Lord of the Earth

"Hmph, the 'Heavenly Emperor's Calamity Sutra'?"

Lu Dongbin, in his true form, held a sharp sword formed from pure Yang sword energy, pointing it at the Emperor, his voice cold and clear.

"Huang Tian, ​​you shameless bastard, calling yourself the Heavenly Emperor... Do you truly know the background and origin of this 'Heavenly Emperor's Calamity Scripture'?"

Before the Emperor could answer, Lü Dongbin loudly revealed the secret.

"This scripture is an unparalleled secret technique created by His Majesty Fuxi, the ancient emperor of our human race, in order to deal with the eternal oppression of the human race by the gods of other races!"

"Its core essence lies in using one's own 'true spirit' as the supreme Dao seed, and from this foundation, countless 'body forms' are created to undergo tribulations. These forms may enter the world to cultivate, experience hardships, or bear the wishes of all beings... Each body grows independently, comprehends the laws of heaven and earth, and accumulates power. When all streams converge into the sea, the Dao fruits, cultivation levels, and insights of all the bodies will resonate and unite with the main body, thus propelling the main body across the insurmountable barrier, condensing a true immortal 'Dao fruit,' and stepping into the realm of supreme true god!"

Lü Dongbin's tone revealed his utmost admiration for "Emperor Fuxi".

"Theoretically, if ten thousand avatars could reach the 'God' realm, one thousand could reach the 'Top True God' realm, one hundred could reach the 'Peerless' realm, and ten could reach the 'Quasi-True God' realm... as long as the origin resonates and all laws flow together, it would be enough to help the main body attain eternal enlightenment! This is the righteous and noble path, using one's own body to overcome countless tribulations and achieve one's own path, without relying on external means, without harming the harmony of heaven and earth, and even everyone can become a True God!"

Xia Tian and the others were deeply moved.

It turns out that the ancient sages of humanity already possessed such heaven-defying methods!

But then he wondered, if this method is so miraculous, why hasn't it been popularized?
Lü Dongbin changed the subject, his tone filled with heartache.

"However, although this path is righteous, it is extremely difficult. The resources, time, and opportunities required to help thousands of avatars grow to a high level are immense. Even with spiritual roots of heaven and earth like the Yellow Plum that can help people become gods and condense the 'prototype of the Dao Fruit,' it can only help them reach the threshold of 'quasi-true god.' The path to true godhood is still long and uncertain!"

"And so, you cowards have come to follow the evil ways of the devil, trying to take the shortcut of shortcuts!"

Lü Dongbin pointed his sword at the Emperor and shouted sternly.

"Since relying on your own avatars to grow is too slow, then... we'll just plunder them directly! This evil technique of condensing 'Emperor's Silk' on you will forcibly connect to and manipulate billions of living beings using divine authority or demonic secrets!"

"Take the souls, life force, faith, destiny, and even the very essence of these beings as resources, use the souls of all beings as fuel to burn and nourish oneself, and forcibly condense this 'pseudo-true god's fruit'!"

Lü Dongbin's tone was filled with disgust!

"This method is quick to master, but utterly inhuman! Those connected by the 'Emperor's Silk' may initially receive a gift of power, but over time their souls will gradually become clouded, their true spirits obscured, and they will ultimately become mindless, unfeeling living puppets, with their lifespans drastically reduced! Especially to avoid power repulsion, it can only be effective when used among members of the same race, or even solely by seizing the essence of humanity... For the sake of one person's path, the future and foundation of billions of beings are destroyed. How is such behavior any different from those alien gods who treat humanity as food?!"

"Therefore, even when the human race was on the verge of extinction, His Majesty Fuxi listed this scripture as a forbidden art, shelving it and allowing only a few top true gods to study it, so as to learn from its concept of 'all streams flowing into the sea' and perfect their own Dao fruit."

"Unexpectedly, you traitor not only stole the Fusang God, but also stole this forbidden technique and fled to this corner of the world. You have gone mad and used the hundreds of millions of people of this cherry blossom country as your tools to carry out this extermination and build your false 'Emperor' position!"
"Huang Tian, ​​you truly deserve to die!"

Along with Lü Dongbin's angry rebuke, countless echoes resounded in the void.

"He deserves to die a thousand deaths, a thousand deaths, a thousand deaths!"

One after another, pure Yang sword intent surged like a tide, and figures resembling Lü Dongbin continued to emerge from the void.

Although not as powerful as the previous seven, there were more of them: ten, twenty... a total of forty clones, each exuding varying degrees of strength but at least at the level of immortals and gods, appeared one after another and merged into the huge Pure Yang Sword Domain!

Forty clones, plus the original and the original eight quasi-true god clones, make a total of "forty-nine" Lü Dongbins!
The exact sum is the number of "the Great Dao is fifty, and the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine"!

These "clones" of energy were perfectly linked through the pure Yang sword intent, causing the power of the sword domain to surge wildly. The blazing white light completely suppressed half of the land, forcing the golden domain of "Eternal Border" to retreat step by step!

With the support of this endless resonance, Lü Dongbin's true aura was already infinitely close to the threshold of "true god," and he relied on the unparalleled offensive power of "pure yang sword path"!

With each strike of the Pure Yang Qi Sword in his hand, the golden divine light around the Emperor rippled violently, and fine cracks began to appear on his invincible "Divine Official Robe"!

"Ugh—!"

The Emperor roared, brandishing the Kusanagi Sword and drawing upon the power of the Yata Mirror to resist the overwhelming pressure of the Pure Yang Sword, which was as suffocating as the Heavenly Dao itself. However, he was still forced to retreat repeatedly by the opponent's fierce sword energy!
He felt a mixture of shock and anger, along with a sense of frustration and panic at being completely seen through and manipulated.

"Shut up! Lü Dongbin! You hypocrite!"

Beneath the black and gold mask, the Emperor's face was contorted with rage as he hissed in rebuttal.

"That sounds nice! What grand and righteous path, what no external seeking! If you hadn't cultivated the 'Heavenly Emperor's Calamity Scripture,' how could you possess so many divine avatars? How did you accumulate them in just a few hundred years?! Clearly, you also took shortcuts, what right do you have to criticize me?! Aren't these forty-eight avatars of yours plundered?!"

"Stubborn!"

Lü Dongbin sneered, his sword thrusts becoming even faster.

"Who told you that this clone of mine was created by plundering others? You can't talk about ice with a summer insect, and you can't talk about the sea with a frog in a well! Do you think everyone is like you, only knowing how to seize by trickery and force?"

"Do you think you can hide from the Emperor's discerning eyes the fact that you stole Fusang and defected from this world under the influence of that alien true god? Emperor Donghua has long seen through your wolfish ambitions!"

"This time, I was invited to join Qianxia for two reasons: first, to help Emperor Xia achieve the great cause of making our human race's first immortal dynasty; and second, to wait for this day to cleanse our sect, reclaim Fusang, and eradicate your evil path!"

"As for this clone of mine..."

A complex look flashed in Lü Dongbin's eyes, revealing a deeper scheme by the human race's higher-ups.

"This is because the Emperor used his supreme divine power to help me separate a bit of my pure Yang essence and put it into the myriad worlds, different time fragments, and illusions. It went through reincarnation, grew naturally, and cultivated on its own. Only today, with the unlocking of heaven and earth, has it been gradually recalled and resonated!"

"This is the method of 'directly pointing to the Great Dao.' Although it borrowed the power of the Emperor to pave the way, the cultivation and insights of each avatar are all obtained through their own arduous cultivation. It is worlds apart from your evil method that plunders all living beings and severs their foundations!"

"Now is the time for you, traitor, to be executed!"

Upon hearing this, the Emperor was deeply shaken.

It turns out that all my actions were part of Donghua Dijun's plan!

Even the "deal" with those alien gods was seen by the high-ranking gods of the human race!

In this way, wouldn't I be a laughing stock, like an actor on a stage, in the eyes of those high and mighty "top true gods"?

Despair and rage intertwined within him as he shrieked, “So what! You really think you’ve got me cornered? I’ve already begun to condense my Dao Fruit, possess the characteristics of a true god, and am residing in this eternal land, immortal and indestructible! Your ‘Heavenly Emperor’s Calamity Scripture’ didn’t take the shortcut of ordinary beings, so it can’t gather the vast power needed to truly challenge the threshold of a true god in such a short time! No matter how many of your avatars you have, they are only ‘quasi’ and ‘gods,’ not ‘true gods’!”

"I can wear you down! Once your clones are exhausted, that will be your death day!"
"Yata Mirror, ignite it for me!"

He urges the Yata Mirror in his hand with all his might, and the light on the mirror surface surges, actually burning the vast divine power of faith stored in the mirror, instantly unleashing a stronger wave of divine light.

For now, they have halted the advance of the Pure Yang Sword Domain!
At the same time, the mirror reflects the entire scene of the "Highland Sky", and the "eight million gods" can be seen walking out of the Highland Sky and entering the ranks of the Cherry Blossom Kingdom!
"is it?"

Lu Dongbin remained calm and turned to look at Xia Tian, ​​who was protecting Qian Xia and the others and using his divine power to heal Huang Rong and Qi Jiguang's injuries. He spoke loudly.

"Your Majesty, the time has come! Please bring out those two items!"

Summer's eyes flashed, and she didn't hesitate.

With a wave of his hand, an ancient "black and gold mask" and a dense mass of "Emperor's Silk" that looked golden and radiant, yet was faintly entwined with countless wailing cries, appeared in his palm.

The appearance of these two items immediately created a strong causal connection between them and the Emperor.

The divine light emanating from the Emperor suddenly fluctuated!
"These two items are, one is the 'Face of Resentment of All Beings,' which can absorb and bear the endless resentment and karmic backlash of those controlled by the 'Emperor's Silk'; the other is the 'Emperor's Silk,' which is your means of controlling the people of the Cherry Blossom Kingdom and drawing power from them."

While fighting the Emperor, Lü Dongbin quickly explained.

"His Majesty is benevolent and previously unwilling to engage in this 'seizing of destiny' matter. However, now that Qianxia aspires to ascend to the status of a supreme immortal dynasty, this battle concerns the fate of the nation, and every force must seize the opportunity. Moreover, there is no need to be merciful in dealing with such evil spirits!"

"When His Majesty Fuxi created the scriptures, he had already foreseen that some unworthy descendants might follow this evil path, so he specially left behind a 'countermeasure' which was not recorded in the 'Heavenly Emperor's Transformation Scripture'."

"Your Majesty, please use this 'Face of Resentment of All Beings' as a guide, and the 'Emperor's Silk' mother thread as a bridge, and activate the secret method I told you beforehand. This will allow us to reverse the flow and purify the power of all beings and the fate of the nation that this fiend has seized with evil magic!"

Lü Dongbin's voice carried a powerful and resounding tone.

"This power is not his exclusive possession! Since the Sakura Kingdom's ruler can use the nation's destiny to achieve 'false true god,' it can also be offered to the true 'Heavenly Emperor'—His Majesty! This time, it is both slaying a demon and a sacrifice! With the Sakura Kingdom's Emperor and millions of powerful lords as offerings, we will aid the might of the Qian Tian Dynasty and forge the foundation of our Celestial Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Tian's eyes shone brightly!
Being able to seize the power of a "pseudo-true god" not only contains vast energy, but may also include some insights into the "true god's Dao fruit" and fragments of laws, which would be of great help to his own cultivation advancement!
Moreover, as Lü Dongbin said, this is the righteous path of slaying demons and monsters and using war to sustain war!

"I, it's approved!"

Summer no longer hesitated, and the Emperor's robes fluttered in the clouds.

With his hands forming complex and ancient hand seals, the vast national fortune of Qianxia surged around him, pouring into the "black gold mask" and "emperor's silk," clearly using the "national fortune" to refine and seize control of the treasure!

"You bastard! How dare you?! Give me back my divine weapon!"

Upon seeing this, the Emperor let out a thunderous roar.

No longer caring about getting entangled with Lü Dongbin, he frantically tried to pounce on Xia Tian and take back the two key items.

It was precisely because of the "loss" of these two items that he was unable to fully reach the level of "true god".

Xia Tian's actions at this moment will shake the foundation of his power system and may even trigger a backlash!
"Your opponent is me!"

Lü Dongbin let out a long roar, unleashing the full power of his Pure Yang Sword Domain.

Forty-nine figures, their swords flashing like dragons, formed a terrifying sword formation, desperately blocking the Emperor.

"Huang Tian, ​​don't you understand? You think you're dealing with a tiger for its skin, borrowing the power of the alien race, but you don't realize that you're just a pawn supported by those extraterrestrial true gods, a tool used to deplete the potential of my human race and test Emperor Donghua!"

"How laughable that you are so smug, daring to call yourself the Emperor! Such disrespectful behavior is truly laughable!"

"Shut up! Die!"

The Emperor went mad, burning his very essence. The three divine artifacts shone with extreme intensity, clashing wildly with the Pure Yang Sword Formation. The entire "Devil's Sea" trembled under their clash, swathes of space were annihilated, and the laws of nature wailed.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!"

At this moment, the true war of gods has fully erupted!
Centered on the sword formation cage of the Emperor and Lü Dongbin, an unimaginably terrifying energy shockwave exploded like billions of stars exploding simultaneously, spreading out recklessly in concentric circles!
The entire vast "Devil's Sea" was wailing, tens of thousands of miles of sea surface were evaporated, and chaotic giant waves tens of thousands of feet high were stirred up, and the underwater mountain range collapsed.

The space was like a shattered mirror, riddled with cracks, and constantly torn into even smaller fragments of nothingness by the violent flow of energy!

The core aftershocks of the battle even broke out of the Devil's Sea and swept towards the distant coastal areas!
"Oh no! The sky is falling! Run!"

"Oh my god, the gods have destroyed the world..."

A massive Zerg hive belonging to a certain Abyss faction had just sensed something was wrong and was trying to raise its defenses when it was instantly reduced to the most basic particle ash by a stray sword light and a burst of dissipating divine fire!
Further away, a city with a million centaurs was only affected by the outermost shockwaves. Mountains shifted, rivers stopped flowing, and the city collapsed, as if the end of the world had come!
The power of a true god is enough to determine the survival of countless lives and unleash a catastrophe that affects thousands of miles in the blink of an eye, even in a life-or-death struggle between a false god and someone close to a true god!

This is the terrifying manifestation of the decisive power of high-end combat capabilities.

"Give it your all, at any cost, and utterly annihilate Qianxia..."

The Emperor roared, commanding the million-strong Sakura Kingdom force he controlled using the "Emperor's Silk" to launch a full-scale attack on Inarika!

He knew in his heart that even if Lü Dongbin also cultivated the "Heavenly Emperor's Calamity Scripture," he could unleash combat power "near the level of a true god"...

However, the outcome of this battle between the two sides now hinges on who can completely control the "Emperor's Mask"!
The key to his victory lies in whether the forces of the entire "Sakura Country" can defeat Qian Xia by joining forces!

The outcome of the battle between the two sides will not be decided solely on this battlefield.

It was a truly all-out war, without reservation, for hundreds of millions of ordinary citizens of both countries, soldiers on the battlefield, and even artisans in the logistics department!

Those "dynasties" of the Sakura Kingdom who still possessed a sliver of "sanity" were completely driven by the will to war and launched a "war" against Qianxia without regard for anything else!
The boundless flames of war spread across Qianxia... (End of Chapter)