Chapter 23: The Return of the Immortal Emperor Part 4: Emperor's Judgment The sky became silent. The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel had already reached its limit. The ancient floating city that had survived countless eras was now nothing more than broken ruins. Golden towers floated as fragments. Ancient formations flickered weakly. The once endless golden light of the Garuda homeland had become dim. Above the ruined city... Two powers faced each other. One was the final strength of the first ancestor of the Garuda bloodline. The other was the sword of an Immortal Emperor who had returned after countless years. Adrian stood in the sky. The Void Sovereign Skyblade was raised. Above him... The Emperor's Judgment slowly descended. The massive sword did not release endless energy. There was no explosion. No overwhelming display. Only pressure. The moment it appeared... The space around it became distorted. The remaining golden formations of the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel stopped moving. The ancient symbols carved into the ruins cracked. Even the air seemed unable to withstand the existence of the sword. The Primordial Garuda looked upward. Its golden flames burned violently. The ancient being spread its wings. The remaining foundation of the entire Citadel gathered toward it. The broken towers. The shattered formations. The ancient bloodline energy left behind by countless generations. Everything became part of its final attack. The golden sky transformed. A massive Garuda figure appeared behind it. Unlike the previous phantom... This one contained the complete power of the first ancestor. "Primordial Heaven Sovereign." The golden figure opened its wings. The entire battlefield was covered by golden light. The pressure pushed downward. The remaining ruins of the Citadel began falling. Far away... The Garuda warriors protected the survivors. The three elders looked toward the battlefield. None of them spoke. They could only watch. Because they knew. The next collision would decide everything. Inside the battlefield... Adrian's eyes remained calm. The memories of his Immortal Emperor era flowed through his mind. Countless battles. Countless enemies. Countless techniques. He had once stood above the heavens. He had once faced entire civilizations alone. But this time... He was not fighting as the Immortal Emperor of the past. He was Adrian. The person who carried those memories into this era. The Void Sovereign Skyblade moved. The giant sword above him descended slightly. "Emperor's Judgment." Adrian swung downward. The sword moved. The heavens split. The massive silver sword crossed the sky. The Primordial Garuda attacked at the same time. Its golden wings moved. The Primordial Heaven Sovereign phantom struck forward. BOOM! The two attacks collided. For a moment... The entire universe seemed to stop. Then— A shockwave erupted. The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel disappeared beneath the collision. Not shattered. Not broken. Completely erased. The remaining floating islands around the city were pushed away. The sky itself cracked. Silver sword light and golden flames covered everything. Inside the collision... The Primordial Garuda continued pushing forward. Its ancient wings resisted the Emperor's Judgment. Golden blood flowed from several wounds. But it refused to retreat. The first ancestor of the Garuda bloodline had protected this place for countless years. It would not fall easily. Adrian tightened his grip. The Void Sovereign Skyblade vibrated. The Emperor's Judgment changed. The massive sword became sharper. The sword intent concentrated. The pressure increased. The golden wings began cracking. One. Two. Hundreds. Cracks spread across the Primordial Heaven Sovereign phantom. The Primordial Garuda released another roar. The remaining golden energy gathered around its body. Its final power exploded. "Garuda Eternal Ascension." The ancient wings burned. The golden flames reached the sky. The broken phantom recovered. The power increased again. The collision became even more violent. Adrian's clothes moved from the pressure. The space around him continued breaking. But his expression remained unchanged. The Immortal Emperor memories showed him countless techniques. But only one thing mattered. Control. The Void Sovereign Skyblade moved again. A second sword intent appeared. Then a third. The Emperor's Judgment was not a single strike anymore. It became a continuous execution. Each sword intent carried the weight of an emperor's strike. The golden wings finally began collapsing. The Primordial Garuda's expression changed. The final defense was breaking. The silver sword descended. The golden phantom shattered. BOOM! The remaining energy exploded outward. The golden sky disappeared. When the light faded... Adrian stood above the ruins. The Void Sovereign Skyblade remained in his hand. The Primordial Garuda's massive body had returned to its original form. Several ancient feathers had fallen. The golden flames around it had weakened. The first ancestor of the Garuda bloodline looked toward Adrian. Silence filled the battlefield. Then... The ancient existence lowered its wings. The battle had ended.