Chapter 588: Three Thousand Star Gods

"Doumu ascends to the precious throne; beneath the seat, she nurtures the spirit, cultivates the essence and soul, and draws in the Qi with a rush, the Qi entering the profound mysteries. She harmonizes with the spiritual wind, the purple void billowing and flourishing, her fruit verifying the profound spirit. The wondrous Great Dao releases boundless, subtle light, illuminating the Starry Sky of the Flowery Pool; Mother of all stars, Ancestor of all stars..."

The chanting of the scripture rose once more, praising Doumu.

Behind Li Heng, the Dharma Aspect of Doumu Yuanjun gradually manifested.

She appeared as a giant deity with four faces and eight arms, standing between Heaven and Earth, towering in the Void, opening up chaos, and creating the stars. Strands of brilliant world-star-rivers circled the body of the Dharma Aspect like floating jade belts; draped in starlight, countless stars flowed out from the star-rivers, dotting the boundless Starry Sky like bright pearls.

From this, stars were born; from this, the Starry Sky was born!

The Venerables watching the battle were moved once again.

What kind of Dharma Aspect was this? It was actually even more powerful than the one that had just crushed Xingzun's Star Path head-on, with nothing less than that. Moreover, observing its ancient aura, it seemed that such a powerful existence had already existed in the infinite past?

Yet their Multiverse Alliance stood within the ancient past; why had they not perceived or known even a shred of information about it?

"Time, do you know its origin?"

A question arose, and the Venerables cast their gazes toward a Venerable in the corner who was silently watching the battle, surrounded by the flowing River of Time, seemingly a manifestation of the Dao of Time.

Time spoke.

"The origin is ancient, but I do not know the detailed information."

The Venerables were astonished; an ancient existence that even Time, who attained the Dao through the River of Time, did not know? Could it be that the origin of this Dharma Aspect was beyond the scope controlled by their Multiverse Alliance?

"Heh, what is the use of asking this guy? He cannot even handle his own ancestor, the Time-Space Mother River; he cannot trace the origin of time above, nor reach the end of the Void below. What is the use of him?"

Suddenly, Kong Zunzhe spoke up, mocking him.

"Fellow Daoist Kong Zunzhe, you jest. Where would there be any ancestor? It is a consensus among us fellow Daoists that that Mother River must be a man-made product; otherwise, it would not be so vast and anomalous. Since that is the case, it must be the work of an existence of a higher realm. We cannot trace it to its end; what is strange about that?"

"So why must you mock me? You cannot do it either."

Guangyin's expression was calm, responding indifferently.

"Eh, Guangyin, it is not as if you do not know that Fellow Daoist Kong Venerable has always looked down on you; why take it so seriously? Could it be that the two of you want to start a Great Dao struggle right now?"

"That would be fine; the winner takes all."

A Venerable whose entire body was composed of flames, but who, upon closer inspection, revealed that these flames were everything—composing time, space, Heaven and Earth, the Five Elements, and Yin and Yang—spoke with a smile.

"Huo Venerable, do not stir up trouble. Do not think my faction has no one. What, want to fight? Why don't you choose between me and Guangyin?"

A massive turtle spoke up.

"That won't do, Lao Gui. Everyone knows I only stir up trouble and will not enter the fray myself." Huo Zunzhe narrowed his eyes and spoke.

"Why are you all arguing again?"

That Venerable with an ordinary aura and an ordinary human appearance frowned, "Do you want me to make you calm down? Everyone is from the Multiverse Alliance; why damage the harmony at a time like this?"

"Fan, just let the two of them fight. No matter how high the dam is built, it will collapse in the face of an endless flood. It is time to release the flood and let their factions have a fight."

"Besides, what is there to watch now? Xingzun is sure to lose."

Huo Zunzhe continued to stir up trouble, smiling as he spoke.

"I will not lose!"

In the Void, on the Space-Time Road, the Dao Body of Xingzun roared. A heaven-sized humiliation, simply a monstrous humiliation! He had actually been crushed head-on by another in the Star Path.

And it was a crushing defeat!

"Fellow Daoist, impotent rage cannot solve the current problem." Li Heng smiled as he spoke, the Dharma Aspect of Doumu Yuanjun behind him moving slightly, transforming into the source of the stars. He intended not only to crush Xingzun head-on but also to completely seize Xingzun's authority over the Star Path.

Xingzun immediately felt that something was wrong.

If his being crushed head-on by Li Heng just now meant he had temporarily lost the power to control the stars—like two emperors contending, where he, the emperor, had fallen into a disadvantageous position and could not command the world, but had not yet been completely defeated and still had a chance to turn the tables—

Then now, a higher-level power was interfering, seemingly wanting to declare that he, the emperor, he, the Lord of All Stars, was not the legitimate ruler, intending to abolish his imperial throne, completely strip away his status, and erase his cultivation from the root.

But why, on what basis?

What power, what Dharma Aspect could negate his achievements and status from a higher level? His position as the Lord of All Stars was not bestowed by others; he had fought his way up from weak to strong!

But he had no time to think.

"I am the Lord of All Stars, don't even think about it!"

Xingzun shouted, wanting to regain control over the Star Path, but discovered that the immeasurable stars had already rejected him; the All-Heaven Stars that had originally been loyal and submissive to him were turning to another!

His expression shifted uncertainly, and he made a prompt decision.

"Decree the Star Gods, three thousand Star Gods, come forth!"

As the saying goes, when the emperor is in trouble, the Artifact is in danger, and power is slipping away, one decrees the various feudal lords to enter the capital to suppress the rebellion and save the emperor in times of crisis; decreeing the Star Gods was this very tactic.

It was just that this would also lead to the situation of "holding the emperor to command the lords," so he had never used this move before. But now the situation was urgent, and he had no choice but to use it.

As for who the Star Gods were?

Naturally, they were not the stars already controlled by Li Heng.

But rather... other Venerables or Supreme Sacred ones!

If he couldn't handle it himself, he would call for people. Although this was indeed a bit shameful, he couldn't care about that anymore. He was not a lone wolf; he had a powerful faction behind him. Surely this entire faction couldn't be unable to defeat this Li Daoren before him, right?

The Venerables watching the battle were overjoyed at the sight.

"This is interesting now. Xingzun was actually forced to release his control over the Star Path and create the positions of three thousand Star Gods? This Li Daoren is truly strong!"

"Fellow Daoists, who is interested in entering this Star Path and getting a share of these Star God positions? Although it won't be enough to seize Xingzun's supreme position in the future, it will make him owe a great Causality."

"Not bad, not bad. Xingzun has held onto the Star Path for too long, causing many juniors beneath us who practice the Star Path to be unable to progress and forced to switch to other Daos. Now there are vacancies..."

As these words were spoken, the eyes of the Venerables flickered.

These Star God positions were formed by Xingzun splitting his Star God authority. Once occupied, it was highly feasible to either make Xingzun owe a great Causality, secure opportunities for juniors, or simply disgust Xingzun.

However, this could not be done by their true selves; they had to cover their tracks.

And so, very quickly, the three thousand Star God positions were filled.

Xingzun was suddenly overjoyed; although his authority had been split, it was worth it if he could solve the current situation. He hurriedly used these three thousand stars as a foundation to once again evolve the All-Heaven Stars, wanting to manifest the infinite Starry Sky again and collide with Li Heng.

Power had slipped away, and his status as the Lord of All Stars had been diminished, but so what?

This position was fought for in the first place!

Just a moment ago, the All-Heaven Stars would not obey his commands, and having neither soldiers nor generals under his command, he was at his wit's end. But now that he had introduced an external force, with soldiers and generals at his disposal, he could fight once more and reclaim the status of the Lord of All Stars.

Li Hong looked at these three thousand Star Gods with their vastly different auras and sighed slightly, already understanding what was going on.

"Fellow Daoist, you still do not understand. This battle is not some struggle for power; if you are the Emperor and Son of Heaven, then I am Heaven, and imperial power is bestowed by Heaven."