Chapter 531: In the End, They're All Transient Guests! The Six Great Celestial Lords (6K)

Chapter 531: In the End, They're All Transient Guests! The Six Great Celestial Lords (6K)



In the Life Spring Realm of Black Universe, at the highest point of the Life Tree, nearly a hundred grand palaces were built.

These were residences for True Gods or Chamber Lords.

Of course, it wasn't that there were so many True Gods living here; it was just a 'disguise' to keep others guessing about the true number of True Gods stationed in each Life Spring Realm.

After all, despite the strong unity within the Pantheon of Gods, such a massive power would inevitably have some spies.

Whoosh!

A figure in black, Li Yuan, descended from the void and arrived at a palace concealed by countless Life Tree leaves.

"Chamber Lord of Seven Stars."

"Divine Generals of Seven Stars." Two towering figures, nearly three meters tall, with strikingly similar appearances, both True Gods, greeted Li Yuan with hearty laughter.

"Brother Yihong, Brother Yiming!" Li Yuan greeted them with a smile.

These two True Gods were twin brothers with extremely outgoing personalities... It was extremely rare for twin brothers to achieve the status of True Gods together.

In the entire Pantheon of Gods, this was the only such case.

"Chamber Lord of Seven Stars, last time you saved my younger brother, we've always wanted to properly thank you, but you've been constantly fighting and guarding the realms in various Life Spring Realms, and we've never had the chance." Brother Yihong, the True God, grinned, "This time, you've finally rotated to our Black Universe Life Spring Realm, and we must have the opportunity to express our gratitude."

"Good!" Li Yuan smiled in agreement.

He understood the general temperament of the strong ones in the Pantheon of Gods. Perhaps it was the high probability of falling in battle after battle, or perhaps it was the knowledge that True Gods were at the pinnacle of cultivation... These factors made their personalities relatively straightforward.

If Li Yuan were to decline such an invitation, it would make the two brothers feel uncomfortable.

Over a hundred years, battle after battle, interacting with numerous powerful beings in the Pantheon of Gods.

This also allowed Li Yuan to blend into this environment.

"Haha, let's go." Brother Yiming, the True God, smiled, "Divine General of Seven Stars, this time my brother brought back the Nine River Star Essence from the Nine Bend Star, which is extremely rare."

"Oh? I must try it." Li Yuan laughed.

The three of them directly entered Brother Yiming's palace and started drinking freely.

The Nine River Star Essence was indeed delicious!

Inside the palace, there were no servants.

For secrecy, True Gods' residences usually did not allow the presence of those weaker than True Gods.

After three rounds of drinks.

"Chamber Lord of Seven Stars, I admire you the most. In my heart, you are second only to the Fifth Chamber Lord." Brother Yihong, the True God, spoke in a deep voice, "Even the Elder Chamber Lords are not as good as you."

"Big brother, shut up."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Brother Yihong, the True God, scoffed, "I don't believe the Chamber Lord of Seven Stars would go and report us. He's not that kind of person."

Brother Yiming sighed helplessly and bowed to Li Yuan, "Divine General, my brother is drunk. Please forgive him."

"No problem." Li Yuan waved his hand.

"Chamber Lord of Seven Stars, I'm not drunk." Brother Yihong's eyes were slightly red, "Within the Pantheon of Gods, there are quite a few Chamber Lord-level strong ones, but only a few are willing to engage in long-term battles. Most of them stay in the Life Divine Realm, claiming to guard the Divine Realm... But there are so many Divine Realms, why the need for so many Chamber Lords?"

"If they were all dispersed in various Life Spring Realms to fight, they could definitely deal heavy blows to the Dao Court's attacking army."

"Instead of being as passive as they are now."

Li Yuan sighed inwardly. After a hundred years of war, he had gained a deeper understanding of the situation in the Pantheon of Gods and the Dao Court.

He vaguely sensed that the relationship between the two camps was not as simple as imagined.

There seemed to be an unspoken agreement.

The Pantheon of Gods had never launched a full-scale counterattack, and many Chamber Lords and True Gods only provided support... The Dao Court also refrained from using all its power to suppress the realm, only sending a large number of Celestial Immortals and True Immortals to cause trouble.

Both sides seemed to be avoiding a decisive battle.

However, in the eyes of strong ones like Brother Yihong, the highest echelons of the Pantheon of Gods appeared somewhat weak.

After all, they had been on the defensive all this time.

"The Elder Chamber Lords must have their reasons." Li Yuan said.

"Divine General." Brother Yiming transmitted his thoughts with a sigh, "We understand the logic, but... the last time you rescued my brother, our hometown city was destroyed."

Li Yuan immediately thought of the city that was destroyed in the last battle, affecting an area of nearly a hundred thousand li and causing hundreds of millions of casualties. It turned out to be Brother Yihong and Brother Yiming's hometown.

"My condolences." Li Yuan transmitted his thoughts.

"It's in the past, but my brother still finds it hard to accept. My sister-in-law and nephew, and... never mind, I just hope the Divine General won't blame my brother." Brother Yiming transmitted his thoughts.

"Don't worry." Li Yuan said.

Soon after.

Li Yuan left Brother Yiming's palace, wandering in the void, overlooking the numerous small realms below. He arrived at his own palace.

"War."

"The Dao Court's army launches attack after attack, unable to deal a devastating blow to the Pantheon of Gods, but causing endless casualties. Li Yuan sighed inwardly, "There are too many like Brother Yiming."

Over a hundred years, traversing countless worlds, witnessing hundreds of battles large and small, Li Yuan had seen too much.

A single battle between Celestial Immortals and True Gods could affect and cause the fall of billions or even more.

Countless casualties!

"The Life Spring Realm has been gradually crumbling, worsening the situation for the Pantheon of Gods. This is probably why the Fifth Chamber Lord and the others are becoming more conservative."

Action: Li Yuan sighed inwardly, "If this continues, I fear that in a few million years, the Pantheon of Gods will be completely defeated and destroyed."

Over the past hundred years, Li Yuan's access and authority within the Pantheon of Gods have increased, allowing him to access more information. For instance, the Life Spring Realm.

Just as humans progress through childhood, adolescence, youth, and eventually meet their demise, so does the world.

The Life Tree in the Ten Thousand Springs Void is the origin of the True Deity, but it, too, will eventually face destruction.

In the earliest days, there were over nine thousand Life Spring Realms, hence the name 'Ten Thousand Springs.'

But in this era, only 4,300 remain.

Furthermore, as Li Yuan's research progressed, he found that the number of decaying and destroyed Life Spring Realms increased as he approached the present era.

"It seems that these Life Spring Realms are collectively entering their senescence," Li Yuan sighed inwardly. "The glimmer of hope sought by the Life Deity King may end in failure."

Over a hundred years, Li Yuan befriended numerous True Deities, and his heart has become deeply intertwined with the Pantheon of Gods. His mindset has shifted from initial cooperation and completing trial tasks to doing his utmost to aid the Pantheon.

Li Yuan holds the Life Deity King in high regard.

Indeed, this is an inconceivable powerhouse.

But!

"In the end, I don't belong in this world."

"If I can break through to become a True Deity here and reach the level of a True Deity, there might still be hope to help the Pantheon win the war." Li Yuan sighed inwardly, "But... I must return to my homeland, the Divine Realm."

To return to the Divine Realm, he must reach the Demigod Realm and cannot break through in this world.

In his homeland, there are numerous elders, family members, and close friends who are even more important to Li Yuan.

"I'm just a passerby after all."

"Before I leave, I will also do my utmost to save more people and stay true to my heart." Li Yuan sighed inwardly.

Hoo!

Li Yuan flew into his palace, sat in a meditative posture, and with a thought, he sensed the 'Carnage Crystal' in the Soul Void.

"This Carnage Tear has already accumulated forty-seven drops." Li Yuan thought to himself, "It seems to be already half-full. If this carnage continues, it will take at most a few decades to complete the trial task."

Completing the trial task in less than two hundred years is not short, but it's not extremely long either.

In the history of the Chaotic God Court, the longest time to successfully complete the trial task was over four hundred years.

Without further thought, Li Yuan began to cultivate calmly, his mind filled with various secret techniques and profound insights.

"This world is in the Age of Dao Annihilation."

"Indeed, comprehending the foundational laws of the Great Dao is far too difficult." Li Yuan's body emanated strands of yellowish light, "In a hundred years, I've only managed to advance the Law of Earth to the ninth stage, and my progress is becoming increasingly slow."

"The Law of Wind remains stuck at the eighth stage of perfection."

This rate of progress, if placed upon a True Deity in this world or an ordinary member of the Sourcefire Realm, would be considered astonishing... but for Li Yuan, it's a bit slow.

"On the contrary, the Law of Space..."

"Although comprehension is still extremely challenging, I can still sense the complete essence of the Law of Space." Li Yuan thought, "It seems that the power of 'Dao Annihilation' formed by the False Heavenly Dao cannot hinder the operation of the Law of Space."

Just thinking about it, Li Yuan felt it was quite normal.

Li Yuan was well aware of the terror of the essence of the Law of Space... it is the foundation of all that exists in the vast heavens and earth.

When the Divine Kings and Gods open up paths, they fundamentally rely on the Law of Space.

For this reason, a hundred years have passed.

Most of Li Yuan's energy is still focused on the Law of Space... even though comprehension is more challenging, his understanding of the Law of Space has reached the ninth stage of perfection.

Now, Li Yuan is just one step away from the tenth stage of the Law of Space!

But this step is like a heavenly chasm.

It has kept Li Yuan stuck for over a decade, with no signs of a breakthrough.

Moving forward, it's uncertain how long he'll remain trapped.

"When a True Deity comprehends the foundational laws of the Great Dao, they reach the tenth stage." Li Yuan sighed inwardly, "If I can advance the Law of Space to the tenth stage, even though I can't rely on it to achieve the True Deity Realm... at least in terms of law comprehension, I'll be on par with those newly ascended True Deities."

To become a True Deity, one must comprehend a foundational Great Dao to condense their divine nature.

Understanding the Law of Space at the tenth stage is insufficient to achieve the True Deity Realm.

After cultivating for a while longer, Li Yuan suddenly stood up, and a silver moon divine spear appeared in his hand as he began to demonstrate his spear techniques.

Without using any spiritual power, it was as if he were a youth practicing spear techniques in the martial arts chamber.

Horizontal Sweep!

Spear Thrust!

Angry Chop!

...The most basic spear techniques, when performed by Li Yuan, now carried a hint of the profound simplicity of the Great Dao. Each move seemed to contain infinite Dao rhymes.

Occasionally, when the spear slashed through the void, its speed would surge, tearing open visible spatial rifts before the space quickly sealed itself.

If other True Deities were to witness this, they would surely be dumbfounded.

After all, Li Yuan was demonstrating his spear techniques without using any Star Techniques or Source Power; he relied solely on the power of the laws.

How powerful would he be if he unleashed his full strength?

"Last time, when I fought against Shiming, the Celestial Lord, this killing move was not yet perfected." Li Yuan thought, "Even the Celestial Lords have been dispatched, indicating that the Dao Court's murderous intent towards me is growing stronger.

...

In the void outside the Life Spring Realm of Black Universe, a massive warship was concealed, its entire body shrouded in darkness, blending seamlessly with the starry sky.

Inside the warship, thirteen figures stood.

Leading them was a white-robed figure with blue eyes, tall and emanating mysterious fluctuations that commanded the utmost respect from the twelve Heaven Immortals surrounding him.

Before them, a colossal star map glowed, with numerous lights flickering across its surface.

"Are you all clear on the mission?"

"The target is to slaughter all cultivators and destroy every treasure within these regions of the Life Spring Realm of Black Universe," the white-robed figure said softly.

"Yes, Celestial Lord!" the twelve ordinary Heaven Immortals replied reverently.

This assassination campaign was personally led by the Celestial Lord, and they felt incredibly exhilarated.

Within the Dao Court, the status of each Celestial Lord was exceptionally high.

"Go!" The white-robed, blue-eyed Celestial Lord waved his hand and instructed, "Remember, follow the plan precisely, and don't be reckless."

Boom~ The warship's cabin doors opened, and the twelve Heaven Immortals charged out, each summoning their own Void Flying Ship, creating ripples as they tore through the void and disappeared into the endless darkness.

Only the white-robed, blue-eyed Celestial Lord remained inside the warship.

He waved his hand again.

Huff! Huff! Huff! Five figures appeared within the warship, each with a unique aura.

"Shiming, has the bait been released?" asked an elderly man in black with a hoarse voice.

"Tonglian Senior, everything is proceeding according to your instructions," the white-robed, blue-eyed Celestial Lord replied respectfully.

If the twelve Heaven Immortals from earlier saw this scene, they would likely be stunned.

After all, Shiming Celestial Lord held an extremely high position in their hearts, ranking second among the Celestial Lords who commanded the armies in the Radiant Dao Court, his status almost on par with the Heavenly Emperor.

Who could make him address someone as 'Senior'?

It was likely one of the oldest figures in the Dao Court.

"For a hundred years, the 'Seven-star Void Deity' has been active in nearly a hundred Life Spring Realms in this area, intercepting and killing our strong cultivators. Up until now, he has slain forty-two Heaven Immortals," the black-robed Tonglian Celestial Lord said coldly, "He has established immense merits for the Pantheon. According to our intelligence, he has been authorized as a 'First-rank Divine General of the Pantheon Army', with a status second only to the Elder Hall Masters."

"The most crucial point."

"After repeated confirmations, it is clear that he possesses a special method. When killing Heaven Immortals, he can plunder their 'Immortal Register Radiance'."

A chill ran down the spines of everyone present.

They all understood the catastrophic implications of having the 'Immortal Register Radiance' plundered.

Compared to this, the fall of dozens of Heaven Immortals was a minor matter.

"The Seven-star Void Deity is the number one threat to our Radiant Dao Court and the Seven Great Dao Courts. For a hundred years, the Huodou Heavenly Emperor has been ordering investigations." Tonglian Celestial Lord said coldly, "He remains at the Void Deity realm, and though we don't know the specific reason... this is indeed our best opportunity. Once he becomes a True Deity, he will undoubtedly become the second Shi Wu."

Everyone nodded involuntarily. Shi Wu? That was an existence none of them wanted to face.

"I will do my utmost," Shiming Celestial Lord vowed.

"Last time, Shiming's team failed to set up a trap," said another purple-robed Celestial Lord with a smile.

Shiming Celestial Lord glanced at the purple-robed Celestial Lord.

Why mention that previous failure? It was obviously a sore point.

"Shiming's failure last time was understandable," Tonglian Celestial Lord said slowly, "But this time, we have the collaboration of six Celestial Lords."

With such a lineup, if word got out, it would shake the heavens. There were far too few Celestial Lords in the Dao Court.

Since the False Heavenly Dao enveloped the heavens, it had become increasingly difficult for cultivators to attain enlightenment. No new Heavenly Deities had been born, and even the number of True Deities born was decreasing.

However, in terms of the total number of strong cultivators, the Pantheon had produced over a hundred times more True Deities than Heaven Immortals.

But True Deities had such short lifespans, dying in batches... While Heaven Immortals claimed to live as long as the heavens, it was mostly an exaggeration, but living for tens of millions of years was quite normal.

Even so, the number of 'Celestial Lords' born among Heaven Immortals was extremely low.

In the Radiant Dao Court, only over twenty Celestial Lords had been born over the long years... Having six Celestial Lords work together was something that hadn't happened in many hundreds of thousands of years.

Especially this time, even Tonglian Celestial Lord had joined.

"We used extraordinary means, combining the power of three thousand Heaven Immortals and secret treasures, to finally pinpoint his location. His aura is in the Life Spring Realm of Black Universe, likely because it's his turn to guard this world," Tonglian Celestial Lord explained.

"At such a great cost..."

"I hope..."

"Before the Dao Ancestors return, we must settle this matter," Tonglian Celestial Lord's eyes swept across the five Celestial Lords. "I hope you won't disappoint the Dao Ancestors."

"Yes!"

The six Celestial Lords patiently waited.

As soon as the Heaven Immortal responsible for being the 'bait' sent a message, they would immediately use the 'Void Talisman' bestowed by the Dao Ancestors to tear through the void and arrive.

...

Within the Radiant Dao Court, in the Heavenly Realm.

"Using the 'Heavenly Cloud Prediction' on my own, the Dao Ancestors might severely punish me when they return."

The Huodou Heavenly Emperor sat on his majestic throne, his brows furrowed in deep concern, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes, "Blame those idiots at the Celestial Lord's Palace."

"If we had acted sooner, things wouldn't have gotten this complicated."

A century ago, the Huodou Heavenly Emperor was the first to consult with numerous Celestial Lords.

However, despite their apparent concern, it was only lip service. None of them were willing to take action.

After all, these Celestial Lords held lofty positions, and who among them would dare venture into the Ten Thousand Springs Void to take such a risk? A decree from the Dao Ancestor was necessary.

Reluctantly, the Huodou Heavenly Emperor had no choice but to report to the Dao Ancestor, only to discover... The Dao Ancestor had already left the Nine Thousand Realms and was nowhere to be found in the Dao Court.

Not only was the Radiant Dao Courtyard absent, but upon inquiring with the other six Dao Courts' Heavenly Emperors, he learned that the other six Dao Ancestors were also missing.

This left the Huodou Heavenly Emperor helpless... The occasional disappearance of the seven Dao Ancestors was a secret known only to the Heavenly Emperors of the various Dao Courts.

The matter of killing the 'Seven-Star Void Deity' had been delayed.

It wasn't much of a delay, as the Huodou Heavenly Emperor had also attempted to send more Heaven Immortals to join the battle, and several Celestial Lords had agreed to participate after his repeated pleas.

But the Ten Thousand Springs Void was vast, with thousands of Life Spring Realms, making the assassination of a grandmaster extremely challenging.

It wasn't until the recent decade, as more and more Heaven Immortals fell, and even the Shiming Celestial Lord finally encountered the 'Seven-Star Void Deity', but all failed to succeed, that the Dao Court Celestial Lords reached a consensus with the Huodou Heavenly Emperor to employ the 'Heavenly Cloud Prediction'.

This was a strict order from the Dao Ancestor, a 'Heavenly Dao Forbidden Art' that could not be used unless absolutely necessary.

"The Celestial Lords must remain in their respective domains, and their ability to mobilize forces is already limited."

"The Heavenly Cloud Prediction has temporarily locked onto the Seven-Star Void Deity's location," the Huodou Heavenly Emperor silently prayed in his heart, "With the Six Great Celestial Lords taking action, and even the Tonglian Celestial Lord, we will surely succeed."

If they succeed before the Dao Ancestor returns, he might still have a chance to survive.

But if they fail? The Huodou Heavenly Emperor dared not even think about it.

"Being a Heavenly Emperor is no easy task!" The Huodou Heavenly Emperor finally understood the plight of his predecessor.

Suddenly, he received a message—the operation had begun.

"We must succeed at all costs," the Huodou Heavenly Emperor thought to himself.

...

Li Yuan had been quietly cultivating in the palace when he suddenly received a message from a military outpost in the Black Universe Life Spring Realm: "A True Immortal is attacking, requesting assistance."

But Li Yuan merely glanced at it and paid it no mind.

Similar pleas for help were common, and usually, ordinary True Gods would travel on Void Flying Ships to provide support. It rarely required Li Yuan's direct involvement.

After all, if even these tasks required Li Yuan's participation, he wouldn't have much time left for cultivation.

Secondly, it was also a test for Void Deities and ordinary True Gods.

Most importantly, it was only by concealing the whereabouts of powerful figures like Li Yuan, a grandmaster, that they could deter the Heaven Immortals lurking in the shadows and prevent them from acting recklessly.

"The Seven-Star General needs support. I'll go and assist," Eming True God conveyed.

This was just a minor task, and Li Yuan didn't pay it any mind.

But just a moment later...

"Not good!"

"It's a trap! A trap! There are over ten Heaven Immortals!" Suddenly, another urgent message from Eming True God arrived: "The coordinates are..."

"The Seven-Star General is requesting aid! Please save my brother," Yihong True God's message followed closely.

"Hmm?"

Within the palace, Li Yuan, who had been leisurely practicing his divine spear, suddenly focused his gaze, "Over ten Heaven Immortals? Are they trying to ambush a True God?"

Without hesitation, a black puppet appeared beside Li Yuan.

It was the 'Void Walker' given to Li Yuan by Xia Feng Heavenly Deity.

In terms of strength, this Void Walker was only at the initial stage of a True God, but it possessed a 'Void Teleportation' ability that Li Yuan had yet to master.

"Master," the Void Walker transmitted.

"Transmit coordinates," Li Yuan directly sent the spatial coordinates to the Void Walker.

Due to their different understandings of the Law of Space, even though Li Yuan had reached the ninth stage of perfection in the Law of Space, he still fell slightly short of being able to perform Void Teleportation.

But since it wasn't too far, Li Yuan didn't hesitate to use the Void Walker. In an emergency, using a small portion of his trump cards was acceptable.

If they had used a Void Flying Ship, just the 'Energy Accumulation' process would take half a day... Under the siege of over ten Heaven Immortals, Eming True God wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

They had to act fast!

Whoosh!

The Void Walker, carrying Li Yuan, vanished from the palace in an instant.

The space trembled slightly.

"Master, we've arrived!" The Void Walker had already brought Li Yuan to a desolate world that resembled a ruin.

"The Void Walker is indeed faster," Li Yuan thought to himself.

Just as the speed of teleportation arrays varied, the speed of teleportation also differed among True God peak cultivators, Heavenly Gods, and God Kings who had comprehended the Law of Space.

The Void Walker's 'Void Teleportation' was just the most basic form, allowing it to teleport a maximum of 0.1 light-years at a time, up to ten times per second. However, due to its limited internal capacity, it could only sustain teleportation for a maximum of one minute before needing to rest.

But even so, in a life-and-death battle, it was far superior to a Void Flying Ship.

"Hmm?"

"Damn it," Li Yuan muttered as he descended, his divine perception sweeping the surroundings, and his heart filled with endless killing intent.

The once bustling city, with over a hundred thousand inhabitants according to the map intelligence, had now become a sea of ruins.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end