Chapter 209 - Friends from the Endless Netherworld
"Explanation?" In the court of the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire, the eyes of the mighty from the Heavenly Realm turned cold and piercing.
The Demon Continent didn't seek any explanation, but it was the Violet Emperor who stepped forward. Not only did he step up, but he also addressed the guests from the Divine Continent on the Ascension Gate: "Treasure Emperor, Clear Emperor, Martial Emperor, Desert Emperor, please join me!"
The Emperors of the other four great Immortal Empires reluctantly rose to their feet.
Exchanging glances, they followed the Violet Emperor's invitation, positioning themselves between the Divine Dawn Empress and the Demon Continent.
With the four standing behind him, the Violet Emperor's aura of righteousness intensified, embodying the stature of the foremost among Emperors.
"What explanation do you want?" the Divine Dawn Empress' gaze drilled into the Violet Emperor, her eyes sparking with electric intensity.
The Violet Emperor, with a solemn look, turned to Yun Xiao and declared loudly: "This young man's magic power is clearly not fully transformed into sacred power. Myself and the four human Emperors believe he lacks the capacity for today's slaughter."
The faces of the four human Emperors tightened. The Violet Emperor was obviously speaking for them without consent, but they did not deny it for now.
"And?" the Divine Dawn Empress pressed.
The Violet Emperor, fixing his stern gaze on the Divine Dawn Empress, proclaimed: "You orchestrated the War of Immortals, inviting guests from both the Divine and Demon Continents under the guise of marriage, setting up this grand melee. First, you coerced the other four Immortal Empires into withdrawing, leaving only Yun Xiao. Then, you used the death of Tian Lu to provoke our friends from the Demon Continent. The demise of these two thousand Demon Continent talents is on you, Divine Dawn, the mastermind!"
Treasure Emperor hurriedly interjected, "Violet Emperor, you worry too much. My Spirit Treasure Immortal Empire withdrew because we had already taken a heavy toll in the Cycle Battle and Arena Champion Battle. Moreover, once Divine Dawn withdrew, we knew we couldn’t contend with the Demon Continent's talents. There was no coercion. Besides, Divine Dawn herself emphasized earlier that today’s chaos was solely Yun Xiao's doing and had nothing to do with her. This young man cannot represent the Heavenly Realm!"
The Violet Emperor sneered. "Are you joking right now? This reeks of meddling and foul play! Do you really think deciding on the Black Box Battle just an hour before the War of Immortals continued was mere coincidence? It was clearly planned, a strategic move by a nation. Yet, you would have one youth be the scapegoat?"
After this, the Violet Emperor turned his blazing gaze back to the Divine Dawn Empress, his voice booming like a bell, "Guilty woman, don’t think you can use one man’s death to absolve your nation of its crimes!"
The truth of the matter was crystal clear, so the demons didn't want to fuss about it. But the Violet Emperor did! He aimed to represent humanity, pinning the blame on the Divine Dawn Empress, thereby undermining the righteousness of her every move. By swaying public opinion, he sought to weaken the newly united fighting spirit of humanity.
The term guilty woman laid bare his intent.
With that, the Violet Emperor raised his arm, sweeping his gaze over the millions of cultivators in the Heavenly Realm, his voice booming, "Fellow cultivators! Divine Dawn doesn't speak for humanity! She plotted in secret, slaughtering the talents of the Demon Continent, scheming to ignite a war between our lands, shattering the hard-won peace of ages! If she brings an unprecedented catastrophe upon humanity, the sin is hers alone! I urge my fellow humans, open your eyes, do not be led astray by this guilty woman, onto a path of no return, paved with corpses and blood!"
"Get lost!"
"Demon Continent's lapdog, crawl back to your Violet Sky kennel!"
"You dare to slander our Empress?"
The cultivators of the Heavenly Realm and the thousands of demons were already at odds.
The Violet Emperor's ill-intentioned provocation was futile in the land of the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire.
The angry faces did not surprise the Violet Emperor. He wasn’t aiming to sway the hearts of the Divine Dawn Empress' people.
He abruptly turned to the other four human Emperors, his voice icy, "The evil of Divine Dawn is a shared outrage for the five great Immortal Empires of the Divine Continent and our friends from the Demon Continent! Now, the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire has made a grave mistake. Don't think of dragging the whole Divine Continent down with you! We hereby declare, on behalf of the Divine Continent, we will not hinder the Demon Continent from seeking justice against your Heavenly Realm!"
With these words, thousands of demons roared in approval.
"Divine Dawn Immortal Empire to ruin!"
Clearly, the Violet Emperor was forcing the four great Immortal Empires to take a public stand.
At that moment, all eyes turned to the four human Emperors! Their every word, about to be spread throughout the Divine Continent, would stir the hearts of the people.
Public opinion in the human world was in the hands of powerful clans and families, closely allied with the rulers of the Immortal Empires, leaving the common folk seldom hearing the truth.
As the Violet Emperor spoke, he extended three slender fingers, then, with a smile, he gently pressed down one, leaving two standing. The message was clear! Not publicly taking a side? Then two-thirds of your kin would descend to hell!
The four human Emperors stood in the heart of the storm. They were silent! But silence was no solution; they had to take a stand. On one hand were the lives of the Divine Continent's people, on the other, their own families. What to choose? The burden of rulership was indeed heavy!
Just then, Yun Xiao broke the tense silence with a cold laugh. Stepping forward, his eyes blazing, he challenged. “I’d like to ask the Violet Emperor, on what grounds do you pin my solo act on the entire Divine Dawn Immortal Empire? Do you have any evidence to prove it?”
The Violet Emperor remained silent, but Sword Saint Yu Qian chillingly retorted, “The proof is visible to the naked eye! Does it still need evidence? You're merely in the Wind Fire Tribulation Realm. Sure, given your talents, it might be believable if you took down one opponent in the Late Demon Saint Realm. But who would believe you could slay two thousand? If there were no foul play, why set up the Black Box Battle?"
“And how did I supposedly accomplish this?” Yun Xiao asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Simple! The way of the Sword Cultivator may be in decline, unknown to many, but not to me,” Sword Saint Yu Qian said coldly, his gaze sweeping over Yun Xiao and the likes of Sword Saint Sun behind him. “The most potent life-saving treasures in the world are the Sword Hearts of Sword Cultivators. With the Sword Hearts of three Sword Saints, you could very well achieve it!”
"Exactly!" The Violet Emperor turned to Divine Dawn. "You've just promoted Sword Cultivators, and they provided Sword Hearts to Yun Xiao. Combined with the cover of the Black Box Battle... Divine Dawn, dare you say this isn't your nation's crime?"
At this, many among the crowd, both human and demon, finally realized, recalling the existence of the Sword Heart! Indeed, a one-time tool for overpowering foes! Used exclusively by Sword Cultivators, it had slipped out of the mainstream's attention.
Hearing this, Yun Xiao actually laughed. These folks have a wild imagination, but sadly, they don't understand the ways of the Creator Immortal. Thinking this, he glanced at Sword Saint Sun. If the Sword Hearts of the Three Great Sword Tombs were to be used, he would be the first to know.
Sure enough, Nangong Xi, You Yue, and Su Lianlian stepped forward, each producing a Sword Heart from their Pouch of Holding.
Sword Saint Sun said blandly, "The Sword Hearts of the last three generations of Sword Saints from our Sword Tombs are all here. Even the Sword Heart of a Sword Saint, especially the older ones, would have lost their power by now. In the entire Divine Continent, only our lineage and your Violet Sky Immortal Empire practice Sword Cultivation! All our Sword Hearts are accounted for. By your logic, I might suspect your Violet Sky Immortal Empire as the mastermind behind the deaths of those two thousand Demon Continent talents. Why don’t you show your Sword Hearts to prove your innocence?"
Sword Saint Yu Qian's face turned ashen upon seeing these three Sword Hearts. He was so sure it was the Sword Hearts! What else could it be? Indeed, there was nothing else. The billion ancestral spirits of the Sword Dao Monument had long departed!
And so, the Violet Sky Immortal Empire's accusation crumbled on its own.
Just then, Yun Xiao suddenly raised his hand, sending a Flying Sword hurtling towards the Sword Saint Yu Qian!
Sword Saint Yu Qian reacted instantly, parrying Yun Xiao's Heaven Burial Sword Soul! His Sword Aura was less than half that of Yun Xiao, lacking even a Sword Ring!
KLANG! His sword deflected Yun Xiao's Sword Soul, but a tiny crack appeared on it!
"Uh..." Sword Saint Yu Qian frowned deeply, stepping back.
Seeing Yun Xiao overpower a Saint Realm powerhouse with a single sword strike, the crowd erupted in astonishment!
"With this strike, I want to tell you two things," Yun Xiao declared, "First, I slaughtered those Demon Continent fools fair and square with my own skills! Second, if you have a problem, come at me directly. What skill is there in smearing my wife?"
Yun Xiao stylishly sheathed his sword, reaching out to grasp the Divine Dawn Empress’ slender waist.
"Get lost!" the Divine Dawn Empress shot Yun Xiao a glare, then turned to the three Demon Emperors of the Demon Continent. "Rest assured, gentlemen. Once we're married, I'll make sure to punish this rebel severely. We can't tolerate such a menace who jeopardizes the peace between the Divine and Demon Continents."
The Violet Emperor and Sword Saint Yu Qian exchanged a chilling look, realizing their attempt to pin the blame had failed miserably.
The four Human Emperors seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Your Majesty Divine Dawn, please ensure this scoundrel receives harsh punishment!" Treasure Emperor said angrily, glaring at Yun Xiao.
"No problem!" the Divine Dawn Empress' eyes gleamed dangerously.
The demons, led by the three Demon Emperors, silently marched towards the Ancestral Temple, suppressing their raging fury, while the Violet Emperor coldly sneered and stormed off in a huff.
As the human Emperors were leaving, a shadow approached them, whispering, "We've got leads. Your people are gathered in four locations within your Immortal Empires. The Drunkard is leading the operation."
The human Emperors trembled, their eyes red with emotion.
"A millennium's work hinges on this moment."
With that, the shadow vanished.
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The Ancestral Temple! This estate, second only to the Divine Dawn Empress' palace, was now entirely occupied by demons. The three Demon Emperors had to issue strict orders to contain the wrath of the other demons, locking them in as a defensive measure.
The Three Demon Emperors had gathered in a deep, secluded chamber. Outside, the demons roared, rampaged, and caused an uproar. But inside, it was eerily quiet.
Only the Gu Emperor and Red Lotus stood at the door, gazing at the fog-enshrouded Ancestral Temple.
"Why didn't Divine Dawn seize the opportunity to strike us when the battlefield opened? The Heavenly Realm's fighting spirit was at its peak. She had the chance to hurt us first. Why didn't she?" Red Lotus pondered.
Times had changed. They were guests, far from home. Even with many peak powers, they were at a disadvantage against the fervent humanity of the Heavenly Realm. Powerful beings could influence the battle, but they didn't determine everything.
"It just means she's also buying time, waiting for a better opportunity and trump card," the Gu Emperor said darkly.
"Then let's see who has the better timing and bigger trump card," Red Lotus whispered.
"Our demon army numbers over a hundred million in size have already mobilized. By noon, we will strike the Heavenly Realm..." the Gu Emperor said grimly.
Their initial reluctance to act had cost them dearly, pulled into the fray by Yun Xiao's machinations. This lesson was painfully learned.
Suddenly, Red Lotus rooted herself to the ground, her countless branches and leaves extending outwards. Closing her eyes for a moment, her blood-red pupils shimmered as she opened them, declaring, "Prepare to welcome some distinguished guests!"
"Who?" asked Gu Emperor.
"A few friends from the Endless Netherworld. They were too lazy to follow the main army and have already arrived in the Heavenly Realm," Red Lotus explained.
"What level are they?"
"The kind that can cross the Heavenly Realm's barrier without a divine vessel," Red Lotus said.
The Heavenly Realm's gate could only stop the ordinary.
"Oh..." The Gu Emperor's gaze turned profound. "It seems this recent strengthening has brought us quite a few new friends."
"Indeed, the stronger the being, the more friends they have. Without real power, one cannot enter the circles of the Endless Netherworld." Red Lotus nodded, her cold smile lingering. "The friends of Forbidden Fate are our friends too. He asked us to make a list for these new allies to assassinate. We aim to eliminate all key figures in the Heavenly Realm before the arrival of our hundred million demon army, crippling Divine Dawn's support."
"A list?" The Gu Emperor envisioned several figures.
"Chen Xiao, Zhao Xuanjian, Qi Lan, Sword Saint Sun, Nangong Xi, You Yue... These are easy targets, not too challenging," the Gu Emperor said with a cold smirk.
"The challenge lies with the Nine Divine Guards! Even that Drunkard ranks ninth, who knows the level of the other eight? And their identities are still hidden," Red Lotus said, her voice chilly.
"These Nine Divine Guards were likely near the Ascension Gate earlier. I found some of their locations; they're quite formidable." The Gu Emperor nodded.
The Divine Dawn Empress, having set up the Black Box Battle, was prepared for the direct intervention of the three Demon Emperors. Those Nine Divine Guards, capable of restraining Demon Emperor-level powerhouses, were crucial.
"It doesn't matter who they are. As long as we find them, our new friends will take care of them," Red Lotus declared.
"Indeed."
Timing and trump cards! Everyone was waiting! Next, it was a matter of who would surprise whom.
"Red Lotus, have you ever been to the Endless Netherworld? Is it as terrifying as the legends say?" the Gu Emperor asked softly.
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