Chapter 1757: Vandem Choice

Two old men, both dressed in the plainest white robes, had long, snow-white hair and beards. Their ancient eyes were profound, reflecting endless vicissitudes, as if they were two elders who had transcended time, hailing from ancient eras.

The Southern Sea God Emperor slowly lowered his intensely aching arms, his gaze fixed intently on the two old men.

In the Brahma Monarch God Realm, only Qianye Fantian possessed profound cultivation comparable to his own. Yet, the immense auras emanating from the two old men in his sight were, astonishingly, no less powerful than his own! Furthermore, their auras carried a peculiar sense of profoundness and ancientness.

What was happening...? When had two such individuals appeared in the Brahma Monarch God Realm?! Amidst his inner turmoil, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he uttered a deep, low murmur: "Qianye Bingzhu... Qianye Wugu!?" These two aged faces, along with their auras, shockingly resonated with the inherited memories of the Southern Sea... of two individuals who were supposedly long dead!

High in the sky, Yun Che's gaze also settled on the two white-robed elders. The Divine Emperor-level aura and everything Qianye Ying'er had mentioned had now become reality.

Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu were, respectively, the Brahma Monarch Divine Emperors from the generation before last and the previous generation. Witnessing two individuals who should have been dead standing before him, Nan Wansheng was not only alarmed but also felt a madness boiling within him, several times more intense than before.

"It's all true, it's all true!" Nan Wansheng roared with extreme excitement. "Not only do you possess the Instrument of Eternity, but you've also found a way to use it! If you Brahma Monarchs can use it, there's no reason why I, Southern Sea, cannot... Hehehe, hahahaha!"

With a wild laugh, golden light burst from his pupils. As he spread his arms, a golden tower shadow suddenly appeared behind him. Like the Brahma Monarchs, the Southern Sea's profound light reached its zenith in gold. As the Southern Sea God Emperor's might was unleashed frantically, the golden tower shadow behind him also shot skyward, growing from a mere hundred zhang to a thousand... then ten thousand zhang.

The white-robed elder on the right, facing the Brahma Monarch Royal City permeated with poisonous aura, maintained an expression as serene as a still lake. He looked at Nan Wansheng and said in a deep voice, "The descendants of the Southern Sea are truly becoming more and more impressive."

"This Sea Prison Tower is well-cultivated, comparable to the late Southern Sea Elder," the other white-robed elder sighed.

The voices alone of these two elders exerted considerable pressure on Nan Wansheng... not to mention Gu Zhu, who stood nearby and was absolutely not to be underestimated. Yet, with the "dead men" right before him, the "Instrument of Eternity" within reach, and this perhaps being his only chance, how could he possibly give up?! Even if it meant unleashing the full power of the Sea Prison Tower, he would force his way into the area where the "Instrument of Eternity" was hidden.

A sneer formed on his lips. Just as he was about to step forward, his expression suddenly changed drastically, and he whirled around.

Meanwhile, the Brahma Kings, afflicted by the Heaven Wounding Severed Spirit poison, were utterly powerless against the enraged Southern Hell Sea King and the six Sea Gods. Despite the poison's onset, they fought with all their might, but were still completely suppressed and soon gravely wounded.

Boom!

The grand Brahma God Array, jointly unleashed by the strongest First and Second Brahma Kings, was shattered by the Southern Hell Sea King with a single palm. He then flipped his hand, and two tower shadows appeared simultaneously, striking the two Brahma Kings. Golden light exploded, simultaneously blasting huge bloody holes into the chests of both Brahma Kings. They splattered blood as they were sent flying.

Although the Sea King was powerful, the combined strength of the two strongest Brahma Kings should not have resulted in such a rapid defeat. However, under the Heaven Wounding Severed Spirit poison, their power had become feeble, their bodies fragile, and their life force was rapidly draining away with every passing second.

The First and Second Brahma Kings crashed heavily to the ground. Around them, the other Brahma Kings had also collapsed, their bodies covered in dark blood. They looked at each other, their eyes reflecting only despair... and a final, grim determination.

The Southern Hell Sea King's figure flickered. His gaze swept over them, grim and menacing as a ghost: "To personally execute so many Brahma Kings should have been a very satisfying matter. Unfortunately, you dared to scheme the death of the Western Hell Sea King... so don't expect to die too painlessly!" With the Western Hell Sea King's fate as a precedent, the Southern Hell Sea King, despite his ferocity, was naturally extra careful. He absolutely would not give any Brahma King a chance to get close. He stretched out his palm, and five identical small profound arrays glowed above his splayed fingers: "Wail in agony before you die! Consider it a funeral for the Western Hell Sea King!"

At this moment, two immensely powerful Brahma Monarch auras emanated from afar, causing the Southern Hell Sea King, the Sea Gods, and the Brahma Kings to all turn their heads in alarm.

"Old Ancestors..." The First Brahma King cried out excitedly. He was the only one among the surviving Brahma Kings who knew the secret of the "Old Ancestors": "It's the Old Ancestors!"

"What?!" The Southern Hell Sea King exclaimed in shock.

And at the very moment the Southern Hell Sea King was distracted by the appearance of the two Brahma Monarch Old Ancestors, Qianye Zixiao, who had previously been actively attacking the Brahma Kings, suddenly shot out like lightning from behind him. He pounced onto the Southern Hell Sea King's back, golden marks spreading wildly across his body, locking tightly onto the Sea King.

"You!" The Southern Hell Sea King turned his gaze in horror... but as soon as he uttered a single word, two more figures suddenly pounced from below. The First and Second Brahma Kings, who had just been gravely wounded, simultaneously erupted with their desperate, death-defying power in an instant. As they charged out, their speed almost exceeded the limits of their lives. Their Brahma God Divine Souls also frantically ignited the moment they touched the Southern Hell Sea King's body, causing dazzling golden marks and light to glow across their entire bodies.

"Big Brother!"

"Wulei!"

The Brahma Kings cried out in sorrow... but the moment the golden light of their Brahma Souls ignited, it was already their final burst of life-force.

Boom—

The Southern Hell Sea King's power erupted, causing blood mist to simultaneously explode from the three Brahma Kings... but the First, Second, and Tenth Brahma Kings did not loosen their grip in the slightest. The golden marks on their bodies rapidly connected, forming a golden divine net that tightly sealed the Southern Hell Sea King's body and power.

"You...!" The ferocity in the Southern Hell Sea King's eyes began to turn into fear. The gruesome image of the Western Hell Sea King's death was still fresh in his mind.

"A funeral, an excellent idea," the First Brahma King said, his figure already completely engulfed by golden light: "Then let us send you... to your funeral too!"

This time, it was the Brahma Soul Cinder, simultaneously unleashed by three Brahma Kings, two of whom were among the strongest. The golden light of that instant covered the sky for millions of miles. Within the golden light, the Southern Hell Sea King did not, like the Western Hell Sea King, retain a remnant life with his powerful Sea King's body; instead, he shattered directly, his flesh and bones scattered.

The Sea Gods who were rushing over to rescue the Southern Hell Sea King were also swept into the calamitous golden light, flung far away, and suffered injuries of varying degrees. Below, the Brahma Kings were also pushed far back. They disregarded their wounds and the severe poison on their bodies, looking up at the golden light unleashed by the three Brahma Kings with their lives...

The Brahma Kings of the Brahma Monarch God Realm were the most powerful and supreme group in the Eastern Divine Region. Under the belief they had always upheld, they believed this honor would last eternally. But in a single day, fortunes changed drastically. Five great Brahma Kings perished in an instant.

In the distance, Yun Che looked up and gazed far away, murmuring softly: "Qianying was indeed right. If we had forcefully attacked Brahma Monarch, the losses would have been severe."

The Southern Sea God Emperor turned his head, his dilated pupils reflecting the sky-obscuring golden light... and the dissipating aura of the Southern Hell Sea King.

Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu also suddenly made their move at this moment. Two immense, heaven-shaking forces converged into a golden streak, which they hurled towards the astonished Nan Wansheng. Nan Wansheng instantly twisted his body, and the ten-thousand-zhang tower shadow behind him pushed forward.

Buzz—

A muffled roar ensued, and space slowly fractured. The entire Brahma Monarch Royal City seemed to experience a prolonged dislocation. The Sea Prison Tower's shadow shook violently, then suddenly disintegrated. Nan Wansheng's figure was already dozens of miles away, and as he rapidly fled further, he let out a hoarse roar: "Run!!"

The death of the first Sea King had shocked him deeply, yet also made him more frenzied. The death of the second Sea King, however, brought him to his senses amidst his terror. The Brahma Monarch God Realm, which was clearly in a desperate situation and seemed ripe for destruction, had actually used the desperate power of five Brahma Kings to kill two Sea Kings! This meant his Southern Sea God Realm's four Sea Kings had lost half their number in a nightmarishly short amount of time! Even if they were just Sea Gods, such a loss would have been unacceptable for him... let alone two Sea Kings! The Instrument of Eternity was indeed within reach. But even closer were two incomparably powerful Brahma Monarch Old Ancestors. If he didn't grit his teeth and retreat now, facing the two Brahma Monarch Old Ancestors and the desperate Brahma Kings, perhaps even the six Sea Gods would perish here.

Coming to the Eastern Divine Region, he knew he had been set up. But he never would have dreamed that this trip to the Eastern Region would cost him two Sea Kings...

Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu did not pursue. Their divine senses followed the Southern Sea God Emperor and the six Sea Gods. Only after they were completely out of range did they withdraw their gazes. They then simultaneously sat down, closed their eyes, and remained motionless.

Qianye Fantian stood up from the ground. Observing Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu's actions, his expression subtly changed, and he said in a deep voice: "Father, Grandfather, could it be that you too...?"

"Both Old Ancestors have also been poisoned... cough, cough!" Gu Zhu had barely spoken when an expression of uncontainable pain appeared on his face. "To prevent the Southern Sea from noticing, they desperately suppressed the toxic aura within their vital organs. Their previous two attacks were already their limit."

If the poisonous aura had leaked from their bodies, they definitely wouldn't have been able to scare off Nan Wansheng.

Qianye Fantian's body swayed, his eyes lost focus, and he murmured: "The poison of the Heaven Poison Pearl is truly terrifying." This tower, with so many profound arrays sealing it, and Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu constantly bathed in the divine aura of the "Instrument of Eternity"... yet they still couldn't escape the calamity of the Heaven Poison. The Brahma Monarch God Realm, such a supreme existence, was utterly humble before the Heaven Poison Pearl.

"Master."

The Brahma Kings arrived, dragging their poisoned bodies. The First, Second, Eighth, Tenth, and Thirteenth Brahma Kings had all perished, and the remaining nine Brahma Kings were also covered in injuries. They knelt before Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu and said excitedly, "Greetings, former Monarchs! Greetings, Old Ancestors!"

Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu did not respond.

"Wuhe, Wulei, Zonglun, Beilie, Zixiao... are they all gone?" Qianye Fantian closed his eyes, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Yes," the Third Brahma King said softly. "To fight to the death with the Southern Hell Sea King, it was all thanks to Zixiao. He betrayed us first, then sacrificed his life later. What exactly... was he doing?"

"There's only one possibility for Zixiao's actions." Recalling how Qianye Zixiao had previously been sent to the Snow Song Realm, Qianye Fantian said: "On his way back from the Snow Song Realm, he might have encountered not just Yan Tianxiao, but also the Devil Queen."

"Could it be..." The Brahma Kings all realized something, and their hearts jolted in alarm.

"He was 'Soul-Snared' by the Devil Queen," Qianye Fantian said. He then slightly raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping across the sky above. Enticing the Southern Sea to the Eastern Divine Region, releasing Heaven Poison to force the Brahma Monarchs into a desperate situation, Soul-Snaring Zixiao who conveniently came to them, using Qianye Zixiao to fuel the Southern Sea's greed, and also using Qianye Zixiao to first betray Brahma Monarch and then scheme against the Southern Sea... all combined, this resulted in a mutual loss for both Brahma Monarch and Southern Sea. Such a magnificent play... how could its orchestrator not be nearby "observing"?

But Qianye Fantian did not voice it. Instead, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

Whether Qianye Zixiao was Soul-Snared by the Devil Queen no longer mattered. The previous fierce battle had caused the Heaven Poison within the Brahma Kings' bodies to completely erupt. Feeling their bodies and life force rapidly being devoured, the Third Brahma King said sorrowfully: "Master, must our Brahma Monarch God Realm... truly perish here?"

"No," Qianye Fantian slowly began: "There is still a path to survival."

This simple sentence caused a glimmer of light to appear in the Brahma Kings' dim eyes.

"Prepare the ship," Qianye Fantian said, opening his eyes, his expression devoid of joy or sorrow: "Unknowingly, it has been many years since this King last saw Ying'er."