Chapter 3692: The Heaven-Beheading Assembly
The return of ancient powerhouses and the descent of legends into the present era were no longer secrets, not only in the divine world but also in the mortal and mundane realms.
The attitudes of contemporary cultivators towards these ancient powerhouses were sharply divided.
Except for the chaotic ancient demon gods, who were notorious in history, feared and dreaded by all, and thus rejected, other legendary ancient powerhouses were met with longing, anticipation, admiration, and even fanaticism from contemporary cultivators.
The lower the cultivation realm, the stronger this sentiment.
Those who were wary and worried about the ancient powerhouses were mainly the top-tier deities and the Twenty Heavens of the present age.
...
A Fuya, as the First Queen of the Elf Clan, led the elves from an obscure minor clan to become a major clan illustrious throughout the entire universe, enduring for over a hundred million years without falling.
To the Elf Clan, she was a figure of faith.
The sages who specialized in studying the First Queen wrote extensively about her life and deeds.
When such a figure descended into the present era, even if it was through the dishonorable method of possession, countless fervent cultivators still surged towards Paradise Realm, vying to become disciples of the Elf Divine Temple.
A Fuya's attitude was unexpected. She did not accept these cultivators to strengthen the Elf Clan. Instead, she remained extremely low-key, rarely showing herself.
Zhang Ruochen naturally wanted to meet this legendary woman, who might be an Ancestor.
Partly out of curiosity.
But more so, because of the wariness deep within his heart.
A Fuya was able to possess Meila and descend into the present era. She was clearly not someone soft-hearted or merciful; her heart must be cold and ruthless.
Zhang Ruochen had abducted the Elf Queen Dai Xue and a large number of Elf Clan members, and had always maintained a tough stance against ancient powerhouses. A Fuya's condescending visit was itself abnormal, making it hard to guess her true purpose.
Zhang Ruochen did not believe she came with friendly intentions.
He always felt there was a hint of conspiracy.
Before the Heaven-Beheading Assembly, Zhang Ruochen did not plan to see her.
...
With the Heaven-Beheading Assembly imminent, Qicheng Heaven Domain became the most prosperous and lively place in the entire Heavenly Court Universe. Cultivators from various major worlds arrived every day, including no small number of deities.
Every ancient city was already overcrowded.
What was the so-called "Heaven-Beheading Assembly"? Beheading two Heavenly Kings for whom to see?
Not for these people to see.
It was to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, to behead the Heavenly Kings to warn the Heavens.
Precisely for this reason, although cultivators came from every major world, not a single Heaven-level powerhouse arrived.
Zhang Ruochen went to the Divine Prison and found nothing unusual. Then, frowning, he returned to the Divine Temple.
Was the Quantity Organization really going to abandon Qivada Mother God and the Three Evil Monarchs?
In the Divine Temple, a round, fat figure was waiting. His body was as huge as a millstone, with two legs and six arms, white and plump, looking festive and harmless.
But he was one of the three Boundless-level powerhouses of the Space Divine Temple, the Eight-Faced Divine King.
Born in the Spider Realm, the Eight-Faced Divine King was in charge of operations, resources, subordinate mortal realms, life-bearing planets... He was the moneybag of the Space Divine Temple.
Upon seeing Zhang Ruochen, the Eight-Faced Divine King immediately stepped forward to bow, without any divine king's dignity, smiling amiably: "Greetings to the Grand Elder! I have long heard of the Grand Elder's reputation, truly the number one genius of past and present. Meeting you today, I see you are indeed of extraordinary appearance, with an imposing aura. There is no doubt you will prove the Ancestor Dao in the future."
Zhang Ruochen sat on the highest divine throne, speaking calmly: "When did the Divine King return?"
The Eight-Faced Divine King said: "Yesterday! A great upheaval occurred in the Phantom Destruction Star Sea. Deities from all realms of the Heavenly Court rushed over to compete for benefits. How could I miss such a lucrative opportunity?"
"I secured three divine stone mineral veins for the temple, twenty-five life ruins realms, and three hundred and forty-one resource planets..."
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand to interrupt him: "There is no need to go into detail. What is the current situation with the Night Demon Six Clans?"
The Eight-Faced Divine King said succinctly: "They have all joined the Demon God Realm."
"The Night Demon Six Clans are no small matter. Each has Divine King and Divine Venerable-level figures. The six clans are united, forming a force capable of contending with a ruling world. Can the Demon God Realm handle them?" Zhang Ruochen seemed to be talking to himself.
"It was the will conveyed by Houtu."
The Eight-Faced Divine King added: "Moreover, although the Night Demon Six Clans have many deities, they lack top-tier existences. Is the Grand Elder overestimating them?"
Zhang Ruochen was deep in thought.
That Houtu, a spiritual power master with a perfect circle, had once been able to contend with the Yama Clan's Tai Shang. She was clearly one of the most formidable figures among the Heavenly Court's Twenty Heavens.
This person held a dominant position in the Demon God Realm and even the entire Southern Universe, secretly controlling many forces like the Array Destruction Palace.
In recent years, that existence had rarely acted, citing a lack of lifespan. It was unclear whether this was true or false.
Given Hao Tian's magnanimity, if that person were merely highly cultivated, he would not have dealt with her in such a manner.
What secret lay behind all this?
Could it be...
Zhang Ruochen's eyes suddenly blazed, a possibility occurring to him.
That person was a descendant of the Demon Ancestor.
Could the Demon Ancestor have also descended into this era?
"Forget it, this is not something I should be pondering."
Zhang Ruochen quickly calmed his mind. Truth light flickered in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on the Eight-Faced Divine King: "Tianya Divine Venerable and Wanchi Divine Venerable are currently imprisoning themselves in the Divine Prison to avoid suspicion."
Before Zhang Ruochen could continue, the Eight-Faced Divine King immediately straightened his back: "Understood! I can appreciate the Grand Elder's difficulties. I have already handed over my affairs and will now go to the Divine Prison."
The Eight-Faced Divine King showed no anger, being very sensible. He withdrew.
Zhang Ruochen's face showed a hint of suspicion. He truly could not tell whether this Eight-Faced Divine King was genuinely like this by nature or was hiding his true depths.
It was already the last day. Zhang Ruochen did not plan to leave the Space Divine Temple. He sat cross-legged, releasing his divine thoughts, wandering between heaven and earth, deducing various heavenly mechanisms.
That night was exceptionally calm.
The morning sun rose slowly, the sky's edge a patch of orange clouds.
Zhang Ruochen pushed open the temple doors and looked out.
Massive, dark green mountain bodies bathed in this warm hue, giving a sense of tranquility and harmony.
The Heavenly Court was, after all, the safest place in the current universe.
It would be reasonable for the Quantity Organization to act to rescue their people.
Everything being calm was also reasonable.
Amidst the sounds of divine drums, dharma conches, and heavenly bells, the Heaven-Beheading Assembly officially began.
At noon, the area outside the Space Divine Temple was packed with people, a gathering of deities.
To behead Qivada Mother God and the Three Evil Monarchs, Zhang Ruochen naturally would not use the Earth Cauldron. Instead, he planned to use Space Essence and the killing divine formations within the temple.
Refine them with the divine formation, annihilate them with Essence.
The Seventh Elder, Cao Beisheng, read out the crimes of the two Quantity Heavenly Kings, recited a eulogy, and mourned the Heavenly Court cultivators who had died because of the Quantity Organization.
The deities of the Space Divine Temple, each stepping on divine clouds, released their divine might, standing in ranks below Zhang Ruochen and Cao Beisheng according to their cultivation strength.
In the sky, the divine throne planets belonging to the Space Divine Temple's deities were exceptionally bright, gathering into a sea of stars, vying with the blazing sun.
Zhang Ruochen, in white robes as pure as snow, was like the lord of all deities, wearing a square jade crown, full of heroic spirit.
The Heaven-Beheading Assembly was so calm. Not only did the Quantity Organization fail to act, but the Demon God Realm also showed no reaction. Zhang Ruochen was naturally disappointed.
Such a Heaven-Beheading Assembly was not what he wanted.
When the sun reached its zenith, Zhang Ruochen's divine light surged greatly. He raised the ebony staff in his hand and declared loudly: "Behead the Quantity Heavenly Kings, sacrifice the departed souls. Avenge the blood debt, rectify the Heavenly Dao."
"Activate the formation!"
"Boom!"
The ebony staff struck the ground heavily.
Ripples of divine light spread out, extending for ten thousand miles.
With the Space Divine Temple at the center, two divine formations, each ten thousand miles in diameter, appeared above and below.
The one below was called the "Void-Shattering Divine Formation." It was filled with countless spatial cracks, like billions of heavenly blades.
The one above was called the "Heavenly Fire Incinerating Deity Formation." It was deep blue, like a circular sea of fire.
The two divine formations rotated like millstones, slowly grinding the divine bodies of Qivada Mother God and the Three Evil Monarchs. Divine blood and divine souls burned within the formations. The sky above the entire Qicheng Heaven Domain, covering a million miles of territory, turned from daylight to night.
The night then turned a dark red.
The deities of the Space Divine Temple, together, released their divine qi, drawing in the divine throne planets from beyond the sky, continuously pouring power into the divine formations to refine the two Quantity Heavenly Kings.
Being able to participate in beheading a Heavenly King was an unimaginable honor, something to boast about for a lifetime.
These deities of the Space Divine Temple were all in high spirits, becoming divinely valiant, as if they themselves were Heavenly Kings, dueling with the two Quantity Heavenly Kings.
Looking at the Grand Elder standing at the very top, they no longer felt only fear but also a measure of recognition and respect.
In the hearts of some deities and the vast majority of Saint-level cultivators, Zhang Ruochen, who had only been Grand Elder for three days, was even more majestic than the Hall Master.
Not the Hall Master, yet surpassing the Hall Master.
All the deities who had come to observe the ceremony watched as the once-unreachable Qivada Mother God and the fearsome Three Evil Monarchs, within the divine formations, had their divine bodies continuously shattered and were gradually refined. Their shock and excitement were beyond words.
Although they knew full well that the man standing before the temple gates had only cultivated for a few thousand years, at this moment, he left a deep imprint on their hearts.
It seemed he could already stand shoulder to shoulder with the Twenty Heavens.
Who would dare to call Zhang Ruochen a junior again?
...
Di Zu Divine Lord stood on a floating island, his physique domineering, but a hint of disappointment in his eyes: "This Heaven-Beheading Assembly is enough to establish authority, but it failed to truly lure out the big fish!"
Ao Xue Divine Consort thought Di Zu Divine Lord was referring to the Quantity Organization and smiled: "This trap was not particularly clever, and with you, Divine Lord, stationed at the Space Divine Temple, how would that hidden Quantity Venerable dare to show himself easily?"
Di Zu Divine Lord sensed something and looked towards the southwest, locking onto a misty figure holding a green oil-paper umbrella.
The oil-paper umbrella shaded her upper body, making her face invisible, but her identity could be judged by the pair of elf wings as thin as cicada wings on her back.
She was hundreds of thousands of miles away, surrounded by a fine drizzle, hazy in the mist and rain.
The next moment, she vanished from Di Zu Divine Lord's field of vision.
"As expected of the First Queen. Even with a possessed body descending, her cultivation has already reached this level. I wonder if Zhang Ruochen can get past her?"
Upon hearing Di Zu Divine Lord's words, the cultivators of the Di Zu Divine Dynasty were all shocked.
Di Zu Divine Lord seemed to be worried about Zhang Ruochen, but in truth, he had already regarded Zhang Ruochen as an opponent capable of contending with the First Queen. What a high evaluation!
The First Queen was a legend of unfathomable depth.
"Let's go. The Heaven-Beheading Assembly is over. It's time for us to return to Imperial Dao Major World and do what we need to do."
Di Zu Divine Lord looked up at the sky beyond, his heart already elsewhere.
(Chapter End)