Those gathered in the great hall were either lords of Immortal Dynasties ruling over entire Worlds, or elders of the Immortal Court wielding immense power within the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. In short, they were all figures of supreme authority and prestige, each capable of summoning wind and rain, dominating their respective corners of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain with absolute might.
To have ascended to such positions, their personal strength was beyond doubt, and their backgrounds were each more formidable than the last. More terrifyingly, they all held dominion over the Primordial Laws of their respective Worlds.
For instance, the lord of an Immortal Dynasty of a World also presided over that World's Primordial Law.
Similarly, an elder of an Immortal Dynasty of a World was also a guardian or enforcer of that World's Primordial Law.
In other words, they all wielded the terrifying power of Law.
Likewise,
the lord of an Immortal Court of a Heavenly Domain also presided over that Heavenly Domain's Primordial Law.
The various elders of the Immortal Courts were also guardians or enforcers of the Primordial Laws of their respective Heavenly Domains.
The authority in their hands was immense, granting them power over life and death within their Worlds and Heavenly Domains.
No matter how profound your cultivation or how formidable your strength, before the Primordial Law, you were but an ant.
A powerful Primordial Law was fundamentally impossible to resist with personal might alone. For example, the Primordial Law presiding over a World could annihilate any sect within that World in the blink of an eye, expending not the slightest effort. As long as you were within that World, you could not escape the judgment of its World Law.
And that was just World Law.
Heavenly Domain Law was even more dreadful.
One must understand that a single Heavenly Domain contained three thousand Worlds and endless immortal realms.
A powerful Heavenly Domain Law could not only obliterate an immortal realm with ease, but even wiping out an entire World was no difficult feat.
This was the terrifying aspect of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao.
It was also the fundamental reason why the Three Thousand Great Daos all sought to dominate heaven and earth and become the leader of the Great Daos.
Because dominating heaven and earth meant controlling all Laws.
Immortal realms had their own Laws.
Worlds had their own Laws.
Heavenly Domains had their own Laws.
The Great Dao had its own Laws.
The relationships between them were interlocking, one ring linked to the next.
Even if you could escape the judgment of an immortal realm's Law, the judgment of World Law awaited you outside. And beyond World Law, the judgment of Heavenly Domain Law awaited. Beyond Heavenly Domain Law, the judgment of the Great Dao's Law awaited. And beyond the Great Dao's Law, the judgment of Heaven and Earth's Law awaited.
Whoever dominated heaven and earth was the true overlord of the universe.
In the Present Era, the Immortal Dao dominated heaven and earth, standing as the leader of the Great Daos.
No one knew how many Heavenly Domains it ruled, nor how many Worlds, let alone how many immortal realms.
Opposing the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao was absolutely a path to certain death.
In the Present Era, why were those high Immortals who received edicts from the Immortal Dao so arrogant, wild, and overbearing, even looking down upon the famed masters of the Ancient Era who had ascended the Celestial Stairway? It was because they bore the Immortal Dao's edicts, making them disciples of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao. To kill them was not only disrespect to the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao but also defiance of its august majesty—a capital Immortal crime.
And once judged guilty of an Immortal crime by the Nine Heavens, aside from admitting guilt and submitting to punishment, there was no other choice. Because the Primordial Sources of the various Worlds and Heavenly Domains were all controlled by the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao. There was simply nowhere to flee, nowhere to hide.
Logically speaking, with so many lords of Immortal Dynasties and elders of Heavenly Domains gathered in the great hall, each a dominant overlord wielding Primordial Law, they would not fear even a horde of Nine Underworlds old Demons, nor even the appearance of a Demon Emperor, Demon Sovereign, or even a Demon Ancestor within the Lingluo Heavenly Domain.
But the current problem was not a horde of Nine Underworlds old Demons. It was You Di, who was more terrifying than a horde of Nine Underworlds old Demons and more dreadful than any Demon Emperor or Demon Sovereign.
Even though You Di was no longer the Nine Underworlds Emperor who once ruled the Nine Underworlds.
He wasn't even an Immortal-Demon Monarch anymore.
They didn't even know for sure if You Di was truly in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, or if he had truly died and been resurrected.
Yet even so,
these great lords of the Immortal Dynasties and Heavenly Domains were still terrified, their hearts in turmoil.
The reason was simple.
They had all lived through the Ancient Era and had witnessed You Di's terror. It was no exaggeration to say that You Di's domineering might had left an indelible shadow in their hearts. To this day, merely hearing the two words 'You Di' made their spirits tremble uncontrollably.
They also knew that the World Law, even the Heavenly Domain Law in their hands, might suppress those with Great Dao Mandates, but it could not suppress You Di.
Forget about World Law, forget about Heavenly Domain Law—what of the Great Dao's Law?
Hadn't it been shattered into pieces by a single punch from You Di back then? Wasn't Heaven and Earth's Law powerful enough?
Hadn't You Di cleaved the very heavens asunder with a single slash of his blade?
If the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao had issued a decree, they wouldn't be as anxious and unsettled as they were now. However, the news of You Di's death and resurrection had already spread throughout the myriad realms of the heavens. The entire Great Desolation was in chaos like a boiling pot, yet the Nine Heavens side hadn't uttered a single word, as if they were completely unaware of the matter. How could this not make them apprehensive?
"Who knows if You Di has truly died and been resurrected. If it's true, then it's truly terrifying."
"Aren't you right? I heard You Di is currently in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. I pray he's not in my World, otherwise, I truly wouldn't know what to do."
"Not in your World? Do you think you can hide from it then?
As long as You Di is within our Lingluo Heavenly Domain, none of us can hide."
"The Nine Heavens are really something. Why haven't they sent any word until now? Are they afraid to move against You Di?
If they're afraid, they should just say so. At least we'd all have some psychological preparation. Now the Nine Heavens have given no word at all—neither saying they won't move against You Di, nor saying they will. What kind of situation is this?"
"As fearsome as You Di is, surely the Nine Heavens aren't afraid to move against him, right?
In the Present Era, the Primordial Source of the Immortal Dao has revived, the Great Dao Patriarchs have awakened, even the Three Purities and Four Sovereigns have roused. There's no reason to fear You Di."
"Then why do you think the Nine Heavens have remained silent until now?"
"This...
Who knows what the Nine Heavens are thinking."
The lords of the various Worlds' Immortal Dynasties discussed animatedly within the great hall.
Meanwhile, upon the throne at the head of the hall, a middle-aged fat man nibbled on delicacies, sipped fine wine, swayed his head with his eyes closed, hummed a little tune, and toyed with two skulls in his hand. That's right!
Skulls! He handled them as smoothly and roundly as if they were two bone balls.
This middle-aged fat man's physique was truly enormous.
Yes!
Absolutely deserving of the term 'enormous'.
He stood three to four meters tall and weighed at least several thousand jin. A single one of his arms looked thicker than the entire body of some of the Immortal Dynasty lords in the hall. One of his thighs was like a great tree. Sitting on the throne, he resembled nothing so much as a hulking, barrel-chested humanoid elephant.
His leisurely, carefree demeanor formed a stark contrast with the apprehensive Immortal Dynasty lords in the hall.
This man was none other than the lord of the Immortal Court residence of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain.