Lord of the Earth

The large-scale collapse of the Sakura Kingdom region means that Qianxia's "Sea of ​​Fortune Clouds" is rapidly devouring and assimilating the vast territory that originally belonged to the Sakura Kingdom!

As one thing rises and the other falls, summer's power is like a river flowing into it, growing ever stronger; while the Emperor is like a tree whose roots have been severed, his vitality visibly fading away.

From a state of "evenly matched" strength maintained by Xia Tian and Lü Dongbin working together, they have fallen to a disadvantageous position where they are struggling to hold on!

"Qiang——!"

Lu Dongbin seized the moment when the emperor's mind was shaken by the loss of his homeland, and a pure Yang sword intent tore through the void and struck the emperor's body directly!
In haste, the Emperor used the Yata no Kagami (Eight-Span Mirror) to block the attack. The divine light from the mirror clashed with the sword's intent, producing a sickening groan.

That majestic, righteous, and incomparably powerful sword intent actually pierced through the divine light's defense, and the aftershocks fiercely impacted his so-called "undying" true god's golden light.

"Buzz...Pfft!"

The golden body emitted intense light, rippling endlessly like water.

The Emperor's body also trembled violently, and a trace of pale golden divine blood uncontrollably spilled from the corner of his tightly pursed lips.

"No...impossible! I am a 'True God,' my Dao fruit is immortal, my divine body is indestructible...how could I...spit blood?"

He reached out and covered his mouth tightly, his expression a mixture of shock, anger, and fear.

Golden light flowed between his fingers; this overflowing divine blood terrified him more than any attack.

"Hmph, a true god?"

Lu Dongbin stood with his sword in hand, his body ablaze with pure Yang Dao fire. His gaze, sharp as a sword, pierced the Emperor, and the sarcasm and coldness in his words were even more intense than the sword's edge.

"Huang Tian! Do you really think that by stealing this 'title' and donning this disguise, you can truly replace His Majesty the Emperor's great achievements? Do you even dare to try to prevent His true spirit from returning from the river of time?"

His voice suddenly rose, like thunder from the heavens, resounding in the hearts of every living being watching this supreme duel.

“Let me tell you what true immortality means! Immortality is the imprinting of one’s Way on heaven and earth, the eternal engraving of one’s achievements in people’s hearts, and the undying spiritual civilization! It is not the ‘false fruits of the Way’ that you thieves obtain by plundering faith and polluting authority!”

"Emperor, Empress... these titles are the highest honors that our human ancestors earned through their unparalleled achievements and sacrifices amidst blood and fire! They are the backbone of our human civilization, the undying sun that protects our lineage! Anyone with human blood in their veins will remember and revere them, and will willingly revive them to gather strength!"

As he spoke, Lü Dongbin's swordplay grew increasingly violent and fierce.

With each sword strike, countless "Emperor's Threads" that connected the people of the Sakura Kingdom to the nation, but were now violently backfiring, snapped one by one.

"And you, and those alien gods behind you, those flies and dogs, how despicable your actions are!"

"You 'false god' have stolen the faith of our ancestors, corrupted their true divine authority, and tried to deceive heaven and earth, preventing the mark of our ancestors from being awakened again and preventing our human race from standing tall once more!"

"Not only do you not know how to respect Heaven and your ancestors, but you also shamelessly call yourself the 'Emperor,' doing something like usurping the throne and destroying the foundation of our clan!"

"Such a person, who forgets his ancestors and recognizes a thief as his father, does he even deserve to be called a human being? Does he even deserve to talk about the divine way!"

Every rebuke from Lü Dongbin was like a hammer of divine punishment, striking the Emperor's already crumbling Daoist heart.

The "undying divine light" surrounding him grew increasingly dim, and his connection with the fate of the Sakura Kingdom was collapsing at an unprecedented speed under the frenzied plundering of Lü Dongbin's sword intent and the "Emperor's Mask" in Xia Tian's hands.

Summer held the increasingly solid black and gold mask, feeling the vast faith and authority surging in like a bursting dam.

In contrast, the Emperor's control over the "mask" was rapidly eroding, a weakness and despair stemming from the loss of his foundation.

"No...my divine position, my Dao fruit!"

The Emperor let out a frustrated roar, trying to salvage the situation, but it was too late.

Ultimately, his control over the mask was eroded by summer, and his remaining control fell below 50%—

"Crack!"

It was as if something within him had shattered; the “pseudo-true god” divine court that he had barely maintained around him... peeled away and dissipated like broken glass.

That supreme divine power that once reigned over all living beings rapidly declined. Although it remained powerful, it had fallen from the level of a "true god" and reverted to a powerful "quasi-true god" who no longer possessed the ability to manipulate rules at will and seal off the realm of space and time for eternity!
"How hateful! How hateful!"

"If it weren't for the fact that Emperor Donghua favors you... Lü Dongbin, you would be no match for me!"

The severed imperial silk threads on the Emperor's body tore bloody marks, and his expression beneath the mask was twisted as he let out a mournful cry of resentment.
However, the fact that he failed is already established!

Almost simultaneously, a battle also ended in a decisive victory on another battlefield.

"How hateful! If it weren't for the blessing of the Qianxia Dynasty's fortune and the suppression of the Fusang Tree... you're just relying on external forces. With the grace of the Abyss Mother Tree, I could definitely suppress you!"

The Demon Prince, who had summoned the projection of the "Primordial Demon Tree," was also roaring in fury.

Half of his demonic body was broken and burning with pitch-black demonic flames. It was the backlash from his desperate attempt to ignite the branch of the "Demon Mother Tree" in his hand as he frantically burned his own "true god bloodline" in a last-ditch effort.

Under the intense heat and restraint of the Fusang Divine Tree's supremely yang and holy flames, his evil power originating from the abyss was greatly suppressed, and the demonic tree projection was forced to retreat steadily.

The "Human Demon Fruit Tree," controlled by the Demon Prince, is about to completely devour and refine it...

However, just as the Demon Prince gathered all his strength, preparing to deliver the final blow.

hum!
The entire battlefield suddenly trembled violently, not from an external attack, but from inside the "Demon Fruit Tree" that the Demon Prince was desperately devouring!
"Buzz!"

The withered remains of the pitch-black demon mother tree suddenly erupted with a suffocating, eerie demonic light!

Amidst the light, a towering, illusory figure of a demon slowly emerged.

He possessed a perfect, humanoid body, yet he carried twelve pairs of jet-black bat wings that blotted out the sky, with the most primal runes of the abyss flowing across the wing membranes.

His face was not as ferocious as one might imagine; instead, it possessed a kind of wicked yet refined handsomeness. However, his deep, star-like eyes contained a cold, divine power capable of freezing the soul!

Indeed, a mark left by one of the rulers of the abyss—the emperor of the Heavenly Demon Clan—has been activated!
"Father! It's you! You've come to save me!"

The Demon Prince, as if grasping at the last straw, cried out in a mixture of ecstasy and grievance.

"Kill them! Kill this traitorous illegitimate son, and those humans too! Avenge me, take back..."

However, the illusory image of the Heavenly Demon Emperor did not even glance down at his disheveled "son".

His eyes, which seemed capable of devouring all light, pierced through the battlefield and landed directly on the radiant Fusang Divine Tree and the phantom of the Donghua Emperor in imperial robes and crown atop the tree.

Two ancient wills, which transcend ordinary true gods, converged silently.

There was no earth-shattering clash of power, only a profound silence that seemed to freeze time and space. They seemed to be exchanging something, a dialogue belonging to the highest level of existence. Even a quasi-true god like Xia Tian could only sense vague ripples of law, unable to discern the specific content.

After a moment, the mark of the Heavenly Demon Emperor seemed to nod almost imperceptibly.

Immediately, he raised his hand and a beam of dark light, condensed with the essence of "Abyssal Imperial Power," shot out and landed on the "Demon Prince," instantly changing his bloodline!
The Demon Prince's body trembled.

Simply because this light is a "permission," a "mark of identity."

“That is the mark of a prince. Historically, only the top ten legitimate sons have been qualified to receive it… This illegitimate son actually obtained the imperial mark of my ‘Heavenly Demon’ lineage…”

This scene left the Demon Prince somewhat astonished, his face showing disbelief.

It should be noted that even he himself does not yet possess such qualifications.

From now on, the Demon Prince can officially call himself the "Demon Emperor," or even a more "direct descendant" than him!

"Buzz!"

Not only that.

The mark of the Heavenly Demon Emperor in the sky raised his hand again, and a section of the originally illusory "Primordial Demon Tree" near the core area became solid, and then turned into a stream of light, falling into the "core" of the newborn mother tree in the Demon Prince's hand!
The two elements, when combined, transformed this "mother tree" into a state of interwoven purple and black.

In this way, this "newborn mother tree" will have the qualification to invoke the power of the true "primordial demon mother tree" rules to some extent.

After doing all this, the "Heavenly Demon Emperor" flicked his finger and made a sweeping motion in the air.

A pitch-black portal, seemingly connecting to the bottom of an endless abyss, suddenly burst open, and a suction force pulled the heavily injured and dying Demon Prince, whose face was filled with resentment, towards him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Oda Nobunaga, whose "Emperor's Silk" connecting him to the Emperor was quietly severed by some invisible force and who was filled with doubt and uncertainty, was also drawn into the conflict.

Then, the portal closed, as if it had never existed, and the mark of the Heavenly Demon Emperor also disappeared!
"It seems that the higher-ups of the human race and the demon race have a certain tacit understanding..."

This seemingly abrupt intervention and withdrawal.

But it made people with discerning eyes, such as Xia Tian and Lü Dongbin, feel a chill.

This was not just a rescue operation; it was more like a tacit "exchange" and "loss mitigation" at a higher level.

The demon race, at least this Heavenly Demon Emperor, doesn't seem to have any intention of completely breaking ties with the human race. In fact, elevating the "Demon Prince's" status seems more like a gesture of goodwill...

"No, Heavenly Demon Emperor, I am willing to join the 'Abyss' and fight for you..."

In particular, the fact that the "Emperor" who had fallen in power asked the "Demon Emperor" for help but was ignored by the latter made Xia Tian even more convinced that this incident might also be part of the "plan" of the human race in the past!
"This battle is over, Huang Tian."

The Demon Prince's "hope" was shattered and taken away, which also meant that the "Emperor" of the Sakura Kingdom lost his last possible external support and variable, and was completely left alone!

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Lu Dongbin's Pure Yang Sword Formation, together with the Qian Tian Yun controlled by Xia Tian, ​​suppressed the attack.

The Emperor let out a final, unwilling cry, and the remaining "Emperor's Threads" connecting the last remaining clouds of fortune of the Sakura Kingdom to the faith of its many people were completely extracted and stripped away.

Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, they all merged into the constantly buzzing, yearning-for-complete "black gold mask" in Xia Tian's hand, devouring almost all of the original owner's original authority.

Instantly, it burst forth with unprecedented five-colored light, and its attributes and power levels underwent a tremendous enhancement!
【Emperor's Mask (Five-Colored Glass)】

[Grade] True Divine Artifact
【characteristic】

The Emperor's throne (the mask represents authority; the wearer automatically acquires the full "Emperor" title, ruling over all fortune, faith, and subjects associated with this title!)

The power of the mask is unbroken for all ages (after each master dies, their power, including supernatural abilities and characteristics, will be absorbed by the Emperor Mask, thus further enhancing the mask's power).

The Mask of Gods (can efficiently absorb, transform, and control vast amounts of faith power, and after slaying a god, can "transform" into its appearance, thereby stealing and inheriting other faith foundations and divine power to a certain extent!)
The Imperial Instrument (It can mobilize the fortune of all historical dynasties under the 'Chrysanthemum Dynasty' system of the entire Sakura Kingdom for its own use, and greatly enhance the attraction of the Sakura Kingdom forces in the Illusory Sea)

The true and false emperors (This characteristic cannot be activated yet)
[Description] This is a "treasure" that the Emperor of the Sakura Kingdom has created using a treasure left behind by the former human emperor as its core, based on thousands of years of accumulation!
"The complete Emperor's mask is indeed a true divine artifact! Its attributes are extraordinary."

The five colors represent a further manifestation of the power of the rules of this "true artifact" in the Eternal Land after this round of "unlocking of heaven and earth".

The artifacts of the true gods are the strongest treasures in all the heavens and myriad realms... The more colors they have, the more powerful they are!

When summer lightly presses the mask close to the face, even before actually putting it on, one can already feel the boundless, pure, and fervent power of faith.

It was gathering from the vast territory and billions of people of the Cherry Blossom Kingdom scattered throughout the Eternal Land, flowing wildly into the mask along invisible threads of faith, and blessing him...

It was as if he only needed to think about it.

Wearing this mask will instantly grant you the power of a vast civilization, allowing you to instantly reach a level that even a "true god" could treat you as an equal at this stage!
Most importantly, the final control of this black and gold mask was completely transferred from the Emperor to Xia Tian.

This also means that the battle between Qianxia and the Sakura Kingdom, which concerns the fate of their nations, has already been decided.

Because, deep within the understanding and beliefs of the vast majority of people in Japan, the one they are loyal to has always been the deity wearing a black and gold mask, residing high in the clouds, and known as the "Emperor"...

As for who exactly is behind the black and gold mask?

Is it the first Emperor Jimmu, the last emperor, or the current new ruler, Natsumi?

It doesn't matter to their beliefs, which have been solidified by thousands of years of tradition.

What they offered their loyalty and prayers for was only the supreme title of "Emperor" and the figurehead he presented.

Therefore, when summer completely took control of this "mask" and the authority it contained, which embodied the thousand-year-old faith of the Cherry Blossom Kingdom.

With almost a single thought, he could use the mask to project his will over all the connections of faith, bringing an instant end to the largest "civil war" among humans in the Eternal Land...

"As expected of a meticulously planned scheme to 'steal the country and its reputation' that took over a thousand years to execute..."

Summer felt a chill run down her spine.

This almost blind, extreme loyalty to the "Emperor" was so cohesive and intense that, in some respects, it even surpassed the belief of the people of Qianxia in Xia Tian, ​​the "founding emperor"!

It was precisely this extremely high concentration of faith that was able to support the fortune of the "quasi-celestial dynasty" of the Sakura Kingdom, allowing the "Emperor" to reach the level of a "pseudo-true god".

"However, in this way, the thousand-year-old schemes and endless ambitions of this usurper have ultimately become a wedding dress made for me and for Qianxia."

A cold smile crept across Xia Tian's lips, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light. (End of Chapter)