novelraw Chapter 120 The Chess Game Begins
Chapter 120 The Chess Game Begins
Fifty thousand years have passed. After the final divine war in the Boundless Divine Sea, which stained the heavens with blood and shook the polar order, came to an end, the Hell Realm has kept its military might in check, guarding its own territory, and has never again launched a large-scale divine war that spans the Heavenly Court and Hell.
The universe was able to maintain a brief period of peace for fifty thousand years, the starry sea was stable, and all races could recuperate and thrive.
But tranquility is never permanent; dormancy is only for the thunder to rise again.
Recently, earth-shattering news spread from the Temple of Destiny in the Underworld: the Death God, who had been in seclusion, broke through his shackles and ascended to the realm of indestructible immeasurability, joining the ranks of the strongest among all the heavens.
With the rise of this giant who controls death, the war machine of hell, which had been dormant for 50,000 years, was completely restarted. Under the leadership and coordination of the God of Death, the various races of hell mobilized their troops and deployed their battle lines, gradually encroaching on the border star fields of the Heavenly Court. The tense situation of the bipolar confrontation was once again brought to a crescendo, and the shadow of a great war sweeping across the universe once again shrouded the heavens.
Compared to the impending war in the underworld, the Heavenly Court has already undergone a dramatic reshuffling of power.
Since the news of the Five Elements Temple Master breaking through to the Heavenly Venerable Realm spread throughout the heavens, this ancient Taoist holy land has completely ascended to the top of the Heavenly Court, surpassing the four eternal temples of Light, Space, Merit, and Time, and becoming the most influential force in the Heavenly Court at present.
Just then, the newly appointed Lord of the Space Temple, Zhenyu, was a disciple of the Five Elements Temple Master. The two of them, one in charge of the Five Elements Daoist lineage and the other in charge of the Space Temple, firmly controlled the two core powers, making the Five Elements Temple faction incredibly powerful and spreading throughout the various star regions of the Heavenly Court, with an unprecedented and unparalleled foundation.
In the heart of the Five Elements Temple lies a quiet and simple courtyard, devoid of dazzling divine light or unparalleled restrictions. Seemingly ordinary, it is now home to the top-tier combat power of half of the Heavenly Court.
The Five Elements Master, the Truth Palace Master, the Bright Virtue God Venerable, the Profound Dao Buddha Venerable, the True Universe God Lord, the Five Dragon God Emperor, the Heavenly Beginning God Ancestor, the Thousand Star God Ancestor, the Big Dipper God Ancestor, the Wind Clan Elder, and all the pillars of the heavens were present. Each of them was an unparalleled power who commanded respect in his region, and his every move could influence the fate of the Heavenly Court.
The air in the courtyard was heavy and the undercurrents were surging. A top-secret meeting concerning the investiture ceremony of the new generation of the Twenty Deities was quietly beginning.
The Thousand Star God Ancestor's gaze swept over the Five Elements Temple Master, Mingde, and the others, his eyes burning with fervor, his tone resolute and steady: "The Heaven Sealing Assembly has been restarted, the Twenty Heavens will reshape the universe and reconstruct the Heavenly Court's order. With the Temple Master's Heavenly Venerable status and unparalleled prestige, securing a place in the Heavenly Court is a foregone conclusion."
"The Lord of the Temple of Truth is impartial and selfless, and has been the ruler of the Heavenly Court for eternity, deeply revered by all races; the Divine Venerable of Bright Virtue is the eighth in the universe to be perfectly round and flawless, with heaven-defying combat power. With only these three people in our faction, we have firmly secured three of the Heavenly Seats, and our foundation is as solid as a rock."
This conclusion is universally acknowledged by all the heavens.
The master of the Five Elements Temple has reached the Heavenly Venerable realm, and is a supreme being who transcends death and is immeasurably powerful. His qualifications, strength, and prestige are unshakeable.
The one who governs the Temple of Truth is selfless and impartial throughout his life, and enjoys a great reputation among all the heavens and races. He will surely hold a firm position in the heavens.
Mingde possesses unparalleled spiritual power, even defeating Qingcang. His strength is enough to crush the vast majority of immortal cultivators, making the sealing of the heavens inevitable.
Looking at the Heavenly Court's current visible fighting strength, apart from Mingde and a few others, there are very few Undying Limitless Powerhouses.
The Southern Universe Demon God Realm Ancestor Chongming, the Northern Universe Myriad Ruins Realm Xuanyuan Taizu of the Xuanyuan Family, the Western Universe Heaven Realm Ke Luo and Shang Zu, the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm Da Fantian, the Eastern Universe Pangu Realm Panyuan Ancient God, plus the Heavenly Court's internal Xianxia Chi and Five Elements Temple Master, constitute the Heavenly Court's publicly known indestructible fighting force.
This is precisely why the Kunlun Realm, at its peak ten thousand years ago, made the entire Hell Realm feel as if it were facing a formidable enemy, unable to eat or sleep peacefully.
At that time, the Kunlun Realm was filled with geniuses and powerful figures. There were several top-tier experts at the peak of the Undying Boundless Realm, whose vast resources allowed them to resist the ten races of Hell with the power of a single realm.
If it weren't for the secret intervention of Mingzu and others, the Kunlun Realm might not have been defeated and sealed off, remaining silent for 100,000 years.
An indestructible and immeasurably powerful being is rare in any era and is destined to be ranked among the heavens. In weaker eras, they may even have the opportunity to become a Heavenly Venerable.
The legendary figures of Kunlun Realm, such as Lord Wentian, Lord of Fallen God Island, and the Holy Monk of Sumeru, were all powerful figures who could be ranked among the heavens. However, with the passage of time and the end of the great era, they were all sealed away in the past.
Fortunately, the Kunlun Realm still has a trump card. After a hundred thousand years of silence, Prince Shenyou has returned from the ashes, not only surviving but also breaking through to the Undying Limitless Realm. With his former prestige that shook the heavens, the Kunlun Realm's unparalleled contributions to the Heavenly Court, and his current indestructible fighting power, Prince Shenyou is sure to secure a place among the heavens in the new Heavenly Sealing Assembly.
Thus, their alliance faction firmly holds all four of the Heavenly Seats.
The Five Dragon God Emperors, the Thousand Star God Ancestor, the Big Dipper God Ancestor, the Heavenly Beginning God Ancestor, and others are all at the third level of the Great Freedom and Limitlessness, only one step away from the Undying and Limitless. They are the most elite forces in the heavens, apart from the Undying Supreme, and the strongest contenders for the heavenly positions. With the sealing of the heavens now concluded, their factions can at least seize two or three more heavenly positions.
At that time, their alliance faction will be able to occupy nearly a quarter of the power of the Twenty Heavens, enough to break the old pattern of the Four Great Rulers monopolizing the Heavenly Court's resources.
Thinking of this, the Five Dragon God Emperor, the Thousand Star God Ancestor, and others were all excited and their eyes burned with passion.
The myriad races of the heavens are constantly at odds, engaged in endless warfare, all ultimately stemming from the conflict over resources.
The reason why the high-ranking officials of the Hell Realm, including Yan Renhuan, insisted on waging war and invading the Heavenly Court year after year was because of the explosive growth of the new generation of gods in Hell, who feared that their local resources would not be enough. If they did not expand and plunder outside the realm and explore new star fields, the Hell Realm would eventually suffer from large-scale internal strife due to resource depletion, and the race would disintegrate.
This reopening of the Heavenly Sealing is the biggest opportunity to reshuffle the current Heavenly Court's structure.
The Five Elements Master's gaze was calm, seeing through the schemes of all the heavens, and he slowly spoke: "Previously, many old forces in the Heavenly Court had their own ulterior motives and secretly plotted to make the Kunlun Realm, which was about to be unsealed, the main battlefield against the Hell Realm, so as to use the Kunlun Realm to resist the Hell's army."
"With supreme experts like Prince Shenyou and Jiwang in charge, the Kunlun Realm still has its foundation. Their scheme to use others to kill will ultimately fail completely."
The Lord of the Temple of Truth said with disdain, "These hypocrites have never cared about the well-being of all living beings; all they think about is their own selfish interests."
"Their so-called joint resistance against Hell and protection of the Heavenly Court is nothing more than their coveting of the Kunlun Realm's heritage! For tens of thousands of years, they have taken advantage of countless great worlds to hollow out their foundations and destroy their lineages!"
"In my opinion, Haotian should have used ruthless and merciless methods to eliminate these cancerous forces in the Heavenly Court long ago! Especially the affiliated forces of the Heavenly Realm and the Martial Realm, whose actions are insidious and despicable, and whose methods are a hundred times more vile than those of the Dark Temple of Hell!"
The Thousand Star God Ancestor deeply agreed, harboring resentment for a long time.
The Great Realm is a top-tier realm that consistently ranks among the top three in the Western Universe. Its foundation is extremely strong. Within its borders, the three giants—the Immortal Lord, the Buddha Lord, and the Netherworld Lord—are all at the peak of the Great Freedom and Limitless cultivation. Furthermore, the Heavenly Realm, the number one ruling world among all heavens, is backing it up. Its influence is deep-rooted, so even if it harbors resentment, it can only endure it in silence.
The Five Elements Master sighed softly, his gaze clear and insightful, discerning the advantages and disadvantages of the overall situation: "The Way of Heaven is the balance of Yin and Yang, and the affairs of the world are a mixture of advantages and disadvantages. The Heavenly Court is originally a place where myriad races stand together, factions are scattered and each goes its own way, like a pile of loose sand."
"Haotian's ability to unite all the heavens and myriad realms, consolidate the power of the Heavenly Court, and protect all living beings is already an unparalleled achievement. The layers of constraints and countless difficulties involved are beyond the comprehension of outsiders."
Beside him, True Universe God-King's eyes were sharp, concealing a murderous intent, and his tone was firm and resolute: "Haotian has his own difficulties. As the sovereign of the Heavenly Court, he has too many entanglements, and it is inconvenient for him to personally use many of his thunderous methods."
"But I have no fear! We will do what Haotian cannot or is inconvenient to do!"
He understood perfectly that the law of survival in this universe was the survival of the fittest. To rapidly advance and reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao, one had to clear away obstacles, plunder resources, and devour enemies. Refining the essence of a peak Great Freedom and Boundless expert could save him countless years of arduous cultivation.
The Great Way is ruthless. If you want to make rapid progress, eating people is out of the question. Only by becoming invincible can you protect all living beings and control your destiny.
Upon hearing this, the well-dweller's spirits lifted instantly, his old eyes gleamed, and he was overjoyed.
He was always shrewd and worldly-wise, and his greatest skill was seizing opportunities and taking advantage of others. Now that his junior apprentice Zhenyu was in charge of the Space Temple and held immense power, with a Heavenly Venerable backing him, if he were determined to purge the old forces of the Heavenly Court, there would surely be opportunities and profits everywhere, and he would definitely be able to get a huge share of the pie!
"Good nephew! If you're determined to deal with those parasites in the mortal realm and the Western universe, your uncle will be the first to lend you a hand!" Daoist Jing hurriedly cupped his hands and smiled. "When you settle old enemies and seize their hidden treasures, don't forget your uncle when you encounter these opportunities!"
Zhenyu smiled upon hearing this and calmly said, "Uncle's cultivation has greatly improved, and he has already broken through to the mid-stage of the Undying Boundless Realm, with boundless power. As for your entanglement with Xu Fengjin in the past, now that our teacher has broken through to the Heavenly Venerable Realm, no one dares to make any objections."
"In my opinion, Martial Uncle, there's no need for you to remain hidden in seclusion. This Heaven-Sealing Assembly is the perfect opportunity for you to emerge from the mountains and compete for a place among the heavens!"
Zhenyu had already made plans in mind. Now that the Jingdao people's combat power has surged, they can easily suppress veterans like Ke Luo and Shang Zu, who are considered to be invincible. He could take advantage of the Sealing Heaven Conference to directly challenge the giants of the Heavenly Realm and stir up the Western universe's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or structure of the universe).
The Well Daoist's expression suddenly turned solemn, adopting a magnanimous posture of having the heavens in his heart and bravely shouldering heavy responsibilities. He solemnly said, "The position of the heavens bears the heavy responsibility of the world and carries the destiny of all races."
"As a vanguard of the Heavenly Court's Daoist altar and a pillar of the Heavenly Court, at this time of changing circumstances and the restart of chaos, it is only right that I step forward and shoulder the great responsibility of the heavens!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he revealed his true colors, looking at Zhenyu with expectant eyes: "Junior nephew, to promote the supreme prestige of my Five Elements Sect and help me ascend to the top of all heavens! Please give me a dozen more Heavenly Venerable Pills to help me break through to the peak of the Undying Boundless Realm!"
"At the Heaven-Sealing Assembly, I will first battle the Ancient God Panyuan, then defeat the Yellow Emperor! Let the world know the might of the Five Elements Divine Guardian!"
Zhenyu shook his head helplessly. The Heavenly Venerable Pill was made by Zixin Heavenly Venerable Lan, which consumed endless divine materials and Daoist essence. How could it be given away in large quantities at will? But considering that Daoist Jing had always taken care of him, he still raised his hand and threw out an exquisite jade box.
Jing Daoren took the jade box, scanned it with his divine sense, and instantly beamed with joy, all the wrinkles on his face smoothing out.
"Uncle-Master, don't be too smug." Zhenyu's smile faded, and his eyes turned serious as he instructed, "I have given you the elixir. At the Heaven-Sealing Assembly, I want you to step onto the stage in front of everyone and directly challenge Kero from the Heavenly Realm!"
Well Master patted his chest, brimming with pride: "A mere Coro is nothing to worry about, my nephew, don't worry!"
After saying that, he greedily added, "Why don't you give your martial uncle another divine pill, and he can just suppress Shang the Bearded Man all at once!"
Looking at his increasingly arrogant senior uncle, Zhenyu was both amused and exasperated. He knew that the Well Daoist, who was now close to the peak of the Undying Limitless Realm, had already surpassed the old powerhouses like Shang Zu and Ke Luo in terms of true combat strength, and indeed had the right to be arrogant.
The powerful figures in the courtyard all smiled knowingly, then composed themselves and gathered to discuss and finalize the competition rules, resource allocation, and many other matters for the Heaven Sealing Conference.
Time flies, and ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
In the vast and boundless depths of the Western universe, an extraordinary phenomenon suddenly appeared!
A colossal Buddha figure, spanning billions of miles, rose from the void, reaching the heavens and traversing the galaxy for eternity. Countless stars flickered and rotated in response, and the sacred chants of the heavens resounded throughout the universe and countless star fields.
The long river of time, silent for 100,000 years, surged violently, stirring up unprecedented tides of time. Waves swept across the past and present, giving rise to countless strange phenomena and wonders that shook the entire world.
This earth-shaking anomaly was instantly perceived by all the top experts in the universe, and all eyes in the heavens converged on the direction of the Western Kunlun Realm.
In the Yellow Springs Starfield, in the Forest of No Return, atop the World Tree in the Outer Heavens.
The Supreme Lord Yama sat upright on the cloud platform, expounding scriptures and doctrines to the Yama gods. Sensing that familiar, ancient aura, his eyes shone brightly, his gaze piercing through billions of miles of star field, firmly locking onto the direction of the Kunlun Realm.
The ancient god beside him trembled, exclaiming in surprise, "This direction... is the Kunlun Realm!"
"Indeed." Yama, the Supreme Being, slowly nodded, his voice filled with endless vicissitudes and melancholy. "Ten thousand years have passed."
"Xumi devoted his entire life's cultivation, burning his divine body to painstakingly maintain and protect Kunlun. Now that his divine power is exhausted, the 100,000-year seal on Kunlun is about to collapse!"
After speaking, Yama Taishang stopped preaching, took a step, crossed billions of star fields, and headed to the outer star space of Kunlun Domain.
Within the Temple of Fate in Hell, the Wrathful God instantly perceived the changes in heaven and earth, teleported across space, and stood in the void outside the Kunlun Realm in less than a moment.
Gazing at the towering, seemingly collapsing Buddha figure, the Wrathful God was overwhelmed with emotion. His eyes were filled with anger, regret, awe, and sorrow. All these emotions ultimately coalesced into a long sigh that transcended eternity.
"Sumeru, I... am not as good as you."
That Buddha figure spanning the Milky Way was none other than the supreme being of the Kunlun Realm ten thousand years ago, the Holy Monk Sumeru.
Ten thousand years ago, he exhausted his cultivation and Buddhist power to seal Kunlun, isolating it from the battles of the outer realms and protecting Kunlun. Now, his source is about to burn out, and he is finally nearing the end.
As if sensing the gaze of the Wrathful God, the enormous Buddha image of the Sumeru Saint Monk trembled slightly. A wisp of pure Buddhist power, carrying an object, transformed into a stream of light and burst through the air, falling into the hands of the Wrathful God.
The Wrathful God gripped the secret treasure tightly, his expression silent. He gazed deeply at the Buddha image for a moment, then turned and vanished into the void, quietly departing.
The next moment, golden light burst forth across the sky!
The majestic divine body of the Venerable Monk Sumeru transformed into countless golden raindrops, cascading down upon the sea of stars and gradually dissolving into the vast expanse of time and space. Beneath the falling light, layers upon layers of divine runes of spatial and temporal order intertwined and entwined, firmly locking the Kunlun Realm, which had been imprisoned for a hundred thousand years. The seal was completely loosened, and its revival was imminent!
In the Kunlun Realm, within the Ming Imperial Palace of the Holy Central Empire, a completely different scene of joyous celebration unfolded.
Today, the red carpet is laid out, palace lanterns hang high, auspicious clouds fill the sky, and the whole nation celebrates. The wise and enlightened Crown Prince Zhang Ruochen is engaged to Princess Chi Yao of the Central Empire of Chi Qing, and the two great human dynasties are on friendly terms. The people are overjoyed, and the land rejoices.
Unbeknownst to anyone, beneath the glamorous facade lay a bloody destiny destined to overthrow Kunlun.
Deep within the palace chambers, amidst the crimson silks, all warmth vanished, replaced only by bone-chilling cold. Zhang Ruochen stood frozen, his face ashen, his eyes filled with utter astonishment and disbelief. Crimson blood gushed from his chest, soaking his pristine white robes, and the young man collapsed limply to the bed.
Before the bed, Chi Yaoyu tightly gripped a blood-dripping sword. The sword's edge was a glaring scarlet, and drops of blood dripped down the blade, staining the red carpet.
The girl's exquisitely beautiful and aloof face was expressionless, as if frozen solid, yet deep within her clear eyes lay an extreme sorrow, forbearance, and despair that no one could fathom.
Blood stained the bed red, and the festive atmosphere filled the sky.
After a long silence, Chi Yao suppressed all her grief and suppressed all her emotions. She resolutely turned around and pushed open the door. A cold and resolute voice resounded throughout the entire palace: "Zhang Ruochen attempted to commit frivolous acts and has been killed by me!"
The world was shocked! The entire Kunlun Realm was shaken. The Holy Ming Central Empire and the Chi Qing Central Empire instantly turned against each other, and war broke out. The two top dynasties launched a fierce war, completely setting the stage for chaos in the Kunlun Realm.
As night fell, blood stained the imperial city.
A strange killing intent suddenly swept through the Ming Imperial Palace. A vast sea of blood appeared out of nowhere, enveloping the entire palace. The murderous aura was overwhelming, and ghosts howled. Several high-ranking officials of the dynasty perished on the spot, their blood staining the palace walls. The Ming Emperor was severely injured, and the body of Crown Prince Zhang Ruochen was also quietly taken away in this bloody catastrophe, its whereabouts unknown.
Beyond the Kunlun Mountains, the stars are swirling with wind and clouds.
Ling Che stood in the dark void, quietly watching the scene of the Sumeru Saint Monk's divine image dissipating and the Kunlun seal loosening. He gently shook his head, his eyes filled with melancholy.
He raised his hand to reach into the ancient, surging river of time, trying to find something. But as soon as his palm entered the river of time, a sky full of blood-red destructive divine lightning suddenly exploded out from the spatial rift, and billions of heavenly punishment lightning blocked his way, firmly blocking his path.
Ling Che remained unmoved and immediately summoned a jade disc, its entire body shrouded in chaos and imbued with mysterious Daoist principles. The jade disc floated in the void, radiating myriad divine lights of primordial chaos, creating an absolute Dao domain, and forcefully blocking the boundless divine lightning of annihilation.
Taking advantage of the moment when the Heavenly Dao's restraints loosened, he formed his five fingers into claws, probing into the depths of the turbulent river of time, precisely seizing a wisp of light, and then placing it into the Jade Emperor Cauldron to seal and conceal it.
This action completely triggered divine retribution!
The entire river of time surged violently, with towering waves, ancient and modern times reversed, spacetime in chaos, and billions of destructive lightning bolts danced wildly, bombarding Ling Che relentlessly.
Ling Che lowered his eyes to look at the bloody wound on his palm, torn apart by the destructive lightning, and sighed with a bitter smile: "Owes a favor, indeed, is the most difficult karma to repay in this world."
Endless spatial and temporal anomalies erupted wildly, the void twisted and collapsed, fragments of time flew everywhere, and countless forbidden divine figures that had existed throughout the ages awakened one after another, crossing the dimensions of time and space with world-destroying killing intent, and came to surround and kill.
Upon seeing this, Ling Che realized that he had been locked in by heaven and earth and could not escape.
Ling Che's expression darkened slightly, and he thought to himself, "In the end, I was too arrogant. Before reaching the Ancestral Realm, one should not recklessly touch the River of Time."
Just as he was about to unleash all his power to withstand the divine punishment and fight to the death to break through,
On the other side of the river of time, an unparalleled figure, towering above the thirty-six heavens, majestic and awe-inspiring, suddenly appeared.
With a simple punch, he traversed countless ages and space, his nine-colored divine energy spreading across the universe and starry sky. He shattered countless forbidden divine shadows, broke the Heavenly Dao's absolute killing restraints, and forcefully opened a sliver of life for Ling Che, stabilizing the raging river of time!
Having gained this chance to catch his breath, Ling Che no longer hesitated and unleashed all the power he had accumulated throughout his life.
The four distinct paths of cultivation—Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Demonism—simultaneously arose, merged, and unified. The jade disc shone with divine light, and the profound mysteries of the three thousand heavens emerged, all bestowing blessings upon him.
He unleashed a supreme divine power that transcends time, forcefully repelling the raging river of time and suppressing the heavenly punishment.
Then his body turned into dust, merged into the origin of the universe, shrank into a mustard seed, completely concealed time and space, severed the secrets of heaven, and eliminated all traces of existence.
In the vast void, there was no trace of Ling Che. The Heavenly Punishment, having lost its target, gradually subsided. The turbulent river of time slowly returned to its place, the chaotic and distorted spacetime stabilized, and the vast and boundless outer starry sky fell silent once more.