Opposite Cao Ya, Emperor Langxuan burst out laughing and said, "Those guys from Xuandu are really arrogant!"

That sense of disdain was palpable.

"They live too well under the protection of Heaven, and they are unaware of the changes in the outside world." Gong Tianzun shook his head.

Such a Xuandu is destined to fail!

Already weak, he still underestimated his opponent...

If handled with caution, perhaps some beings could escape and continue to live in other realms, carrying on the legacy of Xuandu.

But Di Qing and the others were so arrogant that they actually believed they could withstand the Heavenly Court with their own strength alone...

"This is absolutely laughable!" Emperor Langxuan sneered.

Although he looked down on Xuandu, the Divine Emperor Langxuan's attention was still mainly focused on Cao Ya, and he was extremely vigilant.

To him, Xuan was not a threat; on the contrary, Yan Kang was the real danger to the Heavenly Court!

This is a point acknowledged by all the Heavenly Venerables.

Even the Land of No Worries and the Creator are not as dangerous as Yan Kang.

Although Yan Kang also submitted to the divine might of the Heavenly Court and expressed his allegiance, everyone knew that it was only a facade. In secret, Yan Kang continued to develop rapidly, forming alliances and plotting to oppose the Heavenly Court.

However, Yan Kang's reforms were so successful that the leaders of Heaven were envious and longed to obtain them.

Before Yankang's rise to power, they could be patient and still willing to leave the Yuan Realm behind, able to watch Yankang grow stronger to a certain extent, showing a high degree of tolerance.

Because they could take this opportunity to absorb the fruits of the reforms and try to build a perfect Heavenly Court!

Or reach the thirty-sixth level of the Dao Realm!

They all had their souls divided and reincarnated into Yankang, where they participated in the reform and studied.

If one day Yan Kang really wins, they can transform themselves and seize Yan Kang's high position to continue controlling the greatest power in all the heavens and myriad realms!

The downfall of the Heavenly Alliance stemmed from this.

This is why Xiaotianzun and Qiangtianfei, these two top-tier beings, are respectively the Ancient God Emperor and the Supreme Emperor. Logically speaking, they should be their greatest enemies, yet a group of Heavenly Venerables can still tolerate them.

However, the Heavenly Venerables could not tolerate Kaihuang and Cao Ya.

This is because the latter is unwilling to compromise their principles.

This is a clash of ideologies, a fight to the death.

Of course, in addition to ideology, relationships such as ethnicity, family and nation, and clan also have a significant impact.

In today's myriad worlds, all forces have many flaws, and these flaws are extremely difficult to change.

Compared to Yankang, Wuyou Township is lifeless and lacks ambition. Many cultivators are living in a drunken stupor, lacking the concept of reform and having lost their courageous and diligent Dao heart. In addition, the Creator Clan is too small in number and has fallen behind the times. Xuandu and Youdu, whether due to their origins or the Great Dao, are also pedantic and rigid, inflexible, and unwilling to let go of their pride, and are destined not to grow into a formidable enemy of the Heavenly Court.

Only Yankang!

With unwavering determination and vigorous progress, and with a large and thriving population, the challenges are not as great as those faced by the Creator. Nor does it suffer from the arrogance that comes with an innate advantage, allowing it to maintain a calm and balanced mind. Furthermore, the limitations imposed by the Great Dao do not exist!

Yan Kang is a convergence of acquired races—with humans at the head! —They are not ancient gods and are subject to the constraints of the corresponding Great Dao.

If it weren't for the high-ranking officials of the Heavenly Court yearning for the fruitful results of the Yan Kang Reform, hoping to use the reform to learn new knowledge, prove the Great Heavenly Court, and even attain enlightenment and stand firmly at the pinnacle of all realms, even with the existence of figures like Cao Ya, Qin Mu, and Yue Tianzun, Yan Kang would still have been swept aside by the Heavenly Court and nipped in the bud.

Unlike now, they outwardly submit while secretly pushing for reforms and developing with all their might. Even when the Heavenly Court notices, it turns a blind eye.

However, Cao Ya and the others also understood that the Heavenly Court's blindness had its limits.

When Yan Kang's rise to power made the Heavenly Court feel like it was a thorn in its side, that was the day Yan Kang would fall.

The former Emperor's era, the Red Emperor's era, and the Kaihuang era all perished in the same way.

The reform achievements of each era were absorbed by the Heavenly Court and became its accumulation.

This is a heartbreaking scene.

Without enough time, how could they develop and rebel against the Heavenly Court?

But the time allotted by Heaven is definitely not enough!

Those celestial beings certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to attack Yankang only after it had become as powerful as the Heavenly Court.

Even half the strength wouldn't allow it!

They would act rashly if they had at most one or two tenths of the power of the Heavenly Court!

This is a struggle for survival; there is no other option but for one side to be completely annihilated.

The fates of past eras have amply demonstrated this point.

Of course, given the short and temporary nature of Yankang's development, the urgency of Yankang, in the eyes of a group of celestial beings, still ranks after Xuandu, Youdu, Wuyouxiang, and the Creator.

Similarly, Yan Kang was ahead of several other families in providing assistance to the Heavenly Court.

This leads to a significantly higher level of tolerance.

If they can kill Cao Ya, Yue Tianzun, and other powerful beings, and eliminate the forces of Yan Kang and others, thus gaining the greatest advantage in resisting the Heavenly Court, then the Ten Heavenly Venerables will truly feel at ease and can arbitrarily oppress and exploit all the heavens.

"The destruction of Xuandu is only the beginning, not the end!" Consort Qiangtian muttered to herself.

Her true form resides in the ultimate void, her life safe and sound, and she remains serene.

However, Consort Qiang would not relinquish her power in the Heavenly Court.

Although unlike in ancient times, when he was the Supreme Emperor and the leader of the universe, with the three great god-kings Boyang, Gongyun, and Shujun all subordinate to him.

Despite possessing the title of Heavenly Venerable, she still stands at the pinnacle of all realms. At most, the Heavenly Venerable Haotian and the Heavenly Venerable Xiaotian are half a step ahead, but they are not completely left behind.

"That fellow, Mu Tianzun, still wants to save the Heavenly Emperor..." Qiang Tianfei sneered.

In this war, Heaven itself will surely perish!

Hong Tianzun's identity, which had been kept secret from them before, has now been exposed.

Qiang Tianfei, Yan Tianfei, Shi Qiluo, Xiao Tianzun, and others concealed their identities for hundreds of thousands of years, but now, haven't they been exposed anyway?

They simply had a tacit understanding: holding high positions in the Heavenly Court, the court's growth was a good thing for them, so they were naturally happy to see it happen and would join hands to suppress any forces that threatened the Heavenly Court's rule.

The Heavenly Duke of Xuandu, the Earth Lord and the Nether Heavenly Venerable of Youdu, the Kaihuang of Wuyou Township, the God King Langwan of the Creator Clan, and the Cao Ya, Moon Heavenly Venerable, and Shepherd Heavenly Venerable of Yankang—these eight masters are thorns in the side of the Ten Heavenly Venerables, the kind they wish they could kill on the spot.

Only Mu Tianzun, You Tianzun, Kaihuang (Qin Tianzun), and Yue Tianzun, who were once four of the Nine Heavenly Venerables of the Dragon Han Dynasty and made great contributions to the universe, were unwilling to openly kill each other in order to avoid giving others grounds for criticism and affecting their own power. Instead, they planned to harm them.

The Heavenly Emperor, the Earth God, the Langwan God King, and Cao Ya have no such concerns.

They can surround and kill without restraint!

"You traitors and rebels, isn't it good that the Heavenly Court rules over all realms and maintains order? Why do you have to rebel... You are truly courting death!" Emperor Langxuan said coldly. "Today, we will start with the Heavenly Duke, with the Heavenly Venerable Hong and the Ancestral God King taking action to kill the Heavenly Duke and destroy Xuandu."

"Then, we'll take turns, starting with you, Cao Ya, and annihilate all those traitors!"

"At that time, the Heavenly Court will be as stable as Mount Tai, and will remain unshakable for millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of years to come!"

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As he spoke, Emperor Langxuan's face was radiant.

Cao Ya's eyes flickered slightly.

The emotions of the Divine Emperor Langxuan were not as deep as before, but rather superficial. Was he affected by something?

That Dao Fruit of a prehistoric enlightened being?

Cao Ya recalled that the Divine Emperor Langxuan had obtained a Dao Fruit and intended to refine it. Now it seemed that the Divine Emperor Langxuan had unknowingly stumbled.

Dao Fruit is something that can only be cultivated at the thirty-ninth level of the Dao Realm.

It's just one step away from reaching the perfect Great Heavenly Court level, which is far more powerful than an ordinary Great Heavenly Court.

Even if only a remnant of his soul remains, he is still far more terrifying than the Divine Emperor Langxuan.

“In this state, the Divine Emperor Langxuan appears to have increased power and enhanced Dao techniques, but in reality, he is easier to deal with,” Cao Ya thought to himself.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But the mere sight of Gong Tianzun, Shi Tianzun, and Qiang Tianfei gave him a headache.

Gong Tianzun, like Langxuan Shenhuang, Zu Shenwang, and Xu Tianzun, might not be considered particularly powerful among the Ten Heavenly Venerables, and could only be ranked at the bottom.

However, Shi Tianzun's true form is Lady Yuanmu, one of the ancient gods of Guixu. She has mastered the laws of Guixu, which can annihilate the Great Dao and shatter the heavens. Her destructive power is extremely abnormal!

Not to mention that Lady Yuanmu disguised herself as Shi Qiluo and took over the Zaofu Heavenly Palace for many tens of thousands of years, obtaining the research results of the Heavenly Court, especially the divine artifact Yutianzun. Lady Yuanmu's mastery was the most powerful among the ten Heavenly Venerables!

There might be more than one divine artifact, the Heavenly Venerable!

Forging such a powerful weapon would be time-consuming, laborious, and require countless materials. However, it was entirely possible for Lady Yuanmu, who managed the Zaofu Heavenly Palace, to use her influence to embezzle some materials for her own use while helping the ten Heavenly Venerables refine the divine artifact Yutian Venerable.

Consort Qiangtian, being the reincarnation of the Supreme Emperor, attained enlightenment through divine consciousness and cultivated the Heavenly Palace Divine Realm system, possessing immense magical power, making her equally difficult to deal with.

"There's no other way. Due to the restrictions of the Netherworld Avenue, Tu Bo can't come out, and Mu'er, Lan Yutian, and Xu Shenghua haven't grown to the true Heavenly Venerable level yet... Only I am left, which is practically the last Heavenly Venerable fighting force on our side... We must face the Stone Heavenly Venerable, Langxuan Divine Emperor, Qiang Tianfei, and Shi Qiluo Heavenly Venerable..."

Despite the immense pressure, Cao Ya did not back down.

If it's just the laws of the Dao Realm system alone, plus the magical power of the Heavenly Palace Divine Realm system with relatively average skill...

Even if Cao Ya were a Celestial Venerable, and even if he were qualified to attain enlightenment, he could only fight against two opponents at most. He was like the Heavenly Emperor, who was in great danger even in his home city, Xuandu!

However, in the secret realm system of the [Covering the Sky] universe, he walked the path of the Mortal Immortal. Although he did not complete that path and could not attain the complete Mortal Immortal realm, comparable to the perfect Great Heavenly Court, he still reached the five-star high level, equivalent to an ordinary Great Heavenly Court.

Two selves within the universe of [The Great Ruler], Cao Ya of [Perfect World], Cao Ya of [Primordial Era], Cao Ya of [Panlong], Cao Ya of [Stellar Transformation], Cao Ya of [Global Martial Arts], Cao Ya of [Peerless Supreme], Cao Ya of [Immortal Gourd], Cao Ya of [Yang God], Cao Ya of [After Ascension]...

There are too many extraordinary systems, and even those that have broken through to the five-star level are not many, only a handful.

Even at a four-star level, it's still quite good.

With multiple systems superimposed, and even with losses, it's still terrifying. For an ordinary five-star advanced expert to want to fight Cao Ya is suicide.

For example, the Ten Heavenly Venerables, whose physical realm is not low, together with the divine artifact, the Heavenly Venerable, they would have a combat power of at least five stars.

Haotianzun, Xiaotianzun, and others are particularly outstanding.

Like the Heavenly Emperor, who is a mid-level five-star in the outside world, but when he stands in Xuandu and receives the support of the Heavenly Dao, he possesses the power of a high-level five-star.

The same applies to the Earth God within Youdu.

But if they were to face Cao Ya one-on-one...

Being able to withstand a hundred moves is considered impressive!

However, with the four Heavenly Venerables mobilized simultaneously, and four divine artifacts, the Imperial Heavenly Venerables, also poised to strike at any moment, they could intercept Cao Ya's retreat and unleash a deadly attack.

With so many beings who have initially reached the five-star advanced level, how could Cao Ya not feel pressured facing them alone?!

"Boom..."

Cao Ya stood atop the Xuan Du Cang Yu with a heavy heart, his sword light blazing forth, his sword intent traversing the sky, constantly colliding with the Dao principles of Shi Tianzun, Gong Tianzun, Langxuan Divine Emperor, and Qiang Tianfei, thus beginning the initial clash.

Both sides were wary of each other and neither was in a hurry; their rules clashed, but they did not directly exchange blows.

However, even without using their full strength, the clash between such powerful beings was still a massive event, with endless booming sounds, countless wailing cries, and Xuan Du shaking as if it were about to collapse.

"So powerful!" The Four Heavenly Venerables were shocked.

They underestimated Cao Ya!

"He seems even more powerful than the Heavenly Emperor in Xuandu!" Gong Tianzun Tong Kong shrank back.

“Comparable to the Ancient God Emperor at his peak, and even the Supreme Emperor!” Madam Yuanmu’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she scrutinized Cao Ya.

How did he cultivate?

The Supreme Emperor relied on the sacrifices of the entire Creator Clan, while the Ancient God Emperor Taichu had an extraordinary origin, being born from one of the Five Great Daos and undergoing billions of years of cultivation to acquire such strength.

"If I remember correctly, Cao Ya did not travel through time, unlike Mu Tianzun and Kaihuang, who were affected by Ling Tianzun's extraordinary powers and returned to the past."

"In just over a hundred years, there have already been Dao-enlightened beings, or even the power of a normal Heavenly Court..."

The Divine Emperor Langxuan's face was gloomy.

Why are there so many ruthless characters appearing one after another?!

Is it really that difficult for him to emulate the Supreme Emperor and the Ancient God Emperor, to seize the greatest power, to make the Heavenly Venerables submit, and to rule over all the heavens and myriad realms?

"Fortunately, I have the Dao Fruit!"

The tense spirit of Emperor Langxuan relaxed slightly.

“They can only rival the Ancient God Emperor; they are still far from catching up with the Supreme Emperor,” Consort Qiangtian said, disagreeing with Lady Yuanmu’s assessment.

Everyone knew Qiang Tianfei's true identity and didn't take it seriously.

“Cao Ya, you are a much greater threat than Kaihuang, Mu Tianzun, Yue Tianzun, and You Tianzun!” Qiang Tianfei said, her killing intent swirling around her.

"You cannot be allowed to live!" Emperor Langxuan said coldly.

Gong Tianzun and Madam Yuanmu also unleashed their Great Dao, shaking the sky of Xuandu, and gradually surrounding Cao Ya.

Cao Ya looked around, his face calm, one hand on the hilt of his sword, and even smiled.

"As for whether I can beat the four of you, I really have no confidence."

Cao Ya said slowly and deliberately, "But if I risked my life, taking one or two people with me, do you think I could do that?"

After he finished speaking, all around fell silent.

The four Heavenly Venerables looked at each other, and all of them frowned.

In Tianfang City, Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief: "Grandpa Cao has suppressed the Four Heavenly Venerables!"

The butcher's eyes gleamed as he whispered, "That's the strongest swordsman! He single-handedly intimidated multiple Celestial Venerables!"

Luo Wushuang, Zhe Huali, and Tian Shu were all excited.

Cao Ya is both the pinnacle of swordsmanship and a symbol that guides the way forward.

In the eyes of all the swordsmen, Cao Ya was the one they most wanted to defeat!