Chapter 158: Probing

"Awooo!"

Accompanied by a tremendous roar, the Emperor Lion unleashed its most powerful attack ever.

A bolt of pitch-black lightning emerged from its single horn.

The Emperor Lion's running body stretched into a bow shape, and then it flung the lightning toward the Demon King.

"Bang!"

Fang Qiyun also fired his most powerful hand cannon to date.

The hand cannon, as thick as an infant's arm, condensed his entire reservoir of power.

Destructive might served as the foundation, supplemented by psychic energy.

Following the blast, the entire hand cannon turned into flying ash, completely destroyed by Fang Qiyun's overbearing force.

Unsurprisingly, this shot caused the Demon King's expression to change.

"As expected!"

Demon King Muriño stared at the incoming projectile, muttering to himself, "To be able to unleash such a strike before even becoming a Divine General—if you were to ascend to a Divine General, wouldn't you pose a threat to Sovereigns?"

"Bang!"

He reached out a hand and grabbed the cannonball fired by Fang Qiyun directly out of the air.

The projectile released an endless bloody aura within his palm, yet it was like a wild beast trapped in a cage.

No matter how fiercely it struggled, it could not escape the grip of his palm.

The Demon King quietly sensed this power, making an assessment of Fang Qiyun's strength.

He was quite curious about such a young and powerful human youth.

At this moment, the pitch-black lightning also surged forward, crashing heavily into the Demon King's body.

"Boom!"

Amidst a thunderous explosion, the Demon King was forced back step by step.

A faint layer of purple light materialized around his body, blocking the Emperor Lion's attack.

"Not bad!"

A cold smile curved the corners of the Demon King's lips.

"Whether it is you, Fang Qiyun, or this summoned beast, both possess the power of the Divine General level. What a pity—Divine Generals are nothing to me!"

What were Divine Generals to a Sovereign?

Merely larger ants!

This scene caused the hearts of many present to sink.

Everyone on the scene was now human.

Although they also wished to kill Fang Qiyun, how could they possibly be happy watching a Demon King slaughter a human prodigy?

They longed even more to witness a miracle!

What was a miracle?

For Fang Qiyun to defeat, or at least repel and injure, the Demon King!

If such a scene were to unfold, they would gladly applaud and cheer for Fang Qiyun.

How could there be any question of enmity? One side was the human younger generation, and the other was a Demon King; there was simply no need to deliberate over which side to take.

Gu Shanshui directed her gaze toward the avatar of the Western Pole Sovereign nearby and whispered, "Ancestor!"

The Western Pole Sovereign merely glanced at her, completely ignoring her.

A mere descendant, yet she dared to propose terms to him?

Know your place!

Although he would sigh over Fang Qiyun's death, it was certainly not out of pity for a dying human prodigy, but rather the regret that his own objective could no longer be realized.

In fact, having lived to his age, he simply did not care how many human prodigies died. Even if the human race collapsed, he could still lead his family to live quite comfortably.

As long as a single bloodline of his family survived, everything else was inconsequential.

Or even if they all vanished, it mattered little, provided that he himself lived well.

Such were the thoughts of an aging Sovereign nearing a thousand years of age.

Sentiments had long since vanished, and familial affection had thinned to the absolute extreme.

Gu Shanshui's face turned pale.

She understood the Western Pole Sovereign's intent. Biting her thin lips, a flicker of anger emerged within her beautiful, large eyes.

How he treated her in the past didn't matter, but for a human Sovereign to sit idly by and watch a Demon King murder a human prodigy was utterly despicable!

If the pinnacle combat strength of the human race was like this, what hope remained for humanity?

Why were they, the younger generation, fighting at all?

And what had those who had already perished fought for?

Driven perhaps by her own plight, or perhaps by the indignation in her heart, she erupted.

"I implore the human Sovereign, the Western Pole Sovereign, to take action and save our human prodigy!"

Gu Shanshui cried out loudly.

"Huh?"

At this, everyone was startled.

The Western Pole Sovereign had made it abundantly clear that he had no intention of intervening, yet Gu Shanshui, as his descendant, actually dared to...

Even the Demon King cast an astonished look, letting out a chuckle as he said, "Western Pole Sovereign, are you going to make a move against me?"

An avatar of a Sovereign was nothing to him.

Nor did he care about wasting a little time.

Even if the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm were to appear within his perception, it would still not stop him from killing Fang Qiyun.

The Western Pole Sovereign's icy gaze locked onto Gu Shanshui. The undisguised murderous intent in his eyes made her body run cold.

A mere junior dared to defy him to this extent!

Gu Shanshui's body stiffened, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to speak: "I still ask the Western Pole Sovereign..."

"Humph!"

The Western Pole Sovereign let out an angry snort. Gu Shanshui groaned softly as a trickle of fresh blood spilled from the corner of her lips.

"Hehe!"

A light chuckle sounded.

Fang Qiyun!

With an amused expression, he looked at Gu Shanshui, then glanced at the Western Pole Sovereign, and said, "Splendid! Truly worthy of a Sovereign. How does that saying go again? Heavy punches within the family, kneeling to beg for mercy on the outside!"

"The Western Pole Sovereign has truly taught us this lesson!"

The Western Pole Sovereign's icy gaze fixed on Fang Qiyun. "Boy, is this all you want to say before you die?"

"Before I die?" Fang Qiyun shook his head, smiling indifferently. "I'm not going to die. Not only am I not going to die, but I'm also going to wipe out this avatar of yours."

"No, no, no!" the Demon King chimed in, "Little one, you're dead for sure. Truly, in front of me, I will never give you a chance to escape."

"Not just you, every single human here is dead for sure."

The expressions of the other humans shifted slightly. They tentatively tried to leave, only to discover that the dark barrier deployed by the Demon King upon his arrival blocked everyone from departing.

The Western Pole Sovereign frowned slightly, staring at the Demon King with an intensifying sharpness in his expression.

"Is that so?"

Fang Qiyun smiled faintly and waved his hand heavily.

"Awooo!"

The Emperor Lion let out a roar, transforming entirely into a bolt of pitch-black lightning as it charged toward the Demon King.

The Demon King's gaze narrowed.

A summoned beast abandoning everything and converting itself into lightning to attack?

"Ridiculous!"

The Demon King clenched his empty hand, and a pitch-black spear materialized in his grasp.

"Boom!!!"

The black spear collided with the black lightning.

The black lightning vanished instantly.

The Demon King was also forced back repeatedly by the impact, the void beneath his feet rippling incessantly.

"A prime opportunity!"

A figure suddenly materialized behind the Demon King.

The Western Pole Sovereign!

With a cold expression, as if teleporting, he appeared behind the Demon King, bringing down a punch accompanied by the sound of gold and stone crashing against each other, aimed straight at the Demon King's back.

"Hehe, Western Pole Sovereign, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Yet Demon King Muriño merely smiled.

From the very beginning, he had never intended to let the Western Pole Sovereign escape. Eliminating an avatar of a Sovereign—especially such a special avatar—carried immense significance, no less valuable than killing a high-ranking human Divine General.

"Really?"

Just as the two Sovereigns were about to clash, an icy voice rang out.

The Demon King's heart skipped a beat as he sensed a dangerous aura.

Opposite him!

Fang Qiyun wore a frosty expression as a massive sniper rifle materialized in his hands.

It was an enormous sniper rifle exceeding three meters in length.

Resembling a horned dragon, the rifle body was covered in scales.

Especially around the chamber, where nine massive scales were embedded, lending an endless majesty to the gigantic weapon.

Fang Qiyun had used various sniper rifles before, but compared to this one, those guns were like beggars next to an emperor.

There was simply no comparison!

Upon seeing this gun, both the Western Pole Sovereign and the Demon King lost their composure.

The two Sovereigns cried out in shock one after the other.

"Earth Emperor's Wrath?"

"Why? Why do you have this gun?"

Fang Qiyun chuckled. "To be honest, I don't know either. But being able to finish both of you off is quite enough. Go to hell!"

As Fang Qiyun's psychic energy was exhausted, a bullet gradually formed within the rifle chamber.

"Bang!"

Amidst a soft chime, a bullet shot forward out of the barrel.

With the departure of this bullet, time seemed to stop.

Space froze as well.

The two Sovereigns watched helplessly as the bullet flew toward them.

They attempted to move, but compared to the bullet's velocity, their movements were far, far too slow.

If viewed through the eyes of an ordinary person, they would see Fang Qiyun just firing his weapon, while the two Sovereigns opposite him were struck simultaneously.

This single strike transcended both time and space.

Among them, the Demon King, designated as the primary target, suffered the most severe damage.

"Ah!!!"

He roared in fury, mobilizing every ounce of his strength until the surrounding area seemed stained with a wash of purple.

To the horror of many humans present, even space and time appeared permeated by the purple hue.

Yet the bullet fired by Fang Qiyun pierced right through both time and space.

"Puff!"

With a soft sound, the Demon King's body was pierced directly by the bullet.

The endless purple radiance he had exuded seemed utterly nonexistent before this projectile.

A massive hole appeared quietly right through his chest, as if that cavity had always been there.

"You, you..."

The Demon King stared at Fang Qiyun in shock and fury, his voice trembling. "Imperial Household? You are actually a member of the human Imperial Household?"

"What on earth?" Fang Qiyun raised an eyebrow, sneering. "Are you out of your mind? My surname is Fang, not Qin!"

As long as one was human, no one was unaware that the most revered surname of the human imperial household was Qin.

They had led the human race through tens of thousands of years.

Fang?

It was not the surname of any major family, though it was quite famous—because that surname belonged to that person!

"Hehe, hehe!"

The Demon King sneered. His chest rippled, and the gruesome wound slowly healed.

"I don't know how you came to possess the bloodline of the Imperial Household, but that won't save you!"

The Demon King's voice was icy.

"Is that so?"

Fang Qiyun sneered in return as the gun in his hand glowed once more.

"You can fire a second shot?!"

Even the Western Pole Sovereign was dumbfounded.

This was simply unbelievable. Even with the purest Imperial bloodline at the current stage, it was impossible to fire two shots at the General rank.

Even ordinary Divine Generals only had the capacity for a single shot.

This was a weapon originally prepared for Sovereigns!

"So what if I can?" the Demon King roared. "Even if you can fire a second shot, I..."

"Sizzle!!!"

The sound of shattering space rang out. A human figure materialized behind Fang Qiyun, staring coldly and gloomily at the Demon King.

"What will you do?"

He asked in a calm voice.

The bodies of the Demon King, the Western Pole Sovereign, and Fang Qiyun all stiffened.

The Demon King and the Western Pole Sovereign were filled with dread toward the owner of this voice.

As for Fang Qiyun, he was stunned that someone had suddenly appeared directly behind him.

Without a sound!

He hadn't sensed a thing!

If this person had intended to kill him...

"Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm..."

The Western Pole Sovereign's voice grew strained. "Why are you here? Could it be that a mere battle for origin power has actually alerted you?!"

Had he known the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm was present, he certainly wouldn't have acted that way just moments ago.

The Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm glanced at him and said indifferently, "I've been here from the start. I was just busy fighting Earth Dragon a moment ago, otherwise, I would have arrived long ago."

The Western Pole Sovereign's heart sank completely to the bottom.

This person was notoriously heavy-handed, and moreover, entirely unreasonable!

The Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm looked coldly and gloomily at the Demon King. "You have quite a lot of nerve, daring to openly intervene in the battlefield and attack our race's prodigy. Do you want the younger generation of the demon race to be wiped out?"

This statement carried immense lethal weight.

The Demon King let out a soft sigh.

He had lost!

In his wildest dreams, he never expected Fang Qiyun to possess the Earth Emperor's Wrath.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm had dealt with Earth Dragon so quickly. That trash was all talk and no substance.

"I admit defeat!"

The Demon King said calmly, "Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm, name your conditions!"

"Very well!"

The Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm stood on ceremony, stating, "Replenish an amount of origin power equivalent to what the Western Pole Sovereign's avatar possessed."

With that, he looked at the Western Pole Sovereign and said indifferently, "Or do you prefer to wait for me to do it myself?"

The expressions of the two Sovereigns changed drastically.

Scheming against their origin power?

What was he trying to do?

Did he intend to thoroughly analyze their strength and then eliminate them?

"Rest assured!"

The Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm knew what the two were thinking and said calmly, "I don't want your origin power. Transfer your origin power directly to him, and let him absorb it on the spot!"

He pointed at Fang Qiyun.

"Huh?"

Fang Qiyun was taken aback.

Such a good thing?

He certainly didn't remember having such a good relationship with the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm.

Wasn't this the first time they were meeting?

The Demon King and the Western Pole Sovereign were also startled, then glanced between the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm and Fang Qiyun, as if realizing something.

"Could it be..."

The rest of the thought remained unspoken.

The Western Pole Sovereign sighed helplessly. If it were any other Sovereign, negotiations were still possible.

The strongest human expert, and indeed one of the strongest beings in the universe, was entirely unnegotiable.

Without hesitation, the Western Pole Sovereign began to burn himself away.

"Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm!" the Western Pole Sovereign said calmly, "This little fellow can use the Earth Emperor's Wrath."

The Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm remained silent.

"This matter cannot be kept secret!" the Western Pole Sovereign said meaningfully, "Once word gets back, I'm afraid..."

"Hehe!" The Demon King also laughed. "The nerves of the human Imperial Household are already fragile enough. I'm truly curious to see what they will do this time."

Swish!

The Western Pole Sovereign burned away completely.

The Demon King vanished.

Only two remnants of origin power remained in place.

"Go on and absorb them!" The Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm looked calmly at Fang Qiyun. "They are yours now!"

Fang Qiyun looked at him suspiciously. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward, collected the two sources of origin power, and absorbed them into his body.

[Origin Power +112546]

[Origin Power +112697]

[Origin Power: 693597]

Gaining such a massive amount of origin power brought an undisguised wave of pleasant surprise to Fang Qiyun.

The power contained within special avatars was indeed different.

He raised his head, but the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm was already nowhere to be found.

At this moment, several Sovereigns had reappeared in the sky.

The battle between the Spider Sovereign and Xuanji had also ceased.

Demon King Muriño was likewise looking down calmly from above.

As for the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Realm, he was so quiet he seemed almost nonexistent.