Chapter 1

Heavenly Realm, Heavenly Court.

The night was as thick as ink, so deep and impenetrable that not a single ray of light could be seen, and the silence was so profound it was terrifying and unsettling.

As the most powerful realm among countless dimensions, the Heavenly Court, the most sacred and formidable place in the vast Heavenly Realm, usually exuded an aura of supreme majesty and sanctity. Yet tonight, it was eerily dark and silent.

Suddenly!

A crack appeared in the void above the northern part of the city, and a pair of several-zhang-long skeletal hands silently emerged, gripping the edges of the crack and tearing it wider.

As the crack widened, the massive head and upper body of the skeletal figure finally emerged. Its hollow eyes glowed with an eerie red light, and its white bones were covered with countless dark gray runes that shimmered faintly, emitting a terrifying and suffocating aura of death, causing the nearby air to stagnate.

“Sss!”

Soon, the commotion grew larger. Cracks kept appearing in the void above the city, and human and beast corpses, drenched in blood and flesh, began to emerge, their bodies surrounded by the same eerie dark gray runes. Countless soldiers clad in rune-covered black armor, with only their red eyes visible, poured out, quickly covering the void around the Heavenly Court.

Countless skeletal giants, zombies, and ghost soldiers filled the void, their bodies and surroundings glowing with the faint dark gray runes, creating a vast and overwhelming spectacle that seemed to overshadow the once magnificent and sacred Heavenly Court, now dark and silent.

“Hahaha...”

A long laugh broke the previously bizarre atmosphere. Before one of the cracks in the void disappeared, an old man clad in a black and red robe slowly emerged. His face was pale, devoid of any blood, and deeply wrinkled. His long eyebrows hung down to his ears, and his eyes glowed with the deepest, most intense red.

“Undying Nether Emperor!”

The moment the old man in the black and red robe appeared, countless ghost soldiers, skeletal giants, zombies, and ghost beasts all knelt on one knee, issuing a整齐 yet muffled shout.

The Nether Emperor ignored his subordinates' fervor and focused his gaze on the magnificent city below, his dark red eyes flashing with a fiery light.

Six thousand six hundred years!

He had meticulously planned for six thousand six hundred years, all for this day to enter the Heavenly Court!

He had waited for six thousand six hundred years, all for the person sitting on the imperial throne!

Emperor of the Nine Yang Heavens!

The Nether Emperor's gray hair moved without wind, the red light in his eyes flickering, revealing his uncontrollable emotions. Suddenly, an endless aura of killing intent rose from his body, and he slowly raised his hand, pointing his index finger at the Heavenly Court.

“Whoo!”

“Ji ji!”

“Chih chih—”

Following the Nether Emperor's command, the ghost soldiers, skeletal giants, zombies, and ghost generals all roared to the sky, releasing an overwhelming aura of brutality, savagery, evil, and decay.

In an instant, the heavens and earth roared, the winds and clouds changed color, and the void trembled!

“Bang, bang, bang!”

The massive skeletal giants took large steps into the Heavenly Court, their bodies as large as small mountains, each step causing a shockwave in the void, creating ripples and a deep, drum-like sound.

“Whoosh, whoosh!”

The running ghost soldiers and zombies, their black armor, weapons, and dark gray runes glowing, emitted various streams of light, converging into a wave of withering death energy, pouring toward the Heavenly Court from all directions.

“Whoo, whoo!”

The zombie beasts also attacked, crawling, flying, or pouncing, swarming toward the Heavenly Court like locusts, madly destroying and devouring everything in their path!

However, just as all the invaders approached within three feet of the silent Heavenly Court buildings...

“Hum—”

At that moment, the previously lifeless Heavenly Court suddenly “came alive”!

On the towering city walls and palace walls, inside the magnificent palaces and pavilions, and on the ground and street corners of the Heavenly Court, countless colorful runes suddenly appeared.

These runes shimmered and glowed, emitting a brilliant light.

At the same time, the millions of carved flowers, insects, birds, and beasts on the grand Heavenly Court buildings seemed to come to life, moving and extending, emitting a vital energy that gathered above the buildings, forming a radiant protective shield under the glow of the runes, enveloping the entire Heavenly Court.

“Bang!”

A massive skeletal giant, with a force of a million catties, collided heavily with the protective shield, instantly shattering into countless bone fragments, but the shield did not waver.

“Boom!”

The oppressive death energy then poured onto the shield, causing the runes within to glow even more brightly, illuminating the entire Heavenly Court with a blinding light, instantly dispelling the death energy.

“Nine Heavens Star Locking Array!”

A Nether General, clad in ornate black armor, sighed helplessly and then bowed to the Nether Emperor, reporting, “Your Majesty, this Nine Heavens Star Locking Array usually absorbs energy from the stars in the nine heavens, stored in every corner of the Heavenly Court, with no limit to its capacity. It may be difficult for our army to breach it before the accumulated energy is exhausted.”

“Hmph!”

The Nether Emperor did not even look at the Nether General, only giving a cold snort, causing the Nether General to fly backward, his flesh and even his black armor turning to ashes.

“Anyone who undermines our morale will meet the same fate!”

The Nether Emperor coldly rebuked, his red eyes sweeping over the surrounding generals, making them shudder. He then said coldly, “The Nine Heavens Star Locking Array is a new formation that the old man Nine Yang spent three thousand years researching and two thousand years setting up. It has only been in place for one thousand six hundred years. How much star energy can it absorb and convert into protective energy? I give you twelve hours. The old man Nine Yang is the only one left in the Heavenly Court. Within a day, regardless of casualties, numbers, or cost, breach this formation for me!”

All the Nether Generals knelt and acknowledged, with a several-hundred-zhang-tall skeletal general standing up first. His bones glowed with dark gray runes, and his body emitted a dark light, his skull emitting a thunderous roar: “Full attack!”

The other Nether Generals did not dare to speak more, each using their most powerful abilities to urge their zombie soldiers, zombie beasts, and ghost soldiers to launch a full-scale attack.

“Why don’t we avoid all this trouble?”

At that moment, amidst the chaotic screams and roars, a calm and ordinary voice, yet piercing through all the noise, echoed in everyone’s ears.

That voice, with its infinite power, made the countless Nether Army soldiers involuntarily fall silent, stopping their actions.

As the voice ended, the brilliant protective shield that had covered the Heavenly Court suddenly dimmed, the protective barrier disappearing without a trace. The carvings of plants and beasts that had seemed to come to life stopped moving, and the colorful runes in and around the buildings no longer glowed.

The Heavenly Court returned to its previous dim and peaceful state, with the only difference being the appearance of a person at the South Gate of the Heavenly City.

An old man in a simple long robe, holding a magnificent and slender seven-colored divine sword, sat casually on the stone steps.

That person had finally appeared!

Every member of the Nether Army felt a strong shock, for although the old man did not emit any powerful aura and appeared to be in good health with a sharp gaze and a face like a chiseled stone, he was actually very old, with white beard and hair. However, the mental impact he gave them was no less than, and even slightly exceeded, that of their own master, the Undying Nether Emperor.

No one knew his name; in his early years, his friends called him Nameless.

He achieved the imperial position in just three thousand years, known as the emperor with the shortest time to achieve it and also the most martially wise.

He ruled the Heavenly Court and the various realms for seven thousand years, and because he was known as Nameless, the people, based on his martial realm of utmost yang, respectfully called him the Emperor of the Nine Yang Heavens in his later years.

At this moment, the target of the Nether Army, the Emperor of the Nine Yang Heavens, Nameless, had finally... appeared!

“Old immortal, do you know that my life is limited, so you rushed here to send me off?” Nameless asked with a smile.

“Hmph, old man Nine Yang, after thousands of years, I didn’t expect you to still be so talkative and thick-skinned!”

The Nether Emperor said coldly, “Now, the four emperors’ armies are far away, each with their own ulterior motives, and the million divine soldiers and generals of the Heavenly Court have become disheartened, with many dead or scattered.”

“Now, you are just a solitary figure. With death at your doorstep, are you not going to struggle, or do you have some last words to leave?”

“Indeed, you understand my heart, knowing that I have something to say...”

Nameless sighed, “If we really fight, you would need to expend at least half of the Nether Army’s forces to breach the three layers of protective formations of this Heavenly Court. How long would that take? Ten days or half a month? More importantly, even if you eventually breach it and successfully send me off, how much more bloodshed and slaughter will you need to create in the various realms to restore your strength and forces? That is what I am actually worried about...”

“Hmph, old man Nine Yang, you possess unparalleled talent but failed to become a celestial being because of this trivial sentiment! The ordinary masses are merely straw dogs in the universe. If you cannot see through this, how can you achieve a lifespan equal to the heavens and join the ranks of the immortals? If that’s all you have to say, I have no interest in continuing to listen. Draw your Fire Dragon Sword, and I will send you off!” The Nether Emperor conjured a several-zhang-long scythe-like weapon in his hand, waving it casually, with the aura of the nether and death clearly separating on both sides.

“Sigh, I can never argue with you! But as a lover of peace, I have no desire to fight anymore now that I am facing death...”

Ignoring the Nether Emperor’s threat, Nameless continued to chatter, but... from his body, a fierce flame began to rise.

The bright flames quickly enveloped Nameless’s entire body, including the sword he held.

The Fire Dragon Sword, which had accompanied him throughout his life and commanded the heavens!

“Bang—”

Suddenly, a cracking sound came from the flames, and the Fire Dragon Sword in the Heavenly Emperor’s hand shattered into several pieces, flying in all directions.

The bright red fragments ignored and penetrated the entire Nether Army, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.

The Nether Emperor’s scythe moved slightly, but he did not attack, as he understood that Nameless’s dying strike had already locked onto him. If he tried to intercept the fragments, Nameless’s desperate attack would cost him dearly.

“Old friend, I am sorry that I couldn’t bring you into the celestial realm in this life...”

The Heavenly Emperor Nameless, surrounded by flames, gazed quietly at the distance where the fragments had disappeared. After a moment, he sighed and turned to the Nether Emperor, “Old immortal, although you are talented, you are not a celestial being. I hope you will be more cautious in the future and not overrule. Remember, we were both part of the great way, and in a sense, we are no different from the masses. More good deeds may accumulate in the heavenly way, ultimately helping us break the cycle. Perhaps the missing element for my ascension to immortality lies in this...”

“The Heavenly Court, which has housed nine emperors throughout history, is not suitable for you. I will not stay to let you destroy it. I will leave it for a future successor...”

As the Heavenly Emperor’s body continued to dissolve, when the flames reached an infinitely scorching temperature and an infinitely brilliant brightness, the Heavenly Emperor and the flames disappeared from the world.

On the stone steps at the South Gate of the Heavenly Court, there was no trace of the Emperor of the Nine Yang Heavens.

It was as if this person, whose name no one knew, had never existed in the world.

The Heavenly Court returned to silence, still dark.

“Your Majesty, should we still attack...”

After an unknown amount of time, a pig-headed Nether General, several dozen zhang tall, finally could not help but ask.

“Do as you please, fool!”

The Nether Emperor, now the Nether Emperor, left a displeased remark, tore through the void, and turned to leave the Heavenly Realm.

“Oh...”

The foolish pig general was stunned, pondered for a moment, and was about to rush into the silent and empty Heavenly Court when he suddenly felt a violent fluctuation in the void, almost causing his massive body to fall!

At the same time, the entire Heavenly Court began to shake violently, and countless golden runes, different from the colorful runes of the Nine Heavens Star Locking Array, appeared on all the buildings, as if the Heavenly Court was covered in a golden layer.

Subsequently, the entire Heavenly Court emitted an extremely brilliant golden light...

When the golden light disappeared after half an incense stick, to the astonishment of the entire Nether Army, the vast Heavenly Court, spanning hundreds of miles, had vanished, leaving only an enormous and ugly crater on the ground.

The legendary history of the invincible Heavenly Emperor came to an end, and a new cycle slowly began...

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