"They're all here."
Great Venerable Shenlei stood atop the mountain peak, his voice carrying a slight tremor.
Beside him, the other three Ancient Gods wore bewildered expressions.
These three Ancient Gods had originally belonged to the Ancient God Alliance and were quite familiar with the area around Sunset Slope, which was why Great Venerable Shenlei had summoned them to act as guides.
Their hearts were full of doubts, having no idea why they had to watch from this spot for so long.
Venerable Huolian looked at Qi Yuan lying in the tree, an inexplicable sense of admiration welling within her.
Faced with the evil god army gathering at Sunset Slope, she knew she could never remain as calm and leisurely as Qi Yuan.
Just then, Qi Yuan stood up, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Since they're all here, then... time to lie stiff in coffins together."
Qi Yuan's words were enigmatic and profound.
Great Venerable Shenlei's breath grew rapid as his eyes remained fixed on Sunset Slope.
Several question marks seemed to appear over the heads of Venerable Huolian and the other Ancient Gods.
Right at that moment, Qi Yuan looked up at the firmament.
"Appear, my sun!"
"My white moonlights, enjoy my passion to your heart's content!"
As the sound faded, time seemed to freeze.
Because of the blood-red stars, the entire world was normally cloaked in a faint crimson glow.
At this moment, an abrupt change rippled through that blood-red radiance.
Every Great Venerable and even Ancient God was momentarily stunned.
"Why has... the sunlight changed color?"
Such a thought rose in everyone's heart.
Down on Sunset Slope, Great Venerable Sanyan and many other evil god Great Venerables were also momentarily dazed.
Venerable Wanshan hastily chimed in, "The heavens and earth change color—this is an omen of great fortune! It foretells that Great Venerable Sanyan will surely sweep across Qingheng Province!"
Hearing this, Great Venerable Sanyan forced a smile onto his lips. "Great fortune, yes, not bad at all."
The other New Gods all chuckled.
Some of the Ancient Gods secretly sneered in disdain, thinking Venerable Wanshan was utterly spineless to shower him with such nonsensical flattery.
Had they known, they would have stepped up to fawn over him first.
Right then, an astonished look crossed one Great Venerable's face. "Look at the sky! A star seems to be falling!"
The True Gods on Sunset Slope looked up toward the firmament one after another.
High above, amid the dense stars of the heavens, a burning star was hurtling rapidly through space, bound for an unknown destination.
The star flew faster and faster, its brilliance growing ever brighter.
"Could it be... falling into the Mortal Heart Realm?" a Great Venerable suddenly murmured.
A jolt of terror struck the hearts of every True God.
Judging by the trajectory, it truly seemed set to plunge directly into the Mortal Heart Realm.
"No matter. Even if it falls into the Mortal Heart Realm, it has nothing to do with us," Great Venerable Sanyan remarked with a complicated expression.
A battle at that level was not something a mere Great Venerable like him could intervene in.
After all, a Yang God lay dormant within the Heavenly Pillar, and another Yang God stood upon the world barrier.
Such a terrifying strike was surely aimed at a Yang God, and it was bound to come to nothing in the end.
Could a mere projection of a star really contest an authentic Yang God?
Venerable Wanshan flattered him at the perfect moment: "The stars of the heavens fall because of you, Great Venerable."
Great Venerable Sanyan chuckled softly. "I am merely at the Five Steps of Sky Treading; I am hardly worthy of a falling star."
Besides, this star was no ordinary star.
It was a star capable of producing its own light.
The myriad stars of the heavens were reflections of the gods, and those stars fell into two categories: those that produced light and those that did not.
Those that shone represented Yang Gods, while those that did not represented ordinary Yin Gods.
Naturally, not all Yin Gods were granted the chance to be reflected across the heavens; that privilege had to be bestowed by the Yang God they served, and the light cast by such stars was merely borrowed from the Yang God's brilliance.
The Army Lord of Qingheng Province—Great Venerable Sanyan's immediate superior—had received such an honor, possessing a reflected star among the heavens.
Pushing these thoughts aside, Great Venerable Sanyan looked back up at the sky.
*Boom!*
In a ten-thousandth of an instant, brilliant light erupted across the entire Mortal Heart Realm.
In that split second, everyone's vision blurred.
The phantom silhouette of a sun hung suspended high in the firmament.
Everyone instinctively looked up toward the heavens.
"It really is falling into the Mortal Heart Realm!"
"Which Yang God made a move?"
"Is this a warning?" a Great Venerable pondered aloud.
"Humph! A mere foreign Yang God crossing boundless space trying to meddle in the affairs of the Mortal Heart Realm—they are courting death!" a Mythological figure scoffed.
All the True Gods stared upward with varied expressions.
The descent of a sun's projection was truly an event of supreme horror.
Every True God sensed the aura of perilous danger.
Even so, they all chose silence, none daring to intervene.
Anyone worthy of a Yang God striking across realms was naturally another Yang God. The target of this sun projection had to be Great Sage Blood Sun inside the Heavenly Pillar.
Yet in the very next breath, everyone's expressions changed completely.
"What is going on? It's plunging toward the Northern Lands!"
"Not good! Its target isn't Great Sage Blood Sun!"
Panic seized the Great Venerables and True Gods alike.
The sun descended faster and faster, carrying an aura capable of annihilating everything in its path.
None of the Great Venerables in the Northern Lands had time to join forces to block this horrifying projection.
The smile froze on Great Venerable Sanyan's face.
Something was wrong!
Something was terribly wrong!
Something was profoundly wrong!
All the Great Venerables and True Gods were thoroughly dumbfounded.
This sun... seemed to be crashing directly toward them!
Could it be... that Sunset Slope was cursed by its very name?
Before they could even react, the colossal phantom sun slammed violently into Sunset Slope.
A voice that seemed to echo from ancient antiquity resonated in their ears:
"The Great Sun shines resplendent, illuminating the four quarters!"
"Clad in dark robes, I decree the nine statutes!"
At that instant, the phantom sun expanded wildly and exploded.
Boundless heat and boundless light condensed within the narrow confines of Sunset Slope.
When the power of a solar projection was focused into such a confined space, what kind of force could it unleash?
It was simply unimaginable.
Over a thousand True Gods had no time to respond before they were engulfed by inexhaustible searing heat and overwhelming pressure.
Within that terrifying flame capable of incinerating all creation, every single True God melted away completely.
***
High atop the mountain peak, Great Venerable Shenlei gazed down at Sunset Slope as though staring into a miniature sun.
Venerable Huolian's heart trembled. The blazing light illuminated her face, lending it a flushed hue. Her expression froze, and she whipped her head around toward Qi Yuan behind her, the phoenix eyes wide with shock and profound bewilderment.
The other Ancient Gods turned to look at Qi Yuan at that exact moment as well.
"My Lord... was that sun your doing?"
Qi Yuan shrugged, an emotional sigh in his eyes. "It was too far away; the power was lacking."
This time, what he had summoned was his second Stellar Golden Core, the one he had only just formed.
Perhaps due to the sheer distance, its power seemed rather mediocre to him.
The surrounding crowd fell dead silent.
How could that be lacking in power?
It was overwhelmingly powerful!
Over thirty Great Venerables and more than a thousand Venerables had vanished under the sun's projection, leaving nothing behind.
Qi Yuan gazed out at the distant Sunset Slope as the light gradually faded, resembling the fading of a star.
Under that single strike just now, over a thousand formidable beings had perished.
Beneath the terrifying sun, life proved exceedingly fragile.
Before the vastness of nature, humanity appeared so utterly frail.
An inexplicable sorrow welled up within Qi Yuan. "Some people die, their deaths weightier than Mount Tai; some people live, yet they are already dead.
"My white moonlights, you may have fallen, but you left me vast amounts of experience and countless stores of evil god spiritual power.
"Your deaths are weightier than Mount Tai.
"Do not worry about me; I will not grieve.
"I shall turn grief and indignation into appetite and feast heartily at the banquet.
"My white moonlights, rest in peace!"
After all, with his white moonlights fallen, Qi Yuan felt obliged to deliver a eulogy, lest onlookers consider him callous and ungrateful, plundering the helpless dead.
Listening to Qi Yuan's speech, Great Venerable Shenlei was utterly baffled.
Venerable Huolian stared at Qi Yuan, more than half the brilliant gleam in her eyes abruptly vanishing.
The towering, noble image Qi Yuan had managed to build in her heart collapsed into ruins right then and there.
"Time to go back... and eat at the banquet!"
***
The sun had plummeted, striking Sunset Slope.
Within Sunset Slope, over thirty Great Venerables and more than a thousand True Gods had all perished.
To outsiders, their deaths might seem like mere numbers, but to themselves, it was an unbearable agony—though naturally, they could no longer feel that pain.
In Qingheng Province, the evil god Army Lord's gaze turned dark and profound.
His vision seemed to cross space and time, landing upon Sunset Slope.
By now, Sunset Slope had long been flattened by the phantom sun.
The entire army had been wiped out by that single solar strike.
"A foreign Yang God intervened?" the evil god Army Lord muttered, visibly shaken.
"Should we report this matter to Great Sage Blood Sun?" a voice sounded by the Army Lord's ear.
This was another Army Lord.
At present, all five Army Lords of the Northern Lands were gathered together.
They represented the strongest evil god force in the Mortal Heart Realm.
All five Army Lords were Mythological-level existences, each commanding a host of Mythological figures beneath them.
"The Great Sage is at a critical juncture; he must not be disturbed," Army Lord Liyang said.
Inside the Heavenly Pillar, Great Sage Blood Sun was devouring the Heavenly Dao, a process that had reached its most crucial phase.
The gathered Army Lords all surmised that the foreign Yang God had acted specifically to prevent the Great Sage from consuming the Heavenly Dao.
This was a primordial world, something even Yang Gods coveted intensely.
"What do you make of this sun projection?" one Army Lord inquired.
A flash of killing intent surfaced in Army Lord Liyang's eyes. "It seems those eight Mythological figures in the Land of Visualization were no coincidence after all. A Yang God's chess piece has been placed inside the Mortal Heart Realm."
Hearing this, the other Army Lords felt their hearts grow heavy.
Fortunately, this strike had not fallen upon their own heads, landing instead upon Sunset Slope.
That was a stroke of luck.
"Qingshui Village... Origin Celestial Venerable... is that him?" Murderous intent flickered in Army Lord Liyang's gaze.
"What, do you intend to strike at that foreign Yang God's chess piece?" an Army Lord asked.
Army Lord Liyang shook his head.
Naturally, he would not. Otherwise, what if today's calamity repeated itself?
"I intend to report the situation of this realm to our Lord, letting our Lord decide!" Army Lord Liyang replied.
As long as their Lord intervened and sealed the Mortal Heart Realm once more to prevent that Yang God's chess piece from drawing upon outside power, Army Lord Liyang could suppress the Origin Celestial Venerable of Qingshui Village with a mere flip of his hand.
***
In the Southern Lands.
Dozens of Great Venerables gathered, their expressions visibly shaken.
"How do you all view today's events?" an elder asked in a raspy voice.
"This is a turning point unseen in the Mortal Heart Realm for ten thousand years! If we seize it, the Mortal Heart Realm might even find a glimmer of hope amidst despair!" a Great Venerable stated excitedly.
"A Yang God... there is hope!"
"If he is willing to help us, we have a chance to contest the evil gods!"
"Yet who knows whether he is simply the next evil god?" another elder challenged.
The excited Great Venerables fell into silence.
Indeed.
A primordial world naturally drew the greed of Yang Gods.
With this newcomer, who knew if he wasn't just another Yang God who wished to devour the Heavenly Dao of the Mortal Heart Realm like an evil god?
"The Mythological Plan must continue!
"We cannot place our hopes entirely upon others.
"Moreover, this being beyond the True God realm has seemingly not descended in his true body. In all likelihood, he does not dare offend the two existences beyond the True God realm either," an elder remarked, settling the matter.
If such an expert assisted them, they might be able to complete the Mythological Plan.
Yet he could never match the two Yang Gods coveting the Mortal Heart Realm.
Why would Yang Gods ever fight to the death amongst themselves?
"Great Venerable Lingzhong, what is your view on this?" At that moment, the elder turned toward a headless Ancient God.
The other Ancient Gods all looked toward Great Venerable Lingzhong.
Great Venerable Lingzhong had no head upon his neck, sitting quietly to the side while exuding an intense, ruthless aura of slaughter.
Even so, when everyone looked at him, their eyes were filled with profound respect.
This was a ruthless figure who had survived the battlefields of the Hongtang Great War, and he had even shared a deep connection with the Holy Mother of Inedia.
His opinion carried tremendous weight for the Ancient Gods present.
He was one of the pillars of stability in the Southern Lands.
"I intend to go to the Northern Lands."
Great Venerable Lingzhong's words were brief, spanning just a few syllables.
The numerous Great Venerables present fell silent.
For an Ancient God of Great Venerable Lingzhong's caliber to enter the fallen territory of the Northern Lands meant that, in all probability... he would never return.
Great Venerable Lingzhong was putting his very life on the line to seek a thread of survival for the Mortal Heart Realm.
***
Meanwhile, in Feihuang City.
Having finished feasting at the banquet, Qi Yuan stretched lazily.
"When playing a game, speed is of the essence. In the Three-Step Plan to Eradicate the Evil Gods, the first step is half done, and now comes the remaining half."
Acting without a plan was like running around like a headless fly.
Qi Yuan always liked making plans.
Right now, clearing the Mortal Heart Realm was advancing rapidly according to his design.
"Is everyone here?" Qi Yuan asked once more.
Great Venerable Shenlei's heart skipped a beat.
The last time he had heard those words, Origin Celestial Venerable had directly summoned the phantom projection of a sun to obliterate all the evil gods at Sunset Slope.
Hearing that phrase again nearly triggered a stress response in him.
The other Ancient Gods all watched Qi Yuan with expectant expressions.
Was he about to distribute perks like Divine Domain Celestial Liquid and Divine Aperture Primordial Liquid?
They had anticipated these benefits for a long time.
Today truly brought double joy.
First, the evil god army at Sunset Slope had been wiped out by the solar projection, and now Origin Celestial Venerable was handing out benefits.
Venerable Huanghun was also filled with anticipation. Looking at Venerable Huolian beside him, a hint of surprise showed in his eyes. "Venerable Huolian, you don't seem very happy?"
Ever since Venerable Huolian had returned from outside with Origin Celestial Venerable, she had been in a daze, her gaze vacant and her pupils unfocused.
Even as Qi Yuan gathered everyone to distribute perks, she wore the same expression, showing not the slightest joy.
This puzzled Venerable Huanghun. What on earth had Venerable Huolian done while accompanying Origin Celestial Venerable to return looking like this?
"No... it's nothing..." Venerable Huolian snapped out of her daze.
"Celestial Venerable is likely going to grant us Divine Domain Celestial Liquid. To think this old man would actually have a chance to awaken a Divine Domain seed," Venerable Huanghun chuckled cheerfully. "Though it won't alter the greater situation, being able to slay a few more evil gods will make it well worth it!"
Most of the Ancient Gods present shared Venerable Huanghun's thoughts.
Venerable Huolian seemed not to hear Venerable Huanghun's words at all. Looking at Qi Yuan not far away, she murmured inexplicably, "Our Mortal Heart Realm... might truly be saved after all."
Chapter 217