.
“Devil Queen,” he said dryly, his tone heavy and solemn, “Could it be that you have come today to show off your might and intimidate us?”
As the grand uncle of the Burning Moon God Emperor, Fen Daozang could be said to be the person who understood the Burning Moon God Emperor the best in this world.
The Burning Moon God Emperor had always been an extremely prudent man. Before he made any major decisions, he had to research everything thoroughly and possess enough advantages before he agreed to do it. He was never willing to take large risks with no guarantees. In fact, he was always patient with good self-restraint, and it was very hard to provoke him to anger.
This was the path he had taken as an emperor, it had nothing to do whether it was right or wrong.
After Chi Wuyao had arrived, she immediately showed off Witch Chanyi, who seemed to possess a prodigious talent in handling darkness profound energy. Then she proceeded to show off Witch Yu Wu, who had undergone a world-shaking transformation, which would undoubtedly pluck at the Burning Moon God Emperor’s nerves.
From a certain perspective, one could say that Chi Wuyao’s current actions were fiercely jabbing at the Burning Moon God Emperor’s weak spots.
In any case, this was still Burning Moon Royal City. How could they allow the Soul Stealing Realm’s Devil Queen to keep intimidating them!? If news of this got out, their Burning Moon Realm would become a laughingstock! It would also be hard for them to raise their heads in front of the Soul Stealing Realm ever again.
Fen Daozang’s words caused the air in the great hall to thicken. The Burning Moon God Emperor’s brows twitched but he did not make any move to stop him.
“That’s right!”
Chi Wuyao’s tacit admission to Fen Daozang’s sudden and blunt question exceeded everyone’s expectations. She continued haughtily, “The reason why this queen came today was precisely to show off my might and intimidate you!”
The already heavy atmosphere completely froze the moment Chi Wuyao said those words.
“Hmph!” Fen Daozang took another step forward, causing the floor to violently shake. Imperious might welled up in his eyes and his voice turned as heavy as the tolling of a bell. “Devil Queen, this is Burning Moon’s capital, not your Soul Stealing Realm’s sacred region! Do you truly hold our Burning Moon Realm in such disregard!?”
“If you truly wanted to intimidate us, bringing along your Great Witches would have been enough. But based on your current entourage, it does not matter how talented they are! They are far from qualified to accomplish such a feat!”
When it came to age and seniority, he was the Devil Queen’s senior. When it came to the authority he held in the Burning Moon Realm, he was second only to the Burning Moon God Emperor. This was why his aura and attitude were still belligerent in front of Chi Wuyao.
Chi Wuyao had already gone so overboard with her outrageous behavior that their Burning Moon Realm would be nothing more than a cowardly tortoise hiding in its shell if they continued to tolerate it any further!
If the Burning Moon God Emperor was not willing to clash with Chi Wuyao head-on, he would do it!
How could they let anyone behave in such an outrageously arrogant manner in Burning Moon Royal City!?
“Not qualified?”
Chi Wuyao’s voice was soft and languid and no anger could be heard in it. She swept her eyes over Fen Daozang in a very indifferent manner. There was no heavy darkness in her eyes when she did that. On the contrary… they seemed to be filled with a mocking pity.
“Yu Wu, Chanyi,” she said in a calm voice. “This old man is saying that you’re not qualified enough. What do you think you should do?”
Chanyi and Yu Wu exchanged a single glance before they leaped into action. A fragrant breeze gently blew in the hall before they soared into the air and landed in front of Fen Daozang. They brandished their weapons, a golden sword and jade spike respectively, and pointed them towards Fen Daozang.
Fen Daozang was taken aback, but soon started laughing loudly. “Devil Queen, has your humiliation turned to rage!? Should these two little Witches truly be challenging this old one? Aren’t you afraid that this old one’s hand might slip and break one of the Devil Queen’s arms!?”
The control that Chanyi and Yu Wu had displayed over the power of darkness was indeed something that was incredibly shocking but their cultivation was still only at the eighth level of the Divine Master Realm in the end.
This was especially true for Witch Chanyi. Despite the fact that she had handed Ji Daopian a resounding defeat, she had also laid bare the upper limits of her strength.
As for Fen Daozang… As the number one Moon Eater in the Burning Moon Realm, he had reached the ninth level of the Divine Master Realm thirteen thousand years ago and his cultivation had already reached the very limits of the ninth level long ago.
Even though he would probably never be able to step into the ultimate realm of power that was the tenth level of the Divine Master Realm, he could be said to be invincible as long as it did not involve anyone who was at the level of a god emperor.
Putting aside the fact that both Yu Wu and Chanyi were level eight Divine Masters, even if they were newly-minted level nine Divine Masters, they still would not be able to defeat Fen Daozang if they attacked him in unison.
Yu Wu and Chanyi did not say a single word after Fen Daozang started laughing. They chose to launch a sudden attack.
As two dark auras suddenly erupted, two beams of cold light rent the air and pierced towards Fen Daozang as they left ripples of darkness in their wake.
There was no barrier isolating the rest of the hall from the battle this time, so those weaker Burning Moon Divine Envoys, princes, and princesses were violently shoved back the instant the Witches unleashed their power. After that, they panickedly circulated all of their energy to resist their might.
Fen Daozang gave a heavy snort. He did not even move his feet as he slowly pushed his old and withered hand forward, causing a dark energy field to soundlessly spread out.
An exceptionally heavy and muffled explosion shook the air and Yu Wu and Chanyi’s bodies suddenly froze in mid-flight. Their bodies had been forcefully immobilized under the effects of Fen Daozang’s dark energy field and even their darkness aura was being slowly devoured by it.
No matter how perfectly compatible they were with the darkness, there was still no way for them to overcome such a huge gap in power.
Fen Daozang gave a cold laugh before he yelled in a deep voice, “Do you really believe that two of you, little Witches who haven’t even grown their teeth out yet, have the qualifications to behave so arrogantly in front of this old one!?”
He flipped his palm in the air, causing the dark energy field to violently swell and forcing Yu Wu and Chanyi backwards. “Hurry up and run back to your Soul Stealing Realm!”
This was the capital’s main hall after all. If he were to go all out, he would only damage his own capital city. However, Fen Daozang’s move had showed his divine might and the insurmountable gap between him and the two Witches.
At this time, Yun Che, who had been quietly seated, slowly rose to his feet.
Whoosh!
A cold and dark wind suddenly blew into the hall. It was not a very strong wind but it engulfed every inch of the great hall in the blink of an eye… In fact, it had actually spread inside Fen Daozang’s dark energy field!
His robes started fluttering in this dark wind. His head was slightly bowed and his face was cold and impassive. Only his long hair was dancing in the air but every strand of his hair was wreathed in an extremely dense, pitch-black devilish energy.
The Burning Moon God Emperor snapped his head toward Yun Che and all of the eyes in the hall also started to focus on Yun Che at this very moment… As his dark hair danced in the breeze, black formation markings slowly started to appear on his body.
At the same time, the same black formation markings also appeared on Yu Wu and Chanyi’s bodies.