Chapter 854: Chapter 854

On the Light of Humanity warship, the shouts of Ji Shun, Dong Xu, Tai Yi, and several other Heavenly Emperors rang out all at once.

"The Divine Race's warship!?"

"Get out of their way!"

Commanding the Light of Humanity, the Divine Martial Emperor tried to steer clear at the widest possible angle. But unlike the Heavenly Emperors themselves, the battleship was enormous. Once it picked up speed, making sharp turns became nearly impossible.

What's worse, the Divine Race's ship seemed to have planned this ambush long ago. No matter how hard the Light of Humanity tried to dodge, the Divine Race's ship scraped along its side, forcing it off course.

In that moment of collision, the Heavenly Emperors aboard caught sight of the sneering faces of Heavenly Emperor Ashura, Wu Chang, and others on the Divine Race's vessel.

Ashura's eyes swept past the other Heavenly Emperors before locking onto Li Pin. "Fortune's blessing? In this era of peace, where the Supremes kept each other in check, those blessed by fortune are the universe's favorites, with bright futures ahead.

"But in chaotic times, holding great fortune without true strength is like a child carrying gold through a crowded market. It's a death sentence."

Ashura had no intention of clashing head-on with the human Heavenly Emperors. That would only mean mutual destruction. After knocking the Light of Humanity off course, he swung his ship's tail, accelerated, and quickly disappeared into the distance.

"Enjoy your time with Divine Emperor Yuan Jie of the Astral Lord Council. Let's see how many Heavenly Emperors your Human Race is willing to sacrifice to protect this Supreme seed! Hahaha."

Ashura's reckless laughter echoed as their battleship sped away.

Cold fury flashed in Ji Shun and the others' eyes. "Ashura!"

Furious as they were, no one gave chase. In the core layer of the Astral World, not even Tyrants, Sacred Monarchs, or Heavenly Emperors could match the speed of a fully-powered battleship. The ship had been designed specifically to navigate this layer at top speed.

Trying to outrun Divine Emperor Yuan Jie without it was pure fantasy.

Additionally, the earlier collision with the Divine Race's warship had caused a delay. As a result, despite the Divine Martial Emperor's full effort, the distance he had barely managed to hold was rapidly closing.

By the time the Light of Humanity regained its speed and corrected its course, the pursuing warship was already within sight.

Standing at its bow was none other than Divine Emperor Yuan Jie, the benevolent host who had presided over the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War not long ago.

Yuan Jie looked calmly at the Divine Martial Emperor. "Divine Martial, keep this speed up, and you'll fall into Eternal Oblivion before you even make it back to human territory."

"Why?" The Divine Martial Emperor stared back, then glanced at the turbulent, razor-sharp Eternal Oblivion Force. "Is this really what you want? To drag ninety-nine percent of the Astral Gods into Eternal Oblivion?"

"I don't care about the consequences. As long as I reach my goal, that's all that matters. Besides," Yuan Jie said evenly, "the Astral World itself supports me, doesn't it?"

He raised his hand, and a faint current of energy curled around his fingertips.

Li Pin, along with the others who cultivated fortune-based techniques, could clearly sense the flow of fortune gathering around him.

Their move had only just begun, yet fortune was already tipping in their favor. It was as if the Astral World itself was cheering them on, drawing ever closer to their side.

His gaze slid past the Divine Martial Emperor to where Li Pin stood aboard the battleship. Folding his hands behind his back, he said, "Hand over Origin, and I'll let you leave. If not... you know well that with the Eternal Oblivion Force becoming more sensitive, resisting me only means death, and he will die with you."

Divine Emperor Yuan Jie replied calmly, his voice carrying undeniable confidence. "No. It's a fact,"

The Divine Martial Emperor and the others felt a heavy weight settle in their hearts. They all understood that as the Divine Emperor, Yuan Jie had every reason to be confident.

If they weren't facing an alliance of more than a dozen Heavenly Emperors, anywhere in the Astral World would be safe.

Especially now... with the Eternal Oblivion Force growing even more sensitive. It affected Cosmic Radiances, Tyrants, Sacred Monarchs, and even Heavenly Emperors. Yet the Divine Emperors who mastered the ultimate form of the Perfect Realm remain untouched.

This was because they themselves represented the absolute peak of the Astral World. This widened the gap between them and everyone else by an entire realm. No matter how many battleships gathered together, escaping destruction was impossible.

"Now, make your choice," Divine Emperor Yuan Jie said, extending his right hand. "Hand over this supreme overlord and let me claim the fortune that comes with him. Or..."

He clenched his palm slightly. "Resist me, and today, all of you will perish here."

Heavenly Emperor Tai Yi, Gu You, and Bi You stayed silent, their eyes instinctively drifting toward Li Pin.

Before anyone could voice their stance, Ji Shun stepped forward first, his voice deep and steady. "We came here following Li Pin, Yao Ji, Emperor Ara, and the others to protect them.

"If, faced with an overwhelming danger, we choose to hand over those we vowed to protect, abandoning our responsibilities, then from this moment on, how can we still live with a clear conscience among humans?"

The Divine Martial Emperor smiled. "Well said. I can't betray my own heart. I was once known as a supreme prodigy. I've fought through countless dangers and endured endless hardships to get where I am today.

"But if, just because of someone else's words, I have to hand over a human descendant who needs my protection just to survive, then that kind of life isn't worth living."

Their words left Heavenly Emperor Dong Xu, Heng He, and the others speechless.

After a moment, Heavenly Emperor Dong Xu spoke, his voice calm. "Divine Emperor... I once sparred with Divine Emperor Xi. Every move was flawless, even breathtaking. But those matches never carried life-or-death stakes; they never truly tested my soul. So those exchanges were eye-opening but offered little real progress for cultivation."

He glanced at Divine Emperor Yuan Jie, standing on the warship behind him. "Now, I want to see what power a Divine Emperor can unleash when giving everything they have."

Seeing the three expressing their stances, Heavenly Emperor Tai Yi and Gu You exchanged glances.

Eventually, Tai Yi sighed. "Divine Martial, we're not so far apart in generations. If you're this determined, then I, Tai Yi, will stand by your side to the very end."

The remaining Heavenly Emperors, Gu You, Heng He, and Bi You, did not speak. They stepped forward, showing their own resolve.

On the other side of the warship, Divine Emperor Yuan Jie muttered, "Interesting."

Yet no smile touched his face, only a hint of regret.

"You just don't get it. The reason we pushed the Eternal Oblivion Disaster so fiercely among the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations is that it grants those of us who've mastered the ultimate realm a massive advantage..."

With a wave of his empty hand, the warship beneath him seemed to overload, its speed suddenly surging. "If you want to die... I'll grant you your wish!"

The Heavenly Emperors aboard the Light of Humanity Warship all exchanged grim looks.

At this moment, Heavenly Emperor Dong Xu suddenly ordered, "Change course! Head for Abyssal Rift No.3!"

The Divine Martial Emperor was caught off guard. "Abyssal Rift No.3?"

Even if they retreated to Human territory, they wouldn't gather enough powerful Heavenly Emperors fast enough to face Divine Emperor Yuan Jie. It made more sense to rush straight to Abyssal Rift No.3.

Located on the border of the Human Race, Abyssal Rift No.3 was noticeably closer than the Myriad Astral God Hall, the main stronghold of the Human Race. More importantly, the Human Divine Emperor You Ying was stationed there.

Only a Divine Emperor could face another Divine Emperor.

The Divine Martial Emperor immediately took control of the warship, shifting its course. "Let's go!"

Yet no sooner had the Divine Martial Emperor acted than the Heavenly Emperors aboard paled. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novelFɪre.net

No matter how hard the Divine Martial Emperor pushed, Divine Emperor Yuan Jie's warship closed in relentlessly.

"There's no way out," Heavenly Emperor Dong Xu said grimly. "At this rate, they'll catch up soon... unless—"

Ji Shun said calmly, stepping forward. "Unless someone gets off the ship and stalls them for a bit."

His tone was casual, as if he were just going to meet an old friend, not walking into a battle with no return.

Everyone turned to look at him. "Ji Shun..."

The Heavenly Emperor of the Humanity Sanctum smiled faintly, then turned to Li Pin. "Don't feel any burden over this. It's my decision. Ascend to the Supreme Realm as soon as possible, and lay the foundation for the future of the Human Race."

With that, he prepared to take a step and leave the warship.

Just then, Li Pin called out, "Wait."

He looked at Ji Shun and the other Heavenly Emperors who had resolved to sacrifice themselves and asked, "Divine Emperor... is there really no way to win?"

Heavenly Emperor Dong Xu was the one to answer. "In the past, if we had worked together, there might have been hope. But now..."

The gesture said it all.

"I want to try, " Li Pin declared.

The others were taken aback. "You..."

Heavenly Emperor Tai Yi shook his head. "Enough. This is no time to mess around. Rest assured, even if we go all out, we will bring you safely back to human territory. You—"

"I said..." Li Pin cut him off, his voice steady. "I want to try."

Tai Yi's brows furrowed. "You..."

Li Pin called out, "Sasha."

Sasha, who had been quiet since the last sniper mission against the Bloodblade Squad, responded, "I'm here."

"Find the nearest Abyssal Rift," Li Pin said calmly. "Let's choose the battlefield... for the great Divine Emperor Yuan Jie."