War Begins

Looking at the admiration and respect on Great Venerable Huolian's face, the gods gathered in the courtyard were shaken to their core. Even if Venerable Huolian had lied to them, her cultivation could not lie. From Step Two Sky Treading to Five Steps of Sky Treading. Between them lay three full steps, enough to consume ten thousand years or more of refinement for a True God. And ever since the great change in heaven and earth, advancement had grown even more arduous. In particular, from Venerable to Great Venerable, not just anyone had the chance to condense a Divine Domain. In just a few days, the earth-shaking transformation in Venerable Huolian was genuinely terrifying. If Huolian alone had undergone such a terrifying change, they could have assumed the Origin Celestial Venerable was indulging in female charms; but Huanghun was the same, which could not be explained by lust. Ye Liuyun's breathing turned rapid. The God Visualization Art! A sudden explosion in strength—only the God Visualization Art could explain it. Abruptly, Ye Liuyun thought of the powerful dragons Qi Yuan had mentioned, and his body could not help trembling. If it was all true... and he had obtained it, what kind of fortune would that have been? Regret surged in his heart. When the Hundred Flowers Gathering ended, he should have followed Qi Yuan to Qingshui Village. He was a subject now anyway. Had he done so back then, perhaps he would be a Great Venerable by now. He was filled with vexation. Various thoughts sprouted within the hearts of the Ancient Gods present. "A great battle begins tonight. To prevent any leak of information, all of you shall rest here for a day," Great Venerable Huolian said, her voice gentle as ever, her dark hair falling softly around her temples. "Isn't one day too short? How about waiting until the war is nearly over?" Yuan Kun said calmly. "None of us have any complaints. Staying here a few more days does no harm." "The Origin Celestial Venerable's plan takes priority!" These people quickly settled into their roles, considering Qi Yuan's interests. Great Venerable Huanghun and Great Venerable Huolian offered no further explanations. After giving a few instructions, both vanished from sight. ... Night slowly fell. Inside the grand hall, several terrifying figures gathered. Below Qi Yuan stood a host of Ancient Gods. These Ancient Gods were now all Great Venerables, their strength formidable. At this moment, they were gathered together to discuss the imminent deployment of troops against Qingheng Province. Great Venerable Shenlei was in high spirits, his gaze sharp as a torch. "Qingheng Province has two Mythological entities: one is Army Lord Liyang, and the other is Vice Army Lord Taizhong. Leave the two of them to this old man—I can suppress them with a single hand!" The elder twin sister had always been reserved, yet now her sharp edge showed: "We Nine Luminaries are only at the Five Steps of Sky Treading, but our Divine Domains can stack upon one another. United, we can also battle a Mythological entity." Standing among the crowd, Great Venerable Zanghui stole a glance at Great Venerable Shenlei. Now that he had eight fellow Ancient Gods looking out for one another, his courage had swelled, and he no longer feared Great Venerable Shenlei so much. "Though this old man is merely at the Six Steps of Sky Treading, I can hold off a Mythological entity for a round or two," a low-profile little old man said. The deity he visualized was one of the Ten Great Celestial Venerables, the Southern Xuanzhen Wanfu Celestial Venerable. Qi Yuan nodded. Working together, the Ancient Gods present possessed Mythological-tier combat power equivalent to three individuals. And this was only temporary. Qi Yuan believed that given time—a century or a millennium—there would likely be twenty to thirty Mythological-level combatants. Yet Qi Yuan could not wait that long. "Our current strength is still far below that of an evil god, but compared to Army Lord Liyang, we are considerably stronger!" Qi Yuan was brimming with confidence. Right at that moment, a voice called out: "Celestial Venerable, Great Venerable Lishan has arrived!" Qi Yuan was surprised. Great Venerable Lishan had actually rushed all the way from the Southern Lands to the Northern Lands? "Send him in," Qi Yuan instructed. The Ancient Gods present were riding high on ambition. Great Venerable Shenlei continued, "Now is the prime moment to strike! This old man proposes we march straight into the evil gods' headquarters in Qingheng Province and bathe it in rivers of blood!" "Great Venerable Shenlei, is this what you call being prudent?! Didn't you promise this old man you wouldn't be reckless?!" At that moment, a cursing voice drifted in. The white-haired Great Venerable Lishan entered. He glared at Great Venerable Shenlei; if looks could kill, he would have chopped Great Venerable Shenlei into eight pieces by now. Previously, Great Venerable Shenlei had constantly griped to him that he wasn't reckless at all, that it was the Origin Celestial Venerable who was reckless. Back then, he had believed Great Venerable Shenlei and taken the Origin Celestial Venerable for a brute. Yet the moment he arrived, what did he hear? Marching into the evil gods' headquarters in Qingheng Province? Bathing it in rivers of blood? Great Venerable Shenlei had indeed been pulling his leg all along. Great Venerable Shenlei was definitely reckless to the core, and egging on the Origin Celestial Venerable to boot! He had misunderstood the Origin Celestial Venerable. Great Venerable Lishan's face flushed with anger as he glared at Great Venerable Shenlei. Looking at Great Venerable Lishan, a faint smile surfaced on Great Venerable Shenlei's face. "Lishan, this old man isn't being reckless in the slightest. I am being exceedingly prudent—I only plan to take on the two Mythological figures of Qingheng Province by myself, while leaving the rest of the riffraff to the other Ancient Gods. In the past, I would have wiped them all out alone. Am I not mature and prudent now?" Hearing this, Great Venerable Lishan froze completely. He couldn't immediately wrap his head around Great Venerable Shenlei's words. Great Venerable Shenlei smiled faintly. "Lishan, open your eyes and take a good look at me right now... What cultivation do I have?" At that instant, the Divine Domain around Great Venerable Shenlei violently expanded. In an instant, boundless lightning crackled and covered everything. The terrifying Divine Domain seemed to transform the world into an ocean of thunder. Every strand of Great Venerable Lishan's white hair stood on end. His eyes went wide, and his voice trembled: "Mythological... How did you reach Mythological?!" He couldn't understand; he couldn't imagine it. How long had it been since they last met, and his good brother had become Mythological? This feeling was like you and your buddy being the richest and second richest men in your village. A few days later, you meet again, only to find your buddy has become the richest man in the entire country. Great Venerable Lishan was beyond shocked. It was baffling. "For me to suppress two mere Mythological figures with a Mythological body of my own—is that not mature and prudent?" Great Venerable Shenlei said smugly. Great Venerable Lishan fell silent. The Divine Domain before his eyes was so real; there was no faking it. "In another half hour, we will march upon the evil gods' headquarters in Qingheng Province. Great Venerable Lishan, your strength isn't half bad. How about playing the suona for me?" Great Venerable Shenlei suggested gleefully. He remembered when Qi Yuan made him wield thunder to slaughter enemies while music played. He had suddenly realized that doing so was actually quite fun. If Great Venerable Lishan played the suona behind him while he struck down Mythological foes, his battle power would surely get a boost—truly a case of: "The commander strides like a wild swan across drifting snow; ten thousand steeds and a thousand armies assemble to make music!" Great Venerable Lishan was struck speechless. At this point, Qi Yuan, seated upon the elevated platform, spoke up: "It seems everyone is brimming with confidence. In that case, all Ancient Gods, ready yourselves immediately—we sweep through Qingheng Province!" His plain voice struck Great Venerable Lishan's ears like thunderclaps. "By your command!" Great Venerable Shenlei answered, full of confidence. Ever since his injury, he had not had the chance to fight all out. Last time, he prepared to ambush and kill Zhang Feng, only for Qi Yuan to intercept his kill. For this great battle, his anticipation knew no bounds. "By your command!" The elder twin sister's eyes also flashed with sharp resolution. Who could have imagined that the Ancient Gods—who had yielded step by step, even abandoning the Northern Lands to migrate south—would launch their first large-scale counterattack against the evil gods today? Win or lose, this campaign would shake the world. Even the beings above True Gods within the Heavenly Pillar would likely learn of this. Yet not a single person present harbored the slightest fear. Instead, their blood only surged hotter. "Kill, kill, kill! Flip the world upside down!" Ancient God Wangsong bellowed. Every Ancient God in attendance was ablaze with fighting spirit. The battle intent amassed within their hearts was like a volcano that had remained dormant for a hundred thousand years, yearning for a savage eruption. For so many years, the evil gods had suppressed the Northern Lands, subjecting all Ancient Gods to unspeakable misery. Facing the evil gods, the Ancient Gods had only struggled to survive; almost none had dared to dream of a counteroffensive. Yet today, it seemed about to be realized. And this counteroffensive would be on a massive scale—an overwhelming sweep! Watching this scene, Great Venerable Lishan was deeply moved. For he keenly sensed that the auras emanating from these Ancient Gods—many of whose faces were familiar to him—were all exceptionally terrifying. Carried away by the atmosphere before him, he murmured, "Shenlei, if you truly can slay an evil god's Mythological being, what harm is there in this old man playing music for you just once?!" ... Qingheng Province, the evil gods' headquarters. Army Lord Liyang stood draped in dark robes, his eyes deep and unfathomable. Vice Army Lord Taizhong stood at Army Lord Liyang's side, a flicker of reverence in his gaze. Though both were Mythological, the gulf between them was vast. Favored by the Yang God, Army Lord Liyang possessed a star of his own that shone upon the heavens. That star was not very large—compared to the Blue Star Qi Yuan had lived on in the past, it was merely one and a half times the size of the moon. Yet even so, it was still a star that illuminated the myriad heavens. In the past, Army Lord Liyang had even slain a Mythological being from the Mortal Heart Realm; someone like Taizhong could not compare to him. Vice Army Lord Taizhong bowed his head, resembling Army Lord Liyang's most devout servant, and asked, "Army Lord, what did the Master say?" A star had fallen, and Sunset Slope's fame was extinguished forever. All five Army Lords had been shaken. Army Lord Liyang had also gone to seek an audience with the Master, only just returning. Army Lord Liyang shook his head, his gaze complicated. "The Master is in secluded cultivation. I did not see him." The Master to whom Army Lord Liyang and the other evil gods pledged loyalty was named Great Sage Blood God. He was a Yang God suspended high above the heavens, commanding countless divine soldiers and divine generals. Under his command alone, there were over twenty subordinates who illuminated the myriad heavens. Most importantly, Great Sage Blood God's daughter, Great Sage Blood Sun, was likewise a Yang God. Father and daughter both Yang Gods—truly terrifying to behold. If Great Sage Blood Sun completely devoured the Heavenly Dao of the Mortal Heart Realm and refined the realm into an Innate Seed, her strength would climb to another level, and her latent potential would increase tremendously. As for them, their strength as subordinates would rise along with the tide. "You need not worry," Army Lord Liyang comforted his deputy, noticing the flicker of anxiety in Taizhong's eyes. "What happened the other day will not repeat itself. When that star fell last time, the Master did not intervene because he couldn't be bothered; to Her Highness the Princess, that strike was mere scratching an itch. Interfering would have been a hassle for the Master, so he preferred to let Her Highness handle it. Who could have known that the nameless Yang God lacked martial virtue and struck Sunset Slope instead? Now the Master will certainly pay heed, and such an occurrence will not happen again. Without the aid of a Yang God, there is no force in the Mortal Heart Realm capable of threatening us. They don't even possess a single Mythological being—how would they dare provoke us? Once word arrives from the Master, we shall rally our forces and sweep away these fiends and monsters once and for all!" Army Lord Liyang's eyes brimmed with confidence. Apart from Yang God assistance, the enemies in the Mortal Heart Realm amounted to nothing. They were nothing more than clay chickens and pottery dogs. "The Army Lord speaks truly. Without the backing of a Yang God, those people are mere clownish buffoons," Vice Army Lord Taizhong sneered in contempt. He alone could turn the Southern Lands upside down. The so-called heritage of the Mortal Heart Realm was not worth mentioning in their eyes. Just then, however, an immense, boundless voice echoed abruptly through the sky like world-ending thunder: "I govern life and death, flourishing and decay, virtue and vice, reward and punishment! In total command of the Five Thunders, moving my heart through the Three Realms! Now I command the ten thousand tribulations of thunder to slay demons and eliminate fiends, purging all evil across the heavens!" With this thunderous proclamation, dark clouds gathered densely above the evil gods' headquarters, pressing down upon the realm with lightning. An inverted sea of thunder hung suspended, a divine prison radiating awful majesty. Amidst the inexhaustible lightning, terrifying divine phantoms emerged one after another. The Nine Heavens Thunder Lord General, the Eight Directions Cloud and Thunder General, the Thunder Kings of the Five Directions, the Thirty-Six Thunder Lords, the Barbarian Thunder Envoys of the Five Directions, the Twenty-Four Dharmapala Heavenly Lords... Endless heavenly soldiers and divine generals of the Thunder Bureau waved banners to shout battle cries, grasping bolts of thunder in their hands. "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" Thunderous war drums resounded, and cries of "Kill" swept through like an overwhelming tide. Within the evil gods' headquarters, every evil god turned deathly pale at this instant. It felt as though they were suddenly besieged by millions of True Gods! Chaos erupted across the evil gods' headquarters in a single instant. A flicker of horror flashed across Army Lord Liyang's eyes. Mythological! A Divine Domain! How could this realm have a Mythological being?! At this moment, he had no time to ponder. He bellowed frantically, "This is a Mythological Divine Domain! All those gods are illusions, not real!" He sought to dispel the terror in the hearts of his subordinates. Yet his roar did little to alleviate the fear of the many True Gods. Even as mere phantoms, they exuded an irresistible sensation and an overwhelming, all-encompassing pressure. If they weren't phantoms, what then? They couldn't even begin to imagine! Anxiety seized Army Lord Liyang's heart. Even he sensed an intense threat emanating from that Mythological being before them. Moreover, that Mythological figure had unfolded his Divine Domain directly, completely shrouding the evil gods' headquarters. He had to tear this Divine Domain open as quickly as possible. Army Lord Liyang roared: "My Lord Blood God, lend me your divine light to purge all delusions!" His own Divine Domain expanded at that moment. High above in the firmament, a grain-of-rice-sized star abruptly blazed with radiant light. Throughout the entire Thunder Divine Domain, a blood-red radiance flared to life. Army Lord Liyang's body seemed composed of monstrous blood light. He stood beneath the thunder, an endless sea of blood light below him. Yet facing the invincible might of the thunder, the blood-light Divine Domain trembled. Seeing this, Vice Army Lord Taizhong hastened to deploy his own Divine Domain: "Army Lord, I shall assist you!" Two Mythological beings moved together to confront that terrifying foe. Above the firmament, Great Venerable Shenlei's purple eyes held neither sorrow nor joy, reflecting countless dancing arcs of lightning. A grand, resonant voice rang out: "Above, illuminating the Great Dao of Heaven's Heart; below, delivering the suffering masses of the Netherworld!" "Delusions have sprouted in your hearts—you deserve death!" "Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, heed my command—kill!" With Great Venerable Shenlei's terrifying command, the battle within the Divine Domain finally raised its curtain. In an instant, inexhaustible lightning transformed into divine generals and heavenly soldiers, raining down from the heavens to plunge into the blood light.