Though Ao Kun had not shown himself, his clear voice resonated throughout the entire Celestial Sphere.

The expressions of Qing Xuan, Tai Huang, and the others faltered, almost imperceptibly.

To be able to repair Yuan Jing’s Dao foundation meant that Ao Kun’s own existence and the Dao of Obliteration must also have been fully perfected.

Under normal circumstances, they would not fear him, but their worry lay in the aftermath of the great battle, when their strength was depleted.

To claim they had no qualms would be a lie.

If even a portion of their cultivation were to be erased by Ao Kun, the least severe consequence would be a fall in their realm; the most severe would be the utter destruction of any hope of achieving Dao Union and true immortality.

While Ao Kun would certainly pay with his life, this madman had once gouged out his own eyes for that wretch Ao Bi. Who could guarantee that today he wouldn't fight to the death simply to exact vengeance upon Qing Xuan?

Yuan Jing ascended to the twenty-first layer, yet he did not rush into the Golden Pagoda; instead, he merely flicked his sleeve slightly.

“Where is the Guardian Divine Venerable of my Heaven and Earth Dao, Qing Hua?”

Immediately, brilliant light erupted in the sky.

Zong Shou was also drawn in, turning his gaze towards the Ancestral Hall.

At once, he saw the manifestation of a colossal Divine Venerable, equally majestic at twelve thousand zhang tall.

He could not help but raise an eyebrow. This Divine Venerable was a woman, clad in white robes and barefoot, wielding twin rings, with a giant eagle perched upon her shoulder.

However, her features bore an extreme resemblance to Lin Xuan Shuang.

He felt no surprise; after all, the visages of Divine Venerables were ultimately crafted by human hands.

At this very moment, the Jade Pure and Supreme Pure Divine Venerables outside bore countenances strikingly similar to the Dao Lords Qing Xuan and Tai Huang.

It was known that when Xi Zi first created this Guardian Divine Venerable, Lin Xuan Shuang had served as the template.

Observing further, although the Dharma body’s spiritual radiance barely qualified as achieving the Supreme Realm, it was clearly inferior to the six Divine Venerables outside the Celestial Sphere.

This was unavoidable. Eight thousand years ago, the Heaven and Earth Dao was already branded as seditious rebels. Successive dynasties had worked to suppress it.

Though the tenets of the Heaven and Earth Dao were profoundly appealing—creating an era of equality where all beings were free from want and worry—

it could only develop in the shadows. Had he not managed to seize control of the East Lin and South Feng Cloud Continents a few years prior,

driving out the Dao Gate factions and winning vast numbers of believers for the Heaven and Earth Dao, he might not even have reached the Supreme Realm at this juncture. He would only be slightly stronger than the heretical sects in the mundane world, like the White Lotus Sect or the Three Yang Sect.

Despite Wei Xu’s years of cultivation resulting in a continuous emergence of prodigies within the Heaven and Earth Dao, it could not prevent its influence in the cloud world’s populace from constantly waning, declining day by day.

The myriad factions of the Dao Gate boasted hundreds of deities in addition to the Three Pure Venerable Gods,

and beyond the three Sage Incarnations of the Dao Gate, they also enshrined the sages of successive generations.

Yet the Heaven and Earth Dao had exhausted the power of an entire sect just to support one Great Emperor Tai Yi Qing Hua. The disparity was clear.

As this Qing Hua Divine Venerable appeared, her azure gaze swept the surroundings, and she too took flight, positioning herself above the thirty-second layer of the Golden Pagoda.

Being a Divine Venerable, she was not confined by these thirty-three heavens.

The moment she took her post, fierce gales erupted across the Celestial Sphere. Especially at the points where the six gigantic Divine Venerable palms pierced through, currents of azure lightning converged.

A formidable repulsive force began to shove those six immense palms outward, slowly sealing the six massive spatial rifts.

The sheer, boundless might made even Zong Shou gasp inwardly.

He mused that perhaps his own Primordial Lotus World might one day ascend to the Great Thousand level.

If that happened, the denizens within his Primordial Realm would surely experience a surge in spiritual enlightenment.

But could they muster the support required to manifest a Supreme Realm Divine Venerable?

After all, despite the immense gap, it would still be a Great Thousand World.

He then wondered if the Fen Kong Lu Family had perhaps nurtured a Supreme Realm Divine Venerable? How many were there in total?

Was this the ancestral home of the Lu Family?

At this critical juncture, every eye turned towards Qing Xuan.

No one believed the battle had concluded here. But if the situation within the Celestial Sphere were to continue like this,

it seemed the Heaven and Earth Dao would not only survive but that these six Supreme Realm Holy Venerables would be trapped within the Heaven and Earth Dao's Celestial Sphere.

Qing’er watched as the Dao Ancestor’s expression had already returned to normal, devoid of any trace of surprise.

“This is truly unexpected! I must congratulate Daoist friend Yuan Jing; from this moment on, your Dao path is clear, no longer hindered by your Dao foundation.”

Speaking with hollow politeness, a sharp glint flashed in Qing Xuan’s eyes.

“However, I, Qing Xuan, also came prepared. I imagine my disciple should be arriving soon.”

Before the words had even faded, a change manifested within the Celestial Sphere.

The void on the southern flank was violently torn open once more.

A figure then strode in from outside the Sphere. Dressed in a cyan Dao robe, he walked directly toward Qing Xuan and bowed: “I have not failed in my mission. My junior disciple has finally brought Anchorite Yuan Jiang here.”

Upon entering the Celestial Sphere, this individual skipped any probing and immediately took his stance above the twenty-second heaven, the Unthinking River Sky.

Following him, another person walked in: a man in his forties, with thick, curly, reddish-brown hair and a grand, imposing aura.

It was uncertain if this was the Anchorite Yuan Jiang mentioned earlier by the green-robed Daoist, but his gaze immediately fixed upon the main hall of the Academy beneath the Golden Pagoda.

“It is indeed the Dragon Swallowing Secret Art. What an aberrant creature! Regarding the method of existence and annihilation, among my Dragon Clan descendants, you are certainly interesting, but alas, you have chosen the crooked path! If you are wise, step out yourself. I can spare your cultivation, given that your descent into depravity is not too deep. When you have atoned for all your sins, I may consider helping you attain the Dao—"

The hall remained silent, deafeningly so, ignoring Ao Kun’s voice.

Zong Shou’s expression turned incredibly grave.

He had heard of Anchorite Yuan Jiang; he was one of the three Supreme Realm Holy Venerables of the Dragon Clan.

This one had been invited here by Qing Xuan?

He recalled that the Dragon Clan was originally the master of the Cloud World. It was only after being severely wounded during the invasion by the Outer Realm races that the Human Race rose to prominence.

Later, when the spiritual tide surged, the dragons of the Cloud World were almost entirely expelled; some were even slaughtered to be refined into elixirs and magical artifacts.

Logically, the relationship between the Dao Gate and the Dragon Clan shouldn't be good.

As for the other green-robed Daoist, barring any surprises, it must be Kun Ming.

Standing at the twenty-second heaven, he had clearly only just entered the Supreme Realm, yet due to long accumulation finally erupting, he appeared slightly stronger than the reclusive Yuan Jing.

At this moment, all cultivators of the Heaven and Earth Dao within their Celestial Sphere were struck dumb, holding their breath.

Including the newly arrived Kun Ming and Ancestor Yuan Jiang, there were now a full eight Supreme Realm Holy Venerables!

The ground below cracked open once more, and the six Divine Venerable palms, which had almost been forced out, began to press inward again, inch by inch.

Ancestor Yuan Jiang waited for a moment, and seeing Ao Kun show no inclination to respond, he let out another cold laugh.

“Insolent spawn! I heard that Ao Hai went to great lengths for you back then. You had the opportunity to study under Daoist friend Qing Xuan, seek the true Dao, and pursue eternal life. But you beast lacked judgment. You sought vengeance on your own, murdered Qing Xuan’s beloved disciple, and then committed the heinous act of slaughtering your own kin to practice such an evil art. It seems I cannot let you live today—”

As his voice fell, a terribly desolate laugh finally echoed from within the hall, belonging to Ao Kun.

“A grand ‘great lengths’! Ao Hai’s great effort was to betray me, Ao Kun! And after breaking free, to serve as his master’s puppet under the orders of my enemy? Hua Yun stole my wife, and on top of the shackles of my sealing, am I forbidden from killing him? Is that also a sin? Though I consumed the Dragon Pills of my kin, it was limited to Ao Hai’s blood relatives and my enemies from years past. Since Ancestor Yuan Jiang insists on blurring right and wrong and denouncing me as a demon, Ao Kun fears nothing! If I do not die today, I swear to devour all the Dragons of the Four Directions! Let the Four Directional Dragon Palaces be destroyed for all I care.”

Zong Shou sighed softly. The Ao Hai mentioned by the two was Ao Kun’s own elder brother, the former sovereign of the Spatial-Temporal Dragon Clan of the Cloud World several millennia ago.

However, what troubled him was Ao Kun’s final statement. Uttering the intent to devour the Dragons of the Four Directions meant an unending feud with the Four Directional Dragon Palaces.

Ancestor Yuan Jiang’s eyes flashed red; it was clear that this statement had incited his wrath to the core.

But in the end, instead of anger, he laughed, turning his gaze towards the thirty-two-layered Golden Pagoda.

“Is this the formation left by the one reputed to be the only Half-Step True Realm being in existence? You wicked beast rely on this Thirty-Three Heaven Pagoda? Do you think that with this formation protecting you, I cannot touch you? The Thirty-Three Heavens are indeed interesting, but I wonder how many layers Yuan Jiang can penetrate?”

His chilling laughter caused the heavens and earth to shake. This was not only true within the Heaven and Earth Dao’s Celestial Sphere but even caused distortions in more than a dozen surrounding worlds.

At that moment, Yuan Jiang’s retinue also took to the air. Meeting no resistance, they reached the thirtieth heaven, standing shoulder to shoulder with Zhu Zi. He glanced at the membrane above, let out a soft huff, and did not ascend further.

Simultaneously taking flight was another figure: Ao Yi. Her expression was resolute and unwavering. She struggled upwards with immense difficulty until reaching the seventeenth layer, finally halting at the nineteenth.

Her gaze was as cold as a blade, fixed upon Yuan Jiang.

“If Ao Kun must enter, he must swallow the Dragons of the Four Directions. Then Ao Yi shall accompany him—”

She spoke each word deliberately, causing the latter to look back with a slight surprise, which turned into astonishment upon seeing her clearly.

He perceived the depth of this girl’s accumulation and her youth. Among those of the same rank in the Dragon Clan, there was no question of her potential.

Around her, for some inexplicable reason, lingered a hint of Primordial Chaos Qi.

With only time to accumulate, she could certainly prove herself a Supreme Realm Holy Venerable.

Yet, in this posture, she was clearly aligning herself with Ao Kun, displaying extreme resentment toward him, the leader of the Dragon Clan.

Yuan Jiang was further consumed by explosive fury. Such a pristine, beautiful jade was about to be pulled onto the path of evil and sever ties with the Dragon Clan because of this Ao Kun.

Indeed, just as Ao Hai had said, this younger brother of his was a scourge! A blight upon the Dragon Clan!

When Yuan Jiang stood upon the thirtieth heaven, the Jade Solemn Ascending Heaven, the ‘creaking’ sounds within the Heaven and Earth Dao’s Celestial Sphere grew increasingly violent.

Qing Xuan then spoke again: “Since the battle eight thousand years ago, I, Qing Xuan, have ceaselessly studied methods to break the Thirty-Three Heaven Formation. Early on, I gained some inspiration while discussing the Dao with my fellow disciple Ci Bei, and I have continuously refined it since. Regrettably, Ci Bei is not present today. However, I estimate it is more than sufficient to break this Myriad Immortals Formation—”

Qing Xuan performed a quick spiritual seal, and an object flew out from his sleeve. They were five banners that unfurled against the wind, transforming into streams of five-colored light—red, yellow, white, black, and cyan—spreading across the firmament.

“The power of this formation restricts every Supreme Realm cultivator entering it to only seventy percent of their strength. Conversely, for those such as yourselves, your power is doubled. I do not know why Xi Zi stipulated in the past that only Emperors and Sovereigns could command the Thirty-Three Grand Luo Heavens. It is precisely because of this rule that the Thirty-Three Heavens possess a flaw!”