Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin: I Set Taboos in the Heavens

Supreme Elder of the Supreme Elder Council, Fang Tianzun!
These two titles represent unparalleled glory and immense power within the Thirty-Three Heavens Immortal Realm system and even the entire Guardian Alliance.

By officially becoming a Supreme Elder, Fang Qing was able to enter the core decision-making level of the Protectorate Alliance.

His opinions began to influence and even determine some of the alliance's major strategic directions.

He has the authority to mobilize some of the alliance's strategic resources and special forces, and he has access to top-level confidential information and lost ancient texts from all the heavens and myriad worlds.

More importantly, this identity itself is a prestigious title, representing the approval and endorsement of the highest levels of the alliance.

In a short time, the forces led by "Fang Tianzun" became a rapidly rising and pivotal force within the Protectorate Alliance.

Every day, celestial forces of varying sizes from all corners of the heavens migrate across their entire realms or send important branches, carrying generous "pledges of allegiance."

It could be a rare mineral vein star map, an ancient legacy fragment, a special talent, or a vast amount of resources.

Fang Qing's "Guardian Alliance" expanded rapidly like a snowball, and the number of immortals under his direct or indirect control soon exceeded 100,000!

Although the vast majority of them are low- to mid-level immortal realms below the tenth rank, there are also quite a few immortal realms in the twentieth rank or even around the thirtieth rank, forming a behemoth with distinct internal hierarchies and boundless territory.

As the absolute ruler of this vast power, Fang Qing naturally amassed unimaginable wealth.

A massive amount of divine materials, immortal gold, and innate wonders, enough to fill galaxies.

Tens of thousands of ancient cultivation techniques and secret manuals from different celestial civilizations, including some divine qigong rubbings or insights that point directly to the origins of mythology.

There are also all sorts of unique and extraordinary talents.

Masters skilled in alchemy, weapon crafting, formations, beast raising, divination, assassination, business management, and more gathered here.

Fang Qing did not enjoy these things all to himself.

He regularly opened "Chaos Dojos" in the core area of ​​the Allied Forces, personally preaching to his core generals, meritorious individuals, and outstanding geniuses from those forces that had defected.

The principles he expounded combined his profound understanding of the great Dao, such as chaos, the heavens, time and space, slaughter, and life, with the essence he gleaned from those divine-level qigong fragments, and explained them in a comprehensive and easy-to-understand way.

Each sermon was filled with dazzling eloquence, golden lotuses sprang from the earth, and the resounding voice of the Great Dao echoed throughout the starry sky, greatly benefiting the listeners.

Many people had an epiphany on the spot, and their cultivation bottlenecks loosened or even broke through directly!

At the same time, he generously distributed a portion of the massive resources according to merit and potential, and established a relatively fair system for exchanging merit and cultivating talent.

This greatly increased the cohesion within the Allied Forces, fostered an unprecedentedly high atmosphere of cultivation, and resulted in an overall increase in strength rather than decrease during the war.

War has always been the main theme.

The Van River continues to flow in the distance, and battles of infiltration and counter-infiltration, harassment and extermination take place every day.

When Fang Qing personally took charge, the "Chaos Devouring God-Slaying Sword Light," which had grown to a size that reached the heavens and the earth and contained the essence of seventy-two special physiques and countless future warriors, was the most terrifying death scythe on the battlefield.

Wherever it passed, no matter how many future warriors there were, they were all reduced to ashes, their essence being devoured and used to nourish the sword light and Fang Qing himself.

Even without Fang Qing directly intervening, the allied forces under his command, after being integrated, fought quite well under the leadership of core members such as Yang Qi and Xuan Ming, and with their exquisite battle formations and tactics that gradually made them familiar with the weaknesses of future warriors.

They continued to achieve victories and continuously obtained that unique futuristic essence from the future warriors for research or to aid in their cultivation.

The war continued for several years.

Over the years, Fang Qing's forces have become increasingly terrifying, and their influence has long since extended beyond the Eastern Front to the entire Protectorate Alliance.

Although he himself lived a secluded life, spending most of his time comprehending the Dao of Primordial Chaos and refining the six tokens to deduce higher realms, his reputation as "Fang Tianzun" was already that of a giant known to everyone in the alliance.

However, despite his own position at the pinnacle of the God of War and the immense power he commanded, there was a gap in his top-tier combat strength.

Yang Qi is exceptionally talented, possessing the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force, yet he has only barely reached the fourth level of the Mythical Realm.

Xuanming, Long Zhuri, and others mostly lingered in the second level of mythology, "Refining God".

The strongest beings in the newly conquered immortal realms are only at the first or second level of the Mythical Realm, and occasionally there are those at the third level of the Mythical Realm, who are already considered treasures that protect the realm.

As for those at the fourth level or above in mythology, they are extremely rare, and most of them are unpredictable and difficult to truly win over.

The situation of the entire Guardian Alliance is quite similar, or even more complicated.

As the war continued, new immortals came to join the alliance every day, and the alliance's territory and population swelled to an unbelievable extent. However, the alliance was also a mixed bag, with numerous factions.

The top powers, led by the Thirty-Three Heavens Immortal Realm, naturally hold a firm grip on core power and resources. However, beneath them, various powerful immortal realms, ancient families, and reclusive lineages form intertwined interest groups.

Many elders and deacons tend to be more concerned with the interests of their own faction and tend to "mind their own business" when it comes to the affairs of the alliance as a whole, unless they are threatened.

This has led to various problems in the alliance's administrative efficiency, resource allocation, and even military coordination, resulting in serious internal friction.

Whoever has the greatest power and the strongest fist can occupy more resources and have a greater say in the alliance, and even "call the shots" to a certain extent.

On the surface, the scale of the alliance's war against the future world is growing larger and the counterattacks are becoming more and more fierce, presenting a thriving situation.

But internally, it is in a state of chaos and fragmentation.

History, under the onslaught of this overwhelming torrent of future invasion, has long since deviated from any possible course and sailed toward an unknown and unpredictable direction.

Just as this apparent prosperity intertwined with the undercurrents within, one day, a rapid, magnificent bell toll, capable of piercing through all barriers of time and space and the separation of souls, suddenly rang out.

"clang--!!!"

"clang--!!!"

The tolling of bells came in waves, continuous and unending, with a mysterious frequency and immense power, reaching every known plane and every registered immortal realm under the rule of the Guardian Alliance.

Whether on the front lines where fierce battles are raging or in the relatively peaceful rear.

Whether in the bustling heart of the immortal realm or in a remote corner of the star field, all cultivators whose cultivation had reached the Mythical Realm or above clearly heard the summoning bell deep within their souls.

This is the highest-level emergency summons from the Guardian Alliance, originating from the alliance's most core and mysterious location—the Temple of Heavenly Dao Operation!
"Hmm? The emergency bell of the Heavenly Dao Operation Temple? It hasn't rung for many years!"

Fang Qing was in his quiet room studying a newly acquired ancient jade slip when he heard the sound. He immediately opened his eyes, and a chaotic, primordial light flashed in them.

"What happened? Is there another major event in the future world? Or... is there some change within the alliance?"

The tolling of the bell signifies that the situation may be extremely serious.

Fang Qing immediately gave Biluo and Yang Qi a few instructions, and then disappeared from the quiet room in a flash.

The next moment, Fang Qing's figure appeared deep within the star field of the Guardian Alliance headquarters, before a magnificent and ancient temple whose grandeur could not be described in words.

This temple seemed to have been naturally formed at a certain point in the universe. Its entire body had a chaotic, rocky texture, yet it was covered with golden celestial runes, exuding supreme majesty that ruled over all heavens and operated all the myriad paths.

This is the Temple of the Heavenly Dao.

At this moment, outside the temple, the light was dazzling and the aura soared into the sky.

Countless great figures, who usually live in seclusion or are revered as Dao Ancestors in their respective immortal realms, are crossing over from every corner of the myriad worlds through the thousands upon thousands of giant teleportation arrays that are constantly flashing and lighting up around the temple.

Fang Qing stepped into the depths of the temple, and the scene before him, even with his current cultivation and knowledge at the Hongshen Realm, was quite moving.

too big!
The space inside the temple stretched out infinitely, with no end in sight.

One after another, massive, star-like pillars of chaos supported the sky-like roof of the palace, which was carved with epic scenes depicting the rise and fall of countless civilizations across the myriad realms.

At this moment, within this vast hall, crowds thronged, and the atmosphere was as vast as the sea. Yes, only "sea" could describe it!

Countless powerful figures stood or sat, hovered in the void, or were hidden in a halo of light.

The divine power emanating from them, even the weakest among them, is still a fifth-level mythological Nirvana God.

There are quite a few powerful beings who have reached the seventh level of the mythology, the "Hao God," and the eighth level, the "Tuo God."

Furthermore, Fang Qing keenly sensed that in some blurry areas deeper within the hall, there were faint traces of several powerful spirits.

There were far too many cultivators in the entire hall.

Tens of thousands!

No, it's as numerous as the sands of the Ganges!
It seems that all the known, unknown, reclusive, and famous high-ranking experts under the entire Guardian Alliance are included.

Everyone who is alive and can still move is summoned by the sound of this bell at this moment.

This is an unprecedented gathering of powerful beings from all realms!

Fang Qing even saw many powerful beings in non-human forms.

There are dragons!
The banners of the Eight Dragon Clans are faintly visible, exuding a vast and ancient aura.

He saw the powerful figures of the Divine Dragon Division, their golden light dazzling; the Heavenly Dragon Division, their presence majestic and domineering; the True Dragon Division's ancestor, whose blood and energy soared to the heavens; and the Demon Dragon Division's giant, whose demonic flames raged to the sky.

He sensed several more subtle and profound dragon auras, which seemed to be the legendary Tuolong, the wise and guardian among the dragons, whose strength was unfathomable.

He also saw important figures from the other thirty-three levels of the Immortal Realm, each with extraordinary bearing, surrounded by a multitude of stars.

People from Tushita Heaven also arrived. Several elderly men dressed in purple robes embroidered with the unique "Purple Qi Coming from the East" Dao pattern of Tushita Heaven possessed a profound and unfathomable aura, clearly indicating that they were all beings at the Hongshen Realm.

They were expressionless, and after they sat down, a space automatically cleared around them, and no one dared to approach them easily.

There are more and more people!

Some ancient monsters that were said to have perished long ago or had been hiding in the depths of chaos for hundreds of millions of years have all revealed their traces.

They were dressed in strange clothes or had an odd aura, but without exception, they all exuded a powerful and unsettling aura.

"boom!"

Suddenly, a golden sword light, without warning, cleaved through the void above the temple, carrying a sharp and desolate aura that seemed to annihilate everything and bury eternity, and abruptly descended upon an open space in the center of the hall.

The sword light faded, transforming directly into a phantom image of a sword mound spanning a hundred feet in diameter.

Countless phantoms of broken swords, shattered swords, and ancient swords were stuck on the tomb, exuding soaring sword intent and a desolate aura of death.

In the center of the Sword Tomb, a young man who looked to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old sat cross-legged.

He seemed to be the embodiment of the sword spirit of an unparalleled, deadly sword, with sword energy permeating every inch of his being. With each blink of his eyes, an invisible sword intent could cut through the void.

"The Sword Burial Ancestor! The Sword Burial Ancestor of the Sword Tomb Immortal Realm!"

Suppressed gasps and whispers immediately rose from the crowd.

"Legend has it that he disappeared into the depths of chaos a hundred million years ago to comprehend the supreme sword path and seek the immortal throne! A hundred million years ago, he was already the supreme grandmaster of the sword path!"

"What realm has he reached now? Peak of the Primordial God Realm? Or has he... already begun climbing the Immortal Ladder?"

"I don't know. I've only heard that once one reaches the complete perfection of the Hongshen realm, one can sense the existence of the Immortal Ladder."

The Heavenly Ladder has nine steps. Each step climbed is a step towards immortality. I wonder which step the Sword Burial Ancestor has climbed?

"Look at his sword aura, this sword mound phenomenon... he's probably reached at least the third or fourth level, right? He's definitely one of the top figures among the patriarchs present today!"

"That's not necessarily true. Look over there, Ancestor Dahe is here too! Legend has it that he refined a Primordial Chaos River from the Chaos, and he was a renowned ancestor a hundred million years ago!"

Fang Qing listened to these whispered discussions without being disturbed.

Even after reaching the Divine Realm, there is still a path, the Immortal Ladder, with a total of nine steps.

Each step represents a deeper understanding of the essence of the Great Dao and a more thorough transformation of one's own life form, requiring a massive accumulation of knowledge and opportunities.

Only by successfully climbing to the ninth level can one be qualified to challenge the ultimate immortal throne, and sit upon it to become a true god!

Otherwise, a forced attack would likely only result in death and the demise of one's soul.

His gaze swept across the hall, and sure enough, he saw on the other side an old man with white hair and beard, whose figure rippled gently like flowing water, and whose aura was vast and long like an endless river, closing his eyes to meditate. It was none other than the Great River Ancestor.

Its profound aura is no less than that of the Sword Burial Ancestor.

As time went on, more and more ancient relics and reclusive masters arrived.

The entire Heavenly Dao Operation Temple has become an exhibition of powerful beings from all heavens. High-level mythical beings, Hong Shen, and even half-step immortals, who are rarely seen on ordinary days, are now appearing in droves!

When the last few exceptionally deep and ancient figures, imbued with the aura of epochal dust, quietly appeared on the chaotic prayer mats at the highest point of the hall, the incessant sounding of the emergency bell finally ceased.

The hall gradually quieted down.

All the powerful knew that such a large-scale gathering must mean that something earth-shattering was about to be announced.

At the highest point of the hall, an old man dressed in a chaotic-colored Taoist robe, with an indistinct face but eyes that seemed to contain the birth and death of the universe, slowly spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, yet it resonated clearly deep within the souls of every powerful person, carrying an undeniable authority:

"Fellow Daoists, the reason we have gathered heroes from all the heavens here today is because of one matter that concerns the survival of our Dao Protection Alliance and the future of all the heavens and myriad worlds."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the countless powerful figures below, before slowly uttering words that shook the heavens and earth.

"After discussion among the elders, it has been determined that the 'Heart of Brahma' passage to the future world has recently experienced increased disturbances, suggesting that a higher-level future force may be about to descend on a large scale!"
Its force may far surpass anything seen before. If our Protectorate Alliance remains as disorganized, fighting independently, and lacking unified command as it is now, we fear we will find it difficult to withstand this world-destroying torrent!

These words immediately caused an uproar below!
An even higher level of future power? How terrifying would that be?
The old man in the Chaos Daoist robe raised his hand and pressed down lightly, and the hall quickly returned to silence.

"therefore,"

The old man's voice turned solemn, "In order to integrate the power of all the heavens, unify commands, and unite our will to deal with this unprecedented calamity, the Supreme Council has proposed this!"

"Our Guardian Alliance will officially elect a Supreme Leader!"

"The Grand Alliance Leader will command all the power of the Alliance, adjudicate all affairs of the Alliance, and allocate all resources of the Alliance!"
In wartime, he possesses supreme command and decision-making authority! The entire alliance, including the Thirty-Three Heavens Celestial Realm, must obey his commands and unite against the external enemy!

"The reason for gathering you all here today is to elect and determine the candidate for the Grand Alliance Leader in this Heavenly Dao Divine Temple, in the presence of all the heroes of the heavens, in a fair and just manner!"

"The Grand Alliance Leader must possess both virtue and talent, unparalleled cultivation, prestige sufficient to command respect, and wisdom to manage all the heavens! I wonder... which fellow Daoist is willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility? Or, do any of you have any worthy talents to recommend?"

As soon as the words fell, the entire vast and boundless Heavenly Dao Operation Temple fell into a deathly silence.

But beneath this deathly silence, countless thoughts raced, and undercurrents surged.

Grand Alliance Leader!
Rule over all the heavens and command all realms!
What power! What glory! But also what responsibility and risk.

All eyes were involuntarily drawn to the most powerful figures in the hall—the Ancestor of the Burial Sword, the Ancestor of the Great River, several Hongshen Ancestors from the Thirty-Three Heavens Immortal Realm, the mysterious Dragon Clan's Tuolong, and several other unassuming but terrifyingly powerful ancient beings…

Of course, this also includes the newly promoted Hong Shen, Fang Tianzun, Fang Qing, who has risen to fame and expanded his power rapidly in recent years!
Who can become the leader of the alliance? (End of Chapter)