Wang Wei watched Mo Yuan disappear and could only sigh. He cupped his hand before bowing deeply; he showed respect for a senior who walked the same path. Maybe in the future, his fate will be the same. No, the only difference is he won't be alone if it ever ends for him. At least, he hoped it would be so.
He looked in the direction of the Wrath Territory before continuing his original objective: contact Heavenly Dao and have a conversation. Soon, Wang Wei found himself standing in an all-white space with an enormous eye above him.
[My son, what can I do for you?]
'Son? Well, technically, all creatures of the Myriad Emperor World are Heavenly Dao's children.' thought Wang Wei. Of course, he would not call her mother or father. Their relationship only recently became decent, and depending on how today goes, it might sour again.
"I came to convince you to refuse the merger with the Nine Devil God World," said Wang Wei.
[Why would I do that? The merger will drastically increase my World Source and benefit the world.]
"But what about the downside?" countered Wang Wei. "The devil race is hated by every plane in the lower dimension. Once they know we accept them as one of our own, many will react negatively."
[I know the danger, and they are worth it.]
Wang Wei squinted his eyes as many things flashed in his mind. He knew Heavenly Dao was not stupid, nor did it rely on emotion to make decisions. Everything it did was based on pure logic and with an objective in mind.
"You want to use the pressure of the other planes to forcibly accelerate the rate of the Myriad Emperor Plane's recovery?"
[Yes. The new era will need some time before it can revitalize the world. However, foreign pressure is a great way to accelerate the process.]
Wang Wei controlled every fiber in his body to not call this thing stupid; he never thought that his Willpower would work so hard for self-control one day.
"There is a time for everything. The Myriad Emperor World needs a period of peace to lay the foundation. Then it can interact with other planes. It does not require to be constantly overcoming enemies.
"And this is exactly what will happen if we accept the devil race. Other factions will use this excuse to justify war against us. Under the banner of avenging the atrocities of the devil race, any faction with some influence can rally hundreds of planes–if not more–against us."
[I have faith in you.]
"You shouldn't," replied Wang Wei. "As the ruler responsible for the development of the Myriad Emperor World, you should never place all your eggs in one basket.
"What if Di Tian is the one who is the final winner? Do you think he would care if a bunch of planes invaded? As long as he revives his wife, he will sell the world if necessary.
"What about the others? On the likely chance they are the last man standing, would they have the strength to stop an invasion on such a large scale? The answer is obvious.
"Finally, there is me. Do you think I would just accept becoming the enemy of the entire Endless Void? I am a person who learns from his history: the devil race suffered a catastrophe of annihilation because they were enemies with the whole world. Why would I repeat their mistake?
"Furthermore, you overestimate how much I care for the Myriad Emperor World. I want it to prosper beyond any era that ever existed because it will bring me merit, luck, destiny, and protection. If I had to face an invasion from so many planes, I would just ensure the survival of my sect. That is the ugly truth."
Heavenly Dao did not immediately answer as it calculated the effect of its decision, taking every word of Wang Wei into account. It calculated Wang Wei would set up the foundation of a brilliant era. Unfortunately, it did not know the exact plan.
However, no matter the era, it will take a couple of generations to show any real effect. So, Heavenly Dao wanted to accelerate the process. Taking into account Wang Wei and Di Tian's strength after proving the Dao, they should be able to stop any invasion and use war to accelerate the recovery and growth of the plane. It even prepared to negotiate with Di Tian using his wife's imprint.
Now, Heavenly Dao wavered on its decision–especially after the recent things that occurred outside of the plane with the foreigners.
"Furthermore, you need to see things from a long-term perspective instead of short-term," continued Wang Wei. "And as long as the devil race is part of our plane, these factions will have a justification to wage war against us. We might defeat them now, but a few hundred generations later, they can use the same excuse to start a war and rally allies.
"Then there is the integration of the devil race. Their hatred for humans is ingrained deeply in their bloodline. After integration, such intense emotions are bound to create chaos, contradictions, and in-fighting. At first, the problem won't be as big because of how weak they are. However, when a mighty Great Emperor appeared in their ranks, the same situation with the Golden Ape Emperor might occur–but even worse."
[I considered this possibility and hoped you used your diplomatic capabilities to deal with this issue–just like you did the demon race.]
Wang Wei's lips twitched. He did not know whether to be thankful Heavenly Dao thought so highly of him or should he complain that the latter overestimated him.
"The demon race is still a ticking time bomb despite my effort. I will spend some time appeasing them and making their situation better. But even then, I will not be able to completely garner their trust nor remove their hatred for humans. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"And in the case of the devil race, their hatred and distrust are a hundred times worse. Even If I did my best to alleviate the situation, after leaving, everything could revert to the way it was. To be honest, this is one of my worries for the demon race."
[The demons are a rigid and unmalleable species. So, there is a high possibility of that happening.]
Wang Wei agreed with that statement.
"Back to the devil topic. Accepting them in our midst has other repercussions. We do not know how it will affect the Great Emperors from our plane after they ascend. From my knowledge, they are also greatly hated in the upper dimensions. Maybe, some powerhouse will begin to attack members of our plane for accepting the devil race as our own."
[The Upper Dimension is outside the scope of my duty. I did not consider this possibility.] Heavenly Dao knew it benefited greatly when its Emperors reached higher cultivation stages or accomplished extraordinary feats in the upper dimension. However, once an Emperor ascends, they are beyond the scope of its programming.
"Finally, there are the devil cultivators in the western continent. Recently, they have been quiet and docile because of the pressure from other fractions and the lack of power. But after the devil integration, these devil cultivators will definitely ally with the devil race to increase their strength; they would soon become more restless and cause more chaos."
Wang Wei has not decided what to do with the devil cultivators. A part of him wants to eliminate them since they are a source of trouble, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Another aspect of him felt they could be helpful since their craziness and brutality make them some of the greatest military strength when used appropriately.
Heavenly Dao considered everything his chosen champion stated and calculated the world's future, weighing its previous decision. It also took into account the possible selfish motive of his chosen son. But it did not mind since it understood humans–the protagonist of its plane–was a race driven by emotions like selfishness and desires. It weighed the pros and cons.
[After hearing your argument, I conclude my initial decision was flawed.]
"So, you've agreed to stop the merger?"
[Yes.]
Wang Wei breathed in relief. He did not want to do something drastic and forced this merger to stop.
"I thank you for granting me an audience."
Heavenly Dao did not say anything else and sent Wang Wei back. The main reason for such a swift decision was that it did not want to fall out with its chosen son.
After years of calculation, Heavenly Dao concluded he was the only one who could create a brilliant era. Anyone else who received the title of Era Son could, at best, create an era on par with the past but never surpass them. And such a person was rare to find amongst the current Heaven Chosens. Many had the strength to establish the era but lacked the foresight, ingenuity, intelligence, charisma, and desire to make the world better.
The truth is that if Di Tian were more malleable and open to working together, Heavenly Dao would not place all its eggs on Wang Wei and decided quickly to end this merger.
Wrath's face became ugly as she received the news. The moment she heard Wang Wei was investigating all seven territories, she had a hunch this would be the result. She did not immediately give up and used an altar in one of the castle's rooms to contact Heavenly Dao to negotiate.
After a while, Wrath opened her eyes, trying extremely hard to control herself and not go on a rampage. She tried arguing with Heavenly Dao and convinced it to reconsider. She argued she would handle her race and have them stay low-key and not be detected.
She argued she would manage their hatred and swore not to ally with the devil cultivator in the west. Regrettably, Heavenly Dao had better arguments about the consequences of other planes discovering the revival of the devil race and the effect their rise would have on the upper dimension.
Wrath's last attempt was to compromise and ask Heavenly Dao to only accept some people in this subcontinent with a certain level of human bloodlines. But it even rejected this proposition.
As she sat dejected on a throne, she pondered the next step. The plan she had spent so long working on ended before it even began, which was a devastating blow to her mind. She considered all her options before taking a deep breath.
Seven Sins Conference:
"Wrath, what happened?"
"The plain failed. The Myriad Emperor World's Heavenly Dao backed out of our agreement."
"What?!"
"Wang Wei's doing, I suppose?" asked Pride.
"Yes."
"We should have expected this outcome once he began to snoop around the other territories," added Envy.
"So, what are we going to do next?" asked Gluttony.
Everyone looked at Wrath, waiting for her to make a decision.
"The plan continues, but we will go about it differently," said Wrath.
"What do you mean?"
"We will abandon our identity as devil race and integrate into the Myriad Emperor World. As long as we can prove the Dao, we can remove the seal and protect our race."
"Use the array for us only instead of the entire race?" summarized Pride. "It might work, but Heavenly Dao will still ask us for a price."
"One of the Devil Gods is enough of a price," added Wrath.
"If it is only the seve–I mean the six of us, Heavenly Dao might accept. But it also might refuse."
"That's my only worry–"
Wrath had not finished speaking when the projection space the group used to communicate began to tremble. Before they could react, the illusory space ejected everybody out, and the conference forcefully ended.
"What's going on?" muttered Wrath before sensing something and appearing outside of the castle. She looked at the sky and immediately noticed it was no longer pure blue. It was now separated into four colors: blue, red, black, and white.
Cracks appeared above the heavens out of nowhere before Heavenly Dao manifested itself.
[Unknown interference…Game Rules Collapsing…Activating Counter-Attack Protocols…Mission…Fai...Lu…re.]
Wrath's face changed after seeing the information displayed above in the sky. Before she could think, process, or complain about how the situation, a talisman condensed before her. She immediately recognized what it was since her master had mentioned it before.
She used her Divine Sense to immediately refine the talisman.
"It's so weak? Anyway, it's still enough. " She immediately controlled the remaining power of this continent's Heavenly Dao to create a small world with extended capacity. Then, she summoned all the devil race–mortals or not–into the small world.
'It's regrettable I could not save the others. Anyway, there is still some power left,' thought Wrath as she teleported to the room where the Devil Retribution Sword was brewing. Without hesitation, she sacrificed the remaining power of Heavenly Dao to accelerate its growth.
'Come on,' thought Wrath before she sensed something. She turned around, and her heart almost popped out of her chest. She saw someone behind her with a bright red mark floating above their head.
Gluttony Territory:
A young man with green eyes sat beside a bonfire, deep in thought, despite the noses of the troops next to him.
'The 100 million troops limit seemed to be much, but before these two, they won't do much,' thought Parasite. 'Even with an alliance of people with 100 million troops, they could slaughter everyone in a matter of hours, if not less.'
He spat on the floor, and it was an odd green color.
'No matter. The only purpose of these cannon fodders is to buy enough time to use Designer's weapon.' Such a weapon will be extremely draining and has a limited number of use. Furthermore, they have to consider the possibility of evading countless other variables.
Parasyte suddenly felt something and looked at the sky. He saw Heavenly Dao's message and the change of color.
'Someone outside is interfering?' His eyes lit up as he waited for the changes to end. Immediately, he felt a weight lifted from his shoulder as he regained his freedom. He teleported to the distance in an instant before returning to his original place.
Parasyte took a communication talisman to contact the others. However, he saw a bright red mark floating above his head before he succeeded.
'A target?' He frowned since he could not understand how this came about. He tried a few techniques he knew to remove them, but the power behind this marker was beyond his understanding.
'This power has a faint fluctuation that seemed familiar,' thought Parasyte for a moment before stopping thinking about it since he could not recall. Then, he contacted the others.
"Do you guys know what's happening?"
"Some outside force is intervening in our cleanup," said Undead Flame.
"I know this much," countered Parayste, annoyed that he stated the obvious.
"I sense a lot of spatial disturbance. I guess a bunch of people teleported to this continent," added Designer. "And based on the target above our head, their targets are probably people from the Myriad Emperor World."
"So, some plane wants to use this method to kill most of the Myriad Emperor World's Heaven Chosens and delay their rise," summarized Parasyte, even more annoyed. "A pointless endeavor. All this will do is kill the weak ones and make it easier for these two to prove the Dao."
Their plan lay on using other Heaven Chosen as cannon fodder through an alliance. However, the recent changes in this continent will not affect Wang Wei and Di Tian, only their allies, thus ruining their plans.
"There is little we can do in this situation besides actively hunting these foreign Heaven Chosens," added Undead Flame. "However, if we display too much strength, we will be on Wang Wei's radar. And as you know, he has no hesitation about killing us just because of his suspicions."
"Isn't there some restrictions about him hunting us down? After all, as an Era Son, his actions would be detrimental to the world's growth," asked Parasyte, and he looked at Designer for an answer.
"Sons of Era must kill each other for destiny; that's how things should be. However, this is the first time I've heard about a complete one, so I'm not sure."
"Anyways, we cannot put our faith in the possibility he will not hunt us down," added Undead Flame.
"True. Anyway, this situation can be favorable to us," added Parasyte. "We can help some of our allies that cannot reach the 100 million troops limit. All the Heaven Chosens are now gathered in this place, making it easier to make allies."
"This is also a perfect opportunity to gather more resources," commented Designer. "We can plunder from these foreign Heaven Chosens. Or better yet, kidnap them and ask for their faction to pay us handsomely to return them intact."
"This might work," agreed Parasyte. "However, we should be careful and use a third party for negotiations. As I said, we need to be more low-key."
"Should we contact the others?" asked Undead Flame, and the three immediately became quiet since they knew what he meant. The Seven Moons also sent spies in other world communities. However, their existence is a backup plan in case the ones in the Myriad Emperor World fail.
These spies must prove the Dao in other World Communities before banding together to restrict any growth to the Myriad Emperor World. And if possible, give them a strong enough blow to delay their recovery for countless generations.
The Seven Moons know the rise of the Myriad Emperor World is fated to occur, and it is the catalyst for the return of the other Paragons in Limbo. However, as beings who reached the pinnacle of the cultivation world, they can manipulate fate or destiny to some extent. A better word would be to influence fate and redirect its power.
"There is no benefit from contacting these people besides risking exposing ourselves," disagreed Parasyte.
"We can exchange information to prepare in case our mission fails."
"We will not fail."
"Only people who are stupidly arrogant believe in absolute," countered Undead Flame. "No matter how well-thought our plans are, there is a chance of failure. So, we must prepare for the worse scenario."
"He's right," added Designer. "You know what is at stake."
They are from the upper dimension, and their factions are directly or indirectly related to the Seven Moons. They are loyal and deeply rooted with these rulers, meaning their fate is connected. If the seven moons fall, their fate won't be any better.
"Alright, let's contact them."
Chapter
A beautiful woman walked out of a portal, looking at the surrounding with confusion. Her presence or beauty immediately eclipsed the ground she stood on, the floating clouds, and even the air she breathed.
A few seconds after landing, some information appeared in her mind telling her to hunt the people with the red mark above their heads.
"What is going on?" muttered Xu Shi. Not long ago, news of a secret realm with the inheritance of an Eternal Supreme spread throughout the world at an alarming rate, enticing countless Heaven Chosen to check it out for themselves.
At first, Xu Shi was not interested since her Primordial Chaos Art is an Eternal Supreme Level Scripture, but she also did not want someone from her world to get their hands on it. So, she went to check but not long after the secret realm opened, a mysterious power teleported everyone here and asked them to kill people with a red mark above their heads.
Xu Shi felt something was wrong; the entire secret realm situation felt rushed, making her suspicious.
After scanning the area, she flew in the northwest direction. Xu Shi had somewhat of a vague map inside her mind that indicated the closest person with a red mark. A few seconds later, she saw the person.
"Huo Fenghuang?"
"Xu Shi?" asked the Ancient Clan heir. "Do you know what's going on? Wait, why don't you have a mark above your head?"
Xu Shi did not immediately answer, but she guessed something. "You should be careful." After warning her former competitor, Xu Shi flew to the nearest mark on her map. And as expected, it was someone from the Myriad Emperor World.
'Someone is definitely planning against them,' thought Xu Shi. She quickly analyzed the situation. The Emperor Enlightening Academy did not have anyone present on this continent, meaning they won't lose much in this chaotic situation. Simultaneously, she cannot hunt these people and make more enemies for the Academy.
'I could use this situation to my advantage if I act swiftly enough.'
She teleported to the distance without wasting time, heading to another territory.
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Wrath Territory:
"W-Wang Wei," exclaimed Wrath as he looked at the handsome young man before him. She immediately held the Devil Retribution Sword in her hand, prepared for battle. "How did you get inside here?"
"Whatever anomaly is happening to this continent disrupted the castle's formation. So, it was easy for me to enter undetected," he replied before smiling. "Relax, I'm not here to harm you. Otherwise, I would have used a sneak attack."
"Wouldn't you be ashamed to use such a lowly tactic?"
"No, I would not."
"I've always believed humans' capability for evil is higher than us, devils."
"True, to some degree. However, our capability for good and empathy is something you, devils, will never experience," replied Wang Wei. "Let's not mention these things. I came here because your master told me to look out for you. So, could you tell me what you plan to do next?"
"Do you think I would trust you because of a few words?"
Wang Wei sighed before looking at the sword in her hand. "Interesting. I've used the same method once." He realized the sword was created using the same tactic he used in the Demon Supremacy World. It gathered all the negative emotions and karma of the devil race. After years of suffering at the hands of the Myriad Emperor World, the devil race has plenty of negative emotions.
'This sword has a lot of potentials,' thought Wang Wei. Currently, this sword is limited to the Nine Devil God World. But one day, if Wrath can prove the Dao, she could gather power from all the suffering of all devils in the lower dimension. And maybe even the upper dimension.
The potency of such a weapon after being nourished by the power of the Grand Dao Source is unfathomable.
'It's a shame I would not be able to use it.' Only a devil could wield this weapon. And as a human, this sword would revolt against him even if he used absolute force to restrain it. He could imagine it even destroying itself to prevent being wielded by a human.
"You can use the sword like a pill and absorb some of its power. It should fix your broken Nine Extremity Foundation and grant you 2-Root Strength. Then, you can use the sword's power to confront 5-Root, albeit for a short period."
He then looked her in the eyes.
"I can see through your eyes that you have not abandoned the devil race despite my actions. So, your best course of action would be temporarily abandoning the devil race and using your previous plan on yourself–becoming a citizen of the Myriad Emperor World.
"Then, you can prove the Dao to become an Eternal before returning to deal with the seal and protect your race. Am I right?"
"My master once said the most annoying thing he experienced in his life was dealing with you, Overlords," said Wrath with a mocking sneer. "And he was right. Your arrogance and know-it-all attitude is disgusting."
"I would not have to use my 'arrogance and know-it-all attitude' if you followed along and told me your plan. Instead, you chose to be stubborn, forcing me to use my intelligence to figure out your plans and granting me the initiative in the conversation.
"If you had properly assessed the situation and followed along, you would not have to suffer the unpleasantry of my arrogance and know-it-all attitude."
After this short conversation, Wang Wei could analyze what kind of person Wrath was. Intelligent, talented, loyal, but very inexperienced or sheltered. He could calculate that her master pampered her too much, rendering her incapable of hiding her emotions and partaking in political or emotional manipulation. When facing people weaker than hers, she will be fine. But she will crumble under pressure when facing someone on par or even more powerful than her.
Wrath took a deep breath to calm down. "Now that you know, what are you going to do?"
"First of all, you cannot become a citizen of the Myriad Emperor World," commented Wang Wei. "I don't want our world to have any connection to the devil race–even if you will be considered human."
"Impossible. The Myriad Emperor World is the one who defeated us and has a strong Karmic connection to our devil race. So, they are the only plane where this plan has a remote chance of succeeding."
Wrath discussed this situation with her master, and they derived the same conclusion. This is why the formation of this continent will secretly swallow the blood of the fallen soldiers from the Myriad Emperor World, to help acquire their citizen status and human race status.
"There is another way to get your status: True Heavenly Dao. And it is a more legit status than any plane's Heavenly Dao," countered Wang Wei.
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"How am I supposed to contact True Heavenly Dao? Plus, it hates the devil race after what my master did. So, why would it help us?"
"It does not hate your race; it was disappointed by your action and thus decided to punish you. However, Heavenly Dao is all about balance. So, as long as the Light Race exists, the devil race has a chance of resurgence.
"As for how to contact it? It's the same way you would contact any Heavenly Dao. The only caveat is that it will only respond if it is a pertinent issue, which the revival of the devil race is."
Wrath frowned as she pondered what he said. "You may be correct, but True Heavenly Dao won't just accept my proposition because I plead for it."
"True. What were you going to exchange for my Heavenly Dao?"
"Yours?"
"Don't mind the small stuff."
"Wrath gave him an odd look before answering, "I was going to exchange the body of one of the remaining Devil Gods."
"You can do that? Even with the destruction of this continent's Heavenly Dao?"
"Yes, since the array remains intact. Furthermore, the Devil Gods are willing to sacrifice themselves for the future of our race."
"A self-sacrificing devil? I've officially seen everything in my life."
"You people have villanized us throughout history; this is not as rare as you make it out to be," argued Wrath.
"Or the current misery forced your race to evolve beyond your innate racial limitations."
"I'm not here to argue with you."
"Alright. Back to the topic, True Heavenly Dao probably won't accept your exchange. What you need is merit and the highest kind of purple merit."
"Where am I going to get my hands on something like that?" The devil race was not inventive or a race of high imagination. As such, it's not easy for them to acquire merit. Usually, they would conquer other races or worlds to get their hands on such resources.
"That's where I come in. I will exchange the merit for the Devil God's body."
"Aren't I losing in such an exchange?"
"Everything is about demand. In your current situation, I'm probably the only person with what you want and willing to trade with you. So, think of it that way."
"Shameless profiteer."
"Thank you for the compliment. Anyway, purple merit might be as rare of a resource as an Emperor's body, so this exchange is not as one-sided as you make it to be."
'Calm down, Wrath. Breathe in and out.' She wanted to attack him because of his shamelessness. "Anything else?"
"Two things. After you acquire your status, please prove the Dao in another World Community. Although I promise your master to look out for you, I don't want you to intervene in my affairs."
"Why are you treating us like a plague."
"That's because you are. In the future, I can help you–but only secretly."
Wang Wei has no hatred or personal feelings toward the devil race. However, if he wants his era to have longevity, the Myriad Emperor World cannot be directly connected to the devil race. Otherwise, people will use them to attack his new era after he leaves.
"What is the second thing?" Wrath calmed down as she realized the importance of anyone willing to aid her–even if it was in the shadow.
"I just need some aura of the destroy Heavenly Dao from you."
Wrath frowned but did not ask why he wanted it. She directly took a good portion from the talisman and gave it to him.
"It seems we have established some level of trust," he replied before taking out a purple orb and handing it to her. "This is a small portion of our deal. Once you hand the body, I'll give you the rest."
Wrath took the purple merit and said: "Give me a while, and I'll fulfill my hands of the deal."
"I look forward to it."
Wang Wei was delighted with this deal. With an alive and drastically weakened Great Emperor, the scientists will have a much higher chance of success in helping him reach Ten Extremity.
As the final battle rapidly approaches, he feels even more pressure, which increases his desire for this project to succeed.
"It was nice working with you," he declared before walking out of the castle. He was about to figure out the changes to this continent when he suddenly sensed something.
'Someone is calling me?'
He disappeared in the distance.
Wang Wei teleported to a mountain, where he saw someone waiting for him. And the moment he laid eyes on her, the world seemed to brighten as if her very presence embellished the surroundings.
"Ms. Xu Shi, I see you're beautiful as ever." freewebnσvel.cøm
"Thank you, but are you saying that because you mean it or simply for pleasantry."
"Of course, I mean it."
"I found it hard to believe you."
Wang Wei smiled before inviting her to sit as he manifested a table and served tea. "I was surprised when I did not see you during the Cleanup. Now, I understand why."
Wang Wei was surprised after seeing her for two reasons. One, she was an Ultimate King by the standard of the previous game, with the strength of 5-Leaf, on par with Yin Gen. And given she was still in the Supreme Realm, she had some room for growth.
The second reason is that her aura was foreign to the Myriad Emperor World, meaning she was no longer a citizen.
"A lot of things change," responded Xu Shi.
"I can see that. You seem more confident, relaxed, and even free," stated Wang Wei as he took a sip of his tea. "Can you tell me what happened? If you don't mind."
"I don't."
A few thousand years ago, after the Deception Trial:
Xu Shi was in a deep slumber, experiencing her life over and over, analyzing it from a third point of view. After watching her life more than a hundred times, she recognized three defining moments or periods.
The first was her childhood. Xu Shi reviewed her childhood, experiencing this time of innocence and carefree one more time. Then, she focused on a core memory.
Xu Guan and his wife were teaching a kid Xu Shi.
"Listen up, Shi'er," said the fat man, who seemed eternally in that shape. "Your beauty is unparallel, so one day, you will marry a man of unmatched talent: a future Great Emperor. This way, you can bring prosperity to the family and live a happy life."
His wife nodded with him before teaching her how to be a proper lady and wife; she even taught her tricks to deal with a harem.
At first, Xu Shi did not find anything wrong with this message. However, after seeing it a few hundred times and taking a moment to analyze the situation, she realized this core memory's detriment in her life.
'Why did my father always believe me to one day be a wife? Why never treat me as a prospect Heaven Chosen?'
She frowned as she contemplated. 'Even If I did not have the talent, he could have taught me to use my beauty to take other people's talent. Why did he have to instill in me the idea that my value was based on marrying a talented Heaven Chosen."
Xu Shi continued watching her life, and the same idea was deeply ingrained in her mind by the other people she encountered. They lusted after her beauty, and all believed she would be the wife of a future Emperor.
Soon, she saw the second memory of her life: the conference before the Heaven Chosen Selection Trial. She floated above the room, looking at her younger self and Wang Wei's words.
"...she is nothing but a vase."
"Vase?"
"A woman like her would offer nothing to a partnership. She is nothing but a beautiful decoration that added embellishment to me, but nothing of real substance. Let me ask you, what did you feel when you heard her playing the zither?"
Xu Shi reviewed the memories when Wang Wei figured out her personality after listening to her zither.
(AN: For a review, re-read chapter 201 Companion.)
'He was completely wrong about me having been conditioned to only rely on men,' thought Xu Shi as he reviewed this memory. 'When he called me a vase, anger and resentment awakened deep in me. Why was that?'
Her life flashed in my mind as she pondered deeper, "I wanted to prove him wrong. No, I wanted to prove to myself I was not simply a beautiful face. Maybe, deep down, I also resent my father, family, and friends for viewing me as nothing but a beautiful accessory for someone else.'
Soon after that event, her father accepted marriage to her husband, Lin Fan. Xu Shi worked hard to be a supportive wife and redirected her resentment toward Wang Wei; she wanted to help her husband destroy him and show him who the vase was.
'All this because I did not want to confront myself and look inward.' Xu Shi shook her head before continuing to experience her life–focusing on her relationship with her husband.
'I did love him. Although it was a political marriage, I grew fond of him because of how much he adored and pampered me. However…"
Xu Shi watched the last defining point of her life: Lin Fan's death. She watched how he gave her the Dao-level Inheritance Seed, his parting words about their future, imagining their possible children, and his regret of not being able to experience it.
'Did he love me? Maybe. But did he love me as much as I did him? Did he give me the seed out of pure love?' Countless thoughts and ideas appeared in her mind.
'After the Slaughter Trial, he was a different person than the one I married. He was more cunning, ruthless, and scheming. His last actions were not simply out of love. No, it was a desperate act to ensure his survival–to ensure he would be one day revived."
Xu Shi felt something break from her mind as she broke some mental shackle. She finally understood her obsession to revive him and its roots: it was a calculated move on his part.
"You could have asked me directly instead of being so manipulative," muttered Xu Shi with a disappointed sigh. Then, the memory world crumbled as she woke up from the formation.
"Daughter, how are you feeling?"
"Groggy," responded Xu Shi, who felt slightly disoriented. "But I have some issues with you that I need to discuss." Gu Xuan could only smile wryly.
Present Day:
"So, that's what happened," muttered Wang Wei, who was secretly embarrassed. He never cared about Xu Shi's existence despite his words having so much effect on her. Although these words he said back at the Academy were his true thought, he only did this to impress Wu Hong.
And now, after reviewing his actions, he realized how hypocritical he was, given how he sneered at the Heaven Chosens for acting like a peacock trying to court the opposite sex (Xu Shi) when he was doing the same for Wu Hong.
"So, what will you do now about Lin Fan?"
"I'm still going to revive him, but only to repay my karma. As for our marriage, I have not decided yet."
"I wish you peace in whatever choice you make. But, you have not explained why you were not at the Cleanup."
"After my enlightenment, the Academy decided to send me to another Heaven Will World to prove the Dao."
"Oh, where did you go?"
"The Martial Hegemony World," replied Xu Shi, not hiding it. "The Academy helped find a struggling Emperor Lineage and paid them to acquire an Identity Token."
"That's a smart move," added Wang Wei as he took a sip of his drink. "So, why are you willing to reveal all this information to me?"
"To make friends," replied Xu Shi. "I know the conflict between the Academy and the Dao Opening Sect. I thought it would be best to ally with each other instead of fighting."
"Something tells me it's not your main objective."
'It is. Although another one would also be, I hope you allow me to acquire Lin Fan's Imprints." Xu Shu knew Emperors did not like others to intervene in their plane. So, although she is from the Myriad Emperor World, she is also a foreigner.
"An alliance, huh?" thought Wang Wei. He did not mind her taking Lin Fan's Imprints under his supervision. After all, if his existence were not affected, the Academy would have already acquired his imprints–just like he did for Ancestor Wucheng.
As for an alliance with her? He did not care for her status as the Academy Headmaster. He never planned to eradicate the Academy because of Emperor Kong since he needed all the allies he could get to deal with the seven parasites. However, he cared about where she planned to prove the Dao: the Martial Hegemony World.
As the world community closest to the Myriad Emperor World, it was a strategic place for any attacks. As such, he predicted the parasites would send countless spies from the upper dimension to prove the Dao there and prepare to deal with him.
'If Xu Shi could be the winner and even help me establish some foundation in that place, it would be to my advantage.'
"I would love an alliance between us," said Wang Wei before the two discussed things and signed a binding contract. Of course, Xu Shi did not only want to revive her husband and placed her own requirements. Luckily, the two came to a reasonable argument.
"You need to be careful," warned Xu Shi. "Someone seemed to be targeting the Myriad Emperor World." She told him about the sudden appearance of the secret realm and how it teleported her here.
Did the people responsible for the Heaven Devour Emperor's doing become active? Or is it some tactic from the upper dimension?' These were the two scenarios Wang Wei could come up with to explain the current situation, as only these two people would want to intervene in the Myriad Emperor World's rise.
'By using Heaven Chosens from other factions, it's no longer a matter of interference but a competition of the younger generation. I guess this is one of the loopholes to Heavenly Dao's rule of interference.'
"Do you know more information?"
"Unfortunately, no," replied Xu Shi. "My foundation is pretty shallow in the Martial Hegemony World. So, I did not hear any more news from the Endless Void."
"I see. Well, thank you for the information," stated Wang Wei as he stood up. He then cupped his hand and saluted her. "It's a pleasure working with you. Hope we can have a lasting friendship."
"The same," replied Xu Shi as she saluted back.
"Good luck in your battle."
"I think you're going to need it more than me," she replied with an angelic smile before disappearing into the horizon.
"I hope this girl finds her happiness," muttered Wang Wei with a smile. "Now, what should I do."
Regarding the current situation, he could guess that the Martial Hegemony World was not the only place tricked into teleporting to this place. The secret mastermind probably used this tactic to hide their track.
Of all the world communities coming here, any one of them could be the mastermind.
'The more pressing matter is that mysterious power capable of annihilating a Heavenly Dao on par with an Eternal Emperor.'
Wang Wei took out the Heavenly Dao aura and observed it.
'Let's get some benefit first.' He contacted Li Jun and Yan Liling, tasking them to search for the truth. Meanwhile, he prepared to use this aura to gain some understanding into the working of Heavenly Dao and see if he could use this opportunity to become enlightened and create his Heavenly Dao Control Level of his Force Control SKill–or, at the very least, gets a peep into that level.
Wang Wei waved his hand to set up many powerful formations around the mountain; he did not want these foreign pests to bother him. So, if they could not even deal with his formations, they were not with him dealing with them.
Regrettably, before he could enter his seclusion, he received an emergency call from Heavenly Dao.
'What is it this time?' He closed his eyes and contacted it for a second time.
[I need your help]
"What is it this time?"
[I'm aware of the current situation of the cleanup, and I want you to help the Heaven Chosens.]
"You want me to protect my competitors? The people who will do anything to kill me during the final battle?" Wang Wei was genuinely speechless. "If not for you, I would have long killed them. Why would I help them?"
[I know what I'm asking is much, but it is the best action for the word. Many of these geniuses are potential Eternal Emperors. As long as they survive the final battle and wash their Karma through sealing, they can prove the Dao.]
"Wait, you want me to save them now but have no problem with me killing them during the Heaven Will Battle?" Every time he spoke to Heavenly Dao, Wang Wei was baffled by its mode of thinking.
[The Heaven Will Battle exists to choose the very best of a generation, so death is inevitable. However, I aim to ensure they grow to their full potential.]
"I guess that makes sense. But I still don't want to do it."
[You have grand plans for the world. And these people can be of great help to you.]
"That's true." Wang Wei always felt it was an excellent opportunity to be born into such a brilliant generation with so many talented. Regarding his plan, many of these people can be great allies, and some will be annoying pests. Furthermore, he recently felt that he needed to make as many allies as possible, as it would be crucial for him in the distant future.
"I still don't want to help them. If they die here, it can only be said it was their fate. If you really want to help them, go ask Di Tian. Maybe, he's willing to help you." freёweɓnovel.com
[I did, and he refused.]
'Is that so?" replied Wang Wei with squinted eyes. He could guess Heavenly Dao did not want to rely on him entirely and even wanted some form of balance. And Di Tian was the perfect person to do so.
"Didn't you trade with him? Make a deal of some kind?"
[Yes, but he still refused.]
"Why don't you try to use his wife's imprints as an exchange."
Wang Wei theorized that Qiao Ning's existence was affected during her death–just like Lin Fan. Adding that it's been such a long time since her death, Di Tian did not have much time to revive her.
[...]
Wang Wei frowned before smiling, "You want to use his wife's imprint for a better deal. Maybe, when he proves the Dao. I guess these Heaven Chosens' life is not as important as you say."
'Now that I think about it, Qiao Ning died near the end of the Emperor Beginning Era. Even if she used her Willpower and obsession to become a spirit, defy death and live to this present, her imprint should not have lasted so long.'
Wang Wei always believed Qiao Ning was a miracle that should not have existed in the world, and Wu Hong agreed with him. Nevertheless, she could not prevent her imprints from deteriorating.
'Unless Heavenly Dao has kept it intact in case it needed it for the future. This thing is more sly than I sometimes give it credit.'
Of course, there is the possibility this was True Heavenly Dao's method of both punishing Di Tian and preparing to deal with him in the future.
[I will be direct. If you save these Heaven Chosens, I will reward you handsomely.]
"Now, we are talking," nodded Wang Wei. "What is your offer?"
[A secret real that was a battle from the Null Era containing countless broken Chaos Treasures that you can use to refine your Proving Dao Artifact. Furthermore, there is the blood of numerous Innate and Primordial Gods.]
'Now I know how my fortunate encounter will come,' thought Wang Wei before ruminating about this deal.
"Fine, I agree." Although he could take this position to demand some outlandish things as conditions, he did not want to completely ruin his relationship with Heavenly Dao.
"But, I have a condition: I won't save all of them."
[Why]
"Some are too weak and only serve as cannon fodder for others in the final battle. If I let them die now, I can increase my chance of winning."
His worry has always been the mass group tactic that forced him to use his stamina, which in turn made it so that he was not in the best shape in the battle against Di Tian. Moreover, he also has to guard against the upper dimension's tactics. He did not think they would give up so easily especially knowing his strength.
One of the best methods for the weak to defeat the strong is to distract them with a bunch of ants before giving them a decisive blow.
On top of everything, there is the wild variable that is the Heaven-Devouring Emperor. Wang Wei would never underestimate the capabilities of a cunning and cruel Eternal Emperor.
[I accept your terms. But I have some requirements for the people you can leave to die.] Heavenly Dao then gave him detailed criteria on the strength, talent, Dao Heart, and uniqueness of the Heaven Chosens that can be saved. Anyone who falls below that level can be left to their fate.
Wang Wei opened his eyes and exhaled. He saw a token floating before him, and he knew it was the secret realm. He placed it away while muttering, "My Son Era Luck is on the uptake. I should be careful of the downward spiral."
Suddenly he sensed something and looked in the distance. He spread his Divine Sense to a specific place for over half an hour.
"Hahaha, things are truly getting interesting." A bright smile appeared on his face. "Let's still be weary."
He looked at the sky before pointing with his fingers. He established an enormous invisible array that covered the entire continent to save the people who needed it. Then, he waved his hand to create a River of Karma and bound it to the array.
"I will save you, but you will also owe a great Karma," said Wang Wei. Although he cannot use this karma for the final battle since Heavenly Dao would not allow it, he can still use it for the people who survive. With such a tactic, many of his plans might become easier after proving the Dao.
After doing all this, Wang Wei closed his eyes to enter his seclusion.
Chapter
Di Tian stood near his camp, waiting for something. Suddenly, he sensed something and looked at the sky. He was probably the only individual on this continent who could see the invisible array and the River of Karma.
'Wang Wei's doing?' he thought with a sneer. He could already guess Heavenly Dao went to ask its favorite son for help, and the latter agreed. Although he once worked with that vile thing, Di Tian would not associate with it any more than he has to after everything it made him go through–especially for a few broken Chaos Treasures.
The only thing that would move him is his wife's imprint, but the latter refused to hand it over.
'It does not matter; I will take it myself.'
Di Tian no longer looked at the formation. He would not purposely interfere in matters regarding Heavenly Dao to not gather any unnecessary complications.
After waiting for a while, a figure with a hood appeared behind him.
"How is it?"
"I have investigated everything."
"The result?"
"I have found a few candidates, but you must test their strength yourself."
"Very well. Lead the way," ordered Di Tian, who felt the current situation was advantageous since he could move as he pleased. His shadow bowed before teleporting to another territory, and Di Tian followed.
The two appeared before a group of young people passionately discussing something. However, the bright mark above Di Tian and his shadow's head immediately alerted everyone present, forcing them to become on guard.
"Who is it?" asked Di Tian; his voice was calm, and he showed no aura or pressure. However, some keen people's hearts suddenly skipped a beat.
The shadow pointed at a young man with green hair standing before the group. Judging by his position, he was someone of status among these groups, or at the very least; they respected him deeply to listen to him talking.
"That's Liu Zongying from the Mortal Heart World," explained the shadow.
"A power system focusing on Dao Heart Tempering?" commented Di Tian. "He's weak, but let's see his potential." He clenched his fist and punched forward:
[Last Breath]
Without hesitation, he used the first fist of his Nine Samsara Fist Scripture, not wasting his time. His attack brought all matters to their last breath, even utilizing some power of destruction.
These Heaven Chosens reacted quickly, using all types of means to save their lives. When Di Tian raised his fist, the alarming bells of death rang in their mind, almost paralyzing many of them. Luckily, their world's cultivation system is about forging a supreme Dao Heart, so they all have an excellent state of mind.
Numerous people used secret techniques with great prices to increase their strength: some used arrays, extraordinary magical artifacts, and life-saving talismans. In less than a second, the group meeting turned into a light show with all these technique displays.
Unfortunately, it was useless. The devastating power of that punch killed the majority of these people. Following this, the power of death and destruction finished the job.
As for the aftermath? Almost everybody died.
Di Tian calmly watched as some people's soul was salvaged by some Immortal Tier strength and did chase after these people.
"This Liu Zongying is too weak." His attack only closed to Immortal Venerable 1-Leaf but did not reach it. Such strength can be achieved by some Heaven Chosens with potential.
The Shadow nodded before showing to another group. Although he felt this person had great potential with a top-notch Dao Heart and could be adequately cultivated, it was not his decision to make. The next chosen group was of five individuals, two of whom the shadow felt were of great potential.
Di Tian looked at these five people, waiting for his shadow to explain.
"The two in the middle are a rare twin Spirit Race born from a rock; great talent in body refining."
"Are they from the Central Spirit World?"
"Yes."
Di Tian guessed only a world dominated by the Spirit Race would give birth to such a rare anomaly as a twin spirit.
"Get in formation," said Yanshi, one of the two brothers. Immediately, the other three surrounded him and his brother. The two brothers turned into a giant rock monster of 10 meters with two heads, while the others transformed into motes of light that fuse into them.
"Are you from the Myriad Emperor World?"
"Yes, and?"
"My last two preys ran away from me. However, I won't make the same mistake again."
"Is that so?" commented Di Tian before using the same punch.
Boom!
Before the rock monster could comprehend what had occurred, more than half of his body collapsed under the attack. So, they lay on the floor with horror in their eyes.
"He's better than the previous one," commented Di Tian. "He's only Tier 9, and once he reaches the Quasi Emperor Realm, there is a chance of breaking the Mortal-Immortal Barrier.
"However, he seems stupid and has no sense of danger." He shook his head before motioning for the shadow to show him to his next destination. As he walked past these spirit races, death enveloped them, sending them into samsara.
The shadow teleported them to a mountain range. However, as soon as they arrived, a formation activated above them, trapping them.
Di Tian calmly looked above his head, seeing numerous weapons with quite a powerful aura. Then, he looked at the thousands of people who surrounded him, focusing on a particular young man on the back with a red robe.
"Is this your doing?"
The person did not answer, but Di Tian could feel the connection of this array to this person.
"Someone from the Myriad Armament World?" He could feel this person was a Weapon Refiner who cultivated Armament Dao. And since the Myriad Armament World is similar to the Myriad Pill World with countless talented weapon refiners, he guessed the person's origin.
"According to the information I gathered, he's from the Battle Spirit World."
"Is that so?"
Gao Boqin, the red robe youth, motioned for everybody to attack before controlling the array above to attack.
Di Tian calmly raised his hand to generate a force field that easily blocked these thousands of magical artifacts.
'He set up the array and combined it with his magical artifact to reach an attack level of 2-Leaf.' His eyes lit up. Meanwhile, Gao Boqin's face changed. He refined a treasure that would predict danger, and not long after coming to this place, the supposed trial of an Eternal Supreme Inheritance, the thing activated, warning of unimaginable danger.
So, he acted swiftly to gather other people with the promise of resources and compromise before setting this array. However, he did not expect the situation to be this terrible.
He now realized because of the overwhelming strength of the enemy, his treasure could not even correctly dictate the level of danger he would face.
Di Tian calmly looked at this group of people and used his Divine Sense to check on each of them. Although the shadow came here for the red robe youth, he wanted to ensure there was not a hidden genius amongst this group.
Regrettably, he did not find anything. He raised his hand and made a squeezing motion.
Bang!
Blood splatters all over the earth and the sky, leaving shattered bodies, broken bones, and mush viscera. With that single motion, Di Tian used his pure physical strength to grab the fabric of space and use it to squeeze these people to death.
Then, a slight smile crept on his face as he saw the red robe youth with a pale complexion surrounded by a bunch of magical defensive artifacts.
"It's you," he declared before instantly appearing in front of the youth. Under his momentum, the artifacts cracked before becoming useless. He then placed his hand on the forehead of Gao Boqin, while the latter was incapable of even moving a muscle.
Di Tian searched his soul to gather basic knowledge of the youth, ensuring he did not touch the Emperor Seals from his faction.
'Extraordinary talent for weapon refining,' he thought. 'Also a master in arrays.' He knew he had found an excellent choice for a general. As for the suspicious movements he detected from some forces in the Battle Spirit World, he could not care less. He placed their actions on the back of his mind and only to prepare in case they became an obstacle to him proving the Dao and reviving his wife.
Subsequently, he proceeded to enslave the latter by controlling Gao Boqin's soul.
As a person who understood Samsara Dao to the pinnacle of what a mortal is capable of what, Di Tian's was unparallel. Only a person with the same strength as him and cultivated Soul Dao could surpass him. The only exception might be that guy with the weird soul. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Gao Boqin tried to resist, but it was pointless. After a few minutes, Di Tian finished the preliminary enslavement, forcing him to pass out. Heaven Chosens from Emperor Lineages will have restrictions on their souls to prevent enslavement and mind control.
With his method, he bypassed these measures, but it was only temporary. He needed to return home and use the Di Clan's power to remove these restrictions.
"Who's next?" he asked.
"This was the last one I could investigate in such a short time," replied the shadow. "However, I have some news about the Devil Ultimate Kings. We can try them."
"That's a good idea. Let's go."
In the distance, a figure watched Di Tian's departure with a deep frown on their faces. Despite only being a few dozen meters, they were not detected.
The sect was wrong,' thought He Shiyi, the young master of the Spirit Genesis Sect. Under his invisible veil, he calmly watched Di Tian leave with a deep frown.
'The plan was fundamentally flawed since the Myriad Emperor World contained such a monster.' He shook his head with a wry smile. Even with his peak Immortal Venerable 6-Leaf strength, he knew he was nothing before that man. And even after he takes the next step in his cultivation, he will only reach the limit of 7-Leaf.
The sect sent him here to finish the geniuses of the Myriad Emperor World, but they were also worried about his safety, thus granting him some powerful hiding method.
'All this work for nothing,' complained He Shiyi. The sect mobilized its secret power to lure countless geniuses from other world communities and teleported them to this continent. Then, they used the broken Empyrean Artifact to bypass Empress Wu's sealing and destroying the Heavenly Dao of this continent.
After all these efforts and using innumerable resources, the result was pointless.
He Shiyi raised his head to look at the invisible formation and Karma River floating above the continent.
'There is also another monster.' The situation genuinely hit his pride after seeing how powerful these two were. So, after smiling wrily, he focused on the task at hand.
'Luckily, this monster is not from the Dao Opening Sect. But if the other is, the situation will become more complicated.' He pondered for a moment for his next step. He needed to confirm the identity of the person who set up the array. And if it is the Wang Wei they learned about from the Deception Trial, he needs to think about how to respond.
'If it is him, I need to contact the other and see if we can become allies. The Myriad Emperor World can have a resurgence, but the Dao Opening Sect cannot lead it.'
He Shiyi breathed deeply; he wished the sect had more information and influence in the Myriad Emperor World. However, after the situation with the Heaven-Devouring Emperor, the sect had to become low-key not to be discovered.
Of course, the main reason for this retreat was fear of the upper dimension.
He Shiyi disappeared as he decided to observe more before making a decision.
…
Di Tian teleported to a mountain range with the shadow. He could see quite a potent formation deep underneath one of the tallest mountains. However, it seems to be malfunctioning. So, he waved his hand to manifest a giant palm that eradicated the formation.
Soon afterward, a young man with red eyes flew out with a somber look as he gazed at Di Tian.
"A two-heart devil?" His eyes lit up: this was a species with naturally two extra lives. Once they die, they lose one of their hearts, meaning you have to kill them three times before killing them. However, as long as they survive, they can condense the two hearts again with enough resources.
"Who are you?" ƒгeewёbnovel.com
"Gluttony."
"Are you interested in following me?"
"And be the slave of a human? I'd rather die."
"That's a shame," replied Di Tian. "Anyway, let's test your capabilities."
Di Tian flicked his finger, generating enough force to destroy countless Middle Thousand Worlds. Gluttony acted swiftly by opening his mouth and swallowing the force. Then, his aura suddenly increased.
"Swallowing Dao? Not, it seems different."
Despite easily overcoming this attack, Gluttony was not happy. Everything was proceeding relatively smoothly when a sudden change occurred between Heaven and Earth. Wrath sent a quick message for everybody to hide since their castle or home base was no longer safe.
However, Gluttony discovered that even the secret hideouts were unsafe since the hiding formations malfunctioned. Now, it seems he was unlucky, and someone detected him.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Di Tian punched continuously, increasing the force used each time in his attacks. However, Gluttony swallowed these attacks without problem; his expression, aura, or law fluctuation did not change.
[First Fist: Last Breath]
The power of death and destruction enveloped Gluttony, who only did one motion: opening his mouth.
"You can swallow, no, eat force, energy, and even concepts," commented Di Tian with a plain face. He already determined this devil practiced a unique Eating Dao that involved Devouring Dao and many others. Furthermore, after his bombardments, the latter's straight rose from 2-Leaf to 5 Leaf, albeit it seems to be temporary.
"Do you have a limit? Let's see," said Di Tian before attacking again. Meanwhile, Gluttony was frustrated and angered. He knew his increase in strength was pointless.
The opponent actively allowed him to eat to increase his strength, which shows how much he looked down on his abilities. Unfortunately, he could not do much.
"Your power limit is 7-Leaf–even if the strength is not permanent. However, you have no limit on the things you can devour. As long as you continue to eat, you can convert your food into stored energy which grants you infinite stamina."
Di Tian nodded in satisfaction. Although Gluttony had a strength limit, his infinite stamina could be used in a battle to outlast an opponent that was closed in strength. However, he still needs to eat enough to reach a certain strength level since his opponent will not allow him to swallow their attacks.
Di Tian calmly raised his hand as a black and white sphere appeared in his palm: [Death to Eating].
Gluttony's face changed as he saw the sphere flying toward him; his instinct told him never to swallow that thing. Unfortunately, he was too slow to react or evade.
[Second Stomach]
A mouth phantom appeared before him and swallowed the attack. However, the power was not directed to his main stomach, where he could swallow and eat everything. No, he created a second dimension or small world to process this attack.
And as expected, the small world was instantly annihilated by the black sphere.
"Great intuition and battle experience," commented Di Tian. "Adding a unique Dao, you're the second one."
As soon as Gluttony heard these words, he went on the offensive. He opened his mouth and made a chewing motion.
Crunch!
A dozen of the mountains behind Di Tian disappeared, while a few looked like someone had taken a bite out of them. Meanwhile, Di Tian–who was intact with not even a scratch on his clothes–did not care for his prey's pointless struggle. Before Gluttony could move or even process the situation, Di Tian was oddly standing in front of him.
He raised his hand to hold the devil by the throat, rendering him completely useless. A black and white character appeared on Gluttony's forehead, sealing all his strength and powers.
Swish!
A brilliant sword slash arrived from the distance. It contained the intent to eradicate Heaven; the sword gave the vibe as if it had an eternal grudge against Heaven and Earth.
Sadly, it faded into nonexistence before it could even touch Di Tian. He looked in the direction of the attack and saw a young woman with pink hair holding her sword. Accompanying her were two other devils.
"Wrath, Pride, Greed, save me."
Di Tian calmly placed Gluttony into his space ring.
"More talents," he commented, focusing on Wrath. "You'll be an even better general."
He did not gather these generals only to face Wang Wei–even though it started this way. Since his imprisonment, he has been thinking about his future, about what to do after reviving Qiao Ning. For most of his life, he never bothered to think beyond the revival of Ning'er due to one of his deepest fears.
So, he forced himself to only worry about the present, focusing on the task at hand.
However, his encounter with Nine Pillar made him see the hope of reviving his Ning'er, the one he knew and loved. So, now, he wanted to plan for the future. Although there was a low probability of finding the Limit Breaker, there were other methods he could use to increase his chance.
After reaching higher realms of cultivation, for example, the realm of his sons, he has a higher chance of finding it. Another method is to have a powerful faction to help him search.
After making these plans, he realized how terrible the loss of the Sleepers was. He could spread them to the lower dimension to search for the Limit Breaker if they were as powerful. Di Tian knew he would not find it there, but it was worth trying–no matter how small the odds.
Furthermore, once they reached such a scale, he would have a foundation to set up a faction in the upper dimension after proving the Dao. After coming to this realization, his hatred for Wang Wei increased significantly.
"Return, Gluttony," said Wrath with a very calm tone and demeanor despite the current situation.
"Come get him," replied Di Tian, thinking having these devil talents under his control would greatly benefit his plan. Wrath gave the other three a look before they entered the battle mode.
'Their loyalty to their comrade will make them great underlings,' thought Di Tian, who admired these people's willingness to sacrifice their selves. Nevertheless, he would not show any mercy; he would crush their spirit to make it easier to subdue.
Chapter
'A Three-Eye Devil,' thought Di Tian as he analyzed Wrath. He once was a Three-Eye Devil, so he knew the species quite well. They were once one of the most powerful subspecies of the Nine Devil God World, known for their soul and comprehension talents and the unique ability of their third eyes.
However, he could also tell she was primarily human.
Di Tian analyzed the other two: Greed was a tin man with heavy bags under his eyes. He looked ordinary, like the kind of person that is not easily noticeable in a large crowd. Upon closer look at him, his face seemed harder to recognize or remember; it was like he was naturally camouflaged in the surrounding.
'A Cloaking Devil,' thought Di Tian with a slight surprise. Cloaking Devils were one of the weakest species of the devil race. However, they were excellent at camouflaging and blending in. As such, the devil race would send them into other World Communities to gather information and prepare for invasion.
Pride was an ordinary young man with short hair dressed in all black. Di Tian could tell from his bloodline he was a Misery Devil, a subspecies that enjoyed corrupting souls; they would use pain and misery to force other races to become mad and commit atrocities.
In any world, if there is a sudden increase in women killing their children, fathers assaulting their daughters, sons selling their mothers, and other cruel things, it's most likely the world of a Misery Devil.
While Di Tian was calmly assessing these people, Wrath had prepared for this battle. Oddly though, she did not use the Devil Retribution Sword.
[Heaven Hating Stab]
A black light flew toward Di Tian, containing an unparallel amount of hatred that would destroy the mind of any lesser man. However, he was not a lesser man.
"My hatred for Heavens is beyond what your pitiful attack could fathom."
The attack disappeared before him, and Wrath spewed a mouthful of blood; she received a backlash because Di Tian's hatred was beyond her bearing.
"Wrath!" yelled Pride.
"I'm fine."
He waved his hand to manifest a white light that instantly healed her injuries. While he healed her, Greed tried to buy them time–even though his opponent had the demeanor he did not care.
[Tyrant Supresssiong Fist]
His thin body displayed an ungodly amount of power with this one punch. DI Tian calmly raised his hand to block the manifestation of the punch. Then, another power followed: an intense pressure weighted on him–a pressure that would make the gravity of a supermassive black hole look like child's play.
'Huh? His Dao reminds me of Wang Chang's Overlord Dao.' His Sleeper gathered information about the previous generation and learned much about Wang Wei's family when he researched the latter.
'His strength is as weak as him too.' He could tell pride was a top powerhouse in the Quasi-Emperor Realm, but he did not come close to 1-Leaf strength.
Di Tian's attention suddenly diverted to Pride. The latter waved his hand to manifest two small swords that entered Greed and Wrath's body.
[Heaven Eradicating Slash]
This attack was not a simple slash but a tornado of sword energy with the power to eradicate everything in its path.
[Tyrant's Kingdom]
A world suddenly appeared above Greed's head. The world was beautiful, with golden architecture to suggest its wealth and prosperity. There were billions of people in the kingdom, with healthy visages and wearing luxurious clothes. However, none of these individuals looked happy; fear was deeply engrained in their eyes, showing it was not a pleasant thing to be the citizen of a tyrant.
Di Tian generated a force field from his body that easily blocked these two attacks. However, the field shook slightly after the sword tornado.
'1-Root and peak 1-Leaf strength,' he analyzed before looking at Pride.
"Support Dao? How is a person supposedly the embodiment of pride lowering itself to become a support? I understand. A Pride Dao that reverts Yin and Yang. You're more valuable than I thought. Let's see how much you can do."
He looked at Greed and uttered, "Suppress."
Bang!
Greed knelt on the ground as an unknown force suppressed him to the ground, rendering him incapable of moving an inch. And with each passing second, the pressure increased, crushing his bones and organs.
"Pride," yelled Wrath, and the latter acted with the utmost haste.
[Stamina Boost. Regenerating Boost. Potential Boost]
Greed's power rose to the peak of 3-Leaf. Meanwhile, Wrath reached the early stage of 2-Root.
[Eradicating Soul of Heaven]
Her sword attack was not a physical one but directly attacked the mind and the soul; its purpose was to forcefully erase the memories, spirit, and intelligence of her opponent, rendering a blank state. Usually, this attack is to either make the opponent lose their battle experience or even make them unable to use their powers due to the lack of memory.
Another use of this attack is to turn enemies into friends. A person with no memories also has no personality or understanding of the world; they are a blank slate that can be molded into anything–even a friend.
"It's pointless to confront me through the soul," commented Di Tian. He is a master of the soul, and with his new Emperor Soul, few people could affect his mind and soul. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
He was right. Wrath felt her attack was similar to throwing a stone in the ocean. No, it was worse since she did not even make any waves.
'Is the disparity so large?' she thought, a little frustrated. Meanwhile, Di Tian was in a good mood.
'Pride is excellent for any army or faction. His Dao would excel in any large war. The only place he is lacking is his strength.' The latter's power was similar to Greed.
'Greed's Tyrant Dao is perfect to lead a majestic and unmatched legion. I have some of the inheritance of the Great Qin Dynasty. As long as he learns from it, he will truly be an unrivaled general.'
The Qin Legions were one of the best–if not the best–of history; they were a nightmare for the demon race during the Ancient Emperor Era.
'Finally, there is Wrath. Her strength more than met my expectations. With her talent, she will shine even more after going through my training.'
His eyes shone. 'Maybe, I can wash Karma for her so she could prove the Dao. After such an Emperor under my command would make searching for the Limit Breaker easier.'
The only issue he had to worry about was whether there would be some complications with enslaving a Great Emperor. When they undergo a baptism of the Great Dao Source and forge their Emperor's Soul and Body, any restrictions on them might disappear.
'Should I slowly forge a relationship with her? No, I cannot trust her. The best course is to control the other devils. Since she cares about them so much, I can control her through them.'
Wrath's body trembled as she felt a terrible future awaited her.
"Do it now," she ordered. Three metal objects floated from the bodies of these three.
'A Chaos Treasure? It seems to be a unique interconnected one.'
The three Choas Treasures fused to form a triangle floating above Wrath's head. Then, something came from Greed and Pride's body and entered her body. As they fell to the ground, completely drained and tired, the emotion knowns as hope flashed in their eyes.
Wrath's aura climbed to a realm beyond her limit.
'4-Root? It's not enough.' She gritted her teeth before swinging her sword. And this time, Di Tian did not directly block the attack. Instead, he easily evaded.
'Her Dao now has a more overbearing and domineering aura,' analyzed Di Tian as he casually evaded. Then, he clenched his fist and punched.
[Decay of Death]
Wrath's body flew hundreds of meters before crashing into the group. Besides her head, her lower body had decayed and died. However, this was not the end for her. A whistle light manifested from her head before her body instantly regrew.
'So, she now has both their Daos. No, maybe the original Seven Sins Dao belongs to someone else who divided it into different parts,' thought Di Tian, trying to remember if he knew any devils who used such a Dao.
'He could have killed me with that attack if he wanted.' She realized the overwhelming difference between each root. Even with her tactic, her strength was not enough. But she did not give up.
"I've tested your abilities, and you met my qualifications. So, enough playing around."
A black and white wheel appeared to belong his feet before descending on Wrath. Immediately, she knew she could not escape this technique. Nevertheless, her eyes remained firm and defiant.
Bang!
A hand appeared and gently waved, destroying the wheel.
"Wang Wei," said Di Tian with a frown.
"I can't let you have her or the other devil."
"Since when were you such a busybody?"
"Busybody? Do I need a reason to prevent my competitor from becoming more of a nuisance?"
"It does not take much brain to see you have some relationship with this devil." Based on Wrath's reaction after he appeared, Di Tian could analyze so much.
"I resent these accusations. I'm simply here to prevent you from getting a powerful general."
The two looked at each other from a distance which was insignificant given their strength. The tension created by their indirect confrontation could suffocate an Immortal Venerable with weak willpower.
"Help me save Gluttony," said Wrath, breaking the atmosphere. Wang Wei looked at her and calmly said, "No."
"But you said–"
"I said no."
"I thought you didn't know her," added Di Tian.
"Don't listen to her; your attack affected her mind, so she's not feeling well. Plus, you can't trust the word of a devil," replied Wang Wei without any changes in his attitude.
"What a cheeky brat. Your previous 'witty charm' might be acceptable when you were young, but shouldn't you have grown up and matured by now."
Wang Wei frowned as he realized something: Di Tian was different–he had changed. If the previous him was someone stuck in a box with a fixed mentality and pattern, the current him had opened that box and seen what was beyond it.
'What made him change? Is it because he found a way beyond Nine Extremity? Wait, I never figured out he succeeded in the first place.' He added this mental note in his mind, labeling Di Tian as more unpredictable than he previously classified him.
"And be like you?" he replied with a sneer. "Let time wash away my personality? Mold me into a cruel and sinister person with a face that everybody owes him money? In that case, I'll stay immature."
Wang Wei always believed Time was one of the worse enemies of cultivators–especially the high realms ones. Yes, they have escaped their shackles, but their immortality can slowly corrode their mind and dilute their personalities and emotions. So, he promised himself he would never change no matter how many Yuan Epochs he lived.
'Has time changed me?' thought Di Tian, and the answer was positive. He was once a spirited young man with the ambition to end the Innate-Acquire War and establish peace and stability for the human race. Unfortunately, his dreams led him to a dark and perilous journey.
"Are you really not going to help me?" asked Wrath, but Wang Wei ignored her. He was not in the state to fight Di Tian for many reasons. The first one was his strength was technically still 4-Root.
As his main body reaches higher cultivation realms, his overall strength only increases slightly. And that's because he has not experienced the final Fate Baptism from his Fate Palace. However, he has a way around this method to acquire 5-Root power: he uses his Time Dao in combination with his [Future Buddha Self] to borrow the power of his future self after the baptism.
This method is quite an ingenious way to bypass the current issue. However, it has a fatal flaw: it was still a shortcut or technique. If he fought Di Tian, with the latter's understanding of Time Dao through Samsara Law, he could cancel his technique and reduce his strength back to the original level.
The second reason is that the stubborn Wrath might be caught in the battle and die. He wanted to keep his promise, but there was no way he could fight Di Tian and simultaneously protect her.
Truthfully, in this short interaction, he calculated the possibility of using Pride's Dao to kill Di Tian here. However, after his calculations, he realized it was impossible, and the latter had a high chance of running away or, as he feared, canceling his technique and killing him here instead.
Finally, and the most important reason, was information. In their first battle, the reason he lost so miserably–besides the fact Di Tian's strength compared to him was similar to Mike Tyson beating a toddler–was the advantage of information or intelligence.
Di Tian knew his trump cards and ways to survive dangerous situations. He prepared countermeasures, rendering him helpless and useless. But now, he was the one with this advantage because of the Oracle Mirror. Although the mirror cannot update him on Di Tian's current developments and progress, it still provides him with enough intelligence to give him a significant advantage.
He did not want to give up that advantage by providing Di Tian with more information on his current strength and progress.
While Wang Wei was thinking about whether this battle was worth it, Di Tian was doing the same. He did not have as many reservations and worries as Wang Wei–except for one:
'After our last battle, he somehow figured out the unorthodox Nine Extremity Foundation and caught up to me. If I fight him now and he senses my transition into 10 Extremity, he might do the same.'
Wang Wei might find a way to reach Ten Extremity without the Limit Breaker; Di Tian did not doubt an Overlord's ability to create miracles. So, he weighed the pros and cons of fighting for these devils.
'Ten Extremity is the key to me proving the Dao. As for the devils? They are replaceable. I can use the clan's resources to cultivate a few Heaven Chosen with the Tyrant and Support Dao.'
When he returns home, he can wake up a Sealed Heaven Chosen and trains them in these Dao. The Tyrant Dao is more common; some people might already have it or something similar. However, he has to find the right person for the Support Dao.
"Let's go," he said to the Shadow.
"Wait," said Wang Wei.
"What is it? If you want to fight, I'll amuse you," said Di Tian with a cold face. "I promise things won't be much different from the first time."
"You know that's not true. Anyway, I'm not here to fight; I just want to talk," replied Wang Wei, who secretly sealed Wrath's ability to talk.
"Talk? What do you want?"
"Why don't you prove the Dao in another World Community?"
"Are you joking?"
"I'm not. You and I do not have much enmity, and both want to prove the Dao. We don't have to fight if we come to an agreement."
"No enmity? What you did to my Sleepers is not enough?"
"You almost killed me, and I eliminated your intelligence agency, making us even. So, there is no need to hold a grudge."
"But I do. Most of these people you killed were people I care for, people that went through so much with me, people who were with me at my lowest."
"Don't be so inflexible. If you become Emperor somewhere else, I can make an oath not to interfere in your wife's revival," argued Wang Wei.
"And do you think I would trust something so important to you," sneered Di Tian. He caused Ning'er death, so he must atone for his sins by reviving her himself.
"I can make an unbreakable oath to Grand Dao itself."
"Unbreakable oath?" said Di Tian with some mockery in his tone. Maybe, before, he might believe in such a thing. However, after knowing the existence of something like the Limit Breaker, he knew there was no absolute in this world.
"If there were a person capable of finding the loophole in any oath or promise, it would be you."
Wang Wei frowned slightly. Although he expected a negative answer, he did not expect the latter to be so stubborn and did not even entertain the idea. Nevertheless, he did not immediately give up and decided to take some calculated risks. He waved his hand to send a booklet with one page to Di Tian, who caught it and read the title.
[Merit Proving Dao Method]
The Di Clan Heir pondered for a moment as some memories from the past resurfaced in his mind. In his first life, the idea of an alternate method of creating Emperors or Emperors' strength was discussed as a way to win the war.
Back then, only the Heaven Path Tribulation was viable to humans, but many wise Sages and Emperors speculated on other methods.
"I still disagree."
"Why? We can both prove the Dao through this method."
"Even with our current foundation, we can only say we have a 95% chance of becoming Eternal Emperors if the Heaven Will was handed directly into our hands. However, using this alternative method would only give a 90%.
"I don't want to take any risks."
Wang Wei knew Di Tian's statistics were over-exaggerated. However, his concerns about alternate methods were valid. One of his fears is that the methods he used to help his mother, Li Jun, and Yan Liling to become Emperors will decrease their chances of becoming Eternal Emperors–even with merit for help.
"Secondly, even with this method, where would I find enough merit? I imagine it would require a tremendous number."
"I feel you're being too rigid. Can't you even consider this possibility?"
"And I feel you're being too presumptuous. Why must I be the one who leaves? Why can't you leave and prove the Dao somewhere else?"
"I have my sect and family to consider," shrugged Wang Wei. "And a new era to lead."
"And I have to repay my karma to the Di Clan," countered Di Tian. The Di Clan's luck sheltered him from Heavenly Dao's planning in the early stages of his reincarnation. So, he will repay the karma once he can.
Furthermore, although he did not care about the upcoming era, he also wanted to avoid anything happening to the Myriad Emperor World. He wanted his Ning'er to come to an intact and peaceful world.
Di Tian no longer wanted to entertain this conversation, so he disappeared.