“Talkative!!” A sudden, thunderous voice exploded in everyone’s face, and immediately, everything around them changed—left, right, up, and down. Originally, Yang Hao and Hun Yuanzi were sitting inside a house, enjoying a delicious meal. But as soon as the voice sounded, the roof was torn off by a hurricane, the walls on either side crumbled like tofu, and a torrent of red energy surged rapidly down from the sky.
“Dragon’s breath!!” Hun Yuanzi cried in alarm. Dragon’s breath was divided into red, green, black, and gold, each with different properties. The red breath at this moment clearly carried an intense heat capable of reducing a person to ashes in an instant.
“Enough!!!” A sudden, thunderous voice exploded in everyone’s ears, and the surroundings instantly transformed. Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi had been sitting in a house enjoying delicious food, but the moment the voice sounded, the roof was torn off by a hurricane, the walls crumbled like tofu, and a surge of red energy descended rapidly from the sky.
“Dragon’s Breath!!” Hunyuanzi exclaimed in alarm. Dragon’s Breath came in four colors—red, green, black, and gold—each with distinct properties. The red Dragon’s Breath now descending carried an intense, scorching heat capable of reducing a person to ashes in an instant.
Yun Shang didn’t waste time talking. With a flick of his hand, a barrier of multicolored glass instantly enveloped the three of them. Meanwhile, Hunyuanzi, now a loose immortal with a physical body, had grown significantly stronger. Without hesitation, he exhaled a stream of true energy, forming an additional layer of alchemical barrier outside the glass shield.
However, the disparity between a lower-tier divine being like Hunyuanzi and an upper-tier one quickly became apparent. The red Dragon’s Breath barely hesitated upon encountering the barrier, tearing through it as if it were mere paper. Yet, when it met Yun Shang’s multicolored glass light, it came to an abrupt halt. Though just a thin barrier of light, it seemed to possess immense power, causing the Dragon’s Breath to swirl futilely before dissipating entirely.
With the immediate danger gone, the house where Yang Hao and the others had been was now obliterated. Above them, the sky was filled with towering monstrosities—none other than the four major deities Yun Shang had mentioned earlier.
The golden-winged Garuda and the dark angel king, Saan, stood atop the clouds, while the Titan and the black dragon hovered slightly lower, though still as massive as mountains. The earlier Dragon’s Breath had clearly been spat by the irritable black dragon, who now seemed displeased that Yun Shang remained unharmed. “You Shining Ones are so long-winded! All this talk and still no point!”
“Then you say it!” Hunyuanzi retorted, gnawing on a bone and defiantly raising his chin at the black dragon. In this world, perhaps no one feared dragons less than these two, given they had nearly killed one before.
The black dragon, leader of the Cadiz Dragon Clan, had never encountered such insolence. Yet, it suppressed its fury, transmitting only a wave of resentment through telepathy.
One advantage of dealing with highly intelligent divine beings like dragons was the absence of verbal communication. All information was directly implanted into one’s mind via thought waves—whether one wanted it or not.
In an instant, Hunyuanzi and Yang Hao understood the truth behind the gods’ so-called imprisonment. It was far simpler than Yun Shang’s lengthy explanation—yet infinitely more shocking.
The revelation was so staggering that both Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi were left speechless. Despite their vast experiences, they had never imagined stumbling upon such a monumental secret.
Compared to this secret, the oceans seemed shallow, the sky low—only the vastness of the universe could rival its scale. Hunyuanzi had always believed his personal vendetta and his sect’s history were the heaviest burdens in existence. But today, he realized there were greater truths beyond his imagination. Next to the gods, his struggles paled into insignificance.
The truth the black dragon had imparted was indeed a closely guarded secret, known only to a select few outside the divine realm. The upper echelons of the Galactic Empire had concealed it so thoroughly that not even a whisper of rumor had surfaced.
This was the secret of the gods, the secret of cultivators, the deepest enigma of the universe.
If this truth were ever made public, chaos would ensue. The very fabric of the cosmos might unravel, toppling religious and leadership systems alike.
In short, if revealed, the universe would never be the same. Every belief held dear would be utterly overturned.
Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi broke into cold sweats, their faces ashen. Though they held no reverence for gods, the sheer magnitude of the revelation left them trembling.
As Yun Shang had said, the haughty deities of the divine realm were nothing but prisoners. They could only flaunt their power within the confines of their realm, for the truth was—their divine might had been stripped away.
Who could strip the gods of their power?
Even in this era, where cultivators and imperial technology had reached unprecedented heights, no one could rival the might of the gods—especially the upper-tier deities, whose power remained unmatched in the universe. They were supreme, wielding absolute authority.
Who could imprison the gods?
Yang Hao’s consciousness swam through the tangled web of thoughts and draconic memories. As he peeled back the layers, the truth emerging from the darkness was like a sharp blade, slicing through time, leaving it bleeding.
No one could defeat the gods.
But there was something beyond the gods.
The gods indeed possessed innate superiority—abilities beyond the reach of ordinary humans or even cultivators. Yet humans had their own gifts: wisdom and cunning.
A millennium ago, shortly after the cultivators’ third revival period ended—when Hunyuanzi, having failed multiple assassinations, wandered the cosmos like a lost soul—an earth-shattering event occurred.
The War of Gods and Demons erupted.
This marked a dark turning point in cosmic history, not only claiming billions of lives but also ending the gods’ dominion over the universe.
Just as Earth and the Milky Way’s cultivators were embracing renewed hope, deep in the cosmos, the blood feud between the light-aligned and dark-aligned gods reignited. This conflict surpassed all previous ones in brutality and scale. Nearly every god participated—hundreds of thousands of dark angels, thousands of Cadiz dragons, all the Shining Gods, and the Titans clashed across galaxies.
After thirteen cosmic months, the war reached a fever pitch, its flames spreading toward the cultivators’ stronghold—the Milky Way. Over a hundred gods who had left the galaxy returned, recruiting loyalists among the cultivators and preparing for a decisive battle centered on Earth.
By then, Earth and the Milky Way’s colonies had unified under a leadership council known as the Senate.
The Senate’s leader approached the light-aligned Shining Gods, pledging the allegiance of all Milky Way cultivators. He also offered a unique sealing spell, purportedly left behind by the Creator and hidden within Earth’s sects for millennia. Without sufficient power, it had remained dormant, but if the gods infused it with their energy, it could activate—a barrier capable of sealing any force. If the light-aligned gods channeled their power, the dark-aligned would be permanently imprisoned, with no means of escape.
Naturally, the light-aligned gods, led by the Shining Gods, rejoiced at this prospect, believing they had found a way to end the war. They accepted the Senate’s allegiance and, at the appointed time, pooled nearly all their divine energy into the sealing artifact.
But the Shining Gods never imagined the Senate leader had also pledged allegiance to the dark-aligned gods. The dark angel king and the Cadiz Dragon Clan, equally unsuspecting of human treachery, simultaneously infused their dark energy into another set of artifacts.
When light and dark converged, the two sets of artifacts merged at the Milky Way’s core, unleashing a radiant light—primordial energy from the dawn of the universe.
Time seemed to reverse, then surge forward again. Though everything returned to its place, the cosmic order had been irrevocably altered by deceit.
The main forces of the gods who had participated in the war vanished entirely. Sealed by their own power, nine divine realms materialized across the cosmos, imprisoning tens of thousands of deities.
The Senate leader had succeeded. Exploiting the rift between light and dark, he harnessed the gods’ combined energy and channeled it into ten divine artifacts, stripping them of their power entirely.
Thus, the universe entered a new era. The gods’ reign ended abruptly. Most upper and mid-tier deities were confined to the Nine Divine Realms—also known as the Hidden Realms or the Forgotten Realms.
The Creator’s sealing barrier was peculiar. The gods didn’t die or transform, but they suffered a fate worse than death. They discovered that only within the divine realms could they retain their world-altering power. Outside, their innate strength dwindled to a mere one percent.
For the upper-tier gods, who prided themselves on their might, this was a devastating blow. Once wielding power levels in the tens of thousands, they now barely reached a hundred outside their realms—easily bested by even a loose immortal. How could the Shining Gods, the dragons, or the dark angel king Saan endure such humiliation?
Though capable of leaving their realms, the gods lacked the courage to face a universe no longer theirs. For a thousand years, they remained confined to the Hidden Realms, none daring to step beyond. These nine realms were prisons without bars—dungeons that shackled the gods’ courage and power.
“Enough!!!” A sudden, thunderous voice boomed in everyone’s ears, and the surroundings instantly transformed. Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi had been sitting in a house, enjoying delicious food, but the moment the voice sounded, the roof was torn off by a hurricane, the walls crumbled like tofu, and a crimson current surged down from the sky.
“Dragon’s Breath!!” Hunyuanzi exclaimed in alarm. Dragon’s Breath came in red, green, black, and gold, each with distinct properties. The red Dragon’s Breath now descending carried an intense, scorching heat capable of reducing a person to ashes in an instant.
Without a word, Yun Shang flicked his wrist, and a shimmering, multicolored barrier instantly enveloped the three of them. Hunyuanzi, now a loose immortal with a physical body, had also grown significantly stronger. Unwilling to be outdone, he exhaled a surge of true energy, forming a layer of alchemical barrier outside the glass-like shield.
However, the disparity between a loose immortal of lower divine rank and an upper divine rank became glaringly apparent. The red Dragon’s Breath barely hesitated upon encountering the barrier before tearing through it effortlessly, as if Hunyuanzi’s spell were mere paper. Yet, when it met Yun Shang’s multicolored barrier, it halted abruptly. Though just a thin veil of light, it seemed to possess immense power, causing the Dragon’s Breath to swirl futilely before dissipating.
With the immediate danger gone, the house where Yang Hao and the others had been was no more. Above them, the sky was now filled with towering monstrosities—none other than the four other chief deities Yun Shang had mentioned.
The golden-winged Garuda and the Dark Angel King Saan stood atop the clouds, while the Titan and the Black Dragon loomed slightly lower, though still as massive as mountains. The earlier Dragon’s Breath had naturally been spewed by the irritable Black Dragon, who seemed displeased at failing to kill Yun Shang. “You Shining Ones are so long-winded! All this talk and still no straight answer!”
“Then you say it!” Hunyuanzi retorted, gnawing on a bone and defiantly tilting his chin at the Black Dragon. In this world, perhaps no one feared dragons less than these two, given they had nearly killed one before.
The Black Dragon, leader of the Cadiz Dragon Clan, had never encountered such insolence. Fuming but unable to retaliate, it resentfully transmitted a wave of thought.
Dealing with highly intelligent divine beings like dragons had its perks—no need for speech. All information was directly implanted into one’s mind via thought waves, whether one wanted it or not.
In an instant, Hunyuanzi and Yang Hao grasped the truth behind the gods’ so-called imprisonment—far simpler than Yun Shang’s lengthy explanation.
Yet the revelation was so staggering that it left them speechless. Despite their worldly experience, neither had ever imagined stumbling upon such a colossal secret.
Compared to this secret, the ocean seemed narrow, the sky low—only the vastness of the cosmos could rival it. Hunyuanzi had always believed his vengeance and sect’s history to be the universe’s heaviest burdens. Today, he realized there were greater truths beyond his own. Compared to the gods, his grievances paled into insignificance.
The truth the Black Dragon had imparted was indeed a closely guarded secret, known to only a handful beyond the divine realm. The upper echelons of the Galactic Empire had shrouded it so thoroughly that not even a whisper of rumor had escaped.
This was the secret of the gods, the secret of cultivators, the deepest enigma of the cosmos.
Were this truth made public, chaos would ensue, upending the universe’s order. Countless religious and leadership systems would crumble.
In short, if unveiled, the universe would never be the same. All faith would be utterly overturned.
Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi broke into cold sweats, their faces ashen. Though they held no divine beliefs, the revelation terrified them to the core.
As Yun Shang had said, the haughty gods of the divine realm were nothing but prisoners. They could only strut within their confines, for their power had been stripped away.
Who could strip the gods of their power?
Even in this era, where cultivators and imperial technology had reached unprecedented heights, none could rival the might of the gods—especially the upper divine ranks, whose power remained unrivaled in the cosmos. They were supreme, wielding absolute authority.
Who could restrain the gods?
Yang Hao’s mind swam through the tangled web of thoughts and draconic memories. As he unraveled the threads, the truth emerging from the darkness was like a sharp blade, slicing through time, leaving it bleeding.
Indeed, no one could defeat the gods.
But there was something beyond the gods.
The gods truly possessed supreme abilities, a gift beyond ordinary humans or even average cultivators. Yet humans had their own gifts—wisdom and cunning.
A millennium ago, shortly after the cultivators’ third revival period ended, when Hunyuanzi, having failed multiple assassinations, wandered the cosmos like a lost soul, an earth-shattering event occurred.
The War of Gods and Demons in the Blood Sea began.
This marked a dark punctuation in cosmic history, halting the lives of billions of intelligent beings and ending the gods’ dominion over the universe.
Just as cultivators centered around Earth and the Milky Way embraced renewed hope, deep in the cosmos, the blood feud between the Light-aligned and Dark-aligned gods erupted anew. This conflict surpassed all prior ones in brutality and scale. Nearly all gods were drawn into the fray—hundreds of thousands of Dark Angels, over a thousand Cadiz Dragons, and all Shining Gods and Titans clashed across galaxies.
After thirteen cosmic months, the war reached a fever pitch, its flames licking toward the cultivators’ core territory—the Milky Way. Hundreds of gods who had left the galaxy returned, recruiting loyalists among the cultivators, preparing to wage an even grander, decisive battle with Earth as the epicenter.
By then, Earth and its colonies had unified their cultivators under the Elder Council.
The Council’s leader approached the Shining Gods of the Light faction, pledging the allegiance of all Milky Way cultivators and offering a unique sealing spell.
This spell, purportedly left by the Creator, had been sealed within Earth’s sects for millennia. Lacking sufficient power, it had remained dormant. But if the gods infused it with their energy, the spell would activate—a barrier capable of sealing any force. If the Light gods channeled their power, the Dark gods would be permanently sealed, with no means of escape.
The prospect of such a spell thrilled the Light gods. Led by the Shining Gods, they believed they had found the key to ending the war. They accepted the Council’s allegiance and, at the appointed time, pooled nearly all their divine energy into the sealing artifact.
But the Shining Gods never imagined the Council had also pledged allegiance to the Dark faction. The Dark Angel King and Cadiz Dragons, equally unsuspecting of human treachery, simultaneously infused their dark energy into another set of artifacts.
Light and Dark converged. The two sets of artifacts merged into one at the Milky Way’s heart, unleashing a radiant light reminiscent of the universe’s birth.
Time seemed to reverse and surge forward. Though order was restored, the cosmic hierarchy had been irrevocably altered by deceit.
The main forces of the gods who had participated in the war vanished entirely. Sealed by their own power, nine divine realms emerged in the cosmos, imprisoning tens of thousands of gods.
The cultivators’ leader had succeeded. Exploiting the rift between Light and Dark, he harnessed the gods’ collective energy into ten divine artifacts, ultimately stripping them of their power.
Thus, the universe entered a new order. The gods’ reign ended abruptly. Most upper and middle-rank gods were confined to the Nine Divine Realms, also known as the Hidden or Forgotten Realms.
The Creator’s sealing barrier was peculiar. The gods neither died nor transformed, but suffered a fate worse than death—they discovered their world-altering power remained intact only within the divine realms. Beyond, their innate strength dwindled to a mere one percent.
This was a devastating blow, especially for upper-rank gods who prized power as their honor. Once wielding strength in the tens of thousands, they now barely mustered a hundred outside their realms—easily bested by even a loose immortal. How could the Shining Gods, the Dragons, or Dark Angel King Saan endure such humiliation?
Though capable of leaving their realms, the gods lacked the courage to face a universe no longer theirs. For a millennium, they remained sequestered in the Hidden Realms, none daring to step beyond. These nine realms were prisons without bars, dungeons that confined not just the gods’ bodies but their courage and power.
Once the immediate danger had passed, the house where Yang Hao and the others had been standing no longer existed. Above the open sky appeared a massive gathering of giants. They were not unfamiliar—they were the four other major deities Yun Shang had mentioned.
“Enough!!!” A sudden, thunderous voice exploded in everyone’s ears, and the surroundings instantly transformed. Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi had been sitting in a house enjoying a feast, but as the voice rang out, the roof was torn off by a hurricane, the walls crumbled like tofu, and a torrent of red energy surged down from the sky.
“Dragon’s Breath!!” Hunyuanzi exclaimed in alarm. Dragon’s Breath came in four colors—red, green, black, and gold—each with distinct properties. The red Dragon’s Breath now descending carried an intense, scorching heat capable of reducing a person to ashes in an instant.
Yun Shang didn’t waste time responding. With a flick of his wrist, a shimmering, multicolored barrier instantly enveloped the three of them. Meanwhile, Hunyuanzi, now a loose immortal with a physical body, had grown significantly stronger. Without hesitation, he exhaled a surge of true energy, layering a Dan Ding Barrier outside the glass-like shield.
But at this moment, the gap between a lower-tier divine being like Hunyuanzi and an upper-tier one became glaringly obvious. The red Dragon’s Breath barely hesitated upon encountering the barrier, tearing through it as if it were mere paper. Yet when it met Yun Shang’s radiant, multicolored light, it halted abruptly. Though just a thin barrier of light, it seemed to possess an immense, unyielding power, causing the Dragon’s Breath to swirl futilely before dissipating.
With the immediate danger gone, the house where Yang Hao and the others had been was no more. Above them, the sky was now filled with towering monstrosities—none other than the four major deities Yun Shang had mentioned earlier.
The golden-winged Garuda and the Dark Angel King Saan stood atop the clouds, while the Titan and the Black Dragon loomed slightly lower, though still as massive as mountains. The earlier Dragon’s Breath had clearly come from the irritable Black Dragon, who seemed displeased that Yun Shang remained unharmed. “You Shining Ones are so long-winded! All this talk and still no straight answer!”
“Then you speak!” Hunyuanzi retorted, gnawing on a bone and defiantly tilting his chin at the Black Dragon. In this world, few dared to provoke dragons—except perhaps these two, who had once nearly killed one.
The Black Dragon, leader of the Cadiz Dragon Clan, had never encountered such insolence. Fuming but unable to lash out, it resentfully transmitted a mental pulse.
One advantage of dealing with highly intelligent divine beings like dragons was the absence of verbal communication. All information was directly implanted into one’s mind via thought waves—whether one wanted it or not.
In an instant, Hunyuanzi and Yang Hao grasped the truth behind the gods’ so-called imprisonment—far simpler than Yun Shang’s lengthy explanation.
Yet the revelation was so staggering that both were left speechless. Despite their vast experiences, they had never imagined stumbling upon such a monumental secret.
Compared to this secret, the ocean seemed narrow, the sky low—only the vastness of the cosmos could rival it. Hunyuanzi had always believed his personal vendetta and sect’s history were the heaviest burdens in the universe. But today, he realized there were greater truths beyond his own. Compared to the gods, his struggles paled into insignificance.
The truth the Black Dragon had imparted was indeed a closely guarded secret, known to only a handful outside the divine realm. The upper echelons of the Galactic Empire had concealed it so thoroughly that not even a whisper of rumor had escaped.
This was the secret of the gods, the secret of cultivators, the deepest enigma of the cosmos.
If this truth were made public, chaos would ensue—perhaps even overturning the cosmic order itself. Countless religious and leadership systems would collapse.
In short, if revealed, the universe would never be the same. Every belief held dear would be utterly shattered.
Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi broke into cold sweats, their faces ashen. Though they held no reverence for gods, the sheer magnitude of the revelation left them trembling.
As Yun Shang had said, the haughty deities of the divine realm were nothing but prisoners. They could only flaunt their power within their confines, for the truth was—their divine might had been stripped away.
Who could strip the gods of their power?
Even in this era, where cultivators and imperial technology had reached unprecedented heights, none could rival the gods—especially the upper-tier deities, whose supremacy remained unchallenged. They were omnipotent, wielding absolute authority.
Who could imprison the gods?
Yang Hao’s mind swam through the tangled threads of consciousness and draconic memories. As layers peeled away, the truth emerged like a razor-sharp blade, slicing through time, leaving it bleeding.
Indeed, no one could defeat the gods.
But there was something beyond the gods.
The gods possessed innate superiority—abilities beyond ordinary humans or even cultivators. Yet humans had their own gifts: wisdom and cunning.
A millennium ago, shortly after the cultivators’ Third Renaissance ended—when Hunyuanzi, having failed multiple assassinations, wandered the cosmos like a lost soul—an earth-shattering event occurred.
The War of Gods and Demons erupted.
This marked a dark punctuation in cosmic history, halting not only billions of intelligent lives but also ending divine dominion over the universe.
Just as Earth and the Milky Way’s cultivators glimpsed hope, deep in the cosmos, the blood feud between the Light and Dark factions of gods reignited. This battle surpassed all prior conflicts in brutality and scale. Nearly every deity was drawn into the fray—hundreds of thousands of Dark Angels, thousands of Cadiz Dragons, all Shining Gods, and all Titans clashed across galaxies.
After thirteen cosmic months, the war reached a fever pitch, its flames licking toward the cultivators’ heartland—the Milky Way. Hundreds of gods who had left the galaxy returned, recruiting loyalists among cultivators, preparing for a decisive battle centered on Earth.
By then, Earth and its colonies had unified under the Elder Council.
The Council’s leader approached the Shining Gods of the Light faction, pledging the allegiance of all Milky Way cultivators. He offered a unique sealing spell—allegedly left by the Creator, hidden within Earth’s sects for millennia. Without sufficient power, it lay dormant. But if the gods infused it with their energy, the spell would activate—a barrier capable of sealing any force. If the Light gods empowered it, the Dark faction would be eternally imprisoned, with no escape.
Overjoyed, the Light gods, led by the Shining Ones, believed they’d found the war’s end. They accepted the Council’s allegiance and, at the appointed time, channeled nearly all their divine energy into the sealing artifact.
But the Shining Gods never imagined the Elder Council had also pledged to the Dark faction. The Dark Angel King and Cadiz Dragons, equally unsuspecting of human treachery, infused their dark energies into a twin artifact.
Light and Dark converged. The two artifacts merged at the Milky Way’s core, unleashing a radiant burst—primordial light from the universe’s dawn.
Time seemed to reverse, then surge forward. Though order was restored, the cosmic hierarchy had been irrevocably altered by deceit.
The gods’ main forces vanished—sealed by their own power. Nine divine realms materialized, imprisoning tens of thousands of deities.
The cultivators’ leader had succeeded. Exploiting the gods’ factional strife, he harnessed their combined energies into ten sacred artifacts, stripping them of their power.
Thus, a new cosmic order began. Divine rule ended abruptly. Most upper and mid-tier gods were confined to the Nine Divine Realms—also called the Hidden or Forgotten Realms.
The Creator’s sealing spell was peculiar. The gods didn’t die or transform—but suffered a fate worse than death. They discovered their godly might remained intact only within the realms. Outside, their power dwindled to a mere one percent.
For beings who glorified strength, this was devastating. Upper-tier gods, once wielding power levels in the tens of thousands, now barely reached a hundred outside their prisons—easily bested by even a loose immortal. How could the Shining Gods, the dragons, or Dark Angel King Saan endure such humiliation?
Though capable of leaving, none dared face a universe no longer theirs. For a thousand years, the gods remained trapped in the Hidden Realms—prisons without bars, cages that locked away their courage and strength.
“Then you talk!” Hun Yuanzi, still chewing on a bone, brazenly lifted his chin at the black dragon. In this world, probably the only two people who had no fear of dragons were this master and apprentice duo, since they had once nearly killed one.
The black dragon was the leader of the Cadith dragon clan here. When had he ever encountered such impoliteness? Yet he could not very well lash out, so he simply sent a wave of consciousness filled with resentment.
The biggest advantage of dealing with a high-intelligence divine race like the dragons was that there was no need to speak. All information was transmitted directly into your mind in a wave of thought, whether you wanted it or not.
Thus, in an instant, Hun Yuanzi and Yang Hao had already grasped the truth behind what the divine race called its prisoners. It was far simpler than Yun Shang’s long-winded explanation.
However, this truth was truly shocking, leaving Yang Hao and the others stunned for quite some time. These two had seen and heard much in their lifetimes, but they had never imagined that they would come into contact with such a colossal secret.
Compared to this secret, the ocean suddenly seemed narrow, and the sky seemed low. Perhaps only the vastness of the universe could rival it. Hun Yuanzi had always believed that his hatred and the history of his sect were the heaviest burdens in the universe. But now he realized that there truly was a sky beyond the sky. Compared to the divine race, those past burdens seemed insignificant.
The truth the black dragon had just transmitted was indeed a secret, one probably known to only a handful of people outside the divine realm. The upper echelons of the Galactic Empire had wrapped this secret so tightly that not even the faintest rumor had escaped.
This was the secret of the gods, the secret of cultivators, and the deepest secret of the universe itself.
If this truth were ever made public, it would surely cause chaos across the world, even overturning the entire cosmic system. Many religious worship systems and leadership structures would cease to exist.
To put it simply, if everything were revealed, the universe would no longer be the universe it once was. The faith in everyone’s hearts would be completely shattered.
Yang Hao and Hun Yuanzi, for all their bravado, were sweating cold and their faces turned pale. Even though they had no particular faith in gods, they were still shaken to the core.
It turned out that, just as Yun Shang had said, all those arrogant divine beings inside the divine realm were completely imprisoned. They could only strut around within the divine realm. The truth was, their divine power had already been stripped away.
Who could possibly strip the gods of their power?
Even in this era, when cultivators and imperial technology had reached incredible heights, no one had yet achieved the power of the divine race, especially the overwhelming might of the higher divine beings. They were supreme, possessing the power to judge and decide all.
Who could imprison the divine race?
Yang Hao’s consciousness drifted through countless strands of thought and dragon memories. As he unraveled the truth, it was as if a sharp knife sliced through time, leaving it bleeding.
Indeed, no one could defeat the divine race.
But there were other races beyond the divine.
Gods indeed possessed supreme abilities, a talent that ordinary people and even average cultivators did not possess. But humans had other talents—wisdom and cunning.
A thousand years ago, shortly after the end of the third revival period of cultivators, Hun Yuanzi had failed repeatedly in assassination attempts and was wandering the universe like a lost soul. At that time, an event occurred that shocked the entire world.
The God-Demon Blood Sea War had begun.
This was a massive black period in cosmic history. It not only ended the lives of countless intelligent species, but also marked the end of the divine race’s rule over the universe.
“Enough!!!” A sudden, deafening roar exploded in everyone’s ears, followed by a drastic change in their surroundings. Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi had been sitting in a house enjoying a feast, but the moment the voice rang out, the roof was torn off by a hurricane, the walls crumbled like tofu, and a surge of red energy descended rapidly from the sky.
“Dragon’s Breath!!” Hunyuanzi exclaimed in alarm. Dragon’s Breath came in red, green, black, and gold, each with distinct properties. The red Dragon’s Breath now descending carried an intense, scorching heat capable of reducing a person to ashes in an instant.
Without a word, Yun Shang flicked his wrist, summoning a radiant, multicolored barrier that instantly enveloped the three of them. Hunyuanzi, now a loose immortal with a physical body, had also grown significantly stronger. Unwilling to be outdone, he exhaled a stream of spiritual energy, forming an additional layer of alchemical barrier outside the glass-like shield.
However, the disparity between a lower-tier divine being like Hunyuanzi and an upper-tier deity quickly became apparent. The red Dragon’s Breath barely hesitated upon encountering the barrier, tearing through it as if it were mere paper. Yet, when it met Yun Shang’s multicolored radiance, it came to an abrupt halt. Though just a thin barrier of light, it seemed to possess immense power, causing the Dragon’s Breath to swirl futilely before dissipating entirely.
With the immediate danger averted, the house where Yang Hao and the others had been was now gone. Above them, the sky was filled with towering monstrosities—none other than the four other chief deities Yun Shang had mentioned earlier.
The golden-winged Garuda and the dark angel king, Saan, stood atop the clouds, while the Titan and the black dragon loomed slightly lower, though still as massive as mountains. The earlier Dragon’s Breath had clearly been expelled by the irritable black dragon, who seemed displeased that Yun Shang remained unharmed. “You Shining Ones are so long-winded! All this talk and still no progress!”
“Then you speak!” Hunyuanzi retorted, gnawing on a bone and defiantly raising his chin at the black dragon. In this world, perhaps no one feared dragons less than these two, given they had nearly killed one before.
The black dragon, leader of the Cadis dragon clan, had never encountered such insolence. Though furious, it restrained itself, transmitting a wave of telepathic energy instead.
One advantage of dealing with highly intelligent divine beings like dragons was the ability to communicate without words—all information was directly implanted into one’s mind, whether they wanted it or not.
In an instant, Hunyuanzi and Yang Hao understood the so-called “prisoner” truth about the divine beings. It was far simpler than Yun Shang’s lengthy explanation.
Yet the revelation was so staggering that both were left speechless. Despite their vast experiences, they had never imagined stumbling upon such a monumental secret.
Compared to this secret, the ocean seemed narrow, the sky low—only the vastness of the cosmos could rival it. Hunyuanzi had always believed his personal vendetta and his sect’s history were the heaviest burdens in the universe. But today, he realized there were greater truths beyond his comprehension. Compared to the divine beings, his struggles seemed trivial.
The truth the black dragon had imparted was indeed a closely guarded secret, known to only a handful outside the divine realm. The upper echelons of the Galactic Empire had concealed it so thoroughly that not even a whisper of rumor had surfaced.
This was the secret of the gods, the secret of cultivators, and the deepest mystery of the universe.
If this truth were made public, chaos would ensue, upending the cosmic order. Countless religious and leadership systems would collapse.
In short, if this truth were revealed, the universe as it was known would cease to exist. The faith of all beings would be utterly shattered.
Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi were drenched in cold sweat, their faces pale. Though they held no reverence for gods, the revelation terrified them to the core.
As Yun Shang had said, the haughty divine beings in the divine realm were nothing more than prisoners. They could only flaunt their power within the divine realm, for the truth was—their divine power had been stripped away.
Who could strip the gods of their power?
Even in this era, where cultivators and imperial technology had reached unprecedented heights, no one could rival the might of the divine beings, especially the upper-tier deities. They remained the supreme, unrivaled arbiters of the cosmos.
Who could imprison the divine beings?
Yang Hao’s mind swam through the tangled web of thoughts and dragon memories. As the truth slowly unraveled from the darkness, it cut through time like a sharp blade, leaving a trail of blood.
Indeed, no one could defeat the divine beings.
But there was something beyond them.
The gods did possess extraordinary abilities, gifts beyond the reach of ordinary humans or even cultivators. Yet humans had their own strengths—wisdom and cunning.
A thousand years ago, shortly after the third resurgence of cultivators, when Hunyuanzi was drifting through the cosmos like a lost soul after multiple failed assassinations, an earth-shattering event occurred.
The War of Gods and Demons began.
This marked a dark turning point in cosmic history, not only ending the lives of countless intelligent species but also terminating the divine beings’ rule over the universe.
Just as cultivators centered around Earth and the Milky Way were embracing hope for revival, a brutal war erupted in the depths of the cosmos between the light-aligned and dark-aligned divine beings. This conflict surpassed all previous ones in scale and ferocity. Nearly all divine beings were drawn into the battle—hundreds of thousands of dark angels, thousands of Cadis dragons, and all Shining Ones and Titans clashed across different galaxies.
After thirteen cosmic months, the war reached a fever pitch, spreading toward the heart of the Milky Way, the core of cultivator civilization. Over a hundred divine beings who had left the Milky Way returned, recruiting loyalists among the cultivators and preparing for a decisive battle centered around Earth.
By then, the cultivators across Earth and its colonies had unified under a leadership body known as the Elder Council.
The Elder Council’s leader approached the light-aligned Shining Ones, pledging the allegiance of all Milky Way cultivators and offering a unique sealing spell.
This spell, allegedly left behind by the Creator, had been hidden within Earth’s cultivation sects for millennia. Without sufficient power, it had remained dormant. But if the divine beings infused it with their energy, the spell could activate—a barrier capable of sealing any force. If the light-aligned divine beings channeled their power into it, the dark-aligned beings would be permanently sealed, with no means of escape.
Naturally, the light-aligned divine beings, led by the Shining Ones, were overjoyed at the prospect of ending the war. They quickly accepted the Elder Council’s allegiance and, at the appointed time, pooled nearly all their divine power into the sealing artifact.
But the Shining Ones never anticipated that the Elder Council had also pledged allegiance to the dark-aligned divine beings. The dark angel king and the Cadis dragons, equally unsuspecting of human treachery, infused their dark energy into another set of artifacts.
When light and dark converged, the two sets of artifacts merged into one at the center of the Milky Way. A brilliant light, reminiscent of the universe’s birth, erupted.
Time seemed to reverse and accelerate simultaneously. Though everything returned to its place, the cosmic order had been irrevocably altered by this conspiracy.
The main forces of the divine beings who had participated in the war vanished entirely. Sealed by their own power, nine divine realms emerged in the cosmos, imprisoning tens of thousands of divine beings.
The Elder Council’s leader had succeeded. By exploiting the conflict between light and dark, he harnessed the energy of all divine beings and channeled it into ten divine artifacts. The result? The divine beings’ power was completely stripped away.
From then on, the universe entered a new era. The reign of the divine beings came to an abrupt end. Most upper and middle-tier divine beings were confined to the nine divine realms, also known as the Hidden Realms or the Forgotten Realms.
The sealing spell left by the Creator was peculiar. The divine beings did not die or transform, but they suffered a fate worse than death—they discovered that only within the divine realms could they retain their world-altering power. Outside, their divine abilities dwindled to a mere one percent.
This was a devastating blow, especially for the upper-tier divine beings who prided themselves on their power. Once boasting tens of thousands of power levels, they now had only a hundred outside the divine realms—a level any loose immortal could defeat. How could the Shining Ones, the dragons, or the dark angel king Saan endure such humiliation?
Though capable of leaving the divine realms, they lacked the courage to face a universe no longer theirs. For a thousand years, all divine beings remained confined to the Hidden Realms, unwilling to take a single step outside. These nine realms were prisons without bars, locking away the divine beings’ courage and power forever.
After thirteen cosmic months, the war entered a new stage of intense escalation, and the flames of war began spreading toward the core regions of the cultivators—the Milky Way. Dozens of divine beings who had previously left the Milky Way returned, and they began recruiting loyal followers among the cultivators, preparing to launch an even larger decisive battle centered around Earth.
At that time, the cultivators on Earth and across the Milky Way’s colonies had already been fully unified, forming a leadership body known as the Senate.
“Enough!!!” A sudden, thunderous voice exploded in everyone’s ears, and the surroundings instantly transformed. Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi had been sitting in a house, enjoying a feast, but the moment the voice rang out, the roof was torn off by a hurricane, the walls crumbled like tofu, and a surge of red energy descended rapidly from the sky.
“Dragon’s Breath!!” Hunyuanzi exclaimed in alarm. Dragon’s Breath came in red, green, black, and gold, each with distinct properties. The red Dragon’s Breath now descending carried an intense, scorching heat capable of reducing a person to ashes in an instant.
Without a word, Yun Shang flicked his wrist, summoning a radiant, multicolored barrier that instantly enveloped the three of them. Having regained his physical form as a loose immortal, Hunyuanzi’s power had also greatly increased. Unwilling to be outdone, he exhaled a surge of spiritual energy, layering a Dan Ding Barrier outside the multicolored shield.
However, the gap between a loose immortal with the strength of a lower-tier deity and an upper-tier deity quickly became apparent. The red Dragon’s Breath barely hesitated upon encountering the barrier before breaking through effortlessly, as if Hunyuanzi’s spell were mere paper. Yet when it met Yun Shang’s multicolored barrier, it halted abruptly. Though just a thin layer of light, the barrier seemed to possess immense power, causing the Dragon’s Breath to swirl futilely before dissipating entirely.
With the immediate danger past, the house where Yang Hao and the others had been was now gone. Above them in the sky loomed a group of colossal figures—none other than the four major deities Yun Shang had mentioned earlier.
The golden-winged Garuda and the Dark Angel King Saan stood atop the clouds, while the Titan and the Black Dragon hovered slightly lower, though still as towering as mountains. The earlier Dragon’s Breath had naturally come from the irritable Black Dragon, who seemed displeased that Yun Shang remained unharmed. “You Shining Ones are so long-winded! All this talk and still no progress!”
“Then you speak!” Hunyuanzi retorted, gnawing on a bone and defiantly raising his chin at the Black Dragon. In this world, perhaps no one was less afraid of dragons than these two, given they had nearly killed one before.
The Black Dragon, leader of the Cadiz Dragon Clan, had never encountered such insolence but could only suppress his fury, sending out a wave of telepathic energy instead.
One advantage of dealing with highly intelligent deities like dragons was the lack of verbal communication—all information was transmitted directly into the mind via thought waves, whether one wanted it or not.
In an instant, Hunyuanzi and Yang Hao understood the so-called “prisoner” truth of the deities—far simpler than Yun Shang’s lengthy explanations.
Yet the truth was so staggering that it left them speechless. Despite their vast experiences, neither had ever imagined stumbling upon such a monumental secret.
Compared to this secret, the oceans seemed narrow, the skies low—only the vastness of the universe could rival its scale. Hunyuanzi had always believed his vengeance and sect’s history were the heaviest burdens in the cosmos, but today he realized there were greater truths beyond. Compared to the deities, his grievances paled into insignificance.
The truth the Black Dragon had imparted was indeed a closely guarded secret, known to only a handful outside the divine realm. The upper echelons of the Galactic Empire had concealed it so thoroughly that not even a whisper of rumor had escaped.
This was the secret of the gods, the secret of cultivators, the deepest enigma of the universe.
If this truth were made public, chaos would ensue, overturning the cosmic order and erasing countless religious and leadership systems.
In short, if revealed, the universe would never be the same. All faith would be utterly shattered.
Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi broke into cold sweats, their faces pale. Though they held no divine beliefs, the revelation terrified them to the core.
As Yun Shang had said, the proud deities of the divine realm were nothing but prisoners. They could only flaunt their power within the divine realm—the truth was, their divine strength had been stripped away.
Who could strip the gods of their power?
Even in this era, where cultivators and imperial technology had reached unparalleled heights, no one could rival the might of the deities, especially the upper-tier gods, who remained supreme and unchallenged in the universe.
Who could imprison the gods?
Yang Hao’s mind swam through the tangled web of thoughts and draconic memories. As he unraveled the truth hidden in darkness, it emerged like a sharp blade, slicing through time, leaving it bleeding.
Indeed, no one could defeat the gods.
But…
Beyond the gods.
The deities possessed innate abilities far beyond ordinary humans or even cultivators. Yet humans had their own gifts—wisdom and cunning.
A millennium ago, shortly after the third resurgence of cultivators, when Hunyuanzi, having failed multiple assassinations, wandered the cosmos like a lost soul, an earth-shattering event occurred.
The Blood War of Gods and Demons began.
This marked a dark turning point in cosmic history, ending not only the lives of countless intelligent species but also the deities’ dominion over the universe.
Just as cultivators centered around Earth and the Milky Way found renewed hope, the blood feud between the Light-aligned and Dark-aligned deities erupted anew in the depths of space. This conflict was more brutal and vast than any before, drawing nearly all deities into its vortex—hundreds of thousands of Dark Angels, thousands of Cadiz Dragons, and all Shining Gods and Titans clashed across galaxies.
After thirteen cosmic months, the war reached a fever pitch, its flames spreading toward the Milky Way, the heartland of cultivators. Over a hundred deities who had left the galaxy returned, recruiting loyalists among the cultivators and preparing for a decisive battle centered on Earth.
By then, Earth and its colonies had unified under the Elder Council.
The Council’s leader approached the Light-aligned Shining Gods, pledging the allegiance of all Milky Way cultivators and offering a unique sealing spell.
This spell, allegedly left by the Creator, had been hidden within Earth’s sects for millennia. Without sufficient power, it remained dormant, but if the gods infused it with their energy, it could activate—a barrier capable of sealing any force. If the Light-aligned deities empowered it, the Dark-aligned would be permanently sealed, with no means of escape.
Overjoyed, the Light-aligned deities, led by the Shining Gods, believed they had found the key to ending the war. They accepted the Council’s allegiance and, at the appointed time, channeled nearly all their divine power into the sealing artifacts.
But the Shining Gods never anticipated that the Elder Council had also pledged allegiance to the Dark-aligned deities. The Dark Angel King and the Cadiz Dragons, equally unsuspecting of human treachery, simultaneously infused their dark energy into another set of artifacts.
Light and Dark converged. The two sets of artifacts merged at the Milky Way’s core, unleashing a radiant light reminiscent of the universe’s birth.
Time seemed to reverse, hurtling forward and backward simultaneously. Though order was restored, the cosmic hierarchy had been irrevocably altered by deceit.
The main forces of the divine war vanished entirely, sealed by their own power. Nine divine realms appeared in the cosmos, imprisoning tens of thousands of deities.
The cultivators’ leader had succeeded. Exploiting the rift between Light and Dark, he harnessed the deities’ energy, channeling it into ten divine artifacts, stripping the gods of their power.
Thus, a new cosmic order began. The reign of the gods ended abruptly. Most upper and mid-tier deities were confined to the Nine Divine Realms, also known as the Hidden or Forgotten Realms.
The Creator’s sealing barrier was peculiar—the deities neither died nor transformed, but suffered a fate worse than death. They discovered that only within the divine realms could they retain their world-altering power. Outside, their divine strength dwindled to a mere one percent.
This was a devastating blow, especially for the upper-tier deities, who had once wielded power levels in the tens of thousands. Now, stepping beyond the divine realms reduced them to a mere hundred—easily bested by any loose immortal. How could the Shining Gods, the dragons, or the Dark Angel King Saan endure such humiliation?
Though capable of leaving the divine realms, they lacked the courage to face a universe no longer theirs. For a millennium, the deities remained trapped in the Hidden Realms, unwilling to take a single step outside. These nine realms were prisons without bars, confining not just the gods’ bodies but their courage and power—a death sentence for their former glory.
This spell was said to have been left behind by the Creator, sealed within Earth’s cultivation sects for ten thousand years. Because there had not been enough power to activate it, it had remained dormant. However, if the divine race could channel their power into it, the entire sealing spell could be activated. This was a spell capable of sealing any force. If the Light-aligned divine beings poured their power into it, the Dark-aligned divine beings would be sealed away forever, unable to be released.
“Enough!!!” A sudden, deafening roar erupted around everyone, followed by an abrupt transformation of the surroundings. Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi had been sitting in a house, enjoying a feast, but the moment the voice boomed, the roof was torn off by a hurricane, the walls crumbled like tofu, and a surge of crimson energy descended rapidly from the sky.
“Dragon’s Breath!!” Hunyuanzi exclaimed in alarm. Dragon’s Breath came in four colors—red, green, black, and gold—each with distinct properties. The red Dragon’s Breath now descending carried an immense, scorching heat capable of reducing a person to ashes in an instant.
Without a word, Yun Shang flicked his wrist, conjuring a radiant, multicolored barrier that instantly enveloped the three of them. Having regained his physical form as a loose immortal, Hunyuanzi’s power had also surged. Unwilling to be outdone, he exhaled a stream of spiritual energy, layering a Dan Ding Barrier outside the glass-like shield.
Yet, the disparity between a loose immortal of lower divine rank and an upper divine rank became glaringly apparent. The red Dragon’s Breath barely hesitated upon encountering the barrier, tearing through it as if it were mere paper. However, when it met Yun Shang’s multicolored barrier, it halted abruptly. Though just a thin veil of light, it seemed to possess boundless strength, causing the Dragon’s Breath to swirl futilely before dissipating into nothingness.
With the immediate danger averted, the house where Yang Hao and the others had been was now gone. Above them, the sky was filled with towering monstrosities—none other than the four other chief deities Yun Shang had mentioned earlier.
The golden-winged Garuda and the Dark Angel King, Saan, stood atop the clouds, while the Titan and the Black Dragon loomed slightly lower, though still as massive as mountains. The earlier Dragon’s Breath had clearly been expelled by the irritable Black Dragon, who now seemed displeased at having failed to kill Yun Shang. “You Shining Ones are so long-winded! All this talk and still no progress!”
“Then you speak!” Hunyuanzi retorted, gnawing on a bone and defiantly raising his chin at the Black Dragon. In this world, perhaps no one feared dragons less than these two, given they had once nearly slain one.
The Black Dragon, leader of the Cadiz Dragon Clan, had never encountered such insolence but could only seethe silently, transmitting a wave of thought instead.
Dealing with highly intelligent divine beings like dragons had its perks—communication didn’t require words. All information was directly implanted into one’s mind via thought waves, whether one wanted it or not.
In an instant, Hunyuanzi and Yang Hao grasped the so-called “prisoner” truth the divine beings spoke of—far simpler than Yun Shang’s lengthy explanations.
Yet, the revelation was so staggering that both were left speechless. Despite their vast experiences, neither had ever imagined stumbling upon such an earth-shattering secret.
Compared to this secret, the oceans seemed narrow, the skies low—only the vastness of the cosmos could rival its magnitude. Hunyuanzi had always believed his vengeance and sect’s history to be the heaviest burdens in the universe. But today, he realized there were greater truths beyond his own. Compared to the divine beings, his struggles paled into insignificance.
The truth the Black Dragon had imparted was indeed a closely guarded secret, known to only a handful beyond the divine realm. The upper echelons of the Galactic Empire had shrouded it in absolute secrecy, with not even a whisper of rumor escaping.
This was the secret of the gods, the secret of cultivators, the deepest enigma of the cosmos.
If this truth were ever revealed, chaos would ensue, the cosmic order would be overturned, and countless religious and leadership systems would crumble.
In short, if this were exposed, the universe as it was known would cease to exist. All faith would be irrevocably shattered.
Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi were drenched in cold sweat, their faces ashen. Though they held no divine beliefs, the sheer magnitude of the revelation left them trembling.
As Yun Shang had said, the haughty divine beings of the divine realm were nothing but prisoners. They could only flaunt their power within the divine realm, for the truth was—their divine might had been stripped away.
Who could strip the gods of their power?
Even in this era, where cultivators and imperial technology had reached unparalleled heights, none could rival the power of the divine beings, especially the upper divine ranks. They remained supreme, wielding absolute authority over all.
Who could imprison the gods?
Yang Hao’s mind swam through the tangled web of thoughts and draconic memories. As he unraveled the layers, the truth that emerged was like a sharp blade, slicing through time, leaving it bleeding.
Indeed, no one could defeat the divine beings.
But there was something beyond them.
The gods did possess supreme abilities, innate talents that ordinary humans and even most cultivators lacked. Yet, humans had their own gifts—wisdom and cunning.
A millennium ago, shortly after the cultivators’ Third Revival Era ended, when Hunyuanzi, having failed multiple assassinations, wandered the cosmos like a lost soul, an event of unprecedented horror occurred.
The Blood War of Gods and Demons began.
This marked a dark turning point in cosmic history, not only claiming billions of intelligent lives but also ending the divine reign over the universe.
Just as cultivators centered around Earth and the Milky Way found renewed hope, deep in the cosmos, the blood feud between the Light-aligned and Dark-aligned divine beings erupted once more. This battle was more brutal and vast than any before. Nearly all divine beings were drawn into the conflict—hundreds of thousands of Dark Angels, thousands of Cadiz Dragons, all Shining Ones, and Titans clashed across galaxies.
After thirteen cosmic months, the war reached a fever pitch, its flames spreading toward the cultivators’ core territory—the Milky Way. Over a hundred divine beings who had left the galaxy returned, recruiting loyalists among the cultivators, preparing to launch an even larger, decisive battle with Earth as the focal point.
By then, Earth and its colonies had unified under a leadership body known as the Elder Council.
The Elder Council’s leader approached the Light-aligned Shining Ones, pledging the allegiance of all Milky Way cultivators and offering a unique sealing spell.
This spell, allegedly left behind by the Creator, had been hidden within Earth’s cultivation sects for millennia. Without sufficient power, it had remained dormant. But if the divine beings infused it with their energy, the spell could activate—a barrier capable of sealing any force. If the Light-aligned gods channeled their power, the Dark-aligned would be permanently sealed, with no means of escape.
Naturally, the Light-aligned gods, led by the Shining Ones, were ecstatic, believing they had found the key to ending the war. They swiftly accepted the Elder Council’s allegiance and, at the appointed time, pooled nearly all their divine energy into the sealing artifact.
But the Shining Ones never anticipated that the Elder Council had also pledged allegiance to the Dark-aligned gods. The Dark Angel King and the Cadiz Dragons, equally unsuspecting of human treachery, simultaneously infused their dark energy into another set of artifacts.
When Light and Dark converged, the two sets of artifacts merged at the Milky Way’s center, unleashing a radiant light reminiscent of the universe’s birth.
Time seemed to reverse, hurtling forward and backward simultaneously. Though everything returned to its place, the cosmic order had been irrevocably altered by this conspiracy.
The main forces of the divine beings who had participated in the war vanished entirely. Sealed by their own power, nine divine realms emerged in the cosmos, imprisoning tens of thousands of divine beings.
The cultivators’ leader had succeeded. By exploiting the rift between Light and Dark, he had harnessed the gods’ energy and channeled it into ten divine artifacts, stripping them of their power.
Thus, the universe entered a new era. Divine rule came to an abrupt end. Most upper and mid-rank gods were confined to the Nine Divine Realms, also known as the Hidden Realms or the Forgotten Realms.
The Creator’s sealing spell was peculiar—the gods neither died nor transformed, but suffered a fate worse than death. They discovered that only within the divine realms could they retain their world-altering power. Outside, their innate strength dwindled to a mere one percent.
This was a devastating blow, especially for the upper divine ranks, who had once wielded power levels in the tens of thousands. Now, stepping beyond the divine realms reduced them to a mere hundred—easily bested by even a loose immortal. How could the Shining Ones, the dragons, or the Dark Angel King Saan endure such humiliation?
Thus, though capable of leaving the divine realms, they lacked the courage to face a universe no longer theirs. For a millennium, all divine beings remained trapped in the Hidden Realms, unwilling to take a single step outside. These nine realms were prisons without bars, confining not just the gods’ bodies but their courage and power—a death sentence for their former glory.
“Enough!!!” A sudden, thunderous voice exploded in everyone’s ears, and the surroundings instantly transformed. Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi had been sitting in a house, enjoying delicious food, but as the voice rang out, the roof was torn off by a hurricane, the walls crumbled like tofu, and a crimson current surged down from the sky.
“Dragon’s Breath!!” Hunyuanzi exclaimed in alarm. Dragon’s Breath came in four colors—red, green, black, and gold—each with distinct properties. The red Dragon’s Breath now descending carried an intense, scorching heat capable of reducing a person to ashes in an instant.
Without a word, Yun Shang flicked his wrist, summoning a radiant, multicolored barrier that instantly enveloped the three of them. Hunyuanzi, now a loose immortal with a physical body, had grown significantly stronger. Unwilling to be outdone, he exhaled a stream of true energy, forming an additional layer of protective seals outside the barrier—the Dan Ding Barrier Technique.
Yet, the gap between a lower-tier divine being like Hunyuanzi and an upper-tier one became glaringly apparent. The red Dragon’s Breath barely hesitated upon encountering the barrier, tearing through it as if it were mere paper. However, when it met Yun Shang’s multicolored barrier, it halted abruptly. Though just a thin veil of light, it seemed to possess immense power, causing the Dragon’s Breath to swirl futilely before dissipating entirely.
With the immediate danger past, the house Yang Hao and the others had been in was gone. Above them, the sky was now filled with towering monstrosities—none other than the four other chief deities Yun Shang had mentioned earlier.
The golden-winged Garuda and the Dark Angel King Saan stood atop the clouds, while the Titan and the Black Dragon loomed slightly lower, though still as massive as mountains. The earlier Dragon’s Breath had clearly come from the irritable Black Dragon, who seemed displeased at having failed to kill Yun Shang. “You Shining Ones are so long-winded! All this talk and still no straight answer!”
“Then you say it!” Hunyuanzi retorted, gnawing on a bone and cocking his chin defiantly at the Black Dragon. In this world, few dared to provoke the dragonkin—except perhaps these two, who had once nearly killed one.
The Black Dragon, leader of the Cadis Dragonkin, had never encountered such insolence. Yet, it suppressed its fury, transmitting a wave of thought instead.
Dealing with highly intelligent divine beings like dragons had its perks—no need for words. All information was directly implanted into one’s mind via thought waves, whether one wanted it or not.
In an instant, Hunyuanzi and Yang Hao grasped the so-called “prisoner” truth of the divine beings—far simpler than Yun Shang’s lengthy explanation.
But the revelation was so staggering that both were left speechless. Despite their vast experiences, they had never imagined stumbling upon such a monumental secret.
Compared to this secret, the oceans seemed shallow, the skies low. Only the vastness of the cosmos could rival its magnitude. Hunyuanzi had always believed his vengeance and sect’s history to be the heaviest burdens in the universe. Today, he realized there were greater truths beyond—compared to the divine beings, his grievances paled into insignificance.
The truth the Black Dragon had imparted was indeed a closely guarded secret, known to only a handful beyond the divine realm. The upper echelons of the Galactic Empire had shrouded it so thoroughly that not even a whisper of rumor had escaped.
This was the secret of the gods, the secret of cultivators, the deepest enigma of the cosmos.
If this truth were made public, chaos would ensue. The very fabric of the universe might unravel, toppling religious and leadership systems alike.
In short, if exposed, the universe would never be the same. All faith would be overturned.
Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi broke into cold sweats, their faces ashen. Though they held no reverence for gods, the revelation terrified them to the core.
As Yun Shang had said, the haughty divine beings of the divine realm were nothing but prisoners. They could only flaunt their power within the divine realm—because their true power had been stripped away.
Who could strip the gods of their power?
Even in this era, where cultivators and imperial technology had reached unprecedented heights, none could rival the might of the divine beings, especially the upper-tier ones. They remained supreme, wielding absolute authority.
Who could imprison the divine beings?
Yang Hao’s mind swam through the tangled web of thoughts and draconic memories. As he unraveled the truth hidden in darkness, it emerged like a sharp blade, slicing through time, leaving it bleeding.
Indeed, no one could defeat the divine beings.
But there was something beyond the divine.
The gods truly possessed innate abilities beyond ordinary humans or cultivators. Yet humans had their own gifts—wisdom and cunning.
A millennium ago, shortly after the cultivators’ third revival period ended, when Hunyuanzi, having failed multiple assassinations, drifted through the cosmos like a lost soul, an earth-shattering event occurred.
The War of Gods and Demons erupted.
This marked a dark turning point in cosmic history, halting not only the lives of countless intelligent species but also ending the divine beings’ dominion over the universe.
Just as cultivators centered around Earth and the Milky Way glimpsed hope for revival, a brutal, large-scale conflict erupted in the depths of space between the light-aligned and dark-aligned divine beings. Nearly all divine beings were drawn into the fray—hundreds of thousands of dark angels, thousands of Cadis dragons, and all Shining Ones and Titans clashed across galaxies.
After thirteen cosmic months, the war reached a fever pitch, spreading toward the Milky Way, the heartland of cultivators. Over a hundred divine beings who had left the Milky Way returned, recruiting loyalists among the cultivators and preparing for a decisive battle centered on Earth.
By then, cultivators across Earth and its colonies had unified under the Elder Council.
The Council’s leader approached the light-aligned Shining Ones, pledging the allegiance of all Milky Way cultivators and offering a unique sealing spell.
This spell, allegedly left by the Creator, had been hidden within Earth’s sects for millennia. Without sufficient power, it remained dormant. But if the divine beings infused it with their energy, it could activate a sealing barrier capable of imprisoning any force. If the light-aligned divine beings channeled their power, the dark-aligned ones would be permanently sealed, with no means of escape.
Overjoyed, the light-aligned divine beings, led by the Shining Ones, believed they had found the key to ending the war. They accepted the Council’s allegiance and, at the appointed time, pooled nearly all their power to infuse the sealing artifacts.
But the Shining Ones never imagined the Council had also pledged allegiance to the dark-aligned divine beings. The Dark Angel King and the Cadis dragons, equally unsuspecting of human treachery, simultaneously infused another set of artifacts with their dark energy.
When light and dark merged, the two sets of artifacts combined at the Milky Way’s core, unleashing a radiant light reminiscent of the universe’s birth.
Time seemed to reverse, then reset—but the cosmic order had been irrevocably altered by deceit.
The main forces of the divine beings vanished. Sealed by their own power, nine divine realms emerged in the cosmos, imprisoning tens of thousands of divine beings.
The cultivators’ leader had succeeded. Exploiting the rift between light and dark, he harnessed all divine energy into ten sacred artifacts, stripping the divine beings of their power.
Thus, the universe entered a new era. Divine rule ended abruptly. Most upper and middle-tier divine beings were confined to the Nine Divine Realms—also known as the Hidden or Forgotten Realms.
The Creator’s sealing barrier was peculiar. The divine beings didn’t die or change, but they suffered a fate worse than death: they discovered their godly power remained intact only within the divine realms. Outside, their innate strength dwindled to a mere one percent.
This was a devastating blow, especially for upper-tier divine beings who prized power above all. Once boasting strength in the tens of thousands, they now had only a hundredth of their might outside the divine realms—easily bested by even a loose immortal. How could the Shining Ones, the dragons, or the Dark Angel King Saan endure such humiliation?
Though capable of leaving the divine realms, they lacked the courage to face a universe no longer theirs. For a thousand years, all divine beings remained trapped in the Hidden Realms, unwilling to step beyond. These nine realms were prisons without bars, locking away not just the divine beings’ power, but their very will.
Light and darkness combined. The two sets of artifacts merged into one. At the very center of the Milky Way, a dazzling light, originating from the birth of the universe itself, flashed into existence.
Everything seemed to return to the beginning, time rushing forward and then backward in a flash. Though everything seemed to realign, the cosmic order had been completely changed by a conspiracy.
The main divine forces participating in the God-Demon War vanished completely. They had been sealed by their own power. Nine divine realms were created across the universe, each imprisoning countless divine beings.
The leader of the cultivators had succeeded. He had exploited the opposing tensions between the Light and Dark divine factions. He had united all divine energy and injected it into the Ten Divine Artifacts, with the final result being the complete deprivation of the divine race’s power.
From that moment on, the universe entered a new order. The divine rule came to an abrupt end. The majority of high and mid-tier divine beings were locked inside the Nine Divine Realms, also known as the Hidden Divine Realms or the Forgotten Divine Realms.
The Creator’s sealing barrier was incredibly intricate. The divine beings had not died or transformed, but what was worse than death was that they suddenly discovered that only within the divine realms could they still retain their godlike, world-shaping power. Once they stepped outside the divine realms, their innate power was reduced to just one percent of its original strength.
“Enough!!!” A sudden, thunderous voice exploded in everyone’s ears, followed by a drastic change in the surroundings. Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi had been sitting in a house enjoying delicious food, but the moment the voice rang out, the roof was torn off by a hurricane, the walls crumbled like tofu, and a surge of red energy descended rapidly from the sky.
“Dragon’s Breath!!” Hunyuanzi exclaimed in alarm. It was well known that Dragon’s Breath came in red, green, black, and gold, each with distinct properties. The red Dragon’s Breath now descending carried an intense, scorching heat capable of reducing a person to ashes in an instant.
Without a word, Yun Shang flicked his wrist, conjuring a multicolored, glass-like barrier that instantly enveloped the three of them. Having regained his physical form and ascended to the rank of a loose immortal, Hunyuanzi’s power had also greatly increased. Unwilling to be outdone, he exhaled a stream of true energy, forming an additional layer of the “Dan Ding Barrier” outside the glass-like shield.
However, the disparity between a loose immortal of lower divine rank and an upper divine rank became glaringly apparent. The red Dragon’s Breath barely hesitated upon encountering the barrier, tearing through it as if it were mere paper. Yet, when it met Yun Shang’s multicolored barrier, it came to an abrupt halt. Though the barrier was but a thin veil of light, it seemed to possess an immense, unyielding power, causing the Dragon’s Breath to swirl futilely before dissipating entirely.
With the immediate danger passed, the house where Yang Hao and the others had been was now completely obliterated. Above them, the sky was filled with a host of monstrous figures—none other than the four major deities Yun Shang had mentioned earlier.
The golden-winged Garuda and the Dark Angel King, Sa’an, stood atop the clouds, while the Titan and the Black Dragon loomed slightly lower, though still as towering as mountains. The earlier Dragon’s Breath had naturally been exhaled by the irritable Black Dragon, who seemed displeased that Yun Shang remained unharmed. “You Shining Ones are so long-winded! After all that talking, you still haven’t gotten to the point!”
“Then you say it!” Hunyuanzi retorted, a bone still clenched between his teeth as he defiantly tilted his chin at the Black Dragon. In this world, perhaps no one feared dragons less than these two, given that they had once nearly killed one.
The Black Dragon, leader of the Cadiz Dragon Clan, had never encountered such insolence before. Yet, it could only suppress its fury, transmitting a wave of telepathic energy instead.
One advantage of dealing with highly intelligent divine beings like dragons was the absence of verbal communication. All information was directly transmitted into one’s mind via thought waves—whether one wanted it or not.
Thus, in an instant, Hunyuanzi and Yang Hao learned the truth behind the deities’ so-called “imprisonment”—a revelation far simpler and more shocking than Yun Shang’s lengthy exposition.
The truth was so staggering that Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi were left speechless. Despite their vast experiences, they had never imagined stumbling upon a secret of such magnitude.
Compared to this secret, the oceans seemed narrow, and the sky felt low—only the vastness of the universe could rival its scale. Hunyuanzi had always believed his personal vendetta and his sect’s history to be the heaviest burdens in the cosmos. But today, he realized there were always greater truths beyond what one knew. Measured against the deities’ plight, his own struggles paled into insignificance.
The truth transmitted by the Black Dragon was indeed a closely guarded secret, known to only a handful outside the divine realm. The upper echelons of the Galactic Empire had shrouded it in absolute secrecy, ensuring not even a whisper of rumor escaped.
This was the secret of the gods, the secret of cultivators, and the deepest enigma of the universe.
Were this truth to be made public, chaos would ensue, upending the cosmic order. Countless religious and leadership systems would crumble, their foundations shattered.
In short, if this secret were unveiled, the universe as it was known would cease to exist. The faith held in every heart would be irrevocably overturned.
Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi broke out in cold sweat, their faces ashen. Though they held no reverence for the gods, the revelation left them trembling with fear.
As Yun Shang had said, the haughty deities of the divine realm were nothing more than prisoners. They could only strut their power within the confines of the divine realm, for the truth was—their divine strength had been stripped away.
Who could strip the gods of their power?
Even in this era, where cultivators and imperial technology had reached unprecedented heights, no one could rival the might of the deities, especially the upper divine ranks. Their power remained unrivaled in the cosmos, supreme and absolute.
Who could imprison the gods?
Yang Hao’s consciousness waded through the tangled threads of thought and the dragon’s memories. As he peeled back layer after layer, the truth emerging from the darkness was like a sharp blade, slicing through time and leaving it bleeding.
Indeed, no one could defeat the gods.
But there was something beyond the gods.
The deities did possess innate, superior abilities beyond the reach of ordinary humans or even cultivators. Yet humans had their own gifts—wisdom and cunning.
A millennium ago, shortly after the end of the cultivators’ third revival period, when Hunyuanzi, having failed multiple assassinations, wandered the cosmos like a lost soul, an earth-shattering event occurred.
The War of Gods and Demons in the Blood Sea began.
This marked a dark turning point in cosmic history, not only halting the lives of countless intelligent species but also ending the deities’ dominion over the universe.
Just as cultivators centered around Earth and the Milky Way were embracing renewed hope, deep in the cosmos, the bloody conflict between the Light-aligned and Dark-aligned deities erupted once more. This time, the scale and brutality surpassed all previous battles. Nearly all deities were drawn into the fray—hundreds of thousands of Dark Angels, over a thousand Cadiz Dragons, and all the Shining Gods and Titans clashed across different galaxies.
After thirteen cosmic months, the war reached a fever pitch, its flames spreading toward the Milky Way, the heartland of the cultivators. Over a hundred deities who had left the Milky Way returned, recruiting loyalists among the cultivators and preparing to launch an even larger, decisive battle with Earth as the focal point.
By then, the cultivators across Earth and its colonies had unified under a leadership body known as the Council of Elders.
The Council’s leader approached the Light-aligned Shining Gods, pledging the allegiance of all Milky Way cultivators and offering a unique sealing spell.
This spell, purportedly left by the Creator, had been hidden within Earth’s cultivation sects for millennia. Lacking sufficient power, it had remained dormant. But if the deities infused it with their energy, the spell could be activated—a barrier capable of sealing any force. If the Light-aligned deities channeled their power into it, the Dark-aligned deities would be permanently sealed, with no means of escape.
Naturally, the Light-aligned deities, led by the Shining Gods, were overjoyed, believing they had found the key to ending the war. They swiftly accepted the Council’s allegiance and, at the appointed time, pooled nearly all their divine energy into the sealing artifact.
But the Shining Gods never imagined that the Council’s leader had also pledged the same allegiance to the Dark-aligned deities. The Dark Angel King and the Cadiz Dragon Clan, equally unsuspecting of human treachery, simultaneously infused their dark energies into another set of artifacts.
When Light and Dark converged, the two sets of artifacts merged into one. At the center of the Milky Way, a radiant light—originating from the dawn of the universe—flashed into existence.
Time seemed to reverse and accelerate simultaneously. Though everything returned to its place, the cosmic order had been irrevocably altered by this conspiracy.
The main forces of the deities who had participated in the war vanished entirely. Sealed by their own energies, nine divine realms materialized in the cosmos, imprisoning tens of thousands of deities within them.
The cultivators’ leader had succeeded. By exploiting the conflict between Light and Dark, he had harnessed the deities’ energies and channeled them into ten divine artifacts. The result? The deities’ powers were completely stripped away.
From then on, the universe entered a new order. The reign of the deities came to an abrupt end. The majority of upper and middle-rank deities were confined to the Nine Divine Realms, also known as the Hidden Realms or the Forgotten Realms.
The sealing barrier left by the Creator was peculiar. The deities did not die or transform, but they suffered a fate worse than death—they discovered that only within the divine realms could they retain their world-altering powers. Outside, their innate strength dwindled to a mere one percent.
This was a devastating blow, especially for the upper-rank deities, who had once wielded power levels in the tens of thousands. Now, beyond the divine realms, their strength plummeted to a mere hundred, making them vulnerable even to loose immortals. How could the Shining Gods, the Dragon Clan, or the Dark Angel King Sa’an endure such humiliation?
Thus, though the deities could leave the divine realms, none dared face a universe that no longer belonged to them. For a millennium, they remained confined to the Hidden Realms, unwilling to take a single step outside. These nine realms were prisons without bars—dungeons that shackled the deities’ courage and power.
Therefore, although these divine beings still had the ability to leave the divine realms, they lacked the courage to face a universe that no longer belonged to them. For a thousand years, all divine beings had remained confined within the Hidden Divine Realms, unwilling to take even a single step outside. These nine divine realms were prisons without bars, tombs that imprisoned the divine race’s courage and power forever.
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