Chapter 1219: The Return of the Open Emperor (First Update)
Emperor Yi Yue, Zhuo Cha, the Green Emperor, King Yan, and the others exchanged glances. They saw that the Grand Emperor had indeed left, but he still hadn't completely shattered the Lotus Continent. Instead, he had directly uprooted this cluster of continents from the Tai Xu Realm, stepping on the Lotus Continent as he roared away, quickly vanishing.
Qin Mu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said in a low voice, "Good thing I have enough face, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable. So, Lady Qiang Tian is currently in the Heavenly Court camp. That little flirt, the Grand Emperor... What are you all staring at me for? You rebellious traitors, are you trying to rebel? I'll go fetch the Heavenly Court army right now and wipe out you remnants!"
Emperor Yi Yue, Zhuo Cha, the Green Emperor, King Yan, and the others, right in front of the Woodcutter Sage, gave the loudly threatening Mu Tianzun a thorough beating, leaving his face swollen and bruised. Niu Sanduo also squeezed in and managed to land a couple of kicks.
Qin Mu, battered and disheveled, went to complain to the Woodcutter Sage, only to find him wiping bloodstains off his fists. Seeing Qin Mu approach, he quickly hid his hands behind his back.
"My good disciple, you shouldn't always provoke them. It's easy to get beaten up," the Woodcutter Sage advised him kindly.
Qin Mu sneered coldly.
The Woodcutter Sage remained expressionless and said, "Can you really drag the Grand Emperor to death with you?"
Qin Mu nodded.
"What a pity—"
The Woodcutter Sage sighed in regret: "It's a pity the Grand Emperor is too timid. Otherwise, we could have killed two birds with one stone and eliminated two scourges at once."
Qin Mu sneered, "Teacher, you can only get the better of me with your words. If I hit you, I won't move my hands, feet, head, or body—just one finger!"
The Woodcutter Sage felt he had hit him too lightly.
"Are you really not going to see the Open Emperor, but instead go to the Heavenly Court camp?" he asked.
Qin Mu nodded. "You are old friends with the Open Emperor. If I go, I'll just be a junior, and it would only be frustrating. If I return to the Heavenly Court camp, I can still be a nominal Heavenly Lord. Why not? I was originally worried about your safety. Now that I've safely escorted you to Tai Xu, it's time for me to leave."
The Woodcutter Sage felt displeased but had to admit Qin Mu was right. Without Qin Mu's escort, their group would likely have been completely annihilated.
"I'm leaving now."
Qin Mu waved his hand and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped and turned back. "Teacher, you taught Senior Brother with all your heart, and you taught Third Junior Brother with all your heart, but you never taught me with all your heart. In fact, you didn't teach me anything at all. Now that you see my abilities, do you regret not teaching me properly?"
The Woodcutter Sage chuckled. "Your words, your tone—they sound just like something a disciple who betrayed his sect because of unfair treatment would say before coming back to kill his teacher."
Qin Mu said seriously, "I'm only asking if you have ever regretted it, Teacher."
The Woodcutter Sage grew solemn and shook his head. "I have never regretted it."
Qin Mu was slightly taken aback.
The Woodcutter Sage said earnestly, "I teach according to each student's aptitude, so I knew what to teach Wei Suifeng and what to teach Jiang Baigui. But you—I didn't know what to teach you. You are a unique Overlord Body, naturally wise and heroic, with a mind as clear as a mirror and knowledge as deep as an abyss. If I had forced my teachings on you, it would have only held you back. And as expected, you have surpassed both your senior and junior brothers. I am very gratified!"
A smile spread across Qin Mu's face. "I knew that was the reason you didn't want to teach me. I'm off now!"
The Woodcutter Sage watched him go, and only after a long time did he let out a deep breath. "That kid always looks like he's about to kill his teacher and betray the sect. If I hadn't flattered him a bit, he might have actually done me in. But come to think of it..."
He smiled. "This is my most outstanding disciple..."
Emperor Yi Yue, Zhuo Cha, the Green Emperor, King Yan, and the others came to his side. Emperor Yi Yue asked curiously, "Wen Tian Ge, does your disciple really have that much face to make the Grand Emperor retreat?"
"Face is proportional to ability. Without such ability, there is no such face."
The Woodcutter Sage laughed. "The Grand Emperor is very wary of the Creators in Tai Xu, and since we have allied with them, he wanted to eliminate us. Mu Tianzun has the ability to die together with him, so the Grand Emperor gave him that face. It's not that the Grand Emperor really didn't want to kill us."
Martial Combat Heavenly Master Zhuo Cha said worriedly, "Is he really going back to the Heavenly Court camp? Isn't he afraid of being killed there? In the war between the Heavenly Court and Tai Xu, death on the battlefield is the most common thing. Killing him there would be effortless."
The Woodcutter Sage remained calm and shook his head. "In the past, there was still a chance to kill him. But now, getting rid of Mu Tianzun is not as easy as those people imagine."
Everyone felt a surge of emotion.
Back when they first met Qin Mu, he was just a minor cultivator. Now, he had stepped into the arena where he could contend with the older generation, and he could no longer be underestimated.
Fisherman Heavenly Master said, "The people in the Heavenly Court don't yet know that he has grown to this level. When the strong of the Heavenly Court discover this and come to accept it, I wonder if rivers of blood will flow in between."
The Ark of the Other Shore sailed out of the void and appeared above the Tai Xu Realm. Soon, they saw many gods carrying a coffin flying from afar. An old man sat inside the coffin. Seeing them, he excitedly stood up from the coffin and waved from a distance.
The Woodcutter Sage and the others were also deeply moved, their hearts surging with passion.
Twenty thousand years had passed, and their old comrades-in-arms were finally reunited!
Further away, a middle-aged emperor stood on a city wall, watching the approaching Ark of the Other Shore.
The Woodcutter Sage and the others looked at the Open Emperor, Qin Ye, with complex expressions. After a moment, they stepped forward and bowed. "Wen Tian Ge, separated from my comrades for twenty thousand years, I humbly request to return!"
Emperor Yi Yue bowed. "Your subject, Emperor Yi Yue, humbly requests to return!"
Martial Combat Heavenly Master bowed. "Defeated general Zhuo Cha, humbly requests to return!"
Emperor Shi Tian bowed. "Deserter Li Youran, humbly requests to return!"
King Yan bowed. "Fengdu Military Governor Qin Feng, guarding the border for twenty thousand years, reporting for duty!"
...
The Open Emperor, Qin Ye, looked at them, his calm eyes filled with barely restrained emotion. He bowed deeply. "Your guilty sovereign, Qin Ye, having failed in my entrusted duty, now in my state of guilt, requests that all of you return to your posts!"
At that moment, Qin Mu had left the void and arrived at the vast battlefield. Here were the remnants of the battle between the Other Shore of No Return and the Heavenly Court army. Many corpses of gods and demons had not yet been buried. Some ferocious mounts roamed the battlefield, having reverted to their wild nature, gnawing on the corpses.
Qin Mu encountered some small squads from the Heavenly Court and No Return. There were gods, demons, and cultivators. They roamed among the mountains and rivers of the Tai Xu Realm, seeking opportunities to kill enemies and temper themselves.
Some cultivators and gods from No Return were still accompanied by young Creators, training and fighting in the gap between the two armies.
"Mu Tianzun!"
A cavalry unit from the Heavenly Court saw Qin Mu and was startled. They quickly reined in their mounts and watched from afar, only to see Qin Mu's figure fade and disappear.
Those cavalrymen rushed forward, but Qin Mu was already nowhere to be found.
Qin Mu entered the Tai Xu Nether Realm and saw the army of the Black Emperor, the Nether Emperor, encamped there, stretching for countless miles, dividing the Tai Xu Nether Realm into two halves.
One half was the territory of the Heavenly Court, and the other half was the territory of No Return. Many gods and demons were stationed on each side.
"Bad little brother!"
Qin Fengqing was overjoyed. Seeing Qin Mu arrive, he rushed out, grabbed Qin Mu, and hugged him tightly.