Chapter 783: Joining Forces
Xiao Ze's bold proclamation in the Northern Territory, made in front of countless witnesses, was never intended to be kept secret.
As word spread across the Heavenly Luo Continent, his ambitions inevitably drew the attention of the four dominant superpowers.
While the Origin Realm aggressively unified the Northern Territory, the four superpowers convened in the central region of the continent, in Heavenly Luo City.
Heavenly Luo City
Located at the heart of the Heavenly Luo Continent, Heavenly Luo City was a sprawling metropolis of interconnected palaces and halls. Its grandeur earned it the title of the continent's unofficial capital.
Despite endless disputes among the superpowers, none had ever succeeded in fully claiming the city. Instead, it remained jointly governed as neutral ground, making it the ideal place for negotiations.
At the center of this city, in a magnificent hall, four figures had gathered.
Though they radiated no visible spiritual energy, their presence alone caused the space around them to twist and warp under immense pressure.
A Dangerous Rival
The leader among them, a pale faced man with sunken eyes that glowed a ghostly white, broke the silence. His voice was cold and chilling.
"What do you all think about this new Lord of the Origin Realm? He is none other than the newly appointed Demon Slayer King of the Great Thousand Palace."
This man was the Ghost Emperor of Nether Ghost Gate, the strongest of the four, with cultivation at the mid tier Celestial Heaven Sovereign level.
Across from him, a middle aged man in white robes, whose sharp gaze resembled an unsheathed sword, spoke gravely.
"The Demon Slayer King of the Great Thousand Palace isn't someone to be trifled with. We must tread carefully."
"White Spirit Sword Immortal, are you frightened already?" A burly man whose aura was as steady as a mountain chuckled dismissively.
"You forget," the Ghost Emperor interrupted, his pale lips curling into a faint smile, "in times of peace, the Demon Slayer King holds no authority over us."
Underestimating Xiao Ze
The fourth figure, an elderly man in a purple robe, hesitated before speaking. "Still, we mustn't underestimate him. Word is that Xiao Ze has only recently entered the Heaven Sovereign realm, yet he's already proven himself formidable."
The burly man, Green Peak Overlord, snorted disdainfully. "What's so formidable about him? He's just a newly ascended Sovereign, likely a mere Spirit tier Heaven Sovereign."
Even with his battle formations, he continued, Xiao Ze wouldn't last against seasoned powerhouses like them.
The Ghost Emperor's bony fingers tapped rhythmically on his chair. "He's made his intentions clear he aims to take over the entire Heavenly Luo Continent. If he dares to challenge us, we have every right to compete with him."
The room fell silent.
A Joint Attack
Ghost Emperor's reasoning struck a chord with the others.
The Great Thousand Palace couldn't interfere arbitrarily in peaceful times, and Xiao Ze had made the first move. If the four superpowers banded together to suppress him, the Palace couldn't fault them for defending their interests.
White Spirit Sword Immortal, still hesitant, said, "There's also the matter of Xiao Ze's alchemy. Rumor has it he can refine the Dragon Phoenix Heaven Sovereign Pill."
At this, even the staunchest skeptics paused. Such a pill was immensely valuable to Heaven Sovereigns, capable of aiding their breakthroughs.
The Ghost Emperor sneered. "Why concern yourselves over a mere pill? Once we control the Heavenly Luo Continent, we'll have access to endless resources to barter for anything we need."
His confidence bolstered the group. With the decision made, the four Heaven Sovereigns resolved to lead their forces northward to confront Xiao Ze.
A Gathering Storm
The four superpowers controlled most of the Heavenly Luo Continent's territories outside the Northern Territory. As they rallied their armies, a tide of warriors surged toward the Northern Territory like an unstoppable flood.
Meanwhile, other superpowers that had considered intervening decided to wait and see how the conflict unfolded.
Xiao Ze's Breakthrough
While this storm brewed, Xiao Ze was secluded in meditation, surrounded by a shimmering river of supreme spirit liquid that flowed endlessly around him.
The typical cultivation of a Heaven Sovereign in the Great Thousand World involved merging spiritual energy with their physical body, refining it into their Heaven Sovereign Body while unlocking their body's latent spiritual veins to enhance their power.
However, Xiao Ze's path was different. His core was the Tree of Origin.
A Unique Path
Before reaching the Earth Sovereign realm, the growth of the Tree of Origin was reflected in its height. Upon entering the Earth Sovereign realm, its expansion shifted to its breadth.
Now, as a Heaven Sovereign, Xiao Ze discovered that his cultivation relied on tempering the branches of the tree.
The vast spiritual energy surrounding him was drawn into his Tree of Origin, fusing with the branches. Each branch absorbed the energy, pulling in the primordial light of chaos from the Origin Space, further refining itself.
Xiao Ze estimated that completing the refinement of a single branch would propel him to the mid tier Spirit Heaven Sovereign level.
With seven branches to refine, reaching the mid tier Celestial Heaven Sovereign was inevitable.
"But if I bind more subordinates, new branches will appear…" Xiao Ze mused. "Perhaps refining all branches after reaching the Celestial tier will lead to transcendence beyond the Celestial tier."
As Xiao Ze contemplated his path, he remained undaunted.
"Every step forward reveals the next. The answer will come with time."
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