Chapter 831: The Divine Emperor of Light

Facing the soul-blade launched by the Nascent Soul cultivator, He Pingsheng made no move to block it, allowing the soul-blade to strike him head-on.

Originally, he had planned to summon nine soul-shields from his mind sea using the Nine Soul Shields Technique of the Purple Mansion.

But before the blade even reached his mind sea, a black light erupted from He Pingsheng's body, shattering the soul-blade instantly.

Only then did He Pingsheng remember he still possessed a magic treasure capable of defending against soul attacks.

Magic treasure: Shen Po.

The city lord blinked in surprise: "You have a soul-defense magic treasure?"

"Who exactly are you?"

He Pingsheng ignored the question and continued calmly: "I'll forgive your previous attack as a moment of madness born of grief. Leave with your grandson's corpse now—I won't pursue this."

After all, He Pingsheng had just arrived on Lei Huang Continent and had no desire to stir up trouble.

A grandson killed, the grandfather rushes over—who knows if this Nascent Soul cultivator has a Mahayana Emperor above him?

If another Mahayana Emperor showed up, escape would be impossible.

But the Nascent Soul cultivator mistook He Pingsheng's restraint for weakness and snarled: "Tricks and illusions! Unless my grandson returns to life, you will die today!"

"Boom—!"

The old city lord ceased soul attacks and raised his hand, pulling forth a rigid whip. He channeled magic power into it, extending it to full length, and swung it straight at He Pingsheng.

The hundred-zhang whip resembled a divine weapon, causing the void around it to tremble.

Yet to He Pingsheng, this attack seemed ordinary.

He summoned no magic treasure—only punched forward with a plain, unadorned fist.

Condensing magical power and the force of cosmic laws, a black fist a hundred zhang in size suddenly appeared in the void, crashing with a bang into the equally hundred-zhang-long hard whip.

The whip was blasted away and buried deep in the wasteland below, while He Pingsheng's fist unleashed boundless power, continuing its charge toward the Nascent Soul cultivator.

This strike sealed the void and froze time.

Only then did the Nascent Soul city lord realize his opponent was no Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Void Refinement?"

"Spare me… Elder, spare me…"

The Nascent Soul city lord trembled violently and collapsed to his knees in midair.

He Pingsheng shifted his spiritual sense, and the force of the strike halted before striking the Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Thank you, Elder, for sparing my life!" the Nascent Soul city lord said. "My grandson was greedy and heartless—he dared to extort you. His death was deserved. Had he lived, he would have brought ruin upon me… no, upon this humble servant. You killing him was a blessing!"

"I couldn't bring myself to do it. You did me a favor by killing him—I'm deeply grateful!"

The Bamboo Node city lord's attitude underwent a complete reversal.

He Pingsheng nodded: "I gave him chances—I warned him three times. He refused to listen and insisted on fighting. I had no choice."

He Pingsheng was now seven hundred and fifty years old; calling himself "old man" was perfectly acceptable.

"Do you still think you acted properly?" Just as He Pingsheng finished speaking, a third voice suddenly rang out.

He Pingsheng whirled around and saw a streak of light hurtling across the horizon.

The divine light flashed across the sky and landed a hundred zhang away from him.

A man in a green Daoist robe arrived—majestic in bearing, middle-aged in appearance.

Seeing the man, the Bamboo Node city lord immediately prostrated himself: "Your Majesty, the Light Divine Emperor!"

Divine Emperor?

He Pingsheng's spiritual sense swept over this so-called Divine Emperor.

Impressive.

Indeed, a Divine Emperor—Body Integration eighth layer.

"Elder," He Pingsheng bowed respectfully to the Light Divine Emperor. First, courtesy must be observed.

What came after—that could wait.

"Hmm," the Light Divine Emperor nodded. "A month ago, I sensed intense spatial fluctuations in this region—someone opened a spatial passage. I searched for a month but found no trace. Have either of you seen or heard anything about it?"

The Bamboo Node city lord shook his head: "No."

He Pingsheng's heart sank.

No need to ask—exactly one month ago.

That was when I opened the spatial passage and escaped here.

And this drew the attention of a Divine Emperor?

"Neither have I," He Pingsheng said, shaking his head.

"Good," the Light Divine Emperor said, seemingly uninterested in the spatial fluctuations, then turned to He Pingsheng. "Regardless, in the Spirit Realm, the strong preying on the weak is wrong."

"You, a Void Refinement eleventh-layer Divine Lord, picking a fight with mere Golden Core cultivators—isn't that bullying?"

"I overheard your dispute. That little Golden Core wanted to kill you for your treasure? Ridiculous."

"You could have teleported away—or simply frightened them off with a technique."

"Why must you kill them?"

"Here and now, I decree: you pay some compensation. That settles your feud with the Bamboo Node city lord."

The Light Divine Emperor spoke to He Pingsheng with the tone of a command.

He Pingsheng's face darkened.

He replied: "Then, Divine Emperor, are you not also bullying me now, using your strength to oppress me?"

The Light Divine Emperor sneered: "I offer you a choice—not an excuse to argue."

He Pingsheng said: "I choose to refuse."

"Refuse?" The Light Divine Emperor's cold expression hardened into murderous intent. "You may refuse—but I may still strike."

He had no intention of upholding justice; he protected the Bamboo Node city lord simply because the man was his subordinate.

That was all.

Bamboo Node City belonged to his Light Divine Kingdom.

What "strong preying on the weak"? What "settling grievances"?

Merely an excuse for his intervention.

"Your cultivation is hard-won. Though you are Void Refinement eleventh-layer, killing you is no harder than slaughtering a chicken."

The Light Divine Emperor was arrogant—he used no weapon, merely swept his hand, gathering boundless spiritual energy through Dao and rule, forming a mountain-sized palm that crushed down upon He Pingsheng.

Yet in the next instant, He Pingsheng's form vanished.

The Light Divine Emperor was stunned and immediately spread his spiritual sense to search—but saw a Phoenix clan Body Integration cultivator suddenly unfurling a golden divine banner.

The banner expanded to a thousand zhang in size.

Instantly suppressing all spatial laws within ten thousand zhang.

Magic treasure: Time-Space Golden Banner.

Yes—it was He Pingsheng's servant, Feng Wu, who had unfurled the banner.

Purpose: trap this Body Integration cultivator and kill him outright.

"Imperial weapon… it's an Imperial weapon…" The Body Integration Divine Emperor trembled with fear and excitement. "Who are you?"

"How do you possess an Imperial weapon?"