Chapter 1601: The Shattered Dao Heart
Qin Mu's mind was a blur, the scene of Kaijiu facing death replaying endlessly in his thoughts.
He could barely muster his spirit, could barely mobilize his scattered vital qi. His vision struggled to focus, lacking any point of convergence.
It was as if lightning had struck his Dao heart, instantly draining him of all strength.
He reached out a hand to grasp forward, but caught nothing.
The Sword Dao Great Luo Heaven, the Dao Tree, and Kaijiu himself had all turned to nothing.
The Fourth Young Master of the Mi Luo Palace's attack wasn't aimed at Kaijiu, but at Ling Zun, who was the hardest to kill. Kaijiu had died in Ling Zun's place. Against an attack capable of slaying Ling Zun, Kaijiu naturally had no chance of survival.
But...
Qin Mu suddenly felt a tearing pain in his heart. But why did it have to be Kaijiu?
Kaijiu should have been in the Ancestral Court, holding off Hao Tian's Dao-achieving incarnation. How could he have suddenly appeared here to take the death blow for Ling Zun?
Qin Ye. The very first page of the Qin clan genealogy bore this name. Qin Mu could never forget it.
When he was young, flipping through the Qin clan genealogy, he had been proud to have his own name listed there. He had revered Kaijiu Qin Ye, seeing him as an immensely majestic and unyielding existence.
Later, when he learned of the Land of No Sorrow, the image of Kaijiu Qin Ye in his heart collapsed. Qin Ye became, in his mind, a man driven by profit, a foolish tyrant, a degenerate who had single-handedly buried the Kaijiu Era and cast aside the people like worn-out shoes.
Then, later still, he met the young Qin Ye in the early Long Han Era. They fought, but Qin Mu also saw a Qin Ye who didn't match his assumptions.
Qin Ye was steady, deeply calculating, and inscrutable, possessing a remarkable bearing, as if no setback or blow could ever knock him down.
But in Qin Mu's heart, he still harbored prejudice against him, believing he was responsible for the suffering of later generations, that he had lost his original aspiration over the long years and become a foolish ruler who only knew pleasure in the Land of No Sorrow.
Later, Qin Mu finally found the Land of No Sorrow and entered it. What he saw was the older generation dispirited and the younger generation indulging in pleasure.
Only Qin Ye still maintained his Dao heart, like the stabilizing pillar of the Land of No Sorrow, but even he couldn't change its current state.
Until Qin Mu arrived.
Qin Mu had always held some resentment towards him, and Qin Ye wanted to use their battle to reignite the fighting spirit of the Land of No Sorrow.
They fought in the Land of No Sorrow. Two people of different temperaments saw reflections of themselves in each other.
After that battle, Qin Mu was removed from the Qin clan genealogy and became the Mu Tianzun in Kaijiu's words.
They met many times after that, occasionally still fighting, but Qin Mu no longer held any hatred for him in his heart.
In truth, deep down, Qin Mu still considered himself a member of the Qin family, a descendant of Qin Ye. But he had to protect the Yan Kang.
The Mu Tianzun of Yan Kang could not be a descendant of Kaijiu.
Yan Kang had to be clearly separated from the Land of No Sorrow, otherwise it would be extremely detrimental to Yan Kang's development. This involved not only the struggle for power and the people's livelihood, but also the will of the people and the attitude of the Heavenly Court.
For Yan Kang to be preserved, it must have no connection to the Land of No Sorrow.
Kaijiu and Qin Mu thus maintained a relationship akin to Dao companions, with no generational gap, no familial affection.
Yet, at this moment, Qin Mu still felt that clinging emotion in his Dao heart, the tearing pain of a loved one's passing.
"Why did you suddenly appear..."
Hao Tian's figure suddenly came into his view. Qin Mu turned, his fingers plucking at the space around him as if strumming invisible strings in the air.
A musical note sounded. Xu Tianzun's figure vanished, reappearing the next instant before Hao Tian.
Hao Tian was startled and quickly retreated.
Qin Mu turned, expressionless, and shot towards the Salvation Golden Ship.
On the deck of the Salvation Golden Ship, Xu Tianzun was controlling the Artifact Yu Tianzun. The Artifact Yu Tianzun manifested thirty-six Heavenly Palaces behind its head, forming a complete Heavenly Court!
The power of the Heavenly Court was too strong, pressing down on the artifact so it couldn't hold out for long, but it was enough for Xu Tianzun.
In this short time, she could kill Qin Fengqing and the reincarnated Heavenly Duke, seizing control of the Netherworld!
At this moment, Qin Fengqing's magical power was skyrocketing, almost reaching the level of a Lesser Tianzun, with power equivalent to a Tianzun who had cultivated eighteen Heavenly Palaces to the Emperor Throne realm.
But Qin Fengqing was too inexperienced, far inferior in both combat techniques and experience.
Her only threat was the Heavenly Duke, but his threat came from the power of the fifty Heavenly Dao treasures. Against the Artifact Yu Tianzun of the perfect Heavenly Court, he was still somewhat lacking.
Just as Xu Tianzun was about to kill them both, the golden ship suddenly turned and began to accelerate. Xu Tianzun looked up hastily and saw the ship sailing towards Qin Mu.
At the same time, Qin Mu was also charging towards the ship.
Without a second thought, Xu Tianzun leaped from the golden ship. The ship's light shone down, trying to trap her on board. The Artifact Yu Tianzun punched out, shattering the golden light. Xu Tianzun stood on the Artifact Yu Tianzun's shoulder, seizing the chance to escape.
Qin Mu landed on the golden ship, his hollow gaze shifting away from Xu Tianzun's face.
A flicker of fear arose in Xu Tianzun's heart, and she dared not approach.
Suddenly, Hao Tian appeared beside her, pulling her away.
Ling Zun's figure emerged, pointing a finger into the void.
Qin Mu's gaze fell on Hao Tian, then shifted away. The golden ship changed course, charging towards Huo Tianzun.
There, Huo Tianzun was simultaneously delivering killing blows to Lang Huan and Yue Tianzun.
The golden ship flew over. Huo Tianzun hurriedly dodged and flew towards the approaching Hao Tian.
The three stood shoulder to shoulder, watching Qin Mu guide Yue Tianzun and Lang Huan onto the golden ship.
Huo Tianzun raised an eyebrow, about to block the golden ship, but Hao Tian raised his hand and said, "A cornered beast will still fight. Pushing too hard now will only make him fight to the death. Our goal is achieved. Let them go."
Huo Tianzun was momentarily stunned, not understanding.
Hao Tian smiled slightly. "My original intention was to eliminate Ling Zun, but I hit the wrong target. Qin Ye is dead."
Huo Tianzun's body shook violently. He bowed and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Hao Tian laughed heartily, flew towards Zu Shen Wang, and Xu Tianzun and Huo Tianzun quickly followed him.
The golden ship was still accelerating, charging towards Zu Shen Wang. Hao Tian immediately sent a divine sense fluctuation, notifying Zu Shen Wang to dodge. Zu Shen Wang was about to kill You Tianzun but, hearing this, quickly dodged. Then he saw Ling Zun's figure appear right where he had been standing, breaking out in a cold sweat.
He hurried to Hao Tian's side and whispered, "Brother Hao... Your Majesty, what happened?"
"Qin Ye is dead!"
Hao Tian laughed heartily, his demeanor radiant and confident. "Qin Ye, my heart's greatest trouble. With him dead, the overall situation is settled. The bandit Mu has lost all will to fight. He is the backbone of the rebels. Knowing that Qin Ye's death means certain defeat in this battle, he is now only trying to preserve the others. He has lost his drive to advance. In this battle, the Netherworld falls into my hands, and no one in the world can shake the Heavenly Court's foundation anymore."
Zu Shen Wang's mind shook violently. He knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and raised them above his head. "Pacifying the Netherworld is the perfect day for Your Majesty's ascension! Your servant is willing to submit a memorial to the Retired Emperor, stating the pros and cons, and request his abdication!"
Huo Tianzun also quickly knelt, saying, "Your Majesty's grand strategy and great talent, quelling a million years of chaos and returning the world to an era of peace—such achievements have never been seen since the universe's creation! Your Majesty's ascension follows Heaven's will and responds to the people's wishes. Your servant is willing to be the one to draft the memorial!"
Xu Tianzun hesitated for a moment, then also knelt, saying, "When Your Majesty ascends, the Retired Emperor will surely be overjoyed and voluntarily yield his throne!"
The two Taiji Ancient Gods, seeing the golden ship approaching, abandoned Tai Shi and came to Hao Tian and the others. Seeing the three Tianzuns kneeling, they exchanged a glance and knelt as well, saying, "We, along with Brother Tai Chu, are all of the Five Tai. We are willing to go and act as mediators. Brother Tai Chu understands reason and will surely submit willingly."
Hao Tian laughed heartily, looking at Qin Mu on the golden ship, and said leisurely, "Mu Tianzun, do you see this overwhelming trend? The world's general trend now bends towards me. Your resistance will only be futile! Instead, it will implicate the human race and all post-natal beings. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Do you want the countless beings of this world to be buried because of you?"
Qin Mu stood woodenly at the ship's bow, facing him from afar.
"The Netherworld has already fallen into my hands."
Hao Tian spread his five fingers and clenched them tightly, laughing. "The Tai Emperor has been beheaded, Tai Chu has surrendered, Kaijiu has fallen. You have no chance of winning."
A commotion arose on the golden ship.
The Heavenly Duke quickly asked, "Mu Tianzun, is Kaijiu really..."
You Tianzun had blood at the corner of his mouth, his face pale. Lang Huan, the Divine King, was silent. Yue Tianzun looked at Ling Zun.
Ling Zun nodded slightly.
Qin Fengqing sat blankly on the ground, as if all his strength had left him. Suddenly he looked up and said woodenly, "Little brother, I want to go home. Send me back. I miss mother..."
Qin Mu didn't move. His hand, which had been gripping the hilt of the Tribulation Sword, released it, then gripped it again, then released it once more.
"Does Mu Tianzun think he can still turn the tables?"
Hao Tian laughed. "You know better than I what is in the Guixu. When my mother returns, you won't even have a sliver of a chance to live. The virtuous have many helpers, the unvirtuous few. If you continue fighting, you will all be buried here. Mu Tianzun, you are a man who understands the times. If you die in the Netherworld, the consequence will be the descent of the prehistoric Dao-achievers. I assume you don't want to see that, do you? Rest assured, as long as you surrender, I will not allow the prehistoric Dao-achievers to descend."
He smiled. "I am offering you amnesty. If you surrender, I will enfeoff you as the Tenth Tianzun. Not only will Yan Kang survive, but I will also leave the Land of No Sorrow untouched. But if you dare say no, both Yan Kang and the Land of No Sorrow will be reduced to ashes!"
Huo Tianzun raised an eyebrow. "Your Majesty, they are rebels. How can you offer them amnesty?"
Hao Tian laughed heartily. "Minister Huo, am I the kind of emperor without magnanimity?"
Huo Tianzun dared not say more.
Suddenly, the golden ship sailed away, disappearing into the darkness.
Huo Tianzun breathed a sigh of relief.
Hao Tian smiled slightly. "He will go to the Heavenly Court. He is a sensible man."
He lifted his head, let out a long sigh, and slowly spread his arms.
"This world is finally mine alone!"
The Salvation Golden Ship sped up, sailing through the dark Netherworld. Because Tu Bo's physical body was constantly disintegrating, the space of the Netherworld was also collapsing.
"Where my body stands, that is the Netherworld!"
Tu Bo's body split into massive landmasses, floating in the Netherworld. The Netherworld itself also split into pieces, no longer a single entity.
Some fragments of the Netherworld overlapped with various heavens, some with the Primordial Realm, and others connected to the Ancestral Court.
Everyone stood at the bow of the ship, silent.
This battle had been utterly lost with Kaijiu's death, with no hope of turning it around.
Suddenly, the Heavenly Duke saw A Chou Tu Bo's body floating on a continent. He quickly reached out and pulled A Chou Tu Bo onto the ship.
He wanted to ask Qin Mu to perform a soul-summoning ritual for Tu Bo, but he opened his mouth and said nothing.
Because Tu Bo's self-willed action had led to Kaijiu's death and this great rout. Asking Qin Mu to revive Tu Bo would make them, the Ancient Gods, seem too selfish.
"I will revive Tu Bo."
Qin Mu's eyes moved slightly, and he suddenly said, "But Yun Tianzun is still in the Ultimate Void, fighting Tai Chu. We should go there first... I need to be quiet for a while, just quiet..."
He sat down weakly, suddenly feeling the world spin, and fell onto his back.
"Let him rest."
Yue Tianzun said softly, "I will send Ling Zun to the Ultimate Void. Scaring off Tai Chu shouldn't be difficult."
Ling Zun nodded slightly.
Hearing her words, Qin Mu slowly closed his eyes. Everything went black. Two streams of tears flowed from the corners of his eyes down to his temples, soaking the hair behind his ears.
Was there no hope?
Yes, there was no hope left. He said silently in his heart.
Yue Tianzun led the others away. She knew Qin Mu didn't want anyone to see his vulnerable side, and they also didn't want to see the vulnerable side of Mu Tianzun.