Chapter 3068 - The Legendary Battle of Rulers

Tribulation clouds enveloped the dome of heaven. The air was permeated with fog.

The surface of the sea was as calm and smooth as a mirror. No matter how the winds howled, they created no ripples.

Heavenly Sovereign E and the other five Heavenly Sovereigns had reached the Sea of Fate. As mighty as they were, even they withdrew their auras and proceeded with newfound caution.

The Sea of Fate was the most dangerous stretch of water in the Four Seas. It was full of unknown, mysterious, and terrifying calamitous power.

The Heavenly Sovereigns knew that the slightest inattention could lead to death. That was true even for them, let alone for ordinary cultivators.

Heavenly Sovereign E led the way. He was the calmest of the group, and he moved with practiced familiarity.

“They say that during the early days of the Primordial Era, the ‘Battle of Rulers’ was fought here. They fought for ten years straight, shattering countless Eternal Thrones and Heavenly Sovereign weapons in the process,” Heavenly Sovereign Wen said softly. “I truly cannot imagine just how many Heavenly Sovereigns participated in that battle.”

The others instinctively narrowed their eyes. This was a secret, but they knew these rumors, too. Apparently, the Sea of Fate had become a forbidden zone because of the Battle of Rulers fought in the early days of the Primordial Era.

During that battle, the earliest group of Heavenly Sovereigns of the Primordial Era rallied under the leadership of the supreme expert known as the ‘Sovereign Venerate’ to fight an unparalleled, bloody battle against a race of Chaos Fiends.

There was no telling how many Heavenly Sovereigns and Chaos Fiends died during the battle. Their blood stained the water red, and the combat shook the entire world.

They said that all thirty-three continents of the Eternal Heavens Domain felt the aftermath. The Laws shifted, and calamity befell the world, destroying countless living beings.

The fighting lasted for ten years, a decade-long rain of blood! Bloodshed enveloped the entire world!

When the curtain fell on the battle, it changed the entire world. The Chaos Fiends receded from the stage of history, vanishing into obscurity.

Eternal Thrones had been scarce ever since, and becoming a Heavenly Sovereign was now extraordinarily difficult.

All of this could be traced back to the Battle of Rulers.

During that decade-long battle, most Heavenly Sovereigns died, and most Eternal Thrones were destroyed. Only a handful survived.

And the Sea of Fate was the primary battlefield!

Few in this world knew these secrets. After all, all of this had happened so long ago that the masses had long since forgotten.

But the Heavenly Sovereigns were naturally fully aware of all this.

They even knew that the legendary leader of that battle, the Sovereign among Sovereigns, was called Sovereign Venerate Yi.

He was supreme even among Heavenly Sovereigns. How dazzling was that? How could anyone be worthy of such a title without the strength to suppress all others of the same level?

However, they said that Sovereign Venerate Yi died not long after the Battle of Rulers, vanishing from the world completely. The entire Primordial Era passed without anyone ever laying eyes on him again.

Thus, tales of the Sovereign Venerate had long since been lost to the dust of history. In the present age, almost no one knew his name.

“If we get lucky this time, we might well find some of the Heavenly Sovereign weapons lost in these waters,” Heavenly Sovereign Ling said with a hint of anticipation. “Of course, it would be even better if we found pieces of damaged Eternal Thrones...”

This wasn’t just the raving of a madman. Over the years, the Heavenly Sovereigns had visited the Sea of Fate on numerous occasions. Some really had acquired fragments of lost weapons or Eternal Thrones.

Most of their weapons had been forged from Eternal Thrones destroyed during the Primordial Era!

“Why bring all that up? Don’t forget why we’re here,” Heavenly Sovereign Changhen said with a frown. “So long as we capture Su Yi alive, what good fortune can’t we acquire? We’ll gain reincarnation, the Epoch Spark, the Yitian Eternal Throne, and several Edicts of Heaven’s Will.... As well as the Book of Destiny. Any one of them is as great or greater than any good fortune to be found in the Sea of Fate!”

The other Heavenly Sovereigns exchanged glances. All of them felt a bit conflicted.

Su Yi was just an Immeasurable Realm sword cultivator. Who could have imagined that someone like him would acquire so much unparalleled good fortune?

Who wouldn’t have been envious? Who wouldn’t have asked how the heavens could be so unfair, or how they could shower Su Yi with such favor?

Even Heavenly Sovereigns like them were jealous!

“You’re forgetting one key treasure,” Heavenly Sovereign E said expressionlessly. “The Cauldron of Fate! That’s the one we’re after this time. If we find it, we won’t just be able to find the lost Eternal Throne. We’ll have a chance to learn even more of the Sea of Fate’s secrets!”

The other Heavenly Sovereigns were increasingly displeased. See? It’s just some cauldron, but it’s already so extraordinary. As if that weren’t bad enough, he has the Book of Destiny, too! And reincarnation! And the Epoch Spark! Any one of those treasures is enough to drive even Heavenly Sovereigns like us mad with desire!

“Since we decided to join forces, we absolutely cannot leave Su Yi any hope of escaping the Sea of Fate alive!” said Heavenly Sovereign Yaoguang, eyes blazing with determination. His voice was full of murderous intent.

A burst of derisive laughter rang out. “There are no absolutes in this world. How could just anyone decide His Excellency’s life and death? I urge you not to boast. Take care not to slap yourselves in the face!”

It was River Ancestor Luo Yu who’d spoken. He’d been following the Heavenly Sovereigns this entire time.

Heavenly Sovereign Yaoguang glared icily at him. “We’ll be sure to settle things with you once Su Yi is dead!”

River Ancestor Luo Yu just smiled and said nothing.

Heavenly Sovereign Yaoguang looked away. He couldn’t be bothered to argue with a mere avatar of will.

“You’d best keep up. Also, if anything happens, your fate is none of our business,” Heavenly Sovereign E warned coolly.

River Ancestor Luo Yu laughed. “If something happens to me, His Excellency will lose his source of information, and he’ll change his mind accordingly. How do you expect to acquire the Cauldron of Fate then?”

He grinned. “You’d best take good care of me. Whatever you do, don’t let anything bad happen.”

The Heavenly Sovereigns frowned. Were it all possible, they’d have loved nothing more than to slap him to death. He was just too good at infuriating people!

“How much longer, Daoist Brother?” Heavenly Sovereign Wen transmitted.

“It won’t be long,” said Heavenly Sovereign E.

As he spoke, a figure appeared out of nowhere over the distant sea: the desiccated corpse of an old man. He held a cracked, blood-caked mirror.

The Heavenly Sovereigns’ hearts quivered at the sight of him. None could remain calm. A Sovereign Corpse!

These strange beings were the reanimated bodies of the Heavenly Sovereigns who’d died during the Battle of Rulers in the early days of the Primordial Era. They’d been buried in the Sea of Fate’s depths, and it was extraordinarily uncommon to encounter them.

Yet now, here one was!

The Heavenly Sovereigns were astonished. They could never have imagined that the changes to the Sea of Fate would result in the appearance of a Sovereign Corpse.

Even more unexpectedly, Heavenly Sovereign E seemed to have anticipated the Sovereign Corpse’s arrival. He said calmly, “Please step aside and permit us to enter the Blood Lotus Forbidden Domain.”

As he spoke, he took out a black talisman and drew his fingers over its surface. A rain of mysterious light floated out of the talisman.

The ancient corpse suddenly spoke. “Where... is the Cauldron... of Fate...”

Its voice started and stopped, and it was low and hoarse, as if it had been a long time since the corpse had last spoken.

But its meaning was readily apparent. They couldn’t help but look at Heavenly Sovereign E in surprise.

They’d had no idea that Heavenly Sovereign E and this Sovereign Corpse were already acquainted!

“The one who carries the Cauldron of Fate will soon follow us into the Blood Lotus Forbidden Domain,” said Heavenly Sovereign E. “Even if you don’t believe me, you ought to trust this talisman.”

The decrepit corpse fell briefly silent, then said, “You can... go on.”

Heavenly Sovereign E sighed in relief, then led the group away.

As they passed the ancient corpse, Heavenly Sovereign E suddenly recalled something. “Someone will soon follow us into the Blood Lotus Forbidden Domain. He carries the Cauldron of Fate on his person, but I urge you not to attack him.”

He was revealing Su Yi’s presence!

The ancient corpse gazed coldly at him, but said nothing.

River Ancestor Luo Yu’s heart sank. He didn’t even need to think to know that Heavenly Sovereign E wanted to borrow the corpse’s hands to kill Destiny’s Chosen!

Not long after they’d left the area and resumed their journey, Heavenly Sovereign E whipped around and looked at River Ancestor Luo Yu. “As your master’s lackey, don’t you think you ought to send word to him immediately?”

River Ancestor Luo Yu frowned.

“A well-intentioned warning, that’s all. I’m just worried that your master will die by that Sovereign Corpse’s hand.” With that, Heavenly Sovereign E turned and continued into the distance.

River Ancestor Luo Yu’s expression shifted erratically. He sent word shortly after.

Meanwhile, Heavenly Sovereign Wen transmitted, “Fellow Daoist Yan, don’t you think you ought to explain what happened earlier?”

The other Heavenly Sovereigns looked at him, too. There was obviously something strange about their encounter with the Sovereign Corpse. All of them realized that Heavenly Sovereign E had been hiding things from them!

Heavenly Sovereign E said gravely, “It’s not that I’m hiding things, but that so much is on the line. Moreover, this involves a powerful faction of the Far Shore of Destiny. Not even I dare to divulge these secrets lightly.”

A powerful faction of the Far Shore of Destiny? The Heavenly Sovereigns were stunned. Didn’t the Secluded Ones establish a new pact forbidding the forces of the Far Shore from intervening in the River of Destiny’s affairs?

Don’t tell me...

Heavenly Sovereign E instantly saw through them, then shook his head. “Don’t jump to conclusions. The experts of the Far Shore won’t be getting involved.”

He paused, then added, “I’ll tell you everything on the road ahead. When the time comes, you’ll understand my difficulties, and why I kept this information from you earlier.”

The other Heavenly Sovereigns fell briefly silent, then agreed.

This entire exchange was conducted via transmitted voices. River Ancestor Luo Yu didn’t hear a word of it.

Still, their encounter with the Sovereign Corpse had filled him with foreboding.

This death trap targeting Destiny’s Chosen obviously wasn’t just Heavenly Sovereign E’s doing. Moreover, not even the other Heavenly Sovereigns knew what was going on!

There was no doubt about it. Someone else was conspiring with Heavenly Sovereign E!