84: Chapter 84 Emperor Tianxuan

"Senior, it is right ahead."

The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner's voice was hoarse.

Shen Qingyuan let out an "Mn" and looked up.

Ahead lay a gray, hazy Void Realm; there was no earth, no sky, only endless nothingness.

Yet, in the deepest part of this nothingness, a faint glimmer of light flickered, like a firefly in the darkness, appearing and disappearing.

"That is the secret realm core." The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner swallowed, its tone tinged with complexity. "The person back then set up the Demon Lair specifically to force this thing out."

Old Turtle widened his eyes, staring fixedly at that faint glimmer of light, his murky old eyes filled with shock.

"Is this the Origin of the Small World evolved by an Emperor?"

Having lived for over three thousand years, he had seen countless Heaven And Earth Treasures, but this was the first time he had ever seen an existence at the level of a secret realm core.

This was the Origin of a Small World created by the hands of an Emperor!

It contained the Dao and logic of the Emperor, and held all the Laws and vitality of this Small World.

Shen Qingyuan's expression remained unchanged, though he raised an eyebrow slightly.

He stepped toward that glimmer of light, his pace unhurried.

Old Turtle hurriedly followed, though his footsteps felt unsteady.

In this Void Realm, there was nothing to rely on; every step landed on nothingness, and the slightest carelessness would result in falling into the Void Space.

Without reaching the Saint Realm, stepping into the Void Space meant only getting lost in the endless darkness.

But Shen Qingyuan walked with extreme steadiness, as if there were invisible steps beneath his feet, supporting him as he moved forward step by step.

A moment later, the two arrived before the glimmer of light.

It was a crystal.

It was about the size of a fist, completely transparent, with countless fine runes slowly flowing inside.

Those runes were profound and complex, radiating an ancient, weathered aura, as if they contained the most fundamental Laws of heaven and earth.

The surface of the crystal was shrouded in a layer of faint light, warm and moist like jade; it was not dazzling, yet it made one unable to look away.

But what caught Shen Qingyuan's attention most was—this crystal had consciousness.

It was not the complete, independent consciousness of a spirit like the Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, but a faint, almost instinctual consciousness.

Like a newborn infant, it was ignorant and pure, full of curiosity and fear toward everything in the outside world.

At this moment, the crystal was trembling slightly, its surface light flickering on and off, as if it were afraid.

"Interesting."

Shen Qingyuan's lips curled slightly, and he reached out toward the crystal.

Just as his finger was about to touch the crystal—

"Hum—" The crystal suddenly erupted with blinding light!

The light was as scorching as the blazing sun, so bright that one could not open their eyes!

A terrifying pressure permeated from the crystal, like the sky collapsing and the earth sinking, sweeping across all directions!

Old Turtle's expression changed drastically; he was sent flying backward by the pressure, tumbling in the air several times before crashing heavily into the nothingness, spitting out a mouthful of blood!

"Se-Senior—"

His voice was trembling, and his eyes were filled with horror.

This was merely a secret realm core that had not fully undergone Awakening, and yet the pressure it emitted was so terrifying?

If it were fully awakened, how fearsome would it be?

The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner also shuddered, its illusory figure fluctuating violently, nearly dissipated by that pressure.

"The methods of an Emperor... truly are terrifying..."

Its voice was hoarse, filled with deep reverence.

However—Shen Qingyuan stood in place, his green robes motionless, not even an edge of his clothing fluttered.

The pressure, which was enough to send a Asking Dao Realm Great Demon King flying, was like a gentle breeze against his face, unworthy of mention.

He continued to reach out, his slender fingers passing through the blinding light, and steadily grasped the crystal.

The crystal trembled violently in his hand, the light on its surface flashing frantically, as if it were struggling desperately.

Within that faint consciousness, it was filled with fear and resistance.

"Do not be afraid."

Shen Qingyuan spoke softly, his tone gentle, as if soothing a frightened little beast.

A stream of warm spiritual energy poured out from his palm, slowly enveloping the entire crystal.

That spiritual energy was as vast as the sea, yet as gentle as water, seeping from the surface of the crystal into its interior, merging with those fine runes.

The crystal's struggle gradually subsided.

The light on its surface was no longer so blinding, but became soft, warm and moist like moonlight.

That faint consciousness shifted from initial fear and resistance to curiosity and closeness.

It gently rubbed against Shen Qingyuan's palm, emitting a faint humming sound, as if acting coquettishly.

Shen Qingyuan's lips curled slightly, looking down at the now-quiet crystal in his palm, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"You are quite obedient."

Old Turtle had already climbed up from the ground, blood still hanging from the corner of his mouth, but the shock in his eyes could not be suppressed.

"This... is it over?"

His voice was somewhat wavering.

That was a secret realm core!

The Origin of a Small World evolved by an Emperor!

He had expected an earth-shattering battle, expected terrifying Restrictions and trials, expected that it would take at least a great deal of effort to subdue...

"But what about the result? Reach out, grab it, and then it's subdued? Just like that?"

The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner was also full of astonishment, its blood-red eyes wide open.

Shen Qingyuan ignored the two; he had already discovered a massive stream of information surging from the depths of the crystal, pouring through his palm and frantically into his Sea of Consciousness.

It was a vast, boundless starry sky.

Stars were densely packed like sand, the galaxy spanned the sky like a silk ribbon, and in the distance, nebulae slowly rotated, emitting magnificent and mysterious light.

Shen Qingyuan's "gaze" floated in the starry sky, looking down from above at this vast Star Domain.

Then, he saw two people.

No, not two people.

They were two existences like deities.

One was radiant with golden light, surrounded by Emperor pressure as vast as the sea, and with every move, the stars trembled.

He wore golden battle armor, his face dignified, his eyes like torches, his black hair dancing wildly in the Void Realm, with Dao runes faintly flowing around him, radiating a supreme aura that suppressed the ages.

Emperor Tianxuan.

Although Shen Qingyuan had never met this person, the moment he saw him, he knew his identity.

That aura, that Emperor pressure, was of the same root and Origin as the crystal in his hand.

And opposite Emperor Tianxuan—stood a figure as black as ink.

That figure was shrouded in a pitch-black cloak; its face could not be seen, and even its form was blurred, as if it had merged with the darkness.

But that aura made Shen Qingyuan's brows knit slightly.

Cold, tyrannical, and full of aggression.

It did not seem to be the aura of this world.

"The Upper Realm?"

Shen Qingyuan muttered to himself, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

In the scene, Emperor Tianxuan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze like lightning, staring fixedly at the pitch-black figure opposite him.

"You have crossed the boundary!"

His voice was low, yet it exploded in the starry sky like a thunderclap, shaking the surrounding stars.

The pitch-black figure did not speak, but slowly raised its hand.

Its slender fingers reached out from the cloak, pale as paper, without a trace of blood.

At the fingertips, a pitch-black light slowly condensed, radiating a heart-palpitating aura of destruction.

Emperor Tianxuan's expression sank, and he said no more.

He took a step forward, the golden light around him surging, and the entire starry sky trembled under his Emperor pressure!

"Boom—!!!" The two supreme powerhouses clashed.

There was no probing, no nonsense; the moment they struck, it was a killing blow.

Emperor Tianxuan threw a punch, the golden fist energy transforming into a roaring golden Dragon, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as it lunged toward the pitch-black figure!

Wherever the golden Dragon passed, stars shattered, the Void Realm collapsed, leaving a long, black crack!

The pitch-black figure did not dodge or evade, but simply raised its hand and pointed a finger nonchalantly.

A pitch-black beam of light shot out from its fingertip, colliding violently with the golden Dragon!

"Rumble—!!!" An earth-shattering roar exploded!

A terrifying energy storm swept across all directions, and the stars within a radius of millions of miles were instantly turned into powder!

Space collapsed, time twisted, and even the Dao Laws experienced a brief disorder under this blow!

Shen Qingyuan's "gaze" was shaken violently by the impact of this energy storm, and the image became blurred.

This was a battle at the Emperor Realm level.

And it was a battle between a Peak Emperor and an enemy from the Upper Realm.

A battle of this level was rare in all the ages; every move and every stance contained the most fundamental Laws and Dao rhymes of heaven and earth.

If it were an ordinary Quasi-Emperor Realm powerhouse, they would likely not even be able to see the movements of the two fighting.