After the Desolate Heavenly Venerate finished speaking, the Chaos Heavenly Seal representing the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate appeared, descending with billions of layers of chaotic light.
The various Heavenly Venerates furrowed their brows, as did the ancient Great Venerables.
It was rather strange that the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate had invited all the Heavenly Venerates and Great Venerables to gather and discuss the Heavenly Venerate Assembly, yet he himself was the only one absent.
The Asura Heavenly Venerate looked at the Desolate Heavenly Venerate and said with a frown, "Desolate, as the deputy palace master of the Origin Myriad Heavens Palace, you naturally have the authority to preside over the Heavenly Venerate Assembly. But this seat wishes to know, why can the Primordial King not appear?"
The gazes of all the Heavenly Venerates and Great Venerates instantly fell upon the Desolate Heavenly Venerate, including Ye Chen's.
To speak of those present, only Ye Chen had never seen the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate.
Apart from him, the other Heavenly Venerates or ancient Great Venerables were basically ancient existences who had lived from the Myriad Heavens Era to this lifetime, and all had seen the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate.
Yet he had never seen him even once.
Originally, coming to the Origin Myriad Heavens Palace to attend the Heavenly Venerate Assembly was also an opportunity to see that legendary King of Heavenly Venerates up close. He hadn't expected the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate to not come at all, which left him rather disappointed.
The Desolate Heavenly Venerate had anticipated someone would ask. He said indifferently, "The Primordial King has important matters to attend to and cannot appear. He has authorized me to preside in his stead."
Hearing this, everyone frowned.
Important matters?
What important matters could possibly compare to the Heavenly Venerate Assembly?
One must know, the Heavenly Venerate Assembly was the most important event in the Origin Land, especially when it involved the issue of the Quantitative Calamity. It was not something to be taken lightly.
Inevitably, many Heavenly Venerates and Great Venerates began to feel somewhat dissatisfied with the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate.
Even if he was the King of Heavenly Venerates, even if he was the number one in the current era, such an attitude made them quite displeased.
The Life-Death Heavenly Venerate said coldly, "Desolate, we all wish to know what important matters prevent the Primordial King from attending. In all the world, what important matters could be more significant than the Heavenly Venerate Assembly, more critical than the Quantitative Calamity?"
The dissatisfaction in his tone was already evident.
The Supreme Heavenly Venerates—Wan Xuan, Tai Yuan, Ancient Nether, Asura, Ten Directions, and others—all wore cold expressions. Even though the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate was the King of Heavenly Venerates, having summoned them here yet not appearing himself made it seem as if he regarded them as pets to be called at will.
Even if he was the invincible King of Heavenly Venerates in the world, so what? They were all Supreme Heavenly Venerates, occupying Supreme Heavenly positions, also invincible throughout the ages. In a true battle, they were confident they had the qualifications for a peak-level clash.
Within the Origin Myriad Heavens Palace, the atmosphere was incredibly oppressive as several Supreme Heavenly Venerates pressed forward step by step.
The ten ancient Great Venerables of the Primordial Chaos Palace looked grave, all standing up one after another.
Hun Wuji and Desolate Ruins also stood up.
But compared to the six Supreme Heavenly Venerates, they were completely incomparable. Any single Heavenly Venerate could restrain these top forces of the Primordial Chaos Palace alone.
On the main seat, the Desolate Heavenly Venerate's physique was as towering as a Heavenly Venerate mountain. Even as waves of heavenly might capable of annihilating endless epochs pressed down, he remained as immovable as a mountain. His absolutely peerless physique flowed with dark light, dissolving the pressure of the heavenly might. He said, "Fellow Daoists, there is no need to be tense. Since the Primordial King cannot even attend the Heavenly Venerate Assembly, the important matters he is handling must be extremely crucial. Surely you Fellow Daoists don't believe the Primordial King would disregard all of you and not attend the Heavenly Venerate Assembly?"
Even so, the heavenly might of the six Supreme Heavenly Venerates did not diminish in the slightest. They said, "In that case, Desolate, tell us, what exactly are the Primordial King's important matters?"
The Desolate Heavenly Venerate, however, said, "Apologies, I cannot say!"
Hearing this, the heavenly might emanating from the six Supreme Heavenly Venerates grew even more terrifying. The Asura Heavenly Venerate said coldly, "In that case, there's no need to attend this Heavenly Venerate Assembly!"
With those words, he rose from his Heavenly Venerate throne to leave.
The other Supreme Heavenly Venerates of the same faction also stood up one by one, preparing to depart.
The Heavenly Venerate Assembly, not yet fully convened, was already on the verge of concluding.
At this moment, the Desolate Heavenly Venerate said, "Fellow Daoists, please wait. Although the Primordial King has not come, he asked me to bring this item."
Having said that, a fearsome figure flew out from the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Seal, landing before the assembled Venerables.
When the Venerables saw it clearly, they collectively drew a sharp breath of cold air. It was an immensely massive demonic body, larger even than the Origin Myriad Heavens Palace, covered in pitch-black scales, each as vast as a great world. Compressed by Heavenly Venerate power, it appeared before their eyes.
The demonic body was already dead, its skull shattered, leaving only a headless corpse.
Even the Supreme Heavenly Venerates, upon seeing this, had their pupils contract sharply, as if witnessing the most terrifying thing.
Because from the strands of aura emanating from it, they could determine this was an existence at the Heavenly Venerate level.
Yet, this was not one of the Supreme Heavenly Venerates from past to present. It was unprecedented.
Ye Chen's mind trembled, because from this headless corpse, he sensed an aura similar to that of the Heavenly Venerate-level great terror from the River of Time.
The Desolate Heavenly Venerate said, "The reason the Primordial King did not come is because he went to resolve a major trouble. This is what he killed."
The Venerables were shaken to their cores. A supreme terror comparable to a Supreme Heavenly Venerate had been slain by the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate. What kind of terrifying combat power would that require?
Even the current Ye Chen asked himself; wanting to kill a Heavenly Venerate of the same rank was nearly impossible, because among Heavenly Venerates, who was weaker than whom?
At the very least, he currently had no confidence in achieving a kill. It would require at least several Heavenly Venerates acting together to accomplish it.
But the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate had done it.
The Asura Heavenly Venerate said, "So that's how it is. This seat misunderstood the Primordial King!"
Wan Xuan, Tai Yuan, Ancient Nether, and the other Supreme Heavenly Venerates who had been ready to leave all sat back down one by one. They all knew that the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate truly had unavoidable matters preventing his attendance. Such important matters involved far too much.
They involved the Quantitative Calamity!
"Very well. Since everyone has no objections, I shall preside over the Heavenly Venerate Assembly here," the Desolate Heavenly Venerate said, getting straight to the point. "This time, the purpose of convening the Heavenly Venerate Assembly is to gather everyone to discuss the Quantitative Calamity together. I believe everyone already knows this, so I won't elaborate further."
"Moreover, being able to come to the Origin Myriad Heavens Palace also represents having the capability to represent the Origin Land in jointly facing the Quantitative Calamity!"
"I believe regarding the Quantitative Calamity, everyone knows it is a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering great calamity for the entire Origin Land and the Primal World. In fact, back then, the reason for initiating the Twilight of the Myriad Heavens was precisely to deal with the Quantitative Calamity."
"Now, the Quantitative Calamity is about to arrive. The Primordial King has calculated that it will truly descend after three epochs."
"Our current purpose is to prepare for the Quantitative Calamity. Therefore, if anyone has anything to say, please speak. Let's pool our collective wisdom!"
Silence fell. All the Venerables within the Origin Myriad Heavens Palace fell silent.
The Quantitative Calamity was indeed a sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's hearts.
Even Supreme Heavenly Venerates could not ignore the Quantitative Calamity.
"Three epochs from now..."
The expressions of all the Supreme Heavenly Venerates present were rather grim.