Published at 18th of June 2026 8:22 am

Chapter 1883: The High Firmament Battle II

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The first five Heavens of the Highest Firmament were all about the five elements. Each time the court's Lords reached a layer, they were attacked by the environment and by physical manifestations created from said environment. The climbing process was smooth, but not as smooth as the Heavenly Wolf Khan had expected.

The sixth Heaven was a world of the Five Elements, perfectly combining the advantages of the previous five floors. More importantly, the elemental creatures of that layer were already waiting for their arrival. As soon as the Tribunal Lords appeared, the guardians activated an array that beautifully displayed the working relationship of the five elements, catching the Tribunal Lords off guard; they had to put in a decent amount of effort to escape. From that moment on, they were even more careful, which was the right choice since every guardian in each layer was already prepared for a confrontation.

The next noteworthy event occurred on the ninth Heaven — the Yin-Yang Realm. The group did not rush to the next level. Instead, they waited and confronted the guardian while the Yin-Yang Origin Dragon sat cross-legged in a safe area, entering a deep state of meditation. Everybody watching thought he had an epiphany, but less than ten minutes later, he vomited a mouthful of blood, followed by his expression turning pale. The Empress reacted swiftly, handing him a gourd with an unknown liquid that alleviated his complexion.

"What happened?" Avatar A asked.

"It's probably Dao Poisoning," the Erudite Duchess explained.

"What's that?"

"It's basically when someone adds something harmful to a Dao to prevent people from comprehending or utilizing it."

"Is that possible?" Wang Wei asked. Such an act was akin to manipulating and falsifying the Grand Dao Source itself.

"Not for you, [Immortals]," the duchess explained. "But after becoming a Saint, you can do it if your understanding of the hidden rules is deep enough."

"How interesting," Wang Wei nodded, but his mind was thinking about whether he could use the Dao of Deception to do something similar.

"Could I deceive someone and give them the wrong understanding of the Dao Source? I wonder what effect that would have. Hmm, once I return home, that might be an interesting topic to study in the Impermanence Society."

"The court is acting recklessly. They should have expected Grand Dao to have protective measures in the Highest Firmament of all places," the duchess shook her head.

Wang Wei had a different opinion as he understood why they did it. "I'm not surprised; they are desperate and willing to gamble their lives."

"Desperation, huh?" The Duchess sighed. "Soon, we may be in a similar predicament."

"True."

"I think I'm going to participate in the upcoming chaos."

"What? No way. We should focus on our plan."

"We need to remove Death Reverence's suspicions," she explained. "And the best way to do that is for me to participate in the upcoming fight — even if I only use an avatar. Otherwise, he'll begin to wonder where I am and search for my true body's position."

"Or, he'll interpret our actions as if we had found a solution and don't have to worry about our lifespan."

"Can you be sure? Can you take the risk?"

Wang Wei was silent. The Erudite Duchess was one of the crucial keys to his survival, and if Death Reverence began intervening with her ascension, his situation would worsen. Although he had thought of backup plans, most were acts of desperation with little chance of success.

"But, he might get suspicious if you're the only one who sends an avatar."

"It's too early to say whether I will be the only one, but even if I am, it won't be that much of an issue. After all, he knows how you operate. Isn't it normal for me, your ally, to be extra careful under your influence?"

Wang Wei exhaled, realizing this was one of those issues he was too close to, which had blinded him to certain truths or biases. So, after being reminded, he calmed down to analyze the pros and cons before nodding, "You make a good point. But don't just send any avatars — use the best version possible. And you might need to sacrifice a decent Saint Artifact to make it look as real as possible."

"Fine by me," she nodded. No matter how valuable Saint Artifacts are, they cannot compare to her life. As long as she's alive, she can always find or create more of them. Not to mention, the Transcendent Age is about to begin, which means Saint-tier resources will no longer be rare.

"No hesitation? With such a detached mindset and Pure Dao Heart, she has a bright future ahead of her," Wang Wei thought, secretly increasing his approval of this new partner. How many cultivators would wipe out their entire family for a True Saint Artifact? How many would do even worse just for the opportunity to acquire one?

Since he had made a decision, Wang Wei wouldn't regret it. So, he shifted his focus to what is happening with the court's people. After the previous failures, the court's Lords became more meticulous in their approach. Not only did they not take risks, but the court's people were also ready for any battle or array that came their way. As a result, they swiftly reached the 20th Heaven with little to no effort.

"Why does this Highest Firmament feel disappointing? The real thing is not like that, right?" Wang Wei asked.

"I couldn't tell you since no second-step powerhouse can enter the Highest Firmament. Most of us don't even know if this thing exists, and I'm willing to bet it's similar for third-step powerhouses; no one would dare enter Grand Dao's resting place."

"Do you think it's where the Destruction General usually lies dormant?"

"Probably," the Erudite Duchess nodded. "He's most likely in the 32nd Heaven — maybe even in the 33rd, right next to Grand Dao."

"I wonder what other terrifying secrets Grand Dao is hiding in that place."

"I'm more curious than you, but even if I become a third-step powerhouse, I wouldn't dare peep."

"That's the difference between us. The moment I become a third-step powerhouse, few things between Heaven and Earth will even dare stop what I want to do."

The Erudite Duchess glanced at him, unsurprised by that statement. In her long life, she's met countless True Devils and knows what kind of people they are. In fact, she had briefly met the first person to officially call themself a [True Devil] and had a conversation with them not long before they died.

"The True Devil Ancestor once feared that her kind would one day suffer because of their ideology. After what Wang Wei did in the Chaos Origin Realm, I'm afraid her prediction might come true," the duchess thought.

The duchess sighed to herself, but didn't focus too much on this issue. From Grand Dao's perspective, these [True Devils] are nothing but trouble makers. They are still manageable at the lower cultivation stages, but once they become Saints, most of them lack a bottom line: they will do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals and ambitions. However, since the duchess was not one of them and this issue didn't affect her, she didn't care enough to help or even think too deeply about it.

…

One hundred years — that's all the time it took the court's Tribunal Lords to reach their destination. A hundred years is a long time compared to how easily the Heaven Cardinal reached the top. A hundred years is a minuscule amount of time compared to how long these Tribunal Lords have lived. However, these hundred years were one of the most anxious periods in Timeline NP89076H.

All the people watching wished nothing more than for these Tribunal Lords to hurry up. Previously, a hundred years — the lifespan of most mortals in the lower dimension — was nothing to these entities; they could close their eyes and nap longer than that. But now, those hundred years represent time lost, time wasted, and, more importantly, the approach of their time of death.

"You look unsettled," Wang Wei stated.

"And you're too calm."

"I guess I haven't lived as long as you guys, hence I'm not afraid?"

"No need to sugarcoat the truth," the Erudite Duchess said. "Old people like us are indeed afraid of death."

Wang Wei smiled.

"Aren't you afraid at all? Not even a little bit?" the Duchess asked. "You've spent so much time and effort reaching your current realm; you've survived countless trials and tribulations; your future is bright, with endless possibilities. But soon, everything might end — just like that. Isn't there any part of you that feels unwilling?"

"When you put it that way, I'm indeed scared," Wang Wei nodded. "After all, I have friends and family who I love and want to unite with. I have dreams that I haven't accomplished; regrets I haven't settled." The faces of a few people flashed in Wang Wei's mind: his father, mother, Li Jun, Yan Liling, his ancestors, and finally, his beautiful wife.

"Then, why are you so calm?"

"Three reasons. First, after the first time I killed somebody, I always knew and accepted that there would be two outcomes to my life: Either I achieve my goals, or I die in someone else's hands." The image of that prisoner flashed in Wang Wei's eyes.

"That's a bit extreme."

"Maybe, but I've always lived with such a mindset, so death has never been one of my fears. Losing my free will and being used as a puppet, on the other hand? Well, if we were facing such a situation, I would be panicking even worse than a chicken that had lost its head."

The duchess chuckled.

"I'm being serious."

"I'm sure you are," the duchess smiled. "But now, I'm intrigued. What are the other two reasons?"

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