The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Chapter 84 The Lord of the Second Palace 3

The Palace of Ferocity is located at the heart of the Temple of Destiny, its territory forming a vast world unto itself. The entire palace is constructed from ancient, ferocious bones; the pillars, beams, throne, and even the floor tiles are all refined and pieced together from the bones of true gods. A dense aura of death and malevolence permeates the air, and amidst the flowing bone patterns, the wails of countless skeletal phantoms can be faintly heard. If this were not the orthodox palace of the Temple of Destiny, any ordinary deity who stepped even half a step inside would have their soul corrupted by this malevolent energy, gradually turning into a walking corpse.

At this moment, inside the main hall of the Ferocious God Palace, Ling Che sat upright on the skeletal throne made of the divine bones of a powerhouse at the Boundless Realm.

The armrests of the throne were carved with ferocious skulls, their eye sockets radiating a chilling aura. Ling Che gently traced the teeth marks on the skulls with his fingertips, his brows furrowing slightly. His gaze swept over the bone carvings, bone lamps, and bone pillars in the hall, and he inwardly complained, "This aesthetic is terrible. The hall is full of skeletons, it's practically a demon's dojo. Where is the solemnity and majesty that a divine palace should have? Just by looking at this temple, you can tell that the person on it has accumulated immense karma. That short-lived ghost, Xiong Hai, truly deserved to die."

Just as he was about to order a complete renovation of the temple, he heard respectful footsteps outside.

A powerful deity dressed in a dark brown robe walked in slowly. He was tall and imposing, with a faint rune of destiny engraved between his brows. His aura was calm and composed. This person was named Fuke and came from the Snow Sea Divine Kingdom of the Rakshasa Clan.

Fu Ke was originally a high-ranking deity under the Fu Lu Divine Palace. However, after the identity of Fu Lu God Venerable Kui Liang Huang was exposed, the Fu Lu Divine Palace system was completely wiped out by the Judgment Division, and Fu Ke was imprisoned due to his relatively minor involvement. Later, Ling Che took over the affairs of the Xiong Hai Divine Palace and, recognizing Fu Ke's competence, decisiveness, and extensive knowledge of the affairs of the lower three races, released him from prison and brought him under his command. Now that Ling Che is in charge of the Xiong Hai Divine Palace, he naturally promoted Fu Ke to the position of Palace Manager, responsible for internal affairs and coordination.

With both hands, Fu Ke held a thick jade scroll, bowed respectfully, and said in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, I have completed the sorting out of all the properties of the Ferocious Palace."

He gently handed over the jade book and continued, "Currently, the Ferocious Divine Palace governs a total of 1,327 Great Worlds, over 8,000 life-bearing planets including several level-eight stars, plus 730 cosmic secret realms. These industries were originally controlled by the Bone Clan gods under the former Divine Lord. The Bone Clan has a very deep and intricate foundation in the Divine Palace. Previously, you ordered all the original Bone Clan cultivators to be expelled from the Divine Palace. Now these industries are all empty. According to the regulations of the Divine Palace, at least 100 True God-level gods need to be dispatched to guard them in order to stabilize the situation and ensure resource production."

Ling Che took the jade book, scanned it with his divine sense, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The resources of this terrifying divine palace far exceeded his expectations. Over 1,300 great worlds, thousands of great stars, and 730 cosmic secret realms, containing spiritual herbs, materials, and other resources, made it a top-tier "treasure trove" in the Infernal Realm. If he could fully control it, the continuous flow of resources would be enough to support his cultivation of the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation, and could even supply large quantities of provisions to the Kunlun Realm, the Primordial Realm, and the Snow Sea Divine Kingdom.

He set down the jade book, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of the skeletal throne, his voice steady and carrying an unquestionable majesty: "Axe Carving, remember it well."

"Your subordinate is here." Axe Carving immediately focused his attention and listened carefully.

"First, all the direct descendants of the former God-Emperor, regardless of their rank, will be expelled from the Ferocious God Palace and never reused. These people have occupied the God Palace for many years and have long formed a clique; keeping them will only cause future trouble."

"Secondly, you may promote and employ cultivators who were suppressed and marginalized by the former God-Emperor, especially those from the lower three races. We have no shortage of True Gods at the Heaven-Mending Realm, but the backbone of the Great God Realm is the cornerstone of the Divine Palace's operation."

"Thirdly, I have successfully persuaded Blood Sun God Lord. He will lead his troops to join the Ferocious God Palace, and in the future, he will command the elite troops of the God Palace to participate in the war in the Starfield. You need to cooperate with him and do a good job in logistics and command."

Ling Che gave his instructions one by one, clearly and logically, covering personnel, resources, and military affairs. What he wanted was not a simple "takeover," but complete control, to eliminate the influence of the original Ferocious God, and to turn the Ferocious God Palace into his own core and foundation.

Upon hearing this, Fu Ke's eyes flashed with wild joy.

The deity entrusted him with core tasks such as selecting talent and reorganizing the divine palace, clearly regarding him as a confidant and placing him in a position of great responsibility. This was an incredibly lucrative post and a golden opportunity for advancement. Hundreds of thousands of years of forbearance and sacrifice had finally paid off.

He immediately knelt down and respectfully kowtowed, saying, "Your subordinate obeys! I will certainly not fail the divine mandate!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up and walked away quickly with light steps, even his back view exuding a sense of joy.

Ling Che watched his hopping and skipping figure and shook his head helplessly.

Even gods who have lived for hundreds of thousands of years are no different from mortals when faced with a life-changing event; their joy is evident, and they cannot hide their emotions. Well, such vivid emotions do add a touch of life to this gloomy temple.

He was about to take another look at the divine palace, pondering the details of the renovation, when a hearty laugh suddenly came from outside the hall, accompanied by a familiar voice: "Hahaha, Brother Mo Lian, how are you adapting to your new role in the Ferocious Divine Palace?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure dressed in a wide robe, surrounded by a faint aura of Buddhist power, slowly walked in. It was none other than the Wrathful God.

Upon seeing him, Ling Che quickly rose to greet him respectfully: "Senior Kong, I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly. To be honest, the layout of the Ferocious Palace is quite unique, and I am still getting used to it."

The Wrathful God walked into the hall, his gaze sweeping over the skeletons scattered throughout. A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, and then he said solemnly, "Mo Lian, I have come here today to ask you for a favor."

"Please speak, senior."

"As you know, after the God of Fortune and Prosperity was exposed, the Fortune and Prosperity Palace was leaderless, and the entire Temple of Destiny fell into chaos. The Fortune and Prosperity Palace is in charge of many affairs of the temple in the underworld, but there is no one to take charge. If this continues, things may change."

The Wrathful God spoke sincerely, "I see that you are exceptionally capable, and you have just taken over the Divine Palace. Since those who are capable should be given more responsibilities, I will trouble you to temporarily oversee the affairs of the Fortune and Prosperity Divine Palace and take charge of the overall situation. How about that?"

Ling Che was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

His return to the Temple of Destiny and his control of the Ferocious Palace were the result of an exchange with Death God Feng Caiyi and others, and he had no direct conflict of interest with Wrathful God. Logically, the other party shouldn't have offered him such a good thing as control of the Fortune Palace.

"Senior Kong," Ling Che feigned a moment of contemplation, then slowly said, "I have just taken over the Ferocious Shock Divine Palace, and my foundation is not yet stable. There are already quite a few people within the temple who are secretly dissatisfied. If I were to rashly interfere with the Fortune and Prosperity Divine Palace, I'm afraid that people would say that I have returned to seize power, which would likely incite public anger. Furthermore, I have many affairs under my command, and I'm afraid I won't be able to be in two places at once."

The Fortune Palace may seem glamorous, but it carries a heavy burden. Not only does it manage a vast business empire, but it also has to balance the relationships between various forces in the Underworld. Although Ling Che wants to control its resources, he doesn't want to be tied down by them.

The Wrathful God was a figure of great stature. He saw through Ling Che's concerns at a glance, smiled slightly, and offered a solution.

"Mo Lian, I know you are busy with your affairs. But the Divine Venerable Linglong is your wife. She was once a goddess of the temple and is also the personal disciple of the God of Life. She is highly accomplished in the Way of Life and the affairs of the temple. Letting her assist you in managing the two great temples of Ferocity and Fortune will, firstly, help you consolidate the foundation of the temples; secondly, since she comes from the temple, the other gods will have no objection to her handling the coordination, which will also greatly benefit her in building connections and enhancing her reputation."

Upon hearing this, Ling Che immediately understood.

What a brilliant example of "making the most of everything"! The Wrathful God had accurately predicted his marital relationship with the Exquisite God, directly binding their entire family to the chariot of the Temple of Destiny. With the Exquisite God's involvement, she could both alleviate his burden and gain the approval of the temple's higher-ups—a win-win situation.

"Since you have extended such a warm invitation, senior, then this junior will respectfully accept." Ling Che readily agreed, going with the flow. Inwardly, however, he thought to himself, "It seems that the bowl of the Temple of Destiny isn't so easy to hold; I'll be quite busy from now on."

The two chatted and laughed for a while longer before the Wrathful God rose to take his leave.

Before leaving, Ling Che suddenly called out to him, "Senior Kong, there is one more thing I would like to trouble you with."

……

Meanwhile, deep within the realm of Hell, in the Dark Temple.

The Dark Temple, one of the two ancient temples that have stood for millennia in the Hell Realm, upholds the Way of Darkness and rivals the Temple of Destiny. However, the Temple of Destiny has always held the supreme position in the Hell Realm, while the Dark Temple, despite its many powerful figures, has always remained subordinate and unable to shake its position.

The hall was filled with a thick, dark mist. A figure shrouded in the black mist sat in the main seat. It was none other than Wubian, the Lord of the Dark Temple.

Boundless was a towering figure with a cultivation level reaching the peak of the Great Freedom and Limitlessness realm, making him one of the top powerhouses in the Hell Realm. During this period, the Temple of Destiny suffered a significant loss of power due to the consecutive defeats of the two Divine Lords, Ferocious and Fortune, plunging the entire temple into turmoil. This presented Boundless with an opportunity.

Taking advantage of the situation, he secretly expanded his power, directing the Dark Temple cultivators to seize many resource worlds and cosmic secret realms that originally belonged to the Temple of Destiny, reaping considerable gains in a short period of time.

Inside the hall, the Corpse God stood below, bowing and reporting: "Palace Master, breaking news. The Temple of Destiny has announced to the heavens that the Demon Refining Master has officially assumed the position of Lord of the Ferocious Palace. The situation within the temple is gradually stabilizing. What should we do next? Should we continue to occupy those great worlds and secret realms?"

The Corpse God, a man of cold and aloof character and one of the high-ranking members of the Dark Temple, spoke with a hint of doubt and urgency in his voice.

Wubian slowly opened his eyes, a dark light flashing within them, and said calmly, "Since Molian has taken over the Ferocious Divine Palace, let's give him some face. Stop the expansion plan and cease encroaching on the temple's resources."

"Not only that," he changed the subject, "you should immediately arrange for the return of all the resource worlds and secret realms that we previously swallowed, which originally belonged to the Ferocious God Palace."

"What?" Upon hearing this, the Corpse God Venerable looked puzzled, even with a hint of resentment. "Palace Master, we have already taken control of all those resource realms, but now we have to return them all? Isn't that too much of a loss! Although the Demon Refining Realm is strong, my Dark Temple has stood for eternity, with countless powerful figures. Why should we fear a junior like him?"

In his view, since Mo Lian had just taken over the Divine Palace and his foundation was not yet stable, it was a good opportunity for the Dark Temple to further expand. Instead of backing down, they should take advantage of the situation to suppress it and seize more benefits.

Upon hearing this, Wubian sighed softly, a hint of barely perceptible fear in his voice: "You all underestimate the power of demonic refinement."

He slowly raised his right hand, revealing his shoulder. There, a terrifying mark of malevolent energy was clearly imprinted. As the mark flowed, it exuded a chilling pressure that made even a top expert like the Corpse God Venerable feel a chill run down his spine.

"I fought him once decades ago," Wubian's voice said with a hint of reminiscence. "With just one move, he completely subdued me."

He paused, then said, word by word, "The divine array in his hand. I can assert that unless a Celestial Venerable-level expert intervenes, no one in this universe can break his divine array."

"That day, he, along with the Undying War God, Emperor Luo Yan, and others, besieged the God of Fortune and Prosperity using this very divine formation. My Dark Temple has profound resources; I estimate that only my master could break his divine formation."

Wu Bian's gaze turned extremely solemn. "Although Mo Lian is a new official and his foundation is not yet stable, his strength is unfathomable. There is no need for us to provoke him at this time; it would be a loss for us."

The Corpse God was utterly shocked as he looked at the brand on his shoulder.

He was well aware of Wu Bian's immense power, yet he was subdued by Mo Lian in a single move. Just how terrifying was Mo Lian's strength?

His arrogance vanished instantly, and he said respectfully, "What the Palace Master says is absolutely right. I was short-sighted. I will immediately issue an order to return all the resource realms that were returned to Mo Lian in full."

As soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but look at the mark on Wubian's shoulder and asked with concern, "Palace Master, this murderous mark on your shoulder... was it left during our battle years ago? Is the injury alright?"

Wu Bian waved his hand lightly, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips: "It's alright. Mo Lian didn't go all out back then. This mark was left by me intentionally."

He raised his hand to stroke the mark on his shoulder, a glint of exploration in his eyes: "This brand of malevolent energy contains an extremely profound law of the Great Dao, which is faintly in harmony with the Path of Darkness, yet completely different. I am currently studying it diligently, hoping to break through this bottleneck and advance further."

After saying that, he slowly got up and walked to the outside of the Dark Temple.

Through the endless dark mist, his gaze looked toward the direction of the Forest of No Return, as if he could see the terrifying divine palace in the Divine Realm of Destiny that had just changed hands.

A strange smile appeared on his face as he muttered to himself, "With Mo Lian taking over the Ferocious God Palace, the Temple of Destiny is like a tiger with wings. Given Feng Caiyi's personality, she certainly won't sit still. She suffered such a great loss in the Taiwei Realm, she must be holding a grudge and will inevitably launch another war. We, the Dark Temple, only need to wait and see, and reap the benefits."