âLet me think...â
Eight months had passed since they sent Xiao Chen into Heavenly Divine Mountainâs Nine Heavens Origin Gathering Formation.
With the difference in the flow of time, Xiao Chen had spent eight years in the Nine Heavens Origin Gathering Formation already.
However, Xiao Chen had not touched a single bit of the spiritual milk derived from various resources in Heavenly Divine Mountain over the eight years.
This strange situation rattled the Heavenly Allianceâs upper echelon.
Some of the outstanding talents supported by the other super factions had already come out and started kicking up a storm in the Great Thousand Realms, attracting attention.
Take, for example, the Dragon God Crown Prince Qin Ming, who came out two months ago. His cultivation had reached the horrifying 9-Vein Sovereign Emperor.
Even more horrifyingly, he managed to express the full potential of the Golden Divine Dragonâs bloodline.
When Qin Ming moved, he gave the feeling of an enormous ancient Golden Dragon appearing.
Many of the older-generation 9-Vein Sovereign Emperors in the Martial God Palace trembled before him.
However, Xiao Chen still remained silent. No one knew what was happening inside.
âZifeng, we cannot wait anymore,â the wrinkled, old Alliance Chief Hua Tianyang said hoarsely, looking hoary.
The Doyens did not say anything but looked straight at Mu Zifeng. Their eyes conveyed a clear message that did not need to be said.
They could not afford to wait. Or rather, the Heavenly Alliance could not afford to lose.
If they made the wrong bet, then it would not just be one or two of them dying when the epoch changed. The thousands of clans and factions subordinate to the Heavenly Alliance would either be destroyed or become slaves in the new epoch.
As Faux God experts, they certainly did not want their descendants to have no place in the new epoch, or worse, become slaves to another faction.
Mu Zifeng said, âI got it. Get someone to bring Jiang He over.â
âWe obey!â
In merely fifteen minutes, Faux God experts brought Jiang He to the summit of Heavenly Divine Mountain.
After Jiang He absorbed the Ethereal Immortal Palace, he had remained unconscious ever since Xiao Chen rescued him. However, he had awakened three months ago.
At this moment, he had already stabilized his opportunity from the Ethereal Immortal Palace.
Now, Jiang He gave off an ethereal air. This was especially so for his star-like eyes.
Upon close scrutiny, they looked as deep and as vast as the boundless Starry Heavens, giving a feeling of emptiness and ethereality.
The air of the Ethereal Immortal Palace was perfectly compatible with his comprehended Heavenly Dragonâs mysteries.
Right now, Jiang He truly obtained the Heavenly Dragon bloodline.
While the previous Heavenly Dragon fell far short as a father, he still demonstrated an extreme fatherly love.
After the Doyens sized up Jiang He, they all nodded, including Mu Zifeng and Suiren Ji.
They felt satisfied with Jiang He. Even with the unexpected situation with Xiao Chen, Jiang He was a worthy alternate choice.
âSeniors, what do you have to discuss with me by calling me here?â Jiang He quickly asked, finding it strange being the focus of this group of people.
After some thought, Mu Zifeng explained Xiao Chenâs situation in Heavenly Divine Mountain and the Heavenly Alliance Doyensâ worries.
âSo, you want me to replace Xiao Chen?â
After Jiang He knew what was going on, he understood what Mu Zifeng wanted. Then, a bright light flashed in his eyes.
âRight. The Heavenly Alliance has staked everything on this. We cannot afford to fail. You want to become the Dragon Emperor, right? With our support, you definitely can become the Dragon Emperor after you absorb the spiritual milk and resources in the Nine Heavens Origin Gathering Formation.â
Mu Zifeng knew that Jiang He had a deep friendship with Xiao Chen, so he clearly laid out the benefits.
Some thoughts flashed in Jiang Heâs head, but he soon calmed down. Then, he said, âAlliance Chief Mu, I suggest we wait first. Perhaps Xiao Chen is at a crucial point of his closed-door cultivation. If we open the seal, we might end up wasting his efforts.â
âHowever, we cannot wait any longer.â
âIndeed. Once the Nine Heavens Origin Gathering Formation is activated, it can last for only one year. Eight months have already passed.â
âWhatever Xiao Chen is doing in there for eight years, he should have completed it already.â
âLittle Brother Jiang He, just agree.â Upon seeing Jiang He hesitate, the Heavenly Alliance Doyens immediately felt somewhat anxious.
They could not be blamed for being anxious. They had already given Xiao Chen a lot of time.
They would not make such a decision to change people until the last moment.
âRumble...!â
Just as Jiang He was about to speak, the entire Heavenly Divine Mountain started shaking violently. The world spun around as if space twisted.
At the summit of the mountain, the residence Mu Zifeng and the others were in shuddered, causing them to lose stable footing.
The expressions of everyone there changed slightly, their eyes betraying misgivings.
âCrack! Crack!â
Cracks appeared in the ceiling of the residence, and rubble continuously fell. It looked like this residence at the summit would crumble soon.
âLetâs go.â
Mu Zifeng decisively took Jiang He and the Doyens away.
âWhoosh!â
Just as the group left the residence and landed at Heavenly Divine Mountainâs foot, the mountain, which previously shone with spiritual light, was suddenly devoid of Spiritual Energy, turning into a pile of dull stones.
In the next moment, Heavenly Divine Mountain crumbled. The tall divine mountain no longer existed.
âWhatâs going on?â
This surprising turn of events stunned Hua Tianyang and the Doyens, their expressions changing dramatically. They all wondered whether something happened in the Nine Heavens Origin Gathering Formation.
âItâs over...Itâs all over,â Suiren Ji sighed softly, shaking his head.
The one hundred thousand-odd years of the Heavenly Allianceâs accumulations suddenly disappeared before everyoneâs eyes.
Jiang He showed a contemplative expression in his ethereal eyes, seeming to have thought of something.
âWhoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!â
Many figures quickly flew over from a distance. These were all Heavenly Alliance cultivators who had heard the commotion.
Heavenly Divine Mountain was a symbol of the Heavenly Alliance.
Everyone paid attention to anything that happened on it, what more it crumbling?
It would be impossible to try and hide it. Doing that might even result in a chain of negative reactions.
âBang!â
Just at this moment, the rocks exploded, and a figure flew out.
âXiao Chen!â
Jiang He immediately recognized Xiao Chen with his sharp eyes. The one that flew out of the Heavenly Divine Mountain rubble was none other than Xiao Chen.
âThis is somewhat strange.â
Suiren Ji stared at the slowly descending Xiao Chen with some suspicion, as he discovered to his horror that he could not make out Xiao Chenâs cultivation despite being a Faux God.
Right now, Xiao Chen appeared ordinary, nothing special at all.
Mu Zifengâs expression changed slightly. He shot over a glance, and a gray-clad 9-Vein Sovereign Emperor old man at the receiving end immediately soared into the air and punched at Xiao Chen without saying a word.
When this gray-clad old man punched, he activated all his nine Divine Veins, bringing out vast Divine Energy and Soul Energy.
Driving the power of the world, the old man materialized a scene of tens of thousands of falling stars and the sun and moon crumbling. This punch seemed to shatter the boundless stars, the sun, and the moon simultaneously.
âGood timing.â Xiao Chen smiled faintly and raised his hand to flick his finger.
âWhoosh!â
A strand of saber Qi shot out from Xiao Chenâs fingertip. The instant the saber Qi appeared, the sun, the moon, the stars, the Starry Heavens, and the boundless Divine Energy all lost their color, vanishing before this seemingly ordinary saber Qi.
âPu ci!â
The saber Qi shattered the fist light of the 9-Vein Sovereign Emperor old man who attacked and knocked him back, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood.
âNine-Vein Sovereign Emperor!â
The instant Xiao Chen made his move, Suiren Ji and the Doyens clearly made out his cultivation.
Xiao Chen was a bona fide 9-Vein Sovereign Emperor, guaranteed exchange if found to be fake.
[TL Note: âGuaranteed exchange if found to be fakeâ is a common sign in shops promising authenticity, like the English version of âguaranteed genuine.â This is used here as a light-hearted description.]
Everyone immediately felt jubilant. It turned out that Xiao Chen absorbed all of the resources in Heavenly Divine Mountain.
âSorry for the offense earlier,â Xiao Chen said to the Doyen vomiting blood, showing a smile with a cupped-fist salute.
âItâs not really an offense. Not really...â The gray-clad old man quickly waved it off.
The gray-clad old man seemed to have seen gods, demons, Immortals, and Buddhas sitting behind Xiao Chen and submitting to Xiao Chenâs saber when Xiao Chen attacked.
Such a scene had never been seen or heard of before.
Any one of these many Immortals, Buddhas, gods, or demons was a powerhouse, no matter what age they lived in. All of them represented boundlessly magnificent epochs. All of them possessed powerful skills that could pluck the stars and pull down the moon. However, they all submitted before the light of this saber.
Be it the ancient Buddhist Nation with the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats, and Buddhist warriors, the supreme Immortal Court with many Immortals, the nine layers of the Abyssal Underworld with ancient Demonic Sovereigns and boundless hells, none of them was an exception.
With the rise of a hand and a flick of the finger, Xiao Chen made Immortals, Buddhas, gods, and demons all submit.