Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

"Then why shouldn't our human race fight to the death and strive for a sliver of hope?"

Looking towards the distant place where Qin Shi Huang disappeared, Fuxi sighed softly.

"Who on earth could have taught such an outstanding disciple?"

"Whose belief could inspire such a prodigy of humanity to forge ahead fearlessly?"

Outside the Fire Cloud Cave, Ying Zheng walked alone.

His long sleeves fluttered in the wind, making his back appear extremely imposing as he strode towards the most difficult intersection.

Inside the Fire Cloud Cave, the three great ancestors gazed into the distance with complex expressions, as if they saw their younger selves in Ying Zheng.

On the human side, everyone was sitting together, discussing the future and exploring how to achieve a rise to power.

In the distant Heavenly Court, however, the atmosphere was entirely different.

The sun hangs high in the sky, casting its brilliant rays.

Auspicious clouds swirled around, like gentle mist drifting in all directions.

Auspicious scenes of dragons and phoenixes can be seen everywhere, cranes cry in unison, and the magnificent Lingxiao Palace stands tall above the clouds.

The hall is adorned with carved railings and jade steps; it is the most sacred place in the Three Realms.

Countless people in the Three Realms consider it an honor to see the Lingxiao Palace with their own eyes. Even the gods in the Heavenly Court are proud to participate in the council of the Lingxiao Palace.

However, today, all the deities who came to attend the meeting looked extremely grim.

Inside the Lingxiao Palace, celestial clouds surged and crimson light bloomed.

One after another, the immortals lowered their heads, looking down at their noses and their hearts, without uttering a word.

Even Venus, who is usually very talkative, was silent at this moment, standing there, not knowing what to say.

The atmosphere inside the hall was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

In the battle of the East Sea, they dispatched 200,000 heavenly soldiers and generals, along with Yang Jian, the God of War of the Heavenly Court, and the three great star lords Po Jun, Tan Lang, and Wu Qu.

They even mobilized the four directional gods, including the Azure Dragon Mengzhang God.

Even more outrageous, they also invited the Great Emperor of the North Pole Purple Star and the Great Emperor of the Upper Palace of Gouchen, two of the Six Emperors.

But the result?

Two hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals were completely wiped out.

The three star deities were seriously injured.

Even the four gods, including Azure Dragon Mengzhang, were severely injured and it will take at least several decades to recover to their peak condition.

They thought they had been cautious enough in dealing with the mastermind behind the scenes, and had even invited two Great Luo Golden Immortals, who were the Heavenly Court's trump cards and two of the Six Emperors of the Xuanmen.

Unexpectedly, the Great Emperor of the North Pole and the Great Emperor of the Upper Palace of Gouchen, on whom they had placed high hopes, performed in an extremely absurd manner.

They're all incredibly tough when it comes to showing off, but when it really comes down to it, they're cowards and can't beat anyone.

When the many gods in Heaven finally realized what was happening, they were almost amused by the two Great Golden Immortals.

The magnificent image they had held in their hearts collapsed instantly.

It's fortunate that we can't defeat them or control them, otherwise, many gods would definitely rush over and drown them with their spittle alone.

"This time... our Heavenly Court has suffered heavy losses."

After a long while, the Jade Emperor, who was sitting above, finally spoke.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, breaking the silence.

However, there was still no response from below.

The losses were far more than just severe.
This attack on the mastermind behind the scenes was an absolute disaster.

After fighting to this extent and paying such a huge price, they still haven't even seen what the other side looks like.

Especially after they turned around and looked at a corner of the Creation Jade Disc, they were almost driven mad with anger.

Instead of increasing, their fortune plummeted by one-tenth.

Don't underestimate this one-tenth; this one sharp drop is almost as severe as the previous series of sharp declines in the fortunes of Buddhism.

They were extremely pleased to see the fortunes of the Buddhist Lingshan area decline.

But when the same thing happens to you, it's especially painful.

Who exactly is this mastermind behind it all?
That's way too terrifying.

But no matter what, this feud is now firmly established and cannot be resolved.

"What exactly happened with that heavenly tribulation?"

After a long silence, Venus finally spoke.

“Everything in this dojo is strange. Whether it’s the Dark Realm Sea, the yellow mud, the lightning-struck wood, or the giant willow tree standing in the void, none of them are normal.”

"But the most abnormal thing should be those three heavenly tribulations."

Upon hearing Venus's words, the people of Heaven finally regained their senses and began to discuss the matter.

“These three heavenly tribulations are indeed extraordinary. I wonder who they were based on. Judging from their aura at the time, they must have had an original form,” Wenqu Xingjun said with a frown.

"A heavenly tribulation that takes human form is indeed extraordinary. I thought it was already highly regarded, but I never expected it could actually fight against the Four Divine Lords..." Li Jing said with a frown.

It was fortunate that it was the Four Divine Lords who faced that humanoid heavenly tribulation. If it had been a weaker deity, it would have been destined to die and perish.

"Who exactly did these heavenly tribulations originate from? I've never seen those three figures before, but the woman wearing the ghost mask looks quite similar to the red-clad woman who stormed Mount Ling," said Venus.

"That woman in red must be a disciple of the woman with the ghost mask, right?" Wenqu Xingjun asked doubtfully. "But no matter what, the three people transformed from the heavenly tribulations must all be subordinates of the mastermind behind the scenes."

Silence fell once again in the Heavenly Court, and everyone frowned.

Are they henchmen of the mastermind behind it all?
That doesn't make sense. Where did so many powerful beings come from in the Three Realms?
If a mere humanoid lightning tribulation possesses such formidable power with just a trace of Daoist essence, how terrifying would it be if a true immortal descended?
"Hmm... do you think it's possible that these people manifesting as lightning tribulations are... all the mastermind behind it all?!"

Just then, Nezha, the boy clad in lotus armor, spoke up. He raised his head, lotus-like eyes swirling around him, "For example, are the three mysterious figures shrouded in lightning tribulations all incarnations of the mastermind behind it all?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Heavenly Court was stunned for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Are they all the embodiment of the mastermind behind the scenes?
Immediately, the thought of this possibility sent chills down the spines of everyone in Heaven.

What does it mean?
Is this really possible?
That's absolutely terrifying.

"Perhaps that really is the case."

Just then, a voice suddenly came from outside the Lingxiao Palace, and everyone hurriedly looked over.

A figure dressed in a blue robe appeared, his face slightly pale, his body somewhat unsteady, his breath unsteady, and his steps unsteady.

“These three heavenly tribulations may indeed be manifestations of the mastermind behind the scenes, his incarnations, like the technique of One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones,” the newcomer said in a deep voice.

This person was none other than Mengzhang, the Azure Dragon God, one of the Four Heavenly Lords.

After returning from the Three Realms, he rested briefly and recovered somewhat before heading directly to the Lingxiao Palace.

"Azure Dragon God, your wound..." Taibai Jinxing asked worriedly.

"It's alright. Compared to Xiaoxian's wounds, what Nezha, the Third Prince, said is perhaps the truth and more important." The Azure Dragon Mengzhang God-King's face was grim, and he lowered his voice, his tone filled with boiling anger.

Upon hearing his words, the many deities were taken aback.

"Azure Dragon Mengzhang Divine Lord, what do you mean by this? Why do you say that the three great lightning tribulations are the incarnations of the mastermind behind it all?" The Jade Emperor asked, frowning.

"Because Xiaoxian didn't sense a trace of life in that secret realm."

The Azure Dragon Mengzhang Divine Lord's eyes surged with rage. He stepped forward, and even though he was seriously injured, he still had a vast aura soaring into the sky, with the Azure Dragon circling behind him.

He took out a blue pearl, his face extremely grim.

"Since entering the secret realm, I have been using the Azure Dragon Secret Technique to search for traces of the mastermind behind it all."

"At first, we didn't find anything, and I thought we hadn't gone deep enough."

"But the further we went in, the more uneasy we felt. We waited until the very end, but there was still no sign of life in the area."

"It can be basically confirmed that this should be a dilapidated and abandoned temple. It may have been the lair of the mastermind tens of millions of years ago, but it is obviously no longer so now."

"That's why, after this place was destroyed, so many strange things evolved, turning it into a forbidden area, completely unlike a blessed land." Azure Dragon Mengzhang said, looking at all the immortals in the hall, and said decisively.

There are no living creatures?

In other words... the mastermind isn't here?

Is this not the mastermind's hideout?

Upon hearing this, all the gods in the Heavenly Court were stunned and dumbfounded.

"The Azure Dragon represents wood, and among the five elements, it is the most vibrant in terms of vitality."

"Let alone the mastermind, even the Great Emperor of the North Pole Purple Star and the Great Emperor of Gouchen Upper Palace, I can sense them. Although they are very small, they still exist."

"But here, there is no sign of life, only a deathly aura that seems to stretch like a vast ocean."

"These strange things were obviously evolved from the remnants of the Taoist magic left by the mastermind behind the scenes, such as the ominous curse of the red-haired man and the humanoid lightning tribulation."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the many gods in Heaven grew even more grim.

Especially the Jade Emperor, Li Jing, and Taibai Jinxing, whose faces were as black as the bottom of a pot.

Is it not the mastermind's hideout?

This attack on the enemy's stronghold was already a huge loss; not only did we fail to see the real enemy, but we also lost face and good fortune.

In the end, you're telling me this isn't the mastermind's territory at all?

Did we walk headlong into their trap?

The mastermind behind this is truly formidable; they were able to transform an abandoned training ground into such a terrifying forbidden area, demonstrating their extraordinary abilities.

For a long time, everyone remained silent.

A gentle breeze blew by, and an aura of anger echoed above the Lingxiao Palace.

After a long while, the Jade Emperor slowly raised his head.

"Order someone to bring up the Celestial Hound."

"Proclaim Yang Jian, the Star Lord of Greed, the Star Lord of Breaking Army, and the Star Lord of Martial Arts to the Lingxiao Palace."

"Take the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas with you."

Not long after, Yang Jian appeared in the Lingxiao Palace.

Following behind were the Four Dragon Kings, bound hand and foot.

These four Dragon Kings of the Seas were suppressed by the Star Lord Wuqu at the very beginning of the previous great war.

Meanwhile, the Martial Star Lord who suppressed them was unconscious along with two other people.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Jade Emperor." Yang Jian bowed respectfully.

The Jade Emperor ignored Yang Jian and slowly lowered his head to look at the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.

"You sinful demons, do you know your sins?"

"A demonic sinner?"

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King of the West Sea burst into laughter. Although he was bound to the ground, he still raised his head and spat forcefully at the Jade Emperor.

"Hahahaha, I spit on you!"

"Go to hell, you damned demons! You bunch of spineless, despicable bastards, you've finally met your match?"

‘Poof! ’

The two heavenly soldiers raised their eyebrows, shouted angrily, and their long tridents flashed with light as they pierced through the shoulder blade of the West Sea Dragon King.

"You beast, cease your nonsense!"

"Kneel down immediately before His Majesty the Jade Emperor!"

"How dare you be so rude!"

With that, they forcefully pinned the Dragon King of the West Sea to the ground.

The golden fork glowed and shimmered, continuously scorching the body of the West Sea Dragon King, yet it produced not a drop of blood or any unpleasant odor.

The pain was excruciating, but the Dragon King of the West Sea still refused to admit defeat. He grinned maliciously, raised his neck, looked at the Jade Emperor, and laughed loudly.

"Dig!"

"Go ahead and keep digging up my family's ancestral graves!"

"Why don't you continue?"

"A bunch of spineless cowards!"

The West Sea Dragon King cursed loudly, and the other three Dragon Kings, knowing that they were probably doomed, stopped trying to hide their anger and started cursing back.

Especially the previously most cowardly East Sea Dragon King, whose little mouth was as sweet as honey, spewing a torrent of words.

"Two hundred thousand soldiers, tsk tsk tsk, just like that, gone. Doesn't it hurt? Your ashes have been scattered!"

"What a load of rubbish, the Great Emperor of the North Pole Purple Star! What a load of rubbish, the Great Emperor of the Gouchen Upper Palace!"

"Why did you just run away? Couldn't you have used a little more force!"

"Hahahaha!"

"No way, you Heavenly Court!"

In the Heavenly Court, which of the many immortals has not been immortal for ten thousand years? When have they ever heard such vulgar words?

Moreover, this place is the Lingxiao Palace, a sacred site of the Xuanmen (mysterious sect) of the Three Realms.

When did people dare to swear loudly here?

Many celestial beings originally wanted to ask them if they were colluding with the mastermind behind the scenes.

Upon seeing this, he narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with anger.

These beasts truly deserve to die.

Just as the many gods were about to lose their temper, the Jade Emperor, who sat high in the sky, finally decided to hold back and slowly asked, wanting to get some information out of them.

“Ao Guang”.

"Why was the mastermind's old dojo built on top of your dragon clan's ancestral hall? Are you colluding with the mastermind?"

"Tell the truth."

"Perhaps I can spare your lives."

But before the Jade Emperor could finish speaking, Ao Guang below suddenly started cursing.

"Go to hell with the mastermind behind this!"

"Want me to give you a dirty trick?"

"I'll smash all your eggs away!"

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor, who was sitting on the throne, almost choked with anger.

He took a deep breath and spoke in a cold voice.

"Announce my will!"

"The Four Dragon Kings have colluded with the rebels, plotted a rebellion, and are enemies of the Heavenly Court!"

"On the East Sea, they murdered two hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals!"

"According to the laws of Heaven, he should be executed!"

The Jade Emperor spoke, and thunderous sounds shook the four directions.

"The Four Dragon Kings and the Celestial Hound will be beheaded and their heads displayed to the public outside the South Gate of Heaven the following day!"

"To punish all chaos!"

Upon hearing this, all the immortals in the Lingxiao Palace nodded in agreement.

Only Yang Jian, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed in bewilderment. (End of Chapter)