# Chapter 1598: The Only Option Is to Die
The Heavenly Duke's strength had not yet reached the level of a Heavenly Sovereign. His divine power was far weaker than in his previous life, but where he surpassed his former self was in his deeper understanding of the Heavenly Dao—even deeper than his son, the Ancestral God King.
After breaking free from the constraints of the Heavenly Duke's physical body and the Heavenly Dao, he could instead comprehend the essence of the Heavenly Dao more deeply and draw closer to it.
Among the fifty Heavenly Dao supreme treasures, the Heavenly Compass Dao Weapon fell into his hands. The forty-nine treasures—Heavenly Record, Heavenly Beggar, Heavenly Seal, Heavenly Spiral, Heavenly Mechanism, and others—constantly shifted, layer upon layer advancing, shattering Langxuan Divine Emperor's physical body.
As Langxuan's body broke apart, the Heavenly Court within his brow expanded outward, swelling. Five red ropes pierced through the Heavenly Court from all directions, passing through that Dao Fruit.
The Heavenly Duke, wielding the Heavenly Compass Dao Weapon, charged forward. The forty-nine Heavenly Dao supreme treasures flew up and down, continuously combining, slaughtering all the way, destroying building after building within Langxuan's Heavenly Court, heading straight for that Dao Fruit!
The Dao Fruit was trapped within the red rope knot, not daring to struggle, watching helplessly as he approached!
If the Heavenly Duke triggered the red rope knot, even his Dao Fruit might not be preserved!
Just then, Hao Heavenly Sovereign appeared before the Dao Fruit, raised his hand, and a Guixu Great Abyss appeared. The Heavenly Duke, along with his treasures, fell into the abyss.
The Guixu divine ability trembled violently. The fifty Heavenly Dao supreme treasures spun, carrying the Heavenly Duke as they broke out from within.
The Heavenly Duke flew out of Langxuan Divine Emperor's Heavenly Court and landed on the ground. His Heavenly Sword slashed toward Ugly and the Earth Lord, severing the golden ropes binding them. Ugly crashed into the forest of steles.
"Not bad skills."
Hao Heavenly Sovereign praised, his gaze falling upon him. His eyes were like two invincible black holes, giving off an extremely unsettling feeling. "Heavenly Duke, after being resurrected by Mu Heavenly Sovereign, your skills have become much finer than before. Back when you were still Hong Heavenly Sovereign, although your divine power was supreme, your Dao-heart cultivation was too poor. After Qin Heavenly Sovereign opened the Dao Realm, Hong Heavenly Sovereign fell behind, eventually being schemed against and killed by Mu Heavenly Sovereign. Heavenly Duke, if you are willing to return to the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns, I would welcome you with open arms."
The Heavenly Duke stood upright with the Heavenly Compass Dao Weapon, Heavenly Dao treasures flying around him, and laughed heartily: "Hong's death has nothing to do with Mu Heavenly Sovereign. It was my own fault. Moreover, the one who killed Hong was not Mu Heavenly Sovereign, but my unfilial son, the Ancestral God King."
Behind Hao Heavenly Sovereign's head, thirty-five heavenly palaces formed the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel. Qin Mu was within the wheel, attempting to break the formation and escape, but Hao Heavenly Sovereign's thirty-five heavenly palaces transformed in countless ways, always blocking him.
"Lingyu Upper Sovereign, do you now realize that cooperating with Mu Heavenly Sovereign is like sleeping with a tiger?"
Hao Heavenly Sovereign suddenly spoke: "Mu Heavenly Sovereign stops at nothing. Even if you make a Dao Fruit pact with him, he will break it at any time. The Heavenly Duke is well aware of this."
Qin Mu stopped trying to escape and laughed heartily: "Lingyu Upper Sovereign, have I broken the Dao Fruit pact with you? That day when you and I made the Dao Fruit pact within the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel, I agreed to help you seize Langxuan Divine Emperor's body. Just now, I indeed helped you seize Langxuan. I did not violate my oath." (See Chapter 1558)
The thoughts of Lingyu Upper Sovereign within that Dao Fruit radiated outward, sneering coldly: "The Seventh Young Master of Miluo Palace, truly worthy of your reputation. You did help me seize Langxuan, but at the same time, you left this strange knot seal within Langxuan's body! Not only that, you took the opportunity to pierce through my Dao Fruit with a sword, attempting to kill me!"
Within the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel, Qin Mu's face shone with glory: "That sword strike was an accident. I didn't know you were so eager, which is why I missed. However, the red rope knot seal was something I had long planned. You are a Dao-achiever from before the historical era. Allowing you to descend into this universe would leave no path for anyone else. Therefore, I had no choice but to strike ruthlessly. What I didn't expect was that after forming an alliance with me, you would also ally with Hao Heavenly Sovereign. Your skill at playing both sides is not bad either."
Lingyu Upper Sovereign sneered: "Seventh Young Master, it wasn't me who sought out Hao Heavenly Sovereign, but Hao Heavenly Sovereign who sought me out."
Qin Mu said in surprise: "Brother Hao, you sought him out?"
Hao Heavenly Sovereign wore a smile: "Daoist Mu, if you could seek him out, why can't I? That day when you were suppressed by me within the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel, you took the opportunity to observe the Dao techniques and divine abilities of several Heavenly Sovereigns. I also took the opportunity to observe their Dao techniques and divine abilities."
The smile on Qin Mu's face gradually faded.
Hao Heavenly Sovereign continued: "The secret within Langxuan's Dao Fruit could not be hidden from me either. Your contact with Lingyu Upper Sovereign also did not escape my notice. If you could reach an agreement with Lingyu Upper Sovereign, naturally I could too. Cooperating with me is cooperating with the Third and Fourth Young Masters of Miluo Palace. In any case, that is far better than cooperating with an untrustworthy Seventh Young Master of Miluo Palace, wouldn't you say?"
Qin Mu's expression darkened. He asked: "Then how did you break free from the Opening Emperor and come here?"
Hao Heavenly Sovereign said leisurely: "Who said I broke free from the Opening Emperor? Mu Heavenly Sovereign, I have survived from the Longhan Era to the present. My methods are beyond your imagination. The support of the Third and Fourth Young Masters is also beyond your imagination. I have two sides to my being. The Opening Emperor is held back by my Dao-achieving body, while my Guixu body has come to the Netherworld to take charge of the situation."
"Since the Third and Fourth Young Masters support me, and I have their power, why wouldn't I use it?"
He said calmly: "In the Netherworld battle, you seem to have the upper hand, but in truth, nothing has yet slipped from my control."
The Heavenly Duke picked up Ugly and the Earth Lord, silently retreating.
He sensed something was wrong. The current situation had clearly exceeded Qin Mu's calculations. Hao Heavenly Sovereign's trump cards had also exceeded Qin Mu's calculations. If they didn't leave now, they might not be able to escape!
Hao Heavenly Sovereign ignored him, smiling: "Mu Heavenly Sovereign, you are indeed the most troublesome opponent I have ever encountered. Both your schemes and your layouts have greatly surprised me. But your time is too little, too short. If I had given you another three to five hundred years, you truly could have turned the tables. But not now. In our struggle, you have always been a step behind. And that one step is the difference between victory and defeat!"
He raised his hand, and his voice echoed through the Netherworld, shaking and rumbling, reaching every corner, clearly audible to Void, Ling, You, Ancestor, Fire, Moon, Langwan, Taiji, Taishi, and others who were in the midst of battle.
"Gain and use well! Since I have obtained the support of Miluo Palace, I must use it well. Miluo Palace is my momentum! My momentum is so great that it has driven my father, Taichu, to despair, forcing him to submit to me!"
Boom—
The Netherworld split open. A fragment of the Great Luotian flew out, pressing down from above. As it passed, cold, desolate winds howled, forcing Void, Ling, You, Ancestor, Fire, Moon, Langwan, Taiji, Taishi, and others to dodge.
Suddenly, another fragment of the Great Luotian flew out, heading toward the Netherworld, followed by a third, a fourth!
Sixteen fragments of the Great Luotian were like transparent mirrors. Within each fragment stood a massive hexagonal pillar. Qin Mu looked from afar and saw that these hexagonal pillars emanated a strange Dao resonance. His heart leaped: "Could these hexagonal pillars in the Great Luotian be carved from Dao Trees?"
Even though he was trapped within the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel formed by Hao Heavenly Sovereign's heavenly palace, he could still see everything outside with his vertical brow eye.
He saw strange patterns carved on those hexagonal pillars within the Great Luotian fragments. The pillars stood motionless in the cold, desolate wind.
As the Great Luotian fragments rotated, a Dao Fruit appeared at the top of each pillar's strange patterns. The Dao Fruits split open, and blood flowed from them like earthworms, trickling down along the patterns.
Those patterns instantly seemed to come alive, twisting, spinning, emitting dazzling Dao light!
The Dao light refracted through the Great Luotian fragments, shining in all directions. Countless strange Dao patterns emerged from the void of the Netherworld, like gunpowder being ignited, running rampant through the Netherworld.
Those engaged in battle felt a strange contract connecting to their physical bodies and primordial spirits.
"This is the blood sacrifice grand formation imprinted in the Ancestral Court. This contract is the blood sacrifice contract."
Hao Heavenly Sovereign said: "The content of the contract is simple—a flesh-and-blood exchange sacrifice between two universes. Exchange the living beings of one universe for those of the other. Because this blood sacrifice contract was refined by the Fourth Young Master sacrificing sixteen Dao-achievers from past cosmic eras, it cannot be resisted by you. You are powerless to resist. As long as you die, the blood sacrifice contract will activate."
The Heavenly Duke, carrying Ugly and the Earth Lord, fled like the wind, intending to escape the Netherworld. Hearing his words, despair filled his heart, and he stopped.
Now, even if he carried Ugly out of the Netherworld, he would still carry this blood sacrifice contract.
The Heavenly Duke put down Ugly and laughed bitterly: "Old friend, I'm afraid I can't protect your physical body anymore. If we survive, we'll meet again in the future."
He looked up, gazing from within the Netherworld at what the Earth Lord saw when he looked up from the Netherworld.
That was the myriad living beings of the countless worlds.
World after world, countless lives, their joys and sorrows, their partings and reunions, all reflected in his eyes.
In the past, the Heavenly Duke never understood why the Earth Lord didn't want to achieve the Dao, why he only wanted to become human. Now, he understood a little.
If achieving the Dao meant abandoning the joys of the human world, then what meaning was there in achieving the Dao? It would be better to be a person with joys, sorrows, partings, and reunions.
The Heavenly Duke spread his sleeves, swept up the Heavenly Dao supreme treasures, and intended to turn back to rescue Qin Mu.
At that moment, the sky of the Netherworld split open. A heavenly palace descended, shining with intense divine light.
It was a Zaofu Heavenly Palace.
The Zaofu Heavenly Palace of the Heavenly Court was already masterless. Without Yuanmu Consort's control, no one could use the Creation Divine Artifact within the Zaofu Heavenly Palace.
Hao Heavenly Sovereign smiled slightly. The Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel behind his head rotated. The companion treasure of Taisu Goddess flew out, falling into the Zaofu Heavenly Palace. The Creation Divine Artifact within the Zaofu Heavenly Palace immediately activated.
The Dao of Creation within that heavenly palace nearly boiled over. The Creation Divine Artifact that Ling Heavenly Sovereign had created back then operated at an unimaginably high speed. Beams of light shot out from the incredibly complex artifact, gradually creating a majestic figure within the rotating rings!
Suddenly, the Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Sovereign stepped out!
The Heavenly Duke sucked in a cold breath. Forgetting to rescue Qin Mu, he immediately rushed toward the Ferry World Golden Ship.
"Ling Heavenly Sovereign, I'll deal with Void Heavenly Sovereign!"
He called out loudly: "You created the Creation Divine Artifact—you deal with it!"
Hao Heavenly Sovereign was unconcerned. He walked toward the Zaofu Heavenly Palace, saying leisurely: "The Creation Divine Artifact, fused with the granting-of-wishes nature of the Taisu Dao and Taisu Auntie's companion treasure, is no longer Ling Heavenly Sovereign's artifact. The Heavenly Duke still thinks Ling Heavenly Sovereign can destroy the Creation Divine Artifact—he overestimates her."
Qin Mu said: "Hao Heavenly Sovereign, do you intend to have Lingyu Upper Sovereign inhabit the body of the Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Sovereign?"
Hao Heavenly Sovereign smiled: "Mu Heavenly Sovereign is indeed clever, but not clever enough. Killing Taisu Auntie was the most crucial step in my unification of the world. By obtaining the Taisu Dao and Taisu's treasure, I can control the Creation Divine Artifact and create as many Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Sovereigns as I want. As for the materials needed to create the Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Sovereign, the Earth Lord's physical body is my material."
"Lingyu Upper Sovereign and I agreed that I would resurrect him. Unlike you, I will keep my promise and let him be resurrected through the Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Sovereign."
He brought Qin Mu and Lingyu Upper Sovereign's Dao Fruit to the Zaofu Heavenly Palace, saying: "These Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Sovereigns are the capital to kill You, Moon, and the others. But my goal is not so simple. I also need to lure Ling Heavenly Sovereign here and use the Fourth Young Master of Miluo Palace's treasure to kill her. The Heavenly Duke has already gone to replace her, to let her come."
Qin Mu suddenly laughed: "You say you can resurrect Lingyu Upper Sovereign, but can you undo the red rope knot I left behind? If you can't undo the red rope knot, Lingyu Upper Sovereign can only die."
Hao Heavenly Sovereign's pupils contracted slightly. His gaze fell on the red rope knot that pierced through Langxuan's primordial spirit and Lingyu Upper Sovereign's Dao Fruit.
"I truly cannot undo it."
After a moment, Hao Heavenly Sovereign said apologetically: "Lingyu Upper Sovereign, I'm sorry. I cannot fulfill our agreement. The only option for you is to die."
—Happy belated birthday to the two big shots, Lifestyle and Beiyun, yesterday!