Chapter 1068: Power of Illusion
"Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress has actually come!" The crowd's expressions stiffened upon hearing these rolling shouts. The Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress was where the Heavenly Dragon Emperor resided, and it was rumored that the Heavenly Dragon Emperor was not on good terms with the Stone Emperor and Yu Emperor. There were even rumors of a great battle between them. The long-renowned Heavenly Dragon Emperor had apparently sought to suppress the two emperors, but in that battle, he had been unable to do anything to them, leading to conflict and resentment between the two sides.
This time, Stone Emperor and Yu Emperor were recruiting Martial Emperor's Disciples for the first time, yet people from the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress had arrived, clearly with ill intentions.
In the blink of an eye, the group arrived, numbering over a dozen people with varying cultivation levels. The crowd noticed that they included individuals from the First Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm to the Ninth Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm, as well as from the First Layer of Sovereign Martial Realm to the Fifth Layer of Sovereign Martial Realm. For each realm, there was one person.
This scene left the crowd puzzled. What was the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress trying to do? What was their purpose in coming here?
Mu Chen, Hou Qinglin, and the others looked at the group from the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress. The crowd didn't know about the incident when Hou Qinglin had gone to the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress that day, but they were all aware of it. At that time, in the Trial Ground, the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress had been helpless and unable to start a war with them. But it was certain that news of Hou Qinglin going to the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress to kill the altar guardian would soon spread from the Trial Ground to the outside world. By then, the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress would look extremely disgraceful, and they would naturally remember this. Their arrival here now made it impossible not to suspect ulterior motives.
"People of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress, pay respects to Senior Yu Emperor!"
The group stepped through the void and bowed slightly to Yu Emperor. Regardless of their purpose in coming, when meeting a Martial Emperor, they still had to be polite and not neglect proper etiquette.
"It's rare for people from the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress to also come. Send my regards to your master." Yu Emperor's voice was calm, his face expressionless, as if nothing in the world could move him.
"Thank you, Senior. I will convey your message to my master. Additionally, our master has sent us here for another matter. Here, from the First Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm to the Fifth Layer of Sovereign Martial Realm, there is one person for each realm. Our master said that since Stone Emperor and Senior Yu Emperor are recruiting their first batch of disciples, they must be exceptionally outstanding. He has sent the disciples of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress to spar and learn, so that everyone present can witness the brilliance of the seniors' disciples!"
The leader spoke, stating their intention. Instantly, everyone's eyes froze in extreme surprise. So that was it. The Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress truly had ulterior motives. They had brought people here right when Stone Emperor and Yu Emperor were recruiting Martial Emperor's Disciples. Although their words were euphemistic, saying it was for seeking advice, in reality, it was a challenge—using the disciples of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress to challenge the Martial Emperor's Disciples recruited by Stone Emperor and Yu Emperor.
The purpose of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress needed no further explanation. Everyone understood clearly. These people, from the First Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm to the Fifth Layer of Sovereign Martial Realm, were likely all elite individuals, deliberately selected by the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress to slap faces!
On the faces of many people at the Heavenly Terrace, anger appeared. To come and challenge on the joyous day when Stone Emperor and Yu Emperor were recruiting Martial Emperor's Disciples—it had to be said that the Heavenly Dragon Emperor showed great disrespect to the two emperors. This was hardly a congratulation!
Yet Yu Emperor's expression remained unchanged, still wearing a comfortable, faint smile—neither warm nor angry, neither imposing nor intimidating. He didn't seem like an exalted Martial Emperor, but rather like an elder.
"Senior is recruiting your first batch of disciples, who must all be exceptionally talented. Surely they won't refuse this junior's small request?" The man continued. Having come prepared today, how could he allow a refusal? Hou Qinglin had stormed the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress to kill, and then Mu Chen had led his people away safely. How could this humiliation go unreturned?
Now, in front of so many people, his implication was crystal clear: he had come for a challenge. He didn't believe the people of the Heavenly Terrace could refuse, as that would be slapping their own faces.
"Discuss this matter with the disciples themselves. If they are willing to fight, they will fight. If not, then let it be." Yu Emperor said calmly, then waved his hand. "Alright, the appointments are complete for today. I will take my leave now. Everyone, do as you please!"
With that, Yu Emperor's phantom gradually became illusory, and then the space rippled slightly. His figure seemed to dissolve into dust and vanish from before the crowd. He was gone. Yu Emperor simply couldn't be bothered with these troublemakers. It was beneath him, a matter of unequal status. He left it to his disciples—if they wished to fight, they would.
Perhaps, in Yu Emperor's eyes, this matter wasn't even worth his attention.
Seeing Yu Emperor disappear, the man's expression tightened slightly, then he turned his gaze to Mu Chen and Hou Qinglin.
"Brother Mu Chen and Brother Hou Qinglin are exceptionally talented, and I imagine their junior brothers are the same. My people are here now. Let your junior brothers and disciples choose freely. Anyone can pick an opponent of the same realm to fight, so that my junior brothers can understand where their shortcomings lie."
The man pressed on relentlessly, as if he wouldn't stop until the disciples of the two emperors fought.
"We seek your instruction!"
At that moment, the dozen or so people spoke in unison. Rolling sound waves surged forth, turning into a terrifying oppressive force that spread through the air and crashed toward the Martial Emperor's Disciples. Even the foremost three hundred and sixty Martial Emperor's Disciples shifted their steps. The power of this single shout was immense. They sought instruction; they sought battle!
"Pressing and forcing!"
Today, the people of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress were pressing and forcing. The disciples recruited by the Heavenly Terrace today seemed to have no choice but to accept the battle. They had chosen this moment precisely, forcing a fight whether they wanted it or not.
"It seems the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress is very confident in the people they've selected this time," the crowd thought to themselves. However, the Martial Emperor's Disciples of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress, especially the elite ones, had already been forged and tempered by the fortress. These newly recruited Martial Emperor's Disciples of the Heavenly Terrace, on the other hand, were fresh. If a battle occurred, it was clear that the Heavenly Terrace side would be at a great disadvantage.
"Master has already said that whether to fight or not is for my junior brothers to decide themselves. If they wish to fight, they will fight. If not, I, as their senior brother, will naturally not force them." Mu Chen said slowly, his voice as indifferent as Yu Emperor's, as if the other party's actions couldn't truly anger him.
"Senior Yu Emperor's evasion is one thing—he is a senior and naturally shouldn't involve himself in this. But as their senior brother, don't you have a responsibility to guide these disciples? How can you keep pushing this aside!" The man snorted coldly, as if no longer bothering to hide his intentions. With the Martial Emperor gone, he became arrogant, appearing especially aggressive.
"Who do you think you are? You say fight, so we must fight?" At this moment, Hou Qinglin stepped forward and snorted coldly. "Let me make this clear: today is a joyous day for my master's recruitment of Martial Emperor's Disciples. You come to challenge us. If my junior brothers and sisters are willing to fight, they will. If they are not, and anyone dares to force them, I will make sure they don't leave here alive. Furthermore, I don't want to see a single drop of blood today. Otherwise, you will leave your lives behind!"
Domineering!
Hearing Hou Qinglin's words, the crowd felt a surge of excitement. The Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress had come prepared, bringing truly tempered elite disciples. If a battle started, the Heavenly Terrace side would likely be at a disadvantage. With one sentence, Hou Qinglin had protected them. Even if they lost, there would be no danger to their lives.
The man narrowed his eyes. With Hou Qinglin using the Martial Emperor as an excuse, he couldn't refute it. So he said, "On the day Senior recruits Martial Emperor's Disciples, naturally there will be no bloodshed. We'll stop at a touch. Isn't that right?"
"We seek your instruction!" The people of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress shouted again in unison. Rolling sound waves surged once more, sweeping through the space. This battle was unavoidable for the Heavenly Terrace.
"My cultivation is at the Third Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm. You are the same as me. Come out!"
At this moment, someone finally stepped forward. It was one of the first batch of Martial Emperor's Disciples. He pointed at a person of the same realm in the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress crowd and said coldly.
"Very good!" The man from the Heavenly Dragon Divine Fortress took a step forward. Instantly, a terrifying aura erupted. Without saying a word, he attacked directly, showing extreme disrespect to his opponent.
"Kill!" The man shouted coldly. His arm traced through the air, and a stroke appeared in the void, its power fierce and wild, striking toward the Heavenly Terrace disciple.
"Get back!" The Heavenly Terrace disciple shouted coldly. His terrifying fist smashed into that stroke, seemingly blocking it.
"Kill!" The man's palm traced through the void again. Another stroke took shape. The two strokes crossed into a cross, the killing intent even stronger.
"Hmm?" The Heavenly Terrace disciple sensed something wrong and retreated. But the other man's palm directly pressed onto that cross, emitting a heart-palpitating light.
"Kill!" The third shout of "kill" rang out, its momentum even fiercer. The cross burst forth with a brilliant radiance and vanished in an instant.
"Void Power!" The crowd's eyes focused. A mere Third Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm cultivator had actually grasped Void Power.
"Get lost!" The Heavenly Terrace disciple was no pushover either. Both fists shot out simultaneously, like a mountain and sea overturning, blocking the cross that had instantly arrived before him.
"Illusory killing power—can you block it?" A cold voice rang out. The man's palm trembled slightly, and the cross technique directly pierced through the Heavenly Terrace disciple's body, imprinting itself inside him, as if the attack wasn't physical!
"Power of Illusion!" The crowd's pupils contracted. Defeated—there was no doubt about it!
"Get lost!" A terrifying force surged into the Heavenly Terrace disciple's body, as if trying to seal him. At the same time, the other man's terrifying palm force struck out again, directly hitting his chest and sending him flying.
"Are all the Martial Emperor's Disciples of Seniors Stone Emperor and Yu Emperor this useless?" A faint voice rang out, the sarcasm extremely thick!