Chapter 1309: The Secret of the Celestial Heaven (Part 2)

"Young people, you carry the hope of the Eastern Divine Region," the Heaven Smiting God Emperor said, his expectant gaze sweeping over the faces of the youths before him. "By now, you should all be aware of the 'Crimson Crack' and understand that it signifies not only glory and opportunity for you, but also hope and responsibility."

"Of course," he continued with a faint smile, "it's also quite possible that the crack on the Wall of Primordial Chaos is nothing more than a crimson, illusory mirage. So, there's no need to put undue pressure on yourselves or to let your minds be disturbed. Simply focus on improving yourselves within the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm and do not squander this profound opportunity."

"Please rest assured, Heaven Smiting God Emperor," Lu Lengchuan declared. "As children of the Eastern Divine Region, should a disaster truly erupt in the future, we will certainly give our all, even our lives, regardless of this blessed opportunity from the Heaven Smiting Realm."

From anyone else, Lu Lengchuan's words might have sounded like impassioned flattery, but coming from him, every word was resolute.

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor looked at Lu Lengchuan, nodding with a pleased smile. "Upon entering the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm," he stated, "each of you will possess your own independent mini-world. No one can enter another's mini-world unless you grant permission. Whether you choose to cultivate in solitude or train collaboratively is entirely up to your individual preference."

"Once the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm closes, it will not reopen for three years. During your 'three thousand years' inside, there will be no way to exit. Should any unforeseen circumstances arise, no one will be able to assist you. Therefore, if anyone feels apprehension or fear about these 'three thousand years,' you may withdraw now. No one will compel you to stay."

Silence. No one responded, nor would anyone refuse such an unprecedented, monumental opportunity.

"Good," the Heaven Smiting God Emperor nodded slightly. With a gentle wave of his arm, a brilliant white light immediately flared in the world behind them. "The Heaven Smiting Divine Realm has opened. Your entry marks the beginning of three thousand years."

"I hope that you, who are currently nascent, will, in three years, become another towering pillar of strength for the Eastern Divine Region." Every word spoken by the Heaven Smiting God Emperor carried profound hope. "You may go."

"Wait!" Just as the Heaven Smiting God Emperor's words faded, four urgent voices rang out simultaneously.

They were Lu Lengchuan, Huo Poyun, and Shui Meiyin.

The fourth person was none other than Luo Changsheng!

Huo Poyun stepped forward, his voice urgent: "Brother Yun Che, he..."

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor raised a hand, then slowly shook his head. "You were originally scheduled to enter the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm this morning. It is now late afternoon. Alas, this must be destiny."

Yun Che, the God Child who had shone with astonishing brilliance on the Conferred God Stage, could not enter the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm. The Heaven Smiting God Emperor undoubtedly felt more sorrow and disappointment than anyone else.

These young individuals, who had greatly distinguished themselves at the Profound God Convention, were all under sixty years of age. Yun Che's inability to enter the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm meant he would fall a full three thousand years behind them!

The Heaven Smiting Divine Realm not only boasted an extremely elevated aura but also allowed profound practitioners to cultivate with genuine, undistracted focus. The three thousand years spent within it were comparable to six thousand years in the outside world... or even ten thousand years; that would be no exaggeration.

This implied that in three years, Yun Che, who had originally outshone all of them, would appear insignificant in their presence. Even the weakest among them would far surpass Yun Che in terms of strength and cultivation level.

They would become the cornerstone of the Eastern Divine Region, while Yun Che, unable to enter the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, would remain merely a "God Child" of the younger generation... nothing more.

"The time has come. Cast aside all distracting thoughts. From this day forward, all profound practitioners of the Eastern Divine Region will eagerly await the moment you emerge from the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm. It is my hope that in three years, each of you will radiate a light that illuminates the entire Eastern Divine Region."

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor pushed with his palm, and an irresistible, gentle breeze instantly carried all the young profound practitioners into the white radiance behind them.

The world behind them immediately erupted in brilliant white light. A few breaths later, as the light dissipated, the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm slowly closed. The young profound practitioners sent inside would emerge only after three years. After three thousand years within the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, every single one of them would have undergone colossal changes.

Especially those who were highly anticipated and exceptionally talented, they were very likely to transform from leading figures of the younger generation into top-tier existences within the Eastern Divine Region, or even the entire God Realm.

Yet, the one with the highest expectations, Yun Che, was notably absent.

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor himself possessed the unique privilege of freely entering and exiting the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm. However, with Yun Che absent, he felt dispirited and had no desire to do so.

All the chosen ones had entered the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, yet the Heaven Smiting God Emperor remained. Facing the empty space before him, he suddenly sighed, "Ancestor, when he arrives here later, is there truly no way to reopen the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm for him? You clearly witnessed this child's extraordinary performance and the anomalies about him. While the prophecy of 'achieving true godhood' is difficult to fully credit, his limits might indeed surpass all known boundaries. If that were the case, he would become the most brilliant hope should the Crimson Tribulation erupt in the future."

To the King Realms, an increase in their own power was always desirable, but they absolutely abhorred the idea of anyone else becoming stronger than themselves. Yun Che's "Nine-stage Lightning Tribulation," "Son of the Heavenly Dao," and "True God prophecy" all fiercely agitated the various King Realms, filling them with shock, covetousness... and even jealousy and apprehension.

They yearned to uncover the secret behind Yun Che's extraordinary talent. If possible, they would spare no effort to claim it for themselves. If that proved impossible, then should Yun Che truly begin to display power beyond their comprehension in the future, they would undoubtedly seek to eradicate him from existence.

As the paramount existences within the Primordial Chaos, the King Realms would absolutely not permit anything stronger than themselves to emerge.

The Heaven Smiting Divine Realm was the sole exception—a King Realm that, since its very inception, had upheld the righteous path and was revered by all profound practitioners across the Eastern Divine Region. As the Realm King of the Heaven Smiting Realm, the Heaven Smiting God Emperor genuinely admired the anomaly that was Yun Che. He sincerely hoped to see him grow strong, become the glory of the Eastern Divine Region, and the ultimate power in combating future calamities.

He harbored no jealousy or covetousness, nor did he ever consider eliminating him.

In fact, after Yun Che's brilliance became overwhelming, he consciously began to protect him.

The Eastern Divine Region's reverence for the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm was never feigned. Even Jasmine had specifically instructed Yun Che not to leave the Heaven Smiting Realm before entering the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, as the Heaven Smiting God Emperor would absolutely not harm him.

Yet, no one had anticipated such a sudden mishap occurring within the Moon God Realm.

On the other hand, since Qianye Ying'er already knew Yun Che's greatest secret and had resolved to prevent his entry into the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm, even if the incident had not occurred in the Moon God Realm, and even if he had remained within the Heaven Smiting Realm, he would still have fallen victim to Qianye's insidious scheme. The Heaven Smiting Divine Realm likely would have remained entirely unaware, which underscored the terrifying nature of Qianye Ying'er.

As the Heaven Smiting God Emperor faded from sight, an ancient voice suddenly resonated within the empty world:

"One opening for three thousand years is already the absolute limit of Heaven Smiting power. With the increasingly turbid chaotic aura of today, it is unknown when it will recover sufficiently to open again."

The ancient voice was faint and indistinct, as if emanating from an impossibly distant world, yet it carried an incomprehensibly profound sense of antiquity.

"Alas..." The Heaven Smiting God Emperor sighed deeply once more. "Is this truly destiny?"

"I had expected him to return to the Heaven Smiting Realm within a few days, but there has been no news since. He must no longer be within the Eastern Divine Region. I fear he may have been secretly ambushed... Those capable of catching up to the Vanishing Moon Immortal Palace are few, but these very few are precisely the ones most likely to covet him. Alas."

"This is his own destiny; you need not concern yourself over it," the ancient voice responded. "In the coming years, you must do your utmost to prepare for the Crimson Tribulation. Few believe it, but you, you must believe."

From the vast, ethereal voice, the Heaven Smiting God Emperor detected a gravity far exceeding anything he had heard before. He frowned and asked, "Could it be, has it worsened again?"

"A feeling of unease draws closer every day. This sensation does not originate from me, but from the Heaven Smiting Pearl."

"Ah," the Heaven Smiting God Emperor sighed heavily, his brow furrowed with worry. "What exactly lies behind that Crimson Crack... that even the Heaven Smiting Pearl is terrified of it? What kind of calamity could it possibly be..."

A long silence settled in the empty space.

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor bowed deeply, preparing to depart. Just then, the voice, as if from ancient times, spoke once more: "As of today, 'that matter' should finally be revealed to you."

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor looked up. "That matter?"

"In the first year after the crack in the Wall of Primordial Chaos was discovered, the Heaven Smiting Pearl informed me that it sensed a unique aura. This aura was very faint and indistinct, yet it imparted a profound sense of ancient familiarity."

"Familiar? The Heaven Smiting Pearl felt familiar with it?" The Heaven Smiting God Emperor frowned once more.

"Initially, the Heaven Smiting Pearl could not be certain. However, as the crack in the Wall of Primordial Chaos steadily widened, that sensation grew progressively stronger and clearer... so potent that even if it had wished to deny it, it was compelled to believe."

"What is it?" the Heaven Smiting God Emperor pressed. Every word from the voice by his ear carried an immeasurable weight.

The ancient voice did not answer directly, but slowly recounted: "During the era of the Ancient Gods, there were seven Great Profound Heavenly Treasures: the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword, the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, the Grandmist Primordial Seal, the Heaven Smiting Pearl, the Sky Poison Pearl, the World Piercer, and the Samsara Mirror. Four of these belonged to the God Race, two to the Devil Race, and one had always been lost in the lower realms."

"The four supreme treasures of the God Race were divided among the four Creation Gods: the Heaven Punishing God Emperor Mo E wielded the Ancestral Sword; the Life Creation God Li Sa commanded the Grandmist Primordial Seal; the Order Creation God Xi Ke held the Heaven Smiting Pearl; and the remaining supreme treasure, the World Piercer, belonged to the Elemental Creation God... who later became known as the Heretic God."

"The World Piercer possessed supreme-level dimensional power, capable of traversing any space. Ancient records state that the God Race's divine profound arks, which could cross vast distances, all had the power of the World Piercer inscribed within them by the Elemental Creation God."

"After his battle with the Heaven Punishing God Emperor Mo E, the Elemental Creation God relinquished his title and proclaimed himself the Heretic God. From that point onward, no legends or records of the World Piercer ever appeared again in the world."

"During the 'Evil Infant's Calamity' that brought an end to the era of the Gods, the Heretic God, possessing the World Piercer, was originally the only deity capable of escaping. However, he too succumbed to 'Myriad Tribulations Without Life' and ultimately perished. In retrospect, the World Piercer may already have been absent from his person at that time."

The ancient voice caused a deepening expression of shock to appear on the Heaven Smiting God Emperor's face. "Ancestor, are you implying... could it be...?"

"Indeed..." The already grave voice deepened further. "What appeared alongside the crack in the Wall of Primordial Chaos was the aura of the World Piercer."

A tremor ran through the Heaven Smiting God Emperor's body. After a long pause, he finally took a ragged breath and asked, "Why would the World Piercer be outside the Primordial Chaos? And why... would it cause the Heaven Smiting Pearl to feel such terror?"

"Evidently, while the World Piercer's dimensional power can traverse all spaces within the Primordial Chaos, it cannot penetrate the Wall of Primordial Chaos. However... it is highly probable that it possesses the power to create space *outside* the Primordial Chaos."

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor froze, momentarily failing to grasp the implication of that statement.

"If that is indeed the case, then the race that should have perished outside the Primordial Chaos all those years ago... may very well have survived to this day by relying on space created by the World Piercer."

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor frowned again, utterly bewildered... In the next instant, he was suddenly struck as if by divine lightning. His entire body convulsed violently, his face instantly turning ashen, followed by uncontrollable trembling in his hands, legs, beard, and entire physique. "Im-im-impossible! It... it couldn't be! Such an absurd thing simply cannot be happening!"

Perhaps no one would believe that the venerable Heaven Smiting God Emperor could be so utterly terrified as to instantly lose all color from his face.

"This is a possibility thousands of times more terrifying than any previous conjecture, yet it is also... the most probable one."

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor's face was terrifyingly pale. He remained speechless for a long time.

"The Heaven Smiting Pearl once stated that the World Piercer had fallen silent, its aura completely vanished. The period of its silence perfectly aligns with the time that race was banished. The lingering question is, why would the World Piercer, which belonged to the Heretic God, have ended up in the hands of that particular race...?"

"When the Crimson Crack finally breaks open, what erupts may not merely be a disaster, but also the unveiling of an ancient truth and buried grudges. However, this fragile world, now devoid of gods, simply cannot endure that truth and those grievances."

"All we can do now is exert our utmost effort and pray that all of this is merely an illusion that will never come to pass..."

The Heaven Smiting God Emperor remained rooted to the spot. In the empty world, he could only hear the furious pounding of his own heart.