Chapter 1324 — Chapter 1324 Celestial Council

"How many people did the Celestial Emperor tell this information to?" Yuan inquired after learning that it wasn't a secret in the upper heavens.

"As far as I know, everyone with even the slightest influence in the Seventh Heaven and above was notified by the Celestial Emperor. From small families and sects to powerhouses with sway over entire continents. However, there's a good chance that such information trickled down to the lower heavens as well."

"So pretty much everyone in the Seventh Heaven and above are aware of our existence and not influenced by the curse?"

"That is correct. Though, even if someone is aware, they will most likely not reveal it to you like I am currently due to the Celestial Emperor's action."

"What sort of action?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"The Celestial Emperor has the power to create Heavenly Laws by inscribing them into the Heaven's Will. Once something is written in Heaven's Will, all living beings living within the Nine Heavens must obey the law, or they will be punished with a fate worse than death—soul extermination."

"Isn't that a little too much power for one individual?" Yuan frowned slightly after learning of the Celestial Emperor's prowess.

"While it may sound incredibly dangerous to have such authority, it's not something that he could abuse at will. Because of what happened in the past, the Celestial Emperor cannot create any law as he pleases without the approval of the Celestial Council." "The Celestial Council? What's that?"

"It's made up of members from several of the most prominent and influential powerhouses in the entire Nine Heavens. They are there to ensure that the Celestial Emperor does not abuse his power and create another situation like the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods."

"With that being said, the Celestial Emperor still has the final say even if everyone in the Celestial Council are against it."

"I see…" Yuan mumbled.

"Now why don't you tell me a little about your world and its situation that requires you to travel to the Vanishing Valley?" Senior Bai suddenly inquired.

Since Senior Bai told him so much, Yuan had no reason to keep it a secret and did not hesitate to reveal information about his own situation.

"My world, Earth, is on the verge of collapse. We're not exactly sure of the cause, but we think it's due to a lack of spiritual energy. If it weren't for a certain individual who had been protecting the world by supplying his spiritual energy for countless years, our world would've disappeared long ago."

Senior Bai fell silent with a pondering expression on his face.

"Just like cultivators, a world created through spiritual energy will collapse without it. Even if your world is only a small fragment of the Nine Heavens, it would still require an immense amount of spiritual energy to keep it from crumbling apart. Who is this inidivdual? To support the world for so long, he must have a deep cultivation."

"He's not human. He's a Divine Beast—a Blood Mastiff." Yuan revealed.

Senior Bai's eyes widened with surprise after hearing this.

"Did you just say he's a Blood Mastiff?! They are so exceeding rare that they're on the verge of extinction even in the Nine Heavens!" Senior Bai exclaimed.

"Extinction…? Really?" Yuan's face was filled with surprise.

"Yes. Blood Mastiffs have a unique bloodline that allows them to absorb spiritual energy much faster than others, and they only absorb the purest spiritual energy. This kind of bloodline would be heaven-defying if acquired by a cultivator. Because of this, they were hunted to near extinction."

Yuan frowned upon learning this information.

"When did this happen?"

"It occurred around the same time as the hunting of dragons," Senior Bai replied.

He continued, "Unfortunately, Blood Mastiffs were already a rare race, unlike dragons, which have multiple bloodlines and a vast community, so it didn't take long for their bloodline to decline."

"Nowadays there are probably less than ten Blood Mastiffs across the entirety of Nine Heaven. In fact, I have never come across one myself throughout my entire life."

"However, it would make sense for this individual to be able to support your world for so long if he's a Blood Mastiff, as they have the highest spiritual energy capacity out of all races out there."

Yuan's respect for the Lord significantly increased upon learning the truth about his race's history. If humans had been hunted to near extinction by beasts, it would be unlikely for any sane human to sacrifice themselves to protect a world dominated by beasts. Yet, that was precisely what the Lord did. Despite his race being hunted to near extinction, he still chose to sacrifice himself to protect Earth.

"I understand the situation of your world now, but that doesn't explain why you need to visit the Vanishing Valley. Nothing in that place will help your predicament." Senior Bai said a moment later.

"The Vanishing Valley is just a road I must take to reach my real destination," Yuan said.

"Your real destination…?"

"The Shadow Realm."

Senior Bai stood up after hearing this name.

"The Shadow Realm?! That place is infinitely more dangerous than the Vanishing Valley! Not even an insane person would dare think about going there!" He exclaimed.

"The corrupted souls within that place possess neither will nor intelligence. They have only their destructive instincts, and they will attack anything in sight! And because they aren't living or have a physical body, they cannot be killed through normal means. The Shadow Realm is not a place meant for the living. It was sealed away for a reason."

"I know. I experienced for myself how dangerous that place is first-hand." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

"Y-You've already been there before…?" Senior Bai looked at him with a dumbfounded face.

"Yes, and I was much, much weaker than I am now back then."

Senior Bai swallowed nervously at such words. He'd been to the Shadow Realm once before, but he was only looking at the place from outside in a safe zone.

'I didn't even dare to enter the Shadow Realm realm back then…' he sighed inwardly.