Chapter 339: The Decisive Battle Begins, The Heavenly Court Crumbles

Honghu Realm, Heavenly Pillar Mountain.

Steep cliffs and jagged walls, layered rocks winding and interlocking; deep ravines hide the sun and moon, great marshes exhale clouds and mist.

One sees lush and beautiful green pines shining, vast and scattered golden lotuses in full bloom, herds of deer running between the mountains, and thousands of immortal apes leaping about.

The spiritual energy is abundant, the Dao essence is rich; in this world, it is truly a top-tier Cave Heaven Blessed Land, one look and it is clearly no ordinary place.

Of course, it is not an ordinary place.

Heavenly Pillar Mountain—this name alone explains everything.

This is no other place; it is the very pillar supporting the sky of this world, equivalent to Mount Zhou, the original pillar that supported the sky in the ancient Honghuang.

Of course,

Honghu Realm, when all is said and done, is merely a Middle Thousand World within the Honghuang macro-universe; compared to the entire Honghuang, it is but a drop in the ocean.

Do not think that because Fang Longye needs to rack his brains to scheme against Honghu Realm, this Honghu Realm is anything extraordinary in the Honghuang~

That is because Fang Longye's realm is only at this level, merely a Taiyi Loose Immortal, having just caught a glimpse of the path of the Dao.

In reality, if one casts their gaze across the entire Honghuang macro-universe, one can see that worlds like Honghu Realm are far too common~

At every moment, Ganges-sands numbers of similar worlds are born and destroyed~ Therefore, comparing this Heavenly Pillar Mountain to the former Mount Zhou is truly somewhat inappropriate; it is practically an insult to Mount Zhou.

The two simply cannot be mentioned in the same breath.

But regardless, it is enough to illustrate the importance of this Heavenly Pillar Mountain in this world~ And such a critical location would naturally be tightly guarded by the power-holders of this world—the Heavenly Court.

However~ that was in the past.

Nowadays, this territory naturally bears the surname Fang.

Oh, no~

In this world, he is not called Fang Longye. It should be said, it belongs to his avatar, Long Que~ But look at the top of this Heavenly Pillar Mountain, at the extremely high position of this world, a place difficult for ordinary people to reach.

All around is filled with churning Chaos colors, time and space have become blurred, yet there is a magnificent flying palace, lush like cloud vapor, five-colored and mysterious yellow, indescribable.

Further inside, the hall has precious trees adorned with pearls, jade, agate, and emeralds, dazzling and eye-catching; all around, spiritual mushrooms and immortal ginseng grow in abundance, many of which have even transformed into human form, looking like chubby dolls.

Wearing pigtails and belly-bands.

Some can walk, swaying back and forth, while others just crawl around, making babbling sounds.

The palace gates are wide open, the windows facing the water, reflecting the shimmering light, brilliant and radiant.

Countless strands of Purple-Green Qi come from all directions, pouring into the palace, under the eaves, behind the stones, on the trees, and before the windows, making tinkling sounds.

It is very clear that this flying palace is not a simple palace, but a rare and precious treasure.

At least in this world, it is indeed so.

As mentioned before, after that Taiyi Golden Immortal realm Honghu perished, all its most precious treasures were scattered throughout this world formed from its remains.

And this palace, or rather, Dao Palace, is one such thing.

With the opening of this heaven and earth, through the baptism of creation, it was nearly reshaped, becoming a treasure born in response to the fortune of this world, and its essence has been significantly enhanced.

Especially in this Honghu Realm, a treasure of such origin is equivalent to an Innate Treasure, capable of drawing upon the power of the heaven and earth of Honghu Realm.

Fang Longye sits upright within it, wearing a gorgeous Dharma robe, with faint clear light behind him, exceptionally pure.

He holds a half-open Dao Scripture, the seal characters resembling bird shapes, like bells and drums, reading it earnestly.

This Dao Scripture is precisely the general outline of the cultivation methods of this world. Like the Dao Palace beneath his feet, it was obtained from those first-generation Heavenly Clan members who refused to submit to Chonghua.

After all, these elders of the Heavenly Clan who refused to submit to Chonghua's rule were mostly Innate Spirits, appearing very early in this world.

Whatever good things that Honghu had, they were basically all in their hands~ Clearly,

Unlike what Chonghua and the others imagine, the two sides are not in an alliance.

Fang Longye attacked them directly.

He captured and subdued these few Heavenly Clan elders one by one, even brainwashing and converting them, using them as thugs to cheer for him and fight to the death.

Otherwise, the good things in the hands of these Heavenly Clan elders would not have reached him.

Isn't that so—

Look at him sitting on the throne; below him are quite a few first-generation Heavenly Clan members kneeling, men and women, old and young, no less than ten in number.

All are at the Golden Immortal level, which can be considered the ceiling in this world.

The gaze of each one looking at Fang Longye is filled with admiration and fanaticism; clearly, their own wills have been twisted, and they have degenerated into beings similar to fanatical believers.

Although he is only an avatar in this world, and he does not have the skills of those bald donkeys of the Brahma sect to convert the living beings of a world.

But if it is just brainwashing and converting a few, this avatar of his can still manage it.

And as long as he brainwashes and converts some of the high-ranking existences among the Heavenly Clan, the rest will naturally follow him blindly, and even accept him as the Heavenly Emperor.

"It's a pity that the Xun Wood was actually taken by that fellow Chonghua to the Heavenly Court~"

Fang Longye puts down the Dao Scripture in his hand, his gaze landing on a spot on Heavenly Pillar Mountain, and he frowns.

That was originally the place where the sky-supporting tree of this world grew, but now it is empty.

It was when he attacked Heavenly Pillar Mountain before that Chonghua saw the situation was not good, swept away all kinds of treasures on Heavenly Pillar Mountain, and retreated from this mountain.

That Xun Wood, his initial goal for coming to Honghu Realm, as the sky-supporting tree of this world, was naturally incomparably precious.

And naturally, it would not be handed over by Chonghua.

Almost immediately, this well-grown Spiritual Root was taken to his own lair.

"However,"

Fang Longye raises his head, his gaze piercing through everything, looking toward that dark time and space where the Heavenly Court is located, and he chuckles coldly: "The monk may run, but the temple cannot!"

Once the Heavenly Court is taken and he ascends as Heavenly Emperor, and his true self is brought over, everything in this world will be in his pocket.

"After brainwashing and converting the three newly captured Golden Immortals, we will organize the army and march straight to the Heavenly Court!"

Fang Longye's gaze is sharp, his voice cold.

……

Honghu Realm, the land of the West Wasteland.

In the mountains, thick fog seals the ridges year-round; looking upward, it is a vast expanse of white that the wind cannot disperse, covering everything around.

It is gloomy and eerie, cold and damp.

On this day, one could only hear rustling sounds coming from the mountains as several hundred members of the Heavenly Clan, who had narrowly escaped from the Heavenly Court, turned around the mountainside.

Each one was covered in wounds and dejected, unable to even hold their weapons steady—"To turn our blades against our own kin, how could it come to this!"

Leading them was a female immortal with disheveled hair and tattered robes, revealing a graceful figure; her jade-like face held anger and terror as she said bitterly, "That Longque Divine Venerable truly shows no mercy in his strikes; he really leaves us no path to survive."

The others heard this and said nothing.

Firstly,

they had all witnessed with their own eyes the Heavenly Court being attacked, and with the fierce flames of that Longque Divine Venerable, the collapse of the Heavenly Court was imminent; it was not even impossible that the Heavenly Emperor might fall.

As members of the Heavenly Court who had held out until the final battle, even though they were now fleeing in defeat and had not persisted to the very end, their loyalty to the Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Emperor was beyond question.

Therefore, they all felt heavy-hearted.

Secondly, it was also related to loyalty.

They all had self-awareness; as members who had held out until the final battle, in the eyes of the enemy, they were naturally die-hard elements.

One could not blame the other side for not observing the bonds of the same clan and for hunting them down to prevent future trouble.

Putting themselves in their shoes, if it were them, they feared they would act the same way. In a life-or-death war, what use was there in talking about the bonds of the same clan? What use was there in talking about showing mercy? As the leader, this female immortal also understood this principle; her words just now were merely out of indignation.

At this moment, having calmed down, she said in a deep voice, "Head toward the overseas regions; we will find a way out then!"

Facing the confusion in the eyes of the Heavenly Clan members as they looked at her upon hearing these words, she let out a breath and said:

"When the world was first opened, the Heavenly Clan was scattered across all parts of the world, but later, His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor rose up, established the Heavenly Court, and incorporated the first generation of the Heavenly Clan, which is why he could command the world, with the Four Seas and the Eight Wastelands following in his wake."

The female immortal's expression became increasingly firm, and her words were like iron as she said:

"However, the world is vast, and submission is not the only path one can take. Are those old things who have now allied with Longque Divine Venerable not examples of this?"

Speaking to this point, her tone became bitter; she paused, then continued: "We can very well imitate them, avoid the enemy's edge, wait quietly for the opportune time, and then sweep back again!"

"That is true..." The crowd heard this and nodded secretly; the world was vast and there were many places to go. As long as they were determined to hide and play hide-and-seek with the enemy, it was not impossible.

Although they would lose the indulgence they once had in the Heavenly Court, at least they could preserve their lives.

"But—"

Someone hesitated, swallowed their saliva, and said in a low voice, "Then are we just going to ignore His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor?"

The female immortal heard this and glanced at the other person with a cold gaze, though her tone softened as she said, "Do not forget that there is still His Highness Crown Prince Chonghua—"

Everyone understood.

It was true; although His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor would likely meet with misfortune, with His Majesty's ability, sending Crown Prince Chonghua away from the danger zone would not be a problem.

"What we must do now is not to make meaningless sacrifices, but to find His Highness the Crown Prince as quickly as possible, then endure humiliation and bear the burden, waiting quietly for the opportune time!"

After comforting the remnants of her troops, the female immortal waved her cloud-sleeves and shouted to encourage them.

"Good, good, good! Never would I have thought that His Majesty Chonghua still had such loyal subjects; it is truly moving and lamentable!"

Accompanied by an eerie laugh, the words came from the void, causing these remnants who had finally mustered some morale to tremble all over.

Boom—

Before the words had even faded, a thunderous sound arrived, and then an overwhelming Aura erupted from the void, rushing straight to the clouds.

Wherever it passed, the clouds and mist that never dispersed in the mountain range suddenly vanished; after a moment, golden light permeated the mountains, revealing the scenery within.

The Danqiu pools were red, and fallen leaves danced.

Cliff rocks and cold trees, gnarled pines with old trunks.

Amidst the craggy mountain rocks, clusters of golden light swayed, making the surroundings look magnificent.

However, these hundreds of Heavenly Court members had no mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery here.

They all raised their heads and looked not far away.

There, space tore open, and a behemoth leaped out; three bird heads gathered together, feathers fluttering, and six sharp claws like hooks—with every wave and fall, the space before them rippled like water.

"Divine Lord Bifu?"

Among the crowd of the Heavenly Clan, the leading female immortal's expression turned ugly.

This Divine Lord Bifu was a major figure of the former Heavenly Court; in the past, she would not have even been able to make contact with him.

"Divine Lord Bifu, you were always the most respectful toward His Majesty in the past; have you also rebelled now?"

The female immortal's face was pale, and her voice was filled with despair—unfortunately,

Bifu, who had already been brainwashed and converted by Fang Longye, remained unmoved no matter what she said.

Even the fact that he could call Chonghua 'His Majesty' just now could be considered a sign that his original nature was not yet entirely extinguished—

"Remnants of Chonghua, kill!"

Above the extreme heavens, where the Heavenly Court was located.

More than ten days had passed since Fang Longye led the integrated army and struck into the Heavenly Court.

The battle between the two sides had long since reached a white-hot stage.

Even from far away on the earth, one could hear the constant explosions from the Heavenly Court and see stars emerging from it from time to time.

Then, with a boom, they would fall continuously.

Falling at an incredible speed while carrying fragments of the Heavenly Court, they ground against the surroundings, sparking star-fire and trailing long rainbow-colored tails.

Illuminating all directions, unstoppable.

It was as if meteors filled the sky, which was quite beautiful.

However, beautiful as it was, when it landed on the earth, it was a world-destroying disaster.

One could see lakes being gouged out upon impact, filled with starry waves; the momentum was beyond imagination, causing the earth to constantly undergo the great changes of seas turning into mulberry fields—"Chonghua!"

Amidst the broken walls and ruined pillars, a group of Heavenly Clan elders who had "defected" to Fang Longye, who had manifested as Longque, stood with wings on their backs or bird heads on human bodies, their heads crowned with various Spirit Treasures, surrounding the Heavenly Emperor Chonghua as they sneered, "Your era has already passed!"

"That's right!"

"It is time to exit the stage of heaven and earth!"

"You indulged the Heavenly Clan in their evil, and during your reign, you even invited enemies from beyond the heavens; you are unworthy of being the Heavenly Emperor!"

"Fortunately, Lord Longque has followed the mandate of heaven to shatter your rotten old heaven, and in the future, he will establish a new Heavenly Court to lead us toward a bright future!"

These Golden Immortals had all been secretly brainwashed and converted by Fang Longye, so naturally, their mouths were filled with endless flattery and praise for him.

It was a case of hitting the mark by accident.

Many great figures were clapping and cheering for Fang Longye's ascension, singing praises of how glorious, upright, and correct Fang Longye's ascension to Heavenly Emperor was—the ignorant and blindly following billions of the Heavenly Clan were naturally deeply influenced, one after another feeling that Longque Divine Venerable's ascension to Heavenly Emperor was indeed the destiny of heaven.

"You—"

Already severely injured, Chonghua had purple and blue light surging to the heavens from his crown, holding up his companion Spirit Treasure, the Nine Suns Bell; on his handsome face, there was neither joy nor sorrow, and the Aura on his body climbed step by step as he said, "Pay the price!"

As the words fell, he let out a sharp shout, his body rising, merging with the Nine Suns Bell as one, and erupted violently, charging toward Fang Longye.

Looking at his appearance, he was actually going to perish together with his enemy.

The first living being of the Innate, the Lord of the Heavenly Court, would only die standing, never live kneeling! Better to be a broken jade than a whole tile! Feeling the might of Chonghua after burning everything, Fang Longye could not help but feel his heart jump.

He was actually able to make this avatar of his, which came from a Taiyi Loose Immortal, feel a sense of threat—and a thick crisis of death at that.

It could be called a narrow escape from death! Yet, it was Chonghua using the World Will to temporarily raise his own power to the Taiyi level.

Fang Longye was just about to Jieyin the power of his true self from outside the realm to bolster this avatar to deal with this desperate strike from Chonghua—unexpectedly, the situation changed suddenly.

The space-time before his eyes rolled up like a beaded curtain, layer upon layer, and a point of spiritual light suddenly appeared; in an instant, the surging Aura swelled, transforming into a large banner.

The pole of this large banner was straight, wrapped in green patterns like a coiling dragon or snake, and lotus flowers bloomed all over the surface of the banner.

Layer upon layer, fold upon fold.

Every lotus flower leaped with a plain white color, and as the large banner shook, the sun, moon, and stars all vanished, leaving only the torrent of space rolling in—

This precious banner did not have much offensive power, but it could mobilize the spatial Dao rules of this heaven and earth, manifesting in folding and twisting.

He saw the space around him collapse suddenly.

Not only was his body from the abdomen down folded and twisted into another space, but he was also surrounded by countless layers of space, layer upon layer, with no end in sight.

Under the suppression of this precious banner, it was very sluggish.

With Fang Longye's attainments in space, he could not break it for a moment.

He could only sink into it, unable to extricate himself.

"Qiankun Banner?"

Under the means of deceiving the heavens, this avatar of Fang Longye was deeply favored by this world, so in an instant, he knew the name and information of this precious banner from the revelation of heaven and earth.

"Another so-called 'Innate Treasure'."

His eyes were like torches as he looked at the patterns on this precious banner; they were innate textures that naturally matched the operation of this world.

Clearly, like those "Innate Treasures" he had obtained, they were all treasures left behind by that Honghu, which had evolved and transformed during the opening of the world.

Observing its appearance and function, the predecessor of this precious banner, when it was in the outside world, should have been a replica of that Innate Spiritual Treasure, the 'Plain Cloud Boundary Flag'—such a treasure, in its essence, was naturally far from being comparable to the series of Innate Spiritual Treasures born when the Honghuang was opened.

But in this world, its status was that of an Innate Spiritual Treasure; with one roll and one stretch, it could induce the Great Dao to harmonize.

Therefore,

Caught off guard, Fang Longye, who had profound attainments in the way of space, was temporarily helpless.

However, he was not nervous at all, only revealing a strange expression on his face.

Even for a moment,

He could not even spare the effort to communicate with his true self and Jieyin power over to break the confinement of this Qiankun Banner—he only looked forward with a strange expression.

It turned out that after Chonghua threw out the Qiankun Banner and confined Fang Longye, he did not come toward him, but instead folded his body and changed direction.

He was charging toward that group of Heavenly Clan elders! (End of chapter)