"Demon God Emperor, it is complete. Enter now, before it's too late," the lead Immortal declared, voice firm and urgent.
The emperor nodded, turning to his son. "Luotian, I'll go first. Follow me—immediately."
He stepped toward the ritual array, but Feng Luotian's voice stopped him. "Father… what if this doesn't work?"
The fear had haunted him from the beginning: his father had told him this ritual had never succeeded in recorded history.
Demon God Emperor didn't slow. "What's the point of asking that now?" he snapped. "Do we have any other choice?"
Feng Luotian fell silent. Of course they didn't.
"Follow me, and don't hesitate," his father said, voice final.
Then he stepped into the light—and vanished.
Feng Luotian stood frozen, thoughts churning.
The lead elder's urgent cry jolted him back. "Young Emperor, do not delay! Enter immediately!"
He drew a deep breath. "There's no time for hesitation." He strode forward.
But the instant he reached the array—
Rumble!
A crushing force descended, pinning him in place.
"Tian'er."
A voice—gentle yet commanding—echoed through the temple like a divine bell. Soft as a whisper, it resonated through the soul rather than the ears, impossible to ignore.
The air trembled. Even the sacred formation flickered, as if pausing in deference to a presence beyond mortal authority.
"Virgo Empress!" the twelve elders exclaimed in unison, recognizing the voice at once. They rose to their feet, robes billowing as their auras flared—ready to clash at a moment's notice.
In a heartbeat, she appeared floating high above the ancient temple—radiant and sovereign. Behind her, ten royal figures shimmered into view, kings and queens of their realms arrayed in silent reverence.
Still bound by her suppression, Feng Luotian spoke without turning. "How may I help you, Your Highness?"
Though she held him immobile, his voice dripped with mockery.
Virgo Empress said nothing. Her gaze lingered—cold, unreadable.
Moments passed. Then, with a wry smile, Feng Luotian broke the silence.
"If there's nothing else, Your Highness… perhaps you could release me? I have somewhere to be."
When she finally answered, her voice was composed and eerily persuasive.
"Tian'er, come to my side. Everything will be fine. Do not follow Demon God Emperor. He is not the man you believe him to be."
Feng Luotian's expression darkened. The mockery drained from his eyes, leaving a simmering rage.
His jaw tightened. Fingers twitched at his side, restrained only by her binding force.
"You speak as if I'm some child," he muttered, voice low. "As if I don't know what I've seen with my own eyes."
His gaze, though still unable to meet hers, burned with defiance. "You say he's not who I believe… but what about you?"
Virgo Empress didn't answer. Knowing words would mean nothing here, she smoothly changed the subject. Her tone remained unwavering. "With His Majesty's grace, you could live without fear. You could rule the universe—free to do as you please. As you've always desired."
Her words struck deep.
A horrific memory flooded Feng Luotian's mind: a woman whose beauty rivalled the empress's, lying dead with a sword through her chest. Virgo Empress stood above her. His body trembled. Tears welled in eyes so red they seemed to bleed. With a low growl, he closed them, refusing to let the tears fall.
"Free? You call that freedom?"
His voice cracked, rising.
"After you've massacred millions… crippled trillions… you dare speak of freedom?! Even Yue'er…"
His voice faltered. A tear finally slipped down his cheek, striking the stone floor with a sharp, echoing ding.
That single sound cut through everything.
He drew a breath—slow, steady. The firestorm behind his eyes turned to ice.
"And my father?"
His gaze sharpened with conviction.
"He fights to protect everyone. He's a protector. Not a butcher like you."
"How dare—" one of the kings behind Virgo Empress began, furious at the junior's insolence toward his sovereign.
But the empress raised a hand—graceful, absolute. He fell silent instantly, bowing his head.
She said nothing more, allowing Feng Luotian the time to regain composure.
Meanwhile, the twelve Immortal Zodiacs stood in formation around the ritual array, each surrounded by halos of divine light. Their auras—of time, flame, frost, lightning, and elements beyond naming—shimmered like constellations made flesh.
Yet not one dared move.
Feng Luotian was already one step away from the ritual.
But Virgo Empress's presence changed everything. A single misstep could cost him his life before he reached the array.
The array waited for two souls—and he was the second one needed to awaken its path.
They could not afford to provoke a confrontation.
As the last protectors of a dying hope, they had one mission: keep him alive long enough to reach the other side.
They watched in silence.
A minute passed.
Feng Luotian's breathing steadied. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold and resolute.
"Virgo Empress, thank you for your… kind invitation. But I must decline. I once wanted to rule—so I could protect innocent lives. But now… there's nothing left to protect."
Virgo Empress's expression remained serene—neither angered nor disappointed. Yet she did not lift the suppression binding him.
One of the kings stepped forward, eyeing the ritual array with suspicion. "Your Highness, they were enacting some kind of ritual. Should we intervene? It may pose a threat."
The empress shook her head. "No need. The ritual is already complete, and Demon God Emperor has crossed over. But without Tian'er, it will still fail."
Another king stepped forward, voice sharp with hostility. "Then we should strike now—eliminate them and end this before it festers further!"
A queen beside him turned, her gaze cold. "Do you even understand who the Young Emperor is to Her Highness? Think before you speak."
The king's killing intent cooled, though frustration still simmered in his eyes.
Feng Luotian let out a bitter laugh.
"Such a grand send-off, Virgo Empress. I truly appreciate the effort. But I must insist—let me go."
"No," the empress said flatly. "You're coming with me."
Feng Luotian's eyes narrowed. "And if I refuse?"
"You have no bargaining power here," she replied, her voice as cold as the void. She closed her hand into a fist. An invisible force surged—Feng Luotian's body lifted off the ground, dragged toward her against his will.
"Damn it!!" he roared, fury and desperation crackling in his voice.
The twelve elders sprang into action, launching a coordinated barrage at Virgo Empress despite the impossible odds.
But they never reached her.
Her kings and queens moved as one, intercepting every strike with ease. Against such foes, the elders stood no chance.
"My kings and queens," Virgo Empress said, her soft voice cutting through the temple like a blade.
"Yes, Your Highness!" they replied in unison, their devotion absolute.
"Kill them."
The order fell like a divine verdict.
"As you command, Your Highness!"
A flash of murderous intent ignited in their eyes. Then they vanished.
To mortal senses, nothing happened.
To those attuned, ten streaks of death hurtled toward the Immortal Zodiacs, faster than thought.
Sensing the incoming strikes, the elders exchanged a solemn glance. No words were needed.
Each summoned a crystal before them—no two alike. One pulsed with icy blue light, another crackled with arcs of violet flame. Some glowed like miniature suns, others shimmered with shifting starlight or mirrored the void itself. Each crystal reflected its wielder's bloodline.
Together, twelve lights prepared to burn one final time.
"Seniors, you all—!" Feng Luotian shouted, still bound midair, his voice breaking with grief.
"Finish what your father started!" the lead elder said firmly.
And then—twelve crystals shattered in unison.
Blinding explosions of light burst forth as the elders transformed—flesh and spirit twisting into colossal immortal beasts. Their auras surged, shaking the temple's foundations. Even the kings and queens hesitated, thrown off by the sheer intensity.
Virgo Empress narrowed her eyes. "The forbidden skill… Last Breath to Insanity," she murmured, half amused, half scornful.
"A technique that grants unimaginable power—at the cost of one's mind. Turning venerable immortals into savage beasts."
She let out a soft, mocking laugh. "So this is your end, Immortal Zodiacs? Trading reason for a rampage. Do you truly believe it's worth it?"
The leading elder—now a colossal dragon wreathed in divine flame—spoke, his voice shaking the skies. "That's not for us to decide. What matters is how we use the time we have left."
Every elder knew this was their final stand, whether they succeeded or failed. There was no reason to hesitate over the cost.
The Dragon Immortal turned to his beast-formed comrades.
"Give it everything! If any of you can reach Feng Luotian—throw him into the array, no matter what it takes!" With a thunderous roar, he surged forward. The others followed instantly, their monstrous forms crashing into the enemy line.
Fueled by the forbidden skill, the elders forced the kings and queens back. Their enemies regrouped around Virgo Empress and the still-bound Feng Luotian.
Once within a thousand meters of Feng Luotian, the elders unleashed their full might. Dividing into three groups, they enacted their final gambit.
Four beast-forms surged at the kings and queens, locking them in brutal combat. Another four bombarded Virgo Empress with waves of suppressive force, pressing her from all sides to disrupt her control. The last four charged straight for Feng Luotian, determined to cast him into the array even at the cost of their lives.
Virgo Empress frowned, her grip on Feng Luotian faltering under the relentless, multi-directional assault. Yet her power was far from spent.
With a flick of her fingers, four radiant wisps spiraled into existence—each one condensed with divine force. A single wisp was enough to crack the planetary barrier powered by Demon God Emperor.
Now, four of them streaked through the air like judgment itself, aimed at the charging elders with merciless precision.
Among the charging elders, a colossal marten—its fur glistening with celestial light—spoke in a rumbling voice: "You three, go. I'll handle this."
Without waiting for a response, the Marten Immortal darted forward, placing himself directly in the wisps' path.
Boom!
All four radiant wisps struck him dead-on, flames engulfing his colossal form. Even with Last Breath to Insanity, he stood no chance. His body exploded in light and heat, reduced to a drifting crimson mist that painted the sky.
The remaining elders clenched their jaws, grief burning behind their eyes. There was no time to mourn. The other three surged toward Feng Luotian.
Under the suppressive force of the four surrounding elders, Virgo Empress's movements grew heavier. She summoned a silver sword to her hand and poured power into the blade, its edge gleaming with lethal intent.
Sensing the impending strike, Hare Immortal and Python Immortal exchanged a silent glance. Without hesitation, they used their remaining strength together to propel Ape Immortal out of the sword's path.
In the next instant, the blade's light erupted.
Slash!
A silver arc tore through the air, vaporizing everything in its path. Hare Immortal and Python Immortal were sliced into tens of thousands of fragments—vanishing before they could even cry out.
Ape Immortal escaped by the narrowest margin, his massive form tumbling beyond the blade's reach.
At the sight of their deaths, Feng Luotian struggled furiously against the empress's suppressive force, leaving her no time to attack.
Virgo Empress was compelled to refocus her power on suppressing him, granting Ape Immortal an opening to advance.
As Ape Immortal drew within reach of Feng Luotian, success seemed imminent. The four elders restraining the empress detonated their bodies simultaneously. Their final reserves amplified the restraining force, severing the empress's control.
Feng Luotian dashed into Ape Immortal's grasp.
With Luotian secured, Ape Immortal was the only remaining elder with full energy. One throw would complete their mission.
Just before being thrown, Feng Luotian looked back at the empress and said, "Farewell, Virgo Empress."
His voice faltered.
A sudden, bone-deep chill emanated from her gaze.
Slash!
A horrific sound split the air.
Feng Luotian's eyes widened in horror.
Ape Immortal's head was gone—cleaved cleanly, silently—severed by a single, impossibly precise strike.
Virgo Empress had released a fraction more of her true strength. The four self-sacrifices had been enough to hold back her normal power—but not this.
Not even close.
Her voice, calm yet resolute, broke the silence.
"Tian'er, be obedient. Come with me."
Feng Luotian's heart sank.
Eight of the twelve elders were now dead. The remaining four—still bolstered by their monstrous forms—were buckling beneath the sheer might of their enemies. Outnumbered almost three to one by the empress's kings and queens, their downfall was only a matter of time.
The light in Feng Luotian's eyes began to dim.
Hope was slipping through his fingers.
"…!!"
Suddenly, the colossal hand holding him twitched. Despite being headless, Ape Immortal's body still moved.
Feng Luotian's despair turned to shock—then awe. "Thank goodness… it must be a unique ability of Ape Immortal's bloodline!"
For the first time, Virgo Empress's composure cracked.
"No!" she cried, her voice laced with uncharacteristic urgency.
But it was too late.
With the last ounce of his will, Ape Immortal hurled Feng Luotian into the ritual array. Luotian vanished the moment he touched it.
The divine hymn that had been resonating throughout the ritual reached its crescendo.
A profound silence followed—brief, absolute.
Then—
BOOM!
A thunderous detonation shook the very fabric of the cosmos.
Blinding light consumed everything.
Space and time themselves trembled.
In that overwhelming brilliance, a transformation began.
Everything—matter, energy, even the essence of existence—was broken down into infinitesimal particles of radiant light.
They scattered into the void like fireflies, dissolving into the abyss, as if they had been removed from time itself.