Chapter 828
The Imperial Decree Arrives
The Demon Lord of Chaos unleashed a tangible, bloodthirsty red light from his eyes, and slashed his demonic halberd fiercely at the void before him!
"Boom!"
A massive void rift, tens of millions of miles long, was instantly cleaved open. The terrifying demonic power caused the nearest few small cosmic bubbles to shake violently, as if they were about to collapse at any moment.
"—Slay without mercy! Drain their very essence, and the world will be destroyed!"
This extremely domineering ultimatum left no room for maneuver; it was an absolute command from a superior to a subordinate.
During the reign of the High Dimensional Judgment Council, although they also exploited the various universes, they at least wore a hypocritical cloak of "maintaining the balance of the multiverse" and regularly collected offerings. But this newly enthroned Eternal Emperor Su Chen didn't even bother with pretense; he directly opened his blood-red maw, intending to devour the very essence of all worlds!
Faced with such an overbearing decree, the myriad realms were instantly plunged into an unprecedented and violent upheaval.
……
Billions of light-years away from the Eternal Heavenly Court lies a cosmic cluster called the Cloud Light Starfield. Hundreds of medium and small worlds of varying sizes are gathered here.
When the decree of the Demon Lord of Chaos descended, and the terrifying baleful aura of the millions of demons approached.
"We've surrendered! We've surrendered!"
In a small universe called 'Tianshui Realm' on the outermost edge of the Cloud Light Starfield, the Heavenly Dao Will of that realm didn't even dare to condense into a human form. Instead, it transformed into a ball of azure water, carrying one-third of the realm's core essence, and cautiously flew out of the cosmic crystal wall.
"Lord of the Heavenly Water Realm, I am willing to submit to the Eternal Heavenly Court for eternity. This is the origin of our realm. I beg the Demon General to show mercy and spare the lives of all beings in my realm!"
With the Tianshui Realm taking the lead, those weaker, powerless lower-level universes, in despair and fear, all chose to compromise.
In an instant, countless streams of light representing the will of Heaven flew out from the void, holding the colorful origin of the universe. Like pilgrims, they knelt and trembled on the marching route of the Immortal Demon Army.
The Demon Lord of Chaos rode atop the Sky-Splitting Beast, coldly surveying the lower-dimensional Heavenly Daos that had willingly offered their origins. With a wave of his hand, the demon generals behind him immediately stepped forward, storing the precious cosmic origins into specially crafted storage artifacts.
"You're wise to know what's good for you. The Lord is merciful; as long as you obediently serve as beasts of burden for the Eternal Heaven, you can preserve your lives."
The Demon Lord of Chaos chuckled and led his army to continue advancing.
However, not all universes would choose such humiliating submission.
How vast are these multiple universes? Among them are many supreme worlds that have existed for countless eras and whose depths are unfathomable. In these ancient universes, many old monsters who have survived since the last era slumber, who once swore brotherhood with the members of the High Dimensional Council and possessed extremely high arrogance and self-respect.
To expect them to bow down to a "nouveau riche" who has just climbed up from the lower realm, and even to offer up the very essence of the universe that is their lifeblood?
This is worse than killing them!
……
Deep within the realm beyond, lies the [Primordial Star Vortex].
This is the region with the most abundant spiritual energy and laws in the entire multiverse system. In the center of this star vortex, three enormous, top-tier Great Thousand Worlds, exuding an ancient and primordial aura, float side by side.
These three universes are respectively named: [Mysterious Annihilation Ancient Realm], [Azure Moon Dragon Realm], and [Divine Luo Heaven Realm].
These three rulers of the universes are all ancient monsters who have lived for tens of millions of epochs, and their cultivation has reached the peak of the seventh realm, with one foot even on the verge of the eighth realm. Normally, even the judges of the high-dimensional council would treat them with great respect when they come here.
At this moment, inside the 'Heavenly Venerable Dao Palace' at the highest point of the Xuanmie Ancient Realm.
Dozens of realm lords and patriarchs from various ancient universes were gathered together. The atmosphere within the Dao Palace was extremely oppressive, filled with a heavy sense of killing intent and unease.
"boom!"
With a deafening crash, a burly man with two horns on his head and his body covered in blue dragon scales shattered the Chaos Jade Table in front of him with a single palm strike. This man was none other than the ruler of the Azure Moon Dragon Realm—the Azure Moon Dragon Emperor.
"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
The Azure Moon Dragon Emperor's eyes blazed with fury, his dragon might shaking the entire hall: "That lower realm brat named Su Chen only managed to succeed by taking advantage of the High Dimension Council's weakness! Now he dares to ride roughshod over us ancient lineages? And he wants us to offer up a third of our origin? Why doesn't he just steal it!"
"Dragon Emperor, please calm your anger."
On the main seat, an elderly man with a gaunt face, dressed in a black and white Taoist robe, slowly opened his eyes. Surrounded by the ever-changing Yin and Yang energies, he was the master of this Xuanmie Ancient Realm, and also the most senior among those present—the Xuanmie Dao Master.
The Xuanmie Dao Master's gaze was deep, and although his tone was calm, it revealed an undeniable chilling authority: "This scoundrel Su Chen is indeed extremely domineering. I have observed the ruins of the Primordial Divine Realm through the boundary wall, and the remaining battle aura there has indeed reached the level of the eighth realm. The seven councilors and the Grand Elder of the High Dimension Council have probably already fallen victim to his evil deeds."
Upon hearing this, the dozens of realm lords in the hall all gasped, a hint of barely concealed fear flashing in their eyes.
That's the eighth realm! For these seventh-realm cultivators, the eighth realm is an indescribable heaven, an insurmountable chasm!
"Then... then Brother Xuanmie means that we... really have to surrender?" an old ancestor from the Divine Luo Heaven Realm asked tremblingly.
"Surrender? What a joke!"
Xuanmie Daozhu snorted coldly, and a terrifying pressure from a half-step eighth realm instantly swept across the entire area, causing everyone to hold their breath.
"Fellow Daoists, use your brains. What kind of foundation does the High Dimension Council possess? With the seven giants joining forces, plus the unfathomable Grand Elder, even if Su Chen's talent is monstrous, he is still just one person! Even if he wins, it will definitely be a pyrrhic victory!"
The Xuanmie Dao Master stood up, his eyes flashing with wisdom and cunning: "He has just experienced such an unprecedented bloody battle, his source must be exhausted, and he may even have suffered an incurable wound to the Great Dao! He is hiding in that newly established Heavenly Court and not coming out, but instead sending out a bunch of ants from the lower realms who are not even at the seventh realm to borrow the tiger's might and forcibly seize his source. What is the purpose of this?"
The Azure Moon Dragon Emperor's eyes lit up: "Does the Dao Lord mean... he's bluffing, trying to use the collected essence to heal his injuries?!"
"Not bad!"
The Xuanmie Dao Master slapped his thigh, his voice suddenly rising: "This fiend is definitely at his weakest right now! If we obediently hand over our origin now and wait for him to recover, will there still be a place for us in this multiverse? At that time, we will be livestock he raises, at his mercy!"
"We absolutely cannot let him recover his strength!"
Upon hearing this, everyone felt as if they had been struck by lightning; their fear was instantly replaced by greed and a sense of侥幸 (a feeling of getting lucky). Yes, a severely injured and dying eighth-realm cultivator was not only not frightening, but rather a tremendous opportunity! If they could join forces to kill him and seize the high-dimensional Dao Fruit from his body…
"Everyone!"
Xuanmie Dao Master suddenly waved his Daoist robe, and a golden scroll radiating ancient oaths floated in the center of the hall.
"I propose that we form an alliance here today, establishing the [Heaven-Slaying Alliance]! Let us gather all our resources and summon that dormant 'Epochal Treasure.' Let's strike while the iron is hot and finish him off! Let's directly crush that so-called Eternal Heavenly Court and divide up the supreme power of the outer realms!"
"Let's do it! I've had my eye on that nouveau riche for a long time!" The Azure Moon Dragon Emperor was the first to respond, biting his fingertip and dripping a drop of his blood into the scroll.
"We are willing to follow the Lord of Xuanmie Dao and together slay this fiend!"
"Kill Su Chen! Seize the Heavenly Court!" In an instant, the crowd in the hall was filled with righteous indignation. Dozens of rulers from ancient universes stepped forward and signed the [Blood Pact of Slaughtering Heaven], a pact that represented an irreconcilable enmity with the Eternal Heaven.
What they didn't know was the catastrophic destruction that this self-righteous speculation would bring to their universe.
……
……
Beyond the boundary, nothingness reigns, and war breaks out.
The Heavenly Court's massive army of millions swept through the land, incorporating those who submitted and crushing those who resisted. In just one month, they had already subdued thousands of small and medium-sized cosmic bubbles.
On this day, the vast, dark purple demon army finally arrived at the edge of the [Primordial Star Vortex].
"Ahead lies the territory of the three top-tier universes, including the Xuanmie Ancient Realm."
The soul fire in the Skeleton Lord's eye sockets flickered as he looked at the vast star field ahead, shrouded in dense chaotic mist and radiating terrifying array fluctuations.
"Cease the troops!"
The Demon Lord of Chaos raised his Demon Dragon Halberd high, and his millions of troops, like a perfectly synchronized machine, froze instantly in the void beyond the boundary, without uttering a single sound. Such military discipline and quality would put any ancient sect to shame.
The Demon Lord of Chaos narrowed his eyes, looking at the clearly prepared formation in front of him, and a cruel sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Looks like we've run into a few tough guys who aren't afraid of death."
In the void in front of the Primordial Star, a massive and suffocating allied army had gathered.
These are the elite of the [Slaying Heaven Alliance]!
Led by three top-tier universes, an allied army comprised hundreds of ancient lineages, numbering a terrifying billions! Countless warships, flying boats, and various strange ancient beasts, like an endless sea of stars, blocked the path of the Immortal Demon Army.
Although the average cultivation level of the Allied Army's ordinary soldiers was inferior to that of the Immortal Demon Army, which had been baptized by divine blood, their advantage lay in their sheer numbers, which were hundreds of times greater than those of the Demon Army! Moreover, at the very forefront of the Allied Army, dozens of enormous Primal Dharma Images, radiating the pressure of the Seventh Realm, floated in the air!
The Xuanmie Dao Master, the Azure Moon Dragon Emperor, and others were among them!
"Halt!"
The colossal dragon body of the Azure Moon Dragon Emperor coiled in the void, unleashing a roar that shattered the stars, and shouted: "This is the land of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance! You bunch of filthy ants from the lower realm, stained with a little divine blood, dare to swagger before us?"
"Go back and tell that coward Su Chen! If he knows what's good for him, he should immediately disband the Heavenly Court and go back to his mortal realm! Otherwise, today, my allied forces of billions will ensure that you millions of remnants will never return!"
Faced with such a powerful and arrogant provocation.
The Demon Lord of Chaos was not angry at all. Instead, he looked at the billions of troops in front of him as if they were fools. He turned his head and looked at the Skeleton Lord beside him, shaking his head helplessly.
"Brother Hai Zun, do you think these toads who have been in the mud for too long all like to sit in a well and look at the sky?"
"My lord has said that arrogance and ignorance are the greatest sources of destruction for living beings." The Skeleton Lord's voice was hollow, devoid of any emotion.
The Demon Lord of Chaos nodded in deep agreement. He couldn't be bothered to engage in any verbal sparring. His master's task for him was to seize the source energy; if there was any resistance, he would simply crush it!
"The Immortal Demon Army, heed my command!"
The Demon Lord of Chaos slowly raised the Annihilation Dragon Halberd in his hand, and the seventh realm of demonic origin within his body suddenly erupted, the dark purple demonic light instantly dyeing the surrounding million miles of void into the color of hell.
"The Lord has given an order. Those who disobey will have their very essence drained, their realm destroyed, and their path extinguished!"
"All troops, charge! Leave no one alive! Kill them all!!!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The millions of immortal demons unleashed a deafening roar. Without the slightest hesitation, like a pack of ferocious wolves starved for millennia, they bared their sharpest fangs and pounced madly upon billions of sheep!
"You're courting death! Form ranks and prepare to meet the enemy!"
When the Xuanmie Dao Lord saw that the enemy's mere ten million people dared to charge into his army of billions, he was so angry that he laughed and immediately ordered a counterattack.
"Boom boom boom boom boom ————————!!!!!"
Two enormous torrents collided violently in the void beyond the boundary!
In an instant, countless divine powers, spells, and magical treasures exploded in the void, and severed limbs and broken arms, accompanied by shrill screams, instantly filled the void.
However, upon first contact, the ancient realm lords of the [Slaying Heaven Alliance] were horrified to discover that something was amiss!
This is not a war at all; it is a one-sided massacre!
"How is this possible?! How can their bodies be so incredibly resilient?!"
The Azure Moon Dragon Emperor stared wide-eyed as he watched as one of his dragon commanders, a peak sixth-realm expert, thrust his spear with all his might into the chest of an ordinary immortal demon soldier.
As a result, not even a white mark was left on the demonic soldier's armor; instead, the dragon commander's divine spear was shattered. The demonic soldier grinned maliciously, swung his blade, and cleaved the massive dragon commander in two, shredding his soul along with it!
Having undergone the baptism of high-dimensional divine blood, the immortal demon army's physical strength has transcended the common sense of lower dimensions. They can almost completely ignore the attacks of the allied forces, and each swing of their demonic weapons can claim the lives of hundreds or even thousands of allied soldiers!
"Completely crushing! Unstoppable!"
The Demon Lord of Chaos laughed loudly, his Demon Dragon Halberd transforming into a world-destroying demonic dragon tens of thousands of feet long, rampaging through the enemy ranks. Wherever it passed, warships and even true gods were crushed into mincemeat. With each breath, it frantically devoured the vital energy of the battlefield.
It took less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
The seemingly indestructible army of billions of allied forces was actually breached by tens of millions of demon soldiers, resulting in hundreds of millions of casualties!
Morale began to crumble.
"We can't stop them! Dao Lord, we can't stop them at all! These guys aren't human, they're killing machines sent down from a higher dimension!" The ancestor of the Divine Luo Heaven Realm retreated to the side of the Profound Extinction Dao Lord, his body covered in blood, his voice filled with endless despair.
"Shut up!"
The Xuanmie Dao Lord's face was ashen. As he watched the Longevity Demon Army slaughtering his own army like cutting melons and vegetables, a sense of fear finally rose in his heart.
If even the henchmen under Su Chen's command are this terrifying, then what kind of being is Su Chen himself?
"We can't hold back any longer! Fellow Daoists, immediately sacrifice the formation and summon the [Chaos Death Bell]!"
The Xuanmie Dao Master gritted his teeth and roared loudly. (End of this chapter)