Chapter 538: Secrets of the War Between Worlds, and the Calamity of the Hongze Universe

Chapter 538: Secrets of the War Between Worlds, and the Calamity of the Hongze Universe

The group of five, including the four humans and the ancient turtle, left the realm and entered the Land of Non-Transformation. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but endless mist and haze.

The spiritual energy in the Land of Non-Transformation was fierce and unruly, filled with a unique non-transformative aura. Only beings above the Godly Sovereign realm could traverse this land without suffering harm from the volatile energy.

Due to the intense spiritual energy, the true spirits of this land were also more irritable and rugged. They were easily provoked and lacked the intellectual capabilities of higher beings, possessing only the instincts of beasts.

The ancient turtle, Canghai, felt a sense of nostalgia as it sensed the fierce spiritual energy. It had been a long time since it had last ventured into the Land of Non-Transformation.

Canghai had been born in this very land and, by a stroke of luck, had gained sentience. It had also benefited from the purple light of creation.

However, the appearance of the Non-Transformation Temple had brought about a great calamity, changing everything and everyone.

"Old turtle, where is this great opportunity you spoke of, and what is it?"

Xu Yan stood on the turtle's back, gazing into the distant haze.

"A great opportunity indeed!"

Canghai sighed, looking in a particular direction. After a moment of silence, it began to move in that direction.

"The great opportunity lies in a universe, one that has fallen silent but remains intact. Even if you don't intend to utilize it to become its ruler, the universe itself is a treasure beyond compare. Wouldn't you agree?"

Canghai spoke in a low, solemn voice.

Xu Yan and the others were taken aback. A silent but intact universe?

Regardless of whether it was a great opportunity or not, such a universe was indeed a priceless treasure.

"Which universe are you talking about? Is it one of the Seven Great Universes?" Xu Yan asked, his curiosity piqued. "Since it's a universe, why didn't you take it for yourself? Perhaps it could have helped you become its ruler."

A hint of fear flashed in the ancient turtle's eyes as it sighed. Despite the passage of time, the memories of that incident still struck fear into its heart.

"I barely escaped that universe with my life. As for taking it for myself, I didn't have the heart or the power to do so. Moreover, that universe left an indelible mark on my soul, making it difficult for me to even consider such a notion."

Meng Chong scratched his head, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What happened that was so terrifying, and why are you still affected by it even after all this time? I must say, old turtle, you seem to have a rather small bladder."

Canghai let out a bitter laugh. "You have no idea what kind of fear we're talking about..."

He paused, realizing that Xu Yan and his companions would never truly understand that kind of fear. After all, they had the support of a being so powerful that it inspired terror in all who knew of its existence.

How could they ever experience the despair and terror that he had felt?

"Old turtle, tell us everything. What happened? Where is this universe located? Is it one of the Seven Great Universes?" Xu Yan asked, settling into a cross-legged position on the turtle's back, his interest piqued.

"Yes, it is one of the Seven Great Universes," Canghai replied, his eyes distant as he recalled the past. "Do you know the origin of the turtle shell I gave you? It belonged to a friend who perished during that great calamity, a friend I held dear..."

Xu Yan and the others sat on the turtle's back, listening intently as Canghai recounted the story of the ancient war between the universes and the life-and-death crisis he had faced.

"My friend Yuan Gui and I were both rulers of the Hongze Universe, having served under Hongze for a long time. Hongze was a true water spirit, cultivating the path of water. In ancient times, beings from the other six universes who cultivated water-related secrets or martial arts would seek out the Hongze Universe to train.

"The Hongze Universe was a realm of water, with over eighty percent of it covered in vast oceans. The remaining landmasses were islands dotting the endless seas. I, Canghai, ruled over the domain of the boundless sea.

"The appearance of the Non-Transformation Temple brought about a calamity beyond our imagination. The first to fall victim was the Fen Yun Universe, but what many didn't realize was that the rulers of the Seven Great Universes had actually joined forces once before, and during that time, they had reached an agreement with the Non-Transformation Temple.

"Little did we know that the Non-Transformation Temple would suddenly turn on us, and that there was a traitor among the Seven Great Universes..."

As Canghai carried Xu Yan and the others toward the direction of the former Hongze Universe, he began to narrate the tale of the ancient war between the universes.

"Someone from the Fen Yun Universe had been swayed by the Non-Transformation Temple and secretly betrayed their realm. This was why the Fen Yun Universe suddenly fell into chaos, and Taicang and the others were unable to detect the threat in time.

"As for how the Non-Transformation Temple carried out their plan, why the Fen Yun Universe disappeared, and how Fen Yun fell—these remain a mystery. It was only when Wu Mo discovered Fen Yun's remains and confirmed the involvement of the Non-Transformation Temple that Taicang decided to engage in an all-out war. Otherwise, they would be picked off one by one."

As Canghai Gui narrated, Xu Yan and the group learned more about the intricacies of the ancient war.

With Fen Yun's death, the six Tai Cang members joined forces to prepare for their confrontation with the Non-Transformation Temple. The six great heavens began to move, drawing closer to each other, forming a defensive and offensive formation.

The Non-Transformation Temple stopped concealing its strength and revealed its powerful beings, marking the beginning of the war preparations. From minor conflicts to the eventual full-scale war, there was a significant interval.

Even before the final battle, the Non-Transformation Temple had displayed the might of its realm lords, making the six Tai Cang members aware that the temple possessed individuals with realm lord-level strength despite not having created their own heavens.

Although their strength was inferior, they still posed a threat as realm lords.

The minor realm lords of the six heavens were no match for the realm lords of the Non-Transformation Temple, and the disparity in their strengths gradually became apparent.

It was through these constant conflicts and battles that they gained a deeper understanding of the Non-Transformation Temple. It had existed for an incredibly long time and had wandered the Land of Non-Transformation, gathering countless powerful beings during its journey.

Their goal was to invade and devour the heavens, consuming the beings within to obtain opportunities for their own advancement.

This realization made the strong beings of the six heavens understand that, as realm lords, they would never be accepted by the Non-Transformation Temple, and surrender would undoubtedly mean death.

The betrayer from Fen Yun Heaven had already been divided and devoured, and there may have been hidden betrayers within the six heavens. However, after this incident, it was clear that siding with the Non-Transformation Temple would also result in certain death.

"Even so, there were still those who defected to the Non-Transformation Temple during the war, targeting the heavens instead. Perhaps they had no choice but to take a desperate gamble, most likely having been controlled by the Non-Transformation Temple in secret," Canghai Gui sighed.

Xu Yan nodded, recalling the scene he had witnessed in the wilderness—the battle between Shang Gu and Ming Wu. It seemed that Ming Wu had either sided with or been controlled by the Non-Transformation Temple.

"Mu Zhu appeared during one of the battles before the great war. He harnessed the power of true spirits and led the Tiger Clan against Mu Zhu. Despite the tigers' formidable might, they ultimately fell in defeat," Canghai Gui reminisced, a hint of sadness in his voice. "The strength of the tiger clan was almost at the realm lord level, but they fell just short. Ao Hong and the other two realm lords were occupied with their own battles and couldn't provide timely aid..."

Fang Hao suddenly asked curiously, "Does Red Cat have any connection to the tiger clan?"

Meng Chong scratched his head and said, "When Master captured Red Cat, it was just an ordinary tiger... No, perhaps Master saw that Red Cat was different from ordinary tigers, which is why he brought it back."

"Red Cat, the Great Demon King? It does have the bloodline of the tiger clan, but it's a demon king, and its aura feels somewhat different from that of the tiger clan," Canghai Gui said, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Red Cat cultivates the path of a great demon. Even with the tiger clan bloodline, it won't pursue the path of becoming a tiger clan member," Xu Yan explained with a smile.

Red Cat was walking the path of a great demon, rather than advancing through the bloodline of a spirit beast to eventually transform into a true spirit.

"Old turtle, continue," Xu Yan urged Canghai Gui to proceed with the story of the Great War.

Mu Zhu, in his attempt to assault the heavens, was countered by Ao Hong, who displayed the might of a True Spirit Lord. The dragon's majestic presence broke Mu Zhu's control over the true spirit power.

"Mu Zhu was rescued, and this marked the last major conflict before the great war," Canghai Gui continued his narrative.

With the fall of the tiger clan, the strong beings of the six heavens realized their disadvantage against the threat posed by the Non-Transformation Temple. Even with six realm lords, they couldn't hold their ground against the two realm lords of the temple.

It would require the combined efforts of several stronger minor realm lords to stall the remaining realm lords, but for how long could they withstand such overwhelming power?

The initial plan of the six heavens was to prolong the conflict and avoid an all-out war.

"Looking back, the stalling tactic was likely meant to buy Tai Cang more time to grow stronger. However, the Non-Transformation Temple didn't continue to drag things out.

"Even if the six Tai Cang members each took on two opponents, the rest of us lesser Lords of Creation would still be overwhelmed. Although we could rely on the power of the Heavenly Dao Laws to resist the Lords of Creation, we all knew that our deaths were likely inevitable!

"It was only when the battle commenced that we realized the extent of Tai Cang's power, far surpassing the other six Lords of Creation. Facing the onslaught of sixteen Lords of Creation, the six Tai Cang members emerged from their heavens to engage the enemy.

"While Wu Mo and his four companions held back ten Lords of Creation, Tai Cang unleashed their full might, displaying an overwhelming display of strength. In a short span of time, they directly slew four Lords of Creation!"

As Canghai spoke, the entire turtle seemed invigorated by the memory.

"Can you imagine the confidence and belief that moment gave us? We knew without a doubt that victory would be ours. Tai Cang's strength was beyond our imagination.

"It was at this critical juncture that a figure emerged from the Non-Transformation Temple. Tai Cang managed to severely injure the remaining two Lords of Creation before turning their attention to this new threat.

"The battle intensified, reaching a fever pitch. The controlled betrayer also joined the fray, with the fight extending beyond the heavens themselves.

"We all knew that the key to victory lay in the clash between Tai Cang and that figure, and Wu Mo was incredibly powerful as well. During the battle, he slew one of the Lords of Creation and immediately took control of the Wu Mo Heaven, using its power to instantly kill the remaining Lord of Creation. Then, he directed the might of the Wu Mo Heaven towards the Non-Transformation Temple, intending to join forces with Tai Cang to face the formidable opponent..."

Xu Yan's mind conjured up the image of the majestic figure he had seen while traversing the wilderness.

Tai Cang!

"The battle grew more intense, and the gap between the Lords of Creation who had created their own heavens and those who hadn't became evident.

"Hongze unleashed a mighty torrent, sweeping through the Non-Transformation Land and forcing the two Lords of Creation from the Non-Transformation Temple to retreat. The battle between the Lords of Creation was tilting in our favor, and we believed that victory would ultimately be ours.

"Even if the opponent from the Non-Transformation Temple was slightly stronger, we were confident that the combined might of the six members of Tai Cang would be enough to defeat him.

"But who could have imagined that, in the end, we would be the ones to fall?"

Canghai's face contorted with bitterness and dejection as he spoke.

"How did Tai Cang die, and how did you end up losing?" Xu Yan asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

"We don't know!" Canghai shook his head.

"Even to this day, we still don't understand how we could have lost, or how Tai Cang met his end."

Canghai let out a bitter laugh. "Hongze unleashed a deluge of water that swept through the Non-Transformation Land, crashing into the Non-Transformation Temple. However, the Hongze Heaven began to shift, and another Lord of Creation appeared to assault the Hongze Heaven.

"Although this new opponent was relatively weaker, it was still beyond my power, Yuan Gui's power, and the power of the others to resist. We had no choice but to rely on the Hongze Heavenly Dao Laws to intercept and prevent the enemy from entering our heaven.

"During this battle, the Hongze Heaven drifted further and further away from the main battlefield, and I lost track of how the battle unfolded."

Canghai paused, his eyes reflecting the fear that still haunted him.

Xu Yan knew that what followed was the great calamity that befell the Hongze Heaven, reducing it to a desolate, lifeless place. It was a miracle that Canghai had survived, but the memory clearly still filled him with terror.

"I don't know how much time passed as we continued to hold off the assault of that Lord of Creation. The longer we endured, the more confident we became that Hongze would return soon and slay the enemy.

"We were certain that ultimate victory would be ours.

"But we were wrong. In the end, it was we who were defeated. Hongze did return, but he was brought back by the enemy from the Non-Transformation Temple, his neck in a tight grip.

Canghai's voice trembled as fear filled his eyes.

"The enemy from the Non-Transformation Temple threw Hongze into his own heaven, turning him into a torrent of water. He devoured the vitality and everything within the heaven, consuming Hongze along with it.

"That scene was too terrifying. I burrowed deep into the mud of the vast ocean, frantically channeling my innate technique, Turtle Breath. Even so, I felt the heaven dying, countless lives being extinguished, and Hongze perishing. Yuan Gui also deployed a secret technique, but he, too, fell.

"I felt my own life slipping away, my strength failing. Suddenly, the enemy from the Non-Transformation Temple left, and in the distant reaches of the heaven, the sounds of another great battle reached my ears..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end