A Misunderstanding, the God-Destroying Calamity

The cauldron was only the size of a palm, and its entire body was five-colored. Mountains, rivers, sun and moon, plants, insects and fish were engraved on its body, and there was a faint flow of immortal light, radiating a terrifying aura of Immortal Artifact.

It is indeed the Immortal Artifact, the Five Aggregates Cauldron.

With a thought, Li Yunjing caused the Five Aggregates Cauldron to slowly rise and hover in front of him.

The cauldron tilted slightly, and an aura of divine power that suppressed all things spread out.

"Speak, what brings you here?" Li Yunjing's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

Wangshu's face paled slightly, and he quickly said, "Sect Leader Li, you misunderstand. I have no ill intentions and would never dare to be an enemy of the Luozhen Sect. I have come to see you because I have something important to discuss with you. It concerns my life and the survival of this world."

"Oh?" Li Yunjing raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about it. If you dare to lie, you should know the consequences."

With his good fortune and the Immortal Artifact at his disposal, he had no fear of an High Antiquity god in a remnant soul state.

Wangshu sighed softly, the moonlight around her dimming slightly, making her appear somewhat weak.

"Does Sect Leader Li know why the gods disappeared from this world in High Antiquity times?"

"Didn't Principle changed drastically, making it impossible for gods to exist? In addition, the rise of cultivators led to a great war with the gods, wiping them out completely," Fang Hexuan said, frowning.

This is the most widely circulated saying in the world.

Wangshu shook his head, his voice heavy. "That's just the surface. The real reason is the God-Slaying Tribulation."

"The God-Slaying Tribulation?" Everyone was taken aback.

"That's right," Wangshu said slowly. "Heaven and earth have their own rules of operation. Gods are above all living beings, and they are born by drawing on the origin of heaven and earth. If their numbers increase, they will increase the burden on heaven and earth."

When the heavens and earth can no longer bear the burden, they will unleash God-Slaying Tribulation, cleansing the divine beings and reclaiming their origins.

"The first God-Slaying Tribulation occurred at the end of High Antiquity times. In that time, less than one in ten gods survived, and the pantheon completely collapsed."

A few survivors hid in a secret, alternate dimension, falling into a deep sleep to slow their depletion of the world's essence, which allowed them to barely survive.

The command center was completely silent.

This was the first time anyone had heard such a secret.

The High Antiquity gods disappeared—were they wiped out by the heavens and earth?

Li Yunjing remained calm, showing no particular surprise.

The balance between heaven and earth is the most fundamental rule.

The gods are too powerful and do not engage in production; they only know how to plunder the source. It is only a matter of time before they are purged.

Just like the Primordial Dao Fruit before.

If there are too many high-level cultivators, heaven and earth will also eliminate some of them.

"So what does your appearance this time have to do with the God-Slaying Tribulation?" Li Yunjing asked.

Wangshu raised her head, her eyes filled with a mixture of solemnity and hope. "Because the second God-Slaying Tribulation is about to arrive."

"This time, it is the final tribulation, even more intense than the one in High Antiquity times. It will cover the entire Dao Realm, and no deity can escape it. Even those who hide and slumber in secret realms will be found by the Tribulation Power and their souls will be annihilated."

Fang Hexuan scoffed, "God-Slaying Tribulation what if it's God-Slaying Tribulation? What does it have to do with us? You can't expect us to shield you from it, can you?"

In his view, the gods are used to being high and mighty, and now that disaster is imminent, they want to use mortals as shields?

Wangshu shook her head, her gaze fixed intently on Li Yunjing: "I'm not asking you to shield me from this calamity, but rather that the only glimmer of hope for escaping this final tribulation lies with the Luozhen Sect, and with Sect Leader Li yourself."

"Of the fifty heavenly cycles, one escaped. Although the Final God-Slaying Tribulation was fierce, it also left a glimmer of hope."

The little god had been deducing for countless years, but could never find the source of life. It wasn't until Gu Xuan stepped into the Luozhen Sect that the little god clearly sensed that life force.

She paused, then said, word by word:

"The sect leader bears the Dao Realm Origin and is the Child of the Dao Realm. In the future, when the Dao Realm ascends to immortality, you will be the master who opens the world."

Only under your protection, within the territory of the Luozhen Sect, can deities, by taking advantage of the great momentum of the Dao Realm ascension to immortality, escape their final tribulation, and transform into immortals and gods, thus transcending the calamity.

The command center fell silent again.

This statement is simply too astonishing.

Is the hope in the Luozhen Sect? Or in Li Yunjing?

Li Yunjing tapped the Five Aggregates Cauldron lightly with his fingers, his eyes deep and unreadable.

What makes you think I'd help you?

Wangshu seemed to have anticipated Li Yunjing's question and remained calm.

She bowed slightly, her tone sincere. "Sect Leader Li, please forgive me, but the Final God-Slaying Tribulation is not only aimed at gods. As the Tribulation Power spreads, the rules of heaven and earth will be severely disrupted."

Earth vein surges, beast tides occur frequently, evil spirits proliferate, and even space collapses; mortal cultivators will also suffer greatly, with countless deaths and injuries.

"If Xiao Shen can stay in the Luozhen Sect, firstly, he can devote himself to teaching Gu Xuan and passing on the complete Moon God lineage to strengthen the sect's power."

Secondly, when calamity strikes, the minor deity can assist the sect leader in stabilizing local order, calming the earth's veins, and protecting the people.

Thirdly, this minor deity has lived for countless years and knows many High Antiquity secrets, Cultivation Method, and formations, which will greatly benefit the development of the sect and the ascension of immortals in the Dao Realm.

She was organized and laid out her points clearly, one by one, with a very humble attitude.

She knew very well that she was now just a remnant soul, and had no right to bargain with Li Yunjing Child of the Dao Realm and the holder of Immortal Artifact.

Li Yunjing remained silent, his fingers continuing to slowly tap the body of the cauldron.

He was trying to determine whether what the other person said was true or false.

The Final God-Slaying Tribulation... the earth's veins are in disarray...

This does correspond to the recent frequent outbreaks of animal tides.

If what Wangshu said is true, and the spread of Tribulation Power will cause chaos in the world, then the Luozhen Sect certainly cannot remain uninvolved.

"When do you think the final calamity will come?" Li Yunjing suddenly asked.

"It could take three to five years, or more than ten years," Wangshu replied. "The Tribulation Power spreads gradually. First, there are disturbances in the earth's veins and the rampage of wild beasts. Then, evil spirits proliferate and space becomes unstable. Finally, the Tribulation Power erupts in full force, directly targeting all the gods. This is just the beginning."

It's just beginning.

Li Yunjing felt a chill run down his spine.

It had only just begun when a sixth-order wild beast tide appeared.

What about after that? Seventh-tier, eighth-tier, or even stronger wild beasts?

"How much was the mortal realm affected by the first God-Slaying Tribulation in High Antiquity?" Li Yunjing asked again.

Wangshu gave a bitter smile, "The land was devastated, with seven or eight out of ten people killed, and many traditions were cut off. However, it also created a group of chosen ones, and with the sacrifice of several great gods, this world was finally brought into peace."

The expressions of everyone in the hall turned solemn.

Seven or eight out of ten are lost; the cost is too high.

"Sect Leader, could she be exaggerating?" Mu You whispered. "One cannot completely believe the words of a deity."

"She wouldn't dare lie to me," Li Yunjing said calmly. "With the Five Aggregates Cauldron here, if she were to lie, I could suppress her soul instantly."

Wangshu hurriedly replied, "Every word I have said is true, without the slightest falsehood. If the sect leader does not believe me, we can establish a soul contract. If even the slightest falsehood is uttered, may my soul be annihilated."

Their attitude was quite frank.

Li Yunjing looked at her, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "You can stay in the Luozhen Sect, but you must abide by a few rules."

Wangshu's eyes lit up with joy. "Sect Leader, please speak."

"First, without my permission, you must not leave the territory of the Luozhen Sect, nor reveal your divine form to your disciples at will. You must stay in Gu Xuan's sea of consciousness and focus on imparting your skills."

"Secondly, you must not use divine power to interfere with the normal battles and cultivation of mortal cultivators, nor arbitrarily change the sect's structure. The sect has its own rules, and order cannot be disrupted because of you."

"Third, dedicate yourself to teaching Gu Xuan. The Moon God Inheritance must not be kept secret; her growth rate is your value."

"Fourth, if your sect faces annihilation, or if the earth's veins are in chaos and Tribulation Power spreads, you must lend a helping hand and cannot shirk your responsibility."