Emperor Taiyuan sighed. “Mirrorbloom, I could have borne the responsibility for whatever crimes you committed. I could have overlooked your betrayal. But for the chaos you’ve brought upon Taiyuan, for all the lives lost because of you, I will slay you personally.”
Mirrorbloom crowed with laughter. “Old fogey, you must be living in the past. Do you think I’m still the same? Your realm will be mine once I change its name, and mine alone! From now on, this place is to be called Mirrorbloom Plane! You and your son are mere stepping stones on my road to ascendency!”
“An idiot dreaming in broad daylight, what a sorry sight.” Jiang Huan smiled coldly. “Your Majesty, allow me to kill this traitor in your stead!”
Emperor Taiyuan waved him off. “Stand aside. She’s too strong for godkings to take on!”
Mirrorbloom cackled maniacally. “Since you know I’m too much for them, what makes you think you’ll be any different? You are no longer the mighty celestial emperor you once were. I am no longer the long-suffering Mirrorbloom who gave way in everything!”
The air solidified around her, suddenly condensing into mirror-like crystals in a bizarre, spine-chilling scene. “Old geezer, let’s see what you think of this lady’s handcrafted plane!”
With a hand seal, the multitude of mirrors suddenly emitted countless rays of light that acted as black holes. Everything the light touched was sucked inside Mirrorbloom Plane.
Her skills were truly a sight to behold.
Fortunately, Celestial Emperor Taiyuan reacted promptly enough and slapped away most of the light. At the same time, a fierce astral wind rose at his back and blew away more than one godking standing behind him.
Even so, many were those captured inside the mirrors. Busy looking after others, Celestial Emperor Taiyuan himself inadvertently fell prey to a ray of light as well.
Mirrorbloom laughed happily. “Old coot, you’re as dumb as ever. Worrying about others at a time like this? Your reward shall be death inside my realm!”
But how would Jiang Chen take that lying down?
He brandished the Edge of Evermore and sent a thunderous slash to intercept the mirror fragments. Possessing the power of spacetime, the sword ignored the concept of distance to land viciously on the edge of Mirrorbloom Plane.
Clang!
His strike shattered many shards of crystals. Terror-stricken, several godkings suddenly fell from these and ran for their lives. However, the one imprisoning his father remained intact.
“Little punk, you should have laid low while this lady was feeling merciful!” Godking Mirrorbloom seethed.
Even so, she didn’t dare make light of the young man. The Edge of Evermore was in his hand, but most essentially, he’d refined the Taiyuan’s creation symbol.
Technically, he was Taiyuan’s true sovereign. Even one as great as her had to stay on her toes when fighting the world’s master on home soil.
Jiang Chen shouted, “Everyone, get as far as you can from the Sky Palace. Don’t try to help!”
At this stage, not even godkings would be of any help.
Crimsonwaters and Hoarfrost understood immediately. “Everyone, follow our lead and fall back! She stands no chance against two generations of celestial emperors. Peace will soon return to our lands!”
The moment someone took charge, the crowd retreated blisteringly fast, deserting the place in record time. Only Jiang Huan lagged behind, somewhat reluctant. His elder master’s life hung in the balance.
His heart hung heavy!
More than anything, he wished he could lend a hand, but the fight had regrettably gone beyond his level. It was a true clash between celestial emperors.
To think Mirrorbloom hid such a phenomenal power! She’d almost succeeded in refining her own plane, even without the help of a creation symbol.
It was clear she’d constructed the embryo of a plane, and was planning to make it slowly devour Taiyuan Plane so it could supersede the latter!
Of course, she could also let her world grow by itself. But the process would be excruciatingly long and arduous. The path of least resistance would be to use another greater world as a foundation for her own, and it was the path she’d opted for.
If she could have her way, Taiyuan Plane would disappear forever while she’d obtain the universe’s endorsement and gain her own token, thus cementing the plane as hers. The woman was truly a force of nature.
She’d endured for an eternity, ever striving toward her goal. Yes, she was detestable, yet she was also admirable in some ways.
Jiang Chen stayed in hot pursuit, the razor-sharp Edge of Evermore in his hand. He couldn’t let her escape. He knew he had to kill her for good, here and now.
Thankfully, he could match her speed. Moreover, the power of his domain was working to obstruct her plane’s course.
Epiphanies came to him one after another, from the Four Symbols True Spirit Painting he’d long been studying, from the wonders of the universe, from the profound principles of creation.
A plane also started to take shape at his side, slowly growing.
Just like Mirrorbloom, he had the power to build his own world. But his approach was more direct, impactful, and orthodox!
While it had been somewhat of a grueling task for her, the blood of the four sacred beasts flowed in his veins. His was a textbook creation born from the five elements. Earth, water, fire, wind, and metal all blended to give birth to something new.
Such a world was a firm and proper existence compared to the patchwork that was Mirrorbloom Plane.
Whether in cultivation or in character, he and his enemy stood at opposite ends of the spectrum.
But Mirrorbloom wasn’t without her own advantage. She’d been nurturing her realm for a long, long time. In comparison, Jiang Chen was but a freshly-minted godking.
Without the Four Symbols True Spirit Painting, he wouldn’t have come so far so fast, and wouldn’t even have dreamed of going head-to-head against Mirrorbloom.
The lack of a creation token was the one chink in the armor of an otherwise nigh-impossible opponent. After all, Jiang Chen had had next to no time to consolidate the power of his own token.
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