8 Gathering Of Celestials

The Ashura Alliance's ruthless campaign against the Celestial Clan continued unabated. With each passing day, they grew more powerful, seizing territories and resources with impunity. The once-mighty Divine Celestials were forced to retreat further and further into their own territory, unable to withstand the onslaught of their enemies. Their allies, too, were growing more and more hesitant, questioning the motives of the Ashura Alliance.

There was a difference between the approach the Ashura clan previously had towards the war and the approach they now had taken towards the war. Previously they wanted to preserve as much power as possible because they would continue to live in this world and if they used everything they had and lost, there would be extreme consequences.

Now, the whole situation had changed. Ashura clan had decided to retreat from this higher-order world called Immortal Dome world. They would retreat back into their secret realms after the war and recuperate until they recover enough powers to come back to this world.

Scene Change: Celestial Palace, Main Hall

Tian Ming, the Supreme Emperor of the Celestial Clan, sat upon his throne with regal poise, his long golden locks flowing behind him like a shimmering river. His face was the very picture of perfection, with fierce, sword-shaped brows and a strong jawline that spoke of power and authority. His piercing golden eyes flickered with intelligence, betraying the countless battles he had fought and the unfathomable wisdom he had acquired.

As the report on their war with the Ashura clan was delivered, the atmosphere in the throne room grew tense. The celestial responsible for gathering intel spoke with a voice heavy with concern, "Supreme Emperor, our bases outside our territory have been destroyed. The Ashura clan has shown us no mercy, even the younger cultivators were not spared. We have been forced to retreat time and again, and even now, we are losing ground to them in our own lands."

Tian Ming's expression remained unchanged, his stoic demeanour betraying no emotion. He listened intently to the report, his mind already working on the next move. When the scout had finished, he signalled for them to leave.

The celestial prime closed his eyes, his voice firm and resolute, "The Ashura clan plans to do something grand. They are fighting with extreme ferocity, disregarding everything to win this war. If we do not act soon, they will reach the Celestial capital in just one month."

The Celestial Palace was filled with a sense of melancholy and despair as one of the elders spoke up with a voice heavy with depression,

"Emperor, this time we have grossly underestimated the power and tenacity of the Ashura clan. We have suffered tremendous losses. The city lords have been all but wiped out, and our elite army is in shambles. Even the dragons, our allies, are unable to send any backup as they too are facing the fires of war in their own territories."

Another celestial king, responsible for coordinating with the Heaven Scrying Fate Sect, spoke up and explained, "Initially, we were able to overpower the Ashura clan because we had the divination from the Heaven Scrying Fate Sect. But for the past three months, every elder who tried to divine anything about the Ashura Alliance has faced extreme backlash. It's as if the Ashura clan has been blessed with a sudden surge of providence, and their tracks have been covered by the heavenly Daos. The Heaven Scrying Fate Sect has informed us that they won't be helping us anymore."

As the words hung in the air, the entire hall was engulfed in an aura of despair. The hall fell into a deafening silence as the gravity of their situation sank in. For the last two months, the celestials had been dealt defeat after defeat, and their morale was at an all-time low.

No one dared to look at their prime, Tian Ming. Over the last two months, the Celestials had tasted defeat after defeat, and their once indomitable spirits had been broken. They had initially believed that with the support of the True Dragon Clan and the Undying race, they could eradicate the Ashura clan. But the reality they faced was completely opposite.

Tian Ming's sharp gaze pierced through the air, settling on the group of Celestial Kings who once boldly called for war against the Ashura clan. But now, in the face of their enemy's dominance, they stood silently defeated and powerless.

"We were nothing but tools from the very beginning," Tian Ming's voice rang out bitterly. "Blinded by our ambition, we failed to see the truth. Even the mighty dragons were made to serve as mere puppets in their hands, moved and controlled at will by them. We, alone, could never have hoped to defeat the Ashura clan, and even with our alliance, our combined strength falls short of theirs."

Not everyone in the room understood who the "them" referred to, but Tian Ming's laughter only grew more mocking and bitter. "We were played like fools, enticed by their promises of entrance to the Myriad Race Dao Court. We eagerly took the bait, only to be left hanging when we needed them most. They have cut us off without a second thought."

Tian Wei, a Celestial Monarch, nodded solemnly in agreement. "We have been misled by their lies and deceit, lured by their tales of the Ashura clan's supposed fortune from the World-End ruins. We were made fools by our own greed and naivete, blinded to their true intentions."

The celestial emperor's voice crackled with anger as he responded, "You are correct. Perhaps there was never any fortune to begin with. The contract of relinquishing their spots for the Myriad Race Dao Court and giving them to us was sufficient to lure us in. The supposed treasure or fortune was just a ruse to ensure we would engage in a life-and-death struggle with the Ashurans."

As they discussed their predicament, Celestial King Tian Feng remained immobile, his eyes still sealed shut. The celestial emperor turned to him, he was the only Celestial King cultivating the Eternally Sleeping Celestial Eye Martial skill. "How goes your cultivation? You haven't opened your true eye in the last 4000 years. Your accumulation should be ample to deliver a crushing blow to the Ashura Patriarch."

The Eternally Sleeping Celestial Eye was originally a martial skill belonging to the Western Paradise Buddhist Sect. However, it was later claimed by the Celestials as a reward in one of the supreme race wars. The divinities of the celestial clan had spent countless years perfecting the technique so that it could be cultivated by their kind. But only one or two Celestials in each generation would meet the demanding requirements to learn this immortal skill.

Tian Feng, sipping from his wine glass, his eyes wrapped in golden cloth, responded to the celestial emperor's inquiry. "My guess is that if Ashura Zhanji hasn't made any significant breakthroughs in his cultivation since the last supreme war, then my accumulations should be sufficient to deliver a devastating blow to him. But if he has advanced in his realm and Dao comprehension, then it's hard to say. I may still be able to harm him, but to what extent, I am uncertain."

The celestial emperor nodded pensively, mulling over Tian Feng's words. The chamber fell silent as they contemplated their next steps against the Ashura clan, aware that they had been deceived and coerced into this war. Nevertheless, despite their regrets, they knew they must fight with every ounce of their strength to protect their lands and their people. The stakes were too high to do anything less.

Suddenly, the celestial prime threw a triangular token towards Tian Feng, who deftly caught it with one hand. Tian Feng gingerly passed his hands over the token, feeling its power pulsate through him. This was the Celestial Prime Token, the key to unlocking the Temple of the Celestial Inheritance. With a sly smile, he knew that he had been given a great opportunity to gain strength and improve his bloodline purity. The Celestial Orb of the Beginning was waiting for him, the providence-sealing treasure of the Celestial Race. Only the most deserving of their people were allowed to enter the secret realm and he felt lucky to be given such a chance.

"You will enter the inheritance secret realm and go to the Temple of the Celestial Inheritance. There find the Celestial Orb of the beginning," the celestial emperor instructed him. "Try to refine as much qi from it as you can in a week. If possible, try to evolve your bloodline purity. You will play an important role in our plan against the Ashura clan."

Tian Feng nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of the task ahead of him. He knew that he must seize this opportunity and make the most of it. As he left the chamber, he felt the token in his hand pulsate with power and knew that it was a symbol of the trust that had been placed in him.

The celestial emperor then turned to his advisors, "We will make our move after a week. Ashura Zhanji is a dangerous man, his grasp over the laws of Time is tyrannical, and his cultivation runs deep. He is not an enemy that can be faced without taking extreme measures. Contact the people of the Undying race. We will ask for their cooperation in this war. I do not believe that Ashura Zhanji will be coming alone this time. The way he has led the war up until now shows that he is hell-bent on making us suffer this time." The room fell silent once again as they contemplated the challenge ahead of them.

After saying these words he released his boundless aura, the people in the hall felt as though a mountain was pressing down upon them. He stood up, his gaze piercing through the ceiling of the hall into the depths of the firmament. His celestial eye opened, a black vortex of abyssal darkness that emanated an aura of fear and respect. Even as he looked towards the heavens, his demeanour remained regal and proud, tinged with a hint of defiance.

"A promise of great benefit made me lose my sense of judgment. You have manipulated my supreme race into doing your bidding while hiding in the shadows," he declared, his voice booming like thunder. His aura surged with fierce power, and baleful darkness Qi leaked out from his celestial eye, causing those in the hall to shiver uncontrollably. "But mark my words, there will come a day when my celestial race will make you pay the price in blood."

He then turned to his advisors once more. "Prepare for battle. We will face Ashura Zhanji in a week."

As he retracted his aura and left the hall, the people inside remained still, heads bowed and trembling with a mix of fear and awe. They knew that their fate, and the fate of their people, now lay in the hands of the Celestial Emperor and his chosen warriors.

News of the Celestial clan's defeat at the hands of the Ashura alliance's army had already reached the Dragon Clan and the Undying race, but they had yet to act. The true Dragon Clan's elite were with the Undying race, leaving the duty of guarding the dragon den pass to the lesser Dragons and divine beasts.

What were once battlefields had now become slaughterhouses, with cultivators from both sides unafraid and eager to spill the blood of their enemies. Ashura Tianyu was leading the charge of the Ashura clan army through the Celestial territories, ravaging resources and slaughtering as many Celestials as they could.

"Fellow cultivators of the Ashura alliance, crush our foes, destroying them in both body and soul. Leave none alive and show no mercy. Mercy to the enemy is a sin against ourselves!" roared a general of the Ashura Alliance's second battalion, taking to the skies as the other cultivators of the Ashura alliance followed.

There was no grand strategy or plan in this conflict, only pure slaughter. The first to completely decimate their enemy would emerge victorious. The battlefield had transformed into a veritable meat grinder. In this campaign of the Ashura alliance against the Celestial race, they had already suffered the loss of over 100 million cultivators, a staggering number even for a peak power. Meanwhile, the Celestial race had suffered losses of over 500 million.

Hearing the Ashura Alliance general's battle cries, the Celestial race's general responded in kind, his voice deep and primal. "Celestials form arrays across the battlefield and slaughter the Ashura scum. Send them to the underworld!"

The Celestial warriors' eyes were bloodshot, having been pushed to the brink with the overuse of their bloodline powers. In fact, most of the Celestial warriors' eyes had been blinded by the continuous use of their ocular martial skills, yet they refused to close them and instead burned their blood essence to fuel their martial skills.

Forming groups of ten, the Celestials went out onto the battlefield individually. Their true eyes allowed them to easily create and manipulate arrays and formations with ease. Some of these were buffing arrays, some were rebuffing arrays, some were illusion arrays, and some arrays simply served to allow them to slaughter Ashura clan cultivators more efficiently.