Chapter 4190: Acting Heavenly Venerable
Sixty years have passed since the collapse of the Mare Temple in Paradise Realm.
Heavenly Palace.
The Divine Punishment Divine Mountain has been perpetually shrouded in Divine Punishment Divine Light, with no cultivator allowed to approach.
Four of the nine War Gods of the Heavenly Palace—Vast Vision War God, Growth War God, Realm-Holding War God, and Multi-Hearing War God—sat guard at the four sides of the divine mountain. Each possessed a massive physique, clad in divine armor, with the realm forms of their Divine Realm Worlds manifesting above their heads.
Dragon Lord and Zhen Yuan arrived at the foot of the divine mountain.
Among the four War Gods, the most powerful, Vast Vision War God, stepped forward to greet them: "Greetings to Heavenly Head Ji Wang and Great Venerable Zhen Yuan. The Heavenly Venerable is in seclusion cultivating and has instructed in advance that no cultivator may disturb him."
Dragon Lord said, "Sixty years ago, the Heavenly Venerable instructed us to recruit and incorporate the Primordial Beings. Fortunately, we have fulfilled the mission and completed the task. I had intended to report and debrief, but since the Heavenly Venerable is in closed-door cultivation, as the head of the Heavenly Officials, I will proceed to arrange these Primordial Beings on my own!"
Vast Vision War God deliberated for a moment, then said, "During this sixty-year period of your absence, Heavenly Head, the Heavenly Venerable did appoint someone to oversee the major affairs of the Heavenly Palace. You might consider discussing matters with that person!"
This was the first time Dragon Lord had heard of this. Surprised, he asked, "Who is it? Why has no news ever been leaked?"
Dragon Lord was not worried about losing his position as head of the Heavenly Officials; this was itself a transaction with the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable, each getting what they needed.
Having someone else manage the Heavenly Palace's affairs was something he welcomed. It would allow him to go into seclusion and cultivate, striving to break through to the Half-Ancestor realm. Reaching the Half-Ancestor realm, with the support of the Ancestral Dragon Corpse and the Dragon Nest's power, he would no longer fear any existence below the Primordial Ancestor.
Vast Vision War God said, "This person is only responsible for disputes among cultivators above the Indestructible Infinite realm in the Heavenly Court Universe. Currently, very few know of this. As for who it is, I cannot say for certain."
Cannot say for certain?
Dragon Lord and Zhen Yuan's curiosity grew. Following Vast Vision War God's guidance, they arrived at the entrance to a secret realm within the Heavenly Palace.
Entering this spatial secret realm, they were met with dense Half-Ancestor divine qi, Half-Ancestor rules, and Half-Ancestor order.
Dragon Lord and Zhen Yuan exchanged a glance, already having an idea.
Before them, the magnificent and majestic Demon Ancestor Ridge stretched across the entire spatial secret realm, with peaks standing tall, light rain scattering, and an ancient aura carrying an eternal charm.
Two parasol divine trees, one to the south and one to the north, together with Demon Ancestor Ridge, supported a space as vast as a great world.
This was no different from a Primordial Ancestor Realm!
In fact, the Demon Ancestor's Primordial Ancestor Realm itself had merged into Demon Ancestor Ridge.
Spatial pressure was everywhere.
The two could not fly or teleport across space.
They had no choice but to ascend Tai Bai Peak on the northern side of Demon Ancestor Ridge together.
"Is this the Hall Master of the Destiny Temple, or that First Queen?" Zhen Yuan secretly transmitted to Dragon Lord.
It was impossible to determine.
Because on Tai Bai Peak, twelve majestic Gates of Destiny surged with power, but the unique Primordial Ancestor Divine Light of A Fuya was equally dazzling, with enormous phantom images of Elf Cicada Wings and Phoenix Wings coexisting.
The cicada wings and phoenix wings gently fluttered, stirring up terrifyingly powerful gusts of wind.
Dragon Lord said, "Hard to say! The only certainty is that these two have merged, with an aura strong enough to rival the Ten Thousand Generations Nine Ancestors of the Divine Realm. The question is, did A Fuya use the Corpse Transformation Forbidden Art to devour Feng Caiyi? Or did Feng Caiyi use the Fate Phase Legacy Method to seize A Fuya's Primordial Ancestor corpse and Primordial Ancestor Divine Source?"
This was a life-and-death struggle of methods! The loser would inevitably lose everything, becoming nourishment for the winner's path to Primordial Ancestor.
The achievements of two lifetimes would be rendered a wedding dress for another.
What Dragon Lord and Zhen Yuan could not determine was not who was stronger between Feng Caiyi and A Fuya, but the thoughts in the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable's mind.
If the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable wanted to use someone, or even cultivate a Primordial Ancestor as his own aid, he would naturally have to choose between Feng Caiyi and A Fuya.
Choosing A Fuya and killing Feng Caiyi would certainly offend the Hell Realm. Choosing Feng Caiyi and killing A Fuya would offend the Corpse Demon.
It could be said that how the Hell Realm and the Corpse Demon Faction chose all depended on the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable's single thought.
Thinking that the Corpse Demon would likely personally negotiate with the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable for A Fuya's sake, Dragon Lord and Zhen Yuan felt that the graceful figure on Tai Bai Peak was more likely A Fuya.
A Fuya had once betrayed the Sword Realm, causing considerable casualties, so Dragon Lord naturally had some resentment.
But now, everyone was working for the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable.
Moreover, with her cultivation far surpassing his, he could only restrain himself. After all, no one could defy the arrangements made by a Primordial Ancestor.
Ascending Tai Bai Peak.
That figure, clad in a divine robe with long hair like a waterfall, sat cross-legged on a root beneath the parasol divine tree, her back to the two, facing the void beyond the cliff.
The root was as thick as a dragon's body, half in Demon Ancestor Ridge and half in Lihentian.
In the void beyond the cliff floated the "Undying Death Curse" diagram seal. Beside her was the jade slab of the "River Map." She was contemplating it.
Dragon Lord's purpose in coming was mainly to satisfy his curiosity and see the "Acting Heavenly Venerable" chosen by the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable.
Now that he had seen her, he was ready to leave. He absolutely would not look up to A Fuya or Feng Caiyi from a subordinate's position.
Zhen Yuan, on the other hand, seemed indifferent. Since they were here.
So, he politely recounted the situation of the Twelve Primordial Clans.
After waiting for a long while, the woman, still in contemplation, spoke coldly: "So, you only brought back the remnants of the Five Elements Five Clans from the Twelve Clans?"
"And the dragon and phoenix groups summoned by Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Emperor," Zhen Yuan said.
The dragons and phoenixes here referred to strange beasts in dragon and phoenix forms.
Of course, the term "strange beast" was imposed on them by the Chaotic Ancient Demon Gods, carrying insult and degradation.
The veiled woman said, "Ji Wang! Yuan Sheng, Totem Old Clan Emperor, and Zhen Yi Old Clan Emperor—you invited them from the Sword Realm, didn't you? Now, the remnants of the Yuan Dao, Totem, and Zhen Yi Three Clans have all been taken back to the Sword Realm. What do you have to say? Are you, the head of the Heavenly Officials, the head of the Sword Realm's Heavenly Officials?"
Dragon Lord showed no emotion, saying, "In the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom battle, the Primordial Beings suffered heavy losses. But the struggle surrounding the Primordial Beings and the Abyss of Darkness lasted an entire sixty years, with many parties involved and extreme danger."
"It can be said that without Yuan Xing, Totem Old Clan Emperor, Zhen Yi Old Clan Emperor, and Empress Chi Yao leading the Sword Realm cultivators, the Primordial Beings would likely have been completely annihilated."
Bringing the Five Elements Five Clans and the Dragon and Phoenix Two Emperors back to the Heavenly Court required immense effort from the Sword Realm. The condition for the Yuan Dao, Totem, and Zhen Yi Three Clans to go to the Sword Realm was their agreement.
The Hongmeng, Taichu, and Tianji Three Clans were taken away by the Old Clan Emperors of these three clans and the Divine Music Master, disappearing into the universe, their whereabouts unknown.
"You have it figured out, then."
The veiled woman asked, "What about the Chaos Clan? Why did that Old Clan Emperor act alone?"
"The Chaos Old Clan Emperor has already broken through to the Half-Ancestor level, which is quite peculiar. He seems to have broken away from the Corpse Demon Faction and, in the end, led the remnants of the Chaos Clan to disappear into the Yin-Yang Path," Zhen Yuan said.
She murmured, "Gone to the Jade Desolation Realm?"
Zhen Yuan said, "The Divine Realm has already set their sights on them and will certainly investigate the Jade Desolation Realm. May I ask the First Queen, would you like to meet the Phoenix Emperor, Dragon Emperor, and the current Clan Emperors of the Five Elements Five Clans?"
Zhen Yuan wanted to use this opportunity to test who this woman before him really was.
Judging by her actions and demeanor, she indeed did not seem like Feng Caiyi. With Feng Caiyi's personality, after hearing his report, she would not ask so many questions, nor would she care about the interests of the Heavenly Court. Who was the head of the Heavenly Officials to her?
The Primordial Beings were full of experts, standing on their own, and would not be so easily wiped out.
The Clan Emperors, Old Clan Emperors of the Twelve Primordial Clans, and the Dragon, Phoenix, and Ghost Three Emperors still had several alive. The weaker ones were at the Indestructible Infinite level.
The Old Clan Emperor who had been freed from the consciousness curse by Zhang Ruochen had even reached the Heavenly Venerable rank.
The veiled woman said impatiently, "No need! In the future, don't come bothering me with such trivial matters. Ji Wang, you are the head of the Heavenly Officials. Can't you make decisions yourself?"
Dragon Lord did not respond, offered no courtesy, and turned to leave.
She was indeed very strong.
But once he broke through to Half-Ancestor, he would no longer need to fear her.
Who would go further in the future was still unknown.
Leaving the Demon Ancestor Ridge secret realm.
Zhen Yuan said, "The Heavenly Venerable must have chosen A Fuya. After all, the Corpse Demon's value far exceeds that of the Hell Realm, which has no Primordial Ancestor."
"Killing Feng Caiyi might not necessarily offend the entire Hell Realm. Faced with the unparalleled might of the Divine Realm, Heavenly Mother and Fengdu Dadi will have to compromise and will certainly choose to cooperate with the Heavenly Court Universe."
"Is that what you think?" Dragon Lord said.
Zhen Yuan was slightly surprised: "Does Heavenly Head have a different view?"
Dragon Lord's gaze was steady, and he said, "Her decisions before and after are quite contradictory. She wants to show concern for the interests of the Heavenly Court Universe, yet she says that matters involving the entire Primordial Beings are trivial. Isn't that abnormal?"
Zhen Yuan recalled for a moment: "Abnormality indicates something is wrong."
"Never mind that! Since it's the Heavenly Venerable's arrangement, we have no right to interfere." Dragon Lord asked, "What do you think about placing the Light Flame River, Overlord Ridge, and Space-Time Ridge outside the Heavenly Court to form a Heavenly River and Heavenly Ridge to defend the Heavenly Court?"
Zhen Yuan said, "Would the Five Elements Five Clans feel we are enslaving them if we make them guard the Heavenly Court?"
"Then place the Space-Time Ridge in the Demon God Realm, and move the Dragon and Phoenix Clans there as well. The Demon God Realm is the dominant world of the Southern Universe, rich in resources. This will supplement the Demon God Realm's lack of strength and show the Primordial Beings the preferential treatment of the Heavenly Court Universe," Dragon Lord said.
Demon Ancestor Ridge, beneath the parasol divine tree.
Feng Tian touched her cheek, still bearing A Fuya's appearance.
The Primordial Ancestor divine body was too powerful, with rules and order interwoven into the flesh and bones. Without fully comprehending the Dao methods within the Primordial Ancestor Divine Source, she could not change or master these rules and order, so her appearance remained.
At the same time, the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable had instructed her to maintain A Fuya's appearance until he emerged from seclusion.
"Whether facing the Corpse Demon or the Divine Realm, acting as the Heavenly Palace's Heavenly Venerable under A Fuya's identity will be safer."
These were the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable's exact words! Feng Tian naturally understood the reasoning.
But she still did not understand why the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable had chosen her over A Fuya.
A Fuya had awakened part of her past life's Primordial Ancestor memories, and her cultivation and comprehension were both above hers. Logically, her probability of reaching Primordial Ancestor was much greater.
Moreover, she knew that in recent years, the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable had been helping Xu Fengjin fuse the Sword Bone and Sword Heart, assisting him in comprehending Sword Twenty-Six.
Of course, she and Xu Fengjin had value to be exploited. But being helped to this extent, whether it was exploitation or not no longer mattered.
"Guarding his position for thirty thousand years in exchange for such a great opportunity—no matter how you look at it, it's a huge gain. Either there's a conspiracy, or this person has a problem. What exactly is the problem?"
"Cultivating a Half-Ancestor peak-level great medicine? But how much less is a Half-Ancestor-level great medicine?"
"Could it be that I've really encountered a saint who wants to lead all beings to fight against the Great Calamity?"
Feng Tian set aside her distracting thoughts. Her priority was to quickly comprehend the "Undying Death Curse" and the Dao methods within A Fuya's Primordial Ancestor Divine Source.
Preliminarily merging A Fuya's two lifetimes of achievements had only raised her realm to Half-Ancestor mid-stage.
Only by fully merging could she have a chance to break into Half-Ancestor peak.
Half-Ancestor peak was a realm she had never dared to dream of in the past. It was Life Ancestor and Zhang Ruobao who had gradually lifted her to this position.
The departed are gone.
How could she dare to slack off? How could she dare to betray the high hopes they had placed in her?
Time passed swiftly, and another five hundred years went by.
Void Heaven walked out of the Divine Punishment Divine Mountain, the Sword Source Divine Tree above his head already fused into his body, forming many white tree pattern designs on his face and chest.
These patterns emitted dazzling divine light, making him seem like the incarnation of the Sword Dao's origin.
"From today onward, the Heavenly Court Universe welcomes the era of me, Xu Fengjin. With no Primordial Ancestor appearing, who can contend with me?"
Void Heaven was filled with heroic spirit, and his divine voice spread out: "The Realm Lords of the myriad realms, the Heavenly Lords of the various ancient civilizations, come to the Heavenly Palace to pay homage to me."
He had received the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable's Primordial Ancestor decree to train the Heavenly Court Divine Army and rebuild the Myriad Realms Grand Formation, along with the construction of the Heaven and Earth Altar.
Such matters would certainly be obstructed and sabotaged by the Divine Realm in every possible way, but Void Heaven was fearless. Even though Sword Twenty-Six was not yet perfected and needed gradual refinement, he was already impatient to find the Ten Thousand Generations Nine Phases of the Divine Realm to test his sword.
The best way to sharpen a sword was through battle.