Everything was being prepared. The Wubei Sect was on the verge of battle. Everyone could feel it in the air. Sect Leader Xuan was secluded, so were Matriarch Huang Yufeng and Emperor Weide.
Recently, Sun Liao had been working on his array formation to help Emperor Weide break through. Since people didn't know the true story, they were elated. Finally, their emperor would also become a Sage. Honestly, some people had been worried, and morale was even going down. Indeed, they were wondering whether their emperor was injured and couldn't actually perform the Greater Tribulation. After all, two much older cultivators had done so. Thus, it didn't stand to reason that he couldn't achieve the same success.
Thankfully, Sun Liao's array formations helped people make sense of the situation. Now, the rumors stated that Matriarch Huang Yufeng and Sect Leader Xuan had just been testing the waters for Emperor Weide. After getting enough information, Emperor Weide would try to go through the Greater Tribulation in a way that would benefit all. If he were successful, the same array formations could be used by everyone else, as it wouldn't require a more powerful cultivator to help out.
Sun Liao had merged together several array formations and used various principles in order to establish a completely new structure. It wasn't perfect yet, but Dian Mo had helped quite a bit. At the time, it was most likely the best array formation anyone on the Piaolu planet could conceive of. With a bit of irony, Sun Liao had called it the Treacherous Fate Revealing Array. At the moment, it was still only a 5-star Heaven array formation, but it might actually be improved upon in order to enter the Spirit grade.
This array formation could help reveal the treacherous tree devouring mankind's fate. On the other hand, it would also help the treacherous emperor leading mankind, and he would never be revealed. At least, not in his lifetime. But Sun Liao was also convinced that Emperor Weide would never be exposed at all, as it would weaken the Hongchen Kingdom anyway. Even if the war was won, Huang Cixi had no reason to expose the truth once she became emperor, quite the opposite in fact. She would obviously play on his martyrdom to garner more support and strengthen mankind.
Sun Liao felt terrible because he knew that he had pushed his brother to this decision. He had been hurting over Chief Elder Suxian. In response, he had made his own brother hurt as well. However, Sun Liao knew that this was the best course of action. Cao Yun was right, they needed all the strength they could gather. After all, they might all die in battle.
While Sun Liao was finishing his Treacherous Fate Revealing Array, Cao Yun disappeared for a few days. Only a handful of people knew where he went. He entered the Devil's Jail. More accurately, he went under the Devil's Jail. That giant tower, burrowed in the ground and used as a prison by the Wubei Sect was, in fact, the Empyrean Human Emperor Seal. From what Cao Yun had pieced together, the Empyrean Human Emperor was the supreme emperor of a large human empire that spanned billions of worlds. The Piaolu planet was only one planet among a multitude.
Although he wasn't sure what had happened exactly, Cao Yun knew that this human empire had collided with one or more other entities. He wasn't even sure if they had faced other empires or natural disasters, coalitions, or something else entirely. What he knew was that the empire was collapsing on itself. The Empyrean Human Emperor had had this seal forged in order to get rid of a powerful enemy. Cao Yun wasn't even sure whether it had actually been used or not. But millennia later, the demonic cultivators had grown Demon God Da Mo a new body under it so that they could possess it. The Devil's Jail had fed it until it became powerful enough to break free. Fortunately, Cao Yun had been able to activate the Human Empyrean Emperor Seal and had sealed Demon God Da Mo's body. Now, Mo Tian's Soul Embryo was trapped inside the Reborn Demon's body.
For several days, Cao Yun studied the Human Empyrean Emperor Seal. Afterwards, he went deeper and deeper until he got to Mo Tian. Demon God Da Mo's body was huge, but it was completely crushed beneath the large seal. Chains were coming out of the seal and were seared into Demon God Da Mo's flesh. His wounds were black and necrotic. Many swords were stabbed in almost all of his articulations. Even Cao Yun's senses couldn't pierce through the seal. The only way for him to accurately know the damage was through his connection to the seal. The young man wasn't sure he could fully control it yet, but he definitely had some control.
Of course, Cao Yun would rather kill Empyrean Asura, but if he had to seal him away, it was a good thing to see that it was possible. That being said, the Human Empyrean Emperor Seal was weakened compared to what it had been before. In fact, it might have actually been able to suppress an Immortal in the past. Deep down, Cao Yun wondered if it had been forged in an attempt to fight off a God or a God-Monarch. Such ideas seemed ludicrous, but the seal was still this powerful after so long. Maybe it was possible.
Anyway, Cao Yun had to make sure that his plans were safe. He didn't just plan one way, he prepared many paths that led to the same conclusion. For one more day, Cao Yun talked with Mo Tian.
"You've broken through the curse of the Forsaken Dao Era?!"
"I have."
"Ha...! For trying to achieve the same result, I am trapped here, and you've become a hero."
"The problem isn't the result, it's the means. I haven't slaughtered innocent people in order to achieve my current strength. I haven't forsaken mankind. But you might be pleased to know that others have also broken the curse. Namely, Sect Leader Xuan and Matriarch Huang. This famous curse might collapse entirely very soon. All that you've done has achieved nothing for you. All those sacrifices, the betrayal of your friend...!"
Mo Tian's mockeries stopped when he was reminded of Chief Elder Suxian.
"Once again, by working together, mankind grew stronger. By turning against your own, look what you've gotten. But you still have a chance to redeem yourself. Uphold the terms of the agreement, at the very least, your Soul Embryo will be freed from this carcass. If we fall, Empyrean Asura will take this body anyway. Either you abandon your foolish ambitions and let go of this flesh, or you'll die with the rest of us."
Of course, Cao Yun had absolutely no trust in Mo Tian. He didn't even think that Mo Tian would uphold his share of the deal. In fact, he was almost certain that Mo Tian would betray them in an attempt to gain freedom. They might get rid of the dragon only to face the tiger. If such a thing had to happen, they would cross that bridge then. For now, they had to survive.
"And what about Emperor Weide? Has he broken the curse?"
Mo Tian's words were full of resentment. Cao Yun didn't know the extent of Mo Tian's knowledge about Emperor Weide's actions, but he probably knew enough to suspect the Emperor's relations with demonic cultivators. It was arguable whether Mo Tian was worse than Emperor Weide or the reverse. That being said, Cao Yun would have nothing to do with such an argument. Their crimes were different but unforgivable in both cases. However, the Hongchen Kingdom needed those depraved men. Maybe Emperor Weide was better because he had acted for the perceived good of mankind, while Mo Tian had acted out of pure selfishness and fear of death. Mo Tian refused to die a natural death at the end of his lifespan, he wanted to become an actual Immortal. Sadly, both men had almost achieved their goal.
"He will soon enough."
Cao Yun's words were severe enough that Mo Tian detected his hatred of Emperor Weide.
"Then, he's the hero while I'm the villain?! I laugh at this!"
"If you want to have the great honor of being seen as a hero after murdering your friend, you'll have to prove yourself. Save mankind, and maybe you'll be a hero too.
"I have no time to lose discussing morality with a murderer and a traitor. Emperor Weide is useful, just as you are. Mankind needs all the help we can get. We all have to accept to dirty ourselves. But this is also your opportunity to shine. Chief Elder Suxian vouches for you. Don't let him down once again."
Mo Tian stayed silent. In his mind, he was trying to assess Cao Yun's words. Had his former friend really vouched for him, or was Cao Yun trying to manipulate him?
Cao Yun performed several tasks in order to prepare everything. Then, he finally unsealed a tiny part of the Human Empyrean Emperor Seal. He made sure that it would seem like an accident, but that it was enough to draw Empyrean Asura's attention. And it worked like a charm. Without the defenses of Emperor Nuwa, Empyrean Asura felt this familiar aura, his own blood. All of his attention focused on it, and he couldn't think of anything else.
In Saint Citadel Sidi, Empyrean Asura suddenly leapt into the skies and flew away directly toward the Wubei Sect. He quite literally drew a straight line. Empyrean Asura didn't even consider bringing any backup. Humans were nothing before him. One way or another, he would crush them all and take his blood. Considering the aura he could feel, this blood had to be particularly potent. Empyrean Asura dreamed of reforming his body. If he had known that his body was already formed, he might have flown even faster. He simply couldn't wait.
After a few days, Empyrean Asura finally came back to his senses and sent calls throughout his theocracy. Although he never altered his course, he tried to recruit the largest army he could near the border. He wouldn't wait for them to assemble. With thousands of demons or alone, Empyrean Asura would get this blood and slaughter everything and everyone in his way. He was in a complete frenzy. In fact, he didn't control his aura at all. His Demon Soul was corroding his flesh and seeping through the rotting flesh. His angelic and feminine figure was deteriorating really fast.
In the Wubei Sect, the Treacherous Fate Revealing Array was finally used after more than two weeks of preparation. Although he hated it, Cao Yun still observed the Greater Tribulation of his enemy. He wanted to know that it could be used for others. Clearly, Cao Yun was thinking about his friends and brothers. Unfortunately, they had no time for other 1st-grade Sages to be produced, but Cao Yun was already thinking about the future. It helped him forget that they might actually all die very soon.
The Treacherous Fate Revealing Array activated when Emperor Weide entered it. Silver chains appeared all around Emperor Weide. It was very similar to what some had seen when Cao Yun had broken through. As such, Cao Yun also recognized it. Sun Liao had used his own experience of the Dao to try to find a way to circumvent the problem. Cao Yun could tell that those chains were not the chains of the Dao he had experienced, but they did look similar. To be fair, they also had a very similar feeling. However, this sensation emanated from Emperor Weide's attempt to break through.
The chains began to flail around as a pillar of light erupted from Emperor Weide's Bai Hui. Like snakes, the chains coiled around the large pillar of light. Shadows appeared along the pillar of light. It didn't feel right at all. Finally, the pillar of light collided brutally with the dark, ominous cloud. Where the pillar of light was blocked, the slithering chains kept on going. As they entered the clouds, they took with them some of the radiance from Emperor Weide's pillar of light. As such, they dispersed some of the energy used by Emperor Weide.
The strategy was quite good, actually. The chains would confuse the branch of the Withering Fusang Tree in the hope that Emperor Weide could go through the clouds without anyone else helping him. However, it was difficult to tell whether it was working or not.
Emperor Weide controlled the chains still around him and his pillar of light to cast even more shadows. At some point, the chains exuded more light than Emperor Weide himself. His face clearly showed he was in excruciating pain. Not only was he focusing on tricking the Withering Fusang Tree, but Emperor Weide was literally splitting his very soul and Soul Embryo into several fragments. Right now, he was attempting the Greater Tribulation with less than a third of his actual soul. Even if he succeeded, the success wouldn't be as good as any cultivator from the past.
If even a cultivator like Emperor Weide struggled, it showed how difficult the process was. Improving the Treacherous Fate Revealing Array was always possible, but it would never be perfect. At best, it was just a way to temporarily trick the Withering Fusang Tree. Another solution had to be found, and Cao Yun already knew what it was. But it could wait, for now. Besides, he wasn't sure whether he was thinking about it because he wanted to take his mind off the current situation or because he was curious and excited about visiting the Withering Fusang Domains.
Suddenly, a tiny spark of Emperor Weide's pillar of light pierced through the dark, ominous cloud. Cao Yun could tell that it was a success. Emperor Weide was a 1st-grade Sage. No extraordinary phenomena happened, and his strength didn't soar immensely. But to be fair, he had only barely succeeded because of all the diversion needed to trick the Withering Fusang Tree. Thus, Emperor Weide was the weakest 1st-grade Sage possible. On one hand, Cao Yun was glad, but on the other hand, a more powerful Sage would have been a good thing.