Chapter 215: Quasi-Emperor, Domineering Aura
The Moment the Three Fell far beyond the starry sky of the Sky Continent, an ominous ripple surged through the void.
The Butterfly Lord and her allies, who were engaged in fierce battle, felt the tremor instantly.
The claw of the Great Lord Wangshan, poised mid-attack, froze in the air. Jiang Wudi, locked in a defensive stance, hesitated as confusion clouded his gaze. Slowly, with great effort, he turned his colossal tiger head toward the South Region, his wide eyes filled with disbelief.
"The Butterfly Lord!" His voice trembled, carrying the weight of a dreadful realization. "Tiger Roar... has fallen."
His voice echoed through the boundless starry sky, raw with emotion. Even the battle-hardened Jiang Wudi could not suppress the turmoil in his heart.
All around, the fighting Saint Kings faltered. Movements stilled, and weapons lowered as the air grew heavy with dread.
"What happened, Wangshan?" The Golden Ape Lord's grip tightened around his black iron staff. He stood motionless, abandoning his pursuit of the Holy Lord Yaoguang, and fixed his gaze on the Great Lord Wangshan.
Wangshan's head bowed slightly, his once-piercing eyes now clouded with grief. "Hu Xiao has fallen," he said, his deep voice hoarse and laden with sorrow. The ferocious white tiger seemed to age decades in an instant. The news struck him like a hammer to the soul. His brother, his companion through countless battles, was gone. Just like that.
"Impossible!" The Venerable Jinyuan's voice cracked as disbelief etched itself onto his face. "The plan has barely begun! How could this happen?!"
The Butterfly Lord exhaled softly, her radiant smile now a distant memory. The light in her eyes dimmed as she turned to face Tai Suzi. Her expression shifted, anger flaring like a wildfire threatening to consume the heavens.
"Tai Suzi," she said, her tone sharp and scathing. "Your performance was flawless."
Her voice carried the sting of betrayal, and the weight of her gaze made Tai Suzi falter. The Butterfly Lord then cast her eyes over the battlefield, her fury briefly giving way to a shadow of sorrow.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she extended her divine senses. Her voice, usually steady and commanding, was tinged with grief as she announced, "Cai Die has also fallen."
Another voice, trembling with despair, followed. "Chi Zun has fallen as well."
The declaration came from Yan Zun, whose purple-gold flames flickered erratically, betraying his inner turmoil.
A shudder swept through the battlefield. The demon and barbarian Saint Kings, fierce warriors all, stood stunned. Even the three Saint Kings of the human race, seasoned and unyielding, could not hide their horror.
They, too, had intercepted the divine whispers that Die Zun had sent out while battling Tai Suzi earlier. Those whispers told of a calculated attack by Yao Man—three Holy Kings dispatched to strike at the heart of Tai Su Holy Land.
But now, the outcome was clear. The fall of these mighty figures sent shockwaves through the ranks. The battlefield was no longer merely a place of combat—it had become a graveyard of despair, uncertainty, and shattered plans.
Yan Zun's murderous intent flared, his purple-gold flames burning hotter with rage. Without hesitation, he abandoned his fight with Ye Tianhong and surged toward Tai Suzi, his expression grim and determined.
He intended to join forces with the Great Lord Wangshan to eliminate Tai Suzi and avenge Chi Zun of Wujian Purgatory.
"Wait…"
The voice of the Butterfly Lord, sharp yet measured, echoed through their minds.
Die Zun's urgent message brought the two in their tracks. Wangshan's gaze darkened as he turned toward her, his tone ice-cold and dangerous, bordering on rage.
"Die Zun, are you trying to stop us?"
His words were weighted, and his fury seemed only moments away from breaking loose.
"Die Zun," Yan Zun's voice interjected, laced with disdain, "your Caidie Zun of Yinyue Dieshan has fallen as well. Don't you want revenge?"
The question hung heavy in the air, laden with accusation and unresolved grief.
The Butterfly Lord's face remained calm, though her icy expression betrayed the storm brewing beneath. Her voice was steady but carried an unmistakable edge.
"Of course, I want revenge," she said, her eyes sharp as blades. "But what we must consider now is not simply vengeance. The real question is this: How did Tai Su Holy Land manage to kill Caidie and the other three so easily when Tai Suzi and the Taisu Divine Tower are not even present?"
She paused, her words hanging in the tense silence like the calm before a storm. "What exactly does Taisu Holy Land rely on?"
The Great Lord Wangshan and Yan Zun hesitated, their rage briefly tempered by the chilling logic of her words. The two exchanged uncertain glances, the burning heat of their emotions cooling just enough to allow for reason.
Die Zun pressed on, her voice unwavering. "If we don't understand their strength, rushing into battle could be catastrophic. What if we meet the same end as Hu Xiao and the others?"
The weight of her reasoning sank in. Both Wangshan and Yan Zun clenched their fists but said nothing, their fury temporarily subdued. Her words struck a nerve—not because they feared death, but because they were responsible for far more than their individual lives.
These were no ordinary warriors; they were the overlords of the Sky Continent. Their fall would bring devastating consequences, not just to themselves but to the races and factions they represented. With so much at stake, recklessness was not an option.
Seeing their silence, Die Zun softened her tone, though her expression remained grim. "You must understand," she said, turning toward Tai Suzi. Her gaze bore into him like a blade. "You already calculated that we would seize this opportunity to attack Tai Su Holy Land."
Her words carried an accusatory weight, and her mind churned with suspicion. "And you used our aggression against us, luring us into a trap to strike down the Saint Kings of our factions."
Tai Suzi met her gaze, silent but unwavering, his composure unreadable. The tension between them crackled like lightning, unspoken truths swirling in the air.
The battlefield was still, the raging storm of emotions contained for now. But beneath the surface, new strategies were forming, and a dangerous game was about to begin.