Chapter 1594: The Conflict Between Cloud and Primordial
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign’s heart sank. The one who watched him most closely was likely Primordial.
Because of his own flaws, the Grand Emperor had used the Primordial Emperor Sword as his foundation, growing a Dao Tree, blooming a Dao Flower, and bearing a Dao Fruit. During the battle in the Divine Sense Grand Celestial Heaven, the Grand Emperor perished, body and Dao extinguished. Cloud Heavenly Sovereign seized the opportunity to take control of the Primordial Emperor Sword, startling Hao Heavenly Sovereign into fleeing, and the Emperor Sword became his divine weapon.
This Emperor Sword was Primordial’s companion-born supreme treasure. When Primordial broke out of his shell and came into the world, the Grand Emperor had snatched it away. The longing for the Emperor Sword had always been Primordial’s obsession.
Just as Cloud Heavenly Sovereign’s form charged into the Divine Sense Grand Celestial Heaven, a One Qi Grand Celestial Heaven slammed viciously into it, colliding with the Divine Sense Grand Celestial Heaven!
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign could barely keep his footing. Fortunately, at this moment, his Dao Tree was not flawed like the Grand Emperor’s but was a complete Dao Tree, fully capable of withstanding the impact.
Shua—
The roots of the Dao Tree lashed out, burrowing into his back. Instantly, a surging torrent of Divine Sense Dao flowed from the roots of the Dao Tree, empowering his physical body.
Inside Cloud Heavenly Sovereign’s body, the Spiritual Fetus opened up, evolving into the Ancestral Court Continent. The Star River soared, transforming into the Xuan Capital. The Heavenly River pierced through the vast sky, surging mightily from the Heavenly Sea, threading through the Xuan Capital.
This Heavenly River cascaded down from the Xuan Capital, circled once around the four poles of the universe, establishing the Four Pole Divine Treasures. The various Divine Treasures of the Four Pole Heavens opened up one after another.
Next, the Yuan Capital opened. The Heavenly River flowed past the Yuan Capital’s sky, entered the You Capital, and transformed into the Styx River. The You Capital opened.
The Styx River flowed from the You Capital into the Guixu, and the Guixu opened.
Thus, the seven major realms of the New Divine Treasure system were cultivated by him!
These were the seven realms of the New Divine Treasure system that Lan Yutian had taught him. These realms differed from the old seven Divine Treasure realms. They did not borrow power from heaven and earth. In the old system, aside from the Spiritual Fetus, the other six realms all borrowed power from external things, borrowing power from the ancient gods.
The New Divine Treasure system, however, involved observing the Dao of heaven and earth, opening Divine Treasures within oneself, not borrowing power from outside. Instead, it took the self as the universe, using the Dao of heaven and earth as a reference to evolve the magnificence of the inner universe.
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign’s cultivation and strength advanced by leaps and bounds. In truth, by the time he cultivated to the You Capital realm, he had already escaped life and death, becoming like a deity, possessing boundless lifespan, co-eternal with heaven and earth.
If possessing boundless lifespan were the standard for becoming a god, then the sixth realm of the New Divine Treasure system, the You Capital realm, could be called the Divine Realm.
However, the realms pioneered by Lan Yutian had no so-called Divine Realm, nor even the Heavenly Palace realm.
After Cloud Heavenly Sovereign opened the seven Divine Treasures, his Primordial Spirit stood atop the Ancestral Court. The Great Dao converged, passing through the Four Heavenly Gates, undergoing the baptism of the Jade Pool and Jade Terrace, experiencing the tempering of the Heavenly Sea’s Dao Heart, and then entering the Execution Platform and the Nine Abyss Platform.
Ahead lay a hazy, chaotic vastness. His Primordial Spirit appeared before a majestic and magnificent Jade Capital City, yet it could never step into the Jade Capital City.
In the realms pioneered by Lan Yutian, the seven Divine Treasures were the foundation and severance. After that came the Ancestral Court realm. The Ancestral Court realm was divided into the Four Heavenly Gates realm, the Jade Pool and Jade Terrace realm, the Heavenly Sea realm, the Execution Platform realm, the Nine Abyss Platform realm, the Jade Capital realm, the Five Primordial realm, and the World Tree realm.
The seven realms of the New Divine Treasure system were completed solely by Lan Yutian, while the eight realms of the Ancestral Court were jointly pioneered by Lan Yutian, Xu Shenghua, Hua Xuanxiu, Si Popo, Youming Crown Prince, and others.
However, the Jade Capital realm, the Five Primordial realm, and the World Tree realm were not completed by them.
The Jade Capital realm required comprehending the Jade Capital City, but the Jade Capital City was sealed by the Heavenly Courts’ Heavenly Sovereigns, with troops stationed to guard it. Lan Yutian and the others could not enter to comprehend it, so they only had a hazy image of the Jade Capital City and could not step inside.
The Five Primordial realm required comprehending the five innate Great Daos: Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, Taisu, and Taiji. Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua had traveled to the ruins of the five major mines more than once, trying to comprehend these five Daos. However, these five Daos were truly profound and unfathomable, and they could never perfect them.
The World Tree realm was somewhat similar to the traditional Dao Realm, akin to Emperor Kaicheng’s Dao Realm of thirty-six heavens achieving the Dao, cultivating the Grand Celestial Heaven, growing a Dao Tree, blooming a Dao Flower, and bearing a Dao Fruit.
But the World Tree realm differed from the traditional Dao Realm. The Dao Tree in the Dao Realm system imitated the World Tree, while the World Tree realm involved comprehending the World Tree of the Black Mountain Sacred Land, nurturing a World Tree within one’s own Ancestral Court using one’s own Dao.
Once the World Tree was cultivated, it would govern all the various Daos within the body. The Daos would center on the World Tree, forming a Grand Celestial Heaven.
The World Tree within the Grand Celestial Heaven could also bloom a Dao Flower and bear a Dao Fruit.
Unlike the Grand Celestial Heaven of the Dao Realm system, the Grand Celestial Heaven of the Ancestral Court system did not need to be anchored in the Ultimate Void. The Grand Celestial Heaven of the Ancestral Court system was transformed from one’s own Dao.
This was the conception of Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua. They intended to use this method to avoid the situation where too many Grand Celestial Heavens in the Ultimate Void would crush it, causing the great destruction of the universe.
If one did not anchor their Dao externally but merely cultivated a Grand Celestial Heaven within their own Ancestral Court system, there would be no excessive pressure on the Ultimate Void. This might be a way to solve the problem of universal destruction.
Moreover, different people cultivating different Daos would result in different Grand Celestial Heavens and World Trees within their Ancestral Courts.
The traditional Heavenly Palace and Heavenly Court system achieved the Dao through power, while the Dao Realm system achieved the Dao through the Dao. Both were anchored externally. Lan Yutian, Xu Shenghua, and others anchored internally. This was the greatest difference between the old and new systems.
For Cloud Heavenly Sovereign to cultivate the new Ancestral Court system to the Nine Abyss Platform realm in such a short time was truly extraordinary in terms of talent and comprehension.
But the new system was incomplete. Even its pioneers, Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua, had not perfected it, let alone a learner like him!
His magical power was still far inferior to that of a master of the Heavenly Palace and Heavenly Court system like Primordial!
Primordial appeared beneath the Dao Tree of the One Qi Grand Celestial Heaven, his gaze falling on Cloud Heavenly Sovereign. Sensing how Cloud Heavenly Sovereign had multiplied the power of his physical body countless times in such a short period, he could not help but show an approving expression.
“Cloud, you are the Heavenly Sovereign I appointed. Back then, I also instructed you to descend to the mortal world and establish the Xiao Han Heavenly Court in the Yuan Capital. I even appointed you as the Heavenly Emperor of the Acquired Beings.”
Primordial sighed emotionally. “How did you repay me? You conspired with Hao Heavenly Sovereign, using a beauty trap to seduce me, causing me to lose my position as Heavenly Emperor. Cloud, oh Cloud, I treated you well. I recognized your ambition to contend for the world, so I nurtured you. Yet you have betrayed me time and again. Are humans truly so untrustworthy?”
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign frantically mobilized the power of the Dao Tree behind him. Reaching out, a flash of sword light passed, and the Primordial Emperor Sword fell into his hand. He said solemnly, “Your Majesty ordered me to descend to the mortal world to establish the Xiao Han Heavenly Court and rule over the Acquired Beings. Then you ordered Hao Heavenly Sovereign to descend and establish the Long Xiao Heavenly Court, stirring up conflict between us, making us confront each other and wage war. Your Majesty’s intention was simply to see the Demigods and Acquired Beings thriving, threatening the rule of the Ancient Gods. So you took this opportunity to make us slaughter each other, weakening our strength. I realized then that to overthrow the Ancient Gods, I had to kill Your Majesty first. If Your Majesty did not die, the Ancient Gods would rule the world forever, and the world would remain eternally dark!”
“So you joined forces with Hao Heavenly Sovereign. You controlled the Heavenly Alliance, and to borrow the power of the Demigods to kill me, you had to give him half of the Alliance’s authority.”
Primordial sighed. “But he played the cuckoo in the magpie’s nest, slowly encroaching on the Heavenly Alliance. Cloud Heavenly Sovereign, after you overthrew me, did you ever regret it? Your Heavenly Alliance became the Heavenly Alliance of Hao Heavenly Sovereign and the other ten Heavenly Sovereigns. You overthrew the rule of the Ancient Gods, only for the Demigods to continue ruling over the myriad realms. You humans and Acquired Beings are still sacrifices, never escaping the fate of being enslaved and blood-sacrificed. There is no difference between overthrowing me and not overthrowing me.”
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign also sighed, then said solemnly, “There is a difference. Before, there was no hope, but now there is hope. That is the greatest difference!”
Primordial laughed heartily, flicking his sleeve. “Hope? What a vague and ironic word—Cloud Heavenly Sovereign, do you call this, where the gods of countless humans and Acquired Beings have been blood-washed and slaughtered time and again over the past million years, hope? Do you call the Long Han Calamity, the Chi Ming Calamity, the Shang Huang Calamity, the Kai Huang Calamity, and the Yan Kang Calamity hope? Acquired Beings, like chives, are cut down crop after crop. Is this your so-called hope?”
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign flicked the Primordial Emperor Sword with his finger. The sword’s sound was clear and stirring. “How is this not hope? Your Majesty, back then we had no power to fight. In the Long Han era, Acquired Beings had only a few Emperor Seat powerhouses. In the Chi Ming era, Emperor Ming could fight all the way to the South Heavenly Gate. In the Shang Huang era, Ling Yue shook the foundations of the Heavenly Court. In the Kai Huang era, Carefree Village kept the ten Heavenly Sovereigns restless. And in this Yan Kang era, Your Majesty, we can already stand as equals against the Heavenly Court.”
Primordial’s gaze fell on the Emperor Sword in his hand, and he said leisurely, “You Acquired Beings are truly like insects. No matter how much we kill, you never die out. Instead, you come back to life time and again, growing stronger each time. But you have no chance now.”
He surveyed the Divine Sense Grand Celestial Heaven, sighing with emotion. “The Dao of Primordial is divided into the Innate One Qi and Divine Sense. When Primordial achieved the Dao, it transformed into the Primordial Grand Celestial Heaven, divided into the One Qi Grand Celestial Heaven and the Divine Sense Grand Celestial Heaven. I need your death to achieve the Dao of Primordial.”
A vertical eye slowly opened on his forehead, revealing a sparkling and dazzling Primordial Rough Stone. This rough stone was missing half. He smiled faintly. “After you die, the two Grand Celestial Heavens will merge, and I will be the true Primordial.”
“Your Majesty, the same goes for me.”
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign smiled slightly. A vertical eye on his forehead slowly parted its eyelids, revealing a piece of Primordial Rough Stone. He smiled faintly. “If Your Majesty dies by my hand, I can use Your Majesty’s One Qi Grand Celestial Heaven to achieve the Dao of Primordial. Your Majesty has the Primordial physical body, and I have the Primordial Emperor Sword. It is still unknown who will be the victor!”
Primordial’s pupils contracted sharply. The piece of Primordial Rough Stone in Cloud Heavenly Sovereign’s forehead was the very one he had searched for in vain!
Back then, the Grand Emperor’s physical body had been shattered in the Chaotic Sea formed by the Chaotic Mine. The rough stone had fallen into the Chaotic Sea. All the Heavenly Sovereigns had gone to search for it, but none had obtained it!
Primordial had entered the Chaotic Sea more than once to look for the rough stone’s whereabouts, but it had vanished as if it had grown wings.
He did not know that Xu Shenghua had obtained the rough stone. Xu Shenghua had brought it to the Black Mountain Sacred Land and, together with Lan Yutian, comprehended the Primordial Dao contained within it. Both had gained a great deal.
Not long ago, Cloud Heavenly Sovereign had come to the Black Mountain Sacred Land to study. Lan Yutian taught him the new cultivation system. Xu Shenghua, learning that he had obtained the Grand Emperor’s Divine Sense Grand Celestial Heaven, had gifted him the Primordial Rough Stone, allowing him to master the power of the Divine Sense Grand Celestial Heaven.
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign planted this rough stone in his own forehead. With this stone, he could much more easily activate the Divine Sense Grand Celestial Heaven, and he could calmly mobilize the power of the Dao Tree and Dao Fruit of the Grand Celestial Heaven.
“Your Majesty probably doesn’t know why Shepherd Heavenly Sovereign insisted that I go to the Black Mountain Sacred Land. I learned a great deal there. Besides the new cultivation system, I also obtained this rough stone. More crucially, Emperor Kaicheng, Qin Ye, is also in the Black Mountain!”
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign vibrated the Primordial Emperor Sword, his expression solemn, his eyes fixed on the sword’s tip. “Back in the Long Han era, besides impersonating Shepherd Heavenly Sovereign, I also impersonated Emperor Kaicheng. In the early Long Han years, I caught a glimpse of their battle and comprehended their divine powers and Dao techniques. I could imitate both their divine powers and Dao techniques so vividly that they were indistinguishable from the real thing! And in the Black Mountain Sacred Land, with Emperor Kaicheng, the foremost in the Sword Dao, personally instructing me, the power of the Primordial Emperor Sword in my hands might exceed Your Majesty’s imagination!”
Shua—
Cloud Heavenly Sovereign swung his sword. The tip of the Primordial Emperor Sword pointed diagonally downward. Behind him, purple energy filled the sky, dyeing the Divine Sense Grand Celestial Heaven like an unsurpassed realm forged from purple jade.
A sharp, unmatched aura of the Sword Dao surged from him, unstoppable!
Beneath the Grand Celestial Heaven, layers of Sword Dao heavens suddenly spread out, forming a protective formation!
At the same time, layers of heavens transformed from the Divine Sense Dao merged with the Sword Dao heavens, compensating for his shortcomings in the Sword Dao!
The merging of the two types of heavens made their power even stronger!
“Your Majesty, please—”