These words were a threat to the lives of the Phoenix clan.
Sui You did not respond.
"It's alright, I know you cannot answer immediately," the Heavenly Emperor's voice was calm. "You can go back and think it over. Give me your answer within three days in the mortal realm."
"..." Sui You said nothing and turned to leave, slamming the door.
The Heavenly Emperor watched his retreating back, showing no anger at his rude departure. He simply sat quietly in his seat, drinking tea.
A moment later, the gates of the Heavenly Palace were suddenly blown open by a gust of wind.
The Evil Ancestor, exuding a dark, malevolent aura, swept in from outside and materialized opposite the Heavenly Emperor without a sound.
The Heavenly Emperor glanced up at him, his expression indifferent. "Evil Ancestor, why have you come again? Are you afraid the gods won't know that I, the dignified Heavenly Emperor, am colluding with you, a demon?"
"Don't say that, old friend. I didn't come willingly this time," the Evil Ancestor drifted back and forth before the Heavenly Emperor. "It was the one from the Thirteenth Heaven who sent me to inform you. The hundred-year catastrophe is imminent, the Three Realms will change hands, and you must not forget what you need to do."
"I have always been doing what needs to be done," the Heavenly Emperor said, reaching out to close the door. "The savior has been arranged, the scapegoats who escaped from the Abyssal Hell have all been found. Everything is in preparation now, waiting for that esteemed one to achieve divine power and usher in the hundred-year catastrophe."
"It's good that you have everything under control," the Evil Ancestor said, leaning closer. "By the way, when I arrived, I heard that the Phoenix Lord of the Phoenix clan has also come?"
"Yes, and besides him, I have also ordered someone to summon Yuan Yin, the Dragon King of the North Sea, and to find Qi Yan, the patriarch of the Divine Witch clan," the Heavenly Emperor leisurely wrote the character '天' (Heaven) on the pristine white paper. "I want them all to start attacking the Ice Demon."
"That's simply killing their spirit," the Evil Ancestor said slowly. "If you keep pressuring him like this, the Ice Demon Qi Yu will go mad even if he isn't already. But aren't you afraid they will join forces and rebel against you?"
"How is that possible?" the Heavenly Emperor was fully confident. "Even if the Phoenix Lord is unwilling, I have already issued decrees to all Three Realms and the Four Seas and Eight Directions to enforce my command."
"If the Phoenix Lord is unwilling, his clansmen may not be."
To survive, no one in the Three Realms, be they mortal or immortal, will care whether the target is right or wrong.
The Evil Ancestor laughed heartily. "You old fellow are quite adept at manipulating human hearts. In that case, I'll await your good news. This Ancestor is leaving."
He drifted over like a wisp of smoke and then vanished like a gust of wind.
The Heavenly Emperor's expression remained unhurried. Only after the Evil Ancestor had left and some time had passed did he ask the nearby immortal attendant, "Where has the Divine Being Ling Ru been recently?"
"She was said to have gone to the Phoenix clan, but was blocked by a barrier and couldn't get in. Then she seemed to have gone to the Qilin clan," the immortal attendant replied with lowered eyes.
"How interesting. She couldn't get into the Phoenix clan, yet she could enter the Qilin clan?" the Heavenly Emperor found it amusing. "Doesn't she know how much the former Qilin clan patriarch, Divine Being Huai An, detested her?"
Divine Being Huai An had once knelt outside the Heavenly Palace for three full days, begging him to spare Li Yu and Yu Zhen, to spare Si Qing and Qi Yu.
At that time, to silence gossip, he had not excessively tormented Si Qing, who was alone in the Divine Realm.
However, to be safe, he had still held onto his life essence dan.
Unfortunately, it was later swapped by Qi Yu.
"Your Majesty, do you dislike Divine Being Ling Ru? But you were so good to her before..." the immortal attendant who asked this question was considered half a Heavenly Consort to the Heavenly Emperor, and their relationship was quite unusual, which was why they dared to be bolder than others.
"Hmph, that foolish woman has no ability to save the Three Realms. I've been tired of her for a long time," the Heavenly Emperor waved his hand impatiently. "If it weren't for the fact that... when the one from the Thirteenth Heaven achieves divine power, a pure spirit immortal body is needed for sacrifice, and the body Ling Ru possessed was the only one that met the criteria in the Three Realms, I wouldn't bother with her."
The immortal attendant dared not speak further.
On the other side.
The Phoenix clan, Wutong Mountain.
Sui You's expression had been gloomy since his return from the Divine Realm.
Yu Zhen and Li Yu, who had been waiting for Sui You, rushed forward to surround him upon seeing his return.
"What's wrong? What did the Heavenly Emperor say to you?" Yu Zhen looked at Sui You with concern.
Sui You looked at the people around him, his lips parted, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. He simply clenched his fists tightly.
Qi Yu, who had returned to his male human form, asked calmly, "Did the Heavenly Emperor ask you to lead troops against the Ice Demon?"
Sui You suddenly looked up.
"It's nothing strange. I guessed it would be like this," Qi Yu's voice was calm. "The Heavenly Emperor has been targeting me for more than a day or two. Although I don't understand why he keeps targeting me, I also guessed that they would make you all act against me one by one."
"..." Sui You leaned his forehead against his hand, feeling somewhat powerless.
Qi Yu's calm demeanor left him unsure of how to react.
He couldn't ignore the safety of his clansmen.
However.
Sui You's head throbbed, and he didn't know what to do.
Qi Yu's gaze swept around. "Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Sister, Third Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Sister, Fifth Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Brother, and... Junior Brother Mingxi, Si Qing."
"You all should also be mentally prepared. The Heavenly Emperor will eventually make you all attack me."
"What is he doing this for? Does he simply wish for you to die?" Si Qing clenched his fists, filled with anger. "But what did my brother do wrong? He clearly did nothing wrong!"
"...Rather than forcing me to die," Qi Yu's voice was calm, "he probably wants to see me break down, degenerate, and go mad."
Although she had no evidence, the Heavenly Emperor was clearly trying to push away everyone around her, one by one.