The tail moved at an impossibly fast speed, so fast it left a rend in the space, like the dark maw of a beast splitting the world into two.
Boom!
The Star God Emperor's body felt as if it had been smashed by a gigantic hammer. He let out a cry of misery as he plummeted down like a falling star. Garish arrows of bright blood trailed behind him before they were completely wiped out in the next instant.
Swoosh!
A scarlet shadow moved exceptionally fast. Jasmine appeared behind Xing Juekong and thrust her blade into his back, blocking his descent and immobilizing him completely.
Xing Juekong didn't bother to look behind or spare a glance at his daughter, who had pierced him from behind with her small weapon. Blood seeped profusely from every orifice, but even then, his eyes stayed locked on the dragon before him.
The Dragon Emperor stood still in the void, staring at Xing Juekong with a cold, detached gaze, as if looking at an ant. They might be on the same cultivation level, but even three Xing Juekongs wouldn't be enough to defeat it.
"Why…" The mere presence of the Dragon Emperor could send shock through anyone's heart, but what truly terrified him was the person standing atop its head!
A handsome young man wearing silver-colored clothes and a woman covered in dark mist were both standing side by side on top of the dragon's head, looking at him leisurely as if watching a show.
The Devil Queen!
He had never seen that woman before, but her dreadful name was still deeply engraved in his memories!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
As if on cue, more and more dragons suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as if they had been hidden all along by something that had just been destroyed. Which was true, the barrier had been hiding their aura. In fact, the barrier was powered by their energy, which in turn also concealed them.
When Xing Juekong destroyed the barrier, it forced them to appear.
Looking at this scene, a scene no different than an apocalypse, he felt all his blood running cold! His already heavy limbs felt as if they had become frozen! A deep sense of despair wrapped tightly around his body and soul!
How could he resist such a nightmarish force?!
Fifteen 10th level Divine Masters! Each one is stronger than him!
Even the word "despair" could not fully describe his current situation. It was so hopeless that he wanted to laugh instead. It was indeed laughable that he had put so much struggle and effort into escaping.
Even for a nightmare, this was far too cruel!
"Miss Jasmine, it seems you've dealt with your daddy issues," Chi Wuyao chuckled. Her soft, languid voice made the already desperate Xing Juekong shudder.
Something else began to rise within him on its own, and it wasn't the Shield Hero.
"I don't have freaking daddy issues, damn it!" Jasmine's towering chest heaved as she gritted her teeth and shouted angrily. She didn't have any daddy issues. She only hated her father because of his selfishness and lack of fatherly love!
That was absolutely no reason for daddy issues!
On this operation, Yun Wuji had given the reins to Chi Wuyao to handle things. Strangely enough, she didn't use all her strength to crush everyone outright. Instead, she left most of the work to Jasmine. Her reasoning was that she was considering Jasmine's feelings.
Jasmine pulled her God Slaying Blade out of Xing Juekong's body and kicked him, sending him flying like a ball toward them. A dragon immediately reached out with its claw and grabbed the limping Star God Emperor. She asked, "What are you going to do with him?"
Yun Wuji didn't bother to glance at the man. He flew down from the Dragon Emperor's head to Jasmine's side. Without saying a word, he pulled her into a tight embrace. "You did nothing wrong. He may have given birth to you, but he didn't deserve to be your father."
"…Mmm." Jasmine's body trembled faintly as she buried her head against his chest and replied in a faint voice. Although she had longed for this moment, the chance to finally crush her father and kill him, seeing him in such a pathetic state brought no joy or relief, only sadness and emptiness.
Many fathers in this world would rather die than let their children suffer, but hers did not hesitate to sacrifice his own children for a laughable, illusory ceremony, with only a tiny chance of success.
"Hnn~ How envious~" Chi Wuyao stared at the duo and muttered, biting her lips.
"Shut up and don't ruin the mood," Mu Xuanyin, now standing close to her, shut her down coldly.
"How cold~" Chi Wuyao whispered in her cottony voice.
After a while, Jasmine reluctantly stepped away from the embrace. "Thank you, Wuji."
"Don't mention it," Yun Wuji patted her head and chuckled.
"Do you want him to die?" Jasmine asked, glancing at the Star God Emperor, who was staring at them with deep, hollowed eyes.
"I do want to spare his life and make use of him, but if you want him dead, that'll work as well," Yun Wuji replied.
Killing a God Emperor would be a waste of resources. Besides, he didn't want Jasmine to carry the weight of killing her own father. She was still not even twenty years old, who knew if this would come back to haunt her in the future.
Jasmine held the hand that had been patting her head, clenched it tightly. Her chest rose and fell, but she remained silent for a long while. Then, she let go of Yun Wuji's hand and spoke coldly, "You're right. We can indeed make use of trash."
With a wave of her hand, she signaled the dragon holding her father to come closer. Her voice was icy and sharp, "Listen, trash. I'll give you one last chance. Either surrender, or after killing you, I'll destroy the Star God Realm as well."
Xing Juekong's half vision was blood-red. His body was battered with injuries, drenched in blood, especially the gaping wound on his back that reached through to his chest. It glowed with an ominous scarlet color. Held tightly in the dragon's claw like an ant, he didn't move or struggle... It was completely meaningless.
Instead, he let out a hoarse chuckle, "...Hehe, Xing Tong, you grew up quickly." The look on his face showed a faint trace of regret and also gratification, as if he regretted not shooting her on the blanket, but also felt gratified that his daughter could reach this point.
"You have three breaths to decide. Submit or face destruction," Jasmine said coldly.
"I can surrender to you, but first, tell me, what are you going to do to the Star God Realm? And are you working with these people or for them?" Xing Juekong's eyes moved from Jasmine to Chi Wuyao, who was still standing on top of the Dragon Emperor's head beside Mu Xuanyin, before looking back at Yun Wuji.
He had already given up resisting. Escape was impossible. It was hopeless. But as the Star God Emperor, the safety and future of the Star God Realm mattered more than his own life. Jasmine was his daughter. Their bloodline ran through her veins. It was not unacceptable to relinquish his power to her. Still, he had to ensure the safety of the Star God Realm first.
"I am her husband. We are here helping her get what she owns, you and the Star God Realm," Yun Wuji said, holding Jasmine's waist tightly and pulling her into his arms.
His sudden declaration made Jasmine's heart race and her face flush red. She felt like everyone's eyes were on her, which wasn't far from the truth. She buried her head against his chest and muttered, "H... husband?! Don't say that... I—idiot~"
"Tsundere," Yun Wuji said, shaking his head helplessly.
This time, Jasmine didn't reply, or perhaps didn't hear him. She was still immersed in his sudden declaration, her head spinning from happiness.
"..." Xing Juekong stared at the scene speechlessly. Finally, he let out a long sigh before speaking, "I surrender." Under the overwhelming pressure of fifteen dragons of absolute beginning and three deadly women, he, the Star God Emperor, had no choice but to lower his head.
When it comes to dealing with people like him, rulers of their realms, they always tend to bend when faced with the threat of their realm or race's extermination. From the moment they became Emperors, they abandoned their own personal agenda. Everything they do is mostly for the sake of what they rule. It was the same for the Dragon Emperor, who wanted to protect his race, and for the Star God Emperor, who didn't hesitate to sacrifice his children to elevate his Star Realm.
Yun Wuji tapped Jasmine's waist, and she finally snapped out of her daydream. With a dissatisfied look, she turned to her father and said, "I don't trust a despicable trash like you. Wuji, please use the Limitless Agony Soul Mark on him."
Xing Juekong didn't flinch when his own biological daughter called him 'trash,' but when she said 'Limitless Agony Soul Mark,' a very bad feeling settled deep inside him. That feeling only grew stronger when he noticed the dragon holding him, trembling faintly. No, not just that one... the entire group of dragons present began to tremble the moment the words 'Limitless Agony Soul Mark' left her lips.
What the fuck was this 'Limitless Agony Soul Mark'?!
"Are you sure?" Yun Wuji asked hesitantly.
"This bastard is too despicable," Jasmine replied coldly. "He could scheme against his own children, abandon his women. Even a dog has more morals than him. Who knows when he would backstab us?" She pointed at her father and added, "If you resist, then you just die."
Yun Wuji shrugged his shoulders, then stretched out his arms. From his palms, a silver light shot out and landed on the Star God Emperor. Once it entered his body, a dreadful feeling crept through him, but he gritted his teeth and fought the urge to resist. Silver marks spread all over him, then in the next moment, they merged into a single mark on his forehead before disappearing.
Once the branding ended, Jasmine smiled, a cold, cruel smile. "I'm sure, dear father, you're curious about the Limitless Agony Soul Mark. Wuji... Why not let him... experience it properly?"
"If you say so," Yun Wuji said with an apologetic look at his father-in-law, then activated the curse.
He didn't pity the man, it just felt weird to torture the father of the woman he loved.
"No, wait..." Xing Juekong's bad feeling grew stronger. He already guessed what the mark was. He hurried to speak, trying to stop them, but it was too late. A sharp, agonizing shriek tore from his throat.
"Aghhhhhhh!"
"HAAAAAAAA!"
"Stop, please stop!"
"AHHAAAAAAAA!"
"Kill me! Kill me!"
...
The Star God Emperor's anguished cry lasted less than ten seconds before Yun Wuji stopped, but for Xing Juekong, it felt like a million years. His body still twitched uncontrollably, his head falling limply. If the dragon hadn't grabbed him, his body would have already surrendered to gravity and crashed down.
His current appearance was miserable, yet not a single person present felt even the slightest pity for him.
"Father, how is it? Did you like it?" Jasmine's voice made him twitch. He slowly lifted his head, and light began to return to his eyes. He stared at her silently for a long while before the muscles on his face, still spasming, forced out a smile.
"Good, very good..."
"Xing Tong..."
"From now on, you are..."
"The new Star God Emperor."
A light flashed from his body. From the pocket dimension he carried, a wheel emerged and floated into the air.
It was a wheel that shone with an ephemeral and unworldly light.
The wheel was not even a foot wide. Twelve different lights formed a shimmering ring within it. One of those twelve lights was exceptionally dense and bright, as if a candle was burning within it.
The Star God Wheel was the medium which held the divine origin powers of the Star God Realm's Twelve Star Gods.
...
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