Chapter 1437: The Kind-Faced Hong Heavenly Venerate (Fourth Update)
Di Qing had won another battle, and this victory was even easier.
An army under Lang Heavenly Venerate had come in force, launching a massive assault on Tianfang City, but he led his troops to defeat them, killing tens of thousands of gods and demons.
Lang Heavenly Venerate’s senior disciple had been won over by Qin Mu and fled to an unknown place, while the disciples under Lang Heavenly Venerate had suffered heavy casualties at Qin Mu’s hands. Thus, compared to other Heavenly Venerates, his faction was relatively weak.
But he was still the leader of the demigods, revered as the Divine Emperor by all demigods across the myriad realms. Therefore, his army contained a great number of powerful warriors from various demigod clans. However, this was a hastily assembled force, a motley crowd of rabble.
Before Tianfang City, the army of Divine Emperor Langxuan suffered heavy losses. Outside the city, the celestial drums rumbled, their sound greatly boosting the combat strength of Tianfang City’s defenders as they charged into the enemy ranks. Yet the drums also ravaged souls; low-cultivation gods and demons simply couldn’t withstand it, their souls shattering, meeting untimely deaths.
This battle was won with incredible ease. Di Qing returned victorious, laughing heartily, his spirits soaring. With a grand wave of his hand, he said, “Credit for this victory goes to the Nether Capital Heavenly King! Record it under his name! Someone, prepare a celebration feast! I’ll welcome the Heavenly King and toast to this great achievement!”
Tian Shu couldn’t refuse and had to go along with it.
Over a dozen days passed. The Heavenly River Navy swept through the surrounding star systems and finally arrived before Tianfang City, deploying a million troops, eyeing the city hungrily.
Di Qing paid them no mind, because during those dozen days, numerous stars had been relocated near Tianfang City.
The territory of Tianfang City was vast, now crowded with stars of all sizes. These were living planets, inhabited by people from various demigod clans—billions of lives!
After these stars were moved here, the Heavenly Dao of Tianfang City became so dense that the Heavenly Dao hovering above the city was no longer merely taking form; it had become tangible!
In just over ten days, the Heavenly Bell, Heavenly Fire, Heavenly Thunder, Heavenly Mirror, Heavenly Plate, Heavenly Well, Heavenly Drum, Heavenly Rope, Heavenly Field, and other Heavenly Dao soldiers had taken on physical substance. The majesty of the Heavenly Dao suppressed all directions, and even the Heavenly Court’s army was overwhelmed by its power!
Not only that, but more Xuan Du stars were being relocated, and other Heavenly Dao soldiers were continuously forming. At this point, of the forty-nine Heavenly Dao soldiers, only the Heavenly Rope had yet to take shape.
If the Heavenly Rope formed, all forty-nine Heavenly Dao soldiers would be complete—an absolutely immense force!
The gods and demons in the city also felt the blessing of the Heavenly Dao, making their magical power more profound, their strength greater. Whether in divine abilities or divine weapons, their power was significantly enhanced!
Qin Mu, the Butcher, and the others also felt the Heavenly Dao’s power strengthening them, their Dao hearts becoming clearer. But the more this happened, the more worried they became.
Tianfang City had gathered too many Xuan Du beings and gods and demons. The stars were packed with people. The more they gathered here, the more dangerous it became!
Once the Heavenly Venerates made their move, all these lives would likely turn to dust!
Outside the city, more Heavenly Court armies were pouring in, surrounding Tianfang Divine City completely.
The Heavenly Court’s forces brought the Four Emperor artifacts and launched several attacks, but even those artifacts were defeated before Tianfang City.
First Heavenly Master Shang Pingyin, Second Heavenly Master Meng Yungui, and others each mobilized their armies, trying to capture Tianfang City, but they also suffered losses, unable to withstand the power of the Heavenly Dao soldiers.
Then Eastern Heavenly Azure Emperor, Western Heavenly White Emperor, and other divinities led attacks, but they too were defeated. The White Emperor and Azure Emperor were even severely wounded.
The Five Emperor Seats of the Heavenly Court and the Five Inner Emperor Seats also deployed their forces. The Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court arrived and formed battle formations, but they still couldn’t breach Tianfang City, unable even to approach its gates!
During these days, Di Qing won dozens of consecutive victories, overjoyed.
But now Tianfang City was besieged, with no more Xuan Du heavens being relocated. The final Dao soldier, the Heavenly Rope, still couldn’t form, which left him somewhat regretful.
“The Heavenly Dao soldiers have made a name for themselves in this war. If all forty-nine soldiers were deployed, even killing a Heavenly Venerate would be no problem!” he said to Qin Mu and the others.
Outside the city, within the enemy camp, a blue bird suddenly flew in, landing among the Heavenly Court ranks.
“Greetings, Hong Heavenly Venerate!”
The generals of the Heavenly Court’s various armies went to welcome him, bowing one after another, apologizing, “We are incompetent, trapped here by Tianfang City, unable to breach it and eliminate the rebels! Please punish us, Heavenly Venerate!”
Hong Heavenly Venerate chuckled, “A small matter, no need to apologize. Let me first take a look at the scene opposite.”
He came to the front lines, surveyed Tianfang City, and looked at the forty-eight Heavenly Dao soldiers floating above it. He listened to the Dao sounds and chants of the Heavenly Dao, then smiled, “What wonderful treasures. Ancestral God King forged Heavenly Dao treasures, combining forty-nine of them into a single ever-changing supreme Heavenly Dao artifact. Unfortunately, it was shattered by the Grand Emperor. Though he forged another set, how could his self-made Heavenly Dao treasures compare to these Dao soldiers born from the Heavenly Dao itself? Such fine treasures. Even the Heavenly Duke couldn’t forge them. Only in a life-and-death crisis like this could such heavy treasures form. Enviable.”
The generals dared not say more.
Hong Heavenly Venerate asked, “Have the other Heavenly Venerates arrived?”
The generals shook their heads, saying, “Not yet.”
“I was delayed by Moon Heavenly Venerate, who rebelled against the Heavenly Alliance. I thought I’d be late, but it turns out I’m the first to arrive.”
Hong Heavenly Venerate’s face glowed with vitality, ruddy and bright. He smiled, “First, withdraw some troops and open a gap. Let the people of Xuan Du enter Tianfang City. Once his Heavenly Dao soldiers are fully mature, I’ll break them.”
He was well-known among the Ten Heavenly Venerates as a kind old man. He didn’t scold the generals or execute a few defeated ones to boost morale, which relieved everyone.
But his order to open a gap and let the Xuan Du rebels gather, allowing the Heavenly Rope Dao soldier to form, was somewhat hard to understand.
“The Heavenly Venerate likely has his eye on these forty-nine Heavenly Dao soldiers. He even said the Heavenly Duke couldn’t forge such soldiers.”
Meng Yungui said to Shang Pingyin, “If these Dao soldiers form, the forty-nine will likely merge into one, with boundless power. Hong Heavenly Venerate has never been fond of conflict. Can he really break these Dao soldiers?”
Shang Pingyin replied, “Hong Heavenly Venerate is unfathomable. We cannot fathom him.”
Inside Tianfang Divine City, Di Qing waited for a long time, but Hong Heavenly Venerate never attacked. Instead, the Heavenly Court camp opened a gap, as if to let people escape. Relieved, he laughed, “Hong Heavenly Venerate, the useless one among the Ten Heavenly Venerates. He doesn’t dare fight Tianfang City, so he opens a gap, hoping we’ll flee and scatter our forces. But I’ll do the opposite—let more people in!”
More Xuan Du troops and civilians migrated in. Another dozen days passed, and still Hong Heavenly Venerate didn’t attack. Finally, the Heavenly Rope Dao soldier took shape.
Tianfang City’s Heavenly Dao power surged, its majesty vast and overwhelming. The Heavenly Dao’s threads filled the air, boosting the spirits and confidence of everyone in the city, whether gods, demons, or mortals!
Qin Mu gathered Tian Shu, the Butcher, and the others, saying, “Hong Heavenly Venerate is about to strike. He doesn’t know we’re in the city. In this battle, we only need to cut off one of his arms and seize the Heavenly Rope Dao soldier.”
“And the mortals in the city?” Zhe Huali asked.
Qin Mu was silent for a moment, then shook his head. “First, ensure our own survival. As for the rest…”
His eyelids twitched. “We’ll deal with it later!”
Boom—
Suddenly, a violent tremor came from outside the city. Ten thousand Daos sang in unison. Qin Mu and his four companions quickly looked up and saw a colossal face with white eyebrows and a white beard slowly rising, blocking the sky before Tianfang City, blotting out the stars around it!
That face was so enormous that the suns and stars orbiting Tianfang City seemed like tiny specks of dust.
It was the face of Hong Heavenly Venerate, white-browed and white-bearded, kind and benevolent.
But now this kind-faced Hong Heavenly Venerate reached out his great hand, striking toward Tianfang City!
Di Qing roared in fury, soaring into the air, shouting, “Hong Heavenly Venerate, you old fool, you’ve finally made your move! Time for you to witness the terror of the Heavenly Dao’s power! My children, activate the Heavenly Dao soldiers!”
Above Tianfang City, the power of each Heavenly Dao soldier was unleashed, their might pushed to the extreme, hurtling toward Hong Heavenly Venerate’s face!
Hong Heavenly Venerate smiled, a smile that felt like a spring breeze. Behind his head, a grand and resonant Dao sound rang out, as if ten thousand Daos revolved around him. A massive halo appeared behind his head, and from within the halo, a great Heavenly Court emerged, radiating billions upon billions of rays of light.
The incoming Heavenly Dao soldiers hadn’t even reached his face before their power was erased by the might emanating from the Heavenly Court.
Bang.
A planet exploded. Countless Xuan Du beings fled in panic, crying and screaming, but in the next moment, they turned to dust along with the planet.
Bang, bang, bang!
The stars around Tianfang City were annihilated one by one before Hong Heavenly Venerate’s hand. Before his palm even descended, the suns had gone dark, the moons had cracked, then shattered into pieces.
Tianfang City shook violently. Its seemingly indestructible walls collapsed, and buildings turned to dust.
—Fourth update. These two chapters tonight are nearly three thousand words each. I wrote more, but I can’t stop, and I can’t force them into two-thousand-word chapters, because the essence would be lost. Zhai Zhu begs for monthly tickets~