Chapter 874: Perceive
"All my power..." Li Pin nodded. "I'll return those same words to you."
He didn't summon the World Stabilizing Halberd or the Six Paths Wheel. Instead, he stuck to the Ruoxi Sword. "You may have reached the ninety-ninth step of the Supreme Ladder, but if you don't bring out your strongest form and go all out, you'll lose—fast."
Those words made Heavenly Emperor Jin'que pause slightly. His eyes narrowed as he gazed at Li Pin. "Has anyone ever told you that... you're bold?"
"Plenty," Li Pin answered honestly. Then added, as if he couldn't help himself, "Far too many."
A golden light swirled in Jin'que's palm, forming a long spear. "Extraordinary men walk extraordinary paths. I know what you're trying to do. You're betting everything on this one fight. Your future, your fate, hoping that if you defeat me, you'll earn Emperor Xi's recognition and help.
"With that, you might turn the tide of this war. Behead me, rally Emperor Xi's power, support Chang Sheng, North Pole, and High Palace, and suppress the chaos single-handedly. Then, with that unmatched achievement, take the throne as the Central Sovereign Heavenly Emperor and gather all the world's fortune into your hands..."
He leveled the spear, its tip pointed straight at Li Pin. "But this gamble of yours was doomed from the start. Of all your mistakes, the worst... was choosing me as your opponent."
Li Pin had planned to explain, but after a moment, he decided it wasn't necessary. Once I show enough power, Jin'que would naturally be forced to call out Zhu Zhao, who has been hiding in the shadows. And he would also have to unleash the hidden experts of the Astral Lord Council, buried within the Myriad Astral God Hall. Therefore...
He chose not to waste words and simply struck. "Take this."
The moment the sword was drawn, time and space began to swirl, then merged into one.
As the power of spacetime surged, matter and energy also exploded into existence, growing at an unbelievable rate. In the blink of an eye, it reached the limit of what the Astral World could withstand.
In that instant, Jin'que faintly felt a terrifying ripple spreading across both time and space. It was as if he were a small wooden boat drifting quietly on the lake's surface, and beneath that surface lurked a prehistoric beast. As it stirred gently, it sent out suffocating waves of pressure.