The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Chapter 118 The Battle for Palace Mastership

The Heavenly Realm, the Temple of Time at the border of Jambudvipa and Aparagodaniya.

The ancient temple, which had floated above the river of time, was no longer as vast and sacred as it once was. The divine runes across the entire territory of the Temple of Time were dim, and the Daoist aura was sparse. The Daoist aura of time, which had flowed continuously for billions of years, was now so thin that it was almost exhausted.

As the oldest core forbidden area of ​​the Temple of Time, Yuanhui Palace contains the accumulated wisdom of the Temple of Time over countless years. Since ancient times, it has been a sacred place for the Temple to comprehend the Great Dao and accumulate its foundation. But at this moment, the space-time within the palace is disordered, the traces of time are mottled and incomplete, and the fragmented traces of time are scattered and drifting away, no longer possessing any of the majestic atmosphere of a sacred place.

Mingde stood in the center of Yuanhui Palace, his eyes deep, probing the remaining mysteries of the Dao of Time in this place. A cold disdain and impatience flashed between his brows as he slowly shook his head.

"That old scoundrel Murong Huan is truly the Heavenly Court's number one sycophant, a feat unseen for millennia!"

As one of the nine ancient temples, the Temple of Time possesses the most advanced inheritance of the Dao of Time in all the heavens. Its foundation is vast and ancient. Under normal circumstances, the profound mysteries of time remaining in the Temple of Time should be at least 30%, enough to nourish countless geniuses and support the operation of the Temple of Time.

But now, less than one-tenth of the time-related mysteries of the entire Yuanhui Palace remain!

Without needing to investigate or deduce, Mingde had already seen through everything.

It must be that during the endless years that Murong Huan ruled the Temple of Time, in order to curry favor with the Seventy-Two Lotus and please the goddess in his heart, he continuously extracted the mysteries of time from the Temple of Time and sent them out in order to flatter and win her favor.

The profound heritage of the ancient temple was squandered by him, handed over to others so easily. It is both pathetic and laughable.

Of the four ancient temples, the Temple of Time is the weakest.

The Temple of Light, the Temple of Space, and the Temple of Merit each possess several powerful figures. Only the Temple of Time, constantly suppressed by various forces, finds itself in the most precarious situation, with only two members.

The root cause is the decline in talent and the lack of fundamental strength.

The former Palace Master, Murong Huan, had reached the second level of the peak of the Great Freedom Limitless Realm, but was stuck at a bottleneck and unable to make any further progress. In this vast Ancient Divine Palace, besides him, there was only one other expert whose cultivation had reached the Limitless Realm.

Even this only second Boundless One was caught in the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation set up by the Demon Body in the recent Great Battle of the Boundless Divine Sea. He was slaughtered by endless killing sword energy, his soul and spirit were destroyed, and he perished completely.

Today, this once magnificent Temple of Time, which has been passed down for thousands of years, is now completely depleted of its high-level combat power, with only a few elders at the peak of the Great God realm supporting its facade. Its foundation is barren, and its power is waning, making it arguably the most desolate of the four great temples.

Mingde slowly stepped out of the desolate Yuanhui Palace, passed through layers of dilapidated temple corridors, and entered the magnificent yet quiet main hall of the Time Temple.

Inside the hall, divine pillars stood tall, their ancient divine patterns mottled. The grand scene of gods gathering and the lingering sounds of Taoist chants was no more. Only a few elders remained, bowing and standing, their breaths restrained and their expressions uneasy.

In this earth-shattering battle in the Boundless Divine Sea, the elite forces of the Temple of Time were all deployed and perished. The high-ranking members of the Boundless Realm were wiped out, and the vast temple was almost defunct.

Mingde's gaze swept over the few remaining pillars of the temple. His expression was calm, and his tone was deep and steady, with the composure of someone in charge of the situation. He spoke earnestly: "Elders, Temple Master Murong sacrificed himself for his cause, dying on the battlefield of the Wuding Divine Sea. All the temple's elites who followed him perished. Our Time Temple has suffered the most devastating blow in ten eras. Everything is in ruins, and our foundation is in jeopardy."

"In times of great upheaval, the temple cannot be without a master, and the lineage cannot be severed. Today, I take over the Temple of Time, and I hope that you will all work together to assist me in rebuilding the temple's foundation, revitalizing the temple, and restoring the Temple of Time to its former glory among the heavens!"

His voice was powerful and resonant, and when it reached the ears of the elders, it was like a calming sermon.

The Second Elder, Pangu Tushan, bowed first, his expression respectful and sincere, and exclaimed from the bottom of his heart: "What Lord Mingde said is absolutely right!"

"With the fall of Lord Murong, the temple is leaderless and in a precarious situation. Fortunately, Lord Mingde has stepped forward to take charge of the temple. We firmly believe that with his abilities, he will surely lead the temple to sweep away its decline and create an everlasting glory, even more prosperous than in the past ten thousand years!"

This Pangu Tushan comes from the Pangu Clan, a top-tier clan in the universe, with extraordinary background and outstanding talent.

However, he had been a disciple of the Temple of Time since childhood, and had dedicated his entire life to the Temple of Time, spending several eons of time there. His sense of belonging and loyalty to the Temple of Time far exceeded that of the Pangu Realm he was born in.

His cultivation has reached the level of the Great God of Mind Stillness, and he has broken through the Three Stages of the Great Void. He is only one step away from the Boundless Realm. He is the strongest and most experienced leader of the Temple of Time, apart from Mingde.

Pangu Tushan was filled with emotion.

For the past ten cycles, the Temple of Time has been living in constraints and suppression, unable to spread its wings and flourish.

In these ten epochs, the Hell Realm had the Heavenly God Xiu Chen, who possessed the talent to wield the power of time and roamed freely throughout the heavens. On the Heavenly Court's side, there was an even more powerful figure like the Holy Monk Sumeru, who cultivated both time and space, suppressing the Temple of Time and the Temple of Space for a full ten epochs.

Two extraordinary geniuses dominated the world, monopolizing the destiny of the Great Dao of Time. The Temple of Time was suppressed by them, and its lineage gradually declined, developing at an extremely slow pace.

Ten eons of time, and an enormous ancient temple, have nurtured only one immeasurable powerhouse.

Now, this one and only immeasurable being has been completely buried on the battlefield.

Until 50,000 years ago, when the Venerable Monk Sumeru passed away and the God of Time Xiuchen suffered severe damage in the great war and went into hibernation to recuperate, the Temple of Time finally broke free of its shackles and began to recover.

However, its foundation was weak and its resources were depleted. Having missed the opportunity to return to its former glory, it was already too late to recover from its accumulated problems.

But now, all the difficulties have been overcome!

Mingde possesses the most powerful and flawless spiritual energy, making him one of the top experts in the entire universe, with a vast foundation and extraordinary vision.

In the eyes of the few surviving elders, this was a godsend and an unparalleled opportunity!

As long as they cling to the towering tree of Mingde, the Temple of Time will surely usher in a new golden age. The status, power, and cultivation resources of these old ministers of the temple will naturally rise accordingly, bringing them immeasurable benefits.

The other senior elders bowed in agreement, their expressions joyful and their words earnest, none of them objecting.

After the battle at the Boundless Divine Sea, all the gods of Murong Huan's faction in the Temple of Time had been wiped out. Those who remained were all senior and settled individuals.

In this way, Mingde completely controlled all the remaining forces of the Temple of Time without bloodshed or effort.

The Heavenly Court is located in the Western Continent of Niuhe, at Mount Buzhou.

This place is the ancestral divine domain of the Space Temple, standing on the backbone of heaven and earth, spanning the void for countless ages, suppressing the spatial order of all heavens. Towering mountains, layered void, and endless spatial Dao patterns intertwine to form a vast divine array, covering hundreds of millions of miles of territory.

After several days of friendly sparring and suppression of combat power, True Universe Celestial Venerable has completely subdued the gods of the Space Temple.

Previously, undercurrents were swirling within the Space Temple. Several powerful figures within harbored ambitions and wanted to seize control of the temple while the temple master had fallen and the temple was without a master. Among them, the Heavenly Edge God Venerable was the most ambitious.

Tianya Shenzun is a veteran of the Space Temple, deeply rooted in the Space Dao lineage for several eons. He has extensive experience and high prestige within the temple. He has always harbored ambitions to replace Tianya Shenzun and ascend to the position of temple master.

Initially, relying on his seniority as a respected elder, he secretly colluded with some deities, attempting to oppose Zhenyu and refusing to submit.

Ke Zhenyu's methods were swift, decisive, and efficient!

With a single thought, he unleashed supreme divine power, piercing through the eternal void. With a single strike, he directly shattered the defensive divine array presided over by the Celestial God, crushing all his hopes and ambitions.

After this battle, the Celestial God was greatly weakened and lost all confidence. He completely gave up and had no more desire to compete. He obediently submitted and surrendered.

From that moment on, no one in the entire Space Temple dared to defy the will of the True Universe.

Zhenyu stands alone atop the Yuxu Ruins, at the core of the void of the heavens. His vast and boundless divine soul power spreads out, like an abyss or a prison, permeating every inch of space in the Yuxu Ruins, searching through the underground depths, the void crevices, and the depths of the ruins.

His divine soul was vast and profound, penetrating through layers of spatial illusions and traversing countless ancient spatial secrets. Suddenly, his gaze paused, and a burst of intense joy erupted in his eyes!

"Found it!"

With a swift movement, Zhenyu traversed the endless void, passing through layers of spatial barriers, and arrived in a hidden cliff deep within the Yuxu Ruins.

This place is rarely visited by humans, isolated from the perception of the heavens. The cliffs are ancient and thick, overgrown with vines. Countless ancient sacred herbs and spiritual vines cling to it, and spiritual mist swirls around it, creating a vibrant and abundant atmosphere. Wisps of medicinal fragrance permeate the void.

Amidst the lush greenery, several saplings, their bodies shimmering with a purplish glow, quietly take root in the cliffside soil. Their veins exude a Daoist charm, naturally possessing an aura of supreme nobility.

It is a rare and precious treasure of all heavens, a seedling of the Purple Heart Celestial Venerable Orchid!

Zhenyu laughed loudly, his heart surging with boundless joy: "Fortunately, Yu Jingzhen didn't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. With these few Celestial Orchids, the Celestial Realm is not far away."

The Purple Heart Celestial Orchid is a supreme divine medicine of the Celestial Venerable level, extremely rare even after millions of years. A mature Celestial Venerable Orchid is beneficial even to those at the Celestial Venerable level or even half-ancestor level.

He dared not delay and immediately set up a divine array to isolate himself from the prying eyes and perceptions of the powerful outsiders.

He successively took out several treasures of the Five Elements Origin, and continuously poured the power of the Five Elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—into the medicinal soil to nourish the spiritual root and the seedlings. Then he summoned the Universe Cauldron, and enveloped the entire ruined cliff with the supreme Daoist aura of space. The cauldron's light descended, cleansing the seedlings' origin and accelerating the maturation of the Heavenly Dao.

Nourished by the ultimate spatial origin of Yu Ding and nurtured by the ultimate treasures of the Five Elements, the growth rate of the Purple Heart Celestial Orchid increased a thousandfold. The divine medicine that originally took tens of thousands of years to mature was forcibly compressed into a few decades.

Zhenyu's eyes were resolute, and he had already calculated clearly in his mind, "Within a hundred years, this batch of Purple Heart Celestial Orchids will definitely be fully mature."

Zhenyu was filled with excitement. He knew that by gathering divine herbs, refining elixirs, and crafting several batches of Heavenly Venerable Pills, he could enable his four avatars to break through their limitations one after another, advancing triumphantly to the Heavenly Venerable realm. Once his avatars were perfected and their foundations surged, the path for his main body to break through to the Ancestral Realm would be completely paved, with no further obstacles.

"Once the main body breaks through to the progenitor level, there will be no need to hide like this anymore," Zhenyu thought, his mind calming down as he looked in the direction of the Kunlun Realm.

Merit Star by the Milky Way, Temple of Merit.

As the most complex, faction-rich, and power-intertwined ancient temple in the Heavenly Court, this place brings together powerful forces from all the myriad races of the heavens, the major world-ruling nations, and the top ancient civilizations. The factions are deeply intertwined, and the interests are entangled, making it far more complicated and dangerous than the temples of time and space.

The main hall of the temple was magnificent and vast, with golden radiance of merit descending from the heavens, and countless golden Dao patterns flowing endlessly, with boundless fortune enveloping the entire starry sky.

Xuan Dao sat upright in the main seat, draped in white Buddhist robes, his face kind and compassionate, bathed in Buddhist light, exuding a transcendent and sacred aura unique to Buddhist practitioners, calmly chatting and exchanging greetings with the gods and spirits in the hall.

The atmosphere inside the hall appeared peaceful, but in reality, undercurrents were surging and murderous intent was lurking.

Several imposing and vast divine figures stood at various points in the hall, their auras powerful and cold, subtly confronting the Buddhist might of the Xuandao sect, neither yielding to the other.

Because the master of the Temple of Merit and Virtue perished in the Boundless Divine Sea, leaving his high position suspended in mid-air, this ancient temple, which held immense power and endless resources and controlled the merit and fortune of all heavens, instantly became a coveted prize for various forces in the Heavenly Court.

The major world rulers and top-tier realms have all made their moves, unleashing their strongest forces to vie for the position of Palace Master, thus igniting a silent power struggle across the heavens.

Xuandao is the most popular choice this time.

In the battle of the Boundless Divine Sea, his combat power erupted, suppressing the Lord of the Death God's Palace in the Underworld with supreme Buddhist power. That was a peak expert of the Great Freedom and Boundless Realm. Therefore, Xuandao made an unparalleled contribution and his prestige shook the Heavenly Court.

With such illustrious military achievements and top-notch combat power, he is more than capable of crushing his peers and dominating all others, making him the undisputed first choice to succeed her.

But would the major powers of the heavens easily relinquish such great power?

The four top experts stepped forward in response, each backed by a top power, vying for the position of Palace Master of the Temple of Merit.

Firstly, the Heavenly Realm faction, led by the second disciple of the Shang Ancestor, Qingcheng Yun, who is at the peak of Great Freedom and Limitlessness, is backed by the Western Universe's ruler of the Heavenly Realm, making him extremely powerful.

Secondly, the Pangu family of the Pangu Realm, including Pangu Yuancang, also possessed the peak cultivation of the Great Freedom Limitless Realm. The Pangu Realm had a profound foundation, and the Pangu family was the number one power in the Pangu Realm.

Thirdly, the Xuanyuan family of the Myriad Ruins Realm, led by Xuanyuan Daojie, possesses extraordinary foundations and is backed by the Xuanyuan Ancestor.

Fourthly, the overlord of the Demon God Realm, the Golden-Winged Roc Emperor, has a cultivation level of the Great Freedom and Limitless Mid-stage. He is the lord of the Roc Clan, one of the ten major demon clans in the Southern Universe, and behind him is the Demon God Realm Ruler, Ancestor Chongming.

The four powerful figures, each with their own backing and resources, stood in a stalemate, holding the situation in check and preventing Xuandao from seizing the opportunity to ascend to the top.

Ultimately, the root cause is that the Western Buddhist realm, which originated from the Xuandao (Taoist) tradition, is too Buddhist.

The Buddhist realm of the Western Paradise possesses a vast and unfathomable foundation, yet it has always remained detached from worldly affairs and rarely interferes in the power struggles of the Heavenly Court or the games of the secular world. This time, the struggle for the Palace Master is no exception; the Buddhist elder, Brahma, remains silent and observes, without explicitly taking sides in support of the Xuandao sect.

Without the pressure from Buddhism to maintain order, the other world rulers would not have willingly yielded and allowed the Xuandao sect to control this immensely powerful Temple of Merit.

Inside the main hall, countless deities who originally belonged to the local faction of the Temple of Merit and Virtue, under the leadership of the Ancient Buddha of Universal Salvation, all sided with the Xuandao sect.

A host of deities spoke up in support, their voices resounding powerfully:

"In my opinion, the Deputy Hall Master of the Xuandao Temple possesses unparalleled military achievements, single-handedly suppressing the Hall Master of the Death God Temple. Such power is rarely seen throughout history. The position of Hall Master of the Merit Temple is undoubtedly rightfully his!"

"Since ancient times, it has been an ironclad rule of the temple that when the temple master falls, the deputy temple master succeeds him in order of succession. Why bother arguing about it?"

"The Vice Hall Master of the Profound Path possesses overwhelming combat power, capable of suppressing even the Death God Hall Master at the peak of the Great Freedom and Boundless Realm. I ask you, among those present, who possesses such ability? Who can command the respect of the masses?"

A chorus of voices of support resounded throughout the hall, layer upon layer, creating a powerful and imposing atmosphere.

Xuan Dao sat upright in a high position, his Buddha eyes slightly raised, and seven-colored Buddha light radiated outwards for hundreds of millions of feet, sacred and majestic, vast and boundless, just like the Buddha in the world, looking down on all living beings.

His gaze swept lightly over Qingcheng Yun, Pangu Yuancang, Xuanyuan Daojie, and the Golden-Winged Roc Emperor. Without saying a word, he exuded supreme pressure, silently proclaiming: In terms of combat power and achievements, you are all no match for him!

The four of them were simultaneously jolted, their expressions turning solemn.

Everyone knows that Xuan Dao has only been at the Great Freedom and Boundless Realm for a short time, but the divine power and foundation he is showing at this moment are in no way inferior to the peak Great Freedom and Boundless Realm experts who have been cultivating for several eons. It is extremely terrifying!

The four men felt even more apprehensive.

Just as the atmosphere in the room became tense and the crowd fell silent, a haughty laugh suddenly broke the silence.

The Golden-Winged Roc King's wings fluttered slightly, a whirlwind of demonic energy swirling around him. Arrogant and unfazed by the overwhelming pressure, he openly challenged the assembled forces:

"I have never heard of any rule regarding the succession of the deputy temple master position in the Temple of Merit! It is utter nonsense. Why should the temple master's position be determined solely by a single battle achievement?"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent.

A faint look of surprise flashed across Xuan Dao's eyes.

The other three peak experts remained calm and observed the situation, but this Great Roc Emperor, whose cultivation was only at the mid-stage of the Great Freedom and Boundless Realm, took the lead in challenging and clashing with them. He was truly audacious and overconfident.

Xuan Dao's gaze narrowed slightly as he calmly looked at the other party. With just a glance, the invisible Buddhist and Taoist will crushed everything in its path.

In the perception of the Golden-Winged Roc King, the world underwent a dramatic change!

A colossal Buddha, hundreds of millions of feet tall, appeared out of thin air, stretching across the sky. Its seven-colored Buddha light enveloped the heavens, and its supreme Buddha-path suppressed all ages. The Buddha himself was like an ant or a bird, imprisoned in the Buddha's palm, insignificant, humble, and utterly vulnerable.

The ultimate mental shock crashed into his soul, causing his Dao heart to tremble violently and teeter on the brink of collapse!

The Golden-Winged Roc King's body stiffened, and his soul trembled. He instantly realized that he had fallen into the invisible suppression of the Xuan Dao. The other party had shaken his mind with just one glance!

He was both shocked and frightened, and all his arrogance vanished. He stammered and tried to maintain his composure by saying, "I... my Demon God Realm has been stationed on the Battlefield of Merit for many years, contributing countless manpower and resources, and has made outstanding contributions! My Demon God Realm is naturally qualified to compete for the position of Palace Master!"

Upon hearing this, many powerful figures in the hall revealed mocking smiles.

Qingcheng Yun showed no mercy, scoffing and uttering a scathing remark: "Peng Huang is joking."

"In terms of dedication to the Temple of Merit, no one in the entire heavens can match my Heavenly Realm. If we were to rank people by merit, the position of Temple Master should rightfully belong to my Heavenly Realm!"

"Moreover, I remember it clearly. Back when Haotian entered the Heavenly Palace, opened the Battlefield of Merit, and restored order to the heavens, your Demon God Realm's Ancestor Chongming led the resistance, outwardly complying but inwardly defying, obstructing in every way, and never cooperating with the Heavenly Court's decrees!"

"They used to shirk responsibility and stand idly by, but now they're vying for power and profit. The demon god realm certainly has a thick skin!"

Every word and phrase hits the nail on the head.

The Golden-Winged Roc Emperor's face instantly turned bright red, embarrassed and speechless. It was a well-known fact throughout the heavens that the Demon God Realm had been at odds with the Heavenly Palace and had resisted the Jade Emperor's decree, and there was no way to refute it.

Beside him, Pangu Yuancang remained calm, having already weighed the pros and cons and made up his mind.

At first, he thought that Xuan Dao's suppression of the Lord of the Death God Temple was a fluke, and he was eager to compete and test his skills. However, after personally experiencing the terrifying Buddhist power that crushed his peers, he completely gave up all thoughts of competition.

The Pangu Realm and the Western Buddhist Realm have always been on good terms and have a long history. Rather than fighting to the death and making enemies, it would be better to go with the flow, do Xuandao a great favor, and solidify the friendship between the two factions.

With his mind made up, Pangu Yuancang stepped forward and spoke frankly: "The Vice Hall Master of Xuandao possesses unparalleled combat prowess and numerous military achievements. We are all ashamed to admit our inferiority."

"The position of Temple Master of the Temple of Merit is undoubtedly rightfully held by Deputy Temple Master Xuandao. I voluntarily step down and wholeheartedly support Deputy Temple Master Xuandao in taking over!"

Pangu and Yuancang announced their withdrawal, and the situation instantly and completely shifted.

The previously stalemate was instantly shattered, and the tide turned completely in favor of the Xuandao faction.

The last remaining Xuanyuan Daojie was also clear-headed and saw things clearly.

He had no intention of vying for the position of Palace Master. His presence here was merely to comply with the orders of Emperor Xuanyuan and deal with the situation.

Now that the Heavenly Court and Heavenly Palace are under the control of Haotian, the Xuanyuan family has become incredibly powerful and influential, attracting the attention and joint efforts of various forces across the heavens.

If the Xuanyuan family were to forcibly seize control of the Temple of Merit, they would inevitably make countless enemies and become the target of public criticism.

Compared to the ambitious Heavenly Realm and the profound Pangu Realm, the Western Buddhist Realm, which is aloof from the world and does not compete or fight, is the most suitable for taking charge of the Temple of Merit, which is most beneficial to the Xuanyuan family and the overall situation of the Heavenly Palace.

After weighing the pros and cons, Xuanyuan Daojie calmly lowered his eyes, acquiescing to the general trend and no longer showing any intention of competing. He also agreed that Xuandao should succeed as the Palace Master.

Upon hearing this, Qingcheng Yun still smiled and congratulated Xuandao, but he was furious inside. He knew that Pangu and Yuancang were intentionally supporting Xuandao to fight against the Western Buddhist Realm and the Heavenly Realm behind him, but he was helpless.

Thus, the question of who would become the master of the Temple of Merit was settled, and the Heavenly Court had completed the replacement of the masters of several major temples in just a few days.