Chapter 704: Hell in the Heavenly Palace!

The Heaven-Reaching Constellation was the very soul of the Constellation Army.

His gruesome demise was, for every soldier of that army, akin to a rending, ruthless devastation of their conviction.

When the Great Mother devoured his corpse whole, wails of unbearable agony echoed across the divine land of the Celestial Court.

In the winding streets of the Heavenly Palace, the imperial cultivators witnessed Naraka's forces consuming the heavens and earth. The savagery of these demons and devils was unmatched, leaving decapitated heads and rivers of blood in their wake, which only amplified the despair of the humans.

The sky, the earth, the courts, the gardens—all once places of refined elegance—were now bloody battlegrounds littered with severed limbs and fallen celestial artifacts, magic treasures, and True Immortal Jades.

Screams of agony, cries of despair, and roars of rage rose and fell in a terrible symphony.

The fearsome Great Mother, having devoured the Heaven-Reaching Constellation, had become a shadow in the hearts of all within the Constellation Army and imperial cultivators. They trembled as they watched this monstrous being continue her slaughter, their faces pale with dread.

Powerlessly, they witnessed the Nine Arcanes Constellation and Martial Peak Constellation, along with a thousand celestial warriors, attempt to encircle the Great Mother. No one could halt her advance.

RIP! CRUNCH!

Even though the Nine Arcanes Constellation and Martial Peak Constellation fought bravely, the two could not escape their fate, torn into pieces and devoured by the Great Mother.

The Three Great Constellations, leading the charge, all fell in battle!

Their violent deaths seemed only to scratch the surface of the Great Mother.

After annihilating the Three Great Constellations, she transformed back into a mountain of blood and flesh, moving across the divine land.

She even gathered the faces of the fallen Three Great Constellations in front of her body, their mouths emitting a sickly yellow mist as they screamed, their eyes fixed in the direction of the Taiwei Imperial Palace, as she lumbered toward it with a thunderous rumble.

"Crown Prince! Hehe! Hehehe! Crown Prince..."

The faces of the Three Great Constellations displayed a deep, unsettling hatred.

In death, their visages were even more twisted than in life.

"Corpse demon, corpse demon...!"

Seeing the Three Great Constellations dead, the leaderless Constellation Army's morale completely shattered.

Under the relentless assault of Naraka's forces, their lines broke completely, the ferocious demons and devils grinding them into the ground, plowing bloody trails toward the Imperial Palace.

Fear, desolation, helplessness, and sorrow marked the faces of every imperial family member.

Countless warriors of the Constellation Army died in front of their own homes, their bodies torn to shreds and devoured, leaving not even a whole corpse to bury.

Families torn apart, entire lineages slaughtered—it was a common sight.

In a corner of this hellish scene, a youth in white stood under the eaves, silently observing the chaos.

Beside him stood a girl in a maid outfit, about 13 years old with twin ponytails. Her eyes, slightly pale, watched the rampaging Great Mother intently.

"So many people are dying. Doesn't it stir something within you?" Pale Revenant asked in a soft whisper.

Yun Xiao's gaze remained undisturbed, his head shaking subtly as he spoke, "Each person is distinct, and those here hold the loftiest resources and sway in the world. Yet, they contributed nothing to our people and instead cast their own kin into the abyss. What befalls them today is the retribution they rightly deserve. I do possess empathy, but I reserve it—not for them."

"Oh," Pale Revenant murmured, a human at heart herself, pained as she watched people devoured alive by demons and devils.

"Bloodlines and clan ties offer no excuse to transgress moral boundaries. Their existence is a greater evil for many. Without a clean slate, there's no rebuilding, and the cycle of suffering will never end," Yun Xiao continued.

"I understand," Pale Revenant nodded, absorbing his words.

Turning, Yun Xiao patted her head, adding, "Moreover, considering the current factions at play—Lu Fan, the Celestial Court's imperial family, and the forces of Naraka—the imperial family harbors the darkest intent and poses the greatest threat to us. Their greater suffering can only benefit our path ahead."

Pale Revenant understood then. Although the Great Mother seemed formidable, Yun Xiao hardly feared her. The Celestial Demon Abyss, stripped down, was essentially under the rule of just one, the Great Mother.

The Celestial Court seemed in dire straits, but for Yun Xiao, it still wasn't enough. The worse this battle went for them, the better for his plans. Ideally, the Great Mother would seize control of the entire Heavenly Palace.

"Let's not dwell on this, there are opportunities to be found in the aftermath," Yun Xiao whispered to her.

"Mhm."

Together, the young master and maid blended into the battlefield—two fleeting shadows amid the chaos.

To the raucous, brutal, fiercely contested battlefield, they were just another silent part of the carnage.

The battle between the imperial family and Naraka's forces raged on!

The demons and devils, like meat grinders, mowed a path of blood and gore towards the Taiwei Imperial Palace.

The entire landscape of the Celestial Court was now engulfed in a mist of blood.

Nearly all of Naraka's forces had breached the Sacred Emperor Barrier, roaring ferociously as they surged toward the last defenses near the Taiwei Imperial Palace.

Blood mist, blood oceans, and decay swept across the world.

The Taiwei Imperial Palace, once a symbol of supreme sanctity, now steamed like a cauldron atop a pile of corpses, white smoke wafting up, marking the last vestige of dignity of the Heavenly Palace.

Inside, the highest ranks of the imperial family—figures like Empress Zhao and the Crown Princess—were all sequestered within.

"Crown Prince! Crown Prince!"

The Dragon Tiger Sovereign, drenched in blood, strode in and knelt before the pallid-faced Crown Prince, his voice resonant with urgency. "The Great Mother draws near the Taiwei Imperial Palace! We urgently need someone to hold her back! Please, lead us! Maximize the strength of our Rank 2 and above officials to strike down the Great Mother, to turn the tide of this disaster!"

The Crown Prince sat rigidly, his powder-covered face having turned ashen.

"If we don't capture the Great Mother, the Taiwei Imperial Palace will fall, endangering the foundations of countless imperial family members!" the Dragon Tiger Sovereign added with a trembling reminder.

"A fight with our backs against the wall, there is no other way!"

"Please, Your Highness, turn the tide of this catastrophe!"

As the other Rank 2 and above officials witnessed the sinister aura of the Great Mother seeping into the Taiwei Imperial Palace, their faces turned pale.

They knew they had to break out, requiring a strong leader to prevent their ranks from being scattered!

If these top celestial officials chose to flee in all directions, the Celestial Court would truly be doomed...

"Your Highness!"

None had expected that, even in such dire straits, the Crown Prince remained motionless.

What was he contemplating? Fight or flight? If he chose to flee now, he could surely survive, keeping the proverbial

green hills

intact—there would always be wood to burn.

But, the Heavenly Palace would surely fall even faster!

All the celestial officials stared at the Crown Prince with bloodshot eyes, everyone knew he was far older than even Empress Zhao. His handsome facade was just that—a facade maintained by the incense offerings, hiding the fact he was an ancient being, second only to the White Emperor.

"Your Highness, the Celestial Court faces a moment of life and death. Please, lead us in a fight with our backs against the wall," Empress Zhao said from the side, her voice grave.

"Silence! It's not your place to speak, woman!" the Crown Prince's face twisted grotesquely as he roared, the white powder on his face beginning to flake off.

Empress Zhao shook her head and said no more.

Afterwards, an absolute silence fell over the Taiwei Imperial Palace.

Outside, the cruel laughter of the Great Mother and the savage rampage of Naraka's forces grew louder, already resounding just outside the palace.

With a swoosh, the Northstar Sword Devil stood up and silently made his way outside.

Many followed him. These celestial officials, fully aware of the danger ahead, were compelled by a desire not to let humanity lose.

"Stop!" The Crown Prince suddenly stood, his gaze icy as he scanned the Northstar Sword Devil. "The Great Mother is powerful, and to confront her now is to court death. All of you, follow me! We'll retreat to the Western Kunlun Palace near the Immortal Asylum and regroup with my father to concentrate our forces and crush the Great Mother!"

The resignation and disappointment in the eyes of the celestial officials were evident. His words, while seemingly rational, effectively meant ceding much of the Heavenly Palace to the Great Mother, delivering countless kin to her as an evening feast.

Plainly speaking, the Crown Prince's

tactical

retreat was so excessive it bordered on cowardice, eliciting disdain.

Never before had anyone dared to scorn His Highness, but today, his

rationality

effectively abandoned the Celestial Court's ancestral ethos of bold, trailblazing leadership for the sake of humanity!

From the moment incense offerings were first burnt, as generations of Emperors became obsessed with eternal life, backbone, dignity, moral ground, and pride had been discarded entirely.

At this moment, within the Taiwei Imperial Palace, hearts were torn more fiercely than ever.

Faces like those of the Northstar Sword Devil and Dragon Tiger Sovereign were etched with conflict.

Yet, in the end, their steps halted, and they dutifully gathered around the Crown Prince, supporting his resolution.

Perhaps this was because the celestial officials present had inherited the

commendable

tradition of receiving incense offerings, stepping onto a path of self-doubt and spiritual collapse. From the day they entered this maelstrom, their will to bravely face death had been thoroughly corroded.

And only such

logic

and

reason

would dictate their actions in this existential crisis!

These celestial officials, with twisted faces and struggling gazes, battled internally between fight and flight, their hearts steeped in incense smoke, now brittle and fragile.

Even with the cover-up, how could these celestial officials be unaware?

The Great Mother was born from the incense offerings!

She was the resentment of countless aggrieved mortals who came to claim lives!

This notion of karmic retribution tore at their hearts like no other weapon could, deeply frightening those burdened with grave sins and inner turmoil!

Inside the Taiwei Imperial Palace, hearts flickered like candles in a storm. At this moment, resembling the old, young, and infirm, each of these apex Immortals were shaking and gasping for breath.

The shadow of the Great Mother now eclipsed the entire Taiwei Imperial Palace. Her putrid stench and echoing laughter penetrated the palace like talons, repeatedly clawing at the hearts of the celestial officials, sending shivers down their spines.

At this moment of profound despair, a thunderclap of joy exploded outside the Taiwei Imperial Palace.

"At last, the Emperor arrives!"

"The White Emperor descends, the Taiwei Imperial Palace is secured, demons and devils, meet your demise swiftly!"

"The Constellation Army, regroup, counterattack!"

These stirring cries ignited the Taiwei Imperial Palace like a fierce blaze, instantly turning the dim court into broad daylight...

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