Chapter 1316: United Against a Common Enemy

In the Chaos Sea, Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian watched as Celestial Venerable Xiao's hand, clutching the Primordial Ore, fell before them. The ore's radiant light emanated through the gaps between the fingers.

Neither of them moved; instead, they looked at Old Tai Yi.

Old Tai Yi smiled. "This is the Primordial Ore, containing the Dao of Primordius. Even Emperor Tai Chu himself couldn't fully comprehend the true essence of Primordius."

He stopped abruptly there, not continuing his explanation. The two still looked at him eagerly, waiting for him to speak further.

Though Celestial Venerable Xiao's right hand was severed, it now subtly extended two fingers. The other three fingers still tightly clutched the ore fragments. The two extended fingers acted like legs, allowing the hand to stand up and walk along the Chaos Sea's seabed.

*Clink*. A piece of the ore dropped. The two fingers quickly stopped, probing and searching around until they found the ore. They carefully picked it up, placed it back in the palm, and continued to move outwards.

Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian couldn't help but repeatedly glance at the Celestial Venerable's right hand before turning back to Old Tai Yi. Lan Yutian's three thousand followers and a group of ancient colossal beasts, however, stared curiously at the Celestial Venerable's right hand, watching it continuously walk away, constantly dropping gems from its palm. The benevolent beasts shifted aside, allowing it to pass without obstruction.

The Celestial Venerable's right hand finally reached the space beyond the staff's support. As soon as it took a step out, the chaotic pressure descended. With a thud, the hand was pressed flat against the ground, and the Primordial Ore fragments in its palm scattered.

Celestial Venerable Xiao's right hand struggled for a moment, but how terrifying was the weight of the Chaos Sea? This right hand had forcefully clashed with Earth Mother Goddess, forcing her back, and then was struck by a whip from Lord of Earth. Its magical power was exhausted, making it incapable of resisting the Chaos Sea. Now pinned down, it couldn't escape.

Seeing Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian still staring intently at him, Old Tai Yi finally sighed helplessly. "You are seekers of the Dao. Why must you know the disadvantages of attaining it? If you harbor thoughts of good and bad, your pursuit of the Dao will no longer be pure."

Lan Yutian pondered, then said shyly, "Elder, you're right. My brother has corrupted me; he always tells me to be more vigilant."

Xu Shenghua tentatively asked, "Then, Dao brother, if we take this Primordial Ore and comprehend the Great Dao within it, will there be any disadvantages for us?"

Lan Yutian looked serious and quickly turned back to Tai Yi.

Tai Yi, resigned, had to explain, "Yes, there are disadvantages. Firstly, Supreme Emperor will want to kill you. This ore is crucial for his enlightenment; without it, his cultivation and power can never reach their peak. Secondly, Celestial Emperor Tai Chu will want to kill you. This ore is also vital for his path to enlightenment. Although he has grasped the Dao, he has not yet fully ascended. He must collect all Primordial Ores and all Divine Stones. Therefore, besides eliminating everyone who obtains the ore, he must also eliminate all Creators."

"The Cult Master (my brother) truly has foresight," Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian thought simultaneously. If Qin Mu hadn't constantly told them to be more cautious, they would have probably joyfully taken the ore by now, offending both the Supreme Emperor and Celestial Emperor for no good reason.

Tai Yi asked, "So, regarding the Primordial Ore, will the two of you take it or not?"

Lan Yutian looked at Xu Shenghua. He knew Xu Shenghua was his brother's Dao friend, always full of ideas. Sometimes, when Qin Mu was indecisive, he would specifically travel to the Western Lands to consult him.

Xu Shenghua pondered for a moment. "We will take it. When we take the ore, we will only extract its Dao, using it to comprehend the Dao of Primordius. We won't harness its power or borrow its might. That way, in the future, if either Supreme Emperor or Celestial Emperor Tai Chu wants it back, we can simply return it."

Lan Yutian thought for a moment and praised, "My brother says, 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' When he taught me cultivation, he only taught me the principles of practice, not specific divine arts or techniques, and that's precisely why."

Old Tai Yi sighed. "Heavenly Venerable Mu speaks very wisely. However, one must not only heed his words but also observe his actions. While Heavenly Venerable Mu's words are good, his actions involve not just learning to fish, but also stealing others' fish. This, you must not emulate."

The two affirmed their understanding, then stepped forward. Each picked up a few fragments of the Primordial Ore from beside the Celestial Venerable's right hand, which lay pressed against the ground.

The surface of the Chaos Sea remained silent.

Despite losing Celestial Venerable Xiao's right hand and the Primordial Ore fragments, the Lava Lord of Earth was still surrounded by the Celestial Venerables, and the standoff continued.

The Lava Lord of Earth suddenly sighed, dispelled the magical power of his avatar, and instantly transformed into a pile of stones, which were ground down and refined by the Chaos Sea into wisps of chaotic energy. Facing this situation, his avatar was useless, and continuing to be trapped there would only invite ridicule. So he simply abandoned this body.

Everyone else remained motionless. Celestial Venerable Xiao, Celestial Venerable Yan, Ancestral God King, and Divine Emperor Lang Xuan were all silent.

Supreme Emperor's forehead began to sweat. He suddenly realized that after the Lord of Earth voluntarily abandoned his avatar, his own situation had become unfavorable. "That scoundrel Heavenly Venerable Mu seems to have tricked me again!" his eye twitched.

Suddenly, Celestial Venerable Xiao calmly said, "After all, we are Celestial Venerables."

"Indeed, no matter what, we are Celestial Venerables," said Concubine Yan.

Ancestral God King and Divine Emperor Lang Xuan each nodded. "We are Celestial Venerables, after all. Although we have our grudges and disputes, against an external enemy, we must form a united front."

Supreme Emperor suddenly burst into laughter. "Well said! We are Celestial Venerables, after all, and should naturally stand united and share a common hatred!"

The other four Celestial Venerables fell silent, feeling as if a sword had pierced their hearts. Supreme Emperor was too devious; with a single sentence, he made it clear he was also among the Ten Celestial Venerables, which couldn't help but arouse suspicion. Although Celestial Venerable Xiao knew Supreme Emperor's true identity, Celestial Venerable Xiao would not expose Supreme Emperor as Celestial Concubine Qiang. Because if Celestial Venerable Xiao revealed Supreme Emperor's identity, Supreme Emperor would in turn expose Celestial Venerable Xiao's identity as Celestial Emperor Tai Chu, resulting in a mutual destruction! A balance of interests would keep them all in silent agreement, just as Concubine Yan would not expose Celestial Venerable Xiao, and Celestial Venerable Xiao would not reveal Concubine Yan's identity.

Ancestral God King said indifferently, "Supreme Emperor must die. There is absolutely no place for Supreme Emperor among the Ten Celestial Venerables. Three Dao brothers, what are your thoughts?"

"Agreed," said Celestial Venerable Xiao.

Concubine Yan and Ancestral God King each smiled.

"Agreed!" "Agreed!"

Supreme Emperor stepped back onto the Void Mother Beast's back, laughing heartily. "You youngsters dare to seek my life? I have dominated from ancient times until now; no one has ever dared to challenge me!"

The instant he moved his foot, the four Celestial Venerables—Xiao, Yan, Ancestral, and Lang—attacked simultaneously, closing in on Supreme Emperor. In front of Supreme Emperor, the bodies of the four Celestial Venerables distorted space, their powerful forms shattering layers of void as if they were breaking mirrors.