278: The bright moon falls, and the heavens descend.

The roiling radiance subsided, and even the ferocious expression on Mo Yun's face and the killing intent in his eyes rapidly faded, reverting to the solemnity he held just as he unleashed his Magic Treasure.

It was as if he had returned to the very moment he was about to make his move, when the initial thought first arose!

The bizarre, immense power of the Great Beginning Single Thought Recurrence forcibly interfered with the trajectory of "Time" and "Karma" during the brief interval of Mo Yun's attack, "reverting" it to a state where it had not yet occurred!

"Pfft—!"

With his Divine Ability forcibly interrupted and the resulting backlash of power, coupled with the impact on his Divine Soul from that obscure Dao force involving Time and Karma, Old Ancestor Mo Yun felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow; his face instantly turned as pale as paper, and he violently spat out a large mouthful of Origin essence blood!

His entire aura suddenly withered, his gathered magic power dissipated, and his Divine Soul was left in turmoil. He had suffered heavy injuries and, in a short time, had almost lost more than half of his combat effectiveness!

"Th-this... what kind of evil art is this?!"

Mo Yun's expression turned to shock, and his gaze toward Chen Yuan was filled with terror.

He had never seen such a bizarre Divine Ability.

Chen Yuan, however, did not even glance at the incapacitated Mo Yun. His entire focus was locked onto Emperor Haoyue, who had just neutralized the Origin Qi needle and whose expression had become exceptionally solemn.

"Now, it is your turn." Chen Yuan's tone was calm as he moved again!

He closed the distance directly, his hands gripping the air, and the Yuanshi Immortal power within him, vast as a sea of stars, erupted with a roar!

This Immortal power was so vast and pure that it far exceeded that of an ordinary Late Stage Yuanshi, completely overwhelming Emperor Haoyue!

Chen Yuan formed his fingers into a sword shape and slashed toward Emperor Haoyue from afar!

This time, it was no longer a probing Origin Qi needle, but an attack fused with the Five Elements Sword Dao Law and the vast Immortal power within his body.

Carrying supreme Sword Intent and five-colored radiance, it struck directly at Emperor Haoyue!

Before the sword light even arrived, its sharp, peerless Sword Intent and heavy pressure had already caused the starry sky canopy around Emperor Haoyue to fluctuate violently!

Emperor Haoyue's expression finally changed completely!

He felt unprecedented pressure!

The level of power and Law contained in this sword strike from Chen Yuan was by no means weaker than his own full-force attack!

How on earth did this kid Cultivate?!

How could a Middle Stage Yuanshi have such combat power?

"Haoyue Soaring the Sky, Star Meteor Heavenly Tribulation!" Emperor Haoyue dared not hold anything back, let out a sharp cry, and thrust his hands upward!

The Void Realm above his head suddenly darkened, as if pulled into a starless night, with only himself transforming into a bright yet icy-cold Haoyue!

Immediately after, in that night sky, countless stars suddenly lit up, transforming into meteors trailing long tails of fire, crashing crazily toward Chen Yuan and that streak of Five Elements sword light!

Every single meteor was capable of easily destroying a Small World; with thousands launched at once, the power was world-destroying!

However, facing this terrifying Heavenly Tribulation meteor shower, Chen Yuan's Five Elements sword light acted like a hot knife through butter; wherever it passed, the meteors were annihilated by the sword light!

This scene made Emperor Haoyue's heart jump with fear!

Boom, boom, boom!

The collision between the sword light and the meteors erupted with deafening roars, and the terrifying energy shockwaves swept in all directions, clearing away clouds for a thousand miles. If not for the barrier Chen Yuan had set up beforehand to protect it, Dongxuan Peak would likely have been leveled by the aftermath!

The first round of the exchange seemed like a draw, but Emperor Haoyue had already fallen into a disadvantage!

His Star Meteor Heavenly Tribulation failed to completely block Chen Yuan's sword light, and he was forced to use several more defensive Divine Abilities to barely neutralize it.

Following this, Chen Yuan completely seized the initiative!

His figure was like a ghost, weaving unpredictably through the Void Realm. At times, he used Great Beginning Origin Qi to manifest various Sharp Weapons and phantoms of primordial exotic beasts to harass and besiege him;

at times, he used the Five Elements Sword Dao Law to derive an overwhelming barrage of Five Elements Sword Qi, locking down Emperor Haoyue's room for movement;

and at other times, he urged the Soul-shaking power of the Great Beginning Myriad Gods Return to interfere with Emperor Haoyue's Divine Thought and spellcasting.

What made Emperor Haoyue even more frustrated was that the Immortal power within Chen Yuan seemed endless. Every attack was heavy and powerful, forcing him to respond with full strength, causing his consumption to increase sharply.

Yet Chen Yuan only grew more valiant the longer he fought.

"Impossible! He is clearly a Middle Stage Yuanshi, why is his Immortal power so vigorous and enduring?! Why are his Divine Abilities so bizarre and difficult to defend against?!"

Emperor Haoyue became more alarmed as the fight continued, and sweat had already appeared on his forehead.

His star Law Divine Ability, which he prided himself on, appeared somewhat stretched in the face of Chen Yuan's attacks, which seemed to contain a higher level of Dao Origin.

In just a few dozen rounds, Emperor Haoyue had been completely suppressed by Chen Yuan!

His magnificent imperial robe had become damaged, his aura began to disorder, and the starlight around his body dimmed a few shades. He was forced into full defense, facing danger at every turn!

"Emperor Haoyue... is actually being beaten by Chen Yuan?!"

Qi Wuya, who was watching from afar, was already dumbfounded, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.

He had anticipated that Chen Yuan was strong, perhaps able to barely hold his own against Emperor Haoyue, but the scene before him completely overturned his understanding!

A Middle Stage Yuanshi beating a Late Stage Yuanshi?

This was simply a scene from a myth or legend!

The Cultivators on Dongxuan Peak below, after the initial suffocating pressure, were now boiling with excitement!

Their Palace Master was too powerful, and he had taken the absolute upper hand!

"Palace Master is invincible!"

"Dongxuan Immortal Palace, eternal and immortal!"

Just as Emperor Haoyue was being forced into a desperate situation by Chen Yuan,

a sudden change occurred!

The entire Eastern Wasteland—no, the sky over the entire Xuantian Continent—was, without any warning, shrouded in an indescribable golden radiance!

This golden light was not sunlight; it seemed to represent the will of the Heavenly Dao of this realm.

A terrifying pressure, ten times, a hundred times stronger than Emperor Haoyue's, descended with a roar!

Under this pressure, time seemed to stagnate, space solidified, and all things fell silent!

Whether it was Chen Yuan and Emperor Haoyue in the heat of battle, the onlookers below, or even the top powerhouses in the distant Divine Prefecture, Southern Continent, and Northern Barbarians, everyone felt their Souls tremble at this moment, giving rise to an urge to prostrate themselves in worship!

A vague, towering figure, seemingly condensed from pure golden light, slowly appeared above the Nine Heavens.

Its face could not be seen, only those golden eyes that seemed able to pierce through the past and future, indifferent to all living beings, could be felt.

Emperor Venerable Haotian! The Lord of the Heavenly Palace, the number one powerhouse on the surface of the Xuantian Continent, a supreme existence at the Perfection of the Yuanshi Realm.

He had actually... personally descended with a strand of his will Incarnation!

"Chen Yuan."

A grand, majestic voice, sounding like the voice of Heaven itself, resounded directly in Chen Yuan's Sea of Consciousness and echoed in the hearts of every living being between Heaven and Earth.

"Stop."

Emperor Venerable Haotian's will Incarnation looked down from above, his gaze sweeping over the disheveled Emperor Haoyue and the still-vigorous Chen Yuan with his sharp eyes; no joy or anger could be detected in his indifferent tone.

"That you have been able to grow to this point in just a few short years is truly a miracle unseen in ancient or modern times. The matter of Mo Yan can be let go. The Mo Family can also pay a price to appease your anger."

He paused, his voice carrying a hint of what seemed like a bestowal:

"This Venerable One will give you one last chance."

"Submit to the Heavenly Palace and pledge your loyalty to this Venerable One. This Venerable One can appoint you as the Third Deputy Palace Master of the Heavenly Palace, with a status second only to Haoyue, enjoying endless resources and contemplating the supreme Dao. This Venerable One can even personally guide you to glimpse that boundless realm above the Yuanshi Realm."