Chapter 1368: Mutual Restraint (First Update)
"Words can be fearsome, rumors like arrows that can shoot and kill."
Wei Suifeng, being more mature, lowered his voice to the Netherspring Crown Prince. "Your Highness, it's best not to speak of this matter. I know you mourn the death of Mother Earth Primordial, and I know you understand Shepherd Tianzun's intentions and his actions. But when the world is at peace, more people will criticize Shepherd Tianzun. It will ultimately harm his reputation and ruin his name. This matter should be kept from the world."
The Netherspring Crown Prince hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Qin Mu shook his head. "Senior Brother, it can't be hidden. This place bears the traces of our battle, and Dragon Xiao, Qiang Tianfei, Palace Tianzun, and Langxuan Divine Sovereign were all here. How could they not speak of it? There's no need to be so tense. I did it—why should I fear what others say?"
Wei Suifeng frowned. Though true, when heroic deeds are not understood, and when the mindset of later generations differs from wartime, people will still judge their predecessors and criticize the actions of past sages.
The brilliance of predecessors is too dazzling, but the more dazzling the figure, the clearer their flaws become. Even an insignificant stain will be magnified, like flies discovering a wound on a brave warrior, buzzing and licking at it twice.
Wei Suifeng had seen too much of this.
The Netherspring Crown Prince had experienced too little of the world to understand why this happened. Qin Mu was indifferent to it, but Wei Suifeng felt a bit aggrieved on his behalf.
"Is the battle of the Tianzuns nearing its end?"
Qin Mu arrived at the tallest divine mountain nearby, climbed to the summit, and gazed into the distance. The Netherspring Crown Prince and Wei Suifeng came to his side, and the three looked far off.
There, Palace Tianzun, Langxuan Divine Sovereign, Qiang Tianfei, and Dragon Xiao were still locked in fierce combat. Qiang Tianfei had initially been at a disadvantage, but with the help of the Imperial Emperor's head and fist, she gained the upper hand, striking Palace Tianzun, Dragon Xiao, and Langxuan Divine Sovereign with surprise attacks, forcing them to spit blood repeatedly.
Although the Imperial Emperor's head had little strength left, his cultivation worn down by Qin Mu to only the level of an Imperial Seat existence, his divine consciousness was formidable. His fist was the only remaining limb of the Imperial Emperor's physical body, not a product of visualization, so its power was immense.
However, Qiang Tianfei soon suffered a heavy loss. Palace Tianzun, Dragon Xiao, and Langxuan Divine Sovereign targeted her together, and the three Tianzun-level beings attacked her simultaneously, severely wounding her again.
Thus, a strange situation emerged: whoever was stronger or less injured would be attacked by the others. But the result was that all four were mutually wounded, and in the end, none could achieve final victory!
"Could we possibly pick up the scraps?"
Wei Suifeng's heart pounded wildly as he muttered, "If the four of them are all severely injured and their strength is nearly depleted, could the three of us join forces to eliminate them?"
Hearing this, the Netherspring Crown Prince's heart also began to race, his Dao heart wavering.
Qin Mu shook his head. "If all four are severely injured, the ultimate victor would be Dragon Xiao. Palace Tianzun, Langxuan Divine Sovereign, and Qiang Tianfei have all lived since the Primordial Era; they won't give Dragon Xiao such an opportunity."
Wei Suifeng was momentarily stunned, then understood his meaning.
The Netherspring Crown Prince was still confused, so Wei Suifeng explained, "This is the reverse side of the Ancestral Court. Even if Dragon Xiao is injured, he can still command countless giant beasts. If Palace Tianzun and the others are too badly hurt, Dragon Xiao can control those Primordial giant beasts to attack them. Even if it's a war of attrition, he can grind them down."
The Netherspring Crown Prince suddenly realized, "The Ten Tianzuns are shrewd; they won't let themselves fall into such a situation."
"But they have before."
Wei Suifeng glanced at Qin Mu and said, "The Imperial Emperor and Heavenly Venerate Hao were both severely injured, and someone took advantage. I heard that Junior Brother once chased Heavenly Venerate Hao for six hundred thousand miles, making him cry out to heaven and earth with no response."
Qin Mu felt quite pleased and laughed. "Actually, you can't blame Heavenly Venerate Hao. At that time, he was fighting for his life against the newly revived Imperial Emperor and had to unleash all his power. If he had won, with the prestige of killing the Imperial Emperor, who would dare oppose him? The Ten Tianzuns would all submit to him without a second thought, and his position would be secure."
Wei Suifeng said, "What about refining the Imperial Emperor's head in the Ancestral Court?"
"That was the Imperial Emperor being crushed by four Tianzuns. Not to mention that the Imperial Emperor wasn't at his peak; even if he were, he would have been crushed by the four Tianzuns. If he hadn't fled quickly, not even a head would have remained."
Qin Mu laughed. "Picking up scraps isn't that easy."
As he spoke, suddenly several violent waves of energy erupted. Dragon Xiao was severely wounded, soared into the air, and fled far away with a whoosh.
His injuries were grave. Seven of his nine necks were broken, hanging limply, and the dragon scales on his body were almost completely shattered. He had no choice but to retreat. If he continued fighting, it would damage his very essence.
Just as he fled, Qiang Tianfei suddenly giggled, abandoned Palace Tianzun and Langxuan Divine Sovereign, and sped away into the distance. She flew higher and higher, constructing a reverse summoning altar in midair.
Qin Mu's expression darkened.
Qiang Tianfei's ability to learn the reverse summoning technique was undoubtedly due to Shu Jun and the Dragon Qilin. Shu Jun had carried the seal suppressing the Imperial Emperor's head on his back and was influenced by the Imperial Emperor's divine consciousness. When the Dragon Qilin taught Shu Jun the reverse summoning technique, the Imperial Emperor had learned it as well.
"Please don't reveal my identity!"
Qiang Tianfei rose higher, and the reverse summoning altar activated, pulling her form toward the front side of the Ancestral Court. Her laughter echoed from the sky: "Because if you expose my identity, I'll expose yours too! Heavenly Venerate Hao will surely be happy to kill his half-brother, and the ancient gods will certainly be pleased to eliminate a remnant of the Creators! You mother and son can chat slowly among yourselves!"
Palace Tianzun and Langxuan Divine Sovereign's expressions shifted slightly, but Qiang Tianfei's words were nothing new to them. Among the Ten Tianzuns, who didn't have unspeakable secrets? None of the Ten Tianzuns were innocent—not Heavenly Venerate Fire, not Heavenly Venerate Hao. Everyone had secrets. Even if one held another's secret, it could be used as leverage, not necessarily exposed.
Palace Tianzun and Langxuan Divine Sovereign each stopped, looking at each other with complex expressions.
"Mother, I have always hated that you are a Creator."
Langxuan Divine Sovereign stepped back, runes swirling around him, also using the reverse summoning technique. He hadn't learned it from Qin Mu but had obtained the summoning technique from Mother Earth Primordial and derived it himself.
"If you weren't a Creator, the Heavenly Emperor wouldn't have killed you, and I wouldn't be an illegitimate child."
His reverse summoning technique was slightly different from Qin Mu's but equally profound. His runes formed Dao chains, which looked like countless white goose feathers burying him.
"In this life, though I know I have an extremely noble identity, because of your identity, I have had to conceal my own. If I were exposed, I would only die!"
Langxuan Divine Sovereign's figure vanished, but his voice lingered: "I should have been the Crown Prince. This world should have been mine! What are Heavenly Venerate Hao and Xie Wuqi? They are all younger brothers. Only I am the legitimate Crown Prince! But because of you, I have had to live in obscurity as an illegitimate child..."
Palace Tianzun was silent, watching him leave without stopping him.
"I really shouldn't have given birth to you." She flicked her sleeve, also using the reverse summoning technique to leave the reverse side of the Ancestral Court.
She returned to the Ten Thousand Black Mountains, where the sand in the hourglass had not yet finished falling. Palace Tianzun collected the hourglass and drifted away under the gaze of Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua.
—Happy birthday to Starry Rain Lin!