Chapter 14547 Annihilation Celestial Venerable

Ling Xiao turned to face the representatives of various forces in the Overlord Empire Alliance... Their eyes gleamed with undisguised greed, like hungry wolves eyeing a piece of fat meat. Their breathing quickened, but due to Ling Xiao's imposing presence, no one dared to speak first.

"Everyone has contributed to this battle," Ling Xiao announced loudly, his voice carrying spiritual energy and resounding throughout the entire Holy Temple Square. "The wealth, spiritual veins, medicinal gardens, and mineral deposits accumulated by the Holy Temple over ten thousand years will all be distributed according to the merits of the battle. The specific plan will be drafted by Ming Kong and announced within three days."

A commotion erupted from the crowd, followed by a chorus of thanks, a mixture of flattery and awe.

"The Overlord Emperor is unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness!"

"The Divine Light Clan will follow Your Majesty to the death!"

"We are willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty!"

Ling Xiao raised his hand to signal for silence, his tone suddenly turning serious and carrying an unyielding authority: "But there is one point... I will take away all the cultivation techniques, scriptures, and secret records of the Holy Hall. This is the bottom line, and there is no room for discussion."

Everyone nodded in agreement, their faces showing no dissent. While cultivation techniques and manuals were indeed valuable, they were ultimately secondary compared to spiritual veins, mineral deposits, and mountains of spirit stones and magical treasures.

Moreover, no one dares to disobey Ling Xiao, who currently holds the power of life and death.

Ji Mingkong immediately arranged for people to inventory the Holy Temple's treasury, and representatives from various forces also sent representatives to assist. The once deathly silent Holy Temple instantly became bustling with activity, with footsteps, counting sounds, and low laughter intertwined, exuding a festive and frenzied atmosphere of dividing up the spoils.

Ling Xiao stood on the high platform in the square, watching all this, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

Human nature is driven by self-interest, and self-interest is always the strongest bond. The alliance at this moment is temporarily united by the spoils of war, but he knows that beneath this calm, undercurrents are still surging.

Night fell completely, and stars dotted the sky. Ling Xiao, led by Lu Fan with a bow, stepped into the deepest secret chamber of the sanctuary.

The secret chamber was deep and dark, with a thousand-year-old luminous pearl embedded in the wall, its light dim and eerie. The air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood that had been there for ten thousand years and a faint, chilling aura, the traces of the long-term oppressive power of the superior.

In the center of the secret chamber, there is a statue of a god that is three zhang tall.

The statue was carved from an unknown type of black jade, its body shimmering with dark golden light. It depicted a mysterious figure in a long robe, whose face was shrouded in a hazy halo, making it impossible to see clearly. Only his eyes were visible, as deep as the abyss of the universe. Even though it was just a stone statue, it seemed to contain the laws of heaven and earth. Gazing at it made one's soul tremble, as if one were about to be sucked into the endless void.

"Is this the statue of the Watcher?" Ling Xiao asked in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on the statue's eerie eyes.

Lu Fan bowed deeply, his tone filled with awe and fear: "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. We have never seen the true face of the Monitor, and we rarely even hear his voice. Usually, it is the Holy Lord who is here alone to communicate with the Monitor."

Dao Sha stood beside Ling Xiao, his hand on the hilt of his sword, a murderous glint in his eyes. He said in a deep voice, "What is their purpose in controlling the Holy Temple and occupying the Realm of Annihilation?"

Lu Fan hesitated for a moment, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. His voice was extremely low, trembling uncontrollably: "The monitor... is 'raising pigs'."

"What?" Dao Sha raised an eyebrow, his tone full of astonishment.

“It’s ‘pig farming’.” Lu Fan shook his head with a bitter smile, his face full of self-mockery and fear. “The Monitors don’t care about the survival of the Holy Temple at all. What they really care about is the entire Realm of Annihilation. To them, the warriors of this realm are nothing more than livestock to be raised in captivity. Whenever a warrior breaks through to the edge of the ‘Emperor Realm of Annihilation’ and touches the ceiling of the realm, the Monitors will appear… They will either forcibly ‘recruit’ them and bring them under their control, or… they will simply eliminate them, never giving them a chance to break through.”

Ling Xiao's gaze sharpened, his fingers clenched unconsciously, and his voice was filled with barely concealed tremor: "Enslaving a Nirvana Emperor Realm expert?"

“That’s a realm beyond the constraints of this world.” A near-obsessive longing flashed in Lu Fan’s eyes, then dimmed again. “The Desolate Realm we inhabit has an inherent deficiency in its spiritual energy, as if it’s sealed off by an invisible barrier. There’s absolutely no way we can naturally break through to that level… unless…”

"Unless you receive the 'gift' of the watcher?" Ling Xiao interjected, his tone certain.

Lu Fan nodded emphatically, his voice trembling slightly: "Exactly. The Monitor occasionally sends down a wisp of 'Extinction Spirit Source,' which is the only key to breaking through the shackles. The Holy Lord and several top experts in the Holy Temple all borrowed this wisp of spirit source to increase their strength, but as a result, their souls were marked and they were controlled by others for life."

Ling Xiao remained silent, his fingertips rubbing his palm.

The ancient and powerful force within him resurfaced, completely different from the "Extinction Spirit Source" Lu Fan spoke of, yet it also carried a pressure that surpassed the laws of heaven and earth... Is there some connection between the two?

"So, the Holy Temple is nothing more than a dog kept by the Watchers in the Realm of Annihilation." The hilt of the Blade Fiend Xuan Iron was gripped so tightly that it turned white. His cold laugh was filled with a chilling aura, and his gaze swept over Lu Fan with utter mockery.

Lu Fan froze, his head drooped even lower, and his back straightened like a bowstring, acquiescing to this cruel reality.

Just as Ling Xiao turned to leave, intending to investigate the matter further, a sudden change occurred in the secret chamber!

The eyes of the black jade statue lit up without warning!
Two golden rays pierced through the dimness of the secret chamber, like an ancient divine lamp reviving. Their radiance was condensed and solid, no longer the hollow stone carving, but instead carrying a sharpness that could see through all things, locking onto Ling Xiao as if trying to see through his very soul.

"Watch out!" Dao Sha's figure moved like lightning, instantly blocking in front of Ling Xiao. His Xuan Tie longsword was drawn half an inch from its sheath, and a blood-moon-like blade light poured out, protecting Ling Xiao completely. His killing intent was as solid as a tangible substance.

Lu Fan's legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, his forehead slamming against the earth, drawing blood. His voice trembled and became incoherent: "Monitor! Spare me! I... I didn't mean to betray you!"

Ling Xiao raised his hand to signal Dao Sha to calm down, then slowly turned around to face the statue.

The two golden rays seemed to possess a spirit, turning with his movements. The moment their eyes met, Ling Xiao felt an overwhelming pressure rushing towards him, but it was quietly dissolved by the mysterious power within his body.

He stood with his hands behind his back, a cold, sharp smile curving his lips. There was no fear in his eyes, but rather a hint of fighting spirit: "So, the coward who's been hiding his head and tail has finally decided to show himself?"

A rumbling roar emanated from within the statue, like the howl of an ancient beast. Each word carried a crushing pressure that shook the very soul, causing dust to fall from the stone walls of the secret chamber: "Remember my name... I am the Celestial Venerable of Annihilation!"

Before the words were finished, the three-zhang-tall black jade statue suddenly became ethereal, turning into countless golden fragments that scattered like stars and disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye, leaving only a faint trace of oppressive power remaining in the secret chamber.

Annihilation Celestial Venerable...

Ling Xiao's eyes were deep. After a moment of silence, he waved his sleeve and said, "Let's go."

The group turned and left, leaving behind an empty secret room, where only the dim and eerie light of the luminous pearl on the wall remained.

...(End of chapter)