Chapter 23: Forced into Desperation

  "That's enough!"

  Zhang Youren held Xiao Qing's somewhat tattered body, with a fire brewing in his heart. He glared at the black-robed man, his eyes cutting like knives.

  The black-robed man let Zhang Youren hold Xiao Qing, with a triumphant look on his face, completely disregarding Zhang Youren's anger, and smiled sinisterly: "Unexpectedly, the mighty Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Court, the supreme ruler of the three realms, is also a sentimental person. Well, I'll let you two be a pair of mandarin ducks who share the same fate today."

  "You know it's me!"

  Zhang Youren's heart sank.

  Listening to the black-robed man's words, it is clear that he knows he is the master of the three realms, yet he dares to be so presumptuous, fully demonstrating that his opponent has come prepared. If this were an ordinary dispute, even if it meant giving away the Tianling Pearl, a rare and precious object, it would have been settled by now. Although the Tianling Pearl is valuable, after all, it's just an inanimate object; exchanging it for a life would still leave room for a comeback. Moreover, Zhang Youren auctioning off the Tianling Pearl was merely a setup for future events, so he definitely wouldn't risk his family and life on it.

  But the other party knew he was the Jade Emperor and still dared to seal this place, secretly plotting to kill him. He definitely wouldn't let go just because of the Heaven Spirit Pearl.

  "Who are you, anyway? You know I'm the master of the three realms and yet you still dare to be so presumptuous. Aren't you afraid of taking a trip to the Executioner's Platform?"

  Zhang Youren's demeanor was imposing at this moment, no longer the small ** on Earth, every move he made exuded an overwhelming pressure that took one's breath away.

  Under this pressure, the black-robed man's body clearly hesitated, and a puzzled expression appeared on his face.

  But this puzzlement only lasted for a brief moment, and the black-robed man let out a loud, mad laugh.

  "Hahaha... As expected..."

  He pointed at Zhang Youren, laughing so hard he was almost out of breath.

  "As expected, under the Six Soul Flags, you, Tian Di, have also suffered heavy losses. If I'm not mistaken, your cultivation has been completely depleted and you no longer have any strength left."

  The man in black wiped away the cold sweat from his forehead.

  "My god, I was scared to death! If it wasn't for seeing him still not making a move even after the maid was heavily injured, I would have thought he wasn't hurt at all."

  Although the Black Robe people also knew that the Jade Emperor himself was not strong, with the foundation of the Heavenly Emperor, even if he suffered some injuries, there were still countless treasures for him to dominate in the heavenly realm. Now it seems that Zhang Youren's cultivation has been completely lost, otherwise it would not be possible for him to remain motionless until now.

  After the black-robed man was determined, he became even more calm and unhurried. He thought to himself that the seal he had set up could still be maintained for a long time, and in the Heavenly Court, there were his own insiders. As long as things went smoothly afterwards, the Heavenly Court would immediately fall into chaos, and at that time, he could escape calmly.

  As for whether it will cause great chaos in the world after success, that is not his concern. As long as the benefits of Western learning are sufficient, that's all that matters.

  If Zhang Youren can be killed today, the several major sects will inevitably fight for their own interests and become chaotic. No one would dare to offend this great god easily. At that time, he can completely muddy the waters here, and it's not impossible for him to take advantage of the situation and establish his own sect.

  At this thought, a fierce flame burst forth in the eyes of the black-robed man, as if he wanted to set the entire space ablaze, revealing an intense desire.

  "My Jade Emperor, since your cultivation is completely lost, then let me send you back to the Western Paradise in glory."

  The man in black robes turned pale, his hands conjuring up a multitude of colorful streams that flowed down from his fingers like shackles, surrounding Zhang Youren.

  The man in black was on the verge of victory, but he didn't act rashly and instead launched a probing attack.

  "What to do, what to do?"

  Zhang Youren anxiously looked at the seamless boundary, and in his inner vision, he saw that only one-fifth of the Xianji Dao fruit was left in his dantian, feeling helpless.

  "Am I going to die here today?"

  No!

  He let out a reluctant roar, one hand shielding Xiao Qing, the other frantically waving in the air, his long hair flying, his clothes disheveled, an unspeakable desolation.

  Just as he was about to give up in despair, something warm appeared in his arms.

  "Mirror of the Vast Heaven!"

  Zhang Youren's heart was filled with joy, and a glimmer of hope emerged from despair.

  "Huantian Mirror, aid me!"

  He held an ancient mirror in his hand and waved it randomly at the lines of the Taoist ritual.

  "Block it!"

  Watching spell after spell being blocked, Zhang Youren's spirit was lifted.

  "Hold on, just hold on a little longer, and someone will discover the anomaly here and come to rescue me."

  Zhang Youren didn't stop encouraging himself, using his last bit of strength to support the weak yuan force and pour it into the Huatian Mirror.

  At the same time, the man in black also saw something unusual.

  "Mirage of the Vast Sky!"

  "It's indeed worthy of being one of the top ten spiritual treasures; even without any cultivation, it can still automatically protect its master."

  His eyes began to reveal a hint of anxiety, but his mouth was merciless, continuing to provoke Zhang Youren.

  "Hmph, look at that, the mighty Heavenly Emperor is running around like a dog with its tail between its legs. How amusing! I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be able to drive the supreme ruler of the three realms into such a state of disarray. Hahaha..."

  Zhang Youren was burning with anger, but there was nothing he could do about it.

  Haotian Mirror is amazing, but it can only be used for passive defense. He held the mirror in one hand to defend himself while roaring with anger on the other.

  "Who are you, to dare defy the heavens and kill me? Don't you fear bearing the consequences of heaven's wrath, don't you fear suffering the anger of the three realms?"

  "Hahaha... Who am I?" The black-robed man muttered to himself, as if he had been holding it in for too long and needed someone to talk to: "Ever since I joined the Western Sect, the East wouldn't tolerate me, and the West didn't care about me. I was like a stray dog that had lost its home, anxious and unable to rest. From the day before yesterday, the Western Sect wanted to borrow the power of the Holy Artifact, so they invited me out of retirement and promised me great benefits. They even used countless hidden pawns just to take your life. Who knew Heaven wouldn't destroy you, but instead let you escape with your life? I thought this matter was already without any room for reversal... But unexpectedly, Heaven didn't abandon me, and today it allowed me to meet you again! Hahaha... Isn't this Heaven wanting to abandon you, letting the Three Realms' respected one end in my hands? Hahaha..."

  The man in black spoke nonsense, but he said something that shocked Zhang Youren's heart.

  "It's you!"

  Zhang Youren glared at the black-robed man, his eyes bulging with rage.

  "How come you're recognizing me now? Too late, everything is too late."

  Zhang Youren, who had learned the truth of the matter, was no longer in a hurry. With the support of the Haotian Mirror, he wouldn't die for the time being anyway.

  "He took a deep breath and said: 'Are you called Chang'er Ding Guang Xian or Chang'er Ding Guang Huan Xi Fo? You, this traitor of the Taoist sect, running dog, I curse you to never attain transcendence in all eternity!'"

  "Scold away, scold to your heart's content, Jade Emperor! Do you think that just because I possess the Huantian Mirror, I will be at a loss for what to do with you?" Chang Er Ding Guang Huanxi Buddha heard Zhang Youren's curse and didn't get angry in the slightest. He simply shook out his black robes, revealing a skeletal frame, and pulled out a painting scroll from his bosom. He said to Xuānzhēn Xiǎo Héshàng who was standing beside him watching the commotion: "Disciple, today I will let you witness the true power of our sect's Joyful Wisdom."

  He calmly said to Zhang Youren, "You're not relying on the Huatian Mirror being invincible, are you? Now that your cultivation is completely lost, you're merely relying on the weak connection with the Xiantian Lingbao to hold on. I'll see if you can still control the Lingbao under extreme emotions and desires."

  "What's wrong?"

  Zhang Youren's forehead was covered in cold sweat.