Not even the sound of breathing could be heard during this crucial moment. The overlords and others never expected this development.

This was the same for the existence in the shadows - to meet Li Qiye again? If there was a list of people this existence didn’t want to meet the most, Li Qiye was definitely on it.

From the brief exchange, everyone understood that this existence recognized Li Qiye and vice versa. Thus, the origin of Li Qiye became a prime focus again.

At first, they thought that Li Qiye was deeply related to the Tang. Next came speculations regarding Cloud Dream Lake, then Sword Temple… In hindsight, none of these seemed accurate.

The problem was that Li Qiye had appeared out of nowhere overnight. There were no hints to his identity and background.

“You…” The existence uttered but stopped because Li Qiye’s appearance was truly unforeseen.

In the past, rage with a murderous urge might be the first direction. Unfortunately, this was the epoch of Eight Desolaces - a timeline started by Li Qiye. Thus, the existence couldn’t oppose Li Qiye while residing in this world.

“Tell me, what should I do right now? Perhaps dig a grave for you?” Li Qiye asked.

Listeners couldn’t believe that Li Qiye was threatening an ancient emperor. “Domineering” or “heaven-defying” wasn’t enough to describe him.

The existence didn’t lash back, falling into silent rumination instead. This caused the atmosphere to become tense since everyone patiently waited for a response. This was an apex conversation; both beings were capable of unleashing untold destruction.

“Whoosh!” Suddenly, beautiful flower petals rained down and brought light back to this ghastly world, fully reversing the dark atmosphere. A silver dawn manifested and put the crowd at ease.

“It’s peach blossom.” One cultivator picked up a petal on his shoulder. Petals continuously fell down but there were no trees above.

“It’s her…” Lu Qi murmured. She recognized the petals since she had accompanied Li Qiye to this city before.

Li Qiye also picked up a petal with a smile on his face.

A gust of wind with a gentle fragrance blew by. Those who caught a whiff became freed from worry and full of vigor.

A woman in a light dress descended gracefully from above, looking like a blossom fairy. Spectators became petrified after catching one glance of her, seemingly struck by thunder.

This applied to the ancestors and lords as well. They had seen plenty of beauties before but none was on the same level as this woman. Words weren’t enough to describe her godly appearance.

Kingdom-toppling, supreme, immaculate… Many racked their brains and found their diction insufficient. To put it simply, she was the most gorgeous woman they have seen.

Due to cultivation, each era produced many beauties. Alas, even from a historical perspective, all paled compared to her.

“Wh-who is she?” Weaker cultivators with an unstable dao heart couldn’t avert their gaze. 

When her eyes fell on Li Qiye, time came to a halt. This wasn’t their first time meeting each other recently. Nonetheless, this didn’t diminish the special occasion.

Her lucid eyes lacked imperfections. She was transcending and untethered from the mortal coil. However, staring at him stirred up different emotions - familiarity and strange images. This caused her to frown.

The spectators took note of this and wanted nothing more than to comfort her and get rid of the source of her frustration.

“Boom!” Their stupor was interrupted by a massive detonation.

In this split second, the existence in the shadow soared towards the horizon.

“Rumble!” The world started rotating again and they became dizzy. Some fell and rolled on the ground.

The landscape around them receded like the tides along with the darkness. Once they calmed down and regained their wits, the evil mountain range and the broken buildings were no longer there, the same for the ancient emperor.

They returned to their original position and the whole thing felt like a dream.

“She’s gone, thank goodness.” An ancestor wiped the sweat off his forehead: “My cultivation would have been ruined from the uncontrollable infatuation.”

Other big shots heaved a sigh of relief. It’s good that she wasn’t here for that long or her beauty would have driven them mad.

The event earlier felt unreal and illusory. Nonetheless, her beauty still left an indelible mark in their memory. Many were still standing there, trying their best to recall her wondrous face.