Chapter 4245: A New Order
The surviving gods of the Heavenly Court and the Sword Realm, summoned by Hao Tian, traveled one after another to the Heavenly God Path.
Among the Six Paths, the Heavenly God Path was the most special.
This was because the "Lihentian" and "God Realm" that constituted the Heavenly God Path were already extremely unique in themselves.
It could be said that the Heavenly God Path was destined to become the most supreme path among the six in the future.
The various gods heading to the Heavenly God Path were all in secret discussions, believing that in the future, gods would be forcibly ascended to the Heavenly God Path, and no gods would be allowed in the mortal world.
The destructive power of gods was too strong; with a flick of a finger, stars could be destroyed.
"In the future, high-level places like the Heavenly Court and the Sword Realm will likely be moved to the Heavenly God Path."
"We must hurry. After this battle, the universe will undergo a complete and earth-shattering reshuffle. The Heavenly God Path will definitely be the core of interest competition for various forces in the next era. If we don't plan ahead, our clan's power will surely decline."
The world fragments of the God Realm, under the joint efforts of the various gods, re-coalesced to construct the Heavenly God Realm at the center of the Heavenly God Path.
Some gods also occupied larger world fragments and advantageous celestial layers of Lihentian, claiming them as their divine territory in the Heavenly God Path.
In the ruins of the God Realm, a new competition was unfolding fiercely.
"The Abyss of Darkness is independently designated as a realm, the Primordial Dao."
"All primordial beings, immediately proceed to the Primordial Dao to rebuild your homeland. From this day forward, the Twelve Primordial Clans possess the same rights and status as the myriad races of the universe, and may enter and exit the various realms of the Six Paths according to the new Heavenly Laws and regulations."
The vast and boundless voice of the Ancestor God echoed through the shattered and desolate cosmic void.
All surviving primordial beings heard it!
On a world fragment spanning ten million miles in the cosmic void of the Yellow Spring Star River.
Yuan Jieyi led a remnant army of several thousand primordial beings, collecting the bones of Xian Yueshi, Shen Yueshi, Yuan Suyin, and the various old clan emperors.
But in battle against the Ancestor, even Heavenly Venerable-rank and Indestructible Infinite cultivators were instantly annihilated, turning to ash.
After searching for dozens of days, they only found the remnant bones of three old clan emperors and the blood-soaked earth where Xian Yueshi's blood had spilled after her death.
Hearing the Ancestor God's voice, Yuan Jieyi's nearly broken heart finally shattered. He fell to his knees and wept loudly: "Xian Yueshi, Da Zhanglao, you see? We won this battle! It was your sacrifice that allowed us to no longer be displaced, to finally enjoy equal treatment."
"We primordial beings have waited countless epochs for this day."
Around him, all the remaining primordial beings knelt on one knee. Though their hearts were filled with joy, they wailed loudly, tears streaming uncontrollably.
After the Battle of Yongtian Kingdom, the primordial beings lost their homeland and were nearly driven to extinction.
Those sixty years were the darkest for the primordial beings.
Later, the survivors of the primordial beings went partly to the Sword Realm, partly to the Heavenly Court Universe, while the Chaos Clan went to the Jade Desolate Realm.
Before the Battle of Yongtian Kingdom, the primordial beings could only survive in the endless darkness, unable to come to the upper realm.
The lifelong dream of all primordial beings was to lead their people out of the Abyss of Darkness and return to the upper realm.
Only today, with the near-total sacrifice of their strongest warriors, did they regain a homeland as a victorious race and win their equal rights.
"Xian Yueshi is dead, Da Zhanglao is dead, the old clan emperors have fallen. Can we, with just us, rebuild our homeland?" Some primordial gods felt confused about the future.
They knew that the law of the jungle was an eternal rule of the universe.
Without strong power, they simply couldn't defend the Primordial Dao.
The so-called equal rights now would be nothing but a fleeting dream, lost in an instant.
Yuan Jieyi wiped away his tears and stood up: "You all return to the Primordial Dao first. I will go to the Sword Realm to pay respects to the Clan Emperor and Ancestral Master Ling Yanzi."
As long as the Clan Emperor was not dead, as long as Ancestral Master Ling Yanzi still existed, no one would dare to bully the primordial beings.
Of course, Yuan Jieyi had other thoughts in his heart.
If he could bring Zhang Chunian to the Primordial Dao and support him as the new master of the primordial beings, then any clan in the universe wanting to interfere in the affairs of the Primordial Dao would have to think twice.
Zhang Chunian was the son of Zhang Ruochen and Yuan Sheng.
The Yellow Spring Star River, spanning a hundred thousand light-years, contained hundreds of billions of stars, filled with numerous star clusters, nebulae, interstellar gas, and dust.
The Lower Three Clans and the Yama Clan were migrating en masse.
In the decisive battle of the God Realm, the Yama Clan's new World Tree and the Shura Clan's Shura Star Pillar Realm had both been shattered into several sections, looking extremely dilapidated, flying at the very front.
Qinglu God King, Ni Xuanbei Shi, and Fengchen Sword God had all died in battle.
Those migrating the Shura Star Pillar Realm were Xiu Chen Heavenly God and Lan Ying.
On the Yama Clan's broken World Tree, Yan Yu could be seen standing alone in the outer heavens. His once peerless elegance was gone; his lifespan and blood qi had burned away immensely, making him look like a man in his forties or fifties.
Meanwhile, strong warriors of the older generation like Mitian War God, Yan Huangtu, Daiyue Zhenren, and Wangqing Popo had all self-destructed their divine sources in the God Realm.
The Ten-Winged World of the Undying Blood Clan and the various divine kingdoms of the Luo Clan followed closely behind.
The great worlds, stars, life planets, and mineral planets under the jurisdiction of the four clans were all slowly moving towards the Earth Desolate Universe.
Take the Undying Blood Clan as an example.
The core territory of the Undying Blood Clan consisted of approximately fifty billion stars, with the number of planets exceeding a hundred billion.
For many tens of thousands of years to come, all planets within the core territory would have to be completely moved out of the Yellow Spring Star River.
This was the result of discussions among several Ancestors and the members of the Supreme Council: the dismantling of the Hell Realm.
The Middle Three Clans and the Upper Three Clans belonged to the Hell Path.
The Yama Clan and the Lower Three Clans were to be moved to the Earth Desolate Universe, Wangchuan, and the Gray Sea, guarding reincarnation for generations, establishing the Wangchuan Path.
After the decisive battle of the God Realm, most of the gods and Saint Realm cultivators in the universe had fallen.
Everything was waiting to be rebuilt, and order was to be reshaped.
The surviving members of the Supreme Council were busy traveling between the Six Paths, establishing a new balance of power among the various realms and clans.
Half a year had passed, yet contradictions remained numerous. Many detailed aspects of interests and power division made it difficult to satisfy all parties simultaneously.
The main reason was that in this era, with countless Ancestors, Half-Ancestors, and Heavenly Venerable-rank experts, each was a hero who had even fought against Ancestors. No one was willing to submit to another. No one could suppress all gods and make a final, decisive call.
At this critical juncture of the transition between the old and new eras, the world needed a supreme Great Emperor to stand up and take charge.
However, after the establishment of the Six Paths Reincarnation, Di Chen sat within the Yong Shen Sea, no longer communicating with anyone, and no one could approach him.
The Yong Shen Sea floated in the Earth Desolate Universe, over a light-year in diameter. It was a bright vortex, filled with Ancestor Divine Qi, rules, and order. It was magnificent and vast, with a profound aura.
Zhang Ruochen, sitting at the center of the vortex, seemed to have transformed into a Dao imprint, silently overlooking the myriad beings of heaven and earth.
Many people successively went to the edge of the Yong Shen Sea, using various methods to communicate with him.
Xiao Hei had known Zhang Ruochen for a very long time. He began recounting past events from the Yunwu Commandery Prince, talking about the Martial Market Academy, the Eastern Domain Sacred City, the Chaos Myriad Realms Mountain, the Central Domain Nine Provinces, the Underworld King Sword, the Endless Abyss... from the Red Dragon Sacred Domain of the Heavenly Court to the Heaven Hunting Grand Banquet of the Hell Realm, from Shu Qianchi to Qing Pingzi.
He talked for four days and four nights, and finally, complaining bitterly, he began to talk about his mental journey of eating the Rice Mountain, saying it was endless, truly endless.
"Do you know, to help you achieve perfection in your cultivation, this Emperor lost most of the blood qi in my body. I'm still skinny now, like a hairy monkey. It's not just me; the Undying Blood Clan also paid a tragic price to support you. How can you just transform into the Heavenly Dao like this?"
"Can you do it or not? If not, let me take over!"
Blood Butcher felt that Xiao Hei hadn't put his heart into it. He transmitted his voice towards the center of the Yong Shen Sea: "Senior Brother, hurry back. The mortal world is infinitely beautiful. Your junior brother has already brewed the Tiger Penis Wine. I've tried it; the medicinal properties are very strong. Yan Ting said it's good..."
Just as he said this, Blood Butcher was slapped flying.
With Blood Butcher's current level of cultivation, there were very few beings who dared to slap him.
Just as Blood Butcher was about to get angry, he saw that the one standing at the edge of the Yong Shen Sea was actually Feng Tian. His angry expression immediately turned into an awkward and nervous smile, and he slightly bowed in salute.
Feng Tian released her divine thought, which could enter the Yong Shen Sea and reach Zhang Ruochen's ear.
But no matter how she called, there was no response.
"Master, why don't you directly promise Senior Brother that if he wakes up, you will marry him... cough, cough, I'm joking..." Blood Butcher immediately lowered his head, his mood even more nervous.
His master's gaze was too cold, able to freeze his soul and blood.
Feng Tian pondered for a moment, then her red lips moved slightly, whispering silently.
No one knew what she said to Zhang Ruochen.
After another long while, Feng Tian frowned, as if her patience had run out, and she directly forced her way into the Yong Shen Sea.
If the Heavenly Dao wanted to dissolve Zhang Ruochen's humanity, then she would just start another Heavenly War.
But as soon as she stepped inside, she was swept up by a spatial storm, her form uncontrollable, and in an instant, she appeared several light-years away.
"He didn't attack me, which shows his humanity still exists. A true Heavenly Dao, faced with such provocation, would have definitely descended a heavenly tribulation." Feng Tian thought to herself.
A magnificent divine altar, the size of a planet, traveled along the Santu River from afar.
Taiyi Patriarch, Ming Emperor, and Xue Hou stood at the very top of the altar.
The original form of the altar was the "Sacred Altar."
The Sacred Altar was built using the treasury of the Holy Bright Central Empire, used to preserve the souls of Saint Realm cultivators after death.
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, Taiyi Patriarch, following the orders of Empress Chi Yao, moved the Sacred Altar to the Ancient God Nest, building it into the current divine altar.
Back then, when the Kunlun Realm was attacked by Qishier Pin Lian, many gods, including Xuanji Sword God and Han Qiu, fell. It was because their remnant souls were preserved in the divine altar that Zhang Ruochen could find them new bodies made of Five-Colored Clay Men, allowing them to live a second life.
Before Zhang Ruochen went to the Sword Realm to confront the Human Ancestor, he told the members of the Supreme Council the secret of establishing reincarnation to resolve the Great Calamity.
Before the decisive battle of the God Realm, the members of the Supreme Council spread this secret as widely as possible, to boost the courage of the gods and Saint Realm cultivators of all races and realms.
It was also a reminder for them to leave behind a remnant soul, so they might enter reincarnation and be reborn in the future.
The Ancient God Nest was in the Heavenly Court at the time, so before the Heavenly Court army set out, many had left their remnant souls in this divine altar.
Of course, time was extremely urgent at that point, and many cultivators thought putting all eggs in one basket was too risky, so about half of the Heavenly Court's gods and Saint Realm cultivators used other methods to preserve their remnant souls.
As for hiding their souls in Lihentian, that was a method only gods possessed.
No one expected that this battle would affect the entire universe, with a single divine ability from an Ancestor potentially causing millions of stars to vanish into thin air. Lihentian, which preserved the remnant souls of many gods, also became a heavily damaged area in the Ancestor battle.
Some cultivators went to battle without having time to leave behind a remnant soul.
Some cultivators had their remnant souls dissipated in the aftermath of the battle.
Feng Tian was a Half-Ancestor at the peak, a member of the Supreme Council, but upon seeing Xue Hou and Ming Emperor, she immediately retracted her Ancestral might and asked from afar: "Has the Great Venerable returned by means of the Heluo Sea?"
Taiyi Patriarch bowed to Feng Tian: "In reply to the Destiny Temple Master, the Great Venerable has not yet returned."
In the subsequent exchange, Feng Tian learned that the Ancestor God, obeying Ling Yanzi's command, had moved the Ancient God Nest to the Abyss of Darkness. Murong Zhuzai had died at the hands of Ji Fanxin, and all his spiritual power had been devoured.
Xue Hou asked Feng Tian about Zhang Ruochen's situation, her mood anxious and worried.
After a while, the divine altar flew towards Wangchuan.
Upon reaching the vicinity of Wangchuan, Xue Hou, Ming Emperor, and several remnant souls left the divine altar and approached the Yong Shen Sea.
On the Santu River of the Earth Desolate Universe, divine ships sailed. They were soul boats sent by various gods to escort the remnant souls of fallen cultivators to the Gray Sea for reincarnation.
"This one will not reincarnate!"
"I am the maternal grandfather of Di Chen. Who dares to force me?"
"I will walk the path of ghost cultivation. I will surely prove the Half-Ancestor realm again!"
Xue Jue Clan Leader's voice rang out on a divine ship.
His attitude was very tough, and his tone was very angry.
Underworld King and Xia Yu together tried to calm his emotions.
"Father, your Eon Calamity will arrive in twenty thousand years. Can you, in twenty thousand years, cultivate to a level that can withstand the Eon Calamity?" said Underworld King.
Xue Jue Clan Leader said: "Jiusi Yitianhuang could live nine lives. I, Xue Jue, can do the same. Sixth Son, do not be insolent!"
Underworld King said: "The cultivation methods of the Great Demon God and Jiusi Yitianhuang, starting from their first life, were very special and required immense cost. Most importantly, they weren't just remnant souls!"
"What's wrong with being a remnant soul? Even as a remnant soul, I, Xue Jue, can teach you a lesson." Xue Jue Clan Leader glared at him.
Underworld King smiled: "Not necessarily."
Xue Jue Clan Leader was so angry his remnant soul nearly exploded. Xia Yu immediately calmed him down while rebuking Underworld King.
Underworld King said: "Father, I have revered you my entire life and have always regarded you as the goal to chase. Earlier, you passed the position of Undying Blood Clan Leader to me and asked if I could sit firmly in it."
"Now I must tell you, if I don't even have the courage to speak the truth in front of you, if I don't even dare to refute you, I think I won't be able to sit firmly in the position of Clan Leader either."
"Besides, you, old man, have been arrogant your whole life. Can't you let me be arrogant once?"
Xue Jue Clan Leader finally suppressed his anger, but he was still unwilling. The closer he got to Wangchuan, the more irritable he became, and he was extremely resistant towards reincarnation.
Xia Yu said: "Clan Leader, the reincarnation of living souls is the will of the Ancestor and the Supreme Council. It is to combat entropy increase. It will surely be included in the new Heavenly Laws in the future. No one can violate it."
"We will carefully preserve your Sea of Consciousness. If you cultivate to become a god in your next life, you can absorb the Sea of Consciousness and return to your true self."
Xue Jue Clan Leader said: "What if I fail to cultivate to become a god in the next life? I've heard that before reincarnation, one must drink the Forgetting Love Soup in Wangchuan, erasing all memories. Without the memories of this life, the chances of cultivating to become a god in the next life are slim!"
Underworld King said: "Father, your remnant soul is extremely powerful. Even if you reincarnate, you will inevitably be a peerless genius, the kind that causes strange phenomena. Besides, if you can't become a god in the next life, there is the life after that. If not that, there is the one after that..."
"According to the Ancestor's explanation, the soul can reincarnate infinitely. But to recover memories, one must become a god. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to other beings!"
"A newborn is weak. What if some evil cultivator devours my soul? What about reincarnation then? What if, during the Divine Tribulation, my soul is scattered by the tribulation lightning?" Amidst the cursing, the remnant soul of Xue Jue War God finally arrived at Wangchuan.
He glanced at the Yong Shen Sea, his eyes full of worry, but soon he found a new source of amusement.
"You're entering reincarnation too? What a coincidence! Shall we travel together? In the next life, we might become sworn brothers. I'll be the elder brother, you the younger."
Xue Jue War God saw Huang Tian, who was bidding farewell to Bai Qinger and Yu Yao, and immediately put on a deep and unfathomable calm demeanor, as if reincarnation was a trivial matter.