Chapter 2161: Quasi-Emperor

Su Yuan and Zhou Yun’s pupils shrank, just about to react when the two dried-up hands of the lean Buddhist monk swung phantom-like to press on their chests.

“Bang bang!” Two muffled sounds, Su Yuan and Zhou Yun were immediately struck and sent flying.

Su Yuan looked down, and a palm-sized vague blood stain was already forming on the shattered Emperor’s Shadow Entwined on his chest. Zhou Yun’s Time Stop Golden Light was similarly crushed, with fresh blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Such palm force…!”

Su Yuan and Zhou Yun both narrowed their eyes, Spirit Light swirling tightly as they stared at the lean Buddhist monk ahead.

The other party had shattered the defenses of Time Freeze and Emperor’s Shadow Entwined with a single palm, injuring both of them; this strike likely exceeded the full-force punch of the Ninety-nine Transitions Ultimate Demon Lord!

Su Yuan said, “The Sect Hierarch’s strength actually increased so much… Or rather, are you still the Duo’e Sect Master?”

Duo’e’s expression was cold and stern, the golden Buddha Fire in his dark pupils tranquil yet bright like stars at night, as he pressed his palms together and said, “Earlier and later, it’s all me; I am me, this sect… Duo’e.”

In the midst of the words, an increasingly terrifying pressure emanated from his body, causing even Su Yuan and Zhou Yun to feel a faint tightness in their chests.

“Quasi-Emperor Level!” Su Yuan and Zhou Yun’s expressions shook slightly.

If all were Star Lords, they definitely couldn’t break through Su Yuan’s Emperor’s Shadow Entwined under Xuantian Triple and Zhou Yun’s marvelous Time Stop Golden Light with just one palm…

Coupled with such terrifying pressure, it could only be a force nearly stepping into the Emperor Level… that is, Quasi-Emperor Level!

Su Yuan observed the drastically transformed and strengthened “Duo’e”, combined with what he said, a rather bold guess formed in his mind:

“Duo’e, Duo’e, to cross tribulations and eliminate disasters, so that’s what it means…” Su Yuan squinted slightly, addressing the Duo’e Sect Master, “If I haven’t misunderstood, Sect Hierarch, you are a Star Lord who achieved Quasi-Emperor in the Primordial Realm within the former universe?”

Duo’e intoned a Buddhist chant, saying calmly, “Amitabha Buddha, indeed. But what you said is not entirely accurate, because it extends beyond the former universe… to the previous three cosmic epochs.”

Upon hearing this, Su Yuan and Zhou Yun’s pupils shrank again.

Slowly, Duo’e explained, “During the previous cosmic epochs, the accumulation of cosmic energy was insufficient, even exhausting the limits couldn’t ascend to the Emperor Realm. Thus this sect had to repeatedly face ‘nirvana’ here, striving to separate a strand of the Divine Soul Avatar to enter a new universe. When the universe approached its end, rely on this avatar to achieve Star Lord and enter the Primordial Realm to awaken the sect’s main body to keep trying to break through the Emperor Realm. This repetition occurred thrice, only now in this cosmic epoch, finally awaiting the one with hope to become Emperor! However, among these, if once the avatar couldn’t enter the Primordial Realm to awaken the main body, unable to eliminate other Star Lords and absorb the Primordial Realm’s power to traverse these disasters, then it—and we—would be completely annihilated with the Primordial Realm and the universe!”

Perhaps because of enduring solitude too long, or perhaps to intimidate Su Yuan and Zhou Yun, Duo’e demonstrated remarkable patience explaining the antecedents to the two.

Su Yuan and Zhou Yun were indeed quite shocked.

Unexpectedly, Duo’e before them was truly a Quasi-Emperor from a previous universe… and even more astonishing was that he had survived three cosmic epochs, repeatedly living to the end in the Primordial Realm as a Quasi-Emperor!

Enduring three cataclysmic disasters without perishing, Duo’e’s skills now must be unimaginable.

Don’t mention the fact that Su Yuan and Zhou Yun hadn’t yet achieved Quasi-Emperor; even if they had, they would likely struggle to match Duo’e, who had long been seasoned as a Quasi-Emperor!

Duo’e’s cold gaze fell upon Su Yuan and Zhou Yun, saying, “You two are rather fortunate, born into this epoch capable of achieving Emperor, unlike this sect who had to cross three cosmic destruction tribulations to find this opportunity.”

“It’s just unfortunate… encountering this sect, that doesn’t count as fortune.” Duo’e’s eyes flared with Buddha Flame, exuding a chilling killing intent that gripped hearts, “Because this sect will slaughter all of you, to ascend the Emperor Realm!”

Three cosmic epochs’ wait and torment—should anything go amiss, all efforts would be for naught. At this moment, ascending the Emperor Realm had formed an obsession within Duo’e that surpassed life and soul.

And indeed, without this obsession, Duo’e couldn’t have survived three cosmic destruction tribulations.

The Buddhist Sect advocates emptiness and purity, aspiring to enter profound levels unconcerned by desire or want.

Yet the reason it unfolds this way is that all desires and obsessions transformed into Spiritual Energy transferred to Duo’e, the Bodhi Sect Master!

For as Bodhi Sect Master, the strength Duo’e commands is “belief”; obsession is also a form of belief, thus the deeper the obsession, the stronger the strength.

“Kill us?” Su Yuan said calmly.

A Quasi-Emperor’s life emerging from the trials of cosmic destruction, immeasurable strength and astonishing killing intent are enough to intimidate even Star Lords with loss of composure and dread.

In previous cosmic epochs within the Primordial Realm, several Star Lords fell because of this, lacking much resistance and getting exterminated!

Yet under this pressure, the determination of Su Yuan and Zhou Yun rose fiercely in their eyes…

“My sword only cuts down the strong. Quasi-Emperor is naturally among the strongest…” Zhou Yun’s well-proportioned and slender fingers tightened around the Extreme Universe Sword, golden light swirling extensively around him, “I very much want to see what level this realm, being just a step away from Emperor Realm, truly is!”

Duo’e Sect Master’s gaze was indifferent, saying, “Good…”

But before “Good” was finished, golden light flashed, and the longsword flowing with the Power of Time had already pierced Duo’e Sect Master’s throat!