Chapter 391: Who Opposes

This is an innate spirit stone born from the spiritual essence of the Jiling Mountain Range.

To some extent, it can be considered a spirit of the earth.

After the innate Geng Metal spirit emerged from the earth dragon's turning and the crust's loosening, having lost its nest, it was drawn to this divine object and came of its own accord.

The two combined, metal and earth mutually generating, reshaping the celestial and terrestrial spirit embryo.

Once formed, it will inevitably give birth to a heaven-born, earth-nurtured innate spirit.

Once the innate spirit appears in the world, its achievement will not be poor.

At the very least, it will be a heaven-born, earth-nurtured deity; if more formidable, it could attain immortality and obtain great divine powers—this is not impossible.

"The future guardian war god of the Great Xia Dynasty is settled!"

Zhang Jian's mouth corners twitched slightly with a smile.

Raising his hand, a stream of light shot from his palm, faintly forming a crescent moon that danced; in a moment, the crescent moon transformed into mirror light that enveloped this innate spirit stone.

The innate spirit stone was seen with all eight apertures open; within, the immortal fetus' spirit light shone clear and transparent, taking the form of a humanoid living being; upon close inspection, its physique resembled that of a monkey.

This may be due to the influence of the Iron-Armed Golden Apes that have lived generation after generation in this Ji Mu Mountain.

Possibly the Iron-Armed Golden Apes once dwelled here, leaving behind an image, which the innate spirit stone captured; the innate spirit embryo achieved unity of form and spirit, thus taking on the ape form.

However, this also has its benefits.

After absorbing the divine form of the Iron-Armed Golden Ape, this innate spirit embryo will naturally preserve part of this alien species' talent power.

Moreover, with the earth spirit's creative essence infused, it will also undergo atavism.

The innate spirit embryo will unleash to the utmost the power of the Iron-Armed Golden Ape, this ancient remnant species.

The ancient remnant Iron-Armed Golden Ape itself is a hybrid species combining earth and metal attributes, possessing innate formidable strength, copper skin and iron bones, and capable of manipulating earth and metal attribute techniques.

Zhang Jian can imagine what kind of talent this innate spirit embryo will possess in close combat after its descent into the world.

Zhang Jian raised his hand and slowly stroked the several-zhang-tall mountain stone before him; the stone was entirely smooth and rounded, long exposed to the mountain-top gale winds, having endured lightning and stellar tempering; its skin appeared ordinary, but in truth was of exceptionally tough texture.

Zhang Jian prepared to take it away.

The innate spirit embryo's divine form had been completed; next, it only needed to continue absorbing the essences of heaven, earth, sun, and moon for a period of time to successfully emerge into the world.

But when his fingers touched this innate spirit stone, Zhang Jian glanced around and suddenly smiled, saying:

"Are you two fellow cultivators going to keep watching the spectacle, or prepare to make a move? If you merely wish to watch the fun, you can simply reveal yourselves!"

In the depths of the storm, as Zhang Jian's gaze reached,

He saw, in the deep ocean of fierce gales, a sudden emergence of a dense purple light; the purple light broke through the gale layers surrounding Ji Mu Peak.

Two figures broke through the void and appeared from within.

One man and one woman: the woman tall and slender, clad in a purple skirt, her face peerlessly beautiful; at this moment, strands of purple light floated around her—this was the ability of the Nine-Leaf Purple Bamboo.

The other was a tiger-backed, ape-waisted strongman bearing a massive sword on his back.

These two primordial spirit true kings, Zhang Jian was not unfamiliar with.

They were the Nine Heaven True King Xin Zi-qing and the Ape Emperor True King, two of the Four Barbaric Immortals.

These two had once been beings Zhang Jian needed to look up to; even relying on the name of the Slay Demon True King was necessary just to preserve himself.

But now, facing these two true kings, Zhang Jian could already remain completely calm in their presence, even look down upon them.

The Nine Heaven True King Xin Zi-qing and the Ape Emperor True King had already seen the massive stone beneath Zhang Jian's palm.

Through the Nine-Leaf Purple Bamboo's ability, both had already sensed this stone's profundity.

Especially the Ape Emperor True King.

His eyes flashed with an unusual color; at this moment he laughed heartily and said:

"I never expected the renowned Great Xia Emperor to actually enter this king's poor mountain and remote land as a guest; but since the Emperor has come, why not notify this king, so that my Iron-Armed Golden Ape clan may fully fulfill the host's duty!"

He glanced at the massive stone before Zhang Jian; the meaning behind his words was clear without need for explanation.

Zhang Jian smiled faintly and said lightly: "Ji Mu Mountain is vast and boundless; even if the Iron-Armed Golden Ape clan's territory is vast, it likely cannot reach this desolate gale sea in the midst of nowhere!"

"As for being a guest, I am not in a hurry; first allow me to take this treasure!"

Saying this, he raised a hand, yet saw the Ape Emperor True King shout sternly.

"Wait!"

Seeing Zhang Jian's gaze turn toward him, yet seeing this Ape Emperor True King step forward, he glanced at the several-zhang-tall peculiar giant stone; deep in his eyes, golden light flickered; after a moment he snorted and laughed:

"The name of the Great Xia Emperor shakes the two realms' regions; especially recently, having by his own power annihilated the descent of the Heavenly Demon Star, this king is also deeply impressed; however, this stone is the sacred object of my Iron-Armed Golden Ape clan; I therefore ask the Emperor to grant this king a thin favor today, leave this object, and this king will be eternally grateful!"

Zhang Jian was speechless; he glanced at the Ape Emperor True King and laughed, saying:

"Fellow cultivator, your words are deceitful; before I entered this place, I fear you still do not know this object's origin? Having dwelled here for ten thousand years, yet never having the fortune to glimpse the treasure's true form—this shows this object has no affinity with your Iron-Armed Golden Ape clan!"

"Now, by fortunate coincidence, I have arrived here and am able to uncover the treasure's true form; this shows I am the one with affinity to it, and also its master!"

"Fellow cultivator, you are a reasonable person and also of virtuous standing; why not be a wall-onlooker? Being able to personally witness this treasure's emergence into the world is also a good fortune!"

Upon hearing these words, the Ape Emperor True King furrowed his brows, yet he was not satisfied with merely feasting his eyes.

This treasure emerged in his Ji Mu Mountain; in his view, it naturally belongs to the Iron-Armed Golden Ape clan's treasure, and outsiders have no right to take it.

He glanced at Zhang Jian; a sinister and vicious color appeared in his eyes; he said impatiently:

"Great Xia Emperor, this king has repeatedly shown you favor and already given you face; you dare not know good from bad!

Since this object was nurtured and born in my Ji Mu Mountain, it naturally belongs to my Iron-Armed Golden Ape clan; no one can take it away!

"Anyone who dares to move it arbitrarily is an enemy of my Iron-Armed Golden Ape clan!"

Saying this, at the end his eyes flashed with a trace of sharp and cold severity.

Zhang Jian laughed upon hearing this.

His gaze immediately turned to the Nine Heaven True King Xin Zi-qing, and he said with a smile:

"Senior Xin, do you also feel this way?"

The Nine Heaven True King Xin Zi-qing slightly furrowed her willow brows; through the Nine-Leaf Purple Bamboo's ability to predict heavenly secrets, she could clearly sense that before her, Zhang Jian was like a misty cluster—deep and vast.

Beneath its frail Dao body, it seemed to contain terrifying divine power.

Combined with the news circulating outside, she knew some of the reports were probably not greatly exaggerated.

But to have the Yuan Huang True Lord abandon the treasure—given his nature, he likely could not do so.

Xin Ziqing's thoughts raced like lightning, yet she still decided to advise the Yuan Huang True Lord to endure a little longer.

Yet Zhang Jian's gaze shifted, and he paid no further heed to the Nine Heavens True Lord Xin Ziqing; raising his hand, a vast and solemn divine light suddenly enveloped the mountain peak, and in the instant this majestic imperial aura spread outward, the void within a ten-thousand-li radius suddenly slowed, delayed, and was suppressed.

This was the imperial aura subspace formed by Zhang Jian through the authority of the God Emperor.

This was also the control-type authority space accompanying the State and Ancestry Emperor.

Once suppressed, if the two parties differed by two or three realms or more, they would be completely subdued, even losing the ability to resist.

At this moment, the expressions of the Nine Heavens True Lord Xin Ziqing and the Yuan Huang True Lord changed.

At this instant, they seemed to be pressed down by a supreme divine authority transformed into a mountain, immense force enveloping their bodies, utterly immobilized, unable to move a muscle.

Whether it was mana, primordial spirit, or even the innate spiritual treasure pre-formed in the depths of the primordial spirit.

They even felt a terrifying sensation deep within, as if the slightest movement might cause the golden light of mountains and rivers gradually appearing above their heads to crush them directly into pulp.

"Imperial Emperor's authority..."

Xin Ziqing's face showed astonishment, her heart surging violently, she suppressed the trump card about to burst forth from the depths of her primordial spirit.

At this moment, Zhang Jian suddenly laughed and muttered to himself: "Ah, since I ascended the throne, I have been constantly occupied with cultivation, conducting affairs according to rules, and for a time I forgot—among cultivators, the final argument is still the fist!"

"It is I who have been too courteous to you, which is why some people repeatedly fail to recognize their proper place!"

"Now, I say, this object I have taken a liking to—does anyone have an opinion?"

Zhang Jian's gaze remained calm, that vast imperial Dao authority pressing down.

Xin Ziqing's expression remained calm, but the Yuan Huang True Lord, under the pressure of the imperial emperor's authority, had his bronze skin and iron bones nearly compressed into a meat patty, though his golden eyes still held ferocity and defiance.

Zhang Jian slowly raised his hand, preparing to cast a spell to repress once more.

Seeing this, Xin Ziqing softly sighed: "Great Xia Emperor, heavenly and earthly divine objects are born of nature and nurtured by the earth; those with virtue dwell therein. The Emperor speaks truly—this object only manifests its strange state when the Emperor appears in person, so we shall not contend with the Emperor for it!"