Chapter 862: Chapter 862
The road ahead was relatively safe.
The Light of Humanity warship drifted through space for a long time before finally entering human territory.
As it crossed the boundary, countless migrating flying ships and warships came into view, scattered in every direction. Compared to the Light of Humanity, these ships were far inferior. They were slow, clumsy, and lacked any real defensive systems.
Sometimes, when a powerful being sped through the core layer of the Astral World, the resulting ripple would throw the Astral Gods piloting these ships into a flurry of panic.
But times had changed. With the Eternal Oblivion Force becoming frighteningly sensitive, it had become extremely dangerous for Astral Gods to operate flying ships. A single mishap could trigger a tidal surge of that force.
If that happened, the entire ship would be overturned, and both the Astral Gods and the ascended beings aboard would be swallowed whole by the Eternal Oblivion Force.
Li Pin stood on the deck of the Light of Humanity, his gaze piercing through the core layer of the Astral World, extending deep into the inner and even outer layers. "These Astral Gods..."
From his vantage point, he could clearly see a steady stream of flying ships and Astral Gods converging on the core of human territory from all directions.
From time to time, the brilliance of an Astral God would suddenly flare, as they gave in to despair, surrendering to the Eternal Oblivion Force and plunging into the Material World.
Standing beside Li Pin, Ji Shun said, "Once Astral Gods reach the Sacred Monarch or Heavenly Emperor Realm, their safety improves significantly. Many of them refuse to serve under others and instead manifest their own territories around the outer edges of the Four Continents, creating lands and kingdoms of their own.
"On one hand, this helps them better comprehend their realm. On the other, each Sacred Monarch or Heavenly Emperor often represents a powerful backing force. By forming these continents, they provide a place for those forces to gain a foothold and settle.
"At the same time, they also welcome other Astral Gods to reside on their formed continents, offering them protection in exchange for resources..."
Li Pin lowered his gaze. These so-called continents are, in fact, the True Bodies of the Sacred Monarchs and Heavenly Emperors.
In theory, Astral Gods who lived on them were expected to pay tribute and come to their aid during times of crisis. It was a system that came with many obligations and few benefits.
If the Sacred Monarchs and Heavenly Emperors were akin to kingdoms, then the Astral Gods were merely the common folk. The common folk paid taxes, worked hard without complaint, and when war broke out, they were the first to take up arms and lay down their lives. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel~fire~net
It sounded cruel, but as long as the outside world remained perilous and the propaganda convincing, there would always be Astral Gods willing to seek shelter under their wings.
"But now," Ji Shun continued, "the Astral World has changed."
"The outside world's become far too dangerous," Li Pin replied.
The Sacred Monarchs and Heavenly Emperors had no choice but to withdraw their True Bodies, dissolving mountains, rivers, and even entire continents back into pure energy to forge Divine Bodies instead.
As for those fleeing in flying ships now, those were Astral Gods who had already lost their homes.
Li Pin also spotted a few continents, but they were rapidly shrinking. The Sacred Monarchs moved more slowly than the Heavenly Emperors. At this rate, it was clear that in another hundred years, there would be very little territory left under human control.
"They... are they heading toward the Four Continents?"
Ji Shun nodded slightly. "The only truly safe places in human territory now are the Eastern Hua, Western Ling, Southern Li, and Northern Xuan Continents. These Four Continents are remnants left behind by the Supremes. They're similar in nature to the Humanity Sanctum of the Sacred Flame Hall—just in a different form. Their safety is fairly well secured..."
"Safety is secured?" Li Pin asked. "Can the Four Continents accommodate so many Astral Gods?"
Ji Shun fell silent. The Four Continents are already densely populated with Astral Gods. Every mountain, river, and even tree had an owner. If such a large influx came all at once...
Li Pin pressed, "Also, are the Four Continents truly absolutely safe?"
"Absolutely safe..." Ji Shun thought for a moment. "If anywhere is absolutely safe, it's the Myriad Astral God Hall. It lies at the center of the Four Continents and is protected by Supremes, including Transcendent Equiheaven, who used the Divine Creation Jade to set an unparalleled formation. Even the Eternal Oblivion Tsunami won't affect it."
The Divine Martial Emperor stepped forward, his voice heavy. "That place really hasn't been touched. The Divine Creation Jade is the core that establishes the rules of the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations. No matter how far the Eternal Oblivion Disaster spreads, it cannot breach the zones protected by the Jade.
"Right now, the only truly safe area in the Astral World is the territory that holds the Nine Races' Divine Creation Jade."
After speaking, he glanced at Ji Shun. "We're in trouble."
"Did Divine Emperor Xi fail to seize Jin'que?" asked Ji Shun, worry gnawing at his heart.
The Divine Martial Emperor responded, "No, it's not that he failed; he never even acted."
Li Pin quickly pieced things together from their conversation. "So a major battle broke out in the Myriad Astral God Hall? A struggle for control?"
The Divine Martial Emperor gave a solemn nod. "The Myriad Astral God Hall is the heart of the Human Race. At its center lies the Divine Creation Jade, once guarded by five Heavenly Emperors. It's the key to activating the Supreme Treasure that could rewrite the rules of the Astral World.
"When the Supreme beings realized Jin'que had defected to the Astral Lord Council and betrayed humanity, they ordered Divine Emperor Xi to rally the Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs in the Hall to capture Jin'que and reclaim the Hall."
His eyes showed pain. "But not only did Divine Emperor Xi refuse to act, Jin'que struck first. Before the Sacred Monarch and Heavenly Emperors of the five factions could gather, Jin'que used the Hall's Grand Celestial Constellation Cycle Formation to crush the resistance. Many Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs were killed, injured, fled, or surrendered. Now, the entire Myriad Astral God Hall lies in Jin'que's hands."
Li Pin knew that the five factions referred to the Endless Divine Mountains, the Astral World Research Institute, the Omni-Merchant Guild, the Sacred Flame Hall, and the Heaven Ordainment Sect.
Li Pin said, "They might have been caught off guard, but what about the Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs of the five factions who were outside the hall? Did they make any move to coordinate with the forces inside?"
"The five major factions moved hastily and managed to mobilize eighteen Heavenly Emperors... but they were all held back."
"Eighteen Heavenly Emperors, held back!? By who?"
"Divine Emperor Zhu Zhao," the Divine Martial Emperor said solemnly. "He's one of the Nine Astral Lords of the Astral Lord Council."
Zhu Zhao was one of the Human Race's three Divine Emperors.
Of the three, Zhu Zhao and You Ying were stationed at critical strongholds, while Xi guarded the core region of the Myriad Astral God Hall.
But this time... Divine Emperor You Ying stayed put at Abyssal Rift No. 3 and made no move; Xi remained neutral, simply watching the chaos unfold.
That made Divine Emperor Zhu Zhao's power unstoppable.
In an environment where the Eternal Oblivion Force had become highly sensitive, stopping eighteen Heavenly Emperors from the Five Major Factions alone was no longer just a wild notion.
Ji Shun let out a sigh. "We acted too rashly. At the same time, we underestimated the Astral Lord Council's patience... and how terrifying their power would be once it erupted."
"There wasn't much choice. After Jin'que took control of the Myriad Astral God Hall, he declared that anyone fighting for it would be granted sanctuary inside. As the nominal Central Sovereign Heavenly Emperor, and with the Hall as the legitimate faction of the Human Race, he quickly drew many Tyrants and Cosmic Radiances, along with some Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs, to his side.
"To prevent his forces from growing too large and to avoid even greater losses within the Human Race once the war broke out, Heavenly Emperor Wu Dang of the Heaven Ordainment Sect decided to act swiftly, launching a blitz to try to end it..."
The Divine Martial Emperor stopped there because the outcome didn't need to be spelled out. Clearly, they failed and suffered massive losses.
That defeat forced many of the Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs trapped inside the Myriad Astral God Hall to, either directly or indirectly, side with Jin'que. This further strengthened his power. Any future attack on the Hall would be much harder to pull off.
"What's the situation now?" Li Pin asked.
The Divine Martial Emperor replied, "Since Heavenly Emperor Wu Dang's failed strike, tensions have flared among the five major factions. But overall, things have stayed stable. What worries us most is when the Astral Lords Council will give birth to the Universe's Child. Once that happens, and the Child breaks through using the fortune it's gathered..."
Li Pin didn't need the rest. He already understood how many factions would then flock to the Astral Lords Council's side.
Just then, Heavenly Emperor Bi You hurried over, a trace of excitement in his voice. "Gu You, we've contacted Divine Emperor Xi."
Ji Shun and the Divine Martial Emperor exchanged a glance before moving swiftly toward the warship. Li Pin followed closely behind.
Inside the warship, Gu You held a jade stone that emitted a faint light projection.. The interference from the Eternal Oblivion Force had blurred it slightly, but Gu You still recognized his master, Divine Emperor Xi, one of the three Pillars who upheld the Human race in the Astral World.
Despite being his disciple, Gu You's heart was heavy with confusion and frustration. He couldn't understand how his revered master had chosen this path, especially how he could turn a blind eye to the fates of his other two disciples.
Just as Li Pin, Ji Shun, and the Divine Martial Emperor caught up, Gu You's desperate question echoed, "Why? Why did you stand by and do nothing while Heavenly Emperor Wu Dang and the others took action!?"
Divine Emperor Xi didn't answer. He merely spoke calmly. "I assume everyone is here?"
Divine Martial Emperor, who had just arrived with several other hurried Heavenly Emperors, stepped forward. "Divine Emperor Xi."
He spoke solemnly, "We've served together in the Myriad Astral God Hall. I've always respected you, not just for your cultivation skills, but for your unwavering dedication to guarding the Human faction's core. But this time, I honestly can't understand."
Divine Emperor Xi replied nonchalantly, "You should be thanking me. Thank me for not turning against you like Zhu Zhao did, but choosing to stay neutral."
His words gave Divine Martial Emperor Ji Shun and the others a clear idea of his stance, but it only left them with more questions.
"Why? What exactly did Jin'que promise you that made you abandon thousands of years protecting the Myriad Astral God Hall and stand aside during this rebellion?"
Divine Emperor Xi's gaze seemed to pierce through time and space as it locked on the Divine Martial Emperor. "A promise..."
The Divine Martial Emperor held his ground and met the Divine Emperor's gaze head-on.
After a long pause, the most powerful figure of the Human Race in the Astral World spoke slowly, "Because of the path."
Divine Emperor Xi's tone turned elusive. "Is there a possibility that... the Supreme and the Highlord paths... have been flawed from the very beginning?"