novelhk Chapter 20 The Secular Powerhouses of the Heavenly Court
Chapter 20 The Secular Powerhouses of the Heavenly Court
At the summit of Tiandu Mountain, fierce winds whipped up clouds, and the sea of clouds surged like ten thousand galloping horses.
The Lord of the Hall of Truth and the scholar Ling Che sat facing each other on a marble futon. Truth Dao patterns flowed around the Lord of the Hall, and his voice was calm yet sophisticated: "Mingde, do you see any other young talents in the Heavenly Court who can meet your standards?"
Upon hearing this, Ru Shenling smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping across the depths of the sea of clouds. His tone was sincere yet tinged with regret: "The current generation of cultivators in the Heavenly Court Realm are of above-average talent, but unfortunately, none of them have reached the threshold of the Yuanhui level. Even the Wan Jun War Emperor of the Myriad Ruins Realm is still a step short. If he were to truly face the Three Emperors of the Hell Realm, I'm afraid he would find it difficult to win."
The Three Sovereigns of Hell are the recognized representatives of the current Heavenly Court and Hell Realm. Yan Fuxu of the Yama Clan, the master of the origin, possesses the ancient divine inheritance of the Yama Clan; Ni Xuan Wuji of the Asura Clan, unparalleled in battle, his Asura Battle Body sweeping aside his contemporaries; and Jiang Tianfang of the Nether Clan, proficient in Nether Clan secret arts, his path of darkness bordering on godhood. These three are the fruits of Hell Realm's tens of thousands of years of destruction of other realms and plunder of endless resources, peerless prodigies forged through fierce competition amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, three towering mountains weighing down on the younger generation of the Heavenly Court.
The top ten prodigies on the mortal list of the Heavenly Court Realm are: "Wan Jun, the War Emperor of the Myriad Ruins Realm; Shang Fu, the Divine Son of the Heavenly Realm; Ji Muge of the Pangu Realm; Demon Dragon Emperor of the Demon God Realm; Ao Dongyun of the Heavenly Dragon Realm; Ku Zhu, the Bodhisattva of the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm; Zhou Hua, the Divine Son of the Five Elements Observatory; Yuan Xing, the Emperor of the Thousand Star Civilization; Song Yue, the Divine Son of the Space Divine Temple; and He Fei, the Commander of the Heavenly Palace War God Camp."
These individuals were all exceptional talents who had astonished their era. To have risen to the pinnacle of demigodhood in just a few thousand years was a feat rarely seen in the entire Heavenly Court. If they could withstand the divine tribulation and break through to the divine realm, they would undoubtedly secure a place among the strongest beings in the universe.
Even so, compared to the geniuses of the same generation in the Hell Realm, he was still a step behind.
The ten races of the present-day Hell Realm each possess more than one top-tier prodigy at the peak of demigod status, making this the most prosperous generation since the beginning of this era.
Ru Shenling changed the subject, his gaze sharpening as he noticed something interesting. A hint of amusement crept into his voice as he thought to himself, "Neither the Mortal World's Peerless Ranking nor the Temple of Destiny's Divine Heir Scroll lists Huang Qiming as a top-tier figure. It seems this fourth young master of the Yellow Heaven Blood Clan has a supreme being standing behind him, using great supernatural powers to conceal his true nature."
"The Great Sage of the Heavenly Court is still unreliable. I still need to bring out those tough guys from the Kunlun Realm myself. After we defeat them, I can help them break through to the Divine Realm," Ru Shenling thought to himself.
Hearing Ling Che's words, the Lord of the Temple of Truth smiled slightly, as if he had already seen through the situation. He looked at Ling Che and said, "Since you dared to accept that bet, I know you are absolutely confident. The Temple of Destiny has lost twelve top gods this time. Feng Caiyi and the others' faces must be quite a sight to behold."
As she finished speaking, she remembered something else and added, "If Zhenying hadn't already become a god, he could have lent you a hand in these twelve battles. Relying solely on the strength of the mortal geniuses of the Heavenly Court Realm is still somewhat risky."
"Fellow Daoist Murong Cheng's strength is indeed top-tier in the Great Saint Realm." Ling Che nodded, his tone carrying a hint of respect. "Back then, when his spiritual root was severed and the world collapsed, and the laws of the Kunlun Realm were incomplete, he was still able to achieve the position of Great Saint in the Kunlun Realm. His talent and character are beyond doubt."
Murong Cheng was the former president of the Inscription Guild in the Kunlun Realm, hundreds of years older than Ling Che's grandfather, and was once the oldest living Great Sage in the Kunlun Realm. Later, after Ling Che became a god, he discussed the future development of the Kunlun Realm with the Dragon Lord Ji Wang, and sent all the older generation of Great Sage powerhouses out of the Kunlun Realm, Murong Cheng being one of them. After arriving in the Heavenly Court Realm, Murong Cheng joined the Temple of Truth and became a disciple of the Temple Master. He has now broken through to godhood and is known as the True Shadow God Lord.
"At this moment, Zhenying has already led Wanjun Zhandi and the others to the Sea Eye Secret Realm." The Lord of the Truth Palace suddenly raised his voice, with a hint of relief. "If they can pass the test of the Mirror of Truth, they will be able to see the flaws in their own path of cultivation, and have the opportunity to break through the bottleneck and step into a completely new world. If it weren't for your initiative in proposing this and taking the lead in providing a massive amount of resources, would those old guys have been willing to empty their coffers to raise the necessary funds to open the Mirror of Truth? This time, we have benefited from your efforts."
The Mirror of Truth is a supreme treasure of the Temple of Truth, passed down from its founder, the Great Emperor of Truth. This object embodies the Dao of Truth and the Dao of Time, reflecting the cultivator's spiritual foundation, dispelling illusions, and pointing directly to their true nature. However, its consumption is terrifyingly high—the energy source alone, divine stones, is charged by the second, and a single activation requires at least a million divine stones, not to mention the aid of other rare and precious materials. Such enormous consumption makes even the wealthy Temple of Truth reluctant to use it lightly.
This initiative was spearheaded by Ling Che, who personally contributed 30% of the resources. The Heavenly Palace added 20%, and the remaining 50% was shared among the four dominant worlds. After all, the final spots for entering the secret realm to undergo the trial would mostly belong to the geniuses of the four dominant worlds.
"Don't the four dominant worlds take advantage of us enough on a daily basis?" Ling Che's expression turned serious, and his tone was somewhat cold. "Making them bleed a little this time is just a drop in the ocean. It's a good opportunity for us to send our own people in for training."
Upon hearing this, the Lord of the Temple of Truth nodded in deep agreement, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
She changed the subject, recalling the recent situation in the Kunlun Realm, and asked in a deep voice, "Mingde, you've been in the Kunlun Realm for over a hundred years. What's the situation there now? Has Jiwang's injury healed?"
"Lord Dragon's physical injuries have almost healed," Ling Che sighed softly, his tone tinged with seriousness. "I once refined a batch of healing pills to help him repair his physical body. However, the injuries he suffered were not only physical, but his soul was also severely damaged. Even after taking the pills, he will still need some time to recuperate before he can fully recover."
Upon hearing this, the Temple Master of Truth felt a surge of relief. Who could have imagined that the Kunlun Realm, seemingly on its last legs and coveted by powerful forces, would produce someone like Ling Che? His talent and abilities far surpassed those of mere prodigies. She had speculated more than once that Ling Che might be a reincarnation of someone from the Kunlun Realm's history, but now it seemed that even the reincarnation of the Immovable King might not be able to match such an astonishing rate of growth.
"If you had been born 100,000 years earlier, the catastrophe in the Kunlun Realm might not have ended up like that," the Lord of the Temple of Truth said with deep emotion.
Dragon Lord Ji Wang never revealed Ling Che's true age to her, only saying that Ling Che was the greatest miracle in the history of the Kunlun Realm. She had guessed that Ling Che was a hidden genius of the Kunlun Realm, and that his cultivation years could not have exceeded one Yuanhui. She still remembered when the two first met, Ling Che was already a Spiritual Power Master with a spiritual power exceeding the eightieth level. At that time, he had already surpassed Yuanhui geniuses such as Xue Jue and Huang Tian. But now it seemed that she had underestimated this person.
"Breaking through five realms in a single day"—such a feat has long transcended common sense, resembling a myth. In less than two hundred years, Ling Che has already reached a level comparable to hers; such speed is truly unprecedented.
The Temple Master of Truth's gaze fell upon Ling Che. She saw that his aura was as solid as an abyss, deep and unyielding, without the slightest ripple; his soul was as clear and flawless as seven-colored glass, untouched by any dust. Her heart suddenly trembled, and she thought to herself, "Mingde has already cultivated the Indestructible Glass Body, and his soul has reached the perfect state of formlessness and perfection. It seems that only one final opportunity remains before his soul is truly perfect." As someone whose spiritual power had reached the 90th level of the Heavenly Perfection realm, the Temple Master of Truth could naturally see Ling Che's current state at close range; he was already considered a quasi-Heavenly Perfection, no less than Yuan Juren of Starry Sky Cliff.
Ling Che listened to the words of the Lord of the Hall of Truth, then slowly shook his head, his eyes surging with the aftershocks of countless ages of slaughter: "The bloody battle in the Kunlun Realm back then was enough to overturn the heavens. Even the great figures who looked down upon the universe, such as Lord Wentian, Lord of the Fallen God Island, Biluo Kongchengzi, Sumeru Saint Monk, and Dragon Lord, all met their end in death. The Kunlun Realm, with the power of a single realm, directly confronted the allied forces of the ten races of the Hell Realm, which was already an act against the heavens. Even if I were added, the outcome would probably be difficult to change in the slightest."
Even Ling Che today wouldn't dare claim he could easily defeat the Ten Tribulations Heavenly Monk and the Sumeru Saint Monk of yesteryear. Those two, in any slightly weaker era, would have been qualified to contend for the position of Heavenly Venerable.
"Rest assured, Lord of the Palace, I have already laid out a contingency plan for this crisis. The Underworld will have no chance of redeeming those twelve top-tier gods without paying a bloody price," Ru Shenling said firmly, his voice resounding with confidence. Seeing his certainty, the Lord of the Palace of Truth asked no further questions.
The mountaintop wind grew increasingly fierce, sharp as knives and swords, carrying away their conversation and vanishing into the depths of the sea of clouds. The two figures stood silently, their gazes piercing through layers of starlight, looking towards the other side of this vast starry sky.
Kunlun Realm, the first gradient of the Endless Abyss.
"Damn it! That Martial Emperor is so resolute! Using such a divine power, isn't he afraid of being devoured by the backlash and exploding into death first?"
Huang Qiming huddled in the darkest corner of the abyss, his bones cracking and his breath utterly exhausted. The wound from the Emperor Wu's selfless attack was still bleeding holy blood. He cursed incessantly, his venomous voice echoing in the deathly silence of the abyss.
Twelve silver wings of the Taiyin suddenly unfurled behind him, and chilling Taiyin power, carrying monstrous demonic energy, surged forth, condensing into a blood-red demonic moon above his head. The moon's clear light shone down, and wherever it passed, the flesh at the wounds visibly began to writhe and heal—this was the second sacred intent he had comprehended, named "Taiyin Demonic Moon Sacred Intent," a top-tier third-grade sacred intent that was a fusion of the demonic path and the Taiyin path.
Huang Qiming reached into his robes and pulled out a pure white, quasi-Emperor-grade Saint Pill, radiating imperial power. His face instantly turned ashen. This was his most prized life-saving treasure, one of the few he could find in the entire Yellow Heaven Blood Division. He'd truly suffered a terrible loss! All the divine weapons and artifacts he'd looted from the Blood God Cult members were gone, and now he had to give up his only quasi-Emperor-grade Saint Pill—it was a complete financial disaster!
"Forget it, as long as we're alive, we can always fight again. If those two catch up, we'll all lose our lives here. What's a single Saint Pill compared to that!"
He gritted his teeth and swallowed the sacred pill whole. A powerful medicinal force exploded forth, like a surging divine river, instantly engulfing his limbs and bones. His weakened aura rapidly returned, and his damaged body was restored to its original state in the blink of an eye.
Huang Qiming spread his blood-red wings and exhaled a mouthful of stagnant, turbid demonic energy. His expression brightened slightly, but a cloud of worry rose in his heart: "It seems I have to return to the Underworld ahead of schedule. But the divine token bestowed by the God of Fortune and Prosperity was lost during the spatial passage storm. Without the divine token, how can I cross the realm? If the powerful beings of the Kunlun Realm track me down, won't I be doomed?"
Just when Huang Qiming was at his wit's end, the blood tablet of the Huangtian tribe on his body suddenly burst forth with a blinding blood light!
He hurriedly removed the blood-stained stele, only to see it tremble. Endless essence blood surged forth from it like a tide, churning and condensing in the void, transforming into a blood-red bat that blotted out the sky. Its wingspan stretched a thousand feet, and a terrifying aura swept outwards, even freezing the gale-force winds of the abyss.
"The spirit of the Blood Monument... has actually revived?" Huang Qiming's face showed surprise, and his heart was filled with shock. "Could it have sensed something? Could it be... the aura of my unfortunate uncle?"
The uncle he spoke of was a powerful figure from the Yellow Heaven Blood Tribe. Ten thousand years ago, he had entered the Kunlun Realm with the vast army of the Hell Realm, but ultimately perished on this land, never to be heard from again.
Although the spirit of this Blood Stele possessed a majestic aura and overwhelming ferocity, its consciousness was extremely blurred. Recalling the ancient war of the gods, the Undying Blood Clan patriarch once combined the thirteen Blood Steles into one, withstanding the full force of the Emperor's Divine Ruler wielded by the Ten Tribulations Heavenly Lord. The power of that divine weapon failed to destroy the Blood Stele, demonstrating its incredible resilience. However, over the past tens of thousands of years, although the Blood Stele has absorbed the essence and blood of countless beings, gradually regaining its power, the spirit that was shattered by the Emperor's Divine Ruler's attack remains irreparable.
Huang Qiming watched as the spirit of the Blood Monument danced and gesticulated wildly, emitting low growls. He was completely bewildered and could not understand its intentions at all.
"Senior, I'm really sorry, I really didn't understand what you meant." He shrugged helplessly.
The spirit of the Blood Monument seemed to be extremely angry. It suddenly flapped its wings, creating a gust of foul wind, and carried Huang Qiming directly on its back, flying swiftly towards the deeper part of the endless abyss...
Meanwhile, in the Kunlun Realm, the once-in-a-millennium Righteous and Demonic Tournament is about to begin.
The host position for this grand event should have belonged to the Holy Central Empire, the overlord of the Central Region. However, due to a private agreement between the Demon Emperor of the Moon Worshiping Demon Cult and the Emperor of Ming, the position ultimately fell to the Moon Worshiping Demon Cult.
The Moon Worshiping Demonic Cult chose Dragon Head Mountain in the Central Region as the venue for its grand assembly. This place is a sacred land in the Kunlun Realm, said to be the transformation of an ancient divine dragon that fell from the heavens. The mountain range stretches for tens of thousands of miles, like a dragon's spine that spans the heavens and the earth. The main peak pierces the clouds, reaching a height of ten thousand feet, resembling a dragon's head raised as if about to take flight, naturally exuding an aura of dominance over the universe.
The disciples of the Moon Worshiping Demonic Cult had already gathered here, using sacred materials as a base and divine runes as a guide, working day and night to set up the structures. In just a few days, one after another, ornately decorated pavilions and arenas inscribed with killing array runes rose from the void and stood atop Dragon Head Mountain.
Battle flags fluttered across the mountains and plains, colliding with the dragon energy atop the peaks, creating a chilling atmosphere of holy struggle and impending storm that permeated the entire world.