Chapter 1109 — The Fourth Acknowledgment

The Empyrean Heavenly Court.

Cloud Heavenly Venerable sat down and heaved a long, slow breath of relief.

A youth whose face still carried traces of boyishness stepped forward, offered him fragrant tea, and asked, "Master, is the Heavenly Emperor dead? " Cloud Heavenly Venerable took the tea, took a sip, let out another long breath, set the cup down, and said, "At last he is dead. Weisu, the battle to slay the Heavenly Emperor was of paramount importance.

I could not let the slightest word leak out beforehand, so I did not tell you. " The youth smiled. "Naturally, I know. In a matter like this, the fewer people who know, the better.

To accomplish a great thing, one must keep a tight rein on one's tongue. Master, on this trip to the Heavenly Court, into whose hands did the body of the ancient god, the Heavenly Emperor, fall? " "No one can fully control the Heavenly Emperor's body, so all we can do is check one another and wrangle endlessly. " Cloud Heavenly Venerable picked up the teacup and drank again.

"Thus we each left a wisp of vital essence inside the Heavenly Emperor's body to control it jointly. Still, perhaps it is just as well.

The grudges between us and the demigods run deep, but the root of everything lies with the ancient gods. They are the source of every calamity, and the Heavenly Emperor was the chief culprit. Now that the Heavenly Emperor is dead, I have conferred with Hao Heavenly Venerable and the others about having the Heavenly Court leave the Primordial Realm, so that the ancient gods cannot easily descend. In that way, those ancient gods will no longer be able to harass the living beings of the Primordial Realm. " "Then what about the Earl of Earth? " The youth raised his eyebrows. "What about the Sovereign Earth Mother? And the Lord of Heaven! These ancient gods must all die as well!

Master, after you removed the ancient god Heavenly Emperor, your edge has dulled.

Now you should seize the momentum of victory, join hands with Hao Heavenly Venerable, command the body of the ancient god Heavenly Emperor, cut down the Earth Mother, slay the Earl of Earth, and eliminate the Lord of Heaven! " Cloud Heavenly Venerable frowned slightly. "What has brought disaster upon the Primordial Realm is not the Lord of Heaven, the Earl of Earth, or the Earth Mother—it is the many gods under the Heavenly Emperor's command. The Lord of Heaven governs the Mystic Capital and controls the sun, moon, stars, and constellations. He has done no wrong.

The Earl of Earth governs the Nether Capital and the place where the dead return. He has also done no wrong. The Sovereign Earth Mother, though proud, has been quite caring toward the living beings of the Primordial Realm all these years. She too has done no wrong. Why should they be killed? " The youth was about to speak, but Cloud Heavenly Venerable smiled. "Besides, that we could execute the Heavenly Emperor this time was greatly thanks to the help of these three beings.

Otherwise, the Heavenly Emperor's death could not have been so calm and free of ripples. " The youth flushed red and cried out, "Master, you may conceal the Heavenly Emperor's death from the world, but you cannot conceal it from the Lord of Heaven, the Earth Mother, and the Earl of Earth! These three titans covet the Heavenly Emperor's authority and will inevitably rebel.

If you do not slay them now, it will be too late for regret later! Master wants to unify the universe and become the common sovereign of heaven and earth—" "Xiao Weisu, you overstep yourself! " Cloud Heavenly Venerable slammed the table and shouted, "Enough! My purpose is simply to win a way for the human race to live, not to seek power for myself! The Lord of Heaven, the Earl of Earth, and the Earth Mother each perform their own duties.

They have no fault but have rendered service instead.

How can we slaughter the innocent? Go. Think it over carefully yourself! " The youth Xiao Weisu bowed his head in assent, rose, and left.

Ling Heavenly Venerable happened to be walking over at that moment.

Xiao Weisu hastily bowed.

"Elder Ling!

" Ling Heavenly Venerable waved her hand, and Xiao Weisu left. Ling Heavenly Venerable watched Xiao Weisu walk far away, and only then entered the hall.

"Have you and Xiao quarreled again?

" "This disciple is far too extreme! " Cloud Heavenly Venerable's head ached; he rubbed his temples. "He actually wants to wipe out every last ancient god. When have the Lord of Heaven, the Earth Mother, and the Earl of Earth ever done evil? On the contrary, they maintain the order of the heavens and all the realms. If they died, the stars would shift from their courses, the constellations would fall into chaos, wronged souls would cover the earth, ferocious ghosts would run rampant, and in all the heavens both humans and beasts would perish—that would be the true catastrophe!

" "I do not like this Xiao Weisu.

" Ling Heavenly Venerable said, "His temperament is too wild and intractable, and he gives a sense of being unreliable. " Cloud Heavenly Venerable smiled.

"But his talent is a genius that the human race has rarely produced in several hundred thousand years. After all, humans have no bloodline of gods or demons. We need strong figures among the younger generation, and Xiao Weisu is one of the very best. In the future, he will not fall short of you or me in achievement.

" Ling Heavenly Venerable thought for a moment. "You are the sovereign; let it be your consideration. I came about something else. Now that the matter of the Heavenly Emperor is settled, the Four Sovereign Emperors have left the Heavenly Court for the Four Polar Heavens. As for the other ancient gods, apart from the Lord of Heaven, the Earl of Earth, and the Earth Mother, none are worth worrying about. Our greatest enemy is no longer the ancient gods, but the demigods.

" Cloud Heavenly Venerable said, "I understand.

" Ling Heavenly Venerable said, "The demigods' strength is greater than the human race's. Even human paragons like the Nether Lord and Fire Heavenly Venerable have gone to help them. If Fire Heavenly Venerable and the Nether Lord could aid us instead, and with Nether Heavenly Venerable as well, at the very least we could stand as equals against the demigods. " Cloud Heavenly Venerable nodded. "I understand that too.

But Fire Heavenly Venerable does not.

" He sighed. "Fire Heavenly Venerable has his own ideas. In his heart, this victory was not won by our own strength, but by the strength of Hao Heavenly Venerable's line.

" The worry on his face lingered. "Fire Heavenly Venerable believes that we uprooted the Heavenly Emperor only through the power of the Empress and her sister. Add the closeness between the Empress and her sister and Hao Heavenly Venerable, the Void God King, the Earl of Earth's daughter, the Ancestral God King, the Lord of Heaven's son, and among the demigods there are also Divine Emperor Langxuan and one mighty presence after another—they surpass the human race by far. A fine bird chooses the tree where it roosts. I do not blame him for that choice. " Ling Heavenly Venerable frowned. "And the Nether Heavenly Venerable?

Can he be persuaded?

" Cloud Heavenly Venerable shook his head. "There is only one person who could persuade the Nether Heavenly Venerable, and that person is dead.

" Ling Heavenly Venerable was silent.

The only person in this world whom the Nether Heavenly Venerable admired was Yu Heavenly Venerable, and he had been dead for four hundred thousand years. "Hao Heavenly Venerable and his people have already infiltrated the Heavenly Alliance.

" Ling Heavenly Venerable said, "Even someone as insensitive to the outside world as I am can feel the undercurrents surging within the Heavenly Alliance.

When we founded the Heavenly Alliance back then, we never imagined it would be gradually eaten away by others. " "I know. " Cloud Heavenly Venerable smiled and said comfortingly, "Don't worry.