Chapter 1068 - Taking the Flags without Cutting Them Down

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Emperor Li’s City was in ruins with bodies strewn everywhere on the ground.

The demonic beasts watched with cold eyes at the Black Wind Condor below. There was naturally no problem to simply cut down the imperial flag of Emperor Li’s City right there and then. It did not actually matter who was the one who took the flags. The key was the battle at Emperor Xia’s City. That battle would have determined the outcome of the Battle of Empty Realm. If Emperor Xia’s City were to fall and the city’s imperial flag cut down, then the Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm’s forces would have emerged as the victor in that year’s battle.

However, if the ones at Emperor Xia’s City were to be on the losing side, then they would have simply attacked the imperial flag of Demon Peacock City instead.

“Go home and protect the imperial flag,” the Bull Demon said, giving the order. The demonic beasts then took to the air and quickly disappeared from sight, leaving the battlefield of Emperor Li’s City behind.

With the demonic beasts gone, Yi Xiaoshi appeared and countless vines lashed out, picking up the divine implements and storage rings below. The ones from the Upper Worlds sure are rich. So even the demonic beasts didn’t bother picking up the divine implements eh?

That was probably only an oversight as they were caught in the heat of battle. However, things were different for him.

Poverty had a way of stifling ambition after all.

While the ones from the Upper Worlds might have been indifferent to the massive amounts of divine implements lying around, he could have bagged them and distributed them back at the Holy Zhi Palace at the Nine States of the Lower Worlds. Anyone at and above the rank of an elder would have been able to hold a piece respectively, and that would have looked dashing.

“Oh my, that fatso…” The people from the Cottage were baffled at Yi Xiaoshi’s antics, but they did not say much. People from the Nine States of the Lower Worlds were indeed poor after all. Unlike those from top notch forces at the Upper Worlds, common divine implements were a rare find for those from the Nine States.

It was said that Empty Realm had quite a depository of great path fragments. They deemed it imperative to take a good look after the Battle of Empty Realm was over, as those were treasures capable of being made into divine implements after all, allowing saints to continue their training further, enhancing their understanding of the great path, strengthening their planes and enabling them to reach the pinnacle of the first plane.

All of them from the Nine States were at present, at upper-level Archmage Plane. If they were to train further, it would have only been a matter of time before they reached the pinnacle of Archmage Plane.

What happened after that would have been of utmost importance, and that was to try to break into Saint Plane.

Yu Sheng turned his eyes faraway, gazing with a cold expression, looking like a devil standing tall in the sky, as if he was waiting for something.

Everyone else was waiting for something as well, just like he was.

The Black Wind Condor landed above the imperial flag of Emperor Li’s Realm. Its claws rested on the flag itself, enabling it to snap it at any given moment. However, it did not do anything further. It stayed around waiting, just like what Yu Sheng and the others were doing.

The mighty ones from Emperor Li’s Realm would have definitely retreated back to Emperor Li’s City, if they were to lose the battle over there. If they were to see what was happening to their city, one could have only imagined what would have been going on in their minds.

…

With the forces from Emperor Li’s City and Demon Peacock City fighting each other all of a sudden at Emperor Xia’s City, the army of Emperor Xia’s City took the advantage and was able to break Emperor Li’s City’s streak in a short period of time, killing a good number of mighty ones along the way.

Demon Peacock City forces naturally knew what was going on. They were extremely enraged. Many of their own mighty ones were enthralled by the enemy and turned against them. Even though they were enraged, they had no way to vent their anger, as they simply could not have brought themselves to fight their own.

Kong Xuan’s eyes remained cold at that moment, glaring at Ye Futian. She never expected herself to have actually lost to him.

With that said, he deliberately hid his true abilities in all the battles that he fought with her before, baiting the forces from Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm and enabling them to enthrall the demonic beasts. If she were to know that Ye Futian actually had what it would have taken to beat her, she would have never had let the demonic beasts pursue Ye Futian.

What was more vexing was that, despite being able to control demonic beasts, Ye Futian nonetheless killed many mighty ones from Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm, just so to not arouse her suspicions.

Kong Zhan came to Kong Xuan’s side and said with an extremely cold expression, “Even if we from Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm were to lose, we won’t let things go your way still.”

“Your highness, our flag has been broken.” A voice was heard from far away. One demonic beast after another came their way at blitzing speeds, holding the broken imperial flag of Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm in their hands.

At that very split second, the minds of the demonic beasts from Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm sank to the very bottom. Their very last hope was shattered.

Their imperial flag was no more.

Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm had been eliminated from the competition before everyone else.

Kong Xuan lifted her head, looking at the demonic beast coming from above. She was not even able to tell if those beasts had actually been enthralled ones, who had deliberately came to deliver the cut flag, just to announce the end of the forces from Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm in that year’s Battle of Empty Realm.

“Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm had been eliminated. You shall not affect things any further in the Battle of Empty Realm,” Xia Qingyuan came to Ye Futian’s side and announced to Kong Zhan and Kong Xuan below.

Kong Xuan turned her eyes away from the imperial flag and they looked somewhat bloodshot. She then glared at both Ye Futian and Xia Qingyuan and said, “With the forces of Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm eliminated from the competition, you shall release the demonic beasts of ours from your thrall and let them withdraw from the battlefield immediately.”

Her voice was extremely cold. They admitted defeat, but they could have not simply sat by and let the demonic beasts of Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm to continue to serve Ye Futian as his pawns, being used as tools to kill those from Emperor Li’s Realm.

“Very well.” Ye Futian nodded. “With Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm forces eliminated, all demonic beasts are to leave the battlefield immediately.”

The beasts that he was controlling withdrew from the battlefield as soon as he made the announcement. It went the same with the other demonic beasts, who stood aside.

“After the Battle of Empty Realm was over, I shall release them from my control,” Ye Futian said to both Kong Zhan and Kong Xuan. He then disappeared from where he stood, heading straight for the direction where the mighty ones from Emperor Li’s Realm retreated to.

He had ever truly intended to fight against Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm from the very beginning. Since the Battle of Empty Realm was a three-way battle, he could have used Demon Peacock Emperor’s Realm’s forces to his advantages. But after the battle was over, it was not within reason for him to keep controlling those royal great monsters. The truly powerful figures from the demonic realm would have really looked for him at Emperor Xia’s Realm to settle the score otherwise.

“Follow him.” Xia Qingyuan gave her order. There was no need for her to say more, as her army was already on their way to do so.

There were really many twists and turns happening within that battle. The invading forces actually turned against each other outside their door, turning the tables into their favor. They were then only one step away from securing the victory of the Battle of Empty Realm.

The army of Emperor Li’s Realm retreated en masse in the air. Li Yao looked extremely gloomy. He never expected things to have turned out like that. He thought that the Battle of Empty Realm was already theirs for the taking, yet that one battle previously resulted in them losing over half of their forces instead. They retreated in shambles and all of their previous might was completely broken.

“I was being too careless.” Yuan Jin’s words sounded rather regretful. He naturally knew that both Kong Xuan and Kong Zhan had not betrayed their allies indeed. It was all due to Ye Futian’s ability to control demonic beasts.

None of them expected that Ye Futian’s repeated provocations had been for that all along. He had been setting things up way back.

“While they were many mighty ones who were versed in controlling beasts, but it was extremely rare to see cultivators capable of putting demonic beasts under their control right there and then in a short span of time, and furthermore, it was complete subjugation. No one would have expected that. You were not at fault, brother.” Despite how things turned out, Li Yao naturally had no intentions of blaming Yuan Jin for anything.

“Despite so, it was still due to my lacking abilities in doing simulations. I should have been able to take consideration of any scenarios, regardless of how rare they might have been otherwise.” Yuan Jin sighed. To know one’s own strength and the enemy’s is the sure way to victory. It was indeed due to his lack of understanding of Ye Futian’s ability and him never bothering to investigate Ye Futian further, that he failed to truly appraise Ye Futian’s abilities. All of that led to what was happening at present.

“If the imperial flag still stands, then we shall be able to still fight from here on out, but if our imperial flag is taken…” Yuan Jin did not finish his sentence. In the last battle ten years ago, his elder brother in training had been able to secure a victory for them, due to having posed as the weakest side. If Yuan Jin were to return in failure, despite having an edge over the others in terms of powers, he had no idea how he would have been able to face his teacher and his elder brothers in training.

Despite the army of Emperor Li’s Realm was retreating, they nonetheless maintained an uniformed speed at doing so. Any pursuing enemy who was capable of greater speeds would have been able to tear them apart, making them meat on chopping blocks otherwise.

Having maintained at an uniformed speed meant that even if there were to be someone from the enemy capable of greater speed, said enemy would not have dared to approach them without good reasons.

“Those who are better at moving fast, come with me,” Ye Futian said with a brimming at the very front of the pursuing army. Many turned to look at Xia Qingyuan, who then added, “His words are my orders.”

As soon as she gave the order, mighty ones who were versed at speed followed Ye Futian right away.

The light of space sparkled. Ye Futian brought that batch of people heading for the flank of the Emperor Li’s Realm’s forces, catching up to the enemy. Li Yao and Yuan Jin watched with grim expressions, and then gave the order. “Speed up.”

They too, were worried that Ye Futian would have been able to reach the imperial flag before they did.

As such, there was also a part of the army that sped up as they headed forward.

Two armies streaked in the skies and eventually reached Emperor Li’s City.

The imperial flag still billowed at the highest point of Emperor Li’s City, yet there was a Black Wind Condor standing right on top of that flag, eyeing the incoming bunch with proud eyes. Yu Sheng and the others stood waiting before the imperial flag. There were many dead bodies of those from Emperor Li’s Realm on the grond.

The Emperor Li’s Realm’s forces at the very forefront halted as they saw what was going on, staring at their city while Li Yao looked completely ashen.

Their imperial flag was taken, and their enemy was able to snap it at a moment’s notice.

Ye Futian, on the other hand, did not slow down. He streaked past the enemy right away, leading his group of mighty ones to regroup with Yu Sheng and the others. It robbed the enemy of the possibility to even think about barging straight through to retake their imperial flag.

As such, things turned to look like Xia Qingyuan leading a batch of mighty ones pursuing from behind, while Ye Futian and his people waited at the forefront, to catch the enemy in a pincer attack.

Those from Emperor Xia’s Realm were relieved to see what they saw. They already won in the Battle of Empty Realm. All there was left to do was simply to cut the imperial flag down.

“Ye Futian, cut the imperial down,” Xiao Sheng, who was right behind Xia Qingyuan, spoke up.

Ye Futian did not respond. He stepped forward, with Yu Sheng, Ye Wuchen, the Sword Saint, Huang Jiuge and others following right behind him, heading straight for the army of Emperor Li’s Realm. They looked extremely cold.

That battle back at the Holy Zhi Palace, the things that happened with the nine pinnacle sages showing up, and how Saint Zhi pulled the unexpected, were all flashing right before their eyes.

They still had scores to settle.

“They had the flag and not cut it down. Your highness, he is trying to doom us all.” Yuan Jin’s eyes turned cold, noting how brutal those before him were.

Li Yao naturally understood what was going on, and he knew very well that it was because of him.

So, this is about revenge then?

“If that is the case, then we still stand a chance.” Yuan Jin’s eyes looked incredibly sharp. He turned around to glance at Xia Qingyuan. If they were able to take Xia Qingyuan from the army, then they would have been able to force the enemy to let go.

“Kill,” Ye Futian said with a cold voice. He zipped past like a bolt of golden lightning right after he finished saying that, charging into the enemy’s army with the Halberd of Time and Space in his hand.

“Kill them.” Xia Qingyuan gave the order as well. She stepped forward onto golden lotuses. One lotus after another blossomed, which were all imbued with the way of Catastrophe Swordsmanship, turning into 3000 swords which followed her finger, streaking forward. Many mighty ones had their throats pierced within an instant.

“Kill him,” Li Yao said coldly as he stared at Ye Futian. Their defeat in that year’s Battle of Empty Realm was brought by one single person: Ye Futian.

They were all set up by Ye Futian.

Many mighty ones charged forward, yet they saw Ye Futian shrugging off the attacks and charged straight into the army.

Boom! Dazzling golden lights tore through space. One mighty one after another was blown to bits as the halberd was unleashed.