C1510 The New Atmosphere of the Divine Soul Sect
Stroking his chin, Yu Yuan gave Yan Qiling an amused look as he noticed the latter's discomfort.
Yan Qiling cleared his throat and cast a wary glance at Ann Wen from the Blood God Cult, seeming to be on the verge of speaking but ultimately holding back.
Clearly, he believed that the matters discussed by Yu Yuan, Hu Caiyun, and himself were sensitive secrets of the Divine Soul Sect.
And while Ann Wen was closely associated with both Yu Yuan and the Divine Soul Sect, he was, after all, still an outsider.
With an outsider present, there were many things Yan Qiling felt uneasy about discussing.
"You two go ahead and talk. I'll have a word with Lau Ying," Ann Wen said, understanding the situation. Recognizing Yan Qiling's reluctance, he knew it was inappropriate for him to remain.
Since he couldn't visit the Ghosts Poisoning Array at that moment, he decided to head to the Fallen Star Eyes amidst the clouds to spend some time with Lau Ying.
Transforming into a streak of crimson light, he vanished into the sky in the blink of an eye.
"With Sect Master Ann's stature and composure, he surely wouldn't stoop to eavesdropping. You can relax," Yu Yuan assured with earnestness.
Upon hearing this, Ann Wen, who had just arrived at the Fallen Star Eyes, stiffened.
With a reluctant flick of his finger, numerous invisible bloodstains silently vanished from the damp earth beneath their feet, sinking further into the depths.
"That little rascal," Ann Wen muttered under his breath.
It was then that Yan Qiling began to recount the tale in detail. "It's a long story, but here's how it goes..."
In ancient times, the Divine Soul Sect, allied with the ancient Fey, the Ghost Wizard Sect, and the Earth Demon, waged years of war against the Nagas, initially led by only two Divine Kings—Taishi and Taishi.
As the conflict escalated, the elite of the Divine Soul Sect emerged, with Tai Yi, Tai Xu, and the Void Divine King rising to prominence.
The demise of the Dragon God and the successive falls of the Earth Demon and the four Ghost Wizard Sect experts paved the way for the creation of three supreme seats within the upper sect. Consequently, Tai Yi, Tai Xu, and the Void Divine King also benefited, each securing one of these coveted positions.
During the Dragon War, the Tai Xu Divine King was the first to fall in battle, yet her legacy endured as her secret arts were passed down through the ages.
After the Dragon War concluded, a new era dawned.
The Divine Soul Sect, in this era, reigned supreme over the vast expanse of life, forming an alliance with the ancient demon race and other formidable human factions to pioneer the Outer Star River.
The Tai Yi Divine King and the Void Divine King, along with the Peak warriors from outside the sect, perished in the throes of battle.
Yet, within the Divine Soul Sect, new generations would emerge, adhering to their predecessors' Great Dao, and once again forge their Primordial Spirits, ascending to the throne of Divine King.
These successors, embodying their Great Dao, retained the titles of Tai Yi Divine King and Void Divine King.
The human race, in relentless succession, joined forces with the demon race to carve out the Outland Star River. In their vast struggle against extraterrestrial beings, innumerable warriors fell.
Countless masters from the Yang God Stage and the Unrestrained Stage met their end in battle.
The ranks of the Tai Yi, Tai Xu, and those who followed the Great Su's path to divinity experienced several transitions.
Within the Divine Soul Sect, only Taishi and Taixin, the Divine Kings, held their supreme seats with unwavering resolve, steadfast as mountains.
Taixin was the formidable one who had vanquished foes across the heavens and wielded authority over the Dragon Slash Platform.
In its zenith, the Divine Soul Sect boasted five Divine Kings: Taishi, Taixin, Tai Yi, Tai Xu, and Tai Su. However, only Taishi and Taixin never fell, their divine thrones never replaced.
The seats of Tai Yi, Tai Xu, and Tai Su were not immutable; they were subject to change over time.
This cycle continued until a prodigious talent within the Divine Soul Sect broke from ancient traditions. With innate brilliance, he deciphered the esoteric laws of the Space-time Dragon, and as fate would have it, ascended to the vacant throne of Tai Su, becoming a Supreme Divine King.
This individual was none other than the widely acclaimed Wisdom Divine King, a trailblazer for future generations.
Rejecting the traditional "Tai" prefix, he adopted "Ji" to signify a new era.
With the Wisdom Divine King's ascension, the Divine Soul Sect's five exalted seats were once again occupied.
Thus, the path to divinity for the descendants of the Tai Su lineage was irrevocably severed.
The number of Supreme Divine Thrones was finite: the Divine Soul Sect claimed five, the demon race held two, and the remaining upper sects each secured one.
In such circumstances, the path of the Great Taishi would never again see the rise of a new Divine King.
Yan Qiling was unclear about the irreconcilable conflict that had ensued.
He was only aware that the Demon Palace, along with the other major upper sects of the vast expanse, had clandestinely forged an agreement to launch a surprise attack on the Divine Soul Sect while it was defenseless.
The Divine Battle commenced!
Ultimately, the Great Taishi was subdued in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, branded as the Vast Expanse's greatest sin, the origin of all evil.
The Wisdom Divine King fell in battle.
The Void Divine King fell in battle.
The Taiyi Divine King fell in battle.
The Taiyin Divine King fell in battle.
The Desolate God fell in battle en route to the Vast Expanse. Thus, the era in which the Divine Soul Sect reigned supreme over the Vast Expanse, its renown echoing through the Eon Realm, drew to a close.
The era of splendor concluded abruptly.
Subsequently, the ancient Demon Clan's highest seats were transformed into three seats within the Demon Palace, with the Desolate God claiming an additional seat, effectively doubling their representation.
The other three upper sects, including the Devil Palace, initially held only one seat.
However, with the fall of the Divine Soul Sect's Supreme Divine King and their relentless efforts to forge new territories, resisting the encroachment from the heavens...
A significant surge in fortune led to the creation of new seats, elevating their highest seats from one to two.
While the Demon Clan, with the Demon Palace and the Desolate God, appeared to have four seats, the Desolate God paid no heed to the Demon Palace.
The remaining three upper sects and the Devil Palace, each with two seats, were fundamentally human.
Hence, humanity remained the de facto sovereign of the Vast Expanse.
Following the conclusion of the Divine War, some survivors of the Divine Soul Sect sought refuge in the Outer Star River.
Simultaneously, other pioneers from the Divine Soul Sect continued to engage in fierce battles with various races deep within the starry sky.
The legacies of Taishi, Taiyin, Taiyi, Taixu, and Wisdom were disseminated, to varying degrees.
The Divine Soul Sect survivors who fled the Vast Expanse then painstakingly ventured into the starry frontier, forging new realms in secret locations untouched by any being or foreign race.
They were left with no other option but to take this path.
At the most challenging phase, they faced persecution from the five great supreme beings within the Vast Expanse, and relentless pursuit by various foreign races. Their only choice was to venture into territories where no intelligent beings had ever dared to tread.
It was the only way they could survive and avoid annihilation.
Ultimately, they found rebirth in the face of utter despair!
After tens of thousands of years shrouded in darkness, when the Vast Expanse had all but forgotten them and the races from beyond were on the verge of losing their memory of them, it was unthinkable that they would endure to produce three Divine Kings!
The Soul Divine King, the Oracle Divine King, and the Ruins Divine King.
The Oracle Divine King and the Ruins Divine King, following the profound mysteries of the Grand Dao of Taiyi and Taixu, successfully transformed into Primordial Spirits, thus ascending to supreme status.
The Soul Divine King blazed a new trail to divinity, much like the Wisdom Divine King had done before.
What truly astounded the world was their independence from the Vast Expanse; they did not seek to claim its supreme thrones.
Moreover, they resolved the daunting issue of reproduction among the higher realm humans, who struggled to birth new generations.
The few who returned from beyond were not numerous, yet each was a formidable elite.
Their talents were so extraordinary that they inspired awe and amazement.
When Taishi emerged from the Vast Expanse, many anticipated a conflict.
Yet, against all odds, Taishi reclaimed his supreme seat within the Vast Expanse, bolstered by their support, without relying on its fortunes.
The known Divine Kings were Tianqi, Shehun, Guixu, and Taishi.
Shehun continued his vigil at the edge of the starry sky's forbidden zone.
Taishi secluded himself within the bronze coffin in the Plover Realm, not to emerge for some time.
Tianqi and Guixu, having reached the pinnacle through the Great Dao of Taiyi and Taixu, were now in the Vast Expanse, with Tianqi residing in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area.
In the vast expanse, Taishi's presence was known only to Tianqi.
Tianqi and Guixu, two Divine Kings, had returned with a contingent of the Divine Soul Sect's finest from the Outland Star River. These elite members had journeyed to the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area to reconnect with their lineage.
Among them, one individual demonstrated exceptional talent and insight on the path of extreme Yin. With Tianqi's blessing, he attempted to unravel the mysteries of the Dragon Slash Platform.
Tianqi eagerly anticipated that this individual would ascend to the highest echelons using the path of extreme Yin.
However, just as he was beginning to grasp its secrets, the Dragon Slash Platform, which held dominion over the Nagas, vanished without a trace.
Upon learning from the Chamber of Commerce that Yu Yuan had summoned the Dragon Slash Platform and integrated it with the other two pieces, he realized his efforts had been for naught and directed his frustration at Hu Caiyun.
Tianzang, Heixun, Yan Qiling, Green Incubus, and White Ghost had earned their place in the Divine Soul Sect through their allegiance to Taishi, and were thus honored and accepted.
Hu Caiyun, on the other hand, had joined the Divine Soul Sect through her association with Yu Yuan.
To the newer members, Yu Yuan could not hold a candle to Taishi, and by extension, Hu Caiyun, who had joined the sect on his account, was deemed insignificant.
