Chapter 1738 : A Clash of Heavenly Authority

"I have come on my master's orders, regarding the matter of the Heavenly Dao Source Artifact [a supreme artifact embodying the authority of the Heavenly Dao]."

Chunxu Zi spoke slowly, his expression calm as he said,

Upon hearing this, Divine Abyss Daoist's expression shifted slightly.

He took a deep breath, then spoke: "This Chaos Abyssal Cavern [a primordial cavern of chaotic energies] is a matter of the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea. Is it not overstepping for Fellow Daoist [a respectful term for a fellow cultivator] to intervene?"

"You must understand, if I join forces with Western Qi Celestial God and we jointly activate the Heavenly Dao Source Artifact for protection, even an Ancient Immortal Great Power [a being of immense power from ancient times] might not be able to slay us."

Chunxu Zi's face remained placid, his gaze distant as he stated, "So, you truly intend to cling to the Heavenly Dao Authority [the right to wield a portion of the Heavenly Dao's power] and refuse to relinquish it?"

Hearing this, Western Qi Celestial God's expression changed subtly. After all, the Pure Yang Grotto-Heaven [a celestial paradise of pure yang energy] was the hegemon of the Six Celestial Domains of the Western Pole. If they were truly determined to act, his two Grotto-Heaven [self-contained paradisiacal realms] would likely be unable to withstand the pressure.

Even if they pooled their strength to activate the Heavenly Dao Source Artifact for protection, they might not hold out until the Demon and God Races's Ancient Immortals [venerable immortals from ancient times] could intervene.

Seeing their attitudes waver, Chunxu Zi continued, "This Chaos Abyssal Cavern has always been governed by the strong. The Abyssal Immortal Alliance [an alliance of powerful immortals] has risen within the Western Qi Divine Abyss Sea. A share of this place's Heavenly Dao Authority rightfully belongs to them."

"Currently, the Abyssal Immortal Alliance possesses twenty-nine Heaven Immortal [immortals who have ascended to the celestial realm]. If distribution were based on numbers alone, the Abyssal Immortal Alliance should receive at least seven or eight tenths." Official source: audio-novel-dot-com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Speaking to this point, Chunxu Zi [the Daoist of Pure Void] then said, "In that case, This Sovereign [a formal and powerful self-reference used by high-level cultivators] shall act as the mediator today. Let us all agree upon a share here and now. What say you?"

"Eighty percent is excessive."

Western Qi Celestial God [a powerful deity from the Western Qi region] spoke up, taking a deep breath before stating, "They possess the combat power of only a single Late Heaven Immortal Realm [a high stage of immortal cultivation]. Would it not be better to divide the Heavenly Dao Authority [the authority or mandate granted by the Heavenly Dao, the cosmic order] into three equal parts?"

Eldrin Chen let out a cold laugh, then declared, "My alliance boasts twenty-nine immortals. Do you truly believe we are vegetarians?" [an idiom meaning 'weak' or 'easily pushed around']

"Enough with the pointless chatter. Why don't we simply settle this with a fight?"

At that very moment, the First Divine General of the Immortal Alliance, Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang [the Imperial Son of the Tai Cang Imperial Clan], stepped forward. Gripping the Yin-Yang Immortal-Slaying Spear [a legendary spear capable of slaying immortals], he pointed it towards the assembled crowd, his gaze sharp and piercing as he spoke.

"An Imperial Son [a prince of an imperial clan] from the Tai Cang Imperial Clan?"

Divine Abyss Daoist [a powerful cultivator from the Divine Abyss lineage] cast a profound, wary glance, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. He drew a deep breath and asked, "Then how shall this contest be fought?"

Netherwater Celestial God [a deity associated with dark or nether waters] sneered, his eyes fixed on Eldrin Chen as he said, "If they desire a share exceeding fifty percent, then they must prove themselves capable of Fighting One Against Two [engaging in combat against two opponents simultaneously]."

Chunxu Zi pondered for a moment before speaking, "Let it be settled by a Sword Competition [a formal contest or duel decided by swordplay]."

"The Abyssal Immortal Alliance has twice the number of combatants compared to the combined forces of you two. How about this: each of the two Grotto-Heaven of the Western Qi Divine Abyss sends three, the Abyssal Immortal Alliance sends twelve, and we settle this with a battle at the edge of the Firmament."

"Three great clashes. The share of Heavenly Dao Authority shall be allocated according to the battle records."

Upon hearing this, the gathered figures fell into contemplative silence.

According to Chunxu Zi's proposal, the two sides would engage in three rounds of Sword Competition [a formal contest of martial and mystical prowess].

The Western Qi Grotto-Heaven and the Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven would each dispatch three champions, totaling six, to face the twelve from the Abyssal Immortal Alliance in a single, decisive engagement.

This arrangement accounted for the Abyssal Immortal Alliance's numerical superiority. They boasted over twenty Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a peak-stage Heavenly Immortal cultivator], and even sending half their force would yield twelve combatants.

By sheer numbers, the two Grotto-Heaven of the Western Qi Divine Abyss seemed at a disadvantage. However, both of these Grotto-Heaven possessed beings who had reached the Late Heaven Immortal Realm [the seventh and penultimate stage of the Heavenly Immortal realm].

A single great power at the seventh layer of the Heaven Immortal realm could rival the combined might of twenty flawed First Heaven Celestial Immortal [a Heavenly Immortal whose foundation or Dao comprehension is imperfect]. Thus, they were not necessarily at a loss in this contest.

After careful deliberation, both the Western Qi and Divine Abyss Grotto-Heaven swiftly agreed to the terms.

Eldrin Chen had no objections to this either. After all, in a confrontation against Late Heaven Immortal Realm experts, the flawed First Heaven Celestial Immortal within the Immortal Alliance would have limited impact and faced a significant risk of perishing.

The reason they came to the Sword Competition in three separate waves was precisely for safety considerations. After all, if too many people fought together in a chaotic melee, unleashing True Flame could lead to the possibility of Heaven Immortal perishing in battle.

By sending only twelve individuals and splitting them across three waves for the Sword Competition, safety was greatly assured.

With Chunxu Zi acting as referee on the sidelines, he could intervene to rescue anyone in a genuine emergency, making it highly unlikely for a fatal casualty to occur.

Therefore, after careful deliberation, all three parties agreed to these terms.

Witnessing this, Chunxu Zi smiled faintly and declared, "Then let us do battle in the Ninth Heaven."

With those words, Chunxu Zi soared towards the edge of the Firmament, the others following closely behind. This novel is serialized on audio-novel . com. Visit for updates.

They flew for a long time, until the Cavernous Abyss Sea was but a tiny speck in the distance. Only then did Chunxu Zi speak with a smile.

"Combat here will cause minimal damage to the Immortal Domain."

"You shall hold your sword contest here, and the authority over the Heavenly Dao Source Artifact shall be allocated based on your battle records."

The assembled crowd exchanged glances. Divine Abyss Daoist was the first to act, his gaze settling on Eldrin Chen. He flew forward and issued his challenge: "Eldrin, the Abyss, step forth and face me in battle."

Eldrin Chen took a step forward, pointing at Western Qi Celestial God as he declared, "Then for this first bout, you should join the fray as well."

Western Qi Celestial God's gaze turned icy, his expression chilling as he retorted, "Do you truly intend to Fighting One Against Two?"

At that very moment, Chunxu Zi stroked his beard and spoke with calm composure, "Three rounds of Sword Competition. For each round, your two great Grotto-Heaven shall each field one combatant, while the Abyssal Immortal Alliance shall field four for every battle. How does that sound?"

Upon hearing this, Divine Abyss Ancient Ancestor and Western Qi Celestial God immediately felt a chill in their eyes. They understood that Chunxu Zi was showing partiality, yet they voiced no objection.

After all, the Abyssal Immortal Alliance had greater numbers. If Eldrin Chen were to face them alone in a single round, even a victory would not be cost-effective.

For the remaining four combatants from the two great Grotto-Heaven would then have to face eleven Flawless Celestial Immortal [Celestial Immortals who have perfected their foundation], a confrontation where defeat seemed highly probable.

In their view, the gap between a late-stage Celestial Immortal and the Mid Celestial Immortal Realm was immense. Even if Eldrin Chen arranged for three Forbidden Realm [prodigies who have transcended the conventional limits of their cultivation realm] to join forces, they would stand no chance against them.

Therefore, Western Qi Ancient Ancestor let out a cold laugh and stated, "Since that is the case, let it be settled thus."

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. His gaze shifted to Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang, Chen Qiyuan, the Eastern Sovereign, and Caelan Chen.

These three were all peerless talents of the Twelve Tribulation Domain [a legendary cultivation stage representing supreme mastery]. Having reversed their constitutions to attain an Innate True Body [a primordial, flawless physical form], their combat prowess had already ascended into the domain of the Mid Celestial Immortal Realm. Each possessed the strength of a Flawless Celestial Immortal [Celestial Immortals who have perfected their foundation] at the fifth or sixth layer of the Heaven Immortal realm.

Among the three, Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang's Yin-Yang Path of Slaughter [a cultivation art that embodies the destructive union of opposing forces] possessed unparalleled offensive might, while Ancestor Eastern Sovereign's Indestructible Golden Body [a legendary physique renowned for its supreme and tyrannical defense] boasted the most domineering defense.

Caelan Chen's Thirty-Three Layered Vast Sea Divine Pearls [a set of magical pearls that can transform into a grand formation] could manifest the Myriad Heavens Formation Patterns [a complex and powerful defensive-offensive formation], making it not only versatile in both attack and defense but also possessing profound auxiliary capabilities.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, with the three of them joining forces, they should be barely sufficient to contend with an existence at the seventh level of the Heaven Immortal [a high-level immortal realm] realm.

Seeing Eldrin Chen's gaze upon them, the three immediately stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

"Three Forbidden Realm [a legendary cultivation realm reserved for prodigies who defy conventional limits] cultivators?"

Western Qi Celestial God cast his gaze upon the trio. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he declared, "Then let us begin!"

As his words fell, Western Qi Celestial God was the first to act. A Black-Gold Great Halberd [a massive polearm forged from dark, mystical metal] materialized in his grasp and came crashing down towards the group.

Western Qi Celestial God moved with overwhelming tyranny. From the very first strike, he unleashed his ultimate trump card, summoning forth the High-Grade Innate Treasure [a supreme treasure born from the world's primal essence] known as 'Profound Abyss Immortal-Suppressing Halberd' [a divine halberd said to be capable of suppressing even immortals].

"A magnificent divine weapon!"

In that instant, Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang voiced his admiration. Then, gripping his Yin-Yang Immortal-Slaying Spear [a spear imbued with the power to slay immortals through the balance of opposing forces], he thrust forward. The attack carried a force capable of piercing through stars and suppressing Ronan. Published by audio-novel .c om. All rights reserved.