Chapter 4161: Shaking the Entire Heavenly Court
Supporters of Xuan Yuan Taizhen and devotees of the Divine Realm arrived in large numbers, converging at the Central Divine Hall.
The two factions stood opposed, swords drawn and bows bent.
Divine Qi clashed.
Eyes and spiritual thoughts collided in silent strikes. The atmosphere was murderous, threatening to erupt into a shocking internal conflict at any moment.
That was not the outcome Xuan Yuan Taizhen desired.
The reason he had offered up Kongming Ruins and ostensibly submitted to the Eternal True Ruler was entirely to buy time, to preserve the Xuan Yuan Clan and the myriad realms of the Heavenly Court Universe as much as possible.
He was different from those fanatical devotees.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen raised his arm, halting the murderous cultivators behind him, and said, "I have heard some news about the Life-Death Elder. When my elder brother was alive, he did not fully trust those remnant souls of antiquity. I find it hard to believe he would pass the position of Heavenly Palace Master to one of them."
"Shang Tian, Cihang, can your words truly be trusted? Or perhaps, you have been deceived as well?"
Shang Tian stood opposite Xuan Yuan Taizhen, his aura calm and steady. "If this is your concern, there is no need for it. This matter is absolutely true. I can swear an oath on the lives of the entire Shang Clan!"
Zhenwu Dadi said, "Shang Tian and Venerable Cihang have different stances. If only one of them had spoken, I might harbor doubts. But since both have confirmed the same thing, I see no need to continue debating its truth or falsehood."
"Shang Tian and Venerable Cihang are not the type to speak irresponsibly, and no one can sway their will." Zhao Gongming, riding on the back of a black tiger, shouted this out, then added, "Second Master! Since Heavenly Venerable Haotian has chosen his successor, step down gracefully. Don't wait for the rightful person to arrive and make things too ugly."
The strongest figure behind Xuan Yuan Taizhen was Ji Tian, the number one expert of the Ji Clan, one of the nine great clans of the ancient universe.
Ji Tian had long ago visited the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom and been received by the Eternal True Ruler. Since his return, his cultivation had advanced rapidly.
He was a staunch supporter of the Divine Realm.
He knew very well that Xuan Yuan Taizhen represented the interests of the Divine Realm.
If these people succeeded in their coup today and allowed that unknown "Life-Death Heavenly Venerable" to take control of the Heavenly Palace, the construction of the Heaven and Earth Altars would surely be obstructed.
Cultivators who believed in the Eternal True Ruler and were pro-Divine Realm would likely face suppression and expulsion.
Ji Tian said, "Even if what Shang Tian and Venerable Cihang say is true, times have changed. Heavenly Venerable Haotian could never have foreseen that after his death, the cosmic situation would undergo such drastic transformations."
"I know you all have deep prejudices against the Divine Realm, believing its influence is too great, encroaching on your rights and interests, stripping you of your former lofty status, and preventing you from doing as you please."
"You are far too selfish and short-sighted."
"What is this paltry gain in front of you?"
"The Great Calamity is the most important matter! Joining forces with the Divine Realm to build one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred Heaven and Earth Altars, leading all living beings in the universe into a new epoch—that is the only thing we need to consider."
"Without the Divine Realm, without the Heaven and Earth Altars, what do you have to resist the Great Calamity? Rely on you, Xuan Yuan Lian? Rely on you, Shang the Bearded? Hmph! A bunch of narrow-minded fools who completely disregard the bigger picture!"
Ji Tian held an extremely high status in the Heavenly Court Universe, but having lived in seclusion for the past few hundred thousand years with little involvement in world affairs, his fame had waned. However, no one doubted his cultivation and strength.
Faced with Ji Tian's counterattack, Shang Tian remained unruffled, saying calmly, "If Ji Tian hadn't shown himself again, I would have thought you had already passed away in meditation."
"When the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm were fighting at their most perilous, you were not there. When the Heavenly River was seized, you were not there. When the calamity of the Primordial Ancestors struck, you were not there. When the Life-and-Death Tribulation of the Nether Ancestor occurred, you were not there."
"Now, after a single trip to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, your cultivation has greatly advanced, and you finally show yourself!"
"Tell me, you old scoundrel, what right do you have to reproach us?"
Feng Yan had always disliked Shang Tian and held considerable prejudice against him.
But compared to Ji Tian, Shang the Bearded seemed not so detestable after all!
Thus, he added a jab: "At least the Ji Clan produced a remarkable Quantifier, who carries some weight within the Quantity Organization."
Ji Tian glared coldly at Feng Yan. "When we Heavens are speaking, is there a place for a junior like you to interrupt?"
Feng Yan did not back down. Five-colored clouds and mists appeared in his pupils, and the Pure Yang Sword on his back hummed, releasing sword Qi that cleanly severed the divine might in Ji Tian's gaze.
Only then did Ji Tian realize how powerful this young man before him truly was.
He could already stand shoulder to shoulder with the older generation of Heavens.
Xiang Chunan, wearing a metal demon crown and exposing arms as thick as water barrels, roared, "In the end, a battle is unavoidable, right? Then stop dawdling and fight now."
"Stop!"
Xuan Yuan Taizhen shouted deeply, his gaze sweeping over Shang Tian, Xuan Yuan Lian, Venerable Cihang, Feng Yan, and the others. "I am well aware that the reason you are making your move now, without waiting for the Life-Death Elder to arrive, is to achieve a smoother transfer of power. None of you want a civil war within the Heavenly Court Universe, spilling blood and rivers."
"Ultimately, all the gods present here are our own people, old acquaintances, comrades-in-arms for many years. Anything can be discussed calmly."
"I, Xuan Yuan Taizhen, am not one to covet the position of Heavenly Palace Master. I simply cannot bear to see the myriad realms of the Heavenly Court Universe turn to ashes in your hands. Is the fate of the Desolate Universe not bloody enough?"
"To make enemies of the Primordial Ancestors, to clash head-on with the Immortal, even if we all band together, we would be wiped out with a wave of the hand."
"I have only two questions. If you all can answer them, I will immediately lead the Xuan Yuan Clan and the gods of Ten Thousand Ruins Realm to leave the Heavenly Palace."
The entire Central Divine Hall fell silent.
"The first question: The Epoch Calamity has already passed several hundred years. The Great Calamity is not far off, and everything in the universe will be destroyed. Who among you can stop this? Who has a countermeasure? Don't tell me you truly believe that the Doomsday Fortresses built now can withstand the Great Calamity?" Xuan Yuan Taizhen's voice echoed through the Central Divine Hall.
Having witnessed the Minor Calamities triggered by the Primordial Ancestors and the destructive storms unleashed by the self-detonation of the Primordial Ancestors, the gods present had a very real understanding of the word "Calamity."
Let alone the Great Calamity.
Even the probability of the Heavenly Court's current Doomsday Fortresses blocking a Minor Calamity was less than ten percent.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen continued, "The second question is even more realistic. Without the protection of the Eternal True Ruler, how will you all deal with those Primordial Ancestors who are eager to improve their cultivation and power? Haven't you lost enough over the years?"
Boom!
Space violently trembled, and the entire Heavenly Palace shook.
This fluctuation did not originate from the gods within the hall, but from the outside world.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen, Shang Tian, Ji Tian, Zhenwu Dadi, Hunyuan Tian, Xianxia Chi, and other cultivators—some released their divine souls, others used their spiritual power to deduce. But none could find the source of this spatial fluctuation.
"Boom!"
The Heavenly Palace shook again.
This time, Xuan Yuan Taizhen, the most powerful among them, finally discerned the truth. He raised his head and looked towards the direction of the Merit Divine Hall beyond the heavens.
"Boom!"
A third spatial fluctuation spread out.
A crack millions of miles long appeared in the outer space of the Merit Divine Star, like a blade of space, spreading towards the Heavenly Court.
Fortunately, it was blocked by the formation divine river protecting the Heavenly Court.
"An ultimate existence is clashing in the space of the Merit Divine Hall. Everyone, follow me to the Heavenly River to activate the formation and resist the impact of the battle's aftermath." That formation divine river, spanning one hundred eight thousand miles, was also known as the Heavenly River.
"Whoosh!"
Xuan Yuan Taizhen transformed into a beam of Xuanhuang divine light and flew towards the Heavenly River.
His sense of crisis was extremely acute. He could clearly feel the terror of the aura emanating from within the spatial crack. It was at least at the Quasi-Ancestor level, and could potentially shatter the Heavenly River with a single blow.
At that point, the destructive storm would fall directly onto the four continents of the Heavenly Court.
Facing the crisis, no one hesitated.
Beams of divine light flew out from the Central Divine Hall, each manifesting giant divine bodies and landing in the Heavenly River.
"Boom!"
A fourth spatial fluctuation spread out. The space outside the Merit Divine Star completely shattered, cracks extending millions of miles away. It was as if the mirror of heaven and earth had broken.
"Roar!"
The massive body of the Ancestral Dragon flew out from the spatial fragments.
It was extremely shocking. Even a single scale was as huge as a planet, as if its body were a great world—heavy and ferocious.
The aura of a Primordial Ancestor instantly spread across the entire star domain, sensed by the living beings of thousands of great worlds.
The gods on the Heavenly River were stunned. Where had they ever seen such a colossal creature?
It filled their field of vision.
With the naked eye, one could only see one percent, or even one thousandth, of the Ancestral Dragon's body.
This was truly a case of seeing the dragon's head but not its tail!
"It's the Ancestral Dragon... the power of the Ancestral Dragon..." "Has the Wu Ancestor descended upon this era? Wasn't the River of Time supposed to have been severed?"
"This aura is definitely that of a Primordial Ancestor, no mistake!"
Seeing the Wu Ancestor, enveloped by the divine might of a Primordial Ancestor, even gods felt a surge of worship and uncontrollably prostrated themselves in reverence.
Only those Divine Kings and Divine Venerables who had reached the Infinite Realm could remain calm.
Feng Yan's tone was extremely certain. "It's not the Ancestral Dragon descending across the River of Time! The power emanating from its body..."
Before he could finish, someone retorted, "How could it not be the Ancestral Dragon? A wisp of Qi emanating from its body could cut a minor god in half. There's no mistake. This divine might cannot be matched by anyone below the Primordial Ancestor level."
Feng Yan had merged with the Five-Colored Glazed Cover, mastering the power of the Wa Empress, and could utilize part of the Wa Empress's Primordial Ancestor Divine Qi and Primordial Ancestor Rules. Naturally, he had some understanding of the ancient Wu Ancestor.
He wanted to explain, but didn't know how.
After all, the aura released by this Ancestral Dragon before them, and the power fluctuations it erupted with, were indeed far beyond his ability to compare.
Long Lin's combat strength far exceeded Zhang Ruochen's expectations, surpassing Hao Tian at his peak.
This was the terror of the Wu Ancestor!
Even though Zhang Ruochen had gone all out, Long Lin still withstood four of his strikes and broke the Boundless Heaven and Earth constructed by the Black and White Life-Death Seal.
This level of combat power and understanding of Dao techniques was simply appalling.
No wonder it could control the Ancestral Dragon's Primordial Ancestor corpse and mobilize the power of the Ancestral Dragon within it. It had already comprehended the Ancestral Dragon's Dao to an extremely thorough degree.
Zhang Ruochen chased out of the Merit Divine Hall, his gaze sweeping over the vast sea of stars beneath his feet.
Within a single light-year, there were thousands of great worlds and thousands of life-bearing main stars. If the battle fluctuations spread, the consequences would be unimaginable.
In that case...
Zhang Ruochen extended his single arm, his five fingers spread like a fan.
Each finger was entwined with billions of rules, each condensing into a type of Dao technique that had never existed in the universe.
One Thought Creates Divine Abilities!
Each divine ability was as profound as a Heavenly Venerable's divine ability, with infinite power, enough for other gods to study for a lifetime.
"Wait."
"Daoist, think twice..."
Chi Yao and Zhen Yuan rushed out from the hall, trying to stop Zhang Ruochen.
They believed that once Zhang Ruochen struck, at least several great worlds outside the Heavenly Court would be destroyed. The price would be too great!
Zhang Ruochen paid them no heed and swung his palm.
In an instant, a five-fingered palm, millions of miles long, manifested in the void and heavily slammed onto the Ancestral Dragon's head, sending its body flying towards the Heavenly River.
The Ancestral Dragon let out a mournful cry. Five deep, bloody marks appeared on its head. Carrying shattered space, its body tumbled and fell over.
Only then did the gods on the Heavenly River realize that such a powerful existence as the Ancestral Dragon had been fleeing just now. How was this possible?
What terrifying existence was pursuing it?
Where had that handprint come from?
Except for Chi Yao and Zhen Yuan, who were already shocked beyond words, no one could see Zhang Ruochen's form, let alone know where the power had erupted from.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen had some guesses about the identity of this Ancestral Dragon before him.
He also roughly guessed the identity of the terrifying existence attacking this Ancestral Dragon. It was most likely the same person who had dealt with Murong Dui Ji.
Was this really going to overturn the Divine Realm?
He had no time to think further. The Ancestral Dragon was already falling towards them. He could only activate the power of the formation divine river to resist.
Although Xuan Yuan Taizhen knew that this was deliberately done by that terrifying existence, using their hands to deal with the Ancestral Dragon, he had no choice.
"Activate the formation!"
He shouted.
In the southern glacial sea of the Southern Continent of the Heavenly Court.
A whirlpool appeared on the calm sea surface.
The Dragon Lord rose slowly from the center of the whirlpool, sporting dragon horns and shining golden hair, possessing an otherworldly and peerless temperament.
His golden pupils gazed at the sky, sensing the aura emanating from the Ancestral Dragon.
After the Seventy-Two Layer Tower was taken away, the Dragon Lord sensed danger in the Sword Realm. After discussing with the Five Dragon God Emperor, he carried the Dragon Nest and left the Wuding Divine Sea, going into hiding.
No one knew he was hiding in the Heavenly Court, at the bottom of the deep sea.
The Heavenly Court seemed to be at the forefront of the storm, with cultivators from all realms gathered, bustling and prosperous, making it extremely unsuitable for hiding. But the Dragon Lord deliberately did the opposite.
At the Space Divine Temple in the Western Continent.
The Primordial Black Dragon and the Dark Venerable Lord appeared one after the other at the summit of Buzhou Mountain.
The most dangerous place was the safest.
Who would have thought that the Primordial Black Dragon and the Dark Venerable Lord, two Primordial Ancestors with deep ties to Buzhou Mountain, had returned to it?
They feared revealing their whereabouts and dared not release their divine thoughts to investigate.
But they paid close attention to this battle.
They greatly admired the person who dared to oppose Long Lin and openly challenge the Divine Realm.
The Dark Venerable Lord said, "He is a sharp blade that can be well utilized. With someone openly confronting the Divine Realm, we in the shadows can operate with greater ease."
"If the Eternal True Ruler makes a move, should we lend him a hand?" the Primordial Black Dragon asked.
If they helped, they would inevitably be exposed and would have to find another hiding place.
The Dark Venerable Lord smiled. "No rush! Given the strength this person has displayed, the Eternal True Ruler may not be able to do anything to him."
In the boundless seas and on the four continents of the Heavenly Court, more hidden figures were stirred into action.
Without a doubt, the Heavenly Venerable-level and Half-Ancestor-level experts of the universe unanimously believed that the Heavenly Court was the best hiding place. This included some formidable figures from the Hell Realm.
One reason was that the Heavenly Court had existed for billions of years without being destroyed, surviving countless calamities.
Another was that in the Heavenly Court, one could obtain the latest information from the universe at the first moment.
A third reason was that the Heavenly Court was truly the number one cultivation plane in the universe.