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Chapter 453 Three years!

Hearing Jiang Wei softly utter that name.

Houtu Huangdiqi.

On the top of the Great Wall, Wei Banmeng and the others, as well as the five newly arrived fifth-level generals of the Federation, were all stunned, their pupils involuntarily contracting slightly.

Hou Tu.

They govern the earth, nurture all things, and hold a position among the Six Emperors.

An ancient deity whose status was extremely revered.

Her name and legends are deeply rooted in the essence of human culture.

How could they not have heard of it?
However, no one expected that this legendary, dignified, compassionate Mother Earth, who bore all things, was...

It happened in such a way, at such a delicate and dangerous moment.

It suddenly appeared in the sky above this battlefield of carnage.

The sky at this moment.

The situation has become so complex and chaotic that it's terrifying.

On one side were dozens of men exuding murderous intent and surging divine power.

The celestial deities who had the young Heavenly Emperor trapped in the center.

On the other side was a massive, terrifying rift that stretched across the sky, like a scar on the world.

Beyond the crack, an indescribable, vast, and terrifying will is slowly awakening.

And now, there is another goddess, Houtu, who walks on lotus blossoms, treads through the air, her aura as deep as the netherworld, yet possessing the dignified and graceful bearing of an empress.

In addition, there's what Jiang Wei just said.

The mysterious woman in black on our side could also make a move at any moment.
The entire sky was in complete chaos.

The situation is constantly changing, and the outcome is unpredictable.

On the ground and atop the Great Wall, everyone's hearts were in their throats.

Faced with this level of power struggle, they dared not make the slightest move and could only look up and watch every step of the situation unfold.

Under the spotlight of countless eyes.

The figure of the goddess Houtu shrouded in a hazy halo.

They had already walked unhurriedly to the huge crack in the sky.

She stopped in her tracks, her long palace dress fluttering even without wind.

Then, she slowly raised her head.

Looking into the depths of that bottomless crack.

A calm voice instantly resounded throughout the entire world, drowning out all the noise and roar, and rang out from her mouth:
"elder sister."

"Stop struggling."

"We have been waiting for this day for thousands of years."

……

"Several thousand years?!"

As soon as these words came out.

The surrounding dozens of Heavenly Gods were preparing to capture or kill their former master.

His expression couldn't help but show some confusion.

Thousands of years?
What do you mean?
To whom did the Goddess Houtu say these words?
The one in the crack?
This idea
This instantly sent chills down the spines of every deity.

If that's the case, then what role did they play in this earth-shattering upheaval?
Is it the player wielding the pieces, or a piece? Or even a sacrificed piece?

Not just the gods in the sky.

Those on the Great Wall below were also a bit confused.

According to the meaning of Houtu language, the situation in heaven is far more than a simple change of power or a conflict of ideas.

The profound meaning and the span of time behind it far exceed imagination.

Is this a scheme targeting that particular person?

A scheme that has been brewing for thousands of years?!
And in that instant when all the gods were stunned by this sudden truth and their movements faltered.
Deep within that enormous rift that stretches across the sky.

The terrifying pressure that had been rising wildly like a tsunami, suffocating everything, suddenly stopped without warning.

It was as if an invisible giant hand had suddenly choked the source of the boiling torrent. The terrifying sense of oppression did not continue to intensify, but instead receded and subsided rapidly like a tide, as if it had never existed.

This abrupt transition from extreme motion to extreme stillness.

It even caused the blood and qi of many gods who were resisting the pressure to surge.

I felt so bad I almost vomited blood.

An eerie silence fell over the world.

Only the crackling sounds of falling and burning building debris, and the distant sobbing of the ocean tide, seemed exceptionally clear.

The deathly silence lasted for a good dozen breaths.

Finally, from the deepest part of the crack, darkness surged, and a very faint sound came...

"Ah."

A chuckle.

Then, that calm and indifferent female voice, which commanded awe from the bottom of everyone's heart, rang out again, clearly reaching the ears of every deity and echoing in the hearts of those below:

"younger sister."

"You've really gone to great lengths to deal with me."

Her tone was unreadable.

The goddess Houtu hovered before the crack, her body surrounded by a hazy aura that swirled gently.

Upon hearing this, her face, whose features were obscured, seemed to show no emotion whatsoever.

She simply continued to gaze quietly at the deep darkness, remaining silent for a moment.

Then, in a calmer tone, he slowly asked:

"Sister, them..."

"Where is it?"

This question once again left everyone scratching their heads.
Who are they?

What would make Houtu Niangniang ask that being a question in such a setting and in such a manner?
After the crack, another long silence ensued.

This silence was longer and more oppressive than any before.

It was as if that person was weighing their options, reminiscing, or perhaps mocking.

Finally, just as the silence was about to solidify into a tangible form.

From the depths of the crevice, the woman's voice echoed once more.

This time, her voice sounded like the most absurd joke in the world, filled with mocking laughter.

Hehe. Hahahaha

The laughter started low and gradually grew louder.

The sound echoed in the empty, lifeless sky, sounding particularly jarring and abrupt.

The laughter lasted for quite a while before it gradually subsided.

Instead, there was a soft sigh tinged with weariness and mockery:

"turn out to be."

"You've come this far."

"You still don't believe me, sister?"

The goddess Houtu floated in the air, and the hazy aura flowing around her seemed to ripple almost imperceptibly.

But she still did not answer the question.

It simply stands silently before the crack, with an unchanging silence.

above the sky.

The atmosphere froze again.

Most people couldn't understand the conversation between the two supreme beings.

But everyone could feel the heavy atmosphere.

All the gods held their breath, and even the young Heavenly Emperor temporarily suppressed the boiling imperial aura around him.

His gaze was fixed intently on the direction of the crack.

His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, as if he were pondering something.

A few minutes of dead silence and standoff.

It felt like centuries had passed.

Finally, the goddess Houtu seemed to realize that she could no longer get any more information from her.

She took a barely perceptible breath.

The voice sounded again.

"My sister won't tell."

"I will find them too."

The moment the words fell.

The goddess Houtu slowly raised her right hand.

That hand was fair and slender, with a warm and profound divine light flowing from its fingertips.

She gently pressed down on the crack that stretched across the sky.

hum-

An indescribable, immense power instantly spread out.

The terrifying, gaping rift in the sky, resembling a scar on the world, began to emanate a soft yet resilient earthen-yellow divine light from its edges.

The crack, like a giant, living maw, began to close inwards extremely slowly.

The wounds in the sky are being forcibly healed.

"!!!"

This scene completely shattered the last defenses of the gods who were besieging the young Heavenly Emperor.

Not only has the Goddess Houtu appeared, and not only has she revealed the millennia-old scheme, but she is now going to personally seal the passage for the arrival of that being?!
what does this mean?
This means that their greatest reliance, their confidence to rebel against their former masters, is disappearing!
"Do not!!!"

A god let out a terrified and desperate roar.

"Empress Houtu! Are you going to make a complete enemy of that one?!"

"Stop her now!"

However, their fear and cries seemed so pale and powerless.

Even that one seems to have chosen temporary silence and retreat, so what can these dependents do?
A tremendous fear gripped them instantly.

Capturing the Heavenly Emperor and offering merits to the new master—all of that at this moment transformed into the most primal instinct for survival.

It's unclear who started it, but these dozens of gods, who had been so aggressive just moments before, instantly scattered like a swarm of wasps, no longer caring about surrounding the young Heavenly Emperor. Their divine light flashed, and they fled in panic in all directions.

The young Heavenly Emperor stood suspended in place, his imperial robes fluttering, watching his former subjects scatter like birds and beasts, fleeing in panic for their lives.

A cold and mocking smile slowly curved his lips.

He did not try to stop it.

They simply let them escape.

His gaze was more focused on the slowly closing crack in the sky.

And above the graceful figure before the crack.

His eyes gleamed with a complex and enigmatic light.

……

And just then, the crack in the sky was about to close completely.

In the instant when only a tiny, narrow gap remained.

call out!call out!call out!
Three slightly disheveled figures, as if suddenly spat out from the depths of the crack, staggered and shot out from the last sliver of space.

We've returned to this sky.

It was Hong Qitian, the Old Man of the South Pole, and that majestic being shrouded in a hazy purple aura.

However, this is what the three of them look like right now.

This is quite different from his usual dignified image.

Hong Qitian was the most disheveled. His faded old cotton-padded jacket was covered with unknown black ash and scorch marks, and his once neat sparse white hair was now a mess, resembling a bird's nest.

His face was covered with dark marks here and there, and his breathing was erratic, clearly indicating that he had exhausted himself.

The old man in Antarctica was slightly better, but his once spotless white hair and youthful face now bore the marks of smoke and fire, and his breathing was a little rapid.

Although the face of the being shrouded in purple aura was not clearly visible.

However, the purple aura flowing around him was noticeably dimmer and more disordered, and there was even a clear tear mark on the cuff of his imperial robe.

As soon as the three of them escaped the crevice and regained their footing, Hong Qitian couldn't help but curse and shout at the direction of the crevice that was about to disappear completely. His voice was hoarse but full of energy:

"Damn it! I've lived to this age and I think I'm crazy and daring enough! I didn't expect you old guys to be even crazier than me! You think the three of us can hold her off in there?! What were you thinking?! If we hadn't slipped away quickly, I would have really lost my life in there in the blink of an eye."

Hearing Hong Qitian's complaints, the old man in Antarctica still maintained his kind and gentle expression.

He simply flicked his sleeve, trying to brush away non-existent dust.

He responded softly and calmly:

"Calm down. There's an old saying among you humans: 'Fortune favors the bold.' We are both cultivators, and we should know that great opportunities in this world are often accompanied by great risks. Look, haven't we already obtained what we sought?"

He said it so casually.

It was as if the near-death experience they had just gone through was nothing more than an insignificant game.

Upon hearing this, Hong Qitian's eyes widened, and he almost choked on his breath.

The more complaints that were about to spill out were swallowed back, his face turning slightly red from holding it in. After a long while, he lowered his voice and muttered angrily:

"Pah! Damn it! Old Antarctic, don't try that with me! If it weren't for the fact that we've known each other for so many years and fought many tough battles side by side, I would have beaten you to death."

Hearing Hong Qitian's threat, the old man in Antarctica showed no fear whatsoever.

Instead, a meaningful chuckle appeared on his face. He turned his head, his gaze seemingly landing precisely on Hong Qitian through the swirling purple mist, and said with a hint of teasing:
"Give me a knife?"

"Are you really willing to use that sword you've nurtured your whole life, cherished as your own life, and would never easily use even at the cost of cutting off your own path, on this old man?"

Upon hearing this statement...
Hong Qitian's angry expression suddenly froze.

A rare and extremely complex expression flashed across his usually cloudy old eyes.

There is reminiscence, resentment, and regret.

In the end, it all turned into a barely audible sigh. He turned his head away, no longer looking at the old man in the South Pole, and just muttered, "I'm too lazy to argue with you!"

Seeing this, the Old Man of the South Pole, knowing his temperament well, said no more, but smiled slightly. Then his expression turned serious, he straightened his robes, and slowly walked towards the young Heavenly Emperor who was standing in mid-air not far away.

They approached the young Heavenly Emperor.

The old man in Antarctica stopped in his tracks, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

He bowed deeply to the young Heavenly Emperor with perfect form, and said in a deep and apologetic voice:

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry to have troubled you this time."

The young Heavenly Emperor looked at the old man from the South Pole who was bowing deeply to him, and his handsome face showed a slight surprise.

Then, the tight corners of his mouth slowly softened.

He revealed a faint smile that was tinged with helplessness yet also open-minded and insightful.

He gently shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the direction where the gods, who had long since vanished without a trace, had disappeared, and then looked at the ravaged land and sea beneath his feet, which had finally regained some peace.

The voice was calm yet carried an unprecedented ease:
"Wronged?"

"No, I wouldn't say I feel wronged."

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat distant, as if a heavy burden had been lifted: "To be honest, even after this upheaval, I seem to have no divine officials or celestial servants under my command, making me a mere figurehead emperor. But for some reason, I have never felt that this Heavenly Court is as clean as it is now."

His voice was clear, echoing in the gradually calming sky.

However, no sooner had the young Heavenly Emperor finished speaking than the old man of the South Pole, whose face was filled with emotion, spoke again.
Boom! ! !
In the distance, the boundless, dark sea suddenly began to boil violently without warning.

A colossal wall of water, thousands of feet high and seemingly connecting the sky and the sea, suddenly rose up with a terrifying, overwhelming force, surging towards the Great Wall.

at the same time.

On the distant horizon, a dazzling golden light, as brilliant as the sun, suddenly burst forth, dyeing the clouds in that sky a pure gold.

"here we go again?!"

"There are still enemies?!"

This sudden change.

This instantly put the Great Wall defenders, who had just relaxed a little, on high alert again.

Countless people looked on in astonishment and uncertainty toward the source of the giant waves and the rising golden light.

The five federal generals instantly gathered their auras again, their gazes locking onto the source of the disturbance.

Just when everyone thought there was another unexpected change.

A deep, resonant voice, like rolling thunder, boomed from the distant horizon where the sea met the sky, instantly drowning out the roar of the tsunami:

"His Majesty."

"Who said you have no one under your command?!"

"I've been following you the whole time!!! Look! I just caught a runaway idiot!!!"

The voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement and loyalty.

It even carried a touch of naive honesty, as if he wanted to take credit.

Before the words had even finished, everyone saw a colossal figure, seemingly reaching to the heavens and standing on the earth, treading on the crest of the towering waves and parting the waterway.

He strode towards the direction where the young Heavenly Emperor was.

The young Heavenly Emperor looked in that direction upon hearing the sound.

When they saw the enormous figure riding the waves, they couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.

Then, a helpless smile slowly spread across his handsome face.

He smiled and gently shook his head.

It seemed as if he was both annoyed and quite used to the way the newcomer made his entrance.

Then, he casually raised his hand.

He gently waved his sleeve at the oncoming, towering tsunami.

next moment.

The roaring tsunami was gently smoothed out as if by an invisible giant hand.

The surging waves instantly became docile, the powerful kinetic energy dissipated silently, and the high wall of water slowly receded, merging back into the vast sea, leaving only a few ripples.

With a flick of the wrist, the giant waves were calmed.

Upon seeing this, the giant who had come riding the waves seemed a little embarrassed, scratching his messy hair. He rushed forward without slowing down, knelt down on one knee in the void in front of the young Heavenly Emperor with a thud, stirring up a wave of air, and roared in a deep voice: "Your subject, the Giant Spirit God! I am late in coming to your rescue! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

In his other hand, which was as large as a small mountain.

Just like holding a chick, he tightly gripped a figure whose divine light was dim and who was constantly struggling and groaning. Judging from his clothes and aura, he was none other than one of the gods who had just fled in panic.

……

at the same time.

In the deepest part of the sea of ​​clouds.

Two female figures stood quietly side by side.

He silently watched everything that was happening below.

One of them, dressed in black with dark hair, exuded a restrained aura that seemed to contain the cycle of the entire night and the red sun—it was Zhulong.

The other one, dressed in flowing palace attire, was shrouded in a hazy halo and a divine aura as heavy as the earth itself; it was Houtu.

Zhulong slightly turned his head, his eyes, capable of reversing light and shadow, looking at Houtu beside him. His voice was calm and even, yet carried a hint of complex emotion that was difficult to detect, as he softly asked:
Why didn't you tell me about this plan?

Houtu's gaze remained fixed on the area below.

Upon hearing Zhulong's question, she didn't even turn her head, but simply replied in a calm and aloof tone:

"Before."

"I can't trust anyone."

Upon hearing this, Zhulong paused for a moment, slightly taken aback.

Then it quickly returned to its calm, still state.

She remained silent for a moment, as if pondering the weight of those words, and finally simply nodded slightly.

He responded in a voice devoid of emotion:

".Understandable."

It's indeed understandable.

Faced with such an all-knowing and all-powerful being.

Any slight negligence, any possible emotional outburst, or any information leak could lead to total defeat and utter ruin.

The thousands of years of waiting and planning cannot tolerate the slightest mistake.

Distrusting everyone, including her sister, was perhaps the safest, but also the most helpless, choice at the time.

Silence fell between them again.

Only the breeze from the high sky swept past them, causing their clothes to flutter.

After a long while, Zhulong finally spoke again:
"How long can you trap her?"

Hear the question.

Houtu, who had been watching the figure below, finally reacted.

She slowly turned her head to meet Zhulong's gaze.

"Three years."

(End of this chapter)