The Treasured Sword, carrying a fierce Sword Intent, gently landed in the hands of the Jade Emperor. The blade quivered slightly, emitting a soft sound, as though it were expressing its own delight.

The Jade Emperor stroked the sword’s body affectionately, for this was his greatest reliance in this world.

It had been many years since he had last taken action, and it seemed the living beings of the Three Realms had forgotten about the unrivaled Swordsman from Mount Kunlun.

Ever since ascending to the position of the Heavenly Emperor, he had not wielded his sword in a long time.

But should anyone think that his sword had grown dull, no longer capable of cutting down a man, then the Jade Emperor would demonstrate to them what it meant to be an unrivaled Swordsman.

This Treasured Sword that he had diligently honed day and night, if unsheathed, was destined to draw blood.

With the Treasured Sword in hand, the Jade Emperor seemed to transform back into the spirited Swordsman of old, his gaze becoming incredibly sharp, as though a flash of sword light streaked by.

Upon seeing this, the Eastern King chuckled, "This is the true you. Sitting in that position, I’d almost forgotten what you used to be like."

Sometimes, the Eastern King wondered whether the throne of the Heavenly Emperor possessed some magic power that made those who sat on it gradually become unlike themselves.

The Jade Emperor too smiled and said, "I have never changed; I have simply learned to conceal my edge."

The him of the past had been brimming with edge, daunting to behold, but now he was like an unfathomably deep lake that one could not see to the bottom of.

The atmosphere gradually became tense.

It was the Jade Emperor who moved first, flying toward the outside of the Lingxiao Treasured Palace. The space inside was too cramped, unfit for them to exert their full strength.

The two masters of the Heavenly Court ascended to the high skies and commenced a battle of fate.

The Eastern King made the first move with a vast and dignified purple aura sweeping across, its might enveloping and shaking the entire Heavenly Court with this tremendous power.

Liu Ming and Lu Shu were working inside the Heavenly Forge Bureau; with the easing of the war in Luzhou in the North, their workload had significantly decreased.

Lu Shu’s face wore a few more smiles, for he finally had the chance to sneak out for a drink.

However, the atmosphere in the Heavenly Forge Bureau was not at all good. With Mr. Mo’s defection, an irritable sentiment pervaded throughout the Bureau. Many of the veteran craftsmen could not believe that their mentor would flee the Heavenly Court and were adamant that Mr. Mo had been framed by the Divine Exorcist Great Saint, wanting to seek justice for him.

But all such opinions had ultimately sunk without a trace.

As for Liu Ming, after the initial panic subsided, he finally settled down. Up till now, no one had found anything on him.

Without the Mystical Library, Liu Ming acutely felt a bit uncomfortable, fortunately, he had been industrious and studious. He had read practically all the books he could in the library, otherwise, he would have been filled with regret at this moment.

"What’s happened?" Lu Shu asked in astonishment, looking up.

The violent tremor caused his hand to shake, and the material he had painstakingly crafted instantly turned into waste, infuriating him greatly.

Looking around, he discovered that everyone else was reacting similarly, and they all immediately sensed that something was wrong.

This tremor was even more intense than the previous two involving the Immortal Transformation Pond and the Peach Garden’s destruction; something major must have occurred in the Heavenly Court.

The crowd hastily rushed out of the Heavenly Forge Bureau, and at a glance, they saw two figures clashing in the sky.

"Is that His Majesty the Jade Emperor?" Lu Shu asked, somewhat incredulously.

"It is indeed His Majesty," an elderly craftsman replied with a shocked expression.

He could not remember the last time he had seen the Jade Emperor take action, nor did he know who the opponent could be.

But a series of events made him feel the tempestuous turmoil within the Heavenly Court for the first time, and he couldn’t help sighing, "It truly is a time of unending trouble!"

Indeed, a time of unending trouble—this was the sentiment shared by all within the Heavenly Court. Since they had joined the Heavenly Court, they had never seen it so chaotic.

Many had once declared with absolute certainty that the Heavenly Court was impregnable, that it was impossible for anything to go wrong. And indeed, for many years it had been so, regardless of how the Three Realms shifted and changed, it seemed that they could never affect the inhabitants of the Heavenly Court.

But this time, it seemed as if all the storms were converging upon the Heavenly Court, as if intent on returning everything that had been previously avoided.

This also caused many who lived in the Heavenly Court to experience an unprecedented feeling of fear.

Liu Ming looked up at the battling parties and asked curiously, "And who is that person clad in purple clothes? Why does no one from the Heavenly Court go up to assist?"

The old craftsman fell silent; he did not recognize the person opposite.

But anyone who could trade blows with the Jade Emperor was certainly not an ordinary figure.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the showdown between the Eastern King and the Jade Emperor began.

A vast expanse of purple aura permeated the entire Heavenly Court, transforming into various shapes and charging at the Jade Emperor. In that moment, the Eastern King alone was an army.

These purple auras seemed to be of an extremely high rank, capable of suppressing the flow of Mana and causing the surrounding Spiritual Energy to vanish, extremely mystical indeed.

Those enveloped in the purple aura felt as if their own Mana was restrained, becoming extremely sluggish, and no matter how they tried to initiate it, it was futile.

Although they were divine spirits who resided in the Heavenly Court, at this moment, they actually felt the powerlessness of mortals, an emotion that had almost been worn away by the long passage of years.

Looking back on it now, there was not the slightest feeling of warmth, only boundless fear.

It was simply dreadful, this feeling of being unable to control one’s own destiny.

All those affected felt this way, and one can only imagine the predicament of the Jade Emperor, surrounded by the vast purple aura.

However, the Supreme of the Three Realms did not show any sign of emotional change, only his eyes grew brighter.

The Treasured Sword in his hands began to quiver slightly, but it was certainly not out of fear.

The corners of the Jade Emperor’s mouth lifted into a smile, and as he gently stroked the trembling Treasured Sword, he murmured to himself, "Old friend, you’re eager too, aren’t you."

In that moment, the Jade Emperor drew his Treasured Sword, and a dazzling sword light suddenly appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Liu Ming and Lu Shu felt as if they were facing an endless cascade of sword light, the piercing chill as if about to sever their souls, and for an instant, they sensed the proximity of death.

What a terrifying sword it was, spanning the heavens, carrying with it a piercing Sword Qi that swept across all directions.

Many were afflicted with a pain akin to being pricked by needles, and that was merely a trace of the leaked Sword Qi causing them anguish.

For the first time, many in the Heavenly Court realized how formidable the Jade Emperor’s swordsmanship was. Apart from his identity as the Heavenly Emperor, he was also a peerless Sword Immortal, capable of dominating the Three Realms.

This one sword shattered the ambitious dreams of many with ulterior motives, and it also cleaved through the surging purple aura.

The resplendent sword light split the purple aura in two, revealing the face of the Eastern King.

"What an incredible sword!" exclaimed the Eastern King, billowing with purple aura as it formed an Immortal Robe around him, his tone carrying a hint of admiration.

This was praise for the Jade Emperor and also the sign that the battle had reached its fiercest point.