CHAPTER 311: 309

Wu Wang had thought that he had a firm grip on tactics and his heart. That was until he saw a series of moves by Yun Meng, the Ancient Strong God, and his own elder brother, the Sleep God Yun Zhongjun. Suddenly, he felt...

I am still pure.

My Dao heart is like the stretches of white clouds in the blue sky!

This Yun Zhongjun is truly a mastermind!

Ever since Yun Zhongjun decided to "make a big score and then run," Wu Wang hadn’t seen a trace of Yun Zhongjun for over half a month, and he had no idea what his elder brother was up to. Wu Wang could only focus on his cultivation, wait for news, and continuously adjust his position. Under the protection of the Ming Snake, he hid deeper and deeper near the border of the Western Wilderness and Central Mountain.

Even I can’t help but suspect that elder brother Yun Zhongjun hasn’t contacted me for half a month because he lost track of me...

After the small exchange meeting of the Heavenly Dao organization last time, the necklace his mother gave him had lifted some sort of ban, and Wu Wang began furiously absorbing Divine Power to infuse into himself. Although it was inevitably more wasteful than the previous ’silent nurturing,’ under the current situation, becoming stronger sooner was certainly preferable.

What is the use of absorbing Divine Power?

For Wu Wang, other than strengthening his combat body, the most important purpose was to nurture his Star God’s bloodline. This was also a path of cultivation for living beings, mostly used by Innate Gods to train their trusted experts.

The Essence Blood of the Star God’s origin acted as a seed. It had initiated Wu Wang’s first transformation on the deserted island where he first met Jingwei. While cultivating in the Human Domain, Wu Wang constantly received enhancements from the Divine Power of Evil Gods and the power of the Stars to refine his body. He had already achieved a minor success with the Star God’s bloodline within him. Yet, this was far from utilizing the full value of this drop of Essence Blood. The limit of this drop of origin Essence Blood was to forge Wu Wang’s combat body to a ’strength’ comparable to eighty percent of a Star God’s body. Theoretically, under the influence of this drop of Star God’s Essence Blood, the limit of Wu Wang’s physical strength should be equivalent to the palm of a Star God’s actual body.

But in reality, Wu Wang and his mother had taken control of the Star God’s body. If it weren’t for needing to use the Star God’s body as a ’sword’ to deter the Heaven Palace, Cang Xue would have long extracted it to cultivate Wu Wang into a second Star God! Now, the Divine Thought of the Star God Cult continuously transformed into Divine Power, and the injuries of the Star God were gradually healing. In a few thousand years, this divine body could recover from near-fatal injuries to a state of severe but survivable wounds.

Incidentally, due to his three hundred years of seclusion in the Dream Realm, Wu Wang’s Divine Thought had greatly strengthened, and his Dao Realm had entered the mid-phase of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. At this moment, as his Spiritual mind resided in the Star God’s body, he could already control the divine body to perform some simple actions. Although forcefully using the Star God’s body strength still left Wu Wang feeling quite exhausted, he would no longer fall into a coma from the outburst of Divine Power. The "Star God’s Starry Sky Javelin" had become one of Wu Wang’s trump cards!

So he had devoured Divine Power for half a month.

That afternoon, the light of the necklace on Wu Wang’s chest gradually dimmed. It adhered to Wu Wang’s chest on its own, emitting strands of cool breath. Divine Light surged like waves around Wu Wang’s body, making his face alternately bright and dark. The shallow black Divine Power shield ten zhang away completely concealed this phenomenon—it was undoubtedly the handiwork of the Ming Snake. The absorption of Divine Power had come to an end, and naturally, the speed at which Wu Wang’s body grew stronger slowed down.

He exhaled softly as the Divine Light around him completely retracted. His bones cracked noisily, his aura rocketing and plummeting, then completely hiding inside his body.

Yin and Yang stabilize the Primordial Spirit, Stars forge my body.

Wu Wang spread open his right hand, not invoking the Star God’s bloodline, not using any Great Dao, relying solely on the power of his flesh to make a light grasp. Heaven and Earth actually rippled slightly! Wu Wang even felt as if he had touched a piece of canvas...

Is this the stellar body cultivated by the Divine Power of the Three Minor Gods?

In that moment, Wu Wang inevitably developed a strong desire for Divine Power and a Divine Core. But he immediately awakened to caution, introspected, his Primordial Spirit recited the Heart-clearing method, and he dragged these desires out to dissect them bit by bit, analyzing his Dao heart’s thoughts and reminding himself of some basic principles.

’Wu Wang, oh Wu Wang, do not become the slave of desires, and even less so the slave of Divine Power. You chose this road to become strong quickly in order to achieve your own goals; not to become strong and pursue pleasure, to strip away the right of other free-willed beings to exist in the world.’

No sooner had these thoughts surfaced in the depths of his heart, Wu Wang couldn’t help but chuckle twice to himself.

Since when did I become so serious?

Just at this moment, Wu Wang heard the call of Yun Zhongjun both in his ear and mind simultaneously, "Little brother, Wu Wang~"

He immediately stood up and looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a stretch of white, dense fog there.

"Come over here; it’s all set up! Come watch the show!"

Wu Wang was momentarily baffled. Leading the hidden Ming Snake towards the fog, he was then engulfed by the fog and sank into the ground.

It was actually quite amusing. The venerable Yun Zhongjun was the ’Qi’ Deity of the Great Wilderness and the once-famous God of Yun Meng from ages past. He now held the ’job title’ in the Heaven Palace of Sleep God, a little expert in helping others sleep. Walking across the Great Wilderness without flying in the sky, he had a peculiar fondness for burrowing into the ground. Truthfully, this elder brother’s skills in earth escaping and shape-shifting were indeed unique in the primordial era.

Yun Zhongjun, with Wu Wang and the Ming Snake, took several twists and turns through the earth’s veins. After a few hours, they finally arrived beneath a ridge, upon which were rows of connected Temple complexes. Wu Wang roughly sensed the area and discovered there were more than a dozen Innate Gods. Among them were not only ’throwaway-god-level’ minor Divine Spirits at the bottom of the deity rankings but also two whose strength was comparable to the Main Gods of the Heaven Palace. Wu Wang even vaguely sensed the Great Dao of the Young Master. Hiding underground, Wu Wang sniffed vigorously, confirming the unique fragrance belonging solely to the Young Master.

"Elder brother, are we doing it here?"

"Right here," Yun Zhongjun appeared beside Wu Wang, squinting with a smile. "Got the guts?"

"Nope, I’m out!"

"Hey! Don’t go, Wang! Your elder brother has put a lot of effort into setting this up for over half a month! It’s been many tens of thousands of years since I’ve put my heart into something like this!" Yun Zhongjun’s hand moved as fast as lightning. He turned his head and grabbed Wu Wang, who was about to slip away, and laughed, "What’s the rush? I’ve got everything arranged here. You just wait to harvest the Divine Cores! By the way, does that necklace have a limit on Divine Power storage?"

"Well," Wu Wang was somewhat reluctant. After all, his life was the most important.

"No matter," Yun Zhongjun chuckled while fumbling in his sleeves. With a clattering jingle, the Ancient God pulled out two earrings and three rings and even specifically mentioned, "These are lent to you! Not given! Treasures that can store Divine Power are truly rare."

Wu Wang accepted them with a smile, giving Yun Zhongjun a bow with his hands. "Then this little brother will take them without refusal."

Yun Zhongjun cursed with a smile, "How come, your cheek is already as thick as this god’s?"

"Still, it’s incomparable... By the way, elder brother, let’s first talk about why you chose this place." Wu Wang deftly changed the subject and had already put the three rings on his left hand, hiding them under the Black Armor gloves. He strung the two uniquely designed earrings onto a piece of string and temporarily tucked them away.

Yun Zhongjun said, "Actually, I didn’t initially plan to make such a big fuss. But I secretly investigated around the Western Wilderness for a while, peering into the dreams of countless creatures and Innate Gods, and found the most loopholes here. Tsk-tsking," he noted, "not only were there many loopholes, but it was also particularly... interesting."

Above Wu Wang and the Ming Snake’s heads, question marks in the shape of mushrooms popped up. Yun Zhongjun grinned and gave a brief explanation. It was nothing more than the complex relationships of love and hate among the Innate Gods here.

In the grand scheme of the Great Wilderness, the Western Wilderness was always a ’peculiar’ place. Here, a mix of the Hundred Races lived. Abundant mountains and dense forests covered an area slightly smaller than the other Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness, and there weren’t many rare treasure mines. Historically, the Western Wilderness had always been a savage land. Many Strong Gods disdained settling here, which led to the current situation of numerous minor Divine Spirits. During the heyday of the Western Wilderness, there were once a hundred minor Divine Spirits who divided up their territories here. The Heaven Palace turned a blind eye to the Western Wilderness. As long as these Divine Spirits complied with a few major principles of the Heaven Palace, they were allowed to enjoy their divine lives (Shen Sheng) there. Over time, these minor Divine Spirits inevitably developed various conflicts. Among these Divine Spirits, some ambitious ones inevitably thought about gathering forces and raising their prestige in the divine community to seek a higher God position in the Heaven Palace. In the Heaven Palace’s system, a God position came with Divine Power; the higher the God position, the more Divine Power it corresponded to. As time went by, half of the numerous minor Divine Spirits in the Western Wilderness banded together, forming several fixed factions. Once factions emerged, friction was inevitable. They began to fight each other openly and secretly. Sometimes, if things got too loud, it would draw a reprimand from the Heaven Palace. The place where Yun Zhongjun had chosen for these dozen or so Innate Gods to gather temporarily included the main Divine Spirits from three of these major factions.

However, that was just the beginning.

"Look at these minor Divine Spirits," Yun Zhongjun said, his eyes filled with contempt. "There are thirteen in total, split almost evenly between male and female deities. However, the relationships they have had and are maintaining roughly amount to twenty-six."

"COUGH!" Wu Wang choked on his breath, his face turning red. "This?"

Yun Zhongjun covered his face with a hand and sighed, "As an Innate God, I even feel a bit ashamed. Destroy them. Don’t overthink it. None of the Divine Spirits here are clean. They’re experts at oppressing living beings but wouldn’t dare breathe too heavily in front of strong individuals from the Human Domain. Dealing with them will also count as a modest contribution to the living beings of the Western Wilderness."

"Destroy!" Wu Wang reached out his hand to grasp the Severing God Spear, yet his feet remained still.

Yun Zhongjun, however, smiled calmly and said warmly, "There’s no need for you to take action. Elder brother will show you how it’s done. Just watch."

As his words fell, a thin mist emerged around Yun Zhongjun, making the three of them seem to completely vanish from the world.

At the same time, in those Temples, two female Innate Gods began to feel drowsy and each took a brief nap. When they woke up, their expressions had changed somewhat; they seemed anxious. One Goddess paced back and forth while the other summoned two Maidens to play music and sing.

Underground, in the shadows, Yun Zhongjun placed a heavy hand on Wu Wang’s shoulder, while the scenes above were clearly projected in Wu Wang’s mind. Yun Zhongjun said, "I’ve been busy in this place for half a month, just one step shy of completion. Soon, all we’ll need is a little patience, and the outcome will reveal itself."

"Elder brother, please act freely. No need to worry about me."

"Look," Yun Zhongjun said softly, "they can’t contain themselves any longer."

Wu Wang watched intently as the two beautiful female Innate Gods started to make their moves, entering the palaces of other Innate Gods. Before long, the situation evolved into three groups of Divine Spirits meeting separately, each discussing matters for half an hour to an hour. Afterwards, the thirteen Innate Gods each returned to their own Temples, deliberately avoiding one another, with no encounters between them. It seemed like the leading Divine Spirits of the three factions had suppressed the situation.

And then, in the middle of the night, Yun Zhongjun took a puppet from his sleeve, lightly tapped it, and one of the female Innate Gods silently collapsed. Her Divine Soul quietly shattered, with a small hole appearing on her forehead. A strong god like Yun Zhongjun, dealing with such minor Divine Spirits, indeed had an advantage with a well-prepared scheme...

Although I wanted to compliment this elder brother, I really couldn’t find the words. The gap in power was just too vast.

"This one’s Divine Power can only go to waste; it’s a necessary catalyst," Yun Zhongjun said sternly.

Wu Wang nodded and continued to observe the subsequent changes. The guards in the Temple noticed something was wrong and immediately began to shout in panic. More than ten minor Divine Spirits rushed to the site, and the Young Master also appeared, examining the state of the minor Divine Spirit that had died.

"She’s dead. The Great Dao has returned to the Divine Court, and the Divine Soul is shattered."

"Ah?" The remaining twelve minor Divine Spirits were in an uproar.

Yun Zhongjun had used some method that even the Young Master couldn’t see through; no trace of divine or Dao essence could be detected. The Young Master was about to report this incident to the Heaven Palace and take the corpse of the minor Divine Spirit back. However, behind her, those Deities from the Western Wilderness had already begun bickering. The twelve minor Divine Spirits stood in three groups, accusing each other, quickly escalating to verbal abuse. One said he had a premonition in a dream that it was surely the work of a specific god; another claimed it had nothing to do with the one who plundered Divine Power, insisting it must be due to personal vendettas, with someone taking secret action. The scene was quite chaotic.

The Young Master had not yet managed to control the situation when new evidence was discovered on the spot. These trails and clues successfully implicated the other two factions. Doubt and questioning quickly evolved into arguments and insults. The emotions of these minor Divine Spirits were abnormal, as if subconsciously certain of the perpetrator, believing it to be an act of revenge in the chaos. The Young Master mediated for a long time but could not salvage the situation with these twelve minor Divine Spirits from the Western Wilderness, who were almost branded with a ’mental stamp.’

Yun Zhongjun’s greatest advantage was that the Heaven Palace was unaware of his existence. After three days of back-and-forth, the conflicts among these dozen or so minor Divine Spirits finally erupted, coming to the brink of a physical confrontation. The Young Master was so angered that she stormed off with a flick of her sleeves. Before she left, she warned these Innate Gods. If they dared to fight amongst themselves at this time, the Heaven Palace would certainly not let them off. The Divine Spirits of the Western Wilderness were still rational and did not actually come to blows.

Once the Young Master left, the minor Divine Spirits from the three factions each shouldered their Temples and departed. Fearing the ’Ghost’ that plundered Divine Power, none dared to be alone, and the three factions stuck closely together.

Thus, another two days passed. Yun Zhongjun kept his forces still, quietly observing how the situation developed. When the Ming Snake asked him when he would take action, Yun Zhongjun only smiled without saying a word.

The Young Master must not be far away. What Yun Zhongjun is doing at this moment is engaging in a silent contest of wit with the Young Master.

Two days turned to four, and four days were many. These three factions repeatedly clashed. Though the Divine Spirits of the Western Wilderness did not enter the fray themselves, their subordinates from the Hundred Races had suffered many casualties and deaths. Unrest pervaded the Western Wilderness, as if a minor divine war was about to erupt at any moment. Thrice in one day, decrees from the Head Manager arrived from the Heaven Palace, forcefully suppressing the chaotic situation here: ’Whosoever strikes first, the Heaven Palace shall execute them.’

Since Yun Zhongjun launched a sneak attack that wiped out a minor Divine Spirit, a total of nineteen days had passed. The Young Master appeared once more, urging them not to continue opposing each other. But the rules of the Heaven Palace did not restrict Innate Gods from settling private feuds, so she could not intervene too much. After her long persuasion proved futile, the Young Master, her pretty face cold with anger, directly withdrew the stationed Divine Guards from the area. She returned directly to the Heaven Palace, no longer caring about the affairs of the Western Wilderness.

Hence, Wu Wang asked Yun Zhongjun, "Do we take action now?"

"Not yet," Yun Zhongjun said with a smile. "Don’t rush. Even another nineteen days wouldn’t matter, as the Human Emperor in the Human Domain has not yet found a breakthrough."

"Alright," Wu Wang didn’t ask further and simply sat down in the ley lines to meditate, adjusting his own Divine Power.

「Finally, on the fifty-second day after Yun Zhongjun had cast his lure.」

In the Central Mountain of the Great Wilderness, a thunderous crack shook the heavens. Suddenly, three elite armies of Cultivators surged out from the Human Domain, plunging into the heart of Central Mountain and ripping through the Heaven Palace’s defensive line. The news had not yet reached the Western Wilderness. Less than half an hour after the battle had erupted there, Yun Zhongjun let out a soft sigh.

"Wu Wang."

"Is it time to take action?" Wu Wang’s spirit was jolted.

"Hmm," Yun Zhongjun answered, pulling twelve puppets out of his sleeve. These puppets were exquisitely made, with dense, intricate symbols painted on them. Each had a Jade Talisman the size of a fingernail on its forehead. Yun Zhongjun sprinkled mist from his palm to envelop these puppets, his expression becoming somewhat solemn, and his voice resonated in Wu Wang’s mind:

"This matter greatly damages divine virtue. Today, I am doing these things not due to any other schemes or intentions, but simply because I want you to trust me. After this affair, our fates will be intertwined. If this matter is exposed, the current order of Heaven and Earth will tolerate neither you nor me. I can think of no other way to make you trust me completely. However, the path we must walk from now on requires mutual trust, so I’ve resorted to this regrettable strategy. May the Heavenly Dao rise, and may we bring an end to the suffering of all living beings, forging a new order for Heaven and Earth."

Wu Wang gazed at Yun Zhongjun’s visage, trying to peer through his guise as the Sleep God, to see his true expression at this moment.

Wu Wang repeated, "May the Heavenly Dao rise, and may we bring an end to the suffering of all living beings, forging a new order for Heaven and Earth."

Yun Zhongjun smiled calmly and raised an eyebrow at Wu Wang. Immediately after, he flicked his fingers through the mist, and a divine light began to emit from the twelve puppets. The twelve minor Divine Spirits felt a slight shift in their emotions. Already on the verge of exploding with fury, they summoned their subordinates and rushed toward the ridge.

「Half an hour later.」

Yun Zhongjun crushed those twelve puppets. A breeze swept over the ridge. All the followers of these Divine Spirits turned to blood and water, dissolving into Heaven and Earth and returning to the natural Spiritual Energy. Wu Wang donned his Black Armor, breaking through the rock layers from beneath the earth and rocketing towards the sky.

「A short while later.」

Twelve divine corpses were left behind in the area.

「Another half an hour passed.」

An Innate God discovered the abnormality here. A commotion erupted from this place, quickly sweeping through the Great Wilderness and shaking the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness to their core.