The Ancestral Court. Vast and boundless, strewn with ancient divine mountains, treasures lying everywhere — any single one of them enough to make the outside world beat one another bloody over it — and yet this place was utterly desolate. Only enormous Void Beasts lurked in this ancient, primeval world, dwelling, breeding, slaughtering, devouring all they saw. Then one day, every Void Beast suddenly felt something stir in its heart. They raised their heads and looked to the sky, and there in the heavens a rift abruptly appeared. At the same moment, the Void Mother Beast that dwelt in the Nineteenth Void opened her eyes and looked toward that rift in the sky. Beside her lay countless void beast eggs, dense beyond counting, millions upon millions of them, carpeting the Nineteenth Void of the Ancestral Court. "Rustle, rustle, rustle—" The bone membrane of the Void Mother Beast quivered; innumerable Void Beasts surged into a frenzy, rising into the air one after another and rushing toward the rift in the sky. The rift grew larger and larger, until at a certain point it stopped widening. From the Ancestral Court's side, one could see the brilliant starry sky and the gaudy world beyond. Dense swarms of colossal Void Beasts flew toward the rift like locusts, their throats giving voice to soul-shaking roars. The first Void Beast to reach it plunged into the rift, trying to fly out of the Ancestral Court — but the instant it entered, its body burst apart, flesh and blood dissolving away. More and more of the giant Void Beasts hurled themselves madly into the rift, each one bursting into a blossom of blood within that vast opening, a spectacle of extraordinary splendor. In but a brief moment, tens of thousands of Void Beasts had died in the rift, and their blood stained it a vivid crimson. Seen from the outside, the Ancestral Court looked like a raw, bleeding wound upon the cosmos. Suddenly, from deep within the void, the Void Mother Beast let out a low, dreadful hiss. The other giant Void Beasts stopped throwing themselves into the rift; instead they clung to its edges like bats, their sinewy bodies and sharp claws straining with all their strength, trying to tear the rift wider still. Yet this was a seal laid down in the most ancient age, when all the ancient gods gathered every power they possessed and forced it upon the reverse side of every world. It was not something these beasts could ever break! In the Heavenly Court, Celestial Master Xiao's face was as still as water. The Heavenly Court was one of the seals most vital to binding the Ancestral Court. He alone could not mend it; and now that the ancient gods had suffered heavy losses, the Lord of Heaven and the Earth Earl would never be of one mind with him. Once the seal on the Ancestral Court loosened, there was no longer any possibility of repairing it. All he could do now was keep the seal from widening further. Yet with the seal on the Ancestral Court cracked open, the world would inevitably discover the Ancestral Court's whereabouts, and that buried history would gradually surface before the eyes of the world. "Beyond that history, there are also monstrous horrors, world-destroying powers — I fear they too will leak out from the Ancestral Court..." he said silently. At almost the same moment, the great army of gods and devils of the Heavenly Court in Taixu sensed that strange tremor as well. Marching on, preparing to attack the land of Taixu, the divine officers and soldiers all turned their heads to look toward the Heavenly Court. In Taixu the Heavenly Court could not be seen, but they could sense it. Celestial Master Hong's heart stirred slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "Something has gone wrong in the Heavenly Court," he said in a low voice. "My friends, this must be that rebel Kaihuang raiding the Heavenly Court — we must guard against it! I will go back and take a look!" Divine Emperor Langxuan, the Ancestral Divine King, and the others could not help but be astonished. Of all the Celestial Masters, the ones most eager to attack Taixu, apart from Celestial Master Huo, were Celestial Master Hong — so why, now that they had reached the land of Taixu, was Celestial Master Hong in such a hurry to return? Celestial Master Gong said coolly, "I shall go back as well. Fellow Daoist Hong, let us travel together." Celestial Master Hong's expression shifted slightly; he was somewhat unwilling to go with her. He gave two dry laughs, then abruptly transformed into a streak of flowing light and fled far away. Celestial Master Gong's form became a long rainbow, following close behind. Divine Emperor Langxuan, the Ancestral Divine King, Celestial Master Xu, Celestial Master Huo, and the rest exchanged glances. Divine Emperor Langxuan cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Hong and Fellow Daoist Gong have never gotten along. When I first knew them, Fellow Daoist Gong was beating Fellow Daoist Hong — beating him very badly. On the road they will surely come to blows, and it will be convenient for me to be there to mediate." With that, he too leapt up and departed. The Ancestral Divine King hurried after him, crying, "When those two fight, they recognize neither kin nor friend! Fellow Daoist Langxuan cannot hold them apart — I will go help!" Celestial Master Xu frowned and looked at Celestial Master Huo. "Celestial Master Hong and Celestial Master Gong are of mysterious origin, while Langxuan and the Ancestral Divine King are of ancient origin — figures who have existed since the most ancient times and live still. These four have left because they know a great many hidden secrets. Over at the Heavenly Court, things are certainly not as simple as Celestial Master Shen attacking it. Celestial Master Huo, why do you not go back?" Celestial Master Huo said softly, "If you do not leave, how could I bear to?" Celestial Master Xu said coldly, "I have no interest in you whatsoever." Celestial Master Huo walked shoulder to shoulder with her and said with a smile, "Among the ten Celestial Masters of the Heavenly Court, the only truly pure ones are you and I. The Great Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor hide among them; the ancient beings stir restlessly; it is hard to tell who is loyal and who is treacherous. If you and I were to be joined in marriage, we could advance and retreat as one, and gain a greater chance of victory." Celestial Master Xu halted. With a half-smile she said, "Celestial Master Huo, have you not always belonged to Celestial Master Hao's faction? Do you not fear Celestial Master Hao learning that you speak such words to me?" Celestial Master Huo said gravely, "I admire you. If we could be together, Celestial Master Hao would only think more highly of me. You are half a god, and half a human." Celestial Master Xu gave a derisive laugh and walked on. "I am a demigod. What I cannot fathom is this: you are plainly a Celestial Master of the human race, yet you take more pains to wipe out the human race's forces than anyone. You were there when Celestial Master Yun was besieged; when Emperor Ming was destroyed, you sent the armies under your command as well. When Celestial Master Yue and Celestial Master Ling were killed, when the Supreme Emperor was put down, you were always at the very front. You are far too harsh upon your own kind." Celestial Master Huo's face turned solemn. "For the sake of the human race's future and its very lives, I have no choice but to act. They are utterly incapable of standing against the Heavenly Court, against the gods, against the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. They force themselves to fight for the human race's survival, yet they fail to recognize one reality: that the human race cannot possibly win, and must attach itself to a strong power in order to survive." His gaze deepened as he looked into the distance. "For the sake of their own private ambitions, they would drag every human life down with them. I have asked the people of the land