Chapter 1289: A Huge Fortune

The Ancient Desolate Imperial Clan!

One of the two super clans among the Ten Tiers of Civilizations. It was one of the most powerful clans in existence.

The experts nearby were shocked to learn that they had mobilized the entire clan. None had expected the Ancient Desolate Imperial Clan to make such a bold move by rallying their clan in response to the call of the Ancestral Dao!

"Aren't they afraid of losing the gamble and getting wiped out?" someone asked.

"

Pfft!

" Someone laughed and chided, "With the Ancestral Dao leading us, how could we lose? This huge fortune is practically being handed to us for free. I've already summoned all my clan members. We're going all in!"

"The Ancient Desolate Imperial Clan has decided to go all in. Damn it, someone send a message to the clan! I want everyone to come here and fight!"

The Ancient Desolate Imperial Clan's decisive actions convinced those on the fence to summon their clan's strongest experts to this battlefield.

A colossal dragon was carrying a middle-aged man amidst the starry skies. The middle-aged man was wearing a loose cyan robe, and his long crimson hair was as vivid as fresh blood. A defiant smile tugged at his lips, and a terrifying aura of the Great Dao emanated from him.

He was none other than Huangu Tian! The Clan Leader of the Ancient Desolate Imperial Clan! He already had one foot into the Pinnacle Dao Realm, so his arrival made everyone feel the Great Dao pressure emanating from him, leaving them in awe.

Even though he was just half a step into the Pinnacle Dao Realm, his aura far surpassed the auras of ordinary Dao Channel Realm experts.

Four elders clad in black robes, all at the peak of the Surpassing Dao Realm, stood behind Huangu Tian. Unlike ordinary cultivators, their Daos weren't derived from a civilization's Great Dao but from the Ancestral Dao!

Even a single one of them was enough to sweep through all opposition in a Tier Nine Civilization. Despite that, the Ancient Desolate Imperial Clan had four of them!

Thirty-six elite Dao Channel Realm experts stood behind them. They were all formidable experts. The experts from Tier Nine Civilizations were shocked and shaken. A Tier Ten Civilization was truly powerful.

Huangu Tian smiled as he gazed at the distant entrance of the Heavenly Tomb World. He knew a few things about this place, and he also knew the existence of Dao Defiers.

However, the Dao Defiers were mostly confined to the Heavenly Tomb World, and they rarely appeared, so he had little experience dealing with them.

Huangu Tian decided to gamble with his entire clan.

After all, everyone here would attain the Dao in an instant after this fight!

Only fools would miss this opportunity. After all, the Ancestral Dao itself had spoken. Of course, Huangu Tian dared not underestimate the Dao Defiers. Their Daos were against the natural order, so the fact that they were still alive was a testament to their strength.

Rumble!

Violent rumblings echoed on the right. Huangu Tian turned and saw a towering beast emerge from a spacetime rift.

It was a Star-Moving Ape!

The massive ape stood thousands of meters tall, resembling a mountain. Its arms were like pillars, and its eyes blazed like fiery orbs. Each step it took made even spacetime itself tremble.

The Taixuan Clan was here!

It was a super clan that rivaled the Ancient Desolate Imperial Clan.

A middle-aged man in elegant robes stood on the ape's head. His long hair draped over his shoulders, and a composed smile tugged at his lips.

Taixuan You! He was the clan leader of the Taixuan Clan. He was a half-step Pinnacle Dao Realm expert like Huangu Tian.

Four elders and a graceful lady stood around him, and all of them were Surpassing Dao Realm experts, emanating overwhelming energy. Forty elite Dao Channel Realm experts stood behind them.

They, too, had mobilized their entire clan!

The people from Tier Nine Civilizations were astounded by the sight.

Huangu Tian looked at Taixuan You and calmly said, "I thought you wouldn't come."

Taixuan You laughed heartily, "How could we miss out on such a huge fortune?"

The Taixuan Clan's future would be ruined if they were to refuse to come here. After all, the Ancestral Dao promised instant Dao attainment for the participants.

Taixuan You had no choice but to come here! He dared not refuse to come here!

Huangu Tian glanced at Taixuan You before gazing at the distant Heavenly Tomb World. He was puzzled. The Dao Defiers had been coexisting peacefully with the Ancestral Dao for many years.

Why had the Ancestral Dao decided to wage war on them?

What triggered this war?

He was curious and wary.

However, from the moment they chose to follow the Dao, they were destined to obey it without any resistance. Their power was from the Ancestral Dao, so how could they defy it?

More and more experts arrived, and everyone who thought that they were decently powerful could no longer say that with confidence.

There were too many experts here, but they were basically forced to come here. The temptation was just too enticing. Of course, some only wanted to hop onto the bandwagon.

However, no one dared to make the first move.

They were all waiting—waiting for the Ancestral Dao.

***

Emperor Jun was standing before the Sea of Suffering with his hands behind his back. He was lost in thought.

"What are your thoughts, Second Brother?" asked the Third Sister with a smile.

Emperor Jun gazed into the Sea of Suffering. "I wonder what's on the other side."

The lady chuckled. "Probably just another cycle."

Emperor Jun mused, "But what if it's not?"

"It definitely is," the lady replied.

He turned to her. "Why are you so sure?"

The lady opened her palm, revealing a drop of water. "Within this droplet are countless living beings, invisible to the naked eye. These tiny lives will never know how vast the world beyond this droplet is. Even if one manages to escape and see countless other droplets, it still won't be able to fathom the enormity of its world."

Emperor Jun shook his head. "Let's change the topic."

The lady flicked her fingers, sending the droplet away.

"What do you think of that little fellow?"

"Passionate, tenacious, and unwilling to admit defeat. He's uncertain about the future and somewhat worried about it. He's just like... us back in the day."

Emperor Jun nodded quietly.

"Second Brother, are you worried that his intentions aren't pure?"

"What do you think?"

"Second Brother, do you remember when Big Brother took us in? At that time, we were just a burden to him, but he still took us in."

Emperor Jun gazed at the Sea of Suffering in front of him as he reminisced.

The lady looked into the depths of the Sea of Suffering and brushed a lock of her billowing hair behind her ear before saying, "That little guy has been through a lot. His family doesn't seem to care about him.

"Although he appears resilient and tough, he's still just a young man. Faced with enemies who are ten times stronger than he is, what else can he do against them?

"When I first came here to seek refuge, my intentions weren't exactly pure either, but I truly wanted warmth and protection..."

The lady smiled gently and added, "As long as they're kind... that's what matters among kindred spirits."

Emperor Jun shook his head. "That's not what I'm concerned about. The fact that his grandfather helped Big Brother remove that divine retribution on him is enough for us to repay that kindness for our entire lives. What worries me is that someone is secretly orchestrating a massive scheme..."

The lady frowned slightly.

Emperor Jun continued. "I keep sensing an invisible hand manipulating everything from behind the scenes. But no matter how I deduce it, I can't really discern it..."

"Is it the Ancestral Dao?"

Emperor Jun shook his head. "I don't know. I can only vaguely sense it; that's it.

The lady fell silent.

"Second Brother, Third Sister!" someone shouted.

The Upper God approached them and said, "The two great clans of the Tier Ten Civilizations have already mobilized their entire clans. Besides that, Sixth Brother said that the old Abbot from the Grand Zen Monastery is here as well."

Emperor Jun's brows furrowed deeply. "Him?"

The Upper God nodded. "Yes."

The lady was puzzled. "Even that old Abbot is here?"

They had some interactions with the old Abbot, so they hadn't expected him to come here.

The Upper God added, "The Nine Continents Master also went to the Milky Way to contact a mysterious powerhouse. That figure is extremely formidable. Sixth Brother couldn't get close enough to gather details, so their identity remains unknown..."

The Upper God's face grew solemn. "It seems the Ancestral Dao is truly determined to go all out against us this time."

"So be it." Emperor Jun lightly flicked his sleeve. "If soldiers come, we'll fight them. If water floods, we'll block it. There's no point in overthinking it. Tell Sixth Brother, Seventh Brother, and Eighth Brother to come back here.

"No matter what catastrophe awaits, we, brothers, will face it together."

The Upper God smiled. "They're already on their way."

"How's Big Brother?"

"He needs a bit more time."

Emperor Jun nodded slightly. "What about that little one... Little Nine?"

The lady smiled. "He's in his pagoda, reviewing the case files I have collected so far. But it's hard to say whether he can coexist with that seal."

"Third Sister, stay in the pagoda and assist him. Fifth Brother, proceed with the plan alongside Fourth Brother."

With that, Emperor Jun walked toward the distant horizon. "I'll go challenge them by myself."

The Upper God hastily said, "Second Brother, they probably won't agree to a one-on-one fight..."

"I'm saying that I'll fight them all by myself," Emperor Jun clarified.

With that, he vanished into the distance.