Chapter 435: Ten Thousand Years of Dignity

From the moment the Flood Dragon Emperor returned to his true form, only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed.

Yet within that brief span, the colossal dragon who had first appeared in the skies, domineering and commanding, was now in utter ruin.

At this moment, his massive body was covered in ghastly wounds, blood streaming endlessly.

That blood flowed along his enormous form, dripping down to the earth below, dyeing the land red.

His once-impenetrable scales were now crumbling inch by inch. Some had fallen off entirely, revealing mangled flesh beneath; others still clung to his body, trembling with every breath and movement, as if they could fall away at any moment.

These cracks and gashes made the Flood Dragon Emperor’s body appear even more terrifying and savage.

The pair of dragon horns that were once impossibly sharp had been broken. One jutted from the ground, still connected by sinew and blood to his head; the other lay nearby, also stained with blood and dirt.

To drive such a being into this state in mere moments, despite him fighting with everything he had—this alone was enough to showcase Daoist Ling Xi’s terrifying power after taking that half-step forward.

And yet, the Flood Dragon Emperor’s resistance wasn’t in vain. He had gambled correctly—Daoist Ling Xi couldn’t forcibly cross realms for long.

The arc of light, once vast and mysterious, had now shrunk several times over. Through it, only half of Daoist Ling Xi’s body was still visible.

“Void Emperor!”

The Flood Dragon Emperor’s roar thundered across the heavens. With that cry, his immense body suddenly swelled, expanding rapidly as if fueled by some surge of power.

Gradually, the dragon’s form began to blur—his scales and flesh seeming to dissolve into the surrounding air, transforming into a vast, turbulent spiritual energy.

That energy swirled and twisted in the sky, eventually condensing into a majestic, towering mountain range shaped like a dragon—stretching for thousands of li.

This Dragon Mountain soared into the clouds, peaks rising and falling, ridges stacked like blades. Each section of the mountain shimmered with the same black luster once seen on the dragon’s scales.

As the mountain formed, it slowly descended toward the earth.

And at the moment it touched the ground, it seemed to act with a will of its own—dividing the lands of Great Wu and Northern Huangtian that had once been connected.

A deep and vast gorge opened where the Dragon Mountain fell, with steep cliffs on either side. The Dragon Mountain, like a slumbering giant, lay quietly across the rift, completely severing the two regions.

“Transforming body and soul into a mountain to seal off ten thousand li… all to preserve the fire of the demon race.”

“For the demon race to have one such as the Flood Dragon Emperor… is already a blessing.”

Gu Ning’an sighed deeply, gazing at the Dragon Mountain lying across the gorge, filled with reverence.

Beside him, Heaven Arbiter Ashen gave a bitter smile upon seeing the illusory chess piece above the Flood Dragon Emperor’s head—its half-black, half-white form turning pure white—yet he said nothing.

Daoist Ling Xi stared at the newly formed Dragon Mountain, a hint of displeasure flickering across her brow.

What the Flood Dragon Emperor had done was, after all, a form of suicide. Though she had forced him into it, the fact that she hadn’t killed her foe with her own hand left an undeniable sense of regret.

Just as she prepared to use what little time remained to take out another great demon, the Void Emperor—appearing as an old man with black hair—unexpectedly presented himself before her.

“Daoist Ling Xi, the Flood Dragon Emperor is dead. The grudge ends here.”

“The demon race now only has a few old and weak left. I ask Daoist Ling Xi not to carry out a full extermination…”

Hovering midair, the Void Emperor gave a respectful bow to Daoist Ling Xi.

But she had no intention of wasting words. The moment she saw him, she summoned a bolt of thunder, striking the Void Emperor dead-on.

Lightning surged, wind howled, and smoke rose into the sky!

Crack!

From within the dust, the Void Emperor waved a hand, revealing himself.

Surprisingly, despite taking the blow head-on, he was completely unharmed—not even a strand of his hair out of place!

“I ask you—have I ever truly forced my way into Northern Huangtian…?”

Rumble!

Before he could finish, another thunderbolt descended—this one dozens of times thicker and shaped like a dragon—engulfing him once more!

Yet when the arcs of electricity faded, Daoist Ling Xi was shocked to find that the Void Emperor was still completely unscathed.

“Impossible!”

“You haven’t touched the Heavenly Dao—how could you block two strikes in a row?!”

For the first time since her appearance, Daoist Ling Xi’s voice was filled with disbelief.

The arc of light before her had by now shrunk to the size of a bowl, showing only her face—stunned and wide-eyed.

In response, the Void Emperor said calmly, “Ling Xi, by age alone, you are but a newborn in my eyes.”

“There are things I’ve seen and learned over ten thousand years that you simply cannot understand.”

“Forgive my bluntness, but you—”

Rumble rumble!

He was cut off again. Looking up, he gulped and muttered, “Ling Xi, you really have no respect for your elders, huh? I finally get a chance to show off after ten thousand years, and you’re already trying to kill me with this?”

Above, dark clouds gathered silently, blocking out the sun and casting the world into oppressive gloom.

Within the clouds, purple light brewed like a hidden current in the abyss—harboring unimaginable power.

As the purple radiance swelled, the entire sky took on an eerie hue.

Suddenly, a bolt of dragon-shaped purple lightning exploded within the clouds—like a furious serpent tearing through the sky—hurtling toward the Void Emperor with world-shattering force.

As it streaked across the air, space itself seemed to distort.

When the lightning struck, the Void Emperor was instantly engulfed in a purple glow!

At that moment, the arc connecting the two realms vanished. Daoist Ling Xi disappeared with it, leaving behind only a regretful gaze…

In midair, a black silhouette was slammed into one side of the Dragon Mountain gorge. With a series of crashing sounds, the entire mountain range trembled!

Once the rumbling stopped, it seemed the Void Emperor had finally “come to rest.”

Whether he was dead or alive, however—no one could say.

Roughly half an incense stick of time passed.

Then, covered in blood and with his aura weak, the Void Emperor slowly floated up from the mountain, swaying slightly. He opened his mouth toward where Ling Xi had disappeared, but swallowed his words.

Turning instead toward the Dragon Mountain, he shouted angrily:

“You damn little flood dragon! You did that on purpose!”

“You knew those last strikes from Ling Xi would be the strongest, and still you conned me into taking them!”

“My god-statues that I saved for ten thousand years—all shattered! I was almost blasted to death by that woman!”

“You damn youngsters… none of you have any decency!”