The Abyss of Nothingness.
This was the vast region Lu had cleaved open with his own power—a boundary separating the Ninth Heaven from the Five Phoenix Continent.
It belonged to both, and yet to neither.
That was precisely why the ancient Great Emperors in the void rifts could open a passage to the Primordial Starry Sky here without Lu ever noticing.
Of course, Lu had always vaguely sensed that some terrifying calamity loomed, but he had never seriously searched for it—never imagining that those ancient Great Emperors would choose such a method.
Exposing the Five Phoenixes to the Innate Divine Demons of the Primordial Starry Sky was hardly beneficial for the Ninth Heaven.
If the Five Phoenixes fell, the Ninth Heaven would be next in line to face those ravenous, sated Divine Demons.
Thus, Lu found it incomprehensible.
The only explanation was that the ancient Great Emperors in the void rifts had some secret deal with the Divine Demons of the Primordial Starry Sky—perhaps even an alliance.
“The Innate Divine Demons of the Primordial Starry Sky are also living beings. Those capable of Emperor Realm combat must possess intelligence.”
“So it’s not impossible that they’ve negotiated cooperation with the ancient Great Emperors.”
Lu pondered, his fingers gently tapping the armrest of his Thousand-Blade Chair.
From the memories of the Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor, Lu knew that these Innate Divine Demons were far from foolish—they were cunning, intelligent, and treacherous.
“Judging by the level of Divine Demons the ancient Great Emperors could possibly cooperate with, they’re likely mostly at the Great Emperor level—comparable to Sixth-Revolution Golden Immortals…”
Lu mused.
For the current Golden Immortals of the Five Phoenixes, Great Emperor-level Innate Divine Demons would be difficult opponents.
Still, it was worth trying.
Above the Origin Lake,
Lu sat in his Thousand-Blade Chair, forming seals with his hands.
Soon, vast array runes surged into the sky.
…
Micah streaked through the void and soon arrived at the Abyss of Nothingness.
Having learned from Lu Jiulian that Tantai Xuan was guarding this place, he had rushed here to assist.
Deep within the rift,
Tantai Xuan sat calmly. Before him floated a white book radiating thick life-and-death aura—his Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Life-and-Death Register.
Like an immovable mountain, Tantai Xuan blocked any Emperor Realm being that dared try to pass through the channel.
BOOM!
From within the passage came terrifying waves of aura and the rolling roars of ferocious beasts.
Yet Tantai Xuan remained utterly fearless, unshaken.
Even the storm could not budge him.
Micah arrived swiftly. Seeing Tantai Xuan, he couldn’t help but smile.
“The Nether Emperor truly possesses unmatched might.”
Micah held great respect for Tantai Xuan. He had heard many legends about this legendary human emperor of the Five Phoenixes.
From an immortal-affinity-less mortal when he was Human Emperor to the supreme Nether Emperor ruling the Netherworld today—
What a dramatic rise and fall. Even Micah found it miraculous.
Tantai Xuan gave Micah a slight nod.
“Young Master Lu said the passage beyond likely connects to the Primordial Starry Sky—a world beyond the Ninth Heaven, an extremely dangerous place where even ancient Great Emperors risk falling.”
“And now, the ancient Great Emperors in the void rifts no longer shield the Five Phoenixes from the calamity of these Innate Divine Demons. Instead, they’ve guided the entrance from the Primordial Starry Sky directly into our world.”
Micah said.
Tantai Xuan understood at once.
He let out a scornful laugh.
“A bunch of fools.”
“If these Innate Divine Demons are truly as terrifying as rumored, were I one of the Ninth Heaven’s emperors, I would never make such a stupid decision… Don’t they understand the principle that when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold?”
Tantai Xuan shook his head, cursing the ancient Great Emperors thoroughly.
Micah sighed as well.
“The Heavenly Spirit Clan once stood on the front lines against the Innate Divine Demons.”
“The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor once led the Heavenly Spirit Clan army, sitting alone in the Primordial Starry Sky, fighting Divine Demons single-handedly.”
“The Ninth Heaven and those Divine Demons should be irreconcilable enemies… Yet this time, the ancient Great Emperors opened a passage from the Primordial Starry Sky to the Five Phoenixes, guiding those Divine Demons here. It’s truly baffling.”
Micah said.
“There’s nothing baffling about it. Something is wrong with the ancient Great Emperors of the Ninth Heaven… Perhaps they’ve struck a deal with the Innate Divine Demons—maybe even formed an alliance…”
Tantai Xuan said.
“No matter the race, no matter the being—interest is the true driving force behind any situation.”
Tantai Xuan sat at the mouth of the passage and spoke calmly.
“But for me, any existence that dares invade the Five Phoenixes must pay the price.”
A terrifying killing intent emanated from him.
Micah hovered nearby, feeling the overwhelming resolve in Tantai Xuan.
It was an utterly unshakable determination.
Micah’s expression grew complicated.
“Nether Emperor, have you never considered what happens if you cannot stop the incoming Innate Divine Demons?”
“Even the weakest Divine Demons are at least early Emperor Realm. If too many come and surround you, you could die.”
“Die here in this cold, forgotten Abyss of Nothingness, with no one ever knowing.”
Micah said.
Tantai Xuan, facing away from him, simply smiled.
“Even if I can’t stop them, I must stand. When I was young, the Five Phoenixes was merely a small low-martial world. It endured countless hardships and grew into the supreme high-martial world it is today…”
“In my heart, it is the most beautiful home.”
“Everything I have now was given to me by the Five Phoenixes.”
“The Five Phoenixes has faced so many trials, so many invasions—from the Heavenly Origin era to the Ninth Heaven. Hasn’t it overcome them all?”
“And now, facing the Primordial Starry Sky and the Innate Divine Demons—so what? I firmly believe the Five Phoenixes can withstand it and turn every calamity into nourishment.”
Tantai Xuan said.
Then his gaze shifted to the passage.
“I have only one thing to say.”
“As long as we stand, the Five Phoenixes stand.”
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Micah exhaled slowly.
The Five Phoenixes truly was a special world.
Compared to the Ninth Heaven… everyone here was full of vitality, hope, and a sense of responsibility.
They worked together for the progress of their world.
Perhaps that was why Micah had dared to choose the Five Phoenixes all those years ago—to abandon everything and start anew.
Because he believed such a world could not be easily destroyed.
Micah hovered in place. Though he was not truly a native of the Five Phoenixes, he deeply wished to become part of it.
He did not want such a world to be so easily crushed by external forces.
He turned his gaze toward the Ninth Heaven, his expression grave.
What exactly were the ancient Great Emperors in the void rifts planning?
Had they truly allied with the Innate Divine Demons of the Primordial Starry Sky?
Micah did not know, and he could not interfere.
BOOM!
Suddenly.
A terrifying tremor erupted.
Around the passage entrance, the array disc’s runes surged with ever-deeper complexity.
As the runes flowed and swept outward, the collapsed passage grew larger and larger.
A chilling, ancient, and terrifying aura poured forth from the Primordial Starry Sky, pressing down on Tantai Xuan and flattening his robes against his body.
Yet Tantai Xuan was not pushed back.
Instead, he pressed forward step by step.
Until he stood directly at the mouth of the passage.
Micah narrowed his eyes.
Tantai Xuan looked into the passage.
Beyond it lay a vast starry sky—similar to the void starry sky of the Five Phoenixes, yet far more ancient and vast, heavy with the weight of eons.
Countless stars floated within, carrying the aura of decay left by time.
Vaguely, a terrifying crisis seemed to be drawing near.
…
On the Five Phoenix Continent,
the great tribulation had ended. Mo Tianyu and Lu Mudui had jointly established the Divine Court. Many powerhouses had revived, their strength elevated even further, their connection to the Heavenly Dao deeper, and they were favored by it.
The original path of cultivation was to defy the heavens; the Divine Path was to follow it—naturally much easier.
Lu Jiulian gently rubbed Tang Guo’s head, his eyes full of affection. For this disciple he had lost and regained, his heart was filled with complex emotions.
Tang Yimo looked at the unharmed Tang Guo and pursed his thin lips. The tension in his heart finally eased.
He didn’t care that she had gained fortune through misfortune. All he cared about was that she was alive and well.
“The Divine Path…”
Lu Jiulian sensed the many members of the Divine Court, a strange light in his eyes.
“Following the heavens in cultivation—perhaps the Divine Path will produce powerhouses more easily than the Great Luo Immortal Scripture.”
The Divine Court stood strong, renewed and vibrant.
After breaking through, the Thunder Eagle King seemed blessed by the Heavenly Dao. His demon bloodline erupted and evolved into the divine beast Thunder-Light Roc bloodline, granting him the world’s utmost speed.
With the tribulation concluded, Lu Jiulian prepared to go aid Tantai Xuan.
According to Young Master Lu, the passage led to the Primordial Starry Sky—a scheme by the ancient Great Emperors of the Ninth Heaven against the Five Phoenixes.
It posed an enormous threat.
But the Five Phoenixes could not retreat. If those Innate Divine Demons invaded, it would be an apocalyptic disaster.
Those Divine Demons lived by devouring Heavenly Daos. If the Five Phoenixes fell, it would be obliterated. All living beings within would be scattered and reduced to ashes.
The army was quickly assembled.
Though the tribulation had just ended, both the Witch Race and Demon Race sent forth their forces.
Internal strife was one thing—but when a foreign enemy appeared, they united against it.
After all, they were all beings of the Five Phoenixes.
Human, Demon, and Witch armies boarded special war vessels.
These ships had been specially modified to withstand the corrosive power of the Abyss of Nothingness.
Moreover, to counter the abyss’s corrosion,
the human race’s master artificer Ah Lu had crafted special armor capable of resisting the abyss’s power, protecting Five Phoenix powerhouses from being eroded during battle.
Thanks to the difference in time flow, there was ample time for preparation.
Soon, one warship after another soared into the sky, each representing a different race.
Every vessel was guarded by Profound Immortal powerhouses.
The grand fleet surged out of the Five Phoenixes.
The moment they left, every powerhouse on the life stars in the void starry sky noticed.
And news of the ancient Great Emperors of the Ninth Heaven guiding Innate Divine Demons from the Primordial Starry Sky to threaten the Five Phoenixes spread like wildfire.
It was as though a pot of boiling porridge had suddenly overflowed, splashing everywhere.
Most living beings in the surrounding starry sky were not originally from the Five Phoenixes.
But over time, under the Five Phoenixes’ development, they had gradually integrated.
Even the saint clans once led by saint ancestors mobilized to support the Five Phoenix army.
After all, if the Five Phoenixes fell, their doom would not be far behind.
The Ninth Heaven would never accept them again—they were traitors.
For the Ninth Heaven’s Heavenly Dao, recreating saint clans was no difficult task.
The entire void starry sky began to move.
Warships rumbled across the heavens, slowly heading toward the Abyss of Nothingness.
…
Deep in the vast sea,
in the Sea Clan palace,
Gu Mangran had unknowingly spent decades among the Sea Clan. He had created a cultivation method for them, adapted from the Great Luo Immortal Scripture.
He himself cultivated this method.
Perhaps by empowering an entirely new race, Gu Mangran had received immense destiny.
Unbeknownst to him, his cultivation had silently recovered to half-step Golden Immortal—quasi-Emperor level.
One could imagine how vast the destiny he had gained was.
Under his leadership, the Sea Clan had produced many powerhouses.
“The Primordial Starry Sky…”
“The ancient Great Emperors of the Ninth Heaven are guiding enemies from the Primordial Starry Sky to attack the Five Phoenixes…”
“Such an act chills the heart.”
“Emperors… truly disappointing.”
Gu Mangran shook his head in the Sea Clan palace, his face full of disappointment.
He had received the message from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion calling upon all forces to unite against the enemy.
Gu Mangran had kept the Sea Clan out of the great tribulation. The Sea Clan was still weak; getting involved would have made them cannon fodder.
But now the tribulation was over.
This time, Gu Mangran did not evade.
He summoned the Sea King.
The Profound Immortal-level Sea King looked at Gu Mangran respectfully.
Gu Mangran was the benefactor of the Sea Clan. Thanks to him, the Sea Clan had developed so rapidly in such a short time and produced many powerhouses.
“I kept the Sea Clan out of the great tribulation to avoid danger. But this time, the crisis threatening the Five Phoenixes cannot be ignored by the Sea Clan.”
“Because the Sea Clan is also part of the Five Phoenixes—one of its races.”
Gu Mangran said.
As his words fell, the Sea Clan beings erupted in roars.
Their cries spread across the vast sea in the form of sound waves, raising towering waves.
Gu Mangran smiled.
Then he personally set out.
He sought out the master artificer Ah Lu and borrowed several warships capable of withstanding the corrosion of the Abyss of Nothingness.
The Sea Clan powerhouses boarded the ships and, under Gu Mangran’s lead, surged out of the vast sea.
The Sea Clan of the Five Phoenixes marched to war.
…
In the Yu King Mansion,
decades had passed.
The former Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor, now reincarnated as a servant, had unknowingly become the true master of the Yu King Mansion.
He had quietly protected the mansion, ensuring it did not fall during the great tribulation.
However, the Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor had always kept a low profile, fearing that any abnormality would be noticed by the ever-present Lu Ping’an.
That fellow never missed a chance to mess with his mind. The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor suspected Lu Ping’an already had some guesses.
Guesses that he was still alive. Otherwise, he wouldn’t periodically sweep the Yu King Mansion with powerful primordial spirit scans.
Of course, another reason the Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor never left the mansion was the little princess.
Under his secret guidance, the little princess had grown into an extremely powerful sword cultivator.
She was a renowned sword master throughout the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty. Unfortunately, as a mortal with limited talent, her cultivation progressed slowly. Even with the Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor’s help, she had only just stepped into the Nascent Soul realm.
The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor never imagined that he—a supreme Great Emperor of the Ninth Heaven, the foremost of the Heavenly Spirit Clan—would be so captivated by a mortal in the Five Phoenix Continent.
He had always sought ways to cleanse and temper her meridians, to elevate her strength.
But it was not easy. He needed a divine herb capable of such a feat.
After investigation, he learned that the only one in the Five Phoenixes who possessed such divine herbs was the father of the legendary master of White Jade Capital—Lu Changkong.
Lu Changkong was a master of divine herbs. Gu Mangran had relied on Lu Changkong’s herbs to repeatedly recover and oppose the Ninth Heaven.
But… the Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor was helpless. Lu Changkong was Lu Ping’an’s father.
He was already worried about being discovered by Lu Ping’an. Going to Lu Ping’an’s father would be walking straight into a trap.
Just as he wrestled with whether to seek Lu Changkong,
he unexpectedly intercepted a message pigeon from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, learning of the call for all forces to unite against the enemy.
“Innate Divine Demons from the Primordial Starry Sky?!”
The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor’s pupils contracted. The paper in his hand instantly turned to ash.
“Those ancient Great Emperors like Hao… they actually dared to guide Innate Divine Demons into the Five Phoenixes?”
“I once sat alone in the Primordial Starry Sky for hundreds of thousands of years, holding back the Innate Divine Demons…”
“And now you’ve opened a passage for them into the rear of the Ninth Heaven.”
The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor drew a deep breath.
He did not wish for the Five Phoenixes to fall.
Because… in the Five Phoenixes, there were people and things he cared about.
In his previous life, he had lived for the Ninth Heaven.
In the end, he had been betrayed and killed by its ancient Great Emperors.
In this life, he wanted to be selfish. He would live only for those he cared about.
The Yu King Mansion and the little princess were what he cared about.
Therefore, the Five Phoenixes could not fall.
The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor decided to join the war as a rogue cultivator.
To that end, he coaxed the little princess by saying he was going to sea to gather herbs—a familiar excuse he had used many times before.
The little princess did not suspect him and waited as always for his return.
The Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor covered himself in a black robe.
He joined the ranks of rogue immortals answering the call and boarded a warship.
He concealed his cultivation, keeping a very low profile.
…
The Nether Emperor sat calmly in the depths of the abyss.
Micah hovered beside him.
Beyond the abyss,
one warship after another floated in the void—warships of the Five Phoenixes, representing every major force.
They had once been enemies, but now… they shared a single goal: to face the Divine Demon threat from beyond the passage, a crisis that could destroy the Five Phoenixes.
Lu Jiulian sat cross-legged on his green lotus, eyes closed.
Behind him stood the immortals of the Ascended Realm.
Tang Guo floated quietly nearby, guarded by Tang Yimo, who looked gravely toward the abyss.
The Profound Immortals of the Five Phoenixes had all gathered.
Even those who had not appeared during the tribulation now showed themselves.
Nie Changqing, Sima Qingshan, Bai Qingniao, and others sat quietly on the warships.
They chatted leisurely, even brewing tea and discussing cultivation insights.
Yet the atmosphere between heaven and earth was incomparably solemn.
Suddenly,
Sima Qingshan, Bai Qingniao, and the others—who had been drinking tea and chatting—froze.
With grave expressions, they turned toward the depths of the Abyss of Nothingness.
“Innate Divine Demons… they’re coming.”
As the words fell,
every powerhouse on every warship felt their hearts tighten. Their gazes turned toward the abyss.
Of course, those with insufficient cultivation could not see clearly into the depths.
But the Profound Immortals’ vision pierced through space.
They could see.
At the bottom of the Abyss of Nothingness, the passage entrance.
Array runes suddenly expanded, tearing open a massive spatial passage.
Then, an incomparably cold yet ancient and terrifying aura surged forth. Accompanied by ferocious roars, like evil beasts, something barbaric and pitch-black shot through the passage like black lightning.
