Chi Yao calmed himself as well. Though he had stepped into the Fourth Step, he knew that trying to eliminate Joe Di, Emperor Ye, and Nick Ning all at once would be difficult—even if he succeeded, it would come at a cost. Besides, Zachary Zephyr was still present nearby.
Now that Joe Di was provoking him directly, he had to kill Joe Di before Emperor Ye and Nick Ning could react.
So Chi Yao resolved to strike with full force, holding nothing back.
The fifteen Rivergate Pearls, originally meant for Zachary Zephyr, now brimmed with murderous intent, waiting for the moment to deliver a fatal blow to Joe Di. The Dao Vein was held in his hand, while his Voidthorn lay concealed in the void.
Just as Joe Di had never unleashed the third arrow of Fate's Loom before Chi Yao, Chi Yao himself had never let anyone know that his true trump card was not the eighteen Rivergate Pearls, nor the Dao Vein, but the Voidthorn.
Unfortunately, only fifteen Rivergate Pearls remained out of eighteen. But sensing Joe Di's weakening aura, Chi Yao believed that fifteen would suffice to trap and kill him. As for the Voidthorn, that would only come into play if Joe Di still had the strength to resist. If Joe Di couldn't handle the fifteen Rivergate Pearls, then the Voidthorn was reserved for Emperor Ye and Nick Ning.
"Joe Di..." Chi Yao barked out his name, and the fifteen Rivergate Pearls instantly transformed into fifteen streams of killing intent.
Each stream of killing intent seemed to carry a complete universe, gathering all the murderous energy within to strike at Joe Di. The force was equivalent to fifteen universes attacking at once—just the momentum alone was enough to nearly crush all of Ninefold Heaven.
If this were the old Joe Di, any domain he created would have instantly shattered under such a wild and overwhelming killing force.
Chi Yao knew Joe Di's methods well. Joe Di's Blade Dao could already manipulate space-time, and those terrifying three arrows could even reverse the flow of time itself.
If this had been before, he might have held back a little, but now he would give Joe Di no chance at all.
Emperor Ye, Nick Ning, and even Zachary Zephyr, watching from afar, all frowned slightly. The moment Chi Yao unleashed the fifteen Rivergate Pearls, they realized his Dao was nearing perfection—compared to before, his power had increased tenfold or more.
Previously, none of them could stand against Chi Yao. Now, with his strength multiplied several times, their own realms had actually declined in comparison.
Nick Ning glanced at Emperor Ye, even considering whether to intervene. Chi Yao's overwhelming might was beyond their expectations. Clearly, Chi Yao had gained some opportunity here; otherwise, he couldn't have perfected his Fourth Step Dao to this level.
Just as Emperor Ye was about to speak, he sensed subtle changes in the surrounding cosmic rules. He simply smiled and shook his head.
Nick Ning also sensed the change in rules; the laws of their own universe had already merged into this space.
A surge of fighting spirit welled up in Joe Di's heart. He had always been suppressed by Chi Yao. Though he'd never truly suffered in their clashes, the fact was he'd never faced Chi Yao alone in an all-out battle. Now, his Dao rules were no longer bound to the Rivergate Universe—he wanted to see what Chi Yao would use to crush him.
So what if his realm was lacking? It wouldn't be the first time he'd defied the odds and slain a stronger foe from a lower realm.
The Azure Veil Blade trembled slightly, as if sensing Joe Di's intent. Even without him wielding it, boundless fighting will rippled outward.
Feeling the fifteen Rivergate Pearls tearing through the void with endless killing intent, Joe Di actually sighed. His heroic spirit seemed to fade; he even put away the Azure Veil Blade, slinging it behind his back, and then struck out with a single punch.