Chapter 3440: Heavenly Venerable Guards the Battlefield, Heavenly Court Forms the Defense Line
The Mandala Flower Goddess exuded a rich floral fragrance, her appearance breathtakingly beautiful. Her skin beneath the red gauze robe was as delicate and translucent as flower petals. Among female deities, her renowned beauty was hardly inferior to that of the Moon Goddess.
Her physical body had fully coalesced, and her injuries had stabilized. She said, "The Kunlun Realm was the first to be attacked—this happened while you were breaking through your cultivation in Lihentian."
"At the time, everyone believed someone was trying to restrain Tai Shang, with the real target being all of you in Lihentian."
"But in hindsight, the Hell Realm's scheme was to feint east and strike west—luring the Heavenly Court's powerhouses to Lihentian and the Kunlun Realm, then delivering a fatal blow to the Starry Sky Defense Line. Fortunately, the Heavenly Venerable saw through their trick!"
"The Kunlun Realm was attacked first? At that time, the Starry Sky Defense Line and the Wuding Divine Sea defense line were still intact. Who would dare cross the defense line and attack the Kunlun Realm?"
Zhang Ruochen was deeply worried.
He knew well the condition of his Grand Master. After being worn down for a hundred thousand years in the Destiny Temple, his spirit, lifespan, and soul had all suffered irreparable damage.
Every major battle he fought consumed his already limited life force.
Like a candle about to burn out, every gust of wind only hastened its consumption.
"It is said that the attacker was a being with spiritual power above the ninetieth rank, very likely the Tai Shang of the Yama Clan," said the Mandala Flower Goddess.
The Qiangu Nüdi said, "That Tai Shang has always maintained a neutral stance in the war between the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm. Why would he be the first to strike? And taking such a great risk, directly crossing the defense line into the Heavenly Court Universe—so aggressive."
The Dragon Lord said, "Maintaining neutrality does not mean one will never join the battle. When an absolutely favorable opportunity presents itself, how could one of the Twenty Heavens of the Hell Realm possibly refrain from acting? How could they stay aloof?"
"At the end of the day, that Tai Shang represents the interests of the Yama Clan. Within the Yama Clan, only the previous clan leader, Yan Huanyu, was truly opposed to war and slaughter."
Footsteps sounded.
The Starry Sea Angler walked out from the wooden boat and said, "The Yama Clan's Tai Shang went to the Kunlun Realm to restrain Old Man Huaying and lure Hao Tian away from the Starry Sky Defense Line—that was only one purpose. The second should be related to the Ancestor Realm left behind by the Second Confucian Ancestor!"
"For those of us who have reached this level, what we pursue comes down to three things: a higher realm, training successors and protecting our descendants, and immortality."
"Among these, the higher realm is the most urgent and direct pursuit. This includes war! The purpose of war is never mere slaughter and destruction, but to plunder cultivation resources and advance one's cultivation more quickly."
"That Yama Clan Tai Shang's spiritual power surpasses even mine and Qing Cang's, yet he remains trapped beneath a bottleneck. If he cannot break through this bottleneck, his remaining days are numbered!"
"Coincidentally, Old Man Huaying broke through this bottleneck a hundred thousand years ago, becoming the number one spiritual power cultivator in the universe at that time. By crossing blows with Old Man Huaying, he is certainly trying to comprehend the state of spiritual power at that higher level, seeking an opportunity to break through."
Everyone on the deck showed expressions of reverence.
The true body of a spiritual power legend was right before their eyes—something unimaginable even for deities. Respect arose naturally in their hearts.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is it really related to the Second Confucian Ancestor's Ancestor Realm?"
"You underestimate the Second Confucian Ancestor's appeal to spiritual power cultivators."
The Starry Sea Angler clasped one hand behind his back and said, "In this world, those who can cultivate their spiritual power to the ninetieth rank can already be counted on one hand, can they not? Those who can reach the ninety-fourth rank have been extremely rare since ancient times. The Second Confucian Ancestor's spiritual power reached at least the ninety-fourth rank, possibly even the ninety-fifth. He was a spiritual power Ancestor!"
"Who doesn't want to be invincible under heaven?"
"Who doesn't want to leave their name through the ages, shining for millennia?"
"The news of the Second Confucian Ancestor's Ancestor Realm was clearly spread deliberately by someone with ulterior motives. It's possible that even then, a scheme was already in motion, intending to use this to draw out the Yama Clan Tai Shang," said the Dragon Lord, who had specifically investigated the matter in the Heavenly Court but found all leads severed.
The Starry Sea Angler said, "If you truly find the Second Confucian Ancestor's Ancestor Realm, remember to inform me."
Zhang Ruochen's brow remained furrowed with concern. He asked, "What was the final outcome of the battle at the Kunlun Realm?"
The Qiangu Nüdi and Chi Xingtian's expressions also grew tense.
The Mandala Flower Goddess said, "It is said that after the Starry Sky Defense Line was breached, a second Heaven-Reaching Perfection cultivator went to the Kunlun Realm, suspected to be Void Heaven of the Destiny Temple."
If Void Heaven had gone to the Kunlun Realm, Zhang Ruochen was not at all surprised.
That old ghost had long coveted the Sword Heart in the Nether Prison—how could he pass up this opportunity?
As the Starry Sea Angler had said, when one reached their level, the most direct and urgent pursuit was a higher realm.
The Qiangu Nüdi's heart had already sunk to the bottom.
If it were only the Yama Clan Tai Shang alone, her grandfather could still handle him with the Kunlun Realm's formations and geographical advantages. But if Void Heaven was added as well...
Chi Xingtian stamped his feet in agitation. "Can you finish what you're saying in one go? What happened to Tai Shang and the Kunlun Realm?"
The Mandala Flower Goddess said, "After Void Heaven arrived, the battle at the Kunlun Realm did not last long before they retreated. It is said... that is how it was."
After all, the Mandala Flower Goddess was in the Southern Universe. The news about the Starry Sky Defense Line and the Kunlun Realm had all been passed on by other deities.
The level of battle involving someone like Tai Shang was not something a mere Great God could fully understand.
She had received much information, much of it chaotic, and many things were merely her own guesses or those of other deities. Even whether the Heaven-Reaching Perfection spiritual power cultivator who struck at the Kunlun Realm was the Yama Clan Tai Shang could only be inferred.
Zhang Ruochen was puzzled. "Why did the two Heaven-Reaching Perfection cultivators of the Hell Realm retreat?"
The Mandala Flower Goddess said, "It is said they had no choice but to retreat, or else they would have faced interception and killing by two Heavenly Venerables and countless deities."
Chi Xingtian was completely stunned. Facing interception by two Heavenly Venerables?
Was Fengdu Dadi going to kill Void Heaven and the Yama Clan Tai Shang?
Seeing that Chi Xingtian's explosive temper was about to get out of control, the Mandala Flower Goddess quickly added, "In truth, although the Starry Sky Defense Line was breached, causing heavy losses to many ancient civilizations, that was only the initial impact."
"The Heavenly Venerable had long been prepared. On the fourth day of the war, the Heavenly Court descended upon the ancient civilization star region, blocking the Shura Star Pillar Realm and the Yellow Spring Star River, and severely wounding the Hell Realm."
"The Heavenly Court... descended upon the Starry Sky Battlefield?"
Every cultivator on the wooden boat was shocked.
The Heavenly Court could be called the number one realm in the current universe. Once known as the Saint Realm, it was the gathering place for saint-level cultivators from all realms and the convergence point of the entire universe's spatial meridians.
Outside the Heavenly Court in the starry sky, there was not only the Heavenly River but also many war fortresses, guardian planets, and great realms.
Formations and divine patterns were countless.
Moving such a great realm would be no easy task even for a Heavenly Venerable.
To move the Heavenly Court to the Starry Sky Battlefield within a few days of the Starry Sky Defense Line's imminent collapse was something no one had dared to imagine. This must have required years of preparation to accomplish.
The Starry Sea Angler gazed into the distance and said, "The Heavenly Venerable guards the battlefield, the Heavenly Court forms the defense line. Hao Tian, indeed Hao Tian—such boldness, such foresight—truly extraordinary!"
The Dragon Lord said, "The Heavenly Venerable clearly began secret preparations many years ago. The Heavenly Court may not necessarily have been destined to descend upon the ancient civilization star region; it could have been the Wuding Divine Sea or the Kunlun Realm. In any case, it was bound to descend upon the battlefield at the most critical moment, blocking the Yellow Spring Star River and standing at the very front line of the war."
Chi Xingtian said, "With great power comes great responsibility—that is how it should be. If the Hell Realm wants a decisive battle, then the Heavenly Court should show the determination to fight to the death. Let's see who is tougher, who has more guts."
"For the past hundred thousand years, how stifling the Merit Battles have been! Isn't it because the Heavenly Court's deities haven't been ruthless enough, and the Heavenly Palace hasn't been decisive enough? If they had shown this kind of determination to fight to the death at any cost long ago, the Hell Realm's deities would have been scared off long ago."
Zhang Ruochen could imagine the danger of this battle. If the Heavenly Palace had not been prepared, once the Hell Realm's army broke through the Starry Sky Defense Line, they could have driven straight in and attacked the various worlds of the Heavenly Court.
In a war of this scale, one defeat meant total loss.
"Then does this mean the Starry Sky Defense Line has been held again, and the Hell Realm has retreated? But why is there talk of two Heavenly Venerables intercepting and killing the Yama Clan Tai Shang and Void Heaven?" the Qiangu Nüdi asked.
The Mandala Flower Goddess said, "There are actually two other reasons for the Hell Realm's retreat. First, the Thunder Clan emerged and seized control of the Wuding Divine Sea."
"Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable manifested his Heavenly Venerable Dharma Form and forcefully ordered that all troops from the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm stationed on both sides of the Divine Sea must withdraw within one month, or face death without mercy."
Zhang Ruochen had already suspected this and was not shocked. "Did the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm really withdraw from the Wuding Divine Sea?"
"It is said they did," said the Mandala Flower Goddess.
Chi Xingtian had recovered from his shock and said angrily, "The defense line at the Wuding Divine Sea—how many years did the various realms of the Heavenly Court spend building it? How many cultivation resources did they invest? And they just withdraw at his word? Does Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable have such a big face?"
"He actually does!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Thunder Clan chose an excellent time to emerge. The Zhutian powerhouses originally stationed at the Wuding Divine Sea must have gone to the Starry Sky Battlefield."
"Consider this: if the Hell Realm withdrew but the Heavenly Court did not, once the Thunder Clan attacked, the Heavenly Court would be caught between two enemies."
"But from another perspective, letting the Thunder Clan occupy the Wuding Divine Sea creates a buffer zone between the Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm Universe. If the Hell Realm wants to open a second battlefield from this direction, they must first get past the Thunder Clan."
"Anyone in that position would have to withdraw!"
Chi Xingtian scratched his hair in frustration. "Is the Thunder Clan any good? The Liang Huang behind Xuan Yi is definitely Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable. Letting the Thunder Clan occupy the Wuding Divine Sea will definitely cause trouble in the future. But that's not right—the Heavenly Court was on the defensive in this battle, but the Hell Realm had no reason to withdraw! The Hell Realm invested even more resources in the Wuding Divine Sea defense line than the Heavenly Court."
The Mandala Flower Goddess said, "In truth, the Hell Realm is not that strong! For a hundred thousand years, the Hell Realm has indeed held the upper hand, but when full-scale war broke out and the deities from all realms of the Heavenly Court mobilized together, their strength was not much inferior to the Hell Realm's."
"This brings us to the second reason for the Hell Realm's withdrawal! They had essentially emptied their forces to attack the Starry Sky Defense Line, leaving their rear vulnerable. This battle strategy itself was problematic—too extreme. If they could not achieve a quick victory, the consequences were unpredictable."
"Shang Tian, True Martial Great Emperor, and the Lord of the Yuan Realm led a large number of deities through the Santu River into the heart of the Hell Realm. In seven days, they destroyed one hundred and twenty-six realms of the Hell Realm, reducing tens of thousands of cultivation planets to cosmic rubble."
"In this battle, it can be said there were no winners! If the Hell Realm had not withdrawn and continued fighting, the outcome would have been the same as a hundred thousand years ago—both sides losing, both severely wounded."
"Even so, both the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm had already been fighting with red eyes. When the Thunder Clan emerged at this time, the Hell Realm had to carefully weigh the situation. In the end, Fengdu Dadi ordered the withdrawal from the Wuding Divine Sea."
After a long silence.
"I've said it long ago—Qing Cang, Yan Renhuan, Jiusi Yitianhuang—these people were too arrogant. A hundred thousand years of holding the upper hand made the deities of the Hell Realm extremely inflated, thinking they could toy with the Heavenly Court at will. This lesson should sober them up!"
The Starry Sea Angler flicked his sleeve and returned to the wooden boat.
Zhang Ruochen understood why the Starry Sea Angler was angry. Because this battle did have winners!
The Thunder Clan was a winner, reclaiming the Wuding Divine Sea without shedding a drop of blood.
The Ancient Demon Gods were winners, having devoured the living beings of who knows how many great worlds in the Heavenly Court, rapidly recovering their cultivation.
Fei Ma Wang, for instance, had already recovered to the Great Unbound Infinite level in a short time. Moreover, she had captured the living beings of three great worlds as blood food. Given more time, she might return to her peak!
Di had emerged!
Ancient powerhouses had collectively descended in the Night Soil!
Without this battle, none of these things would have happened.
The Boundless cultivators of the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm would have joined forces to suppress the Thunder Clan, exterminate the Ancient Demon Gods, kill Di before his emergence, and those still-weak ancient powerhouses would have been insignificant.
Fighting to this extent, both sides had red eyes. In the short term, the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm would find it difficult to reach a tacit understanding to campaign against the North Marsh Great Wall.
The Mandala Flower Goddess hesitated but ultimately could not help saying, "It is said that some deities witnessed with their own eyes that Tai Shang of the Kunlun Realm's body turned to nothingness, and he may have already perished."
Chi Xingtian was completely enraged. Demonic patterns appeared on his face, and he wanted to strike the Mandala Flower Goddess. "Can you shut up? Stop giving me 'it is said,' 'it is said'! Tai Shang will be fine. He is the number one spiritual power cultivator in the world today. Unless the Eon Calamity comes, how could he perish? Spit, spit—even the Eon Calamity cannot destroy Tai Shang."
The Mandala Flower Goddess was angered by Chi Xingtian. Her beautiful eyes glared at him, and her jade fingers formed a palm seal within her sleeve.
Zhang Ruochen quickly stepped forward, bumping Chi Xingtian aside, and handed over a Changqing Fruit and two Divine Pills. "Thank you, Flower Goddess, for the information. Your injuries are too severe—you must heal quickly."
The Mandala Flower Goddess had always looked unfavorably upon Zhang Ruochen, believing that Ji Fanxin had loved the wrong person, giving her sincere heart to a wandering scoundrel. But seeing Zhang Ruochen's generosity, combined with his earlier rescue, her impression of him naturally improved considerably.
Seeing the Mandala Flower Goddess hesitate, Zhang Ruochen said with sincere eyes, "Flower Goddess has burned too much of her lifespan. If she does not heal quickly, her foundation may be lost, and she may never have another chance to charge into Boundless. This junior knows that the Thousand Stamen Realm must have healing divine objects, but this small token is offered on behalf of Fan Xin as a filial offering."
The Mandala Flower Goddess frowned slightly, staring deeply at Zhang Ruochen. She raised her slender jade arm, her fragrant sleeve moving like wind, and took the Changqing Fruit and two Divine Pills from his hand. "Realm Lord Ruochen is now a Boundless-level powerhouse. I dare not consider myself your senior. Thank you—I will repay this debt in the future."
The Thousand Stamen Realm naturally had healing divine objects, but none could compare to the Changqing Fruit and the two Divine Pills Zhang Ruochen had given.
Zhang Ruochen sensed a pair of unfriendly eyes watching him. He turned to see Chi Xingtian with a sour expression, a hint of contempt in his gaze.
This big cat was even worse than Xiao Hei, always interpreting his actions with malicious intent.