With the Thunder Emperor gone, the remaining few could only play a minor role. Under Joe Di’s Supreme Strangle Immortal Array, they had no ability to break free.
Joe Di sat on the ground and swallowed several pills in succession. He had been gravely wounded by the Thunder Emperor just now; even with the finest immortal pills and body-tempering arts, after killing the Thunder Emperor in a desperate battle, he still needed to heal.
After only half a stick of incense had passed, Joe Di stood up again and deployed a dozen array banners, arranging a Mistshroud Immortal Array to block divine sense. Stepping into the Strangle Immortal Array, he wielded the Azure Veil Blade, leaving streaks of blade marks in the air.
Three lightly wounded Immortal Emperors and three severely wounded ones could barely resist Joe Di and the Supreme Strangle Immortal Array, but couldn’t even inflict a scratch on him. In the end, they were all slain by Joe Di.
After killing everyone, Joe Di simply collected the rings and did not leave immediately. Instead, he took out a top-grade wood-attribute immortal vein and continued healing. The array isolating divine sense was set up precisely for this purpose.
His injuries were severe; if another opponent like the Thunder Emperor appeared, he wouldn’t even be able to rescue Qu Hen and Chen Zishun—he’d have to flee like Zhong Ao.
......
Li Lei led six Immortal Emperors to trap Joe Di in the council hall, their intent to kill him obvious to all. Every Immortal Emperor who left the hall could only wait outside for the outcome.
The deafening sounds of battle continued to echo, and soon the thunder blade tore through the entire hall. Everyone’s admiration for Joe Di’s tenacity only grew.
Even though Joe Di carried a blade, no one believed the thunder blade, stretching thousands of feet, was unleashed by him. Riley Thunder was the thunder-attribute cultivator—in everyone’s eyes, this thunder blade had to be Riley Thunder’s trump card.
Because of Joe Di’s Supreme Strangle Immortal Array and the immortal essence domain swept up by the battle, those outside the hall couldn’t see clearly. Even when the thunder blade tore the hall apart, all they could make out were blurred silhouettes. With Joe Di’s law array banners constructing the strangle formation, divine sense could not penetrate at will.
Moreover, no one dared to forcibly probe with divine sense—this battle was likely to end with Riley Thunder slaying Joe Di. To intrude now would be disrespectful to Riley Thunder. His methods were far from honorable; if his killing of Joe Di was discovered, he would remember who witnessed it. Not every cultivator on Thundercrest Continent was as unconcerned about Riley Thunder as Daniel Xing.
The fight ended much as everyone expected—it didn’t last long before fading into silence. Yet the ruins of the hall remained shrouded by a confusing concealment array; unless someone forcibly broke it, no one could see what was happening inside.
“Alas, the Thunder Emperor really shouldn’t have imprisoned the two presidents of the Grand Cauldron Alchemy Association. After all, they came to help.” Felix Snowling, Sect Master of the Righteous Sword Sect, sighed, privately lamenting the situation.
Originally, everyone should have joined forces to fight the beast tide, but instead, the Thunder Emperor imprisoned those who came to help and drove away the formidable Zhong Ao. It didn’t end there—now he had provoked Joe Di, who sought revenge. As things stood, it seemed Joe Di would also be slain by the Thunder Emperor.
Daniel Xing had already offended Riley Thunder. He sneered, “That man is selfish and self-serving. I even suspect this beast tide is connected to him. It’s not just because Eugene Young, Island Lord of Twintrace Isle, is my friend—I truly believe Riley Thunder is unfit to lead us against the beast tide. Did Island Lord Young really say anything wrong? Yet Riley Thunder schemed against him, and in the end, he fell to the beast tide.”
“City Lord Dan, that’s a bit extreme. As for right and wrong, everyone has their own judgment. But to say the beast tide is Riley Thunder’s doing goes too far. Sooner or later, this beast tide will sweep across Thundercrest Continent. Even if Riley Thunder could summon such a horde, what purpose would it serve? To destroy his own sect?” A mid-stage Immortal Emperor in the crowd couldn’t help but retort.
In truth, he wasn’t one of Riley Thunder’s people. The few Immortal Emperors truly loyal to Riley Thunder were still fighting Joe Di at that moment.
Iron North Mountain, standing atop the Primordial Thunderstone, said in a deep voice, “City Lord Dan’s words are indeed a bit harsh, but I also think it’s strange how the beast tide suddenly appeared on Thundercrest Continent. Our continent’s world laws are fairly complete, and the protective grand array shouldn’t have any issues. Yet the void beast tide appeared out of nowhere—how did these void fiends get in?”
“Right, it reminds me of the Quadrant Immortal Continent. The dusk there also seemed to appear suddenly, without explanation.”
“I heard the dusk on Quadrant Immortal Continent was because someone took away the Fourfold Divine Cauldron, which anchored the continent’s fate. But our Thundercrest Continent’s fate hasn’t disappeared...”
“Our Thundercrest Continent’s fate hasn’t vanished, but if this beast tide sweeps through, what difference does it make?”
“Could someone be trying to destroy all Four Immortal Continents?”
......
The more they spoke, the more confusing things became, like a mist growing thicker—yet within that mist, a seed of doubt was planted. Nothing ever happens without reason. Just as the dusk on Quadrant Immortal Continent had a cause, could Thundercrest Continent’s beast tide really be without reason?
“Someone’s coming out...” This sentence interrupted everyone’s speculation and debate.
The mistshroud array over the ruins of the hall vanished, and a young man in blue, still carrying the Azure Veil Blade and accompanied by Blackfire, walked out. The Primordial Thunderstone remained beneath his feet.
“The Thunder Emperor is gone...”
“Xue Ou and the others are gone too...”
Everyone quickly realized something was different—only Joe Di and his beast companion emerged. Riley Thunder and the six other Immortal Emperors who had surrounded Joe Di had vanished without a trace.
Even a fool could see now: Joe Di had slain Riley Thunder and his six allies, and walked out alone.
Seeing the Azure Veil Blade on Joe Di’s back, someone finally recalled the thunder blade stretching thousands of feet they’d witnessed before. They had thought Riley Thunder created it, but now they realized—it was Joe Di’s doing all along.
“Fellow Daoist Di, Thunder Emperor...” Iron North Mountain, the highest in cultivation here, stepped forward and cupped his fists at Joe Di as soon as he noticed Riley Thunder was gone.
Joe Di replied calmly, “I killed him.”
Though everyone had guessed this outcome, hearing Joe Di say it left the crowd in stunned silence. Beneath the calm surface, waves of shock surged in every heart. Thunder Emperor, killed? If someone had said so earlier, they’d have thought it was just an insult to Riley Thunder.
No matter how strong Joe Di was, he was at most a ninth-level Immortal Emperor. Thunder Emperor had reached ninth-level years ago and possessed a thunder-attribute spirit root. To fight him meant enduring endless thunder arc oppression before the battle even began.
Now Joe Di claimed to have killed Thunder Emperor—yet Thunder Emperor had six Immortal Emperors at his side, while Joe Di had only a beast companion not even at ninth rank.
Knowing it was best to say nothing, Iron North Mountain could only sigh and say, “Emperor Joe, Thunder Emperor had a temper, but now with the beast tide surging, we’re one man short...”
Joe Di interrupted coldly, “So you mean Riley Thunder wanted to kill me, and I should’ve just given up and let him do it?”
Iron North Mountain had no desire to speak for Riley Thunder, but if he wanted to become number one on Thundercrest Continent and take Riley Thunder’s place, he had to step forward. If Joe Di weren’t so terrifyingly strong, Iron North Mountain might have tried to kill him and establish his own dominance.
Seeing Joe Di’s unfriendly demeanor, an elderly man quickly stepped forward and said, “Let the past be past. Sect Master Tie, Emperor Joe, with Thundercrest Continent now beset by the beast tide, let’s find a place to discuss how to deal with it. I doubt this outer defensive array will hold much longer.”
Iron North Mountain hadn’t intended to stand up for Riley Thunder. Seeing the situation, he immediately backed down, “Yes, yes, we should put Thundercrest Continent’s safety first...”
Joe Di replied coolly, “We’ll talk about the beast tide once I meet with the two presidents of the Grand Cauldron Alchemy Association.”
Daniel Xing strode up, exhilarated. He’d long wanted to kill Riley Thunder to avenge Eugene Young, but was too weak to challenge him. Now that Joe Di had done it, Daniel Xing was elated. “Emperor Joe, I’m sure the two presidents are imprisoned at Thundercrest Sect. We just need to go there to find them.”
“In that case, let’s go to Thundercrest Sect and discuss how to deal with the beast tide.” Iron North Mountain said casually, eager to use the opportunity to destroy Thundercrest Sect.
Joe Di shot Iron North Mountain a cold look—he knew exactly what Iron North Mountain was up to. But even knowing he was being used, Joe Di was determined to shatter Thundercrest Sect’s protective array.
(I’m attending the annual meeting these days, so there’ll likely only be one update per day. I’ll do my best not to miss any.)