# Chapter 4208: Supreme Council Meeting
He said, the World Tree rises, and the World Tree truly rose from the ground. His voice resounded throughout the universe.
The Santu River basin was vast, with thick death aura stretching endlessly, forming one pole of material existence in the cosmos.
"Rumble!"
Dust flew into the air, the energy of heaven and earth boiled, and the entire starry sky trembled.
A thousand-mile-wide tributary of the Santu River was stretched upward by an invisible force, like a Milky Way waterfall hanging upside down from the nine heavens.
Earthly matter and rules condensed, forming layers eight million zhang thick, a thousand miles long, ten thousand miles long, a hundred thousand miles long... until finally, they became a single leaf on the World Tree.
A leaf like a world, with mountains and rivers as its veins, condensing into marshlands, wilderness, and deserts.
Not only the matter of the Santu River basin itself, but from within the void, endless streams of matter and rules surged forth like a Myriad Forms Spring, inexhaustible.
"Imperial Dust Eternal!" "Imperial Dust Eternal!"
Throughout the vast Santu River basin, countless yin souls, Bone Clan members, and Corpse Clan cultivators knelt prostrate, raising their hands high in worship, chanting the sacred name "Imperial Dust."
Today's magnificent spectacle was deeply etched into their hearts, destined to be passed down through generations forever.
This was a true Great Emperor, a transcendent existence surpassing even the Yellow Spring Great Emperor and the Life Ancestor. A Great Emperor in the present age! A Great Emperor displaying divine power!
East and west of the Yellow Spring, north and south of the Heavenly Court, throughout the starry seas, while the gods were still immersed in shock, another ancestral soundwave from Imperial Dust echoed in their ears: "World Tree, rise again!"
This voice transcended time and space, eternal and everlasting, as if it had existed since the beginning of heaven and earth! The voice rolled like thunder across the River of Time, reaching into the past and future.
Earlier, the million shattered stars and countless destroyed planets in the Yellow Spring Star River—these broken remnants of celestial bodies—were rapidly manipulated by Zhang Ruochen's divine thought, transforming into rivers of crushed stone divine matter converging toward the center.
"Clatter!"
The second World Tree gradually rose.
These pre-existing materials of the universe were merely the foundation of the World Tree; the matter and rules that Zhang Ruochen created were the true essence of constructing the World Tree.
The fundamental nature of the World Tree lay in the elevation of its plane level, the increased stability of its matter, making it suitable not only for Saint realm cultivators to train in but even more so for gods to cultivate.
One World Tree stood in the Santu River basin, like a starry giant, gazing down upon the boundless land, radiating six-colored, magnificent divine radiance.
The other World Tree took root in the void, shrouded by nebulas, towering and unapproachable, exuding the aura and rhythm of an Ancestor.
Zhang Ruochen bestowed ancestral rules and order upon both World Trees, and within them, spiritual veins, Saint veins, and divine veins began to form, as if they had gained life.
The spiritual veins, Saint veins, and divine veins within the World Trees converged at the roots, connecting to the spatial meridians of the universe, like a tree's root hairs absorbing nutrients from heaven and earth.
Zhang Ruochen raised both hands, majestic as a god, constructing the Myriad Forms Qiankun within the endless void. With one thought, the World Tree rose; with one thought, rules and matter were born.
Xiao Hei was already stunned, his mouth wide enough to hold an egg. He shouted, "I knew it, I knew it! If the rice mountain can be endless, then matter can be endless too. Isn't this just two bigger rice mountains?"
"It's not that simple! Creating matter and rules out of nothing—and in such massive quantities—cannot be achieved by Dao techniques alone. It's the Mysterious Domain!"
Bai Qinger had grown up in the star region where Hail Star Dock was located and understood too well the wonders of the core zone of Hail Star Dock.
The name "Mysterious Domain" was recorded in the records of Star Heaven Cliff from ancient times, also called "Singularity" or "Primordial Space-Time." So... so the Mysterious Domain was taken away by Imperial Dust, haha! With such great divine power, who in the world could still oppose him?"
"No wonder even the Eternal True Ruler had to compromise with Imperial Dust. Imperial Dust's current combat power can definitely contend with the Immortal of the Divine Realm."
"The Yellow Spring Great Emperor and the Life Ancestor spent who knows how many years forging two World Trees. But Imperial Dust only needed two thoughts to make the World Trees rise. The time needed for the World Trees to fully evolve and mature probably won't take many years either."
Previously, although everyone had confidence in Imperial Dust and Heavenly Mother, the Immortal of the Divine Realm and the Eternal True Ruler were like mountains beyond mountains, seemingly without a peak, so they naturally had no solid foundation in their hearts.
But now, Imperial Dust had displayed unparalleled divine powers, already surpassing the legendary Ancestors.
The impact of this on the morale and confidence of cultivators throughout the world could not be described in words.
"Stop worshipping! It's time for you to fulfill your role as the Great Slaughter War God Emperor and spread what you've seen and heard today! From today onward, the world must know that Imperial Dust has split heaven and earth and is unmatched in the world." Jue Miao Chan Nu said with a sense of shared pride.
From the moment the World Tree's trunk began to rise, Xue Tu had not stopped prostrating himself.
His heart surged with emotion. Although he had known since his youth that his senior brother was no ordinary fish in a pond and would surely soar to the heavens, soaring this high—and witnessing this day himself—his excitement could not be expressed in words or actions.
Xue Tu pointed at the vast starry sea and said, "Does this emperor still need to spread the word? Such a spectacle has already shaken the entire universe. Any cultivator in the world who isn't blind should know who is favored by heaven's mandate and who is the ancestor of the Dao. When one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Chan Nu, just wait and see—you and I will both achieve great things in the future."
"Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!" "Woof! Woof! Woof!"
The sounds of chickens and dogs indeed rang out, excited and high-pitched. They came from among the gods of the Sword Realm.
Xue Tu glared angrily in that direction, feeling that someone was trying to steal his fortune. He saw that among them was actually the Golden Lion Ancestor. The Golden Lion Ancestor's eyes were wide open, as if using his gaze to shout three words, and Xue Tu had no choice but to turn his anger into a smile.
In this era, there were too many heaven-defying titans. Even those at the Indestructible Infinite level had to keep their tails between their legs.
Pan Yuan Ancient God rode the Snow Charcoal Dragon Steed, arriving together with Ming Gu at this lively star region.
Pan Yuan Ancient God's head had grown back, his muscles were like bronze and iron, his curly hair like steel needles, and his battle axe as heavy as a realm. He shouted, "Lord Imperial Dust, Yong Zhou has been delivered to you!"
"Boom!"
The dragon steed's hooves stamped through space, creating ripples that could spread tens of millions of miles away. Such momentum shook the nine heavens and ten lands.
Bing Huang stood beside a divine stone pillar outside the Witch Hall and said, "What terrifying aura. The starry sky trembles with his movements. The Supreme Council will probably gain another member."
"Pan Yuan Ancient God is a great senior with real ability. When you and I were young, he was already shaking the universe and could challenge the Heavens. That he can cultivate to the peak of Half-Ancestor, I accept!" Xue Jue Clan Leader said.
Space trembled, and yin clouds surged forth.
Yu Xi, wearing a purple gauze bamboo hat, arrived with the ancestral intent of the City-Protecting Grand Formation. Earlier, after reaching an agreement with the Eternal True Ruler, Zhang Ruochen had used his ancestral thought to cross the starry sea and transmit orders to the two of them.
Pan Yuan Ancient God pressed one of the Ten Thousand Generation Nine Ancestors—a mid-stage Half-Ancestor of the Northern Ancestor level—beneath the Witch Hall. This was a mid-stage Half-Ancestor with an ancestral skeleton, whose combat power was extraordinary, yet he had been captured alive, and the torch on his body had been extinguished by the same person, making him quite "bare."
This showed the extent of Pan Yuan Ancient God's combat power.
Zhang Ruochen walked step by step from the void, surrounded by myriad colorful clouds, with starry sea mists following him, as if he had come from the vast, boundless Primordial Era into this age.
Ming Gu immediately patted his chest's two rows of ribs to claim credit, saying, "Pan Yuan could capture this old fellow thanks to my help. Could Imperial Dust pass on one or two ancestral insights as a reward?"
Zhang Ruochen arrived at the square below the Witch Hall, glanced at Yong Zhou, and said, "The ancestral bones he lost—you refined them all, didn't you? The ancestral rules and order contained in those ancestral bones are enough for you to comprehend for tens of thousands of years!"
"Yong Zhou's mere ancestral Dao—how can it compare to your Imperial Dust's Dao?" Ming Gu was a bit anxious, feeling that Zhang Ruochen was being stingy.
Zhang Ruochen thought of Gong Nanfeng, who had left and never returned, and said, "Fine. Once this matter is settled, I will definitely pass on two ancestral insights to you."
The Half-Ancestors and Heavenly Venerable-rank experts present all showed expressions of interest.
At Zhang Ruochen's current level of cultivation, even a casual ancestral insight could allow them to rapidly advance their cultivation by a large margin.
The path to Ancestor was fraught with difficulties. Out of ten Heavenly Venerables or Half-Ancestors, it was hard for even one to cross to the other shore.
But with Imperial Dust as a guiding light ahead, using the First-Rank Divine Path to explain the Dao and resolve doubts, not to mention reaching Ancestor, the probability of entering the Supreme Council would greatly increase.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fell upon Pan Yuan Ancient God: "Today, I, this Emperor, owe the Ancient God a favor. In the future, whenever you have a request, I will not refuse."
Pan Yuan Ancient God leaped down from the Snow Charcoal Dragon Steed and said, "Lord Imperial Dust is joking! If it weren't for you passing on the Myriad Forms Formless Ancestral Imprint to me back then, how could I have reached the peak of Half-Ancestor so quickly? I agreed to do three things for you. This counts as the first."
"The Myriad Forms Formless Ancestral Imprint!"
Zhang Ruochen muttered this to himself, then said, "Ancient God, I'm afraid you're mistaken. The favor you owe is not with me, this Emperor."
"Oh!"
A thoughtful expression appeared in Pan Yuan Ancient God's eyes, and he said, "So, there really is a fake Imperial Dust in the universe? Does Imperial Dust know who he is?"
"When the true Imperial Dust appears, the fake Imperial Dust will naturally reveal his true form soon enough." Zhang Ruochen's eyes carried an absolute confidence.
The seals on Yong Zhou and Ancestral Yaksha King were undone by Zhang Ruochen with a wave of his hand, and they were released and sent away.
The two were intimidated by Zhang Ruochen's ancestral might and dared not say a single harsh word. They hastily fled into the endless darkness.
Chi Yao, peerlessly elegant, walked down step by step from the stairs of the Witch Hall and said, "As the saying goes, 'all is fair in war.' Since the living beings, dead spirits, and cultivators on the two World Trees have already been evacuated, there was completely no need to release these two Half-Ancestors of the Divine Realm. This is like releasing a tiger back to the mountain—endless trouble in the future."
"I agree with Empress Chi Yao's view! The Eternal True Ruler cannot possibly be playing an open game with Imperial Dust. Given the current situation, the two sides are fundamentally irreconcilable. The decisive battle hangs on a single thought from each side."
Feng Tian led the gods of Fengdu Ghost City and the Destiny Temple as they walked toward the Witch Hall.
She continued, "The way of chess is the way of deception. Not a single word from the Eternal True Ruler can be trusted. Any agreement with him is no gentleman's pact. Whoever abides by it will suffer greatly."
"Pay respects to Imperial Dust!" "Pay respects to Heavenly Mother!"
"Ancestor supreme, governing heaven and earth."
A large number of gods from Fengdu Ghost City and the Destiny Temple bowed and kowtowed to the Witch Hall, their reverence like subjects paying court to an emperor.
Faced with the doubts of Chi Yao and Feng Tian, Zhang Ruochen remained very calm and did not immediately respond.
His gaze searched among the gods, and upon seeing that young and moving figure, he walked over and smiled, "The two World Trees have already taken root in the three realms and can absorb the energy of heaven and earth and the rules of heaven and earth to evolve and grow on their own. You Ruo, you are the Palace Master of the Life Divine Palace of the Destiny Temple. Why don't you quickly take people to the World Trees to transform the environment and spread the seeds of life?"
Hai Shang You Ruo was stared at by Zhang Ruochen, her whole body stiff, no longer having the ease of their previous interactions. She clasped her fists and accepted the order: "Yes, Lord Imperial Dust!"
"Wait a moment." Zhang Ruochen said.
Hai Shang You Ruo quickly stopped, and the Destiny Temple gods traveling with her also became nervous, none daring to raise their heads.
"May I ask what other instructions Lord Imperial Dust has?"
Zhang Ruochen walked up to her, close enough to be within arm's reach, and said, "Say it again. What should you call me?"
The pressure in Hai Shang You Ruo's heart eased, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Weakly, she said, "Big brother..."
"That's more like it!"
Zhang Ruochen smiled: "Extend your hand."
At this moment, Hai Shang You Ruo did not feel any ancestral might from Zhang Ruochen. After thinking for a moment, she extended her slender, soft right hand.
Zhang Ruochen's fingers glowed with ancestral divine light as he traced talisman patterns on her palm, saying, "You were injured quite badly this time. You need to be more careful in the future. Not every time will you be this fortunate. I don't have many sisters, so you need to live well for me. This ancestral talisman pattern was drawn casually, but it should be enough for you."
Zhang Ruochen patted her forehead and said, "Go on!"
Before Hai Shang You Ruo reached the Infinite Realm, her appearance was very young.
When Zhang Ruochen first saw her, although her cultivation was higher than his, she looked only about nine years old. Now, she stood tall and graceful, her cultivation having reached Indestructible Infinite, and she had become one of the palace masters of the Destiny Temple.
On the scene, countless gods cast envious glances. This single "big brother" instantly elevated Hai Shang You Ruo's status to a level where she could sit as an equal with Half-Ancestors.
After Feng Tian, Nu Tian Shen Zun, Void Heaven, and Chi Yao had each given some instructions regarding various matters, the members of the Supreme Council finally entered the Witch Hall to begin their highest-level secret discussion.
Pan Yuan Ancient God, as the representative of the Heavenly Court Universe, became the seventh member of the Supreme Council. Zhang Ruochen and Heavenly Mother sat at the very top, like two Ancestors holding court.
It was only at this moment that Zhang Ruochen finally explained to Chi Yao and Feng Tian the reason for releasing Yong Zhou and Ancestral Yaksha King: "Everything you said is absolutely correct. Yan Tingqiu's words are absolutely not to be trusted. What he calls an 'open game' is merely a maze he uses to paralyze me and Heavenly Mother. If we waste our energy on this open game, we will fall right into his trap and, in the end, lose the big for the small."
"The decisive battle with the Divine Realm is unavoidable, and once it begins, it will be a fight to the death—there is no second possibility. Everyone must be mentally prepared. Many people will die. Only by fighting to the death do we have a slim chance of victory."
"The reason the Divine Realm chose restraint this time is nothing more than two reasons."
"First, what they want has never been to destroy the myriad realms and stars of the universe. Rather, it is to harvest the great medicine of gods and the grain of living beings."
"If they were to start the war now, they would not only have to face me and Heavenly Mother—two Ancestors—but also be on guard against those Ancestors hiding in the shadows. In the end, even if they win, it would be a pyrrhic victory, and the gods and living beings of the universe would likely be decimated by seven or eight out of ten."
"This is not the result they want!"
Heavenly Mother said, "In fact, it was Imperial Dust's appearance that created too great a variable, completely exceeding their expectations. This is my speculation: thirty thousand years ago, after the Nether Ancestor fell, the Divine Realm should have bared its fangs and begun harvesting the entire universe. But at that time, too many cultivators had fallen in several great wars, and the divine medicine and ancestral medicine were still insufficient in quantity. That's why the Divine Realm allowed the cultivators of the world to continue cultivating for another thirty thousand years."
"The Second Confucian Ancestor breaking through to the ninety-sixth level, dealing with the Heavenly Court, and seizing the three World Trees—that was the official start of the universe harvest."
"If no accident had occurred, the Heavenly Palace would have already been reduced to ruins. The Western Buddha Realm would have been taken by Wushou Jiaye, the Ten Thousand Ruins Realm suppressed by Yong Zhou, and the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable would have died beneath the Seventy-Two Layer Tower."
"And with the three World Trees seized, the hidden cultivators of the Hell Realm would surely have been provoked into a frenzied advance on the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. That battle would then have harvested most of the Hell Realm."
"The Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm would have completely lost their combat power, utterly reduced to fertile fields for the Divine Realm to cultivate cultivator medicine, with only the surviving lambs waiting for slaughter."
"Next, the Divine Realm would have had the free hands to deal with the terrified Sword Realm, White Jade Divine Emperor, Dark Lord, and Corpse Nightmare."
"Imperial Dust's appearance not only gave us an additional transcendent Ancestor but also tightly bound together the three forces of the Heavenly Court Universe, the Hell Realm, and the Sword Realm. This is the real reason the Divine Realm was forced to back down!"
"So the Eternal True Ruler had no choice but to change his approach, using the central point to stabilize us, and then proceed to clean up those uncertain factors first."
Heavenly Mother explained very clearly. The fact that Imperial Dust could drag the Divine Realm to death with him was the key to forcing the Divine Realm to back down.
For the cultivators of the present age to win and have a glimmer of hope, it also depended entirely on Imperial Dust.
Nu Tian Shen Zun said, "Heavenly Mother means that the Heaven and Earth Altars don't actually need 129,600 of them? That number is a misleading figure?"
Heavenly Mother said, "129,600 Heaven and Earth Altars spread too wide. No matter how strong the Divine Realm is, they cannot attend to every single one. Therefore, as long as someone deliberately sabotages them, 129,600 Heaven and Earth Altars can never be fully constructed. Doesn't this conversely prove that the Divine Realm doesn't actually care whether there are 129,600 Heaven and Earth Altars?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "In fact, altars in the universe that can connect to the Divine Realm—not to mention 129,600—even 12.96 billion could be found."
It should be noted that living beings in the universe need to perform sacrifices to connect to the Divine Realm in order to obtain the Divine Martial Mark.
Sacrifices are performed once a year.
Not only do large cities have grand altars, but even towns and villages have altars distributed throughout.
The expressions of those present changed, all realizing the severity of this matter.
"The Second Confucian Ancestor was quite calculating. He deliberately activated the Heaven and Earth Altars, showing a corner of their power to frighten us. Then, he led us to use all our strength to destroy the Heaven and Earth Altars, diverting our attention. The Divine Realm could then take the opportunity to deal with the various Ancestors one by one." Feng Tian said.
Chi Yao said, "But the threat of the Heaven and Earth Altars does indeed exist. They can definitely use the Divine Martial Marks on everyone to trigger a Minor Calamity. If we don't find a way to destroy them before the Divine Realm finishes cleaning up the various Ancestors, the consequences will be unimaginable. Even the power of all living beings will be difficult to gather."
Pan Yuan Ancient God said, "Destroying the Heaven and Earth Altars—I don't think it's that easy. When I was rushing over from the Heavenly Court Universe, I passed by several Heaven and Earth Altars. The altars had already been activated, connected to the Divine Realm, and were operating without rest. The moment I even entertained the thought of destroying them, even my Divine Martial Mark showed signs of instability."
"Especially those few main altars—their power is even more terrifying. I heard that even Gai Mie's Divine Martial Mark was taken away, and he was a Half-Ancestor."
"Only Half-Ancestors and Heavenly Venerable-rank experts have the possibility of destroying ordinary Heaven and Earth Altars. To destroy the tens of thousands of altars that have already been built is absolutely impossible in a short time."
Feng Tian said, "Moreover, the cultivators who go to destroy the Heaven and Earth Altars will also face interception and killing by the Ten Thousand Generation Nine Ancestors and the three divine armies. It's extremely dangerous."
"Not only must we guard against them intercepting and killing Heavenly Venerable-rank and Half-Ancestor-level experts, but we must also prevent them from attacking the World Trees, divine cities, and great worlds." Chi Yao added, "This open game—winning it is itself as difficult as ascending to heaven. Once we choose to play this chess game with the Divine Realm, we fall into the Eternal True Ruler's calculations. We're caught between a rock and a hard place, riding a tiger and unable to dismount."
Void Heaven said, "Who says we have to be led by the nose by the Eternal True Ruler? What if we simply don't play this chess game with him, directly consolidate our forces, first trample the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, and then attack the Divine Realm? What Ten Thousand Generation Nine Ancestors? What damn divine armies? Kill them one by one as we see them. Let's see if they're stronger or if my sword is faster."
"Below the Ancestor level, who's afraid of whom? What we fear is the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, and the Immortal of the Divine Realm. I don't believe the Divine Realm has already shown all its cards." Pan Yuan Ancient God said.
The entire hall fell silent.
Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned toward Zhang Ruochen and Heavenly Mother. After all, in a universe-level confrontation, Ancestors were the ones who determined victory or defeat.
Zhang Ruochen dispelled everyone's worries and anxiety with a smile, saying, "Your speculations and the results of your discussions are actually very correct. The key to winning this game has never been in the so-called open game."
"Then where does it lie?" Void Heaven asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "It lies in who makes the first move! Whoever makes the first move gains the initiative and has a greater chance of winning."
"Then why don't we make a move right now and catch them off guard?" Void Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "When I say 'who makes the first move,' I mean who has made sufficient preparations first, and who has a more than seventy percent certainty of victory."
"Why does it have to be more than seventy percent certainty?" Void Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Because, like the Divine Realm, even if we defeat each other, we still have to face the Great Calamity. If our preparations are insufficient and we barely win, in the end, we will only become ashes under the Great Calamity."
"May I ask Imperial Dust, what preparations do we need to make to meet the conditions for making a move?" Nu Tian Shen Zun asked.
Void Heaven said, "That's right, just tell us quickly. Once you say it, we'll mobilize all forces to do it. We'll definitely move faster than the Divine Realm, race against time, and then kill until the heavens and earth are dark. This old man's sword is already itching for action."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Don't rush. Everyone has a task. The most important thing at present is to figure out who exactly the Immortal of the Divine Realm is. If we don't clarify this matter in advance, our battle with the Divine Realm will surely end in defeat."
"Does Imperial Dust have any clues?" Pan Yuan Ancient God said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Everyone present is my most trusted ally, so there's nothing to hide from you. When the Seventy-Two Layer Tower suppressed the Hongmeng Black Dragon, that Immortal exposed traces, and I can confirm that he was hiding in the Sword Realm at that time."
Thirty thousand years ago, when the Seventy-Two Layer Tower suddenly erupted with power to suppress the Nether Ancestor, some cultivators had already speculated that the Immortal of the Divine Realm was hiding in the Sword Realm.
Zhang Ruochen's perception confirmed this.
The scope had narrowed!
At the time when the Hongmeng Black Dragon was suppressed, anyone not in the Sword Realm could be ruled out of suspicion.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Rui Yao, you have been in charge of the Sword Realm for over thirty thousand years. You should have already noticed something, right?"
Zhang Ruochen had long told Chi Yao that the Immortal of the Divine Realm had prepared two plans, cultivating two blades to deal with the Wing Ancestor. The first blade was Zhang Ruochen, and the second was Chi Yao.
After Zhang Ruochen's supposed death, Chi Yao, this sharp blade, would surely be activated.
Facts proved that Chi Yao had indeed lived well all these years, and the Divine Realm had never intended to touch her.
Chi Yao's brows were tightly furrowed, and she said, "The Immortal of the Divine Realm—I have already narrowed it down to three to five people! It must be one of them. But, Chen Ge, can you bear the cost of killing the wrong person? That person might be as close as a family member, might be a senior you respect, or might be a lover or close friend."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall wore heavy expressions.
Zhang Ruochen's expression did not change: "As long as you have a clear idea in your heart, there's no need to say it out loud. I am certain that the Immortal of the Divine Realm cannot continue to hide. If he hides any longer, I, this Emperor, will grow too big! Once she begins to act, she will definitely expose herself. I, this Emperor, very much look forward to competing with him."
Heavenly Mother had been pondering something with lowered eyes, then suddenly looked at Zhang Ruochen and said, "You haven't yet explained the second reason why the Divine Realm chose to temporarily compromise with us."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Because although the Nether Ancestor is dead, the Santu River has not collapsed. The Divine Realm does not believe that the Nether Ancestor is truly dead. They fear that the Nether Ancestor will become the final victor."
"Everyone who has been able to cultivate to their current realm should understand one truth: one must hide one's true capabilities."
"If you are completely transparent, facing someone who is determined to kill you, you will surely die."
"And as an Ancestor, what you must do is to be completely opaque, to wait with absolute patience until the very end, until everyone has fought to the death, and then come out to clean up the mess."
"What the Immortal least lacks is patience."
The Eternal True Ruler's launching of this operation was not necessarily without the intention of testing the Nether Ancestor. If the Nether Ancestor was not dead, he would absolutely not watch the Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm be crippled by the Divine Realm; he would surely make a move."
"But they did not anticipate that they had forced me and Heavenly Mother into the open! For the Divine Realm, although it was unexpected, it was an unexpected gain."
Zhang Ruochen's smile was calm, as if he did not mind being exposed to the open at all. After all, his goal was different from that of the Immortal.
If everyone died and only he remained alive, even if he laughed last, even if he won, what meaning would it have?
Zhang Ruochen said, "In fact, looking back, from beginning to end, even until now, I have been nothing more than a blade in the hands of the Nether Ancestor and the Immortal of the Divine Realm. These two use the blade with exquisite skill—formless and shadowless, impossible to guard against, only able to be passively driven by them."
"Before the Divine Realm revealed itself, the Nether Ancestor faction was slaughtered by me in battle after battle, leaving not a single piece of armor, all their schemes falling through, and even the Nether Ancestor himself fell at Di Huang."
"After the Nether Ancestor died, the Divine Realm began to reveal its true nature, suffering heavy losses at my hands time and again."
"If the Nether Ancestor is not dead, am I not the blade he uses to deal with the Divine Realm? I accept being a blade willingly, because where the blade points is also where my heart desires."
Feng Tian's brows were tightly furrowed, and she said, "Doesn't this mean that before the decisive battle, we must not only figure out the identity of the Immortal of the Divine Realm but also determine whether the Nether Ancestor has truly fallen? Otherwise, we are merely the blade the Nether Ancestor uses to deal with the Divine Realm."
"The answer has actually been there all along! But I must go see her myself to unravel all the mysteries." Zhang Ruochen's gaze became profound and deep.