29: Chapter 29 The Emperor's Banner: My Turn to Appear!

After emerging from the Immortal Source.

Chu Tianjiao's aura rose continuously, restoring him to the level of Emperor Wuque in an instant; it even kept climbing, and in just a single breath, Chu Tianjiao's strength had returned to the Heavenly Emperor level!

He had become an Emperor with a Chaos Body! In his first life as an Emperor, he could already tear Supremes apart with his bare hands, and his strength in his second life was even more formidable.

Although he rarely fought during his second life and entered the Mortal World for tempering in his third, his strength had long since surpassed that of a Heavenly Emperor, and he had already stepped one foot into the True Immortal Realm.

In the battle two months ago, he was merely playing with those Supremes, using the opportunity to fish for the Immortal Emperor. Otherwise, those ten Supremes might not have even had time for Ultimate Sublimation before he slaughtered them.

Now, he had entered the Undying Mountain to beat the dogs behind closed doors. Under the cover of the human emperor banner, he didn't need to worry about the situation inside being discovered by the Forbidden Zone Supremes outside.

“Jiaoheng Emperor, you tricked me!!!” How could the Stone Emperor not understand by now? Chu Tianjiao had deceived everyone.

That decayed and withered appearance, that weakness requiring support, that caution of having two Imperial Weapons protect his path—it was all a performance staged for them!

This old fox, who had lived for forty-seven thousand years, used a shocking scam to fool all the Forbidden Zone Supremes, and even deceived the Immortal Emperor hiding in the shadows!

“So what if I tricked you? Did you really think I would be like you?”

Chu Tianjiao looked at them with pure disdain. There was no cloudiness of a dying man in his eyes, only a sharpness as brilliant as the stars and a bottomless composure.

“Slicing your own Dao, lingering in Forbidden Zones, and devouring the Life Qi of all living beings to extend your lives—do such actions deserve the title of Emperor or Sovereign? Today, I shall show you what the true path of an Emperor looks like!”

As his words fell, Xiao Shitou, who had come in from outside, appeared by Chu Tianjiao's side.

“Teacher.” Upon seeing his teacher, Xiao Shitou couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Although he knew it was all a plan, seeing his teacher standing here perfectly intact gave him a true sense of security.

“Mm.” Chu Tianjiao nodded, but his gaze immediately turned to a more pressing concern. “How is Nannan?”

Chu Tianjiao was very worried about Xiao Nannan. Upon meeting Xiao Shitou, he immediately asked about her situation.

The girl who had shed bloody tears when he “died” in her arms was the part of this scheme he felt most guilty about, yet also most expectant of.

“Nannan is doing well. She was very heartbroken when she thought I had truly died, but just as you expected, Teacher, Xiao Nannan has stepped onto the path of cultivation. In just one month, she opened her Sea of Bitterness and reached the Other Shore. I believe she will soon advance to the Dao Palace.”

Xiao Shitou showed a hint of relief as he spoke, but then worry surfaced again. “However...”

He paused. “Xiao Nannan seems to have created a very Heaven-Defying Cultivation Technique that can devour all things for her own use... Although I haven't seen it with my own eyes, both the Tyrant Blade and the Peach Tree sensed Chaos Qi permeating when her Sea of Bitterness first opened, manifesting signs of the Origin of all things. The aura of that technique... is extremely overbearing.”

Hearing Xiao Shitou's answer, the corners of Chu Tianjiao's mouth curled up, and a light of 'as expected' flashed in his eyes.

“Is that so? It seems our 'deaths' have indeed set Nannan on the right path. There is no problem with Nannan's technique.”

His tone was certain, as if he had long foreseen this.

“Presumably, it was created under the influence of my lectures in the early years. My Physique in my first life was the Chaos Body, an incredibly Heaven-Defying Physique. Xiao Nannan might be evolving into a Chaos Body... which is why she created that kind of technique.”

He patted Xiao Shitou's shoulder, both as comfort and clarification:

“There is no path of cultivation without blood, let alone on the imperial road; one moves forward by treading over the corpses of others. It was the same for you back then, and it will be the same for Xiao Nannan in the future. There is no need to worry too much.”

“The road she must walk is destined to be different from the masses. That is her destiny, and also her tribulation. All we can do is pave the way ahead and clear the obstacles for her.”

“Alright, let's not think about that for now. For the moment, let's deal with these Supremes of the Undying Mountain.”

Chu Tianjiao composed himself, his gaze sweeping over the seven Supremes standing ready before him, finally landing on Xiao Shitou.

“You can also display your full power to your heart's content. Let me see your upper limit. A Major Achievement Holy Body can battle an Emperor, but your accumulation over these years has long surpassed that of an ordinary Great Completion Holy Body.”

Hearing his teacher's words, Xiao Shitou nodded, Battle Intent surging in his eyes. He had hidden his strength for all these years, even holding back during the battle outside the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning, all for this moment.

He took a deep breath, and the golden blood Qi around him began to boil silently, like a long-dormant volcano about to erupt. His gaze was like lightning as he locked onto the leading Stone Emperor.

“Let's start with the Stone Emperor. Go and fight him one-on-one.”

Chu Tianjiao pointed at the Stone Emperor, his tone as casual as if he were directing a sparring match.

“Stone Emperor, don't say I didn't give you a chance. As long as you can defeat this Disciple of mine, you may leave. Otherwise, today will be the day of your fall. No one else may interfere, nor will I. Life and death are your own responsibility.”

Chu Tianjiao's words caused a wave of towering rage to appear on the Stone Emperor's face; it was an insult born of being completely trivialized.

“Jiaoheng Emperor! Are you looking down on me?! Sending this wet-behind-the-ears brat!!!”

He roared, the sound waves causing the surrounding black mist to churn.

As a former Primordial Sovereign who had suppressed an era, he had his dignity even if he had sliced himself.

To be made to duel a junior, and with 'release' as the condition, felt worse than being killed.

“Wet behind the ears?” Chu Tianjiao laughed, his laughter carrying unconcealed mockery.

“Indeed, in the eyes of you old fossils who have lived for a million years, Xiao Shitou is just a wet-behind-the-ears brat. However, this Disciple of mine rose from insignificance, achieved a Major Achievement Holy Body, and fought against Supremes. He is not a bit inferior to you so-called 'Ancient Sovereigns'.”

“His fists have exploded the Physical Bodies of more than one Supreme. You... where exactly are you more noble than him? Is it by living longer, or by... devouring more people?”

“You!” The Stone Emperor was so angry that the petrified Imperial Dao Law around him trembled, transforming into countless hideous stone spike phantoms.

“Since you are unwilling, does that mean it's my turn to act?” Chu Tianjiao pulled back his smile, his eyes suddenly turning cold with an indifference that looked down upon ants. “Seeing as you are so ungrateful, there is nothing more to say.”

He shook his head as if lamenting something, but his movements showed no hesitation.

“Xiao Shitou, I'll leave two Supremes to you. Display the full strength of your Holy Body. As for the other five, I will deal with them.”

As soon as he finished speaking, without giving the Stone Emperor and the others a chance to react, Chu Tianjiao's mind moved, communicating with the human emperor banner that enveloped the entire Undying Mountain.

“Banner, come! Divide the Heavens and Earth!”

“Buzz—!!!”

The human emperor banner vibrated violently. The chaos heaven-opening diagram on the flag's surface seemed to come to life; clear Qi rose while turbid Qi sank, Yin and Yang differentiated, and the Five Elements rotated.

An invisible, grand power descended, and the eerie space inside the entire Undying Mountain was once again sliced and reshaped!

In an instant, Xiao Shitou and two Supremes with relatively weaker auras were shifted to a completely pitch-black area.

There was no light, no sound, and not even a clear sense of space here—only an absolute battlefield constructed by the Laws of the human emperor banner, isolating all prying and interference.

Meanwhile, another slice of singular space presented a scene of Chaos just beginning to open, with Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water raging, and the Dao Laws in disarray.

Chu Tianjiao stood in confrontation with the Stone Emperor and the five other Supremes within it.