Chapter 1990: Returning to the Nine Heavens “Th-The Cultivation God did it! She stopped the Celestial Emperor’s attack!” A collective gasp swept through the spectators as they drew in a sharp breath, stunned by the unforeseen turn of events. The moment the Divine Judgment shattered, the Celestial Emperor recoiled as if struck across the face, a searing pain radiating from it. He staggered, blood spilling from his lips, marking the second time in a single day that he had been wounded, a humiliation nearly as deep as the injury itself. However, the Celestial Emperor swiftly regained his footing and began summoning his Celestial Qi once more—this time with even greater ferocity, his aura surging like a rising tempest that swept throughout the palace. “Your Majesty!” His subordinates cried out in alarm, their voices trembling with fear. Yet not one of them dared to intervene, paralyzed by the consequences of doing so. Once again, the skies above Dragon Spiral Mountain quaked, and multiple rifts tore open in unison, splitting the heavens like wounds in the firmament. The Cultivation God looked toward the heavens and smiled. “At least your stubbornness rivals your predecessors.” “T-The Celestial Emperor is really going to destroy the Seventh Heaven at this rate!” The spectators cried out loud, and some of them began preparing to escape to the other realms. At this moment, several figures appeared around the Celestial Emperor like ghosts, and their voices rang out in unison, sharp and resolute, “Your Majesty, that is enough of your farce! If you refuse to stand down, do not blame us for taking action!” “Farce?” The Celestial Emperor turned to face them, his gaze icy and sharp. “Do you truly believe I am acting out of amusement?” Yet, despite the weight of his glare, the members of the Celestial Council stood firm, their expressions calm and unshaken. “Not only did you unleash overwhelming force without warning, but you even struck at the Holy Dragon Clan! The Royal Dragon Clans have been raising hell at our gates since the moment this began! Are you truly trying to provoke war with one of the most powerful beast bloodlines in all the Nine Heavens?!” they exclaimed. “War…?” The Celestial Emperor suddenly burst into laughter, his voice echoing with scorn and fury. “Because of your meddling and that Cultivation God’s interference, the Nine Heavens are now on the brink of a war far greater than anything you can possibly imagine!” The Celestial Council fell into silence, though none among them seemed particularly alarmed. “If such a war truly comes, we will face it then,” one of them said calmly. “For now, our priority lies with the rising tensions with the Royal Dragon Clans. A conference has already been arranged—you must attend and make every effort to ease the storm before it breaks. Rumor has it the Great One just emerged from his seclusion, too.” “…” Now, it was the Celestial Emperor’s turn to fall silent. The Ten Royal Dragon Clans were of little concern to him, but the Great One was another matter entirely. That being alone could unleash more devastation than all ten clans combined. In time, the Celestial Emperor withdrew his aura, and the rifts torn across the skies above Dragon Spiral Mountain slowly began to mend. As the heavens healed, a hush fell over the land, and the turbulent waters gradually returned to calm. However, the Celestial Emperor had not forgotten the Cultivation God. Fixing his gaze upon her that pierced through the realms, he spoke with cold menace, “I do not know who you are, but now that you’ve revealed yourself and declared your opposition, I will hunt you down like a rabbit in the wild.” The Cultivation God offered no reply—only a bold, silent smile that spoke louder than words. Before departing, she cast a final glance toward the closing portal linking the Seventh Heaven and Earth, her gaze unreadable yet profound. Elsewhere in the Seventh Heaven, Dong Ye stood in silence, his expression grave after witnessing it all. “So… she’s finally made her move,” he murmured, a flicker of unease in his eyes. “What happened to the Holy Dragon Clan and the Dragon Spiral Mountain?!” Xi Meili asked him, her face full of worry. Dong Ye faced her and explained, “They are safe. A Cultivation God intervened and stopped the Celestial Emperor.” “A Cultivation God?! Why would someone like that defy the Celestial Emperor?! Oh! Could it be the Dragon Ancestor?!” “Uh… no, this Cultivation God is a human.” “Is that so… Anyway, does this mean you can take me back to the Holy Dragon Clan?” Dong Ye nodded and said, “I can take you back, but we should wait a little longer to make sure it has truly ended.” Follow new episodes on the "N0vel1st.c0m". “What about Yuan?” “I can sense two presences within that portal, so he should be returning soon.” “Two?” Xi Meili raised an eyebrow and wondered who that other individual could be. Sure enough, just a few hours after the battle had ended, Yuan and Liya stepped through the portal, arriving moments before it sealed shut behind them. Liya’s eyes widened in awe as she took in her surroundings. The spiritual energy in the air was so dense, so pure, that even her ordinary breaths caused her cultivation to surge. It was unlike anything she had ever encountered. “Welcome to the Nine Heavens,” Yuan said with a gentle smile, watching her wide-eyed wonder, reminiscent of a child discovering the existence of sweets for the very first time. Noticing his looks, Liya frowned, her tone sharp with indignation. “Don’t you dare treat me like some country bumpkin.” However, Yuan remained silent, his smile fading as his expression hardened into a deep, solemn frown. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I knew activating the teleportation device would invite trouble,” Yuan murmured, his gaze heavy as it fell upon Dragon Spiral Mountain. “But never did I imagine it would escalate to this extent.” Though the mountain still stood, its once-majestic form bore the scars of devastation—broken, battered, yet barely enduring. “Let’s go.” Without another word, Yuan descended toward the mountain, his figure cutting silently through the air. Liya followed close behind.