Chapter 929

“Emperor?”

The dozen or so ancient demon pseudo-emperors were stunned and enraged, forcing themselves to maintain composure by activating the embryonic imperial dao within their bodies.

At that moment, a vast torrent of chaotic energy surged from the vortex, forming an invisible giant hand that slashed toward the dozen pseudo-emperors.

“Chaos Severing Palm!”

Feeling that energy, the dozen ancient demon pseudo-emperors’ shock and rage turned to terror—they now knew exactly which emperor had arrived.

Though they numbered over a dozen, pseudo-emperors stood little chance against an emperor, unless they were among the most exceptional top-tier pseudo-emperors who might barely escape an emperor’s grasp.

“As a celestial emperor, what glory is there in bullying the young?”

As the killing energy swept over them, a ripple echoed through the void, accompanied by thick deathly energy that blocked the assault.

In the void, an ancient demon emperor emerged, his entire body pitch-black, his eyes a striking blend of black and white, coldly fixing his gaze on the distant vortex.

“Is it any honor to overwhelm the few with the many?”

From within the vortex, the voice of the Chaos Celestial Emperor rang out, utterly cold.

“Are you also going to wade into this mire? Don’t forget—these past millennia, we’ve never interfered in the Original Realm.”

The ancient demon emperor replied without expression.

“That’s only because you feared the Heavenly Dao’s awareness and dared not overstep too deeply. Besides, you couldn’t even handle the True Realm—how dare you lay hands on the Original Realm? You’ve been sneaking attempts to infiltrate it these past millennia, whether you admit it or not.”

The Chaos Celestial Emperor sneered, speaking without restraint, then immediately retracted the vortex, severing the dimensional connection.

Though born in the Original Realm, the Chaos Celestial Emperor held no fondness for the True Realm—but he had many disciples, many of whom came from the True Realm, and deep bonds had long formed.

Moreover, if the True Realm fell, the Original Realm could never remain a sanctuary.

Gazing at the vanished vortex, the ancient demon emperor remained silent. After a moment, he turned and waved his hand. “Return. Exterminate the Eastern Domain.”

The dozen ancient demon pseudo-emperors, barely surviving, were filled with shock and fury, all pledging obedience before turning into streaks of light and retreating.

The fall of the Eastern Domain spread across all domains and all clans.

The Ancestral Dragon Court had been breached—the divine court that had stood in the Eastern Domain for countless eons—now occupied by the ancient demons. Many great clans, through secret arts and projections, witnessed this and felt sorrow and desolation.

They knew the great calamity was coming; the True Realm would soon descend into chaos.

Many surviving elders from ten thousand years ago broke their seclusion, their eyes filled with deep dread, as if the horrors of ten thousand years past were about to replay.

Compared to the few surviving elders, the overwhelming majority of clan elites were shaken by the Eastern Domain’s fall. They finally understood the cruelty of the great calamity their ancestors had spoken of—how, in just a few centuries, an entire domain had been utterly conquered and destroyed. How many great clans and lives had perished?

Across all domains and clans, preparations for war against the coming calamity began in urgent haste.

Meanwhile, in the Original Realm, the Chaos Immortal Isle.

A vortex appeared, and eight pseudo-emperors descended upon it.

Having fled all the way, they had still been preparing for battle—their energies had not yet been reined in—and their sudden arrival stirred the entire Chaos Immortal Isle.

“Such overwhelming energy—what is that?”

“Pseudo-emperors? Eight of them have arrived—have the ancient demons broken through?”

“Ancient demons? My clan said the Eastern Domain is facing a calamity—is it true?”

On the Immortal Isle, many disciples looked up in shock, staring at the eight pseudo-emperors hovering in the sky.

Compared to the four domains of the True Realm, the Original Realm received news from outside more slowly; most only learned of the outside world through their clans. They knew the Eastern Domain was under siege, but not the full extent.

At this moment, the eight pseudo-emperors also surveyed their surroundings and quickly recognized the Chaos Immortal Isle.

As pseudo-emperors, they had visited the Original Realm before. The boundary between the Original Realm and the True Realm could not block them—they could traverse it by their own power.

“Enter.”

At that moment, the voice of the Chaos Celestial Emperor echoed from the Chaos Emperor Palace at the island’s center.

The eight pseudo-emperors’ eyes filled with gratitude as they swiftly flew toward the Chaos Emperor Palace.

Upon entering, they saw the palace’s interior was a boundless chaotic world—appearing as a hall, yet in truth, an entirely separate realm.

The Chaos Celestial Emperor sat in midair, his body wreathed in swirling chaotic laws, radiating terrifying emperor-level energy.

“We pay homage to the Chaos Celestial Emperor.”

The eight bowed deeply.

“Are the seeds of the Eastern Domain in your possession?”

The Chaos Celestial Emperor asked calmly.

“Most of them are…”

The eight exchanged glances, their eyes heavy with grief. Having just escaped the Eastern Domain’s calamity, they had been chosen specifically to protect the seeds—while many other pseudo-emperors had already perished defending the domain.

If they could choose, they would have died fighting for the Eastern Domain—but they had to ensure the seeds escaped.

“This is part of the seed of my Tai Chu Clan. We beg the Chaos Celestial Emperor to protect it. When our clan’s emperor returns, he will surely repay you!”

A pseudo-emperor with snow-white hair spoke, his face sorrowful, as he withdrew a sealed domain from his hand.

The domain hovered in his palm like a perfectly round, crystalline sphere, within which the silhouettes of green trees and oceans could be seen, along with countless shimmering figures gathered together.

Excluding the Tai Chu lineage bearers, nearly half of the Nine Celestial Prodigies of the Tai Chu Clan—each a peerless force within their realm, equivalent to saint-heirs or emperor-heirs in other great clans—were inside.

But due to their shallow cultivation, they were merely at the Immortal Lord realm, so they had not been sent to the Abyss for training.

Yet within the Abyss, the previous generation of Tai Chu’s Nine Celestial Prodigies were already undergoing trials, competing for the title of True King.

“This is the seed of my Ancestral Dragon Clan. We beg the Chaos Celestial Emperor to protect it!”

Another middle-aged pseudo-emperor, his hair crimson-gold, spoke with solemn grief, also producing a seed domain.

Seeing this, the other pseudo-emperors each withdrew their own seed domains. Earlier, the emperors had made an agreement: the Dao Source had pledged to aid the Eastern Domain, while the Chaos Celestial Emperor had pledged to receive them.

“Is my sixth younger brother inside?”

In the void, a figure clad in a crimson battle skirt spoke softly.

Her face revealed itself, breathtakingly beautiful, her eyes like crimson amber fixed upon the Ancestral Dragon pseudo-emperor.

The Ancestral Dragon pseudo-emperor instantly recognized her: Zhan Qinghuang of the Zhan Clan, one of the top-tier pseudo-emperors with potential to ascend to celestial emperor.

“Senior Sister!”

From within the seed domain, a voice filled with excitement and near-tears rang out.

The Ancestral Dragon pseudo-emperor unsealed it, and a figure burst forth—Long Qingge.

His eyes were red-rimmed; he lunged into Zhan Qinghuang’s arms and gritted his teeth: “The Eastern Domain… the Eastern Domain is gone…”

Zhan Qinghuang’s expression shifted slightly, but she had already heard the news. She was merely a projection left behind in the Original Realm; her true body remained in her Zhan Clan, for this was a critical time—she had been cultivated by her family to stay and guard against sudden warfare.

“Your master has already gone to the Eastern Domain. Did you meet him?”

Zhan Qinghuang gently patted Long Qingge’s shoulder, steadying him before asking softly.

“I met him. Master sent me a message, telling me to preserve my life—but…”

Long Qingge gritted his teeth; he would rather die fighting alongside the Eastern Domain—surviving felt more humiliating to him, for his blood carried the lineage of the Dragon Ancestor, the most core of the direct bloodlines.

“Surviving is enough. Master said this time, we will never let the ancient demons repeat the slaughter of ten thousand years ago—we will drive them out!”

Zhan Qinghuang took a deep breath and spoke through clenched teeth.

Hearing her words, a spark ignited in Long Qingge’s eyes. He gritted his teeth, then after a moment remembered something and asked: “What about my junior brother? Was he evacuated? Is he safe?”

Seeing he still cared for Li Hao, Zhan Qinghuang gently patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Hao Tian is deeply favored by Master—he’s been sent to train in the Abyss.”

“The Abyss?”

Long Qingge froze, staring at her in disbelief.

The Abyss was a forbidden zone.

Zhan Qinghuang knew he had been fighting in the Eastern Domain and was unaware of the Ten Thousand Clan True King Plan; she immediately explained it to him in detail.

“True King? So that’s how it is…”

Long Qingge’s eyes gleamed. Though he had vowed revenge, he had lacked real hope—but now he learned that all clans were uniting for this cause. A sudden surge of blood rushed through him; this time, the Ten Thousand Clans were no longer scattered—they could coalesce.

“Chaos Celestial Emperor, is the True King Plan still ongoing? Have you already selected the True King?”

Beside him, the eight pseudo-emperors all knew of the True King Plan—it was top-secret knowledge reserved only for pseudo-emperors. Even someone like Long Qingge, a core family scion, would not have known, for such knowledge brought no benefit and risked exposure if stolen by the ancient demons, leading to soul-torture and leaks.

“Still in cultivation. No True King has been selected yet—but the True King seeds have already emerged. They are mostly the heirs of great clans and reincarnated emperors.”

A calm pseudo-emperor beside them spoke.

His eyes glowed with opposing ice and fire, his energy tightly contained—he was one of the Chaos Celestial Emperor’s pseudo-emperor disciples.

Hearing this, the others nodded in understanding. The True King would command the forces of the Ten Thousand Clans; entrusting it to great clan heirs was more than sufficient to command authority.

“How much longer will it take to cultivate them? When can we assemble and counterattack the ancient demons? Must we wait until they’ve rested, recovered in the Eastern Domain, and then launched their next invasion before we rise up?”

The Ancestral Dragon pseudo-emperor asked anxiously.

“With the Eastern Domain fallen, the True King selection must proceed now. Delaying further is meaningless—it’s merely adding a few more centuries.”

The Chaos Celestial Emperor spoke softly: “Rest here for now. All the ancestors of the clans have already awakened and stand ready to fight. This time, we will not wait for the ancient demons to act—we will strike first!”

Hearing this, the eight pseudo-emperors were stunned, then felt a profound relief. They had been entrusted to escort the Eastern Domain’s seeds precisely because they had made immense contributions to their clans and held deep affection for the Eastern Domain.

“It’s time to assemble…”

The Chaos Celestial Emperor’s eyes flickered. His spiritual sense sank into a vast starry expanse.

Stars shimmered here, and countless spectral figures stood in a circular formation—some were phoenixes, some ancestral dragons, others swords, mountains, or fluttering veils.

Each spectral figure radiated terrifying energy; even a slight tremor could destabilize the entire starry realm.

“The Eastern Domain has been invaded by the ancient demons. Dragon Ancestor, has your battle not ended yet?”

A gray misty specter appeared—it was the Chaos Celestial Emperor’s projection within this realm.

This realm was accessible only to the emperor-level spiritual awareness—the Heavenly Dao’s Core Nexus.

It had been created ten thousand years ago, after the last calamity, to prepare for the next one. All emperors could tether their imperial awareness here.

“Not yet. The ancient demon clan continues to harass me. If any of you have spare time, perhaps you might lend a hand.”