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Chapter 1042: Chapter 1042: The Collective

The only ones who remained standing were a select few: Zhong Shan, Tathagata, Ying, the Jade Emperor, Taishang, Zhunti, Jieyin, and Sa. These individuals were able to stand because they each possessed a Heaven and Earth Altar.

A bitter expression appeared on the faces of Taishang, Zhunti, and Jieyin.

The vast heavenly vein that had appeared earlier also vanished, becoming one of the three thousand Heavenly Daos.

On the ground below, a broken and battered youth lay sprawled out, his body shattered and covered in cracks, much like Kong Xuan from before. Yet, a sliver of life still lingered within him, keeping him from death.

Everyone\'s eyes were fixed on the fissure in the sky—the heavenly retribution. Was this truly the heavenly retribution?

Zhong Shan focused intently on it, sensing that he had grasped something significant. His eyes gradually narrowed.

"Rumble..."

The fissure slowly widened, and everyone on the ground gazed up at it. As the fissure opened further, it revealed the scene within.

The moment Zhong Shan glimpsed inside, he instinctively lowered his head. It was as if a tremendous pressure prevented him from daring to look directly, but in that brief moment, he had seen it.

Zhong Shan had seen an eye!

It resembled the Eye of Heavenly Retribution.

However, this eye was black and white, with a white sclera and a black pupil. At first glance, it appeared no different from an ordinary human eye, but within the black pupil lay an aura of the future.

It was as if this eye could traverse both past and future.

Was it similar to the Eye of Heavenly Retribution? Could this be the Eye of Heaven\'s Will?

Zhong Shan felt his own Eye of Heavenly Retribution within his divine realm, now tightly shut, trembling slightly.

The earlier blood rain had left large pools of blood on the ground, and Zhong Shan, not daring to raise his head, could only observe the sky through the reflection.

That eye radiated a suffocating presence, as though a single glance from it could destroy heaven and earth.

"Buzz..."

The three thousand Heavenly Daos suddenly began to tremble, and a faint glimmer of light flickered within the Eye of Heaven\'s Will.

Simultaneously, beams of light shot out from both the three thousand Heavenly Daos and the Eye of Heaven\'s Will, striking the fallen youth on the ground—Mitiān, who had descended into the mortal realm.

Bathed in the endless light, Mitiān was enveloped by a radiant sphere, from which a powerful aura emanated. His body slowly began to rise, and beneath him, the Heaven and Earth Altar that had previously exploded began to gradually restore itself!

"Ha! Haha! Hahaha...!" Mitiān\'s laughter echoed through the heavens.

Beyond the four great continents, beams of divine light and countless visions of divine beasts shot into the sky, signifying a great resurgence in the world. Someone had ascended to the Sage Position! Combined with the earlier blood rain that had yet to cease, the outside world was engulfed in a maelstrom of celestial phenomena.

In the underworld, within the territory of the Wheel Domain.

Yinhou Zhong Shan, accompanied by his ministers, stepped out of the grand hall to observe the spectacle unfolding in the heavens.

"Holy King, what is happening?" Yi Yan asked in confusion.

Zhong Shan raised his hand, signaling Yi Yan to stop speaking, as he gazed at the heavens, his emotions surging within him.

In Lujiang, countless Confucian scholars stared blankly at the sky, lost in confusion.

At the Confucian Temple of Scholars, Sekong, whose grotesque worm-like head had returned to its normal appearance, casually stepped out of the grand hall. Glancing at the sky, a subtle expression flickered across his face.

"This place is no longer safe," Sekong muttered to himself before striding away.

Beneath the Eye of Heaven\'s Will, Mitiān laughed heartily. Just moments ago, he had been prepared to gamble everything, facing potential mutual destruction. Yet, luck had favored him—Ying and the Jade Emperor had only spoken of attacking, while Taishang, Zhunti, and Jieyin had actually made their moves.

In the final gamble, Mitiān had emerged victorious.

Having fallen from the Sage rank to the mortal realm, Mitiān had, in a blink, been restored by the Heavenly Will, regaining his Sage status. Not only that, but all his injuries were healed in an instant.

To be reinstated as a Sage—how could Mitiān not be ecstatic?

The stoic demeanor of a Sage typically arises from the lack of anything capable of stirring deep emotions. But now, something had.

Mitiān Sage was now brimming with arrogance!

Under the very gaze of the Eye of Heaven\'s Will, he extended his hand toward the Jade Emperor.

"Mitiān!" the Jade Emperor roared.

The Jade Emperor\'s entire body radiated with white light as if he were about to merge with his Dao. Yet, at that very moment, beneath the Eye of Heaven\'s Will, the Jade Emperor\'s Dao refused to manifest.

It was as though the Eye of Heaven\'s Will was permitting Mitiān Sage\'s actions or perhaps even rewarding him.

"Boom!"

With no resistance, the Jade Emperor was struck down by Mitiān Sage, who then reached out and collected the body.

The gathering of ghosts and demons was now complete!

As Mitiān Sage laughed wildly, he glanced at the others. Weren\'t they the ones who had just enjoyed attacking him?

Mitiān Sage dared not act recklessly toward Taishang, Zhunti, and Jieyin, as they were favored by the Eye of Heaven\'s Will. That left only Ying!

Ying, having returned to his human form, stood firmly atop his Heaven and Earth Altar.

Mitiān Sage eyed Ying, a flash of murderous intent in his gaze, but just as he prepared to strike, he caught Ying\'s fierce gaze.

Ying\'s eyes were terrifyingly sharp. Even Mitiān Sage felt a pang of fear at the sight.

Recalling Ying\'s earlier display of ferocity, Mitiān Sage hesitated, his foot faltering—he dared not take the step forward!

Ying\'s ferocity was simply too overwhelming!

Having dealt with the Jade Emperor, Mitiān Sage stood tall once more and respectfully bowed to the Eye of Heaven\'s Will.

This confirmed what Hongjun had once said: Mitiān had no depth, was a mere lapdog of the Heavenly Will, and was utterly useless in any meaningful capacity.

Yet, even such a person was a Sage—a Sage favored by the Heavenly Will.

Taishang, Zhunti, and Jieyin exchanged glances, their expressions filled with disdain as they looked at Mitiān Sage. Finally, they all turned their gazes to the Eye of Heaven\'s Will.

Suddenly, a massive pagoda appeared in Taishang\'s hand, a multicolored tree in Zhunti\'s hand, and a nine-tiered golden lotus in Jieyin\'s hand.

The three of them raised their treasures, and three massive beams of light shot toward the Eye of Heaven\'s Will.

As they tore through space, the beams surged aggressively toward the Eye of Heaven\'s Will.

"Buzz!"

The space around the three beams of light suddenly froze as they approached the Eye of Heaven\'s Will. In an instant, the beams were halted in mid-air. Then, the Eye of Heaven\'s Will shot out three beams of white light straight downward.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

The three mighty treasures were shattered into pieces, their fragments scattering in all directions. But the white light did not stop; it surged into the bodies of the three ancient Sages.

"Crack!"

The sound was like the shattering of crystal. The three ancient Sages stood frozen, unmoving.

The Eye of Heaven\'s Will glared down once more, and the sky unleashed a barrage of divine retribution. Countless bolts of lightning rained down from the heavens, reducing mountains, buildings, and countless beings to dust.

This was not limited to the four great continents but extended across the entire world, including the entire underworld. The Wheel Domain, the Fengzhong Domain—everywhere was engulfed in a storm of violent lightning. It was a dire warning from the Eye of Heaven\'s Will to the entire world!

"Rumble..."

The supreme power of the Eye of Heaven\'s Will slowly receded as the eye began to close. The yellow clouds dispersed, and the three thousand Heavenly Daos gradually faded away.

All around, the world slowly returned to normal.

Mitiān glanced at Taishang, Zhunti, and Jieyin, considering for a moment before deciding not to confront them further. Instead, he scanned the surroundings and eventually spotted Zhong Shan.

After all, aside from Tathagata, Zhong Shan was the only one still standing.

Mitiān Sage was slightly surprised and felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had seen Zhong Shan several times before but had always overlooked him. Who was this person?

As Mitiān Sage pondered, Ying, Taishang, Zhunti, and Jieyin all turned their gazes toward him.

With a cold snort, Mitiān Sage flicked his sleeve and vanished from sight.

The people began to slowly rise to their feet, each drenched in sweat and filled with terror.

Kong Xuan was the first to stand, his expression unchanging. He then looked toward the three ancient Sages, a trace of regret flickering in his eyes.

Zhong Shan\'s subordinates, along with Hao Meili, also stood up.

"That was terrifying!" Hao Meili said, her heart still racing with fear.

Luo Xingchen and the others remained silent, the weight of the experience leaving them speechless.

In the distance, Ying looked in Zhong Shan\'s direction—or rather, directly at Zhong Shan—his expression filled with hesitation.

"Whoosh!"

Jieyin suddenly appeared in front of Zhong Shan.

"We\'re leaving!" Jieyin said, sweeping his large sleeve and instantly taking Zhong Shan and his group away.

Ying watched as Zhong Shan departed, his expression growing more complex before he resolutely looked around at the four directions.

As Jieyin led Zhong Shan\'s group away, in a distant corner, Tathagata\'s expression also grew complicated.

A flash of golden light appeared as Jinpeng suddenly arrived from somewhere.

"Zhong Shan left with Jieyin?" Jinpeng asked Kong Xuan.

"Yes," Kong Xuan nodded.

"So, you\'re not going to stop me now?" Jinpeng asked in a deep voice.

"No," Kong Xuan shook his head.

"Good. Jieyin\'s fate is already broken, his end is near. Let\'s see where they try to run this time! Hmph!" Jinpeng snorted coldly before transforming into a stream of light and disappearing.

As Jinpeng vanished, Kong Xuan frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then also disappeared from sight.

In the distance, Zhunti glanced at Sun Shen, a hint of sadness in his eyes, before appearing in front of him.

"Come with me," Zhunti said.

"Yes," Sun Shen nodded.

Taishang looked around, his expression difficult to describe, before also disappearing from the scene.

The three ancient Sages were doomed, their fates shattered. In the end, it had all been orchestrated by Ying and the Jade Emperor. Yet none of the three seemed to blame Ying; they each departed in their own way.

"Whoosh!"

In the distance, a group of Great Qin soldiers suddenly flew out.

"Congratulations to the Holy King—no, congratulations to the Heavenly Emperor!" Bai Qi, at the forefront, exclaimed in congratulations.

"Return to Great Qin and prepare the army to invade Lujiang!" Ying commanded.

"By your command!" The generals shouted excitedly in response.

With that, Ying and the Great Qin generals disappeared from sight.

In a distant valley, four figures stood together.

The former Heavenly Court\'s Gouchen Emperor, Zhenwu Emperor, Ziwei Emperor, and the God of Plague.

The four had witnessed the entire event from start to finish. Finally, they exchanged nods before dispersing, each going their separate ways.

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