Chapter 891: Gather

The Sacred Flame Hall.

Under the escort of the Heavenly Emperors, the Luminous Ark set off at a steady, unhurried pace toward the Myriad Astral God Hall.

On the way here, Li Pin had only been accompanied by First Galaxy and Cai Zhi. But this time, Miao Zhuan and Ji Shun from the Sacred Flame Hall had joined them, along with Wang Fuyun, Yun Lai, and Yu Xuexian from Dragon Abyss Tower.

The members of Dragon Abyss Tower had mediocre talent. After more than two hundred stellar years, they had barely reached the Astral God level and were still far from the Solar Flare Realm.

Li Pin had no plans to personally mentor them, nor would he force their growth beyond what they could handle. But there were still many roles that came with good rewards and could be filled by ordinary Astral Gods. There was no reason not to assign them accordingly.

Among them, Wang Fuyun could be entrusted with a bit more responsibility.

Before heading to the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War, Li Pin had gifted him a generous supply of Profound Creation Crystals. With their help, Wang Fuyun had stepped into the Cosmic Radiance Realm.

Though Li Pin was often surrounded by Sacred Monarchs and Heavenly Emperors, anyone who reached the Cosmic Radiance Realm was still a solid pillar in any region.

The human territories were vast, with countless Astral Gods. Even so, the total number of Cosmic Radiance cultivators likely didn't even exceed a million.

That alone showed just how valuable a Cosmic Radiance cultivator truly was.

By bringing Wang Fuyun to the Myriad Astral God Hall, Li Pin clearly intended to cultivate him further. If Wang Fuyun proved himself capable, he wouldn't just be placed in an important position, but might even rise to become a Tyrant one day.

Because of this, even the Heavenly Emperors aboard the ship had begun treating Wang Fuyun differently. No one regarded him as an ordinary Cosmic Radiance anymore. Instead, they chatted with him as equals, laughing and conversing with ease.

***

The battleship gradually disappeared into the distance.

Yet even from afar, many Astral Gods still watched it, gazing at the laughter and chatter on board.

Among them were well-known names from the Sacred Flame Hall's World Glory List, like Luo Shenxi, Thousand Dust, Lin Tianhuang, Sheng Xu, and others.

"Wang Fuyun..." Lin Tianhuang thought of the figure who had just been chatting and laughing with Vice Hall Master Ji Shun aboard the ship. "He was just a nobody two hundred years ago. Back then, he didn't even qualify for us to remember his name..."

The prodigy ranked on the World Glory List let out a bitter laugh. "But now... he was the first among us to step into Cosmic Radiance. And with Divine Emperor Origin guiding him, his future is vast beyond measure. Tyrant probably isn't his limit... he might become a Sacred Monarch, or even a Heavenly Emperor."

Those two titles hit like a hammer, shaking them to the core.

Sacred Monarch... Heavenly Emperor....

Even someone as powerful as Luo Shenxi had always aimed to become a Supreme's disciple.

Ever since Li Pin rose to prominence, the Supremes had turned their gaze toward the Sacred Flame Hall again and again, yet none had shown the slightest intent to take her in.

In the past, she could still believe she was a hidden gem yet to be discovered. But now, her chances of becoming a Supreme's disciple had grown faint. At best, she might be accepted by a Heavenly Emperor.

Even so, whether she could eventually reach the level of a Sacred Monarch or a Heavenly Emperor was still uncertain.

Under those circumstances, Wang Fuyun, who now had a chance at becoming a Sacred Monarch, even a slight hope of reaching Heavenly Emperor, had already left her far behind.

If even Luo Shenxi was falling behind, then there was little hope for those a step below her, like Lin Tianhuang, Sheng Xu, and Thousand Dust.

So far, the highest-ranking figure to even hint at accepting them as disciples was a Tyrant.

They were still holding out, hoping to be taken in by a Heavenly Emperor, or at least a Sacred Monarch. But no one knew when that day would come.

Meanwhile, Wang Fuyun had already joined the Myriad Astral God Hall and become Divine Emperor Origin's assistant. His future rise was practically guaranteed.

Sheng Xu sighed. "We're no longer in the same world."

"When I heard Li Pin, His Majesty Divine Emperor Origin, swept across the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War, I already saw the gap between us. There's no comparison to be made," Thousand Dust said with a bitter smile. "What I didn't expect... was that even people connected to him could pull so far ahead of us..."

At that moment, the talent he had always been so proud of suddenly felt meaningless.

Unless one's talent could dominate an entire era, those top-tier powerhouses had countless ways to raise someone less gifted far beyond what he could ever reach.

"Alright, let's not think about it anymore," Lin Tianhuang said, glancing at the others. He forced a smile. "The more we dwell on it, the more we'll doubt ourselves. If we must think about it, let's look on the bright side. At least we lived in the same era as Divine Emperor Origin and had once even competed with him..."

That line made Sheng Xu and the others twitch at the corners of their mouths. Ten Thousand Dust, in particular

The memory of him provoking Divine Emperor Origin back in the day was still vivid in his mind. Back then, he had said he wished for someone strong enough to rise, challenge him, and prove there were others more exceptional, more brilliant than himself. And Li Pin... had given him that hope.

Now, this once-proud genius of the Solar Radiance Realm could only cover his face in embarrassment.

Thankfully, the great Divine Emperor Origin hadn't taken that childish challenge to heart. Otherwise... I wouldn't have the face to show myself again.

***

While Thousand Dust, Lin Tianhuang, and the others were still discussing Li Pin, in a corner of the Sacred Flame Hall, someone had quietly sent out a message.

That message went through layers of reception, decoding, and reporting.

Before long, it reached a battleship waiting just outside the borders of the Human Domain.

Once the information was confirmed, the battleship began to accelerate. In moments, it broke through the boundary between the outer and inner layers of the Astral World, then rose into a higher dimension. Its speed surged again as it pierced into the core layer.

This all-out burst of speed caused massive disturbances. The shockwaves spread like a tsunami, crashing through both inner and outer layers of the Astral World. No one knew how many Astral Gods and starships were thrown off course in the chaos.

Even in the outer layer, many fragments of shattered star domains were knocked off their original paths and sent crashing into nearby regions.

As for why they could fly so recklessly within the Human Domain without facing any resistance... it all came down to one thing—their sheer power.

Aside from the Sacred Monarchs and Heavenly Emperors piloting the battleship, there were five Divine Emperors on board. They were the five Great Astral Lords, Tian Yu, Qiu Yu, Mo Xing, Zhong Yan, and Yang Guang.

***

Divine Emperor Zhong Yan spoke indifferently, "Origin... he is truly audacious. He killed three of our Astral Lords, yet didn't hide behind the Myriad Astral God Hall or use the Grand Celestial Constellation Cycle Formation for protection. He didn't even keep Emperor Xi close to ensure his safety. Instead, he went alone to the Sacred Flame Hall... It's clear he doesn't take the threat of the Astral Lord Council seriously at all."

Through his tone, it was clear he held some discontent.

Divine Emperor Qiu Yu responded, "Since his rise, Origin has killed three of our Divine Emperors and repeatedly crushed our momentum. He'd naturally hold no fear or reverence for us."

Divine Emperor Tian Yu glanced at the Divine Emperor Qiu Yu beside him. As the founder of the Astral Lord Council, Qiu Yu had long intrigued him. Tian Yu wanted to know just how powerful he truly was, and what terrifying strength

They

had granted him.

With that thought in mind, Tian Yu said, "That's why this operation must succeed. Failure is not an option. If we fall short, those who already doubt our strength will surely turn against us. Even the factions still loyal to us will abandon us. And when that happens, everything the Astral Lord Council has worked toward will end in failure."

His voice grew heavy. "And if we fail, without nurturing a single true Transcendent who can stand before the Supremes and prove our path is right, we won't have the power to deter them and will ultimately face their judgment. When their fury comes, we'll all pay the price."

"Don't worry," Divine Emperor Qiu Yu said calmly, "after this battle, Origin will vanish like a meteor across the void. He will be gone in a flash, reduced to dust in the winds of history."

Tian Yu added, "By success, I don't just mean defeating him. We must kill him. Only that will send a message across the world. If five Divine Emperors fight together and still fail to kill him, it will still be a major blow to our long-term plans."

Divine Emperor Qiu Yu glanced at him, said nothing, then smiled. "Have you noticed? Our path doesn't head straight to the Sacred Flame Hall."

"

Hm

?"

Tian Yu frowned and ran a calculation on their warship's trajectory. He quickly noticed something was wrong.

We are... heading for the Abyssal Rift!?

Tian Yu was taken aback. "You didn't just turn Zhu Zhao... you brought You Ying over to your side as well?"

Divine Emperor Qiu Yu smiled and nodded, but that smile carried a faint trace of something strange. "As the saying goes, 'those who recognize the times are wise.' Everyone is aware that we represent the right path and the future. Anyone who dares to oppose us is just a mantis trying to stop a chariot. They'll be crushed under the wheels of history."

His voice brimmed with confidence. "Origin will be no exception."

Yang Guang took a deep breath. "Six Divine Emperors working together...."

Divine Emperor Qiu Yu is clearly stronger than the average Divine Emperor. With this lineup, even if Origin were to die on the spot, it would still be a death worthy of pride.

Tian Yu, however, frowned.

You Ying... would she really switch sides so easily?

Besides, she was stationed in Abyssal Rift No.3. It was said Yuan Jie's death at Origin's hands had a lot to do with Origin using the Abyssal Rift's terrain to his advantage. What if this was all a setup from the humans?

But after thinking it through, Tian Yu ultimately said nothing. If he brought it up now, it would sound like he was trying to sow discord, and that could damage their internal unity.