Chapter 1507 : The Primordial Sovereigns' Cosmic Dominion
Although these eighteen mighty beings all existed at the Primordial Unity Realm [the foundational stage of a universe's creation], their statuses were not entirely equal.
The Heavenly Emperor [the supreme ruler of a celestial domain], who wielded the Universe Genesis Treasure [a primordial artifact used to create and stabilize a cosmos], was the progenitor of this Universe's Path Union [the collective of supreme cultivation paths] and also the master of the Solar Realm Small Universe's Heavenly Court [the celestial administration governing the heavens]. His power far surpassed that of the other seventeen Primordial Unity Realm experts.
Beneath the Heavenly Emperor, the Three Sovereigns held the next highest rank.
The Three Sovereigns were divided into the Sovereigns of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, each holding partial authority over the workings of this Universe.
Among them, the Heavenly Sovereign was the 'Supreme Divine Spirits [innate beings of immense cosmic power]' of this Universe. It was said he was born a Primordial Unity Realm existence and had cultivated two distinct Primordial Unity Foundation [the foundational cultivation arts of the Primordial Unity stage].
The Earthly Sovereign was the 'Myriad Demons Ancestor [Progenitor of All Demonic Beings]' within this Small Universe. His strength was nearly on par with the Heavenly Sovereign, and he too had cultivated two Primordial Unity Foundation.
The Human Sovereign was the emperor of the Human Race within this Universe. He had similarly cultivated two Primordial Unity Foundation, and it was said his mastery of Slaughter [the divine power of absolute destruction] even surpassed that of the other two Sovereigns, placing him first among the three.
Although these Three Sovereigns had not opened their own Earth Immortal World [a personal world created by an Earth Immortal cultivator], they wielded partial authority over the Universe. As long as the Small Universe remained in a state of Indestructibility [a state of perfect, unbreakable stability], their combat prowess ranked among the very top even within the Half-Step Celestial Immortal [those on the verge of ascending to true Celestial Immortality] realm.
Most crucially, these Three Sovereigns each commanded one of the three Heaven-Mandated Supreme Treasures birthed by this Universe.
These three treasures were the Human Sovereign's Sword, the Earthly Sovereign's Tome, and the Heavenly Sovereign's Bell.
These three treasures are all Primordial Unity Immortal Weapon [supreme weapons wielded by the most powerful cultivators]. With these three treasures in hand, even another Immortal Domain [a realm of higher existence] Primordial Unity Realm [the pinnacle of cultivation] expert with a Dual Primordial Unity Foundation [a foundation forged from two supreme primordial energies] would likely be no match for them without formidable protective artifacts of their own.
Beyond the Three Emperors, there are also the Four Divine Spirits [four primordial beings representing fundamental cosmic forces].
The Four Divine Spirits are: the Gou Chen Soaring Serpent [a primordial serpent deity], the Thunder-Fire Kui Ox [a one-legged ox deity of thunder and flame], the Great Roc with Golden Wings [a divine bird of immense size and power], and the Primordial Era Dragon Turtle [an ancient turtle-dragon hybrid], representing the four primordial forces of the Universe [the cosmos]: Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water.
These Four Divine Spirits all possess a Dual Primordial Unity Foundation and are partially merged with the authority of the Universe. Though their intelligence is not particularly high, their combat prowess surpasses even that of the Three Emperors.
They wield four Primordial Unity Immortal Treasure [treasures of the highest order]: the Soaring Serpent Ancient Sword [an ancient sword of the serpent deity], the Kui Ox Heavenly Drum [a celestial drum of the Kui Ox], the Great Roc Golden Wings [the divine wings of the Great Roc], and the Dragon Turtle Ancient Shield [the primordial shield of the Dragon Turtle].
The Ten Directions Great Emperors [Ten Directional Great Emperors] are also extraordinary figures.
They represent the ten directions: Heaven, Earth, East, West, South, North, the Gate of Life, the Position of Death, the Past, and the Future.
Among them, the three Great Emperor [titles for supreme rulers] representing Heaven, Earth, and the Position of Death are held by the Divine Clan [a race of divine beings]. They are the three Primordial Unity Realm Divine Spirits [divine beings of the highest cultivation]: Firmament Heaven, Nether Abyss, and Death.
The Three Emperors of the Western Pole [the western extremity], the Southern Pole, and the Northern Pole [the northern extremity] are held by the Demon Race [a race of powerful demonic beings]. They are the Western Pole White Tiger Great Emperor [the White Tiger Emperor of the West], the Southern Pole Crimson Dragon Great Emperor, and the Northern Pole Ice Phoenix Great Emperor.
The three Great Emperor representing the Past, the Future, and the Eastern Pole [the eastern extremity] are all in the hands of the Human Race. They are the Antiquity-Tracing Great Emperor, the Future Great Emperor, and the Eastern Pole Great Emperor.
The final Great Emperor [the supreme ruler of a vast domain] held dominion over the Gate of Life. It was said to be a Spirit Race [a race of beings born from spiritual essence] transformed from an Ancient Tree of Life [a primordial tree embodying the essence of vitality], revered in this world as the Life Great Emperor.
These ten Imperial Lord [a powerful ruler just below the rank of Emperor], each possessed a Single Primordial Unity Foundation [a foundational cultivation state of singular, unified primordial essence]. Although none had yet opened their own Earth Immortal World [a personal miniature world created by an Earth Immortal cultivator],
because they each held a portion of this Universe's authority, their combat power within this Universe often surpassed that of ordinary Half-Step Celestial Immortal [a cultivator halfway to becoming a true Celestial Immortal].
Reviewing this information, Nyssa Qu could not help but remark, "Even excluding the legendary Heavenly Emperor [the sovereign who embodies the Heavenly Path], these seventeen Imperial Lord powerhouses will be formidable opponents."
Violet Mystery Path Master also nodded, stroking his long beard thoughtfully. "Not only them. In truth, the enemies we must face are even more numerous Half-Step Celestial Immortal from other Immortal Domain [realms governed by immortal powers]."
Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Since there is a Human Race presence here, we should seek cooperation."
"Within this Universe, the Human Race boasts one emperor and the Three Emperors [the three legendary sovereigns of humanity]—all true, peerless powerhouses. Perhaps we can ally with them, facilitating the evacuation of this Small Universe's human populace from the impending Oblivion [the state of utter annihilation and non-existence] of their world."
"In exchange for this aid, we could request their assistance in securing the resources of this Universe."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded slightly in agreement.
However, Ancient Ruins Nether Lord pondered for a moment before speaking. "This Universe possesses a Heavenly Court [the celestial bureaucracy governing the cosmos]. That Heavenly Emperor, merged with the Heavenly Path [the supreme, governing Dao of Heaven], and bolstered by the power of this Universe, likely possesses combat strength not inferior to a true Celestial Immortal Great Power [a mighty being who has ascended to become a Celestial Immortal]."
"With him rallying the heroes, it's uncertain whether the Human Race of this Universe will heed our call."
Eldrin Chen shook his head, speaking with detached calm. "The Heavenly Emperor of this Small Universe vanished three hundred thousand years ago."
"If events unfolded as expected, he was likely grievously wounded by the backlash when the Heavenly Path of the Netherworld Small Universe faced Oblivion [the state of complete annihilation]. He is either in secluded meditation to heal his wounds or has fallen into a deep slumber."
"Even if he could still act now, the Heavenly Path of this Universe grows ever weaker. How much of his true power he could still wield is anyone's guess."
Concluding his thoughts, Eldrin Chen stated firmly, "Regardless, the Oblivion of this Universe is an inevitability. I believe they will know which choice to make."
"Hmm."
Nyssa Qu gave a slight nod, yet a flicker of insight shone in her eyes. "We wish to guide the Human Race and eliminate the Primordial Unity Realm experts of the Divine Clan and the Demon Race."
"The Divine Clan and the Demon Race likely harbor the same ambition. In the end, this will likely culminate in a brutal confrontation."
Hearing this, Eldrin Chen also nodded, his expression turning grave.
The logic was simple. If he were a Celestial Immortal Great Power from the White Tiger Grotto-Heaven and discovered a fellow clansman like the Western Pole White Tiger Great Emperor—a Primordial Unity Realm expert—within this Small Universe, he would undoubtedly spare no effort to guide them back.
If he were an Ancient Dragon from the True Dragon Grotto-Heaven, he certainly would not relinquish this world's Southern Pole Crimson Dragon Great Emperor either.
The same logic applies to the Heavenly Sovereign, the Earthly Sovereign, the Northern Pole Ice Phoenix Great Emperor, the Firmament Heaven Great Emperor, the Nether Abyss Great Emperor, and the Death Great Emperor.
While guiding fellow clansmen and plundering resources, joining forces with powerful kin from this world to eliminate prodigies and sworn enemies of rival races is a strategy that kills two birds with one stone.
One must understand that the relationships among the various clans within the Immortal Domain are inherently and profoundly intricate.
The Human Race, the Demon Race, the Divine Clan, the Hundred Clans, and the great Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land sects all harbor deep-seated grievances amongst themselves.
Many of the Half-Step Celestial Immortal cultivators from these different races have borne grudges spanning tens of millions of years. Even within the same clan, powerful figures are often mortal enemies.
In contrast, the beings native to this Universe actually bear no inherent enmity towards the powerful figures from the Immortal Domain.
Even if this Universe had no powerful kin, once everyone arrived in this Small Universe on the brink of Oblivion, it would still be impossible for them to unite and focus solely on harvesting its resources.
After all, the resources of a Universe are finite. Everyone desires a larger share, and who gets more ultimately depends on their own capabilities and methods.
Understanding this, Eldrin Chen could not help but sigh, "Perhaps the various Celestial Immortal Great Power outside have long since deduced the situation within this Universe."
"Beings such as White TigerGreat Emperor, Crimson Dragon Great Emperor, and Ice Phoenix Great Emperor have long been on the lists of every major Grotto-Heaven. They are targets for our enemies to eliminate and existences our clan must guide out of this realm."
His expression turning grave, he continued, "While we have now ascertained the strength of this Universe, we still do not know how many will come from the Immortal Domain."
"To understand the situation of each clan, I must personally go to the Immortal Domain to see precisely how many powerful figures will arrive."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded slightly in agreement.
Glazed Qu retrieved an Ancient Talisman and handed it to Eldrin Chen, saying, "When you go to the Western Pole Heavenly Domain, remember to conceal yourself with utmost care."
"This talisman can conceal your aura. Combined with your Heaven-Deceiving Secret Art, even a Celestial Immortal Great Power should be unable to see through your disguise."