A terrifying Netherworld Divine Palm descended from the sky. The overwhelming pressure was horrifying, destroying many of the surrounding palaces and even causing the very world to tremble.

Yi Tianyun looked up at the giant palm. Its terrifying power reached a Combat Power of over seven million. After executing the Martial Arts, its power instantly surged by over a million! This was the standard of a peak Core Condensation Stage expert. ’However, this is just the effect of a phantom. If a true expert at the peak of the Core Condensation Stage were here, their power would be far greater than this.’

"Brat, I don’t care who you are! You will die for impersonating my Shadow Guard!" Cheng Fen roared, clutching his severed arm. His face was pale, but the fury in his eyes could not be easily extinguished.

His arm had been cut off just like that; it was essentially impossible to reattach. Although there were Divine Pills that could regenerate it, the cost was extremely high. How could he not be furious?

He was certain the person before him was not one of his Shadow Guards. A Shadow Guard would never betray him. Moreover, they didn’t possess such weapons, such Absolute Skills, or such immense power.

Yi Tianyun watched the colossal palm that seemed to hold up the sky. A glint flashed in his eyes, and his figure suddenly vanished before Cheng Fen. It all happened so suddenly that Cheng Fen was left stunned. ’How did he just disappear? Did he conceal himself? But that’s not right. I didn’t see him move at all. With my cultivation, I should be able to see wherever he’s hiding. But now... I can’t see him at all. It’s like he’s completely vanished.’

BOOM!

The Netherworld Divine Palm then slammed down, crashing into the ground and triggering a massive explosion that seemed powerful enough to tear the entire imperial palace apart. At the very least, the study where Cheng Fen stood was obliterated, reduced to a pile of rubble!

"Hah... hah... You bastard. Let’s see you survive this time. I couldn’t see where you went, but I refuse to believe you could have dodged that!" Cheng Fen panted heavily, trying to ease the pain from his wound. The agony of a severed arm was not so easily overcome.

The phantom of the Netherworld Emperor scanned its surroundings but seemed to find no enemies. Ten seconds passed quickly, and it began to fade away, the Protective Talisman’s effect disappearing with it.

With bloodshot eyes, Cheng Fen stared at the dust-choked space before him. He could almost picture Yi Tianyun’s corpse lying there in the rubble!

Just as the dust began to settle, a crimson glint of cold light flashed from behind. PSHCHT! It pierced straight through Cheng Fen’s body. A Bone Blade that resembled a dragon burst through his chest, appearing in his line of sight.

"You... How did you get behind me...?" Cheng Fen’s eyes filled with terror. The Netherworld Emperor’s attack was nearly impossible to evade. Even trying to hide behind him should have been impossible. After all, the Great Emperor was blocking the way forward; to get past him, one would have to enter his line of sight.

Anyone who entered the Netherworld Emperor’s line of sight would be attacked without fail. Otherwise, the Protective Talisman would be useless.

"You don’t need to know. Now, die!" Yi Tianyun yanked hard, and the Blood Dragon Bone Blade slashed sideways to cut Cheng Fen in half at the waist. He hadn’t aimed for the head, choosing the chest instead as a precaution.

Cheng Fen’s cultivation wasn’t weak; he could still unleash a burst of power at a critical moment. The neck was too small a target. If the strike had missed, the sneak attack would have failed. Attacking the torso, however, made it much easier to land a hit. The result was perfect. He had been cut in half at the waist, and his upper body toppled forward.

"Even if I die, I’m taking you with me..." Cheng Fen gave a cruel smile. As he fell, another Jade Pendant appeared in his hand, and he crushed it without hesitation.

The phantom of the Netherworld Emperor instantly materialized again. Its world-scorning gaze returned, staring coldly at Yi Tianyun. The moment it appeared, it reached for him. The Netherworld Divine Palm was unleashed once more, a terrifying hand capable of crushing the Void itself slamming down!

Yi Tianyun’s expression changed instantly. He couldn’t dodge so easily this time. Before, he had relied on Instant Teleportation to escape! It was his ultimate life-saving trump card. He had teleported behind Cheng Fen and concealed himself; as long as he was far enough away, he couldn’t be found.

Now, Instant Teleportation was on cooldown. It would take a full ten minutes before he could use it again. He didn’t need ten minutes—the Netherworld Emperor could crush him in ten seconds.

’Damn it!’

Yi Tianyun hadn’t expected Cheng Fen to have another Jade Pendant. ’The Netherworld Emperor must think very highly of him to give him an extra one. These things aren’t easy to make; it requires someone at the level of a Divine Rune Master or higher to create them.’

’Cheng Fen holds a high and powerful position. People who want him assassinated are a dime a dozen, so of course he’d have Protective Talismans for self-defense.’

Netherworld Divine Palm!

An ancient, desolate aura washed over the area. In the distance, lying on the ground as his life faded, Cheng Fen could still watch with a mocking gaze, as if he could already see the end of the assassin who had killed him.

BOOM!

Another heavy palm strike slammed down. A large section of buildings collapsed, and the entire imperial palace trembled. However, after the explosion subsided, the figure that appeared before Cheng Fen’s eyes was an unscathed Yi Tianyun. He didn’t have a single injury. He was holding a black cloak, which he shook out once before putting it away.

Shadow Cloak: Grants immunity to all attacks for five seconds!

Its grade wasn’t high, but its effect was definitely on par with a Divine Level skill. It could even negate the Netherworld Divine Palm, rendering it completely ineffective.

Cheng Fen’s eyes widened in utter disbelief! He never imagined that an attack from the Netherworld Emperor would fail to cause any harm whatsoever.

But even as the attack was negated, the Netherworld Emperor struck again. It only knew one move—the Netherworld Divine Palm—and it attacked relentlessly. One strike after another rained down. In the short span of five seconds, it managed to attack three times. Thank god for the Shadow Cloak; otherwise, Yi Tianyun would have been sent flying.

"Ding! Immunity effect has worn off!"

The effect was gone, but the phantom would persist for another five seconds! For a powerful expert, five short seconds was enough time to do many things. After unleashing so many palms, the Netherworld Emperor’s phantom had grown incredibly faint, but it still aimed at Yi Tianyun and brought down one last palm!

’Damn it, there’s one more!’

Yi Tianyun sensed this was the final attack. He would have to risk everything to withstand it.

"Dragon God Bloodline, activate!"

"Profound Celestial Divine Technique, activate!"

His body instantly swelled. Dense Dragon Scales enveloped him completely. On top of that, a thick layer of crystal formed over his body to block the terrifying attack. ’I’ve been relying on items until now, but this time, I really have to depend on myself!’