Chapter 913: Severed Path

Severed Path

Chen Ling swept his gaze over them, then continued to look upward as if there was nothing there, seemingly not placing these people in his eyes at all. He only cared about how much further he had to walk to reach the end of these stairs...

His steps remained steady and heavy.

Even though he didn't make the slightest move, the crowd holding their weapons felt a sense of oppression washing over them. They wanted to retreat but didn't dare, so they could only bite the bullet and point their weapons at Chen Ling with trembling hands.

With the theatrical robe and Imperial Robe overlapping and fluttering in the wind, Chen Ling unhurriedly walked up the stairs to stand before them. His footsteps didn't pause in the slightest as he calmly presented his neck to those sharp weapons...

In the instant before they made contact, Chen Ling indifferently spat out two words:

"Kneel down."

As his voice fell, the golden imperial might surrounding him instantly rioted. Like savage beasts waking from a slumber, it roared like thunder at the crowd before him!

Clatter—

Under Chen Ling's oppression, an unprecedented fear surged from the depths of their hearts. Their bodies disobeyed their commands, and the weapons in their hands clattered to the ground in a messy heap.

Amidst the mess, Chen Ling calmly walked past.

In front of him, only that "Emperor Candidate" was still gritting his teeth and holding on. Even though he could no longer hold his sword steadily, even though his legs were trembling wildly as if he had Parkinson's, at least he barely managed to stay standing...

But at this moment, his face no longer showed a trace of its former stubbornness, leaving only paleness and despair.

He knew the gap between himself and Chen Ling was simply too vast. In front of this Thespian Emperor, all of them Emperor Candidates were nothing more than laughable Worthless Dregs; there was no comparison at all.

He watched Chen Ling's hand raise and approach his chest, but he had no thought of resisting, allowing Chen Ling to press his hand against it...

Sensing a faint power coming from his palm, Chen Ling's brow slightly raised.

"So, this is your 'Associate Emperor Destiny'?"

Sensing the response from his own Imperial Fate, Chen Ling hooked his five fingers, actually forcefully digging that "Associate Emperor Destiny" right out of the opponent's body. A wisp of gold appeared in Chen Ling's palm.

After being robbed of his "Associate Emperor Destiny," that Emperor Candidate's face instantly turned ghastly pale. He seemed to lose all his strength and collapsed limply onto the ground like mud.

"It has nothing to do with the Dao Foundation of the Ancient Vault of the Imperial Path, and it's completely unrelated to the Imperial Fate... It seems this is just a clumsy Counterfeit."

With a clench of his fingers, Chen Ling directly crushed it within his palm. He vaguely seemed to have guessed something, and his eyes narrowed slightly:

"Interesting..."

As if to verify his thoughts, Chen Ling continued to step forward, climbing toward the end of the Path of Ascension.

Watching that demonic figure gradually walking away, the paralyzed crowd lay lifeless. Especially that "Emperor Candidate" whose destiny had been forcefully crushed; a trace of despair rose in his eyes...

...

Boom—!!!

Under the chaotic sky, a black tide swallowed several mountain peaks, directly tearing the Imperial Remnants originally standing upon them to shreds, causing them to gradually vanish into the air.

Facing the siege of hundreds of Imperial Remnants, the Lord of Hanging Jade didn't show the slightest sign of decline. Instead, he fought increasingly fiercely, actually slaughtering his way from the outermost layer of Achievement Monuments all the way to the middle section.

Unlike those short Achievement Monuments at the very beginning, the monuments here were noticeably taller and grander. Those guarding this area were no longer the mediocre, ordinary Imperial Remnants who had achieved nothing, but rather emperors who had truly accomplished great deeds.

"The Lord of Hanging Jade is so strong," Sun Bumian couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "At this rate, there really is no one in the entire Ancient Vault of the Imperial Path who is his match..."

Bai Ye wasn't surprised by this at all, and said calmly:

"It's normal. If it were the ancient vaults of the other Fourteen Divine Paths, I'm afraid even the Lord of Hanging Jade couldn't easily breach them. But the Ancient Vault of the Imperial Path has been lost for hundreds of years, and nothing but an empty shell remains... Relying on these remnants alone, it's impossible for them to be his match."

"Then it seems we don't need to think of a way to escape."

As Sun Bumian spoke, he looked toward the Imperial Remnant holding the Broken Bowl.

The remnant was watching the direction of the Lord of Hanging Jade's attack with a solemn expression. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he looked down at the Path of Ascension extending to the bottom of the mountain...

Not only him, but most of the emperors deep within also turned their heads to look.

In their perception, the "Associate Emperor Destinies" that had originally stepped onto the Path of Ascension were like a row of candles blown by the wind, rapidly extinguishing one after another!

They immediately looked closely, only to see a Thespian draped in an Imperial Robe striding across heaven and earth on the Path of Ascension, hurrying toward "Flying Dragon in the Sky" on foot. Behind him, whether they were Emperor Candidates or their followers, everyone lay scattered on the ground like mud.

Seeing this scene, the expressions of the numerous Imperial Remnants instantly changed. They exchanged glances, as if communicating something.

Pop, pop, pop...

As another Emperor Candidate had his destiny crushed by Chen Ling, the only team left ahead of him approaching the sky was Wu Qiong's. That was the sole remaining Emperor Candidate in this Ancient Vault, and the very last flickering candle flame.

The Thespian Emperor strode across the Path of Ascension, heading straight for the only remaining Wu Qiong!

Seeing this, blinding light erupted simultaneously from the bodies of the numerous Imperial Remnants. Their mighty imperial aura intertwined to form two giant hands, which grabbed toward that path with extreme speed!

...

"Hmm?"

As Chen Ling's foot stepped on a stair, a turbulent imperial oppression descended from the sky above, grabbing straight down!

Chen Ling frowned. Seeing one of the giant hands of imperial might flying straight at him, he activated Cloud Steps without hesitation and vaulted into the air!

His speed was extremely fast, streaking wildly toward the edge beneath the giant hand pressing down on him. With a booming roar, that hand actually smashed forcefully onto the Path of Ascension!

Boom—!!

A dense web of cracks spread across the Path of Ascension. Under the combined efforts of the emperors, this incredibly stable golden path was forcefully shattered. Countless figures, along with the dissipating imperial might, plummeted downwards...

In the end, only a severed path remained, hanging from the sky.

Relying on Cloud Steps, Chen Ling narrowly avoided this strike. He looked back, only to see the other hand of imperial might directly grab Wu Qiong at the very front, abducting her toward "Flying Dragon in the Sky"!

Seeing the emperors take Wu Qiong away ahead of time, an ominous premonition arose in Chen Ling's heart...

...

Wu Qiong was grabbed in terror by that giant hand, directly passing through the cloud layer. After a dizzying spin, she found herself beneath the chaotic sky... She looked around in astonishment, only to see mountain peaks sitting beneath her, and countless golden figures simultaneously looking up at her.

[You have become the sole Emperor Candidate]

[Numerous emperors cast their longing gazes upon you]

Before Wu Qiong could understand what was going on, she saw those Imperial Remnants move simultaneously. Leaping from their respective mountain peaks, they transformed into a sky full of threads, frantically burrowing into her body!