Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

Layer upon layer of sword energy blocked Liang Yanqing, trapping him in an illusion. His martial appearance was frozen, and he was unable to move an inch, becoming a sitting duck!

Without any unnecessary moves, Su Mu wielded the Qu Guang sword and thrust it straight out with unparalleled precision!

puff!

The extremely sharp, top-grade longsword easily pierced through the remaining protective light shield and instantly pierced Liang Yanqing's head!

This is the terrifying boost brought about by the Enlightenment Pill!

Previously, Su Mu needed to use his trump card, the God-Slaying Finger, to severely injure a mid-stage Martial Emperor.

Now, with just the ultimate swordsmanship and the Divine Soul Illusion, one can directly kill a mid-stage Martial Emperor!

He even decisively killed a late-stage Martial Emperor right in front of him!

The moment his head was pierced, Liang Yanqing's illusion shattered and his consciousness returned, and the extreme fear of death instantly swept over his mind.

Knowing that his physical body was ruined, he immediately desperately activated his source, forcing out his Xuanling, which he had nurtured for many years, in an attempt to escape with a glimmer of hope.

In that instant, the cyan lightning chain that had been flung away suddenly turned back and precisely wrapped around Su Mu's protective light shield!

Although it did not directly bind his physical body, it locked his body, preventing him from using the teleportation technique again and making it difficult for him to chase after the fleeing Xuanling!

"Break it!"

Su Mu's eyes flashed sharply, and he shouted!

A myriad of sword lights instantly gathered around him, then suddenly exploded, unleashing an endless barrage of sword energy that swept in all directions!

At the same time, Qu Guang Sword slashed with all its might, unleashing a torrent of sharp sword intent that slammed fiercely into the lightning chain!

Snap!

The thick, sturdy cyan lightning chains snapped inch by inch in an instant and vanished into the world!

But just as the lightning chain shattered, an extremely domineering destructive force crashed down!

Duan Jin had already closed in, wielding a bronze staff, and unleashing the full power of a late-stage Martial Empress, smashing it fiercely towards Su Mu's head!

With his body locked in place and no time to dodge completely, Su Mu could only forcefully turn his head to avoid vital points!

Bang! ! !

The incredibly heavy club slammed solidly into his left shoulder!

The seemingly indestructible protective shield shattered instantly, and the terrifying force pierced through all defenses!

A sharp pain instantly swept through his body, and Su Mu's figure fell like a meteor, crashing onto the ground of the palace!

Boom! ...

The earth trembled violently, dust and debris shot into the sky, and a deep crater was smashed into the ground!

The entire palace shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck!

Chai Min, Ding Chao, and everyone else felt a sudden chill in their hearts, their faces turned pale, and they were filled with fear and anxiety.

The full-force attack of a late-stage Empress Wu was terrifyingly powerful; no one believed that anyone could withstand it!

But the next second, a purple-gold flame suddenly shot up from the deep pit!

Su Mu stepped into the air and rose into the sky, his figure once again standing tall in the sky!

His clothes on his left shoulder were torn, but there was not a trace of blood. His body was engulfed in purple-gold flames that burned fiercely without weakening. He was surrounded by Daoist charm and had an imposing aura. His eyes were becoming more and more domineering and sharp, just like an invincible war god!

It appeared to have withstood a severe blow, but in reality, it was completely unharmed!

Duan Jin's pupils contracted sharply as he stared intently at Su Mu, his brows furrowed, his expression filled with disbelief. He whispered in a low voice:

"His physical body is so incredibly strong, it's simply unbelievable!"

Duan Jin hovered high in the air, his brows furrowed, his heart filled with disbelief.

He was well aware of his own situation. Even though he was rejected and suppressed by the rules of the Tianyuan Continent and could not fully mobilize the power of nature, he was still a genuine late-stage Martial Emperor.

That powerful blow just now landed squarely on Su Mu's shoulder, and in theory, it would have been enough to severely injure any cultivator at the Martial Emperor level!

Yet Su Mu remained undeterred, standing tall in the sky, showing no signs of weakness.

Duan Jin had no idea that Su Mu was not unharmed, but his injuries were not serious.

Su Mu's Imperial Body was incredibly powerful, but it never transformed into a top-tier divine body, and he was not truly immortal.

As a veteran late-stage Martial Emperor, Duan Jin wielded a bronze staff that was a low-grade Heaven-rank killing treasure, far surpassing the power of a top-grade Earth-rank magic weapon.

Su Mu could easily withstand a typical top-tier Earth-rank attack with his Overlord Body, remaining unscathed. However, a full-force strike from a low-tier Heaven-rank magic weapon combined with his Divine Embryo power ultimately broke through his physical defenses, leaving him with injuries.

"The divine embryo's power driving the heaven-rank magic weapon is indeed fierce and domineering."

Su Mu suppressed the stinging pain in his shoulder, sighing inwardly, while trying his best to stabilize the turbulent blood and qi in his body, so as not to let the injury affect his mind.

slam-la-

Lightning surged in the void, and a second thick chain of lightning suddenly condensed, carrying booming thunder, and once again rushed towards Su Mu!

Su Mu stepped on the Nine Palaces Soaring Void Step, his figure elusive and illusory. He dodged the lightning chain lock and attack, and instead of retreating, he advanced, rushing straight at the remaining Liang Yanqing Xuanling and Wu Xiang!

At that very moment, three figures soared through the air and arrived above the palace.

Chai Min, Chang Wei, and Ding Chao appeared together, tacitly dividing the tasks.

Chai Min leaped forward to intercept, forcefully blocking the path of the lightning chain and preventing Su Mu from being attacked from both sides.

Chang Wei and Ding Chao joined forces and headed straight for the early-stage Martial Emperor who had come with Duan Jin, keeping him firmly occupied.

The three acted swiftly, but none of them dared to provoke Duan Jin directly.

The difference between the middle and late stages of Emperor Wu's reign may seem like only a small rank, but in reality, they are worlds apart.

In a normal battle, a late-stage Martial Emperor could easily suppress a mid-stage Martial Emperor with a mere wave of his hand, without any suspense.

The higher one's martial arts cultivation level, the thicker the barriers to challenging those of higher levels become, and the difficulty increases exponentially.

Only low-level cultivators can temporarily advance beyond their level by relying on talent and secret techniques. Once they reach the Martial Emperor level, the gap in their cultivation level is almost impossible to bridge with external forces.

Chai Min and the other two were well aware of the disparity in strength and dared not provoke them rashly.

Duan Jin had no time to care about anyone else; his mind was solely focused on avenging his junior brother, Liang Yanqing.

He wielded a bronze staff, and the Wind and Thunder Tiger Martial Image behind him unleashed its full power, carrying the force of wind and thunder, and swiftly attacked Su Mu!

With a thought, Su Mu summoned a top-grade Earth-rank Ink Gold Puppet.

This puppet was fearless and showed no fear even when facing a martial god. Under Su Mu's divine control, it took the initiative to meet Duan Jin and cooperated with Chai Min to restrain him.

No need for a prolonged struggle; a brief delay will suffice.

Taking advantage of the gap in Duan Jin's stalemate between the puppet and Chai Min, Su Mu focused all his efforts on attacking Liang Yanqing's remaining martial spirit and Xuanling.

A sky full of sword light covered the heavens, and the overwhelming sword force locked down the entire battlefield, leaving no room for escape.

With Liang Yanqing losing his physical body, his remaining martial spirit and Xuanling were completely put on the defensive.

Even though the Xuanhuo (mysterious fire) still burned, it was not supported by the physical body, so its power was reduced to less than one-tenth, and it was suppressed so tightly that it could not move.

His broken body was enveloped by the remaining power of his own Xuanling, floating silently in the void, like a discarded pawn.

In just three breaths, Liang Yanqing's martial spirit collapsed!

A veteran powerhouse who crossed over from another realm, Wu Xiang carries the immense power of the Wulong Continent, which is inherently contrary to the Heavenly Origin Heaven and Earth, and is subject to strong rule rejection and suppression.

Once it loses the full nourishment and support of its master, it will instantly collapse and dissipate in the face of the offensive of the local powerhouses.

After defeating Wu Xiang, Su Mu shifted his offensive, unleashing all his power on Liang Yanqing's Xuanling.

This Xuanling is tall and powerful, with abundant and profound internal energy. It is surrounded by Xuan fire and still retains considerable combat power. It is Liang Yanqing's last foundation.

BOOM—!!

On the other side of the sky, a deafening explosion suddenly rang out!

The Mo Jin puppet took a heavy blow from Duan Jin's Heaven-Rank long staff. Its incredibly hard metal body didn't have time to fall before it suddenly exploded in mid-air, turning into countless fragments!

Using a top-grade Earth-rank puppet to restrain a late-stage Martial Emperor at the peak of his power is ultimately too much of a stretch.

Without any enlightenment or understanding of the Dao, the puppet could not mobilize the power of heaven and earth, nor was it able to draw upon any sword intent or Daoist aura. Relying solely on its physical strength, it was simply unable to withstand the combined crushing force of a Heaven-rank magic weapon and divine embryonic power.

The puppet regime collapsed, and the restraints completely failed.

Su Mu had no choice but to temporarily abandon the encirclement and suppression of Xuan Ling and turn around to face Duan Jin, who was charging in furiously.

"Second Elder, you are in charge of keeping Xuanling occupied. There's no need for a fight to the death; just trap it until it's exhausted. Don't let it escape!"

Su Mu immediately sent a telepathic message to Chai Min, giving her instructions.

Chai Min understood immediately and flew forward, staring intently at Liang Yanqing's Xuanling.

Without the puppet to restrain her, she would never dare to confront Duan Jin head-on; protecting Xuanling was the best option.

On the other side, Ding Chao and Chang Wei steadily suppressed the early-stage Martial Emperor, gaining an absolute advantage, but they were unable to kill their opponent in a short time.

Looking at his mortal enemy Liang Yanqing, now reduced to a remnant spirit and utterly destitute, Ding Chao felt immensely pleased and was filled with gratitude towards his newly recognized godfather.

"I knew I'd chosen the right godfather!"

He secretly resolved that once he broke through to the mid-stage of Martial Emperor, he would wholeheartedly follow Su Mu and serve him with all his might.

High in the sky, Su Mu, wielding the Qu Guang sword, engaged in a fierce battle with Duan Jin, who held a bronze staff.

Although the shoulder injury was not fatal, it still affected his blood and qi, impacting his movement and the connection between his attacks.

Fortunately, Duan Jin was suppressed by the rules of heaven and earth, and his strength could not be fully exerted, so the two sides barely maintained a stalemate.

Su Mu used the Nine Palaces Soaring Steps to dodge the successive lightning chain attacks, engaging Duan Jin in close combat while patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

In the blink of an eye, the two collided head-on once again!

The Qu Guang sword and the bronze staff clashed with a thunderous roar that shook the heavens!

At the very moment the weapons clashed and their energy exploded, Su Mu's eyes suddenly lit up with divine light, and his Heavenly Illusionary Divine Eyes were activated!

The invisible power of illusion instantly surged forth!