Chapter 2000 : A Clash of Emperors and Stars

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen nodded in understanding. Since Celestial Concord Emperor Lord needed to contend for the authority over the Formation, he would certainly be unable to deal with that mid-stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch.

Therefore, in this battle, they had to intercept the remaining mid-stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch. This was precisely why Black Abyss Great Emperor had him participate in the fight.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen spoke up, "Your Emperor Lord [a title for a supreme ruler in the cultivation world] can rest assured. We will spare no effort."

Meng Qi, the Emperor Lord gave a slight nod, then rose directly to his feet. "Since that is the case," he declared, "let us fight with our full strength."

As the words of Meng Qi, the Emperor Lord fell, the group immediately charged towards the front of the Joyous Celestial Concord Ancient Star.

In this battle, Meng Qi, the Emperor Lord was the first to strike. He was seen riding upon a divine talisman from the Primordial Era [the primordial age of creation], tearing through the grand Formation of the Celestial Concord Ancient Star with a single blow, then leading everyone into the heart of the Celestial Concord Ancient Star.

Logically, forcing one's way into an enemy's Formation to fight was an extremely risky maneuver.

If one could not defeat the foe and became trapped within their powerful Formation, it could trigger an unprecedented and catastrophic rout.

Fortunately, the group had come prepared. As the Celestial Concord Star Lord, Celestial Concord Emperor Lord possessed the authority over the Celestial Concord Ancient Star.

Now, Celestial Concord Emperor Lord acted with his full power. Using the authority of the Star Lord, he interfered with the grand Formation, even attempting to wrest control of it for himself.

Although they did not immediately seize control of the Celestial Concord Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array], its potency was greatly diminished, rendering it incapable of influencing the ongoing battle between the two sides.

"How dare you!"

At the very moment the group slaughtered their way into the Celestial Concord Ancient Star, the Demon Race [a powerful faction of demonic beings] Emperor Lord [a title for supreme rulers among cultivators] reacted. A full twelve of these sovereigns surged forth, charging towards the chaotic battlefield.

Among these twelve Demon Race Emperor Lord, ten were ordinary sovereigns at the Early Stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord [the initial stage of a specific high-level cultivation realm] level, whom the group could handle. However, two of these Emperor Lord possessed extraordinary and formidable power.

Of these two sovereigns, one stood atop a mountain peak, a dazzling immortal sword in hand. Behind him, myriad Daos [the fundamental principles of existence] swirled and converged, coalescing into a single, resplendent halo of ten thousand principles.

The other possessed a towering, majestic stature, clad in dark battle armor and wielding the Heaven-Sundering Ancient Halberd [a legendary polearm]. He advanced like a peerless Divine King [a supreme divine ruler] striding forth from the Primordial Era [the mythic age of creation].

"Myriad Dao Sword Emperor, Dark Roc Emperor."

Eldrin Chen's mind flashed, instantly recalling information on these two formidable foes.

The Myriad Dao Sword Emperor was a legend among the Demon Race. His origin was that of a spiritual sword that gained sentience and transformed into a demon. His foundational roots were initially ordinary, merely that of a Post-Heaven Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact], roughly equivalent to the pedigree of a Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [a high-grade spiritual artifact].

Logically, with such origins, achieving immortality would have been considered defying the heavens. Yet, the Myriad Dao Sword Emperor possessed a talent and brilliance that astonished the ages.

He possessed astonishing flawlessness in the comprehension of the Dao of Laws. Therefore, after attaining immortality, he delved into the mysteries of myriad Daos and created the Myriad Dao Convergence Art [a supreme technique for harmonizing countless paths of power]. Furthermore, he fused this art into his Sword Dao, using it to completely rebuild and refine his own foundation.

Now, the cultivation of Myriad Dao Sword Emperor has reached the sixth layer of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [the sixth stage of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch realm]. Even within the vast Demon Race [the collective forces of demonkind], he is a force of considerable weight and influence.

Unfortunately, he lacks the backing of a Celestial Emperor [a supreme ruler among immortals], nor does he have any patron at the level of a Sage Ascendant [a Sage who has ascended to a higher state] or a Great Emperor. Otherwise, given the innate talent of Myriad Dao Sword Emperor, he would likely have long since cultivated to the Late Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord Realm [the later stages of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord realm].

As for that Dark Roc Emperor, he is the Patriarch of the Dark Roc Clan [a powerful clan of dark-feathered roc demons]. His cultivation has reached the fourth layer of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch realm, making him a figure not to be underestimated in the slightest.

"Meng Qi, your arrival is most timely!"

"I have long desired to cross blades with you. Today, we shall finally have our decisive battle!"

Just as these thoughts flashed through the mind of Eldrin Chen, the Myriad Dao Sword Emperor spoke decisively.

With a cold sneer, he swung his sword. Myriad Daos surged into the sky, transforming into billions of sword auras that shrieked downward with an unstoppable force, cleaving directly toward Meng Qi, the Emperor Lord.

"Hmph—"

Meng Qi, the Emperor Lord offered no reply, only a disdainful snort. He brandished a single Heaven-Piercing Lance [a divine spear capable of piercing the heavens] and charged forward to meet the oncoming torrent of myriad sword energies head-on.

Witnessing this, Eldrin Chen could not help but exchange a glance with Meng Huang, the Emperor Lord.

After that fleeting moment of silent communication, Meng Huang, the Emperor Lord was the first to act. He soared through the heavens astride his celestial halberd, his unparalleled physical might propelling him directly towards the Dark Roc Emperor.

True to his reputation as a supreme Early Stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord who cultivated the Nine Revolutions Heavenly Art, Meng Huang, the Emperor Lord unleashed a torrent of physical power that could almost be called peerless among his realm as he clashed with the Golden-Winged Roc Emperor.

By Eldrin Chen's estimation, while Meng Huang, the Emperor Lord's offensive prowess might be slightly lacking, the defensive resilience of his physical body was likely on par with a Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch in the mid-stage.

"BOOM—"

Yet even so, when the Dark Roc Emperor struck with its full might, it sent Meng Huang, the Emperor Lord reeling in their very first exchange.

The Dark Roc Emperor descended, the Heaven-Sundering Ancient Halberd gripped in its talons. Its form was wreathed in endless tendrils of dark demonic flame, and three Great Dao Divine Chain thrummed with power, shaking the very cosmos as it unleashed a force of Annihilation capable of erasing all creation.

"So this is the power of a mid-stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch?"

Eldrin Chen's heart quaked. He dared not delay, immediately pushing the power of his three foundational pillars to their absolute limit before engaging the Dark Roc Emperor in a cataclysmic duel.

Of course, for this battle, Eldrin Chen did not unleash his full combat potential. He merely employed the power of his three foundational pillars, displaying a level of strength comparable to that of Meng Huang, the Emperor Lord.

Because Eldrin Chen's current strength was already astonishing, possessing Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch three-color combat power at the Great Luo Golden Immortal ninth layer, and could be explained by his simultaneous cultivation of three Daos [fundamental principles or paths] and the authority of Dao-Grasping.

However, if he were to expose his mid-stage Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch strength, it would likely provoke significant apprehension from many and might even compel Pure Yang Great Emperor to set aside decorum and take action personally.

Even so, the power Eldrin Chen displayed was still staggering, greatly startling Dark Roc Emperor.

After their fleeting clash, Dark Roc Emperor regarded Eldrin Chen with considerable shock and said, "Such swift cultivation speed, such formidable physical body and mana [the spiritual energy cultivated and wielded by practitioners]."

"Have you already broken through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal Great Perfection realm?"

Dark Roc Emperor was inwardly astounded. Even with simultaneous cultivation of three Daos, to wield such combat power at this realm was nothing short of miraculous.

Speaking thus, Dark Roc Emperor felt a mix of wariness and derision, sneering coldly, "The Great Dao [the supreme, fundamental principle] demands singular supremacy. Cultivating even two Daos simultaneously is immensely arduous, let alone your three."

"In my view, you would be better served to convert to the Path of Dao Dominion. Only then might you have a chance to cultivate the Chaos Great Dao."

Eldrin Chen let out a cold laugh, maneuvering the Primordial Chaos Heaven Halberd in a fierce battle as he retorted icily, "Success or failure, one must always try. Your concern is unnecessary."

"Arrogant fool."

The Dark Roc Emperor let out a cold sneer, his gaze icy as he unleashed a cleaving strike. "Though your three paths are formidable, they are but three dead ends."

"Enough! Today, this Emperor shall teach you how to respect your elders!"

As his words fell, the Dark Roc Emperor rode his celestial halberd in a relentless onslaught of cleaving strikes, seeking to utterly annihilate Eldrin Chen.

Thus, the ensuing battle between the two sides grew increasingly fierce.

Eldrin Chen, fighting alongside Meng Huang, the Emperor Lord, clashed with the Dark Roc Emperor for tens of thousands of exchanges. Yet, a decisive victor remained elusive.

Elsewhere, the battles of the others were equally intense. Among them, Meng Qi, the Emperor Lord engaged the Myriad Dao Sword Emperor in a fierce duel, trading blow for blow, and held a slight overall advantage.

The ten Demon Race Emperor Lord were locked in combat with the fourteen Human Race Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch. In principle, the Human Race held the advantage in both numbers and strength.

Unfortunately, the Demon Race were aided by several dozen Great Luo Golden Immortal Great Perfection cultivators. Their presence greatly sapped the focus and energy of the Human Race Emperor Lord, forcing the battle into a precarious stalemate.

Yet, even within this balance, the overall strategic situation still favored the Human Race significantly.

For Celestial Concord Emperor Lord was contesting for control of the Formation [a powerful, pre-arranged array of energy used for defense or attack]. Should he succeed in reclaiming the power of the grand formation anchored to the Celestial Concord Emperor Star, this conflict would be decided beyond any shadow of a doubt.

For the Human Race Emperor Lord [a supreme title for a cultivator who has reached the pinnacle of power], the longer time dragged on, the more advantageous it became for them.

Thus, time flowed swiftly. Unbeknownst to all, the great war had already persisted for over two million years. It was on this day that Celestial Concord Emperor Lord finally gained the upper hand in the struggle for authority and began to reclaim the power of the grand formation.

Witnessing this, everyone present revealed expressions of profound relief, understanding that the outcome of this battle held no further suspense.

The Demon Race Myriad Dao Sword Emperor and his allies also understood this point. They immediately began a fighting retreat, withdrawing from the Celestial Concord Emperor Star.

However, to Eldrin Chen's surprise, the several Demon Race Emperor Lord showed not a trace of dismay at losing control of the Celestial Concord Emperor Star. Instead, a cold, mocking sneer played upon their features.

"This is bad."

Suddenly, a premonition of dread coiled within Eldrin Chen's heart.

Sure enough, at that very moment, from the other star domains far within the Southern Dipper Six Stars, the masters of those celestial realms unleashed auras of utterly terrifying power.

In an instant, the entire starry void trembled violently.

Eldrin Chen turned his gaze, and with perfect clarity, he saw the radiant light belonging to the Celestial Beam Ancient Star suddenly dim and fade in the distant void beyond.

Not only that, but almost at the same moment, the Celestial Mechanism [the Celestial Mechanism Star], the Celestial Aspect [the Celestial Aspect Star], the Seven Slaughter [the Seven Slaughter Star], and even the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star [the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star] began to emanate astonishingly powerful auras, their light flickering and pulsing erratically.

The Human Race [the Human Race] Emperor Lord [Emperor Lords] all had their expressions shift slightly. Meng Huang, the Emperor Lord, spoke with a tone of profound gloom, "Your true objective was to lure us into counter-attacking the Celestial Concord Emperor Star [the Celestial Concord Emperor Star], so you could then launch a surprise assault to sabotage the Southern Dipper Six Stars Grand Formation [the Southern Dipper Six Stars Grand Formation]?"

The Dark Roc Emperor [the Dark Roc Emperor] let out a cold sneer, his expression icy as he stated, "It is far too late for such realizations now."

"After your forces withdrew from the Southern Dipper Six Stars [the Southern Dipper Six Stars], those stars were left vulnerable. We had agents lying in wait to strike. Those ancient stars can no longer be held."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's countenance could not help but change slightly.

The Southern Dipper Six Stars [the Southern Dipper Six Stars] hold an exceedingly high status. Their combined power rivals that of a Sage Ascendant [Sage Ascendant]-level Daoist Abode [Daoist Abode]. This is especially true for the foremost among them, the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star [the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star]. Should the Celestial Mansion Imperial Star fall, the loss for the Human Race [the Human Race] would be catastrophic.

Most critically, the main force of the Chen Immortal Clan [the Chen Immortal Clan] is currently at the Celestial Beam Imperial Star [the Celestial Beam Imperial Star]. If the Celestial Beam Imperial Star were to be completely overrun, the Chen Immortal Clan would likely suffer grievous losses.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen grew restless, poised to move, but he was restrained by Meng Qi, the Emperor Lord.

Meng Qi, the Emperor Lord, let out a cold laugh and declared, "Did you truly believe we would be caught unprepared?"

"BOOM—"

In that instant, the entire Void [the formless, boundless expanse of nothingness] trembled violently.

Eldrin Chen heard a series of Heaven Sundering [a cataclysmic sound like the heavens being torn asunder] roars, followed by one after another, beams of eternal Imperishable [a divine light symbolizing indestructibility and eternity] manifesting in the depths of the starry void.

Their radiance illuminated the Myriad Heavens [the countless celestial realms], each figure wreathed in divine halos, possessing the world-suppressing divine might to dominate the Vast Chaotic Void [the immense and formless primordial chaos].

North Pole Black Abyss Great Emperor, South Pole Luminous Radiance Great Emperor, Western Pole Ethereal Abyss Sword Emperor…

One after another, these figures stood firm against the starry firmament, each emanating a light akin to eternity itself, as if they had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Witnessing this scene, Eldrin Chen could not help but slowly release a sigh of relief.

This time, the Human Race [the collective of human cultivators and empires] had mustered merely over ten Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [rulers who have attained the peak of power within the primordial chaos]. Yet, each one was at least at the Late Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord Realm [the advanced stage of the Emperor Lord realm within the primordial chaos] or above, including three invincible figures who had reached the realm of Great Emperors.

Instantly, these over ten peerless Emperor Lord [a title for supreme rulers who have mastered their Dao] made their move, clashing fiercely with the assembled Emperors of the Demon Race [the collective of demonic beings and empires] within the Southern Dipper Six Stars [a constellation of six stars in the southern sky, a strategic location]. They gained the upper hand almost in the blink of an eye.

Yet, in that very same moment, their expressions shifted slightly.

For they realized that the Demon Race Great Emperors [the supreme rulers of the demonic empires] assaulting the Southern Dipper Six Stars numbered only the Primordial Thunder Crow Great Emperor alone. Even the number of Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch present was not particularly high.

The reason the Southern Dipper Six Stars Grand Formation [a powerful defensive star formation] was breached was due to a traitor striking from within.

"This is bad, we've been deceived! This is not the main force of the Demon Race!"

In that instant, several of the Human Race Great Emperors realized the truth, but alas, it was already too late.

For deep within the boundless starry firmament, in the southern region where the Vermilion Bird Star Domain lay, several supremely powerful auras erupted.

The Primordial Vermilion Bird Great Emperor, the Golden-Winged Roc Great Emperor, the Primordial Crimson Dragon Great Emperor…

A full three supreme Great Emperors launched a surprise assault on the Vermilion Bird Star Domain, clashing in a world-shaking battle with the Divine Race Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a supreme cultivator at the peak of the Emperor Monarch realm] who was garrisoning the domain.

"It's too late."

Eldrin Chen took but a single glance to understand that reinforcement was now impossible, and he could not help but let out a soft sigh.

In his heart, he vaguely understood that in this battle, the Human and Divine Races had likely been outmaneuvered by the Demon Race.

With this thought, he turned his gaze towards the Demon Race Emperor Lords, only to find that having achieved their objective, the Demon Emperors were immediately withdrawing from the Celestial Concord Star Domain.

Eldrin Chen's heart was heavy with concern for his clan. He immediately returned to the Celestial Beam Imperial Star [the central star of the Celestial Beam constellation, a major human stronghold]. There, he swiftly located Lyra Jiang and the others. To his immense relief, none of the Chen Clan's Grand Luo Golden Immortal [the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal realm, a step below the Emperor Lord realm] had perished.

Seeing that the Chen Clan had suffered no grievous losses, Eldrin Chen let out a sigh of relief. He then inquired about the situation on the Celestial Beam Imperial Star.

After a brief debriefing, Eldrin Chen understood the full sequence of events.

It turned out the Demon Race [a collective term for powerful, often antagonistic, non-human races] force that attacked the Celestial Beam Star Domain was not overwhelmingly large—comprising only three Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [a supreme realm of power, the highest tier of Emperor Lord].

The reason they managed to breach the Celestial Beam Imperial Star's defenses was twofold: both Eldrin Chen and Meng Huang, the Emperor Lord [a powerful human Emperor Lord] were absent from the battlefield. Furthermore, the Profound Departure Emperor Lord [a human Emperor Lord stationed at the star] had suddenly turned traitor.

This Profound Departure Emperor Lord's cultivation had been stagnant at the Third Layer of Primordial Chaos Emperor Lord for one hundred thousand Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration, often associated with tribulations], with no hope of a breakthrough. The Demon Race's Primordial Thunder Crow Great Emperor [a supremely powerful Demon Emperor] had personally promised him that, upon the fall of the Celestial Beam Imperial Star, he would aid him in breaking through to the mid-stage of the Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch realm.

The Profound Departure Emperor Lord's sudden betrayal allowed the three Demon Race Emperor Lord [a title for cultivators who have reached the Emperor Lord realm] to unleash the ferocity of ten. They shattered the Southern Dipper Six Stars Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array connecting six key stars] almost in the blink of an eye.

In truth, similar incidents of betrayal or sabotage had occurred, to varying degrees, at several other ancient stars.

The Demon Race had paid a steep price, either by subverting key defenders or planting their own agents—several Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarchs—who acted to cripple the stellar defensive formations in those crucial first moments of the assault.

This cunning stratagem misled the Human Race into believing the Southern Dipper Six Stars were the Demon Race's primary target. Consequently, the human forces dispatched their main army as reinforcements there. Seizing this opportunity, the Demon Race executed a masterful feint and launched their true, devastating assault into the heart of the Vermilion Bird Star Domain.

The guardian of the Vermilion Bird Star Domain was the Divine Race's 'Southern Departure Divine King'. He cultivated the Great Dao of the 'Vermilion Heaven Departing Flame' and his cultivation had reached the realm of the Eighth Layer of Primordial Unity Emperor Lord.

Such a figure was considered a supreme powerhouse even within the Divine Race, possessing the power to preserve his own life even when facing a Great Emperor.

Unfortunately, at this moment, the main forces of both the Human and Divine Races were pinned down by surprise attacks from the Demon Race, forcing him to confront the assault of three Great Emperors and a vast host of Demon Race warriors.

Most crucially, the Great Dao Adversary [a destined rival on one's path of cultivation] of the Southern Departure Divine King was none other than the Vermilion Bird Great Emperor, ranked first in strength among the ten Great Emperors of the Demon Race.

That one was the second-in-command of the Immortal Phoenix Clan, wielding three Innate Supreme Treasure [treasures born of heaven and earth, possessing supreme power]. He was hailed as invincible beneath the Sage Ascendant, his strength far surpassing even that of the Primordial Thunder Crow Great Emperor.

For such a paramount figure to move, clearly intent on slaying his own Great Dao Adversary to break through to a higher realm, meant a scheme laid over countless Kalpa Tribulation [a cosmic cycle of immense duration, often billions of years] of long ages.

Given the status of the Vermilion Bird Great Emperor within the Immortal Phoenix Clan, it was highly likely that behind him lay the machinations of the Primordial Phoenix Celestial Emperor, implicating this affair in the grand power play between Chaos Celestial Emperor.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen sighed softly before speaking. "It seems the Southern Departure Divine King faces grave peril, and the Divine Race's Vermilion Bird Star Domain cannot be held."