Chapter 830: The Maha Ancient Clan's Ambition
Following Xiao Ze's slaying of the Blood Profound Demon Emperor, the Demon Realm had been thrown into turmoil, its movements unsettling many of the Great Thousand World's top tier powerhouses.
Lacking insight into the Demon Realm's motives, the Great Thousand World's Heavenly Sovereigns could only stand vigil at the borders, prepared to repel any sudden offensives. Reports of these activities were swiftly delivered to Grand Thousand Palace, the Great Thousand World's supreme governing body.
As both the world's foremost power and wartime command center in times of Demon Realm invasions, the Grand Thousand Palace was immediately placed on high alert. Its elders were reminded of the near apocalyptic chaos the Demon Realm had unleashed during the ancient wars, a calamity that even tens of thousands of years couldn't fully heal.
A Looming Threat
The tension was further heightened by the rapidly approaching Final Great Thousand Cycle, an event that had been centuries in the making. This period marked the culmination of the Great Thousand Extermination Array, a grand seal devised by the Immortal Emperor to obliterate the life force of the Heavenly Evil God.
To fully eradicate the Heavenly Evil God, the array required a total of 49,000 years of uninterrupted operation, cycling every millennium. Now, only a few centuries remained until the final activation of the seal.
The Demon Realm, aware of this looming deadline, was certain to escalate its efforts to shatter the array and free its god. The threat of such a scenario was so grave that even the Immortal Emperor the Great Thousand World's greatest champion had sacrificed his life to imprison the Heavenly Evil God.
The Grand Thousand Palace Prepares
Although the Demon Realm's current activities were limited to border skirmishes, they served as an ominous prelude to larger incursions. In response, the Grand Thousand Palace issued directives to all border guarding superpowers, urging vigilance against the Demon Realm's escalating aggression.
Despite these warnings, life within much of the Great Thousand World remained tranquil. For now, the brewing storm had yet to affect its core regions.
The Rise of the Source Realm
Meanwhile, peace was a rare commodity on the Tianluo Continent, where the Source Realm's meteoric rise was reshaping the world's landscape.
Under Mandala's stewardship, the Source Realm had solidified its reputation as a Holy Land of Alchemy in mere months. Its unprecedented growth had transformed it into a superpower rivaling even the Great Thousand World's oldest factions.
The Tianluo Continent, already coveted for its strategic and resource rich nature, now drew even more envious gazes. The Source Realm's rise had only intensified these ambitions, though most factions could only look on from afar, their strength insufficient to challenge Xiao Ze's dominance.
Xiao Ze's decisive victories in two critical battles where he had overcome greater numbers and even defeated an Immortal Heavenly Sovereign served as a powerful deterrent to most challengers.
The Ambition of the Maha Ancient Clan
Yet not all were content to stand idly by. Among those coveting the Source Realm's prosperity was the Maha Ancient Clan, led by its newly appointed patriarch, Maha Tian.
Unlike his peers in the Four Ancient Clans, Maha Tian was a man of ambition. Though his strength was sufficient to lead the Maha Clan, he sought a monumental achievement to solidify his authority, both within the clan and throughout the Great Thousand World.
The Source Realm, with its burgeoning reputation and boundless potential, presented the perfect target. Its newfound status as an alchemical powerhouse, along with its abundant production of Supreme Spiritual Liquid, made it a treasure trove for any ambitious power.
If the Maha Clan could bring the Source Realm under its control, not only would Maha Tian secure his authority, but the clan would gain an unimaginable influx of resources particularly the hundreds of billions of Supreme Spiritual Liquid generated annually.
This potential wealth was enough to ignite greed even within a clan as powerful as the Maha Ancient Clan.
A Dangerous Plot
Consumed by his ambitions, Maha Tian summoned his younger brother, Maha You, to discuss the matter. Maha You, a Heavenly Sovereign at the late Immortal stage, listened in shock as Maha Tian laid out his plans.
"Brother, Xiao Ze may not yet be a Saint Heavenly Sovereign, but his position as a Demon Slayer King complicates matters," Maha You cautioned.
"Hmph! A Demon Slayer King?" Maha Tian sneered dismissively. "The Demon Slayer title is meaningless in peacetime. Without a direct confrontation with the Demon Realm, Xiao Ze lacks the authority to command the Grand Thousand Palace's full backing."
Maha Tian's confidence stemmed from the fact that the Grand Thousand Palace's influence over the superpowers was limited during periods of peace. While the palace could demand unity in wartime, it held no absolute sway over the Great Thousand World's factions in times of stability.
"Even so," Maha You pressed, "there's still a risk that the Grand Thousand Palace might intervene..."
Maha Tian's eyes narrowed as he considered the possibility.
"Then we will take a different approach," he said after a pause. "If we cannot seize the entire Source Realm, we will focus on its alchemical core the vast network of alchemists from the lower plane. Even capturing a fraction of its capabilities will yield immense profits."
"And if Xiao Ze resists?" Maha You asked warily.
Maha Tian's smile turned cold. "Then he will have no choice but to comply whether he wants to or not."
Thus, the Maha Ancient Clan's ambitions took shape, setting the stage for a potential conflict with Xiao Ze and the Source Realm.
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