Rai and Blaze were not given a chance to find traces of Ozul as their opponents quickly caught up to them.

The 5 Elders who had previously pursued Ozul were left immobilized on the ground. Barely conscious, they struggled to get up on their feet. Old Gu had left them in this state simply because they questioned his actions.

The Sages under Ember struggled to free themselves from their deadlock; everyone understood the importance of having an ally like Ozul.

Raven, Zier, and Blaze also couldn’t find an opportunity to pursue after Old Gu. Not that they could do anything against a Heavenly Virtue.

Rage and hopelessness blended into one; they could barely keep their thoughts together, let alone find gaps in their enemies’ attacks.

. . .

When Old Gu used the black cube that consumed Ozul, a woman in the distance observed everything with keen sight.

Her figure twisted and turned, blending perfectly with the shade of a hill. She was suppressing her aura so as not to get noticed by the powerhouses clashing in the distance.

She was an Empyrean that Old Gu might have noticed had he not been distracted by everything.

Having seen what Old Gu had done, she used an artifact to open a spatial rift that brought her straight back to the Realm ruled by the Lord of Shadows.

’Haah...’ she breathed a sigh of relief once the spatial rift closed behind her.

Whatever that black cube was, once activated, it held a pressure unlike anything she had felt before.

She was an Empyrean, and yet she almost trembled at the sight of that cube.

’I must inform the Lord!’ She thought, quickly rushing toward the castle of the Lord of Shadows.

She had never seen or heard of an item so powerful that it could even intimidate an Empyrean.

Only the Lord of Shadows could answer that scene she had witnessed in hiding.

. . .

Old Gu threw the black cube inside the spatial rift after it had shrunk to the size of a bead.

Following that, he took off and went back to the area where the Celestial Phoenix was taking her anger out on Lan Duo.

Suffering under the relentless attacks of the Phoenix, Lan Duo had contacted Kami multiple times to send another Virtue here.

However, knowing that stretching his pieces thin would leave other Realms vulnerable, Kami told her to deal with it.

It was then that not only her but even the Celestial Phoenix paused involuntarily.

The choking feeling gripped everyone’s heart. They had never felt anything like that before.

Just as that thought settled in the hearts of everyone, Lan Duo and the Phoenix thought differently. They had felt something familiar before.

’The Heavenly Emperor...’ x2

It was the aura of that God.

Fear gripped their hearts, not being able to comprehend why He would make an appearance here.

But just as that oppressing aura was unveiled, it cleared away just as quickly.

Although confused, the powerhouses whose clashes shook everything in sight continued their battle.

’Is it something to do with Gu?’ Lan Duo thought, unable to contain her curiosity.

Meanwhile, Ember was worried sick. She knew something of that calibre couldn’t be stopped by even her.

’That old man disappeared, and this happened... just what the heck is happening?!’

She wanted to make her way back to Phoenix to check up on things, but she knew that leaving the Phoenix to deal with a Virtue and 3 Empyreans might overwhelm her. The Virtue might also find an opportunity to come after her in that case.

What no one realized was that no one below the Empyrean Realm felt the aura! No one except for those who were nearby and had seen that black cube.

A few moments after the aura disappeared, Lan Duo was still awaiting Kami’s instructions, and she noticed Old Gu’s presence.

He had returned shortly after the aura of that being had disappeared.

’Just what are you up to...’ Lan Duo gave him a deep look, threatening him for answers.

"I can wait for answers, but help me out here!" She yelled at him, noticing that he was standing idle in the air.

Sadly for her, the words he uttered next weren’t in her expectations,

"You need to retreat. This battle ends here today."

Even the Celestial Phoenix stopped in her attack, glaring sharply at Old Gu.

Hakuja and Ember too stopped momentarily, unable to ignore the words of a Heavenly Virtue.

Meanwhile, Minho quickly disappeared from his earlier position and appeared behind Old Gu.

Lan Duo would’ve assumed it was a stupid joke, but Minho’s actions and the expression on Old Gu’s face were anything but funny.

"What tricks are you playing, you old man!?" Lan Duo yelled in annoyance.

She couldn’t believe what was happening. First, she came here to help him, then he betrayed her and left her to fend for herself against the Celestial Phoenix, and now he was opposing them?

It was evident now that she was used as a distraction and now was being thrown away like worn-out clothes.

"I came here to assist you, and now you are siding with that bird?!" She yelled, her voice thundering across the uprooted lands.

Meanwhile, Old Gu stood still. He released his aura fully, making it clear that there was no room for negotiation here.

"I have no obligation to explain myself to you," he stated, shaking his head.

"Not to mention," he continued, "You were sent here to take advantage of my intrusion, not to assist me."

There was a certain hint of disgust in his tone that Lan Duo did not miss.

Even Kai and Hakuja shifted uncomfortably. If Old Gu was adamant in siding with Phoenix from this point forward, they could only oblige unless more reinforcements were sent from the Son of God.

Just at that moment, the atmosphere began to burn again.

"You have already disgraced me enough," screamed the Phoenix with a screech and dived at Old Gu, ready to chew out his head.

But Old Gu had anticipated such a reaction from her. Grabbing Minho by the shoulder, he pulled him away before dodging as well.

"I am not helping you," he stated coldly.

And then he added with a little difficulty, "... I am doing this for myself."

The weight of what he had done, the realization of having gone against his own principles, stepping outside the lines he had set for himself, all of that bore heavily on his conscience.

Stopping this unnecessary bloodshed was a small atonement, a distraction for himself.

Lan Duo refused to step back. She locked eyes with him, and sparks flew from the clash of their aura.

If she were to back down now, it would sully her reputation as one of the Heavenly Virtues.

Kai, Hakuja, and Ember could only watch silently from the sidelines. They had little say in these matters.

Before they lunged at each other, yet another spatial rift opened.

Lan Duo smirked; she recognized the familiar presence of Zihao, the Heavenly Virtue of Kindness.

After sensing the aura of the Heavenly Emperor, she had immediately informed Kami of the situation. Taking no chances, Kami sent another Virtue to aid her.

The old man named Zihao stepped out of the rift and quickly scanned his surroundings.

"You have always been a nuisance," he spoke with an apathetic face, yet his tone held little indifference.

Old Gu, however, wasn’t keen on speaking anymore.

He went into action as quickly as Zihao had uttered those words, aiming for both him and Lan Duo.

Following in his steps, Minho and Ember each took on Kai and Hakuja, respectively!

It took a few moments, but the Celestial Phoenix also lunged forward. Her anger at Old Gu’s actions hadn’t yet subsided, but even she knew that taking on two Virtues alone wouldn’t be possible later.

To drive them out of her home, she had to set aside her differences.

A few seconds later, the heavens and the earth kept shaking violently.

The battle between these powerhouses was so destructive that the entire Realm felt the push and pull each time they clashed!

What had started out as a battle against the Phoenix was now completely in her favor.

Zihao could hardly keep her distracted, and Lan Duo was evidently no match against Old Gu.

Whenever they clashed, the entire map of the Realm kept changing.

After a while, Kai and Hakuja started worrying about the future. Having been in charge of this Realm for so long, it felt like their responsibility to keep it flourishing.

But as things were looking right now, they were only ruining the potential of this Realm.

Ember, too, thought it a pity that so much terrain had been destroyed, but she kept up her fierce assault, venting out all of her earlier frustrations now that things were finally in her favor.

Much to everyone’s surprise, yet again, a spatial rift opened in the sky!

It was the old lady Baoshi, the Virtue of Temperance!

Lan Duo and Zihao’s expressions quickly turned sour. If this was how the Lord of Shadows was going to play, they really couldn’t do anything!

"Ho~? Old man, you have the courage to fight the Phoenix alone?" Baoshi taunted, watching Zihao tank the Phoenix’s attacks.

She added sarcastically, "You are handling it pretty well."

Zihao’s condition wasn’t good even after fighting for a short while. Although they were fighting to keep their pride, he had to admit that it couldn’t go on for much longer.

To add insult to the injury, Baoshi also joined in the battle!

Lan Duo and Zihao both secretly contacted Kami, but the reply they received was simple yet painful: retreat.

It soon followed that Old Gu gave them an opportunity to retreat again.

"This is the last time I will say this... leave."

This time, even while it hurt their pride, the two Virtues gritted their teeth and accepted the proposal.

Although the Phoenix was furious and kept attacking them, Baoshi listened to Old Gu’s wishes and let them leave.

Old Gu even held off the Phoenix while the other party retreated quickly.

Kai and Hakuja called off their soldiers surrounding Phoenix City. With the way things had progressed, their anger had subsided, leaving them with more confusion.

It was a bitter end to this massive battle. No one was truly satisfied with how things ended, but in the face of absolute power, everyone could only follow orders.

Everyone slowly receded to their homes while Old Gu kept trying to pacify the Phoenix’s fury.

Bearing her attacks, he almost coughed up blood.

’Did I do the right thing?’ He wondered silently, questioning his own actions.

Sighing tiredly, he muttered to himself,

"Will he still remain on the sidelines?

Will it weigh on his conscience as well?"