Many cultivators gathered outside the Misty Ocean as they stared pa.s.sionately at the entrance of the Emperor Road. At the same time, they also feared the danger within the Misty Ocean and could not muster the courage to venture forth.

Just then, an enormous black Fairy boat glided across the air and landed on the surface near the Misty Ocean.

Then, the cultivators witnessed the Fairy boat releasing a surge of sword qi onto it.

The terrifying sword qi poured out and caused the mist above the ocean to dissipate, opening a clear, wide path straight into the Emperor Road!

The path and the mist were separated by a boundary that was forged from myriads of sword qi that merged into a barrier.

Chu Kuangren had separated the Misty Ocean with a single ray of sword qi!

"It's him. He's here."

"Chu Kuangren's here. Why wouldn't he be? It's the race to the Emperor Road."

"What an amazing sword qi. It literally just parted the Misty Ocean into two. He really lives up to his name."

"Of course! He has once obliterated the Ancient Battlefield with a single palm technique. What's parting the ocean compared to that?"

Following the parting of the Misty Ocean, the cultivators quickly retrieved their Fairy boats and tailed the Illusive Mirage.

Chu Kuangren stood on board the Illusive Mirage and mobilized his spiritual thought. Nothing on the ocean's surface could escape his sight.

"Misty Ocean, one of the Ten Great Forbidden Areas. According to the ancient tales, the unending mist is the manifestation of the rage qi of an Emperor who has perished in this region. Countless oceanic beasts also reside within these waters. This is the most dangerous location out of all the Forbidden Areas."

Chu Kuangren murmured. His spiritual thought could sense many formidable ent.i.ties dwelling within the ocean, and some of them were even stronger than a Boundary Emperor. He could even sense that some locations were immune to the detection of his spiritual thoughts. All in all, it was a location filled with mysteries.

If there was any location in Firmament Star that would make Chu Kuangren feel uneasy, the Misty Ocean was one of them.

Fortunately, the entrance to the Emperor Road was near the outer perimeter of the Misty Ocean.

The crowd approached the Emperor Road.

Soon, they arrived before the gigantic pillar.

The glowing pillar shot straight into the sky, radiating a surge of overpowering spatial energy as if it was a fabric that linked all the realms and universes together.

"Let's go."

Chu Kuangren said faintly.

With that, they entered the pillar and were soon engulfed by a boundlessly formidable spatial energy.

…

Stone City, Wu clan.

The Wu clan was one of the most influential clans in Stone City, known even by cultivators who lived millions of kilometers away.

The Wu Clan Leader was a formidable Sage Ruler and also one of the strongest experts on the Emperor Road.

Yet on this day, the Wu clan was facing unprecedented turmoil.

"Wu Clan Leader, surrender the Divine Emerald Lamp, or the Wu clan shall perish today."

Within the Wu clan's compound, a bare-shouldered brute laughed menacingly and said.

Beside him were a few more cultivators who boasted an equally strong aura. Each of them was a Sage Ruler cultivator.

Before the Sage Rulers was a middle-aged man who had suffered from grave injuries. His aura had dwindled, and his face had turned white. Although he was also a Sage Ruler, the combined attack of several Sage Rulers had left him in a defenseless state. If the man continued fighting, it would no doubt be the end of him.

"Clan Leader, would you rather watch the entire Wu clan die in your hands than surrender the divine lamp?"

A grey-robed elder taunted mischievously.

At that, the Wu Clan Leader's eyes burned with hatred. "Senior Elder, I didn't think you'd collude with three other clans to harm your own people! There's no way I'm letting you get what you want, even if it costs me my life."

The Wu Clan Leader retrieved an emerald-colored lantern. It was a cubical gla.s.s lantern that was carved with delicate patterns on its surface that radiated Daoist Rhymes.

It was none other than the Divine Emerald Lamp that had been pa.s.sed through multiple generations of the Wu clan.

Legend had it that this was a powerful Emperor Weapon!

However, for many years, no one had seen the Wu clan putting this weapon to use.

Only the Wu Clan Leader knew the price one had to pay by using this Emperor Weapon. Now, for reasons unknown, the cultivators from three major clans were eyeing this weapon. Thanks to the help from the Wu clan's senior elder, it would perhaps mark the end of the Wu clan.

The gullible senior elder had thought his colluders would actually help him become a Clan Leader.

At that thought, the Wu Clan Leader could not help but sneer. "Since the Wu clan is doomed anyway, be prepared to perish with us."

"That's not good. Is he going to use the Divine Emerald Lamp?!"

"Isn't the weapon dysfunctional?!"

The brute was shocked.

The Wu Clan Leader coldly responded, "For many years, no one has seen us use this Emperor Weapon, so all of you a.s.sume the weapon to be dysfunctional. Little do you know that the Emperor Weapon is still usable. The only catch is that one must prepare to die!"

Then, the Wu Clan Leader released a large cloud of blood mist into the air that flowed into the Divine Emerald Lamp.

Suddenly, the lantern burned with a glow. Although it was, it radiated a domineering Emperor's Aura.

"It looks like the rumor is true! The Emperor Weapon can be activated by using one's blood essence as its lantern oil!"

The senior elder stared uneasily at the flame that was burning within the Divine Emerald Lamp.

"D*mn it. Why didn't you tell us earlier?!" The brute screamed as he stared furiously at the senior elder.

"I thought it was just a rumor. I didn't think it was real!"

The senior elder panicked. "What should we do now?!"

"It seems like he's pus.h.i.+ng his limits with a secret technique to use this Emperor Weapon. He shouldn't be able to last long. Let's not clash directly with him!"

The brute said as he hastily backed away.

At that moment, the Wu Clan Leader let out a roar, and the Divine Emerald Lamp now burned with a luminous flame. The cultivators who were touched by its glow were engulfed by boundlessly terrifying energy before they exploded. It did not matter that they were Sage Rulers.

"Zhang clan, Qian clan, and Bai clan, you shall pay for what you did today!"

The Wu Clan Leader roared as he channeled his spiritual energy into the Emperor Weapon in preparation to destroy the cultivators before him.

Rays of golden light burst from the Divine Emerald Lamp.

The brute's face turned white and immediately revealed a top-notch Sage Ruler armor on his body.

With both his palms pushed forward, he took on the Emperor Weapon's power with all his might!

A huge shockwave ensued with the brute being at the epicenter.

The brute was blasted away as he spat a mouthful of fresh blood. He stared at the Wu Clan Leader palely and said, "That's amazing. Such is the power of an Emperor Weapon!"

Just a single attack was enough to severely wound the brute.

To add insult to injury, the brute was equipped with a Sage Ruler armor. However, the Wu Clan Leader was already in a weakened state.

"Now, die!"

The Wu Clan Leader mobilized his spiritual energy again, and the Divine Emerald Lamp s.h.i.+ned brightly as it displayed its divine power.

The senior elder, the brute, and the other Sages were in a state of despair.

On the contrary, the Wu clan's disciples could finally see a glimmer of hope.

Yet, it was at this moment that the Wu Clan Leader was overcome by a sudden change in his expression. He abruptly spat violent mouthfuls of blood as the divine lamp's power was halved.

Having already sustained heavy injuries, the Wu Clan Leader could not last long using his blood essence as the lantern's fuel.

"Now's our chance!"

Overjoyed, the senior elder and the brute swiftly made their moves.