Chapter 879: Mess

At the outer perimeter of the Myriad Astral God Hall, dozens of streaks of light fell like a rain of stars, rushing straight toward the Hall.

The Myriad Astral God Hall hovered above the Four Continents. But this "above" wasn't literal. Instead, it referred to a deeper layer within the Astral World.

Originally, the Myriad Astral God Hall was protected by the Grand Celestial Constellation Cycle Formation, making it impossible even for the Heavenly Emperors of the Four Continents to glimpse what was happening inside.

But as the battle between Li Pin, Jin'que, Zhu Zhao, and others intensified, they broke through the formation time and again. The violent tremors and changes could no longer be fully concealed. Soon, the top powers across the continent were alerted.

Even those Heavenly Emperors still in meetings about the Heavenly Emperor Council had no choice but to break off and rush through the skies toward the Myriad Astral God Hall. They all wanted to find out what had stirred up such a force capable of piercing the Grand Formation.

When they reached the Hall's outer perimeter, they found Tai Yi, Divine Martial, Gu You, and several other Heavenly Emperors waiting.

Wu Dang, Guang Cheng, Scorching World, Dong Ming, and others all spoke up.

"What's going on here?"

"Did you launch an early assault on the Myriad Astral God Hall?"

"The Grand Celestial Constellation Cycle Formation was running at full power, and it still got broken through? This has to be a battle between Divine Emperors! Could Emperor Xi and Zhu Zhao really have started fighting?"

Guang Cheng looked to his junior brother. "Tai Yi?"

Tai Yi, reluctant at first due to past disagreements, had no choice but to answer truthfully. "It seems Emperor Xi and Zhu Zhao have indeed begun fighting."

At that, Wu Dang's eyes brightened. "If that's true, this is a rare opportunity. We can coordinate from inside and outside, break through the Hall in one strike, and reclaim the Human Race's core. If we succeed, we'll crush the Astral Lord Council's schemes and greatly boost the morale of our people and allied forces."

"Calm down. Emperor Xi has always stayed neutral. Even when Jin'que attacked Chang Sheng and the others, Xi stood aside, unmoved. Why would he suddenly fight Zhu Zhao now? Could this be a trap? We should return and hold a full meeting before jumping to conclusions," Scorching World said firmly.

Dong Ming pressed further, looking to Dong Xu. "You've been waiting here early. What exactly happened?"

Dong Xu exchanged glances with Tai Yi, Divine Martial, and Gu You. They understood that if the Heavenly Emperors of the Five Major Factions moved now, it would relieve pressure on Li Pin and Emperor Xi. At the very least, they could rescue those trapped inside, like Chang Sheng, Northern Pole, High Palace, and others.

With that, they chose not to hide the truth.

Dong Xu explained quickly, "Emperor Xi agreed to a fair one-on-one duel between Origin and Jin'que, to witness the power that once killed Yuan Jie. If Origin proves stronger than Jin'que, showing he holds the power to slay Yuan Jie, Emperor Xi will abandon neutrality and side with us. He'd contact Chang Sheng, Northern Pole, and High Palace to coordinate and retake the Myriad Astral God Hall—"

Before he finished, Wu Dang snapped, unable to hold back. "This is madness!"

He barked, "You all know Origin is unstable. We're still uncertain whether he's truly a Divine Emperor. As for Jin'que, he may not be a Divine Emperor, is among the strongest just below that level. Even I'm not sure I could beat him. Sending Origin into a life-or-death duel with Jin'que? You're just sending him to die!"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Guang Cheng's face hardened. "The Supreme Council specifically ordered us to protect and nurture Origin. Now he's fighting Jin'que, and you kept this from us? Are you trying to get him killed? Do you even understand the bigger picture? If something happens, who's responsible?"

Hearing their accusations and attempts to shift blame, Divine Martial lost patience. "This was Origin's own choice. Who among us could have stopped him?"

His voice turned cold. "Besides... how do you know Origin can't beat Jin'que?"

"Exactly," Emperor Gu You added sternly. "We trust Divine Emperor Origin. And I also trust my master. Even if Origin ends up in danger, I believe my master will tear through the Formation to get him out safely."

"Ridiculous!" Emperor Wu Dang snapped angrily. "If Emperor Xi still truly cared for the Human Race, he wouldn't have stood by doing nothing during the Jin'que rebellion. As the guardian and commander of the Hall, his inaction was a crime!

"Why haven't we exposed this? Because losing two out of our three Divine Emperors to the Astral Lord Council would crush morale! And you actually believe he can protect Origin? He tricked Origin into the Hall to hand him over to the Astral Lord Council!"

"The situation is different now," Divine Martial Emperor said firmly. "Back then, Emperor Xi hadn't met Origin. After witnessing the miracles around him time and again, I believe he will make the right choice."

Seeing Wu Dang about to argue again, Divine Martial's eyes sharpened. "You keep blaming others and ignoring the bigger picture. If you're so confident, then act! You all clearly felt the Grand Celestial Constellation Formation shatter when Emperor Xi and Zhu Zhao fought, right?

"You caught a glimpse of Origin's fight with Jin'que too. Putting doubts aside, they are locked in a life-or-death battle right now. If you're really righteous, then seize this chance. Storm the Hall. Work together inside and out. Take it back in one strike!"

Those words stunned the aggressive Guang Cheng and Wu Dang into silence for a moment.

Then Guang Cheng spoke with a grave tone, "How do we know Emperor Xi and Zhu Zhao aren't putting on a show? How can we be sure Origin's fight with Jin'que isn't a trap? We must fully understand the situation before making any move."

"Exactly," Wu Dang added. "Our last defeat is still fresh. We need to preserve our strength for a decisive strike next time. If we rush in and fail again, we'll lose most of our morale and energy. Then the attacker and defender roles will flip, and none of us can afford to bear that responsibility."

The Heavenly Emperor Scorching World spoke in a low, steady voice. "How we fight, who faces whom, and how the rewards are divided afterward, all of this needs careful planning. Only then will the battle proceed in an orderly fashion, minimizing our casualties and preventing a devastating stalemate that would leave us powerless to handle the coming Astral World catastrophe.

"Unlike those scattered rebels, we are an organized, disciplined, and orderly force. Every step must follow a clear plan. We accumulate advantages step by step, like a snowball growing larger, until we crush those rebels thoroughly, with the least cost."

Divine Martial's eyes sharpened. "And Origin? He's locked in a life-and-death fight inside the Myriad Astral God Hall. Are we just going to stand here and watch?"

Those words gave Wu Dang, Guang Cheng, and Scorching World a headache.

Some even started resenting Li Pin.

We've given you everything for your cultivation. Whatever you asked for, we provided without question. Can't you just stay secluded and train quietly, let us handle the Myriad Astral God Hall's affairs? But no, you have to make a show of yourself, and now look where it's gotten us...

"Hahaha!" Seeing the Heavenly Emperors fall silent with no reply, Gu You burst into laughter. "Ridiculous! Truly ridiculous! Now I finally understand why, after seeing your so-called strategic meetings, Origin didn't waste any more words with you and just took action himself.

"Because... discussing a counterattack with people like you, even for a day, is nothing but a waste of time and life!"

Hearing the mockery in his words, Wu Dang, Guang Cheng, and Scorching World all changed expressions.

Attacking the Myriad Astral God Hall would require careful deliberation. How dare Gu You... someone not even an elite Heavenly Emperor...

"Gu You, you've gone too far!" Wu Dang shouted angrily. "The matter regarding Emperor Xi is still unresolved, and as his disciple, your loyalties are already questionable. How dare you speak so brazenly in front of us!?"

Gu You did not back down and countered, "Brazen? I'm just telling the truth. And you. Why are you so quick to twist words? If you really want to disagree, then fight. Including us, there are forty-two Heavenly Emperors here. If we all attack at once, how could we fail to break the Formation?"

The Heavenly Emperors following Wu Dang and Guang Cheng fell silent at these words.

They each had their own judgment on what was right and wrong. But... as Heavenly Emperors, right and wrong no longer mattered to them. What mattered was whether it served their own interests. So, not a single Heavenly Emperor spoke up to support Gu You's call for a full assault on the Myriad Astral God Hall.

"Gu You, you keep provoking me. What hidden scheme are you hiding? Or is this all part of your plan to lure us into a trap?" Wu Dang stepped forward. "Speak the truth, or don't blame me for showing no mercy."

"Even if you're unreasonable, you're determined to push it!" Gu You looked at them with a hint of sorrow. "You know you're being unreasonable. We know you're being unreasonable. You know we know you're being unreasonable. And we know you know we know you're being unreasonable. But... you still insist on being unreasonable."

"Gu You!" Wu Dang's voice turned cold. "It looks like you're set on being stubborn. Then don't blame me for teaching you a lesson—"

Before he finished, the Grand Celestial Constellation Cycle Formation, which had been shifting and swirling, suddenly stilled.

Then, an overwhelming power, stronger than any Emperor's, filled the space. It carried the cold killing intent of someone just emerged from battle, like the chill of winter spreading across the land.

"You want to punish my disciple?" A figure bathed in starlight stepped out from the formation. "Come. Stand before me. I'll give you one more chance to explain yourself. Tell me, how exactly do you plan to punish him?"