Tu Bo, the Earth Sovereign, pointed at the ground. Instantly, Netherworld demonic miasma surged up, the earth vanished, and the scene of Youdu appeared before them.
Quinn Shepherd looked over and saw that before Tu Bo’s true body, another Heaven-Guide Venerable had descended. That towering flesh, though not as vast as Tu Bo, was still immense—about a tenth of Tu Bo’s size.
The same was true for the Heaven-Guide Venerable in Profound Capital. Heaven Duke and Tu Bo’s true bodies were so vast that only a handful of ancient gods could compare with them.
The Heaven-Guide Venerable in Youdu also possessed layer upon layer of Heaven Palaces, forming a vast, boundless Heavenly Court—majestic and overwhelming.
The Heaven-Guide Venerable’s Divine Treasuries and Heaven Palaces were constructed from the rune-paths of nearly every ancient god’s Dao. No wonder Heaven Duke and Tu Bo were shaken upon seeing such a Heaven-Guide Venerable!
Ancient gods have no concept of cultivation realms—they are born powerful. They can cultivate and grow stronger, but that only deepens their understanding of their own Dao; they cannot transcend their innate limits.
For example, Tu Bo cannot comprehend Heaven Duke’s Dao.
But mortals and demigods do not have such limitations. However, mortals and demigods are inherently far weaker than ancient gods. Even with the Divine Treasury and Heaven Palace cultivation systems, they still cannot catch up to the ancient gods.
No matter how much mortals and demigods comprehend, they can never surpass the ancient gods born of the Dao. The Dao they grasp will always fall short of the true, innate Dao.
But Heaven Duke and Tu Bo know there is one exception.
In the early Dragon-Han era, at the Jade Pool Grand Assembly, Venerable Vast-Sky revealed the eighth realm of the Divine Treasury system—the Heaven Court realm.
Heaven Court is the key for mortals and demigods to surpass the ancient gods!
Heaven Court encompasses the ancient god system: thirty-six Heaven Palaces, seventy-two Treasure Halls. Once the Heaven Court is perfected, one’s power can stand alongside beings like the Ancient-God Emperor!
For ages, there have been no records or legends about the Heaven Court realm. The rulers of Heaven Court did not want anyone else to know of its existence, and the ancient gods helped keep it secret.
Because this realm is simply too terrifying!
Heaven Duke and Tu Bo also know that for ages, the rulers of Heaven Court have been searching for all kinds of Emperor’s Throne Arts, trying to forge a Heaven Court cultivation law. Yet gathering all thirty-six Heaven Palaces and seventy-two Treasure Halls is extremely difficult—the rulers have never truly succeeded.
In every era, Emperor’s Throne experts are few to begin with. Moreover, the thirty-six Heaven Palaces and seventy-two Treasure Halls require methods of different attributes, so assembling a complete set is fraught with difficulty.
But the sudden appearance of two Heaven-Guide Venerables in Profound Capital and Youdu has truly shaken them.
"No, something’s wrong!"
Quinn quickly counted and said, "The number of Heaven Palaces behind these two Heaven-Guide Venerables isn’t right! The one in Profound Capital has eighteen, the one in Youdu has twenty. Neither is a complete Heaven Court realm! They aren’t invincible!"
Tu Bo, the Earth Sovereign, calmed himself and nodded. "In Youdu, I can fight! They haven’t captured the Netherworld Divine Son, nor have they fully deciphered Youdu’s Dao."
Heaven Duke’s avatar slumped and said, "I’m nearly an open book. The one coming this time isn’t just anyone—it’s my rebellious son. I fear I won’t survive this. However, unless he’s fully deciphered my Dao, he won’t make a move. He wants to surpass me, replace me, and become stronger than me. Until he achieves that, he won’t act."
Quinn steadied himself, pacing back and forth, then suddenly turned to Great Brahma King Buddha and asked, "King Buddha, you’re a member of the Heaven Alliance. Would the Heaven-Guide Venerable who entered the Buddha Realm target you?"
Great Brahma King Buddha shook his head. "They wouldn’t go that far. After all, I’m an elder of the Heaven Alliance. But I’ll have to hand over my Emperor’s Throne True Sutra. Quinn Heavenly Venerable, for now, Heaven Court won’t act against Tu Bo and Heaven Duke. Their target this time is likely the Earth-Mother Origin World."
Quinn’s expression changed drastically. He cried out, "You mean another Heaven-Guide Venerable has descended into the Earth-Mother Origin World?"
Great Brahma King Buddha sighed. "The Earth Mother Primordial Lady in the Origin World lingers on in undeath—she must be eliminated. Besides the Origin World, there are the Four Emperors, each in their own Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern Heavens. Each likely faces a Heaven-Guide Venerable descending as well. Everpeace, being a small, inconspicuous place in the Origin World, is now in mortal peril. To destroy Everpeace would be nothing to this weapon."
Quinn’s hands and feet went cold, his voice hoarse. "What should we do?"
He looked at Heaven Duke, whose avatar only sighed and remained silent.
Quinn looked to Tu Bo, but Tu Bo avoided his gaze and said nothing.
He turned to Great Brahma King Buddha, who shook his head. Then he looked to the Crimson Emperor and Great Sun Star Lord. The Crimson Emperor said, "We’re already dead—there’s nothing we can do. My Chiming Era is truly finished..."
Quinn sat on the ground, dazed and disheartened.
The ones in greatest danger aren’t Heaven Duke and Tu Bo—it’s Everpeace.
Heaven Court won’t move against Heaven Duke and Tu Bo until they’ve fully deciphered their Dao rune-paths—otherwise, the losses would be too great.
But dealing with the Origin World is far easier for them.
Everpeace, a tiny, overlooked corner of the Origin World, is now doomed.
"Quinn, we can barely protect ourselves. There’s nothing we can do for you."
Tu Bo, the Earth Sovereign, said, "Youdu is still fairly safe. Netherworld Heavenly Venerable has already gone to Everpeace to retrieve the true Heaven-Guide Venerable. With me and Netherworld Heavenly Venerable there, his safety can be assured. Don’t stay in Everpeace—it’s far too dangerous. Go to Youdu and plan your next move."
Quinn’s mind went blank.
Heaven Duke said, "You could also come to Profound Capital. My rebellious son won’t act against me for now. You can’t go to the Buddha Realm—they’re still hunting you there."
Quinn’s heart was in turmoil.
Suddenly, hope flared in Quinn: "Wait—the Heavenly Emperor, and the Ancient-God Emperor! He's also the leader of the Heaven Alliance! There's Moon-Venerable, Lady Umbral, and the Pioneer Era remnants—they could help Everpeace! There's still hope!"
"You are the Netherworld Divine Son; you cannot let Heaven Court get you."
Tu Bo, the Earth Sovereign, said, "If Heaven Court gets you, it's as if they've captured Youdu's Dao. Even I would be in danger then. Go back to Youdu. You were born in Youdu; you belong here, not in Everpeace. Youdu is your true homeland."
"I will return to Everpeace!"
Quinn suddenly clenched his teeth and shouted, "I'm going to Everpeace!"
Tu Bo frowned and said, "Go to Everpeace first, gather your friends and family. I'll send Nether-Venerable to fetch you."
Quinn said nothing more.
Fenix Greenwood Keane raced onward. After two days, the Origin World continent came into view ahead.
Suddenly, Fenix paused, looked up at the sky, and exclaimed, "There's something even bigger than me in this world! How long would it take to eat something like that?"
In the sky, a towering Heaven-Driving Venerable crushed the Origin World's world-wall, descending from beyond the heavens. Even at the continent's edge, one could see this divine being.
Behind his head, rings of light spun and flames soared, falling toward the direction of the Great Ruins.
Ripples erupted outward from him in all directions, pushing the heavens and sweeping the clouds away.
A terrifying pressure instantly swept across millions upon millions of miles of the Origin World, making everyone feel the dreadful might, as if a radiant god pressed down on their hearts.
Even the strongest who had shattered their inner gods felt powerless before such a being.
At this moment, almost everyone in the Origin World sensed it and saw Heaven Court's strongest weapon.
The weapon that suppressed the heavens descended on this day.
Countless tower ships and warships descended alongside the Heaven-Driving Venerable. As his body crushed the Origin World's wall, these ships hovered around him, descending together.
On the ships was Heaven Court's army of gods and demons.
The Heaven-Driving Venerable didn't come for the remnants of the Crimson, Supreme, or Pioneer Emperors—he came for the ruler of the Origin World, to slay the Earth Mother Primordial Lady.