The Divine Realm.
At the heart of the Divine Realm, Chen Du, Xia Bailin, and Yu Liche strolled towards the Divine King's Palace, the shimmering Pure Sea to their left, an endless green expanse to their right, and the hidden thirteen Divine Clans' realms above.
Chen Du gazed at the ruins of the God-Seeing Mountain below the Divine King's Palace and said softly, "The God-Seeing Mountain, where divinity took precedence. Now that it's gone, can divinity still hold the dominant position?"
Xia Bailin and Yu Liche offered no opinion.
Xia Bailin tucked his sleeves, stating calmly, "We are unaware of the battlefield situation. Is it not a bit too soon to act like this?"
"Not too soon," Chen Du chuckled. "From the moment the Divine Realm became empty, the Divine Realm and the battlefield can be considered two separate arenas. We just need to do our part. There's no need to worry about our master; once we've done our job, the rest will be handled by the master."
Yu Liche, walking on Chen Du's other side, sighed with emotion and spoke slowly, "I truly never imagined such a day would come."
Chen Du pursed his lips and smiled. Today, he was dressed like a noble young master, in a dashing blue and white robe, his figure tall and straight.
Upon reaching the steps of the Divine King's Palace, Xia Bailin and Yu Liche stopped, watching Chen Du slowly ascend the stairs and enter the Divine King's Palace.
Chen Du crossed the threshold of the Divine King's Palace and arrived at its center.
The Divine King remained seated on his divine throne, looking down at Chen Du from his lofty position.
At this moment, only the two of them were in the Divine King's Palace, one seated on the throne, the other standing in the center of the hall.
Chen Du spoke first, looking directly at the Divine King, and smiled, "Greetings, Divine King."
The Divine King nodded slightly, "Why has the Temple Emissary come?"
Chen Du maintained his smile, his voice soft yet resonant like thunder. He replied, "The new king has arrived; the old king should yield."
The Divine King was not surprised. He gently twirled his fingers on the armrest of his throne and asked with a smile, "Such confidence? He Li is only at the initial stage of the He Yu Realm. Even if he is invincible among the Divine Lord level, he still has a long way to go to reach the Divine King realm. Temple Emissary, are you not being a bit hasty?"
Chen Du shook his head, "Not hasty, not hasty. This is just right."
Then, Chen Du slowly dropped his smile, his hands clasped within his sleeves in front of him, his posture slightly sloped. Like his master, he couldn't maintain a serious demeanor for long before revealing his true colors. He chuckled and said, "I won't preach grand principles to you, Divine King, lest you find me tedious and lose patience, swatting me to death. On second thought, I might as well speak. Since you're going to kill me anyway, I might as well have my fill before I die."
The Divine King remained unmoved, simply watching Chen Du.
But outside the Divine King's Palace.
Xia Bailin, who had been standing at the steps of the Divine King's Palace, ascended into the sky. Xia Huchu suddenly appeared beside him, along with the patriarch of the Mu Kui Star Clan, Sais, Divine Lord Selu Kui, the patriarch of the Radiant Gold Divine Clan, the Boundary-Guarding Divine Lord, the patriarch of the Navia Divine Clan.
With the exception of Yu Liche, a total of eight Divine Lords hovered in the sky, arrayed in a line.
In front of the Divine King's Palace, the patriarchs of the seven Divine Clans and the Boundary-Guarding Divine Lord emerged from behind the Divine King's Palace. Fourteen Divine Lords slowly dispersed, also forming a line, and the two sides faced each other in confrontation.
Both sides were old acquaintances who had known each other for millions of years. There was no need for further pleasantries. Now, with their respective stances clear, only battle remained.
Chen Du couldn't help but laugh and asked, "Divine King, did you foresee this scene?"
The Divine King replied truthfully, "No, but I knew that the Barbarian Ancient Gods would come seeking us to avenge their clan's destruction."
After speaking, the Divine King paused and continued, "But the one I cannot fathom is you, Chen Du. Why are you doing this? You are neither a remnant of the Barbarian Ancients, nor a member of the Spirit-Taming Divine Clan, nor a member of the Yan Clan of the Barbarian Ancient Gods. Why are you risking your life to scheme like this? Is it all for He Li?"
"Yes and no."
Chen Du said honestly, "The master of my Divine Technique Chen family has always been that man."
In the minds of both Chen Du and the Divine King, a figure simultaneously surfaced: Xia Peishu.
The Divine King looked at Chen Du, uncomprehending.
Chen Du chuckled, "Is it strange? Yes, my master is He Li, but in the hearts of my clan, the master of the Chen family has always been that man. He Li is more like that man's son, no, brother. That's not quite right either. In any case, He Li is more like that man's successor."
"I respect and love He Li as well. Unlike Xia Peishu, my feelings for He Li are more akin to those of an old minister towards a young ruler."
"But you never met Xia Peishu," the Divine King stated.
"However, my Chen family's thirty-thousand-year heritage has loyalty to our master etched into our very bones, flowing through our bloodline. It is our innate mission."
Chen Du's eyes flashed like lightning. He narrowed his gaze and said mockingly, "You gods, sitting so high above, know nothing of gratitude and righteousness."
"The gods of the Divine War are utterly indifferent. They treat their own Temple Emissaries like pigs and dogs, discarding them at will. Even if a tool has been used for tens of thousands of years, it should still retain some warmth!"
"Are you speaking up for them?" the Divine King asked.
"Heh... I don't have that much leisure time," Chen Du sneered. "I only wish to seek justice for my master and fight for a throne for my master."
The previous master was Xia Peishu, and the current master is He Li.
Chen Du, the Divine Technique practitioner who became a god as a mortal, faced the Divine King and voiced the grievances in his heart.
"You threw my master into the beast pits like wild animals, letting them tear at each other, fight each other. It hasn't stopped for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years. You gods, sitting in the stands, should also taste what it's like to be torn apart by beasts."
After Chen Du's words, which were almost a growl, the hands beneath his sleeves clenched so tightly they turned white. He glared at the Divine King through gritted teeth.
The world believed He Li to be Xia Peishu, but the Temple Emissary families did not. Xia Peishu was always Xia Peishu, and He Li was always He Li. They were never conflated. They were both masters of the Temple Emissary families, but also independent individuals.
Chen Du had never forgotten the purpose of their coming to the Divine Realm: to kill the gods of the Divine Realm, to stain the sky with blood, to overturn this pure land of the Divine Realm, to seek justice for Xia Peishu, and to sever the recurring nightmare of slaughter that had repeated for the past thirty thousand years.
"Is this your ambition?" the Divine King frowned slightly.
"Is it not enough?" Chen Du retorted with a sneer.
"It is enough," the Divine King nodded.
The Divine King said regretfully, "Why didn't you remain the Temple Emissary? If you had stayed beneath my divine throne, what difference would it have made if I gave the southern battlefield to He Li?"
Chen Du's back straightened, his eyes bright and fixed on the Divine King, his smile brilliant and his spirit soaring, he said, "I have a master."
As Chen Du's words fell, outside the Divine King's Palace, the Divine Lords and patriarchs of the thirteen clans simultaneously unleashed their divine power. The sky of the Divine Realm seemed to be split in two by a single sword. The previously bright sunlight instantly gave way to thunder and lightning, with dark clouds pressing down.
The Divine King tilted his head, looking at the clan leaders and Divine Lords outside the hall who were already preparing for battle, and asked, "Are you not afraid I will kill them?"
Chen Du smiled and replied, "I am not afraid of you killing me either."