Chen Fan was speechless for a moment.
He now understood what had happened to the Thunder Lord back then.
Even in the Upper Nine Heavens, the Thunder Lord was considered a top-tier existence.
Immensely powerful.
However, due to the Lord of Light, the Thunder Lord did not remain in the Upper Nine Heavens. Instead, he chose to be the Lord of Light's neighbor and continuously tormented him.
The Thunder Gu held grudges.
Faced with the formidable Thunder Lord, the Lord of Light could only endure.
But later, the Thunder Lord made a trip to the Ninth Land and emerged severely injured.
This situation was quickly noticed by the Lord of Light.
Having been oppressed by the Thunder Lord for so many years, the Lord of Light's hatred was palpable.
How could he miss such a golden opportunity?
Therefore, under the banner of the Celestial Bureau of Order, he invited several Ninth-Tier experts to jointly ambush the heavily injured Thunder Lord.
As it turned out, the Lord of Light's gamble paid off.
The Thunder Lord's injuries indeed stemmed from him and the Celestial Bureau of Order, which was to say, the Lord of Order.
However, there was one thing he miscalculated.
That was the Thunder Lord's strength.
Even when heavily injured, the Thunder Lord was so powerful it was despair-inducing.
There were originally six Ninth-Tier experts who attacked the injured Thunder Lord. In the end, three died and three were injured. They paid an immense price to kill the Thunder Lord.
One of the fallen three was the lone Ninth-Tier expert from the Seventh Land.
"Tsk tsk."
After listening to the Lord of Light's explanation, Chen Fan clicked his tongue twice.
He also felt a sense of emotion… the Lord of Light was truly a schemer.
He had, in one go, led to the deaths of four Ninth-Tier experts, including the Thunder Lord.
"Forget it."
Chen Fan shook his head. "Let's not dwell on the past. Now that we're here and need to deal with the Million Tribulations, we naturally have to see if the Dark Lord is truly a contingency left by the Upper Nine Heavens."
"If so, we might have to intervene."
There was no other way. To infiltrate the Upper Nine Heavens, all forces had to be consolidated. If he entered the Upper Nine Heavens alone, he would likely be killed upon arrival. The Lower Ten Lands must become his strength. Even if they did not submit, they must be able to help him at crucial moments. At the very least, this should be the case when facing the Million Tribulations.
"Let's find the other two first to inquire about the situation," Chen Fan said.
"Alright."
They could not approach the Dark Lord directly. This matter was, in any case, closely related to the Seventh Land, and their intervention meant they could not leave the other Spiritual Seat Dao Masters out.
Cloud Sea Realm.
This was a Ninth-Tier great world guarded by a supreme being.
Much like the Light Realm and the Thunder Domain.
The Thousand Threads and Five Elements of the Ninth Land had not established worlds. Perhaps they had… but not in the Ninth Land, perhaps they were hidden in the Upper Nine Heavens.
The Cloud Sea Realm, as its name suggested.
Outside the realm was a sea of clouds and mist, giving it a dreamlike feeling.
"What a magnificent Cloud Sea Realm." Standing outside the realm, Chen Fan couldn't help but sigh.
Others might not perceive anything, but his senses were sharp.
This Cloud Sea Realm was actually a Heavenly Secret World.
He could sense the countless threads spread throughout the clouds, concealing the Heavenly Secrets.
Creak.
As they observed, the gate of the Cloud Sea Realm automatically opened.
Then, a figure emerged from the gate.
The ethereal clouds rapidly converged, transforming into a Heavenly Secret robe. On the robe, clouds gathered, concealing all aura.
In their perception, the individual seemed non-existent.
"Esteemed guests."
The figure who emerged was a middle-aged man, appearing scholarly.
He looked refined and gentle, and as he spoke, a smile graced his face. "Your presence here is a great honor. Cloud Sea extends its apologies for not welcoming you sooner, and we beg your forgiveness."
The Cloud Sea Dao Master, one of the four Ninth-Tier experts of the Seventh Land.
He was also one of the individuals the Illusion Sect mentioned who could steadfastly face the Upper Nine Heavens.
The Cloud Sea Emperor's gaze swept over each of them. "Dao Master Illusion Sect, Lord of Light, City Lord Chen, Dragon King… As for this one…"
He recognized the previous individuals but could not identify the Evil Lord.
Upon facing the Evil Lord, the Cloud Sea Dao Master frowned slightly.
His appearance was familiar, but this aura…
"Evil Lord."
Chen Fan introduced for the taciturn Evil Lord. "He was once the refined second body of the Thousand Threads Dao Master of the Ninth Land. After Thousand Threads' demise, this second body regained its freedom and now stands with us."
The Cloud Sea Dao Master raised an eyebrow and smiled, cupping his fist. "So it is Fellow Daoist Evil Lord. My apologies."
A Ninth-Tier expert deserved his respect.
The demise of Thousand Threads had long been rumored throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
The Upper Nine Heavens had not yet made a move because they were waiting for the opportune moment of the Million Tribulations to descend together. If not for the approaching Million Tribulations, someone would likely have arrived by now.
It was quite a coincidence.
"Everyone," the Cloud Sea Dao Master said with a smile, cupping his fist, "I am aware of your intentions. When will the action commence? Just give the word, and my Cloud Sea Realm will undoubtedly offer its full support."
Cloud Sea was magnanimous and forthright.
He understood Chen Fan and the others' purpose and was willing to contribute his strength to the impending Million Tribulations. Or rather, he had harbored this intention for a long time. He lacked the capability before, but now, with external assistance, he chose to act.
Seeing Cloud Sea's cheerful response, Chen Fan and the others felt their journey was worthwhile.
Chen Fan cupped his fist. "Your words are enough, Cloud Sea Dao Master. I still need to find someone elsewhere. Please proceed, Cloud Sea Dao Master."
"Please."
Cloud Sea gestured for them to go about their business.
After resolving the issue with Cloud Sea, the group soon arrived at another residence of a Ninth-Tier expert.
Not a world, but a dojo.
Mountain Lord.
This was a Ninth-Tier expert who cultivated the Dao of Earth.
It was rare to master the Dao of Earth to the Ninth Tier on its own.
When Chen Fan and the others arrived, the Mountain Lord was sleeping.
Upon learning their intentions, just like Cloud Sea, the Mountain Lord agreed without any hesitation.
...
As they departed, Chen Fan was still somewhat disoriented.
"Was it that easy?" Both Ninth-Tier experts agreed so readily? It felt somewhat unreal.
But such was the reality.
The Dragon King beside him smiled. "This is a good thing."
The others also agreed. It was indeed a good thing.
"When do we act?" the Evil Lord asked.
He was once again struggling to suppress the negative emotions within him. His killing intent began to surge again.
Chen Fan glanced at him and shook his head slightly. "You can't continue like this…"
Boom.
A beam of resentful light erupted from above the Evil Lord's head.
Overwhelming killing intent permeated the air. His expression distorted, and though he was intentionally suppressing it, signs of him losing control were evident.
The Evil Lord's face contorted. "I'm losing control."
Chen Fan: "..."
"Sigh."
The Evil Lord's condition was indeed troublesome. If this continued, the Evil Lord would eventually transform into a demon of slaughter. His consciousness would inevitably be consumed by negative emotions.
"Actually, you could really try the spiritual plant gifted by the Dao King," Chen Fan suggested once again.
The Evil Lord remained unmoved and shook his head firmly.
Chen Fan: "..."
Fine.
He still couldn't convince him.
"Forget it."
Chen Fan did not insist. Anyway, the action would be taken sooner or later. Since it could benefit the Evil Lord, he decided not to delay any longer.
He gave a direct order: "Old Demon Chu, go notify the Cloud Sea Dao Master. Immortal Emperor, notify the Mountain Lord, and tell them… we will be responsible for blocking the Yin Death Dao Master, and the Dark Lord will be dealt with by them."