CHAPTER 589: CHAPTER 0581: THIS IS THE DARK AGE

The prodigies quickly retreated.

No one dared to remain here.

An Immortal Emperor’s wrath—just the pressure from such an outburst was something even they couldn’t withstand. Let alone being so close. If they got caught in it, they wouldn’t even know how they died.

They did, however, feel some admiration for Lin Fan.

Audacious indeed.

An Immortal Emperor was already standing before him, yet not only did he refuse to kneel and beg for mercy, he even dared to confront the Immortal Emperor. For such audacity alone, he deserved respect. But alas, those who seek death abound in numbers, and sometimes when you wish to die, someone is more than willing to help you on your way.

The Heavenly Court Young Emperor didn’t leave.

But he wisely distanced himself, and in the blink of an eye, he had moved several hundred miles away. Activating his Immortal Eye to observe the situation from afar, even at this distance, he knew it wasn’t entirely safe.

He merely wanted to see clearly what was truly happening.

"Come, let me see how much progress the esteemed Immortal Emperor Futu has made during this time. Don’t tell me, since the day we parted, you haven’t improved even a little?"

Lin Fan beckoned provocatively with his finger toward the Immortal Emperor Futu. His behavior was exceedingly arrogant; such insolence would ignite anyone’s fury. But an Immortal Emperor was, after all, an Immortal Emperor—calm and composed, completely unbothered by rage.

As one who had traversed the Immortal Realm and ruled over the myriad heavens, Immortal Emperor Futu would not stoop to anger at every petty provocation. To him, ants were simply ants—honored even to receive his glance, and to be crushed by his hand was a blessing accumulated over lifetimes.

"Futu Heaven and Earth."

In an instant.

Immortal Emperor Futu’s hand descended, wrapped in streams of chaotic energy, its unimaginable power pressing downward. The ground cracked and shattered, countless fractures unspooling. The location of the Hundred Pride Sacred Land’s event was already atop an Ancient Mountain, but under this single strike of the Immortal Emperor, it crumbled endlessly, disappearing at a visible speed.

"Impressive indeed, but that’s all there is to it," Lin Fan said.

He threw out a punch. The radiance of his fist enveloped the heavens, colliding fiercely against the colossal palm of Immortal Emperor Futu.

"A mere speck of light dares challenge the sun," said Immortal Emperor Futu coldly. But almost immediately, he realized something was wrong. The youth he had dismissed as an ant was releasing a power that seemed disturbingly abnormal. The thickness of his mana was staggering, enough to stand toe-to-toe with him.

The earth quaked and the mountains collapsed. Rivers and lands broke apart, and under their clash, the Heavenly Vault fractured continuously while torrents of Void surged downward from above.

The once-majestic landscape transformed instantly into a nightmare plagued by mana storms.

To fight an Immortal Emperor, one must prepare for total devastation.

"Hell Spear!"

Buzz!

Drawing on the mysterious realm of Hell and pulling its dark power, Lin Fan began to condense the Hell Spear.

With his current overwhelming mana, he could already form spears limitlessly. Then, he activated the Demon Crossing Scripture.

Heavenly Dao-Level Divine Skills linked directly to the Great Dao.

This was an unimaginably terrifying technique—enough to suppress even an Immortal Emperor for some time. When the scripture fused with the Hell Spear, a brilliance spanning ten thousand feet illuminated the heavens and earth.

"Kill for me!"

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The Hell Spears shattered the Void, charging straight toward Immortal Emperor Futu with deadly precision.

The giant palm clashed with the spears, and in an instant, was torn apart. The razor-sharp light of the spear then sped relentlessly toward Immortal Emperor Futu.

Clang-clang-clang!

A shimmering barrier materialized before Immortal Emperor Futu, formed from the Immortal Emperor’s Law, blocking the Hell Spears outside.

Lin Fan swung his arm and roared, "Merge!"

The Hell Spears, engraved with the Demon Crossing Scripture, combined to form a golden spear gleaming with brilliance.

Crack!

Lin Fan seized the spear and lunged fiercely at Immortal Emperor Futu.

Bang!

The barrier shattered.

Immortal Emperor Futu retaliated with a punch. The spear resonated with a deep hum, and with a deafening crash, both men were forced to retreat. Their first exchange left them equally matched, neither gaining the upper hand.

"How has this boy become so terrifying?"

He was stunned. How could someone he parted with at the Cave Mansion such a short time ago have cultivated to such levels? Could the Martial Arts System truly be this fearsome?

The so-called Forbidden System might merely be an unrecognized cultivation method to them.

But right now.

Immortal Emperor Futu found himself increasingly intrigued by the Martial Arts System.

Of course, he didn’t speak his thoughts aloud.

The distant prodigies, battered by the shockwaves of battle, wore somber expressions. Yet, more than anything, they were in utter disbelief.

"How could he possibly be this strong?"

"That’s Immortal Emperor Futu! Could this guy actually also be an Immortal Emperor?"

At some point, they had all been among the proudest of the young generation in the Immortal Realm. But now, witnessing the scene before them, they found it truly unbearable—realizing the insurmountable gap between themselves and him.

Angrily, Immortal Emperor Futu shouted, "What fortuitous encounter have you gained to achieve such swift growth?"

Even an Immortal Emperor couldn’t help but feel envy.

To cultivate to such a realm had cost him untold resources, yet now a mere junior could pressure him. How absurd!

"What a load of nonsense," Lin Fan snapped.

Then, a small flame hovered behind Lin Fan, and in the blink of an eye, it surged into a massive blaze.

"Burning Sky Destruction!"

Endless fiery flames engulfed the heavens, and the scorching heat painted the entire world in fiery red hues. This was yet another Heavenly Dao-Level Divine Skill. For skills that even Immortal Emperors required countless years to master, Lin Fan wielded them effortlessly, one after another.

And each was mastered to perfection.

What could even an Immortal Emperor do?

There was every chance such flames could reduce him to ashes.

Buddhist chants echoed through the world.

This was Lin Fan combining the Demon Crossing Scripture with Burning Sky Destruction, unleashing them together.

Immortal Emperor Futu’s expression grew grave.

He could feel the pressure mounting.

Whoosh!

A Futu Tower floated into view, and with one hand, Immortal Emperor Futu supported it while forming the Emperor Seal with his other. In an instant, the heavens and earth spun as beams of destructive light burst from the Futu Tower, weaving a massive net that enveloped the roaring flames ahead.

The observing prodigies retreated again and again, the blistering heat proving impossible for them to endure. Using mana to defend themselves drained their reserves far too quickly.

Staying this close for any longer.

They risked being roasted into desiccated corpses.

Immortal Ling sighed. "So this is the reason for his confidence—he’s already strong enough to rival an Immortal Emperor. Where in the world did such a being come from? Even if it’s the Forbidden System, it shouldn’t be this powerful."

Her gaze swept over each prodigy’s face.

Each wore an expression of utter despair.

She understood then that a Dark Age had arrived.

For any young Immortal sharing the same era as him, they would live forever in his shadow. No matter how dazzling a prodigy might be, the result would be the same. To any prodigy, this realization was devastating.

As she pondered, the distant Heavenly Vault erupted into even more terrifying tremors than before.

Soon after.

A violent gust of wind swept over them, its force unbearable.

The prodigies were unable to resist and were blown far, far away.