Chapter 1459: Sins in Life, Settled After Death (Second Update!)
The resurrected Heavenly Lord stretched his body. The vast, boundless power that once resided within him was gone, replaced by a mortal flesh-and-blood body, leaving him somewhat unaccustomed to it for a time.
Moreover, while Qin Mu and the Heavenly Yin Empress were shaping his soul, they had also taken the opportunity to supplement him with a divine soul and added seven ethereal souls.
This divine soul was not that of the Hong Heavenly Lord, but a soul forged using the path of Heavenly Yin. It was still a blank slate, devoid of any consciousness.
He had once been an ancient god, possessing only three souls, without the seven ethereal souls. Now, having gained these seven, he was curious and had yet to grow accustomed to them.
In the past, he was a primordial sacred being, the most powerful of the ancient gods, lofty and exalted. Even when he manifested an avatar, it floated in the heavens, rarely descending to the ground.
Now, his feet stood on the earth, treading upon the soil. The sensation transmitted from his soles and toes piqued his curiosity. He bent down, reached out, scraped some dirt from between his toes, and brought it to his nose to sniff its scent.
The Heavenly Yin Empress wore a look of disgust, making no effort to hide it.
Not far away, Luo Wushuang kept his eyes fixed on his nose and his nose fixed on his heart, pretending not to see. Zhe Huali’s eyes, however, nearly popped out of his head. The Butcher and Tian Shu Heavenly King exchanged a glance and each let out a slight smile.
The Heavenly Lord smiled, extended his hand, and carefully examined his five fingers, then scrutinized the lines on his palm.
Qin Mu urged, "Brother, the Earth Lord is still waiting for you."
Only then did the Heavenly Lord snap back to reality. He bowed to the two of them in thanks, and then bowed to the Butcher and the others as well.
The Butcher asked, "Heavenly Lord, how does it feel to descend from sacredness to mortality? Is there a sense of loss?"
"There is a sense of loss."
The Heavenly Lord did not hide it, saying, "In the past, my power was too immense. Now, I only have the strength of my Heavenly Soul and Earth Soul, and my mortal flesh is no different from an ordinary person's. Naturally, there is some loss. Grand Primordial told me that I would break free from the shackles of the Heavenly Dao. I thought I would transcend, achieving enlightenment like him. I never expected this kind of transcendence to be the result."
The Butcher said, "You were once lofty, but not beyond the Heavenly Dao. Now that you have become mortal, you have the possibility of transcendence."
The Heavenly Lord smiled. "Perhaps."
Tian Shu Heavenly King stood up and said, "Heavenly Lord, I will escort you to the Netherworld to see the Earth Lord."
The Heavenly Lord followed him. As the two left the Heavenly Yin Realm, Tian Shu prepared to open the Gate of Heavenly Succession. Qin Mu caught up and said, "Heavenly King, the Netherworld wants to kill me, so I cannot go there. Please check on the injuries of the Netherworld Lord for me. I am going to the Ancestral Court to request my master to go to the Netherworld to heal the Netherworld Lord. I ask the Heavenly King to receive him."
Tian Shu acknowledged the request and asked, "The Heavenly Lord is dead, and the Heavenly Dao now belongs to the Ten Heavenly Lords. Their cultivation will greatly advance, inevitably putting immense pressure on the Land of No Sorrow. I’m afraid I cannot stay in the Netherworld for long. After I receive the Yancheng Pharmacist, I will have to return to the Land of No Sorrow."
Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Staying long-term in the Land of No Sorrow is not a good strategy. Just because the Ten Heavenly Lords cannot breach it now doesn't mean they won't in the future. Breaking the Void Bridge is not difficult for the Ten Heavenly Lords as they are now."
"That is why the Moon Lord has followed the Kai Emperor to the Land of No Sorrow to guard it."
Tian Shu Heavenly King sighed with emotion and said, "They have already made preparations for a rainy day. The Void Bridge is easy to defend and hard to attack. Conquering it will not be easier for the Ten Heavenly Lords than attacking the Heavenly Capital."
He led the resurrected Heavenly Lord into the Gate of Heavenly Succession and disappeared.
Qin Mu watched them go, then turned to face the approaching Butcher, Zhe Huali, and Luo Wushuang. He bowed deeply to the three of them and said, "I am deeply grateful for your willingness to risk your lives to join me in this battle! My gratitude knows no bounds!"
Zhe Huali and Luo Wushuang quickly returned the bow. Luo Wushuang said solemnly, "It is a matter of righteousness; there is no need for such words of trouble. Even a Heavenly Lord does not hesitate to throw himself into the fray, so how could we do otherwise?"
Zhe Huali stroked his demon blade and chuckled, "The Dragon Fang and I have had our fill of excitement. We’ve even cut down a Heavenly Lord. At least now I have something to brag about to my descendants!"
The demon blade, Dragon Fang, hummed contentedly. Having tasted the blood of a Heavenly Lord, the blade itself was growing.
The Butcher stepped forward and said, "Take care of yourself. If you ever need to cut someone down again, call for us."
Qin Mu nodded firmly.
The three strode away. Zhe Huali turned back, waving his hand, and shouted, "Remember to call us!"
Qin Mu laughed heartily, watching them until their figures vanished. Only then did he say, "Let's go."
"Alright."
A cold, clear voice came from beside him, but the owner of the voice was nowhere to be seen. The only sign was that, besides his own shadow, there was another shadow at Qin Mu's feet.
---
In the Netherworld.
Tian Shu delivered the Heavenly Lord to the brow of the Earth Lord, then immediately went to the Tianqi Rensheng Wang Mansion to request an audience with the Netherworld Lord and examine his injuries.
In the hall on the platform at the Earth Lord's brow, the Heavenly Lord's stature was dwarfed by the Earth Lord's primordial spirit. He had to look up at his old friend.
"You have transcended, you are free. I envy you."
The Earth Lord's face was calm, but flames flickered in his eyes. He said, "You are now a living being, with three souls, seven ethereal souls, your own thoughts, your own path. Your joys, angers, sorrows, words, and actions are no longer controlled by the Great Dao. I do not know when I will be able to attain liberation like you, brother."
The Heavenly Lord said, "Now I can taste the myriad flavors of the mortal world. Unknowingly, my understanding of the Heavenly Dao has deepened by another level. In the past, I was born from the Heavenly Dao, controlling it, yet I knew the 'what' but not the 'why.' Now that I am no longer that, my comprehension is even deeper. A gain and a loss, and it feels strangely wondrous."
The Earth Lord said joyfully, "You have taken another step closer to enlightenment. Since that is the case, you should be able to guess my intention in inviting you here, brother?"
The Heavenly Lord smiled. "Sins in life are settled after death—that is the rule of the Netherworld. The Heavenly Lord is dead, so the sins he committed in life must now be accounted for. The Earth Lord is impartial and just. Inviting me here must be for this matter."
The Earth Lord said solemnly, "In the battle at the Heavenly Capital, the Hong Heavenly Lord slaughtered countless beings. The number of lives lost at his hands is incalculable. The resentment of the spirits from the Heavenly Capital is overwhelming. According to the laws of the Netherworld, he should be taken and punished to suffer, to wash away his karmic sins. The Hong Heavenly Lord is dead. Although the Hong Heavenly Lord and you, brother, were one body, you are different souls. Therefore, I have invited you here to inquire about the Hong Heavenly Lord's case..."
The Heavenly Lord shook his head and said frankly, "Friend, there is no need to show me favoritism. I am me, and the Hong Heavenly Lord is also me. The countless deaths in the battle at the Heavenly Capital should all be counted against me. I am willing to accept punishment."
The Earth Lord hesitated. "You are now a living being. The Netherworld rarely punishes the living..."
The Heavenly Lord said, "But it has punished the living before. Let me bear my sins. Do not put yourself in a difficult position."
The Earth Lord nodded, summoned a Ghost King, and said, "The countless dead from the Heavenly Capital have formed an endless sea of karmic fire. Please, brother, go and be burned in that fire."
The Heavenly Lord rose and followed the Ghost King away.
The Earth Lord watched him go. At that moment, Tian Shu Heavenly King approached and, seeing the Heavenly Lord being led away by the Ghost King, asked in surprise, "Where is he going?"
"He has found his own path. He is going to atone for his sins, and also to redeem himself."
The Earth Lord glanced at him and said, "The Mu Lord has opened the Heavenly and Earthly Mystic Gate in the Ancestral Court. He is likely sending someone to heal the Netherworld Lord. He cannot set foot in the Netherworld. I will send you to receive them."
Tian Shu Heavenly King stood on his palm. Before long, they arrived at the Netherworld's location in the Ancestral Court. They saw a heavenly gate standing there. The Pharmacist was standing at the entrance, craning his neck to look around, but Qin Mu was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is the Mu Lord?" Tian Shu asked.
"He ran off, leaving only this divine art here."
The Pharmacist said irritably, "In a frantic hurry, who knows what he's off to do!"
He tugged at his collar and muttered, "This Netherworld is so gloomy and eerie..."
Tian Shu was puzzled. "The Mu Lord has just been through the battle at the Heavenly Capital. Now, where has he rushed off to in such a frantic hurry?"