Chapter 244: Chapter 233: Four Imperial Heavens
The summit of Ten Thousand Caves Mountain’s main peak had been sheared flat by some Great Divine Technique, forming a vast platform.
In the center of the platform was a massive, naturally formed cavern. The stone walls at its entrance were as smooth as a mirror, inscribed with three ancient Daoist characters—Dome Cave.
This was the designated place for the peace talks between the Four Sects.
At this moment, the scene inside Dome Cave was extraordinary.
The cavern’s interior was exceptionally spacious. A high dome loomed overhead, from which naturally formed stalactites hung, emitting a soft, glimmering light that illuminated the surroundings.
In the center of the cave, four jade thrones—each of a simple, ancient design yet with its own unique characteristics—were arranged to face the four cardinal directions.
The attendees from the Four Sects stood solemnly, each group in their respective quadrant.
The Sword Cultivators of the Cyan Sect stood with their arms crossed over their swords, each one like a drawn blade, their Sword Qi contained but ready. The cultivators of the Yellow Springs Netherworld hid in the shadows, wreathed in Ghost Qi, silent and still. The Fengduo Masters stood proudly, their feathered robes fluttering gently, with flickers of Li Fire appearing around them. In contrast, the members of the Holy Sect had auras that were balanced and peaceful, with Spiritual Light flowing over their Daoist Robes.
Everyone’s gaze was fixed upon the four jade thrones.
For the ones about to take their seats were four titans whose decisions would shape the landscape of the Northwest for the next several hundred years.
The current helmsmen of the Four Sects were all revered Great Masters!
Before the eastern jade throne stood the Acting Sect Leader of the Cyan Sect—San Si Master.
He looked like an ordinary middle-aged scholar with a plain, even gentle face. He wore a simple, blue cloth robe, and one could not sense the slightest hint of the sharp, piercing aura of a Sword Cultivator from him.
Before the southern jade throne, the Acting Sect Leader of Fengduo—Lady Jiu Li—was already seated.
She wore a magnificent Seven-Colored Feather Robe and a Phoenix Crown. Her beauty was unparalleled, and amidst her graceful nobility, she carried a natural air of majesty and aloofness.
As her eyes opened and closed, a fiery light seemed to flow within them. Everywhere her gaze fell, the very air grew faintly scorching.
Before the western jade throne, the figure of the Yellow Springs Netherworld’s Acting Sect Leader—Reincarnation Master—slowly solidified. He was a gaunt old man in a black Confucian-style robe, holding what appeared to be an ordinary Dark Yellow Bamboo Scroll.
Before the northern jade throne, naturally, was the Acting Sect Leader of the Wuji Holy Sect—Nan Dou Master.
Although the four Great Masters did not intentionally release their might, the moment their gazes swept across the hall, their invisible auras were already clashing fiercely within Dome Cave!
Four distinct, yet equally terrifying, Daoist Intents—all having reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment—clashed silently in the void, causing the very space within Dome Cave to tremble slightly and hum as if under an unbearable load.
The Foundation Establishment Masters from the various sects, who stood solemnly to the side, all felt their Heart and Spirit tense up, and even the circulation of their Magical Power grew sluggish.
This was the beginning of a gambit with no clash of blades or glint of swords, yet it was far more perilous than any battle.
A moment later, Nan Dou Master was the first to break the silence. His gaze swept over the other three, and his voice, calm yet clear, echoed throughout the cavern:
"Fellow Daoists, since we are all here, let us... begin."
"I am sure the disciples of my fellow Daoists have also more or less sensed in recent years that the turbulent aura from the south is growing ever more intense and is showing signs of spreading north."
His gaze swept across San Si Master, Lady Jiu Li, and Reincarnation Master.
"This is the fuse that has brought the four of us here today to discuss this grave matter."
As soon as he said this, the Foundation Establishment Masters from the various sects standing below, no matter how composed they usually were, couldn’t help but perk up their ears, their minds completely focused.
Before this, the specific root of the disaster in the south was a top secret within the sects.
Only True Monarchs and Great Masters knew the details.
These ordinary Masters only knew there was chaos, but not the reason for it.
Nan Dou Master continued:
"The root of this matter lies in something that the Li Dynasty of the Southern Domain accidentally discovered in the Endless Outer Realm thirty-five years ago and... successfully brought back."
He paused slightly, as if choosing his words carefully, and also to give everyone time to digest this shocking information. Then, he spoke clearly, word by word:
"This object is called—the Four Imperial Heavens."
The Four Imperial Heavens?!
When that name reached his ears, Qi Yun first found it somewhat familiar.
Then, a description from the Holy Sect’s ancient scriptures flashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning!
His expression instantly turned strange, tinged with a sense of incredulous absurdity.
’Is that Emperor of the Southern Dynasty out of his mind? Is that thing something you can just casually bring back?!’
The so-called Four Imperial Heavens, in essence, are similar to the Shiyi Realms within the Sect that are formed from the Realm Heavens of Foundation Establishment Masters. They are both small, independent secret realms of Heaven and Earth.
But, their origins are worlds apart!
A Shiyi Realm is formed from the remnants of a Realm Heaven left behind after a Foundation Establishment Master perishes and their Dao dissipates—a Realm Heaven that failed to fully entrust itself to the Great Dao.
But the original owner of a Four Imperial Heavens... is a True Monarch!
And what kind of existence is a True Monarch?
They condense the Golden Palm Fruit, their True Spirit undying!
Even if their lifespan is exhausted, they can preserve their core consciousness, undergo a martial dissolution to reincarnate, and swiftly return to their peak!
Only after several cycles of reincarnation, when their golden nature is completely worn away, will they truly undergo Transformation Dao and return to the ruins.
Before a True Monarch completely undergoes Transformation Dao, the Four Imperial Heavens they leave behind will break free of its bonds and fly into the vast Outer Realm. There, it will drift through the endless ages, either coalescing into a peculiar star or gradually disintegrating and returning to the void of Heaven and Earth.
And until that happens, an ownerless Four Imperial Heavens is equivalent to a True Monarch who has lost their consciousness.
It contains the source power condensed from a True Monarch’s entire life of cultivation!
A single misstep that triggers the imbalanced energy within would result in something far worse than mere mountains collapsing and the earth splitting apart.
It would be a terrifying cataclysm, capable of instantly erasing a million li of land and affecting an unknowable area beyond.
And the Li Dynasty... actually dragged that thing back?!
What were they trying to do?
Did they think the south was too peaceful? Were they hoping for a round of "world nuclear peace" so everyone could die together?!
Qi Yun felt a chill shoot up from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull, and the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but twitch.
He finally understood why even the True Monarchs regarded this matter with such gravity, to the point of tacitly allowing the Four Sects to temporarily set aside their grievances for these peace talks.
This was no longer an ordinary struggle for power; it was a massive crisis that concerned the very survival of the entire Northwest Land!
It wasn’t just Qi Yun. After a brief moment of shock, the other Foundation Establishment Masters present quickly understood the implications, and the color drained from every one of their faces!
This wasn’t just playing with fire anymore. This was fucking playing with their lives.
Inside Dome Cave, there was a deathly silence.
Only Nan Dou Master’s grave voice echoed:
"The Li Dynasty’s action is akin to a child wielding a giant hammer; they have brought this fire upon themselves.
The current turmoil in the Southern Domain is all because of this Four Imperial Heavens. Its internal structure is unstable, its aura is leaking, and it has already attracted the covetous gazes of various powers, leading to frequent warfare.
If this disaster is not contained and is allowed to spread north, I fear our Northwest Land will not be able to remain unscathed."
"I have invited you all here today to discuss how we, the Northwest Four Sects, should respond."
A huge shadow, brought by the three words "Four Imperial Heavens," hung like a dark cloud over the heart of every Master present.
After a brief, deathly silence, the first to speak was the Cyan Sect’s San Si Master. His voice was calm and without a ripple:
"The Li Dynasty is truly courting its own destruction."
The eight simple words were filled with a chilling iciness.
"However, the flood is at our doorstep. It is better to channel it than to block it.
Since we know it is a Four Imperial Heavens and not an ordinary Secret Realm, we cannot deal with it using conventional methods.
First, we must immediately send people south to ascertain the current state of this Heaven. Is it stabilizing, or is it on the brink of collapse?
Second, we need to clarify the current power structure in the Southern Domain. Who is coveting it, who is fanning the flames, and who can be used by us?
Only by knowing ourselves and knowing the enemy can we devise a strategy."
His proposal was clear and pragmatic, filled with the direct problem-solving style of a Sword Cultivator—first identify the target, then decide how to draw the sword.
Hearing this, Fengduo’s Lady Jiu Li parted her vermilion lips, her voice clear and melodious, yet carrying an undeniable authority:
"Fellow Daoist San Si speaks sense.
However, while investigating the situation is certainly important, there is something else we must clarify.
If that Four Imperial Heavens truly goes out of control, what will be the range of its explosive power?
Which parts of our Northwest Four Sects’ territories will bear the brunt of it? Or..."
Her phoenix eyes shifted, sweeping over everyone present as her tone grew sharp:
"If the opportunity arises, can we turn this ’crisis’ into an ’opportunity’?
After all, that is a Lifebound Realm Heaven left behind by a True Monarch.
The truths of the Great Dao it contains, and even its very structure, could be... of immeasurable value to us in comprehending the golden nature."
Her words pointed out the worst-case scenario, yet they also unabashedly revealed her covetousness for the value of the Four Imperial Heavens itself.
At this moment, the Yellow Springs Netherworld’s Reincarnation Master slowly raised his eyes. His voice was hoarse and slow:
"Life and death are two sides of the same coin.
The great chaos in the Southern Domain, the suffering of its people, the fields overflowing with Resentful Souls... to my Yellow Springs Netherworld, these are also ’Resources’.
However, if the Four Imperial Heavens explodes, all things will return to the ruins. This is a catastrophe that would sever our very foundations, far beyond what any ordinary war could compare to."
The Dark Yellow Bamboo Scroll in his hand rustled faintly, turning its pages without any wind:
"The most urgent task is not to fight for profit, but to set up a barrier.
We must join forces to deploy a grand isolation array at the border of the Southern Domain and the Northwest to slow the spread of the calamity and buy us time.
At the same time, perhaps we can ’guide’ the flames of war in the Southern Domain, letting them exhaust each other and delay them from provoking the Four Imperial Heavens.
It will not be too late to make our move after they are both battered and broken."
Reincarnation Master’s strategy was more sinister and far-sighted, willing to use the entire Southern Domain as a chessboard to play the game of setting a tiger to devour a wolf and watching a fire from the opposite bank.
Finally, everyone’s gaze returned to Nan Dou Master. He gently stroked the green bamboo staff in his hand, pondered for a moment, and then spoke:
"The views of my three fellow Daoists all have merit.
Investigation, defense, and even seeking opportunities—none can be neglected.
However, I believe the most important matter is to set the tone for our Northwest Four Sects to advance and retreat as one."
His gaze swept across the three Great Masters, his tone grave:
"The matter of the Four Imperial Heavens is beyond what a single sect can handle.
"Therefore, I propose," Nan Dou Master’s voice rose with decisiveness, "that we immediately establish a Four Sects Joint Inspection Mission. Each sect will dispatch its elites to head south together, investigate the truth, and monitor the border.
At the same time, the Four Sects will join hands to begin constructing the ’Northern Defense Barrier’ Grand Array at key locations. As for the Four Imperial Heavens itself..."
He paused and looked at Lady Jiu Li. "Opportunities are indeed tempting, but they must be built on the premise that we have the ability to control them.
Right now, stabilizing the situation is the top priority.
We can discuss other matters once the situation is clear.
During this period, no party is to make private contact with the powers of the Southern Domain, lest you bring disaster upon yourself and disrupt the overall plan."
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
San Si Master and Lady Jiu Li nodded in succession.
Reincarnation Master, however, did not speak, instead turning his gaze to Nan Dou Master.
"Senior Brother Nan Dou, what you say is reasonable.
I have no objection to the Four Sects joining forces.
But there must be someone in charge, right?
Otherwise, if we encounter an emergency, do we listen to you, or do we listen to me?"
As soon as Reincarnation Master said this, the atmosphere in the hall instantly froze.
The crowd of Masters held their breath, all thinking the same thing.
’As expected. The inevitable has arrived.’
...
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