A dignified shout cut through the air. The immortals looked up instinctively and saw ck-robed Gu Zichen float down from above.


    The chair that Yang Jian had broken reappeared in the sky. With a wave of his sleeves, Gu Zichen took a seat.


    The immortals looked at each other. Could this expert be....


    Could he the one who’d been organizing the Struggle for the Three Realms all this time?


    “Your Highness....” said the North Pole Emperor despite himself.


    In truth, his first instinct was to call the person "senior." However, when he considered his status as leader of the Heavenly Court, he restrained himself. He’d really lose face if the other immortals of the Heavenly Court saw him start a conversation by referring to himself as a junior.


    Also, there were so many people from the Underworld and Immortal Region present. He couldn’t embarrass the Heavenly Court like that.


    Gu Zichen coldly scanned the immortals. His gaze was so sharp, most of them couldn’t help but look away.


    Then, his gaze fell on Yang Jian, who was lying on the ground and panting heavily.


    Ye Zichen ran to his side and helped him up. "Yang Jian."


    “Bro!”


    Yang Jian’s smiled, but his face was pallid. Although Gu Zichen had held back much of his power, that blow was still more than someone who’d just barely be a supreme could take.


    "I rescued you!"


    Ye Zichen’s face darkened in response. Just now, this idiot had practically killed him.


    But when he considered that Yang Jian, despite his stupidity, had only the best of intentions, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.


    "Mmhm." Ye Zichen smiled and nodded, then looked at Yang Jian anxiously. "How is your current condition?"


    "For better or worse, I’m still the War God of the Heavenly Court. This sort of minor injury is nothing," said Yang Jian with a burst of contemptuousughter. Soon, pale blue light enveloped his body.


    Before long, his pallid face returned to normal. His eyes narrowed as he stood, reaching out with his right hand. Thence he’d thrown earlier felt a pull and rose into the air, trembling as it flew back into his hands.


    Rumble.


    The instant the weapon entered his hands, his aura expanded, disying his full power.


    The vast energy of the stars encircled his body. Suddenly, he disappeared from view.


    Mere seconds after his disappearance, Gu Zichen looked coldly ahead.


    He snapped his fingers


    "Hmph."


    A snort resounded through the air as Gu Zichen suddenly appeared right before Yang Jian. Yang Jian had raised hisnce, intent on attacking Gu Zichen, when he suddenly crashed hard into one of the tform’s stone pirs.


    Bang.


    He fell to the ground.


    The immortals’ eyes widened despite themselves; the blow had left a crack in the stone pir.


    In the past, due to curiosity about how this space had formed, they had once tested the hardness of the materials here. Aside from the wooden chairs, everything here, whether it was the tform, the walls, or the two stone pirs, was rather strange. Even their mightiest attacks failed to leave the slightest mark on any of them.


    Even the North Pole Emperor’s sword was useless despite beingparable to a divine artifact! If he dragged it against the floor, it didn’t leave so much as a single mark.


    However, just now, the pir cracked when Yang Jian mmed into it. How strong must that blow have been? They couldn’t even begin to imagine it.


    But more importantly.....


    "Hmph."


    Yang Jian hadn’t even been injured. He only smiled contemptuously, waved his sleeves, and stood up.


    "You’re pretty strong huh? It looks like I’ll need to warm up properly before ying with you,” he said, licking his lips. On the ground, hisnce started to shift.


    He stretched, cracking his back so loudly, onlookers winced. Gu Zichen simply watched him indifferently.


    After a long while, Yang Jian let out a breath of turbid air, signaling that he’dpleted his warm-up exercises.


    The leisurely bent down to pick up hisnce, his gaze locked on the chair and Gu Zichen.


    The instant his hands touched the de.....


    Woosh. Woosh. Woosh.


    The sound of fierce winds suddenly filled the space. At first, the onlookers could see Yang Jian’s movements with their bare eyes, but before long they couldn’t distinguish anything at all.


    Countless shadows appeared within the space, until suddenly....


    He disappeared.


    There was an abnormal silence following Yang Jian’s sudden disappearance, but Gu Zichen just kept on smiling, then reached forward.


    "You don’t understand the Star of ughter’s true essence at all."


    Gu Zichen’s outstretched hand grabbed Yang Jian’s neck, then tossed him aside. As he fell, he vanished again.


    Gu Zichen grabbed him again,


    Yang Jian disappeared again.


    Gu Zichen grabbed him again.


    He disappeared again.


    Yang Jian disappeared countless times, but it waspletely ineffective against Gu Zichen.


    After watching Yang Jian fail over and over again, Ye Zichen couldn’t help but cry out, "enough!"


    Gu Zichen only shrugged in response, but Yang Jian’s eyes reddened. He reached for hisnce....


    "Battle Intent of the Stars: Perish!"


    p.


    He was greeted by a heartless p.


    "To tell the truth, I’d really like to kill you right now and prevent you from shaming the Star of ughter any further,” said Gu Zichen, expression sinister.


    His blow had Yang Jian flying. Now he approached, walking slowly towards where Yang Jian hadnded.


    "Gu Zichen."


    Ye Zichen saw real killing intent in Gu Zichen’s eyes. He hurriedly stood before Yang Jian and frowned deeply, ring at Gu Zichen.


    “What, do you think I wouldn’t dare kill you? Ye Zichen, didn’t I tell you? You are not my only choice.”


    He wasn’t moved in the slightest.


    The onlooking immortals were all on edge. They pursed their lips as they watched Ye Zichen confront Gu Zichen.


    “Hmph,” with a cold snort, Gu Zichen stopped, then returned to his seat.


    The immortals finally rxed. Meanwhile, Ye Zichen turned to Yang Jian and asked, “you okay?”


    “This sort of minor injury....” Yang Jian tried to be stoic but couldn’t stop himself from coughing up a mouthful of blood. He wiped the corners of his mouth, then sneered, “this guy’s pretty tough. I can’t quite handle him.”


    Of course he couldn’t defeat him.


    Even though Yang Jian inherited the Star of ughter, he’d only just obtained it. His current strength was still barely at the Earth Supreme level.


    Meanwhile, Gu Zichen had be a supreme expert long ago and was at the very least at the Ruler level. With such a vast gulf between them, how could Yang Jian possibly be a match for him?


    “But if you give me just a little time, I can definitely.....” he started to speak but coughed up another mouthful of blood despite himself.


    Ye Zichen frowned. “Stop talking. Hurry up and stabilize your condition, don’t make your injuries any worse.


    "Alright, I know.” Yang Jian grinned. Soon, the pale blue energy of the stars manifested around him, enveloping him in pale blue light.


    Seeing this, Ye Zichen finally rxed. Then his face darkened as he turned, eyes narrowed, and roared, "Gu Zichen!"


    "What?" said Gu Zichen with mild curiosity. "Is there something you’d like to say?"