440: situation

Xiao Shi floated in the air, looking down at the Black Robed Man who had turned into countless shattered bones.

However, there was no joy on his face.

Instead, his brows were tightly furrowed.

A huge question arose in his heart.

The Martial Emperor... died just like that?

He found it somewhat hard to believe.

As the ruler of the previous era, even after his rebirth, he hadn't yet stepped into the Martial Dao Ninth Realm, but he was still the Martial Emperor!

Xiao Shi had considered that he could defeat him.

After all, since he had embarked on the Martial Dao, no one at the same realm had ever been his opponent.

Especially as his realm grew higher.

His might within the same realm became increasingly evident.

Even if his opponent was the Martial Emperor.

As long as they were at the same realm, Xiao Shi was completely fearless.

But he had never thought that he could kill the Martial Emperor this time!

He felt that even if the Martial Emperor was outmatched... he would surely escape through some means.

Even if he was pushed to a corner.

He could also choose to break through immediately!

With the Martial Emperor's foundation.

He could absolutely break through and ascend to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm at any time.

It was just that the Martial Emperor's current intention was to ascend to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm using five types of heaven and earth rules, so he would certainly not easily ascend to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm unless absolutely necessary.

But once his life was threatened, in the face of such a life-or-death crisis... he would surely have no choice but to break through.

It was impossible for him to be killed by him just like that!

His opponent was an existence that even the calamity of the Martial Dao Ninth Realm couldn't kill.

How could he be so easily killed by him, a Demigod?

Everything before his eyes.

Made Xiao Shi feel that something was wrong!

Whoosh!

His figure moved.

Falling from the sky.

He began to examine his corpse.

However, he immediately spotted an item among the many shattered bones that his opponent had turned into.

This was an item that dropped after his opponent's death.

This caused Xiao Shi's heart to tremble.

Through the drop of this item, he could confirm... his opponent was truly dead!

There was no feigned death.

If it was a feigned death... no item would drop!

This made him incredibly surprised.

He had even prepared for no item to drop, assuming his opponent was merely feigning death.

Because that situation would be the most logical one.

But now, the item his opponent dropped clearly indicated that his opponent was not feigning death, but truly dead!

Otherwise, no item would drop.

“I... I killed the Martial Emperor just like that??”

Xiao Shi still found this matter too absurd.

Even in this battle.

He exploited a crucial information gap in his opponent.

That was the weakening of rules by the Soul Plate!

His opponent didn't know that he could only weaken once.

Therefore, he detonated the trident prematurely.

Xiao Shi knew deeply.

The Eyes of Annihilation that his opponent had previously unleashed not only contained the power of the Annihilation Rule but also the power of the trident in conjunction with it, allowing it to form the powerful Eyes of Annihilation!

If he had known that he could only perform one rule weakening per day.

He would definitely not have detonated the trident in his hand so early.

He would surely have fought to the death with him using the Annihilation Rule!

At that time, perhaps he would have been forced to use the power of a God.

Xiao Shi gazed at the shattered bones before him.

His brows furrowed even deeper.

He could confirm... the Martial Emperor would certainly not be killed by him so easily!

But the Black Robed Man who appeared this time was truly dead.

This could be confirmed from the item that dropped after the Black Robed Man's death.

“Or rather...”

“This person wasn't the Martial Emperor at all!?”

A thought suddenly rose in Xiao Shi's heart.

If his opponent wasn't the Martial Emperor... then everything would make sense.

But if this person wasn't the Martial Emperor, then who was he?

Whether it was the Annihilation Rule he unleashed, or the trident suspected to be the Emperors Armor he condensed, including the power of a God he ultimately used, these were all characteristics possessed only by the Martial Emperor.

Aside from the Martial Emperor, it was impossible for anyone else to possess all these powers simultaneously.

This made it seem somewhat contradictory.

At the same time, Xiao Shi also noticed a situation.

Although he had killed this Black Robed Man.

The Black Robed Man's heaven and earth rules still existed!

They had not dissipated.

Nor had they fallen into Xiao Shi's hands.

This was also a strange point.

Normally, once a Demigod dies.

Their heaven and earth rules either dissipate directly, or they fall into the hands of the person who killed them, like Demigod Yao Xi back then.

But now, after this Black Robed Man died.

His heaven and earth rules neither dissipated nor did Xiao Shi sense their existence.

It felt to him... as if his opponent's heaven and earth rules were not on him at all!

Therefore, even if he killed him, he couldn't obtain his heaven and earth rules.

This was very strange.

Xiao Shi couldn't help but fall into deep thought about this.

He integrated all the current information.

“What can be confirmed at present is...”

“The Martial Emperor is certainly not dead!”

“But this Demigod who fought with me is truly dead!”

“And his most important heaven and earth rules are precisely not on him...”

When Xiao Shi integrated all this information, a conjecture gradually formed in his heart.

“Looking at it this way...”

“The only explanation!”

“Is that the one I killed this time was indeed the Martial Emperor, but not the Martial Emperor's main body, but... one of his clones!!”

In fact, when Xiao Shi first saw the exclusive ability of the martial emperors cloak, "Divide and Conquer," he vaguely associated it with the Martial Emperor possibly having many clones.

After all, every piece of Emperors Armor had unique exclusive abilities in the Martial Emperor's hands.

Among them, the exclusive ability of the martial emperors cloak was to form a clone at each realm of the Martial Dao!

This kind of clone was like another life of oneself, and it couldn't be identified as a clone!

“In other words...”

“My initial conjecture with Yan Huagu was wrong!”

“This Demigod who has always been hidden behind the scenes, not appearing openly, is not the Martial Emperor's main body after his rebirth, but a clone that the Martial Emperor had already formed back then!”

“The Martial Emperor did not reveal this clone to the public, so no one knew that the Martial Emperor actually had clones!”

Xiao Shi suddenly realized.

He even felt that when the Great Wu Dynasty was strong, some of the Demigods within the Great Wu Dynasty might have been clones of the Martial Emperor!

But what Xiao Shi was now confused about was... since the Martial Emperor already had these clones.

Why did he still need to find a target for rebirth?

These clones, in a sense, were like independent individuals, lives; even if the Martial Emperor's main body died, they would not die.

This way, even if the Martial Emperor fell... he could continue to try to assault the Martial God through these clones.

“No...”

“That's not right!”

“Although these clones are independent individuals and lives, they are completely controlled by the Martial Emperor, and their souls are connected to the Martial Emperor.”

“Therefore, once the Martial Emperor falls under the calamity of the Martial Dao Ninth Realm, even if these clones don't die, they will surely suffer immense damage!”

“And it's impossible for them to still have a chance to assault the Martial God.”

Xiao Shi understood in his heart.

Regarding this kind of clone... no one understood it better than him, other than the Martial Emperor.

After all, he also had such clones!

“Looking at it this way...”

“After the Martial Emperor fell under the calamity of the Martial Dao Ninth Realm, his clones also suffered heavy damage one after another!”

“Perhaps most of the clones perished along with the main body at that time.”

“However, one or two clones still survived, but because they suffered heavy damage, they could only lie dormant and hidden behind the scenes, not appearing for so many years...”

“Looking at it this way.”

“The soul that previously occupied the Great Wu Crown Prince's body must also be one of the Martial Emperor's clones!”

“It's just that this clone's body was destroyed, leaving only its soul, so it needed to use the Great Wu Crown Prince's body to break his Heavenly Dao!”

Xiao Shi completely understood.

Before, he had been wondering if the soul occupying the Great Wu Crown Prince's body was the Martial Emperor.

After all, besides the Martial Emperor.

He couldn't think of anyone else in the world who could occupy the Great Wu Crown Prince's body.

Now it seemed.

Everything was the Martial Emperor's doing!

This couldn't help but make Xiao Shi's expression turn grave.

Realizing that the Martial Emperor's main body after his rebirth was still hidden behind the scenes, still not showing himself!

Currently, only the clones he left behind were taking action.

“This clone should be his last clone!”

“The biggest problem now is...”

“How can I find the Martial Emperor's main body after his rebirth?”

Xiao Shi felt that the Martial Emperor's main body after his rebirth was very likely not yet a Demigod!

He might not even have become a Dao Master or a Saint.

Because whether it's a Demigod, Dao Master, or Saint.

They can all be sought out through heaven and earth rules, dao star, and domains.

One only needs to check them one by one.

It would be easy to find him.

After all, these would leave deep traces within the Tianwu Continent.

But if it's an existence below a Saint... then there's absolutely no way to find him!

In any case, with the Martial Emperor's capabilities, even if his main body after rebirth was only at the Entering Martial Realm, it wouldn't have much impact on him.

As long as he gathered all the heaven and earth rules.

He would be able to instantly break through from the Entering Martial Realm directly to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm!

Xiao Shi understood.

Currently, trying to find the Martial Emperor's main body after his rebirth within the Tianwu Continent was undoubtedly like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The only breakthrough point.

Is that he knows the Martial Emperor's current intention is to gather all the heaven and earth rules.

“Currently, the Martial Emperor already has two heaven and earth rules; the remaining three heaven and earth rules are in my hands, Demigod Xing Kui’s hands, and Demigod Mu Wen’s hands respectively.”

“Since he wants to gather all the heaven and earth rules...”

“He will inevitably make a move against the three of us!”

“Then...”

“Instead of me searching for him like looking for a needle in a haystack, it's better to wait for him to come to us!”

“Now that he no longer has clones, no longer has henchmen to do his bidding, to deal with us, his main body after rebirth must become a Demigod to have that capability!”

Xiao Shi's eyes narrowed slightly.

He understood that what he needed to do next was to quickly inform Demigod Xing Kui and Demigod Mu Wen about the Martial Emperor's intelligence and join forces with them.

Although he had successfully eliminated the Martial Emperor's Demigod clone with his own strength this time.

However, this also exposed his own strength.

It would give the Martial Emperor a clear understanding of his strength.

This was also his biggest disadvantage at the moment.

The Martial Emperor already had a sufficient understanding of him.

But he knew nothing about the Martial Emperor's main body after his rebirth.

At the same time, with the Martial Emperor's cunning, if he didn't have a way to deal with him, he would certainly not act rashly.

Therefore.

By the time the Martial Emperor makes his move, he will surely have a way to deal with him.

Facing such a king who once ruled an era.

A powerhouse whom even the calamity of the Martial Dao Ninth Realm couldn't kill.

Xiao Shi dared not show the slightest contempt or carelessness.

He must join forces with Demigod Xing Kui and Demigod Mu Wen to have a chance of winning.

“Or rather...”

“If I can enter the Martial Dao Ninth Realm before the Martial Emperor acts, I can also contend with him!”

Xiao Shi's eyes flickered slightly.

He understood that with his cultivation as a Demigod, even if he allied with Demigod Xing Kui and Demigod Mu Wen, they could at most contend with the Martial Emperor, but not kill him.

To eliminate the Martial Emperor.

He would at least need the strength of the Martial Dao Ninth Realm.

Otherwise, even if the three Demigods joined forces against the Martial Emperor, if the Martial Emperor was outmatched, he could choose to immediately break through to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm!

At that time, it would be the Martial Emperor's turn to counter-kill them.

Currently, the Martial Emperor's main concern was that he wanted to gather five types of heaven and earth rules to assault the Martial Dao Ninth Realm.

If he didn't become a Martial Dao Ninth Realm expert using these five heaven and earth rules, what awaited him would also be death.

Therefore, as long as the Martial Emperor was not pushed to a dead end.

The Martial Emperor would not easily break through to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm at present.

After all, for the Martial Emperor.

His true goal was still the Martial God above the Martial Dao Ninth Realm!

This also made Xiao Shi realize.

The cultivation of a Demigod alone... could at most protect oneself.

It was not enough to resolve the crisis.

To completely solve the enemy that was the Martial Emperor, he himself must also break through to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm.

However, breaking through from a Demigod to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm was clearly not an easy task.

Firstly, Xiao Shi knew very little about the Martial Dao Ninth Realm; he didn't even know how to break through at this moment.

Secondly, after Xiao Shi breaks through to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm, he will also face the calamity of the Martial Dao Ninth Realm.

If he cannot overcome the calamity of the Martial Dao Ninth Realm, even if he defeats the Martial Emperor, he will still die.

Currently, the only relatively favorable aspect... is that now that the Tianwu Continent no longer has enough qi, even if the Martial Emperor breaks through to the Martial Dao Ninth Realm, he cannot immediately create a new era, a new Martial Dynasty, to prevent the emergence of a second Martial Dao Ninth Realm in the Tianwu Continent.

In other words.

Once the Martial Emperor gets desperate and becomes a Martial Dao Ninth Realm expert without gathering all five types of heaven and earth rules, Xiao Shi doesn't have to worry about losing his chance once his opponent becomes a Martial Dao Ninth Realm expert.

“No matter what, I need to first gain a sufficient understanding of the Martial Dao Ninth Realm, at least know how to break through this realm...”

Xiao Shi felt that regarding the Martial Dao Ninth Realm.

He could ask the Martial Ancestor.

It just so happened that he urgently needed to open the passage between him and The Primordial Martial Era.

Once the passage was opened, he would be able to contact the Martial Ancestor.

Perhaps then he could even borrow some power from the Martial Ancestor.