The Tree Ancestor slightly raised its head, looking towards the depths of the thunderclouds, with a tone of reverence:
"You've guessed correctly. It is indeed that ancient being sealed in Thunder City, suppressing the Demon Realm."
"For thousands of years, it has used its own body as the core of the formation, never leaving for even a step."
"If it weren't for the excessive actions of the Divine Race, triggering the collapse of cosmic rules, I'm afraid it still wouldn't have appeared."
Lin Chen understood as he heard this.
No wonder back at the seal's location, that aura, though elusive, gave him a world-destroying sense of dread.
Yet, a living Immortal Venerable is indeed surprising.
"What about the Fallen God Mountain pact?"
Lin Chen asked immediately, as this was the key issue at hand.
The Tree Ancestor withdrew its gaze, looking at Lin Chen, its expression becoming exceptionally solemn:
"Fallen God Mountain holds a relic of an ancient battlefield, where laws are chaotic, and it is the border between the present world and the Void."
The Tree Ancestor paused briefly, and said word by word:
"It is the only place that can withstand a life-and-death battle at the Immortal Venerable level without collapsing."
"Moreover, that Immortal Bear asked me to convey an extremely harsh rule to you—"
"The entry ticket for the battle at Fallen God Mountain is... Immortal Venerable level."
"What?!"
These words caused not only Lin Chen but also Bai Ling beside him to change their expressions dramatically.
An entry ticket that is Immortal Venerable level?
Does that not imply that apart from the Tree Ancestor and that Immortal Bear, the entire Spirit Alliance, and even the whole Human Race, is unqualified to step into that battlefield?
"Below Immortal Venerable, instant death upon contact."
"The chaotic laws there are enough to instantly shatter the flesh and soul of a level 99 expert."
The Tree Ancestor sighed: "This is both a protection and a helpless selection."
Lin Chen clenched his fist, initially thinking that driving away the Divine Race army meant the dawn for the Human Race.
But now it seems, it was merely calm before the storm.
The real decisive battle belongs to a realm he still cannot touch.
"Tree Ancestor."
Lin Chen took a deep breath, asking the ultimate mystery that had lingered in his mind and troubled the entire Beast Taming world for countless years:
"Since this world has Immortal Venerables, whether Xuanyuan Hong of the Divine Race, the Immortal Bear, or perhaps other hidden ancient creatures..."
"Since they possess such divine power, why have they remained hidden for centuries?"
"Why do they watch helplessly as wars ravage, life destroyed?"
If the Immortal Venerable had acted earlier, perhaps the past invasion by the Divine Race wouldn't have happened, and countless tragedies could have been avoided.
Faced with Lin Chen's soul-piercing questioning, the Tree Ancestor fell into a long silence.
The wind gently passed by, stirring up the scent of blood on the ground.
Only after a long time did the Tree Ancestor slowly speak, its voice carrying a faint trace of confusion and fear:
"I've asked that Immortal Bear this question too."
"But he didn't provide an answer."
"He only said that for some matters, the timing hasn't arrived."
After speaking, the Tree Ancestor lifted its gaze, looking at the serene and peaceful sky, its eyes reflecting a deep sense of apprehension.
"I can vaguely sense..." the Tree Ancestor's voice was very low, as if speaking of some taboo: "The Heavenly Dao of this world... is ill."
"Ill?" Lin Chen was startled.
"Yes." The Tree Ancestor's tone grew eerie: "After stepping into the Immortal Venerable realm, I don't feel blissful freedom; instead, I feel a... surveillance."
"It's like... something is watching us from the shadows."
"Once we excessively reveal our power, or linger in the present world for too long, it would attract an indescribable great terror."
"This feeling is like... we're sheep raised in a pen, the fatter we grow, the easier the butcher targets us."
"Therefore, I guess, they are all hiding, all concealing themselves."
"It's not that they don't want to emerge, it's that they dare not."
Bang!
The Tree Ancestor's words exploded like a thunder in Lin Chen's mind.
The Heavenly Dao is ill?
Penned up?
Butcher?
What truth lies hidden behind all this?
Just as Lin Chen's heart was pounding, a loud and rough voice suddenly echoed in his mind, belonging to the Demon Bull.
"Kid, remember our previous deal?"
Lin Chen was taken aback and quickly responded, "Of course I remember."
"Now's exactly the time to fulfill it, let that tree lend a hand."
As the Demon Bull's voice ended, Lin Chen raised his head to look at the Tree Ancestor, becoming more alert.
Unexpectedly, the Tree Ancestor said, "Ask it what it needs me to do."
Lin Chen was instantly alarmed.
This Tree Ancestor could actually hear their conversation?
Indeed, the abilities at the Immortal Venerable level are astonishingly terrifying.
...
At the same time, thousands of miles away.
Celestial Capital City, National Master's Institute.
Unlike the sea of celebration in Thunder City, the Celestial Capital at this moment was shrouded in a cloud of sorrow and despair.
In the hall, the pressure was so intense it was suffocating.
Gu Ning sat poised on that throne symbolizing supreme power, expressionless.
Below, Gu Youshan and the surviving high-level officials of the Celestial Capital stood with hands drooping, faces ash-gray as if mourning their parents.
They had won the war but lost the future.
The Spirit Alliance birthed an Immortal Venerable.
This news was like a mountain, crushing the entire Celestial Capital beyond recovery.
Once upon a time, the Celestial Capital was the absolute core of the Cangling Ancient Country, the sacred site of faith for the Human Race.
But now, with the breakthrough of the Tree Ancestor and Lin Chen's rise in fame, the Celestial Capital had completely become an accompaniment.
"Lord National Master..."
Gu Youshan broke the silence with difficulty, his voice bitter:
"Now the Spirit Alliance is mighty, Tree Ancestor has become a venerable, what will be the future of our Celestial Capital...?"
"If this continues, within a decade, the world will only know the Spirit Alliance, forgetting the Celestial Capital."
The other elders also sighed, eyes full of confusion.
In the face of absolute power disparity, any schemes and machinations appear pale and powerless.
That's an Immortal Venerable, an existence capable of extinguishing a nation single-handedly!
"Why panic."
Gu Ning spoke calmly, his voice frighteningly serene:
"Indeed, Tree Ancestor's rise as a venerable was unexpected, but... who says our Celestial Capital is inevitably defeated?"
Everyone was stunned, raising their heads in amazement.
Does the National Master still have a way to turn the tide?
Gu Ning slowly stood up, his gaze swept across the hall, finally resting on Gu Youshan and the others.
In his eyes, flashed a hint of madness and decisiveness.
"Pass my order."
Gu Ning's voice echoed in the hall, carrying an undeniable authority:
"Effective immediately, restart the 'Eight Trigrams Nine Cities Plan'!"
"What?!"
Upon hearing these six words, Gu Youshan and others jumped up as if they were cats whose tails had been stepped on, faces full of terror.
The Eight Trigrams Nine Cities Plan is the taboo among taboos!
In essence, it's about forcibly extracting national destiny from the dragon veins of the Cangling Ancient Country to create a god!
Years ago, Bai Ling relied on this method to step into the Immortal Venerable realm, at that time the dragon veins were already damaged, but they can be repaired.
But now the situation is wholly different, the Human and Divine Races war has compromised two dragon veins.
If the Eight Trigrams Nine Cities Plan were initiated again, the dragon veins might never be repaired.
"...Even if we can produce a Pseudo Immortal Venerable, the earth vein of our Cangling Ancient Country will be completely exhausted, nothing will grow for a century, disasters will be rampant, and civilians will be displaced!"
"Lord National Master, please reconsider!"
Many patriarchs and sect masters also knelt down in plea.
Faced with the earnest entreaties of the crowd, Gu Ning merely let out a cold laugh.
He stepped down the stairs, came to Gu Youshan, looked down at all below, his gaze icy and penetrating:
"Foundation? National destiny?"
"Are you still blind to the situation?"
"If we lose, Celestial Capital will not only lose its status but also become a subordinate to the Spirit Alliance, perhaps even buried under the dust of history!"
"At that time, we won't even have the right to discuss our foundation!"
"In this world, only power is eternal!"
Gu Ning swung his sleeve forcefully, a strong wave of air pushed everyone back several steps.
His eyes were bloodshot, a sign of hysteria pushed to the brink, also revealing the essence of an ambitious hero who will stop at nothing for victory.
"Anyone who dares to speak against it, execute without mercy!"
Dead silence.
Complete and utter dead silence.
Gu Youshan and others looked at this somewhat unfamiliar National Master, observed the burning ambition and madness in his eyes, ultimately collapsing powerlessly to the ground.
He knew, Gu Ning had gone mad.
But seemingly...
This is the only solution.
If Gu Ning won, perhaps he wouldn't kill them.
But if Lin Chen won, he would certainly spare nothing in reshaping the Celestial Capital.
Many closed their eyes, having accepted this outcome at that moment:
"Yes..."
"We obey... the decree of the National Master."
