Struggle

Inside the resplendent palace, everything lay in disarray.

Spattered divine blood stained the floor paved with Kunshan jade.

The divine blood was golden in color, suffused with a faint blue watery gleam. Even after several yuan epochs, it had not dried.

The Eighteenth Prince of the Tianshui Divine Dynasty stood in the plaza before the main hall, his hands clasped behind his back.

Before him stood an enormous divine statue.

The statue wore a crown and a sky-blue ceremonial robe, upon which rivers surged.

It appeared majestic and solemn.

Yet after several yuan epochs, the mottled spiritual light around it had long since faded.

It now resembled an ordinary stone statue.

What drew the Eighteenth Prince's attention, however, was the divine seal cradled in the statue's hands.

The seal had formed from the origin of the Wei River. Golden divine inscriptions flickered around it, profound and mysterious, scattered yet radiant, as though resonating with the Great Dao of Water Element.

Golden light burst from the Eighteenth Prince's eyes, and his heart filled with wild joy.

"I never expected the Wei River Divine Seal to be here."

"It truly fell into my hands without any effort."

Following his thoughts, the Eighteenth Prince moved to seize the golden seal and refine the Wei River.

But just then.

The cultivators from the other regions had already entered the main hall.

"Hold on, Fellow Daoist."

A pig-headed, human-bodied deity with a huge paunch spoke up to stop him.

"How the gains from this divine hall are to be divided should be settled by all of us."

The Eighteenth Prince turned a deaf ear to the deity's words.

Instead, the escape light beneath his feet accelerated.

He was just about to obtain the Wei River Golden Seal.

A chill flashed through the pig-headed deity's eyes.

"Hmph. You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit."

This deity was also a Divine Demon Cultivator of the True One Realm.

He came from an exceedingly ancient lineage, but his foundation was poor and his reserves shallow, so he had been unable to attain the exalted position of Grand Unity Great Sage.

Still, his combat methods were truly exceptional.

No one saw him make any move.

Yet a Yellow-skinned Gourd appeared within the water mansion, glimmering with hazy yellow light.

The divine demon formed hand seals.

The gourd in the air spun rapidly.

In an instant, two Earth Dragons formed from Innate Divine Sand let out repeated dragon roars. They then transformed into two earthen-yellow ropes that lashed toward the Eighteenth Prince.

"My lord, be careful!"

An Old God of the Tianshui Divine Dynasty cried out in alarm at the sight.

Then his sleeves billowed.

Two pale-blue divine lights intertwined and transformed into a pair of deep-blue scissors brimming with murderous intent, which sheared toward the ropes.

At this sight, the cultivators present all made their moves.

Some wielded sabers, spears, swords, and halberds; others axes, polearms, hooks, and forks.

Divine light flashed and spiritual energy tangled. The entire palace began to tremble amid the gods' battle.

A moment later.

The situation in the hall had become clear, and the two sides had divided between the left and right.

One side was the Tianshui Divine Dynasty faction led by the Eighteenth Prince.

The other was a faction of independent cultivators led by three True One Realm divine demons.

The Tianshui Divine Dynasty had brought only the Eighteenth Prince and that Old God, two True One Realm Divine Demon Cultivators.

They even appeared to be at a disadvantage.

The pale-blue divine robe on the Eighteenth Prince had already transformed into a suit of radiant divine armor.

Holding a Fang Tian Hua Ji Halberd, he stared grimly at the independent cultivators before him and said coldly:

"My father is the Dao Lord Tianshui of the Tianshui Divine Dynasty."

"He is a Great Divine Ability User who has plucked the Dao Fruit."

"My father had long calculated the Wei River's destined opportunity."

"You dare snatch food from a tiger's mouth. Are you not afraid of retaliation from my Tianshui Divine Dynasty?"

Having said this, the Eighteenth Prince snorted coldly.

"Besides, even if you obtain the Water Lord Divine Position, do you think you can leave the Wei River?"

"My Tianshui Divine Dynasty has long laid a Heavenly Net and Earthly Net above the Wei River."

"What power does an Innate Dao Lord possess?"

"With a single thought, the universe trembles and mountains and rivers shatter."

"Your cultivation has not come easily. Will you truly let greed cloud your minds and destroy hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation in a single day?"

As soon as these words were spoken.

The living beings in the hall immediately felt fear arise in their hearts.

The Dao Lord Tianshui had existed since the era of the Primordial Divine Court and attained the Innate Dao Lord realm during the Dragon-Han Calamity.

His illustrious name had spread throughout the Eastern Desolation Divine Dynasty and countless Divine Demon Tribes.

They truly had not expected.

That this Innate Deity was actually the son of an Innate Dao Lord.

The celestial beings and divine demons were already frightened out of their wits.

Compared with them, an Innate Dao Lord was like a colossal dragon compared to ants.

Like the blazing sun compared to a firefly.

How could they dare entertain thoughts of resistance?

Unlike the celestial beings and divine demons, who only cowered in silence.

The three great True One Realm cultivators exchanged glances and saw hesitation in one another's eyes.

This matter was truly difficult to handle.

Seeing this, the Eighteenth Prince gave the Old God under his command a meaningful look.

The Old God of the Tianshui Imperial Dynasty understood.

He stepped forward and chuckled.

"A misunderstanding."

"It is all a misunderstanding."

He cupped his hands toward the Eighteenth Prince.

"My lord."

"These Fellow Daoists likely did not know your identity, which is why this dispute arose."

"Such is only natural."

"Those who do not know cannot be blamed. They cannot be blamed."

The Eighteenth Prince looked displeased and gave a soft snort, but the killing intent on his face lessened considerably.

The Old God of the Tianshui Imperial Dynasty then smiled warmly at the three great True One Realm cultivators.

"You three Fellow Daoists have cultivated for many years. Taking one wrong step for the sake of the Dao path and resources is understandable."

"But the Wei River Divine Seal favors deities who cultivate the Great Dao of Water Element."

"From what I can see, none of you three cultivate the Great Dao of Water Element."

"Even if you possessed this divine seal, you might not be able to refine it and control the Wei River."

"Why offend my Tianshui Imperial Dynasty over this divine position?"

Seeing the hesitation in the eyes of the three great True One Realm cultivators.

The Old God struck while the iron was hot.

"You three Fellow Daoists."

"I have a solution that will neither harm your interests nor damage the harmony between our sides. Would you be willing to hear it?"

The three great True One Realm cultivators were already riding a tiger and unable to dismount.

Hearing this, they barely suppressed the irritation in their hearts and said in grave voices:

"Please explain, Fellow Daoist."

The Old God of the Tianshui Imperial Dynasty cupped his hands and smiled.

"You all entered the Wei River Water Mansion this time for no more than cultivation resources."

"And my Tianshui Imperial Dynasty lacks no such resources."

Did the Tianshui Imperial Dynasty lack resources?

It did not, yet it did.

After all, the imperial dynasty's scale was there.

Although its upper ranks could obtain massive quantities of resources by exploiting the Dao lineages and tribes within the dynasty.

The dynasty still had to support the Tianshui Divine Clan lineage, as well as vast numbers of cultivators and Dao soldiers.

How could it not lack resources?

The resources consumed by Divine Demon Cultivators were far beyond anything required by immortal path cultivators of later generations.

This was also why the Mystic Gate Immortal Path would flourish in the future, while the Turbid Fiend Divine Demon lineages gradually declined.

But at this moment, in order to placate these three True One Realm cultivators, the Old God of the Tianshui Imperial Dynasty naturally praised the dynasty's resource situation without changing expression.

Finally, he said meaningfully:

"Since ancient times, independent cultivators have faced immense hardship in cultivation."

"Our Tianshui Imperial Dynasty has an Innate Dao Lord presiding over its Dao lineage."

"Once the Eighteenth Prince refines the Wei River Golden Seal, becoming a Grand Unity Great Sage will be within reach."

"You Fellow Daoists have wandered outside for many years and should know that the road of the Great Dao is littered with bones."

"Why not pledge yourselves to my lord now? In the future, we may jointly govern the Wei River and even the Huai River water system."

"It would not be a bad smooth path."