In an instant, Bolan approached, looking down at Chi Kongle with a peculiar smile in his eyes.
Chi Kongle remained seated, calmly sipping tea, as if Bolan were invisible.
“Outrageous! Seeing Brother Bolan approach, you don’t even stand to greet him, showing no manners at all,” one of the talents trailing Bolan scolded.
Bolan waved a hand dismissively, saying, “No need to mind her. A bastard child, what would she know of etiquette?”
“Who are you calling a bastard?” Chi Kongle shot to her feet, her gaze locked on Bolan.
Unfazed, Bolan sneered, “Who doesn’t know by now? You’re the bastard born of Zhang Ruochen and Empress Chi Yao. And I must say, you do look strikingly like Zhang Ruochen.”
“Not only does she resemble Zhang Ruochen, but her constitution is the same as his, the Five-Element Chaos Body. Quite rare, but sadly, still a bastard,” Palas, the giant beside Bolan, nodded.
Hearing such words, even with Chi Kongle’s composure, intense anger surged within her. Streams of Five-Element Chaos Qi poured from her body, each one immensely heavy, as if ready to collapse the surrounding space.
Seeing her reaction, Bolan leisurely sat down, smirking, “A lofty god stooping to a lowly saint and bearing a bastard child, what a grand joke.”
“I truly admire Empress Chi Yao’s lack of discernment. Are there no men left in the Kunlun Realm?”
Such blasphemous words about a god were something Bolan wouldn’t typically dare utter, but with the Kunlun Realm now a Merit Battlefield, gods couldn’t intervene. And Empress Chi Yao, likely preoccupied, wouldn’t sense the blasphemy.
“Hahaha!”
The group of talents behind Bolan burst into laughter.
Chi Kongle’s body trembled slightly, not from fear, but from rage.
Insulting her as a bastard and slandering her most revered parents was intolerable. Since reuniting with Zhang Ruochen in the Truth Heavenly Domain, Chi Kongle had investigated her origins, confirming her mother was her revered master, Empress Chi Yao, though she hadn’t yet mustered the courage to confront her. Or perhaps, Empress Chi Yao wasn’t ready to acknowledge her.
“Shut your mouth!” Chi Kongle snapped, channeling Five-Element Chaos Qi into her palm and striking at Bolan.
Bolan raised an eyebrow, scoffing, “You want to fight? A bastard daring to challenge this divine son? Even if Zhang Ruochen himself were here, in a same-realm fight, I’d still beat him down.”
As he spoke, Bolan summoned his holy qi, forming a radiant orb of sacred light to meet her attack.
The talents behind him stepped back, keeping their distance to avoid the fallout.
*Boom.*
The Five-Element Chaos Qi clashed with the sacred light, unleashing a powerful shockwave that rippled outward.
The spiritual lake was fortified with strong arrays, unbreakable even by a Nine-Step Saint King, so the pavilion remained intact, but every table and chair inside turned to ash.
*Whoosh.*
Chi Kongle and Bolan both rushed out of the pavilion, facing off above the misty spiritual lake, each radiating formidable auras.
Standing on the lake, Chi Kongle’s purple robes fluttered, the swallow pendant at her neck glowing faintly. She exuded a cold, regal aura akin to Empress Chi Yao’s, commanding the heavens.
Dense Five-Element Chaos Qi surged from her, gradually enveloping her form, as if merging with the five elements of the world.
Bolan unleashed torrents of radiant power, his two pairs of platinum wings spreading, each feather gleaming with holy light.
“Bolan, teach this bastard a lesson. Let her know that the people of the Paradise Realm demand respect, even from Empress Chi Yao,” Palas boomed in his rough voice.
Bolan stared at Chi Kongle with contempt, saying, “The Kunlun Realm is fading, clinging to our Paradise Realm for survival. Yet you, a bastard, are so reckless. Kneel before me now, swear allegiance, and you might still have a way out when the Kunlun Realm falls.”
In the pavilion, most onlookers wore gloating expressions, while a few stayed silent, shaking their heads.
It was clear to all that Bolan was deliberately provoking Chi Kongle, humiliating her to force a reaction. With Zhang Ruochen having offended the Paradise Realm and Empress Chi Yao refusing to bow, the Paradise Realm couldn’t touch them directly, so they vented their frustration on Chi Kongle.
Some pitied her but dared not speak, given the Paradise Realm’s current dominance. Few would risk crossing them.
With Bolan taking action, Chi Kongle was likely in for a harsh lesson.
Bolan, at the Fifth-Step Saint King realm, possessed a True God Body and a Supreme Perfect Constitution, mastering the Path of Light. Chi Kongle, only recently reaching the Fourth-Step Saint King realm, also had a Supreme Perfect Constitution but was a full minor realm behind.
In a same-realm fight, Bolan had never lost, let alone against someone a realm below. By all accounts, Chi Kongle was doomed to lose, and while Bolan might not kill her, he’d ensure she suffered.
Chi Kongle’s aura grew stronger, her voice icy, “The Kunlun Realm will never fall. The Paradise Realm is nothing special. My father alone can make you reel, and now, you’ll pay for your words.”
“Zhang Ruochen’s just a clown. If I’d been born in his era, I’d crush him with one hand,” Bolan scoffed.
Chi Kongle said no more. With a wave, a surge of Five-Element Chaos Qi formed a majestic five-colored divine mountain, crashing toward Bolan.
“Child’s play,” Bolan sneered, his radiant power shaping a holy light sword that sliced the mountain in two.
Suddenly, the calm lake rippled, a massive vortex forming beneath Bolan, unleashing terrifying suction.
At the same time, blue-white Divine Fire of Purification burst from Chi Kongle, forming a roaring fire dragon that lunged at Bolan.
Seeing her techniques, Zhang Ruochen nodded approvingly, filled with pride. The Five-Element Chaos Body’s strength lay in mastering the five elements, effortlessly wielding their holy techniques. For Chi Kongle to transform the Divine Fire into a vassal flame so quickly was remarkable, no less than Zhang Ruochen’s own achievements.
He held off intervening, confident that Chi Kongle could handle a mere Angel Clan divine son.
After over a hundred exchanges, Chi Kongle gained the upper hand, relying solely on her Five-Element Chaos Body without using time manipulation.
Abruptly, a world’s shadow emerged behind her, formed of Five-Element Chaos Qi, locking the surrounding space.
Chi Kongle summoned her holy path rules and qi, forming a Five-Element Handprint that commanded the world’s elements.
Bolan’s expression shifted. He folded his platinum wings to shield himself.
*Boom.*
The handprint struck the wings, forcing Bolan back several steps, though he blocked it.
As Bolan began to relax, the handprint’s power surged several times over.
“The Path of Truth!” Bolan’s heart jolted.
*Crack.*
His platinum wings snapped, holy blood sprayed, and feathers scattered.
“Agh!” Bolan screamed in pain, flung back like a broken kite, crashing into a pavilion to stabilize himself.
Covered in blood, with broken wings, shattered arms, and a collapsed chest, he coughed up blood mixed with organ fragments.
“How is she so strong?” Bolan glared at Chi Kongle, his eyes filled with unwillingness and a trace of fear.
Undefeated since his debut, hailed as invincible in his realm, he never imagined losing to this “bastard” he’d scorned.
The outcome was unbearable, fueling his rage.
He’d meant to humiliate Chi Kongle, but ended up humiliated himself.
“How could Bolan lose?”
“It’s the Path of Truth! With her cultivation, she amplified her technique’s power sixfold. Is she becoming a second Zhang Ruochen?”
Onlookers were stunned. Having mocked Chi Kongle earlier, many now trembled.
Strength ruled everywhere, an eternal truth.
*Whoosh.*
Palas and Yanyu, the Elf Saint King, flashed to Bolan’s side.
“Chi Kongle, you’re too brazen!” Palas roared, wielding a ten-zhang-long giant axe, swinging it down fiercely.
Yanyu, holding a holy jade staff, chanted, summoning icy power that froze the lake. Thousands of razor-sharp ice blades formed, slashing toward Chi Kongle.
Facing their ferocious assault, Chi Kongle stood fearless, raising her hands to unleash torrents of Divine Fire.
The axe glowed red-hot, forcing Palas to release it. The ice blades melted and evaporated.
Two pillars of Divine Fire struck Palas and Yanyu, sending them flying, their bodies scorched, injuries no less severe than Bolan’s.
As Chi Kongle approached, fear filled their eyes.
“What are you doing? If you touch us, no one can protect you,” Bolan blustered.
Other talents grew nervous. If Chi Kongle killed them, everyone present might be implicated.
A powerful force enveloped Bolan, Palas, and Yanyu, binding their strength and movement.
*Slap, slap, slap.*
Chi Kongle closed in, delivering resounding slaps to their faces.
“Is the Paradise Realm’s talent so great? My father can crush you, and so can I. The Kunlun Realm isn’t your playground,” she snapped, continuing to slap them.
In moments, their mouths bled, teeth fell, and faces swelled grotesquely.
Their eyes burned with venomous rage, but they were powerless.
Finally, Chi Kongle stopped slapping but drew a holy sword.
*Whoosh.*
Her gaze icy, she swung, unleashing countless sharp sword qi.
*Splatter.*
Palas’s body shattered into a rain of blood.
“Blaspheming a god deserves death,” Chi Kongle said coldly.
She then pointed her sword at Bolan and Yanyu, radiating lethal intent, her aura increasingly like Empress Chi Yao’s.
“Kneel and apologize now, or die,” she said, her voice devoid of emotion, like a god of slaughter.
Daring to insult her and her parents publicly was unforgivable, whether it was a Paradise Realm divine son or even a god.
The pavilion’s occupants were dumbfounded, unable to believe their eyes. Killing and forcing Paradise Realm talents to kneel was sheer madness.
“She’s truly Zhang Ruochen’s daughter,” many thought.
Both Zhang Ruochen and Chi Kongle were fearless and decisive. No one would doubt their relation.
Bolan and Yanyu were furious and shocked, never imagining Chi Kongle would dare kill. Fear crept in.
Kneeling and apologizing publicly was unthinkable; the Paradise Realm couldn’t afford such shame.
“Hm?” Chi Kongle sensed something, instantly shifting aside.
At that moment, a formidable aura descended beside Bolan and Yanyu.
A tall, imposing middle-aged man appeared, with two pairs of snow-white wings and silver armor, exuding martial divinity.
Seeing Bolan and Yanyu’s injuries, his brow furrowed. He quickly fed them healing holy pills.
“Your Divine Highness, what happened?” he asked with concern.
Bolan struggled to sit, indignant, “I came to the Central Imperial City to aid the Kunlun Realm against the Hell Realm’s invasion, hoping to connect with other talents. But Chi Kongle, like a madwoman, attacked me, using despicable means to injure me and Fairy Yanyu, and brutally killed Palas.”
“She even threatened us to kneel. I fought and bled on the battlefield, only to face this insult. It chills me to think such a Kunlun Realm is worth helping.”
Bolan’s words were impassioned, painting himself as the victim.
The man stood, glaring at Chi Kongle with cold eyes, “Chi Kongle, how dare you defy heavenly law, cruelly killing an ally? Do you think being Empress Chi Yao’s heir makes you untouchable?”
His aura, that of a peak Nine-Step Saint King, was overwhelming.
Under his pressure, Chi Kongle’s slender frame seemed fragile, yet she showed no fear, declaring, “You know the truth. If you want to bully the weak, don’t hide behind grand excuses. Think I’m scared just because you’re a Nine-Step Saint King?”
“Such disrespect. Today, I must teach you a lesson,” the man said, his wings flickering as he rose.
Before his words faded, he reached out, his hand glowing with radiant holy light, stretching a hundred zhang to seize Chi Kongle.
As a Nine-Step Saint King, he didn’t take her seriously. Even Zhang Ruochen at her level wouldn’t be his match.
Chi Kongle showed no fear, her fingers swiftly tracing a complex inscription onto her swallow pendant.
*Whoosh.*
The pendant blazed, releasing an ancient, vast aura, as if a mighty ancient god had awakened, radiating boundless divine might.
A towering divine shadow loomed behind her, trampling the heavens, gazing over the cosmic rivers.
Mysterious seals emerged from the pendant, weaving a sacred defense that enveloped Chi Kongle.
*Boom.*
The man’s hand was blocked, unable to touch her.
A divine force recoiled, forcing him back several steps.
Shocked, he’d met gods in the Paradise Realm but never felt such immense divine power. The pendant was clearly extraordinary.
Outwardly calm, he sneered, “Just a bit of divine power. Think I can’t handle you? It’s not your power, how long can you wield it?”
Chi Kongle didn’t respond, silently channeling her mental power to control the pendant.
*Flash.*
In a blink, she vanished, reappearing beside the man, her holy sword striking like lightning.
“So fast,” he thought, startled. Her speed rivaled many Nine-Step Saint Kings.
Her sword, infused with time manipulation, posed a faint threat.
Time around the sword became chaotic.
Unable to think, the man unleashed his full holy qi, forming layers of defense.
*Crack.*
Chi Kongle’s sword pierced dozens of holy light layers but was ultimately blocked.
Seizing the moment, the man pointed a finger, unleashing a blinding, destructive holy light that cracked space.
This mid-tier holy technique, executed by a Nine-Step Saint King, was formidable.
At such close range, Chi Kongle couldn’t dodge. She summoned all her time rules, unleashing her strongest time sword technique.
Time seals branded the space, distorting time within dozens of zhang.
*Hiss.*
The man’s finger technique dissolved. Time seals enveloped him.
With a muffled groan, he plummeted from the air.
Dozens of wounds, deep and shallow, bled profusely. Worse, he felt a profound weakness, having lost over two hundred years of lifespan.
*Gasp.*
The onlookers were stunned, jaws dropping.
“Hongkun Saint King, a peak Nine-Step Saint King, nearly at the Dao Domain, was wounded by Chi Kongle’s sword? How?”
“It’s the same time sword technique as Zhang Ruochen’s. Is time manipulation really this powerful?”
“No, even an Eternal Path shouldn’t be this defy-the-heavens. She must have used some unknown means. Don’t forget, she’s a god’s heir.”
“She’s terrifying. I hope she doesn’t turn on us.”
The talents whispered, hearts racing, gazing at Chi Kongle with awe.
Chi Kongle herself was dazed, stunned by the power of her time sword technique, feeling as if it wasn’t her own.
