Chapter 1075: A Path Appears After Mountains and Rivers Exhaust Themselves
"Who was the first to take control of the Heavenly Emperor's physical body?"
Qin Mu's mind raced, his divine consciousness nearly extinguishing in shock.
After the Heavenly Emperor's death, who seized his physical form—this was a historical mystery, known to only a handful of people!
Suddenly, Qin Mu spotted a figure moving within the Heavenly Court, even ahead of Cloud Sovereign and Hao Sovereign!
"Could it be the Grand Emperor?"
Qin Mu's heart tightened. As far as he knew, the Ten Sovereigns of later eras actually numbered eleven. The Grand Emperor had a reincarnated soul-body that infiltrated the upper echelons of the Heavenly Alliance, becoming a sovereign.
It was he who, at the end of the Imperial Era, took over the Heavenly Emperor's physical body and ambushed Ling Sovereign!
Could the figure rushing toward the Heavenly Court ahead of Cloud and Hao be the Grand Emperor's reincarnated form?
Just then, Qin Mu saw Divine King Gong Yun. This creator god-king actually followed closely behind Cloud Sovereign and Hao Sovereign, riding the wind, passing Qin Mu and the others, and charging straight into the Heavenly Court.
Divine King Gong Yun's divine consciousness erupted. Any Heavenly Court deities she encountered were instantly trapped in her consciousness illusions, none able to escape.
Even when the Great Sun Star Lord led the Zhou Heavenly Star Lords and True Gods to attack, they all fell into the illusions, unaware of where they were.
Her appearance threw the gods of the Heavenly Court into chaos, but as soon as her divine consciousness spread, the turmoil subsided. Everyone seemed unable to see her as she barged straight into Jade Capital City, heading directly for the Lingxiao Hall.
Clearly, Divine King Gong Yun also coveted the ancient god Heavenly Emperor's physical body!
"Gong Yun is an ancient god-king. For now, Cloud Sovereign and the others are no match for her. If they storm the Lingxiao Hall, Gong Yun will likely seize control of the Heavenly Emperor's body. But this struggle might run into the Heavenly Emperor's other soul, right?"
Qin Mu's mind spun rapidly. The Heavenly Emperor's other soul had likely already reincarnated, and that person would later become Xiao Sovereign!
"Is Xiao also in the Heavenly Court? A cunning rabbit has three burrows. Though Lady Yuanmu has transformed into Jue Wuchen, she must covet the Heavenly Emperor's body. And Empress Dowager, whom she might have schemed to kill, could have become another sovereign, hiding in the Heavenly Court, waiting to seize the Heavenly Emperor's form!"
Qin Mu panted heavily, his head dizzy.
He had once thought things were simple, but now it seemed the battle for the throne was far more complex than he had imagined!
"In the Yankang Era, the Ten Sovereigns of the Heavenly Court bickered and checked each other, jointly controlling the false Heavenly Emperor's body. This tradition probably formed in the mid-to-late Longhan Era," he mused.
He couldn't witness the struggle for the Heavenly Emperor's body inside the Lingxiao Hall, and while he regretted it, this history was already set.
The Longhan Heavenly Court was about to undergo a great upheaval—that was what he anticipated.
After the Heavenly Emperor's death, spheres of influence would be redrawn. To stabilize the Four Ancient Emperors, the Heavenly Court would split, each returning to their ancestral lands.
The Heavenly Court would slowly rise, detaching from the Primordial Realm, making the exact location of the Ancestral Court unfindable.
Earth Mother Yuanjun, no longer suppressed by the Heavenly Court, would grow increasingly powerful. Finally, in the Imperial Era, unable to curb her ambition, she would make her son establish the Northern Imperial Heavenly Court and declare himself emperor!
This was the consequence of today's battle.
Cloud Sovereign and Hao Sovereign had already stormed the Lingxiao Hall, with the Grand Emperor's reincarnated form ahead of them. Meanwhile, Divine King Gong Yun had also reached the hall's entrance.
Suddenly, a massive hand shot out from within the hall, striking outward!
Qin Mu saw this hand and felt as if it could control the blue sky, the earth, and countless worlds!
This hand, striking from the Lingxiao Hall, was still far from where he stood, yet the sensation was overwhelming—as if the myriad paths of heaven and earth were all under its control!
The Hand of the Heavenly Emperor!
This strike was aimed at Divine King Gong Yun, catching her off guard. This ancient goddess-king, the Grand Emperor's wife, didn't even grunt before exploding into pieces!
"No—!" Qin Mu nearly ground his teeth to dust.
His purpose in coming here was to find Divine King Gong Yun to heal his divine consciousness injury. He never expected that some sovereign, controlling the Heavenly Emperor's body, would kill her with a single blow!
Cold sweat poured down his forehead. "It couldn't have been the Grand Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor once loved Gong Yun; he would have left her intact. So who did this? Cloud Sovereign? Hao Sovereign? Or Lady Yuanmu?"
Blood dripped from the Heavenly Emperor's hand, which then withdrew. Angry shouts erupted from within the Lingxiao Hall—the sovereigns inside were clashing, each trying to seize control of the Heavenly Emperor's body.
The Heavenly Emperor's body had killed Gong Yun with one strike—such overwhelming power made them even more determined to possess it.
With Divine King Gong Yun dead, the Heavenly Court deities trapped in her illusions woke up. The Great Sun Star Lord immediately summoned the Zhou Heavenly Star Lords and True Gods to search everywhere, shouting harshly, "Everyone, stay alert! There might be more rebels! Release the Howling Heaven Hounds!"
Countless divine beings in the sky let go of their chains. Sleek, long-legged black hounds leaped down from the clouds, landing at the shattered remains of Divine King Gong Yun, sniffing around.
Then, many Howling Heaven Hounds bounded off, searching in all directions.
The Heavenly Court was in chaos. Meanwhile, Ancestral God King, Moon Sovereign, Ling Sovereign, Langxuan Divine Emperor, and others arrived swiftly, shaking off the pursuing Great Sun Star Lord and heading straight for the Lingxiao Hall.
Yan'er, Dragon Qilin, and the others had already infiltrated the Heavenly Court. Seeing Divine King Gong Yun killed by the Heavenly Emperor's palm, they felt a chill run through them.
Yan'er trembled, "Young master, what do we do now?"
Qin Mu pondered, about to speak, when suddenly a palace maid walked toward them, her gaze vacant. She stopped before Yan'er, speaking to the halo behind Yan'er's head, "My physical body is dead. The Great Sun Star Lord plans to search me out and finish me off."
Yan'er and Dragon Qilin jumped in shock. "You're Divine King Gong Yun?"
The palace maid had a lovely face, but now Gong Yun's divine consciousness was in disarray, barely able to inhabit her. Her body was stiff, her expression wooden, and she spoke mechanically, "I am no match for the Great Sun Star Lord now, nor can I withstand the siege of those ancient gods. Shepherd Sovereign, protect me."
Dragon Qilin nearly leaped up, exclaiming, "The young master can barely save himself! How can he save you?"
The palace maid said, "Shepherd Sovereign, your injury is worse than mine. My divine consciousness can recover easily, but your divine consciousness wound can only be healed by me."
Qin Mu's divine consciousness transmitted, "Take her with us!"
Dragon Qilin hurriedly asked, "Chief, where to?"
"The Northern Emperor's Black Tortoise Heavenly Palace."
Qin Mu sighed, "For now, the battle for the Heavenly Emperor's body may not yield a result. Even if it does, they'll still send people to search for Gong Yun's whereabouts. With the Great Sun Star Lord keeping so many Howling Heaven Hounds, it's hard to evade him. Right now, only that extraordinary treasure, the Lapis Lazuli Heavenly Canopy, can protect us."
Yan'er bounced with excitement. Dragon Qilin glanced at her, "Keep your voice down, or the Great Sun Star Lord will find us."
Yan'er lowered her voice, unable to suppress her joy, "I've always wanted to see that legendary, all-responsive, number one treasure in the world! That pair of thieving dogs and bitches..."
Dragon Qilin grunted, his voice deep, "That's us!"