319: Chapter 320 Supreme Immortal: All Living Beings are Chess Pieces!

The Middle Heaven was in total chaos.

Internally, demonic Cultivators under the command of the Nine Nether Demon Emperor were taking advantage of the fact that the main forces of the major Holy Lands were pinned down at the borders. They were stirring up trouble in the rear, seizing territory everywhere and slaughtering Mortals.

Externally, the army of the Western Desert Demon Race watched with greedy eyes, engaging the Human Race's allied forces in an incredibly brutal tug-of-war along the border lines.

War fires stretched across the horizon, and refugees were everywhere. The once-prosperous land of the Middle Heaven was now riddled with scars.

However, this scene of a living hell was, in the eyes of some, the most wonderful of paintings.

Deep within an unknown Secret Realm.

Taishang Wuchen was quietly listening to a report from his subordinate.

"Reporting to Master: according to the latest battle reports, Ancestor Fu of the Wanfu Immortal Valley perished a few days ago in Extraterrestrial Starry Sky, taking Changtian Demon Ancestor of the Yao Race down with him."

"The Middle Heaven allied forces have suffered heavy casualties in several major battles with the Yao Race. The number of fallen Cultivators has exceeded one-fifth of the total allied forces, and their Origin Qi is severely damaged."

Upon hearing this news, a trace of a satisfied smile finally appeared on Taishang Wuchen's eternally unchanging face.

"Very good."

"Even better than I anticipated."

The more brutal the fighting and the more Cultivators died, the faster the recovery speed of this world's Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi would be.

This was all the more beneficial for the grand plan he had been plotting for many years.

"Master, should we strike now and pacify these troubled times?" the man in black asked respectfully.

In his view, now was the perfect time for his Master to emerge, adopt the posture of a savior, win over the people's hearts in one fell swoop, and lay the foundation for an eternal hegemony.

However, Taishang Wuchen shook his head.

"No rush."

His gaze seemed to pierce through endless time and space to look at that chaotic battlefield, his eyes flickering with the cold light of calculation.

"Now is not yet the time."

He knew very well that in these current troubled times, besides himself, there was another invisible hand pushing things forward from the shadows.

Although he had investigated for a long time, he had failed to discover who the owner of that hand actually was.

But he was certain that the other party's goal was the same as his: to make the Spiritual Qi of this world become dense once again.

The only difference was that he did it to become an Emperor and achieve Ascension.

As for what the other party sought, he was not yet clear.

But that didn't matter.

What mattered was that right now, both sides were hidden in the shadows, wary of each other, forming a delicate balance.

In this game, whoever jumped out first would become the stepping stone for the other, and would be the first to die!

Taishang Wuchen prided himself on his matchless calculation; how could he make such a low-level mistake?

"Let them kill each other a bit more."

"When they have fought until both sides are wounded and their lamps have run dry of oil, I will descend upon the world with the force of thunder to set things right."

"By then, whether it is that fellow hiding in the shadows, the Nine Nether Demon Emperor, or the West Desert Yao Race, they will all become stepping stones on my path to becoming an Emperor!"

In his eyes, the Nine Nether Demon Emperor was merely a chess piece he had deliberately left behind years ago; his strength was far inferior to his own and was not worth worrying about.

As for that Holy Son of Daoxuan, Gu Changsheng, who was rumored to be god-like, his talent was indeed rare throughout the ages, but he was ultimately too young.

How much of a splash could a junior who hadn't even stepped into the Return to One Realm make?

His only true opponent was that same mysterious person of unknown identity hiding behind the scenes.

He only needed to wait for the other party to lose their composure first, expose themselves, and then he would deal with them.

In this world, there would then be no one left who could obstruct his grand plan of becoming an Emperor!

He, Taishang Wuchen, was destined to be the sole and final victor of these troubled times!

Taishang Wuchen's plan was both vicious and perfect.

Use the hand of the Nine Nether Demon Emperor to weaken the strength of the various Holy Lands.

Use the hand of the West Desert Yao Race to stir up a catastrophe sweeping the entire Middle Heaven, allowing countless Cultivators to die in this disaster.

Their Dao Fruits and Divine Souls would all return to the heavens and earth, allowing this world, which was already depleted of Spiritual Qi, to glow with vitality once more.

When the time was ripe, he would emerge as a savior, slay the Demon Emperor, drive out the Yao Race, and pacify the chaos.

By then, he would reap the admiration and respect of the entire world.

And he could use the vast Spiritual Qi that returned to the world after the fall of all those Cultivators to break through the shackles that had troubled all the strong for hundreds of thousands of years in one go, achieving an unprecedented Imperial throne, and finally, ascending to the Immortal Realm to enjoy eternal life!

As for that mysterious person also plotting in the shadows, although Taishang Wuchen was wary, he was not afraid.

He believed his strength was the greatest in the world, making him the number one person of the current age; no matter what schemes or tricks the other party had, they would be fragile before absolute strength.

The only thing he needed to do was wait.

...

Middle Heaven, the Imperial Capital of the Great Qian Empire, the Discussion Hall.

The Sect Leaders of the major Schools gathered once again.

However, compared to before, the atmosphere in the hall was even more oppressive and heavy.

The fall of Ancestor Fu was like a giant boulder pressing on everyone's hearts, making them unable to breathe.

"Everyone."

Daoist Venerable Qingxu spoke first, breaking the deathly silence in the hall.

He looked around at the crowd; his face, which was usually as gentle as jade, was now filled with gravity and determination.

"Currently, our army's morale is low, we are at the end of our rope, and we can no longer afford any more attrition."

"Therefore, I have decided that in three days, we will launch the final decisive battle against the Yao Race!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall changed expression.

"Daoist Venerable, isn't this move too risky?" an Old Ancestor from a Great Family said worriedly.

"Indeed, the current state of our army is truly unsuitable for further battle."

Daoist Venerable Qingxu shook his head, his voice resolute.

"It is precisely because of this that we must fight!"

"An army burning with grief is bound to win!"

"Right now, the soldiers still have the grief and indignation of wanting to avenge Brother Fu and all our fallen comrades. This spirit is our last chance!"

"If we delay any longer and wait for this spirit to dissipate, then we will truly have no chance of victory left!"

Hearing these words from Daoist Venerable Qingxu, everyone in the hall fell silent.

They knew that Daoist Venerable Qingxu was right.

This was their only chance, and their last chance.

If they won the gamble, the Middle Heaven would still have a glimmer of hope.

If they lost, it would be eternal damnation.

"Fine! We shall do as the Daoist Venerable says!"

"In three days, a fight to the death with the Yao Race!"

Ultimately, everyone reached a consensus.