163: Do you see the common people as mere food for your own flesh and blood? Have you even asked me that?!

"Gulp."

The sound of swallowing was like a thunderclap.

The Stone Emperor licked a trace of blood remaining at the corner of his mouth, a hint of lingering desire flashing in his cold, ice-like eyes.

"Ten million."

"Too few."

"It's not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth."

He shook his head, a horrifying greed appearing on his withered face.

For an ancient emperor who had once attained the Dao, the essence blood of ten million Mortals was merely a drop in the bucket.

To fill the Wheel of Life that had been parched for millions of years, and to restore his Peak combat power before the road to Immortal Ascension opened...

What he needed was a massive amount of life.

The wails and despair of billions of living beings!

"Huu—"

The Stone Emperor opened his mouth again.

This time.

What he aimed at was no longer a kingdom of Mortals.

But the heart of Zhongzhou, the area with the densest Spiritual Qi and the most concentrated population of Cultivators—

"Sage City," where Zhongzhou Academy was located!

There, tens of millions of Cultivators and countless Prodigies of the younger generation were gathered!

That was... the most delicious and nourishing... great medicine!

"No—!!!"

Inside Sage City, countless Cultivators felt the terrifying suction force locking onto them and let out screams of despair.

They wanted to run.

But their bodies felt as if they were filled with lead, unable to move at all.

They could only watch helplessly as the essence blood within their bodies began to boil, about to burst out!

Despair.

Boundless despair.

Just as that terrifying suction was about to descend and billions of lives were about to turn into dried corpses.

"Qiang—!!!"

A clear and high-pitched sword chime, as if it could sever the eternal ages, suddenly exploded throughout heaven and earth without warning!

Following that.

A streak of golden Sword Qi.

From the distant East, it crossed hundreds of millions of miles of the Void Realm.

Like the rising morning sun, it tore through the darkness and blood mist that filled the sky!

Fast!

Too fast!

So fast that even time seemed to stand still under this sword strike!

"Chiss—!"

A soft sound.

That river of essence that had just formed and was preparing to devour Sage City.

Under this sword strike.

Was like butter being cut by a red-hot knife.

Instantly.

It was severed!

"Boom—"

The essence that was originally flowing backward lost its pull, collapsed with a bang, and returned to the heaven and earth.

Within Sage City.

Countless Cultivators escaped death, gasping for breath, their bodies already soaked in cold sweat.

They looked up.

Staring blankly at the golden sword scar that stretched across the firmament and lingered for a long time.

Who?

Who saved them from the mouth of a Supreme?

"Hmm?"

Above the Taichu Ancient Mine.

The Stone Emperor's movements suddenly stiffened.

He slowly turned his head, his eyes burning with ghost fire staring fixedly at the East.

There.

Stood a divine mountain floating above the Nine Heavens.

"Are you full?"

A lazy yet infinitely cold voice drifted over from across the endless Void Realm.

"If you're full."

"Then..."

"Be on your way."

Boom!

The moment the words fell.

At the Peak of the main mountain of the Kaoshan Sect.

Li Daoxuan stood with his hands behind his back, his white robes fluttering.

He looked at the sky shrouded in blood to the north, the killing intent in his eyes having condensed into substance.

"System."

"Time to work."

[Ding! Host's intent detected.]

[[Sect-Protecting Divine Beast Formation], full power!]

"Buzz—!!!"

Four pillars of light that reached the heavens erupted from the four directions of the Kaoshan Sect!

Azure Dragon!

White Tiger!

Vermilion Bird!

Black Tortoise!

Four phantoms of Divine Beasts, ten thousand zhang tall, roared towards the sky within the pillars of light!

Following that.

A layer of transparent yet indestructible golden light screen madly expanded in all directions with the Kaoshan Sect as the center!

One hundred thousand miles!

One million miles!

Ten million miles!

In just a single breath.

This Supreme Formation produced by the System, which had fused with the Zhongzhou Dragon Vein, actually forcibly covered a territory of a million miles!

Within this area.

All Death Qi and all Supreme pressure were forcibly isolated!

This place.

Became the only... pure land in this apocalyptic purgatory!

"This... what kind of Formation is this?!"

"It actually blocked the aura of a Supreme?!"

The billions of living beings protected within the Formation looked at the faint golden light above their heads, their eyes filling with tears of excitement as they knelt and kowtowed.

"It's Heavenly Emperor Li!"

"The Kaoshan Sect has acted!"

"We are saved!!"

...Taichu Ancient Mine.

The Stone Emperor looked at the massive Formation that stretched across heaven and earth, blocking his path to feeding.

His expression turned completely dark.

"A Formation?"

"Interesting."

"I didn't expect that in this era without an Emperor, someone could actually set up an Emperor Formation of this caliber."

"However..."

He sneered, the heavenly desolation halberd in his hand vibrating slightly.

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

"The people this Emperor wants to eat, even the Heavens cannot keep! Much less a mere Formation?!"

"Fellow Daoist, why be so angry?"

Just then.

The Void Realm split open again.

Three equally majestic figures, also emitting terrifying auras, slowly walked out.

One wore Reincarnation Battle Armor, with six black holes rotating around him.

The Lord of Reincarnation!

One was half-black and half-white, as if walking on the edge of light and darkness.

Light and Darkness Supreme!

The last one was surrounded by gray Death Qi, holding a tattered battle spear.

Abandoned Heaven Supreme!

The four Supremes within the Taichu Ancient Mine had gathered!

"It seems someone doesn't want us to eat."

The Lord of Reincarnation's pitch-black eyes pierced through the Void Realm and landed on Li Daoxuan.

A cruel arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

"A Human Race Emperor?"

"Heh..."

"A junior who has just attained the Dao and whose blood essence hasn't even stabilized."

"And he dares to stop us from feeding?"

The Light and Darkness Supreme also laughed.

That laughter was half-sacred and half-sinister.

"The youth of today truly do not know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth."

"Does he think he is the Wu Shi of back then? Or that Ruthless One?"

"Even if they were resurrected, they would have to think twice before facing the four of us joined together!"

The Abandoned Heaven Supreme licked his parched lips, the greed in his eyes almost overflowing.

"However..."

"This is also a good thing."

He pointed at Li Daoxuan in the distance, his voice hoarse.

"The blood of those Mortals is too thin, with too many Impurities."

"How can it compare... to the nourishing essence blood of an Emperor?"

"Eat him!"

"As long as we eat him, not only can we extend our lives, but perhaps... we can even live another life and return to our Peak!"

The four Supremes looked at each other.

They all saw the same... desire in each other's eyes.

And madness.

For these old ghosts who were lingering on their last breaths.

A contemporary Emperor with vigorous blood and Qi, at his Peak.

That was simply... a walking... longevity medicine!

An incomparable delicacy, ten thousand times more tempting than billions of Mortals!

"Since you want to be the savior."

The Stone Emperor held the heavenly desolation halberd and took a step forward.

"Boom!"

Heaven and earth collapsed!

His massive body instantly crossed the endless Void Realm, closing in on the direction of the Kaoshan Sect!

"Then we will..."

"Eat your Emperor's Body first!!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Lord of Reincarnation, Light and Darkness Supreme, and Abandoned Heaven Supreme followed closely behind!

Four world-destroying Supreme auras converged, forming a terrifying torrent enough to shatter the entire Xuanhuang Great World!

Mighty and majestic!

Unstoppable!

Towards that solitary Sect, towards that Youth in White Robes standing at the mountain Peak.

Fiercely.

Crushing down!

"Li Daoxuan!!"

"Come out and meet your death!!"

"Your blood... this Emperor has reserved it!!"