Chapter 1479: We Are One Family
From within the Jade Capital City came waves of heart-stopping fluctuations. The nine Heavenly Sovereigns—Hao, Fire, Lang, Gong, Qiang, Zu, Yan, Shi, and Xu—were locked in fierce combat. The celestial palaces of the various sovereigns formed the Grand Heavenly Court, and the power of their divine abilities had reached the very pinnacle of divine might!
By slaying the Heavenly Duke and refining the Xuan Du Heavenly Dao, all nine Heavenly Sovereigns had reaped tremendous benefits, their strength soaring to new heights!
The reason for their conflict was none other than the Dao Tree, Dao Flower, and Dao Fruit of the Primordial Palace's Primordial Sage.
After killing the Primordial Sage, what remained was his wealth!
The Dao Tree, Dao Flower, and Dao Fruit represented realms they had never touched, states of being they had never reached. They had to obtain them by any means necessary!
Slaying the Heavenly Duke had elevated their power, but seizing the Dao Tree, Dao Flower, and Dao Fruit from the Primordial Palace's Primordial Sage could potentially elevate their very realm of cultivation!
This chaotic battle erupted suddenly, but it also ended swiftly.
The moment the fight broke out, Heavenly Sovereign Hao, Heavenly Sovereign Fire, Heavenly Sovereign Gong, Ancestral God King, and Heavenly Sovereign Xu simultaneously attacked Heavenly Consort Qiang. Despite possessing the Ancestral Court's Execution Platform and two Execution Divine Blades—blades of terrifying offensive power—she was overwhelmed by the assault of five Heavenly Sovereigns.
Heavenly Consort Qiang had the two divine blades circling her body like two great blood-red dragons, howling as they revolved around her. However, when Heavenly Sovereign Gong appeared before her, she dared not strike lethally. In that instant, she was gravely wounded by the five sovereigns and fled atop a dragon!
Shi Qiluo opened his treasure chest, and with a series of booming sounds, one divine weapon after another descended—Divine Sovereigns of Artifacts. With three of these Divine Sovereigns of Artifacts covering his retreat, Shi Qiluo made a beeline for the Dao Fruit beneath the tree.
He had just snatched two Dao Fruits into his hands when greed surged within him. He was about to seize the Dao Flower as well when, suddenly, Divine Sovereigns of Artifacts flew out from behind Heavenly Sovereign Hao—four of them in total. Three engaged his own Divine Sovereigns of Artifacts, while the fourth charged straight at him.
"How does Heavenly Sovereign Hao have so many Divine Sovereigns of Artifacts?"
Without a second thought, Shi Qiluo divided his mind to control this Divine Sovereign of Artifact. These were weapons he had crafted, and he had left countless hidden mechanisms within each one, using them to spy on the divine abilities and techniques of the other sovereigns.
He could even forcibly seize an opponent's Divine Sovereign of Artifact during battle and turn it into a weapon to slay them.
But the moment he sent his divided consciousness into this Divine Sovereign of Artifact, he sensed something was wrong. There were no hidden mechanisms inside!
"This isn't one of my Divine Sovereigns of Artifacts!"
Shi Qiluo's hair stood on end. The soul fragment he had sent in was instantly shattered by the Divine Sovereign of Artifact, nearly breaking his spirit entirely!
He hastily withdrew his soul, but the Divine Sovereign of Artifact's attack had already landed on him. The terrifying force nearly crushed his celestial palace along with him!
This was a Divine Sovereign of Artifact forged from the companion treasure of Tai Su, transformed into a Creation Artifact. It was nothing like the weapons Shi Qiluo had crafted. Caught off guard, he suffered a devastating blow.
Since his injury, Heavenly Sovereign Hao had been underestimated by many. But in this battle at Xuan Du, he had shone brilliantly, emerging as the greatest victor among the ten sovereigns. He had won over Heavenly Sovereign Gong and Ancestral God King, and with the aid of Heavenly Sovereign Fire and Heavenly Sovereign Xu, his strength had multiplied, making him the most powerful faction among the ten!
Yet even during the Xuan Du battle, he had not revealed all his cards.
Tai Su's companion treasure could transform into any other form, including a Creation Artifact. After obtaining this treasure, while the other sovereigns were busy attacking and scheming against each other, ignoring him, Hao had taken the opportunity to retrieve all his wealth and forge it into Divine Sovereigns of Artifacts!
Shi Qiluo was wounded and knew his life was in danger. He flung the two Dao Fruits away, sending them flying toward Heavenly Sovereign Yan.
Heavenly Sovereign Yan caught the two Dao Fruits, but the moment they landed in her hands, the five sovereigns—Hao, Fire, Xu, Gong, and Zu—had already gravely wounded Langxuan Divine Emperor and were converging on her.
Behind her, the two Taiji Ancient Gods merged, activating the Taiji Sand Table. The power of this companion treasure was pushed to its peak by the two ancient gods in an instant. Yin and Yang gave birth to each other, merging into one to form Taiji. The Dao of Taiji surged, giving rise to ten thousand Daos and ten thousand things!
In that instant, it was as if a world was born from the sand table—sun, moon, stars, a brilliant galaxy, and a flourishing Dao!
Just then, a great bell rose slowly behind Heavenly Sovereign Hao, ringing out as it met the Taiji Sand Table!
This was Tai Su's companion treasure. It had no fixed form but could take any shape. Now it had become a great bell of the starry river. The outer wall was engraved with birds, beasts, insects, and fish, along with various sacred forms. The inner wall was wrapped in the stars and rivers of the heavens. When the bell collided with the Taiji Sand Table, its power was insufficient, and it shattered into pieces!
The moment the bell broke, the Dao of Tai Su condensed. The shattered bell transformed into a great tripod, with chaotic qi swirling beneath it, lifting the tripod as it crashed into the Taiji Sand Table.
At the same time, the five Heavenly Sovereigns arrived together, each unleashing their most powerful strike. Their blows landed on the Taiji Sand Table, and the Taiji Ancient Gods were shaken apart, forced to split in two. One on each side, they carried Heavenly Sovereign Yan as they sped out of the city.
Heavenly Sovereign Hao's Ten Thousand Dao Heavenly Wheel flew out, and with a sharp sound, it severed one of Heavenly Sovereign Yan's arms. In the palm of that arm was a Dao Fruit.
Heavenly Sovereign Yan fled with the other Dao Fruit, wounded. The five sovereigns gave chase, but suddenly the two Taiji Ancient Gods reached out and drew a line. Heaven and earth spun, and space rotated like a Taiji diagram at incredible speed.
The five sovereigns quickly stopped, crushed the Taiji diagram, and looked up. The two Taiji Ancient Gods and Heavenly Sovereign Yan had vanished without a trace.
"No need to pursue."
Heavenly Sovereign Hao picked up Heavenly Sovereign Yan's severed arm and smiled faintly. "After all, we are all among the ten sovereigns. We'll cross paths again. There may still be use for them in the future. There's no need to exterminate them completely."
Heavenly Sovereign Fire, Heavenly Sovereign Gong, and the others stopped. Heavenly Sovereign Fire stepped forward, picked up the Dao Flower, hung it back on the Dao Tree, then lifted the Primordial Palace's Primordial Sage's Dao Tree and presented it to Heavenly Sovereign Hao.
Hao watched him with interest. Seeing that Fire had brought the Dao Tree and Dao Flower before him, he finally smiled and said, "Your loyalty is commendable."
Heavenly Sovereign Fire bowed and stood at attention.
"Other sovereigns think the Dao Fruit is good, and the Dao Flower is not bad either. But what truly benefits us sovereigns is the Dao Tree. Without the Dao Tree, how could there be a Dao Fruit?"
Heavenly Sovereign Hao approached the Primordial Palace's Primordial Sage's Dao Tree and said leisurely, "Most of the Dao Trees here have withered, their Daos erased, useless. But this one is still intact, showing that its owner's strength was extraordinary, far surpassing the others."
The four sovereigns remained silent, their eyes fixed on the Dao Tree. They too wanted the Dao Tree and Dao Fruit but dared not show it.
"The Dao Fruit can elevate one's Dao realm. My brother Langxuan obtained one and raised his Dao realm to the twenty-eighth heaven. But his Dao realm is false, elevated by the Dao Fruit. It seems formidable, but in truth, it's outwardly strong and inwardly weak."
Heavenly Sovereign Hao continued, "The Dao Tree is different. It records the process of achieving the Dao. Picking the fruit is good, but the foundation is unstable. Only by seeing the process of another's Dao achievement can we gain the greatest benefit!"
His words made the other four sovereigns thoughtful, and they nodded repeatedly.
Even Tai Su's divine maiden couldn't help but admire inwardly: "The Taiji Ancient Gods told me to choose Heavenly Sovereign Hao. It seems to have been a good move indeed! Hao's talent and ability far surpass those of the other sovereigns! The Taiji Ancient Gods emerged but chose Heavenly Sovereign Yan. That was a bad move. Strange—why did they choose her?"
She couldn't fathom the Taiji Ancient Gods' intentions either.
Heavenly Sovereign Hao raised his hand and tossed the Dao Fruit to Heavenly Sovereign Fire. Fire was both surprised and delighted, hesitant to accept it.
Hao said indifferently, "In the Xuan Du battle, you gained nothing. The benefits of this Dao Fruit are no less than those of the Xuan Du Heavenly Dao. Consider it compensation."
Heavenly Sovereign Fire was moved to tears of gratitude.
Heavenly Sovereign Hao plucked the Dao Flower and gave it to Heavenly Sovereign Xu, smiling. "There will be plenty of time. When we invade the Netherworld, Daoist Xu will receive even better rewards."
Ancestral God King laughed. "I gained the greatest benefit in Xuan Du. I'll take nothing this time."
Heavenly Sovereign Hao laughed heartily. "This Jade Capital City itself is the greatest benefit, nearly inexhaustible. How could the God King be left out? Consider it a debt. We'll settle it later."
Ancestral God King smiled and agreed.
Heavenly Sovereign Hao then presented the entire Dao Tree to Heavenly Sovereign Gong. Gong was taken aback. If Hao gave the Dao Tree to her, wouldn't he be left with nothing?
"I'll trade this Dao Tree for your mine, Daoist Gong. What do you think?" Heavenly Sovereign Hao asked with a smile.
Tai Su felt a surge of satisfaction: "I was right to trust him. Heavenly Sovereign Hao has completely submitted to me. He knows that the stronger I am, the greater his benefits. Now he's wholeheartedly preparing Tai Su Divine Stones for me."
Heavenly Sovereign Gong was momentarily stunned, then bowed. "How dare I refuse? However, one-tenth of the output from that mine belongs to Heavenly Sovereign Mu. I promised him, and I cannot go back on my word."
Heavenly Sovereign Hao smiled slightly, unconcerned. "Since you promised him, it must be given. Give me the mine, and I'll give him his share. Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you."
Heavenly Sovereign Fire said, "Brother Hao, we didn't find any trace of Heavenly Sovereign Mu in the Pifragrant Hall earlier. He probably lured us here, hoping to use the old monsters in the hall to eliminate us..."
Heavenly Sovereign Hao shook his head. "He's not shallow enough to think those old monsters in the hall could kill us. He likely has other plans..."
He frowned and looked around. This divine city bore some resemblance to the Heavenly Court's Jade Capital City. He thought to himself, "That bastard Mu must have already rescued Imperial Sovereign Yu's remnant soul and Southern Emperor's spirit. Since he found this place, why did he lure us here..."
No matter how brilliant he was, he could never guess the purpose of Qin Mu's actions.
But for Heavenly Sovereign Hao, this place was a treasure trove. One Dao Tree and two Dao Fruits were not enough to satisfy him. The true wealth was the entire divine city!
"If I could move this city to the Heavenly Court and make it the new Jade Capital City, what kind of majesty would that be? It would far surpass anything the Grand Emperor or my father Tai Chu could achieve! This would be the true Eternal Emperor!"
He walked forward, continuing to explore the city. Heavenly Sovereign Fire clutched the Dao Fruit, his eyes flickering as he stared at another Dao Fruit hanging from a different tree. That fruit was tattered and broken, and inside it lay a beautiful female corpse—the one killed by the Pifragrant Hall's seal.
"Heavenly Sovereign Fire, let's go!"
Heavenly Sovereign Xu turned back and laughed. "That Dao Tree has withered, and the Dao Fruit is useless now."
Heavenly Sovereign Fire withdrew his gaze and followed the other four sovereigns.
Not long after they left, Heavenly Consort Qiang arrived, coughing up blood. She walked to the withered Dao Tree, looked up at the broken Dao Fruit, and bowed. "Daoist friend."
The woman inside the Dao Fruit suddenly sat up straight and turned to look at her. "An existence that has achieved the Dao, yet swimming with fish and shrimp. Pitiful, lamentable."
Heavenly Consort Qiang sneered. "You too are an existence that has achieved the Dao, yet you had to play dead to escape being killed by the divine abilities of fish and shrimp. Daoist friend, you can't even save yourself, so spare me your mockery. I came to seek an alliance with you..."
The woman in the Dao Fruit said, "Grand Emperor, your current status was granted by the Primordial Palace. Now is the time for you to repay the Primordial Palace."
Heavenly Consort Qiang was startled. "You recognize me?"
"The Primordial Palace Master captured strange beasts from all over the world and created the Void Beasts. He gave them to you. Do you really think you were fortunate enough to obtain the Void Beasts on your own?"
The woman in the Dao Fruit sneered. "The Primordial Palace Master hoped you would sacrifice more living beings, but you were incompetent and ruined the excellent situation he created for you!"
Heavenly Consort Qiang's face changed drastically. "The Primordial Palace Master? This Jade Capital City..."
"This city is the Primordial Palace!"
Elsewhere, the Taiji Ancient Gods carried Heavenly Sovereign Yan as they fled the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City at top speed. Before long, they caught up with the fleeing Shi Qiluo. Shi Qiluo's heart skipped a beat when he saw the three divine beings, sensing trouble.
Suddenly, Langxuan Divine Emperor flew over and landed beside him. Shi Qiluo finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The Taiji Ancient Gods, seeing Langxuan Divine Emperor's arrival, also felt a chill and did not press the attack on Shi Qiluo.
The three Heavenly Sovereigns, each bearing wounds, exchanged glances and smiled bitterly.
"Heavenly Sovereign Hao's momentum is unstoppable, yet we still guard against each other. This setback is a warning!"
Langxuan Divine Emperor glanced at Heavenly Sovereign Yan and Shi Qiluo and sneered. "If we continue to fight separately, we'll be picked off one by one by Hao. In the end, he'll unify the world and become the Heavenly Emperor! And we'll either become prisoners or die without a burial place!"
Heavenly Sovereign Yan said calmly, "If the Divine Emperor can help me subdue Shi Qiluo, then we won't have to fear Heavenly Sovereign Hao."
Shi Qiluo laughed. "Sister, if you refine me, you'll leap to the realm of the Heavenly Court with thirty-six celestial palaces. By then, Langxuan will be your prisoner. Can you spare your husband and Gong Jun's son?"
Heavenly Sovereign Yan sneered and said nothing more.
Langxuan Divine Emperor's head ached. These two—one was the Empress, the other was Yuan Mu—were both thorns, with deep grudges between them. An alliance was impossible.
Though he wanted to ally with them, he had to guard against them. This alliance was nothing but scattered sand.
Just then, a voice rang out from afar, deep and resonant, carrying an air of lofty imperial authority: "If Hao gains power, the Empress must die, Yuan Mu must die, and Langxuan, as Hao's brother, must also die. You won't even have the chance to become prisoners!"
The three were startled and looked toward the source.
The two Taiji Ancient Gods also changed expressions slightly and bowed in unison. "Daoist brother!"
The voice drew closer, moving swiftly. "But you can safely join forces. Because, Langxuan, you are my son! And Empress and Yuan Mu, you are my women!"
Xiao Heavenly Sovereign strode toward them, his aura unfathomably deep. He walked directly to the five of them, first returning the bow to the Taiji Ancient Gods, then looked around and smiled. "We are one family. A harmonious family."
—Thank you all for your concern. My wife has been admitted to the hospital. Recently, I'll be going to the hospital and also picking up and dropping off the kids from tutoring. Updates will be fewer and the timing uncertain. Please understand. I'll try to adjust my state and get back on track as soon as possible. I won't be replying to many private messages due to time constraints. My apologies.