Chapter 1691 — Lord of the Temple

As the heavens of the Heavenly Lake were continuously refined into energy and offered up to the great calamity of destruction of the Sixteenth Epoch, the figure of the Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall emerging from the web of Dao chains grew ever more numerous and ever more distinct. The Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall had a strange appearance: a crimson face and jutting fangs, the hair at his temples growing upward like little wings, and a vertical eye set in the center of his brow, within which fire blazed fiercely.

At his navel grew a dragon's head, only the head, protruding bare, savage and malevolent, and astonishingly, a living thing. Behind him, an azure dragon coiled about his body like a trailing ribbon.

This one who had attained the Dao in a bygone universe wore a ferocious countenance unlike any of the later-born beings of the present world, whether god, demon, or human. Venerable Xu suppressed the shock in her heart, yet her gaze involuntarily fell upon the Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall's navel, and the dragon's head actually opened its eyes and glanced at her.

Venerable Xu's heart skipped a beat, and she looked away.

"Fear not," said the Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall, and from his mouth came the language of the Dao, profoundly obscure and abstruse. "This dragon head is my umbilical intestine.

I was born in the Thirteenth Epoch, and attained the Dao long ages past. Because I lived too long, my mortal flesh in time gained spiritual awareness.

My intestine has transformed into a dragon and become an ancient god.

" Venerable Xu and Venerable Hao were profoundly shaken.

Was there such a path of cultivation in this world? Just how long had this Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall lived, for his intestine to transform into an ancient god? Yet from the meaning of his words, the ancient gods upon his body numbered more than one; surely every part of his flesh could separate from his body, become independent, and turn into an ancient god of its own! This was immeasurably more formidable than the Grand Emperor's art of hiding ancient god imprints within the apertures of his flesh!

Spirit Officer: in the Heavenly Court there was a similar office.

Spirit Officers were generally charged with protecting the Dao of the Heavenly Court and guarding it.

The Heavenly Court had five hundred Spirit Officers, each one outstanding in ability, the elite of the elite of the Heavenly Court, possessed of formidable combat power! This Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall must surely be the guardian deity of the Miluo Palace, and his strength was likely among the very top of all who had attained the Dao! When the heavens of the Heavenly Lake were wholly refined into sacrificial offerings, the Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall's body at last freed itself from the calamity of destruction of the Sixteenth Epoch and descended upon the Nether Capital.

The Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall stretched his body, and Venerable Xu involuntarily retreated several steps; the power inadvertently leaking from him was somewhat hard for her to bear, forcing her to fall back from the impact of that violent aura.

Emperor Hao remained standing unmoved.

The sense of oppression the Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall brought him was intense, but not enough to make him retreat. Whoosh—the Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall bent down, his massive face stopping before Emperor Hao, his eyeballs rolling up and down, and the vertical eye in his brow also rolling up and down as he sized up Emperor Hao.

"You are the Heavenly Emperor of this universe? " He straightened up again, his voice like a great bell, exploding through the Nether Capital: "The Third Young Master and the Fourth Young Master have always indulged you.

Even when you play petty tricks before them, borrowing their power without doing their bidding, the two Young Masters still indulge you. Do you know why?

" Without waiting for Emperor Hao to answer, he continued: "Because the two Young Masters know you cannot best the Seventh Young Master! " Emperor Hao's eye twitched, and ripples suddenly stirred in his calm Dao heart. The Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall seemed to guess the change in his Dao heart and continued: "If you cannot best the Seventh Young Master, you will turn back to beg the two Young Masters, and in the end you will still obediently do their bidding!

That is why the two Young Masters indulge your little tricks before them. Your petty schemes and little tricks amount to nothing before the two Young Masters.

And the Seventh Young Master's schemes and methods are beyond your ability to contend with.

" Behind his head, the azure dragon was like a ribbon, drifting elegantly. The azure dragon extended its claws, resting on his shoulder, curiously studying Emperor Hao and Venerable Xu.

The Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall continued: "That Seventh Young Master has roamed through one past universe after another.

Countless people have suffered at his hands, unable to voice their grievances, unable to best him in battle—what a troublesome one he is. The two Young Masters need only exploit this one point, and they have you firmly in their grasp. Emperor Hao, do you understand? " Emperor Hao composed himself and bowed: "We.

.

.

I understand. " The Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall smiled and drew a long breath. Suddenly the space-time behind him shook violently, and a Dao Tree slowly emerged. Upon that Dao Tree hung three Dao Fruits and one Dao Flower, brimming with spirituality, radiating an imposing Dao resonance—yet it could not pass from the past world into the present universe!

The Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall made an attempt, frowned deeply, and stopped trying to forcibly summon his Dao Tree. "Sacrificing one heaven only lets my physical body come through, not my Dao Tree and Dao Fruits.

At minimum I need three more heavens to restore myself to peak condition. " His gaze fell upon Emperor Hao. Emperor Hao turned his head and looked at Venerable Xu: "The Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall's power is boundless, the foremost fighting force of our Heavenly Court! My dear Minister Xu, sacrifice the four great heavens—Yuji, Shixiu, Lingshu, and Lingyuan—to ensure the Hall Master's Dao Tree comes through. This is a matter of great importance; see to it at once.

" Though Venerable Xu was somewhat reluctant, she still went to carry it out at once.

The living beings of the four great heavens—Yuji, Shixiu, Lingshu, and Lingyuan—had all died at Venerable Xu's hands. The four heavens had already been demonized by her and dragged into the Nether Capital. They teemed with ghosts, gods, and demon gods, and had long since become her territory. Emperor Hao was making her hand over her own territory for sacrifice, and naturally she was somewhat unhappy about it.

Venerable Xu was secretly alarmed. Just one Hall Master required the sacrifice of five great heavens for a complete descent. If all the Hall Masters of the seventy-two halls of the Jade Capital were to descend, it would likely require the sacrifice of three hundred and sixty heavens! What if the Young Masters of the Miluo Palace were to descend?

What if all those who had attained the Dao from the Jade Capital of the Ancestral Court were to descend? Would it not require the sacrifice of all the heavens and myriad worlds? Emperor Hao took out the Spirit Officer Treasure Hall and presented it to the Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall, smiling: "This hall is the Exalted One's treasure. I borrowed it for a long time and benefited greatly.

Now that its rightful owner has come, it must naturally be returned.

" The Lord of the Spirit Officer Hall accepted the treasure hall and praised: "You know how to read the times and flatter well. I originally thought you would be difficult to get along with, but it seems I was mistaken. Heavenly Emperor, for this descent, none of the seventy-two Hall Masters were willing to come.

Do you know why?