Chapter 716: Calamity and Violence

Chapter 716: Calamity and Violence

Turmoil had descended like a shroud in the Heavenly Palace. Clouds of smoke rolled and swirled, thick with the crimson mist of blood. Time itself seemed to halt when suddenly, the majestic Sacred Emperor Barrier fell silent and vanished, as if it had never been.

Its powers perhaps exhausted or perhaps undermined by other mysterious causes, the grand celestial formation's failure was a boon to the rebelling forces of the Celestial Court—the Free Immortals, Great Dao Celestial Army, and Arbiters—all surged towards the divine land.

These ordinary Immortals, never before allowed to tread this exalted ground, raised their battle cries to the heavens as they marched through the dense smoke and blood mist into this mythical realm!

But what awaited them was not a land of flowering beauty and chirping birds, nor enchanting mists or dancing celestial maidens, but a scene of bloodied corpses, ruined structures, and lingering souls...

"Overthrow the old order, support the new Emperor!"

"Eliminate the Constellation Army! Slay the corrupt Immortals!"

With hearts surging like tides, armies from every corner of the Great Dao Celestial Realm stormed into the Heavenly Palace, driven by a righteous fury as the truth was unveiled. The celestial order once dominated by the imperial lineage had crumbled in the hearts of the people.

Yun Xiao and Divine Dawn, hailed as saviors by the masses, became beacons of boundless hope in the Great Dao Celestial Realm.

Millions of Immortals rushed into the Heavenly Palace to support these paragons of virtue—the golden boy and jade girl of their age!

They knew well the elite strength of the Constellation Army. Even so, every Immortal was ready to lay down their lives for Yun Xiao, Divine Dawn, and the new Celestial Court.

However, as this fervent, death-defying army poured into the Heavenly Palace, they stood frozen in place, their expressions a remarkable spectacle. For within this battlefield of ruins, there was no sign of the Constellation Army. Nor was there a single high-ranking celestial official in sight.

Not one remained! A celestial battle of the ages had concluded before one side even arrived.

A chilling realization dawned on all present.

Before the ancient Taiwei Imperial Palace, a young man and woman in white stood atop the ghosts of the old Celestial Court. Before them, not a single adversary remained standing.

From fiery bloodlust to breathless awe, the transition was instantaneous. Though their breath was short, the eyes of the rebel forces blazed like fierce fires. Though many remained silent, those two youths had become the blazing suns of their hearts!

"They have purged the sinners of their foul essence..."

Whispers of awe echoed through the millions-strong army, stirring countless souls. It was only then that most followers came to know that the young man was named Lu Yao.

A Rank 9 Arbiter, risen from a frontier city, born of humble origins!

After a brief silence, millions of Immortals encircled the divine land of the Celestial Court. With fervent zeal, they chanted two names that echoed like a storm of celestial fire meant to cleanse the land of its filth and forge a realm of justice anew.

"Lu Yao! Divine Dawn!"

These fervent cries, burning like a celestial inferno, set the whole Heavenly Palace ablaze with the promise of renewal.

The atmosphere was charged.

Yun Xiao had not anticipated that Gu Suwan and Yue Yin would arrive so swiftly to bear witness.

Their presence was essential!

"That staff houses 18 monsters, each a Sin of the Azure Heavens, forces of 18 types of sin. This monkey personifies Violence,'" the Nian explained.

"And what sin do you embody?" Yun Xiao questioned.

"I represent Calamity! Far superior!" the Nian boasted, oblivious to the fact that it had been reduced to nothing more than a pair of eyes observing the world. Its bloodline, now belonging to Moon Fairy, had been completely assimilated by the Divine Desolation Physique.

As the Nian spoke, Yun Xiao gazed at the Great Mother's wound, murmuring, "This wound refuses to heal because of the monkey's bloodline permeating it..."

Listening closely, Yun Xiao could even hear within the bloody gash a wild, ferocious, and hysterical will.

"Embodiments of the 18 Sins of the Azure Heavens?" Yun Xiao smiled coldly.

In comparison, the so-called Calamity seemed somewhat more benign than Violence. The Prison Warden Sigil showed little reaction to Calamity but sensed something in Violence.

"Alright, you've submitted to me. Considering you were born from the incense offerings and carry some of the common folk's wishes, I'll give you a chance. I will remove your wound and the corpse stench entirely."

Yun Xiao glanced up at the tense Great Mother. She had felt the purifying power of the Prison Warden Sigil before, having once reached for it in a fit of overzealous ambition during her most fervent moment.

Now, the Great Mother was markedly more subdued, bowing her head with a raspy voice, muttering a grateful, "Thank...”

Hesitating on how to address Yun Xiao, Pale Revenant blinked and corrected her, "Immortal Yun."

"Thank you, Immortal Yun."

That small act of kindness dissolved the hysteria-driven hostility that the Great Mother had harbored towards Pale Revenant in an instant.

"Do you dislike her?" Yun Xiao asked Pale Revenant bluntly.

Pale Revenant shook her head and responded, "She’s a corpse demon—pitiful, frenzied, confused in will. To dislike her would be to dislike myself."

"To dislike yourself..." A flicker of light appeared in the Great Mother's murky eyes.

In her most brutal moments, she often became a composite of many, a burst of accumulated resentments—the epitome of selflessness.

The Great Mother finally recognized that Pale Revenant bore none of the negative traits typical of a corpse demon. She had gained power, yet she remained a human girl at heart.

"I..." The Great Mother suddenly remembered something, her eyes reddening, tears streaming down as she murmured, "My name, my name is..."

"Enough, no need to reminisce about your youth now." Yun Xiao composed himself, holding the Prison Warden Sigil and pressing it against the abdomen of the Great Mother.

BOOM! The impact sent him flying back.

Sizzling sounds filled the air as the Great Mother cried out, falling to her knees, her body breaking out in a cold sweat...

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