Chapter Sixty-One: Clash of the Immortal Realms

At this moment, the entire void was shrouded between darkness and light, distinct and unmixed, neither encroaching upon the other.

On one side of the shore, Yue Chan stood with unmatched grace, her beauty awe-inspiring, shaking the very fabric of the void. A single green lotus pierced through the ages, illuminating the entire shore, and all who beheld her felt the baptism of sacred light.

On the other side, the God of Darkness had successfully broken his shackles. Thanks to a single lyric from Ye Qiu, he comprehended the true Dao, severed all seven emotions and six desires, and stepped into the realm of immortality.

“My goodness, which of these two is stronger?”

“No idea! Judging by murderous intent, the God of Darkness feels stronger, but in terms of presence, I think Fairy Yue Chan is more imposing!”

Unrivaled talent, astonishing brilliance—how many throughout history have achieved such heights?”

The crowd buzzed with discussion and praise.

Suddenly, a voice spoke, “No matter how powerful they are, neither is even a tenth as formidable as the senior! Look closely: the senior stands alone in the void, right at the collision point of both their auras, yet remains completely unaffected!”

“From this, it’s clear his strength far surpasses theirs. To withstand the clash of two immortal-level masters without being moved—it’s unimaginable…”

The words sent shockwaves through the crowd. All eyes turned to Ye Qiu, who played his zither atop the Abyss of Heaven, robed in white, drifting as if a banished immortal, peerless and solitary.

“Marvelous, truly marvelous! This is the true bearing of an immortal. Who would have thought that our Great Wilderness hid such a supreme master, and no one ever discovered him…”

Everyone was awed and astonished. Ye Qiu’s origins were so mysterious—he seemed to have emerged from nowhere. There was not a single rumor about him in the Great Wilderness, which was truly bizarre!

One must know, in the Great Wilderness, every leader-level expert had endured countless tribulations and achieved their status under the gaze of all. Yet Ye Qiu had no such tales—how could one not be shocked?

“Where do you think you’re going, vile creature! Face my sword!”

While the crowd was still stunned, a cold voice echoed from the sky. A celestial sword sliced through the void, stabbing fiercely.

Its target was a demon god fleeing from the edge of the Great Wilderness. The sword pierced its heart, leaving no chance for resistance.

Looking up, the crowd saw a sword immortal in white, holding a long blade and gazing down from above.

“It’s Liu Jianchen!”

The crowd exclaimed in surprise. The newcomer was none other than Liu Jianchen, who had pursued the demon gods all the way here. Judging by this, those who had fled must have all been slain by him. However, the atmosphere now felt a little off.

For the God of Darkness was here, having just broken through to immortality, and Liu Jianchen had killed his clansman right before him. How could he tolerate such a thing?

“Presumptuous! Die!”

The God of Darkness’s blood-red eyes snapped open, and a beam of light shot out at lightning speed, aiming to slay Liu Jianchen and avenge the fallen demon god.

Liu Jianchen’s face paled instantly. He was merely a Sky Realm master; facing a true immortal demon god, how could he resist?

“Damn it, why is there an immortal demon god here?”

Shocked, Liu Jianchen quickly drew his Sword of Mount Suppression to defend himself, unleashing a wave of sword energy.

Regrettably, within moments, that sword energy was dispersed. He was simply no match for the God of Darkness, his fate mirroring that of Yue Chan earlier.

In this moment of peril, a green lotus suddenly shot forth, blocking the God of Darkness’s attack head-on. This was their second clash, and this time… Yue Chan did not lose.

“Hm? You again…”

The God of Darkness was enraged; he had intended to slay Liu Jianchen outright, but Yue Chan intervened.

Yet, with Ye Qiu present, he dared not strike again, fearing Ye Qiu’s wrath and direct intervention.

He had thought, upon reaching immortality, he could perceive Ye Qiu’s level, but even after his breakthrough, Ye Qiu’s realm remained unfathomable.

This individual was terrifying; his cultivation was like a boundless sea, impossible to discern.

But… it was as if he had no realm at all, only a pure aura, the most pristine righteous energy between heaven and earth.

Though lacking a defined realm, this aura alone was enough to crush all foes beneath heaven.

This man was exceedingly strange. The God of Darkness, now an immortal, could clearly sense that Ye Qiu did not cultivate any traditional immortal arts, nor possessed anything a typical cultivator should have.

For instance—cave heavens, divine repositories, life springs—Ye Qiu lacked all these.

These were fundamental to any cultivator, as vital as life itself. Yet… Ye Qiu had none?

In other words, he had never practiced any traditional cultivation methods, which was why he lacked these things.

“What method does he cultivate?”

With lingering dread, the God of Darkness glanced at Ye Qiu, utterly unable to comprehend his path.

If he knew that Ye Qiu had never practiced any method, but had simply read books day after day for twenty years, he would likely be infuriated…

Why?! Why should years of suffering and tribulation to reach this realm be surpassed by twenty years of reading?

It was like learning a craft for half a lifetime, painstakingly building a legacy, only for a scholar to tell you… that studying is the only way forward!

Only through study could one broaden horizons, increase wealth, and become stronger.

Worst of all, what he said actually came true! That was the most exasperating part.

With Ye Qiu present, the God of Darkness refrained from attacking, instead fixing a cold gaze on Yue Chan—the woman who had nearly died at his hands moments ago.

He said icily, “You wish to stop me? Have you forgotten the lesson from earlier?”

Yue Chan’s expression did not change. She replied coldly, “You can try.”

A hush fell over the crowd—how dare she?

Everyone was shocked. That was an ancient monster who had lived for millions of years. For Yue Chan to speak thus was tantamount to a public challenge.

“Such boldness! No wonder she’s the master of the Heavenly Palace. Just for this, I bet on Fairy Yue Chan to win…”

“Sigh… the young are fearless! The God of Darkness has dominated the River of Realms for millions of years. Though he just broke through to immortality, his countless years of experience and battle-hardened skill cannot be matched by a youngster!”

“I disagree. Though the Empress is young, she is no hothouse flower! Remember, she once ventured alone into forbidden zones, slaying so many that none dared claim invincibility. That legendary history marks her as extraordinary—a peerless beauty. The God of Darkness is powerful, but… you must understand, cultivation is not about seniority, but talent! The Dao is vast and indifferent; in millions of years, how many have reached such heights at this age?”

The crowd debated fiercely, but Daoist Fufeng remained unmoved. Stroking his beard, he laughed with disdain, “Why are you all chattering nonsense? They won’t fight…”