Chapter 960: Empress Executes the Gods

Sunset and sunrise, though separated by night, are ultimately a cycle of transition.

Xu Qing gazed at the Emperor's statue, then looked at the Empress in mid-air. His mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, and a faint understanding seemed to dawn upon him.

As his thoughts stirred, several of the faint hundred marks within the Void Soil clearly fluctuated.

At this moment, the rising sun ascended into the sky.

Sunlight poured down, transforming into boundless radiance, dispelling all darkness from every direction.

Finally, along with Xu Qing's gaze, the light converged upon the Empress in mid-air, forming countless brilliant specks, as if adorning her in a multicolored gown!

At this moment, light connected all beings, and intent merged with Wanggu!

Furthermore, five vast divine auras erupted from the vortices surrounding the ancient Emperor Star below!

Xuan Zhan, Jing Yun, Sheng Tian, Dao Shi, Xuan Zhan...

The five Human Emperors, each blessed by destiny, wearing imperial robes and crowns, radiating different divine authorities, ascended from within the vortices!

They stood behind the Empress!

Their momentum was overwhelming and brilliant!

Immediately, the heavens and earth changed color, and winds and clouds surged. Everything converged into a single will, filling the sky, as if declaring to Wanggu and all factions that humanity now possessed gods, and from this moment on, humanity would rise!

All Heavenly Kings of humanity knelt in reverence, and so did all Heavenly Marquises!

The assembled officials likewise prostrated themselves!

The Five Upper Xuan Divisions, the Five Lower Xuan Divisions, cultivators and commoners alike, countless human sects, and all human legions within the entire Imperial Capital region!

All collectively bowed to the Emperor.

“Human Emperor,”

Calls echoed from countless human mouths, the sky rumbled, and destiny swept across!

This was the sound of humanity's collective will!

Amidst this sound and light, all factions across Wanggu trembled, and the assembled gods present were also deeply stirred!

Especially... the Empress, who at this moment raised her head. The power of her Divine Platform surged boundlessly, and a sense of suppression descended upon the world!

“Today, imperial blood has fallen!But divine blood has not yet flowed enough!”

The instant these two sentences were uttered, world-shaking killing intent erupted, ancient coldness manifested to overturn the universe, and every word was like heavenly thunder, tearing apart the sky!

Instantly, all the gods who had come to obstruct the path, whether visible or hidden, paused in their minds, then retreated sharply without any hesitation!

Fenhua of the Scarlet Earth Great Luo Clan, Yehai of the Netherworld Origin Bone Clan, and Hurricane of the Northern Fate Royal Clan—the bodies of these three gods instantly roared; flames rolled back, bones retreated, and hurricanes dispersed!

Even more so for the hidden gods. Although some among them harbored ill intentions and were uncertain of the Empress's true combat power, especially her divine authority!

However, at this moment, with humanity's will at its peak and fury raging, they were unwilling to provoke her!

But humanity today was different from the past. Although the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor had fallen, a new Great Emperor had emerged, so they could not simply come and go as they pleased!

Just as the Empress had stated!

Divine blood has not yet flowed enough today!

Thus, in the next instant, the Empress in mid-air raised her hand!

The power of the Divine Platform surged abruptly! She grabbed towards the sky!

Immediately, the firmament caved in, as if the sky had truly become a curtain, directly pulled down and tilted by the Empress's hand!

Countless starlight streamed from beyond the heavens, piercing through the sky, and converged above humanity's firmament, forming a divine hand composed of starlight!

It swept across the void.

Breaking through time, shattering space!

The void of Wanggu rumbled, the firmament collapsed, and those beings hidden within the crevices of time and space erupted with violent fluctuations. Their divine authorities burst forth, their divine powers vibrated, and they instantly joined forces!

But against the power of the Divine Platform, their combined efforts were clearly still insufficient!

In the next moment, from within the collapsing void, bursts of agonizing screams emanated. Vast amounts of divine blood rained down, falling upon the human world, while their combined force shattered into pieces!

Moreover, one deity was seized by the Empress's starlight hand and dragged out of the void!

Revealed to the world!

It was a three-eyed being, entirely golden, unlike any divine eye Xu Qing had ever seen!

Ancient markings shimmered within its eyes, and its entire body emitted a scorching aura, clearly indicating it was a deity from the Land of Scarlet Fire!

Now, after being pulled out by the massive starlight hand, it attempted to struggle, and hurried whispers echoed, trying to reverse the cosmic order!

But it lacked the qualification!

As the Empress's starlight hand squeezed, the sound of creation reverberated in all directions, and this divine eye was directly crushed!

Its divine power was suppressed, its divine soul extinguished, and its divine body utterly shattered!

A god had fallen.

The heavens and earth roared, countless divine blood splattered, but it was purified, no longer an alien substance, but transformed into nutrients absorbable by humanity, permeating the Imperial Capital!

The entire world trembled!

“Still not enough!”

The Empress spoke calmly, her gaze falling to the south, the direction in which Fenhua, the god of the Scarlet Earth Great Luo Clan, had fled!

“Since your divine authority is fire, let My fire show you its power!”

As she spoke, the Empress's own divine fire blazed heavenward, turning the tilted sky into a realm of flames, sweeping with destructive power towards where her gaze was fixed, burning everything in its path!

Wherever it passed, the heavenly fire grew fiercer!

The Fenhua god of the Scarlet Earth Great Luo Clan appeared in the distance, enveloped by the Empress's divine fire. His struggles were incredibly frail, his resistance like child's play!

All utterly ineffective!

Fire was his divine authority, but today... it no longer belonged to him!

Divine blood splattered across the southern lands!

Bursts of utterly wretched wails emanated from his mouth, echoing across the world, churning the hearts of all who heard them!

The Empress remained expressionless. She merely glanced at the Fenhua god, then withdrew her gaze, directing it towards the west!

There lay the direction where Yehai, the god of the Netherworld Origin Bone Clan, had fled!

“Since your divine authority is the corporeal and you wield life and death, let My power over life and death show you its true extent!”

The instant the Empress spoke, the western horizon instantly twisted. A portion of the night sky, hidden there and rapidly receding, seemed to have its veil ripped away, forced to expose itself under the light of day!

From afar, in the midst of daylight, it appeared like a black stain!

Within the stain, countless skeletons existed, piled into a fleshy sphere!

At this moment, the expressions on all the skeletons changed, and in the next instant, a bizarre scene unfolded!

All the faces of the skeletons collectively blurred, then transformed into the Empress's emotionless countenance, and all began to speak, repeating the Empress's previous words!

These words continuously echoed, merging into a divine sound that forcefully suppressed the authority over life and death!

Irreversible!

Consequently, agonizing wails emanated from deep within the skeletons, echoing in the darkness!

And divine blood splattered across the western lands!

The Empress withdrew her gaze, directing it towards the north!

“As for you, in Our realm, there shall be no northern winds!”

The instant these ten words were uttered, in the northern horizon, great winds roared, and a hurricane emerged from thin air!

Within this storm was the Hurricane god of the Northern Fate Royal Clan. His servants had already fallen, and he was now alone within it. Facing the Empress's divine voice, he abruptly turned his head, his eyes flashing with sharp light!

“Empress, the Divine Platform is not the absolute peak of Wanggu's current age, you...”

“Silence.”

The Empress's faint voice was her reply!

Though faint, her power was firm!

The moment it echoed, the hurricane surrounding this god of the Northern Fate Royal Clan instantly collapsed, forcefully torn apart!

It was not tolerated by humanity's territory!

Any northern winds, here, could not exist!

Amidst the roar, the northern wind shattered, the hurricane dispersed, and the Hurricane god's body was being torn apart. Endless divine blood fell upon humanity's northern lands!

Wails resounded in all directions!

The Empress's might, with just a few words, sealed the fate of three flawless beings, causing all factions observing this scene to tremble in body and soul!

This was the Divine Platform!

However, the Northern Fate Royal Clan was currently the second most powerful faction in Wanggu. The number of gods who accepted their worship and faith was unknown, and they were not without Divine Platforms themselves!

Therefore, in the next instant, the sound of wind rose again!

“On that day, even the Three Gods of Blazing Moon allowed our Northern Fate to depart. As for you... this matter is over!”

It was still a northern wind, but unlike the previous hurricane, this time it was an icy wind, capable of freezing time and space, a wind that could seal deities!

He had come before, and had an arm severed by the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor!

Now, he reappeared!

Also a Divine Platform!

From afar, snow and wind howled in the sky, forming a snowy hand that abruptly grabbed towards the Hurricane god, intending to rescue him!

At the same time, snow and wind also fell above the Empress's head!

Its vast scope covered the Imperial Capital, enveloped humanity's Imperial Domain, intending to completely freeze this place... to utterly encase this nation in ice, to brand humanity within the snow and wind.

Immediately, the Corpse Gods of past Human Emperors shone with divine might, defending in all directions. And the Empress took a step forward, her voice rising amidst the snow and wind!

“It is you I have been waiting for.”

A sharp glint appeared in the Empress's eyes. Of course, she knew the Northern Fate Royal Clan's strength and understood the various drawbacks of provoking them!

However, now that humanity had a Divine Platform, it was no longer suitable for them to keep a low profile!

If they continued to endure, then future probing from various factions would be inevitable, and the Northern Fate Royal Clan would not abandon their malice simply because of humanity's forbearance!

In the past, the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor relied on his combat prowess to strike fear into all sides, which made it possible to protect humanity. Even when only his clone remained, he still deterred gods from descending easily!

Therefore, strength was now the best form of protection.

She wanted to tell the Northern Fate Royal Clan that humanity was a nail. Even if the Northern Fate was powerful, if they struck with a punch, they would have to consider the heavy price they would pay!

Furthermore, she needed to demonstrate her worth, which was the foundation for forming alliances with various factions!

She wanted all parties to know that her Divine Platform was a powerful Divine Platform.

Therefore, the moment her words echoed, her foot landed in the void, and as she stepped down, she closed her eyes!

The skies of all major domains in Wanggu rippled!

Wanggu had multiple suns, and the same was true for its moons!

Thus, at any given time, there was always both daylight and night on the Wanggu continent!

Only the regions differed!

And the Empress's step caused ripples across all of Wanggu's daylight at this moment!

If the incomplete face of the firmament were to open its eyes at this moment, it would see that in the worlds interwoven with black and white across the Wanggu continent, all daylight had, in that instant, become utterly dark, as if lamps had been extinguished!

The entirety of Wanggu, all its major domains, plunged into night!

A god had blown out the lights, momentarily extracting the concept of light from Wanggu!

This included humanity's territory!

The original daylight instantly turned pitch black!

Only... in the sky above the Imperial Capital, the Empress standing there, her eyes became the source of light for the entire Wanggu at that moment!

This was the Empress's divine authority!

Extracting the concept of light, gathering it within her own eyes, becoming the momentary source of light in the world!

Just like the sun of dawn!

Under its eruption, compared to it, all eternity was endless night!

At this moment, the Empress opened her eyes!

Endless light shone from her eyes. It was the source of light for Wanggu, the concept of light from countless major domains, and even more, it was the dawn that tore through all darkness!

Wherever this light passed, the heavens and earth became brilliantly illuminated!

The snow and wind melted, and the Northern Fate god within became nothingness!

Although he did not fall, the severe injuries he sustained this time were comparable to the wounds of Yu Liuchen from back then. His lingering voice, filled with dread, echoed forth!

“Your divine authority! It's actually light!”

The voice faded away!

Ultimately, under such divine authority, he could not save the Hurricane god!

Thus, the Hurricane god's divine blood became a rain of blood, falling upon the human world!

This god, too, ceased to exist from this moment on!

The world returned to normal!

The major domains that had lost the concept of light regained it!

Humanity's sky once again became daylight!

Two towering divine statues descended from the sky, landing in the south and in the west!

One named Fenhua, and the other Yehai!

The Empress did not slay these two gods, but rather sealed them within humanity's lands!

Today, enough divine blood had flowed!

And the ceremony of becoming a god also reached its conclusion at this moment!

All factions were silent!

The three gods of Sun, Moon, and Stars looked up, gazing at the Empress from afar, then slowly faded away. With the transaction completely finished, there was no need for them to remain here.

The entire heaven and earth, the entire world, fell into silence at this instant!

It should have been a moment of excitement, but in the hearts of all humanity, like the ebb and flow of tides, after the grandeur of the collective will, what emerged was still sorrow for the Great Emperor's departure!

Xu Qing sighed softly, gazing in all directions!

Perhaps the heavens and earth sensed it!

Faintly, Xu Qing seemed to hear a dirge emanating from Wanggu's sky at that moment!

A chilling wind swept across humanity's territory!

It carried wailing sounds, biting cold, growing stronger and stronger, ultimately rippling the sky!

Across the entire firmament, the heavenly wind was endless, and it slowly seemed as if countless malevolent spirits were roaring, infinite greed being released from the netherworld!

“An ominous sign, the wind of the Nine Nethers comes!”

Within the Imperial Capital, in a courtyard, the current Palace Master of humanity's Summer Immortal Palace stood there, raising her head and looking at the heavenly wind!

Her husky voice, laden with a sigh, began to murmur!

Someone had opened the netherworld!

Blowing the winds of the Nine Nethers across Wanggu, growing ever stronger!

This wind passed through humanity's Imperial Capital, through the various domains of Blazing Moon, through desolate lands, and finally... converged upon the Sky-Devouring Great Domain!

Within the Sky-Devouring Clan's Imperial Capital, around a ceremony that was arranged to be identical to the Empress's deification, these Nine Nether winds continuously arrived, forming a massive vortex!

Projections materialized in all directions, flashing scenes of the Human Emperor's deification!

Here, the divine fires on the bodies of the five past Sky-Devouring Emperors were also roaring, but not for deification. Instead, at the moment of deification, their physical bodies were burning!

Fueling the wind, making it stronger.

Consequently, the formed Nine Nether vortex erupted with a roar, spreading through the Imperial Capital, spreading through everything, affecting the entire Sky-Devouring Great Domain!

The sound of the wind was not just wails; there were also cheers, whispers, and anticipation!

Around the ceremony, countless Candle Illumination beings and countless black-robed cultivators suddenly looked up, emitting earth-shattering sounds!

This sound grew louder and more vast, causing the heavens and earth to change color, winds and clouds to surge, and the Nine Nether winds that spread across the entire great domain to ascend, roaring towards the firmament!

Looking around, within the Sky-Devouring Great Domain, blood formed rivers, flesh became mountains, and countless corpses were like platters of a feast, a truly shocking sight!

Along with all the arrangements now within the Sky-Devouring Imperial Capital, it seemed to be a massive ceremony, even more vast and overwhelming than the one among humanity.

This was, indeed, an earth-shattering ceremony.

It was also one of Prince Ziqing's ultimate goals this time!

That was... to revive the entire Purple-Green Superior Nation.

He wanted the former Purple-Green Superior Nation to return from ancient times!

He wanted his kingdom to descend once more upon present-day Wanggu.

He wanted to restore his nation.

Back then, Bai Xiaozhuo also had a similar dream, but he only aimed to descend upon a single commandery, and ultimately failed!

What Ziqing envisioned, however, was the complete and entire Purple-Green Superior Nation!

The difficulty of this undertaking was unprecedented!

Therefore, he needed a colossal ceremony.

That was... to organize, promote, and participate in an unprecedented deification, cutting out that segment of time as a sacrifice to the supreme deity Shang Huang!

At the same time, in the chosen land for restoration, he would fully replicate and manifest this ceremony, thereby substituting it as a fate-transfer ritual!

The tribulation would be borne by others, while he and the other party would both reap the benefits.

The grander, more brilliant, and more unprecedented this deification was, the greater his chance of successfully restoring his nation!

Thus, he chose... the deification of the Human Emperor.

Humanity did not permit the Human Emperor to become a god, so it was naturally unprecedented!

A peak sovereign abandoning cultivation to choose deification—this had never occurred in countless years, so it was naturally an unprecedented feat!

Now, the Human Emperor had succeeded!

He, too, had succeeded!

He didn't even need to personally preside; everything here proceeded perfectly according to his plan!

The incomplete face was delighted!

From the Sky-Devouring Clan's firmament came a deafening, earth-shattering roar!

Amidst cracking sounds, the vortex pervading the sky finally shattered, opening the gate to the netherworld!

With each call from the earth, the netherworld opened above the Sky-Devouring Domain.

Countless Candle Illumination beings, black-robed figures, and divine trial bodies were roaring!

Their voices became a lure for the departed souls, their ceremony a mark for the nation, surging into that shattered nether-realm!

Completely severing that segment of time when the Purple-Green Superior Nation had not yet been annihilated, before it was dragged into the netherworld.

Landing in the Sky-Devouring Great Domain!

The Sky-Devouring Domain roared, the sky shattered, and the earth collapsed!

A phantom nation of astonishing scale emerged from the netherworld, descending from the shattered cosmos onto Wanggu, onto the present world, and specifically into the Sky-Devouring Great Domain!

This was precisely the Purple-Green Superior Nation that had once shaken all the factions of Wanggu!

Shrieks, roars, cries of unwilling madness, and endless chilling wails emanated from within this descending phantom nation!

Countless departed souls erupted from within this Purple-Green Superior Nation, buried in time!

Some were citizens, some soldiers, some officials—boundless in number, forming a sea of souls that swept across the entire Sky-Devouring Great Domain!

They moved towards the rivers of blood converged on the ground, towards the mountains piled with flesh and gore!

Devouring all things, devouring rivers of blood, devouring flesh and gore, devouring everything!

At this moment, flesh and blood were their nourishment!

Using the flesh and blood of all beings in one domain, they reshaped the bodies of the Purple-Green Superior Nation's citizens.

Body after body was born from the flesh and blood, and surges of aura erupted between heaven and earth!

All eyes that opened revealed devotion, and all hearts contained hatred for the heavens, the earth, and all myriad races.

They had returned.

The Purple-Green Superior Nation had successfully restored its nation.

A vast and astounding imperial capital descended upon the Sky-Devouring Imperial Capital, replacing it, representing it, becoming a colossal purple city!

Similar cities were now descending in multiple locations within the Sky-Devouring Great Domain!

Ninety-nine cities in total!

Within the Imperial City, in the Purple-Green Imperial Palace, figures that had gained flesh and blood also continuously emerged, kneeling towards the deepest part of the palace, towards the vacant imperial throne!

Not only did they prostrate, but at this moment, all revived Purple-Green citizens, from every city and all directions, knelt with fervent devotion towards the Imperial Palace!

They were waiting!

Waiting for their peerless Prince to return to this place, to sit upon the Purple-Green Superior Nation's imperial throne, and ascend as... the Purple-Green Sovereign!

This was the promise the Prince had made to the entire Purple-Green Superior Nation before his final battle in life, back then!

“When I return, I shall ascend as Emperor.”

And at this moment, the Emperor they awaited, Prince Ziqing, who had completed most of his objectives, was walking towards humanity's Imperial Capital!

Every step he took made the earth wail, and every step he lifted made the firmament ripple!

His expression was gentle, and a smile played on his lips!

“Little brother, I've come to collect the doll!”