In the plaza, warriors cultivating demonic weapons stood guard silently, while some explored the situation within the gate.
Though they had not cultivated, their auras gradually strengthened, and their power continued to rise.
This was the terror of demonic weapon cultivation techniques; once practiced, there was no turning back.
Near the Heavenly Stele, Li Xiaotian's War God subordinates had all broken through to the King level. Those who were already at the King level saw their realms steadily improve.
Time trickled by. After an unknown duration, Li Xiaotian suddenly opened his eyes.
"Boom!" A powerful aura erupted from him, and everyone around him instantly felt a terrifying pressure.
With a thought, Li Xiaotian’s aura dissipated. He had broken through, reaching the Emperor level.
At this moment, he felt a distinct difference. He could perceive the energy in the air, the breathing of the people in the plaza, and the boundaries of this space with unparalleled clarity.
Li Xiaotian’s gaze shifted. Long Yi and the others had white energy surging around them, the energy they absorbed through cultivation. The demonic weapon warriors, however, were enveloped in a dense black aura.
"Hmm?" Li Xiaotian’s eyes flickered as he looked at Ye Qingmei. Her aura was a faint blue-green, different from everyone else.
Was it the power of bloodline? Li Xiaotian frowned slightly. Ye Qingmei cultivated the Emperor Art, the same as everyone else, but she seemed to be absorbing something different.
Li Xiaotian's mind stirred, and the air above the plaza began to fluctuate. A colossal palm print appeared in the sky.
Emperor level. A joy bloomed in Li Xiaotian's heart. His body resonated with the surrounding worldly energies, allowing him to command them.
"Hum!" Li Xiaotian slowly rose and took a step. He stepped into the void, then took another, and another without pause, his body unconsciously ascending into the air.
The greatest change after becoming an Emperor was the ability to fly. Li Xiaotian hadn't understood it before, but now he did.
The energy within his body resonated with the energy of the world, merging into one. By mobilizing only a small portion of his internal energy, he could levitate.
At this moment, everyone in the plaza had awakened. They gazed at Li Xiaotian in the sky, their expressions filled with excitement.
"Congratulations to our King on breaking through to the Emperor level!!!"
In the plaza, everyone shouted in unison. Their King had reached the Emperor level, placing him among the strong on Earth.
It could be said that Li Xiaotian was the first human in this era to break through to the Emperor level. In just a few months, Li Xiaotian had ascended from War God to Emperor, a breakthrough speed that was astonishing even in ancient times.
Li Xiaotian hovered in the air, clenching his fist. At this moment, he felt brimming with power, his strength increased manifold.
If he were to encounter the Emperor-level experts who had pursued him before, he felt he could even kill them all!
"Continue cultivating. Strive to break through during this period!" Li Xiaotian said to the crowd in the plaza, then flew towards the bronze giant gate.
Now that he was an Emperor, he should be able to enter the palace.
In the blink of an eye, Li Xiaotian reached the spot where he had stopped before. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Boom!" Instantly, a terrifying aura surged, suppressing Li Xiaotian’s entire body.
"Ugh!" Li Xiaotian grunted. Although the pressure was intense this time, he could still move.
"Bang!" Li Xiaotian took another step, the terrifying pressure growing even stronger.
Li Xiaotian grinned, gritting his teeth, and took another step. It was merely the pressure of a strong expert’s aura. If he couldn’t even overcome this, how could he become a peerless powerhouse in the future?
Li Xiaotian’s eyes shone brightly as he continued to advance. His body felt as if it might explode at any moment, yet he endured.
Moreover, he discovered that by being constantly targeted by this pressure, his body seemed to instinctively resist, growing stronger bit by bit.
And because his energy was unstable after just breaking through to the Emperor level, the immense external pressure gradually stabilized his internal energy, forcing it to circulate at full capacity to help him resist the pressure.
"Bang!" Li Xiaotian took yet another step. This time, his body swayed.
The palace's pressure had pushed his body to its limit.
"Stele, come!" Li Xiaotian roared.
"Hum!" In the plaza, the Heavenly Stele suddenly rose into the air and flew rapidly into the depths of the bronze giant gate.
In a flash, the Heavenly Stele arrived behind Li Xiaotian, emitting a blinding light that enveloped his body.
"Hoo!" Li Xiaotian exhaled deeply. With the Heavenly Stele’s augmentation, his body instantly felt much lighter.
Li Xiaotian glanced at the palace’s gate. He had already covered half the distance.
Continue forward! Li Xiaotian muttered, stepping onward.
The Heavenly Stele’s light grew stronger, resisting the palace’s might. Simultaneously, as he drew closer to the palace, the pressure on Li Xiaotian’s body intensified. And as the palace gate loomed nearer, he suddenly felt a pang of unease, as if something terrifying lurked within the palace.
"No matter what! I must enter the palace today!" Li Xiaotian gritted his teeth. Having come this far, even if there were powerful beings dormant inside, they would have been awakened by now.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Li Xiaotian took a deep breath and took several rapid steps forward.
"Rumble!" Instantly, a terrifying pressure surged through his entire body. His body stiffened, and blood began to flow from his facial features.
"Hum!" The Heavenly Stele’s light intensified, desperately helping Li Xiaotian resist the palace’s oppressive aura.
Li Xiaotian looked with difficulty towards the palace. The palace gate was now less than ten steps away.
But he was completely immobilized, unable to advance further.
Would he stop again? Li Xiaotian thought, a sense of unwillingness creeping in.
Suddenly, a thought struck Li Xiaotian. He couldn't advance, but what about the Heavenly Stele? It was extraordinary, capable of suppressing the sea of blood. However, with his current strength, he couldn't unleash its full power.
Li Xiaotian willed the Heavenly Stele to grow larger, then float horizontally, with one end near him and the other aimed at the palace gate.
"Go!" Li Xiaotian gritted his teeth and controlled the Heavenly Stele to charge forward.
"Bang!" The palace gate exploded open. Immediately after, an immensely powerful and terrifying killing intent swept out.
"Kill!!!" An ancient, bloodcurdling roar filled with killing intent emanated from the palace.
"Puff!" Li Xiaotian spat out a mouthful of blood. Wounds appeared all over his body, and he was directly blasted backward by the killing intent from within the palace.
Following that, the Heavenly Stele was also forced back. Li Xiaotian lay on the ground, enduring unbearable pain, yet his face was filled with shock, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding inside the palace, his heart churning like a stormy sea.
"Bang!" The palace gate rapidly slammed shut.
Li Xiaotian remained prostrate, his face pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead. What had he just seen?!