Immortal of the Ages

“In the middle of the cauldron is you, and beneath it lies his homeland. Together, these two things make up his whole world. Tell me, with this as leverage, will he be able to resist serving as the hound of the Celestial Court?" The Nine Thunders Sovereign sneered, his laughter cold.

Immediately, the Supreme Everlasting Thunder Cauldron descended on Cao Shuo. Nine colorful chains of lightning stretched forth, ensnaring her by the neck, limbs, and torso, binding her in a storm of electricity.

Cao Shuo could do nothing but muster all her celestial power in resistance. Her physique, fortified by the Primordial Yin-Yang Thunder Furnace, had grown significantly tougher, especially against the sting of electricity.

However, Cao Shuo was clever. She knew the Nine Thunders Sovereign would not unleash the full fury of the Supreme Everlasting Thunder Cauldron on her. So, she feigned frailty, her cries of pain echoing as if her end was nigh.

“The seeds you’ve sown have now borne bitter fruit. Savor them slowly,” the Nine Thunders Sovereign said emotionlessly, glancing at her pitiful state.

He then turned, the cauldron in tow, and strolled back to the Nine Thunders Divine Ark, and continued towards Yun Xiao's homeland.

“You just mentioned hound? You still plan to use him against the Chaos Sovereign?” Cao Shuo cried out weakly.

“And why not?” the Nine Thunders Sovereign replied, his gaze shifting from her to the stars ahead, a cold smirk on his lips. “All we need to do is threaten him a little, and he'll do whatever we say. We merely need to tighten our grip on the precious mortals he cares so dearly about.”

Without flying talismans, Yun Xiao could hardly know of the changes here!

Realizing this, Cao Shuo deeply regretted her leisurely pace and the lack of concealment on her journey. Otherwise, she might have sent a warning to Yun Xiao!

Now captured, with the myriad worlds soon falling into devilish hands, and Yun Xiao still in the dark... what was going to happen?

Cao Shuo was not afraid of death, but panic seized her heart. “This outer parts of the starry expanse is a desolate no-man’s land. Here, the Nine Thunders Sovereign can do as he pleases, unnoticed!”

Cao Shuo was nearly in tears as she watched the Nine Thunders Sovereign approaching Yun Xiao's homeland with the Supreme Everlasting Thunder Cauldron.

Even with the Primordial Yin-Yang Thunder Furnace enhancing her, the nine thunderbolts paralyzed her, agony tearing through her flesh as if she were being flayed alive.

“To fight the heavens is to be but a moth to flame,” the Nine Thunders Sovereign said, casting another glance at Cao Shuo. “For an Immortal to sympathize with mere insects, aiding them against the heavens, is absurd. You ought to reincarnate as a mere incense stick, to fully sympathize with them just once in your life.”

The Nine Thunders Sovereign truly despised people like Cao Shuo, who spoke of morality and compassion yet failed to see the bigger picture.

"The Great Dao Celestial Realm is under siege, its very existence threatened by the rise of Naraka. In response, the White Emperor passed on the method of receiving incense offerings to bolster our forces, to protect our lands. Yet here you stand, foolishly clinging to your moral high ground, blind to the realities we face.

"Such judgments are easily passed. But if the Celestial Court does not change, and the Great Dao Celestial Realm falls, transforming the entire mortal realm into a hunting ground for the demons, the death toll will be even greater. And you foolish lot will be branded the greatest villains of all ages. In troubled times, the sanctimonious are the first to fall—and it's your kind who'll be slain first!" the Nine Thunders Sovereign declared coldly.

Cao Shuo was taken aback upon hearing this for the first time. Was this the harsh truth? Had countless Heavenly Officers set aside their qualms to embrace the greater good? Was she, in her resistance, potentially ushering in an even grimmer aftermath, thereby deserving of greater condemnation?

It was like a sword dilemma: kill one to the left or two to the right—how does one choose? A choice had to be made. So, had the Celestial Court chosen the left?

As Cao Shuo grappled with this question, suddenly, a streak of azure light flashed across the sky above the Nine Thunders Divine Ark!

HUM! The azure light descended from the heavens, intercepting right in front of the Nine Thunders Divine Ark!

KLANG! A youth in white emerged crisply from the light, standing defiantly on the deck of the ark, facing both the Nine Thunders Sovereign and the Supreme Everlasting Thunder Cauldron.

"Sovereign, I have come to answer your question!" Yun Xiao's voice, sharp as a sword, cut through the storm.

"Lu Yao... Yun Xiao?" The Nine Thunders Sovereign furrowed his brow deeply.

He had not intended for Yun Xiao to know of today's deeds just yet. How had he arrived so soon?

His icy gaze swept over to the Azure Rain Sword Vessel, where Gu Suwan, pale-faced, was hiding.

"Are all you women made of tofu?" the Nine Thunders Sovereign roared, anger searing through his heart.

Gu Suwan was the only high official of the Thunder Department to survive the calamity. The Nine Thunders Sovereign had placed immense trust in her. And she had betrayed the Celestial Court as well? What was the purpose of such a drastic act?

The Nine Thunders Sovereign could not fathom it any longer. All he knew was that if not for Gu Suwan's initiative, Yun Xiao would not have returned so swiftly.

It wasn’t that he feared Yun Xiao, but revealing his hand now meant drawing the conflict onto himself, preventing Yun Xiao from depleting the Chaos Sovereign.

Amidst his severe frustration, Cao Shuo, seeing Yun Xiao, wept like a lovelorn maiden, evidently deeply moved.

At this juncture, the Nine Thunders Sovereign grew weary of the fray.

He halted the Nine Thunders Divine Ark, clenching the Supreme Everlasting Thunder Cauldron in one hand while casting a cold gaze upon Yun Xiao. "Fine, you tell me—when all beings are under threat, why shouldn't we eliminate you naive little heroes?"

Yun Xiao stood firm, his voice booming like thunder, "I'll make two points. First, the White Emperor only shared the method of receiving incense offerings recently. This shows that he and the Crown Prince had already been prolonging their lives through this crooked and devilish art for a long time. Sharing now, under pressure, does not cleanse their sins. Evil remains evil, and the lack of virtue remains so!"

"And what about you?" the Nine Thunders Sovereign pressed, his eyes burning. "With the threat of Naraka looming and Lu Fan conspiring with the demons and devils, the Celestial Court and the mortal realms face two choices; sacrifice the few for the many or await death. What’s your choice?"

"This leads me to my second point!" Yun Xiao lifted his head, staring down his opponent. "The reason you're forced to make such choices is because you're too weak, unworthy of your positions. If so, why cling to the high seats of this Celestial Court? If it were me, I wouldn’t need to choose—whoever causes chaos would perish!"

His bold declaration left the Nine Thunders Sovereign speechless.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! Cao Shuo clapped vigorously, her eyes brimming with admiration, "That was epic."

"Sovereign," Yun Xiao didn’t pause, but pressed on, "Now I ask you a question. If I told you I could lead the Celestial Court to eliminate the Chaos Sovereign and suppress Naraka, would you, along with the White Emperor and Crown Prince, willingly bow down to me? Would you willingly give up on the incense offerings, even if it means you'll no longer be able to extend your longevity? Would you stop using the lives of the humble beings of the mortal realm as leverage against me? Answer me honestly!"

".." The Nine Thunders Sovereign gritted his teeth, his gaze icy as he faced Yun Xiao, but remained silent.

Yun Xiao burst into laughter.

"If you can’t do that, what grand principles are you pretending to uphold?" Yun Xiao stared intently at the Nine Thunders Sovereign. "The White Emperor has prolonged his life with the incense offerings for countless years—I don’t believe the successive Sovereigns of the Thunder Department were unaware. You so faithfully serve such a master, ruthlessly eliminating any with opposing views, labeling them as naive heroes. What kind of heartless creature are you, not even ashamed? The so-called pressure from Naraka is just an excuse for your greed. Could true warriors really start by sucking the blood of their kin without even a fight? Your readiness to justify your sins from the outset shows you've never seen the beings of the mortal realm as more than livestock, only caring about yourselves, not them!"

Yun Xiao, usually not a man of many words, now unleashed a torrent of harsh truth, each sentence piercing the ears of the Nine Thunders Sovereign like a relentless series of sword thrusts, darkening his expression with each hit.

"So, let me summarize for you—you all are nothing but incompetent, greedy, immoral, selfish, and twisted bastards! You clothe yourselves in titles of honor, strut about like men of stature, hold grand banquets with divine peaches, and drink celestial wine while feasting on exquisite dishes, living lives of drunken stupor! A spectacle of decadence! And yet, you dare to defend your vile acts with the grandiose pretense of life and death morals?"

The reason the Nine Thunders Sovereign's face soured was clear—Yun Xiao had struck a nerve.

"All this talk of the incense offerings saving the Celestial Court is nothing but an excuse! You swarm through like locusts, plundering the lives of the common folk. Your incompetence is one thing! Hypocrisy another! Arrogance a third! Immorality a fourth! You worms controlling the heavenly way truly warrant a change of dynasty!"

Yun Xiao's final words twisted the Nine Thunders Sovereign's face into a grimace.

Never before had someone dared to rip off their masks so violently on the high tiers of the Celestial Court!

Even the Chaos Sovereign, with his slick words and deep machinations, who made a show of regretting not having met the White Emperor sooner—was he not the same?

Unspoken truths lingered, leaving the Nine Thunders Sovereign almost convinced of his own nobility!

"Well said! What kind of rulers feast on the flesh and bones of their subjects under the pretense of restraint, claiming it's to save them from the enemy who might consume more? The war hasn't even started yet! A fool remains a fool! You bastards really do deserve death. If you're useless, you should've stepped down and let the more capable take your place!"

The NIne Thunder Sovereign's earlier words had shaken Cau Shuo. But Yun Xiao's spirited speech finally settled her heart, inflaming her righteous fury while bringing tears to her eyes.

"Nine Thunders Sovereign, you claim to stand for justice? Now here's your chance—bow to him, abandon the incense offerings, and follow him to forge a new dawn for humanity. Will you?" Cao Shuo, struggling, spat these words at the Nine Thunders Sovereign beside her.

"Silence!" With a thunderous roar, the Nine Thunders Sovereign swept his gaze over Cao Shuo, and a surge of multicolored lightning erupted, shocking her until she bled!

BOOM! He turned away, teeth clenched, and hissed at Yun Xiao, "Those who disrupt the Celestial Court will have their entire clans exterminated for generations! Yun Xiao, today I shall enact heavenly justice, sever your karma, and protect the Great Dao Celestial Realm for eternity!"

Seeing his rage, Yun Xiao merely laughed.

He gave the Nine Thunders Sovereign a thumbs up. "Wouldn't it have been better to be this straightforward from the start? To commit all those heartless deeds and still pretend virtue—how despicable is that?"

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