After the Palace Lord finished speaking, he turned his attention to Ye Futian again and said, “Futian, go to the ancestral land, take the thing away, and take your people back to the Heavenly Mandate Academy.”
Ye Futian was stunned when he heard the words of the Palace Lord. Was he entrusting him with his last will and testament?
The Palace Lord of the Divine Palace was already a top giant in the Three Thousand Realms of the Great Path. It is very difficult for anyone to touch him at his level of cultivation. But now he was acting so pessimistic because, clearly, he realized just how difficult the situation was in front of them.
What alarmed Ye Futian even more was that the Palace Lord wanted him to go to the ancestral land and take the thing away.
Obviously, he understood just what he was asked to take away: the divine item placed in the ancestral land by the Shen clan. Back when he was cultivating in the ancestral land, he had talked about it with the mysterious cultivator in the ancestral land. This divine item was something that could attract others’ greed, and it could become a source of atrocity. Today’s situation could very well be because people had come for it.
The Palace Lord of the Divine Palace knew very well that Ye Futian was his best chance. Except for the Heavenly Mandate Academy, no one else could hold on to the divine item in the ancestral land. Therefore, he placed his hope on the Heavenly Mandate Academy and wished that it would carry the fire of the Divine Palace while also allowing Ye Futian to get away with his people.
Here was a dispute between the Divine Palace and the Golden Divine Nation. Now it seemed that even if Ye Futian were to be involved, it would not change the situation much.
He could already felt that the other side had dispatched several giant figures, and among them, there was probably some existence of great capability from the Divine Prefecture. Under such circumstances, they really had no chance of winning.
Ye Futian did not leave as he had asked, but looked at him instead and said softly, “Does the Palace Lord really think that this is just a matter involving the Divine Palace?”
Some things could not be avoided, no matter what.
The Golden Divine Nation wanted to deal a blow to the Divine Palace. Today, all the forces were here, and other realms within the Nine Realms had also launched a siege remotely so that it was impossible for their reinforcements to arrive. What appeared to be moves that only targeted the Divine Palace was, in fact, also going against the alliance made with the Heavenly Mandate Academy.
“Palace Lord, all the allied force with the Heavenly Mandate Academy would be with you whether in victory or in defeat,” Ye Futian said; none of them had any way out.
In the face of such turmoil, if they abandoned the Divine Palace and sought to save themselves, they might become the next target.
It was very simple to find a reason for war, just like the attacks launched today at the Divine Palace, which was nothing more than a made-up accusation. It was ridiculous to claim that the Divine Palace was enabling Ye Futian and refused to open up the ancestral land for cultivation.
The Heavenly Mandate Academy and the Divine Palace were already bound together, and in this alliance, none of them could survive on their own.
“Palace Lord, the current situation is no longer something that can be avoided. The fate of the entire alliance is in our hands. Even if the situation is pessimistic, there is no other way but forward,” Ye Futian continued.
After hearing what he had to say, the Palace Lord nodded slightly. Of course, he understood all this, but the Divine Palace was a preaching holy land, and those who cultivated in the palace were compassionate and gentle to the world. All that the Palace Lord could think of was to defend the Divine Palace himself and let the others leave to save themselves.
However, people are different. He was using his own train of thoughts to judge the situation but had ignored the opponents.
Neither the Shen clan nor the Golden Divine Nation were gentle or harmless.
“Palace Lord, this battle is inevitable,” Lord Taixuan also spoke. Although the situation they faced had just become clearer to him, there was no way they could avoid deaths and injuries now. Only by fighting with all they’ve got could there be a chance for survival.
The Palace Lord looked into the distance as he levitated into the air; his divine consciousness shrouded the land. Above the Sea of the Path, those boats floated on the surface of the sea, and his voice was heard loud and clear, “Gai Qiong, as a cultivator under the Great Emperor, you have provoked this storm in the Upper Heavens Realm, destroyed the Divine Sword Li family, brought in foreign forces into the Upper Heavens Realm and coerce all the principalities to follow. Now you are leading the army to Shangxiao Divine Palace to stir things up. If one day the Great Emperor were to question you, what will you say?”
Gai Qiong had been staying beneath Gai Cang. In this battle, Gai Cang would take the lead. As a cultivator under the Great Emperor, it was awkward for him to be at the forefront. It was also because of this that they found a pretext to invade the Divine Palace. With the right excuse, they would be able to guard against any future interventions by the Great Emperor.
Of course, he also understood that the Great Emperor had rarely interfered in the matters inside the Void Realm. Even the matters of the Divine Prefecture could no longer interest the Great Emperor much.
“Nonsense. The Divine Palace has soiled the name of the preaching holy land, and it should be replaced by a better preaching holy land to preach in the Upper Heavens Realm; this in itself is executing the Will of the Great Emperor. The future of the Upper Heavens Realm will only be more prosperous, and the future preaching holy land in the Upper Heavens Realm will only be more selfless, nothing so self-centered like the Divine Palace had been,” Gai Qiong said loudly. He spoke with a booming voice that swept through the endless void.
“For many years, the Shangxiao Divine Palace has not interfered with the disputes of the outside world, nor had we participated in external struggles. Only when the army of darkness descended, did we go to the aid of the Heavenly Mandate Academy in order to maintain the order of the Nine Realms; this was witnessed by everyone.” The Palace Lord continued, “However, today, I’m afraid the Divine Palace would have to make an exception.
“The rules that we have abided by for many years will be broken today. Since everyone who remains is willing to fight together, the Divine Palace is no longer a preaching holy land, but just a simple school now. I will do everything in my power to protect the Divine Palace to ensure its safety. Therefore, from this moment on, anyone who steps inside the Divine Palace will be killed without mercy.”
The voice of the Palace Lord of the Divine Palace was loud and clear. It spread throughout the void. At this time, his clothing fluttered behind him despite the lack of wind; his person was full of murderous aura.
Today, he would no longer care for the common people, nor worried about preaching and protecting the world. Today, his only concern was to guard the Divine Palace. Anyone who wanted to destroy the Divine Palace was his enemies that would be killed without exception.
No matter what would happen in the future, no matter whether this battle would take the Upper Heaven Realm backward, on this day, he had chosen the Divine Palace.
“All those within a thousand miles of the Divine Palace, leave immediately. Otherwise, you will be regarded as a threat. If you take action, no mercy will be shown to you.” The Palace Lord continued, “Now, go.”
Above the Sea of the Path, as all the boats floated on the surface of the water, those who heard the words of the Palace Lord couldn’t help but tremble in their hearts.
At this moment, the Palace Lord became aggressive and indifferent.
No one is allowed to step within a thousand miles of the Divine Palace, or they would be killed when the war began.
“Leave. If a war starts, it will inevitably affect the innocents. Those who are staying will be considered as participants of the war.” The Palace Lord of the Divine Music Palace also spoke up, and suddenly a group of people turned around and left with incredible speed. Even though they had wanted to witness the battle that would determine the fate of the Upper Heavens Realm up close, they had no choice but to leave upon the harsh words of the Divine Palace.
This battle was about the survival of the Divine Palace. All the cultivators in the Divine Palace had made the determination that they would spare no one this day.
Therefore, those who were irrelevant should leave and avoid the battlefield for thousands of miles.
In this battle, countless cultivators would perish for sure.
Above the Sea of the Path, countless small boats sailed away speedily; it was quite spectacular. After all, only a few people who came today would actually join in the battle.
“Will the Sky Burying God Clan also participate in the war?” The divine consciousness from the Palace Lord of the Divine Music Palace swept in one of the directions. His tone was quite cool.
The top principality in the Upper Heaven Realms, the Sky Burying God Clan, had once competed with the Divine Sword Li Family.
And now that the Divine Sword Li family was obliterated, the Sky Burying God Clan had come here to lay siege on the Divine Palace.
“Once, there were many from the Sky Burying God Clan who cultivated and seek the truth in the Divine Palace, so our presence today was not justified. However, the general situation is such that we could do nothing but follow along. If the Divine Palace loses today, the Sky Burying God Clan will help with the new preaching holy land and preach in the Upper Heavens Realm,” the clan lord of the Sky Burying God Clan said loudly, fully aware that they were on the wrong side, but could do nothing else.
They didn’t want to be involved in this storm either, but they had no choice. The Golden Divine Nation had approached them and discussed the situation with him. But more importantly, everything that the Golden Divine Nation had said was becoming a reality.
The clan lord promised them in return that as long as everything the Golden Divine Nation said was true, they would join them in battle.
Under this great tide, he could only go along with it; there was no way he could stay out of the fray.
In reality, many forces from the Upper Heavens Realm had wanted to observe from the sidelines, but the other side would not allow them such an opportunity.
“Understood.” The Palace Lord of Divine Music Palace nodded and did not say anything more. He understood the difficulties faced by the other. However, now that he had made his choice to be on the wrong side, then he would understand that whatever happened was nothing personal.
Right now, there were no longer right or wrong. Their positions were different; it was life or death.
“The Divine Palace is unjust, so the forces of the Upper Heavens Realm are united to rebuild the Holy Land.” Gai Cang said loudly, “Before, the Heavenly Mandate Academy had decimated our forces in the Upper Heavens Realm, and came across the realms to set off a bloody storm. Now, are you planning to control the Upper Heaven Realm? If you can give an explanation and withdraw from the battlefield, there may still be a chance for you to get out of this.”
“Can you shut up now?” Ye Futian looked into the distance, at the golden throne in the void, and that overbearing Gai Cang, who was beyond haughty.
When Gai Cang heard what Ye Futian said, his golden divine eyes focused in on him through the distance. It was as if the sharpness in his eyes could pierce through Ye Futian.
He stood up from the golden throne. Above the sky, golden divine light poured down, covering the entire Divine Palace, as if the land above the divine palace was full of divine light. The Golden Divine Nation, like extreme sharp spears, fell down to the land below.
Gai Cang stretched out his hands, and a terrible rumbling sound came out. The endless golden light gathered in his hand, and a peerless divine spear appeared, piercing the void with its unparalleled brilliance.
He stretched his arms forward, pointing his spear in the direction of the Divine Palace, and pronounced, “Today’s battle is all for the future of the Upper Heavens Realm!”
