To bury an era, to open a door.
It was at the cost of the most vast fortune of the entire Age of Gods, to open the Profound Ancient Gate at the farthest end of the Divine Realm, all to seize the heaven-defying creation within.
Imperial Wushuang said, "Naturally, some Great Power-level overlords agreed, while others did not. They believed that using the fortune of an entire era to impact the seals would incur an unprecedented, enormous price. It was highly likely to cause the entire Age of Gods to prematurely decline, or even more seriously, cause drastic changes in the world, plunging it into an era of Dharma Decline. The fortune of the later world would be seized, making cultivation difficult.
Moreover, the living beings born in that era would suffer terrible backlash from the world. Not only would their cultivation plummet, but it could also lead to the devastation of billions of lives, staining the Emperor Realm with blood."
"Such a result was undoubtedly terrifying, and the price paid would be incomparably tragic. Some ancient Great Sages, upholding great righteousness and concerned for all living beings, simply could not agree to such a plan."
"For this reason, the strongest Great Power-level overlords who dominated the rise and fall of the entire Age of Gods were thus divided into two opposing factions, each standing their ground."
"Finally, the Great Power-level overlords who sought to impact the ancient gate's seals and seize the eternal creation gathered their subordinate Divine Spirits and vast armies to implement the plan and open the Profound Ancient Gate. The other side, to prevent their plan from succeeding, also gathered armies to resist."
"Therefore, ultimately, under the leadership of those most powerful overlords, the most brutal war of gods was waged. The battlefields were on the Ancient Emperor Continent and also in the starry sky, spreading to every corner of this world. This ultimately led to the Age of Gods marching toward the Great Destruction. This is the root cause."
Everyone sighed, feeling astonishment in their hearts. The real reason was this.
To open that door of creation, even beings as powerful as ancient Great Sages were willing to spare no cost.
It differed from what the world imagined. Only a dominant force like the imperial clan, which had remained undecayed through the ages, could connect past and present, knowing the causes and consequences.
Later generations, because the truth of history was buried, how could they know?
"It was precisely because of that battle that a tremendous impact was caused. Billions of lives were devastated, blood stained the heavens and earth, and all living beings wailed in sorrow.
Feeling this on the verge of death, an ancient Great Sage, unwilling to see such a scene repeat, mobilized all his power, along with the vast willpower of all beings who wished to avoid further devastation, causing a great change in the Ancient Emperor Continent. It connected with the origin of the Ancient Emperor Realm, giving birth to the power of rules. As long as one reached the Heavenly King realm, they must be sent into the Divine Realm."
"And Heavenly King-level Divine Spirits in the Divine Realm were also forbidden from setting foot in the mortal world. Thus, the present-day, godless Ancient Emperor Continent was created."
This was the true causality behind the absence of Heavenly Kings in the world.
It was those ancient Great Sages, upholding great righteousness and unwilling to see another great era of destruction, who used their final power and the vast willpower gathered from the living beings of that era to pierce through the origin of the Emperor Realm, deriving a special power of rules.
"Since the Age of Gods has ended, and the Emperor Realm derived the rule that there are no Heavenly Kings in the world, why then is there still the Heaven and Earth Chess Game?" someone asked in confusion.
Imperial Wushuang said, "Because some people are not yet completely dead!"
This news, as if it were a taboo, shook the powerhouses in the treasure hall three times over.
There were still people who had not passed away, who had not perished?
What astonishing news this was.
Ye Chen fell silent. As he knew, the Primordial Times Demon God had not passed away, and the Primordial Times Barbarian God was also preparing to emerge.
And perhaps it was not just those two peerless overlords from the Age of Gods; there might be other peerless overlords as well.
"Indeed, some overlords have not completely passed away. They also deduced and calculated everything, knowing that it would all eventually come to an end."
"Although the entire Age of Gods was destroyed, the blood of Divine Spirits stained the vast world. The vast fortune gathered in that era did not actually dissipate; it also settled somewhere in the world. At a certain moment in the future, it would revive and be used to continue impacting the Profound Ancient Gate."
"Those overlords understood the other side's backup plan. They knew that one day the world would undergo a great change, the fortune would return, and the power of rules derived from the remnant thoughts of Great Powers combined with the willpower of all beings would eventually dissipate. Therefore, on that day, they would summon the vast fortune of the bygone Age of Gods, open the gate to the Divine Realm, and impact the seals of the Profound Ancient Gate to seize the heaven-defying creation."
"The so-called Heaven and Earth Chess Game is what they have laid out. And once the Heaven and Earth Chess Game is activated, it will inevitably affect the entire Ancient Emperor Continent."
"The peerless overlords of the Age of Gods will return against the heavens in the future. This time, even some figures of great terror will descend one after another."
"The Ancient Emperor Continent will fall into unprecedented turmoil in the future, and the entire great realm will also be affected."
Silence fell in the treasure hall. Once those peerless overlords of the Age of Gods returned against the heavens, it would be a terrifying disaster for the entire Ancient Emperor Continent, perhaps even more severe than the Age of Gods.
For how could they resist those peerless overlords? They were all ancient Great Sages beyond the Heavenly King realm, possessing heaven-piercing and earth-shaking mighty methods.
A supreme powerhouse representing the demon race spoke up, "As you, Imperial Son, have said, those peerless overlords of the Age of Gods will eventually return. How can we resist? How can we deal with them?"
This was a severe problem. Such mighty existences, lofty and beyond imagination, were peerless overlords even in the Age of Gods, let alone the present-day, godless Ancient Emperor Continent. How could they be resisted?
Even gathering the strength of an entire race offered slim hope.
It was not that they did not want to resist, but that they were powerless.
"There is no need for direct confrontation. As long as you cooperate with my clan, we can protect the safety of your forces and even your races," Imperial Wushuang said.
"What do you mean?"
Not only the others, but even Ye Chen looked at Imperial Wushuang, his eyes flickering, wanting to understand his idea.
"The chess game of the ages was laid out long ago. The overlords of the Age of Gods will eventually return. All of this is irreversible," Imperial Wushuang said. "By that time, all living beings will be as weak as ants before peerless overlords. Even those below the Heavenly King realm will be mere ants."
"When that time comes, my clan will also take action to contend for the heaven-defying creation within the Profound Ancient Gate. We hope you will lend a hand, gathering the vast willpower of the world to empower the experts of my clan for the contention. Similarly, my clan will also take action to protect all living beings from the impact of the chess game of the ages."
So that was it. Even the imperial clan coveted the heaven-defying creation behind the Profound Ancient Gate and wanted to contend for it.
Not to mention the Sun King, even the Profound Heaven Saintess and the Eternal Night Dark King, who had remained silent all along, spoke up one after another, representing the three supreme sacred lands behind them. They also gave promises to those present, offering protection to their respective forces and even a share of it. Naturally, the prerequisite condition was the same as the imperial clan's: they needed the vast willpower of all living beings.