Chapter 1705 — Flames of War in Carefree Village

At the great cliff of the Primordial Realm, all was grim and forbidding.

The four Heavenly Masters of Carefree Village — the Woodcutter, the Scholar, the Old Farmer, and the Fisherman — stood atop the gate tower of Yulei City, gazing into the distance.

The cliff rose sheer and unbroken for who knew how many tens of thousands of miles, like a natural moat splitting the Primordial Realm into an eastern half and a western half.

This had once been the source of the Yong River; the Heaven-Shadow Realm kept an entrance here, and many cracks still linked the countless heavens and worlds to this cliff.

Later, when the seal of the Primordial Realm was broken, the Celestial River soared into the void, and all the heavens and worlds rose with it, so that this place became a natural fastness of peril.

One of the heavens of the cosmos, the Taihuang Heaven, had fallen here on the eastern side of the cliff — a seat from which one might defend by holding the vantage point.

The Thirty-Three Heavens of Carefree Village had come down in this very spot; they floated above the Taihuang Heaven, spread out at a slant in battle array, seizing the natural choke point.

The Four Heavenly Kings of the Kaihuang Heavenly Court, Di Yiyue, Qinghuang, Di Shitian, and Tian Shu, each encamped his troops, and Di Yiyue, though he was the second Kaihuang, had likewise donned his armor and taken command in person.

Lang Wan led one army on her own, made up entirely of Creators — few in number, but overwhelming in strength.

The Netherworld Heavenly Venerate was also stationed here, his primordial spirit boundless, holding fast the Netherworld Capital of the Primordial Realm; and not far away, at the center of that realm, the Heavenly Duke drove the supreme treasure of the Heavenly Dao, guarding its Dark Capital. The central route of the Heavenly Court's great army came from the west, and to attack Jingping it would have to pass through this place.

If it went around instead, Carefree Village would fall upon it en route, and so the Heavenly Court had to take this ground at all costs.

By this time Carefree Village had built more than ten great fortresses in succession here, and over a hundred divine cities, and had massed armies of gods and demons within them; heavy weapons from Jingping were ferried over in an unending stream, for they meant to fight the decisive battle against the main forces of the Heavenly Court on this very ground.

Divine cities, great and small, dotted the highlands west of the cliff. In the days that had passed, not a few advance units of the Heavenly Court had already arrived and hurled themselves at those cities; small-scale battles had been fought in great number, with victories and defeats on either side.

The main army of Carefree Village, through it all, did not move a single man, waiting in silence for the decisive clash. The Woodcutter Sage lifted his head, and saw the Celestial River churning restlessly in the sky, its waters running faster than before and mounting ever higher — the omen that the waterborne host of the River was about to arrive.

"The Heavenly Court comes bearing down in full fury, and yet all the heavens and worlds have fallen silent," the Woodcutter Sage said, his gaze shadowed and deep.

"They have suffered the Heavenly Court for a very long time. But the reason they sit still is that they are all watching to see which way the balance tips.

If Carefree Village and Jingping shatter at the first touch, they will not rise against the Heavenly Court; they will go on bowing their heads and calling themselves vassals, letting the Heavenly Court exploit and squeeze them dry. But if Carefree Village and Jingping can hold, they will waver, and heavens without number will side with us.

Therefore — we need a great victory! " Yan Yunxi said, "The waterborne host of the Celestial River is the most powerful army of gods and demons in the Heavenly Court: great ships a hundred and twenty thousand, lesser vessels at a million, and gods and demons beyond counting. The command of the River has always been assumed by a Heavenly Master in person.

Which Heavenly Master commands it this time? " "It is the Heavenly Master Zhu Shaoping.

Among the four Heavenly Masters, Zhu Shaoping ranks fourth.

" The Fisherman Heavenly Master raised a hand, and from the Celestial River flew out a school of four or five hundred fish; they circled him several times and whispered in his ear. After a moment, Fisherman Hantang said, "But this time, planted within the River host are Ge Yuntian, the Senior Auxiliary among the Heavenly Court's two Auxiliaries; the Left Vice-Chancellor among its four Chancellors; the Six Jia, the Grand Secretary, the Left Pivot, and the Right Pivot.

In addition, the Five Chariots army of the Heavenly Court lends support, five columns striking on the flanks. " The school of fish rose of its own accord again, plunged into the Celestial River, and swam merrily away. Yan Yunxi drew a sharp breath.

"Even these Emperor's Throne powerhouses are taking the field," she said in a low voice.

"Far too few of us stand at the Emperor's Throne level — there is no way we can hold them off… " The Woodcutter Sage turned his gaze upon her.

"This battle," he said, word by word, "we must win.

" Yan Yunxi smiled. "I know.

What a pity — if you had only cultivated with a whole heart, instead of making that muddled doctrine of attaining the Dao by acquired nurture, you would be at the Emperor's Throne level by now. " Zhuo Cha, the Martial Heavenly Master, cut in suddenly, "No. Merely with these forces, they can indeed contend with Carefree Village, but to sweep Carefree Village away with the ease of snapping dried weeds — that is hardly possible.

After all, the Netherworld Heavenly Venerate holds this ground, and the Divine King Lang Wan is here as well — two great Heavenly Venerates. If two great Heavenly Venerates were to strike…

" The Woodcutter Sage turned to Fisherman Hantang; Hantang shook his head. "I can command the water beasts of the Celestial River and keep watch on the movements of the River host," he said, "but if a Heavenly Venerate lies hidden among them, these beasts cannot see it. " Frowning, the Woodcutter Sage studied the watery patterns of the River.

"There is certainly something in the River host that can deal with our two Heavenly Venerates," he said.

"The Void Heavenly Venerate can hold back the Netherworld Heavenly Venerate.

As for the Divine King Lang Wan — I fear she will have to face the Taiji Ancient God. Pass on my order: let the people of Carefree Village be moved to Jingping.

" The other three Heavenly Masters felt their hearts tremble.

With a calm face the Woodcutter said, "If we cannot win, let us leave a few roots and shoots for the Kaihuang age. " The three Heavenly Masters nodded in silence and ordered that a portion of the gods and demons be detached to begin moving the population of Carefree Village.

More than ten days later, the Celestial River suddenly convulsed with terrible violence — the whole River, in an instant, lost control and came crashing down from the sky.

At once the floodwaters rose to the heavens, inundating the earth, and everything in their path was swallowed!

How fierce was the Celestial River! This great stream, which had run across the countless heavens of the cosmos, fell from above, pressing the land down until it sank; the flood spread for who knew how many tens of thousands of miles, surging and smashing, and whatever it passed — plains, basins, high mountains — was turned into one endless watery waste.

The common folk of the Primordial Realm all became duckweed struggling and wailing on the flood, borne along by the waves!

Along with the great waters of the Celestial River rushed countless Dragon Kings of that River, and divine dragon after divine dragon rode the rolling flood, raising waves and calling up wind and rain!