Chapter 1297: Ancestral God Taixuan, Hastening the Arrival of the Great Tribulation Sacrifice
Chapter 1297: Ancestral God Taixuan, Hastening the Arrival of the Great Tribulation Sacrifice
This was a figure both indistinct and resplendent, standing amidst the boundless void as if emerging from the folds of multidimensional spacetime.
Countless divine halos encircled her form, each layer resembling a swirling nebula scattered with worlds and universes of every kind.
Within each halo, it seemed as though infinite multitudes of beings were being nurtured, with countless realms undergoing cycles of birth, destruction, and evolution.
Her visage shifted endlessly—now ancient and obscure, now dignified and majestic, now alluring and enchanting, now cold and unfeeling—never truly discernible, perpetually veiled in divine radiance.
The very fabric of spacetime seemed incapable of containing her True Body. A single one of her divine halos alone could fill this fathomless void.
As her finger descended, boundless divine power surged from the depths of the void, carving out an independent space for her.
This space descended continuously, transforming billions of times in an instant—chaos birthed, purity and turbidity alternated—until, in the blink of an eye, it evolved from an isolated pocket into an entire domain of spacetime.
This domain was utterly still, its dimensions stretched and elevated within the grasp of her fingers before collapsing and condensing into a single speck of light.
From between her brows, a faint, indistinct figure—identical to her—instantly merged into that speck.
Then, this speck of light descended from the void where she stood.
"Today, I shall help you defile a deity—witness with your own eyes as this god falls to the Mortal Realm."
Her gaze brimmed with amusement as she watched the speck pierce through the endless expanse of spacetime, descending toward the Nihility True World before finally aiming for the realm known as the Great Emptiness Realm.
In recent times, the name of the Heavenslayers Alliance had resounded throughout the Boundless Expanse, stirring shock and awe among countless cultivators and living beings.
Even innate deities like her had been roused by the murmurs among their subordinate gods, opening their eyes to cast their gaze across the vast distances of spacetime.
The Immortal Dao Civilisation and the Divine Dao Civilisation were, by nature, the two most ancient and expansive systems within the Boundless Expanse, each branching into countless offshoots over time.
Yet the Immortal Dao and Divine Dao had long ceased to interfere with one another, their paths of development diverging entirely.
The Divine Dao Civilisation gathered incense and faith, condensed Godheads, divided the Authority of Heaven and Earth into Divine Positions, and established divine offices and ranks.
Ancient and immortal innate deities presided from the heavens, creating their own Divine Nations and gazing down upon all existence.
Meanwhile, weaker deities spread their faith across the worlds, amassing followers, harvesting the Power of Will, and converting the fortuity of the realms into their own divine might.
The Immortal Dao and Divine Dao were evenly matched, neither surpassing the other.
Yet even the Divine Dao Civilisation was not exempt from the Great Calamity of Heavenly Decline. Not even Ancestral Gods—who nurtured billions of subjects and ruled over endless Divine Nations—could escape it.
The Heavenslayers Alliance, though a force within the Immortal Dao system, had begun encroaching upon the Divine Dao's domain—recklessly expanding its followers, harvesting faith and will, and contending for the Authority of Heaven and Earth that rightfully belonged to the Divine Path System.
As an innate deity who surpassed ordinary Ancestral Gods, she naturally paid little heed to such trivial matters.
Besides, the Divine Dao Civilisation had long since faded into obscurity. Even within the Immortal Dao system, many factions—such as the Buddhist sects, the Ancient Divine Sects, and the Daoist lineages—had adopted elements of the Divine Dao.
Yet the emergence of the Heavenslayers Alliance had caught even her, an innate deity, off guard. She sensed that the Divine Dao system would soon face an unforeseen upheaval.
Perhaps even a repeat of the Black Disaster Era, when gods fell en masse.
Those deities who survived by sheer luck had been reduced to mere tools—scattering their subjects and harvesting faith.
And for a newly evolved Divine Dao system, the act of defiling a deity would be no different from a cultivator's Dao Heart shattering in the Immortal Dao system.
Nihility True World, Great Emptiness Realm
Before the grand Heaven-Slaying Shrine—a structure so majestic it resembled a celestial palace—white mist surged like rolling clouds, formed from the Faith Power gathered from every corner of the world.
Countless living beings and cultivators knelt in devout worship, murmuring prayers to the shrine. The entire realm was teeming with figures.
Within the shrine, the ancient divine statue seemed to inhale and exhale these mists, gradually coming to life.
From beyond the endless reaches of spacetime, seated at the edge of the cosmos, it gazed down upon this world.
Chen Jin-han stood before it, her eyes filled with reverence.
"What reward do you desire?"
The godlike, majestic voice resonated once more in her mind.
"This Heaven-Slaying Guard seeks only to dedicate everything to the Heaven-Slaying Lord, asking for no reward in return."
Her resolute voice echoed just as before, as if to reaffirm her unwavering loyalty.
Thousands of years had passed since she was once an innocent, sheltered princess. Now, she had become the foremost figure of the Great Emptiness Realm in this era of declining Dharma.
Especially since she had personally received the Heaven-Slaying Lord's blessing—bestowing upon her an undying body.
This had allowed her to exact vengeance, ensuring that her ruthless elder sister paid the price she deserved.
For millennia, she had upheld her role as a Heaven-Slaying Guard, fulfilling the oath she had sworn in that remote temple.
She had brought countless new followers to the Heavenslayers Alliance, erecting Heaven-Slaying Shrines in every land.
She had even mobilized the entire Great Emptiness Realm to construct this shrine—a structure so vast it nearly touched the heavens, resembling a celestial palace.
"Your devotion has moved me. You may make one request."
The indistinct divine statue was shrouded in thick mist.
Yet now, before Chen Jin-han's eyes, the fog began to dissipate. She saw a pair of profound, boundless eyes gazing calmly at her.
The strange longing in her heart surged once more, spreading like untamed weeds.
"R-Really... is it truly possible?" Her voice trembled slightly.
"It is." The majestic voice remained unperturbed as it answered her.
"From this moment forth, everything you are shall belong to me—your future, your emotions, your memories, your every incarnation. Even in death, reduced to ashes, with all traces of your existence erased from this world... you will still be mine."
At that moment, the words she had heard in that remote temple—when she had been on the brink of despair—resounded violently in her mind.
That vow, like a binding contract, made the strange yearning in her heart boil uncontrollably.
And then—
A nearly imperceptible speck of light descended from beyond the Great Emptiness Realm's barrier, merging seamlessly into the endless streams of Faith Power.
Chen Jin-han stood before the shrine as countless strands of Faith Power flowed past her like shooting stars.
She didn't even notice when a single speck of light, carried by the drifting Faith Power, landed perfectly upon her brow.
All she felt was a faint warmth—then coolness—as if touched by a drop of rain.
Her consciousness seemed to blur for an instant before clearing again.
"I am willing to offer everything I have to the Heaven-Slaying Lord."
"I wish to receive the favor and grace of the Heaven-Slaying Lord..."
Chen Jin-han murmured, gazing at the divine statue that seemed so close yet untouchable. Unconsciously, she stepped forward, soon swallowed by the surging white mist.
The mist churned and billowed, revealing the faint outline of a flawless, swan-like figure within its depths.
She reached out, wanting to touch and caress the statue.
Crack!
Suddenly, a crisp sound of splitting echoed sharply through the Heaven-Slaying Shrine.
Chen Jin-han snapped back to awareness, her face paling as she stared at the cracks spreading across the divine statue.
She stood frozen, unable to comprehend what she had just done.
"The statue is cracked... I can no longer sense the presence of the Heaven-Slaying Lord..."
Clutching the scattered garments around her, she collapsed weakly to the ground, lost and bewildered.
At the same time, in every Heaven-Slaying Shrine across the Great Emptiness Realm—
The indistinct divine statues all emitted the same crisp cracking sounds, fissures spreading across their surfaces.
The entire Great Emptiness Realm trembled. Countless cultivators and living beings stood in shock and horror, unable to fathom what had happened—why the statues in the shrines had suddenly cracked without warning.
Had someone angered the deities? Was this divine retribution?
***
"What's wrong?"
"It seems someone couldn't resist making a move after all, trying to sabotage my Faith Dharma Body..."
In the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, within a purple bamboo forest shrouded in Immortal Mist—
Gu Changge sat leisurely in a loose moon-white outer robe, his dark, glossy hair loosely tied with a ribbon. He was playing a game of chess with Mu Yan.
The board was intricate, the white pieces holding a clear advantage, faintly depicting countless evolving scenes.
Mu Yan rested her chin on her hand, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on the board, not daring to relax for even a moment.
But now, she lifted her delicate face, curiosity flashing in her gaze as she looked at Gu Changge.
"Sabotaging your Faith Dharma Body? Is someone targeting the Heavenslayers Alliance?"
Gu Changge shook his head slightly, the chess piece he had been about to place now pinched between his fingers, rolling idly.
"The Heavenslayers Alliance's followers have grown too quickly, drawing the displeasure of some deities. But sooner or later, I will deal with these beings—they've taken too much of the Authority of Heaven and Earth. It must be returned eventually."
He crushed the chess piece in his hand, then casually reached out and grasped a shimmering strand of Faith Power, as thick as a thumb.
But now, this strand of Faith Power was tainted, large sections of it blackened and corroded.
"Back then, I intercepted your thoughts by chance. I only gave you a push because you were a Fortuitous One. I never expected it would become a flaw leading to your blasphemy."
"But such an obvious scheme—do they truly think I wouldn't notice?"
Gu Changge's gaze remained indifferent as he examined the corrupted strand of Faith Power. With a light squeeze, it disintegrated into dust, scattering into nothingness.
He did not allow this tainted Faith Power to continue corroding his Faith Dharma Body.
The damage was insignificant to him. The other party clearly knew this—this act was nothing more than a provocation.
***
For Gu Changge, this past millennium had not felt long.
After leaving the Primary Hope Civilisation, he had returned directly to the Dao Chang True World.
Perhaps it was Fu Bo's final words before his self-imposed end that had stirred something in him.
Since then, his emotions had been somewhat complicated.
Gu Changge had even wondered—had he truly cared too little for the feelings of those around him?
Had he ever truly considered the emotions of those who cared for him?
Their affections, their pursuits, their thoughts and opinions—he had never taken them into account.
Fu Bo had died with contentment and a smile. In this world, there were things that transcended the boundaries of life and death, things that could not be measured by simple gains and losses.
His relentless pursuit of goals, his willingness to use any means necessary—
Had any of it ever brought him true happiness? Even the slightest flicker of joy?
To him, every step of the process had been natural.
Everything had unfolded according to his expectations and plans—how could there be any emotional fluctuation?
He was a cold man. A heartless man. Perhaps he could not even be called a man.
From the moment of his birth, it had been destined that he would stand above the Great Dao, towering over all living beings.
His time in Green Mountain Village, living as an ordinary man, had given him some understanding of what it meant to be "human."
The things he disregarded, the things he deemed unimportant—perhaps to those around him, they were priceless treasures.
And these were the very things he had overlooked.
Gu Changge did not want them to look back one day with regret.
So he had chosen to return to the Dao Chang True World—not to observe the changes in the Heavenslayers Alliance, but to see the people close to him.
First, he went to Mingkong Palace. Yue Mingkong was still in secluded cultivation, her aura profound and deep, her cultivation advancing with every breath.
With the True World Seed he had left her, breaking through to the Dao Realm was only a matter of time.
Next, he visited the Mortal Palace and the Saintess Palace. Whether it was Jiang Chuchu or Wang Zijin, both were immersed in cultivation.
After he left the Dao Chang True World, life for them seemed to have become monotonous, leaving them no choice but to enter long periods of seclusion.
Even Yin Mei, who had never been particularly devoted to cultivation, had chosen to retreat into seclusion. His former followers, the prodigies of his era, were all training or undergoing trials elsewhere.
Gu Changge fell silent. He did not disturb any of them.
He then sought out Gu Xianer, only to learn that she had left the Dao Chang True World centuries ago to train in the Boundless Expanse—she was already on the verge of touching the threshold of the Dao Realm.
Even after thousands of years of flourishing development, the Dao Chang True World remained nothing more than a Nascent True World—insignificant in the vast Boundless Expanse, with only a handful of cultivators surpassing the Immortal Emperor Realm.
Gu Changge had never held any particular attachment to the Dao Chang True World. When he left, he had already laid down numerous contingencies, with no intention of returning anytime soon.
Even when the Dao Chang True World faced invasion from the Zhuo Clan of the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, he had not descended in person.
He had entrusted the affairs of the Heavenslayers Alliance to the Gu Family Ancestor, the Drunken Sword Immortal, Ming, and others.
Now that the Heavenslayers Alliance had established a branch in the Primary Hope Civilisation, the one in the Dao Chang True World had become even more inconsequential.
This time, his return had gone unnoticed by anyone.
In the end, he went to Green Mountain Village, where he spent several centuries with Su Qingge, recounting to her the events he had experienced in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation and the Primary Hope Civilisation.
Gu Changge planned to refine the Sphere of Ambition anew, fusing it with the Dao Chang True World.
But Luo Xiangjun had yet to come to him—her search for the Eternal Primordial God's hidden treasures seemed to have encountered further obstacles, delaying any results.
Once again, Gu Changge could only set the matter aside.
Afterward, he quietly departed the Dao Chang True World once more, heading for the Immortal Spirit Civilisation to make the necessary arrangements for what was to come.