Chapter 1544: Forty Thousand Years, A Long Song of Wind and Rain
Within Xiaotianzun's body, half of the Grand Emperor's primordial spirit roared in fury, vying for control of Xiaotianzun's physical form.
Xiaotianzun lost sensation in half his body as the Grand Emperor's primordial spirit seized it, and he instantly lost his composure.
A series of heavenly palaces burst forth from behind his head, manifesting as the Grand Heavenly Court, directly suppressing and refining the Grand Emperor's primordial spirit. In an instant, the Grand Emperor's primordial spirit shattered, becoming his nourishment.
His strength was too great; even the Grand Emperor's primordial spirit posed little lasting threat to him.
He regained control of his physical form and, in the next moment, moved to strike down Lingtianzun.
With his current power and at such close range, he would give Lingtianzun no chance to escape!
His speed of attack was enough to prevent Lingtianzun from even activating her Immutable Divine Ability!
Yet, just as he was about to strike, the Immutable Divine Ability flowed, and half of the Grand Emperor's primordial spirit reappeared, once again vying for control of his body!
"Damned fool!"
Xiaotianzun lost sensation in half his body again, a surge of frustration with nowhere to vent. He could only destroy and refine the Grand Emperor's primordial spirit once more.
At that moment, Lingtianzun had already retreated, and Qin Mu had leaped up from the desert. His divine storage domain rapidly healed all his injuries as he regrouped with Lingtianzun.
"Sister Ling's divine ability is not bad either!" Qin Mu said with a smile.
"You taught me well."
They exchanged a knowing smile. Just then, Xiaotianzun's voice rang out: "Lingtianzun, Mutianzun, do you think the Immutable Divine Ability can trap me with the Grand Emperor and leave me helpless forever? You underestimate me, Xiao Weisu. Immutability of matter is merely a change in matter, but during the primordial era of the universe's creation, matter did not exist. Without substance, without form, without state—that is the Grand Beginning, that is the Primordial One Qi!"
Qin Mu's heart tightened. He immediately grabbed the Taiyi Staff and rushed toward the Execution Platform.
Lingtianzun followed closely. Their speed was immense, but on the Execution Platform, Xiaotianzun's physical form and primordial spirit had already begun transforming into the state of Primordial One Qi!
"The Five Grand Primordials are five supreme great Daos. The Immutable Divine Ability is a divine ability that fixes matter. From the fact that this divine ability can reverse time, Lingtianzun, you indeed have extraordinary qualities that even I cannot match. But when it comes to the Five Grand Primordial Daos, the only ones you can restrain are the Grand Polarity Dao and the Path of Divine Consciousness derived from the Grand Beginning Dao!"
Xiaotianzun's voice came through. Before the two could reach the Execution Platform, his form had already vanished, completely transformed into Primordial One Qi.
Not only had he transformed into Primordial One Qi, but even half of the Grand Emperor's primordial spirit had also turned into Primordial One Qi!
Lingtianzun immediately sensed that her Immutable Divine Ability had been broken.
The first to break the Immutable Divine Ability was Qin Mu, who used the Grand Beginning Dao's principle of form without substance—energy without matter—to counter it.
Xiaotianzun, however, used the Grand Beginning Dao to transform into Primordial One Qi, breaking it in a different way. Their methods were different paths to the same end.
From the moment Lingtianzun conceived the idea of matter's immutability to fully developing the Immutable Divine Ability, ninety-six thousand years had passed—an undeniably long time.
For ninety-six thousand years, Lingtianzun had struggled for a goal that others deemed impossible or even absurd, finally perfecting this divine ability. The effort she expended and the bitterness she endured were unimaginable.
Yet, only forty thousand years later, the Immutable Divine Ability had been broken.
The pace of progress in this era was such that perhaps only a lonely genius like Lingtianzun could truly grasp the profound implications.
However, her divine ability had another profound use beyond matter's immutability: the ability to trace back to the past. This was something even Xiaotianzun could not break.
Moreover, Xiaotianzun had ranked her Immutable Divine Ability alongside the Grand Polarity Dao, effectively placing her on par with the Five Grand Primordials—Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, Taisu, and Taiji!
His high praise for Lingtianzun was astonishing.
Qin Mu and Lingtianzun arrived. Lingtianzun activated the Immutable Divine Ability, attacking the Heavenly Emperor's physical form, trying to trap it first to prevent Xiaotianzun from obtaining this body.
Meanwhile, Qin Mu thrust the Taiyi Staff toward the Primordial One Qi that Xiaotianzun had become.
Perhaps he could not harm Xiaotianzun, but the Taiyi Staff certainly could!
The two attacked simultaneously, determined to stop Xiaotianzun. Otherwise, with his power, having achieved enlightenment through strength, returning to his Heavenly Emperor physical form would be terrifying beyond measure!
Their divine abilities struck one after the other. Qin Mu used the Taiyi Staff as a sword, faster, executing the Calamity-Breaking Sword Art. Whether facing Primordial One Qi or the Grand Beginning Dao, he would use his sword art, which could break all Daos, to completely destroy his opponent!
Since comprehending the Hongmeng runes, he had gained this confidence!
Even the Five Grand Primordials were not invincible!
Just as the Taiyi Staff struck the Primordial One Qi that Xiaotianzun had become, a sudden change occurred. Another figure appeared on the Execution Platform—Haotianzun!
Haotianzun laughed heartily, bowed to the mass of Primordial One Qi, and said loudly, "Father God, I have come to pay my respects! May your form and spirit be eternally secure!"
As he bowed, a shadow emerged behind him—the Taisu Goddess.
The Taisu Goddess bowed gracefully. Xiaotianzun, who had been in the state of Primordial One Qi, instantly transformed from that state into something with form and substance, with a body, skin, hair, flesh, and blood, unable to revert to Primordial One Qi!
Qin Mu's Taiyi Staff drove the Calamity Sword, and with a series of *chi chi chi* sounds, countless sword lights erupted, piercing Xiaotianzun full of holes in an instant!
Xiaotianzun bled, flying backward off the Execution Platform, tumbling and rolling into the desert.
"Brother Taichu, who said the strength of the Five Grand Primordials is ranked by their order of appearance?"
The Taisu Goddess giggled: "Among the Five Grand Primordials, there is no inherent difference in strength. Strength depends on each one's comprehension and cultivation!"
Earlier, Xiaotianzun had said that among the Five Grand Primordials, Lingtianzun could break the Grand Polarity Dao, inadvertently revealing his belief that the Five Grand Primordials, as five supreme Daos, were stronger the earlier they appeared.
But the Taisu Goddess's move directly knocked him out of the Primordial One Qi state back into his physical form, allowing Qin Mu to wound him. So she couldn't help but mock him.
However, this also showed that the relationship among the Five Grand Primordials was not simply one of order and strength.
The fourth-ranked Taisu was born even more incomplete than the second-ranked Taichu. She had been brought by Qin Mu to the destruction tribulation of the Sixteenth Universe, forced to be born prematurely, and even the liquid within her egg had been taken by Qin Mu.
She was inherently deficient, even weaker than the Taiji Ancient God siblings, yet with a single move of "wish fulfillment," she made Xiaotianzun, who was Taichu, suffer a great loss.
Haotianzun and Qin Mu struck successfully almost simultaneously. Both changed their moves at the same time. Haotianzun straightened up from his bow, activating the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel to strike at Qin Mu, while Qin Mu inverted the staff and bowed!
The Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel struck with a single blow, smashing Qin Mu to pieces, while Qin Mu's bow caused Haotianzun's chest to explode, turning into a mass of chaotic qi, revealing his sternum!
Haotianzun smiled faintly: "A minor wound, nothing to mention. Mutianzun, you can be proud that you managed to wound me."
As he spoke, his expression suddenly changed drastically. Another Qin Mu appeared before him!
Without hesitation, Haotianzun brought down the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel, while that Qin Mu bowed!
*Boom!*
Another violent fluctuation came from the Execution Platform. Haotianzun's chest was tattered, while Qin Mu was smashed to pieces by his blow!
Haotianzun gritted his teeth, activating the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel. The wheel, like a giant millstone, ground Qin Mu to dust, leaving not even a trace!
He bowed again, and the Taisu Goddess immediately acted, turning Qin Mu into a mass of Taisu qi, erasing him from existence!
Haotianzun withdrew the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel, and Qin Mu stood before him again, hale and hearty, bowing once more.
Haotianzun clenched his fist and punched. Qin Mu exploded with a crackling sound, turning into powder. The Taisu Goddess, without a second thought, didn't wait for Haotianzun to bow to her and directly acted, grinding Qin Mu out of existence!
But as the mass of Taisu qi dissipated, another Qin Mu appeared before them, again inverting the Taiyi Staff, executing the One Qi Primordial Dao Companion Journey, bowing to Haotianzun!
Haotianzun roared. Behind him, the Grand Heavenly Court manifested, with thirty-six heavenly palaces swaying, numerous precious halls interweaving with the palaces in a magnificent and grand display.
His primordial spirit rose, vast and boundless. His hand pressed down, and before it even landed on Qin Mu, the terrifying pressure had already crushed Qin Mu to ashes!
Haotianzun's chest burst open, revealing his pounding heart!
He was majestic and imposing, radiating murderous intent, displaying the supreme divine might of the strongest Tianzun of the era!
Qin Mu appeared before him again, unharmed, and bowed once more!
Haotianzun cried out. The Lingxiao Precious Hall erupted with infinite imperial might, evaporating the entire Heavenly River, leaving only the Execution Platform. A desert storm raged around them, sweeping countless bones into the air!
*Boom!*
His blow landed. The desert that had risen into the air suddenly slammed down hard, crushing the sand and Qin Mu together!
"Are you dead this time?"
He was furious beyond measure. His heart had been shattered by Qin Mu's attack: "Mutianzun, can you still not die?"
His Dao heart was in turmoil. There was only one person in the world who could disturb his Dao heart, and that person was Qin Mu.
At the Jade Pool Gathering a million years ago, Qin Mu had left an indelible shadow on him. Even though Haotianzun had cultivated to the thirty-layered Dao realm and his Dao heart was highly refined, not inferior to Qin Mu's, his Dao heart still wavered when facing Qin Mu.
"Not dead yet."
Qin Mu's voice came. Haotianzun's pupils contracted sharply. He stared intently, and his expression suddenly changed drastically. Qin Mu stood before him, hale and hearty.
But it wasn't just one Qin Mu—there were over twenty thousand of them.
These Qin Mus stood in a line, as if stretching across a river of time spanning forty thousand years.
"Haotianzun, as you secretly followed me along the Heavenly River, how many of my afterimages did you pass through?"
The over twenty thousand Qin Mus all looked at him simultaneously, strange smiles on their faces: "For every afterimage you passed through, there is one of me. Those afterimages of mine were not Immutable Divine Abilities left for you and the Grand Emperor, but for myself."
Haotianzun looked on with difficulty, finding that the desert had vanished, the Heavenly River had reappeared, and Lingtianzun and Xiaotianzun were nowhere to be seen. On this river, there were only him, Taisu, and over twenty thousand Qin Mus.
I've been caught.
He thought to himself.
The moment he stepped onto the Heavenly River and passed through the mist, he had already been caught.
"Haotianzun!"
The first Qin Mu bowed, still executing the One Qi Primordial Dao Companion Journey, and said loudly: "Let's see whether you can kill all twenty-six thousand four hundred and twenty-three of me across these forty thousand years, or whether you, who achieved enlightenment through strength, will die at my hands, slain within these forty thousand years of time!"
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