Chapter 133: The Stone Emperor Seizes the Two Children, the Empress Emerges from the Forbidden Zone

Before Chen Xing arrived, he had no intention of letting these Supreme Beings of the restricted zones know of his existence. This was certainly not because he feared these so-called Emperors or Ancient Sovereigns; he simply did not want anyone to disturb him while he was out enjoying time with his daughter. As the Dao Master, he treated all sentient beings across the myriad realms equally, with only a slight bias toward humanity. In his eyes, there was no true distinction between good and evil; after all, where there is light, there must naturally be a dark side.

The caveat was that no one must touch his reverse scale. Otherwise, Chen Xing, now the Dao Master of Hongmeng, would not hesitate to erase them completely. Of course, this fellow also had his capricious moments. Otherwise, he would never have taken in Shi Hao, throwing the entire Perfect Era into chaos—though he eventually managed to repair some of the world’s trajectories, the original path was already unrecognizable.

In Chen Xing’s mind, he had already made plans. Since this plane was no longer following its original trajectory, he might as well let it be. It was just one plane; once reincarnation was established and the Great Dao returned, he would let it develop on its own. Even if this world were destroyed, the worst that could happen was that he would take those he cared about and leave. He could then place the Passion Realm from the Hongmeng Tower here to replace the development of this world, which, he reasoned, would not have much of an impact on the greater Hongmeng realm. If these so-called Supremes dared to offend him, he would simply wipe them out and be done with it.

However, the Stone Emperor, about to emerge from the Undying Mountain, was unaware of this. Had he known what manner of existence he was about to face, even as a supreme powerhouse who had once suppressed an entire era, he would have tucked his tail between his legs and hidden away.

Just as the two little ones, satisfied with their arms full of medicinal herbs and spiritual fruits, returned to Chen Xing’s side, an aura that suppressed the ages erupted from the depths of the Undying Mountain. It seemed intent on tearing the firmament asunder and exterminating all living things. An endless murderous intent coalesced into a giant hand that covered the sky, reaching toward Chen Xing’s position.

Chen Xing’s eyes narrowed, and boundless killing intent rose within him. He could see that the giant hand was targeting the two little ones, clearly intending to slaughter or abduct them. The Stone Emperor was exhilarated at that moment. He had only intended to emerge and destroy the person who had killed the guardian general of the mountain, but to his surprise, he had encountered the Dao Fruit of an invincible Emperor. If he could claim this Dao Fruit as his own, he would not need to seal himself away again. The injuries to his own Dao, sustained from his self-mutilation, could be healed, and he would return to dominate the world with an invincible posture.

Blinded by excitement, the Stone Emperor reached directly toward Little Nannan. Realizing he had miscalculated, he even attempted to snatch Chen Chen as well. Just as Chen Chen, enraged, was about to strike, stars suddenly fell from the firmament. Mingled with the boundless energy of mysterious yellow, they formed a palm carrying the weight of infinite Imperial authority, smashing into the sky-covering hand of the Stone Emperor.

BOOM! A deafening sound shook the heavens and the earth! Both palms immediately turned into dust. The countless stars falling from the sky then strangely formed an array, encircling Chen Chen and the others.

At the moment the two palms collided, countless powerful beings across the Big Dipper star field were shocked. Even the slumbering supreme powerhouses in every restricted zone were awakened. In an instant, countless terrifying divine senses swept toward the Undying Mountain. A thunderous voice even resonated from the Ancient Mine of Absolute Beginning: "Stone Emperor! What are you doing?" There was a trace of anger in the tone.

This was not the time for the Immortal Domain to open, and these slumbering Supremes did not wish to wake up; doing so would deplete their remaining lifespans. Yet, the Stone Emperor had unleashed his Imperial might. Did he intend to abandon the wait for the Immortal Domain and emerge now?

The Stone Emperor was speechless. He had not expected that palm to be struck by a perfect, flawless Emperor, causing him—who had not fully sublimated—to suffer a major loss. Amidst his shock, hearing the questioning voices, he roared in fury, "There is a perfect Emperor alive, have you not realized it?" Having said this, he looked solemnly in one direction: the Forbidden Land of Desolation.

"A perfect Emperor?" All the Emperors and Ancient Sovereigns whose divine senses were scanning the area were stunned. Since the passing of the Green Emperor, less than ten thousand years had passed. How could someone have attained the status of Emperor right under their noses? It was simply impossible.

Just as they were mired in confusion, an icy voice echoed throughout the heavens: "Stone Emperor! You dare to covet my Dao Fruit? Today, I will surely slay you!" The voice was cold but possessed a feminine grace; it was clearly a woman.

The Stone Emperor was horrified. He roared, "It is you! You actually survived without self-mutilation?"

As the Stone Emperor bellowed, a white-clad female figure appeared in the firmament above the Forbidden Land of Desolation. Her white clothes fluttered like a fairy descended to the mortal realm. She had long, raven-black hair flowing in the wind, and her figure was graceful, exuding an peerless elegance. However, she wore a ghost mask over her face, from which a single tear was shed—appearing as if she were crying and smiling at the same time.

Yet, it was this peerless woman who left all the Supremes of the restricted zones in shock. They had not expected this legendary Ruthless Empress to still exist with a perfect Dao Fruit. It felt inconceivable to them.

After a long silence, the presence in the Ancient Mine of Absolute Beginning spoke to her: "That the Great Emperor can exist with a perfect Dao body commands our respect. This time, the Stone Emperor was in the wrong. But it is not easy for us in the restricted zones to survive. Now that the Immortal Domain is about to open in this era, could the Great Emperor perhaps postpone this reckoning until after it opens?"

The Stone Emperor felt bitter. He had been momentarily blinded by greed and, failing to see the true nature of the little girl, had acted to seize her, only to provoke this most difficult of women. He did not truly believe that he, having severed his own path, could compare to the Ruthless Empress; she was, after all, the legendary powerhouse who had once shaken the star-strewn sky.

"Hmph! You wish for me to let him go after he dared to target my Dao Fruit? Your influence is not as great as you imagine," the woman said coldly.

The voice from the Ancient Mine of Absolute Beginning fell silent. After a long while, it continued: "The Great Emperor’s Dao Fruit is perfect, and you are not someone we can match at present. But if we were all to emerge together, even with your power, you would likely meet your end." The tone was filled with menace.

"Feel free to try," the Empress replied, unyielding and icy.

The Stone Emperor, who had also once dominated an era, was enraged by her persistence. He shouted, "Do you think I fear you? At worst, I will fully sublimate and fight you to the death! I might just shatter this world in the process!"

The voice did not stop the Stone Emperor’s rage, instead saying calmly, "Great Emperor, you must think clearly. What does our emergence represent? Do you wish for the Great Calamity of Darkness to descend ahead of time?" The voice was filled with malice.

The Empress finally fell silent. Although she had perfected herself by utilizing a trace of mysterious rule power obtained from the Dao Fruit, she had not yet entered that ultimate realm. Even with the assistance of the Great Completion Saint Body, it was impossible for her to contend with so many Supremes at once.

As the Empress remained silent, the Stone Emperor grew even more arrogant, sneering, "If I fully sublimate, why would I fear a fight with you? At worst, I will absorb the essence of countless living beings afterward, and I will still be able to wait for the Immortal Domain to open!" After speaking, he threw his head back and laughed maniacally.

The Empress looked at the Stone Emperor with icy eyes, sighing inwardly and regretting not having destroyed him on the spot earlier. Although she did not care much about the lives of the masses, this was, after all, the place of her birth, and she did not wish to see this world destroyed.

Just as she was caught in this dilemma, a cold, indifferent voice rang out: "Oh? Then go ahead and fully sublimate; let me see it."