Though enhancements are helpful, they are only a temporary solution. Sometimes, there's simply no way to overcome certain challenges.
Chen Xia was fortunate to have the East Jia State as his sanctuary, which gave him some confidence and stability compared to the other Five Paths Great Emperors, who were far more anxious.
The East Jia State was no longer what it used to be. Besides its prestigious status as the Supreme Primordial Land, it had now also fused with the Great Death Domain and the Boundary Domain. In terms of power and influence, it far outshone the other major realms in the Immortal World.
As someone who had fused with the East Jia State, Chen Xia naturally benefited from this. This fusion was the key reason why he, with only the strength of a false emperor, could defeat the Heaven Emperor. It was essentially because he had stacked too many buffs, making it impossible for the Heaven Emperor to match the combined efforts of so many.
Yet, despite this, the situation remained precarious. Rumors suggested that the Martial Emperor had already taken control of several major realms near the Ninth Mountain, and he had brought the Emperor Witch along with him. This implied that the Emperor Witch was likely the Martial Emperor's chosen successor.
The realms under Martial Emperor's control might be paving the way for the Emperor Witch's rise. As for the other Five Paths Great Emperors, what were they supposed to do?
The Lord of the Divine Realm, the Eminence, and the Star Lord, who hadn't yet fused with their own realms, were in even more danger than Chen Xia. They couldn't afford to worry about their pride anymore and decided to visit Heaven Pill Gate together to consult with Chen Xia.
The Lord of the Divine Realm, who had initiated the discussion, spoke first.
"Given the current situation, it's likely that we'll soon be ousted from power, with the Emperor Witch taking over our realms. Therefore, I believe we should join forces. We don't necessarily have to resist the Martial Emperor, but at least we should try to secure some opportunities for ourselves."
The Eminence nodded in agreement. "I agree. The Martial Emperor's actions are indeed excessive. He arrives with the Emperor Witch like a heavenly army, pushing everything aside with brute force, without considering our feelings as Five Paths Great Emperors."
The Star Lord chimed in, "Indeed, indeed."
Chen Xia quickly waved his hands. "Among you all, I have the lowest cultivation level and thus the least ability. As the old saying goes, the less ability, the less responsibility. I don't think I'm qualified to play big with you."
"You weren't saying that when you killed the Heaven Emperor," the Lord of the Divine Realm said, glancing at him before continuing.
"Moreover, you have the Supreme being's support. If we work together and include Daoist Suppressing Heaven, we might be able to hold our own against the Martial Emperor."
"Indeed, indeed," the Star Lord nodded.
"Can we just kick him out? All he does is say 'indeed, indeed,'" Chen Xia said, pointing at the Star Lord.
"Don't worry about him. Just tell us, do you agree? If you say yes, our alliance is formed," the Lord of the Divine Realm said, looking directly at Chen Xia, waiting for his answer.
Chen Xia scratched his head, feeling that it wasn't a fair deal. He was currently living comfortably and saw no reason to take such risks with these three.
"Okay."
As he was still hesitating, a puppet figure walked out from the gate, answering for him.
It was Daoist Suppressing Heaven.
"Good, very good!" The Lord of the Divine Realm nodded, feeling more confident now that he had Daoist Suppressing Heaven's agreement. He believed that they at least had a chance to challenge the Martial Emperor.
The Eminence and the Star Lord also smiled with relief, happy to have formed this alliance.
"Don't be too happy yet," Daoist Suppressing Heaven's voice, stiff and mechanical, rang out. The puppet extended its hand forward and continued,
"All of you, come and swear a life oath with me. We'll be tied together by it. Though it doesn't mean we share the same life and death, it will act as a constraint. Anyone who betrays the alliance will face a broken heart and falling cultivation level as punishment."
The group's expressions stiffened, and they exchanged wary glances.
"Everyone has to do it?" the Lord of the Divine Realm asked calmly, his old eyes flickering with caution.
"Yes, everyone," the puppet replied.
"Alright!" The Lord of the Divine Realm nodded, not questioning further. He stepped forward, placed his hand over the puppet's, and sealed the life oath.
The others followed suit, including Chen Xia.
Once the life oath was completed, the Lord of the Divine Realm retracted his hand into his sleeve and smiled lightly.
"Now we're tied together like grasshoppers on the same string. We should take good care of each other in the future."
"Of course, I hope all of us can sync and fuse with our own realms, taking that crucial step toward the Supreme Path," the Eminence added.
"Indeed, indeed," the Star Lord nodded.
After their discussion, they left one by one.
At the gate, a flock of migratory birds arrived, forming into a cluster beneath the vast, blue sky. They occasionally chirped as they flew toward the distant horizon.
"They are flying toward their future," Daoist Suppressing Heaven suddenly said, then looked down at Chen Xia and asked,
"And what about yours?"
Chen Xia crossed his arms and tilted his head. "It's on its way, too."
"Good." Daoist Suppressing Heaven nodded. Suddenly, it flicked its hand, and a streak of light dropped, returning to Chen Xia.
It was the life oath they had just sworn.
Chen Xia's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Daoist Suppressing Heaven, puzzled. "What does this mean?"
Daoist Suppressing Heaven had already turned around and was walking away, its voice drifting back, stiff yet profound.
"The final adjudicator shouldn't be bound by any oaths."
"Ga!" The birds chirped one last time before leaving behind the azure sky, flying off into the unknown.
Chen Xia stood by the gate, tilting his head, muttering softly to himself.
"Why are you so sure I'm the final adjudicator? What if I'm just someone clinging to life until the very end?"
There was no response. Inside Heaven Pill Gate, things were peaceful. Xu Zhen, Huang Qingyue, and Qiu Yi had gone to other parts of the East Jia State, while Wang Yangzi was refining medicine.
It had been a long time since things had been so quiet.
Chen Xia slowly walked to the higher part of the gate, looking outward. He had a feeling that the so-called end of this great era wasn't far away.
Could he withstand it?
He glanced back at the gate behind him, feeling that he had no choice but to. The cost of failure seemed too great—so great that it was almost unbearable.
"Screw it," Chen Xia cursed under his breath, then shook his head. A breeze brushed past his ears, tousling his hair. It seemed to try to blow away his worries, but only intensified them.
Finally, he patted his head and forced a smile. "I hope I'll be the final adjudicator."
A cool breeze blew in the moment, as autumn waters flowed past the western hills.
Around and around.
Worrying over old friends once more.