A long time passed.
The Heavenly Emperor sat atop his throne, listening to the discussions of the immortals and gods. As the voices gradually quieted, he spoke in a deep voice, setting the tone:
"What you all say makes sense."
"The Demon Ancestor has stolen the authority of Reincarnation and colluded with the demons of Purgatory in an attempt to throw the Immortal Realm into Chaos. This is a disaster that shakes our Foundation."
"Xuantian Great Heavenly Venerable has already agreed to act. This is the fortune of the Immortal Realm."
"Pass down my decree."
"Ziwei, you shall command the Ziwei Army to closely monitor the movements of the Land of Reincarnation and the Demon Domain. Deploy the 'Grand Array of Circum-Heavenly Stars' in the Nine Netherworlds to prevent the large-scale leakage of malevolent Qi and the intrusion of the Demon Ancestor's reinforcements."
"Emperor Zhenglei, you shall lead the gods of the Thunder Department to patrol in all directions. If any escaped vicious creatures slaughter living beings at will, there is no need to report; you may summon divine lightning to strike them down immediately as a warning to others!"
"At that time, I will personally hold the Heavenly Emperor's Seal to communicate with the Origin of the Immortal Realm, ready at any moment to coordinate with the Great Heavenly Venerable to strike the Demon Ancestor and that demon together!"
Once the Heavenly Emperor spoke, the immortals and gods said no more.
Within the Lingxiao Palace, the massive machine of the Heavenly Court began to operate efficiently, as streaks of light carried decrees to various regions.
"I wonder when Fellow Daoist Han will make his move..."
The Heavenly Emperor thought to himself.
He hadn't expected the Demon Ancestor to move so quickly; he had likely already colluded with the Lord of Ten Thousand Voids.
He just didn't know what tricks the Demon Ancestor was playing. Could he really break the Immortal Ancestor's Seal directly?
...Land of Reincarnation.
Tianyuan Nether Realm.
Tianyuan Divine Temple. This place was the residence of the Tianyuan Old Ancestor and also the Forbidden Land of the Tianyuan Clan. Without being summoned, no one dared to enter without permission.
At this moment, atop a throne deep within the temple, a figure sat quietly with eyes closed.
He wore a voluminous dark purple robe, his face was ancient and simple, and his eyes were narrow. His black pupils seemed capable of swallowing all light and life.
The aura around him was like an abyss, closely linked to the shadow side of the entire Tianyuan Nether Realm and even the Land of Reincarnation. He had reached the Peak of the Celestial Golden Immortal level, and he faintly carried a flavor more ancient and chaotic than the orthodox Immortal Dao.
It was the Tianyuan Old Ancestor.
Suddenly, the Void Realm in front of the throne distorted slightly, and a phantom slowly emerged, its face blurred and unclear.
"Original Body."
Tianyuan Old Ancestor slowly opened his eyes and looked at the Demon Ancestor. His voice was low and raspy, as if coming from the deepest part of the Nine Netherworlds.
"I can break the Seal of the Reincarnation Purgatory at any time, but the Seal on the ninth level is not something I can interfere with."
He could still handle the Seal of the Reincarnation Purgatory, as it was linked to the power of Reincarnation.
But the Restriction imprisoning the Lord of Ten Thousand Voids was set by the Immortal Ancestor with supreme Divine Ability; it was not something he could resolve.
The Demon Ancestor nodded, indicating he understood, and said indifferently:
"I will naturally find a way for the Seal of the Lord of Ten Thousand Voids."
Hearing this, Tianxu Old Ancestor felt relieved, but he was still somewhat worried:
"For us, the Lord of Ten Thousand Voids is both an opportunity and a risk."
"The opportunity lies in the fact that the Chaos will be greater, making it harder for the Immortal Realm to cope."
Tianyuan Old Ancestor continued, a calculating light flashing in his narrow eyes.
"The risk lies in... once that old ghost is freed, he may not be easy to deal with. His status is too high, and he may not be willing to be controlled."
"It matters not."
The Demon Ancestor's tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable decisiveness.
"He has been suppressed for too long, and his Origin is damaged. Upon being freed, his priority will be to devour and recover, not to fight for power.
We only need to ensure that the target he devours is the Immortal Realm."
"Furthermore, his existence is a massive threat to the Immortal Realm; the Heavenly Emperor will not sit idly by."
"Using the name of 'Tianyuan', you can take the opportunity to subdue those ancient clans. They will also be a formidable fighting force."
A cold arc curled at the corner of Tianyuan Old Ancestor's mouth:
"Diverting the disaster and killing with a borrowed knife—your wisdom is profound, Original Body.
But... what about Xuantian Dao Venerable's side?"
At the mention of Han Xuanji, the Demon Ancestor's phantom seemed to solidify for a moment, and the surrounding darkness froze.
"This person is the greatest variable in this game and must be dealt with as a priority.
The defeat and death of the Lord of Greed has proven that he is by no means an ordinary newly ascended Limitless Primordial.
My true body is currently in the Chaos contacting other entities, but it will take time.
Before then, the Chaos in the Land of Reincarnation must stall him, exhaust him, and ideally... let him clash with the Lord of Ten Thousand Voids first."
"According to reports from my spies in the Immortal Realm, the dao-rhythm of the Xuantian Dao Palace is soaring into the sky; he has likely already ended his seclusion."
Tianyuan Old Ancestor said solemnly:
"Among his Disciples, there are many whose Luck is gathering; they must not be underestimated."
"A gathering of ants is still a gathering of ants."
The Demon Ancestor's tone was indifferent as he said coldly:
"The Heavenly Emperor now treats him as a life-saving straw. I just wonder if his Divine Ability can surpass the Lord of Ten Thousand Voids?"
...On this day.
Outside the Nether Sea, within the Void Realm.
A place that was usually dead and silent was today filled with flags covering the sky and war clouds densely packed.
At a glance, golden light was brilliant, and auspicious clouds paved the way.
A hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, clad in golden armor and holding divine weapons, stood in a stern array, deploying a massive formation.
Above the military formation, Emperor Ziwei's canopy and procession stood majestically. He wore imperial robes, his face was dignified, and he held a Star Jade Tablet. His body was surrounded by purple Qi, faintly echoing the stars across the sky. He was supervising his subordinates in deploying the "Grand Array of Circum-Heavenly Stars" that awed the Immortal Realm.
Chains of starlight fell from the void, with runes flowing upon them, possessing supreme power.
At the same time, thunder rumbled faintly, and lightning flashed.
Emperor Zhenglei led the twenty-four Grand Unity Golden Immortals of the Thunder Department and countless thunder soldiers and lightning officials, treading on thunder clouds as they patrolled in all directions.
The gods of the Thunder Department all had faces as calm as water, the Thunder Chisels and Lightning Hammers in their hands buzzing. A sharp aura of heavenly punishment permeated the air, adding a bit more somberness to this already eerie space.
The orders they received were simple and cold: Any escaped vicious creature that crosses the boundary to cause trouble shall be struck by lightning and killed without mercy!
Such a massive force from the Heavenly Court appearing on the outskirts of the Land of Reincarnation was truly rare.
For a time, it drew the attention of the entire Immortal Realm.
Countless Divine Thoughts and gazes crossed vast distances of time and space to converge on the Nether Sea.
"A hundred thousand heavenly soldiers! Emperor Ziwei himself is here! The Thunder Department has come out in full force! Is this... to conquer the Reincarnation Purgatory? Or to go to war with those Primeval Demon Gods who are said to be about to break their Seals?"
A well-informed Cultivator of the Immortal Realm cried out in surprise.
"Reincarnation Purgatory... has the Seal there really loosened? Heavens, those inside are all titans who stirred up storms in the Primeval Desolate Era!"
Someone's face turned pale as they recalled scattered, terrifying records of those entities from their Sect's ancient texts.
"Legend has it that within the Reincarnation Purgatory, countless Primeval Demon Gods are imprisoned. Each one has a name and title and is an entity that exists only in myths. If they are released, I fear the Immortal Realm will undergo a drastic change!"
But a young Cultivator standing above the Nether Sea was dismissive, even eager to try.
"Haha, what a joke! They are but losers of the past, prisoners who have been locked up for countless years! Today, the Immortal Realm has Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor sitting in the center, governing all directions, and even more so, the Xuantian Great Heavenly Venerable, who awes the universe with his profound cultivation!
How could they tolerate these stray dogs acting insolently?"
The speaker was named Qin Qilin. Holding an immortal weapon and possessing an extraordinary bearing, he was the most famous Prodigy in the current Immortal Realm.
Even the mighty figures of the Heavenly Court bluntly stated that his talent was outstanding and he had the potential for the Hunyuan level.
Over the years, Qin Qilin had also traveled to many immortal domains to challenge other Prodigies, proving his strength. No one was his match, and he suppressed them all with force. He could be said to be the object of admiration for many young Prodigies in the Immortal Realm, who believed his Aptitude was comparable to that of Yun Wuji.
He had an ambition: he wanted to use this opportunity to show off his talent and become a Disciple of the Great Heavenly Venerable!
But most Cultivators were more rational and decided to wait and see:
"A starved camel is still bigger than a horse! Of those entities who could be personally suppressed by the Dao Ancestor, which one is easy to deal with?
Even if they have been worn down for ages, their remaining power is not something we can imagine.
In my view, the Heavenly Court making such a big scene only proves how serious the situation is!"
At this very moment, faced with such a grand spectacle, the Disciples within the Xuantian Dao Palace could no longer sit still.