Chapter 570

Chapter 570: Class-Based Treatment

The four major powers faced an unprecedented choice.

Submit or die.

This was too difficult; they still could not abandon their lofty positions, wishing only to enjoy power without bearing any obligations. They could never agree to nod in the face of coercion. As the strongest power of the Border Continent, they held the highest bargaining power and should have been in control of everything.

How could their luck be so poor, reviving a peerless genius who was already invincible upon emergence? Their thousands of years of hard work felt utterly pale in comparison.

“Hehehe…”

Suddenly, a loud laugh rang out across the heavens and earth, drawing attention from many. The voice was filled with decay, an exceptionally ancient aura, clearly not from a cultivator of this era.

Yun Ye looked towards the location of the Heavy Origin Heavenly Sect, his gaze penetrating the underground space, where he saw an old man.

The old man was surrounded by strange black characters, creating a kind of time-sealing barrier that preserved his vitality, remaining intact until this era.

It seemed he sensed the gaze as he cupped his hands lightly to Yun Ye, but the strange black characters appeared as though dusted with ash, swiftly losing their effect.

Once the sealing was lifted, the aura belonging to the Honored Being erupted, and he stepped to the surface, his profound presence spreading throughout Red Heaven.

“Ancestor, how did you break the seal?”

The Honored Being of Heavy Origin Yang and the Honored Being of Compassionate Light gazed in shock and cupped their hands in respect for the elderly figure.

This kind of respect naturally stemmed from strength.

The old man glanced at the two of them and said lightly, “It’s nothing. How could I not appear when it concerns the survival and death of the Heavenly Sect?”

“…”

The two Honored Beings fell silent, not daring to draw too close, harboring hidden worries in their hearts.

Although their ancestor had just awakened from his seal and should not have reached a consensus with this Cave Master, it was still prudent to be cautious to avoid the risk of falling.

“This is the Extreme Yin Honored Being from seven thousand years ago in the Heavy Origin Heavenly Sect?”

The Great Ruler Honored Being’s gaze sharpened, recognizing the true identity of the old man.

Honored Beings were significant figures recorded in history, and for those with thousands of years of lifespan, even if they were bored and passing the time, they could easily remember these famous persons and would not fail to recognize them.

The Great Ruler Honored Being cupped his hands to Yun Ye and transmitted the information of this Honored Being. Regardless of whether Yun Ye knew about it, as his subject, he needed to take action.

The Heavy Origin Heavenly Sect had three Honored Beings, which Yun Ye had known for a long time.

Two were publicly known, and one was an ancient Honored Being who had sealed himself, seemingly very old.

Now, with the revival of this Honored Being, his information finally revealed itself to Yun Ye, who quickly comprehended it; there was indeed no need for the Great Ruler Honored Being to elaborate.

This Honored Being was a rare legendary figure, rising from the grassroots, repeatedly breaking external prejudices, defeating countless geniuses, and ultimately securing his Honored Position.

Of course, while he was considered a grassroots figure, he was originally from a branch of the Heavy Origin Heavenly Sect; compared to the descendants of certain major figures within the Heavy Origin Heavenly Sect, his background was quite weak, hence described as a grassroots triumph. He created miracles with each rise, boasting considerable fortune.

Superficially, this Honored Being appeared to tread a difficult path; during his time in the True Realm, he pushed himself to the limit of his lifespan before achieving his Honored Position, ultimately becoming the leader of the Heavy Origin Heavenly Sect.

In the story of this Honored Being’s rise, Yun Ye also saw traces of Divine Fate.

Divine Fate seemed to possess an omnipresent quality, especially after he interacted with many high-level individuals, the frequency of Divine Fate’s appearance increased.

The peerless genius that these Honored Beings mentioned might just be from the Divine Fate organization.

Divine Fate was laying plans everywhere, and it was impossible for them to be working in vain.

“Extreme Yin Honored Being has indeed experienced more than those other Honored Beings and knows far greater secrets than the other two. It seems the drama is over.”

As expected, the Extreme Yin Honored Being opened his murky eyes and chuckled, "Your Majesty, living for ten thousand years is indeed tempting, but it shouldn’t make the Great Ruler so impatient. Why don’t we speak frankly and state our conditions? You have to give us some hope."

When one reaches the realm of Honored Beings, they can sense many things. Otherwise, touching on what should not be touched or speaking what should not be spoken carries the risk of falling on the spot, as the Red Heaven realm is far too dangerous.

For this reason, Honored Beings actually develop a special ability to communicate; they can be direct when necessary and subtle when required, effectively avoiding some risks.

The Extreme Yin Honored Being was an old hand in the game and, having risen from the grassroots, naturally knew how to navigate this.

He sensed Yun Ye’s impatience and thus clarified his words, getting straight to the point.

“Ah, I respect all of you, and I admire your strength. How could I possibly drive you to extinction? Since you do not wish to take charge of the Divine List, let us set conditions based on your strength. Weaker opponents should not think they can wield power,” Yun Ye said. While his words were not this blunt, that was the general idea.

Before all the Honored Beings present, a hazy mist appeared, forming a jade tablet that detailed the treatment corresponding to each level of strength.

First, the highest level of treatment: if they do not take charge of the Divine List, they can gain contributions through service, receiving shares of extended lifespan, with the highest degree of freedom. To meet this condition, one must possess Royal Path Extreme Weapons and Heavenly Dao Divine Artifacts. Furthermore, the holder must be a quasi-Monarch—at the peak of the Honored Position—plus have a fortress that even Yun Ye would need to exert some effort to breach.

Eternal Immortal City essentially belongs to an indomitable war fortress, manifesting in the Red Heaven realm as a cave heaven. Its defenses have been compressed to a minimal scale, making it difficult for even a Monarch to breach, creating a nearly impossible-to-penetrate barrier.

Upon receiving the jade tablet, the Daemonic Domain Master’s anxiety instantly eased, feeling a sense of relief. Their conditions were barely met; the Daemonic Domain only had a quasi-Monarch who fell short, yet it was not far off, so they managed to pass this hurdle!

Was the condition insufficient, prompting another rejection?

The risks were too great; they might be subjected to reprisals meant to set an example.

What he wanted was stability. Since the Divine Master of the Heavenly Stem provided quite good conditions to split them, he had to give this face.

As the bloody aura receded, settling into the Eternal Immortal City, the Daemonic Domain Master made his stance known, causing the expressions of the other three major powers to darken.

The Daemonic Domain Master felt it was acceptable.

But for them, the stakes were decidedly different.

The second level of treatment required a sect to possess Royal Path Extreme Weapons and Heavenly Dao Divine Artifacts. Meeting this single condition would allow one Honored Being to remain off the Divine List, gaining shares of extended lifespan by serving the New Heavenly Dynasty through holding royal-level treasures.

Currently, only the Great Ruler Honored Being met these conditions; he agreed to assist Yun Ye for this reason.

Even a pseudo-Monarch-level treasure represented royal power, and as an example, he too enjoyed preferential treatment, securing lifespan rewards from his service far exceeding those of regular royal powers.

At the third level, quasi-Monarch sects could remain off the Divine List, but they could only gain two thousand years of lifespan through contributions, while joining the list would grant them ten thousand years.

At the fourth level, three heavens sects could join the Divine List, securing a total lifespan of five thousand years, with the remainder exchangeable through contributions.

At the fifth level, three heavens-level sects could remain off the Divine List but relinquish authority without the option to exchange for lifespan.

Upon defining these five levels, the lowest treatment actually became less favorable than initially; however, the resistant emotions among the Honored Beings diminished…

With choices available, it was no longer a matter for the Divine Master of the Heavenly Stem. They could choose not to, as no one was forcing them; the only alternative was death.

When Yun Ye crafted this plan, a sense of familiarity washed over him.

He felt he had been too kind, able to directly take what he wanted, yet he still offered up a few grains of rice.