Chapter 1789 — When Two Powers Clash, the Bystander Reaps the Gain

" The Master of the Hall of Joy was perplexed. The Third Young Master Lingxiao's expression was grave.

"This variable, even Zixiao and I did not anticipate. The old thing beneath the World Tree has come back to life. " The Master of the Hall of Joy's heart quivered; she dared not speak further. She had once heard that the old man beneath the World Tree—even the master of Miluo Palace had gone to seek his counsel.

He was profoundly mysterious!

Later, the master of Miluo Palace seemed to sense something, and gradually grew distant from the old man beneath the tree. She followed the gaze of the others, and her heart pounded violently.

She cried out involuntarily, "The Second Young Master! " Emperor Haotian also hurriedly looked.

There in the Chaos River, a stretch of the river's surface stood upright, steep as a wall.

Upon that cliff-like river surface floated two lotus leaves and one lotus flower.

The lotus leaves and lotus flower were colossal beyond measure. Faintly visible were the lotus roots driving down into the Chaos River, drawing up energy! The root tendrils were fine, in thousands upon thousands of strands; the lotus joints were long, but there were only two, like a monster lurking in the river.

"That is not the Second Young Master Wuji—it is the Seventh Young Master, Chaos. " The Fourth Young Master Zixiao spoke indifferently.

"Were it the Second Young Master, his strength would be far more terrifying than this. " The other Hall Masters' expressions shifted slightly; they said nothing, but clearly all were recalling the terror of the Second Young Master Wuji.

"The Seventh Young Master, Chaos?

" Emperor Haotian shuddered.

"Mu Tianzun! Has his strength already grown to such a degree?

" Beyond the Guixu Lotus, they also saw the anomaly of the World Tree.

That World Tree was not as colossal as they had imagined, but it was by no means insignificant—many times larger than the Guixu Lotus—and it was attacking the Guixu Lotus, leaving that lotus flower in grave peril.

"The one contending with Old Seven is that old monster beneath the World Tree, Elder Wuya. " The Third Young Master said, "He is the World Tree incarnate. His strength is immense, his depths of knowledge the deepest of all. In years past, even our teacher held him in great respect, but afterward they parted ways.

The interference with our blood sacrifice this time was his doing.

" He turned around and wiped away the ultimate killing intent and the remnants of Lord Shang's Dao of Slaughter from the Master of the Hall of Joy's wounds. "He is dead yet not stiffened. He stole the energy of the blood sacrifice for his own use, so that most of the Seventeenth Epoch's six-billion-year blood sacrifice was diverted by him.

This is why it has been so difficult for the Dao-attainers of Miluo Palace to descend. Now he has revived; the World Tree has been reborn. As the number of Dao-attainers in the Seventeenth Epoch increases, his strength will gradually recover as well. " Emperor Haotian suddenly understood. The reason Elder Wuya beneath the World Tree had released so many prehistoric powerhouses was chiefly to let these prehistoric powerhouses attain the Dao in the Seventeenth Epoch! Elder Wuya was the World Tree incarnate, and the Dao trees of Dao-attainers were imitations of the World Tree. The more Dao-attainers there were, the faster Elder Wuya's strength would recover!

The universe of the Seventeenth Epoch had undergone the Jingping Reforms, and the transformation of Dao arts and divine powers had undergone a qualitative change.

Especially after Lan Yutian, Xu Shenghua, and other new-generation Tianzuns created and perfected the Ancestral Court Dao-Realm System, attaining the Dao no longer depended on externals, no longer required entrusting oneself to the void. Instead, one attained the Dao inwardly, analyzing the fundament of the World Tree, cultivating the World Tree within one's own body.

If Jingping gained the upper hand and spread this method of attaining the Dao throughout the world, then in the future, with no Dao-attainers cultivating Dao trees entrusted to the void, Elder Wuya's cultivation would likely go no further. Miluo Palace's strength was too great; the Young Masters were each the most supreme existence of a cosmic epoch.

Elder Wuya could not control this power. Were he to let Miluo Palace descend into the Seventeenth Epoch, he would only become a vassal of Miluo Palace. Therefore, he intercepted the energy of the Third Young Master Lingxiao's blood sacrifice, protecting a batch of prehistoric powerhouses as they smuggled themselves into the Seventeenth Epoch. These prehistoric powerhouses were often of Tianzun-level combat strength, only a single step from attaining the Dao. Attaining the Dao in the Seventeenth Epoch, Elder Wuya's strength would rise without cease, until at last he dominated the Seventeenth Epoch alone!

"This game has three players. " The Fourth Young Master Zixiao spoke unhurriedly. "Elder Wuya's side, Miluo Palace's side, and Old Seven's side—Jingping.

Among the three, Jingping is the weakest, and Miluo Palace the strongest. But because Miluo Palace is trapped within the annihilation tribulation and cannot descend into the Seventeenth Epoch, the power it can actually exert is in fact the smallest. " The Third Young Master said, "The power Elder Wuya can exert is the greatest.

Once he defeats Old Seven and sends Old Seven into the past, he can dominate the Seventeenth Epoch alone, and Miluo Palace will never be able to descend. " Emperor Haotian's heart pounded wildly.

"Three sides contending—Mu Tianzun certainly has no chance of victory; he cannot possibly fight the other two.

As the saying goes, a rare commodity is worth hoarding. This Elder Wuya looks to have a better future than Miluo Palace.

If I were to defect to Elder Wuya and gain his support.

. . " Suddenly, his mind thundered. He remembered something. Was he truly the rare commodity Elder Wuya needed?

Elder Wuya had the support of so many prehistoric powerhouses; he had no need of Emperor Haotian at all! He now had nothing but two hundred thousand defeated Heavenly Court soldiers! Such a person as himself—Elder Wuya would not even spare a glance!

The only thing he could rely on was Miluo Palace! Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He had already been utterly bound to Miluo Palace's interests, unable to extricate himself. "However, Old Seven's power is not to be underestimated either.

" The Third Young Master Lingxiao's expression was calm. "Taiyi, the remnant of Tiandu, once severed the World Tree, suppressed Elder Wuya, blocked the smugglers single-handedly, and held back Miluo Palace's grand descent for six billion years.

Only after Old Seven grew up did Taiyi leave the World Tree, go challenge our teacher, and get struck down by our teacher into the Fourth Epoch.

In the Sixteenth Epoch, he was suppressed by Senior Brother Taishang.

Senior Brother Taishang, a dragon showing its head but never its tail, disappeared without a trace after suppressing Taiyi.

And not long ago, Senior Brother Taishang returned.

" The other Hall Masters' expressions changed greatly. They exchanged glances, faint worry in their hearts.

"Senior Brother Taishang's return means Taiyi has broken free.

" The Fourth Young Master Zixiao took up the thread. "Old Seven contending with Elder Wuya—he will certainly not be Elder Wuya's match. Once Taiyi breaks free, he will absolutely not stand by and do nothing. Throughout history, Old Seven's attitude toward Taiyi has always been ambiguous and unclear; he has also had shady dealings with the Blasphemer—their relationship is suspect. Taiyi will inevitably act to save him. And the moment Taiyi acts. .

.

" He and the Third Young Master Lingxiao exchanged a glance, each smiling knowingly.

"That is the moment we grievously wound Elder Wuya, grievously wound Taiyi, and send Old Seven back into the past! "