# Chapter 4179: Lord of the Heavenly Palace
Xuan Yuan Taizhen stood in the center of the hall, clad in golden armor, his gaze sharp and penetrating. He had been scrutinizing Zhang Ruochen from the moment he stepped through the temple doors.
Glancing at Jing Daoren, who had come with him, he said, "It was you who suppressed the Primordial Yaksha King?"
"Yes," Zhang Ruochen replied.
"Do you intend to be an enemy of the Divine Realm?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "This humble Daoist is merely fulfilling my promise to Hao Tian—to allow as many living beings as possible in the Heavenly Court Universe to survive. If you call that being an enemy, then so be it!"
Xuan Yuan Taizhen asked, "And now? Do you still dare to be an enemy of the Divine Realm?"
"My arrival here is the best response, is it not?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen sensed the oppressive aura emanating from the other party and said, "Such strong confidence! I wonder how your strength compares to that of the Hongmeng Black Dragon?"
"The Hongmeng Black Dragon is a prehistoric Immortal who once suffered defeat and was buried in Buzhou Mountain. But even in its weakest state, it remains one of the most peak existences in the universe, undoubtedly possessing Ancestor-level combat power. This humble Daoist has only recently entered the Ancestor Realm, so at best, we would be evenly matched," Zhang Ruochen said.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen was not intimidated by the other's Ancestor Realm cultivation. "In that case, what gives you confidence, Daoist? The Eternal True Ruler, without even revealing his true form, could mobilize the nine Eternal Dao to imprison the Hongmeng Black Dragon. You have already made an enemy of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. If you become Lord of the Heavenly Palace, wouldn't the entire Heavenly Court Universe be dragged down by you, falling into eternal damnation?"
"You are wrong about one thing," Zhang Ruochen said.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen did not believe there was any flaw in his logic. "Which point? The one who imprisoned the Hongmeng Black Dragon was not the Eternal True Ruler. Although the Eternal True Ruler is striving to break through to the ninety-sixth rank of spiritual power, he has not yet succeeded. The one who controls the Seventy-Two Layer Tower and mobilizes the nine Eternal Dao's heaven and earth rules is the true master of the Divine Realm. It was He who suppressed the Nether Ancestor, causing his fall at Dihuang."
Zhang Ruochen, never one to mince words, continued, "This existence, across all of history, ranks among the most top Ancestors. He has always controlled the course of the universe's development, and the rise and fall of countless peak civilizations are tied to him. Even those Ancestors renowned through the ages could only become Ancestors with His prior approval. He is the maker of the universe's order!"
These words shocked even Shang Tian, the Cihang Venerable, Jing Daoren, and Zhen Yuan, who had come with Zhang Ruochen.
They had only known that the Seventy-Two Layer Tower possessed terrifying power; now they understood the source of that power.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen held his breath, his expression becoming extremely grave.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen sensed waves of fluctuation emanating from within Xuan Yuan Taizhen's Divine Realm World. Clearly, the most top gods of the Heavenly Court's various realms were hiding within, wanting to see through this method what kind of mettle Hao Tian's chosen successor possessed.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen said, "One at the ninety-sixth rank, another unparalleled through the ages. You have offended them both, yet you remain calm and composed?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Eternal True Ruler has not yet reached the ninety-sixth rank. As for that Immortal of the Divine Realm, although he is powerful, calling him unparalleled through the ages is still an overstatement. At the very least, the Nether Ancestor, the Dark Venerable Lord, and the various Witch Ancestors could contend with him. Even the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable could match him in a battle of wits and force him to pay a price."
"But you are not the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, nor are you a Witch Ancestor."
Xuan Yuan Taizhen's tone softened slightly as he continued, "In the current world, heroes are contending for supremacy. Ancestors lay their schemes, Half-Ancestors engage in magical combat, and gods are but chess pieces. I am well aware that my cultivation is insufficient to support the Heavenly Court Universe, but I will never allow the Heavenly Court Universe to be annihilated like the Tianhuang Universe."
"So, I want to know two things."
"First, after you take over the Heavenly Court Universe, how will you deal with the wrath of the Divine Realm?"
Zhang Ruochen walked step by step toward the red-gold divine throne at the highest point of the central temple. After sitting down, he said, "The Divine Realm stands high above, detached from worldly affairs. The Eternal True Ruler is virtuous and morally flawless. Why would they vent their anger on the living beings of the Heavenly Court Universe's various realms? Even if there is anger, it would only be directed at me. Your worries are unnecessary."
Xuan Yuan Taizhen was not naive enough to entrust life and death to the moral integrity of others. But he had no way to refute this.
Because all his previous actions, including surrendering to and drawing close to the Divine Realm, were based on the belief in the Eternal True Ruler's virtue.
To refute the Life-Death Daoist now would be to completely deny himself. Even though he had never truly believed in the Eternal True Ruler.
Xuan Yuan Taizhen said, "Second, to counter the future Great Calamity, the Divine Realm's plan is to construct Heaven-Earth Altars throughout the universe. Regardless of the outcome, at least for now, this is the best plan. It aims to save all living beings and lead everyone through the calamity into a new era."
"You attacked the Heavenly Academy and suppressed the Primordial Yaksha King, clearly disapproving of the Divine Realm's plan."
"May I ask what your plan is? How will you lead the myriad realms and heavens of the Heavenly Court to face the Great Calamity?"
This question was fatal!
Even an existence like the Nether Ancestor was not confident of surviving the Great Calamity and needed to harvest the entire universe to further elevate himself.
Leading the entire Heavenly Court Universe to withstand the Great Calamity and enter a new era was an impossible feat.
No matter how Zhang Ruochen answered, he would inevitably be refuted. No one would believe his plan.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Xuan Yuan Taizhen, you are wrong again. I do not oppose the construction of Heaven-Earth Altars; I only oppose building the main altar within the Heavenly Court."
"The Heavenly Court is protected by the Heavenly Order and the defensive measures left by successive Ancestors, making it as impregnable as metal walls. But the existence of the main altar could destroy all defenses in an instant."
"Can you accept such a threat? I absolutely cannot. This is the bottom line that all gods of the Heavenly Court should uphold, and it is also the life bottom line of all living beings in the Heavenly Court Universe."
During the Middle Ages, the Minor Calamity triggered by the Nether Ancestor was primarily aimed at the then "Holy Realm" Heavenly Court.
At that time, the number of divine realm powerhouses in the Holy Realm was far fewer than now, yet they withstood the Minor Calamity. This demonstrates the strength of the Heavenly Court's defenses. This would be the Heavenly Court Universe's final trump card!
Within Xuan Yuan Taizhen's Divine Realm World, amidst the clouds of Xuanhuang Divine Qi, Boundless Realm Divine Kings and Divine Venerables gathered. The realm lords of various major realms sat in orderly rows.
Each was a lord of their own domain.
The Twenty Heavens radiated dazzling divine light, manifesting giant divine bodies like twenty majestic divine mountains. At this moment, the gods were engaged in heated debate.
Zhao Gongming stood up and said, "I believe the Life-Death Daoist speaks sense. Regardless of the Eternal True Ruler's virtue or the Divine Realm's strength, we must never completely abandon our ability to fight back. This counterattack capability may not be used, but it must exist. The Heavenly Court's Ancestral formations, Heavenly Order, and the cultivators from various realms stationed here are our final counterattack force."
"The main altar should never have been built within the Heavenly Court. I opposed it from the start," said Hunyuan Tian.
Ji Tian said coldly, "Is destroying the main altar the right thing to do? Do you know how heavy the casualties were at the Heavenly Academy? Do you truly believe the Divine Realm will let this go? If this Daoist becomes Lord of the Heavenly Palace, it will be a disaster for the entire Heavenly Court Universe."
Xiang Chunan stood up from his seat, looked at Ji Tian's massive divine body, and laughed, "Senior Ji Tian, let this Hall Master say a few words. The collapse of the main altar at the Heavenly Academy was the work of rebels like Xu Fengjin, Xuan Yuan Di'er, and Heibai Daoren. What does that have to do with the Heavenly Court? And what does it have to do with the Life-Death Daoist?"
Ji Tian said, "He admitted to suppressing the Primordial Yaksha King!"
Just as Xiang Chunan was unsure how to respond, Feng Yan said unhurriedly, "Suppressing the Primordial Yaksha King was to prevent Half-Ancestor-level battles from causing widespread destruction and casualties in West Ox Continent."
"Then why didn't he suppress Xu Fengjin, Xuan Yuan Di'er, and Heibai Daoren, who were causing chaos in the Heavenly Court?" Ji Tian said.
Feng Yan said, "At that time, the shadows of several Ancestors were behind those three. I heard that even Corpse Yan appeared during the battle at the Heavenly Academy. Under those circumstances, the Life-Death Daoist could only prevent the battle's fluctuations from spreading outward. That was already a blessing for the Heavenly Court."
"Sophistry! Do you think the Divine Realm will believe this?" Ji Tian's anger turned into thunderous roars.
Xuan Yuan Lian suddenly spoke, "Senior Ji Tian, are you planning to inform on us?"
At these words, the entire venue fell silent.
Even Ji Tian, no matter how close he was to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, dared not answer this question easily.
Xuan Yuan Lian said, "Everyone is very clear, the reason the Life-Death Daoist spoke the truth is that he didn't know we were inside your Divine Realm World. He treated you as one of his own, so he spoke without reservation."
"He suppressed the Primordial Yaksha King for the sake of the Heavenly Court. If Senior Ji Tian leaks this information, you will be an enemy of the entire Heavenly Court Universe. I hope you have a scale in your heart to know what should and shouldn't be done."
These words were full of threat!
After learning from the "Life-Death Daoist" about the Divine Realm's power, Ji Tian did not take Xuan Yuan Lian's threat seriously at all. "There are many gods here who are close to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. Anyone could leak the information."
Xuan Yuan Lian said, "This matter concerns the interests of the Heavenly Court. Whoever leaks it, I will exterminate their entire clan. All gods present can bear witness."
Ji Tian's face turned extremely ugly. He sneered, "If Xuan Yuan Taizhen is the one who leaks it, I hope you can exterminate his entire clan as well."
"You don't oppose the construction of Heaven-Earth Altars?" Xuan Yuan Taizhen was surprised.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Constructing Heaven-Earth Altars is a matter of great importance, concerning whether we can withstand the Great Calamity in the future. Anyone who opposes the Divine Realm on this matter will be the first to be eliminated. The Hongmeng Black Dragon, the Twelve Ancient Clans, and even Heibai Daoren and Xuan Yuan Di'er, who died at the hands of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, are examples of this."
"The Divine Realm is powerful. I am not foolish enough to lead the Heavenly Court Universe to dash an egg against a rock. Cooperating with the Divine Realm to construct Heaven-Earth Altars will be the most important task for the Heavenly Court Universe in the next few tens of thousands of years."
Xuan Yuan Taizhen, including the gods of the Heavenly Court Universe within his Divine Realm World, all showed confused expressions.
Those who questioned the Divine Realm were confused, and those who were close to it were equally confused.
"So, your plan is to assist the Divine Realm in constructing Heaven-Earth Altars?" A flicker of disappointment passed through Xuan Yuan Taizhen's eyes.
He had hoped that this Life-Death Daoist would have another way, that he would be a formidable figure capable of contending with the Divine Realm.
In the end, his expectations were too high. He shouldn't have had such unrealistic fantasies.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Cooperating with the Divine Realm to construct Heaven-Earth Altars is the most important task. The second most important task is to integrate the resources of the Heavenly Court Universe—whether by deploying a living beings' power formation or forming a divine army. In short, the Heavenly Court Universe needs to have its own trump card. This trump card is to prevent ourselves from becoming targets of harvest once the Heaven-Earth Altars are successfully built."
Xuan Yuan Taizhen pondered for a long time before muttering to himself, "I understand! No wonder you didn't hesitate to admit to suppressing the Primordial Yaksha King. It's because you're not afraid of offending the Divine Realm. Your value far exceeds that of the Primordial Yaksha King. As long as you support the construction of Heaven-Earth Altars, the Divine Realm will turn a blind eye to these minor details."
Zhang Ruochen, with the arrogant demeanor befitting an Ancestor, said, "Only by daring to say 'no' and safeguarding one's core interests can it be called cooperation. Being subservient like you, offering even Kongming Xu as a gift to curry favor, is not cooperation. It's merely leading the Heavenly Court Universe to become a vassal of the Divine Realm."
"Chi chi!"
Bolts of lightning converged on Zhang Ruochen, forming the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor. With a thunderous roar, he pointed a finger, and the Heavenly Punishment lightning shot out, piercing through the boundary wall of Xuan Yuan Taizhen's Divine Realm World. Instantly, all the gods hiding within were revealed.
Shang Tian stepped forward and loudly proclaimed, "Pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable! Welcome the Heavenly Venerable to take charge of the Heavenly Palace!"
Following that, the Cihang Venerable's clear and melodious voice rang out: "Welcome the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable to take charge of the Heavenly Palace!"
Jing Daoren and Zhen Yuan also stepped forward to pay their respects and shout. All four had Heavenly Venerable-level cultivation, representing three major factions.
Above Zhang Ruochen's head, a black-and-white life-death imprint manifested, and his momentum surged outward like a tidal wave. His voice was resolute: "Today, in accordance with Hao Tian's dying decree, I take over the Heavenly Court Universe and am enfeoffed as Lord of the Heavenly Palace. All of you are witnesses. If anyone is dissatisfied, you may leave the hall. I will not detain you. But if you pledge allegiance today and betray me tomorrow, I will not show mercy. The Earth Palace will settle accounts."
After a brief silence, Xuan Yuan Lian, the Nine War Gods of the Heavenly Palace, Feng Yan, Xiang Chunan, and other cultivators who had secretly communicated earlier all rose and bowed.
"Welcome the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable to take charge of the Heavenly Palace!"
"Welcome the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable to take charge of the Heavenly Palace!"
The gods close to the Divine Realm all looked toward Ji Tian.
Gradually, more cultivators looked over, including Zhang Ruochen, whose eyes blazed with divine flames.
Ji Tian absolutely did not believe that he could lead a large group of gods out of the Heavenly Palace smoothly now. So, bearing the pressure, he asked, "If you become Lord of the Heavenly Palace, will you truly cooperate with the Divine Realm in constructing Heaven-Earth Altars?"
Before Zhang Ruochen could speak, Jing Daoren said, "The Heavenly Venerable's word is as good as gold. How dare you question him?"
Zhang Ruochen thought to himself, This Jing Laodao has good eyesight.
"Heavenly Venerable, I suggest that Zhen Yuan challenge this Ji fellow and seize his Heavenly position. My Five Elements Temple wants a double Heavenly position," Jing Daoren said.
Zhen Yuan was secretly speechless. When had he ever said he wanted to seize a Heavenly position? Soon, voices of support and challenges rang out continuously.
"Old Ji is indeed too old. He should step down and make way for the worthy. I support Zhen Yuan Dazun in taking the Heavenly position," said Zhuang Tai'a, the Lord of the Red Dust Peerless Pavilion.
Xiang Chunan said, "This Heavenly position is open for anyone to compete for. I support Feng Yan, the head of the Feng Clan, to seize Old Ji's Heavenly position."
The term "Old Ji" showed not a shred of respect for Ji Tian.
Xuan Yuan Lian said, "The Twenty Heavens of the Heavenly Court indeed need to be reshuffled. The younger generation must rise to power, bringing a new, vibrant atmosphere. The Cihang Venerable, who has accumulated boundless merit and reached the Heavenly Venerable level, should definitely be enfeoffed as one of the Heavens."
Ji Tian's face was as cold as ice, his anger raging, but he held it in and said, "If anyone wants to challenge my Heavenly position, I will accept all comers. Who will be first?"
"Silence!"
Zhang Ruochen spoke, suppressing the gods. "Today is not the time to contend for Heavenly positions. If there is to be a contest, it must be fair and just. We must not break the rules or engage in malicious exclusion. Ji Tian, do you still have any objection to my taking over as Lord of the Heavenly Palace?"
"Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, I will lead the Suo Duan Clan in supporting the Heavenly Palace without any objection," Ji Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you wish to leave now and join the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, I will sincerely see you off. If you choose to stay, you must prioritize the interests of the Heavenly Court. If you violate this, you will bear the consequences."
"I will remember that!"
Ji Tian asked, "May I ask the Heavenly Venerable, the Heavenly Palace's chief official, Xianxia Chi, has little time left and rarely handles affairs. Should someone else be chosen? The Earth Palace's chief official is in charge of laws and punishments, but his cultivation is limited. Internally, he may not be able to intimidate gods with ulterior motives. Externally, he may not be able to suppress rebels like Xuan Yuan Di'er and Heibai Daoren."
Jing Daoren said, "Ji Tian, there's no need to worry. The Heavenly Venerable has already invited two top-tier powerhouses to serve as the chief officials of the Heavenly Palace and Earth Palace."
Ji Tian sneered, "Invited? Outsiders will find it hard to gain acceptance."
The gods present also showed worried expressions.
The remnant soul of the Life-Death Old Man becoming Lord of the Heavenly Palace could gain the trust of the gods because of the strong support from Shang Tian and the Cihang Venerable.
But if the chief officials of the Heavenly Palace and Earth Palace were also outsiders, how could the gods of the Heavenly Court not be resistant?
Zhang Ruochen said, "The chief official of the Heavenly Palace I have chosen is Dragon Lord Ji Wang. The chief official of the Earth Palace is the Supreme Pillar of the Chaotic Era, Gai Mie. If anyone has objections, you may raise them now. If you don't speak now but discuss it privately later, it will be a contempt for my authority. Beware of the Heavenly Punishment burning your body."
The gods were all astonished, and discussions were incessant.
A Divine Venerable from the Demon Clan exclaimed with joy, "Excellent! Is Lord Dragon Lord really returning to the Heavenly Court? How did the Heavenly Venerable convince him?"
"Ji Wang was originally a cultivator of our Heavenly Court Universe. The battle in the late Middle Ages hurt him deeply, and he left disheartened. His return as the chief official of the Heavenly Palace is a blessing for the Heavenly Court. I am the first to agree," said Hunyuan Tian.
"Gai Mie is a Half-Ancestor. His joining the Heavenly Court as the chief official of the Earth Palace will be enough to intimidate many cultivators with ulterior motives."
"But he is a demonic cultivator with a strange temperament."
"The Life-Death Heavenly Venerable is an Ancestor. Even if Gai Mie is a demon, can he escape the Ancestor's palm?"
After prolonged discussion, the gods felt that having Dragon Lord and Gai Mie serve as the chief officials of the Heavenly Palace and Earth Palace was more beneficial than harmful. Thus, the matter was settled.
But some cultivators had seeds of doubt planted in their hearts.
How long had it been since the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable returned from the Grey Sea? How had he managed to recruit proud and unruly powerhouses like Dragon Lord and Gai Mie under his command?
"Could it really be him?" Xuan Yuan Taizhen looked at the heroic figure seated on the divine throne, clad in the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor. Gradually, the appearance of the Life-Death Daoist overlapped with that of his elder brother in his mind.
Zhang Ruochen sensed Xuan Yuan Taizhen's gaze and looked over, but he only saw Xuan Yuan Taizhen's lonely figure walking out of the central temple, eventually disappearing into the clouds and mist.
Jing Daoren, Zhen Yuan, and Void Heaven were dispatched by Zhang Ruochen to the depths of the starry sky to assist Dragon Lord. In the following days, Xuan Yuan Lian handled most of the affairs of the Heavenly Palace, while Zhang Ruochen discussed and communicated with Heavenly Venerable-level powerhouses about the formation of a divine army.
In reality, the Heavenly Court Universe had already formed divine armies, as many as six.
The point of contention was that Zhang Ruochen wanted only one strongest divine army—an army capable of contending with an Ancestor.
An army that could fight an Ancestor could not be a scattered mess. It needed a medium to integrate everyone's power, unified within a certain Dao method.
For example, the Destiny Temple's Twelve-Phase Divine Formation used the Path of Destiny to integrate all cultivators' power, allowing it to clash head-on with an Ancestor.
Zhang Ruochen first thought of the Path of Truth.
The Heavenly Court Universe had the most cultivators practicing the Path of Truth, and the previous Hall Master had distributed almost all the Truth Esoterica.
Truth Esoterica could certainly serve as the medium to unify the divine army.
Unfortunately, Xiang Chunan, the Truth Hall Master who had fused with the "Heart of Truth," was not powerful enough to serve as the army's commander. This idea was thus rejected.
"The strongest power left by the Truth Great Emperor is not the Heart of Truth, but the Heavenly Punishment Divine Light."
Xuan Yuan Lian's words enlightened Zhang Ruochen.
Soon after, she led Zhang Ruochen to the foot of the Heavenly Punishment Divine Mountain.
The Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor on Zhang Ruochen had been pierced by the Nether Ancestor's doppelganger's sword in the Grey Sea, leaving damage that had yet to be repaired.
But as soon as they arrived here, dazzling light radiated from the Heavenly Punishment Divine Mountain. Countless beams of light, bright as lightning, surged toward the damaged parts of the divine armor.
The Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor itself was extremely heavy. As the beams of light poured in, even with Zhang Ruochen's cultivation, he felt his body could barely support it, as if an entire universe were pressing down on him.
The weight continued to increase.
"It's the Heavenly Punishment Esoterica."
Zhang Ruochen analyzed the essence of the beams of light pouring into the divine armor.
The Path of Truth was the first Dao that the Truth Great Emperor primarily cultivated.
But the Divine Path that the Truth Great Emperor fused was the Heavenly Punishment Divine Path.
When Hao Tian wore the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor to battle in the Grey Sea, the armor contained only fifty percent of the Heavenly Punishment Esoterica, because with his cultivation, he could only control fifty percent of its power.
Now, the Heavenly Punishment Esoterica pouring into the divine armor had reached eighty percent.
And it was still increasing.
The damage to the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor had already automatically repaired. Zhang Ruochen merely raised his hand lightly, and the heaven and earth energy of the entire Heavenly Court frantically converged toward him.
The divine light erupting from the armor was comparable to the Radiant Heaven Earth Divine Rope that imprisoned the Hongmeng Black Dragon.
"Such formidable power."
Zhang Ruochen felt that as long as he was in the Heavenly Court, wearing the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor, his combat power could be elevated by a whole tier.
Even if the Second Confucian Ancestor truly broke through to the ninety-sixth rank, he might not be unable to fight.
Using the Heavenly Punishment Esoterica and Heavenly Punishment Divine Light as a medium to integrate the divine army was indeed highly feasible.
Xuan Yuan Lian watched the heroic and majestic figure of the "Life-Death Heavenly Venerable" up close, her gaze gradually becoming dazed. In her mind, she recalled her secret discussion with Zhen Yuan.
Zhen Yuan had told her that the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable was very likely her father, Hao Tian, forced by circumstances to hide his identity.
Zhang Ruochen controlled the Esoterica, sending it back into the divine mountain. Instantly, the Heavenly Punishment Divine Light on his body subsided and dissipated.
"Why is the Heavenly Punishment Esoterica only ninety percent? Where is the remaining ten percent?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at Xuan Yuan Lian, his eyes condensing. "What's wrong with you?"
Xuan Yuan Lian's eyes regained their focus. "Nothing. Nothing in this world is perfect. There are no perfect things, so naturally, there is no perfect Esoterica."
These were words Hao Tian had once spoken.
Zhang Ruochen's expression condensed as he recalled the battle in the Grey Sea.
How had the Sua Gua doppelganger easily pierced the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor?
Zhang Ruochen felt that as an Immortal, He would not allow any potential threat to exist. It was impossible that He had not infiltrated the Heavenly Palace to study the Heavenly Punishment Esoterica.
That ten percent of the Heavenly Punishment Esoterica was very likely taken by Him.
The reason He could easily pierce the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor was probably because He had already thoroughly analyzed the Heavenly Punishment Esoterica.
Seeing that the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable's expression had become profound upon hearing her words, Xuan Yuan Lian was deeply moved. She bit her lip. Could it really be her father?
---
**A New Year's Letter to Book Friends**
Today is February 1, 2024, and there's only one week left until the Lunar New Year. Little Fish is here to wish everyone an early happy New Year.
It's been a very long time since I've used the self-appellation "Little Fish." I used to really enjoy chatting with everyone in the chapter-ending comments, but in recent years, because the updates have been too slow, I simply didn't have the face to say much.
From July 3, 2015, when I started serializing "Eternal God Emperor," it's been over eight years in the blink of an eye. From being unmarried to married, from what I considered a youth to now having a daughter in elementary school, my best years have all been poured into this book.
Although it's been nearly a decade, I believe there must be book friends who have been following since 2015, 2016, or 2017.
There are also those who started reading from middle school and are now in college, or from high school and are now working. Most of the book friends still following have been reading for over three years.
Accompanying you all the way, though we may be silent with each other, we have spent several years together in the space-time of the novel.
Thank you very much.
Thank you to all the book friends still following.
There are many things I actually want to save until the day the book is finished to say. I have so much in my heart that I want to share with you all, like a collective farewell.
Of course, there are also book friends who have left early—Mu Jin.
I haven't forgotten. I saw it in the comments section of Qidian. He was the book friend who had cancer. Many, many book friends cheered him on. He always hoped to see the ending of "Eternal God Emperor," but in the end, he couldn't wait for that day.
We never met, had no intersection, but I am absolutely more heartbroken than any book friend. I also have a unique guilt... or maybe it's regret. This imprint in my heart has always been there.
Back to the main topic. The reason I'm writing this single chapter, to share and communicate some things I can't hold back before the book ends, is because of the website's New Year event.
I haven't looked at the details of the event, so I'll just chat about whatever comes to mind.
The most complained-about issue is always the updates, which is also what I want to complain about myself.
In the past, when I wrote a book with fewer words, finishing at three or four million words, I could write ten thousand words a day and update three million words a year. But last year, I only wrote one million words.
It's not that I don't like writing single chapters; it's that with such slow updates, I have no face to write them.
One night, I was scrolling through the book reviews and saw a book friend had tipped as a leader. I felt very guilty, as if I owed something. After all, a thousand yuan is really not a small amount. So I took out my computer, ready to add an extra chapter. But I only wrote a little over a thousand words before I got stuck organizing characters and plot, tangling myself into a mess, and finally giving up entirely. I couldn't write well in that state.
The main reason for the slow updates is definitely laziness. But I think the book having too many words and being too complex must also be a factor. It consumes too much energy.
The "too complex" here is definitely a complaint, a flaw in writing.
Every time I want to delve deeply into a plot, thinking it might waste a chapter or two, I can only skim through it hastily.
I don't want to write too complexly. I've always wanted to kill off a third of the characters, and marginalize and forget another third. Too much complexity leads to bloating and procrastination, especially when writing for such a long time, spanning nearly a decade. Just explaining the settings and the logic of each character's thinking takes a lot of ink.
Lately, everyone has been reading with great fatigue, and I've been writing with great fatigue too.
I don't want to write like this. I also want to resolve battles briskly, to have a brisk and rhythmic ending. But I really can't think of how to briskly deal with opponents like the Time-Space Human Ancestor, the Nether Ancestor, and the Eternal True Ruler. After all, the opponents are really strong. If I dispatch them in a few moves, wouldn't everyone think it's perfunctory?
Moreover, I think that if all enemies are just directly killed, it becomes too flat and thin.
I believe a book should have a complete world. Facing the Minor Calamity and the Great Calamity, each character should have different reactions and participate in different ways.
Every character should have behavioral motivations and influence the final outcome in their own way.
Now, I think the esteemed book friends must be facing another issue at this stage: the recent plot has too much exposition, and some of the content was written years ago, long forgotten by everyone, leading to confusion.
Actually, I've said before that I won't go around in circles with the plot anymore. I'll simplify it as much as possible and write it as straightforwardly as possible.
Here, I can give everyone a clearer explanation:
First, is the Nether Ancestor dead or not? What exactly is the situation between the Nether Ancestor and Fanxin?
To think about this, you have to go back to the chapters where Zhang Ruochen faked his death and his consciousness went to the Strange Domain.
Everyone must have forgotten why Zhang Ruochen went to Tianhuang to find Bihuo Pass.
Book friends who carefully read those chapters should be able to guess the relationship and situation between the Nether Ancestor and Fanxin.
Second, what level are the Immortals? How big is the gap between them and Ancestors?
This was written about a long time ago. The gap is big, but also not big.
They belong to the same level of beings. An Ancestor is definitely not a match for an Immortal. An Immortal's methods are far beyond what an ordinary Ancestor can compare to.
However, if an Ancestor wants to hide or escape, it's not that easy for an Immortal to kill them.
If an Ancestor self-destructs their Divine Source, there is a very small probability of dying together with an Immortal.
Comparing Ancestors to the level of the Southern Emperor and Northern Beggar, Immortals might be like Dugu Qiubai or Zhang Sanfeng. Comparing Ancestors to Ding Chunqiu or Murong Fu, Immortals might be like the Sweeping Monk.
This book currently has no existence beyond the ninety-seventh rank. There might be before the book ends, or there might not.
After all, the gap between each rank is also not small, so I won't write that many realms.
The ninety-sixth rank is already a very difficult level to reach, the level of the most famous Ancestors throughout history. The difference in strength lies in how far they have walked on the ninety-sixth rank.
Alright, I'll stop here for today. I'll chat slowly with everyone when the book ends.
There are probably still two or three major plots before the end, with one or two large time jumps in between. I've already written the last chapter!
I see that "Eternal God Emperor" has two major criticisms. One is its low ranking on the monthly ticket list.
That's because I haven't asked for monthly tickets in years. How could the monthly ticket ranking be high? The monthly ticket list requires competition and money?
I thought about competing for the number one spot on the monthly ticket list in the last month. After all, our number of follow-up readers is not inferior to any book on Qidian. I wanted to give everyone a glorious ending. But thinking about how much money that would cost, and that I probably can't maintain six thousand words a day, I gave up on that idea.
The second is that the opening of "Eternal God Emperor" is very cliché and the writing is poor.
It's a book from eight or nine years ago. How could it not be cliché?
When "Eternal God Emperor" first came out, the opening plot was actually quite novel, sparking a huge trend of imitation. In 2016 and 2017, at least half of the online fantasy novels opened by imitating "Eternal God Emperor." Many novels directly copied the opening line: "XXX, I treated you as my beloved, why did you kill me?" The imitators earned millions, even tens of millions.
Under these circumstances, how could it not be cliché?
The writing issue is real.
Because when I go back to read the opening, the text is really immature. Even Flying Fish shakes his head. But everyone has to understand—after writing for eight or nine years, how could I not have improved? I've also been learning and compensating for my shortcomings in writing.
Eight or nine years, online novels have been progressing, all authors have been progressing. The quality of online novel writing now is indeed higher than back then.
I plan, after the book is finished, to go back and carefully revise the first few hundred thousand words. I definitely don't have the energy now.
I've written a bunch of messy stuff. Let's stop here!
Wishing everyone a happy New Year! May those studying achieve academic success, those single find a partner, those with a partner have children early, and may happiness and health be with you all.