The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

The Heavenly Palace stands atop the core of the Heavenly Realm, surrounded by countless shimmering clouds. Its palaces are entirely gilded and radiant, and the glazed tiles reflect the majestic imperial power under the sunlight. The jade palaces and pavilions are layered upon each other, resembling the slumbering palace of the ancient Heavenly Emperor. Every inch of the palace walls is engraved with ancient Dao patterns accumulated over the years. Its magnificent divine power spreads in all directions, intimidating the petty villains of all the heavens and myriad realms.

Inside the Lingxiao Divine Palace, dragons and phoenixes adorned the ceiling, and purple mist swirled around the beams and pillars. Haotian sat atop a nine-dragon sandalwood throne, his imposing figure like a pillar supporting the heavens. His moon-white imperial robes fluttered without wind, the sun, moon, and star patterns embroidered on the hem gleaming, faintly emanating the laws of heaven. Golden aura surged from his body, transforming into a pillar of light piercing the heavens and earth. His oppressive power swept across the entire palace like a vast ocean, causing the gods within to tremble in their hearts, daring not to show the slightest negligence.

A scholar stood serenely on the left side of the main hall, his blue robe flowing elegantly, his temperament gentle and refined, yet exuding a profound and unwavering composure. Several other supreme deities from the Heavenly Court were also gathered within. The Five Elements Temple Master, with his white hair and youthful face, held a whisk, his body radiating the ever-flowing spiritual light of the five elements; Immortal Chixia, clad in fiery red, possessed unparalleled beauty, his phoenix eyes flashing with a cold light, radiating heroic spirit; the Temple Master of the Temple of Truth, in a black robe, stood with his hands behind his back, his aura rational and icy; War God Bian Zhuang, broad-shouldered and burly, clad in black armor, exuded a chilling aura, as if he had just returned from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood; Zhao Gongming held a golden sword, its gleaming light illuminating the air, his brows filled with majesty. With all the gods gathered, the atmosphere within the hall was solemn and dignified.

Haotian's gaze fell on Ling Che, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. He said loudly, "Handsome and refined, with an extraordinary bearing, the Divine Venerable Mingde truly has the demeanor of the Four Ancestors!" The ancestor of Ling Che's lineage was none other than the Fourth Confucian Ancestor, which is why Haotian had such a heartfelt praise.

Ling Che bowed slightly, his tone humble yet dignified: "Haotian, you flatter me. I have only achieved my current level by virtue of the legacy of my predecessors and by chance glimpsing a corner of the Great Dao. How dare I compare myself to the Confucian Ancestor?" He held Haotian in high esteem. This man, who single-handedly shouldered the burden of the Heavenly Court and cleaned up the mess of everything in ruins, possessed a magnanimity and courage that were unmatched throughout the heavens.

After reaching a duel agreement with the Underworld in the Starfield Battlefield, Ling Che returned to the Heavenly Court Realm with War God Bian Zhuang. War God Bian Zhuang issued a decree from the Heavenly Court, inviting him to the Lingxiao Divine Palace for a discussion. Ling Che was also filled with curiosity about this legendary being. Previously, he had been concealing his cultivation and biding his time, but now that his plans had begun to bear fruit, there was no longer any need to hide. He knew that someone like the God of Fortune and Prosperity must have already realized that the divine thought spying from outside the Kunlun Realm originated from him, and the lurking organization should also be unable to hold back any longer and be looking for trouble with him.

Upon hearing this, Haotian burst into laughter, his voice echoing throughout the palace: "Divine Venerable Mingde, there's no need for such modesty! I summoned you here today to inquire of a matter—would you be willing to join my Heavenly Palace? If you agree, I will grant you a dedicated temple, appoint you as the Chief Heavenly Official, and bestow upon you supreme honor and rule over a region of the Divine Realm!"

These conditions are extremely generous. Ling Che pondered for a moment, then nodded and replied, "Since the Heavenly Emperor is so kind, it would be disrespectful to refuse. I am willing to enter the Heavenly Palace and work together to protect the peace of the Heavenly Realm."

Haotian was overjoyed to see that he had agreed and immediately ordered: "By my decree, a seven-day, seven-night banquet shall be held in the Heavenly Court to celebrate the breakthrough and advancement of the Mingde Divine Venerable to the Divine Venerable realm, and also to celebrate the addition of another pillar to the Heavenly Palace!"

When the imperial edict was issued, all the people in the Heavenly Realm rejoiced, celestial music filled the air, and auspicious omens filled the sky.

Several days later, in Xiniu Hezhou, Zhongyuan Heavenly Domain.

Before the newly opened Mingde Temple, auspicious clouds swirled and Taoist chants resounded. The leading deities of the four realms of Qin (musical instrument), Qi (chess), Shu (calligraphy), and Hua (painting) had all gathered here, their expressions excited and their eyes filled with hope.

The legendary chess master, holding a jet-black chess piece engraved with the constellations of the heavens, gazed at the gleaming characters "Mingde" atop the temple. Overwhelmed with emotion, his voice trembled slightly: "The Divine Venerable Mingde defied the heavens, breaking through to the eighty-ninth level of spiritual power in one fell swoop, achieving the position of Spiritual Power Divine Venerable! We, the four realms, finally have the power to protect ourselves. We no longer need to live under the roof of others, no longer need to be displaced, no longer need to be subservient to others!"

For tens of thousands of years, the Heavenly Realm has harbored ambitions, secretly supporting the Confucian Realm's continuous expansion of power. Relying on the Heavenly Realm's backing, the Confucian Realm has relentlessly suppressed the four realms of Qin (music), Qi (chess), Shu (calligraphy), and Hua (painting) under the Kunlun Realm, using both coercion and enticement to try and bring them under its control. Forced by the Heavenly Realm's tyranny, the four realms had no choice but to band together for survival. However, the Kunlun Realm, having been closed off for many years, was preoccupied with its own survival, and many of its subordinate smaller worlds were either destroyed by the Confucian Realm or forced to submit to the Heavenly Realm. The four realms of Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua were now at their wits' end, seeking protection from powerful realms everywhere, but repeatedly met with rejection.

Now, the Divine Venerable Mingde has emerged out of nowhere, breaking through five realms in a single day, his spiritual power reaching the eighty-ninth level, and his Confucian and Taoist combat techniques are exquisitely refined, far surpassing those of other cultivators at the same level. This ray of hope has given the four realms, which are on the verge of collapse, a glimmer of hope. As long as the Divine Venerable Mingde is willing to protect the four realms, and the four realms integrate their resources and work together, they may not be unable to carve out a foothold in this chaotic world.

Several True Gods from the Painting Realm were moved to tears. One of them, a middle-aged True God, proclaimed, "The Venerable Mingde is the supreme honor of our Painting Realm! He is the last disciple of the Spring River God. Back then, the Spring River God and the Flower Moon God died on the battlefield to protect the Kunlun Realm, and the Painting Realm declined ever since, with only two Taiyi Realm Great Gods struggling to keep it afloat. Faced with the ever-increasing pressure from the Confucian Realm and the Heavenly Realm, we have long been struggling to breathe. Now that the Venerable Mingde has risen, our Painting Realm finally has its own support."

Inside the main hall of the temple, Ling Che sat on the main seat, looking down at the dense crowd below, his heart filled with mixed emotions. His gaze swept across the crowd and landed on a thin old man, and he smiled, "Uncle-Master, why did you bring fellow Daoists from the Four Realms? Fortunately, this temple is newly built and has ample space. However, I am new here, and the temple is still quite simple. I'm afraid I don't have much to offer you all."

This lean, elderly man was none other than the renowned painter Yi Yan. He was about six feet tall, holding a dragon-headed cane adorned with lifelike dragon patterns. His face, etched with the wrinkles of time, possessed a kind and gentle countenance, yet exuded an air of refined elegance. Upon hearing this, he stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "Mingde, now that you've taken office as the new head of the temple, we, fellow Daoists from the four realms, naturally come to congratulate you!"

Ling Che nodded slightly, his expression gradually becoming serious. He cut to the chase, saying, "To make a long story short, you should all have heard about it. I have signed an agreement with the gods of the Underworld to wager a duel between cultivators below the divine level in the outer star field of Kunlun Realm. If we lose, we must release the Twelve Life Gods back to the Underworld; if we win, we can reclaim the relics of several Confucian and Taoist sages. This matter is of great importance, and I would like to hear your opinions."

The Ancient Phoenix Goddess of the Qin Realm, clad in a five-colored feathered robe, with phoenix eyes sharp as knives, stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Godly Lord, among the cultivators below the divine level of our four realms, only Han Li of the Book Realm and Zhao Meng of the Painting Realm have reached the peak of demigod cultivation, barely qualified to fight. The rest of the cultivators are all at the Great Saint Realm, lacking sufficient combat power, and I fear they are unfit for great responsibilities. In the past tens of thousands of years, the Hell Realm has produced numerous Yuanhui-level figures. In contrast, in our Heavenly Court Realm, the only contemporary figures who can be called Yuanhui-level figures are probably Wan Jun, the Battle Emperor of the Myriad Ruins Realm, and Shang Fu, the Divine Son of the Heavenly Realm."

The words of the Ancient Phoenix God immediately made the atmosphere in the hall heavier. Everyone in the Four Realms showed worry. The duel between cultivators below the level of gods may seem unrelated to the level of gods, but in fact it concerns the face of all heavens and the ownership of the relics of the Confucian and Taoist sages. It cannot tolerate the slightest mistake.

Just then, a divine general rushed in from outside the hall, knelt on one knee, and respectfully reported: "Your Majesty, the True God Xuan Yi of the Heavenly Realm has sent a messenger with congratulatory gifts; this is his invitation to visit!"

The divine messenger quickly stepped forward and presented a gold-embossed greeting card. The divine general paused, then added, "The one who has come to deliver the congratulatory gift is the son of the True God Xuan Yi, the True God Yu Ting."

Ling Che accepted the visiting card, his fingertips lightly tracing the mark on it. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he said calmly, "I understand. Tell him to wait in the side hall for a moment. I will go to see him after I finish entertaining my guests."

"Yes, sir!" The divine general accepted the order and withdrew.

Seeing this, the Great God of Words frowned, stepped forward, and lowered his voice to warn, "Mingde, Xuan Yi is a treacherous and cunning man with extremely deep scheming! Back then, Lord Wentian treated him like his own son, carefully nurturing him and entrusting him with important responsibilities. But who knew that after Lord Wentian's defeat, he would repay kindness with enmity, secretly infiltrating the Kunlun Realm, stealing the Tongtian Divine Palace, and imprisoning Princess Shenba. His methods are ruthless and outrageous! This man is a wolf in sheep's clothing; you must never befriend him!"

Upon hearing this, Ling Che's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "Uncle-Master, rest assured, I know Xuan Yi's character perfectly well. He is treacherous and ruthless, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals; he is a complete tyrant. But in my opinion, he is also an excellent pawn. If used properly, he can lend me a hand and stir up the winds and clouds of the heavens."

After pondering for a moment, the worry in his eyes gradually faded, and he clapped his hands and laughed: "Well said! You and Xuan Yi were both prodigies before the Two Yuanhui. Back then, Xuan Yi cultivated a second-grade Saintly Intent in the Great Saint Realm, his talent far surpassing yours. Therefore, he was valued by Lord Wentian, who even married his beloved daughter to him. However, he never imagined that times would change, and now he is no longer qualified to be compared with you. If Lord Wentian were still alive, he would definitely regret his decision back then!"

Upon hearing this, Ling Che simply smiled faintly and did not reply.

He knew perfectly well that the original owner of this body, "Mingde Divine Lord," was worlds apart from Xuan Yi in terms of talent; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was insulting Xuan Yi. If he hadn't devoured and replaced the original owner's identity, with the original owner's aptitude, even with the time acceleration from the Sun Corona, he would at most have only reached the initial stage of the Taixu Realm, and would never have achieved what he has today.

This original form of Mingde Divine Lord was originally sent to the battlefield to participate in the divine war, along with his master Chunjiang Divine Lord, in response to the call of the Kunlun Realm. After entering the Kunlun Realm, he was fortunate enough to catch the opening of the solar corona by the Sumeru Saint Monk, which accelerated time by a hundred years, allowing him to break through to the Taibai Realm Great God by sheer luck.

Later, in the great war between the Kunlun Realm and the Hell Realm, Lord Chunjiang died on the battlefield. Upon seeing this, the original owner of this body was filled with fear and, out of a desire for survival, contemplated betrayal like Lu Qi, wanting to seek refuge in the Heavenly Realm to save his life. However, the Dragon Lord discovered this and, in his fury, directly suppressed him within the Divine Dragon Sun and Moon Chaos Tower, condemning him to eternal damnation.

It wasn't until Ling Che became a god and needed an identity to travel through the heavens that his Confucian and Daoist avatar used the Demonic Embryo Possession Technique to devour the original owner's Dao essence. Furthermore, the Confucian and Daoist avatar cultivated the "Record of Chaos and Myriad Phenomena," which possessed the profound characteristics of evolving chaos and simulating myriad phenomena. Even ordinary ancestral powerhouses couldn't see through his true nature, only believing him to be the fortunate Mingde Divine Lord from the Painting Realm.

Fortunately, before the original owner betrayed the world, his character was not bad. He was a top genius among all the heavens, but he was still far inferior to a genius like Xuan Yi who was at the Yuanhui level.

"Alright, Uncle-Master." Ling Che composed himself, looked at the Great God Yi Yan, and said loudly, "Please take all of you fellow Daoists to rest in the pavilion below the temple. After I finish dealing with some trivial matters, I will host a banquet for you all. As for the matter of the Four Realms uniting, I fully agree with it. I will immediately report to Haotian and request that the Four Realms be relocated to the Western World. As for the Pangu Realm and the Heavenly Dragon Realm, I will personally go to negotiate and will definitely give you all a satisfactory answer."

Upon hearing this, the Great God Yiyan and all the gods of the Four Realms were overjoyed and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Then, led by the great master Yiyan, everyone happily withdrew.

In a side hall of the temple, Yin Yuting paced back and forth anxiously, his heart churning with turmoil and apprehension. He recalled his father Xuan Yi's cold command before his departure, and then he remembered his mother, Princess Shenba, with her pleading eyes in the dark and gloomy main hall. He felt caught in the middle, torn between two difficult choices, and in immense pain.

He prayed in his heart that if the Venerable Mingde could intercede on his behalf, perhaps his father would remember their past relationship and release his mother, so that she would no longer have to suffer the pain of imprisonment.

Just as he was feeling uneasy, a divine general strode into the side hall and announced loudly, "By order of the Divine Venerable Mingde, summon the True God of Jade Court to the hall!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Yuting quickly straightened his robes, took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in his heart, and, holding the congratulatory gift, slowly stepped into the main hall.

At this moment, Ling Che sat upright on the main seat, wearing a blue divine robe. The hem of the robe was embroidered with the sun, moon, mountains, seas, stars, and myriad phenomena. His aura was as vast as the sea, yet he could control it at will, inspiring awe in all who looked upon him.

"Yin Yuting of the Yin family of the Heavenly Realm pays respects to the Divine Venerable Mingde!" Yin Yuting dared not be negligent in the slightest and immediately knelt down below the golden steps of the main hall.

Ling Che, seated in the main seat, looked at him with a strange glint in his eyes. He then raised his hand and waved his hand. A gentle yet irresistible current of air rose from the void and steadily lifted Yin Yuting up.

Ling Che's gaze swept over the mountain of congratulatory gifts piled up in the hall. Divine-grade refining materials shone brilliantly, various Yuanhui sacred medicines exuded a rich fragrance, and ancient treasures gleamed with dazzling light, a dazzling array. Seeing this, a warm smile appeared on his lips: "Nephew, you are very thoughtful. Your parents and I are old acquaintances, so there's no need for such formality between us. From now on, just call me Uncle."