Chapter 552

Chapter 552: Abandoning the Divine Title

“She must not ascend.”

“The Upper Realm has already laid an inescapable trap. The moment she charges in, she will be branded as an abomination!”

“Ten Thousand Swords Sect was founded by Sword Sovereign. Our sect has strived tirelessly, yet all our efforts have been in vain.”

“Even the senior martial uncles stationed at the Seventh Heaven have been forcibly recalled to the sect.”

Just as those words were spoken, a young attendant hurriedly reported from outside the hall.

“Martial Uncles and Elders have returned.”

Senior Martial Uncle Lin immediately rose and led Lu Chao Chao to greet them.

“Senior Brother, what has become of the gods? Did Han Chuan agree to release them?”

A group of elderly men with white hair and solemn expressions shook their heads grimly.

“They have already endured several rounds of divine punishment. Tomorrow, they will be taken to the Execution Platform.”

Senior Martial Uncle Lin’s face turned deathly pale.

Execution Platform! The ultimate punishment where both body and soul are annihilated, leaving no chance for reincarnation. Even among the gods, it was the one fate they all feared.

Such an execution was rare; it was only used against those guilty of unforgivable crimes.

“Why?! They fought alongside Sword Sovereign to save the world! The entire Three Realms witnessed their deeds!” Senior Martial Uncle Lin’s eyes burned red with fury. The Ten Thousand Swords Sect had produced seven gods and Lu Chao Chao herself.

In truth, they had been enforcing stricter discipline among their disciples, fearing that even the slightest misstep would tarnish their honor.

“And why else? To lure the Little Sword Sovereign to the Upper Realm! If she refuses to ascend, they’ll take this chance to eliminate them!”

“Xuan Yu is trapped in the Demon Realm, Chong Yue’s soul is missing, and Gan Tang descended to the Mortal Realm and has yet to return!”

“Zong Bai, Xing Hui, Xian Ting, and Sheng He have already been taken to the Execution Platform. We are powerless! There is nothing we can do!” The First Senior Martial Uncle clenched his fists, his eyes brimming with helpless despair.

“Sword Sovereign sacrificed herself, and yet we cannot even protect her disciples!”

“If she knew, how heartbroken would she be?”

Silence fell over the hall, the air thick with sorrow and frustration.

“By the way, I heard a disciple ascended today?” The First Senior Martial Uncle suddenly recalled.

Senior Martial Uncle Lin quickly nodded. “Yes, Senior Brother, but that was Ming Kong! He committed heinous crimes!”

“He betrayed the Sword Sect’s sacred teachings, secretly allied himself with Han Chuan, and attempted to open the Barrier Gate, flooding the Mortal Realm with tainted miasma. He sought to slaughter countless mortals, and the Little Sword Sovereign—” He gestured across his throat in a cutting motion.

The senior martial uncles immediately stood up in shock. “The Little Sword Sovereign? Is she… is she alright?!”

Then, guilt flooded their faces. “She is only four or five years old now, isn’t she? Recently reborn and still growing, yet she has already faced such peril…”

“We misjudged. We thought the ancestor’s bloodline would remain pure.”

Senior Martial Uncle Lin spat in disgust. “That wretched scum was blinded by greed and strayed from the righteous path. He deserved to be executed by our Little Ancestor!”

His voice trembled with rage. “And his crimes are far worse than you can imagine!”

“Do you recall how High God Chong Yue’s divine soul was on the verge of collapse some time ago?”

“It was that traitor Ming Kong! He used the name of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to lure Chong Yue back with secret arts!”

“At the time, Chong Yue had only just resurrected the Little Sword Sovereign. He had even split a strand of his divine soul to accompany her in reincarnation, guarding her in secret. He was already gravely weakened and held no suspicion toward Ming Kong.”

“And yet…”

“Ming Kong imprisoned him in the Spirit Realm with the help of others.”

“They divided his godhood among themselves, nearly causing his total annihilation. If not for the Little Sword Sovereign’s return to the sect, he would not have survived.”

“His sins are too many to count!”

“We have failed the Little Sword Sovereign!”

The weight of those words pressed heavily upon the chamber.

Back when the world needed saving, the Ten Thousand Swords Sect had lost many of its finest disciples. The few elders who had nearly ascended held back their cultivation for years, ultimately choosing Ming Kong to oversee the sect.

And yet, he had betrayed them all.

“He practiced a forbidden technique, stealing the elders’ cultivation.”

The First Senior Martial Uncle stood, opened the doors, and bowed deeply toward the distant horizon—the direction of the Mortal Realm.

If one looked closely, tears glistened in his eyes.

“We are powerless… We have wronged the Little Sword Sovereign.” The others followed suit, standing and bowing deeply.

Neither the Celestial Realm nor the Ten Thousand Swords Sect had done Sword Sovereign justice.

“Is there truly no hope?” The Little Junior Martial Uncle fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

“If only the Monarch Emperor could return to the Nine Heavens. He was always just and merciful. He would never allow Han Chuan to run amok and persecute the loyal.”

The First Senior Martial Uncle shook his head sorrowfully.

“I have already sought out Star Monarch Si Ming.”

“The Monarch Emperor’s tribulation in the Mortal Realm is a secret even among the Three Realms. Not even the Book of Fate records his whereabouts… There are countless souls in the Mortal Realm. How could we possibly find him?”

When gods entered reincarnation, they bypassed the Cycle of Rebirth.

This was Heaven’s way of preventing external interference in a god’s tribulation.

It was also the reason Lu Chao Chao had been kept safe all this time.

Having met her old comrades, Lu Chao Chao felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart.

Silently, she left the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. At that moment, a golden light stretched across the horizon…

Dawn had arrived. The sun had risen.

But she felt no warmth—only a chilling determination.

She could protect the countless lives of the Three Realms, but she could not even protect her own disciples…

So what if it was a den of dragons and tigers? So what if an inescapable net had been laid?

She would charge through regardless!

She, Lu Chao Chao, had never known fear in either past or present life!

If they did not yield, she would fight!

Suddenly, the solemn toll of bells echoed through the heavens. The sound penetrated the Nine Heavens, reaching every corner.

Nine rings—the utmost limit.

In the Celestial Realm, whenever the divine bells tolled nine times, all gods were required to gather outside the Heavenly Palace.

“By decree of Celestial Sovereign Han Chuan, all gods must assemble at the Execution Platform.”

“High God Zong Bai, War God Xing Hui, High God Sheng He, and High God Xian Ting have committed the grave sin of reviving abominations. They shall be executed today at the Execution Platform! To uphold the laws of the Celestial Realm, all gods are required to witness their punishment!”

A young celestial attendant materialized, unrolling a glowing decree. As his voice echoed throughout the Nine Heavens, the decree vanished into thin air.

The attendant cast a glance at the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. “Elders, are you not going to bid farewell to your disciples? Once their souls are annihilated, you will never meet again.”

“If you ask me, High God Zong Bai was far too foolish.”

“Sword Sovereign sacrificed herself, and the Three Realms remember her merits. But the reborn version of her? She is an abomination. A being to be eradicated!”

“Celestial Sovereign Han Chuan gave them a chance—to reveal the abomination’s whereabouts and be pardoned. Yet they sided with her. Who else can they blame?”

For so long, the Ten Thousand Swords Sect had been an unshakable presence, blessed with Sword Sovereign’s legacy and her divine disciples.

But now, they were finished.

“This is too much!” Senior Martial Uncle Lin’s face was flushed with rage.

The First Senior Martial Uncle clenched his fists, his fury suppressed beneath a thin veneer of calm. When he turned around, he found all his fellow disciples gripping their swords tightly.

“Good! As expected of disciples of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect!”

“To hell with this so-called divinity! If need be, we shall return to the Spirit Realm and reign as kings of the land!” With that, they marched toward the Execution Platform, an unstoppable force.