Chapter 1046: Sudden Change
“He really is a Creator!”
Year Star Lord was gripped in Luo Xiao’s hand, his heart startled. This Creator’s strength was formidable, far surpassing any Creator he had encountered before; he must be an outstanding genius among them.
However, when dealing with Creators, the Ancient Gods each had their own methods.
Creators did not cultivate the Dao, did not cultivate divine powers; they only cultivated their divine consciousness, using it to temper their physical bodies. They visualized external objects but lacked a primordial spirit, possessing a great weakness in their souls. Creators were powerful, yet also fragile.
Year Star Lord mastered the Dao of Life and Sacrifice. The moment Luo Xiao grasped him, his palm began to swell. In a short span of time, his hand expanded four or five times its size, exceeding the limits his physical body could bear.
His palm began to collapse; the weight of the muscles crushed the bones!
Not only that, but his arm also began to swell, like a flood, spreading upward along his arm, causing his entire body to grow larger and larger.
Luo Xiao’s complete form was already immensely huge. Year Star Lord used the Dao of Life to stimulate his bodily functions, causing his body to grow without limit, crushing itself.
Back in the primordial Hongmeng era, Year Star Lord’s technique had been invincible. In the Blood Rust Campaign, countless Creators surged toward him, but before they could even reach his side, they swelled up one after another, eventually crushing themselves into pulp, floating as lumps of rotting flesh in the cosmic starry sky.
Though countless millennia had passed, the Blood Rust Campaign remained the most grand, most spectacular, and most shocking battle in history.
In that campaign, various Ancient Gods shone brilliantly, establishing the pattern of Ancient God rule from then on.
Even after a million years from the Longhan to the Yankang eras, the pattern of Ancient God rule had not completely vanished.
Such was the effect of the Blood Rust Campaign.
Luo Xiao also knew that the Ancient Gods had ways to counter him. Therefore, the moment he grabbed Year Star Lord, he flung him backward. Year Star Lord flew out of his hand, plummeting downward. At the same time, Luo Xiao’s arm had turned to bone; the muscles on his arm had completely rotted away, and the decay was spreading toward his shoulder.
Luo Xiao made a decisive move. He raised his other arm, visualized a divine blade, and with a swift chop, severed his own arm to stop the rot from spreading.
Year Star Lord was hurled toward the Yuan Realm. He immediately flapped his wings vigorously, trying to halt his momentum. But at that moment, Luo Xiao’s divine consciousness surged toward him, visualizing a stream of meteors that struck him one after another, knocking him backward and preventing him from stopping his fall.
Luo Xiao’s body shrank rapidly as he strode toward him, visualizing more and more meteors that continuously bombarded Year Star Lord. Year Star Lord was both shocked and enraged. Suddenly, two divine pearls struck the back of his head—it was Dragon Qilin, who had arrived behind him.
Year Star Lord was beaten into a daze, his three souls scattered. Yan’er flew over, her sharp claws reaching out to tear him apart. At the same time, Qin Mu’s sword light arrived, wiping out his Heaven, Earth, and Human souls in a single stroke.
Luo Xiao stopped his visualization, descended, tore off some cloth to bind his severed arm and stop the bleeding, then bowed to Qin Mu and said, “Pastoral Celestial Venerable, now that my identity is exposed, the Ancient Gods will surely come to kill me and search for my people’s whereabouts. My time is short, but I feel guilty for involving you. I fear I won’t have a chance to repay you in this life. Farewell!”
Qin Mu smiled and said, “Creator Luo Xiao, you and I are on the same path. Why rush to leave? Don’t you want to find your race’s ancestral homeland? Without my help, you will never find it.”
Luo Xiao’s heart stirred, and he stopped.
Qin Mu invited him, saying, “For now, only I can help you. Your enemies are all the Ancient Gods, and I’m not far behind. Let’s be partners in crime… No, no, let’s share a common hatred and perhaps help each other.”
Luo Xiao stared at him blankly. Qin Mu walked to the Heavenly Dragon Carriage and lifted the beaded curtain. Luo Xiao hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and climbed into the carriage.
Dragon Qilin dispersed the Dragon Taming Sutra, tied up the Heavenly Dragon, while Yan’er ran around, collecting the corpses of the Five Luminaries, thinking to herself, “This will last me a long time…”
Suddenly, a violent tremor came from the sky. Dragon Qilin and Yan’er looked up to see that the divine stars of Tai Bai, Chen Xing, and Zhen Xing, having lost the summoning of the Five Luminaries Star Lords, were being forcibly cut in half by the Yuan Realm’s barrier!
The Five Luminaries clans living on those stars scattered in all directions. Many divine beings were sliced in two by the world’s barrier, and the five severed stars hung in the sky.
Dragon Qilin calculated the star orbits and said to Yan’er, who was busy moving “provisions” into the carriage, “In five thousand years, these five stars will fall from the sky one by one, crashing into the Yuan Realm. Their orbits are very dangerous.”
Yan’er was unconcerned. She transformed into a plump green sparrow, flew laboriously to Dragon Qilin’s side, and said, “We’ll be long gone by then. Let’s hurry and find my mother!”
Dragon Qilin hesitated, then lowered his voice and said, “We’ve stirred up a huge mess this time. Killing the Five Luminaries Star Lords here probably won’t escape the notice of the Heavenly Duke, the Earth Mother, or even the Earth Lord. The Heavenly Court and other Ancient Gods will soon know about this. I think we won’t be able to go to the Heavenly Court…”
Yan’er was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Qin Mu in the carriage.
Qin Mu’s voice came at the right time: “Yan’er, let’s first find the ancestral homeland. We’ll have plenty of chances to see your mother.”
Yan’er had no choice but to agree.
Dragon Qilin asked, “Chief, where is the ancestral homeland?”
“That depends on how high the Heavenly Court is.”
Qin Mu said, “To know the exact location of the ancestral homeland, we need to know the original height of the Longhan Heavenly Court, combined with the Xuan Du, You Du, the Four Extremes, the Yuan Realm, and the Gui Xu. I already know the positions of Xuan Du and other places in the grand cosmic star map. The only thing I don’t know is the original height of the Longhan Heavenly Court. But since we’re here, measuring the exact position of the Heavenly Court isn’t difficult.”
He pushed open the carriage window, looked up at the Heavenly Court along the Heavenly River, and said with a deep gaze, “By now, the Heavenly Court should know about the death of the Five Luminaries Ancient Gods. They’ll probably send the Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court or many Ancient Gods to hunt us down. Let’s get a little closer, measure the height of the Heavenly Court, and then leave.”
Dragon Qilin trembled with fear as he drove the Heavenly Dragon Carriage toward the Heavenly Court, thinking to himself, “What if we can’t get away in time? Killing an Ancient God in this era must be an earth-shattering event…”
Indeed, as he expected, the battle over the Yuan Realm’s Heavenly River had caused a tremendous shock. The battle took place on the Yuan Realm’s Heavenly River, and the Earth Mother Yuan Jun, who lived on the Yuan Tree, was also watching. For the Heavenly Duke, who resided high in the Xuan Du, this battle could not escape his notice either.
The Earth Lord of You Du also had his gaze fixed on the battle on the Heavenly River.
However, they seemed to share a tacit understanding, choosing not to interfere in the battle on the Heavenly River but silently observing the situation.
The Five Luminaries Star Lords were Ancient Gods sent by the Heavenly Emperor to monitor them in the Yuan Realm, Xuan Du, and You Du. They knew this well, so they chose to stand by. The death of the Five Luminaries was actually a good thing for them.
Moreover, the battle was swift; it began and ended quickly. Before the Heavenly Court could react, the battle was over, and the Five Luminaries Ancient Gods had died one after another. Even if the Heavenly Duke, Earth Lord, and others wanted to intervene, it was too late.
Yet the profound implications of this battle could not help but make the Heavenly Duke, Earth Mother, and Earth Lord ponder deeply.
The Pastoral Celestial Venerable, who had caused a stir at the Jade Pool over a thousand years ago, had now reappeared with the strength to kill Ancient Gods.
“Civilization begins when mortals gradually master the power of the gods.”
In the Xuan Du, the Heavenly Duke’s brows were snow-white, his long eyebrows like beams of bright light sweeping through the Xuan Du. He gently nudged the brilliant suns, and his voice rumbled, echoing through the Xuan Du.
“At first, humans learned the language of the gods and could communicate. Later, they learned to use tools and create tools.”
“Then, they mastered runes and divine powers.”
“Now, they are beginning to master the Great Dao.”
The Heavenly Duke’s emotionless face showed some movement, and he said, “Ancestral God King, this is civilization. A revolution to replace the Ancient Gods has begun. I see the decline of the Ancient Gods in the future, the gradual fading of the Ancient God era.”
Ancestral God King floated before the vast, boundless face of the Heavenly Duke, bowing and saying, “Father God, since humanity has built a civilization and wants to overthrow the rule of the Ancient Gods, why not destroy them? I will go down to the mortal world and handle this matter!”
The Heavenly Duke said unhurriedly, “You are wrong, Ancestral God King, my son. As the master of the Xuan Du and a deity born of the Heavenly Dao, one should not feel joy or anger in the face of worldly changes, nor should one make choices based on likes or dislikes. The Heavenly Duke cannot support or interfere but must quietly observe this change. This is the Heavenly Dao.”
Ancestral God King retorted, “Are you saying that only when they change the operation of the Great Dao and weaken the Heavenly Dao will you act, Father God?”
The Heavenly Duke said, “Even if they change the Heavenly Dao, a deity born of the Heavenly Dao should not interfere. We govern the operation of the heavens and the trajectories of billions of stars. We should observe the changes in the world with a mind free of joy or sorrow, giving civilization to time. This is the peace within joy.”
“Father God, you are too pedantic!”
Ancestral God King turned around, his cloak billowing, covering half of the Heavenly Duke’s face: “The Ancient Gods have already ignored the glory of the gods, allowing mortals to trample upon it. You can tolerate it, but I cannot! I will go down to the mortal world now!” With that, he shouted, and countless divine clans rose from the Heavenly Duke’s immense body, following Ancestral God King down to the mortal world.
The Heavenly Duke watched indifferently, not interfering with them.
In the You Du.
Demonic energy filled this vast, boundless territory. The Earth Lord calmly ruled over the dark side of the heavens and myriad worlds. Looking out, countless beings from countless worlds fell within his gaze.
The young You Celestial Venerable floated before him, seeing the battle on the Heavenly River through the third eye on the Earth Lord’s brow.
The Earth Lord’s massive eye blinked, and the scene within disappeared.
“You, your era has come.”
From his eye, the Earth Lord’s primordial spirit stepped out and said to You Celestial Venerable, “You should rejoice. You tiny beings are finally becoming the masters of the universe. I have seen the decline of the Ancient Gods’ fortune.”
You Celestial Venerable bowed and said, “Earth Lord, will you destroy my race?”
The Earth Lord shook his head: “I am born of the Dao principles, governing the underworld. All matters in the underworld belong to me; matters in the mortal world are none of my concern. However, this change makes my calm heart feel some anticipation. I think I see too far, my thoughts extending ten thousand or even a million years into the future, seeing the end of the Ancient God era and the mastery of powerful Dao forces by later-born beings. I am pleased. I want to change like you. You.”
He even showed a smile, saying, “Perhaps one day, I will walk in the mortal world, live like a mortal, and seek a breakthrough. Grow quickly. When I reincarnate as a human, I will need you to manage the You Du for me.”
In the Yuan Realm.
The Earth Mother Yuan Jun stood before the palace within the Yuan Tree, surrounded by terrified Ancient Gods of the Yuan Realm—Qilin, Phoenix, Dragon Veins transformed into divine dragons, Pixiu, Taotie, and other Ancient Gods born in the Yuan Realm.
They too had seen the battle on the Heavenly River and deeply felt the fear of death.
The Earth Mother Yuan Jun glanced back at them and said, “The era of great change has begun, yet you tremble in fear. How incompetent. You disappoint me.”
The Ancient Gods of the Yuan Realm said one after another, “Mortals have mastered divine powers, and they are beginning to change the geography of the earth, alter the flow of rivers, reshape mountains, mine minerals, cut down trees, even change the growth of plants, and capture and tame wild beasts. Now, the Pastoral Celestial Venerable has killed the Five Luminaries Star Lords. We can’t help but feel a sense of shared sorrow.”
The Earth Mother Yuan Jun laughed and said, “Though they have begun to master the power of the Dao, the Dao they master is merely the Dao of us Ancient Gods. Can they create a new Great Dao out of thin air? The Ancient Gods are uniquely favored by heaven. As long as they thoroughly understand their own Dao, find the end of their own path, and push their own Dao to the extreme, mortals and later-born beings will never surpass us. The Five Luminaries Star Lords were merely fools, thinking themselves born of the Dao, so they neglected to seek the source of their own power. Their deaths are not surprising.”
The Ancient Qilin said, “But later-born beings reproduce more than we do. Their reproductive ability is too strong.”
“Then you should reproduce more. The more, the better.”
The Earth Mother Yuan Jun smiled and said, “Population is the source of power. The more children you have, the more stable your rule will be.”
In the Xiao Han Heavenly Court, Yun Celestial Venerable looked at the five stars hanging in the sky. Each star was only half, all incomplete divine stars.
“Old Daoist! Old Daoist!”
He called for the Dao Ancestor and said, “The five disaster stars are dead, leaving behind their ancestral divine stars. There must be fortune within. Can we go up there? While the Dao radiance of the Five Luminaries disaster gods hasn’t dissipated, let’s go and thoroughly study the Dao of the Five Luminaries disaster gods.”
The Dao Ancestor said, “The Dao of the Ancient Gods is too profound. Studying it will likely be extremely difficult.”
“This is the perfect time for your mathematical skills to shine!”
Yun Celestial Venerable took some human gods skilled in mathematics with him to the Five Luminaries stars, saying, “Have you heard? The one who killed the Five Luminaries disaster gods is the Pastoral Celestial Venerable. I really want to meet him and have a talk with him, but unfortunately, he’s disappeared again.”
He seemed very excited: “I want to see him!”
The Heavenly Dragon Carriage stopped far from the Heavenly Court. Qin Mu used triangulation to determine the height and spatial position of the Heavenly Court, calculated the exact location of the ancestral homeland, and then breathed a sigh of relief, smiling, “I’ve found the specific location of the ancestral homeland.”
Luo Xiao stared straight at him and suddenly asked, “Pastoral Celestial Venerable, who exactly are you?”
Qin Mu smiled slightly and said, “You will know in the future.”
“Chief, the Heavenly Court’s army is charging over! It looks like the Heavenly River Navy!” Dragon Qilin’s voice came.
Qin Mu said quickly, “We need to leave immediately!”
Just then, a figure ran wildly on the river surface, rapidly approaching the Heavenly Dragon Carriage, shouting, “The Heavenly River Navy is chasing me! Please save me!”
Qin Mu pushed open the window and saw a young man in a loose robe, his face full of anxiety.
“And you are?” Qin Mu’s heart stirred as he asked.
“My name is Hong, Great Hong!”
Goosebumps rose on the back of Qin Mu’s neck, and the hairs on his body stood on end.