Chapter 136 Is there even a need to guess?

Ancestor Tushan Yao nodded and led the way through the Void Realm.

Deep in the ancestral grounds of the Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan, a pale red mist shrouded everything.

Gu Heng stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.

Beside him followed Jiang Wanyin, Di Shitian, Lei Wanjun, Patriarch Su Xingchen, and a host of Immortal Emperors and Devil Emperors. A dense crowd of powerhouses.

Ancestor Tushan Yao turned slightly, phoenix eyes lowered, "Your Excellency, not far ahead is the 'Origin Divine Pool' where I usually go into seclusion. The Void Realm there is closest to the Origin of the Universe, and it is also shielded by the Heavenly Mystery Array left by our ancestors. If you make your Breakthrough here, you will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Gu Heng nodded and looked ahead.

In the center of the Star Valley, a deep star pool shimmered with nine-colored light.

Gu Heng stopped and instructed, "You all should enter the heaven-reaching tower first."

Jiang Wanyin bowed slightly, "Master, this Breakthrough is no small matter. The tribulation of a God Emperor can easily destroy a Star Domain. If we stay outside to act as Protectors, perhaps we can share some of the pressure for you."

"No need." Gu Heng shook his head, "The God Emperor Realm is a transformation of the essence of life. Staying here will not help. The aura of the Law upon you will instead provoke the will of the Universe's Origin to become even more violent. Entering the tower for seclusion is an Opportunity for you as well."

Di Shitian crossed his arms and nodded secretly.

He knew that what Gu Heng said was true. If outsiders dared to interfere in a God Emperor's tribulation, the Universe's Origin would view it as a provocation, and the punishment would increase geometrically.

"Since Master has spoken, we shall naturally obey."

Gu Heng's thoughts flickered, and the heaven-reaching tower within his body hummed.

"Hum —"

Chaos divine light transformed into a spatial gate in the Void Realm.

The aura of the Original Realm after its Fusion with the heaven-reaching tower rolled out.

"We shall respectfully obey Master's decree!"

Lei Wanjun, Patriarch Su Xingchen, and over a hundred Immortal Emperors, along with those few God Lord Realm powerhouses, bowed one after another. Led by Jiang Wanyin and Di Shitian, they poured into the spatial gate.

In the blink of an eye, only Gu Heng and Ancestor Tushan Yao remained in the Star Valley.

Gu Heng took a deep breath, took a step, and landed above the center of the Origin Divine Pool.

He sat cross-legged.

The power within his body could no longer be suppressed.

"Rumble —"

A terrifying aura erupted from his body.

It was the supreme pressure of a Half-step Divine Emperor impacting the great God Emperor Realm!

The pressure, like a golden storm, surged wildly from the Origin Divine Pool, spreading across the entire Nine-Tailed White Fox Divine Realm.

"Crack — Crack —"

Golden cracks spread across the sky of the Divine Realm.

The earth trembled.

Supreme Elder Tushan Xuan's face turned pale, his eyes filled with horror.

In the center of the Origin Divine Pool, Gu Heng closed his eyes, his expression somewhat solemn.

He had originally intended to use the independent space of the heaven-reaching tower to Breakthrough, shielding himself from the Heavenly Mystery.

But when he tried to mobilize the Origin power within his body, he found it wouldn't work.

Although the heaven-reaching tower had merged with the Original Realm and had complete Laws, one could even say it was a miniature Universe. But it existed independently outside the Great Universe, with its own will and boundaries of rules.

The most core step of breaking through to the God Emperor Realm was to merge one's own will into the boundless "Universe Origin" of the outside world, gaining the recognition of this Great Universe, and thereby grasping the authority to manipulate part of the Universe's operation.

Inside the heaven-reaching tower, the Origin Laws of the Great Universe were completely isolated. Gu Heng could not comprehend that elusive trace of Origin Opportunity.

"I can only Breakthrough in the outside world..."

He murmured, then opened his eyes.

A drop of dark golden ancestral blood floated quietly before him.

The essence blood circulated, its aura blooming.

"Boom!"

It felt as if billions of stars had exploded in Gu Heng's mind.

Profound insights into the Laws surged into his Sea of Consciousness like a tide. The obscure and difficult-to-understand Laws of the Universe's operation became clear and visible at this moment.

Gu Heng closed his eyes again, and countless golden divine patterns appeared around him.

At the edge of the Star Valley,

Ancestor Tushan Yao looked at Gu Heng, who was in deep comprehension, complex light flashing in his eyes.

He had lived too long. He had seen countless brilliant Prodigies and witnessed the birth of God Emperor powerhouses. But this was the first time he had seen someone like Gu Heng, who could trigger such vast and pure Origin resonance during a Breakthrough.

"Can this person... really take that step?"

He whispered softly.

He knew that time was running out for him.

The loss of this drop of essence blood had made his own Origin even more dried up. But looking at that figure wrapped in golden light, a feeling of unprecedented anticipation rose in his heart.

Perhaps, this was truly the unshakeable turning point for the Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan for ten thousand generations.

Ancestor Tushan Yao bowed slightly toward Gu Heng, then turned and dissipated on the spot.

When he reappeared, he had arrived at the square in front of the ancestral hall.

In the sky, golden thunder flickered in the dark red mist, and the dull roar made people panic.

Ancestor Tushan Yao stood in the Void Realm, his white hair dancing wildly in the wind.

He looked up slightly, watching the sky that seemed ready to collapse at any moment, his phoenix eyes narrowed, "The world is going to change..."

"Progenitor!"

A shout interrupted him.

Supreme Elder Tushan Xuan, supported by several young clan Elders, climbed up the steps, stumbling.

Tushan Xuan knelt down abruptly, tears streaming down his face, "The Old Ancestor did not hesitate to expend his Origin essence blood to open a path for our clan! Now that the Progenitor has awakened and the entire Divine Realm's Laws are resonating, our Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan is finally about to welcome a day of revival!"

"We, kowtow to thank the Progenitor for his great kindness!"

Behind him, a dozen clan Elders also knelt down. Their faces were flushed red, excited to the extreme.

The wind blew, whipping Ancestor Tushan Yao's long robe, making it snap loudly.

Ancestor Tushan Yao: "..."

His face twitched slightly. In those phoenix eyes that had lived for countless ages, a trace of exhaustion and... speechlessness flashed.

These idiots.

"Tushan Xuan."

"This old servant is here!" Tushan Xuan hurriedly looked up.

"From today on, you are stripped of your position as Grand Elder." Ancestor Tushan Yao said expressionlessly, "Go to the 'Cliff of Reflection' and face the wall for one year. Without this Old Ancestor's decree, if you take a single step out, your cultivation will be abolished, and you will be expelled from Qingqiu."

Tushan Xuan's smile froze on his face, "Pro... Progenitor?"

"Go."

Ancestor Tushan Yao did not explain.

He turned around, his cold back falling into everyone's eyes.

Feeling the majesty of the Progenitor, Tushan Xuan collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

"This old servant... obeys the decree."

Behind him, the dozen clan Elders who still wanted to follow and shout were instantly terrified into silence.

They lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly. They were afraid that the next one to be punished to face the wall would be themselves.

In front of the main hall, there was silence.

And at this moment, that violent Breakthrough aura had rushed out of the Nine-Tailed White Fox Divine Realm, spreading wildly toward the entire Demon God Domain, and even the distant Human God Domain.

Three Thousand Worlds, endless sea of stars.

In the calm Star Domain, layers of spatial ripples suddenly appeared. Mixed in the ripples was a trace of faint yet supreme golden light.

Wherever the golden light passed, the trajectory of all stars shifted slightly.

"This is..."

Within the territory of the Human Race, inside countless ancient Sects and hidden families, figures in seclusion suddenly opened their eyes.

"The might of a God Emperor?"

"No. This aura is a Half-step Divine Emperor, it seems to be... impacting that Realm?"

"The direction of the Demon God Domain... who is it? Which Divine Venerable of the Yao Race who has not appeared for a long time is about to take that final step?"

For a time, all the major forces of the Human Race were on edge. Countless Divine Senses intertwined in the Void Realm, guessing the identity of this powerhouse who was about to be born.

And at this moment, at the core of the Human Race, the Divine Court hall.

The atmosphere in the hall was heavier than usual.

Dozens of figures, each with a face full of worry.

"Her Majesty the Empress... is there still no news?"

"No."

"Her Majesty has cut off all Karma connection with the Divine Court. We used the Heavenly Mystery Instrument, but we couldn't calculate where Her Majesty is now."

"Could it be on the side of the Demon God Realm..."

Discussions arose one after another.

The Elders were a bit irritable.

Just as everyone was arguing —

"Hum —"

A trace of pressure permeated above the hall.

The Void Realm produced a faint golden halo, and the eternal Law divine fire in the center of the hall suddenly dimmed.

In the hall, all sounds ceased abruptly.

They were stunned, then turned their heads in unison to look at the endless Void Realm outside the hall.

"This aura..." The Red-robed Elder stood up abruptly, his expression solemn, "It is the Law turbulence of a God Emperor Breakthrough! And... the direction comes from the Demon God Domain!"

The other Elders also reacted, their expressions sinking.

The Human Race, which was already unstable due to the disappearance of the Empress, would have its balance completely broken if the Yao Race gave birth to another God Emperor.

"Those beasts in the Demon God Domain have deep foundations. Which Divine Venerable is about to Breakthrough?"

"The Dragon Clan? Or the Phoenix Clan?"

"Not the Dragon Clan. Although the Phoenix Venerable of the Phoenix Clan is strong, she should still be some distance from that step..."

The Elders frowned, guessing endlessly.

On the side seat, the Old Palace Master dozed slightly, complex light flickering in his eyes.

A moment later, a faint arc appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Colleagues, does that even need guessing?"

The hall quieted down.

Dozens of eyes looked at him in unison.

"Old Palace Master, did you foresee some Heavenly Mystery?" The Red-robed Elder hurriedly cupped his hands.

The Old Palace Master put down his teacup and smiled slightly, "The Progenitor of the Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan, who has lived for countless epochs, the aura of his emergence has spread throughout the entire Demon God Domain. You have all seen that drop of ancestral blood sent to our Divine Court, right?"

Everyone nodded.

The Old Palace Master stroked his white beard, "The Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan has plotted for countless epochs for this day. Since that old fox chose to emerge at this time..."

"Now that this aura of a God Emperor Breakthrough is here, besides him, who else could it be?"

The Elders were stunned, then realized, and nodded along.

"The Old Palace Master is absolutely right! That old fox has lived for countless epochs, and his foundation is terrifyingly deep. Now that he is forcibly taking that step by borrowing the Origin of the Original Realm, it is reasonable."

"It seems that the Demon God Domain is really going to have another God Emperor..."

Amidst the agreement, the Red-robed Elder stood there, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter.

In his mind, for some reason, the intelligence about the Original Realm suddenly flashed.

"No..." The Red-robed Elder spoke, interrupting the discussion.

He looked up at the Old Palace Master, doubt flashing in his eyes, "Old Palace Master, you said... is it possible that the one breaking through is not that fox clan ancestor, but..."

He paused, "But that... thief who appeared in the Original Realm and forcibly took away the heaven-reaching tower?"

As soon as these words came out, the lively hall instantly fell into a dead silence.

All the Elders were stunned.

"This..." An Elder wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "That thief... isn't he already not in the Original Realm? Also, isn't he a Human?"

"Yes, yes." Another person followed, "The Original Realm and the heaven-reaching tower were one. If that thief refined the Original Realm and completed his Dao foundation, it is not impossible that he chose to Breakthrough to God Emperor at this time..."

The direction of the wind changed one hundred and eighty degrees in an instant.

The high-level officials of the Human Divine Court were full of fear for the mysterious young man who could silently refine the heaven-reaching tower.

The Old Palace Master looked at these colleagues who were listening to the wind and rain, panicked and at a loss, and suddenly laughed.

He sighed, shook his head, and a look of complacency appeared on his face.

"Sigh, you are all still too young."

The Old Palace Master looked at everyone's puzzled gazes, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he said unhurriedly,

"The fox clan ancestor just awakened, the Original Realm was just refined, and this aura of a God Emperor Breakthrough came from the ancestral grounds of the Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan. In this world, how can there be so many coincidences?"

The Elders looked at each other, lost in thought.

The Old Palace Master continued, his eyes flashing with wisdom:

"Think about it from another perspective. If you were that thief, successfully seized the heaven-reaching tower, and refined the Original Realm, and now urgently needed to enter seclusion to Breakthrough to God Emperor... where would you go?"

"Would you go to the Demon God Domain?"

The Old Palace Master sneered, "That young man is a pure Human. The hostility of the Demon God Domain toward the Human Race should be very clear to you all. There are not a few Yao Race Divine Venerables there. More importantly, deep in the Demon God Domain, there is also a Zerg Empress sitting in town. That is a genuine Late Stage God Emperor powerhouse."

"A Human Cultivator who just obtained a divine object and urgently needs to Breakthrough, runs to the Demon God Domain surrounded by wolves to Breakthrough to God Emperor? Is he afraid he won't die fast enough?"

"Conversely, by breaking through within our Human Race territory, he can not only borrow the deterrence of our Divine Court to make other major races not dare to act rashly, but also get the safest environment for protection. Why would he go far away to the Demon God Domain to seek death?"

The Old Palace Master's words were pearls of wisdom.

The Elders listened, stunned, their faces showing sudden realization.

"The Old Palace Master means..."

"Exactly." The Old Palace Master nodded, "The most likely thing for that thief to do now is to find a secret world to hide. After all, the Fusion and refining of the heaven-reaching tower and the Original Realm all require a long time to grind. He simply has no energy to impact the God Emperor Realm now."

"And the one breaking through in the Demon God Domain... besides the fox clan ancestor who took all the benefits, who else could it be?"

Echoes rang out in the hall.

"The Old Palace Master is wise! We are dull and almost confused by appearances!"

"Exactly, exactly. No matter how arrogant that thief is, he cannot run to the Demon God Domain to Breakthrough. It seems this must be that fox clan ancestor."

However,

Although the Old Palace Master spoke decisively, those who could live to this age were extremely cautious.

He waved his hand and added:

"Of course, nothing is absolute. Although we speculate it is that fox clan ancestor, we absolutely cannot rule out the possibility of that thief. What if this person is really some peerless Prodigy who doesn't play by the rules?"

He turned his head and instructed the Elder in charge of intelligence:

"Pass down the order, send a few capable eyes to keep an eye on the edge of the Nine-Tailed White Fox Divine Realm. Report immediately once there is news. By then, the result will naturally come to light."

"The Old Palace Master is far-sighted, we admire it!"

The Elders bowed and praised one after another.

Upon hearing this, the Old Palace Master raised his head, his brows relaxing.

Then, as if suddenly thinking of something, he asked casually:

"By the way, where is Divine Marshal Pojun? Why didn't he come today for such a big event?"

Mentioning the four words "Divine Marshal Pojun", the atmosphere in the hall, which was still relatively relaxed, instantly became strange.

The Elders fell silent again.

"Hmm? What's going on?"

The Old Palace Master frowned and looked at the Red-robed Elder.

The Red-robed Elder coughed and said somewhat uncertainly,

"Back... back to the Old Palace Master, the Divine Marshal... seems to be sick."

"Sick?" The Old Palace Master's tone rose an octave, "With his Peak Divine Venerable Realm Physical Body, he can smash a Star Domain with one punch, and he is sick? What kind of illness could keep him from getting out of bed?"

The Red-robed Elder bit the bullet and said, "Listening... to the words released by the Divine Marshal's Mansion, it seems to be... a cold?"

As soon as this was said, the dozens of Divine Court Elders in the hall looked at each other.

The air was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

"Ah?"

The Old Palace Master opened his mouth,

"A... a cold?!"