Fierce gusts howled.
Ye Zichen's sleeves billowed in the wind and his body faintly glowed with imperial light.
Gu Li's gaze was sinister as we watched from his spot not far away. The fortune of the Emperor Star was rightfully his!
Gu Li roared internally, “sooner or later, I'll be taking that back!” Then he retracted his gaze, his former fury replaced by curiosity.
He was actually rather interested to see how Gu Zichen would handle this!
The surrounding immortals watched Gu Zichen and Ye Zichen nervously. By now, none of them could say anything to stop them.
However, they couldn't help but wonder: why could Ye Zichen use spiritual energy when they still couldn't?
Was he using the Power of the Stars too?
They suddenly thought back to imperial aura he'd emanated earlier as well as the recent illumination of the North Pole Star.
“To think it was Brother Ye!” f.u.xi nodded in understanding, then tensed up even further.
Since the Emperor Star had illuminated, nothing could happen to Ye Zichen. Perhaps the people of the Lower Three Realms didn't fully understand what the Emperor Star represented, but f.u.xi had been to the G.o.d Realm. He knew full well how important it was.
“Brother Ye.”
Ye Zichen paid their attempts at persuasion no heed. He simply fixed his bloodshot eyes on Gu Zichen. “Will you let me go, or not?”
“Wasn't the lesson I taught you earlier enough?” Sensing Ye Zichen's murderous intent, Gu Zichen's expression twisted, becoming somewhat unsightly. “You're so weak, how dare you even consider killing me?”
“Let me out!” said Ye Zichen.
“I said no, so no,” said Gu Zichen. “You must wait here until the voting is complete. I know full well what you're worried about, but if you left now, could you even do anything?”
He squinted at Ye Zichen and said, “if the situation on the outside is terrible, it'll be terrible even with you there.”
“Are you going to let me out or not?” Ye Zichen was in no mood to consider what he'd just heard. He was inwardly frantic; his sixth sense told him that the situation out there wasn't good.
Furthermore, if you paid attention, Gu Zichen suggested the situation might be terrible.
But he never so much as mentioned any other possibility!
Others might think Ye Zichen was overly stubborn and unwilling to listen, but in his shoes, with loved ones on the brink of unknowable disaster, who wouldn't be that way?
Ye Zichen was originally a mortal. He couldn't simply sever his mortal ties like someone who'd been cultivating for thousands of years.
“It seems I've been too soft with you.”
With that, Gu ZIchen raised his hand. It turned into a hand-seal which launched at Ye Zichen. The onlookers' pupils constricted.
Bang.
A beam of light suddenly appeared between Ye Zichen and Gu Zichen.
“Who'd let you hurt him?”
These words were obviously directed at Gu Zichen. Sensing the voice's childish, yet chilly tone, the immortals all looked over.
“Meng Xiang.”
The group from the Underworld was the first to recognize her. Although she was merely a probationary Meng Po, her cuteness was beloved throughout the Underworld.
Ye Zichen arched his brows in surprise. That name….. It seemed somewhat familiar.
Suddenly, he thought back to when he'd visited the underworld. It seemed that he'd encountered a child named Meng Xiang.
Could this be her?
But if he wasn't mistaken, that child had only been at the Human Immortal level. Now she could block Gu Zichen's attack?
Even if Gu Zichen hadn't used his full strength, even if he'd only used a tenth….
It was still more than even an Immortal King could bear!
“Who would let you hurt him?” Her cold gaze bore into Gu Zichen. If the immortals from the Underworld looked closely, they could tell she looked taller and more mature than before.
Before, she'd been adorable, but now she was coldly elegant.
She stared intently at Gu Zichen, expression fearless.
“You're finally here.” Gu Zichen smiled, ignoring Meng Xiang's question and returning to his seat.
She watched him a few seconds longer, then turned to Ye Zichen and examined him nervously. “You're not hurt, are you?”
“I'm not.”
“That's good.”
Meng Xiang smiled. The immortals watched in confusion. Rather, you could say her sudden appearance confused them.
“Little Meng Xiang, what are you doing here?”
The Underworld immortals below the platform called out. Meng Xian blinked, then turned to look at them. “The Emperor sent me here.”
“The Emperor!”
There was a sudden commotion amongst the crowd. Seeing this, Gu Li had a sudden ill premonition.
“Little Meng Xiang, did the Emperor entrust anything to you?”
“Entrust?”
Meng Xiang pursed her lips as a card appeared in her hand. It was exactly the same as the ones the immortals had used to cast their votes earlier.
“He asked me to come here and vote on his behalf. As for this vote….”
Ding.
In the center of the platform, the vote counts suddenly changed. Ye Zichen's score had been tied for first place, but now his score increased by one.
Instantly, a ray of light landed on Ye Zichen's head.
“The election is now complete. The winner is the Yellow Emperor, Ye Zichen, with 29 votes. He shall receive the seal of the Lord of the Three Realms. Everyone else shall receive spiritual power, faith power, or divine treasures according to their rank.”
Gu Zichen pointed at the crowd. Soon, each immortals' body was enveloped in rosy light.
“The rewards have already been distributed. After confirming your reward, please feel free to depart.”
With that, he and Ye Zichen simultaneously disappeared.
After receiving prizes, the immortals sense that their bodies had changed somehow. When they opened their spatial artifacts, they found that heavenly materials and divine artifacts had mysteriously appeared within.
Rumble.
A gate opened within the pure white s.p.a.ce. Immediately, the major powers spoke. “We shouldn't delay any longer. Let's hurry back and prepare.”
“Brother f.u.xi is right. I've got to hurry back to the Heavenly Court.”
“Farewell!”
“Farewell!”
One by one, the immortals departed, while those from the Underworld converged around Little Meng Xiang.
It had to be said: Little Meng Xiang was one of the Underworld's rare beauties and the object of many male immortals' affections.
“Little Meng Xiang, let's go back together,” said one of the Underworld immortals.
Meng Xiang narrowed her eyes and laughed. “No thanks, I've got some business to take care of. Also, in the future, don't call me 'little Meng Xiang.' Call me 'Little Fairy' instead!”
With that, she floated off into the distance.
Gu Li stood in a corner. Although no one noticed it, his face was contorted with hatred. Suddenly, he lashed out at the immortals below the platform.
