Chapter 1316: The World-Shaking Chaos Was Predetermined All Along—How Disappointing You Are
Chapter 1316: The World-Shaking Chaos Was Predetermined All Along—How Disappointing You Are
The words of the Heavenslayers Alliance left many factions and forces stunned.
Some even felt their faces burn with shame, realizing they had been consumed by baseless fears. They had worried that the Heavenslayers Alliance would annex them, fearing they would meet the same fate as the Immortal Chu Vast Land. Yet now, it seemed their concerns had been unfounded.
Gu Changge, the leader of the Heavenslayers Alliance, had never even considered such actions. Instead, he had stood from the perspective of all living beings, considering their welfare.
All along, it had been their own paranoia and groundless anxieties at play.
Moreover, the cultivators and living beings of the Heavenslayers Alliance held an indescribable reverence for their cause.
Contrary to what outsiders believed, they were not mind-controlled puppets brainwashed by sinister schemes. The factions that had joined the alliance had done so willingly, not under coercion.
"From this perspective, we truly misunderstood the leader of the Heavenslayers Alliance and held deep prejudices against them."
"Over the past thousand years, though the Heavenslayers Alliance expanded rapidly and seized vast territories, they never once caused unnecessary slaughter or chaos."
Some clan leaders and elders of smaller factions murmured softly, their hearts filled with indescribable complexity.
"There's a reason why the members of the Heavenslayers Alliance revere their leader so deeply."
An ancient existence sighed softly at this sight.
Anyone witnessing this scene and hearing these words—even those who had never met the leader of the Heavenslayers Alliance—would feel nothing but respect for his magnanimity.
"Utter nonsense! Demonic rhetoric meant to deceive and bewitch! Evil is evil—you still refuse to see the truth! You think joining the Heavenslayers Alliance guarantees safety? Foolish! Sooner or later, you will face reckoning!"
"Before the next Great Tribulation Reckoning arrives, the Heavenslayers Alliance will be annihilated by the combined forces of the True Worlds! You are only hastening your own doom!"
The Sect Master of the Solar Heavenly Clan sneered, his expression darkening. He had not expected the Heavenslayers Alliance to sway the momentum with just a few words, shaking the resolve of many factions.
In his eyes, evil remained evil. The Heavenslayers Alliance dared to defy the heavens—such blasphemy and rebellion against destiny would inevitably bring divine retribution.
The other sect masters and leaders remained cold-faced, standing outside the grand hall in confrontation with the Heavenslayers Alliance, ignoring their arguments.
How could they tolerate a threat sleeping beside them? The existence of the Heavenslayers Alliance had long endangered the status and safety of the surrounding immortal orthodoxies within the Primary Hope Civilisation. Naturally, they wished for nothing more than its destruction.
Moreover, the Heavenslayers Alliance might one day bring unimaginable calamity upon the entire Primary Hope Civilisation.
Though they were somewhat surprised that the alliance's leader had fallen into Ling Yuling's trap today, the outcome was ultimately favorable.
"Sister..."
Ling Yuxian's jade-like face paled slightly as she listened to the words of the Heavenslayers Alliance.
Her gaze toward Ling Yuling was filled with unfamiliarity and disbelief. She could not fathom how her sister—someone she had lived alongside for countless years—could become so scheming and ruthless, showing no gratitude toward their former benefactor.
When she heard the Heavenslayers Alliance claim that Gu Changge had only agreed to the Primary Hope Covenant out of respect for Ling Yuling and the Imperial Immortal Palace, wishing to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, her heart ached faintly.
Gu Changge's trust in Ling Yuling and the Imperial Immortal Palace had become the very weapon used to wound him.
Many of the Imperial Immortal Palace's elders and ancestral figures sighed inwardly, some even wearing expressions of bitterness and helplessness.
It was widely known that Gu Changge had been their benefactor, aiding them in rescuing their founder, Ling Yuling.
If possible, they would never have wished to oppose him. This was not a matter of right or wrong—only a conflict of stances.
But now, ever since Ling Yuling schemed against Gu Changge, everything had changed. The entire Imperial Immortal Palace had become a den of ingrates.
They could not possibly condemn their founder, of course—after all, she had acted for the sake of all living beings.
"Why did it have to come to this?"
"Our Founder... Alas..."
Elder Jiulin sighed deeply, glancing at Elder Xian Yun beside him. Her face had been deathly pale since earlier, as if she were gripped by tension.
She had lost her usual composed and gentle demeanor, leading him to assume she was worried about the impending conflict. After all, Gu Changge had once stayed at the Xian Yun Practice Grounds for a time.
"Elder Xian Yun, you need not bear too much burden. Whatever happens next, let it be as it must."
Elder Xian Yun seemed to snap out of her daze only then. With great difficulty, she tore her gaze away from the completely evaporated region before giving a faint hum of acknowledgment and falling silent.
Elder Jiulin shook his head and said no more. A fierce battle was inevitable now.
The Heavenslayers Alliance would never let this go.
"This is not the outcome I desired."
"Whether you believe me or not, whether you curse or misunderstand me—I accept it all."
Ling Yuling stood mid-air, her sleeves fluttering as countless Great Dao runes intertwined around her. Even her slender, jade-like wrists now radiated terrifying auras as various Great Dao laws condensed—seasons, yin and yang, reincarnation, thunder, wind, and clouds—all shifting and evolving, ready to unleash overwhelming force at any moment.
Her flawless, jade-white face was now filled with icy calm. She knew any further explanations would be futile.
The Heavenslayers Alliance would never believe her. Even her younger sister, Ling Yuxian, now regarded her with disappointment and estrangement.
Today's conflict was destined to end in bloodshed.
"Hmph, since there's nothing left to say, then let us fight. Today, you will surely pay the price for this."
A figure from the Heavenslayers Alliance at the Ancestral Dao Realm stepped forward with icy indifference, appearing before Ling Yuling in an instant.
A massive palm swept through the void as if to shatter past and present, its overwhelming force capable of crushing everything. Chaos Qi swirled between his fingers, birthing and extinguishing universes as countless Great Dao-level orders condensed into a sea of laws.
Other Ancestral Dao Realm experts from the Heavenslayers Alliance also made their move without further words, clashing directly with their counterparts outside the grand hall. Supreme Dao Realm laws manifested in their hands—transforming into peerless divine bells, unparalleled sacred cauldrons, the Great Seal of Mountains and Rivers, and towering divine furnaces. A torrent of radiant brilliance poured forth, threatening to annihilate everything in its path.
BOOM!
The battlefield resembled the explosion of countless universes, the shockwaves terrifying enough to obliterate the heavens.
The battle between Dao Realm experts erupted once more, and any ordinary cultivators caught in the aftershocks would instantly turn to dust.
The entire Mountain of Wonders trembled violently, entire sections collapsing into deep fissures before crumbling into rubble. Stars drifting in the surrounding void were pulverized by colossal hands that spanned the cosmos.
HUM—
One Dao artifact after another hovered in the heavens, each beam of divine light capable of piercing through universes. It was a sight that sent tremors of horror through all living beings of the Primary Hope Civilisation.
The battle between Dao Realm experts quickly spilled beyond the world's boundaries. Their dharma bodies towered over billions of feet, as if propping up the heavens across the Myriad Ages. Every strike was executed with devastating precision.
Entire minor worlds caught in the crossfire disintegrated instantly, and the terrifying shockwaves spread through time itself, crushing vast stretches of the near-ancient era. Even in the distant reaches of the Boundless Expanse, the terrifying tremors from the Primary Hope Civilisation could be felt.
For the first time in countless eons, so many Dao Realm experts had clashed—an unimaginable catastrophe for all living beings.
With a mere flick of their fingers, Dao Realm experts could erase a Great Universe. In their hands, the rules of the Great Dao had become mere techniques, effortlessly condensed and unleashed.
The collapse and destruction of worlds was as simple to them as popping a bubble.
As for the battle between Ancestral Dao Realm experts, it resembled the legendary conflicts of the Dao Ancestors—sitting beyond the Myriad Ages, casting spells that radiated across all of time, their shockwaves rippling from antiquity into the distant future. Every era before them unfolded like fleeting waves, shattering and vanishing, reflecting the fleeting passage of eternity and the rise and fall of countless worlds.
Ling Yuling now displayed her terrifying strength. As one of the most ancient Progenitors of the Primary Hope Civilisation, though not yet at her peak, she was no ordinary Ancestral Dao Realm existence.
With a graceful flick of her slender jade fingers, the Dao arts before her dissolved, and the starry void shattered. Golden vines forged from the Great Dao pierced through every inch of time and space, howling like celestial swords as they descended. The cosmos trembled, and several Ancestral Dao Realm experts from the Heavenslayers Alliance coughed blood, sent flying with grievous injuries.
Though Ling Yuling had held back, her power far surpassed that of ordinary Dao Realm experts. None in the vicinity could restrain her.
She soared into the air and raised her hand once more, a ripple of light expanding from her fingertip before erupting into a golden vortex brimming with world-suppressing force. The remaining Dao Realm experts charging at her were blasted away.
"This battle is meaningless. Though the Heavenslayers Alliance is strong, you stand no chance against the gathered forces here."
"From this day forth, the Heavenslayers Alliance is disbanded. I will not pursue you further," Ling Yuling declared calmly.
"Do you truly think this is over? The Alliance Leader is eternal and indestructible. You have no hope of victory."
Her words fell on deaf ears. Jing Tianyuan surged forward, wreathed in a sinister mist, his once-refined features now twisted with ferocity. A single punch, blazing with blinding radiance, smashed into the golden vortex, shattering it into fragments.
Ling Yuling gazed at this former servant, knowing he was no longer the Jing Tianyuan of old. She sighed inwardly—the original Jing Tianyuan would never have dared raise a hand against her, nor could he have ever possessed such strength.
Under Gu Changge's influence, Jing Tianyuan's power had skyrocketed, surpassing even his former peak. Now, among the Heavenslayers Alliance, only he could barely hold his own against her.
Old Man Cold Crow and the old Taoist priest did not intervene, merely watching expressionlessly as they shielded the weaker members of the Heavenslayers Alliance.
The battle raged on, soon spilling beyond the Mountain of Wonders. Countless clans and factions fled in haste, their faces etched with terror. Cultivators who hadn't even reached the Dao Realm could only scramble for their lives—in a conflict of this magnitude, they wouldn't even qualify as cannon fodder.
"KILL!"
Beyond the Mountain of Wonders, the thunderous charge of an army echoed. Clouds of war blotted the skies as killing intent roiled like a tide.
Knights wielding Heavenly Blades and halberds surged from the distance, astride ancient ferocious beasts that roared to the heavens, sealing off all escape routes from the Mountain of Wonders.
The banners of the Heavenslayers Alliance fluttered in the wind, exuding an ancient, weathered aura. At this moment, they transformed into divine weapons as if ancient deities within them had awakened, their terrifying might shaking the heavens.
On the other side, Zhuo Fengxie, Hun Yuanjun, and others were also engaged in battle against opponents of equal standing, both sides coughing up blood and sustaining injuries. Behind them, every Dao Realm expert from the Heavenslayers Alliance had joined the fray, locked in desperate combat with elders and patriarch-level figures from the various orthodox factions of the Primary Hope Civilisation. The battle raged fiercely, their bodies drenched in blood.
The Bright Light Temple, Tathagata Buddha Kingdom, Towering Divine Cave, Primary Hope Holy Church—every major faction and orthodox tradition had been dragged into the conflict. The only ones who had yet to intervene were the ancient existences watching from afar: the Primary Hope Saintess, Changming Dao Lord, Shang Chongming, and others. In their view, this battle should have no surprises—their intervention was unnecessary. What they truly needed to guard against was the possibility that Gu Changge, leader of the Heavenslayers Alliance, might still be alive. That terrifying killing move could annihilate Ancestral Dao Realm experts, but whether it could deal with Gu Changge... that remained to be seen.
Thump... thump... thump...
At that moment, a deep, rhythmic sound suddenly emanated from the area that had been vaporized by the Golden Book of Covenant—like the powerful beating of a heart. A towering seven-colored divine light surged forth, wreathed in Chaos Qi, sweeping across the heavens and dispersing all remnants of energy. Some saw crimson rays, bright as blood, gushing from that spot, staining the previously darkened Mountain of Wonders in a deep, penetrating red.
Where there had been no sound or movement before, an ocean of terrifying life force now erupted like floodwaters pouring down from the heavens, vast and overwhelming. The chaotic battlefield froze as countless combatants turned in shock toward the phenomenon.
Changming Dao Lord, Shang Chongming, Xi Yin, and the other ancient existences snapped their gazes toward the source, their eyes sharp as unsheathed immortal swords, filled with wariness.
"I knew it... that couldn't possibly harm him..." Ling Yuling sighed inwardly, almost imperceptibly, before glancing toward the Primary Hope Saintess not far away. The Saintess, momentarily stunned, soon understood Ling Yuling's unspoken meaning. After a brief silence, she gave a slight nod in response.
Hum—
From the depths of that previously vaporized void, a faint sigh echoed. Then, hazy light emerged as a figure stepped forward. With a casual flick of his hand, a golden ancient scroll radiated billions of rays of light, drifting out before transforming into a vast, archaic covenant in the sky. Yet before its contents could manifest, that slender hand effortlessly tore it apart. The light dimmed, and the fragments scattered like falling stars.
"Alliance Leader!"
Seeing Gu Changge emerge completely unharmed—not even a wrinkle on his robes—the Heavenslayers Alliance members erupted in exhilaration and relief. Though many had maintained an almost fanatical faith in his strength, the sheer terror of that earlier attack had left them uneasy. Mu Yan, Mo Tong, and others also exhaled in relief.
Ling Yuxian, protected by a group of Imperial Immortal Palace elders, finally allowed her tense heart to settle. Though she had known Gu Changge's power would likely render him unscathed, worry had still gnawed at her. Meanwhile, the sect leaders and patriarchs of various factions now faced him with grave apprehension, many wearing expressions of disbelief. How could Gu Changge remain unharmed after such a devastating strike? Had he simply been observing the unfolding events all along?
With Gu Changge's reappearance, the chaotic battle came to an abrupt halt—though everyone knew this was merely the calm before a greater storm. If they had simply signed the covenant honestly, without scheming and plotting, none of this would have happened. Gu Changge's strength far surpassed their expectations. Not only was he unharmed, but he had also effortlessly shredded the Golden Book of Covenant. The idea of using it to kill him had been pure fantasy. But there were no second chances in this world. Many wore bitter expressions, already foreseeing what was to come.
"You've disappointed me," Gu Changge said calmly, his gaze resting on Ling Yuling. His tone carried no discernible emotion, as if her betrayal and schemes had not angered him at all. That faint sigh earlier might have been the extent of his emotional reaction.
Ling Yuling found herself unable to meet his eyes. No matter how she looked at it, she had betrayed his trust. She shook her head lightly and sighed, "I'm sorry. This wasn't the outcome I wanted."