Chapter 4178: Heading to the Heavenly Palace
In that shattered void of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, the spectacular sight of seventy-two Supreme Sacred Dao rules condensing into divine power to attack the Hongmeng Black Dragon was naturally invisible to ordinary cultivators and the countless living beings of the myriad realms.
However, news spread among the Divine Kings and Divine Venerables.
Within less than a month, Saint realm cultivators from all realms and clans had heard of it. In the mortal world, aristocratic clans and sects, common people, birds and beasts, all felt deep unease.
Rumors spread everywhere, with all sorts of tales circulating.
In a mortal city of a commandery in the Kunlun Realm, some martial artists discussed: "Have you heard? A great upheaval occurred at the edge of the universe. Several tens of thousands of gods from the Ten Clans of Hell fell, and the starry sky was stained red. The Hell Realm is completely finished!"
"Are you talking about the upheavals in the Heavenly Desolate Universe and Earthly Desolate Universe? Your news is too outdated. That was five hundred years ago. My clan has a Half-Saint ancestor who revealed that this turmoil comes from the Abyss of Darkness. The Divine Realm sent a great army to wipe out the Abyss of Darkness!"
"Is that so? My uncle, who cultivates in the Blood God Sect, said it seems an ancestral-level battle occurred in the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. A supreme divine being emerged from the Divine Realm, suppressing all external enemies."
"Isn't the strongest in the Divine Realm the Second Confucian Ancestor? That ancient sage who emerged from our Kunlun Realm has lived for endless ages."
"Not sure! As long as the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom wins, that's good. With the connection through the Second Confucian Ancestor, the stronger the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, the lower the possibility of war reaching the Kunlun Realm."
"Yes, the Divine Realm has always been striving for stability in the cosmic situation. Only if the Divine Realm prevails can everyone have good days. I hope the Heavenly Earth Altar can be built as soon as possible."
In the Paradise Realm.
A small tribe of the Angel Clan, surrounded by mountains, with a thousand-mile white lake.
The seven Saint realm elders of this tribe gathered together, gazing at the Radiant Chains spanning the sky above their heads, all filled with worry.
The Radiant Heaven Earth Divine Rope binding the Hongmeng Black Dragon stretched for who knows how many light-years, with its starting point in the Paradise Realm.
The Radiant rules within the Paradise Realm, like weaving hemp rope, continuously converged toward the divine rope.
Who had ever seen such terrifying divine power?
It seemed as if it would drain all the Radiant energy from the Paradise Realm.
"We went to ask the Ten-Thousand-Jun Great Saint. Even he doesn't know the specifics. He only heard from a friend cultivating in the Radiant Divine Temple that it seems to be the evil consequence of a rebellion in the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom."
"It really is the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom! In this universe, besides the Eternal True Ruler, who else could cross vast distances and draw upon the Radiant Heaven Earth rules of the Paradise Realm?"
"What exactly do the Ghost Clan Patriarch and Erjia Heavenly King want to do? Under the guidance of the Divine Realm, we finally had a few hundred years of stability, and they had to start a rebellion. Now, the wrath of the Divine Realm will be borne by all living beings of the myriad realms."
"We only pray that the Eternal True Ruler quickly quells the turmoil! If these Radiant Heaven Earth Divine Ropes keep absorbing Radiant rules, the concentration of heaven and earth energy in the Paradise Realm will inevitably decline, and the cultivation environment will worsen day by day."
"No need to panic. Every divine temple has wise individuals. Perhaps one day, the entire Paradise Realm will submit to the banner of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, under the protection of the Divine Realm and the Eternal True Ruler."
In the Rakshasa Clan, the Yuegu Divine Kingdom.
Within the divine realm world of a Rakshasa Great God, over a dozen gods gathered.
One elderly Upper-Level God, half-reclining on a divine throne, spoke weakly: "The heaven and earth rules of the nine eternal paths have condensed into divine ropes, spanning the star sea. The heaven and earth rules of the seventy-two supreme sacred paths have turned into tidal waves, surging endlessly toward Lihentian. This is an unprecedented cosmic upheaval, with heaven-reaching methods not even seen among ancient ancestors. Up to now, that Empress hasn't revealed a single piece of information. Everyone can only wait in fear and uncertainty, not knowing if the heavens and earth will collapse at any moment."
Another Upper-Level God said, "Not only has she withheld information, but she hasn't even arranged any countermeasures."
"I heard that at the Bone God Temple, she offended an Indestructible Infinite from the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. She's probably hoping the rebel army breaks through the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom."
"Given the current situation, how many in the rebel army can survive? The Ghost Clan Patriarch and Erjia Heavenly King are indeed top-tier overlords of the universe, representing the Ghost Clan and the Western Buddha Realm respectively, but can they truly be a match for the Eternal True Ruler? I doubt it!"
Another voice chimed in: "Don't forget, even that Lord of the Heavenly Palace couldn't deal with them. They entered and left the Heavenly Court as if it were an empty space. The Divine Realm has many experts, but against them, they were like clay chickens and pottery dogs, suffering countless casualties."
"Figures at their level possess both great boldness and great wisdom. How could they do something as foolish as seeking death? The two of them joining forces should be able to fight the Eternal True Ruler. Anyway, I have the utmost respect for the Ghost Clan Patriarch. A generation's hegemon, his courage, methods, and abilities are not inferior to Fengdu Dadi."
"I once saw the Ghost Clan Patriarch display divine power. He could annihilate an entire star sea. Anyway, that level is far, far beyond my understanding."
The Great God seated at the top sneered: "Such divine power can only be the work of the Eternal True Ruler. His cultivation level is unmatched by few ancient ancestors. And you dare compare Heibai Daoren and Xuanyuan the Second to him? Let me put it this way: if all the Divine Kings and Divine Venerables of the Hell Realm were tied together, he could blow them all to dust with a single breath."
The gods below naturally had deep faith in the Great God's insight.
Someone sighed: "If only I had known, I would have followed Qianxi Nüdi Jun and joined the Eternal Kingdom."
That Great God gazed into the vast, boundless starry sky and said, "In Lihentian, it's all hazy and indistinct, but the intensity of energy fluctuations is unprecedented in my lifetime. What is certain is that Xuanyuan the Second and Heibai Daoren's rebel army has already been annihilated, and the chess player behind them has likely been suppressed. Who could have imagined the Eternal True Ruler's cultivation had reached such a level?"
"Then what about the dragon roar that came with the heaven and earth rules?" someone asked.
"Did the Dragon Clan also participate in this battle?"
That Great God sneered: "How could the mere Dragon Clan provoke such divine power? This must be an ancestral-level duel. Don't forget, the ancestor of the Primordial Beings in the Abyss of Darkness is a dragon."
An ancestral-level duel could punch through the star sea and destroy half the universe—such things had happened in history.
The gods present were all terrified.
Someone said, "Since the Eternal True Ruler is invincible, what are we waiting for? Going to submit to him sooner is the path to survival."
"We can go to Qianxi Nüdi Jun. She is one of the great sacrificial priests of the Doomsday Sacrificial Priests."
Compared to the fear, doubt, frantic running around, and blind decision-making of cultivators below the Infinite realm from all realms and clans, the Divine Kings and Divine Venerables who knew the truth and could see the terrifying scene in the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom were even more panicked.
The Heavenly Court was crowded with experts, and news spread quickly. Even the younger generation of Saint realm cultivators had roughly learned what had happened.
The divine realm experts of various major forces were all in secret discussions.
At the Five Elements Temple.
Void Heaven and Jing Daoren tried to force their way into the Divine Wood Garden but were blocked by Zhen Yuan outside.
"Zhen Yuan, move aside. I, your uncle, am the master of the Five Elements Temple. The master can enter any place, including the Divine Wood Garden," Jing Daoren said, putting on the airs of an elder.
Zhen Yuan, with the refined air of a scholar and the unyielding spirit of frost and snow, advised, "Uncle, the Heavenly Venerable truly isn't inside."
Void Heaven cast a cold sidelong glance: "You say he isn't, so he isn't? Earlier, I saw one of the layers of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower fly out from the Divine Wood Garden. Even if the Heavenly Venerable isn't there, Xuanyuan the Second definitely is. Let him come out. I want to consult him on some Buddhist teachings."
Zhen Yuan stood within the formation barrier, smiling bitterly: "Senior Void Heaven, if you have something to say, you can tell me. It's the same."
"You?"
Void Heaven sneered: "Can you solve what happened in the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom? The nine eternal paths and seventy-two supreme sacred paths have all been mobilized. The commotion is even greater than when Dizang Wang self-destructed his ancestral divine source five hundred years ago. Do you think talking to you will help?"
Jing Daoren echoed: "The Heavenly Court is now seething with undercurrents. Figures at the level of Divine Kings and Divine Venerables are all heading to the Heavenly Palace. Representatives from the myriad realms and all heavens are also rushing there. With such a major incident, we must meet with the Heavenly Venerable."
Zhen Yuan said, "Uncle, I've already told you. The Heavenly Venerable and the Dragon Lord left for the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom long ago. They care about this matter more than anyone. If you two are truly concerned about the situation at the Heavenly Palace, we can go there together to help the Heavenly Venerable stabilize the situation."
"The Heavenly Venerable and Jiwang went? Then why is Xuanyuan the Second still in the Divine Wood Garden?"
Void Heaven summoned his divine sword, gripping the hilt with one hand and stroking the blade with the other, as if preparing for a forceful assault. "Zhen Yuan, I'm very curious. Why do you trust this Life-Death Heavenly Venerable so much? To the point of defying your uncle?"
"Zhen Yuan would never dare defy my uncle! The reason I won't let you two enter the Divine Wood Garden is that there are other circumstances," Zhen Yuan said.
"What other circumstances could there be? Could it be related to the true identity of the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable?"
These days, Void Heaven had been pondering, and the more he thought, the more something felt off.
Shang the Bearded, Zhen Yuan, Jiwang, and that little girl Cihang—these were all top-tier figures, weren't they?
They had very high pride.
How could they so easily trust the remnant soul of the Life-Death Old Man and follow him so devotedly?
Just because that old fellow was Hao Tian's personally appointed successor?
Besides, that old fellow was far too concerned with Heavenly Court affairs. As soon as he returned, he tore down the main altar of the Heavenly Human Academy, essentially severing ties with the Divine Realm.
An ancestor who could have hidden away and waited for the right moment—why was he fighting so hard? Why take on such a heavy burden as the Heavenly Court universe?
It wasn't normal. Far from normal.
Void Heaven suspected the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable's identity, thinking that the "remnant soul of the Life-Death Old Man" might be a false identity. So he incited Jing Daoren to join him in forcing their way into the Divine Wood Garden to investigate.
The more Zhen Yuan resisted, the deeper their suspicion grew.
"It was my order that no cultivator is allowed to enter the Divine Wood Garden." A deep voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, came from within the Divine Wood Garden.
Demonic qi surged.
Gai Mie's burly, towering figure walked out from behind Zhen Yuan, his chest bare and hair disheveled.
Seeing Gai Mie, Jing Daoren was shocked. There was a demon hiding in the Five Elements Temple?
As the temple master, he had been completely unaware.
Void Heaven saw Gai Mie, and the coldness around him intensified. "Second Brother, someone has already ridden over your head. How are you acting as temple master? With one order from him, you can't even enter the Divine Wood Garden."
Jing Daoren's ten fruits burned with blazing flames above his head. "Gai Mie, you brute, what right do you have to give such an order? This is the Five Elements Temple! Zhen Yuan, do you listen to your uncle or to him?"
Zhen Yuan was helpless and looked at Gai Mie.
Although Gai Mie was a Half-Ancestor, it wasn't just his cultivation level that made Zhen Yuan obey him unconditionally. The fundamental reason was that the Divine Wood Garden indeed contained secrets that outsiders couldn't know.
For example, Heibai Daoren and Xuanyuan the Second, who were cultivating in the Divine Refining Tower, carried the auras of "Nine-Headed Hound" and "Curse Bone" respectively—secrets that must never be leaked.
This also included Gai Mie, the Supreme Pillar.
His concealment in the Divine Wood Garden was also a great secret.
These were all secrets of the Heavenly Venerable!
If they were exposed because Void Heaven and Jing Daoren were allowed in, leading to unpredictable consequences, who could bear the wrath of an ancestor?
Gai Mie took the initiative to step out, exposing himself to Void Heaven and Jing Daoren. Naturally, Zhen Yuan stepped back.
Let this demon handle it himself!
Gai Mie laughed: "Brute? I am the head of the Earth Officials personally appointed by the Heavenly Venerable. Not to mention this little Five Elements Temple, even in the entire Heavenly Court universe, my words carry the force of law. If I say you can't enter the Divine Wood Garden, you won't enter!"
Jing Daoren couldn't stand Gai Mie's arrogant demeanor. He spread his five fingers, drawing the power of the five elements, and struck out a "well" character seal.
"Boom!"
The formation barrier shook, and dense, profound inscriptions emerged, generating a counterforce.
Jing Daoren let out a miserable cry and was sent flying like a ball by the power of the seal he had just struck.
Void Heaven's pupils contracted. He could see the extraordinary nature of this formation barrier—it was definitely the work of an ancestor. "What head of the Earth Officials? Never heard of it. Gai Mie, do you think a formation barrier can stop me? The Way of Nothingness breaks all formations."
Gai Mie was unimpressed: "Xu Fengjin, I heard that the Peacock Heavenly Empress is now your Dao partner?"
Hearing this, Void Heaven's mentality completely shattered!
"Clang!"
The divine sword in his hand flew out like a light shuttle, accompanied by billions of sword energies, striking the formation barrier with full force.
With a roar, energy light waves radiated outward, and the sword tip pressed the formation barrier into a continuous depression.
Void Heaven knew very well what relationship Gai Mie had once had with the Peacock Heavenly Empress.
Although Void Heaven and the Peacock Heavenly Empress pretended to be Dao partners to divert attention, it wasn't genuine romance.
But he, Xu Fengjin, was no ordinary figure. How could he tolerate such provocation from Gai Mie?
If word got out, ignorant cultivators might think he, Xu Fengjin, was content with leftovers from Gai Mie.
Gai Mie watched as the formation barrier was pushed closer by the divine sword, and the smile on his face faded. Xu Fengjin's combat power was stronger than he had imagined. Pushing him too far would become a very troublesome matter.
"Whoosh!"
A beam of ancestral divine light, like a dazzling luminous waterfall, cascaded down.
It struck the divine sword attacking the formation barrier, sending it flying back to land at Void Heaven's feet.
Three flashes of light flickered.
Zhang Ruochen, Lian Xi, and the Ancestral Yaksha King appeared out of thin air below the formation barrier.
The ancestral-level pressure radiated outward, making even Void Heaven and Gai Mie feel their shoulders heavy and unable to straighten their spines. They had no choice but to immediately bow and pay homage.
"We pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable."
Zhen Yuan and Jing Daoren, including Xuanyuan the Second, Heibai Daoren, and others from the Divine Wood Garden, all came out, showing reverence.
"What are you all trying to do?"
Zhang Ruochen questioned Void Heaven and Jing Daoren.
Jing Daoren said, "Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, a demon has broken into the Five Elements Temple. I am deeply worried."
"Gai Mie is my man," Zhang Ruochen said.
Void Heaven straightened his spine again and said coldly, "Gai Mie, to put it nicely, was a Supreme Pillar of the Chaos Era. To put it bluntly, he's a servant of five surnames—the Great Demon God, Corpse Yan, Di Chen, and the Eternal True Ruler have all been his masters. Such a man is untrustworthy."
Zhang Ruochen looked at Gai Mie.
Gai Mie showed no anger at all: "Whether I am trustworthy or not, the Heavenly Venerable can judge in his heart."
"His strength is also very mediocre!"
After adding this, Void Heaven continued, "If he can be the head of the Earth Officials, then I can be the head of the Heaven Officials."
Anyway, his reputation was already ruined. The world knew he, Heibai Daoren, and Xuanyuan the Second were the three giants opposing the Divine Realm. Now that the Divine Realm was powerful, he could only rely on the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable, an ancestor.
Since that was the case, he had to suppress Gai Mie.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You are a cultivator from the Hell Realm. If you become the head of the Heaven Officials, the realm lords of the Heavenly Court's myriad realms will likely not be convinced."
Jing Daoren said, "Heavenly Venerable, you may not know, but Old Ghost Void was once a cultivator of the Heavenly Court and a disciple of the old master of the Truth Divine Temple."
Zhang Ruochen feigned surprise: "Oh!"
"However, he made too many mistakes in his youth, had a terrible reputation, offended many gods from the great worlds of the Heavenly Court, couldn't get by, and had to flee to the Hell Realm," Jing Daoren added.
Void Heaven's face darkened.
Jing Daoren smiled amiably: "I could be the head of the Heaven Officials. I guarantee that all gods from the myriad realms will be convinced."
"Just you? You dare to be the head of the Heaven Officials?"
With this extremely rude voice, Shang Tian and Cihang Venerable ascended the mountain and soon appeared outside the Divine Wood Garden.
Jing Daoren was furious: "Shang the Bearded, who are you looking down on?"
Shang Tian said, "The cosmic situation has already deteriorated. Ancestors have been suppressed and imprisoned. All forces are seething with undercurrents, and demons and monsters are showing their tricks. With your cultivation level, daring to sit as the head of the Heaven Officials is simply seeking death."
"Heavenly Venerable!"
Shang Tian and Cihang Venerable clasped their fists in salute.
"They all cannot show themselves in the light. You two will accompany me to the Heavenly Palace," Zhang Ruochen said.
Shang Tian and Cihang Venerable acknowledged the order.
Void Heaven asked, "Is the Heavenly Venerable going to seize power and succeed at this time?"
"Why not?" Zhang Ruochen countered.
Void Heaven nodded slightly, then bowed deeply:
"I admire you!"
Not to mention that Void Heaven admired him from the bottom of his heart, all the cultivators present were filled with admiration.
The Divine Realm had displayed such power, intimidating all cultivators in the universe. Clearly, they would no longer hide or hold back. From now on, anything could happen.
In other words, taking over the Heavenly Court universe at this time would bring no benefit whatsoever, but would instead bear the greatest responsibility.
Daring to go to the Heavenly Palace, daring to fulfill the promise—that was great responsibility.
Zhang Ruochen saw the fear and worry among those present and intended to soothe them. He deliberately spoke lightly: "The sky won't fall for now! If the Divine Realm were truly invincible and fearless, how could they watch the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom turn to ashes?"
"In this game, the Hongmeng Black Dragon is the big loser, but the Divine Realm has also lost quite a bit. They exposed their weaknesses and forced the other sides to secretly unite."
"Next, the Divine Realm will face many opponents alone, fighting in the open against the hidden. They may seem majestic and invincible, but I think their chances of winning are actually smaller!"
Zhang Ruochen, accompanied by Shang Tian, Cihang Venerable, Jing Daoren, and Zhen Yuan, arrived at the Heavenly Palace.
Xuanyuan Taizhen waited alone in the Central Divine Hall, as if expecting their arrival.