"... Who else did you tell about those words just now?"
"No one of course, otherwise, what if you want to silence me?"
Senior Gem Emperor smiled and said, "Smart. But, why would someone as smart as you come to me today to open all your cards?"
Wang Lu said, "It could be said that curiosity is the cause, or unwillingness to be a spectator. Try to stand in my perspective: Even the leader of the Earth Immortals has to deal with the enemy with great difficulty and even do it in a roundabout way. If I don't care about it, isn't that the way to die?"
Senior Gem Emperor was silent for a while and said, "You guessed it right, the opponent is very powerful, such that I can't even deal with it at will. But that's why you should do what you can to avoid getting yourself suck into this. I'm not kidding when I said I will protect you."
Wang Lu said, "Of course I know it. A leader would not go back on one's own words. But, to be honest, I don't think you can even protect yourself, how can you protect us? And even though our overall accomplishments are not as good as those of our predecessors, we also have irreplaceable advantages and might not need your protection… Don't dismiss this, do you think you really are strong enough to go against the heaven in fighting alone in the City of Immortals? Without me throwing out the game, you would've lost."
"Hahaha!" Senior Gem Emperor smiled again. "Wang Lu, you really know how to joke… But if you are serious, I would like to hear, when did you throw away the game?"
Wang Lu faintly said, "For more than twenty days of the competition, I have always been on the sidelines, never competing in person. Isn't this the biggest throw away?"
"... So, what you want to say is, if you personally compete, you can win against me?"
Wang Lu nodded. "That's right. If I did it myself, you would've been defeated."
Senior Gem Emperor was silent for a while, and then couldn't help but smile, "Are you serious? You, a Jindan Stage cultivator, really think you can defeat me? If it's your Master, I would be more serious, but you… all right, since you are that confident, why don't you try it."
Before her words ended, Wang Lu had already stepped forward and made his move. Without any preamble, Primal Chaos Heaven Splitting Sword Qi went straight toward Senior Gem Emperor.
"Zhong Shengming's Primal Chaos Heaven Splitting Sword Qi is indeed powerful, but without cultivation stage of Deity or higher, the sword god only has its appearance. Yet, you have the impertinence to use it against me?"
While speaking, Senior Gem Emperor held out a finger and put her finger tip on Rouge Tears. The delicate jade like fingertip slightly bent the tip of Rouge Tears, making its body twisted and causing it to groan painfully, as if it was going to break.
One sword against one finger, the difference in strength was worlds apart. At that time, Senior Gem Emperor did not even use her real Earth Immortal strength.
Previously, she had bound her strength within the realm of Jindan. Within her vast-body-of-water-like immortal spirit, a trace solidified into a core and fought Wang Lu at the same Jindan Stage level.
The competition in the City of Immortals did not have level limitations, but this time, Senior Gem Emperor suppressed her own power and did not use the strength of an Earth Immortal.
Since Wang Lu wanted a fight, then she would fight according to the rules that were good for him. To win within those rules would make him convinced and speechless. This was not only an Emperor's generosity, but also Senior Gem Emperor's preferential treatment to Wang Lu.
Wang Lu accepted this preferential treatment without politeness. If the first sword strike failed, he would launch the second one.
This sword strike came very fast and extremely concealed. The sword light was completely covered in the shadow of Rouge Tears, but its power was not inferior to that of Immortal Sword.
However, Senior Gem Emperor was like a prophet, her other hand, out of nowhere, appeared in front of this sneaking sword, so that it could not move at all.
With two fingers, Wang Lu's sword attacks were easily stopped. Wang Lu's face gradually turned red, his whole body boiled like a rolling lava as he continuously sent out his power. On the other hand, Senior Gem Emperor's complexion was indifferent.
Such a huge disparity in level. Senior Gem Emperor's power had even far surpassed the other Earth Immortals.
As the main contestant in the competition, Wang Lu had more than doubled his strength after a long period of intensive training and strengthening compared with that of before the competition. He was still in peak Jindan Stage, but the current peak was different from the previous peak. Right now, he had the ability to compete with common Earth Immortal in Jindan Stage level.
However, in front of Senior Gem Emperor, everything seemed to be back to square one.
"Trying to fight me with brute force… Wang Lu, you are too unreasonable. I am disappointed with you."
As she said this, Senior Gem Emperor looked up, turned the virtual golden core using her immortal spirit qi that it frantically rotated, and thus released countless golden threads. These threads were radiated from her body and woven into a huge net to wrap Wang Lu up tightly like a cocoon.
"Calm down. I had expected a lot from you."
Senior Gem Emperor said with a slight sigh. A flash of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
She really had high hopes for Wang Lu. Although the young cultivator was not strong, he had countless bright ideas and often could bring a breath of fresh air. Senior Gem Emperor had long decided that when she unified Nine Regions, he would give Wang Lu an important position to display his talent.
That would be a more substantial post than being the chief planner of the Organizing Committee. At the same time, she would also fully help Wang Lu to improve his cultivation. By means of Earth Immortals and Wang Lu's stunning Void Spirit Root, his strength would surely grow by leaps and bounds. If she used the secret treasure deep in the Tomb of Immortals, it would only take thirty years at the most or even a few years at the shortest, to get him to the threshold of Earth Immortals.
Right now, however, her expectations seemed too high.
Although Wang Lu was talented, he still couldn't avoid some common problems among young people: hot-headed and a gambler's mentality.
Could he not think of the power gap between the two sides? Yet, he still chose to use force… though, the sharpness of his sword did exceed her expectations.
After thinking about it, Senior Gem Emperor raised her right hand, and on the tip of her white-as-jade index finger, a drop of blood was particularly eye-catching.
Unfortunately, it was still too light… Senior Gem Emperor shook her head, pushed those thoughts out of her mind, and was ready to continue to deal with the affairs of the World Dragons.
However, at this time, there was a crackling sound from behind her. Senior Gem Emperor's face changed dramatically.
"Wang Lu, are you crazy?"
The white cocoon was made by Senior Gem Emperor with her virtual golden core, like an extension of her body, thus her sensitivity with the cocoon was very high. Wang Lu was trapped in the cocoon, and his every move was under the control of Senior Gem Emperor.
Thus, Senior Gem Emperor immediately found out what Wang Lu was doing.
He blew himself up.
After more than thirty years of cultivation, the golden core bearing the entire path of immortal cultivation of Wang Lu exploded in the young man's indifferent smile. Golden Core, which was stronger and more indestructible than any metal, was torn to pieces by powerful explosive force.
At this moment, even a veteran like Senior Gem Emperor was stunned for a moment.
Wang Lu surprised her again and made an absolutely unexpected choice.
He blew himself up!
Was that necessary? This was not a life and death fight. Was it necessary to set aside one's own future and even one's own life for a mere victory?
Even if he used the power of self-exploding golden core to get out of trouble… or even win the fight, was it really a win? Even the basic of gains and losses were unclear, how could she be assured that he could be entrusted with more important responsibilities?
In a flash, Senior Gem Emperor had thought about a lot of things, and she also did one thing.
She dissolved the cocoon and let the power of Wang Lu's self exploding golden core be released—otherwise, the violent power would be enclosed in a narrow space. Even if Wang Lu could survive the bounce back attack of the self exploding golden core, he would be torn by the violent explosion.
Although Senior Gem Emperor was disappointed in Wang Lu's performance, she would not just sit by and watch him die.
However, in the moment when Senior Gem Emperor dissolved the cocoon, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked into the cocoon incredulously as a purple sword came straight at her.
It was difficult to describe this sword qi with words.
Although in essence, sword qi was just the essence of true yuan of the sword cultivation, this sword qi was like a living person—it contained a trace of inconceivable magical power.
Driven by this magical power, the purple sword light easily passed through the three lines of defense arranged by Senior Gem Emperor in front of her and instantly went straight at her.
The next moment, Senior Gem Emperor felt a slight cold on her forehead as she was lightly touched by the sword.
Of course, the sword qi didn't go any further. Senior Gem Emperor's body still remained at the level of Earth Immortals, which meant it was almost indestructible.
But this sword had touched her vital part, which clearly showed one thing.
She had lost.
Senior Gem Emperor was silent and looked at the debris of the cocoon, and Wang Lu's figure slowly emerged. The purple sword qi was then taken back by him.
After a long time, Senior Gem Emperor sighed and said, "Golden core break, Yuanying out. That was the sword of Yuanying. You chose to break through at this time and unexpectedly you could!"
After golden core broke, Yuanying went out. This was the level that countless cultivators in the world experienced. A cultivator fused their golden core with the main path, and then blended their primordial spirit into it to refine the main path inside the core into a living thing. Henceforth, there were more magical abilities and miraculous power, which was the path of Jindan to Yuanying. This was also the path that Senior Gem Emperor once walked.
Therefore, Senior Gem Emperor understood very well that if a cultivator broke through Jindan Stage to Yuanying Stage by means of golden core explosion, true yuan would overflow and would lead to a flash of qualitative change, resulting in a sword sublimation that could reach the level of High Level Yuanying Stage in an instant.
However, this sword basically existed only in theory. After all, in practice, who would fight someone while in the process of breaking the golden core into Yuanying? Jindan to Yuanying was a difficult hurdle on the path of immortal cultivation. If there was even a bit of mistake, people could die. The case where the golden core broke but Yuanying could not come out was already too many to count.
Thus, Senior Gem Emperor had no idea that Wang Lu would hide this bottom card here.
Suddenly, the sword sublimation came out, which was an invincible existence in Jindan Stage level fight. The multiple lines of defense that Senior Gem Emperor set up in front of her body were designed based on Jindan Stage Wang Lu, which could ensure a twice as strong Wang Lu could not break through. In front of a Yuanying sword, however, these lines of defense were vulnerable, and they were instantly pierced...
"Fighting against you with brute force, I have no chance of winning, so I have to use my brain." Wang Lu said with a smile, "Now, do you admit that you are not that omnipotent?"