Chapter 437: The Truth of the Past

The Lord of the Heavenly Court's voice was calm.

Yet it was like a giant boulder falling into a lake, stirring up monstrous waves.

Divine Emperor Gu Tang... died at the hands of the Lord of the Heavenly Court?

Wasn't it said that Divine Emperor Gu Tang died after being plotted against by the Master of Light?

Could it be... that the Lord of the Heavenly Court is the Master of Light?

Lin Chao became more vigilant in an instant, looking at the Lord of the Heavenly Court, wanting to see through the mist on his body, but that mist could not be seen through at all.

However, he did not act rashly.

"Rumor has it that the Lord of the Heavenly Court was not only Divine Emperor Gu Tang's master, but also raised Divine Emperor Gu Tang from childhood.

Between the two, their bond was like father and son.

Could it be that Divine Emperor Gu Tang's reforms touched upon the interests of the Lord of the Heavenly Court?"

Lin Chao asked, not using the word "you," as if the person opposite him were not the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

"His reforms, I supported with all my might.

I even killed a Purple-Robed Elder of the Heavenly Court for this!" the Lord of the Heavenly Court spoke, his voice sounding strange.

A Purple-Robed Elder is not an ordinary Elder, but an Elder with Strong Divine Power.

It was precisely because of the Lord of the Heavenly Court's forceful action back then that his current prestige was forged.

"So... there is another hidden story?" Lin Chao asked.

The Lord of the Heavenly Court before him gave him a very strange feeling.

Profound.

Withered.

Complex.

Broken.

"Sigh." The Lord of the Heavenly Court let out a sigh, "He is the most brilliant person I have ever seen.

I even felt that one day, he would be able to achieve accomplishments comparable to the Father God.

It is a pity... it is all my fault."

The Lord of the Heavenly Court's voice was desolate, filled with endless hesitation.

"Back then, I had just reached the Sovereign Realm, full of high spirits.

Situ had long had the idea of taking down the Pantheon.

As a Sovereign, I was conceited, so I prepared to go to the Pantheon to scout the path for my disciple.

But who would have known, I ended up planting the seeds of disaster for my disciple."

The Lord of the Heavenly Court's voice was incomparably lost, filled with self-reproach.

Seeing this, Lin Chao did not speak, acting as a qualified listener.

"When I first entered the Sovereign Realm, thinking of testing the waters, I naturally tested the strongest, the Master of Light.

At that time, I exchanged thirty rounds with the Master of Light, and I was slightly at a disadvantage.

I was quite pleased in my heart; the Four Great Sovereigns were nothing more than this.

Give me a little more time, and I would surely surpass them.

It is just that..."

The Lord of the Heavenly Court recounted the events of the past in a sorrowful tone.

Returning from the Pantheon, although the Lord of the Heavenly Court had suffered a bit, he did not take it to heart, feeling that the advantage lay with him.

Once his disciple ascended to the Sovereign Realm, the two of them joining forces would have no trouble suppressing the Four Great Sovereigns of the Pantheon.

"At that time, Situ was only one step away from success.

As his master, his fellow traveler, and the person he trusted most, I naturally guarded his side, protecting his path.

As long as he succeeded and stepped into the Sovereign Realm, then the advantage would be on our side.

Our great cause would also be accomplished."

The Lord of the Heavenly Court's voice was filled with loss, as well as longing and lingering thoughts about the great cause.

"At the very last moment... I struck!

I... struck Situ with one palm, severely wounding him."

The Lord of the Heavenly Court stood by the Asking Heart Lake; his voice was calm now, and as Lin Chao looked at his back, he appeared exceptionally desolate.

"The trip to the Pantheon?" Lin Chao caught the key point.

"Yes." The Lord of the Heavenly Court said with regret, "On the trip to the Pantheon, I originally thought I had figured out the Master of Light's strength.

But I did not expect that I had been plotted against by him without my own knowledge."

The Lord of the Heavenly Court let out a painful sound.

This was actually very rare.

In the Heavenly Court for so many years, the Lord of the Heavenly Court's impression on all the Elders was that he was mysterious, unfathomable, and devoid of any emotional color.

Yet at this moment, his emotions were changing greatly.

Lin Chao was silent.

"During the dozens of rounds of exchanging blows with the Master of Light, I had actually already fallen for his scheme.

He... left the seed of light within me.

At the moment of success, the seed was triggered, and I... became the Master of Light."

The events that followed were very clear.

The Lord of the Heavenly Court personally Slayed Divine Emperor Gu Tang.

Hearing this, Lin Chao was somewhat astonished.

The Lord of the Heavenly Court was also a Master.

Yet, he had been able to be plotted against by the Master of Light, who seized control of his body.

This could almost be called terrifying.

After all, that was a Master, an existence on the same level as the Master of Light; was his body really seized so easily?

The horror of the Master of Light was even greater than imagined.

"After Situ died, the Master of Light remained within my body.

For these thousand years, I have felt immense remorse, and there was never a moment I did not want to kill him.

But... he was too strong.

Not only did I fail to kill him, I was even stripped of my body by him, and he took charge of the Heavenly Court."

Hearing this, Lin Chao was somewhat shocked.

The Lord of the Heavenly Court was actually the Master of Light!

"However... it is not as if I have no ability to resist at all.

Although I have been defeated for a thousand years, these past few days... have I not won?"

The Lord of the Heavenly Court revealed a bitter smile.

"Situ told me that many years later, someone like him would come to this world.

Therefore..."

Therefore, facing the Master of Light's struggle for control of the body, the Lord of the Heavenly Court had always avoided confrontation, accumulating strength.

It was all to seize back control of the body at the final moment and wait for Situ's kin.

"My time is running out.

This time, seizing back control of the body has already exhausted all of my life force.

In another hour, I will be no more.

Regardless of whether you are Situ's kin or not, I can only place my hope in you."

The Lord of the Heavenly Court looked somewhat despondent.

The person she waited for, in the end, did not come.

"Lin Gui... can I trust you?"

The Lord of the Heavenly Court looked at Lin Chao, the mist on her body slowly dissipating.

"I also have some grievances with the Master of Light." Lin Chao did not answer directly.

"That is good." The mist gradually dissipated, and a graceful figure appeared in Lin Chao's line of sight.

The appearance of the Lord of the Heavenly Court also entered his eyes.

Half of her face was covered in holes, dense and numerous, with white light leaking out from within, appearing extremely terrifying and horrific.

The other half of her face also seemed to have been corroded by something, pitted and uneven, with only less than a quarter of the face smooth as jade.

Seeing one leaf, one knows autumn.

Just by seeing the chin of the Lord of the Heavenly Court, one could feel how peerless she once was.

It was a pity that such a peerless woman was now a sight too horrible to endure, in unbearable agony.

"I will give the Heavenly Court to you... do you dare to take it?" The Lord of the Heavenly Court looked at Lin Chao, her voice seemingly carrying a trace of relief.

Lin Chao was silent; he looked at the Lord of the Heavenly Court, his gaze complex.

"Why would I not dare?"

The Heavenly Court had over a hundred deities.

These powers were all genuine.

Currently, his power was still very weak, and he naturally needed to grasp other powers to better confront the Pantheon.

To confront... the Master of Light.

"Good." The Lord of the Heavenly Court smiled sweetly, and although her face was hideous and terrifying, it was full of appreciation.

The current Heavenly Court was a mess.

Mastering the Heavenly Court also meant officially clashing with the Master of Light.

I fear that no deity who knows the true power of the Master of Light would be willing to be his enemy.

"Lord of the Heavenly Court, may I ask you a question?" Lin Chao asked.

The Lord of the Heavenly Court was a powerhouse at the Master realm, standing at the pinnacle of this world; perhaps she would know something different.

"Oh?"

"It is rumored that the ancient Divine Emperor of Tang had a daughter named Princess Ji; does the Lord of the Heavenly Court know of her?"

Xiao Bing's identity had always been a mystery.

"Princess Ji?

I have never heard of her.

My disciple never married in his entire life, so how could he have a daughter?"

For some reason, when the Lord of the Heavenly Court said this, her face was filled with a kind of happiness.

"He once said that when everything ended, he would take me as his wife."

Her voice was despondent, yet mixed with a trace of joy.

Lin Chao was silent.

It seemed the relationship between the Divine Emperor of Tang and the Lord of the Heavenly Court was not so simple.

They were not only master and disciple, but also lovers.

Then, is the relationship between the Divine Emperor Gu Tang and the Empress of Ice and Snow just a rumor?

Xiao Bing's identity has once again become a mystery.

"Lord of the Heavenly Court, then... have you seen the little girl I am holding?" Lin Chao asked suddenly.

The gaze of the Lord of the Heavenly Court fell upon Lin Chao's hand.

Confusion, bewilderment.

"I have not." The Lord of the Heavenly Court shook her head, "If you are not lying to me, such a strange thing actually exists in the world.

It is a pity that I am not far from death, and I have no time to investigate."

After seizing control of the body, the Lord of the Heavenly Court would be completely exhausted.

"I do not know who you are, and I have no chance to know.

I will take this body and dissipate between heaven and earth together.

The Heavenly Court... I give it to you."

Lin Chao sensed that the figure in front of him had truly reached the end of her life.

A gust of wind would make her dissipate.

"I will leave you with one last sentence.

Beware of the Master of Light.

Beware of the other Masters.

Perhaps... they are all the Master of Light."

As the words fell, a faint light ignited on the body of the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

Her body suddenly turned into fragments and dissipated in this world where no one was present.

This process was very fast, lasting only three breaths.

There were no magnificent waves, nor were there any vast wonders.

Ordinary, dissipating into the world.

Xiao Bing and Lin Chao were the only spectators.

A generation of Master, the Lord of the Heavenly Court, thus came to a silent end.

A token fell into Lin Chao's hand.

On it were engraved two characters—Heavenly Court.

This is the Heavenly Court God Token, which contains the insights into the divine path of the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

This is also the symbol of the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

Whoever obtains this token is the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

A large stream of information also poured into Lin Chao's mind at this moment.

This information was mainly of two types.

One was the insights into the divine path of the Lord of the Heavenly Court, and the other was information about the Elders of the Heavenly Court, as well as information about the various gods of the Pantheon.

Lin Chao absorbed this information and remained silent for a long time.

"Daddy, did that big sister leave?" Xiao Bing said crisply.

"Yes, she left to see the person she wanted to see."

Lin Chao sighed.

For the Lord of the Heavenly Court, living might be the pain, and death might be the relief.

After all, she had personally slain the person she loved most.

This kind of pain is unimaginable.

If it weren't for the Divine Emperor Gu Tang asking her to wait for someone, I'm afraid... she wouldn't have persisted until now.

Who was the person the Divine Emperor Gu Tang asked her to wait for?

In Lin Chao's mind, a figure emerged.

An Qian?

Was it her?

Having obtained the Heavenly Court God Token, a layer of mist also appeared around Lin Chao's body, shielding him.

With the information in the Heavenly Court God Token, disguising oneself is a very simple matter.

This Heavenly Court God Token is not only a symbol but also a powerful artifact that can block the perception of Divine Power.

Of course, he is now the Lord of the Heavenly Court, and no one dares to block their perception against him.

Standing by the Asking Heart Lake, Lin Chao held Xiao Bing's hand, looking at the lake in the distance, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Time is terrifying; no matter how thrilling the stories or how magnificent the epics were, they will all be submerged in the dust of history.

Perhaps only he can know and remember this romance between the Divine Emperor Gu Tang and the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

No, there is also Xiao Bing.

Letting people remember... perhaps this is also proof of having existed.

Lin Chao held Xiao Bing's hand and officially moved into the Heavenly Court.

"Lord God, how did that meeting go?"

Just after leaving the Asking Heart Lake, Lin Chao saw an Elder of the Heavenly Court.

This Elder of the Heavenly Court was a god with Strong Divine Power.

In front of Lin Chao, however, he appeared exceptionally cautious.

Through the information in the Heavenly Court God Token, Lin Chao recognized this old man, named Wutong, who was of the neutral faction.

"He has left."

"Left?" Elder Wutong was slightly stunned, and cautiously reminded, "That person, did he not Slay Elder Lanhuo?"

"Elder Lanhuo colluded with the Pantheon; his crimes deserve death.

Lin Gui helped our Heavenly Court eradicate a traitor, is that not a good thing?"

Lin Chao's voice fell into Elder Wutong's ears like a thunderclap.

After all, between the pro-war and pro-peace factions, the attitude of the previous Lord of the Heavenly Court had been very ambiguous; no one knew which side he truly stood on.

Now, he had openly declared Elder Lanhuo a traitor.

This... what did it represent?

Elder Wutong understood that this powerful Lord of the Heavenly Court had begun to formally express his stance.

The Heavenly Court... a storm was coming.

Not caring about Elder Wutong's reaction, Lin Chao took Xiao Bing by the hand and left this place.

He was now the Lord of the Heavenly Court, but he did not truly control the Heavenly Court.

The most urgent matter at present was to bring the Heavenly Court completely under his control and pull out the nails of the Western gods one by one.

Of course, this would attract the attention of the Western gods, but Lin Chao did not care.

"The Four Great Sovereigns..."

Lin Chao sighed.

Since the Light Sovereign had such means to corrupt the Lord of the Heavenly Court, then he must certainly be able to corrupt the other three Sovereigns as well.

Logically speaking, the Four Great Sovereigns should be as incompatible as Water and Fire.

Yet last time, they were able to reach a consensus to deal with the Arcane Empire together.

It was evident that the other three Sovereigns might also have been plotted against by the Light Sovereign.

However, those Sovereigns were, after all, not pushovers.

For the Light Sovereign to truly take them down would certainly not be that simple.

Currently, the atmosphere in the Pantheon was as mysterious as a fog.

The Light Sovereign might be busy eliminating dissenters and unifying the Pantheon right now, and would not put too much energy into the Heavenly Court.

"Truly control the Heavenly Court... enter the Ancient God Temple!"

In the days that followed, Lin Chao continued to play the role of the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

No one suspected his identity.

However, the words he had spoken to Elder Wutong had already spread throughout the Heavenly Court, attracting the attention of many Heavenly Court Elders.

The entire Heavenly Court fell into a strange silence.

Various factions were also constantly contending in secret, with undercurrents surging.

Lin Chao did not appear again.

He wanted to wait for the undercurrents to become more violent, and then deal with them using thunderous means.

During these days, he used the special channels of the Heavenly Court to enter other Ancient God Temples to refine puppets.

Because he had imitated part of the abilities of a puppet master, the puppets he crafted were becoming increasingly formidable.

One day, Lin Chao stood before an ancient god statue, a look of confusion appearing in his eyes.

Because this ancient god statue looked somewhat like the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

(End of this chapter)