Chapter 393
If they don't hand it over, they will undoubtedly be categorized as belonging to the Eastern Pole Emperor's camp.
In the future...
It seems that, not long before the future, but in the very next day, a war will break out between Princess Xiao and the Eastern Pole Emperor for control of the Heavenly Dao, and the victor will naturally possess everything.
The loser shall die without a burial place and never be reincarnated!
Just as the immortals looked at each other, their expressions uncertain, the situation became clear.
Suddenly, an old earth immortal with white hair and beard bowed down, held up his hands, and a milky white ball of light emerged from his palms, slowly drifting towards Xiao Minghuang, as if he had been prepared all along.
This is an ancient earth immortal, holding a high position among the various sacred lands and clans of the Eastern Pole.
Upon seeing this, the others were taken aback, then sighed silently and handed over their source.
Xiao Minghuang casually absorbed the power, sensing its surging and vast energy. A look of satisfaction appeared on his face, and he nodded. "I will remember your contributions. If we achieve wealth and power after the unification of the Five Realms, I will not forget you!"
Her voice was strong and clear, carrying an undeniable confidence.
"Princess, rest assured, we will dedicate ourselves to the cause until our dying breath!" a group of earth immortals exclaimed excitedly.
With Xiao Minghuang's words, they finally felt much more at ease.
However, among the immortals, there were a few who did not offer up a portion of their essence, but instead chose to leave quietly.
They were all ancient immortals who had lived through countless years and seen many storms, so they naturally knew how powerful the Eastern Pole Emperor was.
Princess Xiao is powerful, that much is undeniable, but another aspect cannot be ignored.
Throughout Princess Xiao's rise to power, the Eastern Pole Emperor lent a helping hand on more than one occasion.
He even personally went to help!
Now, although the Holy Academy and Princess Xiao have openly broken ties, many of the Central Heaven Eastern Extreme Immortals have died at Princess Xiao's hands.
The Eastern Pole Emperor, however, remained silent throughout.
This makes one want to think deeply about it.
If Princess Xiao's rise to power was fundamentally a scheme orchestrated by the Eastern Pole Emperor to achieve some mysterious goal, then the Eastern Pole Emperor not only refrained from suppressing Princess Xiao but also nurtured her and let her develop naturally.
The thought sent chills down their spines.
If their guess is correct, then...
This is why they did not choose to pledge allegiance to Princess Xiao, but instead quietly left.
Some of them secretly left, which was naturally seen by Xiao Minghuang and the immortals who remained.
"Princess, six people have left. We must chase after them..."
Someone whispered a reminder.
"No need."
Xiao Minghuang waved her hand and said calmly, "Whatever choice they make will have little impact on the overall situation."
Then, she looked at the assembled immortals and said, "Return to your respective holy lands, settle your disciples, and await my summons at any time."
"Yes, sir!"
The immortals respectfully replied.
After they left, Xiao Minghuang turned her gaze westward, her eyes shining like Divine Glow, a slight smile playing on her lips, "It's time to settle things..."
"Whoosh--"
The next moment, she vanished in a flash.
The Easternmost Hundred Sacred States.
Holy Temple.
The mountains stand majestically, stretching for thousands of miles, shrouded in clouds and mist, like an ancient dragon lying in wait, exuding endless majesty, as if they have stood here since time immemorial, existing eternally.
Scattered among the rolling mountains are countless caves, temples, and towns.
Tens of millions of Sacred Academy Disciple live on this ancient land.
Since the Eastern Pole Emperor took control of the Heavenly Dao, this place has been a paradise on earth, full of Spiritual Qi, with bells ringing and delicacies served in abundance. Celestial birds and exotic beasts roam freely in the mountains and forests, and auspicious colors fill the sky and auspicious clouds cover the land, presenting a scene of a prosperous age.
No one doubted that the Holy Academy's prosperity would continue under the leadership of the Eastern Pole Emperor until the end of the world.
On this day, the heavens and earth trembled above the Hundred Sacred States, as if the sky were collapsing, and thunder roared.
Immediately afterwards, the world was in chaos, and a golden beam of light pierced through the void, illuminating billions of miles of rivers and mountains.
The beam of light fell into the Holy Academy, and in an instant, boundless brilliance burst forth, and countless dazzling stars rose up, each one powerful enough to burst an entire continent.
In the endless void, a golden, dazzling star, like the sun, rose up, radiating boundless golden light that cascaded down in countless directions, hanging over the eight directions.
It slowly rotated, releasing a dazzling light that completely enveloped the Holy Temple.
508. Ziwei Clan
"Buzz--"
As these dazzling stars appeared, countless disciples throughout the Holy Academy looked up at the sky.
"What... what is that?"
In each of the cave dwellings, countless cultivators opened their eyes and looked up at the sky.
"Is it a celestial phenomenon, or the birth of some treasure?"
"A supreme being exclaimed in surprise."
This scene was so bizarre that it had never been recorded in any historical records.
Soon.
The brilliant stars grew brighter and brighter, eventually transforming into an extremely dazzling sun, hovering above the Holy Academy, radiating boundless divine power.
Although small in size, it is like a universe, covering the sky and the world, with boundless chains of laws hanging down, outlining mysterious and unpredictable patterns.
Within these chains of laws lies an incomparably powerful pressure; even across an endless distance, one can feel an unparalleled sense of oppression.
It was as if a supreme and majestic being stood above the Holy Temple.
This oppressive atmosphere suffocated countless disciples.
This was a kind of awe that came from the depths of their souls, making them unable to help but prostrate themselves in worship.
Even some of the older generation of Earth Immortals felt a suffocating sensation, their faces paling in shock. They exclaimed, "This aura is even more terrifying than that of an Emperor! Could it be...?"
They couldn't believe it; could this be a true immortal descending to earth?
A few breaths ago.
Deep within the sanctuary.
Outside a simple palace.
At the palace gate, the old Hundred Inquiries Pavilion Master paced back and forth under the connecting corridor, constantly looking anxious.
"What's going on? Why hasn't the Emperor made a move yet? Logically speaking..."
During this period, he was ordered by the Emperor before his seclusion to issue commands to all the Central Heavens and Eastern Pole in the Emperor's name.
The imposition of martial law at the Eastern Pole of the Central Heaven, the expeditions to the Western Lands and the Northern Sea, and the order for the Earth Immortals to conquer the Endless Sea were all issued by his command.
He has used every means at his disposal to block Princess Xiao's rise to power.
But the successive reports of news—first the army that was conquering the Western Lands and the Northern Sea World had lost contact, and then the immortals who had set out to conquer the Endless Sea never returned—made his mood sink lower and lower, and he became increasingly fearful and uneasy.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, his body jolted violently, and he shook violently.
The old Hundred Inquiries Pavilion Master looked up and saw a dazzling star slowly rising, its light shining in all directions, seemingly dimming the Holy Academy and making everything seem to cease to exist.
"Oh no! The Holy Academy's protective formation has been broken!" The old Hundred Inquiries Pavilion Master's expression changed drastically. Almost instinctively, he ran to the palace door and reached out to push it open.
But just as he was about to exert force, he suddenly stopped, his brows furrowed, and a bad thought crossed his mind.
"Could it be that... the Emperor has already run away?"
The old Hundred Inquiries Pavilion Master kicked open the palace door and rushed inside.
Inside the hall.
There was no one else besides him.
His gaze swept around, and after taking a clear look at everything, he froze, staring blankly ahead.
All I saw was...
The main hall was empty except for a table and two incense burners.
Besides that, hanging above the throne was a ball of milky white light, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura, as if containing all the profound truths of the universe, emitting wisps of hazy light.
What's going on?
The old Hundred Inquiries Pavilion Master stared blankly. He didn't see the Emperor, but the milky-white ball of light before him seemed to be...
The Heavenly Dao Source!
The Emperor... has escaped?!
His face immediately turned blank and bewildered.
Since the Heavenly Dao Source has been abandoned here, and the Emperor has disappeared without a trace, then there is no need to think; the answer can be reached immediately!
The Emperor dared not oppose Princess Xiao, so he severed his own boundary source and fled this realm, his whereabouts unknown!
Immediately, the old Hundred Inquiries Pavilion Master of Baiwen felt an overwhelming sense of regret. Just what kind of powerful enemy had they provoked? It had forced the Emperor to choose to flee!
How should we deal with this mess?
He certainly didn't think that by merging with the Heavenly Dao Source severed by the Emperor, he would possess strength comparable to the Emperor, then kill Princess Xiao and rule the world!
That's simply unrealistic.
The old Hundred Inquiries Pavilion Master had a clear understanding of his own strength; he probably couldn't even evoke the slightest resonance of the Heavenly Dao Source!
"What to do? What to do? What to do?"
The old Hundred Inquiries Pavilion Master muttered to himself, his mind a complete blank, unable to think of any solution.
The Emperor fled because he had a long-standing grudge against Princess Xiao. Not to mention, all the orders issued by the Holy Academy during this period were his doing. Princess Xiao wasn't stupid; she could easily find out the truth with a simple investigation.
Even if he surrenders in time, he will probably still face certain death!
"Well!"
The old Hundred Inquiries Pavilion Master sighed. After a moment, as if he had thought of something, he gritted his teeth, and a vicious look appeared on his face.
"For now, the Heavenly Dao Source left behind by the Emperor is my greatest reliance... In the past, I accompanied the Emperor on visits to the Xuanlei and Yu Ming Great World. It seems that I can only offer this item to the rulers of these two worlds in order to protect myself..."
"Otherwise, I will surely die without a burial place!"
After thinking it over, he took out the jade box, opened the lid, and put the milky white ball of light, which was the Heavenly Dao Source of the Central Heaven, into the jade box.
The next moment, his figure disappeared from the spot.
At the same time.
The star hanging high above the Holy Academy gradually stopped rotating, transforming into a stunningly beautiful figure standing in the void. Her long dress fluttered, and her jet-black hair danced wildly in the wind.
Her skin was snow-white and translucent, her eyes were like twinkling stars, her features were exquisitely delicate, and her appearance was flawless. In particular, her pair of dark pupils were like two universes, deep and vast, endless, as if they could encompass all things in heaven and earth and billions of living beings.
She stood in the void, surrounded by stars, majestic and noble, like a celestial empress descending upon the heavens!
This was none other than Xiao Minghuang!
"Where is the Eastern Pole Emperor? Come out and see me!"
Xiao Minghuang's gaze was disdainful, and his cold voice slowly spread, carrying an immense majesty that seemed capable of crushing the heavens and earth.