Chapter 669: The Struggle of the Heavenly Emperor

As soon as the Crown Prince of the Divine Court finished speaking, a towering figure materialized above the vast army clad in violet armor, standing amidst the clouds. Bathed in sunlight, his form appeared almost illusory, like a mirage shimmering in the sky.

General Zhu!

High above, he overlooked the world, his red armor gleaming with a divine aura. His face was stern and imposing, his thick brows resembling two burning flames. His long hair was gathered beneath his divine crown, and behind him, seven massive swords floated in a fan-shaped formation, each radiating a different divine light, symbolizing the seven divine authorities standing behind him.

Before General Zhu, Zhu Xi and the other fugitives felt an overwhelming sense of awe. Some among them couldn’t withstand the pressure and fell to their knees.

General Zhu lifted his right hand slightly, playing with two orbs in his palm. Within his grasp, they resembled colliding stars, their immense pressure distorting the air around them.

“Your Highness, how dare you slander the Immortal Gods and question the Divine Court? If His Majesty were to learn of this, can you imagine how deeply it would pain him?”

His voice thundered through the heavens, and the moment he finished speaking, a third eye suddenly opened on his forehead.

A terrifying red light burst forth, streaking downward at unimaginable speed!

Everything happened too fast—so fast that even the Crown Prince of the Divine Court had no time to react.

Boom—

The red light struck the Crown Prince with earth-shattering force, sending the fugitives flying in all directions.

Some tried to flee, but the tunnel created by the Crown Prince had already vanished.

Before they could even rise to their feet, an overwhelming pressure descended upon them, forcing them to the ground.

The winds howled.

Debris scattered in all directions.

The entire forest was torn apart, as if the apocalypse had arrived.

Zhu Xi was forced to her knees.

She struggled to lift her head, her pupils trembling with fear.

What incredible suppression!

She couldn’t even imagine the terrifying power he would unleash if he fought at full strength.

The red light faded, revealing the Crown Prince’s remains—nothing but a fragile skeleton, trembling before finally collapsing into a pile of bones.

This scene plunged the thousands of fugitives into utter despair.

Even the Crown Prince of the Divine Court had perished.

How could they possibly survive?

Above them, General Zhu remained utterly indifferent, as if he had merely crushed an insignificant insect rather than executed the Crown Prince.

The countless violet-armored divine soldiers standing in the clouds mirrored his expressionless gaze, deepening the atmosphere of hopelessness.

General Zhu opened his palm, allowing the two orbs to fall from his grasp.

As they descended, their radiance intensified, casting a blinding glow across the land.

The world lost its color.

Feeling the immense pressure, Zhu Xi turned to look at Gu An, her teeth clenched.

“Didn’t you say you had a plan?”

Gu An glanced at her, the corner of his mouth curving into a faint smirk.

To Zhu Xi, that smile was pure arrogance, a madness that seemed utterly detached from reality.

She couldn’t comprehend why this man could still smile under such dire circumstances.

Before she could process anything further, a wave of scorching energy descended from above.

In that instant, her consciousness blanked out completely.

Boom—

The land erupted with a catastrophic explosion.

Countless trees were ripped from the ground, their splinters scattering like dust in the wind.

Above, the violet-armored divine soldiers looked down coldly, unmoved by the devastation below.

However, General Zhu’s expression shifted.

For the first time, a glint of greed flashed in his eyes.

Dusk Fell.

Zhu Xi abruptly opened her eyes.

Her vision was bloodshot, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath, looking as though she had just awoken from a terrible nightmare.

She immediately sat up, her mind racing.

Then, she saw Gu An.

He was seated on the ground a short distance away, beside a small campfire.

In his hands, he held a mirror, as if he were calmly examining his own reflection.

Zhu Xi’s mind cleared, and she instinctively looked around.

She soon realized that they were perched on the edge of a cliff.

In the distance, mountain ridges stretched endlessly, their peaks bathed in the golden hues of sunset, painting a scene of melancholic beauty.

“We escaped?”

Zhu Xi turned to look at Gu An, her voice laced with tension.

Gu An continued to stare into the Seven Stars Mirror in his hand and replied calmly, “Yes, we escaped, but we are still in the Taiwei Great World.”

The Seven Stars Mirror had undergone his modifications and was now a Dao Treasure. Its surface reflected the mortal world of the Taiwei Great World, allowing him to peer into its affairs.

Hearing his words, Zhu Xi let out a sigh of relief. She stood up, bent slightly at the waist, and gave Gu An a respectful bow.

“Senior, I have other matters to attend to. I will take my leave first!”

With that, she turned and began to walk away.

“You don’t want to become stronger?”

Gu An’s voice drifted behind her, causing her steps to halt instantly.

She turned her head, her gaze complicated.

Gu An, however, still didn’t look at her. His focus remained entirely on the Seven Stars Mirror.

Heavenly Spirit Great World, Qiankun Sect

At dawn.

Gu An walked alongside Heavenly Spirit God, the two strolling leisurely through the streets. At first glance, they seemed like nothing more than casual travelers, but their conversation revolved around matters that shook the Grand Thousand Worlds.

“I heard from an old friend that the Heavenly Court is in turmoil. The struggle for the position of Heavenly Emperor is brewing. Countless unfathomable powers are maneuvering behind the scenes. Even those at the Heavenly God level are beginning to take notice.”

Heavenly Spirit God spoke with a grave expression. Under Gu An’s suggestion, he had been forging closer ties with other Heavenly Gods. The old friend he mentioned was a celestial deity from the Ethereal Immortal Court.

As Gu An perused a nearby stall, he casually asked, “Does this involve Tian Hao? Previously, Taiyi Xianjun and Xuanxu Xianjun seemed to have targeted him specifically.”

Heavenly Spirit God shook his head. “Even if Tian Hao regains his past self, he is still far from competing for the throne of the Heavenly Emperor. Not to mention him—even the Immortal Lords are a far cry from such authority. This battle won’t erupt immediately. It will be a long, drawn-out conflict, but eventually, even the Grand Thousand Worlds will feel the ripples from the Heavenly Court.”

Though Heavenly Spirit God wasn’t particularly well-versed in the inner workings of the Heavenly Court, he at least understood what the position of Heavenly Emperor represented.

It was the pinnacle of supremacy, signifying absolute dominion over the Heavenly Dao.

“Speaking of which, I encountered an Immortal God in the Taiwei Great World—he seems to be connected to the Divine Court…”

Gu An proceeded to recount what he had witnessed in Taiwei Great World. A hundred years had passed since he rescued Zhu Xi, and now, it was merely his clone accompanying her.

Aside from observing the mortal realm through the Seven Stars Mirror, he occasionally wandered the world himself.

The Divine Court had been recruiting divine followers across various lands. These recruited mortals were permanently severed from their families. Some regions offered compensation to the families, while others forcefully conscripted people without choice.

Gu An witnessed how these followers were transported into a massive alchemical furnace—a furnace that had been refining an unknown pill for a million years.

A million years had passed, and countless mortal souls had been fed into that cauldron, yet the pill had never been successfully produced.

This unfathomable mystery piqued Gu An’s curiosity.

He shared this information with Heavenly Spirit God, hoping for an explanation.

Heavenly Spirit God furrowed his brows and said, “Using living souls for pill refinement isn’t unheard of. As for what specific pill that Immortal God is attempting to refine, I cannot say. However, if it has taken this long and still isn’t complete, then it likely ties into the struggle for the Heavenly Emperor’s throne.”

He took a deep breath, then added, “Taiwei Great World ranks among the top-tier Great Thousand Worlds. I suspect that other Great Thousand Worlds may be undergoing similar events.”

Heavenly Spirit God did not outright condemn the actions of that Immortal God—instead, he felt a growing unease.

He understood how Immortal Gods operated.

Even if they committed atrocities, they never left traces behind.

This meant that the Taiwei Great World was doomed—it was only a matter of time.

“If this is happening across multiple Great Thousand Worlds, then one day… all of the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds may face destruction. And then—the Heavenly Court will recreate the Three Thousand Worlds from scratch.”

Heavenly Spirit God’s expression darkened, and his words made Gu An’s gaze shift slightly.