The Five Great Kings

"Boom—""Boom—Boom—Boom—" The arrival of the powerful fighters was marked by a flurry of Dou Qi attacks. From their hiding spot, Li Yi and Gong Wushuang could clearly see the Kings positioned atop the ruins, their overwhelming aura bursting forth. Like a storm, their Dou Qi mercilessly targeted Shang Jie, who was in full flight. Despite Shang Jie's slipperiness, he was already weakened from previous encounters and days of fleeing. Now, under the relentless assault of five King level fighters, he had no strength left to resist. Fortunately, these Kings knew his worth and restrained from delivering a fatal blow, their intent more to warn than to kill. Even the proud Shang Jie couldn't withstand the combined pressure of the five Kings and collapsed to the ground, left gasping for breath, undoubtedly aware his end was near.

"It seems today's scene is grand enough, but after this battle, I wonder how many of these Kings will remain..." Li Yi rubbed his brow, a smile playing on his lips. Gong Wushuang commented dryly, "I doubt many will fall. Each of these guys is craftier than a ghost. If push comes to shove, they'll likely flee faster than you... Let's just watch for now and stay hidden as planned."

"Suit yourself," Li Yi replied with a casual smile, leaning against a stone wall, his demeanor exuding relaxation. His expression not only frustrated Gong Wushuang but would probably infuriate the observing Kings above.

After jointly suppressing Shang Jie, the atmosphere among the five high-positioned Kings became somewhat peculiar. After a while, an old man with white hair and beard chuckled, "Zong Bing, Ao Yue, Yan Qing, Bei Hao, plus myself, it's rare to see five of the ten great Kings of the Tianfeng Empire gathered like this!"

A cold-voiced woman in a white robe by his side retorted, "Ye Lao Gui, just because people from your Ye family can come, doesn't mean we can't, right?"

The old man, addressed as Ye Lao Gui, replied with a calm smile, "Miss Zong Bing is as cold as ever... But when did I ever say you couldn't come?" His eyes briefly locked onto the white-robed Zong Bing.

"Tsk tsk... Five of the ten great Kings... Sister Gong, who is this Ye Lao Gui?" Li Yi whispered from their hiding spot.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's Ye Wu Dao, the guardian elder of the Ye family," Gong Wushuang replied softly. "He's known as the foremost among the ten great Kings, a pinnacle King level fighter for many years, potentially on the verge of advancing to Emperor. The other four Kings are also formidable; they're either pinnacle Kings or seven or eight crystal Kings. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to challenge Ye Wu Dao like this! Especially Zong Bing, the sole female among the ten great Kings and the heiress of one of the four great families, the Zong family. She's known as the most likely to advance to Emperor in recent years, a testament to her talent. Even I respect her."

Li Yi shook his head, "That's unfortunate. If a talent like Sister Gong doesn't make it to the ten great Kings, I can't see how that woman could be more than an eight crystal King."

Gong Wushuang gave Li Yi a peculiar look, "Are you really unaware or just pretending? The ten great Kings are merely the ten strongest publicly recognized King level fighters. Who's truly stronger, who knows without a real fight? Tianfeng Empire may have only seven Emperors, but there are dozens of King level fighters. To make them fight to determine the ten great Kings, who would be so foolish? Besides, many powerful individuals prefer anonymity... You didn't know this?"

"Well... cough cough... Of course, I knew," Li Yi replied somewhat embarrassedly, "But what's so special about this Zong Bing?"

Gong Wushuang regarded Li Yi for a moment before continuing, "Zong Bing, barely in her twenties, is already a King level fighter. Terrifying, right? Moreover, the Zong family has good relations with the Martial Deity Temple. Since participating in a sacrificial ceremony three years ago, Zong Bing has been training in the Martial Deity Temple, practicing their techniques and skills. That relationship alone puts her above other Kings."

Li Yi inhaled sharply, feeling a rare chill. If he remembered correctly, the two priests who visited the Li family were King level fighters. How could anyone from the Martial Deity Temple be simple?

Above, Zong Bing merely sneered at the words and didn't engage further, obviously harboring other plans. The other three Kings were on alert, creating a surprisingly harmonious atmosphere.

After another quiet moment, Ye Wu Dao cleared his throat, "My fellow Kings, you're all aware that here in the Wanmu Forest, we have Emperor Barin and Wind Emperor Hai Xin, and that unknown powerful individual who clashed with Hai Xin... Although we're King level fighters and dominate in our own right, we're nothing in front of Emperors... So, I suggest we set aside past grudges for now... Let's join forces and share the treasures of the Emperor's tomb. What do you say?"

A bald, burly man with a strange laugh interjected, "Ye Wu Dao, you can fool others, but don't count me, Yan Qing, among them. Do you really think people don't know your Ye family is practically in bed with the Beidou Sect? Not to mention your Ye Qing Ma, the favored disciple of that old monster from the Beidou Sect. We may fear Emperors, but you probably don't, right? With Hai Xin appearing, the Moonlight Guardians at his side, plus you... An Emperor and three Kings... Tsk tsk... If we collaborate with you, aren't we just walking into the lion's den?"

Ye Wu Dao's face showed a hint of annoyance as he retorted, "Yan Qing! Don't project your thoughts onto us... It's true that our Ye family has ties with the Beidou Sect, but what good would it do me to collaborate with them now? I'd rather seize this opportunity to work together with everyone here and gain more!"

"Really?" Yan Qing laughed lightly, his expression dripping with sarcasm. Beside him, a young man holding a folding fan chuckled, "Let's not argue, gentlemen... Although I've always known you two don't get along, bickering in such a situation isn't just for fun! Others may not know, but I, Ao Yue, agree to this collaboration... I wonder what Miss Zong Bing and Bei Hao think?"

Zong Bing responded indifferently, "If everyone wants to cooperate, I have no objections! But the body of the Emperor is mine, I don't want anything else!"

Another, clearly Bei Hao, a handsome middle-aged man, also smiled, "If that's the case, as long as I get the cultivation methods from the Emperor's tomb, I'm open to discussion..."

Hearing this, Ao Yue also laughed, "In that case, I'll take the fighting techniques... There might be multiple techniques, but I'm not greedy, I know my limits... How about this: regardless of how many techniques there are, let me choose two first, and the rest we can divide equally among us?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ao Yue and Bei Hao almost simultaneously shifted half a step towards Zong Bing, signaling a cooperative stance. It was evident that these three had already reached some understanding. This move made Yan Qing laugh, "Excellent! I always thought only Ye Lao Gui was cunning, but it seems he's been outsmarted by others this time!"

Ye Wu Dao coldly chuckled, "What do you three mean by this?"

Bei Hao replied with a faint smile, "What else could it mean? You're a seasoned warrior, Ye Lao Gui. You can't be blind to your current situation, can you?"

Ye Wu Dao's expression changed slightly, then he laughed heartily, "Excellent! Really excellent! It seems Bei Hao and Ao Yue are now at the mercy of Miss Zong Bing! With Miss Bing from the Zong family, it seems only a matter of time before the Zong family becomes the leader of the four great families!"

"Asshole!" Zong Bing's face darkened slightly. With a flick of her hand, a ribbon of Dou Qi ferociously struck towards Ye Wu Dao. Ye Wu Dao sneered and stepped back, his own Dou Qi ribbon lashing out. The two different colors of Dou Qi collided in the sky, erupting with a loud boom. Ye Wu Dao retreated a few more steps, then coldly said, "You forced my hand! If you had cooperated obediently, sharing the treasures of the Emperor's tomb would have been beneficial for us all. But now, even if the three of you team up, it won't be easy to kill me... Just wait until Wind Emperor arrives, then you'll all be doomed!"

"Three can't kill you, but what about four?" Yan Qing suddenly sneered, blocking Ye Wu Dao's retreat, "Fellow Kings, how about including me in this collaboration? My demand is simple: one fighting technique from the Emperor's tomb and Ye Lao Gui's body. How about it?"

The other three, knowing the deep grudge Yan Qing held against the Ye family, found his request reasonable. After exchanging glances, Bei Hao smiled faintly, "Agreed! We won't let you suffer a loss. Let's divide the rest into four portions and act now, before Wind Emperor interferes and complicates things!"

"Attack!" With a roar, the four Kings simultaneously lunged at Ye Wu Dao. Despite his reputation as the foremost among Kings, Ye Wu Dao's expression darkened as he braced against the oncoming multicolored Dou Qi. Gritting his teeth, he rapidly formed countless hand seals, unleashing a fierce fighting technique.

"Sky Wood Wildfire – Burst!" With a shout, Ye Wu Dao's surging Dou Qi instantly took the form of four giant trees, hurtling in four directions. Just before colliding with their targets, the trees shattered explosively, scattering Dou Qi across the sky.

"Explode!" "Boom, boom, boom—" A series of explosions rang out, and the surrounding Dou Qi detonated like dynamite, shaking the heavens and earth. This move instantly engulfed the four attacking Kings, obscuring their figures.

Watching from their hiding place, Li Yi was stunned, mouth agape. After a moment, he muttered, "This... This Ye Wu Dao is so powerful? To take on four at once?"

Gong Wushuang frowned slightly, "I'm not sure. Their Dou Qi has been obliterated, and this would have been a good opportunity... But there are still others lurking nearby..."

"Even you can't see the outcome? Aren't you an Emperor level fighter?"

"Half an Emperor," Gong Wushuang explained softly.

Li Yi sighed, still fixated on the sky, and asked inwardly, "Old Coot, what do you think?"

The Serpent Venerable's voice resounded faintly, "Shocked by that move? But it's strange; even I can't sense how many are in there right now. That explosion must have some special effect... However, powerful as Ye Wu Dao is, he can't easily defeat four Kings. And they can't control the situation here. Just keep watching..."