Breaking the Emperor's Defense

The ten Immortal Emperors did not hesitate. They charged straight toward Zhenyue below.

Ten different types of Immortal Emperor power erupted simultaneously, forming an overwhelming torrent that crashed down on Zhenyue from every direction, every angle, and in every possible way.

One-on-one, they might not have been entirely confident in defeating Zhenyue.

But now, it was eleven against one.

Zhenyue activated his Unmovable Domain once again.

Light radiated outward from his center, attempting to lock down the surrounding space.

But all ten present were Immortal Emperors. Each had endured countless battles, and each possessed a profound understanding of the laws.

Even if the laws were frozen, they still had other tactics at their disposal—pure physical attacks, weapon clashes, mental suppression, and coordinated teamwork.

Against the absolute disadvantage of eleven to one, the Unmovable Domain only delayed the moment of defeat; it could not change the outcome.

Driven by their vengeance for the annihilation of their families, the ten Immortal Emperors showed no mercy.

Enemies meeting face to face, their eyes burned with hatred. Their strikes were ruthless, each blow aimed to inflict maximum pain.

No matter how strong Zhenyue’s defense was, it could not withstand the combined assault of ten Immortal Emperors. No matter how fast his counterattacks were, he could not escape their perfectly coordinated encirclement. No matter how many trump cards he held, they were drained away by their relentless rotation.

Zhenyue was soon beaten half to death. His right arm could no longer lift, and dark golden blood gushed from over a dozen wounds simultaneously.

The ten Immortal Emperors simultaneously pulled back their strength, controlling their blows to the point of being "just short of fatal."

They stood around Zhenyue, looking down at the enemy who had once driven their families to the brink of destruction, their gazes complicated.

Some eyes carried the relief of vengeance finally fulfilled. Some held regret that they had not gone all out. Some reflected a cold, analytical assessment.

Gu Changyuan descended from the sky and landed beside Zhenyue.

He looked down at this battered, breathless Immortal Emperor Tianheng.

Then his gaze shifted to the surrounding ten Immortal Emperors, who still seemed hungry for more.

"Alright. Once Zhenyue goes missing, the Imperial Court will soon find out."

His voice was not loud, but it was clear and firm.

"When that happens, a battle with them is inevitable. Then, you can truly vent your fury."

His words were spoken lightly, but they stirred ripples in the hearts of the ten Immortal Emperors.

Not ripples of fear—ripples of anticipation.

They had waited too long, endured too long, held back too long.

"Let me send you back first. As for Zhenyue, I’ll see if I can extract any useful information and pass it on to you later."

As Gu Changyuan spoke, he waved his right hand and sent them all back.

Then his gaze returned to Zhenyue. He waved his right hand again, and the God-Sealing Coffin appeared.

The coffin lid slid open silently, revealing the dark space within.

Gu Changyuan gently pushed with his right hand, and Zhenyue’s body was lifted by an invisible force, floating into the coffin.

Then, with a thought, Gu Changyuan turned the God-Sealing Coffin into a streak of black light that vanished into the void before him.

The next moment, he was standing in the backyard of the Celestial Palace.

Inside the God-Sealing Coffin, Zhenyue was trapped by chains as before, just like his former subordinates, unable to move at all.

When he saw Gu Changyuan walk in, his weakened face twisted with a mix of anger and shock.

Anger—because he, one of the Tians of the Imperial Court, had been captured alive.

Shock—at the terrifying power of this artifact, which had created an independent space, severing all causal detections. No wonder it had taken so long for him to realize something had gone wrong with his Celestial Guards.

Gu Changyuan looked at him with a smile.

"So? Your subordinates have been in this place before. Now you’re locked in the same spot. How does it feel?"

Zhenyue did not answer. His lips were tightly shut, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Gu Changyuan.

Gu Changyuan shrugged. He couldn’t be bothered to say more.

He raised his right hand, fingers slightly spread, facing Zhenyue.

Several fine strands of mental energy shot out from his fingertips, extending silently through the air, bypassing Zhenyue’s protective spiritual power, and entering the depths of his sea of consciousness through his brow.

Zhenyue felt the invading force. He lifted his still-wide eyes and curled his lips into a nearly savage grin.

Trying to read his memories to obtain information about the Imperial Court.

A wave of contempt surged in Zhenyue’s heart. He mocked the other’s arrogance.

The Emperor had placed protections in the sea of consciousness of every single Tian—not ordinary defenses, but a defensive network personally laid down by the Lord of the Imperial Court, deeply fused with each Tian’s divine soul. Any attempt to forcibly read their memories would trigger that network’s active counterattack.

Just as Zhenyue thought, Gu Changyuan encountered significant resistance when trying to extract his memories.

Gu Changyuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He let out a cold snort. Several silver-white formation patterns flew from his fingertips, weaving into a net in the void, enveloping both him and Zhenyue.

Full force activation.

Gu Changyuan’s divine sense charged directly into Zhenyue’s sea of consciousness, engaging in a head-on clash.

Supported by the formation, his mental energy became more condensed. Under continuous assault, several barriers began to show cracks—from fine lines to visible fissures, from fissures to gaps.

The moment the barrier shattered, a golden figure burst forth from the broken void.

The figure had no clear face or features, towering like a giant, bathed in dazzling golden light.

Its aura carried an absolute, unyielding authority, as though the heavens themselves looked down upon mere ants.

The figure expanded in the sea of consciousness, turning into a golden torrent that attempted to overwhelm Gu Changyuan’s divine presence.

Gu Changyuan laughed coldly.

"If the real you came, I might have been a bit wary."

He struck out sharply, fingers pressed together like a blade, slashing toward the golden figure.

"A mere phantom, and you dare to be so arrogant."

The golden figure trembled slightly under that slash but did not dissipate.

It tried to condense itself into a counterattack, but Gu Changyuan gave it no chance to struggle.

In a few moves, the golden figure shattered instantly.

The dark golden barrier was completely destroyed. The defensive layer laid by the Lord of the Imperial Court was torn apart, leaving not a trace.

Gu Changyuan’s mental threads extended again, weaving deep into the pathways of Zhenyue’s sea of consciousness. Everything they passed through was extracted.

Zhenyue felt his memories being read. An extreme terror spread across his face.

His bloodshot eyes bulged wide, the light in his pupils shifting from shock to disbelief.

That was a barrier personally placed by their Emperor—an absolute defense capable of withstanding divine soul attacks from Immortal Emperors.

And it had been broken.