Emperor Cloudcrest appeared before the Ji Brothers as an ethereal mist.
The three brothers bowed their heads respectfully and greeted him.
"Greetings, Emperor!" they said in unison.
Cloudcrest smiled as he looked at them. "Now that you're within range of this scourge that must be erased from the face of the world, Yang Wei, you should quickly destroy him and claim your reward," he instructed. His words may have sounded cruel, but his voice was the exact opposite; that of an angel's.
Ji Wu lifted his head and assured, "We won't disappoint you, Emperor."
Cloudcrest chuckled gently. "There's no need to worry about disappointing me. If you fail, you'll just go back to your normal lives as bottom-tier cultivators struggling to get by in your backwater dao layer," he said bluntly before vanishing, leaving them with his harsh but true words.
This was Emperor Cloudcrest's way of ensuring he got the best results from them. He knew they had immense talent but lacked the resources to flourish. Now that he had offered them this opportunity, it was up to them to seize it.
...
In the Sacred-Emperor's Domain of the Eternal Lands, Cloudcrest watched the proceedings from his throne. Noble Flamehorn stood beside him, also observing through a rift in space.
"Your Perfection, will they really be able to kill this Yang Wei?" Flamehorn asked.
Cloudcrest smiled confidently. "Hopefully. I've given them an inheritance and granted each of them an Earth Harmony Core, thus making them Spirit Ascension cultivators."
Flamehorn raised an eyebrow. "Is this Yang Wei so strong that you need to empower these three so much to face him? Spirit Ascension cultivators can easily destroy major worlds, if I remember correctly."
Cloudcrest relaxed on his throne and crossed his legs. "I've known Lingxi since she was a child. She would never be attracted to any man who isn't stronger than her. Having a powerful love interest motivates her to become even stronger."
Flamehorn chuckled. "Then that means when she finally marries you, she'll be motivated to be as strong as you, the most powerful being I, Flamehorn, respect," he commented him genuinely.
Cloudcrest chuckled softly and gently waved a hand dismissively. "Oh no, I'm not that strong," he said. "After all, my father, Sacred-Emperor, is far more powerful than me. And let's not forget about my little brother; he's just as powerful."
Flamehorn rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Well, for now, maybe. But when you reacquire your Celestial Star Core, you'll become an unstoppable force again."
All the kindness in Cloudcrest's visage vanished as his expression turned more menacing. He tightened his fist. "That's the plan," he said. "The only obstacle now is this repugnant swine, Yang Wei. To think Lingxi would be in love with a man who's nothing but a mere mortal."
Noble Flamehorn nodded in agreement with Cloudcrest's assessment.
Suddenly, Cloudcrest began to cough heavily.
Chen Yuxi's eyes widened in shock. She was even unable to rise from her seat, instead she tightened her grip on the chair's arms and said, "This spiritual pressure... There's no way any entity of this caliber should be here. Its aura is above Nascent Soul Realm, maybe even beyond..."
Sun Yurong gave Chen Yuxi a serious side-eye. "Perhaps a 2nd Path Cultivator?" she suggested.
Chen Yuxi nodded slowly, her expression grave.
Gu Zhi exclaimed, "This is a disaster!" She leaped out of her seat, but the sudden movement caused her back to snap, and she cried out in pain. "Arrgh! My back!"
Gu Yen, still seated with her walking stick, sighed tiredly and chided, "Zhi'er, I told you we're not as young as we used to be. Stop jumping around unnecessarily."
After clearing her head, Sun Yurong said, "We'll have to cancel the trial and summon back all the—"
But, she paused when she realized the female disciples were already returning in flashes of purple light. This was Ji Wu's doing, ensuring their safety in case of any aftermath from the battle with Yang Wei.
However, no one but the Ji Brothers knew this.
The female disciples looked around in confusion, wondering how they ended up back at the starting point. Gu Zhi, still nursing her back, said, "It seems the younglings are back." She winced in pain as her wrinkled face contorted.
Chen Yuxi adjusted her glasses, "That's quite odd. Did they use the blood pendants? All at the same time, too?"
"No," Sun Yurong frowned, looking somewhat furious. "Something or someone must've summoned them out of the Red Snake Mountains."
...
Meanwhile...
Ji Wu stood atop his huge purple phoenix with his muscular arms crossed behind his back. "Prepare to die, Yang Wei!" he declared.
...
In a deeper part of the blood-red forests, Yang Wei suddenly sneezed.
Liu Yan looked at him concernedly and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, someone's probably just talking bad about me..." he said while vigorously rubbing his nose.