“Surpassing Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu?”
“Who?” The two Eldritch Deities of the Earth Eldritch lineage were shocked, well aware of Eldritch Deity Zhu Jiu’s formidable power. In terms of strength, Zhu Jiu far exceeded them.
These two Eldritch Deities had been in seclusion, so they were unaware of Wu Yuan. No one had informed them about him.
“Zhu Jiu comprehended the Fire Dao to an extremely profound level, and in the future, he has the potential to become an Archeldritch through his own efforts,” the Snake Ancestor said softly. “However, that path is incredibly difficult. Even if he succeeds, who knows how many tens of thousands of years it might take.
But once this individual grows to maturity, those so-called three Imperial Majesties of the immortal race will be no match for him at all.
Hmph, three mere High Immortals dare to call themselves Imperial Majesties? They were just lucky enough to obtain the Creation Divine Artifacts.” The Snake Ancestor scoffed, then continued, “The person within the Archeldritch Hall right now is the successor the Archeldritch has been seeking.
Remember this: our next task is to diligently protect him and nurture his growth,” the Snake Ancestor said gravely. “That youngster from the immortal race called Da Yan keeps fearlessly using the Creation Divine Artifacts to divine the future. He’s not afraid of shortening his lifespan at all. I fear he may have already figured it out.”
“The successor sought by the Archeldritch?”
“Snake Ancestor, what’s his name?” Both Eldritch Deities asked, curious.
“Hou Feng!”
…
Far beyond the Earth Archeldritch tribe lay Heavenly Pillar Mountain, within which resided the Thirty-Three Heavens. Within it was a realm that, while not particularly vast, spanned a million li.
The air was thick with spiritual qi. Yet this world harbored no immortal race members, only an endless expanse of opulent halls stretching as far as the eye could see.
This was the legendary Celestial Palace spoken of in countless tales of the immortal race.
At that moment, a surge of immense power suddenly shot skyward from one of the grand halls. Terrifying shockwaves rippled outward in all directions!
Several breaths later, two figures, clad in imperial robes and adorned with purple-gold crowns, appeared outside the hall.
“Imperial Majesty.”
“Imperial Majesty.” The throng of Immortal Generals guarding the hall’s entrance prostrated themselves in reverence, each trembling with fear.
They had no inkling of what had transpired.
Whoosh! Whoosh! The two figures flew directly into the hall, its interior a marvel of intricate carvings and painted beams, exuding an aura of supreme authority.
However, what truly shook the two Imperial Majesties to their core was the massive bronze mirror at the far end of the hall, now splattered with fresh blood.
Beneath the ancient mirror lay another figure in imperial robes, his vital aura greatly diminished and his countenance haggard.
“Third Brother!”
“Third Brother.” The two Imperial Majesties, hearts pounding with shock, transformed into streaks of light and rushed forward.
Before they could draw near, the pallid Imperial Majesty suddenly spoke in a low voice, “Brothers, I am unharmed.”
He was none other than the most mysterious of the three Imperial Majesties of the immortal race, Imperial Majesty Da Yan, renowned for his ability to divine all matters under heaven.
“What in the world happened?”
“What’s wrong?” The two Imperial Majesties approached Imperial Majesty Da Yan, their concern palpable.
In the hundreds of thousands of years since they had established the Immortal Court, nothing like this had ever occurred.
“Brothers, the greatest calamity to ever befall our Immortal Court has arrived.” Imperial Majesty Da Yan’s lips were still stained with traces of blood, his eyes betraying a hint of fear.
“Calamity?” The two Imperial Majesties started in alarm.
“Previously, according to my calculations, the greatest obstacles to our Immortal Court were Zhu Jiu and that Teng Snake.,” Imperial Majesty Da Yan said in a low voice. “The three of us can just barely match them, but there’s no one to hold back the other Eldritch Deities of the eldritch race.
So, for years, I’ve been divining more powerful battle arrays, striving to construct a perfect array that High Immortals can form.”
The two Imperial Majesties listened intently.
Indeed! The immortal race, established mere hundreds of thousands of years ago, had accumulated few teachings, far from reaching their zenith.
Only in the aspect of battle arrays did they far surpass equipment forging, pill refining, and other disciplines.
This was all thanks to Imperial Majesty Da Yan! Relying on powerful battle arrays, the immortal race dared to venture out from Heavenly Pillar Mountain despite their disadvantage in numbers, clashing with various eldritch tribes.
The fate of this vast land would be determined by the peak powerhouses!
The foundation of the immortal race was too fragile. If the three Imperial Majesties left Heavenly Pillar Mountain, the power they gained from the Creation Divine Artifacts would be significantly weakened.
“Just now, the Mirror of Creation gave me an unprecedentedly grave warning, the sense of danger completely overwhelming my mind.” Imperial Majesty Da Yan spoke solemnly. “After exerting all my power, I could only divine a tiny detail about the source of this threat.
Hou Feng. Earth Eldritch lineage.” Imperial Majesty Da Yan enunciated each word slowly. “I only obtained these five words, yet the threat he poses is ten, no, a hundred times greater than Zhu Jiu.
We must kill him! We must!”
The other two Imperial Majesties exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with murderous intent.
In terms of raw combat power, Imperial Majesty Da Yan was far weaker than them. However, his contributions were paramount to them creating their great legacy, enabling them to wage all-out war against the Huanggu eldritch race.
Without him, they would not have obtained the Creation Divine Artifacts.
Without him, they could not have established the Thirty-Three Heavens.
“Third Brother, the Earth Eldritch lineage is not to be trifled with. That Teng Snake is ancient, privy to more secrets than us,” the tallest Imperial Majesty said in a low voice.
“You should rest and recover first. We will spare no effort to uncover intelligence on this Hou Feng and seek an opportunity to end him as soon as possible.”
…
Swiftly, a cascade of orders descended from the highest echelons.
The immortal race’s intelligence network, long established throughout Huanggu, sprang into action. While maintaining utmost secrecy, they began sifting through information related to Hou Feng.
Soon, information concerning Hou Feng of the Hou Cheng Tribe rapidly surfaced, finding its way to the three Imperial Majesties.
“An Eldritch Warrior capable of defeating an Eldritch General? Slaying an Immortal General?”
“He’s of the Earth Eldritch lineage.”
“He’s only been cultivating for a little over a hundred years?” The three Imperial Majesties of the immortal race quickly realized this was their target.
“His current whereabouts are unknown.”
“We don’t know if he’s still in the Hou Cheng Tribe or if he’s already departed for the Archeldritch tribe.”
Though the immortal race’s intelligence network operated at high speed, it was largely limited to the Eldritch Warrior level, with only a handful of operatives at the Eldritch General level. At the very least, within the Hou Cheng Tribe, the immortal race had yet to infiltrate the Eldritch General echelon.
As for detailed intelligence on Wu Yuan, it was considered core information of the Hou Cheng Tribe, something the Earth Eldritches would never leak. Thus, the immortal race could not confirm Wu Yuan’s exact location.
“Lei Fu.” The tallest Imperial Majesty suddenly spoke.
“Big Brother.” The other Imperial Majesty, his body faintly crackling with lightning, turned to his eldest brother.
Among the three Imperial Majesties of the immortal race, the eldest was Imperial Majesty Nan You, followed by Imperial Majesty Lei Fu and Imperial Majesty Da Yan.
“Time is of the essence. Though the odds are slim, we must take a gamble. Third Brother is injured, and I must guard Heavenly Pillar Mountain lest the eldritch race attack.” Imperial Majesty Nan You spoke with gravity.
“You shall lead the charge, commanding three Heavenly Masters and thirty-two High Immortals in a direct assault on the Hou Cheng Tribe. Annihilate it in one fell swoop. Let’s see if we can slay this Hou Feng.”
“So many? Big Brother, it’s just a high-tier eldritch tribe. I alone will suffice,” Imperial Majesty Lei Fu frowned. “Our immortal race has barely a hundred High Immortals, and only eight Heavenly Masters. Sending so many might leave us vulnerable internally.”
“No! Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit, let alone for a matter of such importance. We must act swiftly and decisively.” Imperial Majesty Nan You said solemnly.
“What I fear is that the eldritch race may have laid intricate traps. With such a force at your command, even if you encounter an ambush, you can withdraw safely.”
Imperial Majesty Lei Fu nodded slightly.
“Big Brother, what if Hou Feng is not in the Hou Cheng Tribe?” Imperial Majesty Lei Fu inquired further.
“Then it means we’re too late. We can only find a way to trigger the decisive battle early and invade the Earth Archeldritch tribe.” Imperial Majesty Nan You’s eyes turned cold.
“Third Brother’s divination cannot be wrong. Our only chance at survival is to strangle Hou Feng in his cradle, before he can mature!
It will take him at least a thousand years to reach the High Eldritch phase. These thousand years are our final window to avert this calamity.
Once he reaches the High Eldritch phase, killing him will become nigh impossible. Should he break through to Zhu Jiu’s level and that old beast intervenes, we’ll be in grave peril.” Imperial Majesty Nan You said in a low voice.
The situation was crystal clear: Hou Feng must die.
“I understand. Rest assured, Elder Brother. Within two days, the Hou Cheng Tribe will cease to exist.” Imperial Majesty Lei Fu said grimly.
Soon, an incredibly powerful military force led by Imperial Majesty Lei Fu stealthily departed from Heavenly Pillar Mountain.