Chapter 546: 神王塔,危机情报,寒食之主

"I accept," Zhao Xing quickly decided. While it felt a bit strange to inherit Wei Tianchen's legacy, he had no reason to refuse something beneficial.

"Please follow me," the Black Robe invited Zhao Xing into the palace.

The Shadow Temple was a neutral faction, so there was no reason for them to trick him. Even if there was something strange, there was nothing to fear, so Zhao Xing calmly walked into the palace.

Inside the palace were countless boxes, like a gigantic seven-star cabinet. Drawers continuously opened and closed, with countless papers flying out, drifting into the unknown, while many others fluttered in, settling into the drawers.

"The Shadow Temple is a neutral faction. We only provide a platform and never participate in the conflicts of any power," the Black Robe explained to Zhao Xing.

"Whether it's an evil god or a righteous god, the Shadow Temple remains impartial to all sides."

"What is the purpose of the Shadow Temple, and who established it?" Zhao Xing asked curiously. As a six-star client, he thought he should be privy to some inside information.

"Amusement," the Black Robe chuckled. "Why must there be a purpose? Well, if I must say, the original intention behind founding the Shadow Temple was simply for amusement."

"Amusement?" The Black Robe's answer greatly surprised Zhao Xing.

"The founders of the Shadow Temple neither wished to save the world nor to destroy it," the Black Robe said with a light chuckle. "They merely wished to observe the world quietly."

"In a divine seclusion state, a Sovereign God can almost live as long as the universe itself. If there's any divine tribulation, it would be the destruction of the universe."

"Such an extended life always requires some form of amusement, provided it's safe and doesn't break the divine seclusion."

"So that's why the Shadow Temple was created?" Zhao Xing felt a little mistaken in his previous assumptions.

The Shadow Temple was merely a tool for amusement for some Sovereign Gods?

However, Zhao Xing found some truth in the Black Robe's words. Where did the title "Sovereign God" come from? It referred to a group of gods who didn't want to follow any rules, preferring to live freely.

If you remove the 'savior' and 'destroyer' types from these Sovereign Gods, the remaining portion consists of pure 'fun-loving' gods who neither wish to save nor destroy the world, but simply enjoy watching the spectacle.

How do they watch the spectacle? The Shadow Temple is their method. Each mission issued by the Shadow Temple represents the grudges and complexities of the world, a true microcosm of life!

The Black Robe continued, "You have inherited Wei Tianchen's six-star client status. Besides being able to post and accept missions in the Shadow Temple, you also have many additional functions."

"For example, he previously left reserve funds in the Shadow Temple for resurrection and reincarnation."

"However, Wei Tianchen died in a rather unique and special place—a dead-end, making those reserve funds unusable."

"Is that reserve fund substantial?" Zhao Xing asked curiously.

"Very substantial," the Black Robe nodded. "After you reappeared in the Profound Spirit Star Domain, the Temple discovered that Wei Tianchen's spiritual imprint, left within the Temple, had vanished."

"As a six-star client, if a spiritual imprint disappears, the Shadow Temple actively checks the client's status—whether they have died or are trapped somewhere."

"If they are dead, we resurrect them; if trapped, we rescue them."

"The reserve funds are expended according to the difficulty of resurrection or rescue."

"On that occasion, we mobilized seven Divine Generals to different timelines to search for Wei Tianchen."

Seven Divine Generals?! Zhao Xing was stunned. It seemed he had underestimated Wei Tianchen's true background; it was as if the man had truly inherited a national treasury.

"What was the outcome?"

"The outcome was that he had truly died."

"Couldn't you bring him back from a timeline where he was still alive? Like, reversing time to resurrect him?" Zhao Xing asked.

"You have some misconceptions about resurrection," the Black Robe shook his head.

"Please enlighten me," Zhao Xing asked earnestly.

"Given that you're a six-star client, I'll explain it to you for free. It will be easier to understand once you reach the Divine Realm."

The Black Robe waved a hand, and a cyan river appeared before them.

"Look, this is the River of Time. It encompasses the movement of life and matter within the universe's origin, and it represents fate, karma, and the complex evolution of space."

"This complex, irreversible overall evolution has a clear direction."

The Black Robe waved a hand again, and points of light appeared in the cyan River of Time. "These points of light represent Wei Tianchen's spatial position at different points in time."

Zhao Xing looked closely; the River of Time was still.

When the Black Robe waved again, the River of Time began to move.

"Wei Tianchen's cultivation in space, his actions, and experiences interacted with the entire cosmic space and other living beings. Can you see any changes?"

Zhao Xing looked closely and saw countless points of light connected by three lines.

"Three more... lines?"

The Black Robe nodded. "You could say that."

"Among the three lines, the easiest to identify is the karmic line."

"Next is the life line, then the fate line. There are also some more obscure pathways that run throughout, but they are very subtle and not used as a basis for judgment."

With a whoosh, the Black Robe pushed forward, and the river stirred with waves.

Suddenly, a section of Wei Tianchen within the river disappeared.

"In the last solar year of the Barren Domain's Second Epoch, Wei Tianchen vanished. There are three possibilities for such a disappearance."

"First, becoming a god. Whether a Sovereign God or a True God, one can gather all karmic, fate, and life lines across endless time and space."

Zhao Xing understood that this meant transcending the Three Realms and the Five Elements, effectively 'stepping ashore' from the River of Time.

Such beings are no longer bound by many cosmic rules, hence their divine power possesses immense might.

"Second, death. After death, the origin scatters and cannot form life. It returns to the universe, transforming back into the origin of the Dao, no longer a manifested life form."

Zhao Xing nodded. The Dao Ancient Layer, Phenomenal Manifestation Layer, and Dao Manifestation Layer also spoke of different manifestations of the Great Dao's origin.

It was like how liquids and solids are easily seen, but air is difficult to perceive.

The Dao manifests as phenomena, and the abstract 'Dao' is the origin.

"Third, being swept into another node by the River of Time."

The Black Robe explained, "Based on some clues, we discovered that Wei Tianchen was trapped in a certain spatio-temporal secret realm, but we did not act immediately."

"Because although his karmic line was broken, his life and fate lines were still intertwined, making it possible for them to extend into the Barren Domain's Third Epoch."

"If he could emerge in the future, that would be the client's own privacy, and we wouldn't intervene immediately."

"But ultimately, his three lines did not extend into the Barren Domain's Third Epoch, so we had to investigate."

Zhao Xing saw that at the node of the Barren Domain's Third Epoch, Wei Tianchen disintegrated from a human form into lines.

This symbolic characteristic indicated that Wei Tianchen would die and would not exist in the Barren Domain's Third Epoch.

"Dispatching Divine Generals was merely to confirm the spatio-temporal domain where he vanished."

"To save him, we must find where his karmic line broke, bring it back, and make his karma, fate, and life reunite, merging into the Barren Domain's Third Epoch."

"This is what we commonly refer to as resurrection."

"Why couldn't it be done?" Zhao Xing asked his initial question again.

"Because Wei Tianchen is not a god; his past and future are one."

"Is the Divine Realm not?"

"No, a Divine Realm being who has completed preliminary divine seclusion is different. If you want to know how to kill or resurrect a god in divine seclusion, that will incur a fee."

"How much?" Zhao Xing subconsciously asked about the price, thinking of Qingyuzi's state.

"As a six-star client, we can offer a discount: three low-tier Dao artifacts, or one mid-tier Dao artifact will suffice."

"That expensive?"

"The Dongyan Ancient Clan paid even more when they bought the method from us back then."

"Never mind, I'm not really eager to learn it," Zhao Xing shook his head.

The Black Robe said no more, gently extending a finger into the River of Time, attempting to pull out a point of light.

Zhao Xing then saw countless Wei Tianchens being lifted, as if pulling a fishing net from the water.

"Snap, snap, snap!" The lines quickly broke apart, scattering into their original essence.

"You see, this kind of resurrection won't work. During the pulling process, the River of Time itself will snap the connection, effectively killing him the moment he's pulled from that timeline."

"True resurrection should be like this." The Black Robe gently extended a finger into the River of Time. "At the point where Wei Tianchen's karmic line broke, one must retrieve and successfully mend that line."

"In other words, a god must go to the spatio-temporal node where Wei Tianchen was swept in, bring his scattered origin back to the end of the Barren Domain's Second Epoch, and reconnect his karmic, fate, and life lines."

"This would allow these lines to continue along the main Dao of Time, reach the Barren Domain's Third Epoch, and reform into Tianchen. That is resurrection."

"Of course, this is a relatively simple scenario."

"This is simple?" Zhao Xing felt like he was listening to an inscrutable heavenly text.

"Of course, it's simple because he's not a god," the Black Robe said. "For a Divine Realm resurrection, just collecting the scattered divine power origin is incredibly difficult; some of it might have even transformed into another substance, making it irreversible."

"However, the resurrection method I just described focuses on the individual," the Black Robe continued. "Another situation involves distorting the River of Time itself."

The Black Robe waved a hand, and the river appeared before Zhao Xing in an overhead view.

"Whoosh!"

The Black Robe waved a hand again, and the previously straight river sprouted countless branches, like a bare tree growing new limbs.

"Changing the River of Time itself means making localized, large-scale alterations to a specific area, severing it and making it independent, like digging a new riverbed, and then—"

The Black Robe's finger moved, and a particular tributary extended, curved, and then reconnected with the main channel at some point in the future.

"The Moon God Palace Lord, wielding the Profound Spirit Historical Records, and the Samsara Hall Lord, utilizing the God Evolution Stele, can achieve such levels of alteration. Therefore, the resurrections they oversee are large-scale, especially the Samsara Hall Lord, who possesses the highest level of resurrection power."

"If even they cannot resurrect someone, then that person is truly irrevocably dead. However, such interventions come at an immense cost. If a major historical event occurred in a specific region or time, twisting it becomes extremely difficult. For example, the appearance of the Epoch Worms and Chronicle Worms, or the time and place of the Cold God King's descent."

The Black Robe pointed, and a large mountain appeared at a bifurcation, representing historical events that were difficult to change.

"Of course, the least costly distortion involves altar-based resurrections," the Black Robe said, pointing to the center of the river and magnifying a specific area. "A distortion and reversal are performed within the main channel of time, essentially changing a fact and tying the broken line back together at that very moment."

"So the Samsara Hall Lord, relying on the God Evolution Stele, possesses the strongest resurrection power? It seems the Shadow Temple's intelligence is more objective," Zhao Xing mused.

Earlier, during his conversations with Venerable Fu Ping and others in Wanxing City, and listening to Lu Ya's accounts, Zhao Xing had believed that the Moon God Palace Lord, who wielded the Profound Spirit Historical Records, possessed the strongest resurrection power.

"So, after this inheritance, how much reserve fund do I have?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Whoosh!" The Black Robe waved a large hand, and the illusion of the River of Time vanished, replaced by two small and one large miniature pagodas.

"These are Divine Power Pagodas. The smaller ones are called Divine General Pagodas, and the larger one is called a Sovereign God Pagoda."

Zhao Xing looked at the Black Robe, waiting for an explanation of the Divine Power Pagodas' purpose.

"The reserve funds are mainly for resurrection and search and rescue. The amount of treasures stored in the Shadow Temple determines the power that can be mobilized for resurrection and search and rescue efforts."

"There are many ways to build a Divine Pagoda. The fastest way, of course, is to provide valuable divine artifacts, while the slowest is to infuse it with the origin of divine power."

"Occasionally, there are Divine Power Pagoda missions, but these are not standard methods."

Zhao Xing was extremely shocked after hearing this. Wei Tianchen's most substantial treasures were actually stored in the Shadow Temple!

One Sovereign God Pagoda, and two Divine General Pagodas.

"Old Wei is incredible. Did he perhaps inherit the national treasury from the Five Emperors era—"

After listening to the Black Robe explain the rules for building the Divine Pagodas, Zhao Xing was deeply shaken.

Master Zhao had seen considerable wealth before, but witnessing Wei Tianchen's true fortune still left him astonished.

Compared to Wei Tianchen, he felt like a pauper.

"He has so much money, yet he still couldn't be resurrected?" Zhao Xing looked at the two small and one large Divine Pagodas.

Logically, since Old Wei had a Sovereign God Pagoda, why couldn't he be successfully resurrected?

"No," the Black Robe shook his head. "According to the information gathered by the seven Divine Generals who searched, the final conclusion was that even a Sovereign God could not descend to Wei Tianchen's place of death, resurrect him, and bring him back."

Zhao Xing nodded. It seemed the level of the Fengchan Land in that historical timeline was too high, even for a Sovereign God to touch.

This implied that there were originally seven Divine General Pagodas here, which had vanished after being consumed in a wave of efforts.

"Old Wei really brought his demise upon himself," Zhao Xing sighed. Of all places to die, he had to die in the historical Xuanhuang Realm.

"Wei Tianchen was merely a demi-god; where did all his wealth come from?" Zhao Xing asked curiously.

"This information will cost the first layer of divine power from a Divine General Pagoda. Do you wish to pay?"

"Hmm, never mind. I'm not that curious after all." Zhao Xing thought for a moment and suppressed his curiosity. Building even one layer of a Divine Pagoda was extremely difficult; the first layer of a Divine General Pagoda alone required a low-tier Dao artifact.

Wei Tianchen might have had an experience similar to his own. Back then, in the Xuanhuang Realm, he had acquired the Grand Dream Academy, which was the abundant treasury accumulated by the Li Dynasty.

Next, guided by the Black Robe, Zhao Xing proceeded to examine his permissions as a six-star client.

He hadn't realized the extent until he saw it, and he was startled. The Shadow Temple could even traverse time and space to rescue people, and it provided channels for such traversal!

As long as the stacked Divine Power Pagodas were tall enough, a Sovereign God could be invited to intervene.

No wonder Wei Tianchen was so reckless, daring to take such great risks to capture him twice and still moving freely despite being universally wanted.

Also, Puyan had managed to establish himself in the Demon Race territory with the help of the Shadow Temple.

Even the resurrection plan concocted by the Dongyan Ancient Clan had utilized the Shadow Temple as a tool.

"A Shadow Temple created by a bunch of fun-loving gods is truly powerful," Zhao Xing thought. The more he looked, the more he felt the profound depth of the Shadow Temple's foundation.

"By the way, does the Temple have divine methods from the Celestial Time school, or something like Extreme Star Origin?" Zhao Xing asked.

"As a six-star client, you can post cross-temporal bounties," the Black Robe said. "The Temple can help broadcast your bounty to countless timelines, though the Temple itself does not retain these items."

"The central axis of these standing cabinets indicates past timelines to the left, future timelines to the right, and the current timeline along the central axis, both above and below."

"Each drawer on the left and right represents a specific temporal node, categorized into epochs, solar years, and world-star years."

"You can place your bounty content into a drawer and then await news."

Zhao Xing looked with great curiosity at the row of standing cabinets in front of him. He had previously felt that this row of cabinets was unique, but now he realized they were channels for cross-temporal bounties.

"Why are there so few cabinets representing the future?" Zhao Xing asked.

There were many past eras, continuous and endless, with hundreds of millions of rows and countless cabinets.

Yet on the right, there were only three large sections.

"Bounties sent to the future can only be extended by a maximum of one epoch. This is because the future is not yet set," the Black Robe explained. "It can be easily altered."

Zhao Xing immediately understood, recalling the Profound Spirit Historical Records' ability to solidify and distort events.

"Can I know future events through this cabinet? Like, writing letters to my future self?"

The Black Robe chuckled. "Theoretically, yes, but it would be more effective for you to ascend the Ten Directions Mountain yourself. Its efficacy won't surpass the Ten Directions First Divination, but the cost might be greater."

"Perhaps you could expend a Sovereign God Pagoda's reserves and still only get an answer with fifty percent certainty."

Zhao Xing realized he had asked a foolish question. This was no different from divination; he would be better off seeking answers from the Fate Masters.

"Can I know how you confirmed that I inherited this legacy rather than seizing it?" Zhao Xing still felt the good fortune had come too suddenly, making him somewhat paranoid and afraid of being tricked.

"I can pay for this information."

The Black Robe was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No, this information is not for sale."

Zhao Xing pondered this. The Shadow Temple's refusal to sell information suggested several possibilities: it involved another high-authority individual, or it would shake the very foundations of the Shadow Temple.

However, given the Black Robe's firm stance, Zhao Xing realized he wouldn't get an answer.

"Alright, then I won't ask."

"Do you have any other needs, such as posting a bounty mission?"

"Not for now. If there's any intelligence concerning me, you'll proactively inform me, right?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Yes, we provide certain conveniences for six-star clients. Should we predict any unfavorable events, we will proactively contact you and inquire if you wish to purchase the prediction results."

"For example, we once predicted Puyan's death with a thirty percent probability, but he didn't purchase the information, and he was eventually captured by Venerable Baimeng and delivered to you."

"Do you possess a God of Fate Masters?"

"That is classified information, not for sale."

"Alright."

Zhao Xing felt that the Shadow Temple must have a considerably large group of gods in its service; otherwise, it would be impossible to extend its reach across multiple timelines.

It seemed the standard for a super-power was the ability to exert influence across spatio-temporal barriers.

From the glimpse Zhao Xing caught of the iceberg, the Shadow Temple's Divine Realm might be more comprehensive than other super-powers.

Zhao Xing stayed in the palace for quite a while, gaining a general understanding of the permissions left by Wei Tianchen.

"As a neutral faction, the Shadow Temple might be more convenient for certain tasks," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "For instance, I can post treasure hunting missions to past timelines, seeking legendary species that are now extinct in the current timeline, or even divine-tier species."

"The categories available are more numerous than in the Profound Spirit Treasure Pavilion."

Many items were considered forbidden in the current era, such as the Ten Thousand Souls Banner. The Barren Domain faction absolutely prohibited the existence of such demonic cultivation methods.

If Zhao Xing wanted to cultivate demonic methods, it would be very difficult to acquire them from the Barren Domain faction. However, there were no "forbidden items" in the Shadow Temple; it only depended on whether one could afford the price.

Furthermore, cross-temporal transactions offered the benefit of avoiding karmic backlash. For example, if one refined soul spirits in the current timeline, even if done secretly to avoid capture by the human high-ranking Judicial Divine Generals, one would still bear the karmic backlash of the current timeline.

If it were a cross-temporal transaction, the karmic backlash would be borne by the other party and would not be transmitted across time and space.

It was safe, discreet, and offered a wide array of options, fulfilling diverse needs. Even some professions that had been suppressed, like priests, could find satisfaction here in the Shadow Temple.

"Whew, it's time to go. I can't let Divine General Xinshen, Lu Ya, and Yan Ao worry."

Zhao Xing prepared to leave the Shadow Temple. This mental space allowed departure with just a thought.

He had already left his spiritual imprint here, so he could return anytime he wished without the Black Robe's guidance. Just as Zhao Xing stepped over the threshold of the grand hall, intending to leave, suddenly, "Whoosh!"

The Black Robe reappeared before Zhao Xing.

"Hmm? You are—"

"I have a piece of crisis intelligence concerning you," the Black Robe said. "Would you like to purchase it?"

Crisis intelligence about him? Zhao Xing's heart sank.

"How much?"

"It requires consuming one layer of divine power accumulated in the Sovereign God Pagoda."

"What?!"

Zhao Xing jumped in alarm.

One layer of a Sovereign God Pagoda—that was truly terrifying. The divine power from ten Divine General Pagodas wouldn't even fill one layer of a Sovereign God Pagoda, and a Sovereign God Pagoda only had nine layers in total.

Now there was a piece of crisis intelligence concerning him, and purchasing it would consume an entire layer?

"You can choose not to purchase it. Crisis intelligence might or might not come true," the Black Robe said calmly.

"I'll buy it!" Zhao Xing gritted his teeth. The fact that it would consume one layer of the Sovereign God Pagoda indicated that this crisis intelligence was highly likely to manifest very soon, making it extremely urgent.

"Rumble!"

Zhao Xing felt the largest of the three Divine Power Pagodas within his temple erupt with golden light from its first layer, which then immediately became empty.

Immediately after, the Black Robe pointed a finger, and a piece of crisis intelligence appeared in Zhao Xing's mind.

It was a visual image.

A city surrounded by myriad stars collapsed with a thunderous roar.

Following that was a second image, in which Zhao Xing saw the Heart God Palace, located in the Dao Ancient Layer, completely sealed by an intensely cold frost.

"Divine General Xinshen Qiluo, I am your Dao Breaker—"

A majestic voice echoed through the image, like a clap of thunder.

In less than half an hour, Divine General Xinshen Qiluo fell from the pinnacle of the White Pagoda, crashing heavily onto the ground, stripped of all divine essence.

The entire White Pagoda crumbled to dust.

Frost froze the ashes, and a celestial ladder descended.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Crisp footsteps sounded, as if someone was descending the ladder, but Zhao Xing saw no figure.

"Om—"

The vision then disappeared.

"This, this—"

Zhao Xing's eyes widened. From the crisis intelligence he had just received, he had actually foreseen the collapse of Wanxing City and the death of Divine General Xinshen Qiluo.

Who caused the collapse of Wanxing City, and who killed Divine General Xinshen Qiluo?

"Black Robe Emissary, please interpret this crisis intelligence for me," Zhao Xing immediately requested.

"As you saw, Wanxing City collapsed, and the Divine General's Dao was broken," the Black Robe's voice was cold. "Moreover, the time node is very close; your true body should be in the Heart God Palace right now, and you will be affected."

"As for who it is, I believe you've already guessed. It's a name I cannot utter."

Zhao Xing immediately understood: it was the divine power clone of the Lord of Cold Food!

He had personally descended upon the Heart God Palace!

"How much time until it happens?" Zhao Xing asked.

"The crisis intelligence is too close to the current timeline. That's why the warning time is short and it required consuming a layer of divine power."

"But rest assured, the Shadow Temple we are currently in exists within a spiritual space, where the flow of time is different. You should still have time to escape after you awaken," the Black Robe said.

"Is there anything else you wish to say? Can I call for rescue?"

"Nothing else. As for rescue, it's too late to post a bounty now," the Black Robe shook his head. "You can only try to escape."

Zhao Xing was burning with anxiety. As soon as the Black Robe finished speaking, he immediately activated his Shadow spiritual imprint.

His spirit traversed intricate labyrinths, departing from the Shadow Temple.

In the real world, within the Dao Ancient Layer, inside the Heart God Palace.

Zhao Xing awoke.

Upon waking, he immediately wanted to activate a spaceless teleportation to leave.

But he forgot that this was the Heart God Palace, the residence of a Divine General, which inherently prohibited unofficial spell teleportation.

Thus, Zhao Xing immediately called out Yan Ao and Lu Ya's names loudly.

"Heart God Palace Lord, Lu Ya, Lu Ya, Elder Yan, leave quickly, this place is about to—"

Zhao Xing's words seemed to accelerate the progression of an event. He noticed that the originally serene Heart God Palace, suddenly grew cold.

Lu Ya and Yan Ao immediately appeared beside Zhao Xing. Simultaneously, the Divine General on the White Pagoda suddenly blazed with light and rose from its pinnacle.

"Too late."

Zhao Xing looked at the sky in terror. The dome barrier suddenly shattered, and a pale blue radiance instantly filled the entire Heart God Palace barrier.

Following this, streaks of blue ice crystals drifted down like snowflakes, spreading over the White Pagoda.

"Ooh~"

A chilling ice crystal throne appeared next to the White Pagoda.

The arrangement that formed resembled a common layout for dharma assemblies, with the White Pagoda serving as the preaching platform and the ice crystal throne as the guest seat for the enquirer.

The cold wasn't intense, yet Zhao Xing felt his thoughts stiffen and his body lose all sensation, freezing him in place.

Yan Ao and Lu Ya fared no better. A faint golden glow appeared on their bodies, but an additional layer of light, reflecting snowflakes, enveloped the divine power glow.

"You think a mere divine domain can suppress me, Cold God King? You underestimate us far too much!"

The little yellow duck shrieked, its body suddenly swelling, its head held high, bone armor clattering.

Its left eye solidified into a fiery golden sun, while its right eye resembled a deep blue icy abyss.

Its original beak cracked open, and a new one extended, resembling a divine sword, with sacrificial fire runes appearing.

The down on its body burned away, revealing dark blue iron feathers. The upper feathers were adorned with molten gold cloud patterns, and the lower ones tempered with thunder marrow bones.

Lu Ya flapped its wings and soared, divine flames falling like meteor rain, actually breaking free from the suppression.

"Whoosh!" Zhao Xing's vision blurred, and he was instantly swept into Yan Ao's belly by a flap of wings.

"So this is the true form of the Quru Divine Duck?" Zhao Xing, upon entering Yan Ao's belly, instantly regained normal perception.

He saw that the little yellow duck outside had vanished. Its orange webbed feet resembled dragon claws, reversed scales bristled on its knees, its twin feet fixed space and time, and its tail feathers reflected yin and yang. It was practically an ancient fierce god!

"Yan Ao, Lu Ya, you have old ties with me; you may leave on your own," a voice came from the celestial ladder.

Then a cold wind blew, seeming to stir space itself. Zhao Xing's perspective suddenly receded, dropping from the upper levels of the Heart God Palace to the first floor.

The White Pagoda now required an upward gaze. Clearly, the Cold God King had repelled them from his divine domain, yet Lu Ya could still fly forward.

"Pah, who has old ties with you! Don't slander this venerable one!"

"You tell me to leave, and I just leave?"

"Hmph!"

Lu Ya, filled with ferocity, flapped its wings and lunged to attack the ice throne.

Divine flames rained down, and brilliant divine light shone. It actually managed to fly a bit closer.

But immediately after, Lu Ya seemed to suffer a heavy blow. Its speed plummeted, and its body flew back even faster, returning to Yan Ao's side.

At this point, Yan Ao and Lu Ya were already outside the Heart God Palace, in the chaotic Dao Ancient Layer.

"Divine General Xinshen Qiluo, I am your Dao Breaker—"

The chilling voice resonated throughout heaven and earth.

Everything unfolded exactly as predicted in the vision.

However, there was a slight discrepancy from the crisis intelligence: Zhao Xing hadn't seen Lu Ya being repelled, nor had he witnessed the conversation between Lu Ya and the Lord of Cold Food.

Now he also heard more things.

"For the Cold God King to be my Dao Breaker is my honor. Please enlighten me!" The Heart God Palace Lord did not make a move, and his tone was firm, for he knew that to attain Heavenly Dao Validation, one must undergo countless trials.

The appearance of a Dao Breaker could even be an aid in perfecting one's own method of validation!

"You used the City of Souls within the Star Mirror as your method of Dao Validation, continuously expanding the City of Souls since the Eighth Epoch before the Barren Domain."

"You borrowed the spiritual power of all the emperors, venerables, divine soldiers, and divine generals who resided in the City of Souls to complete your Heavenly Dao Validation."

"Everyone who enters the City of Souls will inevitably expand their territory within it, attempting to evolve it into a Heart Realm."

"Your method of Dao Validation is indeed the 'Heart Realm,' using it to evade the great destruction tribulation of the universe."

After hearing this, the Divine General Xinshen replied with neither humility nor arrogance, "Gathering the spiritual strength of all beings, united in purpose, to forge the Heart Realm—this is indeed my method of Dao Validation."

The Lord of Cold Food said coldly, "The Heart Realm is eternal, but the physical body decays. You never told anyone entering the City of Souls that if they stayed there for too long, their physical bodies would slowly wither."

"Furthermore, everyone's consciousness would be assimilated by you, eventually transforming into your spiritual nourishment."

"Nonsense!" the Divine General Xinshen retorted loudly. "If the Heart Realm is formed, the spirit interferes with matter, and the physical body is entrusted between the Yin and Yang Twin Stars. How could there be physical decay?"

"Spiritual assimilation completely distorts this god's theory! The spirit generates faith, creating a sense of identification akin to worshipping deities. This is completely different from assimilation leading to loss of self!"

"Is that so? Then look who this is!" Beside the ice throne, several figures suddenly appeared on the celestial ladder.

"I don't recognize them."

"They are your seven disciples."

"In the Sixth, Fourth, and Third Epochs before the Barren Domain, you killed them respectively."

"You explained to the Moon God Palace Lord and the Crimson Star Emperor that your disciples died from cultivation deviation, their spirits annihilated."

"Afterward, you erased this segment of your memory, citing pain as the reason."

"Of course you don't remember, because their spirits were refined by you into the bricks and stones of the City of Souls, and their physical bodies were destroyed."

"And I resurrected them."

"Preposterous! Cold God King, do you think resurrecting a few people from the past can shatter my Dao heart?"

A star mirror appeared on the ice throne, and then seven pillars were drawn out from it.

Zhao Xing watched from a distance, finding the star mirror somewhat familiar; it was precisely the image he had seen earlier of a collapsing building within the City of Souls.

Once these seven pillars appeared, they merged into the bodies of the seven people on the ladder.

Zhao Xing saw the Divine General Xinshen on the White Pagoda sway, as if remembering something.

Shortly after, the Divine General Xinshen was taken away from the pinnacle of the White Pagoda by a golden light. This also differed from what was shown in the crisis intelligence.

Immediately after, the image rapidly receded, and Zhao Xing could no longer see the specific situation of the Heart God Palace, only a blue point of light.

Eventually, Yan Ao and Lu Ya appeared in the Phenomenal Manifestation Layer, surrounded by a brilliant starry sky.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" The Quru Divine Duck flew continuously, appearing in the Origin Heavenly Palace area. It seemed to finally feel safe and stopped, and Zhao Xing was also released.

"Both seniors, did you hear that just now?" Zhao Xing asked cautiously.

"Heard it," Lu Ya reverted to his little yellow duck form. "I never expected Qiluo's City of Souls to have such a flaw. All the years of support from the human race were wasted on him. He truly became possessed!"

"Qiluo's path veered off course without him realizing it," Yan Ao also sighed. As a fellow Divine General of the Empire, he had clearly foreseen Qiluo's end.

"So, what that Cold One said was true?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Yes, the Hall Lord appeared just now and took Qiluo away," Yan Ao nodded heavily. "Those who seek Heavenly Dao Validation are most prone to going astray, even believing that sacrificing others is tolerable, unaware that this is the beginning of their failure."

"Exactly, exactly! I'm even suppressing my nature now and rarely eat people," Lu Ya said. "He actually killed so many people and wanted to assimilate all their spirits? He really should let me eat him!"

The two didn't elaborate much to Zhao Xing, apparently not considering it something worth discussing further.

Zhao Xing also felt some emotion; this was so similar to Bolvy. If what the Cold God King said was true, then Divine General Xinshen was even crazier than Bolvy.

"Ooh~"

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared.

Zhao Xing received a major announcement from the Profound Spirit Historical Records.

Barren Domain, Third Epoch, Fifth Solar Year: Cold Food Breaks the Dao, Divine General Xinshen Falls, Wanxing City ceases to exist, and the Heart Realm Dao Validation method is deemed a false method!

"Just like with Bolvy, the Profound Spirit Historical Records have issued an announcement this time as well. I wonder how widespread the impact will be," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

If the Divine General Xinshen's actions became widely known, it would certainly cause panic, given how many people had entered the City of Souls.

As for the Lord of Cold Food, who resolved this crisis, his reputation would undoubtedly soar, and more people would come to believe in him.

Once enough followers were accumulated, after a certain Cold Food Dharma Assembly, the Cold God King would likely return to his past spatio-temporal territory with his believers. The Barren Domain faction losing a group of divine realm beings would mean losing a large amount of resources.

"This open conspiracy is unstoppable," Zhao Xing thought to himself. Divine General Xinshen's Dao being broken was a good thing for demi-gods and even divine soldiers like them!

After all, no one wanted to be unknowingly sacrificed as an experiment by a madman. As the Cold Food Dharma Assembly continued, the Lord of Cold Food's preaching would undoubtedly have an increasingly profound impact on this era.

"It seems this was his main purpose for descending," Zhao Xing thought, his consciousness sinking into his inner world to inform Bolvy of what had just transpired.

"Elder Bolvy, when you were released, did you gain any understanding of him?"

"I didn't see clearly," Bolvy shook his head. "Rather than saying I pushed open that door, it's more accurate to say I heard his voice. A slight push simply gave him an opportunity to slip in."

"The Lord of Cold Food's origins are mysterious. He can influence the 'Primordial Epoch Mountain,' the guardian artifact of the Primordial Hill, and can go into divine seclusion even when pursued by the Moon God Palace Lord, yet very little information about him exists."

"I have never heard of his name when browsing historical timelines. His hiding place is likely very ancient."

Zhao Xing recalled his 'Three Epochs Boundary Theory.' If he truly attained Dao in the Cold-Warm Epoch, then it was indeed a very long time ago.

At the end of the fifth solar year of the Barren Domain's Third Epoch, the Divine General Xinshen incident caused a huge sensation among demi-gods and emperors, especially in Wanxing City, where no one dared to enter anymore.

The Scarlet Star Empire was pushed to the forefront of controversy, with some even beginning to criticize the inaction of certain high-level divine realm figures.

In contrast, the Lord of Cold Food's wild shrines and hidden temples rose dramatically, beginning to spread throughout the empire.

It wasn't until the sixth solar year of the Barren Domain's Third Epoch that this upheaval gradually subsided, overshadowed by another major event: the complete end of the war in the Heavenly Marsh Star Domain. It was entirely integrated into the Profound Spirit Star Domain.

Thanks to the abundant resources provided by the Heavenly Marsh Star Domain, and the emergence of numerous origin realms and treasures, the Empire had sufficient capital to cope with the impact of both the Epoch Worm incident and the Divine General Xinshen incident.

For Zhao Xing, the sixth solar year of the Barren Domain's Third Epoch was also a significant year.

Firstly, the Divine Selection Bureau was about to open a realm passage to transport a group of divine realm candidates to past timelines.

Secondly, Ji Si had gained immensely from leading the war in the Heavenly Marsh Star Domain, rising directly to a sixteenth-tier Fate Master.

Most importantly, after another solar year of gestation, the divine-tier native species within Zhao Xing finally germinated.