168: Do you remember Yang Lin?

Outside the pagoda.

Many Divine Lords had already chosen to submit to the God Emperor.

No one wanted to live too long.

The higher one's cultivation, the more one feared death.

At this moment, they all knelt respectfully on the ground, listening to the Western God Emperor's admonishments.

"There's no need for you all to worry," the God Emperor promised them.

"As long as you sincerely follow this God Emperor, your Family will certainly ascend to a higher level in the future."

Upon hearing this, although the crowd remained noncommittal internally, they continued to flatter him on the surface.

And it was at this moment.

Suddenly, the Western God Emperor's proud expression froze.

Then he stretched out his palm, and the exquisite pagoda reappeared in his hand.

He looked at the pagoda with a puzzled expression.

He unconsciously muttered, "Could it be that something went wrong?"

Immediately, he extended his Divine Sense, intending to check the situation inside the pagoda.

Suddenly, a sense of crisis arose spontaneously.

Without the slightest hesitation, he flung the Divine Pagoda away and retreated backward.

However, he was still a step too late.

The Divine Pagoda exploded the moment it left his hand.

A violent surge of energy swept through the surroundings.

The Western God Emperor didn't even have time to put up a defense.

He was pushed backward by this energy.

He was once again embedded in the wall.

Although this energy couldn't cause him substantial harm.

It made him lose face completely.

Especially after he had just subdued many Divine Lords.

At this moment, the Western God Emperor could no longer suppress the anger in his heart.

Although he didn't know why the pagoda shattered.

He was certain that Lin Mu was the cause of it all.

The Western God Emperor's eyes shot out terrifying light.

He said, word by word, "Since you are so determined to die, this God Emperor will no longer hold back today."

The Western God Emperor had already decided to kill Lin Mu.

Lin Mu had defied him again and again.

Even if the Western God Emperor valued Lin Mu greatly, he had now reached the limit of his patience.

He took out a huge, pitch-black battle-axe.

With just a gentle swing, the air around him was torn to shreds.

Spatial rifts appeared spontaneously.

Seeing this scene, everyone gasped.

The space of a Divine Artifact was incredibly stable.

Even if two Divine Lords fought with all their might, they wouldn't cause the slightest damage to space.

Yet, this axe, with just a casual swing, tore through space.

Many Divine Lords instinctively retreated backward, moving away from Lin Mu's vicinity.

Lin Mu looked at the axe and said with interest.

"It's a handy weapon, Barely usable." (Translator's Note: The original phrase ' Barely usable' means 'barely usable' or 'can barely be used', but given Lin Mu's character, it's likely a dismissive understatement.)

The Western God Emperor heard Lin Mu's arrogant tone.

Instead of getting angry, he laughed and said, "This is indeed a handy weapon, perfect for chopping off your head."

Immediately, he stopped speaking nonsense.

A visible axe shadow attacked Lin Mu head-on.

Seeing this, Lin Mu didn't dodge, but simply reached out and gripped the axe blade.

The Western God Emperor sneered in his heart upon seeing this.

"He doesn't know what's good for him. This Sky-Opening Axe even forced ancient primordial gods to retreat."

He could already envision Lin Mu being split open by a single strike.

However, the scene that followed.

Made him widen his eyes in disbelief.

The Sky-Opening Axe not only failed to split Lin Mu open.

Instead, with a single squeeze from Lin Mu's hand, the axe shadow actually dissolved into nothingness.

Although this wasn't the main body of the Sky-Opening Axe.

It still contained one-tenth of the Sky-Opening Axe's power.

An ordinary Divine Lord would die upon contact.

He couldn't imagine how incredibly strong Lin Mu's physical body was.

Lin Mu crushed the axe shadow and said with some disappointment,

"I overestimated it. It looks good but is useless; nothing more than that."

The Western God Emperor heard Lin Mu's words.

He burst into laughter.

Then his body transformed into an afterimage and rushed towards Lin Mu.

Lin Mu's eyes flashed with a sharp gleam.

He still neither dodged nor evaded, meeting it bare-handed.

The pitch-black Sky-Opening Axe struck firmly into Lin Mu's palm.

Instantly, a violent and rampant energy invaded Lin Mu's body.

Lin Mu's body was uncontrollably sent flying backward.

However, regarding this outcome.

The Western God Emperor couldn't be happy.

According to his expectations.

Even if Lin Mu possessed a special Cultivation Technique that made his physical strength comparable to a God Emperor, or even stronger than a God Emperor.

He definitely wouldn't be able to directly withstand the Sky-Opening Axe.

But now, he had been struck squarely by the Sky-Opening Axe.

Yet, he was only sent flying.

His body showed no damage whatsoever.

Lin Mu's strength was so formidable, which made him hesitate once again.

So, he spoke again, "This God Emperor admits that you are the strongest God Monarch Realm Expert I have ever seen."

"This God Emperor has always cherished talent, as long as you agree to submit to me."

"This God Emperor will give you another chance."

Lin Mu chuckled and said, "What kind of chance?"

The Western God Emperor saw Lin Mu ask this.

So he said, "This God Emperor will appoint you as the chief sword-wielder of the God Emperor Palace, in charge of all the Disciples of the God Emperor Palace."

"And allow you to enter the Heavenly Palace, where you can choose any item."

The other Divine Lords might not have understood the implications of the Western God Emperor's words.

But the people of the God Emperor Palace were dumbfounded.

Chief sword-wielder of the God Emperor Palace.

This was equivalent to the God Emperor's deputy.

When the God Emperor was in seclusion, he would have full authority to handle all affairs of the God Emperor Palace.

Even the God Emperor's descendants had to obey his orders.

This truly meant being below one person and above ten thousand.

And he could even enter the Heavenly Palace.

It was said that there were countless Magic Treasures, Medicinal Pills, and Cultivation Techniques there.

There was even an opportunity for a Breakthrough to God Emperor.

That was the place all God Emperor Palace Disciples yearned for.

The God Emperor, in order to win over this person, had actually gone to such great lengths.

The people of the God Emperor Palace looked at Lin Mu with eyes full of envy and jealousy.

And as the most favored son of the God Emperor Palace, Xie Yang (Setting Sun) Divine Lord.

At this moment, he suddenly spoke, "Father, you mustn't! The Heavenly Palace can only be entered by direct descendants."

"How can an outsider be allowed to enter?"

The Western God Emperor, as a God Emperor of one domain.

Controlled the lives and deaths of countless people.

No one had ever dared to question his decisions.

Only this most beloved youngest son dared to speak like this.

If it were anyone else, even the God Emperor's other children, they would never dare.

The Western God Emperor, hearing Xie Yang (Setting Sun) Divine Lord say this.

Actually, he uncharacteristically reprimanded him, "Step back! If you dare to speak another word, you will be dealt with according to palace rules."

Xie Yang (Setting Sun) looked at the God Emperor in disbelief.

He hadn't expected the Western God Emperor to reprimand him so harshly for an outsider.

And even threaten to deal with him according to palace rules.

Although he was resentful in his heart and hated Lin Mu.

He dared not say anything more.

He could only retreat angrily.

Although the Western God Emperor was a little angry that his most beloved son.

Couldn't understand his thoughts.

He still couldn't bear to punish him too much.

He once again looked at Lin Mu with a smile, awaiting Lin Mu's answer.

He was confident that anyone who heard such conditions.

Would choose to agree to him.

After all, the temptation to become a God Emperor was too great.

However, Lin Mu did not answer him directly.

Instead, he asked a strange question.

"Do you remember Yang Lin?"