After discovering the Demon Emperor Hall, Meng Qi had anticipated many situations and imagined various scenarios. However, no matter how wildly he speculated, he had never considered this possibility.
It unfolded in such a way that he unexpectedly encountered the Hegemon!
He once thought he would never encounter this mightiest Celestial Immortal of antiquity again unless he reached the other shore and gazed back into the past. Yet now, they were meeting once more in this very place!
A thought arose in his mind—Chuiyizi’s description of the Demon Emperor Hall: the most important thing to the Demon Emperor was the house of time, space, and spirit, a place connecting past and present, seemingly possessing the ability to bridge the two.
As this thought surfaced, Meng Qi suddenly felt as though everything had been predestined. It seemed his fate had already been decided—that he would meet the Hegemon before he became a legend.
The Hegemon was the Thunder God Fish, who had broken free from A-Nan’s control, devoured the “Thunder God’s Tower,” and successfully established himself as a legend. Though he was still one step away from achieving full legendary status, he must have already connected with numerous fragments of the “Thunder God’s Tower.”
While the “A-Nan’s Tower” and the “Thunder God’s Tower” possessed entirely different characteristics and were not easily recognizable as similar, they undoubtedly shared fundamental similarities at their core. As the saying goes, “Stones from other hills may serve to polish jade.” With the “Thunder God’s Tower” as a reference, even if he couldn’t advance as swiftly as with the “A-Nan’s Tower,” he could at least make significant progress.
At the very moment he urgently sought information on the “Anan Tawo,” he encountered the Hegemon, who had crossed through time—how could this not be the arrangement of fate?
At least for now, the Demon Emperor still seemed benevolent…
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Meng Qi had already made his decision. He met the Hegemon’s gaze without flinching. One had eyes like purple lightning and a gaze brimming with overbearing dominance, while the other’s eyes were deep and chaotic, embracing all things. Their auras clashed, triggering successive bolts of purple lightning that struck down around the Demon Emperor Hall, leaving the ground charred and scorched, forcing Chuiyizi to hide behind Meng Qi.
Since they had met, why not fight to the fullest!
Back when he was a terrestrial immortal, Meng Qi had indeed been inferior to the Hegemon. But now, as a Celestial Immortal, who would prevail in battle? Who would win or lose? He felt a sense of awe and regret, as if no one before him had ever faced such a moment. Today, he would finally fulfill his long-held wish!
Fight! Understand the Hegemon’s “Leishen Tawo” through battle!
Given their current relationship, there was no possibility of calmly discussing the matter. Moreover, Meng Qi had no intention of revealing too much and alerting the Hegemon, potentially altering history and erasing his own existence.
Zizi! Lightning flashed and thunder roared like rain pouring down. A faint smile appeared on the Hegemon’s sharply defined face:
“It’s you. No wonder I felt an urge to come to the sea vortex and check things out.”
“Who would’ve thought I could settle this matter before becoming a legend.”
The last time he was tricked by Meng Qi had been one of the rare moments he had suffered a loss, and he had held a grudge ever since. Seeing his opponent now, he felt not surprise but joy.
As he spoke, he nodded slightly, his battle intent surging as he happily said, “Moreover, you’ve ascended to a Celestial Immortal. Excellent, excellent!”
Only by defeating him could he feel truly satisfied!
Meng Qi smiled faintly and extended his right hand:
“Better to meet by chance than by invitation. Hegemon, please!”
He showed no hesitation, actively issuing a challenge.
“Good, very good!” The Hegemon nodded with a hearty laugh.
Such an opponent suited his temperament perfectly. The past grudge was instantly forgotten with that one sentence!
His right hand rested on the hilt of his blade, his aura surging, forcing the remaining flowers and grass to bow, and leaving Chuiyizi biting his teeth tightly, barely able to stammer out: “You, who are you, how, how did you come out of the Demon Emperor Hall, come out, come out…”
Meng Qi’s presence was like an endless abyss, an infinite sea of stars, effortlessly absorbing the Hegemon’s oppressive aura. Smiling, he said, “Perhaps we should continue our battle inside the Demon Emperor Hall. Fighting out here might endanger countless lives.”
Both were among the finest Celestial Immortals, even among the very top few. If they fought fiercely, in the vast starry sky, they could destroy entire galaxies. Within the Real World, their clash could shatter the mysterious sea vortex space, rupture the undersea dragon veins, and unleash catastrophic tsunamis, bringing apocalyptic disaster to nearby waters. However, the Demon Emperor Hall was a supreme treasure of the highest essence, and their attacks couldn’t even touch its true form. It was the perfect battlefield.
Since Meng Qi readily accepted the challenge, how could the proud Hegemon possibly object to such a minor request? Calmly, he replied, “Fine. At our level, we can fight on the scale of the universe or within the tiniest speck of dust. The battlefield is unimportant.”
To compress Mount Sumeru into a mustard seed— even a single speck of dust could serve as their battlefield. That was the true demeanor of a Celestial Immortal.
With that, the Hegemon gripped his sword hilt and turned calmly, stepping into the Demon Emperor Hall without the slightest concern about being attacked from behind.
Taking this opportunity, Meng Qi advanced step by step, gathering his aura, rapidly climbing to his peak, and followed him into the Demon Emperor Hall.
The Demon Emperor Hall had countless gates. Since ancient times, only the main gate had been sealed, storing treasures and awaiting the destined. The rest could all be accessed using the Demon Emperor’s Order to obtain inheritances and cultivate demonic forms. Now that the main gate had opened, the other gates naturally had as well. Passing through it, they faced an immense, empty palace hall stretching beyond sight, seemingly specially prepared for their battle.
Outside, Chuiyizi stood trembling, muttering to himself while watching the Hegemon facing the entrance directly, and Meng Qi with his back to him. Between them stretched hundreds of zhang of distance filled with dark clouds and purple lightning, a magnificent sight.
Creak!
The Hegemon slowly unsheathed his peerless blade, assuming a starting stance. The pitch-black blade gathered purple lightning, its entire body translucent, dazzling and overbearing.
Glancing at Meng Qi, he spoke in a low, puzzled tone, “Where’s your sword?”
“I forgot.” After silently cursing the little traitor blade, Meng Qi smiled faintly and extended both hands. His hands were as white as jade, covered with a layer of deep, glowing fluorescence. Long and powerful, they seemed capable of splitting the heavens, destroying the Three Realms.
These were hands like those of a primordial god!
The Hegemon no longer hesitated. He said solemnly, “I’m drawing my blade!”
The meaning behind his words was for Meng Qi to strike first, but the Daoist before him was no longer the same.
Thus, he stomped his sword down, and behind him appeared countless Hegemon figures. They swung their blades simultaneously, merging into a single purple light that split the sky, stretching boundlessly.
As this sword stroke was unleashed, even immortals and gods would retreat in fear!
The entire hall seemed to shrink under this single stroke, nearly transforming into a prison. Meng Qi’s eyes, filled with the Dao of all causes and effects, observed the illusions behind the Hegemon. One by one, his acupoints opened, layer upon layer of cave heaven power stacking, his hands intertwining like flying birds, gracefully clamping down on the splitting purple light.
His divine hands, white as those of a god or demon, continuously transformed, seemingly becoming a giant Kunpeng bird. No matter how the purple light flickered, it was always blocked by his hands.
Dang!
The purple light struck the interlocked hands, while the long, powerful hands radiated a faint golden glow, resembling divine weapons. One after another, golden lotuses bloomed where his hands met the blade—shattering, then regenerating, continuously shattering again, barely blocking the sword stroke without a single injury.
The erupted light and energy surged outward, shattering the prison, darkening the surroundings, and causing countless cave heavens to appear and then vanish. The hall itself expanded into a vast universe!
At that moment, the Meng Qi in the Hegemon’s eyes suddenly swelled, transforming into a towering divine figure filling the entire hall. Above his head, auspicious clouds formed a curtain of dark light, like cascading waterfalls, exuding a mighty and overwhelming aura that made the hall feel as though a galaxy were collapsing, pressing down on the Hegemon and making his spirit tremble, slowing him for an instant.
Meng Qi understood that the Hegemon held himself in the highest regard, with arrogance deeply ingrained in his very soul. At the beginning of the battle, he would undoubtedly test his opponent rather than unleashing his full strength. Thus, Meng Qi did the opposite—without his peerless sword, he directly invoked the Dharma and Manifestation of Heaven and Earth, going all out to seize the initiative!
His gaze was indifferent as he encompassed the Hegemon’s figure. His right hand rose with the momentum, fingers spreading wide, descending with a gesture that covered heaven and earth.
“Take my palm strike!”
His voice was distant, drawing the soul. The Pan Tian Seal appeared!
His hand seemed like a giant seal, so heavy that the hall’s void directly curled, like a transparent sphere enclosing the Hegemon. Before his hand, darkness and obscurity surged, space shattered endlessly, and time itself seemed to slow, nearly overturning heaven and earth.
The Hegemon was not alarmed but pleased, his battle intent rising even more. Silently, his purple lightning blade sliced forth, nearly becoming a line, cutting a path through the shattered void and slowed time, slicing open the prison, and creating a realm of peace and freedom around him.
“If heaven and earth perish, my body shall remain.”
At that moment, the towering divine figure before him vanished. Meng Qi, his head wreathed in auspicious clouds, suddenly appeared behind him. The power from his cave world, emanating from countless acupoints, erupted and surged through his back as he twisted his waist, channeling it all into his right hand.
His right hand clenched into a fist, resembling an ancient seal. High above, he struck downward with a thunderous boom!
This blow shattered the heavens and split the earth, breaking through the Hegemon’s surrounding realm. Dust and debris surged, obscuring the light, like the end of the world.
At last, a trace of seriousness appeared in the Hegemon’s eyes. His hair suddenly flew, a black armor surfaced on his body, and his form instantly expanded—he had no choice but to reveal his true Hegemon form.
His overbearing aura became tangible, filling the hall, weakening Meng Qi while strengthening himself, as if replacing the very rules and principles of this place!
“Break through!”
With a roar, the Hegemon did not turn his blade back. Instead, the hilt of his sword, flashing with thunder and lightning, struck forward, gathering countless images and absorbing infinite dominance, rushing toward Meng Qi’s fist.
Before the hilt even arrived, the oppressive aura affected Meng Qi’s fist, causing it to hesitate slightly, unable to dodge.
Peng!
The hilt was struck by the fist, visibly dented inward by an inch, while Meng Qi’s feet left the ground, seemingly pushed upward, destruction sweeping through the hall, shaking its pillars and beams.
They were evenly matched. The Hegemon was also sent flying backward, but halfway through, he strangely halted, like a sword in its sheath.
Then the force rebounded, and instead of retreating, he surged forward, like a sword drawn from its sheath, slashing fiercely toward Meng Qi with overwhelming momentum, seemingly unstoppable, leaving Meng Qi with no chance to escape.
Unfazed, Meng Qi extended his right hand, four fingers together, separated from his thumb, as if mimicking an open mouth.
Hou!
His hand transformed into a Zhujuyin, exhaling a cone of temporal breath from its mouth, blowing against the Hegemon’s descending blade, slowing it slightly.
With that slight delay, Meng Qi’s left hand wiggled its five fingers, disrupting the Four Symbols, and swept back with an elegant motion, as graceful as a divine being.
“Excellent!” Witnessing this, the Hegemon couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly.
Since the battle began, he had inadvertently fallen into a passive position. Despite his relentless efforts, he had yet to regain the initiative—a situation he had never encountered since perfecting his sword techniques!
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