The four instantly made their move with incredible speed to the astonishment of the crowd.
It looked as if all four attacked at the same time but this wasn’t the case.
In the beginning, the emperor was the first initiator but the Four Esteemed King’s sound wave started the attack. Next came the emperor’s sword domain at virtually the exact period.
Finally, the Tree Observer and the deer merchant worked together. The observer channeled his majestic energy into the old man’s antlers for an imperceptible thrust aiming at Li Qiye’s chest.
In fact, all of this happened within a single blink of an eye. However, at their level, plenty could be accomplished within a blink.
The sound wave, sword domain, and the antlers were coming at the same time. This was actually impressive teamwork.
The first two were fatal attacks but they didn’t think this was enough to kill Li Qiye. The actual purpose was to hide the deer merchant’s technique.
They purposely utilized two moves that were obvious and explosive with enough force to scare anyone. However, the antler thrust was the exact opposite - fast and silent.
People would only notice the sword domain and the sound wave. They didn’t care too much about the incoming antlers.
However, this thrust was actually the real ace card with enough sharpness and speed to pierce Li Qiye’s chest.
“Look!” The powerful Eternals here could sense the danger coming from the antlers. They felt as if it was their own heart being penetrated just by watching.
It was already too late once they sensed the danger.
“Pluff!” The thrust managed to pierce Li Qiye’s heart, time and space, grand dao, and even physical confinements of heaven and earth.
Blood began to drip from the antlers after the successful connection. The crowd looked down at their own chest, overwhelmed by the illusion of being victims when this wasn’t the case.
“Damn!” One cultivator cried out. This illusion seemed so real and horrifying.
They then focused their gaze on Li Qiye with their mouth agape. Time seemed to be coming to a halt.
The sound wave and sword domain instantly struck him, wishing to crush him to a pulp.
“It’s over for Li Qiye-” One commenter believed.
Time seemed to be extending infinitely. Whenever these commenters would speak, their words stretched forever. It would take a lifetime to finish their sentences.
“It’s horrifying-” No one was spared from this temporal phenomenon while watching Li Qiye’s chest being pierced. They thought that it was over for Li Qiye.
In actuality, these experts didn’t realize that there was something wrong. They were still stuck in this stretched timeline.
As for Jade-break True Emperor, she immediately realized that something was wrong. Someone seemed to be controlling time as if it was an insignificant entity completely under their control.
‘Buzz.” The unaware crowd finally felt something at this second - someone pushing time forward just a bit.
While the dark bolts were holding Li Qiye in place and contesting against the omnipresent flame, Li Qiye’s chest has been pierced by the antlers.
However, a second Li Qiye suddenly split from the original one and quickly turned back.
“Boom!” The flow of time started with Li Qiye punching the king, sending him flying with a crushed jaw with blood gushing everywhere. People then heard the sound of bone breaking a while afterward.
Time froze again with the king’s defeat; this process looked like one page of a picture book.
Then came the next page starting with Li Qiye delivering a vertical stomp against Puresword True Emperor. The latter smashed into the ground, staining it with blood. His body fragmented all over the place. “Boom! Boom! Boom!” The sounds came afterward just like before.
“Boom!” The third page ensued with another kick from Li Qiye against the Tree Observer. His gigantic body was cut off by the waist before being sent flying by another kick, slamming into a massive star. More loud bangings ensued after the image.
Next was the fourth page. Li Qiye had a firm grip on the pair of antlers and lifted the deer merchant up then slammed him multiple times onto the stars. Each time ended with blood splashing all over the sky.
Each slam was another page turning and this happened very quickly. People saw the small details of the deer merchant being mangled and eviscerated.
“Buzz.” The spectators were naturally shocked by these terrifying images. Time started flowing again in the area after a buzzing noise.
“Oooo!” They then heard the miserable scream of the dark creature. Ink-like blood started spraying everywhere as the planetary creature finally got torn into two pieces by Li Qiye.
This signaled the end for it - being slowly tortured to death. He then threw it down on the ground.
The world became silent. The deer merchant, emperor, sword domain, sound waves, antlers? Nowhere to be found.
The only thing left was a mess - the bloodied emperor laying on the ground, his body in shambles. The king was blown far away with his chin completely shattered. The Tree Observer was cut in half by a single leg sweep, and the deer merchant was utterly smashed.