Chapter 974

Is this about playing the emotion card with oneself?

Sun Qinghou felt a surge of resentment in his heart, but could only helplessly stop and wait for the Azure Abyss Emperor to continue speaking.

The Azure Abyss Emperor gazed at the vast starry river, a feeling of hatred arising: "Everyone outside curses me as the chief traitor, accusing me of betraying the Lord of Everlasting Heaven and betraying the Spirit Martial Emperor, unaware of the pain and helplessness I bear in my heart."

"Qinghou, you should know that the World Tree is already sick, and beyond redemption. We are now on such a sinking ship, while the Deceit Palace and the Gu Origin Heaven are still trying to find ways to make this sinking ship sink even faster."

Sun Qinghou showed an approving expression: "No one wants to stay on a sinking ship. Originally, when disaster strikes, each would flee on their own, but Your Majesty, with a heart for all living beings, able to protect the Azure Abyss Heaven, has already done the utmost benevolence and righteousness, great virtue and great justice!"

The Azure Abyss Emperor deeply agreed, continuing: "So, I wish to lead the Azure Abyss Heaven out of this realm. I've heard that the Butterfly World and the Palm World contain more vitality than the World Tree; perhaps that will be our beautiful new world."

"My cooperation with the Deceit Palace and the Gu Origin Heaven is out of necessity; as long as I can save the beings of this realm, what does it matter if I bear endless infamy?"

"To wear a crown, one must bear its weight! To accomplish great deeds, which supreme power does not bear infamy?"

Sun Qinghou looked at the Azure Abyss Emperor with a strange expression.

At this moment, the Azure Abyss Emperor's body swayed slightly, as if exhausted from overtaxing his mind for the affairs of the Azure Abyss Heaven.

Sun Qinghou immediately stepped forward to support the Azure Abyss Emperor: "Your Majesty, you have devoted yourself completely, but outsiders do not know your hardships!"

The Azure Abyss Emperor sighed: "The Spirit Martial Emperor has ascended to the upper realm; I also wish to go pay my respects. I have always held the Spirit Martial Emperor in utmost reverence and respect, and likewise feel great admiration for General Qi Chunjiang. However, our paths differ, so we cannot plot together."

"Ah, once a person makes a choice, caught up in the great trend, they are like a rolling stone on a high mountain, unable to stop."

"Even if I were to join the Spirit Martial Emperor's side now, she would not bypass us. From the moment I made that decision, the entire Azure Abyss Heaven has already stood opposed to the World Tree."

"Can you understand me?"

Sun Qinghou's face showed emotion: "I understand, I understand."

The Azure Abyss Emperor patted Sun Qinghou on the shoulder and handed him an ancient token: "Go. If we obtain the Nine-turn Battle Gu, our Azure Abyss Heaven will have a greater chance of victory."

The token contains a trace of the Azure Abyss Emperor's Dao Resonance; the front is engraved with an ancient character, "Huang", and the back with an ancient character, "Zheng".

Sun Qinghou bowed respectfully, received the ancient token, and said: "Your Majesty, I will exert my utmost effort to obtain the Nine-turn Battle Gu for you."

Shortly after.

Sun Qinghou left the hall, summoned a massive cloud vessel, and set out alone for the Gu Origin Heaven.

……

Upper Realm.

After the battle of Everlasting Heaven, it caused a great stir in several major heavenly domains and many minor heavenly domains.

The Spirit Martial Emperor has ascended to the upper realm!

Lord Lu has appeared!

Everlasting Heaven has sealed its realm!

Each of these is enough to change the future of the World Tree!

Everyone discussed heatedly.

"It's a pity that the Spirit Martial Emperor's cultivation has fallen to the Sovereign Realm, while Lord Lu hasn't even ascended."

"You say, is Lord Lu truly not recovered, or is he feigning weakness to hide his strength?"

"Lord Lu probably hasn't recovered his peak! Otherwise, with the World Tree now in peril, he would surely ascend to the upper realm to personally slay the lord of Azure Abyss Heaven and sweep away the Deceit Palace and the Gu Origin Heaven."

"Just think how mighty Lord Lu once was—alas, even the supreme have their day of decline. The god of the mountain peak must eventually come down the mountain."

Everyone sighed repeatedly.

Since Everlasting Heaven sealed its realm, countless beings have been in dire peril.

This is a standoff between the native beings of the World Tree and the invading beings of the Deceit Palace and the Gu Origin Heaven.

The force of the great trend—one wanes as the other waxes.

This battle between the Deceit Palace and the Gu Origin Heaven has once again polluted over a hundred million li of starry sky, causing the heavenly domains of Everlasting Heaven to shrink again.

Many beings are somewhat panicked.

Anyone knows that the power of the Great Dao in the upper realm has become countless times thinner than before.

This realm is heading toward extinction!

……

Deceit Palace.

In the starry sky where Luo Mai resides.

The Xuanji Holy Lord wore a purple robe, sitting cross-legged in a deep abyss where mysterious power permeated densely, almost condensing into substance.

In her jade hand, spiritual seals shifted, and strands of mysterious power flowed into her body.

Her cultivation is surging!

She has received preliminary approval from Luo Jin Laozi, and the Soul‑Devouring Elder has placed her in the depths of the starry sky, where she can enjoy cultivation resources comparable to those of a high‑star Dao Yuan realm expert.

Not long after.

The Soul‑Devouring Elder entered with a smile on his face, repeatedly saying, "Great victory! Great victory!"

Next, he told the Xuanji Holy Lord about the great battle that occurred in Everlasting Heaven.

The Xuanji Holy Lord blinked slightly, astonished that such a major event had happened in the outside world!

"Everlasting Heaven is already a turtle in a jar! The Spirit Martial Emperor has no trump cards left. We only need to wait for the day Everlasting Heaven can no longer hold, then attack it. Or we could let the World Tree collapse faster, forcing out the Spirit Martial Emperor and Lu Xuan!"

The Xuanji Holy Lord's beautiful eyes furrowed slightly, and she remained silent.

The Soul‑Devouring Elder tossed out a storage ring, his face full of excitement: "Bai, this is your cultivation resource for this period. Don't fear wasting it!"

The Xuanji Holy Lord gave a bow of thanks: "Many thanks, Elder."

The Soul‑Devouring Elder, in high spirits, nodded and strode away.

Watching the direction the Soul‑Devouring Elder departed, the Xuanji Holy Lord secretly thought, "I never expected that Luo Jin Laozi's projection force that day was actually to invade Everlasting Heaven. But this is merely a ruse; the true aim of the Deceit Palace and the Gu Origin Heaven is to make Everlasting Heaven seal its realm, continually draining the World Tree's power."

This time, she felt how deep the Deceit Palace's layout goes.

Actually, Everlasting Heaven's trump cards are not many.

The overall strength of Never-ending Heaven is too weak!

Only Qi Chun Jing can reach the level of Luo Jin Laozi!

Other supreme powers also only have the strength of a single battle.

But continuing like this is no different from inviting one's own destruction.

Xuanji Holy Lord is somewhat worried.

On another side, deep in the starry skies of the Strange Palace.

Here, there is no sun or moon, like an eternal night; neither divine sense nor stellar power can penetrate it. An ancient, dim hall stands as if it has existed since time immemorial, towering in the depths of darkness, coldly gazing down upon the myriad stars of the Strange Palace like an abyssal beast.

This is the secluded cultivation ground of the Strange Palace's supreme old ancestor, An Shang Laozi, and also the meeting place for the various factions of the Strange Palace.

"Dark Hall!"

Two ancient, archaic characters are carved onto a decayed wooden plaque, hanging at the center of this hall.

This is the handiwork of An Shang Laozi; every stroke contains immensely powerful strange Dao, and just these two characters continually give rise to myriad phenomena that swirl around the Dark Hall, turning into layers of ghostly shadows that make one's flesh creep.

At that moment, An Shang Laozi sat cross-legged in the depths of the Dark Hall; his visage was like withered wood, his features utterly cold, and with a thought, his rough, decayed large hand slapped toward the air.

"Boom!"

A dark light appeared within the hall, followed shortly by several chilling figures that slowly emerged and slowly descended to the side of An Shang Laozi.

There, faintly appearing, several obscure Dao patterns emerged, evolving into a seat.

"Hiss!"

Luo Jin Laozi's projection power manifested, his face bearing a faint victorious sneer.

"This battle was a great victory!"