The green-robed elder, the Primordial Master, nodded and said, “Back when I was still a Venerable, I once entered the Dongtian Flying Ship and witnessed its many extraordinary features—some of which were even more unfathomable than the Six Paths Heavenly Wheel or the Lakeheart Island Ruins! Even then, I believed the creator of this flying ship surpassed both the Lakeheart Island Master and the Demon Ancestor in power. My guess is that it must have originated from an external universe.”
“Indeed,” agreed the black-robed, black-haired master of the Spacetime Island. “Unfortunately, despite its extraordinary nature, we’ve found it nearly impossible to gain any real benefits from it.”
Among the five great ruins, the Dongtian Flying Ship ranked third—and was the most miserly. Venturing inside yielded little reward.
In contrast, the Lakeheart Island Ruins, the Six Paths Heavenly Wheel, and the Moon Palace all contained treasures, secret techniques, guidance, and trials deliberately left behind by predecessors of past cosmic epochs for future generations. Even the “Thatched Cottage,” though unique in its own way, still held legacies.
Only the Dongtian Flying Ship stood apart.
From the traces of its forging and the remnants of its formations, it was clear that its craftsmanship was of the highest order. Yet, it offered almost nothing in return.
“First, the rewards are minimal. Second, even Dominators cannot enter,” the Abyssal Progenitor added with a shake of his head. “We ranked it third solely out of respect for its extraordinary nature.”
The cold and indifferent master of the Myriad Gods Palace interjected, “The reason we’ve gained nothing is because we’ve yet to uncover its true secrets! The Mother Goddess Sect has now sent a large force of Protectors inside—they must know something we don’t!”
The Bloodblade Divine Emperor nodded. “Both we and the predecessors of past epochs have long suspected that the Dongtian Flying Ship originated from an external universe. If the Mother Goddess Sect knows its secrets, then its reputation must be significant beyond our own cosmos. Now that I’ve activated the Void Bipolar Formation, they must be desperate—hence their decision to send a swarm of Protectors charging in.”
“But the Dongtian Flying Ship imposes an intangible suppression—even Dominators cannot enter,” the Bloody Dominator Niro said urgently.
“There’s no other way. We can only send Venerables in,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor declared.
“We can only watch from the sidelines.”
“It’s up to the Venerables now.”
The Primordial Master, the Abyssal Progenitor, the Purgatory Dominator, Lady Qianhe, and the others could do nothing but wait.
—
The Venerables were gathering swiftly.
One by one, they arrived, glancing around in surprise at the sight of all ten Dominators assembled, with more Venerables arriving by the moment.
“What’s happening?”
“All the Dominators are here, and Venerables are pouring in—what’s going on?”
Confusion rippled through the crowd.
Dongbo Xueying, the Bamboo Mountain Prefecture Master, and the Monarch of Destruction naturally grouped together.
“Dongbo, do you know what’s happening?” the Monarch of Destruction asked. The Bamboo Mountain Prefecture Master also turned to him.
“No idea,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a puzzled shake of his head, scanning the surroundings where other Venerables seemed equally bewildered.
“I’ve asked several old friends—none of them know either. Right now, Bloodblade is discussing matters with the other Dominators, so I can’t interrupt,” the Monarch of Destruction said. He understood the gravity of the situation—this was no time to assert his seniority as a master. After all, his disciple, the Bloodblade Divine Emperor, was the true leader of their cosmic civilization.
“Let’s wait,” the Bamboo Mountain Prefecture Master said calmly. “Since we’ve been summoned, we’ll be informed soon enough.”
“Right.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded and waited.
In the distance, he spotted his sworn brother, Huochuo the Venerable, as well as the White Monarch, the Emperor of Annihilation, the Witchmoth Emperor, and even the Star Lord Lianjun, a master artificer. Every single Venerable had been summoned—even those who had only recently broken through.
“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying also noticed the Sage of Leaves in the distance. There was still some unresolved enmity between them.
—
Finally, all the Venerables from across the Divine Realm and the Abyss had arrived.
The ten Dominators ceased their discussions. The Bloodblade Divine Emperor swept his gaze over the assembled Venerables and spoke in a clear voice:
“Most of you already know that beyond our own universe, there exist others.”
The Venerables listened intently in silence.
“Occasionally, we’ve encountered traces of beings from these external universes. But none have posed a significant threat—until now. A faction known as the Mother Goddess Sect has infiltrated our cosmos with a large force of Dominator-level existences.”
“What?”
“An entire force of Dominators?”
Many Venerables were inwardly shaken.
“A war with the Mother Goddess Sect may be inevitable. Originally, we ten Dominators alone would have been sufficient to handle it. Your participation wouldn’t have tipped the scales—in fact, it might have hindered us,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor continued. None of the Venerables protested. They all understood the vast gulf between themselves and the Dominators.
“But now, the Mother Goddess Sect has breached my formation with a host of Dominator-level forces, escorting a large group of Venerable-level Protectors into the Dongtian Flying Ship!” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor declared. “They likely know its secrets.”
As he spoke, he simultaneously transmitted detailed intelligence on the Mother Goddess Sect and the Dongtian Flying Ship to every Venerable present. While some, like Dongbo Xueying, were already privy to many secrets, others knew far less.
“With this information, you should now grasp the threat posed by the Mother Goddess Sect.”
“Originally, this war would not have required your involvement.”
“But now… things have changed. The final battle remains ours to fight. However, the war within the Dongtian Flying Ship falls to you—all Venerables!” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor proclaimed. “Since we do not know the ship’s secrets, there is only one course of action: annihilate them all! Slay every last Protector, and their schemes will crumble.”
“The ultimate war belongs to us Dominators.”
“But inside the Dongtian Flying Ship, it is up to you. Even if you fall in battle, you may immediately reform your avatars and re-enter the fray,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor said, his eyes burning with killing intent. “Spare no cost. Grind them down, even if it means attrition.”
Silence reigned.
The Venerables, standing in the void, each bore a fierce battlelust in their eyes.
This was a war between two universes.
Originally, they would have had no part in it. But now, they could contribute.
“Thirty-six Venerables,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor addressed them. “We Dominators do not know what secrets the Dongtian Flying Ship holds. But one thing is certain—it may be even more formidable than the Lakeheart Island Ruins or the Six Paths Heavenly Wheel. If you fail, it could spell our ultimate defeat.”
“We will prevail,” rumbled a towering figure with twin black horns and violet eyes crackling with lightning—the Emperor of Annihilation, the strongest among the thirty-six Venerables. “These outsiders will be slaughtered to the last.”
“Right, wipe them out!”
“This is our war as Venerables.”
“We will win.”
The battle aura of the Venerables surged skyward.
The Bloodblade Divine Emperor, the Primordial Master, the Spacetime Island Master, and the other Dominators watched with anticipation. These were all the Venerables of their cosmic civilization.
“Move out,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor commanded.
“Let’s go.”
“Forward.”
“Slaughter every last Protector of the Mother Goddess Sect.”
The Venerables—Dongbo Xueying among them—joined forces with the Bamboo Mountain Prefecture Master, the Monarch of Destruction, Huochuo the Venerable, Star Lord Lianjun, the Emperor of Annihilation, and the others, streaking toward the Dongtian Flying Ship.
The ten Dominators watched them depart.
“Will they succeed?” Lady Qianhe murmured, uneasy.
“Our two strongest Venerables, Pang Yi and Qing Jun, have both ascended to Dominator status. Among the current Venerables, none can rival a Dominator,” the master of the Myriad Gods Palace said coldly. “This battle hangs in the balance.”
The other Dominators remained silent.
They, too, felt uncertain. In the past, a single powerhouse like Qing Jun or Pang Yi could suppress an entire host of Venerables. But now, both had transcended that realm.
The ten Dominators gazed into the distance, where thirty-six streaks of light blazed across the starry sky, vanishing into the Dongtian Flying Ship.
Those thirty-six streaks represented every last Venerable of their cosmic civilization.
(End of Chapter)
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