Chapter 1223: Bloodbath at Wu Wang City (First Update)
Hu Mengdie and the others formed a circle, constantly shifting their steps, watching each other while also defending against external enemies, advancing toward the end of this bizarre world.
There, a cascade of rainbow light burst forth. At the source of that radiance, countless Qin Mus flew in from elsewhere, casting their own corpses into this world.
Even with their vast divine powers, the sight made their scalps crawl. They had no idea what had truly happened here, or what this Celestial Venerable Mu was doing.
The Qin Mus hauling the corpses seemed to pay them no mind, allowing them to pass through this world unhindered.
Hu Mengdie attempted to slay a few Qin Mus, but those she killed quickly decayed into withered bones.
“This isn’t his true body.”
They finally reached the world’s end, where a portal stood. Through it, Qin Mus constantly entered and exited, carrying countless corpses from beyond.
The group exchanged glances and stepped through the portal.
Hu Mengdie’s heart jolted. They had arrived at the entrance to another world. As far as the eye could see, there were pavilions, towers, city walls, and bustling streets filled with billions of people living and moving about, a lively and crowded scene.
They approached a city, but were horrified to realize that every single person living here was Qin Mu!
Suddenly, all the Qin Mus turned their heads in unison, staring at them with eerie eyes.
Their scalps crawled. Under the gaze of countless Qin Mus, they steeled themselves and pressed forward.
Just then, a divine being’s face twisted grotesquely, as if two faces were violently struggling within. It quickly morphed into Qin Mu’s face!
Without hesitation, Hu Mengdie struck down this divine general, shouting, “Move quickly!”
The other deities hurriedly followed her, soaring into the air and racing toward the distant edge of the world. Below, countless Qin Mus launched themselves into the sky, attacking them.
Hu Mengdie and her group fought desperately, breaking through the encirclement. Streaks of rainbow light flashed across the sky, humming loudly.
Suddenly, another deity’s appearance shifted, transforming into Qin Mu, who then turned on them with lethal intent.
Hu Mengdie and the others were wounded by this Ling Xiao realm powerhouse before finally killing him and escaping this maddening world.
They entered a third world, still shaken. Looking up, they saw figures flailing and falling from the sky.
Hu Mengdie raised her head and saw black tornadoes beyond the heavens. Plummeting from above were countless starving ghosts—souls that had shattered into black spiritual sand, born from the coalescence of resentment and malice.
Yet bizarrely, as these starving ghosts fell into this world, their faces underwent violent transformations, countless visages writhing beneath their skin.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One by one, the starving ghosts slammed heavily onto the ground before them. They struggled to rise, but quickly grew flesh and blood, gaining physical bodies.
The starving ghosts lifted their heads, their faces now Qin Mu’s face, staring at them with eerie eyes.
The black spiritual sand within their bodies also underwent a strange change, forming complete three souls and seven spirits, each possessing a primordial spirit—but every single soul bore Qin Mu’s likeness.
This world was as terrifying as a nightmare. Hu Mengdie and the others screamed, flying madly forward in an attempt to escape this nightmare.
Another deity was assimilated by this bizarre world and turned against them, attacking fiercely.
By the time Hu Mengdie escaped this world, no one remained by her side. All the experts she had brought had inexplicably transformed into Qin Mu and died along the way, leaving only her, still unassimilated.
She passed through world after world. Her fear faded, replaced by a growing killing intent: “My cultivation is too strong. Celestial Venerable Mu cannot assimilate me! He has exhausted his tricks!”
She had lost count of how many worlds she had crossed. Finally, as she burst out of the last world, she suddenly found herself in the outside realm.
Hu Mengdie looked ahead. There sat Qin Mu, his back to her.
Behind him, layers of dream worlds were interlocked, like large circles nested within smaller ones, countless in number. Halos of light continuously cascaded from the tops of these worlds, looping back to their bases in an endless cycle.
She had just been traversing through Qin Mu’s dream worlds.
Hu Mengdie’s killing intent surged. She dared not attack from behind, lest she fall back into his dream worlds.
She quietly shifted her steps, trying to circle around to his front.
At that moment, Qin Mu suddenly awoke. His eyes opened, and he looked at her with a faint smile.
“Celestial Venerable Mu.”
Hu Mengdie gritted her teeth. Her celestial palace emerged behind her, her primordial spirit standing before the Ling Xiao Hall. Her primordial spirit had already reached the steps outside the Ling Xiao Hall.
For deities who had reached the Ling Xiao realm, they had to continuously ascend the steps before the Ling Xiao Hall. Each step forward required enduring an incomparable imperial might. Those who could climb the steps and stand before the hall were beings of supreme talent!
She was such a being!
Qin Mu stood up, smiling. “We meet again. Do you remember who you are?”
Hu Mengdie paused, opening her mouth to say, “I am, of course...”
Her mind suddenly went blank. She couldn’t remember who she was, or why she had come here!
Hu Mengdie shook her head, a great fear rising within her. “Who am I, really?”
Qin Mu chuckled. “Do you still remember who I am?”
“You are Celestial Venerable Mu!”
Hu Mengdie’s eyes widened. As soon as she spoke those words, her memories of Celestial Venerable Mu began to fade as well.
Panic seized her heart. Suddenly, she bit her tongue hard, reached out, and pulled out a massive wooden stake. With a thunderous crash, she drove it into the ground, shouting, “Wu Wang City!”
As the stake pierced the earth, a sharp, metallic clang rang out from within the wood. The stake’s annual rings began to expand outward, layer by layer, growing larger and larger. The rings separated from one another, revealing layer upon layer of structures!
Hu Mengdie channeled her divine power, unleashing the might of her divine weapon. Soon, the stake transformed into an extraordinarily magnificent divine city, spanning thousands of miles!
The wooden houses within were arranged in circles, forming layer upon layer of patterns—three hundred and sixty-five inner rings in total. The houses were inscribed with complex runes, and now all those runes blazed to life!
Wu Wang City was forged from a relatively thick branch of the Primordial Wood. Back when the Earth Mother Sovereign was slain, Dawn Celestial Venerable had seized the Primordial Wood, and the Nether Emperor had obtained some of its branches from him.
Because Hu Mengdie’s talent and aptitude were exceptionally high, earning her great favor, the Nether Emperor had cut a section of the wood and bestowed it upon her. She had refined this section into a weapon, creating the great artifact known as Wu Wang City.
The houses of Wu Wang City were carved from the wood’s annual rings, inscribed with the Dao patterns of the Nether Capital, granting them immense power.
To this day, Hu Mengdie had found no treasure superior to the Primordial Wood, and she intended to make Wu Wang City her divine weapon when she eventually became an emperor or attained the Dao.
Now, standing at the center of Wu Wang City, its power erupted. The runic Dao patterns on the three hundred and sixty-five inner rings of wooden houses blazed, their countless runes reflecting onto her body.
Hu Mengdie’s power surged. She struck out with a single seal, and Qin Mu exploded into pieces!
The moment Qin Mu shattered, the entire Void Nether Realm began to crumble as well. Soon, this entire expanse of heaven and earth completely disintegrated.
Hu Mengdie looked around in confusion. After the Void Nether Realm collapsed, the world that appeared was still the Void Nether Realm. She realized she had unknowingly fallen into a trap—the Qin Mu she had just encountered was surely another Qin Mu from a dream, not his true body.
“I’m still in his dream! Wu Wang City!”
She activated Wu Wang City once more. Another earth-shattering boom rang out, and this dream also shattered.
She drove Wu Wang City again and again, shattering dream after dream. Soon, she was panting heavily, utterly exhausted.
Finally, after the last dream shattered, Hu Mengdie’s body swayed. She looked up and saw Qin Mu standing before her.
“You’ve finally made it out. The Nether Emperor’s disciple is truly no weakling,” Qin Mu said.
A streak of sword light flew forth, piercing through Hu Mengdie’s brow.