Chapter 1433: Eighteen Divine Paths

Upon hearing the span of 300,000 years, Xu Yang and the three people with him involuntarily gasped. Three hundred thousand years—an immense stretch of time—how many ordinary beings could possibly endure for so long?

After his memories were reawakened by the Mystic Tortoise, a hint of surprise flashed in Xu Yang's eyes. However, he quickly regained his composure, objectively assessing the veracity of the Mystic Tortoise's claims.

"You claim to be the small Mystic Tortoise from back then, and I do believe your identity. However, 300,000 years is an incredibly long time. How did you manage to cling to life and survive until now? While the Mystic Tortoise clan is known for its longevity, it's far from being able to live for 300,000 years. There are still elements in your story that make me doubt. I hope you can give me a reasonable explanation."

In response to Xu Yang's skepticism, the Mystic Tortoise gave a helpless, wry smile and shook its head.

"This is a long story. Roughly 30,000 years after you left, the entire continent underwent cataclysmic changes. Various divine factions waged war against each other, and even we could not escape. Later, a race of divine celestial soldiers descended, practically sweeping across the entire Qi Province Continent.

"Although Sword Pavilion had deep foundations and was personally guarded by some of Sir Xu Yang's disciples from back then, they still couldn't contend against the formidable divine armies with their powerful backing. Ultimately, the Sword Pavilion's reputation faded into the long river of time.

"As one of the Sword Pavilion's guardian beasts, at a crucial moment, to preserve some of our legacy and prevent it from falling into the hands of the divine warriors, I swallowed everything in one gulp. Furthermore, three Beast Emperor Crystals, left by Sir Xu Yang, were originally intended for successive leaders of the Sword Pavilion to strengthen their bloodlines. However, due to the cataclysm that swept the continent, these benefited me, the Mystic Tortoise.

"Swallowing all three Beast Emperor Essences at once allowed me to achieve a nearly indestructible physical state. Even so, I lacked the courage to single-handedly fight against the overwhelmingly powerful divine forces. Therefore, I chose to enter a state of torpor, burying my body within this pagoda outside the Sword Pavilion.

"I awoke approximately 180,000 years ago. It was then that the current Great World structure began to take shape. The entire Great World was divided among the eighteen most powerful Divine King-level experts of the divine race. They partitioned the Great World into eighteen independent divine domains, each becoming their exclusive territory.

"These were collectively known by the inhabitants of the Great World as the Eighteen Divine Paths. Each Divine Path had its own independent divine civilization and divine power cultivation system. Each Divine Path lineage existed in opposition to the others.

"However, for the past 100,000 years, the conflicts and conquests among the Eighteen Divine Paths have largely ceased. Each Divine Path has focused on developing its own heritage, and consequently, territorial disputes have gradually lost their meaning. This is because, without specific means of support, living beings born within different Divine Paths cannot share divine power inheritances.

"In other words, as a being currently controlling the Divine Eye Path, even if I were to break through the Divine Eye Path's domain blockade using special methods and enter the neighboring Grand Unity Divine Path's domain, I would be unable to absorb its divine power heritage with this body. Therefore, under the constraints of this specific environment, more and more people tend to comfortably develop their own divine power inheritances, with less inclination to contend against forces from other Divine Path domains.

"However, to my knowledge, this is merely a superficial harmony among the major Divine Paths. In reality, the Supreme Gods who control each Divine Path harbor unknown ambitions and desires within their hearts. They all wish to annex other Divine Paths to gain more development space. Of course, the machinations between Supreme Gods are beyond the comprehension of a being like me."

Hearing these details from the Mystic Tortoise, Xu Yang and the other three were quite satisfied. At the very least, they now understood the current state of the Great World system and the 300,000-year span of time that had passed since their departure.

Xu Yang pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "From your account, the eighteen Supreme Gods currently controlling the Eighteen Divine Paths on the continent must represent the pinnacle of its energy level, right?"

The Mystic Tortoise nodded slightly. "However, besides these eighteen Supreme Gods, it is said that there are also three unknown lands within the Great World, which are likewise considered the most terrifying existences. Typically, only 'travelers' who have received permission from their respective Divine Path's Supreme God are qualified to leave their domain and explore the broader Great World and its outer spaces.

"Naturally, those who become 'travelers' are invariably the most outstanding young talents on the continent. Even so, very few of the young prodigies who were once dispatched to explore these three unknown domains ever returned alive. Consequently, over the years, very few travelers have yearned to leave their Divine Path domains and venture into those almost suicidal desolate lands.

"However, I have heard that nearly ten individuals in the entire Great World have returned alive from those three unknown domains. Each of them gained immense opportunities in the unknown domains. Some acquired earth-shattering, top-tier cultivation techniques, and upon returning, established their own sects to propagate their unique paths, becoming Master God-level powerhouses with the Supreme Gods' promotion.

"According to the current rules of the Great World, within each exclusive Divine Path domain, besides the ruling Supreme God, there are also three Master God positions. Those who attain these positions are generally the strongest individuals beneath the Supreme God of their respective Divine Path. Moreover, Master God positions are subject to constant replacement as strength changes; they are not permanently inherited once acquired. They unequivocally represent the peak of strength within their respective Divine Path."

Xu Yang and the others nodded gently after listening. "Is there anything else?"

The old Tortoise pondered for a moment before continuing, "Actually, below the Master Gods, there are also twelve Guardian God positions. However, the identities of those who hold these positions are much more complex. Some are trusted confidants of the Supreme God, or even direct descendants with extraordinary divine law talents and inherited bloodlines. Others are talented young individuals from within the Divine Path region who have gradually gained the Supreme God's recognition through their own efforts.

"Almost everyone holding these twelve Guardian God positions bears immense responsibility. They either lead some top-tier sectarian forces within the Divine Path or hold the status of emperors in the human world. Within the continents of the Divine Path domains, they play various distinct roles."