"Pavilion Master Ji!" An elder wearing a nine-dragon imperial robe and a flat-topped crown spoke first, exuding an aura of authority without anger. He was none other than Emperor Qian Yuan, the Head of the Da Qian Immortal Dynasty's Offering Hall.
Emperor Qian Yuan's gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over Ji Yu and finally landed on Li Mu, as he questioned, "The Supreme Star Edict, the great catastrophe of Heaven's Fall! The Deva Race's emergence, the world-devouring whale? What is the meaning of these terrifying words? Speak quickly!"
Although the other powerhouses remained silent, their gazes were like tangible entities, locking onto Li Mu. The invisible pressure was enough to make a True Immortal collapse.
Ji Yu stepped aside, placing Li Mu completely in the center of the powerhouses' vision, and introduced in a deep voice, "Everyone, the reason for the collapse of the other world and the wailing of the Heavenly Dao is known to Dao Friend Li, a Cultivator from outside our Star Domain who has reached the Initial Saint Realm! For details… please let Dao Friend Li enlighten you!"
Instantly, all gazes, like immense pressure weighing millions of pounds, converged on Li Mu!
The invisible pressure solidified, the air wailed, and the starlight flowing within the hall suddenly dimmed. This concentrated will and pressure from the most Peak existences of the Da Qian Immortal Dynasty was enough to crush a True Immortal's golden body and obliterate an ordinary Dao fruit!
Li Mu stood at the center of the storm, his plain robe fluttering without wind, and the dormant power within him awakened with a roar! A vast aura of "nothingness" and "beginning" permeated from around him.
Buzz—!
Within a radius of ten feet around Li Mu, space suddenly collapsed and distorted inward! All the terrifying pressure and Divine Thought probes that crashed into the edge of this distorted area were like mud oxen entering the sea!
The pressure dissipated! Divine Thought was annihilated!
That ten-foot space stood independent of this world, transforming into a singularity where all things returned to nothingness, becoming a Domain impervious to all Laws! The flowing starlight was forcibly pushed away, and the indestructible "Star Core Sinking Gold" foundation under his feet let out a faint groan where Li Mu stood, with fine grinding marks appearing on its surface!
"What? You cultivate the Chaotic Great Dao, how is this possible!"
"This…! Who are you, to have cultivated the Chaotic Great Dao to such a Realm!"
"Chaotic Great Dao!"
Inside the hall, gasps of cold air rose and fell. The previously majestic, domineering, and indifferent gazes were instantly replaced by shock!
Emperor Qian Yuan, enveloped in Imperial Dragon Qi, his pupils contracted sharply, and the nine Dragon phantoms around him growled uneasily, his Dragon Qi fluctuating violently!
The Sword Cultivator Old Ancestor, whose Sword Qi reached the sky, had his ancient sword behind him hum and tremble, its sharp Sword Intent automatically retracting; the withered Zen Buddha Lord, sitting on a lotus platform, had his fingers, which were twirling prayer beads, suddenly stop, and the Buddha light around him flickered erratically; the Blood Slaughter Divine Lord, whose blood fiend Qi surged to the sky, let out a muffled groan, and spiderweb cracks appeared on the Star Core Sinking Gold under his feet. He stared intently at that Chaos area, his eyes filled with surging blood light and uncontainable dread!
"Chaos Dao Body… transforming into Grandmist!" Emperor Qian Yuan's voice trembled slightly as he exclaimed in a low voice.
This legendary forbidden Physique had long vanished in the river of Years! It represented the beginning of all Daos and the end of all Laws! Its very existence subverted the existing Heavenly Dao Laws!
Li Mu stood at the center of the Chaos, his figure slightly blurred in the distorted space. Only his eyes, deep as an abyss, calmly swept over the shocked faces. As he revealed the Origin of his Dao Body, the Viewing Heaven Hall, which gathered the Peak power of the Immortal Dynasty, fell into deathly silence and tumultuous shock!
Li Mu stood in the center, surrounded by powerhouses, enduring the scrutiny of the most Peak existences in this world, yet his expression showed no fluctuation.
Li Mu's gaze calmly swept over the faces, some majestic, some sharp, some ancient, as if merely glancing over ordinary plants.
"Is this how you treat guests?" Li Mu's voice was flat as he questioned.
The air suddenly solidified! The powerhouses' expressions changed slightly. The majesty on Emperor Qian Yuan's face paused, and the circling of the nine Dragon phantoms slowed for a moment. The Blood Slaughter Divine Lord's eyes flickered with blood light, and the cracks under his feet spread deeper. The Sword Cultivator Old Ancestor pressed down on his humming ancient sword, and the withered Zen Buddha Lord's fingers stopped twirling the prayer beads; an indescribable awkwardness and solemnity permeated the air.
Emperor Qian Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the surging Dragon Qi in his heart, and was the first to cup his hands, his movement carrying a hint of ancient solemnity: "Dao Friend Li, please calm your anger! We were impolite, but the Star Edict was truly horrifying, concerning the survival of the Immortal Dynasty, and even the safety of this world. In our urgency, we were abrupt with Fellow Daoist! Qian Yuan apologizes on behalf of everyone to Fellow Daoist!"
The other powerhouses, regardless of their inner thoughts, all nodded slightly or cupped their hands in acknowledgment. The invisible pressure that had been pressing on Li Mu quietly dissipated.
Li Mu's gaze swept over the crowd, not dwelling on the matter, but simply raising his right hand. A point of Chaos light bloomed from his fingertip, rapidly spreading.
Within the light, scenes shifted, reflecting terrifying and heart-palpitating images: a vast Star Domain, filled with Death Qi, countless thick, twisted, and strangely patterned pale-white giant vines, like living creatures, rooted in the shattered remains of stars, growing and spreading wildly! Pale-white viscous fluid, like foul blood, flowed on the surface of the giant vines. Wherever it passed, the stellar remnants rapidly decayed and disintegrated, turning into ash and dust.
Some surviving creatures, tainted by the pale-white viscous fluid, had their bodies instantly twist and swell, growing tumors and tentacles, emitting roars unlike living beings, and then pouncing on their former companions! From their wounds, wisps of pale-white mist escaped.
In the center of the Star Domain, an unimaginably massive pale-white Strange Tree phantom was rooted in the Void Realm, its roots like billions of venomous snakes, deeply embedded in the Origin of that shattered world, greedily sucking it dry.
The world's luster and the Context of its Laws were being frantically drained and devoured by that giant tree! Pale-white energy streams flowed continuously along its roots, pouring into the giant tree.
Li Mu's voice broke the deathly silence, introducing, "The Deva Race invades other worlds by sowing the seeds of the 'Strange Tree.' The Strange Tree takes root, polluting the Realm with pale-white power, turning living beings into Stranges, and ultimately… draining the Realm's Origin and the world's will to nourish the Deva Race."
"This is the Dao of the Deva Race!" Li Mu retracted his finger, and the Chaos light dissipated.
Inside the hall, only the suffocating deathly silence brought by the pale-white scene remained, along with the bloodless, solemn faces of the powerhouses. Although all those present were Peak existences who had endured countless calamities and whose Dao Hearts were as firm as rock, they couldn't help but spontaneously erupt with their Qi!
The Star Core Sinking Gold foundation in the hall hummed and vibrated, and countless stellar projections flickered erratically, impacted by the chaotic and immense Qi!
Polluting the Origin! Twisting the Intellect! Turning into Strange Slaves! Devouring a World!
These few short words described a scene a billion times more terrifying than purgatory! It was a Dao of world destruction that completely overturned their understanding!
Emperor Qian Yuan's hands beneath his Dragon robe were clenched into fists, knuckles white, his face devoid of any imperial majesty, leaving only deep horror and solemnity. He stared intently at Li Mu, asking word by word, "Dao Friend Li, is there… any proof for these words? And what is that 'Strange Tree'? How can it pollute the Heavenly Dao and devour a world!"
Li Mu looked at Emperor Qian Yuan, and in the depths of his eyes, that silent ancient well finally showed a faint, indescribable heaviness: "Proof? The last wail of that collapsing other world is the proof. As for the Strange Tree… its form is hard to describe, its power is strange. Where its roots reach, Laws decay; where its branches cover, spirituality is defiled. It is neither physical nor illusory, but a parasite of Realms, an invader of the Heavenly Dao… the 'Cancer of the Three Thousand Great Daos'!"
"Cancer of the Great Dao…" An old monk (the Myriad Buddhas Sect Old Ancestor) in a kasaya with a withered face softly chanted a Buddhist name, his voice carrying an unprecedented heaviness: "Such an existence is unheard of! What is its Origin? How can its power be resolved? Since Fellow Daoist knows, do you have a way to deal with it?"
Everyone's hearts were at their Peak, their gazes burning with a last glimmer of hope, focused on Li Mu. This concerned the survival of the entire Da Qian Immortal Dynasty, and even this main world!
Inside the Viewing Heaven Hall, a pin drop could be heard. Only the starlight flowing from the Star Core Sinking Gold foundation reflected the undisguised dread on the faces of the powerhouses.
"My cultivated Chaotic Great Dao seems to be the bane of this race. However, I am only in the Kind Dao Realm, and my Realm has not reached Major Achievement, making it difficult to completely restrain this race. As for other methods of restraint, I am currently unaware!" Li Mu's expression fluctuated slightly as he replied.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yu's fingertips surged with starlight, activating the core of the Star Instrument.
With a "buzz," the Star Instrument hummed, and the projected Star Domain phantom suddenly zoomed in and magnified! The projection of that collapsing world clearly appeared, and on the world barrier, a wriggling, viscous, pale-white light curtain was completely revealed!
On the light curtain, countless thick, twisted, and strangely patterned vine-like objects frantically drilled out, whipped, and tore at the world barrier's Law Context, spewing out foul, pale-white energy streams!
In the depths, an indescribable pale-white giant tree phantom was vaguely visible, its roots like billions of greedy venomous snakes, deeply embedded in that world, greedily devouring the power of the Heavenly Dao!
"Hiss—"
A collective gasp echoed in the hall. Even though the powerhouses were accustomed to storms, witnessing this scene sent chills straight to their Heavenly Spirit!
Emperor Qian Yuan's Dragon Qi surged around him, and his Dragon roar carried shock and anger; the Sword Cultivator Old Ancestor's ancient sword behind him hummed and unsheathed three inches; the withered Zen Buddha Lord's prayer beads in his hand shattered with a "snap"!
This scene was exactly as Li Mu described the Strange Tree's erosion, not a single discrepancy!
The Star Instrument's display changed again! Ji Yu's fingers flew, forcibly capturing the last trace of Heavenly Dao will fluctuation escaping from the core of the collapsing world, magnifying and manifesting it.
A wail so sharp it tore at the Divine Soul! Filled with the extreme pain and despair of being desecrated, gnawed, and forcibly twisted! This wail penetrated the Star Instrument, directly exploding in the Sea of Consciousness of the powerhouses!
"Ugh!"
Several powerhouses groaned, their faces pale, their Divine Souls feeling a heavy blow. The Heavenly Dao's dying wail was far more tragic than imagined!
Ji Yu didn't stop. He clapped his hands together, and the Star Instrument burst forth with dazzling light! He used the power of the Star Instrument to forcibly trace back the source of that pale-white energy flow, following the traces of pollution upstream—
The star map flashed wildly, rewound, and froze! The image suddenly penetrated layers of foul light curtains, focusing on the trunk of that pale-white giant tree phantom. On the trunk, countless twisted, wriggling, and painfully howling faces of living beings condensed. The faces continuously dissolved and reformed, finally coalescing into a gigantic, indifferent, pale-white human face overlooking all worlds. The human face's eyes were two pale-white whirlpools that devoured all light!
The human face turned slightly, its hollow "gaze" seemingly penetrating endless time and space, coldly "sweeping" over the powerhouses in the Great Qian Immortal Realm - Viewing Heaven Hall!
An indescribable will of filth, distortion, and greed, transmitted through the Star Instrument, fiercely impacted everyone's minds!
"Pfft!" Ji Yu, being the first to bear the brunt, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The Star Instrument's light rapidly dimmed, and the image instantly collapsed. He staggered backward, his face ashen.
The hall was silent.
The Blood Slaughter Divine Lord stepped forward, the Star Core Sinking Gold under his feet cracking inch by inch. He stared intently at the pale-white embers remaining in the Star Instrument's core, then turned his head to look at Li Mu, asking in a hoarse voice, "Is that the Deva Race?"
"Yes, and no." Li Mu's voice was low, his gaze penetrating the hall, as if still looking at the dissipated pale-white human face.
"That is the manifestation of the weird tree will, like the Incarnation of a Realm's will. The true body of the Deva Race is hidden deep within the Strange Tree's Origin, or… it wanders among the remnants of the myriad worlds it has devoured. Formless and insubstantial, only the desire to devour and pollute remains."
The chill in the hall deepened. A formless, insubstantial enemy, a Cancer of the Great Dao parasitizing Realms, was more troublesome than expected.
Emperor Qian Yuan's face was ashen, his fists clenched under his Dragon robe, knuckles cracking: "So that's how it is!"
Emperor Qian Yuan suddenly looked at Ji Yu and ordered, "Pavilion Master Ji! Operate the Star Instrument at full power, monitor all worlds, especially the nearby Realm barriers. Not a single wisp of pale-white Qi is allowed to escape!"
"As per the Emperor's decree!" Ji Yu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the Star Instrument's core lit up again, countless star orbits rapidly flowing.
"Prepare for battle!" Emperor Qian Yuan's voice, like the clash of metal, resounded through the Viewing Heaven Hall, carrying an undeniable resolve. "Transmit my decree: the Immortal Dynasty is entering 'Xuanhuang' combat readiness! All sects, all factions, all Secret Realm ancient clans, all under the Great Qian's jurisdiction, are to immediately mobilize their armies! Resource allocation, prioritize combat readiness! Seal all non-essential cross-world passages!"
Emperor Qian Yuan's gaze swept over the powerhouses in the hall: "Everyone, this is not a calamity for one sect or one faction, but a battle for the survival of this world! If you have any trump cards, now is the time to use them, what are you waiting for?"
The Sword Cultivator Old Ancestor's ancient sword behind him hummed loudly, its Sword Qi tearing space: "The Sword Pavilion's million Sword Cultivators are ready for battle!"
The withered Zen Buddha Lord put his palms together, and Buddha light shone brightly: "The Myriad Buddhas Sect will temporarily heed the Emperor's command."
The Blood Slaughter Divine Lord licked his lips, his eyes filled with terrifying blood light: "The Sea of Blood Floating Butcher, just in time to drink the blood of foreign races!"
...
The powerhouses all agreed, and a murderous aura permeated the air.
Emperor Qian Yuan finally looked at Li Mu, his gaze complex, containing both apprehension and reliance: "Dao Friend Li, since the Chaotic Great Dao is the bane of the Deva Race, you are the key to this battle! The Immortal Dynasty's resources are at your disposal! Whatever your needs, speak freely!"
Li Mu nodded, his expression still calm: "The most urgent matters are two. First, I need a large amount of Chaos rare items or objects containing the Origin of creation and annihilation to help me stabilize my Dao Realm and enhance my Chaos Power. Second,…"
Li Mu's gaze swept over the powerhouses in the hall, indicating, "Within the Immortal Dynasty, select three thousand seeds with pure hearts, excellent root bones, and outstanding Comprehension Ability for me. I want to plant Dao seeds in them and cultivate three thousand Disciples."
"Cultivate Disciples?" Emperor Qian Yuan was slightly startled, then his eyes blazed with excitement, saying, "Good! Dao Friend Li establishing his Dao lineage in this world is a great fortune for the Immortal Dynasty! Pavilion Master Ji, immediately open the 'Xuanhuang Treasury'! All rare items Dao Friend Li needs are to be allocated! As for the candidates… order all sects and clans to select Disciple seeds and send them to the Imperial Palace within three days, gathering three hundred thousand people, for Dao Friend Li to personally select!"
"Three thousand Disciples? What a huge appetite!" The Blood Slaughter Divine Lord narrowed his eyes, but did not object. At this critical juncture of survival, Li Mu's demands, no matter how harsh, had to be met.
"As you command!" Ji Yu solemnly accepted the order.
"There's no time to lose, everyone, get moving!" Emperor Qian Yuan waved his imperial robe, his figure transforming into a majestic Dragon Qi, and he was the first to rush out of the Viewing Heaven Hall.
In an instant, terrifying auras tore through space and vanished without a trace. The entire Da Qian Immortal Dynasty, this colossal entity, roared into motion like a war machine under the shocking warning brought by Li Mu. (End of this chapter)
