Chapter 3099: Second Master
On Xinghuantian.
Purple bamboo grew in patches, rustling in the wind, shedding glistening dewdrops like celestial spirit light rain.
"Senior Brother, I specially had people go to Yunyang Realm to gather thirty-thousand-year cloud dew, mixed with over a thousand types of sacred herbs, and brewed for a thousand years to obtain this cloud brew. Will it suit your taste?"
Second Master appeared to have a human-like body, with a tail and hair like fleshy vines, looking to be in his forties or fifties, dressed elegantly, without any of the fierce aura that made the entire Death Clan revere him in fear, nor any trace of mystery.
His smile was very sincere, with a hint of humility in his eyes.
The drunkard sitting across from him was completely different, with tattered robes and a body reeking of alcohol, no different from a beggar. He took the wine cup, tasted it, closed his eyes, and reveled in blissful intoxication.
"Not bad, among all the wines I've drunk in my life, this ranks in the top five!"
Second Master sat steadily and solemnly, saying, "Since Heavenly Mother has stepped forward to deter all sides and protect the remnants of the God-Defying Clan, coupled with the full support of Tiannan, there should be no dissenting voices in the Hell Realm!"
"Senior Brother, return to Tiannan with me, and bring the God-Defying Clan along. You can choose any major world in Tiannan—whichever one catches your eye, that one is yours. If none suit you, you can pick from all the major worlds of the Death Clan."
Then, with earnest sincerity, he added, "You have been with Master the longest and share the deepest bond. Before Master entered the Death God Temple, he was still thinking of you!"
The drunkard stopped drinking, a serious expression appearing in his eyes. "Master entered the Death God Temple again?"
Second Master nodded, his eyes filled with boundless reverence and pride. "When Master walks out of the Death God Temple again, he will be invincible under heaven. Senior Brother, we are now in an era of shifting winds and clouds. This war between the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm will only grow fiercer. In such a great age, no one can remain neutral."
"Those who remain neutral can only die."
The drunkard looked at him with a strange expression.
"Of course, anyone who dares to be an enemy of Senior Brother is an enemy of Tiannan." Second Master spoke earnestly, then added, "Once the first starry sky defense line of the Heavenly Court is breached, the star region where Xinghuantian and Star Heaven Cliff are located will no longer be the edge of the Hell Realm but a sharp knife thrust into the Yellow Spring Star River. By then, you will become a stumbling block for the Hell Realm's continued advance. If you don't make a choice, the consequences will be dire!"
"After all, Master has entered the Death God Temple, and Tiannan's voice has been greatly weakened. Jiusi Yitianhuang of the Darkness Temple, Yan Renhuan of the Yama Clan, that one from the Shura Clan, and that one from the Stone Clan—they are all extremely aggressive. Now, Void Heaven has emerged from the Great Calamity Palace after a hundred thousand years, and his first battle crossed the Heavenly Court's starry sky defense line. The message he conveys is self-evident."
"Junior Brother is truly worried that Senior Brother might make the wrong choice and be used by others."
"Second, did you come all the way to Xinghuantian to teach me how to act?" The drunkard's eyes turned cold.
Second Master remained calm and composed. "Those from the Kunlun Realm were ambitious a hundred thousand years ago, but look at what happened to them—utterly overestimating themselves! If one's cultivation does not reach the level of an Ancestor, they cannot rely on their own power to change heaven and earth. Forcing it will only bring divine retribution."
"An Ancestor—one in a million years is rare!"
"Currently, to change heaven and earth and have the power to protect oneself when the Calamity of Quantities arrives, we must devour the realms of the Heavenly Court as quickly as possible, thereby strengthening the Hell Realm to its peak. This is the great trend, and we must go with the flow!"
"If Senior Brother and that one from Star Heaven Cliff join in, the Heavenly Court will be destroyed within one Eon. Your cultivation will also rise by several levels."
The drunkard said, "Do you truly believe this will stop the Calamity of Quantities, rather than both sides being crippled in war?"
"In fact, in the hundred years since the war began, the overall strength of all clans has greatly increased," Second Master said.
The drunkard replied, "Is it really that simple? Do you truly believe it is the Hell Realm driving this war?"
"Senior Brother refers to the Quantity Organization?"
Second Master said, "That is nothing but baseless rumors! Even if they do exist, a group of insignificant shadows who cannot see the light—can they sway the decisions of the Heavens?"
The drunkard said, "I am talking about the war itself. In truth, it is not the Hell Realm driving the war; it is the war driving the Hell Realm. It is the desires in the hearts of cultivators from all clans driving you. In the Hell Realm, aside from a few far-sighted individuals, the vast majority of cultivators, including gods, have they truly thought about the future Calamity of Quantities?"
"They merely want to devour souls, drink blood, eat flesh, plunder, destroy, enjoy the thrill of killing and enslaving living beings, hoard wealth and resources, and flaunt their martial strength."
"Even if the Heavenly Court falls, the Hell Realm will descend into civil war."
"From the very beginning, the war has been leading you by the nose. Your goals have long been lost in desire. To resist the Calamity of Quantities? No, you do it for yourselves."
"From top to bottom, billions upon billions of cultivators are like this. No one can reverse it. Even if Fengdu Dadi returns, he cannot do it. Forcing it would only cause the Ten Clans of Hell to collapse prematurely."
"You only see the weaknesses of the Heavenly Court, but you fail to see your own."
"If the Twenty Heavens of the Hell Realm could unite as the Kunlun Realm did back then, with ideals in their hearts, even if I dislike the Hell Realm's philosophy of endless killing and destruction, I would have chosen you long ago."
Second Master stared at the drunkard for a long time, picked up the wine cup, took a sip, set it down, and said, "You are not Senior Brother. Senior Brother would not reason with me like this. He would only overturn the table and kick me out."
"I was too fixated just now."
The drunkard smiled, his form shifting.
Second Master looked at the old woodcutter sitting across from him. "Ju Ren, I didn't expect to be fooled by you. It seems your spiritual power has surpassed mine."
"You have been burdened by worldly affairs, which is why your cultivation has stagnated. If you had not left Tiannan and had cultivated like me, your spiritual power would surely surpass mine."
The old woodcutter added, "In truth, your Senior Brother long anticipated your arrival and set up an illusion formation here in advance."
Second Master realized that Senior Brother must have gone to the Hundred Clans Royal City. He stood up, all trace of humility gone, his entire being sharp as an unsheathed divine sword. "War driving the Hell Realm? Hmph! Ju Ren, Ju Ren, you simply do not understand. The most powerful force in the world is the desire for power in the hearts of all cultivators. Master this force, and the Hell Realm will be unstoppable."
The old woodcutter smiled but said nothing.
With differing philosophies, further discussion was meaningless.
Suddenly, Second Master and the old woodcutter both sensed something, turning their gazes toward the direction of the Starry Sky Battlefield, expressions turning grave.
It was as if a star had exploded, a blindingly bright light spreading across the starry sky.
"Hao Tian has personally made a move!" Second Master was both shocked and delighted.
What delighted him was that once Hao Tian acted, Fengdu Dadi, who had not shown himself, would surely respond.
King against king, general against general.
Many rules of war, though not explicitly stated by either side, were tacitly accepted.
The old woodcutter sighed. "Ghost God Venerable has fallen!"
Second Master laughed even more heartily. "If so, Jiusi Yitianhuang should also emerge!"
Sure enough, not long after, a dark force rose from the starry sky of the Darkness Temple, covering the Yellow Spring Star River and heading straight toward the Starry Sky Battlefield.
That terrifying aura swept across the universe.
Cultivators on every major realm and every planet could feel the oppressive atmosphere.
This was the wrath of heaven!
Jiusi Yitianhuang's cultivation was unfathomably deep, but he rarely acted. His last appearance was a hundred thousand years ago, so his reputation in the Hell Realm was slightly weaker than Fengdu Dadi's.
Yet even so, when the Hell Realm appointed the Twenty Heavens, a heavenly-rank figure recommended him as Heavenly Venerable, but he declined. Moreover, it was he who personally recommended Fengdu Dadi as Heavenly Venerable, honored by all the Heavens.
Now, darkness shrouded the universe, and the Yellow Spring Star River dimmed, all showcasing Jiusi Yitianhuang's cultivation that pressed down on the cosmos and his devouring, sky-swallowing fury.
Void Heaven stood atop the majestic Fate Divine Mountain, by the banks of the Fate Stream, with golden flowers blooming at his feet. He snorted, "That old schemer, plotting this and that, and yet he lost a God Venerable. Finally, he can't pretend anymore. Let's see if he has the strength to be Hao Tian's opponent!"
In this era, those whose cultivation Void Heaven could not fathom were few and far between, and Jiusi Yitianhuang was one of them.
From the Death God Palace, a stunning woman emerged, graceful as a startled swan, with an transcendent aura.
Void Heaven gazed at her from afar, sizing her up, his smile growing increasingly improper.
The stunning woman tore through the void, transforming into a phoenix in the starry sky, vanishing into the universe in an instant.
"She flies fast, with such vibrant feathers—they must feel soft to the touch!" Void Heaven grinned widely.
...
The old woodcutter said, "Where will this storm settle?"
"Isn't this storm stirred up by you? It won't last long. It's far from the time for full-scale war. But the fall of a God Venerable should bring many neutral old-timers out of hiding. Jiusi Yitianhuang emerging from the Darkness Temple will also inevitably kick off the full-scale war between the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm. Overall, it's a good thing. Next, we'll see Fengdu Dadi's stance!"
Second Master laughed. If the death of one God Venerable could unite the entire Hell Realm in shared hatred, it was indeed a good thing.
"Whoosh!"
He pointed a finger.
The old woodcutter's body dissolved into a wisp of green smoke.
A single white hair drifted down from the smoke.
Second Master shook his head with a smile, then looked toward the direction of the Hundred Clans Royal City, his gaze growing cold. "This situation really changes in an instant!"
...
At the Hundred Clans Royal City.
In less than ten breaths, the Azure Cloud Platform was split in two. Fire Ze God Lord fell beneath the seven Sword Ancestor Soul Swords. The Emperor was shattered by the God-Defying Stele, his bones crushed, his bone fire scattered.
"Pfft!"
Xiang Ruyue of Fengdu Ghost City was pinned to the ground by Zhang Ruochen with a rust-covered divine sword, divine light leaking from his body, his divine form convulsing.