The Great Spirit Queen noticed that a mischievous girl was beside Carolyn all this while. Carolyn was someone who had a sense of propriety, yet she allowed this girl to stand beside her while she was reporting to the Great Spirit Queen. Carolyn was clearly doing this intentionally to introduce the girl to her. Earth was at peak power now and seemed to be more influential than the Great Spirit Race, but the latter was still a race that held considerable power in the Star Alliance. That was also the reason why Carolyn continued working for the Great Spirit Queen. “Who is this girl?”

“Your Majesty, this is my younger sister Catherine.” Carolyn smiled. “She had heard of the miracle of how Your Majesty brought the dead back to life. She admires Your Majesty very much and has been pestering me to let her see you.”

“Your Majesty, you’re even prettier in person than how Sister Carolyn described you. You look really young!” Catherine was around 12 or 13 years old and was Carolyn’s half-sister. Previously, she was still a baby with diapers during the CHF era, but she was all grown up now. She had also inherited the good-looks genes of the Stuart Clan.

Carolyn exuded a majestic aura that was in her blood, but on the contrary, Catherine seemed quirkier and more mischievous. Catherine looked like she had a lot of tricks up her sleeve, and she was also good at complimenting people. “I’ve heard that Your Majesty is the role model of all the female aristocrats in the Star Alliance. I think that is an understatement and you are their idol! Your Majesty, your skincare routine must be really good since your skin is like white porcelain. I’m really envious!”

“Hehe.” The Great Spirit Queen laughed. She usually didn’t like people who were cheeky. However, since she liked Carolyn, she liked all the things and people related to her. In this case, Catherine was Carolyn’s sister, and the Great Spirit Queen was delighted by her flattery. “A female’s skincare routine is specialized knowledge. Little girl, ask your sister to take you to White Horse City someday. I’ll assign some female subordinates to teach you all about skincare.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty! You are the most beautiful and nicest person ever!” Catherine jumped with joy. “I will definitely visit!”

“Don’t be rude!” She lightly reproached Catherine and turned to the Great Spirit Queen with a sorry look on her face. It had been two to three years since Carolyn had returned to Earth, and she looked even more gorgeous now. It appeared that Earth was a nurturing environment for Earthlings. Carolyn had a majestic aura and came across as arrogant previously. However, she had turned into a noble intellectual beauty now, and she exuded a sacred and inviolable aura. “She’s still too young and doesn’t know the rules. Please don’t hold it against her, Your Majesty.”

“Haha, it’s okay.” The Great Spirit Queen smiled and waved. Children’s words carried no harm, and it was not a big deal. On the contrary, it was easier to get close to someone with no bad intentions. “By the way, has the Holy Saint Teacher returned to Earth? Have you seen him?”

Although Earth was a level-7 civilization now, it still retained the civilization structure where the center of focus was on the Holy City. The Holy City Patriarch Society was the core of the entire Earth civilization. Around fifty Sacred Teacher vacancies in the Patriarch Society were added, and the number of vacancies would continue to increase in accordance with the development of the Earth civilization. However, the criteria to enter the Patriarch Society had been raised too. Two years ago, the minimum requirement to enter the Patriarch Society was to be a Peak Foundational Stage, but now, one could only qualify to join it after one had reached the Void Core Realm.

The term “Holy Saint Teacher” was just an honorific title. It was a rank above all the Sacred Teachers and represented a pioneer Earthling status. This title was awarded to Earth’s leader and no longer specifically referred to Adalia. Mo Wen and Mu Zi were considered to be peerless experts on Earth, but only Wang Zhong was worthy of the Holy Saint Teacher title. In this case, the Great Spirit Queen was referring to Wang Zhong.

“I heard that he has been in closed-door cultivation in the Mirror World.” Carolyn smiled, not seeming flustered at all. “I have not seen him.”

“Ah, that’s only because you don’t want to. Otherwise, the Holy Saint Teacher won’t refuse to see you no matter how busy he is,” Catherine interjected. “Your Majesty, the Holy Saint Teacher is Sister Carolyn’s first love!”

There was a flash in the Great Spirit Queen’s eyes, and she clearly seemed very interested in what she had just heard.

Who was the most-influential and well-known figure in the Land now? It wasn’t the Heavenly Gates Superintendent nor Arbitrator Wikans from the Machinery Race. Undoubtedly, it was Wang Zhong, the current leader of Earth!

Countless females in the Star Alliance were captivated by Wang Zhong. Numerous civilizations would gladly gift him the most beautiful females and mountains of gold and silver, just to be acquainted with the Holy Saint Teacher and for him to recognize their faces. However, Wang Zhong was a cultivation maniac. He was the most influential figure now, yet he chose to go into closed-door cultivation for a full six years. Those who wanted to establish good relations with him could only sigh.

However, the Great Spirit Queen didn’t expect Carolyn, who had been working for her all this while, to be Wang Zhong’s first love. The Great Spirit Queen was extremely fascinated by this story. In addition, if Carolyn had such a special relationship with Wang Zhong, it would be much more convenient for the Great Spirit Race to make deals with Earth in the future.

This was really surprising… Carolyn had never mentioned such an important piece of news to her. She wanted to press for more details, but Carolyn spoke first with a smile, “Your Majesty, don’t take her words to heart. It was merely a rumor.”

However, the Great Spirit Queen was not easily fooled. Although Carolyn’s expression was very calm, she could still tell that something was amiss.

Was that relationship too unforgettable that she hadn’t gotten over it? She was unwilling to mention it, and this seemed like a sensitive topic. This topic would probably come up again in the future, and there was no need to force Carolyn to talk about her past when she didn’t want to.

The Great Spirit Queen smiled and was about to speak, but someone outside the door at Carolyn’s side had something to report. “Grand Manager Carolyn, Lady Scarlet is here!”

As Wang Zhong’s woman, Scarlet was the so-called “queen” of Earth now. She held considerable authority now and was on equal footing with people such as Ma Dong and Wang Zhanfeng in the Patriarch Society. Carolyn couldn’t compare to her at all in terms of reputation and power regardless of whether it was in the context of Earth or the Star Alliance.

“You should go and receive your guest.” The Great Spirit Queen was a tactful person. Even though she was the leader of a level-6 civilization, her status was still inferior to that of the first lady of Earth. “Help me convey my greetings to Lady Scarlet.”

…

“Understood.”

After the video call ended, Catherine pursed her lips at the side. “Hmph, first lady? What’s so great about her? If she hadn’t come between you and Wang Zhong, Sister Carolyn, you would have been the first lady of Earth!”

“Shut up.”

Carolyn’s voice sounded rather cold. After she had returned to Earth two years ago, her father had passed away. Catherine was her only blood relative, and Carolyn hadn’t spoken so sternly to her in a long while.

Catherine was startled and felt wronged.

There were hundreds of story versions about the romantic past between Sister Carolyn and Wang Zhong circulating within the Stuart Clan. Of course, none of those versions was the true story. The Stuart Clan would have loved to dramatize Wang Zhong and Carolyn’s relationship into a sad and beautiful love story and turn it into a theatre play, playing it in every corner of the Star Alliance every single day. However, they could only dream about it. The fake story versions could only be circulated within the family… Catherine grew up listening to the gossip mongers around her talking about the fake story versions. She had many beautiful fantasies about her sister and Wang Zhong’s relationship, and she didn’t know the truth.

Carolyn felt bad for scolding her sister. After experiencing so many things, she was more skilled in socializing, but her heart had become softer too.

“Don’t listen to the so-called love stories about the Holy Saint Teacher. Those stories are fake. They are silly remarks made by people who want to slander the Holy Saint Teacher and Lady Scarlet.” Carolyn sighed and switched to a gentler tone. “Also, you need to remember that you are a daughter of the Stuart Clan and my sister. Rely on yourself for everything you want to achieve. If you choose to take shortcuts and rely on others, you will lose everything!”

Catherine rarely saw her dear sister being so stern and serious. She seemed shocked and nodded blankly.

“Let’s go and receive Lady Scarlet together. She has so many merits that you could spend your whole life learning from her.” Carolyn straightened out Catherine’s clothes.

The man that Carolyn chose to give up on previously was now someone whom she had to look up to. The woman that she looked down on previously had become a distinguished individual now.

Previously, Carolyn regretted her decision and was unwilling to accept reality. However, all those negative emotions had long since disappeared.

Before Wang Zhong rescued her from the slave market in the Heavenly Treasures Street, she had had regrets and some wishful thinking on her part still. However, after that incident, she no longer hated him nor harbored any lingering hope of getting together with him.

This was her fate. Her father had no sons. If Carolyn had a brother, perhaps things would have been different.

Carolyn hadn’t changed. In order to inherit her father’s position and bring the Stuart Clan to greater heights, she had to put her personal interests aside. This was her mindset previously, and it wouldn’t change in the future either. Even if she had the chance to choose again, she would probably have made the same choice. Under the circumstances then, she didn’t have the power to oppose her family’s decision unless she betrayed her family or divided it. She could only choose to give up in order to appease her family.

They had met each other at the wrong time and place. Carolyn and Wang Zhong were destined to be a tragic story. There was nothing to sigh about as they were not the right person for each other.

She was Carolyn, the ruler of Stuart City. Her destiny was to dedicate her life to Stuart City. If she could afford to care for herself at all, she hoped that she wouldn’t need to sacrifice herself for profit or force herself to get together with someone like Solomon again.

After taking a deep breath, Carolyn wore her usual calm smile again.

Wang Zhong should be coming back soon…

……

Even though Lao Wang disappeared for a full seven years, this did not affect his reputation at all. He was the Earth’s leader and a rising force in the Star Alliance.

Everyone thought that he was still in closed-door cultivation in the Mirror World, and it would be a long time before he came out. There seemed to be no news of Wang Zhong, but only people who were closer to him knew he had already returned to Earth secretly a month ago.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious villa in the desert…

It was a piece of paradise in New World City. The huge living room was bright and spacious. Sand danced in the air outside, and it was sweltering hot. However, the temperature inside the villa was pleasant and comfortable. It was cool and refreshing inside. For those who could control the powers of a law, it was way too easy to create more comfortable conditions in the desert.

“I have a Three!” Six “idlers” sat in the living room. It was rare to see these people on a vacation. There was excitement in Simba’s voice. After this, he only had one card left in his hand, and it was a good one. He had been losing the whole afternoon. His luck was finally changing!

“Bomb!” Lao Wang threw out four cards at once.

“Hmph!” Simba was extremely scornful. “I’ll pass. Your turn!”

“Bomb again!” Lao Wang threw out four K cards.

Simba was a little pissed. “It’s fine if you bombed after I put a Three down, but you’re choosing to bomb again when it’s your turn to play?! Why do you have so many chances to bomb? Why are you only playing these cards now?”

“Oh well.” Lao Wang waved and shrugged. “Too bad.”

“You… I’ll skip my turn! Your turn again!”

“Bomb again!” This time, Wang Zhong threw out four Aces.

Simba’s eyes turned as round as saucers. He held his supposedly “good” card tightly in his hand and looked pitifully at Lan Daier who had just returned to Earth for a vacation.

Lan Daier laughed. “Don’t look at me. I can’t play any cards.”

“Lao Wang, your turn again! I don’t believe you can—”

Thump!

“Don’t bother looking at anyone. There’s no use.” Lao Wang threw out four Twos. “I’m done here.”

While Simba was still shocked, Lao Wang had already brought over a bowl of fries that looked inedible and rather questionable. He smiled at Simba. “The forfeit was three servings of this. I’m too lazy to count. My dear Simba, just finish this bowl.”

“Ah! Ahhhh!” Simba was enraged. This was cheating! How could someone possibly get such good cards and bomb four consecutive times in this game! “You cheated! You definitely used your power of natural laws to disrupt the card sequence! Lao Wang, you can’t—”

Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!

Four pairs of slender arms reached for Simba at the same time. Emily and the others held him down in a playful manner.

“Why are there people helping you?” Simba let out a blood-curdling scream.

“That’s right! Wang Zhong’s supporters are here!” Emily laughed heartily. She grabbed the fries that Lao Wang was holding, appearing more enthusiastic than Lao Wang, who was the one that was involved in the bet. “If you agree to bet, you must be prepared to lose. Eat up!”

Bleh!

Simba had nothing to retort. He was the one who suggested playing this card game and that the loser eat the questionable fries. He had just been fooling around, yet in the end, he wound up shooting himself in the foot.

The fries were way too smelly! Which bastard made these fries? That person should be sentenced to death.

The desert that was previously dead had turned into an oasis now. The new plant species that had been transplanted from the Star Alliance could totally transform the desert. Everyone had special feelings towards this desert.

Lao Wang smiled and watched from the side while the others tormented Simba, joining in occasionally. After being in closed-door cultivation in the Mirror World for a full seven years, this leisurely moment made him feel extremely relaxed.

Whoosh whoosh~

Humm~~~

A huge aircraft landed outside the villa, and a few familiar figures walked out from it.

Mo Wen, Mu Zi, and Aiolos waited outside the villa with no intention of entering it. They merely smiled at the people inside the villa and waited quietly.

One couldn’t escape the inevitable. Lao Wang’s holiday wasn’t never-ending. He didn’t come out of closed-door cultivation secretly and return to Earth just to play and have fun.

Scarlet was smiling happily, but her smile was replaced with a serene expression in the next moment. The others stopped laughing and fooling around too.

Everyone inside the villa and those standing outside it were Wang Zhong’s closest friends and family. Everyone knew of Wang Zhong’s plan, which was to charge through the Heavenly River and ascend to Heaven together with Mo Wen, Mu Zi, and Aiolos. All of their grudges and grievances originated from there, and they would put an end to it there. There was no use in avoiding some things. If they didn’t take the initiative and let Heaven gain the initiative by striking first, then Earth would certainly be done for, and Wang Zhong and the others would die tragic deaths.

If Lao Wang wanted to go to Heaven, he had to do so secretly and deliberately avoid the so-called weakest moments of the Heavenly River. He had to charge through the Heavenly River Tide at a time when no one would expect him to do so. At the same time, he had to hide this from everyone, especially those from the Land and including the Machinery Race who he had trusted all along. Otherwise, if this plan was leaked, the enemies in Heaven would know and stand guard at the Heavenly River. After the Shannali incident previously, Lao Wang knew clearly that Heaven had planted many spies in the Land.

Currently, everyone thought Lao Wang was in closed-door cultivation in the Mirror World. Also, it was no longer the weakest time of the Heavenly River Tide. He had the highest chance of being unnoticed if he chose to charge through the River now. However, one would have to be powerful enough to do so. Even when the Heavenly River was at its weakest, many king-level Gold Cores had failed to pass through it. It was thought to be impossible to pass through the Heavenly River when it was at its peak power.

Nonetheless, Lao Wang, Mo Wen, Mu Zi, and Aiolos had the confidence to do so. The four brothers had never relaxed for a moment throughout the past few years of cultivation. If they couldn’t charge through the Heavenly River when it was at its peak power, they wouldn’t be qualified enough to face the terrifying four races of Heaven either.

Scarlet had known of Wang Zhong’s plan long ago and even knew that today was the day when he would leave. Although she was reluctant to part with him and very worried about him, she wouldn’t put those emotions on display. Her expression was a little unnatural when Mo Wen and the others appeared, but it returned to normal the next instant.

Putting on an encouraging smile, she walked towards Wang Zhong.

Lao Wang smiled and hugged her. “Don’t worry. Heaven is nothing like the Land, and we are not trying to gain a foothold there anyway… I’ll be back very soon!”

“I believe you. You have never disappointed me before.” Scarlet smiled sweetly. “I’ll be waiting for you at home!”

She would wait for him, no matter how long he took.

……

The Internal Gates was a core location in the Land, yet the defense there seemed to be rather neglected. There were almost no guards in sight.

However, places with the most negligent defenses were often places that were the most secure. Although there were no guards here, that didn’t mean that others could break in easily as this place was eternally protected by the colorful glass barrier.

The colorful glass barrier had always been considered a taboo in the Land. No one dared to break through it or sneak under it. It was a divine object that transcended all the other artifacts in the Land, and even Gold Cores weren’t able to contend against the power of the colorful glass barrier. If a king-level Gold Core had to directly take on an attack from the colorful glass barrier, there was a chance that they would not survive it.

No one had ever dared to trespass in this area, and the Heavenly Gates never had to worry about the security of this place. However, at this moment, four uninvited guests quietly descended into the barrier. The invincible colorful glass barrier didn’t attack these four intruders at all.

It had to be said that having a distinguished reputation was a very convenient thing. After the Civilization War, Lao Wang had been promoted to one of the elders of the Heavenly Gates. He had been engrossed in cultivation, and the Heavenly Gates didn’t give him any power or force to command, but his status and authority were equivalent to that of Elder Yimo. There were no places that he was forbidden to go in the Heavenly Gates. He could pass through the colorful glass barrier at will, and he had no problem bringing Mo Wen and the others along too.

Of course, Lao Wang believed that Superintendent Erza could sense it the moment he passed through the colorful glass barrier, since she controlled it. However, that didn’t matter. Lao Wang trusted Superintendent Erza, and even if she really harbored ill intentions, it was too late for her to notify Heaven now.

Rumble~~~ Bang bang~~~

Instantly, everyone could hear a magnified vibrating sound.

Rumble! Bang, bang!

Surging waves overwhelmed the sky. As they passed through the barrier, the majestic Heavenly River was no longer obscured, and everyone could see its true form clearly.

Towering waves spread in all directions, and the intensity of the water pressure was equivalent to that of a typhoon. Although Lao Wang and the others were powerful experts, they couldn’t help but feel small in front of the majestic Heavenly River.

It was the first time that Lao Wang and Aiolos were here, and there was a hint of awe in their eyes.

“Indeed, the Heavenly River is much stronger now, by four times or so, as compared to when Napier tried to charge through it. The Heavenly River reaches its weakest point once every hundred years. However, the Heavenly River’s aura is the strongest now.”

‘You’ve got to be kidding me…” Simba sat on Lao Wang’s shoulder and was flabbergasted. Getting to the divine territory this time was a different thing from using Earth’s flawed and unstable transmission array previously, so Simba didn’t fall into a deep slumber. Simba had strongly requested to tag along on the journey to Heaven. Although he had not been able to keep up with Lao Wang in terms of cultivation level, he still stubbornly believed that he would be useful in the journey to Heaven. He couldn’t let Lao Wang risk it all alone.

However, when Simba saw the Heavenly River’s true form, he thought that it was way too intimidating. They were merely standing in the mist, which was still a great distance away from the Heavenly River, yet Simba was already shuddering. His heart was palpitating at a crazy speed, as if it was going to jump out from just looking at the majestic Heavenly River.

“Hide in my Gold Core.” Lao Wang smiled. “I’ll call you when we reach there.”

Normally, Simba would refuse, but he was in no mood to joke around after witnessing the majestic Heavenly River. He shivered and immediately disappeared into Wang Zhong’s Gold Core. In the surroundings, Mo Wen, Mu Zi, and Aiolos smiled at each other.

The four of them had already prepared long enough for this, and there was no need to say anything more.

“Let’s go!”

In a swift movement, Lao Wang dashed into the mist with a golden glow enveloping his body.

The water splashes carried a lot of weight, and they could feel the immense impact of these splashes of water when they just reached the edge of the Heavenly River waterfall.

The impact of the water splashes was more powerful compared to when the Heavenly River was at its weakest. However, this was not the only reason behind the increased danger and difficulty of charging through the Heavenly River now.

Unlike when it was at its weakest, the Heavenly River at its full power had complete laws. The Origin Water of the Heavenly River waterfall was not only heavy, but also possessed an adhesive force that stuck to your body and added an unimaginable weight to your body.

Lao Wang felt his body becoming a hundred times heavier. After getting closer to the Heavenly River, the gravity and spiritual pressure under their feet had instantly increased by more than three or four times! This was not to be underestimated. Taking into account the water that clung to their bodies, the gravity that they had to overcome was at least a hundred times more than when the Heavenly River was at normal power.

In terms of physical strength, Lao Wang wasn’t the strongest out of the four: that was Aiolos, who had an immortal body. However, with Draconic Spiritual Power protecting Lao Wang’s body, he had the most explosive power out of everyone. Even so, he felt like he couldn’t move now. He was firmly bound by the terrifying gravity, and it was difficult to even stand up straight! It was no wonder that no one could pass through the Heavenly River when it was at normal power. The water obstacle was even the easiest to overcome out of the three calamities, yet it was enough to deter countless experts in the Land. Most probably couldn’t even enter the waterfall.

Lao Wang was a little emotional. Luckily, everything was going to plan. After all, the Heavenly Gates had been studying the Heavenly River for many years, and they already expected this to happen.

Wang Zhong closed his eyes and opened his arms wide, pulling Mu Zi and Mo Wen’s hands towards him simultaneously. The three of them formed a circle around Aiolos.

“I’ll leave it to you guys.” Aiolos smiled. He was better at brute force and physical endurance. However, this water obstacle wasn’t something that could be overcome with brute force and physical endurance.

Wang Zhong and the others nodded.

“Darkness rule — The Void!”

“Buddha once said — water and quicksand can be as light as a feather.”

“Law of Domination — Reversal of Fate, Switching of Yin and Yang.”

Three powers of the natural law were used at the same time. A black, white, and golden glow revolved around the three of them and enveloped them, creating a three-dimensional confined space bubble. This space bubble seemed detached from the Heavenly River and twisted the law of space in the surroundings.

When the Origin Water of the Heavenly River cascaded downwards, it couldn’t touch the twisted space bubble at all. It automatically separated into two streams that descended downwards along the sides of the elliptical space bubble. The gravity was curved around the space bubble, which seemed awkward, but the other laws of power were not affected by this.

The four of them felt lighter, and this enclosed space bubble started to rise unhurriedly. It floated in mid-air, going against the flow of the terrifying Heavenly River. It disappeared in the next instant.

The four of them made it through the water obstacle safely thanks to the preparations they had made beforehand.

Chance favored the prepared mind.

Out of the three Heavenly River calamities, they had planned in advance for the first two. They had calculated the variables and power involved in the first two calamities.

Not all of their calculations were based on inferences. Although no one from the Heavenly Gates had ever charged through the Heavenly River when it was at normal power, the Heavenly Gates had been constantly studying it. Mo Wen and the others had studied a large number of sources and information. The super-strong adhesion of the Heavenly River source water caused the water obstacle to become a hundred times stronger than normal. The highest level of power in the Land was the Gold Core Realm, but no Gold Cores in the Land could withstand the water obstacle with their physical body. They had to work smart by using the powers of the natural law to create an independent space bubble. Three of them had to join forces to help Aiolos. Otherwise, for one of them to carry Aiolos alone, it would be an extremely tough job.

The ground below them was rapidly becoming smaller as they advanced upwards. They could no longer see the Heavenly Gates or the Land as the rushing water obscured them from sight. After dashing upwards for over ten minutes, the Heavenly River suddenly became a lot more docile, and the strong currents were replaced by clear streams. At the same time, the space bubble that enveloped the four people dissipated.

The four of them knew very clearly that they had arrived in the lightning zone, which was the second calamity. They were no longer in the boundary of the Land and were not affected by the Land’s laws of gravity anymore. The laws of this space that they were in now were very different from when they were in the Land.

This was a similar situation to when the Earthlings first arrived in the Land. The laws of this space were more complete and stabler than that of the Land. At the same time, this place seemed more foreign too. Although it was a tad extreme to say that this space repelled them, they didn’t feel like they were accepted by this space as compared to when they were in the Land.

Boom!

A purplish-blue bolt of lightning suddenly struck downwards from the distant starry sky, lighting up the entire Heavenly River.

Pa Pa Pa Pa!

In the next instant, electricity passed through the entire Heavenly River. Countless terrifying purplish-blue lightning bolts were swimming in the clear water. Mu Zi and Mo Wen shuddered. Their physical body’s defense and power of natural laws weren’t enough to withstand this. Their bodies felt numb, as if an electric current passed through their entire body. If Lao Wang and Aiolos didn’t have fast reflexes, the other two would probably have been paralyzed by the electric current and fallen into the river.

As expected, the lightning bolts here were purplish-blue!

There were three types of lightning in this calamity, and the purplish-blue lightning was undoubtedly one of the hardest to resist against. This type of lightning was not immensely powerful, but it could penetrate all sorts of defenses. The space bubble that Wang Zhong and the others created earlier on would serve of no use here at all.

Only Lao Wang and Aiolos seemed fine. The former could control all 11 origin laws and had a high resistance against thunder and lightning. The latter had an immortal physical body that was invincible and could withstand the damage from the thunder and lightning.

However, even so, Aiolos and Lao Wang felt a little overwhelmed. They had just entered the lightning zone and were already being attacked by the purplish-blue lightning. It was not hard to imagine how tough it would be to advance in this zone.

“Let’s go!” The two of them grabbed Mu Zi and Mo Wen, unleashing the power of their Gold Cores. A strong jet force surged under their feet, resembling that of a rocket launcher, propelling them upwards along the Heavenly River.

Crack! Crack!

Crash crash crash!

The will of the Heavenly River seemed to have sensed the four intruders. In the endless void, countless lightning bolts struck down on them.

There were all sorts of lightning bolts, including purplish-blue lightning bolts that could penetrate any defense, giant lightning bolts that had the width of a mountain, dense electric bolts that were linked into a network, and even lightning balls of various colors that looked like asteroids.

It was as if explosions were occurring in the Heavenly River. This was the start of a magnificent thunder-and-lightning party.

Wang Zhong’s body exuded a radiant golden glow. With his Draconic Spiritual Power and resistance against thunder and lightning, he was able to withstand the concentrated lightning attacks and could even offer Mu Zi some protection. However, Aiolos and Mo Wen weren’t so lucky.

Their bodies were a bloody mess now. Aiolos’s condition was slightly better. He had already accumulated his Gold Core four years ago, and his immortal body’s recovery speed was on a whole new level. After getting struck by lightning, his bloody flesh was continually regenerating at a visible speed. Although he was forcibly using up his life force to resist the lightning, he was doing fine at the moment.

On the other hand, Mo Wen was not doing so well. He didn’t have a complete patch of skin that wasn’t scorched by the lightning. He had even fallen into a near-coma state. Luckily, Buddhism focused on spiritual cultivation, and Mo Wen had some resistance against the lethal lightning attacks that targeted his soul. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be able to get out of this lightning zone alive.

“Hang on! Keep going! We’re almost there!” As Aiolos was dashing upwards, he kept calling out to Mo Wen too, afraid that he would fall asleep. Frankly speaking, Aiolos himself could not hold on for much longer too.

Just as Aiolos was on the verge of death, Wang Zhong who was not far ahead of him suddenly disappeared. Before Aiolos had time to rejoice, the inertia had already carried him out of the lightning zone.

The sight in front of them changed entirely. This was…

Aiolos was a little shocked.

The seemingly endless Heavenly River disappeared, and he was surrounded by a starry sky of nothingness. Wang Zhong was right in front of him, but there was an inexplicable feeling of something missing.

Unlike the sky that was filled with stars under normal circumstances, the view of this starry sky was weird. Colorful barriers that were formed from numerous bright stars hung across the horizon. Huge galaxy nebulae were spiraling in the distant sky, and all kinds of absurd images could be seen. Shadowy figures that were larger than the nebulae suddenly appeared and then disappeared… The only thing that never changed here was the starry canopy hanging above the four of them.

It was colorful, but it seemed extremely peaceful too. Even by just looking at it from a distance, the four people felt calm and relaxed, as if that place was a pure land of bliss that all creatures were searching for. However, it was very sacred and majestic, as if one could only see it and not touch it.

This sight… Had they reached Heaven?

Lao Wang and the others couldn’t help but think so, but they became alert the next moment.

No! Something wasn’t right!

According to the Heavenly Gates records, there were three Heavenly Calamities. The first two were the water and lightning zones, but no one knew any specific details about the third Heavenly Calamity.

Some said that the third Heavenly Calamity was a comprehensive assessment that included the five elements and six supreme laws. Others claimed that it tested your mind and determination. However, those were all just speculations.

From past to present, no one in the Land knew what the third Heavenly Calamity was. The experts either survived the lightning zone and entered Heaven or died without any remains left behind. They couldn’t go back down the Heavenly River, regardless of whether they were dead or alive. The experts who ascended to Heaven could no longer go back to the Land. The only way to know what happened to them was through the Heaven messengers who went to the Land to collect the power of faith. They would occasionally mention some things about those who successfully ascended to Heaven.

This strange and untouchable world they were in… Was this the third Heavenly Calamity?

“Be careful!”

A voice rang in Lao Wang’s Gold Core. It was Simba’s voice, which was clearly different from his usual joking tone. It seemed steady and trustworthy.

Before he had time to think, Lao Wang instinctively pulled Mu Zi backwards and retreated. In the next moment, a massive force suddenly struck down on the position they occupied previously.

Hua!

This force attack was so massive that it could penetrate through the entire universe. The power it wielded was unimaginable, and even Lao Wang could sense a deadly threat in that instant. The four of them became alert at the same time.

In front of them, a shadowy figure could be seen towering over them. Its head was in the clouds, and its feet were on the ground. It stood at 10,000 feet tall, and Wang Zhong and the others looked like four tiny ants in front of it.

It also had three heads: a dog’s head, a sheep’s head, and a tiger’s head. All of them were laughing maniacally and salivating at the sight of Wang Zhong and the others.

It had six arms with a variety of shiny and terrifying artifacts hanging from them. Each artifact contained great power, and all of them were at least as powerful as the colorful glass barrier of the Heavenly Gates! However, even though it possessed so many powerful artifacts, they seemed more like decorations on its body rather than battle weapons.

The power and aura that it exuded were even more terrifying. The void seemed to tremble with its appearance. If one were to compare Wang Zhong and the others to this weird creature, it was like comparing a drop of water to the sea and a grain of sand to the desert.

This was… a creature that came from Heaven? What race was this creature? Was it from the Violent Demon Race?

“Hehehe! Not bad, you actually avoided my attack.” The gigantic figure that had three heads and six arms started laughing. “No wonder you were able to come up here at this point of time. Compared to the people who choose to come up here during the Heavenly River Tide, you guys are food who are rather strong.”

Food?

That wasn’t a pleasant thing to be called.

Lao Wang carefully sized up this creature. This creature that appeared in the third Heavenly Calamity didn’t seem like an illusion at all. It didn’t seem like an inner demon that existed in his imagination. It was a real entity. An illusion couldn’t possibly summon the power of the natural laws.

“Senior.” Lao Wang decided to ignore its malice and ask a question. “Is this Heaven?”

“Heaven?” The huge creature was taken aback for a moment and then burst into laughter. Its horrifying laughter echoed across the space and almost caused everyone to go deaf. “Hahahaha! Yes, to you food who came from the Land, this is Heaven!”

“Food?” Wang Zhong smiled. “Senior, are you intending to eat us? Look at our bodies, we don’t have much meat. I don’t think you will be satisfied at all after eating us.”

“I’ll let you know how you’re going to die. I’m going to eat your Gold Core! Size doesn’t matter for that!” The creature with three heads and six arms laughed some more. “Now that I’ve answered your question, it’s time for you to die!”

It stretched out its six arms at the same time. All of its arms were huge, and it seemed to carry the power of the whole universe in its palms!

If it was an ordinary Gold Core from the Land, he would probably be crushed into powder by this monstrous creature. However, Wang Zhong and the others didn’t look flustered.

In the air, the Netherworld King and a Buddha statue appeared. A huge black and white chessboard appeared too. They intertwined and resisted against the six arms of the creature.

Rumble~~~ Bang bang~~~

As the terrifying forces collided, a huge roar rang across the universe!

The three-headed creature’s expression instantly changed.

It was a Primordial Spirit that could roam the universe freely. However, it wasn’t able to immediately crush three weak Gold Cores who were a whole realm below him? They were actually evenly matched!

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