Chapter 126: Southfall Is in Peril

Golden radiance burst and scattered across the heavens, like a torrential rain of gold, bringing a touch of life to the vast and desolate summit of the sky.

Slaughtering Heaven stood proudly amid the endless smoke and clouds, surrounded by the twelve Heavenly Venerables he had blasted away. Wisps of murderous power, steeped in blood and sin, continued to rise from his body.

“How did you learn all this, Slaughtering Heaven?!” Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable asked. Her face was pale, yet her golden eyes had grown even more solemn and majestic, so imposing that no living being would dare look directly into them.

Though they had been hurled away by the earth-shaking explosion and battered by its tremendous backlash, the twelve Heavenly Venerables, led by Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable, still stood resolutely before Slaughtering Heaven, blocking his path.

Slaughtering Heaven paid no heed to her imposing golden gaze. Looking at the twelve Heavenly Venerables before him, he sneered. “You are indeed very clever. To think you would hide that golden palace there.”

“Unfortunately, the instant you were forced to reveal yourselves, I already knew where it was.”

Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable arched her brows slightly, confusion still lingering on her face. “And what of it? Even if you know where the Hall of All Gods is, on what basis have you concluded that His Majesty Southfall is cultivating the Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method and preparing to comprehend that profound and wondrous step?”

“It is very simple!” Slaughtering Heaven chuckled. “Southfall has been in seclusion for a hundred thousand years. He must have been seeking a breakthrough in cultivation. I simply never imagined that he would dare cultivate the Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method.”

“The Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method is one of the most powerful and mysterious forbidden arts in existence. Anyone who cultivates it must merge both flesh and soul with heaven and earth, transforming the body into the world and the spirit into the Heavenly Dao.”

“Those who know of this art number no more than ten throughout the Primordial World. Those who meet the requirements to cultivate it number fewer than five.”

“Anyone who cultivates the Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method must endure the Three Calamities of Heaven, Earth, and Spirit. Each calamity is enough to doom the cultivator for all eternity, reducing him to a puppet of the will of heaven and earth.”

At this point, Slaughtering Heaven suddenly turned toward Martial Soldier Heavenly Venerable and sneered. “Martial Breaks Heaven, I presume I am the Spirit Calamity of the Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method. That is why you deliberately had Martial Breaks Heaven force me to reveal my identity, so that I could eliminate this calamity for Southfall...”

The twelve Heavenly Venerables were bewildered. They had no idea what Slaughtering Heaven was talking about.

After all his words, Slaughtering Heaven had merely explained the formidable nature of the Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method. He had not said how he had discovered any of this.

“What exactly are you trying to say, Slaughtering Heaven?” Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable frowned and suddenly interrupted his endless speech. “Just tell us how you discovered all this.”

Though she had interrupted him so bluntly, Slaughtering Heaven showed no anger. Instead, he continued at length, elaborating on the power of the Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method.

“To say that Southfall chose to cultivate the Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method in order to break through that profound and wondrous step is indeed an excellent approach...”

As they listened to Slaughtering Heaven ramble on without end, the twelve Heavenly Venerables, who should have been rejoicing, were suddenly overcome by an inexplicable sense of unease.

“Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable, logically speaking, Slaughtering Heaven is the Spirit Calamity. Since we are preventing him from going to the Hall of All Gods and helping His Majesty Southfall resolve the Spirit Calamity, we should feel relieved and at ease. Yet I do not know why I feel so uneasy.”

Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable spoke whatever came to mind and immediately shared his doubts with the others.

“We feel uneasy as well!” Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable had barely finished speaking when Ten Heavenly Venerables, including Square Words, White Radiance, and Void Step, spoke in unison.

Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable suddenly closed her eyes and secretly invoked the Laws of Fate to observe the future of the Slaughtering Heaven before her.

As the Fierce Emperor, Slaughtering Heaven possessed an incomparably powerful true body and had already taken his first steps beyond the river of time and space.

With Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable’s current cultivation, it was impossible for her to observe the future of his true body.

However, the strength of the Slaughtering Heaven before them was at most one-tenth that of his true body. His future could still be glimpsed, though doing so would require her to pay a certain price.

The first time Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable used the Laws of Fate to observe Slaughtering Heaven’s future, she saw only endless darkness. Within that darkness, a blood-red shadow flickered indistinctly.

“Everyone, lend me your strength.”

Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable transmitted the words to the other Heavenly Venerables through divine sense.

Having spent more than a hundred thousand years alongside her, the other Heavenly Venerables naturally understood that she was using the Laws of Fate to examine Slaughtering Heaven’s future. They secretly sent their divine power into her body.

The second time Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable used the Laws of Fate, she discovered that the blood-red shadow was Slaughtering Heaven himself, advancing ceaselessly toward some unknown destination.

“The restrictions are indeed too severe. I cannot draw upon the power of the Hall of All Gods either. It seems I have no choice but to do this.”

Determined to see Slaughtering Heaven’s future clearly, Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable decided to burn her own life force.

A gray flame of fate ignited upon her divine soul, continuously devouring her vitality. At the same time, the power of her Laws of Fate grew stronger without cease.

The third time she invoked the Laws of Fate, Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable finally saw clearly that the blood-red shadow was Slaughtering Heaven. He was advancing through the Hall of All Gods, breaking through layer after layer of restrictions as he headed toward the main hall where Southfall was located.

The other Heavenly Venerables saw strands of white appearing in Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable’s flawless golden hair and immediately understood that she was burning her life force.

Though Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable was a Primordial God-Demon and could almost be said to share heaven and earth’s lifespan, that was not truly possible.

Whether the scars left by cultivation or those sustained in battle, all injuries affected her longevity.

Moreover, once she was injured too severely and her lifespan was greatly reduced, her future cultivation breakthroughs would be affected as well.

Thinking of this, the other Heavenly Venerables held her in even greater reverence.

As a cultivator, Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable was willing to sacrifice herself to such an extent for the great cause of the Divine Race. None of the others could compare.

After seeing everything clearly, Wondrous Words Heavenly Venerable suddenly opened her golden eyes. They were filled with shock and alarm.

“We have been deceived.”

“That bastard Slaughtering Heaven sent a clone to the Hall of All Gods long ago. That is how he learned that His Majesty Southfall was cultivating the Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method. That is how he knew he was Southfall’s Spirit Calamity—and how he knew that Southfall was attempting to comprehend that profound and wondrous step.”

“What?! Slaughtering Heaven sent a clone into the Hall of All Gods long ago?!”

Amid the terrified cries of the Heavenly Venerables, they finally understood Slaughtering Heaven’s scheme.

Square Words suddenly recalled something Slaughtering Heaven had said and exclaimed, “Could it be that the instant Slaughtering Heaven forced us to reveal ourselves, he learned the location of the Hall of All Gods and seized the opportunity to send a clone inside, intending to sabotage His Majesty Southfall’s breakthrough?”

“It would seem so!” Yahweh also quickly grasped the entire situation. His expression grew grave. “We thought we had successfully delayed Slaughtering Heaven here. We never expected that it was Slaughtering Heaven who had successfully delayed us here.”

Martial Breaks Heaven wore a bitter expression. “The Ruthless Heaven-and-Earth Method truly deserves its reputation as one of the most powerful and mysterious forbidden arts in existence. The Spirit Calamity is actually this terrifying and troublesome.”

“His Majesty Southfall is in danger!”