Chapter 1933: The Lie
Wu Hong calmly pointed at the spearhead coming toward her, and a magic circle surrounded it. Then, the chains fell to the ground, with their aura dissipating. Liang Zhelang's expression turned grave; she immediately mobilized her power again, but it was useless.
"How is that possible?"
Wu Hong calmly looked at her. The power of knowledge is infinite. So, now that she knew the source of the Genesis Artifact, she only needed to use a seal that targeted Grandmist Wheels. Of course, if Liang Zhelang had any experience fighting capable Emperors, the process would not have been so easy, but there are no "ifs" in battle.
Wu Hong took one step and appeared in front of Liang Zhelang. With a thought, she manipulated all the blood inside the Saintess' body, instantly draining all her life force. "That death substitute technique seems to be the only decent skill she has in her arsenal," she thought before looking in the distance.
A Dao Sea appeared in the distance before rapidly condensing into Liang Zhelang's body. The Saintess looked at her enemy with venomous eyes. "You made me do this." Without any hesitation and one swift motion, Liang Zhelang ripped her heart from her chest. Holding the still beating heart, a dark red gem flew from her space ring into the heart.
Wu Hong immediately frowned; the gem gave her a familiar feeling. "Is that the power of destruction?"
Roar!
A creature had grown from Liang Zhelang's heart, and to Wu Hong's surprise, it looked exactly like the Destructo Race.
"Are you insane?" Wu Hong asked. The Destructo Race was a power that destroyed an entire timeline. Three Saints had disappeared when they tried to find the source. Yet, a weak little Paragon thought she could control its power? Insanity might not be the right word to describe her.
"Insane? Hahaha, maybe I am," Liang Zhelang laughed. "Those disgusting Qi Paragons have already sullied our name with their lies. Since our reputation is already ruined, why not embrace it?"
"What are you talking about?" Wu Hong frowned.
"You don't know? Well, I shouldn't be surprised," Liang Zhelang sneered. "Those disgusting liars claimed that the Emperor Path summoned the Red Cloud in a desperate attempt to save our lives when it was the opposite.
"The Emperor Path was destined to flourish, to be the dominant force of the world — it was the trend of Heaven and Earth. However, the Three Virtue Paragon could not accept such a fate; he fought desperately to preserve his Path. But his effort was in vain; one man alone cannot defy fate.
"And when the Supreme Emperor sanctified, he knew the war was over. So, in a desperate attempt, he and the Five Element Harmony Paragon worked to make a deal with a higher being. I don't know what they exchanged, but soon afterward, both of them were sanctified.
"Finally, they had the power to reverse their path's fate, but before they could succeed, the Red Cloud showed up. The Supreme Emperor — despite what they've done, despite years of animosity — put everything aside for the sake of the world. But these two bastards still left plans behind to ruin the Emperor Path and blamed us."
Liang Zhelang laughed manically. "Since the world already blamed us, we should embrace the lie."
Wu Hong frowned. It was hard to tell the truth since both sides are bound to be biased. However, there is one thing she did believe: the Emperor Path was the trend of Heaven and Earth. There are infinite timelines, but if someone were to count them, 99.99% would be dominated by the Emperor Path.
"I must end this fight as soon as possible," Wu Hong thought. After everything she had experienced, she had realized one thing: a powerful entity was behind the Red Cloud — maybe even more than one — and their power was at least in the Saint Realm. More importantly, this stupid Saintess has tried to use their power, and with Wu Hong's understanding of Saints, she might soon be turned into one of their vessels.
"Hahah, why are you silent? Are you devastated that the people you spend so much time and effort protecting are nothing but liars? Or no, maybe you're just scared of my new toy?"
Wu Hong calmly pointed at Liang Zhelang, and an array of golden chains manifested above them. The Emperor Dao Saintess's facial expression suddenly changed. "That power — the Destiny Hope Array? Impossible. Isn't it only that bastard Long Aojing who can use it?"
Wu Hong did not answer her. Instead, she controlled the golden shield to embed itself deep into Liang Zhelang's body, slowly sealing her strength. Of course, the Saintess fought back — and desperately. Unfortunately, even the artificial Destructo Emperor she had created was a match for the Destiny Hope Array.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it," Liang Zhelang yelled. "You want to seal me? In your dream."
Wu Hong sensed something and hurriedly accelerated the process, but it was too late. Liang Zhelang did not hesitate to destroy her [Existence], killing herself.
"Is this really necessary?" Wu Hong asked as she watched her body dissipate.
"The Emperor Dao Holy Land can only have one Saintess, and I refused to give up my position," Liang Zhelang calmly stated. "I lived all my life pursuing the destiny of reviving the Emperor Path. I've come so far, and I refused to be the backseat to someone else. I would rather die."
Wu Hong squinted. "Such drive, ambition, and determination — I take back what I said: you are indeed a Great Emperor."
"I don't need your acknowledgment."
"And I don't need your permission to give it."
Liang Zhelang paused before laughing lightly. "That's right. An Emperor never needs permission. Our will takes precedent over everything. I should have taken over the holy land and been forced to do my bidding. It's a pity I was never brave enough."
Liang Zhelang's body dissipated, and a deep sigh echoed immediately afterward. The phantom of a young woman with an empty eye socket appeared in the room. She glanced at the dissipating particles of Liang Zhelang. "Saintess, the day you chose the Dao of Manipulation, I warned you that a terrible fate awaited you. Maybe, this isn't such a bad ending for you."
The projection of the All-Seeing Empress sighed for a second time before turning to Wu Hong. She cupped her hand: "Han Guo, Master of Destiny Peak, meet the Saintess."
"I'm not your Saintess."
"Some things are destined," Han Guo replied. "Saintess, if you want to achieve all your goals, if you ever want to leave this timeline, the best choice for you is to take command of the Emperor Dao Holy Land."
Wu Hong squinted.
"Don't worry, we won't force you. On the contrary, we will wait patiently for your arrival. But as I said, some things are destined." Han Guo's projection dissipated, leaving Wu Hong with a thought for a few seconds. She then turned around and asked: "What is it?"
"Don't you owe me an explanation?" Long Aojing slowly revealed himself from the corner. "Why can you use the Destiny Hope Array?"
"I should be the one asking for an explanation," Wu Hong sneered. "How did Liang Zhelang get inside this place?"
"Didn't you say it yourself? She used an Array Breaking Talisman?"
"Such an explanation can only fool someone like Nie Rouxin. You and I know that if someone didn't leave a tiny flaw, she wouldn't be able to break through unless she used the power of a Saint. So, tell me, who left the flaw?"
"I don't like what you're insinuating," Long Aojing replied, his expression as calm as possible.
"Then, where did the flaw come from?"
"I don't know. Maybe it happened by accident when I was rushing to the battlefield."
"Is that so?" Wu Hong gave him a knowing look. "Well, maybe I'm too sensitive." Now was not the time to fall out with Long Aojing. The Array Spirit favors him, and in the case of a fall out, there is a higher chance that she chose him over Wu Hong. And if he uses the array, Wu Hong was not confident she could win. So, after defusing the tense atmosphere, she walked away.
"Wait!"
"Is there anything else?"
"Where is Xin'er?"
Wu Hong casually threw the seal containing Nie Rouxin before teleporting away. Long Aojing caught the small sphere with his left hand while his right hand clenched tightly. Now was not the time to fall out with this woman. The main body was still fighting an invasion, and this projection had only half its power.
More importantly, the projection had just experienced how powerful Wu Hong was. In all his life, he had never seen such a powerful Emperor cultivator: from her techniques, skills, mindset, and strategy — they were all at the highest level. Even her battle IQ and experience — which are things that Long Aojing had prided himself on as the best among his peers — had reached a level he could not fathom.
"Can the main body defeat her?" He wasn't sure — especially since she could also use the Destiny Hope Array.