Chapter 757: Vast Sky Offensive · Part 2

Ksitigarbha?

Li Changshou frowned deeply, meeting the Dao Ancestor's gaze, as if they both sought to discern each other's thoughts.

Hongjun shook his head with a soft sigh. "Could it be that I truly overestimated you, Daoist friend? Is this really your method to defeat me?"

"Even if we gather the power of all living beings in Heaven and Earth, it cannot resolve the issue of your integration with the cosmic origin," Li Changshou said, frowning. "You should know, Daoist friend, that the key problem isn't a battle of strength. I'd rather they wait quietly for a while, so as not to alert you and invite your desperate retaliation or swift annihilation."

"Oh?" Hongjun chuckled. "Are you truly confident you can counter me?"

A glimmer flickered in Li Changshou's eyes. This seemingly ordinary question was a ploy to extract information from him. If he affirmed it, it would reveal that his ultimate trump card was the Grand Dao of Equilibrium.

(A Test.)

Therefore, Li Changshou merely smiled without speaking, gazing steadily at Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Hongjun had many weaknesses, and the easiest one to exploit was his long tenure in a position above all beings, which had led him to firmly believe that no living creature could harm him. This was indeed true. The Grand Pure Saint could not bring himself to destroy the Primordial World, so he could only act as a force to restrain Hongjun. As long as Hongjun did not commit genocide against humanity, the consequences would always be better than re-forging wind, fire, water, and earth. It was precisely the Grand Pure Saint's existence that limited Hongjun from acts of annihilation.

However, Hongjun was accustomed to having everything under his control, able to suppress anything and manipulate everything at will. After merging with the Heavenly Dao, the three thousand Grand Daos were at his command, and the cosmic origin was fused with him. A simple calculation showed that the total spiritual energy living beings could command was far less than what the Dao Ancestor could wield. How could living beings win? As long as he controlled the cosmic origin, how could Hongjun lose?

At this moment, Hongjun had already devoured half of the Heavenly Dao, comfortably seated in the Purple霄 Palace. A mere Ksitigarbha, even if he flew from the Underworld to the Purple霄 Palace, would not warrant a second glance from him.

Hongjun slowly began, "And Listener..."

Buzz—

The Purple霄 Palace suddenly trembled, and the purple bamboo forest outside the bamboo house swayed violently. The Dao Ancestor's brows furrowed deeply, and Li Changshou's expression also turned grim.

Another change occurred. It seemed Ksitigarbha's action had become the battle horn for their side. The source of this tremor was...

The Saintess Palace!

Just as Hongjun was about to raise his hand, Li Changshou suddenly smiled and said softly, "Daoist friend, could you possibly be wary of the Heavenly Dao Saint you first imprisoned?"

Hongjun chuckled, "You seem very concerned about this Human Race Saintess."

"I just feel that Saintess Nuwa has endured too much, and the name Nuwa holds a sacred significance for me."

Li Changshou took out a jade talisman from his sleeve, holding it in his right hand. A faint Dao resonance of the Grand Pure Dao emanated from it.

Hongjun's smile gradually faded. "What is this?"

"You should be familiar with the Dao resonance of the Grand Pure Dao," Li Changshou said. "While you absorb the will of the Heavenly Dao, I am waiting for my main body to arrive. Neither of us needs to act rashly here. If you make a move first, I can only awaken my teacher and trouble him once more."

Hongjun laughed, "If I don't move, and you awaken your teacher later, wouldn't I be even more disadvantaged? Stop trying to deceive me. Even if Laozi comes to rescue him, your teacher cannot escape. I have that much confidence. The last time you fled, you essentially lost your greatest trump card, Grand Pure... I have suppressed his true body with the fundamental Dao. As long as I exist, he cannot be unsealed, and his magic power is for my use. This time, you cannot deceive me."

"Then why don't you try?" Li Changshou made a 'please' gesture. "You make your move, and I will make mine."

Hongjun's eyes narrowed slightly, meeting Li Changshou's gaze. Neither would yield.

Hongjun suddenly chuckled. "I've suddenly changed my mind. I've decided to perform a cleansing of Heaven and Earth. All living beings who oppose Heaven will be gathered and annihilated outside the Purple霄 Palace. Only then can Heaven and Earth know lasting peace."

Li Changshou said nothing, but sighed inwardly. The Dao Ancestor was speaking the truth. He could sense that the spiritual energy from the Three Thousand Worlds was beginning to surge towards the Five Continents; those grey-robed old Daoists who had once besieged him and set a trap for the Jade Emperor were now gathering towards the Five Continents.

In terms of sheer power, the combined might of all living beings, even with three more Heavenly Dao Saints added, could not contend with the Dao Ancestor in his current state. The Dao Ancestor today was incomparable to his state during his battle with Grand Pure Master. Moreover, the Dao Ancestor still had trump cards he hadn't used. He had devoured the magic power and cultivation of Demon Ancestor Rahu, Dipankara's true form, and Senior Lang. As soon as the Dao Ancestor discarded his carefully constructed benevolent image and completely tore off his facade, it would be the raw power of four supreme experts combined with the power of the Heavenly Dao.

From a purely power perspective, Heaven was indeed incredibly stable. Excluding the variable that was Li Changshou, living beings were destined for tragedy. Saintess Nuwa and the others must understand this too. Yes, they didn't know his methods, nor what trump cards he had reserved. At this moment, those who dared to stand up were doing so with a determination to die, waging their final struggle against Heaven.

Thinking somewhat narcissistically, were they perhaps unwilling for him to fight alone?

Li Changshou slightly raised his head and exhaled with a smile. Don't overthink it. How could he be so popular, with his much-criticized cautiousness?

He suddenly said, "If I lose today, will you spare Saintess Nuwa's life?"

Hongjun paused slightly, then offered Li Changshou a faint smile. "If there's no power threatening me, I have no desire for widespread slaughter."

Li Changshou nodded in acknowledgment. He sat there, lost in thought, a hint of worry in his eyes.

The Empty Fortagem, showing weakness to the enemy. The Dao Ancestor was indeed seated more comfortably now.

'Living beings should be self-reliant, and the Heavenly Dao should be self-restrained?'

Living beings should be self-reliant?

***

In the Saintess Palace, Saintess Nuwa lowered her head, looking at her palm. Her jade-like hand, as if sculpted from white jade, suddenly developed a wound, and blood continuously seeped out. Nuwa clutched her chest in pain, her body sliding down from the throne and falling to the ground. Her right hand pressed against the smooth yet cold floor, her face slightly distorted with agony.

Heaven... Defy Heaven...

'Nuwa, are these your human elites?''Most of the original humans are here, aren't they? Nuwa, you stubbornly pursued your own course and killed them. You were my most favored disciple, yet you didn't understand the principles of the Heavenly Dao. I intended to make humanity flourish, which is why I gave them such a trial.'

Before the throne, Saintess Nuwa gritted her teeth tightly, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. She trembled, resisting, not wanting to recall this memory. In ancient times, the Demon Court massacred humanity, and Nuwa endured it again and again, but finally could not bear it any longer. She wished to lead the human elites to punish the ancient Demon Court. However, they were ambushed midway, moved by a grand formation into the void beyond the Five Continents, trapped for an eternity.

Then, one day, the Dao Ancestor descended. A decree fell, commanding this elite group of human experts to annihilate themselves. She resisted, but the Dao Ancestor who appeared at that time had completely merged with the Dao. When the Dao Ancestor made his move, Nuwa sensed the death of her brother Fuxi; the spirit within her brother had completely dissipated. She finally understood that she had been schemed against; not just herself, but her brother too. It wasn't the Demon Court that set up the ambush to trap her and the human elites here, but the Dao Ancestor! And it was also the Dao Ancestor who, through Kunpeng, ordered the Demon Court to massacre humanity! And she, herself, could no longer defeat the Dao Ancestor in his current state.

But in her rage, Nuwa chose to fight, and the human experts chose to fight. But what good did it do? What good did it do?

At this moment, Saintess Nuwa almost bit through her teeth. Dark red bloodstains appeared all over her body. The grand hall was directly sealed, dark red light surging within it. Outside the hall, the Saintess Palace fairies rushed over, looking on worriedly. They knelt down in unison, continuously chanting scriptures and praying. Every so often, the Saintess's old wounds would flare up, each time lasting for many days.

'Nuwa, what crime have you committed for defying the Heavenly Dao?''Humanity is merely clay figures you molded. Do you truly wish to be an enemy to your master for their sake?''Enough. This is the consequence of defying Heaven.'

Memories flooded back, the pain still fresh. Nuwa seemed to return to that battle, the Chains of Heaven continuously falling, piercing her shoulders, arms, spine, and long tail, nailing her into the desolate void. In her memory, with each Chain of Heaven that fell, a new wound appeared on her body, and the blood light in the hall grew denser. Her children, humanity's children, died in batches; she struggled desperately to shield the last few dozen human men and women before her, using her body to endure the thunder and heavenly fire of divine punishment, but ultimately she couldn't protect them, watching helplessly as they were controlled by the will of the Heavenly Dao and forced to fight each other to the death...

Nuwa growled, wailed, until finally she cried herself silent, completely pinned to the void by the Chains of Heaven. Severely wounded and dying, a Saint cannot be extinguished; she couldn't even die if she wanted to.

'Nuwa,' Hongjun sat on his lotus platform, floating before her true body's brow, looking at her with regret. 'I originally intended to leave a few embers for humanity, but you dared to defy Heaven...'

'I was wrong... Master, I should not have defied Heaven. Do not kill them; they are innocent, dragged into this by my stubbornness.'

'Oh?' Hongjun smiled contentedly. 'Since that is the case, I can give you a chance to atone for your mistakes. As long as you act in accordance with Heaven, I will, as shown by the ancient Heavenly Dao, bring prosperity to humanity.'

With that, Hongjun's figure vanished. Her primordial spirit was stripped from her body's forehead and cast into the void; only her figure remained in that void, along with the corpses of the human experts...

A thousand years, ten thousand years, hundreds of thousands of years... Defying Heaven was like a nightmare, entangling and gnawing at her. What good did defying Heaven do? What happened in the end? What happened in the end? The...

'Saintess, is this person connected to him?' A soft chuckle suddenly sounded in her ears. The young human man smiled and spoke like that. 'Just a small story of passion.''Saintess, do you want to read a romance comic or a hot-blooded comic?'

This child, yes, this child went to the Purple霄 Palace.

In Nuwa's painfully purple eyes, a sudden light appeared. She struggled to sit up, letting the blood flow from her body, and took a deep breath.

'Saintess...' Somehow, Nuwa thought of that day, the day this child destroyed the Golden Crow; the only time he knelt there, vulnerable, holding the non-existent ashes of his master, despair welling up in his eyes. Since then, he had changed greatly. She could faintly sense his dissatisfaction with the Heavenly Dao and the anger in his heart.

Nuwa suddenly heard that phrase again, that phrase... 'When all mysteries are revealed, I hope to gain your understanding, just understanding will suffice.'

That child, that child truly went to confront the Dao Ancestor! How could it be... Was the Dao Ancestor truly bringing prosperity to humanity? Fire Cloud Cave struggled to hold on, wails of lament filled Middle Divine Continent, and no mortals who fought against Heaven and Earth became darlings of the Heavenly Dao. This must be the last gamble. She could not let that child face such a powerful enemy alone... She could not let that child fight alone... What was the point of her lingering on like this!

'Saintess.' A soft call. Saintess Nuwa looked up, somewhat dazed, vaguely seeing the figure of that young Daoist. He was sitting in the corner where he painted, bent over, writing furiously, a faint smile on his lips, muttering softly: 'May this flame bring you a little warmth.'

"Arise!" Nuwa suddenly cried out in a low voice, her long hair billowing behind her. A flame ignited on her forehead, sweeping across her entire body, instantly burning away all her scars and bloodstains! She stood up, clenching her fists, becoming the core of the flame! Humanity's Divine Flame!

Stepping forward, a halo of light radiated from beneath Nuwa's feet, sweeping across the entire grand hall. The grand hall instantly vanished! The immortal clouds, palaces, rivers, and lakes of the Saintess Palace all disappeared, transforming into a bleak world, the world filled with corpses!

The celestial maidens still knelt there, but they were now covered in layers of battle armor, and their forms had become somewhat transparent; they knelt in prayer, chanting scriptures for the peaceful repose of the deceased. Around them, points of light converged, forming the transparent figures of human men. They knelt, praying towards the front. Heroic spirits, human heroic spirits!

Before them! Before them was Saintess Nuwa's true body, bound by layers of the Chains of Heaven, an incredibly massive body, covered in wounds! The flame slowly rose, settling on Nuwa's true body's forehead.

The cosmos trembled! The chanting of the human heroic spirits grew clearer. The flame completely enveloped Nuwa, and the Chains of Heaven trembled continuously. Nuwa suddenly opened her eyes, her long hair flying wildly. Her body swayed, trembled, continuously growled, and struggled fiercely! Roaring, raging, growling, sobbing, shouting!

All the Chains of Heaven snapped! The Three Realms vibrated, and the Purple霄 Palace slightly shook!

The Dao Ancestor gazed calmly at Li Changshou. The seven-colored figure within the Universe Cauldron outside the Purple霄 Palace had mostly dissipated. Suddenly, a cry resounded in Li Changshou's mind. It was Nuwa, Nuwa who created humanity, humanity's Saintess, crying out to humanity through the power of the Divine Flame!

"I, Primordial Being Nuwa, defy Heaven today. For the eternal flame of humanity, so humanity need not linger in misery, and for those human heroic spirits who fought for humanity in Heaven and Earth but were humiliatingly erased by the Heavenly Dao! If I should die, I will have no regrets; otherwise, I would be unworthy as a mother."

At that instant, the Three Realms fell silent. Countless human immortals across the Three Thousand Worlds rose to their feet, gazing towards the Five Continents, involuntarily shedding tears. And countless human immortals and gods, unable to suppress an inexplicable impulse rising in their hearts, rushed towards Middle Divine Continent. Only the mortal realm of the Southern Continent remained silent. This was, after all, not a battle for mortals.

In Middle Divine Continent, Nuwa's figure solidified in Heaven and Earth: human body, snake tail, clad in battle armor, wearing a wreath of flowers. The Map of Mountains, Rivers, and Lands floated behind her, and in her hands she held an embroidered ball and a long sword. The embroidered ball symbolized human proliferation; the long sword symbolized human protection. She looked up at the firmament, the red embroidered ball gently swayed, the flame on her forehead burned fiercely, and prayers and chants resonated around her. The power of a Saint! The power of humanity's Divine Flame! The power of thought, accumulated over long ages from humanity's prayers to their Saintess!

She raised her hand and made a grasping motion. Blue ripples appeared throughout Heaven and Earth, and a blood-red divine banner emerged from deep within the firmament.

"The clansmen who fought for humanity's survival should not be forgotten."

The red embroidered ball gently vibrated, striking the void, directly knocking down the divine banner in the firmament. Numerous blue ripples suddenly exploded! Nuwa raised the sword in her hand.

"Humanity, gather your forces in Middle Divine Continent, reinforce Li Changshou, and defy the Heavenly Dao!"

"Yes!" Behind her, tens of thousands of heroic spirits cried out in unison, and banners fluttered. They came from various tribes, from the first golden age of ancient humanity! From all directions, streaks of immortal light surged forth, swiftly converging towards Nuwa's location. At this moment, there were no Three Daoist Sects, no major lineage traditions, no private grievances between immortal sects. As human immortals, they would fight for humanity, and for Saintess Nuwa!

***

Fire Cloud Cave. The Human Sovereigns exchanged glances. Already on their chariots, they simultaneously raised their swords. The gates of Fire Cloud Cave swung wide open, and batches of human heroic spirits surged out. The foremost chariot was empty, draped with a blood-stained robe, on which lingered the Dao resonance of fire. Fire Sovereign leads the charge!

In the mortal realm of the Southern Continent, the Human Emperor awoke from his nap, turned, and urgently called for his attendants to open the ancestral temples and worship the human ancestors.

In the Heavenly Court, all Heavenly Soldiers and Generals fell into a daze. Immortal light surrounded their bodies, as if urging them to prepare for battle, yet a yearning to return to Saintess Nuwa's side welled up in their hearts. It was a stirring from their human bloodline. Inside the High Heavens Palace, the gods were agitated, and human gods argued incessantly with non-human gods.

***

At the same time, outside the Five Continents. A golden streak shot from beyond Heaven and Earth towards the ends of the world. It was the Golden Roc, carrying Ao Yi and dozens of Heavenly Generals. The blue ripples in their hearts suddenly shattered, and the same figure slowly became clear in their minds.

The Golden Roc halted its flight, muttering "Teacher" under its breath. Ao Yi, on the Golden Roc's back, suddenly knelt weakly, his eyes wide with fury. He clutched his long hair, his body trembling continuously. "Heavenly Dao, how dare you! Ao Yi, how dare you! How dare you forget the Sect Master, forget your elder brother!"

"Hongjun, old scoundrel!" the Golden Roc roared, suddenly lunging forward, almost throwing Ao Yi and the Heavenly Generals off. They had originally been invited by Li Jing to reinforce Mount Huaguo, and were now not far from the Five Continents.

Calm down, I must calm down. Ao Yi slapped himself across the face, then knelt on the Golden Roc's back, clenching his fists tightly. Calm down, recite the 'Stability' scripture!

Ao Yi, being of Dragon Clan origin, had not received the summons issued by Saintess Nuwa through the Flame of Human Heritage, but upon hearing the cries of the Heavenly Generals behind him, he immediately understood what was happening. The Sect Master had gone to the Purple霄 Palace and was holding on alone! Humanity, with the hidden power of Fire Cloud Cave, could certainly gather a force to defy the Heavenly Dao; but it wouldn't be enough, it definitely wouldn't be enough! Aside from some official god positions, the entire Heavenly Court's military system was composed of human immortals. Even if this part of humanity could not be commanded by Saintess Nuwa, they must at least be prevented from fighting against the human army!

What to do? What could he do? Go to the Dragon Clan and persuade his father to send troops? No, he was merely the Second Prince of the Dragon Palace; it would be difficult to convince his father and uncles. Think, quickly think of a way!

'Ao Yi, remember, never get stuck in a dead end. Look at the problem from a different perspective.' The Sect Master's voice suddenly echoed in his ears. A different perspective, a different perspective... He got it!

Ao Yi slapped his palm suddenly, then leaned forward, pressing on the Golden Roc's back, shouting loudly like a great bell and drum, gradually rousing the enraged Golden Roc. "Listen to me, listen to me! This is the only way to help Sect Master brother. If we go directly to the Purple霄 Palace, we'll only cause trouble!"

The Golden Roc cursed, "Even if it means death, I will fight Hongjun to the bitter end!"

"Listen to me! You must listen to me!"

"Then speak!"

"Go to the Dragon Palace, go to the Dragon Palace and scold my father and the others, mock their current state, and remind them of the calamity of the Sea Eye!"

Ao Yi said firmly, "I'll go to the Heavenly Court and find the immortals from the Jie School to figure out how to stall the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals. The strength of humanity defying Heaven cannot be consumed by the Heavenly Court. There's something wrong with the Heavenly Court now; the Jade Emperor isn't like the one I remember!"

The Golden Roc was also stunned by these words. After flying rapidly for a while, the entrance to the Five Continents was in sight, and the Golden Roc finally came to its senses. "I hope I can scold those cowardly dragons."

"Everyone!" Ao Yi breathed a sigh of relief. He suddenly turned and looked at the Heavenly Generals behind him. His young face was solemn, and a certain imposing aura emanated from him. "The moment of humanity's survival or extinction is today! But some things, only we can do! I am the true brother of Grand White Star Li Chang Geng. Are you willing to trust me!"

The Heavenly Generals collected themselves, gazing intently at Ao Yi. A 'battle' among Heavenly Court's dispatched generals thus began.

The Golden Roc burst into extreme speed, rushing back to the East Heaven Gate after entering the Five Continents. A moment later, it flew out of the East Heaven Gate again, heading to the skies above the East Sea Dragon Palace, shouting at the top of its lungs, cursing vehemently. Cursing the Dragon Clan for being cowardly; cursing the Dragon Clan for not daring to mention ancient matters. Although Ao Yi and the Golden Roc did not know what secrets the ancient times held, at this moment they were like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.

In the East Sea Crystal Palace, Dragon King's Hall. Ao Guang sat on his coral throne, listening to the Golden Roc's noisy curses. His slender dragon eyes showed a hint of thought, and the jade talisman in his dragon palm was constantly clenched. It was a blank jade talisman, which originally contained densely packed small characters, given by Li Changshou, writing phrases that pierced the heart. (Note: From Chapter 687.) How did the Nine Filth Spring come into being? Why could merits fill the Nine Filth Spring? The Dragon Clan didn't know? The Dragon Clan remembered!

In the ancient war, the Dragon and Phoenix clans were instigated by the Dao Ancestor and Demon Ancestor respectively, fighting to the death, even shattering the primordial land. In the end, they merely became tools for the Dao Ancestor and Demon Ancestor. The Dragon Clan won, yet had to bear the curse of the shattered primordial land, being toyed with and schemed against by the Dao Ancestor, finally having to fill the Sea Eye. How many clansmen, how many experts, how much flesh and blood did it take to suppress the raging Sea Eye! Since then, the Dragon Clan could only hide in the seabed with their tails between their legs. The Crystal Palace seemed prosperous but was in fact just a prison. The Dragon Clan still had accounts to settle with the Dao Ancestor! This was their last chance.

The East Sea Dragon King suddenly raised his hand and waved. A giant dragon palm appeared in the sky, and in an instant, before the Golden Roc could react, it directly knocked the Golden Roc flying. "Issue my Dragon King's Decree! Ancient Dragon bloodline, those not required to suppress the Sea Eye, reinforce Saintess Nuwa!"

Across the Four Seas, war drums boomed!

***

Heavenly Court. Ao Yi and the Heavenly Generals rushed to various locations, but all came up empty-handed. At this moment, all Heavenly Court immortals and gods had gathered in the High Heavens Palace. Ao Yi quickly rushed to the High Heavens Palace. From afar, he could hear the arguments inside and outside the hall. Some immortals and gods knelt inside and outside the hall, pleading with the Heavenly Court not to send troops to punish those who defied Heaven. They were primarily humans. Other immortals and gods, citing the Heavenly Court's duties, argued that the Heavenly Court must not condone those who defied Heaven, or else the Heavenly Court would lose its foundational rules. Most of these immortals and gods were those whose names were on the Investiture of the Gods list.

Ao Yi suddenly understood. His previous line of thinking was wrong; finding the Jie School immortals in the Heavenly Court was useless! Most of them had been transformed by the Investiture of the Gods; their hearts held only the stance of the Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Dao. Ao Yi stood outside the hall, looking in, feeling somewhat lost for a moment. The Jade Emperor, clad in yellow robes, sat motionless on the throne. The fake Grand White Star stood quietly beside the Jade Emperor, a smile on his face, as if the current situation was no trouble at all. This fake Grand White Star... Ao Yi gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, wishing he could transform into his true form and devour the scoundrel whole, but he couldn't. He had to endure. Calm, restrained. Find a way to help the Sect Master as much as possible. Only as a last resort would Ao Yi rush towards the Purple霄 Palace, even if it meant perishing under heavenly thunder.

Several figures suddenly arrived from the side. Ao Yi glanced at them, then couldn't help but turn around. True Monarch Zhao Gongming of the Dragon and Tiger Mysterious Altar, and Golden Spirit Holy Mother, Doumu Yuanjun! Golden Spirit Holy Mother no longer showed signs of pregnancy, and her aura was incredibly sharp. The couple landed before the High Heavens Palace. Zhao Gongming swept his sleeve, clearing a path through the somewhat crowded civil and military officials in front. A fiery red figure flashed out from behind them, carrying a great sword on her back, and stepped inside! It was Youqin Xuan'ya. At this moment, Youqin Xuan'ya's eyes were bloodshot, her pretty face filled with determination. She had only taken a few steps into the High Heavens Palace when the great sword on her back directly unsheathed, held in her single hand.

Zhao Gongming's brows furrowed slightly at this sight; Golden Spirit Holy Mother, however, snorted coldly and immediately followed, protecting Youqin Xuan'ya. A Heavenly General roared, "Marshal Youqin, how dare you draw a sword in the High Heavens Palace!""Marshal Youqin, what are you doing!""Marshal Youqin!""All of you, shut up!" Golden Spirit Holy Mother angrily rebuked, her sharp sword intent enveloping all present. The Heavenly Generals who had just shouted instantly fell silent.

Youqin Xuan'ya swiftly reached the foot of the high platform, pressing her lips together, raising her great sword high, pointing it at the fake Grand White Star beside the Jade Emperor. "You are not him, not my Senior Brother, not the Heavenly Court's Grand White Star! Change that skin! You are unworthy!"

All the immortals and gods were shocked. Since Saintess Nuwa appeared in Middle Divine Continent and shattered the Dao Ancestor's modification of the memories of all living beings, the immortals and gods in the hall already knew that the Grand White Star was an imposter. But no god could stand up, no immortal dared to stand up. Who was that fake Grand White Star? A Dao Ancestor clone, a Heavenly Dao clone! He was here to monitor the Heavenly Court and His Majesty the Jade Emperor! Now, Youqin Xuan'ya suddenly arrived and directly challenged the fake Grand White Star, truly making many immortals and gods tremble with dread.

The fake Grand White Star chuckled softly and said slowly, "Marshal Youqin, you..."

"Your Majesty!" East Wood Duke suddenly interrupted, rushing two steps to Youqin Xuan'ya's side, kneeling down, and shouting loudly: "Reporting to Your Majesty! Grand White Star has worked diligently and achieved great merit, his plans for the Heavenly Court were far-reaching, and he achieved glorious military feats. It is not appropriate for Dao Ancestor, for Dao Ancestor to use the face of Grand White Star and enjoy the blessings of Grand White Star! Please allow, Your Majesty, for Dao Ancestor's clone to change his appearance..." As he spoke, East Wood Duke looked up, covered in cold sweat, and offered an awkward smile to the fake Grand White Star. "Hehe, Chang Geng wasn't very good-looking to begin with, you see."

The fake Grand White Star's eyes narrowed. He said firmly, "Audacious! I am Grand White Star! Guards! Drag East Wood Duke and Youqin Xuan'ya away!"

The hall instantly became silent enough to hear a pin drop. The numerous righteous gods stood quietly, those whose names were on the Investiture of the Gods list now looked somewhat bewildered; most of the original Heavenly Court elders simply stood with their heads bowed.

The fake Grand White Star sneered. A little immortal light condensed in the duster in his hand, and his palm slowly rose, Heavenly Dao power gathering... With a crisp clang, a large hand reached out from the side, firmly grasping the fake Grand White Star's wrist. All eyes followed the hand, to see the Jade Emperor sitting there expressionless, his left hand raised, firmly gripping the fake Grand White Star's arm, then gently shaking it. The fake Grand White Star staggered a few steps, exclaiming, "Your Majesty?!"

"This is the Heavenly Court, not the Purple霄 Palace," the Jade Emperor stated.

The fake Grand White Star nodded. "Does Your Majesty perhaps think you can now say 'no' to the Dao Ancestor?"

"No. I said it. So what?" The Jade Emperor turned to look at the fake Grand White Star, then suddenly tore off his yellow robes, revealing numerous colorful chains underneath. All the immortals and gods were shocked. Many Heavenly Court elders rushed forward a few steps. East Wood Duke, in particular, glared at the fake Grand White Star, trembling with rage, and cursed, "You, how dare you!"

"Haotian!" the fake Grand White Star sternly reprimanded. "Do you not know the consequence of opposing the Dao Ancestor? You should know the Dao Ancestor's power best!"

"I know it well. So what?" The Jade Emperor scoffed, slowly rising to his feet with effort, his hands clasped behind his back, even though he was bound by iron chains. Those chains on his body were like the robes of the Heavenly Emperor. He said, "I know the Dao Ancestor controls the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, and that many Heavenly Dao clones like you have already arrived from the Three Thousand Worlds. I also know that the Dao Ancestor is currently devouring the will of the Heavenly Dao, and in the future, the Heavenly Dao will only have the Dao Ancestor's single will—oh, and puppets like you. I also know that living beings have little to no chance of winning this battle. But the mistake was made when he taught me how to be a Heavenly Emperor. I am the ruler of the Three Realms, the Heavenly Emperor of the Three Realms, not the Dao Ancestor's Heavenly Emperor, not the Heavenly Dao's Heavenly Emperor! The Dao Ancestor has committed countless injustices, cruelly oppressing living beings! I have no choice but to stand up."

As he spoke, the Jade Emperor raised his hand, removed his crown, and placed it on the jade table.

The fake Grand White Star sternly cursed, "Haotian! Presumptuous!"

The Jade Emperor suddenly said, "Junior sister, release your husband from these bonds."

With a sharp sword clang, a flash of sword light suddenly swept from the side. The fake Grand White Star's voice cut off abruptly as his body was directly cut into three segments and instantly disintegrated! All the chains on the Jade Emperor shattered, and he leisurely stretched his waist. From the side of the hall, the Queen Mother calmly sheathed her precious sword, casually tossing it to Longji behind her, then stood with her hands clasped before her, slowly walking inside.

The hall was silent. Even Longji was stunned. The Jade Emperor chuckled softly, looking at the Queen Mother. "A Heavenly Emperor rebelling against Heaven sounds a bit unpleasant. I will abdicate the position of Heavenly Emperor. Junior sister, as a Heavenly Dao sequence candidate, will temporarily take charge of the Heavenly Court. Changshou needs my assistance there."

"Mmm," the Queen Mother nodded faintly, saying softly, "Come back soon."

"Very well." The Jade Emperor chuckled, took out the Jade Emperor's Seal from his sleeve, tossed it onto the throne, then took a step, appearing outside the hall. His long hair billowed in the wind, and his white robes captivated onlookers.

"This Daoist, Haotian, the Primordial Golden Soul. Today, I intend to go to the Purple霄 Palace to reason with the Dao Ancestor about the injustices of Heaven and Earth. If there are any dissatisfied with the Dao Ancestor, are you willing to come along?"

"Your subordinate!" A Heavenly General was about to shout, then suddenly remembered something, took off his helmet, placed it at his feet, and cried out, "This Daoist is willing to follow you!""I am willing!""This Daoist is willing!""This old minister is willing! Your Majesty, wait for this old minister! This old minister is slow of foot!" East Wood Duke cried loudly, pulling up the hem of his Daoist robe and rushing forward.

Youqin Xuan'ya took a deep breath, put the great sword on her back, and with determined eyes, chased after the Jade Emperor's receding figure. Haotian stood at the hall's entrance, smiling contentedly, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the sky. "No rush. Wait for the human heroic spirits' army to arrive. Someone go ask my nephew Yang Jian, ask them if they've fought enough. If they have, tell them to come over."

"Yes!"

Inside the High Heavens Palace, the Queen Mother sat on the throne. With a flip of her delicate hand, the Investiture of the Gods reappeared, and she pressed it down, holding it still. "Open the Central Heaven Gate, clear the way for those who defy Heaven, and the Heavenly Court's operations will cease for one day."

All the gods bowed their heads and acknowledged the command.

***

In the Underworld, at the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc, a seven-colored beam of light shone into the sky of the Underworld, heading towards the primordial land. Houtu's gentle voice accompanied the maiden in the beam as she ascended. "Go, child. You originated from the seven emotions of living beings. You should lend a hand to living beings. The future of living beings rests on your shoulders."

The Seven Emotions Incarnation joins the battle!