578: Chapter 578

"This person is under the protection of my Guanghan Heavenly Palace."

"Does anyone object?"

As the words fell, the killing intent that had just been soaring from the allied forces was forcibly suppressed.

The people of the Great Xia Holy Dynasty were completely stunned.

They looked up at the young girl in snow-white clothes, then at the old man behind her whose aura was as deep as an abyss, their minds going blank.

Guanghan Heavenly Palace.

Eastern Earth Heavenly Continent.

To them, these two names were too distant and too heavy.

The atmosphere on the allied forces' side became oppressive to the extreme.

The leading Peak Great Emperor's face turned ashen, and the wariness in his eyes as he stared at that Heavenly Emperor was almost overflowing.

The thirty-odd Great Emperors behind him also fell silent.

They could feel that the aura emanating from the old man had already exceeded the scope of their understanding.

It wasn't just Imperial Might; it was more like a form of pressure originating from the world's Origin.

In this silence, someone finally couldn't take it anymore.

A hot-tempered Great Emperor Giant stepped forward. The Orthodoxy behind him was an Immortal Imperial Clan whose top Imperial Son had just been slain by Qin Yun, so their hatred ran the deepest.

"Guanghan Heavenly Palace may be strong, but this is Shenxuan Heavenly Continent!"

He roared out, trying to break the oppressive atmosphere.

"Your Eastern Earth Heavenly Continent's Orthodoxy has reached its hand out too far! This brat killed my Imperial Son and insulted my Orthodoxy. If you don't give us an explanation today, my Imperial Clan will fight you to the death!"

His words spoke the thoughts of many present.

A powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake.

No matter how strong Guanghan Heavenly Palace was, it was impossible for them to make enemies of all the top forces in Shenxuan Heavenly Continent for the sake of an outsider.

However, just as he finished speaking.

The Heavenly Emperor old man, who had remained silent all along, finally moved.

He didn't speak.

He simply raised his hand slowly and struck down toward the outspoken Great Emperor Giant from a distance.

This palm strike had no earth-shattering phenomena.

No Laws roared, and no Great Dao shattered.

There was only a phantom of a palm that looked unremarkable, even somewhat withered, drifting down lightly.

But the moment that palm appeared, the fury on the Great Emperor Giant's face was instantly replaced by endless terror.

He wanted to flee.

He wanted to sacrifice an Imperial Weapon.

He wanted to burn his Origin.

But he could do nothing.

The entire space, along with his Divine Soul and Emperor Dao, was completely frozen under that palm.

He could only watch helplessly as that palm passed through all his defenses and pressed lightly onto his crown.

Pop.

A soft sound.

That Great Emperor Giant, capable of suppressing an entire region, saw his Physical Body, Emperor Soul, and Emperor Dao Laws gradually dissipate under that palm.

The old man withdrew his hand, his gaze slowly scanning the field.

Finally, it landed on the Peak Great Emperor whose face had become incredibly unsightly.

"Who else dares to question?"

The voice fell upon everyone's hearts.

His Imperial Might was fully released.

This time, it was no longer simple pressure, but undisguised killing intent.

The surrounding atmosphere instantly became even more oppressive.

Above the Imperial City, the originally clear sky was soon shrouded in a chill, as if frost and snow would fall at any moment.

Among the allied forces, some Great Emperors with weaker cultivation couldn't help but feel their legs go soft under this pressure, their Imperial bodies trembling slightly.

The Peak Great Emperor's fists were clenched tight.

He knew that today's situation was a defeat.

If they stayed any longer, not only would they gain nothing, but they might also lose everyone here.

Guanghan Heavenly Palace's determination to protect the person far exceeded his expectations.

He stared at Qin Yun, then glanced at the expressionless Heavenly Emperor, and finally squeezed a few words through his teeth.

"We're leaving."

He didn't say another harsh word, as that would only make him look more incompetent and ridiculous.

He just gave Qin Yun a deep look, the killing intent in his eyes completely undisguised.

They retreated today.

But this debt would certainly not end here.

With his command, the thirty-odd Great Emperors immediately tore through the Void Realm and quickly retreated.

In the blink of an eye, the pressure that had made the Great Xia Holy Dynasty breathless completely dissipated.

Above the Imperial City, silence returned.

After the dead silence of surviving a disaster came an indescribably complex mix of emotions.

The people of the Great Xia Holy Dynasty looked at the empty sky, then at the two figures from the Eastern Earth Heavenly Continent, momentarily unsure of what to say.

The several people from the Luangu War General lineage looked at each other, silently cupped their hands to the old man and the girl, and then also vanished.

Chen Yang restrained his Imperial Might and walked to Qin Yun's side, looking at the white-clothed girl with an equally complex expression.

At this moment, the focus of the entire field fell on Qin Yun and the young girl.

Qin Yun looked at her.

Looking at that both familiar and strange face, those cold eyes.

The name he had suppressed for so long finally escaped his lips, carrying a hint of testing and uncertainty he hadn't even noticed.

"Ling'er?"

The two syllables were very light.

The girl's cold expression shifted slightly the moment she heard those words.

Her body trembled almost imperceptibly.

Shock, nostalgia, and worry flashed through her originally calm eyes before she regained her composure.

She didn't answer immediately.

She just looked at Qin Yun, her lips moving slightly.

After a long while, she finally let out a very soft sound.

"...Mm."

It was her.

It really was her.

The little girl who had followed behind him back then and handed him a candy when he was at his lowest.

Now, she had actually grown to such a level.

A reunion after a long separation.

Between the two, there was no imagined excitement or embrace, only a subtle atmosphere mixing estrangement and familiarity.

"You..."

"You..."

Both spoke at the same time and stopped at the same time.

In the end, it was Ling'er who broke the silence first.

Her tone returned to calm, but it carried an unquestionable determination.

"Brother Yun."

"You can't stay here anymore."

"Today's matter seems resolved, but you've become a thorn in the side of all the top Orthodoxies in Shenxuan Heavenly Continent."

"They retreated today because my Revered Master is here. But Revered Master cannot guard you forever."

"Next time, they might send more than just Peak Great Emperors—perhaps even true Heavenly Emperors."

"You must come with me."

She paused, her tone becoming even firmer.

"Back to Guanghan Heavenly Palace."

"Only there will you be truly safe, with enough time to grow and face future retaliation."

Qin Yun fell silent.

He knew everything Ling'er said was the truth.

With his current strength, he might be able to contend with one or two Great Emperors, but once he faced the top forces of the entire Shenxuan Heavenly Continent, it would be like throwing an egg against a stone.

But...

He glanced at the Great Xia Imperial City behind him and thought of the Yuntian Sect.

If he left, these forces that had crossed paths with him or even shown him kindness would inevitably become targets for those people to vent their anger on.

And there was Chen Yang.

His remnant soul had just stabilized, and the path to reconstructing his Physical Body had only just begun; he needed a stable environment.

As if seeing through his concerns, Ling'er spoke again.

"Your Karma, Guanghan Heavenly Palace will take it on for you."

"As long as the Great Xia Holy Dynasty and Yuntian Sect exist, my Guanghan Heavenly Palace will protect their safety."

"As for this Senior..."

Her gaze turned toward Chen Yang. Although she couldn't see through his Origins, she still said calmly:

"Inside the Celestial Palace, there are plenty of top-tier Heaven And Earth Treasures that can nourish the Divine Soul and reconstruct the Physical Body. It's better for him to follow you than to stay here."

She had arranged all his ways out.

Qin Yun looked at her, at this both familiar and strange Ling'er, his heart filled with complex emotions.

He knew she was no longer that little girl who needed his protection.

She had her own Dao, her own path, and... power enough to shelter him.

"Alright."

Finally, Qin Yun nodded and said only one word.

To the Eastern Earth Heavenly Continent, to the Guanghan Heavenly Palace.

This was not just to avoid disaster, but to begin a new journey.