Chapter 574

Chapter 574: Hand of the Heavens

"Congratulations, Daoist friend Luo, on advancing to Celestial Lord."

Palace Master of Yuqing, Celestial Lord Xinyuan, and others clasped their hands toward Luo Qianchen to offer their blessings.

Having achieved the realm of a Celestial Lord, Luo Qianchen now stood as their equal.

Luo Qianchen lightly inclined her head without further words.

She flew back into Dao Yuan Palace, where Luo Qingcheng greeted her with a smile. Luo Qiancheng declared, "Grandmother, I have not disappointed your expectations."

"Well done."

Luo Qinchuan gave a nod.

"First, rest and recover."

Luo Qianchen’s gaze shifted slightly. "With this matter concluded, I must make a trip to the Reincarnation Hall."

She wished to see what exactly Feng Suiyuan had left within the Reincarnation Hall.

Luo Qinchuan’s brows furrowed slightly. "I shall accompany you."

As he spoke, Luo Qinchuan rose into the void. Distantly cupping his fist toward the assembled, he chuckled, "This thief attempted to steal the Celestial Script and was slain by me. Dear friends, there is no cause for alarm."

"Now, the ancestral land has closed. It is time for this grand assembly to draw to a close."

"I invite all dear friends to re-enter Dao Yuan Palace. My clan shall host your farewell feast."

"Hahaha…"

Eternal Celestial Lord boomed with laughter. "Daoist friend Luo, today fate granted me a glimpse of the Celestial Script, yet I wonder if you might grant me a thorough viewing?"

Luo Qinchuan’s expression chilled.

"Of course, that presents no issue," he replied coolly. "However, you must first pass the trials set by my clan."

Eternal Celestial Lord remained utterly composed. "My powers are humble. I’ve no wish to be the next Great Celestial Lord of Reincarnation. Nevertheless, the Immortal Palace of All Laws does not fear the Dao Clan."

"Perhaps Emperor Ling, our Ancestor, will personally pay your clan a visit to borrow the Celestial Script."

"Let us depart."

He waved his sleeve broadly, leading his faction’s masters from the Immortal Palace of All Laws aboard their starship, sailing away.

"It is time we took our leave as well."

Celestial Lord Linglong bade farewell to Luo Qinchuan. She boarded a starship with Luoshen Dynasty talents like Ying Ziyu, ascended slowly, and sailed out beyond the Qilin Mountain Range.

"Daoist friend, in a few days’ time, the Witch Clan will assuredly come to pay respects at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

A voice reached them. It belonged to Wu Tianyue from the Witch Clan, who offered Mu Fanyin a radiant smile before vanishing into the void.

"That would be most welcome," Mu Fanyin replied with a smile.

"Time to go."

Mu Fanyin activated the divine ship, carrying Ye Li and the others aboard as they set off on the journey back.

On the other side, experts from the Destiny Sect, Time Palace, and other forces also took their leave from the Dao Clan and departed the Qilin Mountain Range one by one, leaving only the Eldest Young Lord behind.

The Eldest Young Lord entered the Dao Yuan Palace.

"Young friend, what brings you here?" Luo Qinchuan stared at him with a faint smile.

He knew well that the Eldest Young Lord, like Luo Qianchen, bore a profound connection to the Heavenly Books. Moreover, his master, the Hall Master of Hongmeng, remained one of the most enigmatic powerhouses, highly likely to have already broken through to the Dao Ancestor Realm.

More crucially, the Eldest Young Lord had now entered the Celestial Lord Realm, placing him far beyond comparison with the remaining seven young lords.

"Esteemed Senior, I wish to speak with Little Nine," the Eldest Young Lord replied courteously.

"Elder Brother, come in."

Luo Qianchen led the way, and the Eldest Young Lord followed, entering a side hall together.

"How does it feel to hold the Heavenly Book?" The Eldest Young Lord looked at Luo Qianchen with a faint smile.

"I am part of the Heavenly Book, but the Heavenly Book is not me."

Luo Qianchen solemnly declared.

Having mastered the Reincarnation Heavenly Book, she could vividly perceive its will. Her own thoughts felt like a grain of millet compared to a full moon’s splendor before its presence.

Even after attaining the Celestial Lord Realm, she remained utterly insignificant—little more than a spec of dust—in the face of the book’s power.

"My feelings are quite similar," the Eldest Young Lord gave a light smile. "Thus, you should realize now: it was the Heavenly Book that chose us, not we who chose the Heavenly Book.

"Our masters were but selected individuals themselves.

"As for you…"

For once, the Eldest Young Lord wore a solemn expression.

"The Reincarnation Heavenly Book bestowing you power signifies it has chosen the Dao Clan."

"Elder Brother, why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

Shock washed over Luo Qianchen.

His understanding of the Heavenly Book was startlingly profound.

Suddenly, an idea struck her.

As the Eldest Young Lord attained the Celestial Lord Realm, he would undoubtedly resonate with the Hongmeng Heavenly Scripture. Did that mean his master had already ascended to the Dao Ancestor Realm and mastered it?

That was why he knew so much.

"Telling you held no meaning," the Eldest Young Lord said gravely. "Our masters share a fate with the Heavenly Books, allowing them to achieve the Dao through them. We, however, are mere fragmented essences emitted by the books.

"It is the Heavenly Book that truly governs our destinies!"

His words weighed as heavy as pearls.

"Without reaching the Celestial Lord Realm, none would grasp this truth. Hence, informing you earlier would have been futile."

"Elder Brother, your visit today is not merely to deliver this reminder alone?"

Luo Qianchen’s moonlit eyes shimmered brightly.

The Eldest Young Lord gazed deeply into them. "I wish to meet the Lord of the Dao Clan to discuss matters concerning the Heavenly Books with him."

"What matters?"

Shock covered Luo Qianchen’s face.

"Subdue the Heavenly Book."

…

The divine ship plowed through wind and waves, traversing between heaven and earth.

Ye Li stood at the ship’s bow, with the wind sweeping across his face, refreshing his spirit and Pure Energy. He had a hint of surprise in his eyes and said, "The Haotian lineage people swore they would bring down divine punishment to kill me. We’re already out of the Qilin Mountain Range and about to leave this immortal domain. Why haven’t we seen the Haotian lineage make a move?"

Li Ruoyu curled his lip and said, "No attacks, and you’re not used to it?"

How shameless?

"It’s best to arrive safely at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion," Dao Sovereign Qingyuan prayed in his heart.

That clan could summon divine punishment and sense the Heavenly Dao—calling them children of heaven wasn’t an exaggeration. She dreaded the feeling of the Divine Thunder of punishment descending.

"You certainly have self-awareness," Mu Fanyin said lightly.

"The Haotian lineage has been locking onto our auras all along, from when we left the Qilin Mountain Range up to now. They’re monitoring us."

"No way?" Li Ruoyu paled. "Senior, you couldn’t even conceal our auras?"

"Hiding things was unnecessary."

Mu Fanyin said, "I’m right here on the ship. If the Haotian lineage wants to act, they’ll have to weigh their options."

"Senior, you’re fierce!"

Ye Li raised his thumb.

Those words weren’t just for their ears but also meant for the Haotian lineage to listen to.

"Dao Ancestor Tuntian, you truly lived up to your reputation."

At that moment.

A voice filled with thick dignity echoed across the sky. The once crystal-clear, cloudless blue abruptly darkened, covered by black clouds cloaked in heavy gloom.

"They really came," Li Ruoyu and Dao Sovereign Qingyuan felt a chill in their hearts.

"A decree honors heaven: The Heaven’s Secret Pavilion lineage meddles with the will of heaven, defying all laws with reckless lawlessness.

"Today, we bring down the hand of the heavens to smite and suppress you all as a lesson!"

Overhead, the heavenly glory blazed majestically, its divine power unfathomable.

Li Ruoyu’s lips twitched.

Heaven’s Secret Pavilion leaking divine secrets was its own affair. If the Heavenly Dao truly had the power, it should punish the Pavilion directly—why bully a group of juniors?

Did even the Heavenly Dao pick on the vulnerable?

"Crap!"

Li Ruoyu swore loudly.

Boom!

With the decree issued, billions of miles of heaven itself seemed to crumble. Space shattered into fragments that forged a giant golden hand. Mountains morphed into bones, rivers turned like veins.

The hand of the heavens descended, holding the cosmos within its grasp as all great Daos vanished under Divine Heaven’s majestic power.

Instantly, the realm spanning billions of miles transformed into a dead zone of annihilation.

“The power of Divine Heaven!”

The surge of energy was overwhelming, the phenomenon too astonishing. Celestial Lord Linglong, Eternal Celestial Lord, the Ancestral Dragon, Yuanfeng, and others who had already departed turned their gazes back the moment the hand of the heavens appeared.

“The Haotian lineage…” murmured the Ancestral Dragon.

Throughout all existence, only this lineage could mobilize the power of divine punishment on such a scale.

“That direction… wasn’t it where Dao Ancestor Mu of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion retreated? Could the Haotian lineage be confronting Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?” The more the Ancestral Dragon pondered, the more exhilarated he became.

Heaven’s Secret Pavilion claimed omnipotence; a clash with the Haotian lineage would be truly spectacular.

“It is that clan…” Ying Ziyu uttered in shock.

Celestial Lord Linglong’s eyes flickered with thought.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The heavens and earth exploded. Every force dissolved into nothingness under Divine Heaven’s suppression, reverting to the primordial state of chaos, ceasing to exist.

Li Ruoyu and Dao Sovereign Qingyuan felt themselves on the brink of merging with the Dao. Their cultivated great Daos crumbled gradually beneath Divine Heaven’s oppressive might.

Ye Li fared slightly better. Having cultivated the Easy Dao, even Divine Heaven could not assimilate him. Yet, the hand of the heavens radiated such terrifying majesty that his limited strength rendered him utterly incapable of resistance.

“Elder!”

Li Ruoyu gritted his teeth, calling out to Mu Fanyin for aid.

Beneath Heaven’s wrath, he realized for the first time just how insignificant he was.

After all, once the Son of the Lower Realm rose to power, he had reigned invincible, never before experiencing the true horror of Divine Heaven firsthand.

Ding!

With a mere thought from Mu Fanyin, layers upon layers of divine patterns shimmered across the divine ship, instantly enveloping it within the Ultimate Great Luo Heaven.

Yet,

the hand of the heavens remained locked onto the ship. It descended slowly, crushing space itself, revealing the bare essence of reality. It ground every divine pattern to dust, plunging the world back into primordial chaos.

“Divine Heaven… allows no defiance!”

The voice resonated once more,

lofty and detached, gazing down upon the mortal world.

The hand of the heavens, vast enough to blot out the sky and shroud the earth, stretched over billions of miles. Pressing down like the very firmament collapsing, it filled the heart with utter despair.