Chapter 1423: Heavenly Venerable's Union of Dao

Pure Nine-Lotus Lamp.

"Heavenly Venerable!"

The Nether Dragon's roar echoed, and across the sky, vertical black lines emerged. In an instant, these fissures opened like portals, from which streams of Yellow Springs water poured out like long rivers. They transformed into terrifying dragon heads, spewing forth an aura of horrifying decay, and charged directly towards the Heavenly Venerable's vortex.

At that instant, Chen Mobai couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

The Nether Dragon had forcibly torn open the void barrier between the Underworld and the Heavenly River Realm using the Underworld's primordial power. As his own being was intrinsically linked to the void, Chen Mobai felt as though he had been slashed multiple times.

"Is this the power of a Primordial Dao Lord?"

Chen Mobai couldn't help but nod to himself.

At the same time, he finally understood who was controlling the Primordial Gold Dipper.

As the true form of the One-Yuan True Monarch, the Primordial Gold Dipper was naturally also the Heavenly Venerable's artifact of enlightenment.

It seemed that the One-Yuan True Monarch's final desperate act to elevate the Primordial Bell before his Dao Transformation was also part of the Heavenly Venerable's plan.

Now that the Primordial Gold Dipper had appeared, giving the Heavenly Venerable the power to contend with the Nether Dragon and its allies even before achieving Dao Confluence, it could only be seen as destiny.

However, Chen Mobai couldn't shake the feeling that he had been manipulated.

He never expected that his own magical artifact would be manipulated to this extent, simply because the Primordial Bell had called out "Old Master." Now, even its ownership was gone.

Meanwhile, in the deepest reaches of the star sea, supreme over the Three Realms, a golden wheel flared like the rising sun. A colossal imperial figure, residing high above the Nine Heavens and commanding the stars, opened his eyes and gazed in their direction.

This was the Heavenly Emperor's True Dao Body, which ordinarily meditated on the Three Thousand Great Daos at the edge of this primordial chaos, seeking to achieve ultimate creation and transcend the Three Realms.

The one in the Ziwei Palace was merely the Heavenly Emperor's Avatar of Rules.

As the momentous event of the Three Realms' Reversion to Origin had been prematurely triggered today, he awakened, roused by his avatar.

The power exerted by the Nether Dragon had, in fact, already exceeded the anchor point's limit, reaching a seventh-tier level.

The Heavenly Emperor's eyes glowed, and with a mere thought, the Great Dao resonated. He could intervene through the rules, simultaneously repelling the Nether Dragon's power and infiltrating his own Great Dao into the Underworld.

However, the Heavenly Emperor hesitated for an instant.

Because if the Heavenly Venerable succeeded in achieving Dao Confluence, then as someone who had repaired the Primordial Life-and-Death Great Dao, reorganized samsara, and guided the Three Realms back to their origin—a being of immense merit—he could, if he wished, securely assume the position of the next Heavenly Emperor after the current Heavenly Emperor's departure, or even become an unprecedented supreme sovereign of the Three Realms.

This was true even if the Heavenly Venerable only achieved Dao Confluence and not Pure Yang.

Although the Heavenly Emperor wished to abdicate, he hoped that the Spirit Void Immortal Realm and the Heavenly Court could transition smoothly, even completing the handover without any ripples.

It was precisely for this reason that he wanted to select the next Heavenly Emperor from among his own descendants.

That would be a straightforward succession; at most, there might be some undercurrents, but it wouldn't lead to conflict or war.

However, if an outsider like the Heavenly Venerable became the Heavenly Emperor, then according to the historical rules of dynastic change in the mortal world, at least the Heavenly Emperor's descendants would be suppressed, or even purged.

And at this moment, during the Heavenly Emperor's brief hesitation, raging Nether Dragons, like a torrential river carrying an aura of time that annihilated all things and decayed all beings, solidified the void. They surged into the Heavenly Venerable's vortex, opened their sharp teeth, and bit down on the Life-and-Death Disk.

At this moment, Chen Mobai finally understood which Primordial Great Dao the Nether Dragon was aligning with.

It was the Great Dao of Aether, representing the long river of time!

In the unique environment of the Heavenly River Realm, the Nether Dragon's outburst of seventh-tier power greatly surprised the Heavenly Venerable, causing the vortex, which was originally absorbing the Life-and-Death Disk, to halt.

Clang, clang, clang!

But immediately, the Primordial Gold Dipper erupted with a resounding chime. Infinite golden light surprisingly broke through the Great Dao of Aether, like a blade's radiance severing heaven and earth, slashing down upon the Aether-light Nether Dragon.

"It's useless," the Nether Dragon's voice echoed. "This is the power of a Primordial Great Dao. Your acquired artifact of enlightenment cannot shake it..."

The Nether Dragon's voice resonated from behind a series of Underworld Gates, but its words were only halfway out when it noticed something was wrong.

It saw that after the Primordial golden light was momentarily frozen by the Nether Dragon's Great Dao of Aether, a faint sword light, very familiar to Chen Mobai, suddenly flashed through.

Subsequently, the Aether-light Nether Dragon in the sky seemed as if its spine had been extracted, collapsing into Yellow Springs water that disappeared one by one, like rain falling from the sky.

The Great Dao of Severing Fate!

Chen Mobai's face suddenly dawned with understanding; this was the complete form of the Heaven-Severing One-Line Everlasting Sword Intent.

In the Heavenly Venerable's hands, paired with the Primordial Gold Dipper, his artifact of enlightenment, it could even break through the Great Dao of Aether.

"You were clearly about to achieve Dao Confluence with life and death," the Nether Dragon exclaimed, "so how do you still possess the power of this Great Dao?"

The Nether Dragon was even more shocked.

To cultivate the Void realm requires purifying one's Great Dao, and this is even more critical for Dao Confluence. It means shedding everything, with only a speck of true spirit carrying homologous power integrating into the Great Dao. By relying on one's will and accumulated insights, one controls the entire Great Dao, much like a snake swallowing an elephant.

Before Dao Confluence, within the Heavenly Venerable's true body, there should certainly only be powers related to the Primordial Life-and-Death Great Dao remaining.

And at this moment, the Life-and-Death Disk, now completely free from its restraints, spun forth towering black and white spiritual light and fully merged into the Heavenly Venerable's vortex.

The Nether Dragon's enraged roar rang out, but by this time, even if its true body were to descend, it would be too late to stop it.

In the sky above, the towering great tree, originally just a phantom in the vortex, began to solidify from its ethereal form at this moment.

Ancient figures of various forms, with closed eyes, were suspended on the branches of the Longevity Dao Tree, like individual fruits.

Among them, what most caught Chen Mobai's eye was a young boy with a sword clasped in his hands.

The power of the Great Dao of Severing Fate lingered around the young boy.

"Was it he who had just controlled the Primordial Gold Dipper to break through the Nether Dragon's Great Dao of Aether?"

Chen Mobai also noticed that the branches these figures were suspended from were similar to the branch left by the Heavenly Venerable in the Divine Tree Secret Realm.

"This meant that all these people were the Heavenly Venerable?"

"Were they other One-Yuan True Monarchs?"

Chen Mobai recalled that before the Great Dao Tree, those who passed the final Longevity Trial would become the Longevity Sect's Holy Embryos, serving as vessels for the Heavenly Venerable's reincarnation.

"Were all these Holy Embryos purified and imbued with the Heavenly Venerable's spiritual consciousness?"

After realizing this, Chen Mobai's scalp tingled with dread.

No wonder a Holy Son of the Longevity Sect rebelled and left the sect back then; it was probably because he knew this truth and didn't want to be hung on the Heavenly Venerable's tree.

"After a hundred thousand years of arduous cultivation, I have finally attained this Great Dao..."

At this moment, a prolonged sigh echoed across the sky. The Longevity Dao Tree, now fully materialized, pierced through heaven and earth, and billions of emerald lights shone forth, activating the Primordial Life-and-Death Great Dao in the Spirit Void Immortal Realm, the Heavenly River Realm, and the Underworld.

And during this process, the human-shaped fruits hanging from the branches also emitted lights of various colors.

Chen Mobai took a quick glance and found the power of the Five Elements Immortal Scripture's Great Dao, as well as the Severing Fate power of the sword-wielding boy, and even Great Daos of Void, Merit, and others.

On one of the branches, there was still residual Primordial spiritual light, presumably from the former position of the One-Yuan True Monarch.

"Are these all the Holy Embryos of the Longevity Sect throughout history in the Eastern Continent?"

If they hadn't been refined by the Heavenly Venerable's spiritual consciousness, it was probable that True Immortal Dao Lords, no less inferior to the Nine Heavens Demon-Exterminating Patriarch, could have emerged.

What a pity...

As Chen Mobai lamented, he saw the Heavenly Venerable's true form, the towering great tree, suddenly begin to rapidly wither.

During this process, all the human-shaped fruits hanging from the branches, having lost their support, were flung out of the vortex.

Seeing this, Chen Mobai hesitated for a moment but still waved his hand, collecting them into his Dharma Realm.

These were clearly people from the Longevity Sect. His achievements today owed no small credit to the Longevity Sect's secret realms and resources left in the Eastern Wilderness.

The Heavenly Venerable's actions made Chen Mobai feel that they were not aligned. So, he wondered if he could save these Holy Embryos, considering it repayment for this karmic debt.

"From life into annihilation, the deceased return to the source!"

After shedding all powers not belonging to the Primordial Life-and-Death Great Dao, the Heavenly Venerable finally took the last step. Amidst a chant, a human-shaped phantom rose from the remnants of the withered great tree.

The Heavenly Venerable held the Life-and-Death Disk, now stained with an unusual emerald green. With a gentle turn, the vortex, centering on it, instantly tightened and condensed into a single point.

Then, this Life-and-Death Origin Point rapidly expanded outwards, transforming into a massive disc covering the Three Realms.

This indicated that the Primordial Life-and-Death Great Dao had been fully repaired.

Next would be the Reversion to Origin of the Three Realms and the process of the Three Thousand Great Daos merging with one another.

"Young friend," the Nine Heavens Demon-Exterminating Patriarch said to Chen Mobai, "seeing this, I have no more worries. I hope there will be a day we meet again in the future."

His mission was complete.

With the Heavenly Venerable achieving Dao Confluence with life and death, he could now rest assured and elevate the Primordial Taiji Great Dao.

"I wish you success in your Great Dao, Senior, and a return to the Primordial!"

Chen Mobai held the Nine Heavens Demon-Exterminating Patriarch in high regard. After all, if the Heavenly Venerable had truly not acted according to the Water Mother's guidance, the Nine Heavens Demon-Exterminating Patriarch had genuinely intended to personally guide the Three Realms' convergence himself.

"Hahahaha, I accept your auspicious words!"

With a final burst of hearty laughter, the Nine Heavens Demon-Exterminating Patriarch transformed into Two-Sided Immortal Light, scattering into the void and merging into the Primordial Great Dao along with his true form in the Spirit Void Immortal Realm.

Chen Mobai also sensed at this moment that this anchor point had not disappeared with the vanishing of the Life-and-Death Disk, but was instead continuously expanding outwards as time passed.

When the Five Continents and Four Seas were completely enveloped, Void Cultivators would then be able to reside in the Heavenly River Realm.

"Master..."

Yuan Qingque looked at the spot where the Nine Heavens Demon-Exterminating Patriarch had finally transformed into light and dissipated, and solemnly performed a grand bow.

Chen Mobai noticed that within Yuan Qingque's body, the Two-Sided Immortal Light, which had not been particularly dense before, now showed signs of reaching its peak.

This must be because the Nine Heavens Demon-Exterminating Patriarch had given her a helping hand before elevating his Great Dao.

After all, regardless of success or failure, the Two-Sided Great Dao would become vacant.

There was no need to wait for the results; Yuan Qingque could already strive on this Great Dao.

At this moment, Chen Mobai suddenly thought of another question.

Qing Nü's previous incarnation, Saintess Guiling, controlled one of the Great Daos, the Primordial Taiji. According to True King Taixu, the Calamity of Annihilation might also be pursuing this very Great Dao.

If the Nine Heavens Demon-Exterminating Patriarch truly succeeded, wouldn't he be caught in the crossfire?