Chapter 21: Beyond the Immortal King, Those Existences Are Called Emperors!
Douluo God Realm, Committee Hall.
Although the Goddess of Life had let out a sharp scream, even coughing up divine blood at the corner of her lips, which sent a chill down the spines of all the God Kings...
No one truly believed that the tree could be that terrifying.
"Xiao Lü, you're being too sensitive!"
The God of Destruction hurriedly supported his trembling wife. His brows furrowed, yet instead of fear, his eyes were filled with anger.
He suddenly lifted his head and looked toward the charred willow tree quietly standing within the sky screen. The aura of destruction around him surged wildly, causing the entire hall to vibrate with a deep hum.
"It's nothing more than a rotten tree on the verge of dying!" the God of Destruction snorted coldly. After withdrawing his gaze, his tone remained extremely arrogant.
"What supreme vitality? In my opinion, it's nothing more than some illusion unique to that world."
"You should have more confidence. When it comes to life force, who could possibly surpass you?"
"As for Tang Hao losing—that's simply because he's a useless waste!"
"A mere ant that hasn't even touched the God level. How could he possibly measure the depth of such an existence?"
Hearing this, the Asura God frowned slightly but still nodded. The Asura Demonic Sword in his hand once again emitted a faint, flickering crimson glow.
"Destruction has a point."
"Life, your divine soul is too gentle. That makes it easier for you to be misled by an opponent's aura."
"We are God Kings, supreme beings who govern the laws of the universe. If the mere aura of a tree could frighten us, how would we continue ruling the lower realms?"
"Besides, even if the life force of that willow tree really isn't much weaker than yours, that would only apply to vitality. In terms of combat power, it certainly wouldn't compare to us."
However, the Goddess of Life, who had truly sensed a trace of Liu Shen's presence, weakly raised her head at that moment. Looking at her confident husband and companions, a trace of despair flashed through her eyes.
"No… You don't understand. That is a difference in dimensions."
"Enough!"
The God of Destruction clearly had no interest in listening to words that elevated others while diminishing themselves.
He directly interrupted his wife's words, then stood up. His purple cloak fluttered without wind, exuding overwhelming dominance.
"There is no such thing as dimensions!"
"In the face of absolute power, everything else is meaningless!"
"If the sky screen were to choose me to go to that world…"
At this point, the God of Destruction extended a finger and pointed toward Liu Shen in the sky screen, his eyes burning with battle intent.
"I will personally go and meet that so-called broken willow tree whose life force surpasses yours!"
"I will smash its trunk with my Destruction Scepter and let it know what true divine might is!"
Hearing this, the God of Evil and the Goddess of Kindness exchanged glances behind him.
Although doubts still lingered in their hearts, seeing the God of Destruction so confident made it difficult for them to say anything further. In the end, they could only choose to trust the foundation of the God Realm.
After all, admitting that the opponent was strong meant admitting that they themselves were weak.
And for God Kings who stood above everything, that was even harder to accept than death.
...
Soon after, in the sky screen above.
After Tang Hao had been completely smashed into the ground, his life or death unknown, the sky screen that had been displaying the experiences of the newly selected individuals flickered and shifted.
Soon, the scene returned to the Spirit Beast Garden.
At the same time, in the Perfect World, within the Primordial Immortal Court.
A gentle breeze drifted through the Spirit Beast Garden.
Zhu Zhuqing had just spent quite some time playing with the Ancient White Tiger cub. Although the little white tiger had clearly enjoyed itself, Zhu Zhuqing herself was utterly exhausted.
The invisible pressure emitted by a divine beast from a higher dimension, even if it was only a tiny trace unintentionally released by a cub, kept her mind under constant tension. The soul power throughout her body had nearly been completely drained.
"Huff… huff…"
Before long, Zhu Zhuqing collapsed onto a piece of warm jade stone, panting heavily. Fragrant sweat soaked her body, and her face had turned pale.
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from afar.
When Zhu Zhuqing turned around again, the old nanny had already appeared behind her without her noticing.
Seeing her exhausted appearance, the nanny's brows furrowed slightly. Yet deep within her eyes, a trace of satisfaction flashed by unnoticed.
Being able to endure this long without fainting meant her temperament was at least acceptable.
"Here."
As she spoke, the nanny flipped her palm. Instantly, a crystal-clear fruit appeared in her hand, looking as though it had been carved from jade.
Although the fruit was only the size of a thumb, faint green radiance surrounded it.
The moment it appeared, a refreshing fragrance spread through the air. Just one breath of its scent made the mind feel refreshed and clear.
"This is a Qingxin Fruit grown in the Spirit Beast Garden. It's not considered a great medicinal treasure, but it has remarkable effects in stabilizing the soul and restoring mental energy."
"Your soul is still too weak. Although Xiao Bai has restrained its aura completely, you've still been impacted by its murderous aura for quite some time. If you don't eat this, it may leave hidden problems."
As she spoke, the nanny casually tossed the fruit toward Zhu Zhuqing.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly caught it. The moment it touched her palm, a cool sensation spread across her skin, and her face immediately filled with excitement and joy.
"Thank you, Granny!"
Having already witnessed the benefits of spiritual fruits and medicines in this world, Zhu Zhuqing did not hesitate at all. She immediately raised the fruit to her lips and took a small bite.
Crunch!
The fruit flesh was crisp and tender, melting instantly in her mouth.
A cool stream of juice flowed down her throat, instantly transforming into a warm current that rushed through her limbs and bones before finally gathering within her spiritual sea.
Buzz!
In an instant, Zhu Zhuqing felt her mind become incomparably clear. The fatigue and dizziness from before vanished completely.
She could even feel that her soul power had become more than ten times more condensed under the nourishment of the fruit's medicinal effects.
"What a miraculous fruit…"
Looking at the fruit still in her hand, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but cover her mouth in astonishment.
Just a small fruit casually grown in the garden was already more effective than the spiritual herbs guarded by ten-thousand-year soul beasts on the Douluo Continent.
After recovering her strength, Zhu Zhuqing looked at the unfathomable nanny before her. She bit her lip slightly, and the question she had suppressed for a long time finally escaped her mouth.
"Granny."
Zhu Zhuqing stood up, first giving a respectful bow before asking,
"Earlier, you mentioned the Immortal King, saying it is the ultimate peak of immortality."
"Above that realm… is there still a path forward? Or is the Immortal King realm already the end of this world?"
The moment those words were spoken, the nanny's calm expression instantly changed.
"Silence!"
She immediately shouted in a low voice, cutting Zhu Zhuqing off.
Then she lifted her head and glanced toward the depths of the sky. Only after confirming that no strange phenomenon had appeared did she finally relax.
Afterward, she glared fiercely at Zhu Zhuqing.
"Girl, some taboos are not something you can touch right now!"
Realizing she had clearly asked something she shouldn't have, Zhu Zhuqing shrank her neck in fright.
Seeing her like this, the nanny fell silent for a moment, seemingly choosing her words carefully.
After quite a while, she finally spoke slowly.
"Forget it. Within the Primordial Immortal Court, the aura of the Immortal Lord shields the heavenly secrets. Saying a few words won't matter, as long as we do not speak their true name."
"Besides, whether there truly exists a living Emperor in this world… is still uncertain."
The nanny looked toward the depths of the sky again before lowering her gaze and speaking in a softer voice.
"The Immortal King is indeed the ultimate realm that countless beings look up to."
"But it is said that at the end of the endless Sea of Worlds (realm sea), far upstream in the river of eternal time, there may exist some far more ancient and terrifying existences."
"Those existences…"
"We call them Emperors."
—
End of Chapter