Chapter 840: Chasing Me Won't Catch Up

"Will this place fall again?" Bi Linglong's face was extremely pale; clearly, she didn't want to experience what had just happened again.

"Not likely in the short term," Zu An said, observing the floating island. It wasn't very large, perhaps a few hundred square meters, covered with rocks and trees, and floating in mid-air.

He had seen such things in movies or games before, so it wasn't a strange sight. However, he couldn't understand the principle behind its levitation, especially when everything else was plummeting downwards.

Below them, the sky had imperceptibly filled with a thick layer of black mist. Soon, the red streak they had seen earlier was obscured by the fog, becoming barely visible.

Within the oppressive black mist, lightning flashed and thunder roared, with many bolts seemingly rolling through the clouds.

"These clouds seem to be getting thicker, and they're rising at a visible rate, aren't they?" Bi Linglong was saying when suddenly a huge fireball descended from above.

"Watch out!" Zu An reacted quickly, pulling her behind him.

The enormous fireball grazed the edge of the floating island and plummeted downwards. Even though it only skimmed the perimeter, the ground beneath their feet shattered, and a small portion of the island broke off and fell.

The entire floating island trembled violently, as if it could disintegrate at any moment.

Realizing the island was still unstable, Zu An quickly led her to its very center.

"Are we going to die?" Bi Linglong clung tightly to his arm. Feeling the island shake, she knew that if it shattered, falling would be certain death.

"Don't worry," Zu An said, smiling to reassure her. "A fortune teller said I'm destined to marry ten wives. I'm still far from that, so I won't die so easily."

"Bah, that fortune teller isn't any good either," Bi Linglong spat, her face flushing. This guy was truly a lecher; even at a time like this, he still had the nerve to joke around.

Yet, she also felt a hint of admiration. His bright smile inexplicably calmed her chaotic heart. She had always prided herself on her strong mental fortitude, but compared to him, she still fell short. His optimism truly was contagious.

Just then, a voice, clearly suppressing anger, came from a distance: "How much longer do you two plan to hug?"

Rage points from Zhao Hao +433 +433 +433...

The two quickly turned around and saw Zhao Ruizhi on another floating island in the distance, glaring at them with fiery eyes. Evidently, he hadn't fallen into the "sky abyss" below but had found refuge on that island. His island was many times larger than theirs, looking more like a small mountain. He Li and the surviving guards from Prince Qi's mansion were almost all on that island.

They could even vaguely discern many fierce beasts in the forested area, though at that moment, they were merely observing their surroundings in terror, with no inclination to fight.

Seeing his murderous gaze, the color drained from Bi Linglong's face. Clearly, the emperor's power had left an indelible shadow in her heart over the years.

Knowing that escape was likely impossible this time, she found courage from somewhere and, standing on tiptoe, kissed Zu An on the cheek.

Zu An froze, utterly unprepared for such a sudden gesture from her.

The others in the distance were also stunned. The Crown Princess... what was she doing?

Only He Li inwardly exclaimed, "Oh my goodness!" and then quietly moved back a bit. He had survived the recent cataclysm and didn't want to be implicated now.

"Good, good, good!" Zhao Ruizhi laughed in exasperation. "Die!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he flew towards them. Although they were a hundred *zhang* apart, that distance was nothing to him.

Despair filled Bi Linglong's heart, and she could only cling tightly to the man beside her, as if only by doing so could she find some solace.

Zu An's hair stood on end. Although he knew he was no match, giving up resistance and waiting for death with closed eyes was not his style.

Just then, over a dozen dazzling purple lightning bolts suddenly struck upwards from the clouds below. Each bolt was almost as thick as a dragon, but their power far surpassed that of any dragon.

These lightning bolts almost instantly locked onto Zhao Ruizhi in the air, engulfing him completely.

Zu An's heart filled with joy. Was the emperor going to be struck dead by lightning? What a stroke of luck! He vowed to erect a plaque for the Thunder God back home and offer incense daily in worship.

Incidentally, he had transmigrated in his previous life because of a mysterious lightning bolt, which made him feel a bit apprehensive whenever he saw lightning. Yet, today, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

However, his hopes were quickly dashed. Zhao Ruizhi glowed with golden light, and a golden shield, like an eggshell, appeared around him, miraculously blocking the dozen terrifying lightning bolts.

"Is he even human?" Zu An's eyes widened. The thought of fighting such a powerful opponent filled him with a profound sense of helplessness, despite his firm resolve.

What comforted him was that Zhao Ruizhi wasn't completely at ease either. After enduring the dozen thunderbolts, his golden shield developed countless cracks and then shattered into pieces the next moment.

Just then, the clouds below churned, and countless lightning bolts seemed to gather again. His expression changed, and he hastily returned to his previous floating island. With their target gone, the lightning bolts gradually subsided.

Zhao Ruizhi stood at the edge of his floating island, his face ashen, looking down at the oppressive black clouds below.

However, seeing the shameless pair still tightly embracing on the opposite island, a surge of dark fury erupted within him. He unleashed a golden finger-force directly at the two of them.

If he couldn't come over directly, destroying them from a distance would serve the same purpose!

But the moment that golden energy shot out from his island, several terrifying lightning bolts appeared the very next second, forcibly dispersing it.

"Master Queen, what in the world is going on?" Zu An's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Hmph, weren't you just having a grand time flirting with the Crown Princess? And now you remember me?" Mi Li's displeased voice sounded, though she still explained, "With the emergence of this new secret realm, the laws of heaven and earth are being reconstructed. The elemental forces are in an extremely unstable state. Any unusual movement at this time will provoke their wrath. That emperor's cultivation is so high that any move he makes will trigger the greatest heavenly might. Normally, such power is formidable, but in this unstable environment, it makes him an existence rejected by heaven and earth."

Zu An grew increasingly excited: "So, the emperor can't attack now?"

"Broadly speaking, yes. The greater the power he uses, the greater the backlash from heaven and earth he will suffer. So, for now, you should be safe." Mi Li was about to say something else, but she saw Zu An had already walked to the edge of their floating island and, facing Zhao Ruizhi, began dancing and singing:

"You can't catch me, can you? There's nothing you can do, I'm just that powerful! You can't catch me, la la la la la~~~~"

Mi Li: "..."

Bi Linglong: "..."

Zhao Ruizhi: "..."

Even Mi Li thought he was asking for a beating in that moment, let alone Zhao Ruizhi.

Zhao Ruizhi's eyes turned red, and he breathed heavily through his nose, staring at Zu An with a look that promised to devour him.

He flashed forward, charging at them again, his speed much greater than before.

Unfortunately, this also attracted far more terrifying power from heaven and earth than before.

Dozens of thick lightning bolts wove into an electric net that enveloped him. These lightning bolts were unlike any seen before, appearing as pure purple, almost liquid. Even from a distance, the ground at the edge of their floating island was scorched and crystallized by the electrical discharge, so one could imagine the immense power at the center of the storm.

Even with the emperor's immense power, he couldn't withstand it. His outer golden shield quickly shattered, and a golden flash from the rings on his hand helped him block successive bolts of lightning.

Bi Linglong watched the gem rings on his hand in astonishment. She had often seen them before and thought they were merely adornments, gifts from the empress who doted on her son. She had no idea they were all magical artifacts.

To be able to withstand such terrifying lightning, they must have been top-grade artifacts.

Alas, the might of heaven and earth was not so easily thwarted. Soon, the rings on Zhao Ruizhi's hand flashed continuously, each one shattering after barely a second or two of resistance.

However, this brief buffer allowed Zhao Ruizhi to find an opportunity to return to his previous floating island.

At this point, he no longer had his previous calm demeanor. His hair stood on end like a bird's nest, his face was singed in several places, and the hand hidden in his sleeve trembled slightly. Clearly, he had been severely struck by the lightning.

Zu An secretly lamented. He had just heard Mi Li's explanation and, without hesitation, activated his "Eloquent Insults" skill, hoping to provoke the emperor into attacking him recklessly. He wanted to use the power of heaven and earth to eliminate Zhao Ruizhi and remove future troubles. Unfortunately, he hadn't expected the emperor to be so formidable; even that terrifying sea of lightning couldn't take his life.

At this moment, Zhao Ruizhi on the distant island quietly glanced at Zu An. The bloody rage in his eyes slowly receded, and then he turned and walked into the mountains behind him.

Zu An was momentarily stunned. What the hell? Had his "Eloquent Insults" failed? Shouldn't he have relentlessly pursued him until one of them died?

---This is likely the only update for today. Normal updates should resume tomorrow.