The Battle of Qian Yuan, high above the Nine Heavens, lasted longer and was more fiercely contested than any other battle below.

Gu Zhanting, who was always suppressed by Ye Tinglan and Long Qinghuang, was himself a powerful figure, not truly weaker than them.

He and Long Qinghuang fought to a mutual destruction, which led to Long Qinghuang having to deal with various rebellions while injured. However, Gu Zhanting’s injuries were more difficult to resolve, leading to a series of subsequent changes.

The same was true when compared with Ye Tinglan.

Ye Tinglan might have had a slightly better understanding of the Dao Realm than Gu Zhanting, as seen from the difficulty each had in breaking through. But this did not necessarily mean she was stronger in actual combat. In real combat, truly distinguishing victory and defeat depended on the performance of both sides, and any external interference could lead to variables.

This remained true after both had broken through to Qian Yuan.

In their cultivation, Gu Zhanting practiced both Dao and martial arts, and so did Ye Tinglan.

Both “Huang Ji Jing Shi Jing” and “Tian Yao Xuan Yue” were Dao-martial dual cultivation techniques, including Xiao Bai Mao’s “Shuang Tian Dong Yue.”

However, “Huang Ji Jing Shi Jing” leaned more towards martial arts, while “Tian Yao Xuan Yue” leaned more towards Dao. Neither achieved a perfect fusion of the two extremes of Dao and martial arts. In practical combat, one was overly domineering and lacked resilience, while the other seemed comprehensive but slightly weaker in offense.

“Neither was a particularly good cultivation technique.”

In terms of magical artifacts, one was the Great Qian Emperor, and the other was the Tian Yao Holy Lord. The treasures they carried easily surpassed the combined total of all the people fighting in the battles below.

In previous battles, there would have been a more dazzling display of artifacts. However, this battle was special, as neither of them essentially used any magical artifacts.

Because all their magical artifacts were of the Huiyang level, there was only one Qian Yuan treasure, which was likely their Natal Treasure that broke through with their cultivation growth. Other artifacts had become obsolete and were of little use at this point, serving at most as a distraction.

“Swoosh!” Gu Zhanting pointed his divine sword, and the landscape changed for a thousand li.

Purple qi filled the sky, as if solidifying into a giant sword, spanning a thousand li, chopping directly down at Ye Tinglan.

His “Huang Ji Tian Zi Jian,” the symbol of the Great Qian Emperor, had now broken through to Qian Yuan with him. The power amplification it provided and its perfect compatibility with “Huang Ji Jing Shi Jing” made him even more formidable. This sword strike undoubtedly far exceeded the level of an average newly-broken-through Qian Yuan cultivator.

Jiang Duxu was right; even an average Qian Yuan cultivator might not be able to withstand this strike. A Huiyang cultivator facing this divine sword, spanning a thousand li, would be instantly killed and could offer no real help.

But Ye Tinglan looked at this sword and thought to herself that Lu Xingzhou was still at a disadvantage fighting bare-handed… Even if the power of bare-handed combat was no different from using weapons after one’s cultivation was high, the kind of power amplification and technique activation compatibility was not something bare-handed combat possessed.

She would have to persuade Xingzhou to get a weapon later, even if it was just knuckle dusters, or perhaps a ring with a similar effect?

The thought flashed through her mind, her hands moving faster than her thoughts.

A divine sword, similarly, pointed diagonally skyward, its tip meeting the “edge” of the giant sword formed by the thousand li of purple qi.

Suddenly, the surrounding space seemed to solidify. The purple qi floating around froze, and then fierce winds began to rage above, with thunder rumbling through the Nine Heavens.

Gu Zhanting’s Qian Yuan power combined his own strength with the power of the mountains and rivers, striking a sword rooted in the earth’s veins.

Ye Tinglan’s Qian Yuan power, however, contained little of her own strength. It was merely a fuse, igniting the forces of nature to disperse all evil with the divine thunder of the Nine Heavens.

Their battle had become a different template from the battles below; it was a battle of immortals in people’s minds.

“Why…” Gu Zhanting gnashed his teeth and murmured, “I have reached this stage, a time when I should reign supreme, yet you also reach this stage to stop me!!”

“If you were truly a diligent and aspiring emperor, with the ambition to attain Dao-Qian Yuan and unify the universe, this Holy Lord would only assist you… But are you?” Ye Tinglan said coldly, “What exactly have you done these past years? Do I need to list them one by one?”

“Do those things matter!” Gu Zhanting roared, “The winner takes all, and history only needs one result! If it weren’t for your constant nitpicking and obstruction, I could have achieved this several years ago. At that time, after cleansing the world, who wouldn’t praise the Holy Emperor! Do those processes matter?”

Facing a barrage of questions, Ye Tinglan merely responded indifferently, “Those whose Dao differ cannot plan together.”

“Swoosh!” Another sword slashed horizontally. Ye Tinglan lightly stepped on the sword’s energy, and from all directions, freezing cold and Taiyin flames rose.

Gu Zhanting waved his hand to shake it off: “Those whose Dao differ, what a grand and hypocritical excuse. Back then, you drove away Ye Fuyao under the pretext of differing Dao and stole the Tian Yao authority; now, you commit an act of usurpation and steal the Great Qian’s national destiny under the same pretext. Ye Tinglan, you are the most hypocritical person.”

Ye Tinglan did not argue with someone full of conspiracy theories. They would only have their fixed mindset, and no amount of argument would suffice.

She merely chuckled, “The Great Qian’s national destiny? Hasn’t it already been completely ruined by you? I, Ye Tinglan, am not a scavenger.”

“You!” Gu Zhanting was about to speak when a moonbeam suddenly fell over his head. Under its clear light, his internal organs burned.

“Taiyin True Fire… Heh.” Gu Zhanting seemed unaffected. Instead, he merged with his sword, piercing out from the icy flames and heading straight for Ye Tinglan’s face: “Now I am a demonic dragon body! Your methods no longer work on me!”

Ye Tinglan narrowed her eyes, then her wrist suddenly flicked, revealing a soft, glowing pearl.

The pearl emanated boundless vitality, as if just a tiny bit of its powder could grant eternal life.

“What is this?” Gu Zhanting was somewhat shocked.

This item was truly a treasure of immortality. For the Great Qian imperial family, who generally worried about their lifespan, it was a divine artifact. If it fell into the hands of the imperial family, it would be enough to make all the reclusive old monsters ecstatic. And… if he had possessed this item earlier, perhaps he wouldn’t have needed to transform into a demonic dragon body. The greatest significance of such a transformation was, in fact, for vitality.

“It’s a treasure that Xingzhou and I unexpectedly acquired together,” Ye Tinglan said calmly, retreating to evade Gu Zhanting’s attack. “This Holy Lord doesn’t particularly need such a treasure for longevity… If you hadn’t gone against the natural order, Xingzhou, as your son-in-law, this item would most likely have become part of the betrothal gifts. What a pity, what a pity.”

For a fleeting moment, Gu Zhanting indeed felt a pang of regret.

If he had possessed this item earlier, many of his actions could have been avoided, and the situation wouldn’t have deteriorated so badly.

But the regret was fleeting. Since things had come to this, wouldn’t it be better to just seize it? Gu Zhanting didn’t even understand why Ye Tinglan had pulled out this item. Was it just to mock him?

Just as he was thinking this, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his body.

Ye Tinglan had applied some spell through the pearl, and the life force poured in, causing the demonic dragon parts of his body to swell even more. Not only his scales, but his muscles also began to knot, his teeth became fangs, and dragon fins sprouted from his back, tearing his clothes.

“Although this item is useful for cultivators, its essence is more beneficial for demonic beasts,” Ye Tinglan said indifferently. “Since you don’t want to be human, then be even more thorough.”

As she spoke, she too merged with her sword and shot forward like lightning.

The sword tip still held frost, its intent chilling.

Shuang Tian Dong Yue!

As her disciple Xiao Bai Mao’s usual ultimate move, taught by her master, of course the master knew it too… However, Ye Tinglan rarely used it this way. But now was the best opportunity.

With the Taiyin True Fire burning inside, and the icy thunder restricting him from the outside, utilizing the desynchronization of his demonic body and human body’s absorption of life force, she used the treasure to intensify it, creating the first flaw in their battle thus far.

At this moment, using the sharpest sword to pierce through the flaw in his body was the best solution… Although it carried some risk, it was worth it.

“Bang!” Gu Zhanting quickly reached out in pain, bringing his palms together to clamp the long sword.

A biting frost instantly froze his palms, and threads of icy cold continued to spread up his arms, but the sword was ultimately caught.

Not only was it caught, but it also emitted a harsh screeching sound, revealing faint cracks.

Ye Tinglan’s expression became uncharacteristically stern and severe. A wisp of sword light once again pierced from the sword tip, and blood seeped from Gu Zhanting’s chest.

But it failed to pierce through… his demonic dragon body was no ordinary thing.

Gu Zhanting’s bloodshot eyes held a touch of madness: “Ye Tinglan… with your martial cultivation, how dare you engage in such close-quarters combat? Do you truly think you have won?”

As he spoke, a violent burst of *gangqi* suddenly erupted from his body, with his body as the center. A faint glow also appeared around Ye Tinglan, blocking the *gangqi*. But despite the blockage, the impact force was not completely eliminated, and the shortcomings of her physical cultivation became apparent, as a trace of blood finally overflowed from the corner of her mouth.

But her eyes grew even more resolute, and the sword light intensified. Seizing the moment when Gu Zhanting’s *gangqi* could not fully coalesce, she pressed forward by another three fen.

Blood also spilled from the corner of Gu Zhanting’s mouth.

It was another mutually destructive situation.

As Gu Zhanting’s explosive *gangqi* retreated, a small mechanical figure abruptly appeared beside the two, suddenly growing larger and wildly poking its two hands towards Gu Zhanting’s eyes.

Gu Zhanting: “?”

What the hell was that?

He instinctively tilted his head to dodge, and the mechanical figure grabbed his arm.

Gu Zhanting: “!!!”

He had been clamping the sword with both palms! How was he supposed to fight with his arm held like this?

Gu Zhanting forcefully moved his elbow, and the mechanical figure was reduced to ashes.

But with that brief interference, Ye Tinglan’s sword tip finally pierced completely into his body, the sword light passing through his chest.

“Bang!” Gu Zhanting roared furiously. The divine sword in Ye Tinglan’s hand also shattered, and both fell back.

Ye Tinglan only stumbled back one step, while Gu Zhanting retreated three steps. Before he could regain his footing, a wailing yin spirit rushed towards his spiritual platform.

Gu Zhanting: “?”

Ye Tinglan, still staggering back, smiled slightly. A small sword seal suddenly reappeared in her hand.

The sword seal shot out, not striking the body, but directly targeting the soul.

Sword of Soul Annihilation!

The true dragon’s destiny, the emperor’s majesty, grand and glorious, evil spirits dared not invade.

All previous attacks and defenses injured him, but they merely weakened Gu Zhanting’s momentum, grinding away his domineering imperial aura and true dragon intent.

Once he lost his emperor’s divine might, his soul was no longer impenetrable.

For example, her Sword of Soul Annihilation, and for another example, the Huiyang yin spirits of a certain person’s soul banner, descended simultaneously.

Gu Zhanting recognized the source of the yin spirits and instinctively roared, “Huo Liancheng, you betray me too!”

He immediately realized his mistake after yelling it out; these were just yin spirits, meaning Huo Liancheng was already finished.

Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, it no longer mattered. Huo Liancheng’s accusations, word by word, echoed for hundreds of li, heard by everyone in the capital.

The mountains and rivers shook, the dragon脈 (dragon’s pulse) was no more, and the national destiny visibly declined.

Gu Zhanting’s Qian Yuan foundation wavered, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. It was at this moment that Ye Tinglan’s Sword of Soul Annihilation pierced through his forehead.