Ziwei Emperor stared at Zhu Xi, his gaze cold and devoid of emotion. The dark void around them fell into an eerie silence, an overwhelming pressure spreading through the space.
Zhu Xi could feel Dao Thief Immortal Lady's aura completely vanish. Her heart clenched.
Before she died, Dao Thief Immortal Lady had already revealed the true identity of the man before her.
Ziwei Emperor!
The master of that terrifying Dao Field from before!
She knew that to bear the title "Emperor" meant absolute supremacy. It was the path she herself pursued, yet to ascend to the level of a Grand Dao Emperor was an unfathomable challenge. Only those with unparalleled destiny and unmatched talent could hope to reach that height.
A fully realized Grand Dao Emperor was even more terrifying—capable of defying even gods and immortals!
"Who taught you the Dao Supremacy Art?"
Ziwei Emperor's voice was icy, an endless killing intent surging toward Zhu Xi like a tidal wave, threatening to drown her.
Without control over herself, Zhu Xi involuntarily uttered four words: "Xunxian Daoist..."
The moment she spoke, her mind reeled in shock.
What's happening?!
Why can't I stop myself from telling the truth?!
Ziwei Emperor narrowed his eyes, murmuring to himself, "So it was him... Restless as always."
His gaze locked back onto Zhu Xi as he continued, "Besides him, do you have any other masters? What are their names?"
He could sense that Xunxian Daoist was not the only influence on her. Zhu Xi carried a far greater karmic burden.
Zhu Xi's expression drastically changed. She opened her mouth again, struggling with all her might to resist the compulsion to speak, but she simply couldn't stop it.
"Yes, his name is Gu—"
Her voice suddenly cut off.
At that moment, she felt the invisible restraint on her disappear.
Her reaction was instantaneous—she turned and fled.
Her speed was astonishing, crossing an unimaginable distance in the blink of an eye.
Yet, within the boundless void, no matter how far she flew, everything around her remained eerily unchanged—as if she hadn't moved at all.
Ziwei Emperor did not pursue her. He simply watched in silence, a deep frown forming on his face.
He raised his right hand, his sleeves billowing as the entire void shifted in color.
Zhu Xi, who was fleeing at full speed, suddenly felt something. She turned her head—and her pupils dilated in terror.
Behind her, eighteen colossal dragon shadows emerged, their sheer size seemingly engulfing the entire void. Their towering forms twisted and writhed, fangs bared and claws extended—a horrifying spectacle.
Zhu Xi froze in place.
It wasn't that she didn't want to keep running—it was that the space around her had suddenly solidified, rendering her completely immobile.
Even more terrifying was the invisible force compelling her to turn around.
It was as if a massive, unseen hand had seized her, forcing her body to rotate against her will.
Despite being in the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm, Zhu Xi found herself utterly powerless against this force.
Her eyes filled with despair.
The gap between them was too vast—so great that she couldn't even activate a single secret technique or divine ability.
As the eighteen monstrous dragon shadows continued closing in, she instinctively attempted to self-destruct—but even that was impossible.
"Since you wish to protect her, why not show yourself?"
Ziwei Emperor's voice rang out.
Zhu Xi was stunned.
Someone was protecting her?!
Was her earlier escape not because Ziwei Emperor had been distracted, but because another force had intervened?
Struggling, she twisted her head to look behind her, trying to see who—or what—was there.
Her vision caught only endless darkness. The void behind her was like an abyss, swallowing all light.
There was nothing to be seen.
Yet the more she stared into that deep, empty blackness, the more uneasy she felt.
She knew her own origins—there was no way she had some hidden protector capable of standing against Ziwei Emperor.
If anything, this only meant another terrifying existence was manipulating her fate.
Having left Heavenly Spirit Great World for tens of thousands of years, she had indeed encountered many karmic forces beyond her comprehension.
Turning back to face Ziwei Emperor, her expression changed.
The despair in her eyes faded, replaced with a calm acceptance.
So be it. If death comes, then let it come.
Ziwei Emperor's voice rang out again, colder than before. "Immortal Emperor's Eye? A rare sight indeed. No wonder you are trying to protect her."
The eighteen massive dragon shadows that had been writhing in the void suddenly came to a halt.
Zhu Xi turned her head once more, and this time, her pupils dilated in shock.
She saw a pair of eyes—a pair of incomparably vast, terrifying eyes.
The sheer visual impact of these eyes was no less overwhelming than Ziwei Emperor's eighteen dragon shadows.
The eyes had dark purple pupils, radiating an eerie, mysterious aura. They were so immense they seemed to encompass the entire cosmos, making Zhu Xi's very soul tremble.
What kind of eyes were these?
She couldn't even begin to fathom the cultivation level of the being that possessed such eyes.
Ziwei Emperor's voice echoed from the depths of the void, "Although this physical body isn't particularly powerful, if you think you can take her from me, let's see how great your abilities truly are."
As his words fell, the eighteen colossal dragon shadows moved.
Their motion was as fast as a lightning strike, shaking the void itself. The Grand Dao's rules stirred up a violent storm that surged toward Zhu Xi, forcing her to instinctively shut her eyes. Her body and soul trembled in agony.
At that moment, she felt like a drowning mortal—helpless, suffocating, and tormented.
But just as suddenly as the suffering came, it vanished.
The violent force battering her disappeared in an instant. In its place, a warm energy enveloped her.
Pa!
A hand suddenly tapped her shoulder, startling her eyes open.
Her gaze regained clarity. She saw the once-dominant dragon shadows disintegrating, as if consumed by invisible flames.
A wave of delight and disbelief surged in her heart. She instinctively turned her head but saw no one.
The sensation of someone tapping her shoulder just now… Had she imagined it?
However, the Immortal Emperor's Eye, which Ziwei Emperor had acknowledged, was still present. It remained calm and silent, watching the dragon shadows collapse into nothingness.
As she looked into those immense eyes, Zhu Xi suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Where had she seen these eyes before?
Wait…
Could it be—?!
Her eyes widened, her expression shifting from shock to overwhelming excitement. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
It's Master!
Back in the Heavenly Spirit Great World, she had never been able to see through Gu An's cultivation. She had always believed her master came from another Grand World, but she had never imagined that his strength was this unfathomable—strong enough to rescue her from Ziwei Emperor!
Joy filled her heart.
For a moment, she felt like she was dreaming.
The eighteen dragon shadows had completely vanished, and Ziwei Emperor had fallen silent.
Zhu Xi didn't know what had happened exactly, but the outcome was clear—her master had won.
"Go now. Continue pursuing your Dao."
Gu An's voice resonated in Zhu Xi's mind, waking her from her daze.
Without hesitation, she soared toward the Immortal Emperor's Eye.
Along the way, the scenery was dazzling—galaxies swirled like dragons, star clusters churned in a dreamlike spectacle.
However, no matter how fast she flew, she could not get closer to the Immortal Emperor's Eye.
It was as if an unbridgeable distance always remained between them.
But she didn't feel lost.
On the contrary, she felt as if her master was guiding her.
Looking at the majestic and boundless Immortal Emperor's Eye in the distance, Zhu Xi's eyes were filled with longing.
How many years of cultivation would it take for her to reach such a level?
—
Meanwhile…
Far away on Mortal Peak, Gu An stood at the edge of a cliff, gazing at the horizon.
In his eyes, the reflection of Zhu Xi's figure flickered.
He had not personally descended to take action, but it had been enough to deal with Ziwei Emperor.
This Ziwei Emperor, although not his true body, had still reached the Measuring the Heavens Golden Immortal Realm, far stronger than the Heavenly Spirit God.
Yet, destroying Ziwei Emperor had not granted him any additional lifespan.
This fact made Gu An even more suspicious of Ziwei Emperor's true nature.