Chapter 836: Heaven and Earth Collapse

Meanwhile, Zu An, who had been rushing along with Bi Linglong, was also forced to stop by the sudden changes in the world around them.

Not to mention Bi Linglong's current extreme weakness, even at her peak, she might not have been able to stand steadily on the ground, which was now heaving like ocean waves.

She let out a cry of surprise and then fell into a warm embrace.

"Are you alright?" Zu An asked, holding her as he flew a few meters into the air. He didn't dare to fly too high, wishing to avoid being spotted by the Emperor from afar.

"I'm fine," she replied. Held in his arms, Bi Linglong's face flushed. A maiden's modesty instinctively made her want to push him away.

However, as they were in mid-air, pushing him away would mean falling into the terrifying, undulating earth below.

To alleviate her embarrassment, she quickly asked, "What's happening?"

Zu An shook his head. "I don't know. It feels like there's a major change occurring within this secret realm. The spatial elements are incredibly unstable right now. Perhaps a great upheaval will happen in this land very soon."

Usually, as the Crown Princess, Bi Linglong maintained a lofty, dignified demeanor. But held in his arms, she felt soft and delicate. It seemed even the toughest woman became pliant when embraced.

Catching the sweet scent of expensive palace incense from her clothes, Zu An secretly sighed. People often say it's glorious to die under a peony, and he never imagined such a thing would actually happen to him.

If he had a few more years, he was confident he could challenge the Emperor, but the gap in their power was simply too vast right now.

"Heh, you're using what I taught you to flirt? How shameless," Mi Li's displeased voice cut into his thoughts.

"We're family, why distinguish between yours and mine? What's mine is yours, and naturally, what's yours is mine," Zu An immediately said with a fawning smile.

"Who's family with you?" Mi Li snorted. "You're too much of a philanderer, and you're not very respectful toward me on a daily basis. This won't do. From now on, you're not allowed to call me 'sister' or anything similar. We shall address each other as master and disciple."

"Master and disciple?" Zu An's expression turned strange.

"What, you're unwilling?" Mi Li's voice suddenly rose. "Without my guidance, could you have grown to this level in such a short time? You should know countless people begged me to take them as disciples back then, and I didn't even give them a second glance. Today, I'm offering to take you as a disciple, and you're still making excuses."

"Of course, I'm willing," Zu An said with a smile. After spending these past days together, their initial mutual wariness had transformed into trust. What she had taught him had indeed benefited him greatly, especially her insights that transcended their era. "But we've been getting along so well as siblings, why suddenly change to master and disciple?"

"Never mind that," Mi Li said, appearing somewhat preoccupied. "Are you willing or not?"

"Alright," Zu An agreed, sensing her unusual demeanor and not pressing further. "But given the current situation, I suppose there's no way to arrange a proper initiation ceremony for you."

"You don't need any of that. Just call me 'master'," Mi Li said.

"Ma... ster..." He felt a little embarrassed at first, but once he said it, it didn't seem like a big deal.

"Good disciple," Mi Li said, a gentle smile appearing on her usually beautiful and dignified face.

Zu An was speechless.

He had initially thought she had some secret worry or unavoidable difficulty, but now it felt as if she was simply trying to take advantage of him.

Oh well, whether she was his master or not didn't really matter. After all, in the novels from his previous life, 'riding one's master' was standard practice.

At that moment, Bi Linglong's voice broke through. "Changes in heaven and earth... Oh, as if we weren't miserable enough already, it's truly like a leaky roof meeting a continuous night of rain."

Hearing the despair in her tone, Zu An comforted her, "Quite the opposite. Precisely because of this sudden upheaval, we might just find a glimmer of hope."

Bi Linglong paused, then, being an intelligent person herself, quickly grasped the logic. She couldn't help but exclaim, "You might be a bit unconventional normally, but at critical moments, you're calmer than anyone else."

"I can't help it," Zu An chuckled. "It's all training forged in the midst of life and death."

Bi Linglong, however, realized something she had never considered before. Yes, based on the information she had gathered, this man had been walking on the precipice of life and death ever since he left Mingyue City.

Thinking of this, she felt both heartache and admiration.

Zu An, at this moment, felt a touch of apology. "I'm sorry. I dragged you into this. Originally, you could have continued to be the Crown Princess, living a peaceful life."

Bi Linglong shook her head. "Ever since what happened between us in the Hundred Flowers Palace, he could never have tolerated my existence. Sigh, I really didn't expect that Rui Zhi would be possessed by the Emperor."

Although there had been no love between her and the Crown Prince over the years, they had been husband and wife for so long. Even raising a cat or dog for years could foster some affection, so learning that he had been possessed by his own father naturally caused her some sadness.

"Indeed, no one could have predicted this," Zu An said. "It's just that the Emperor has held power for too long, and his obsession with immortality has grown too strong. To achieve his goals, he's willing to try all sorts of crooked and evil methods."

"What should we do next?" Bi Linglong had lost her usual shrewdness and decisiveness. After all, she was still a young woman, and anyone would be stunned after experiencing so many blows in a single day.

The thought that her husband was actually her father-in-law sent shivers down her spine, making her feel nauseous.

And considering the Emperor's unbeatable cultivation, where in this vast world could she possibly find refuge?

"First, let's escape from this secret realm," Zu An said. "Worst case, I'll take you to the Northern Demon Race territories. No matter how powerful the Emperor is, his influence won't reach there."

"The Demon Race?" Bi Linglong was startled, then shook her head. "No, I have my family behind me. If someone of my status sought refuge with the Demon Race, it would cause a huge uproar and lead to countless family members dying because of me."

Chu Chuyan and Zheng Dan had already shown Zu An the sense of responsibility women in this world held towards their families. He quickly explained, "I'm not asking you to openly declare your identity. If we live in seclusion there secretly, you naturally won't have these concerns."

"Seclusion..." Bi Linglong's pretty face suddenly flushed. It sounded too much like eloping with him.

Her heart quickened at the thought, but then she quickly remembered the capital and her ambitions, realizing years of effort had come to nothing. Her spirits dimmed once more.

"Heh, still thinking of eloping?" Just then, a voice echoed from a distance.

Zu An and Bi Linglong's faces simultaneously changed. It was the Emperor's voice!

He was about to flee with Bi Linglong in his arms, but the surrounding air and elemental energy seemed to solidify, making it impossible for him to move even an inch.

Zhao Ruizhi's corpulent figure appeared on the horizon. With a single, light step, he instantly stood before them.

"They're here!" At that moment, He Li's excited cry rang out. He had rushed forth with his men, but seeing the Emperor arrive before them, cold sweat immediately broke out. He quickly flattered him, "Your Majesty indeed possesses world-shaking power, arriving first despite starting later. Your humble subordinate is utterly impressed."

Zu An and Bi Linglong both frowned. Had these people already pledged allegiance to the Emperor?

What was the point of fighting, then? Even dealing with this group of experts from Prince Qi's mansion alone would be difficult, let alone with the Emperor present.

Zu An's heart sank, but he hadn't completely lost his fighting spirit. He grimly thought, at worst, he could use his 'keyboard' ability to unleash a grand boast and take the Emperor down with him.

As if she knew his thoughts, Mi Li's voice came through: "Don't be impulsive. It hasn't come to that yet."

Zu An brightened. "Are you going to act?"

Mi Li shook her head. "If I had my body back, perhaps, but in my current state, I'm no match for him either."

Zu An was speechless.

"Under his energy suppression, I can't even move. How am I supposed to fight him?"

Mi Li explained, "This must be his domain. In short, he's used his formidable cultivation to redefine the elemental energy rules of this space, which is why you're so passive. Wait a moment, I'll deconstruct these rules again, and then you should be able to move freely."

Zu An gave a wry smile inwardly. She certainly thought highly of him. Even if he could move, he still couldn't win.

But he quickly suppressed that thought. At worst, he would die standing tall. He might lose his life, but he wouldn't lose his momentum.

As if sensing his fighting spirit, a hint of surprise flickered in the Emperor's eyes. "Oh? You, a mere servant, possess some pride. Indeed, you're not one to remain subservient. I cannot let you live."

As he spoke, he raised a finger, unwilling to waste any more words, intending to directly eliminate them.

At that moment, his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly looked down.

A violent rumble emanated from deep within the earth, much louder than previous tremors, and showing no signs of stopping.

The ground began to split open, revealing bottomless fissures. Some of Prince Qi's loyal guards, unable to dodge in time, fell into them, their screams echoing horribly.

Just then, Zu An suddenly realized he could move. He quickly embraced Bi Linglong and flew into the air, evading the giant cracks constantly appearing on the ground.

"Empress... Master, did you successfully break his domain?" Zu An asked excitedly.

Mi Li shook her head. "No, the rules of this world have changed. The Emperor's domain, in the end, cannot compare to the true might of heaven and earth."

Seeing Zu An's arm wrapped around Bi Linglong's slender waist, and Bi Linglong clinging tightly to him, a fierce killing intent erupted in Zhao Ruizhi's eyes from not far away.

Rage points from Zhao Hao +777 +777 +777...