# Chapter 2889: Desolate Heaven's Fury
The eight volumes of the *Nether Book* — any single volume is comparable to the unparalleled supreme arts recorded on the *Taiyi Divine Skill Ranking*.
Legend says that when all eight volumes are combined, one can glimpse the secret of immortality.
Who in this world does not wish to live forever and never die?
The stronger one's cultivation, the more they desire it.
The *Nether Soldier Volume* is not only of great significance to the imposing Nether Hall and Darkness Temple, but every supreme existence in the world today would be interested in it. Once the news spreads, countless deities will seek out Zhang Ruochen, inevitably forming a new storm vortex.
Zhang Ruochen had already guessed that the Blood Absolute War God before him was actually Desolate Heaven, so naturally he would not honestly admit it. But neither did he want to fabricate lies before this insightful, supremely intelligent great god.
"It seems you have seen through the clues and know I am not Blood Absolute, so you are on guard against me." Desolate Heaven did not transform back to his original form, still standing there in the guise of Blood Absolute War God.
Yet his posture was dragon-like and tiger-like, in no way inferior to Blood Absolute War God's own unparalleled heroic bearing.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You never intended to deceive me using Grandfather's appearance. Otherwise, after entering the temple, you would not have stood here waiting for me. Instead, you would have rushed into the stone hall, checked on my injuries, and asked me where I had been all these years. If you're going to pretend, you have to see it through to the end."
"So, you disguised yourself as Grandfather's appearance to deceive the Nether Flower Pavilion Master, Yu Qiancheng."
"You did not want the cultivators of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions to know you had come to Xinghuantian. You did not want the world's cultivators to know that it was you who killed the Colorful Garment God."
Desolate Heaven's domain had long enveloped the temple ruins.
Even though the Nether Flower Pavilion Master stood inside the stone hall, just a stone's throw away, she could not hear their conversation.
In the Nether Flower Pavilion Master's eyes, the two men beneath the hibiscus tree covered in red blossoms were both exceptionally handsome — one majestic and imposing, the other extraordinary in bearing — both first-rate men under heaven.
The blood dragon war halberd in Desolate Heaven's hand was like a living demon dragon, breathing, its aura surging, forming a powerful wind.
"Whoosh!"
From the hibiscus tree, petals scattered down like rain, drifting and fluttering.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fell on the blood dragon war halberd, carefully examining it. "This doesn't seem fake."
This blood dragon war halberd was identical to Blood Absolute War God's — definitely not something conjured by illusion.
Desolate Heaven said, "This halberd is named Blood Absolute. The materials used are not much inferior to Blood Absolute's blood dragon war halberd, and a true divine demon dragon is sealed within it."
Zhang Ruochen felt a strong sense of absurdity.
It was already childish enough that Blood Absolute War God had named the guardian spirit beast of the Seven Star Imperial Palace "Desolate Heaven." But given his eccentric and unrestrained personality, such behavior was understandable.
But Desolate Heaven, a great god renowned for his ruthless methods — betraying the Heavenly Court, killing his master teacher, severing the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree... for such a person to also do something so childish?
He forged this halberd and named it Blood Absolute, most likely specifically to frame Blood Absolute War God.
After killing someone, he could shift the blame onto Blood Absolute War God.
These two were indeed the unparalleled twin talents of the previous Eon — one shameless, one treacherous, neither losing to the other.
"You should know who I am, right?" Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen nodded.
"Do you know why I killed the Colorful Garment God? And why I used Blood Absolute's name?" Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I can roughly guess."
Desolate Heaven stood tall and imposing, like a mountain peak, his blazing divine eyes showing a strange expression. "You can guess?"
Zhang Ruochen completely relaxed, no longer as tense and constrained as before. Even if the other party was truly a treacherous and cunning great demon, so what? At worst, death awaited him.
He said, "Is it related to the God-Defying Clan?"
Upon hearing the words "God-Defying Clan," Desolate Heaven's divine might burst forth.
Under this divine might, Zhang Ruochen was like a small wooden boat in the vast ocean, capable of being overturned and shattered at any moment.
But Zhang Ruochen showed no fear in his eyes. "Indeed! Great God knows that White Empress is a member of the God-Defying Clan. If I am not mistaken, that group of deities led by Yi Tianjun also used this secret to restrain you. Therefore, you could not personally kill the Colorful Garment God and could only frame my grandfather."
Desolate Heaven stared intently at Zhang Ruochen.
He stood motionless, his face showing no emotion, yet it gave the feeling of wind and rain rushing toward one's face.
Zhang Ruochen felt he could not breathe, as if he could see heaven collapsing and earth splitting before his eyes, but he still stood proudly, meeting his gaze.
So what if he was a great god? I am also a god.
"Did Yuyao tell you?" Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "She has nothing to do with it. The secrets of this world are not something only you can perceive. I too can spy on a thing or two."
"Oh? How much more do you know?" Desolate Heaven's tone was flat.
This question caught Zhang Ruochen off guard.
After all, he had only overheard a few sentences of conversation between Shang Hong and White Empress, and then deduced this possibility based on the logic of Desolate Heaven's actions.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Nothing more. Shouldn't the rest be told to me by the Great God? Otherwise, why would the Great God have Divine Teacher Yuyao deliver a message to me, asking me to go see you at Mi Mountain Heavenly Venerate Lake?"
Gradually, the boundless divine might dissipated.
Desolate Heaven's expression turned desolate. He released his grip on the halberd, looked up at the tree full of red flowers, and said, "My story, I do not wish to tell anyone, nor do I need to tell anyone. What do you know about the God-Defying Clan?"
"The God-Defying Clan was originally the Holy Clan. It was only because of the God-Defying Heavenly Venerate thirty thousand years ago, and the God-Defying Stele established when the Heavenly Court was founded, that they earned the name God-Defying." Zhang Ruochen said.
Desolate Heaven's emotions became agitated. "The God-Defying Clan represents the betrayal of the Heavenly Court's deities toward their ancestors. It represents the deepest shame of the Heavenly Court's myriad realms. No, it also includes the Hell Realm. The deities of the Hell Realm are also betrayers. At least they still have some sense of shame, destroying everything about the God-Defying Clan and forbidding later generations from discussing it."
"Thirty thousand years ago, led by the God-Defying Heavenly Venerate, the twenty-four heavens of the Heavenly Court and Hell together marched forward to fight the unknown, only to stop the Eon Calamity that comes once every fifty thousand Eons."
"When the Eon Calamity arrives, the universe undergoes great destruction, all living beings cease to exist, and heaven and earth return to dead silence and chaos."
"They failed! Of the twenty-four heavens who marched to war, only three returned."
"But it was not a complete failure. At least they bought this world twenty thousand years of breathing room, delaying the great destruction until one hundred thousand years ago."
"The great destruction one hundred thousand years ago only targeted the Saint Realm and the myriad realm heavens, not reaching the Hell Realm. Clearly, the force driving the great destruction was already exhausted. That is why it only lasted three months before hastily ending."
"Legend says that the top experts of the Heavenly Court's myriad realms joined forces to repel that force. But I do not believe this legend at all. At that time, the Heavenly Court's deities were struggling to hold on under the great destruction. How could they have had the strength to wage war?"
"The Heavenly Venerate fell, all twenty-four heavens perished, and there were no more heroes in this world."
Zhang Ruochen also understood the plight of the God-Defying Clan. How could he not feel anger in his heart?
Desolate Heaven continued, "Everyone knows the Eon Calamity has not passed. But against all expectations, the Hell Realm launched a war against the Heavenly Court's myriad realms."
"You suspect that the Hell Realm has been controlled by the force driving the Eon Calamity? But that shouldn't be. The Hell Realm also has people of extraordinary talent. They could not possibly fail to see the clues, and no one could control them." Zhang Ruochen said.
Desolate Heaven said, "Those of extraordinary talent have either died fighting alongside the God-Defying Heavenly Venerate, like the four heavens of Hell. Or they died by assassination and murder, like Life God Venerable, Auspicious God Venerable, and the old clan leader of the Yama Clan. Or they chose silence, like Undying War God and Fengdu Great Emperor."
"The remaining ones chose the extreme path."
"What is the extreme path?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Desolate Heaven said, "The ten major clans of the Hell Realm all need war and slaughter to rapidly grow stronger. They want to destroy the Heavenly Court's myriad realms, push their own strength to the extreme, and use the power of the Hell Realm to fight against the world-destroying force driving the Eon Calamity."
"What drives this war at its most fundamental level has never been any scheme or conspiracy, but the desires in the hearts of Hell Realm cultivators — the desire to grow stronger, the desire to kill, the desire for bloodlust."
"Perhaps there is a force driving it, but that force is only awakening the desires in their hearts."
"What does all this have to do with the God-Defying Clan?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Desolate Heaven said, "Because they think the God-Defying Heavenly Venerate brought about the great destruction one hundred thousand years ago. Faced with this calamity they cannot resist, they shift all the blame onto the ancestors who once fought for them."
"If the God-Defying Clan is wiped out, not only can they cease hostilities with the Hell Realm, but perhaps they can also appease the anger of that unknown force."
"And the Hell Realm even more does not want the God-Defying Clan to exist, while also wanting to use this to appease the anger of that unknown force, buying more time. Thus, the God-Defying Clan became the sacrificial lamb of an era..."
He was caught up in his own emotions.
After a long time, Desolate Heaven let out a long breath. "Their sacrifice was not without meaning. At least it bought one hundred thousand years of peace and prosperity. Everyone strengthened themselves at the fastest speed. Today, the power of the Heavenly Court and Hell has surpassed that of one hundred thousand years ago."
Zhang Ruochen said, "I believe that among the high-level figures of the Heavenly Court and Hell, there must be powerful ones who have already submitted to that unknown force. Otherwise, how could such an absurd, weak, and pitiful thing be agreed upon by the deities of the Heavenly Court and Hell?"
Desolate Heaven stared deeply at Zhang Ruochen, making Zhang Ruochen feel slightly guilty. He quickly added, "What I mean is, their submission might just be a kind of faith, like the Hell Realm cultivators' faith in fate, or the Paradise Realm cultivators' faith in light."
"Why not guess more boldly? That they betrayed this world, only to buy themselves the chance to survive until the next Eon Calamity Dharma?" Desolate Heaven said.
The Eon Calamity Dharma is a unit of time, also the time of one cycle of heaven and earth.
It is fifty thousand Eons.
Desolate Heaven pulled the Blood Absolute War Halberd from the ground, his arm shaking with force, the halberd pointing at Zhang Ruochen. An earth-shaking dragon roar followed. "Once their God-Defying Clan identity is exposed, both the Heavenly Court and Hell will kill them. So tell me, where did you learn this secret?"
Zhang Ruochen clearly felt the killing intent on Desolate Heaven. He had no doubt that Desolate Heaven would dare to strike him down with one halberd thrust.
At this moment, how could he dare to conceal anything? He could not play any childish tricks. He said, "I overheard the conversation between Shang Hong and White Empress."
Desolate Heaven did not doubt it. "In that case, as long as I kill you, I can silence you. Give me a reason not to kill you!"