Chapter 887: Rescue

At the Sacred Flame Hall.

“Fourteen Heavenly Emperors from the Sacred Flame Hall had arrived, joined by another six who were either its allies or once nurtured within it.

This was due to the Eternal Oblivion Disaster. Many Heavenly Emperors across the incarnated continent were overwhelmed, each entangled in their own crises and unable to come to aid in time. If not for that, the number of Heavenly Emperors gathered at the Sacred Flame Hall would have been much higher.

Inside a massive Astral Gate, Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs were making their move. Ripples of spatial energy spread from them, flowing steadily into the depths of the gate.

If a Sacred Monarch who had also mastered the power of space were here, they would notice that behind this layer of space lay a passage, one that led to a vast world beyond.

But with the outbreak of the Eternal Oblivion Disaster, the once stable passage between the two worlds was now being eroded bit by bit.

The Heavenly Emperors were doing all they could to repair the corroded sections, repeating the process again and again, careful not to stir the lurking Eternal Oblivion Force. At the same time, they worked to keep the spatial channel functioning.

Yet to fix what the Eternal Oblivion Force had touched, right under its gaze, was no easy task. Even Heavenly Emperors couldn't avoid being tainted by it.

Mo Xuan, Vice Hall Master of the Sacred Flame Hall and also the Master of the Humanity Sanctum, bore clear signs of that corruption. The damage had already reached the point of no return.

With the amount of Eternal Oblivion Force clinging to him, even an ordinary Tyrant now had the power to drag him down, if they were willing to die with him.

Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs stood around the Astral Gate, their faces heavy with regret and sorrow.

"Mo Xuan, it's not that I won't help, but the Eternal Oblivion Force has latched on. I have no choice, I must retreat for now."

"The passage's been eaten away again. Most of it's gone. We can't hold it anymore. It's time to let go."

"How many are still inside? If it really can't be helped, raise the selection threshold again... The passage is too unstable now. Without spatial mastery, they can't traverse the space channel anymore. Only Sacred Monarchs and Heavenly Emperors who control space can bring people out.

"But with the Eternal Oblivion Force everywhere, most of our methods won't work. Under these conditions, how many can we even bring out at once?"

Seeing Mo Xuan about to enter the gate again after bringing out another group, one of the Heavenly Emperors stepped forward and stopped him. "That's enough. We've already done our best. With how much Eternal Oblivion Force is clinging to you now, how many more trips can you make? How many more people can you still save? If things go wrong, you might not make it out yourself."

Another Heavenly Emperor also tried to dissuade him. "Exactly. The ones still inside... some may have potential, but whether they'll ever form a True Spirit or reach Cosmic Radiance remains questionable. If something happens to you, it's just not worth it."

But Mo Xuan remained firm. "The spatial passage hasn't completely collapsed yet. As long as I can still save someone, I will."

"It's not about whether the passage has collapsed," said the first Heavenly Emperor, frowning. "It's about how much Eternal Oblivion Force you're already carrying. There's no need to take it that far..."

His words struck a chord with many others. Several Heavenly Emperors nodded in agreement.

The spatial passage could probably hold for another three to five years, but the problem was the overwhelming invasion of the Eternal Oblivion Force.

Of the twenty Heavenly Emperors present, half had already been tainted by it, some with more, and some with less.

They were willing to save people, but they weren't selfless enough to risk themselves just to do so.

Or rather, they simply felt the ones still left in the Humanity Sanctum were no longer worth the risk. After all, the most talented ones had already been evacuated.

Mo Xuan pleaded, "One more year! I beg all of you! Just hold on for one more year! Many still see us as their only hope... They are the seeds of the Humanity Sanctum!"

A Heavenly Emperor beside him sighed. "Mo Xuan, we must know our own limits. It's not that we haven't tried, but holding on for another year would push us beyond what we can handle..."

With that, he cupped his hands in farewell and left. Three more Heavenly Emperors followed him.

In fact, over the past year or two, several Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs had already departed one after another. Otherwise, there would have been even more gathered here today.

Heavenly Emperor Miao Zhuan looked at Mo Xuan and said, "Those who rushed in to help have already done more than enough. Asking them now to risk their lives just to save others... that's asking too much. Mo Xuan, I hope you can understand."

Mo Xuan gave a bitter smile. "I do."

He once again turned his gaze back to the spatial passage.

He couldn't ask anything more of the others. All he could do was give everything he had, to save as many people as possible.

Just then, a Sacred Monarch quickly approached Miao Zhuan and reported, "My Lord, the Central Sovereign Divine Emperor Origin is heading toward the Sacred Flame Hall. He will arrive soon. Shall we make the necessary preparations to receive him?"

"Central Sovereign?"

At first, Miao Zhuan instinctively thought of Jin'que, the traitor from the Myriad Astral God Hall. But he quickly realized that wasn't the case.

In less than a stellar year, news of Li Pin slaying two Divine Emperors and reclaiming the Myriad Astral God Hall had already spread throughout the human territory.

More recently, there were widespread rumors that Divine Emperor Xi, Divine Martial Emperor, Tai Yi, Chang Sheng, and Northern Pole were pushing for Li Pin to ascend as Central Sovereign.

The Sacred Flame Hall had no objections to this.

Anyone who had objections could try reclaiming the hall and killing two Divine Emperors themselves.

It wasn't just the Sacred Flame Hall. The Endless Divine Mountain, Omni-Merchant Guild, and Heaven Ordainment Sect likely felt the same.

Even if they had their own agendas, no one dared speak against him. Faced with Li Pin's unmatched strength, quietly regarded as the strongest in the Astral World, along with Divine Emperor Xi following him and the support of over forty Heavenly Emperors, all doubts were buried.

Besides... the Supreme Council had long intended for Li Pin to lead the Human Race in the Astral World during the time he was missing.

Back then, since they didn't understand the full extent of his power, they had only given him adjudicating authority to protect him. But now... he had become the strongest in the Astral World. He had the merit of reclaiming the Myriad Astral God Hall, the support of countless Divine and Heavenly Emperors, and the Supreme Council's backing.

If not him as the Central Sovereign, then who else?

Everyone had already seen this as the inevitable outcome and had mentally prepared for it.

So when Li Pin officially took office not long after and became the Central Sovereign, there wasn't a single voice of opposition from the outside world.

Unfortunately, the Sacred Flame Hall had been busy saving countless lives in the Primordial World. The whole thing had also happened too quickly for the other Four Major Factions to respond. Otherwise, the envoys they would've sent were probably already on their way to the Myriad Astral God Hall with gifts in hand.

What no one expected was that the newly appointed Central Sovereign would suddenly appear outside the Sacred Flame Hall.

Thinking of Li Pin's current prestige and achievements among the Human Race, Emperor Miao Zhuan quickly said, "Quick, come with me to greet him!"

But then he shook his head. "If I go alone, how could that reflect the stance of our Sacred Flame Hall? Hurry, summon Ji Shun, Mo Xuan, and the other Heavenly Emperors. We'll receive him together."

The Sacred Monarch glanced at Mo Xuan, who was still buried in his work. "This..."

At this point, even if Li Pin had come in person, Mo Xuan might not be willing to put his work aside.

Emperor Miao Zhuan had clearly thought of this too. He was about to personally persuade Ji Shun and Mo Xuan when a streak of light suddenly tore through the sky and appeared above the gateway to the Primordial World.

Along with it came a figure formed entirely from starlight.

It was First Galaxy, whose authority among the Human Race rivaled that of Central Sovereign Jin'que.

Back when the Supreme Council granted Li Pin the power to make rulings, they had already issued orders to First Galaxy. However, those orders were meant to take effect only after the Heavenly Emperor Council was formed, or once Li Pin had enough strength to protect himself.

Later, not only did Li Pin prove himself the strongest in the Astral World, he even rose to become the Central Sovereign, the nominal leader of the Human Race. Naturally, the First Galaxy appeared as well, coordinating with Sasha in taking control of the Grand Celestial Constellation Cycle Formation.

Given that the situation in the Primordial World might call for the First Galaxy, Li Pin handed full control of the formation over to Sasha, then brought the First Galaxy straight to the Sacred Flame Hall. Using the First Galaxy's high-level authority, he entered the hall directly.

Ji Shun was the first to notice Li Pin's sudden appearance. He opened his mouth to greet him. "Origin—"

But before he could finish, Emperor Miao Zhuan stepped forward and cupped his fist. "Central Sovereign Divine Emperor, it is an honor to have you here at the Sacred Flame Hall."

Miao Zhuan's words cut off Ji Shun's greeting, forcing him to rephrase,"Greetings, Central Sovereign Origin."

"No need for formalities," Li Pin replied calmly.

Then he turned toward the Astral Gate. "I'm here for the Primordial World. What's the situation over there?"

"The spatial passage can still last for another one to two years," Ji Shun answered in a low voice. "But... the Eternal Oblivion Force has spread too far. Everyone is being extremely cautious. No one dares to use any strong techniques, afraid it will draw in more of that power..."

Li Pin nodded slightly. "The Eternal Oblivion Force..."

The world was still in the midst of the Eternal Oblivion Disaster. The force itself was extremely reactive. Especially now, with it already creeping into the spatial passage.

Anyone who dared go all out would immediately be entangled by it. Worse, they might even suffer the Astral World's backlash, a punishment meant only for the Supremes.

Li Pin glanced over. "One to two years..."

Every Sacred Monarch, out of caution, only dared to bring out a small group of people each time. At this rate...

He asked, "We still won't be able to evacuate everyone in time, even after two years, right?"

Ji Shun gave a bitter smile. "We can only do what we can and leave the rest to fate."

"Then let's finish it in one go," Li Pin said, sweeping his gaze across the crowd. "All Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs, enter the Primordial World and act with full strength. We'll get everyone out at once. As for the Astral World backlash that might be triggered..."

He spoke steadily, "I'll handle it."