Chapter 157: The Sovereign of Huaxia

That voice rang out, sending a jolt through everyone's minds and causing them to turn toward the source.

There stood a figure as majestic as a towering mountain. It was a man clad in a purple-gold dragon robe, wearing a gem-encrusted crown upon his head. He possessed a dignified bearing that commanded awe without anger, and radiating from his body was an aura of vast divine might.

This shocked many onlookers. After all, a divine aura was the symbol of true deities, and since this person possessed one as well, he was clearly a powerhouse of the divine path.

Yet, what they could not comprehend was why deities, who supposedly never manifested in the mortal world, were now appearing two at a time.

At this moment, the Eastern Emperor looked at that figure with surprise and exclaimed, "You are the Sovereign of China, Wei Zhentian!"

"What?!" As the Eastern Emperor's words fell, every single disciple of Mount Mao was struck with astonishment, even Xiaoyaoxiang was no exception.

After all, the Sovereign of China was a divine powerhouse on par with the Eastern Emperor himself. Had he not ascended to the divine throne and departed for the Nine Heavens more than ten thousand years ago? Yet now, he had actually appeared here, and judging by his demeanor, he certainly did not come with good intentions.

At this moment, Wei Zhentian spoke calmly, "I have come here today with no malicious intent. I merely wish to ask the Eastern Emperor to show mercy and spare that young man's life."

"What? The Sovereign of China is here to save Jiang Xiaofei?!" Upon hearing Wei Zhentian's words, the disciples of Mount Mao cried out in shock. They found it utterly unimaginable that Jiang Xiaofei actually knew such an existence, and could even prompt him to step in for his rescue.

The Eastern Emperor was also somewhat surprised. He had heard of Wei Zhentian's name, and even in the Nine Heavens, he held considerable renown. However, it was exceedingly rare for him to intervene personally, which aroused the Eastern Emperor's curiosity regarding the relationship between Jiang Xiaofei and Wei Zhentian. He could not help but ask, "What relation is that boy to you? Why do you want to save him?"

Wei Zhentian replied calmly, "He is the descendant of an old friend of mine, so I ask the Eastern Emperor to grant me a modicum of face."

"The descendant of an old friend?" The Eastern Emperor looked somewhat surprised upon hearing this, but then he cold-snorted, "What if this Emperor refuses to grant you this face?"

"Then do not blame this monarch for resorting to violence." Wei Zhentian grew furious upon hearing this. Every gesture and movement of his was imbued with an unmatched, tyrannical momentum that caused all the Mount Mao disciples below to tremble with awe. After all, the wrath of a deity was earth-shattering; how could mere mortals possibly withstand it?

"Hahaha!" At this moment, the Eastern Emperor couldn't help but laugh coldly, "You actually think you can defeat me simply on your own? Could it be that you still do not know I have already touched upon that realm?"

Wei Zhentian said with an indifferent expression, "Had your true body arrived in person, I would indeed exercise three parts of caution. But this is merely an avatar—I shall simply shatter it."

"How did you know?" The Eastern Emperor's expression shifted drastically upon hearing this, turning somewhat incredulous.

Wei Zhentian smiled and said, "Your aura is unstable. No doubt your true body is currently entangled in matters and unable to break away, am I right?"

The Eastern Emperor's expression turned rather unsightly as he said, "So you were in league with the Heavenly Emperor all along."

"Hahaha," Wei Zhentian sneered, "If we didn't hold your true body back and prevent it from descending, wouldn't my life have been forfeited here?"

"Very well." With a dark expression that was almost terrifying, the Eastern Emperor said, "This Emperor will grant you some face today. However, you can protect him for a moment, but you cannot protect him for a lifetime."

"That is of no concern to the Eastern Emperor!" Hearing this, Wei Zhentian smiled faintly and then vanished into thin air.

Seeing Wei Zhentian depart, the Eastern Emperor wore a gloomy expression. Yet, Wei Zhentian's immense influence in the Nine Heavens was something he still greatly feared.

Meanwhile, in the sky not far outside Mount Mao, a blood-stained figure flickered back and forth, as if searching for something.

Following closely behind the bloody figure was another bloody figure—a graceful young maiden draped in a scarlet coat. With her cascade of white hair, she looked very much like a white-haired enchantress. At this moment, she asked curiously, "Master, what are you searching for?"

The bloody figure stopped, revealing the appearance of a man clad in a red coat, and said, "Searching for my separated divine soul, of course!"

The young maiden frowned slightly upon hearing this and asked, "Then, Master, have you found it?"

"Found it," the man said excitedly. Looking closely, a beam of blood-colored light was held in his palm, enveloping a miniature figure made of blood.

However, upon seeing that bloody figure, the man's initial excitement was replaced by fury. "Dammit, to think he was injured this severely!"

"No matter, whatever pain you have suffered, this Emperor shall take it back for you!" After letting out a soft sigh, the man turned to the maiden beside him and said, "Good disciple, we can return to the Demon Clan now!"

"Really?" The maiden asked with immediate delight upon hearing this.

"Naturally," the man smiled and said, "Now that the third divided soul has been found, returning to the Demon Clan is just around the corner. By then, you will also be able to rightfully become the disciple of the Blood Dragon Demon Emperor."

"That is simply wonderful!" The maiden exclaimed with great joy.

Meanwhile, in the Juntian Realm, there was a supreme faction—the most unprovokable force of all. Within the Juntian Palace at this moment, a richly dressed, opulent, and elegant noble matron said with sorrow, "Father of my child, Yao'er is dead. Do you truly feel no heartache at all?"

"Of course I feel heartache." The speaker was a man dressed in black robes, possessing a dignified appearance that commanded awe without anger. He stated, "However, our child is the reincarnation of a mighty being; how could she die so easily?"

The matron shook her head and said, "Yet the Eastern Emperor has gone too far. How can we just stand by with folded arms? Hurry and go kill the Eastern Emperor for me."

The man replied calmly, "You are merely a woman, what do you understand?"

The matron was slightly stunned and asked, "Are we simply not going to avenge this hatred?"

The man soothed her, saying, "Of course we must exact revenge, but it is not us who should strike—it is her parents-in-law. Yet since her parents-in-law have not made a move yet, what are you anxious about?"

"Besides, letting her undergo this ordeal might not necessarily be a bad thing. Just wait for your son-in-law to bring you a startling performance."

Unconvinced, the matron retorted, "Allowing Yao'er to marry that boy in the first place was a mistake. Do you honestly expect that boy to be able to defeat the Eastern Emperor?"

The man smiled and said, "Do not forget that Yao'er and that boy are bound by a destiny destined to intertwine. Although the Eastern Emperor is exceedingly strong and has even touched upon the Saint Realm, that boy is blessed by celestial fortune. It is not entirely impossible for him to defeat the Eastern Emperor."

Seeing the man's persistent persuasion, the matron had no choice but to nod. "Very well then, let us hope that boy does not disappoint us."

Meanwhile, in the Underworld, as Jiang Xiaofei and the Ghost King stepped out from the Gates of Hell, what greeted their eyes was a scene of utter devastation and desolation. Although they could sense that a war had broken out in the Underworld, Jiang Xiaofei had no heart to care about such matters. He was consumed entirely by grief; it seemed that Jun Yao's death had stripped him of even the motivation to live.

Yet, remembering that Jun Yao had died under divine powers, and the Corpse King had perished at the hands of the Eastern Emperor, those sequential scenes seemed to linger relentlessly in his mind, rekindling the murderous intent within his eyes. He knew that only by surviving would there be hope, and only by staying alive would he have the chance to exact revenge.

Jun Yao had rushed to block the divine power solely to save him. If he were to give up in despair now, wouldn't he be failing Jun Yao, as well as the Corpse King?

Thinking of this, Jiang Xiaofei's eyes hardened with resolve. He cradled Jun Yao in his arms and walked toward Ghost Abyss City, with the Ghost King following closely behind. She, too, wore a sorrowful expression, desperately wishing to comfort Jiang Xiaofei. Yet, every time she tried, Jiang Xiaofei remained tight-lipped, maintaining a cold barrier that kept everyone thousands of miles away.

Still, she knew this was all because her elder sister's death had dealt a heavy blow and immense trauma to Jiang Xiaofei. Simultaneously, remorse gnawed at her heart as well; if not for her, her sister would not have died. This left her consumed by regret and silenced as well.