The Stars Beyond

Chapter 402: Old Zheng’s Phobia

He was no longer in a hurry; he would wait for old Zheng to meet his end!

"Do you think you can kill me? Even the heavens cannot take me down! Just a piece of scrap paper, marked with seals, and you think you can cut through the heavens? It's not a true New Covenant at all!" Zheng Yuantian went mad, covered in bloodstains, his aura bursting forth from every pore. He was not only resisting the golden scroll but also demonstrating his determination. Whoever dared to lay a hand on him would first weigh the consequences of failing to kill him.

Just as he finished speaking, a burst of bloodlight swiftly appeared, resembling the arrival of a great sun. It was a giant figure, leading a vast sea of blood, descending from the outside realm, stepping down towards him.

The blood-colored giant was as tall as the heavens and the earth, with a majestic appearance that reached the sky. Its head even pierced through the firmament. As its giant foot descended, the void collapsed, Zheng Yuantian's domain crumbled, and the earth sank.

Zheng Yuantian, who was in the midst of battling the golden scroll and attempting to refine the Demon Emperor's body, saw the Emperor's blood roaring and splattering.

"You..." Zheng Yuantian was furious. The giant foot covered him, not only intending to severely injure him but also to humiliate him.

"Is that the Hades Blood Patriarch? He's targeting Zheng Jueshi!"

"He's not just stepping down; he's too overbearing. Ancestor Zheng's domain has completely collapsed, a vast land of immortal mountains shattered into dust!"

In the distance, the immortals exclaimed, deeply shocked and surprised by the unexpected turn of events. Someone was trying to take Zheng Yuantian's life?

"Hiding your head but revealing your tail, who are you really?" Zheng Yuantian struck out with a palm, shattering the heavens, trying to block the foot, but with a splutter, he failed to stop the golden scroll, which cleaved him in half. Then, he was stepped on by the foot, nearly crushed!

He suffered a huge loss and was furious. Who was humiliating him?

"Isn't that the Hades Blood Patriarch? Why is Ancestor Zheng still questioning him like that?"

"Some peerless experts, when it's inconvenient to reveal their true identity, often appear in the form of the Hades Blood Patriarch."

Many of the immortals were hearing this secret for the first time, feeling bewildered and reluctant to laugh. How many black pots had the old Hades Blood carried?

"It is said that the main reason is that the Hades Blood Patriarch possesses nine true identities. Back then, he was too arrogant and offended quite a few people."

The immortals communicated through divine consciousness, speaking in low voices, unwilling to discuss it aloud.

"Zheng Yuantian, what do you have to say for yourself today? Back then, you plotted against a prodigious talent named Zheng Yuantian, not only seizing his flesh and blood, but also stealing his name. Who are you, just a villain practicing the Demon Embryo Technique, and possibly even a remnant of the ancient imperial path!"

Someone roared. It was... another Hades Blood Patriarch, this person clad in blood-red armor, even more like a progenitor of the sect than the previous one.

He dominated the world, wielding a Dharma Wheel, and with a thunderous crash, he smashed Zheng Yuantian to pieces, blood spraying everywhere!

Zheng Yuantian screamed in agony, mainly because he was entangled by the golden scroll and couldn't dodge the Dharma Wheel. His body shattered into pieces.

"Who are you again?!" he exclaimed in shock and anger, regathering his body in the distance. At a critical moment, another person came to kill him. Was this the end, to truly send him on his way?

He was afraid. Things were different now. He was very weak and suffering from the backlash of the New Covenant. It was very likely that these malicious individuals would kill him.

"I am Ming Xue!" the man roared, wielding the Dharma Wheel to strike again.

"I am also Ming Xue!" on the other side, the giant as tall as the sky lifted his foot to stomp down again.

"The remnants of the Demon Emperor's Essence and True Blood, hand them over!" Among those chasing the Roaming Ark, one person suddenly turned around to strike Zheng Yuantian.

"Ah..." Zheng Yuantian screamed in agony, attacked by three great masters and strangled by the golden scroll. He was torn apart and immediately began to burrow underground.

However, one of the Hades Blood Patriarchs used a sea of blood to force him out again. Most importantly, the golden scroll was always close by, making it easier to strike him from underground.

Zheng Yuantian was both shocked and frightened. Today, he really might die.

In the Old World, in An City, in the Banished Immortal Tea Pavilion, the Hades Blood Patriarch felt as if he had eaten a ginseng fruit. All tens of thousands of his pores opened up, feeling refreshed from head to toe.

"Haha, it's all because of me, hehe!" He felt so content, as if light was shining out from his heart.

For so many years, Zheng Yuantian, Demon Ancestor Qiyi, and others had impersonated him countless times. They didn't know how many buckets of crap they had dumped on his head.

What was most infuriating was that last time in the spiritual realm, those few had impersonated him right in front of him, fighting with him, almost making the Hades Blood Patriarch cough up blood in anger.

Today, it was finally his turn to vent. Especially when he used his original appearance to bombard Zheng Yuantian, only to have the other party still think it was someone else impersonating him. It could be imagined how many people had been acting under the guise of the Hades Blood Patriarch over the years. Even though Zheng Yuantian had just been beaten up, he still believed it was someone else impersonating him.

"How's the taste, Master?" Huang Ming had a smile on his face as he personally served in the elegant room.

"A little bitter, rich aroma, slightly sweet, not bad. By the way, what did you give me to drink?" Ming Xue came back to his senses, putting down the cup and asking.

Huang, surprised, replied, "Coffee. Didn't I ask you just now? You were nodding and smiling the whole time."

"What coffee?" The Hades Blood Patriarch had just been absent-minded, his mind not in the present at all. He didn't remember saying anything.

"Angel Coffee, although it has a bad reputation, it tastes okay."

"I... I'll kill you!" The Hades Blood Patriarch became a bit sensitive when he heard that particular name. It was because Huang Ming's plan for the Angel Coffee had left a deep impression on him. The unconventional taste was unbearable for him.

"Master, please calm down. They didn't actually use my plan!" Huang Ming screamed in terror.

......

In the vast celestial realm, composed of half-material and half-energy entities tethered to the old soil, Zheng Yuan Tian faced near-death. His body resembled a shattered porcelain, covered in cracks and bruises. At least four individuals had clandestinely attempted his demise, all masquerading as the revered figure of the Hades Blood Sect, leaving him infuriated and resentful.

Initially, the Hades Blood Sect felt a certain satisfaction, but witnessing someone impersonate him in the assault on Zheng Yuan Tian dampened his spirits. He had become a professional scapegoat. Peering into the distance, he observed five other imposters of the Hades Blood Sect engaged in a fierce battle, vying for the coveted Roaming Ark.

His frustration knew no bounds; it seemed as though his image was ubiquitous, as if he were the central character in this cosmic drama. The thought of being unjustly held responsible for the consequences if some cunning villain were to seize the treasure and leave him to bear the blame was utterly maddening.

He promptly joined the melee, striving to claim the Roaming Ark for himself. The Immortals witnessed a chaotic scene unfold as multiple versions of the Hades Blood Sect clashed in a spectacle of mayhem. In a crucial moment, Heng Jun intervened once more, aiding Zheng Yuan Tian in fending off the relentless assault of the golden scroll. Without his assistance, Zheng Yuan Tian would have surely perished.

Yet, it was precisely due to this intervention that the Roaming Ark blurred into the void and swiftly vanished from sight, successfully escaping to the distant horizon. Swiftly, several "Hades Blood Sects" and Heng Jun embarked on a pursuit, particularly regretful of their assistance to Zheng Yuan Tian.

Zheng Yuan Tian wore a bitter expression, torn between gratitude for their departure and despair at losing Heng Jun's support. He sighed heavily, dragging his severely wounded body once again into the fray against the relentless assault of the golden scroll, determined to harness the perilous situation to refine his demonic emperor physique.

"Who am I?" he lamented. "Even one as gifted as Zheng Yuan Tian can be easily devoured. My true form defies your imagination; how could I possibly meet my end?"

"If it weren't for your wild speculations, I would have almost forgotten who I am. In this lifetime, I am destined to carve out my own legend in the realm of the extraordinary!" His suppressed emotions reverberated through the earth, his voice echoing with determination. He vowed to live, to rise, to defy fate, unstoppable by anyone.

Of course, he felt regret and bitterness. With the appearance of the treasure above his domain, if it hadn't gone awry, he would have been at his peak. He could have launched an attack with his hidden demonic powers, perhaps even acquiring the coveted Roaming Ark!

It must be admitted that at this moment, Zheng Yuan Tian, emanating a demonic aura, displayed great strength. In the face of imminent peril, he temporarily resisted the golden scroll and continued refining his demonic emperor physique, with a chance of success! An hour later, those individuals returned, filled with regret, clearly having lost track of the Roaming Ark. One by one, the "Hades Blood Sect" imposters departed.

Heng Jun also returned, immediately assisting Zheng Yuan Tian in resisting the golden scroll, saying, "The New Covenant is crude at best. It will only entangle you for a day before dissipating. I will help you withstand it."

He was filled with regret. Despite wielding a treasure and having the advantage, he had failed repeatedly to acquire a second treasure.

"Could it be fate? Perhaps one can only obtain one treasure at most, and no one in this world can bear the weight of two great destinies?" Heng Jun sighed, feeling unwilling to accept this reality. If he could possess two treasures, even in the harshest adversity, he would have the confidence to prevail!

"Thank you, brother, for your protection!" Zheng Yuan Tian expressed gratitude, knowing that he had survived this ordeal.

At the same time, he did not give up on refining his demonic emperor physique. Next time, he could use the body of the demonic emperor to fulfill his wishes in the mortal realm!

In a distant city, Wang Xuan pondered. Could it be that his tapping on the life-preserving furnace had attracted the Roaming Ark? If so, there was an unimaginable connection between several treasures, each representing a super mythological civilization, their crystallized efforts.

"Let's give it another try. We can't let old Zheng catch his breath. Even if we don't completely kill him, we'll torment him until he's half dead!" Wang Xuan decided to try again.

So he stood amidst the bustling streets of the bustling city, quietly tapping the furnace lid, to see if another treasure would appear.

Before long, the lid of the furnace pulsated, as if conveying a message to the outside world in a way that transcended ordinary understanding!

This shook Wang Xuan to his core. The civilizations behind these several treasures were extremely mysterious, and their crystallized efforts were far from silent. Quickly, he ceased his actions, fearing that someone might notice the anomaly. Shortly after, a dazzling sword light pierced through the heavens and earth, cleaving through the void where Zheng Yuan Tian resided. The sword light was unparalleled, illuminating both past and present.

"The Sword of Mortals... It has appeared again, still within the domain of Patriarch Zheng!" The Immortals were astonished, their eyes filled with excitement, but none dared to contest it.

However, the true protagonist, Zheng Yuan Tian himself, shuddered, his body trembling. He wasn't excited; he was afraid. He believed this wasn't a good sign. Having just experienced a close call, in his current state, he couldn't secure the treasure and might even be killed.

Sure enough, Heng Jun abandoned him without hesitation, allowing the golden scroll to descend upon him. Old Zheng was still in the midst of refining his demonic emperor physique, completely unprepared. He screamed in agony as his body shattered.

At the same time, the "Hades Blood Sect imposters" returned, vying for the treasure while also delivering a few vicious blows to him, causing Zheng Yuan Tian to burst into pieces.

"I...!" Old Zheng's expression was one of utter despair as he gazed at the treasure looming above. He was truly terrified.