Due to cultivating the Chaos Physique, Ye Jingyu nearly desiccated Jianmu, and now it requires several hundred years to regain vitality. This is precisely why the higher-ups have been unable to dispatch anyone downwards; even figures like Veda and the others have long been confined within the Twenty-Four Heavens—pawns set by Amitabha Buddha.

Of course, the Heavenly Dao remains firmly in the hands of the Three Pure Ones. If they wished to pull someone from the Celestial Realm to the Primordial Realm, it wouldn't be impossible. Anyone who has not yet achieved transcendence remains under their control, much like Yuan, whose cultivation had not yet taken that final step, allowing Amitabha Buddha to easily ferry him to his side.

But once that step is taken, they are no longer subject to manipulation. However, aside from Jianmu, it is difficult for others to enter the Primordial Realm.

Since this is a massive game of chess, those setting the moves naturally refrain from causing widespread disruption to the board; they would not commit acts that result in the wholesale annihilation of everyone. Moreover, even if they desired it, they could not achieve it unless the Three Pure Ones united to unleash an Armageddon.

But at present, there are already rifts between Tongtian and the Primordial/Taishang factions; how could they possibly undertake such an act now?

Five hundred years. Five hundred years. Jianmu will surely recover, and that will be the greatest point of respite. Ye Jingyu understands this is his destiny, one he cannot evade. Even if he completely destroyed Jianmu, if such a method truly existed, those above would simply devise other means to send their disciples to the lower realm, merely accelerating the timeline for a decisive battle.

They are the players; he, by cultivating the Chaos Physique, has escaped the status of a mere piece. But those around him have not. He must break the board; otherwise, how can they survive? Once the rules of the Heavenly Dao are enacted, they will inevitably be reduced to dust.

Ye Jingyu still vividly recalls the day Luo Ling'er offered her soul to save him, and the words Liang Xiaoke spoke: "If Heaven oppresses me, I shall crush Heaven!"

That day, they resolved to break free from the shackles of the Heavenly Dao—not just himself, but everyone around him. They absolutely refused to be manipulated by others any longer.

Gazing at the Monkey King’s eyes, which glittered with golden light, Ye Jingyu drew a deep breath and stated solemnly, "Understood. Five hundred years, maximum!"

"Five hundred years? Then what is your plan?" The Monkey King’s Fiery Eyes of Truth fixed upon Ye Jingyu. Though usually jovial, he was intensely serious now. His descent to the lower realm this time served not only to help his Master resolve an unresolved karma but, more importantly, to investigate what truly transpired with Nuwa and the others back then. Although he had never met Nuwa, he had sprung forth from the Five-Colored Stone she used; Nuwa was like his birth mother. How could he remain unconcerned when his own mother had vanished without a trace?

Ye Jingyu inherited the lineage of the Pangu Holy Emperor and stands as a rising star of the Great Witch lineage. Only through him might the reasons behind the fall of the several Sages be uncovered. It was precisely for this reason that the Monkey King had remained by Ye Jingyu’s side.

Seeing Sun Wukong’s gravity, Ye Jingyu understood the depth of his thoughts. He knew this was certainly no time for despondency, nor was it a time for him to enjoy respite. More crucial matters awaited his action.

Their eyes met for a full quarter of an hour before Ye Jingyu finally forced out several momentous words: "Unify the Celestial Realm!"

Unify the Celestial Realm—what a domineering declaration. Even the Five Great Immortal Sages and the Three Great Overlords of the past never uttered such words with such conviction. Yet, Ye Jingyu had said it, and he absolutely possessed the strength to achieve it.

Of course, with their current power, unifying the Celestial Realm should be straightforward, provided those above hadn't left behind any hidden countermeasures. Based on the Monkey King’s understanding of those figures, they would never allow Ye Jingyu to realize his ambition so easily.

Sensing the sheer, overwhelming dominance radiating from Ye Jingyu, the Monkey King grinned—this was the young man he wanted to see.

What Ye Jingyu intended to do next was to consolidate control over the Earth Alliance. However, he knew that the vast majority of these devils possessed little to no reason; slaughter was their primary tenet, making complete subjugation impossible. To eliminate future trouble, he was resolved to conduct a veritable bloodbath across the entire Earth Alliance. Yet, he also knew the sheer number of devils meant a complete eradication would be impossible in the short term. Fortunately, he had ample time. Just as Ye Jingyu decided to launch the first purge against the Earth Alliance, Liang Xiaoke’s son, Liang Xing, hurried to the Extinguishing Flame City, bringing welcome news: Liang Xiaoke was getting married…

When Ye Jingyu learned the intended bride was Gongsun Lu, his jaw dropped so wide he could have swallowed several eggs. Damn it, the boy was marrying a mere Blood Corpse?

But regardless, if his sworn elder brother was marrying, he had to attend. Moreover, Ye Jingyu was considering legitimizing his relationship with Jiu Feng and the others, perhaps using this opportunity to hold all the weddings concurrently.

With that thought, Ye Jingyu readily agreed to Liang Xing’s plea, leaving the affairs of the Earth Alliance to Fang Tianrui and the others, with Kuang and Yan assisting, and leaving Bing Ming to guard the city. He then took the Monkey King, Bing Ming, and a large retinue toward the Heaven Alliance.

The Earth Alliance was now devoid of true experts. Unless that fellow Jue appeared, the remaining devils dared not do anything to Extinguishing Flame City. Furthermore, Jue owed Ye Jingyu a favor, as he had been saved by both Ye Jingyu and Sun Wukong. Based on Ye Jingyu's understanding of Jue, he would not interfere in the Earth Alliance's affairs—at least, he would not attack his subordinates.

After Ye Jingyu and the others departed, Fang Tianrui naturally began acting according to Ye Jingyu’s arrangement, moving against the other devils in the Earth Alliance; all who refused to surrender were to be executed without mercy.

For these devils who had long oppressed them, there was no reason for Fang Tianrui, Xie Zuomiao, or the others to show leniency.

A massacre sweeping across the entire territory of the Earth Alliance commenced, while far away in the Heaven Alliance, the Southern Cloud Empire was filled with joyous celebration…