Chapter 122: Where Is the True Form

"I am the Emperor of Calamity—Xiong Shitian."

The grandiose voice, laden with incomparable malice, descended from the heavens, sweeping across the vast expanse of the universe and shaking the firmament. All who heard it were overcome with malevolent thoughts and surging bloodlust, as if cast into an inescapable hell of slaughter. The thousands of deities present, forced to endure the humiliation of kneeling before the Emperor of Calamity while suffering the ravages of his piercing voice, were in agony.

Of course, the three clans of Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin were spared such degradation. Amidst the wailing, a nine-clawed golden dragon, a nine-tailed fire phoenix, and a nine-headed qilin suddenly coalesced above the three clans' palace. The three divine beasts roared in unison, weaving a barrier of golden light that repelled the intruder’s sonic assault, keeping their kin safe.

Beyond the three clans, the deities of the Divine Race also remained unharmed. The moment the Emperor of Calamity unleashed his world-shaking roar, rays of golden light descended from the heavens above the City of Gods, shielding the divine inhabitants within.

"Hahaha..."

Watching the thousands of deities suffer under his might, Xiong Shitian could not help but laugh with arrogant triumph. He scanned the golden dragon, fire phoenix, and qilin, then turned his gaze to the divine deities safe within their golden shroud, his laughter slowly fading.

"Hmm? Strange. That the three clans, weak as they are, should only concern themselves with their own survival is understandable. But this is the City of Gods, the home turf of the Divine Race. Why has the Divine Race not protected these deities, instead allowing them to be ravaged by my peerless voice? And does the Divine Race not pride itself on righteousness and meddling in the affairs of others?"

Thoughts raced through Xiong Shitian’s mind. He fixed his gaze upon the Divine Emperor Nan Luo, only to find the latter sitting with eyes closed, as immovable as a mountain. It was highly suspicious. "Ever since I revealed my identity, Nan Luo should have emerged. Why is his true form absent, and why does even his avatar sit with eyes closed?"

He then cast a clandestine glance at the Venerable Wubing on the dais, noticing that the avatar of this venerable figure wore a faint smile. What was the meaning of that smile? Why had his reaction shifted so strangely after the revelation of his identity? Xiong Shitian sensed that he had been schemed against by Nan Luo, though he could not fathom the intricacies of the trap. He decided to resolve all problems and schemes in the way he knew best.

Looking at the closed-eyed avatar of Nan Luo, a cold light flashed in his blood-red pupils. He spoke in a deep, menacing voice, "Nan Luo, a guest of status has arrived! Why do you not reveal your true form? Do you look down upon me?"

Before the words had even faded, Xiong Shitian vanished from his throne and reappeared instantly before the Divine Emperor, driving a fist toward him with explosive force.

This was Xiong Shitian’s favored method: resolving all matters through brute force. In this Primordial Continent where power was the ultimate truth, such a philosophy was favored by many of the strong. However, without sufficient strength, this approach was merely a path to one's own demise—the only difference being whether that end came sooner or later. Naturally, as the Emperor of Calamity, a powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the Primordial Continent, Xiong Shitian possessed both the credentials and the strength.

His movement was so swift—faster than an instant—that the deities, including the Venerable Wubing, could not even react. By the time they realized what was happening, Xiong Shitian was already before Nan Luo, his fist descending.

"Your Majesty?!" The deities could only cry out in futile alarm.

"Hmph! Let me see what schemes you hold, and whether you can withstand a single blow from me!" Xiong Shitian’s eyes burned with malice as he looked down at the unmoving Nan Luo, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

*Bang!*

Xiong Shitian swung his right arm, landing a heavy blow that struck the Divine Emperor’s body, passing straight through it with a resounding thud.

Countless deities were left stunned and panic-stricken. Even the three supreme powerhouses—Zhu Long, Feng Huang, and Qilin Huo—wore expressions of utter astonishment. They had expected a fierce battle between the Divine Emperor and the Emperor of Calamity—a conflict to shatter space, fell stars, and raze the continent. Instead, the result defied all expectations: Xiong Shitian had shattered the avatar of the Divine Emperor with a single strike.

What had happened? It was the question on everyone’s mind, excluding the Emperor of Calamity himself.

Nan Luo’s shattered body suddenly dissolved into points of golden light. Xiong Shitian snatched at the fading particles, his blood-red eyes narrowing as his expression turned somber. He turned to the Venerable Wubing below, his voice cold and sharp. "An avatar of star energy. Where is Nan Luo’s true body?"

An avatar of star energy?

All present—the Divine deities, the non-divine beings, and even the three supreme powerhouses—heaved a sigh of relief. If even the avatar of the Divine Emperor could not withstand a single blow, the strength of the Emperor of Calamity would be truly terrifying, enough to grind the entire Primordial Continent beneath his heel.

An avatar of star energy, as the name suggests, is a construct formed from stellar power. Its strength depends first on the density of the energy used and second on the cultivation level of the user. Despite its limitations, it held distinct advantages: it was quick to form, could be created in vast numbers, and the user could withdraw their divine soul at any moment to prevent an opponent from tracing the avatar back to the true body.

To the eyes of the gods, it was clear that this avatar possessed very little stellar energy—a fact evidenced by the meager amount of light that dissipated when it shattered. Furthermore, the divine soul had long been withdrawn; otherwise, the soul would have manifested upon the destruction of the construct. The Venerable Wubing had clearly known the truth, yet remained silent in the face of the interrogation.

Faced with this silence, Xiong Shitian simply reached out his left hand and tightened his fingers. The Venerable Wubing was instantly pulled through the air, his throat seized in a crushing grip, rendering him immobile.

"I will ask once more: where is Nan Luo’s true body?"

Xiong Shitian’s blood-red pupils stared coldly into the golden eyes of the Venerable Wubing, while a surge of malevolent energy poured into the avatar, ravaging its form and consciousness. The Venerable Wubing, looking into those eyes filled with endless malice, ignored the destruction of his body and the agony of his breaking frame, and smiled coldly. "I will not tell you."

Xiong Shitian attempted to search the avatar’s soul, only to find that it was indeed just an empty shell of star energy, its soul long gone. The avatar existed now only through a lingering fragment of will.

"You think that by withdrawing your soul and cutting the connection, I cannot find you?" Xiong Shitian’s pupils glowed with a visceral, crystalline crimson. With a violent squeeze, he obliterated the avatar’s body and its remaining will.

"ROAR!"

Xiong Shitian bellowed at the heavens. A storm of incomparable malice swept across the entire City of Gods, hunting for the hiding place of Nan Luo and his kin.

*Boom!*

The tyrannical storm of malice scoured the city, only to collide with an impenetrable barrier. Xiong Shitian looked toward the sky above the City of Gods, his blood-red eyes reflecting the shape of a palace. A cruel smile spread across his face. "So, you are here!"