The Qi Cultivation Emperor Who Snatches Brides, do you think you're funny?

The protector was running as fast as he could, his heart filled with the desire to escape, praying as he ran that the bell would work and give him a precious chance to live.

But to his surprise, the next moment, an overwhelming force suddenly came from behind him, and then he felt the connection between himself and the bell be severed instantly.

He looked back in horror and saw that the Dao Bell, which had originally exuded a majestic and ancient aura and on which he had placed great hopes, was flying back at an astonishing speed. Before he could react, the Dao Bell had already slammed into his chest.

With a muffled "thud," accompanied by the sound of bones shattering, a shocking hole instantly appeared in the protector's chest, and blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly staining his clothes crimson.

Blood gushed from the large hole like a spring, instantly staining his clothes red. It dripped from the hem of his garment, pooling on the ground. Each drop of blood seemed to count down the days of his life; the "drip-drop" sound was exceptionally clear and jarring in the silent environment, like the tolling of death's bell.

The protector stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his lips trembling as he tried to say something, but could only manage a series of gasping sounds.

The excruciating pain surged towards him like a tidal wave, almost overwhelming his consciousness, but at this moment, the instinct for survival still sustained him, making him unwilling to give up.

"How...could this be..." The protector managed to squeeze out these broken words through clenched teeth, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible.

He simply couldn't accept that his most relied-upon life-saving treasure had turned into a murder weapon that would take his life. This sudden change intensified his fear, and the shadow of death was now looming over him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

However, the protector was, after all, a member of the Seven Star Immortal Dynasty, and naturally carried many rare life-saving items with him.

He endured the excruciating pain and trembled as he took out several spiritual herbs emitting a strange light from his storage ring. These herbs were rare treasures in the world, which he usually cherished and was reluctant to use easily. But now that his life was hanging by a thread, he couldn't care less about such things.

Without hesitation, he stuffed all those medicinal herbs into his mouth and swallowed them with difficulty.

As the elixir entered his stomach, a gentle spiritual energy slowly spread throughout his body, temporarily stabilizing his rapidly fading life force. The gushing blood from his chest also gradually subsided, but the fatal wound remained, only giving him a temporary chance to catch his breath.

"I can't... just die like this..." The protector gritted his teeth, roaring inwardly, a resolute glint in his eyes. He knew that if he didn't make a final struggle now, death would be the only path awaiting him.

At that moment, he braced himself against his swaying body, turned around abruptly, raised his finger towards the direction of the Sage King Ancestor, and began to chant an obscure incantation.

In an instant, countless sharp sword energies shot out from his fingertips. These sword energies contained all the remaining spiritual power he possessed, and each one seemed capable of tearing through the void. With an indomitable momentum, they roared toward the Saint King Ancestor.

This was his final counterattack. Even though he knew it might not have much effect on the Sage King Ancestor, he was unwilling to sit idly by and wait for his death. Even if he could only slow down the opponent a little, it would be good.

At the same time, mysterious divine runes began to appear on the protectors' bodies, shimmering with brilliant light as if they contained some kind of magical power.

As the divine runes lit up, the protector's speed suddenly increased several times, and he transformed into a streak of light, rushing off in another direction. He tried to take advantage of the moment when the Saint King Ancestor was dealing with the sword energy to escape this certain death situation.

But when the Sage King Ancestor looked at the flying sword energy and the protectors who were trying to escape, he simply shook his head slightly, his eyes still filled with pity, as if he were looking at a pitiful person making a futile struggle.

He extended a finger and gently touched the whistling sword energy. A soft light emanated from his fingertip and instantly collided with the sharp sword energy.

To everyone's astonishment, the seemingly powerful sword energy melted away instantly upon contact with the gentle light, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun. It vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye, posing absolutely no obstacle to the Saint King Ancestor.

As for the protector, before he could escape very far, the Sage King Ancestor raised his hand again and gently pointed in his direction.

This seemingly casual gesture contained earth-shattering power. A dazzling beam of spiritual energy shot towards the protector like a rainbow piercing the sun, its speed reaching its limit. In the blink of an eye, it caught up with the fleeing protector.

The protector felt an icy chill, as if from the deepest hell, instantly envelop his entire body. He tried to dodge in terror, but the light was relentless and impossible to avoid.

"No..." the protector cried out in despair, but before the sound could be fully uttered, the spiritual light struck his back hard.

In an instant, the dazzling spiritual light struck the protector's back, unleashing an intensely bright burst of light. The light seemed to engulf the entire world in its terrifying power. As the light faded, the protector, who had been desperately fleeing, was now reduced to a solitary head suspended in the air. His body had been blasted to dust by the world-destroying force, vanishing into nothingness without a trace.

On the severed head, the protector's face was contorted with extreme pain and shock. His eyes were wide open, filled with horror, and his mouth was agape, trying to utter a sound, but due to overwhelming terror, he could only let out a series of weak "oohs." He looked both comical and pathetic. He never imagined that even after exerting all his strength, using every means to protect himself, and even resorting to the precious magical treasures and secret techniques bestowed upon him by the Seven Star Immortal Dynasty, he would still be so vulnerable before the Saint King Ancestor, meeting such a miserable end in the blink of an eye.

After a long while, the protector finally managed to recover. He struggled to move his eyes, looking at the Saint King Ancestor, who remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened. The shock and disbelief in his eyes intensified, his gaze filled with fear and confusion, as if he were looking at a monster from another world. "You... what realm are you at..." The protector managed to squeeze out these words through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse and trembling, each syllable revealing the despair and resentment deep within him. He simply couldn't accept that he had been defeated by such an unfathomable powerhouse, and so utterly defeated, without even a complete corpse left behind.

Upon hearing this, the Sage King Ancestor slightly raised his eyes and looked at the protector who was now only a head. His eyes still held a faint look of pity, as if he were looking at a naive and ignorant yet blindly arrogant child. He sighed softly and slowly said, "Didn't you guess it?" His voice was calm and steady, yet it struck the protector's heart like a heavy hammer.

"You... how could you... how could you possibly be a Saint King!" Upon hearing this, the protector seemed to have all his strength drained away. The horror in his eyes intensified, his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets. His voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost manic quality as he roared, "This... this is impossible! A Saint King, that's a legendary realm! In this era where even Quasi-Emperors and Great Emperors haven't appeared yet, a Saint King is an invincible existence! You... how could you be a Saint King? How could you possibly be a Saint King!"

The protector's heart was in turmoil, utterly unable to find peace. In his understanding, the Saint King realm was a realm existing only in ancient texts and legends passed down by word of mouth among his ancestors—a near-divine existence, possessing the power to manipulate events at will, controlling the very fabric of the universe. He had never imagined that one day he would actually encounter such a Saint King realm expert, and moreover, stand on the opposite side, becoming an ant that could be easily destroyed.

He recalled his previous mockery and disdain for the Sage King Ancestor, and an endless sense of regret welled up in his heart. How foolish he had been! Just because the other party was dressed simply and had no conspicuous magical treasures or accessories, he blindly assumed that the other party was just an opponent he could easily manipulate, and even shamelessly said that he would let the other party know the power of the Seven Star Immortal Dynasty. Now, thinking about it, it was simply the most ridiculous and absurd joke in the world.

"Why...why am I so unlucky to have offended someone like you..." the protector muttered to himself, his eyes filled with tears of despair. The tears slid down his cheeks, dripping into the void and instantly turning into specks of spiritual energy that dissipated. "I thought...as a protector of the Seven Star Immortal Dynasty, with the cultivation of the Nascent Soul Realm and the foundation of the Immortal Dynasty to rely on, I could walk around this Eastern Wilderness with impunity. Even if you were strong, you would only be slightly more powerful than me. But I never imagined...that you would actually be the high and mighty Saint King..."

Although his body was now reduced to a head, that head was trembling violently due to the intense emotional turmoil, each tremor seemingly exhausting all his strength. His thoughts were in complete chaos, alternating between fear of death, regret for his foolish actions, and shock and disbelief at the unfathomable power of the Sage King Ancestor. These intertwined emotions threatened to devour the last vestiges of his reason.

“In this world of cultivation, how many years has it been since a Saint King has appeared… I always thought it was just an unattainable legend, a goal to inspire us younger generations to cultivate continuously. But now… it has truly appeared before my eyes, and it is an enemy who wants my life…” The protector continued to roar, his voice echoing within the silent Star Glory Gate, filled with a deep-seated sorrow and despair. “I am not reconciled… How can I die at your hands like this? I haven’t yet made a name for myself on the Imperial Star, I haven’t yet brought greater glory to the Seven Star Immortal Dynasty because of me, I still have so many things to do…”

As he spoke, the protector's voice gradually weakened. He knew that no matter how unwilling or regretful he was, he could no longer change the outcome.

Faced with an invincible being like the Sage King Ancestor, he was like a candle flickering in the wind, which could be extinguished at any moment with a gentle breeze. His life had come to an end, and all that remained was to struggle and vent his inner emotions in vain in these final moments.

The Sage King Ancestor quietly observed the desperate and frantic appearance of the protector, shook his head slightly, and said softly, "Everything in this world has its cause and effect. Your Seven Star Immortal Dynasty, relying on its own strength, has wantonly bullied others and attempted to suppress the Li family, thus sowing the seeds of evil. Today, as a member of the Li family, I have come to seek justice, which is the cycle of cause and effect. Why are you so stubborn and unable to see the situation clearly, only adding to your suffering?"

Upon hearing this, the protector's lips twitched slightly. He wanted to refute it, but he didn't know where to begin.

Yes, from the very beginning, the Seven Star Immortal Dynasty, in alliance with the Star Glory Sect, had embarked on a wrong path in their attempt to deal with the Li family. However, they were blinded by their own pride and arrogance, never imagining that such a powerful entity would stand up to support the Li family, and even less expecting that the retribution would come so quickly and so tragically.

"So be it...so be it..." The protector gave a bitter laugh, the light in his eyes gradually dimming, a sign that the flame of life was about to be extinguished. "Today I die here, which can be considered as paying the price for the arrogance and ignorance of my Seven Star Immortal Dynasty...I only hope...that in the future, when the strong of my Seven Star Immortal Dynasty know of this, they will not repeat my mistakes..."

"No, that's not right!"

Jiang Liang's protector suddenly widened his eyes, looking at the Sage King Ancestor in disbelief.

"You, you say you're a servant of the Li family patriarch! This..."

"No, that's not right!" The protector's eyes widened suddenly, almost bulging out of the eyes on his remaining head, filled with disbelief. He seemed to have suddenly grasped something crucial, his voice sharp and piercing with extreme shock, "You, you said you were the servant of the Li family patriarch! This…"

At this critical moment between life and death, his mind became unusually active. The shock he had previously felt from the terrifying power of the Saint King Ancestor was now replaced by a frantic speculation about the Li family patriarch's realm. If the Saint King Ancestor, who could easily kill him, a Nascent Soul Realm expert, with a mere flick of his wrist, was merely a servant of the Li family patriarch, then what unfathomable and unattainable realm must the Li family patriarch himself possess?

At this thought, the protector felt a chill rise from the depths of his heart, quickly spreading throughout his body. The chill seemed to freeze his very soul, causing his body to tremble uncontrollably. His lips quivered, his eyes filled with terror and suspicion. He glared at the Saint King Ancestor with bloodshot eyes, and managed to utter, "Could it be...could it be that the Li family ancestor is also a Saint King? Or...perhaps an even more terrifying Quasi-Emperor?"

When the Sage King Ancestor heard the protector's guess, he simply shook his head slightly. His expression was neither affirmative nor negative, but it was precisely this attitude that made the protector feel increasingly cold inside, as if he were stepping into a bottomless abyss of darkness, and hidden in that abyss was a terrifying truth that could make the entire cultivation world tremble.

"You... what do you mean by shaking your head... could it be... could it be that the Li family ancestor is... a supreme being?" The protector's voice had completely changed, his words filled with a deep-seated fear and despair. He felt as if his liver and gallbladder were about to be shattered by this endless horror.

The Supreme Being is a realm that exists only in ancient legends. It surpasses Saint Kings and Quasi-Emperors, standing atop the Xuanhuang Emperor Star, almost like a god. Even if you search through all the current cultivation world records, there are very few records about the Supreme Being. The few words that are described are of an invincible figure who can destroy the world and rebuild the universe with a mere gesture.

If the Li family patriarch is indeed a supreme being, then everything the Seven Star Immortal Dynasty did to the Li family before was simply like throwing an egg against a rock, courting death.

They were like ants trying to shake a towering tree, laughable and pathetic. Now, retribution has come upon him, making him the first victim. But what's even more terrifying is that this may only be the beginning. What the Seven Star Immortal Dynasty will face next may be a catastrophe that could destroy the entire dynasty.

The protector's eyes were filled with despair. He stared blankly at the Sage King Ancestor, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He felt unwilling to die, worried about the future of the Seven Star Immortal Dynasty, and fearful of the unknown and powerful Li family ancestor.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but found that his throat was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, unable to utter a sound, only able to let out a series of wheezing sounds. He looked extremely miserable. (End of Chapter)