Quinn Shepherd's face darkened. He said coldly, "Was this your idea together with the Southern Emperor?"
Red Empress Claudia Qi looked puzzled and said, "It was also Moon‑Venerable's idea. Shepherd Heavenly Venerable, you're the Grand Archmage of Endless Calamities, undying through ten thousand tribulations. By rights, you shouldn't be so anxious. For you, Heaven Duke and Tu Bo are still alive, and resurrecting the Southern Emperor to free her from the ancient god Dao should be a heaven‑sent opportunity, shouldn't it?"
A heaven-sent opportunity?
Quinn laughed in exasperation, slumping powerlessly into his throne. "A heaven-sent opportunity? You didn't even consult me, and dare call it a heaven-sent opportunity? My resurrection arts aren't omnipotent. There are still methods in this world that can restrain my soul‑remolding spells, and all of them are in the hands of the Ten Heavenly Venerables in Heavenly Court..."
Red Empress Claudia Qi's face changed dramatically.
Quinn had already given the order—the Heavenly Dragon Imperial Palanquin charged toward the Southern Forbidden Zone.
The Supreme Emperor's Divine Sense Grand‑Luo Heaven Palace, Heavenly Court's Fragrant Hall, the Heavenly Emperor's Forbidden Zone, and the Empress Yuanmu's Home's End Abyss—all these can resist my soul‑calling arts. Even if your soul hides in the Grand Void, I won't be able to find it."
Seated in the carriage, Quinn was somewhat annoyed. "Southern Emperor, are you so sure I can bring you back to life?"
He couldn't help but feel angry. Southern Emperor Vermilion was one of the few ancient gods he was truly close to—his friendship with her was second only to Heaven Duke and Tu Bo.
Back when Quinn returned to the early Dragon‑Han Era, the first ancient god he met was Southern Emperor Vermilion. The two chatted happily on a boat, and Vermilion recognized him as her younger brother.
Boom—
Fragrant Hall has descended.
"Shepherd Heavenly Venerable, you have already arrived too late."
A majestic figure stands in the ninth-layer Dao fire, turning to Quinn and saying in a low voice, "Southern Emperor has already fallen."
Quinn understood Southern Emperor Vermilion’s plan perfectly. She wanted to use this chance, like Lady Umbral before her, to escape the ancient god’s body and be reborn, no longer bound by the Dao of heaven and earth.
The Celestial River Navy has always been the backbone of Heavenly Court’s military, suppressing rebellions and destroying entire eras.
From Sky-River Court to Chiming Heaven Court, Supreme Heaven Court, and even Kaihuang Heaven Court—all have been crushed beneath the Celestial River Fleet’s war arks.
Hundreds of Celestial River branches unfurl, pouring into Southern Extremity Heaven like the tails of a cosmic nine-tailed fox, flooding the land with warships, extinguishing fires, and slaughtering gods and demons.
It is a one-sided massacre.
The Ten Heavenly Venerables would surely seize this chance to show everyone—and the ancient gods—that Quinn Shepherd, the Grand Archmage of Endless Calamities, is not their savior at all!
They have enough means to suppress and restrain Quinn Shepherd’s arts, making it impossible for him to resurrect ancient gods who have fallen.
"The Ten Heavenly Venerables have four or five ways to counter my resurrection arts. But the Supreme Emperor’s Ultimate Void can’t be used, or his identity would be exposed. The Empress and Madam Yuanmu’s Home’s End Abyss also can’t be deployed, for fear of revealing themselves. The Heavenly Emperor’s Forbidden Zone is immovable. That leaves only Fragrant Hall."
Quinn looked ahead, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Heavenly Court’s Fragrant Hall is the place that suppresses Heaven‑Guide Venerable’s remnant soul; when Quinn tried to summon his soul, he couldn’t call it out from within Fragrant Hall.
Even Tu Bo himself searched for Heaven‑Guide Venerable’s soul fragment, but couldn’t enter Fragrant Hall!
Fragrant Hall is one of Heavenly Court’s seventy‑two Treasure Halls. The Ten Heavenly Venerables will absolutely use this hall to suppress Southern Emperor Vermilion’s soul, making Quinn’s divine arts useless and ensuring her complete death!
"I hope this is just my speculation. I hope Fragrant Hall is still in Heavenly Court and hasn’t been sent to Southern Extremity Heaven…"
The Heavenly Dragon Imperial Palanquin accelerated to its limit. Quinn glanced back and saw Vermilion Bird Palace collapsing—the oldest heaven was doomed, and Southern Extremity Heaven’s change of ruler was inevitable.
Even if he could resurrect Southern Emperor Vermilion, she could never reclaim this place.
Besides, Southern Emperor may not be able to revive at all!
Heavenly Court’s war machine roared to life, driving Southern Extremity Heaven out of the Four Extremity Heavens with overwhelming force.
This is the foundation of Heavenly Court’s hundred-million-year rule.
Dozens of Celestial River branches surged ahead, war arks descending from the sky, plowing toward the heart of Southern Extremity Heaven’s blazing domain.
Quinn withdrew his gaze.
At last, the Heavenly Dragon Imperial Palanquin arrived at the Southern Forbidden Zone.
Ahead, Dao-fire mist billowed, and in the distance, a colossal altar of flame rose from the horizon—not a real altar, but a vision sculpted by Dao-light.
Above, the Dao-light formed a vast bird’s nest structure, immense and shimmering, holy flames surging like a Vermilion Bird spreading its wings.
The Heavenly Dragon Imperial Palanquin felt the searing heat—so intense that even the six Jade Capital–realm Heavenly Dragons dared not approach.
However, the temperature had dropped significantly, since the Celestial River Water Masters had arrived, sending thirty-six wide branches of the Celestial River streaming into the forbidden zone.
The Water Masters mobilized the river’s power, suppressing the Dao-forbidden zone. Countless war arks and ships barreled in, hunting down the Southern Extremity Heaven gods and demons who had fled here.
Ahead, the Celestial River Water Masters opened the way, their powerful gods channeling the river to suppress the flames and press down the Dao-light mountains. Thousands of divine soldiers soared from the war arks, subduing the terrain.
Quinn’s Heavenly Dragon Imperial Palanquin followed behind, encountering little danger. As they advanced, more and more war arks filled the sky, some suddenly igniting with Dao-fire, burning their crews into living flames who screamed and writhed on the decks.
They had triggered the Dao-light here, unleashing its might.
If the Dao-light could not be suppressed, it would lash back violently.
Here, it wasn’t just Water Masters—Southern Extremity Heaven’s rebels also staged ambushes, sometimes even deliberately provoking Dao-might to drag invaders down with them in mutual destruction.
The Heavenly Dragon Imperial Palanquin followed the Celestial River’s lead. Though the officers on the war arks saw them, none intervened, likely following orders not to hinder their entry into the forbidden zone.
"Ahead is the Dao-fire belt. Everyone, halt!"
A Water Master stood at the prow, shouting, "Force the traitors into the Dao-fire!"
Countless divine soldiers leapt from the war arks, pressing the rebels forward. Tens of thousands of Southern Extremity Heaven’s gods and demons had no way to resist the Water Masters’ crushing force, forced deeper into the forbidden zone.
The Heavenly Dragon Imperial Palanquin slowed as Quinn, Annie, and Dragon-Qilin looked ahead. Tens of thousands charged toward the Dao-fire belt, only to suddenly ignite, their forms and spirits vanishing as they turned to ash—none escaped.
In the second layer of Dao-fire, Quinn looked back and saw the southern star fields and myriad star palaces outside the forbidden zone forming a ring—the outer heaven of Southern Extremity Heaven.
In the third layer, an even stranger sight emerged: Quinn saw the Origin World and the myriad heavens as the third luminous ring, hanging beyond the forbidden zone.
The fourth layer of Dao-fire was Heaven Duke’s Profound Capital, forming the fourth heaven.
Youdu, the Netherworld, was the fifth layer of Dao-fire, a band of dark radiance.
Home’s End Abyss was the sixth layer—Youdu was dark, but Home’s End was pitch black, utterly devoid of light.
The seventh layer was Heavenly Court itself, a ring of dazzling light, blindingly bright.
The eighth layer of Dao-fire was the other three Extremity Heavens, shining like three bright beads on a ring.
Suddenly, the lantern in Annie’s hand flared up—Moon-Venerable’s lantern could not withstand the pressure here for long.
Quinn looked ahead—they had reached the outer edge of the ninth Dao-fire heaven.
At that moment, the forbidden zone’s power waned; the lantern’s flames faded and a wild wind swept toward them, whipping their robes.
Quinn looked up and saw a grand hall descending from the sky, covered in countless talismans and seals, each like a lock binding the structure.
Fragrant Hall had arrived.
"Shepherd Heavenly Venerable, you are already too late."
Within the ninth-layer Dao-fire, a majestic figure stood in the flames, turning to say quietly, "Southern Emperor has already fallen."