Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

Chapter 1015: Chapter 1007: Hongqian Ancestor

"He is stronger than another peer I sense; I feel I am definitely no match for him."

As Hong Yi spoke, he loosened his hold on the flower, which fell to the ground, its roots immediately embedding in the soil to stabilize the blossom.

Gu An replied, "He is different from you; you are a newborn, and he has not yet undergone Nirvana."

The Nine Great Dao are not all reborn. One existence managed to escape from Chaos after the last era of the Nine Great Dao manifested and avoided disaster; it was only recently that this existence returned.

His cultivation level has already reached the Perfection Realm of the Ultimate Merging Dao Venerable Emperor!

The Celestial Emperor’s adversary has emerged.

This being is named the Hongqian Ancestor. He never met the Celestial Emperor; when he departed, the Celestial Emperor had not yet been born, and Hongmeng was in its final days.

His return is due to the power of the Great Infinite Demon Ancestor.

The Hongqian Ancestor will be the Heavenly Dao’s greatest adversary. He too seeks to gather the power of the Nine Great Dao to aid him in proving his path to sainthood.

"Will he become my adversary?" Hong Yi softly asked Gu An.

Gu An replied, "Yes, and there’s no avoiding it; in the future, you will face many unavoidable tribulations."

Upon hearing this, Hong Yi fell into silence.

"If you have concerns, I can help you avoid these tribulations," Gu An said with a smile.

Saying this, a fierce light flashed in Hong Yi’s eyes, and he immediately declined, "No need; it’s not yet certain who will be whose tribulation."

Gu An did not press further but instead said, "If that’s the case, your future cultivation must focus on combat. Are you ready?"

Hong Yi nodded and said, "Then don’t hold back; it’s best if you push me to death’s edge, only then can I compel my potential."

Gu An said meaningfully, "As you wish."

...

In the Celestial Court, within an Immortal Palace atop the sea of clouds, Lu Lingjun strolled forward, with the White Spirit Demon Emperor coiled on her shoulder, its serpent head drooping.

"When will days like these end? Although merits accumulate quickly, the distance to advancement is far too great, and the recent tasks are increasingly dangerous."

The White Spirit Demon Emperor wailed, feeling mentally and physically exhausted, longing for rest.

Lu Lingjun was not as worn out. She calmly replied, "Mental fatigue is a form of training. We are already Immortal Gods; our mana will not deplete, and constant fighting is a rare form of cultivation."

The White Spirit Demon Emperor rolled its eyes, saying, "You’re just deceiving yourself; you’re out of options."

"Knowing this, why complain? Does it help?"

"It doesn’t help, but it can relieve emotions; otherwise, I feel suffocated."

While bickering, the two approached a high platform, where streams of air swirled, transformed from Celestial Dao Destiny, allowing them to relax.

As Lu Lingjun sat atop the platform, exhaling a breath, a beam of golden light descended from the sky, shining before them.

Within the golden light appeared a shadow, grasping an edict scroll, spreading it open, and loudly proclaimed: "The First Celestial Army of the Heavenly River, return immediately and prepare to resist Cangming’s invasion in the Underworld!"

He repeated this thrice, then collected the edict and vanished as the golden light dissipated.

Lu Lingjun frowned, while the White Spirit Demon Emperor wailed.

"Haven’t even warmed the seat, and it’s starting again. Doesn’t the Celestial Court have any other Celestial Armies available?"

The White Spirit Demon Emperor’s cry was mournful, as if it were about to weep.

Lu Lingjun took a deep breath and stood up, saying, "Instead of complaining about this, consider whether you and I could survive if we lost this Celestial Dao Destiny."

The White Spirit Demon Emperor hesitated and said, "Impossible, right? The Celestial Court is so formidable; could it really come to this?"

Though complaining, it understood the Celestial Court’s immense heritage, with countless Immortal Gods and stars of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals; only after entering the Celestial Court could one fathom the immense power it wielded.

"There’s nothing absolute. From the Mortal World to here, how many such events have you seen?"

Lu Lingjun said nonchalantly, her eyes glistening with strange light, as she plucked divination for herself, a habit she maintained before every battle; yet now, it was increasingly difficult to predict.

The White Spirit Demon Emperor remained silent, its serpentine eyes reflecting intense worry.

...

In the Celestial Court, Guangfa Immortal Palace.

Li Xuanmiao and hundreds of Immortal Gods were listening to the Dao; all were disciples under Venerable Guangfa Taiguang. However, since the change of the Celestial Emperor, fewer disciples remained, leaving the grand hall somewhat sparse.

Venerable Guangfa Taiguang sat at the head, having just finished lecturing, waiting for disciples to pose questions.

Yet the disciples were not focused on cultivation but on the Celestial Court’s ongoing war with Cangming.

This war had lasted many years, nearly all had participated, and Cangming demonstrated a more terrifying aggression than the Dark Heavenly Court.

Most critically, the Dark Heavenly Court was also stirring, along with several Chaos Forces emerging, pressing toward the Celestial Court.

At a glance, it seemed the entirety of Chaos was besieging the Heavenly Dao, leaving Immortal Gods under unprecedented pressure.

There was one thing the Immortal Gods dared not speak aloud.

That is, the current Celestial Emperor was far less formidable than the previous one; to date, the Celestial Emperor had not acted, seemingly still cultivating diligently, leaving Immortal Gods feeling insecure.

The Celestial Emperor not only held the highest power in the Celestial Court but also needed to be the strongest being, the greatest reliance in the hearts of the Immortal Gods.

Li Xuanmiao listened to fellow disciples’ inquiries, his thoughts restless.

Venerable Guangfa Taiguang suddenly asked, "Xuanmiao, what are you thinking about?"

Upon these words, all Immortal Gods turned their heads toward Li Xuanmiao, the grand hall falling into silence.

Coming back to his senses, Li Xuanmiao hesitated briefly, then said, "This disciple is wondering if the God Slaughter List is real."

The Immortal Gods’ expressions changed dramatically, all eyes turning to Venerable Guangfa Taiguang, their faces tense.

The God Slaughter List is a recently widespread list, not only in the Celestial Court, but also prevalent in All Heavens and Myriad Realms, recording which Immortal Gods a certain mysterious existence aims to slay. To be listed requires at least the Immortal Monarch position, targeting the middle to upper echelons of the Celestial Court.

Li Xuanmiao’s concern was not because his name was on the God Slaughter List but because he wondered how the list could spread within the Heavenly Dao, suspecting internal dissent within the Celestial Court.

With internal strife and external threats, the Celestial Court’s situation truly worried him.

Most crucially, the Celestial Court now focused entirely on external warfare, neglecting the Heavenly Dao’s all living beings’ situation, leading him to believe the state of All Heavens and Myriad Realms was grim, prompting him to desire a return to the Celestial Spirit Great World.

His power was negligible in the Celestial Court, but he felt he could protect the Celestial Spirit Great World.

Venerable Guangfa Taiguang, expression unchanged, calmly said, "Regardless of whether the God Slaughter List is real, you all must be prepared to fight at any moment. A Supreme has calculated that before long, a powerful force from Chaos will descend upon the Celestial Court, causing great upheaval; that is what should concern you."