Chapter 1223, Opening the Heaven’s Door! Ascending the Road to the Heavens

Translator:  Ashish

Translation Checker: Silvain

 

The pride of the Phoenix Clan was no secret. It had never been.

 

And this peerless prodigy of the Phoenix Clan, the Seven-Colored Divine Phoenix, was the very embodiment of that arrogance.

 

Rumor had It that within the Phoenix Clan, she would not even spare others a proper glance, let alone speak to them without a condescending look on her face.

 

Be that as it may, the fame of the Seven-Colored Divine Phoenix’s beauty had spread far and wide.

 

Even now… whispers and murmurs could be heard, despite the presence of the Crimson Dragon.

 

“She truly lives up to the title ‘Greatest Beauty Beneath the Stars’… This Ni Shang is nothing short of a celestial enchantress.”

 

“Are you looking to die? Aren’t you afraid she might hear you?”

 

“And if she does? What then? You think I fear her?”

 

…

 

Unconcealed exchanges of psychic sense rippled through the starry skies.

 

They immediately brought a subtle change in the expression of that lone figure standing upon the prismatic clouds.

 

“Hmph…” A cold snort escaped her lips, but rumbling like thunder.

 

Faintly, one could also hear cries of tens of thousands birds rising in unison.

 

In that instant, a distant corner of the starry sky erupted in a series of thunderous blasts.

 

Even the void itself was consumed by chaotic turbulence.

 

And then, from within that turbulence, three figures emerged, standing silently amid the storm.

 

Each of them bore a third eye on their forehead and wore ornate, luxurious garments that radiated regality and majesty.

 

They were none other than the Three-Eyed Divine Clan, one of the highest-ranked races among all the Myriad Races.

 

Unfortunately, the current state of the three members of this Divine Clan was far from ideal.

 

Their robes were in disarray, and one of them had even lost the brilliance in his divine eye.

 

Faced with the Seven-Colored Divine Phoenix, a terrifying powerhouse nearing Tier-7, even a Clan as mighty as the Three-Eyed Divine Clan had suffered a bitter blow.

 

However, knowing that it was not the time for internal strife, the Seven-Colored Divine Phoenix, Ni Shang, did not pursue the matter anymore.

 

She raised her eyes slowly, finally looking toward the mist-shrouded silhouette of a colossal tree in the depths of this galaxy.

 

“So this is the so-called Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree…”

 

As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward the nearby Crimson Dragon, coiled around a distant star. Without ceremony, she asked, “When do we strike?”

 

“When he opens the Heaven’s Door…” Came the calm reply from the Crimson Dragon, while a look of anticipation blanketed her and countless other figures.

 

The Opening of the Heaven’s Door, also known as the Road to Ascension, was a realm that only the Hegemons could set foot upon.

 

The Heaven’s Door had nine doors, opening each door brought one a step closer to Eternity.

 

Once all Nine Doors of the Heavens were opened, it signified the attainment of Eternity.

 

This was the path that only Hegemons could walk, the Road of the Heaven’s Door.

 

It was said that with each door broken through, Spiritual Energy would surge tenfold.

 

Thus, a Hegemon who had opened the Heaven’s Door was a being of an entirely different tier from ordinary Hegemons.

 

As for those known as Half-Step Eternals, they were the monstrous Hegemons who had opened Eight Doors.

 

Now, the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree stood only a single step away from opening the First Door of the Heaven.

 

And if he managed to take that step, his Dao would have reached Intermediate-Level.

 

At that moment, within the vast universe, none would be his match.

 

So now, under some mysterious guidance, countless mighty beings of the universe had gathered here, all to stop the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree from opening the Heaven’s Door.

 

This… could be considered the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree’s ‘Mortal Tribulation.’

(Ashish: Human Tribulation has been changed to Mortal Tribulation.)

 

There were three kinds of Tribulation, Heavenly, Earthly, and Mortal, and no being or entity, regardless of their power, could escape them, not even the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree.

 

Thus… all waited in anticipation.

 

First, for the historic moment when the Heaven’s Door would appear beneath the stars for the first time.

 

And second, for the clash of Myriad Races. Who would be the one to seize the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree?

 

Even if one could not claim its entire body, to take just a single branch… would be an unimaginable stroke of fortune.

 

Simply because, at this very moment, within the Central Sector, there were no fewer than several thousand Tier-6 Overlords gathered, perhaps even more.

 

From the Four Sectors, to countless Lesser Sectors, and within those, innumerable Star Systems. The vastness of the universe far exceeded all imagination.

 

And so did the number of powerhouses it nurtured.

 

Were it not for the sheer immensity of the cosmos making it difficult for such beings to gather together, the cosmos might have long since fallen into utter chaos.

 

But today, all these mighty beings had gathered for a single purpose: to cut down a tree, sever its Dao, and seize what may be the greatest opportunity since the resurgence of Spiritual Energy.

 

…

 

And just then…

 

*Haa…* A soft sigh escaped from a shadowed figure in a remote corner of the starry sky, his expression tinged with bitter helplessness.

 

[So this is the Myriad Races…Each and every one of them is greedy without exception.]

 

Today, as the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree prepared to break open the Heaven’s Door, the Myriad Races had arrived. They were not here to witness, but to obstruct.

 

Stopping her ascension was one thing, but more than that… they had set their sights upon the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree.

 

As the spokesperson of the Heavenly Dao, the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree stood in communion with Heaven, myriad Principles flowed through her entire being.

 

To obtain even a single leaf or a small branch from him… would be a tremendous fortune in and of itself.

 

And this was precisely why so many powerhouses had gathered here. Some had even come bearing Imperial Artifacts, prepared for war.

 

Witnessing this, Yu Zi Yu could not help but think of himself.

 

[As another Divine Tree, was I truly any different? Fortunately for now, the Myriad Races had not yet found a reason to act against me. But if they ever did, if my value surpassed their expectations, or if someone fabricated a justifiable cause…then, the day I became the next Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree might not be far off.]

 

“Will that day come…?” A quiet question lingered in Yu Zi Yu’s heart, as a flicker of contemplation flashed across his eyes.

 

“It won’t.” Suddenly, a reassuring voice echoed in his ears. It was Anzuiel, the Spirit of the Sixteen Holy Wings.

 

And then, with a shift in tone, Anzuiel added, “You are different from the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree. Unlike it, which walks alone, you command a domain, with countless mighty beings under your banner. Given some time to grow, and you may well have the strength to declare war against the Myriad Races.”

 

“…”

 

A moment of silence ensued, while Yu Zi Yu’s brow twitched slightly.

 

[Did he…notice something?] Suspicion rose in his heart, but he said nothing.

 

And even if Anzuiel had figured it out, Yu Zi Yu wasn’t worried too much about it.

 

After all, the Sixteen Holy Wings was now one of his own.

 

Perhaps Anzuiel had sensed the presence of the Soaring Purple Dragon, coiled in the deepest parts of the Void Space.

 

The Purple Dragon was Yu Zi Yu’s true leverage against the Myriad Races.

 

If needed, the Void Clan would charge into the starry skies under his command.

 

At that point, Yu Zi Yu would simply have to wait, and reap the rewards like a fisherman watching two tigers fight.

 

Of course, that day was still far off.

 

At least for now, Yu Zi Yu had not yet been forced to that point.