Chapter 1617: The Twilight of Fire Celestial
"My son, this battle will decide the fate of the cosmos."
Tai Chu blocked Heavenly Emperor Hao's attack, a smile on his face as he gazed at Heavenly Emperor Hao's features, speaking leisurely: "Ever since my defeat in the Dragon Han era, I realized that honor and disgrace are fleeting. A moment's glory or shame cannot determine a strong man's lifelong victory or defeat. Your father was ill-fated from childhood. In my early years, I was ignorant and naive in the Tai Chu Divine Mine, knowing nothing of good and evil, right and wrong. I only knew to refine the Tai Chu mineral veins, until the Grand Emperor dug me out of that divine mine."
Heavenly Emperor Hao furrowed his brow slightly, a faint, mocking smile on his lips: "Supreme Emperor, you truly have grown old. The father-son slaughter hasn't even begun, yet you're already speaking words that only a victor should utter."
Tai Chu waved his hand and continued: "Your father was weak back then, terrified by the Grand Emperor's power, so I took him as my adoptive father. He took away my Tai Chu Imperial Sword and had the Creator make sacrifices to me. It seemed to boost my strength, but in truth, he knew my potential for growth was too great, so he used the Creator to restrain me. I endured, scheming slowly, until a million years ago in the Blood Rust Zone, I struck him down completely, leaving him unable to rise for a million years."
Heavenly Emperor Hao listened calmly, not interrupting him.
"Your father then ascended the throne as emperor, unified the cosmos and the primordial chaos, achieving an unparalleled dominion. The four seas and eight wildernesses submitted. Earth Lord, Heaven Duke, and Earth Mother were all caught by their weaknesses, unable to resist me. The Creator was no longer a concern. The world was at peace, and the demigod races flourished."
Tai Chu sighed: "It was then that the Seven Celestial Venerables, including Imperial Celestial, rose. In a hazy vision, I saw a future that would destroy my rule—a surging tide that would crush me and all the ancient gods into dust. So I had you kill Imperial Celestial, severing that terrifying future. But I never imagined that this surging tide would not end because of it. Instead, it grew fiercer, and in the end, your father was still buried by you and Cloud Celestial. In this million years of decline, your father had to stoop to scheming, hide his identity, and mingle among the Ten Celestial Venerables."
The two Taiji Celestial Venerables chimed in unison: "A great rise followed by a great fall, and a great fall followed by a great rise—that is the true nature of a hero."
The mockery on Heavenly Emperor Hao's face deepened.
Tai Chu's spirits lifted, and he smiled: "In this million years, my son Hao, you have accumulated your momentum. Not long ago, your tide finally swelled, a surging flood that forced your father, even after reclaiming his physical body and achieving the Dao of One Qi Grand Luo Heaven, to abdicate and let you ascend to the throne of the Heavenly Emperor. I was even forced to kneel to you, to bow to you—a father kneeling to his son, the ultimate humiliation."
The two Taiji Celestial Venerables exclaimed in unison: "Unmoved by favor or disgrace—that reveals a true hero."
Tai Chu's face glowed with pride as he smiled: "Two fellow Daoists flatter me too much. Though I suffered this unprecedented humiliation, kneeling to my own son, I know that you, my son Hao, are still too green. Hao, your thirst for power is so great that you don't understand how to share it. For example, your father: as long as Earth Lord, Heaven Duke, and Earth Mother Prime submitted to me, I never touched their interests. But you are different. You want to gather all power into your own hands. The moment you ascended the throne, you began to reduce the fiefs. How could Fire Celestial not rebel against you?"
He smiled faintly: "You couldn't hold your nerve, and you destroyed your own wings. Fire Celestial siding with me has finally allowed me to crush you. The nine Celestial Venerables of the Dragon Han era were all unparalleled geniuses. You underestimated Fire Celestial too much. None of the Dragon Han Nine Celestial Venerables can be compared to Ancestral God King or Void Celestial! As long as I hold you off, Fire Celestial will cut off your two wings and slay Ancestral God King and Void Celestial! After this battle, I will have the upper hand!"
Heavenly Emperor Hao said indifferently: "Supreme Emperor, you talk too much. With your wisdom, you should not have failed to realize that the Third and Fourth Young Masters of the Miluo Palace are still supporting me."
Tai Chu shook his head: "I am more skilled than you in the art of strategy. You are too young. How could the Third and Fourth Young Masters not see your wolfish ambition? They need to support someone who can contend with you, to facilitate their plan to enter the world. With you and me fighting each other, they are happy to watch. You cannot borrow any power from the Third and Fourth Young Masters. If you don't believe me, try it."
Heavenly Emperor Hao wore a playful smile, clapped his hands, and praised: "Well said, well said! Unfortunately, Supreme Emperor, you scheme too much, stoop to petty tricks, but in the end, you are still old."
He said leisurely: "My reduction of the fiefs may seem like a foolish move to seize all power and kill off meritorious officials, but I did it for the eternal stability of my rule for a million, ten million, or even a hundred million years! Would killing one Fire Celestial shake the foundation of my rule?"
He dismissed the thought: "It won't shake it. Enfeoffing vassals would shake my foundation. Do you think that if Fire Celestial dies, Shepherd Celestial would dare to rebel? Even if he does, I have plenty of ways to deal with him. At worst, I can borrow a few ascendants from the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City. The Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City may lack many things, but it has plenty of ascendants from the prehistoric universe."
A look of mockery appeared on his face: "The Third and Fourth Young Masters have no choice but to rely on my power. Only then do they have a chance, a hope, to enter the current universe. Because they know that neither you nor Shepherd Celestial can defeat me!"
Tai Chu laughed heartily: "Dark Heavenly Emperor and East Emperor Azure Dragon were killed by borrowed knives. Once Ancestral God King and Void Celestial die, what forces will you have left?"
At that moment, East Emperor Azure Dragon happened to flee to this spot. Hearing their conversation, his heart chilled again: "I died again? I didn't know... Better keep running!"
Heavenly Emperor Hao smiled as he looked at his father, a hint of sympathy in his eyes: "Supreme Emperor, you truly are old."
He sighed.
At the same time, an extremely violent tremor came from afar. Fire Celestial was fighting Ancestral God King and Void Celestial, their battle tearing heaven and earth apart. Ancestral God King pushed Heaven Duke's physical body to its limit, forcibly breaking through the ring of fire behind Fire Celestial's head.
But as he broke free, Fire Celestial struck out with a palm. Ancestral God King, standing on Heaven Duke's body, was just emerging from the ring of fire and had no time to block.
Ancestral God King could only activate his self-refined Heavenly Dao treasures to withstand the blow. Fire Celestial's strike concealed twenty-eight layers of Dao realms, each layer of Dao fire stronger than the last. By the twenty-eighth layer, all of Ancestral God King's painstakingly refined Heavenly Dao treasures were melted into molten copper and liquid gold!
"Ancestral God King, do you think you're worthy to be ranked alongside me?"
Fire Celestial sneered. His primordial spirit pressed down from the Heavenly Court, forcing Void Celestial to retreat step by step, unable to resist.
Fire Celestial let out a long howl: "Among the Dragon Han Nine Celestial Venerables, Heavenly Emperor Hao is the strongest, but I am not far behind!"
Ancestral God King and Void Celestial's hearts shook violently as they were forced back under his onslaught.
After Fire Celestial killed Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird, his strength had jumped into the top three among the Ten Celestial Venerables. However, Ancestral God King had obtained Heaven Duke's physical body, and Void Celestial had gained half of the Netherworld's Great Dao. They believed Fire Celestial's power was far inferior to theirs, and that the two of them joining forces would easily capture him.
But the harsh reality exceeded their expectations.
Now, they were the lambs waiting to be slaughtered, and Fire Celestial was the hunter!
The more Fire Celestial fought, the more exhilarated he became. He howled without end, unleashing various divine abilities with effortless ease. His Dao heart, which had been despondent moments ago, began to clear and brighten, showing signs of further advancement!
As long as he killed Ancestral God King and Void Celestial, and joined forces with Tai Chu to slay Heavenly Emperor Hao, he would surely be heavily favored by Tai Chu, becoming an unparalleled powerful minister, a key minister!
Just then, he suddenly sensed an extremely intense danger. Before he could react, a Guixu Abyss appeared within the heavy rings of fire behind his head!
As soon as the Guixu Abyss appeared, it swept up the Dao fire, devouring the Dao fruits within the rings of fire behind his head, sucking them into the abyss!
Not only that, but even the Heavenly Court behind his head began to destabilize, falling into the abyss!
Behind his head was also a ring formed from a myriad worlds, now also falling into the Guixu. The entire myriad worlds began to burn, stars falling one by one, flowing into the abyss!
The abyss was like a bottomless pit, impossible to fill.
Terrified, Fire Celestial forcibly severed the heavy rings of fire behind his head, even abandoning all the living beings in that myriad worlds, and charged forward to escape the entanglement of the Guixu Abyss.
His cultivation was greatly diminished. He spun around abruptly and saw that the Guixu Abyss was not a divine ability but a true Guixu, forcibly moved here by immense divine power!
Within the Guixu was the Empress's palace, where a woman lay languidly on a jade couch, very comfortable, watching Fire Celestial's terror with a smile. It was clearly the Empress's face.
But the black mole on her brow revealed her identity: Lady Yuanmu!
"My dear jade-faced one, what do you think of my skills?"
Lady Yuanmu's fragrant, small mouth opened slightly. At that moment, a man's figure appeared in the palace. With his thumb and forefinger, he pinched a spirit pill and gently placed it between Lady Yuanmu's lips.
It was the Yan Kang Medicine Master, known as the Jade-Faced Medicine King, a master of miraculous healing. He was the world's greatest divine physician, having perfected the supreme Dao of medicine. He was famous across the world for healing Moon Celestial's Dao wounds.
The man was extremely handsome and romantic, even surpassing Dark Heavenly Emperor.
The Medicine Master attended to Lady Yuanmu as she took the spirit pill, observed her for a moment, and said with a smile: "Madam, after this pill, your Dao wounds should be fully healed. Your servant should return now..."
Lady Yuanmu shot him a sidelong glance and said coquettishly: "Why are you in such a hurry to go back? I've heard people say you are an elder of Shepherd Celestial. Do you think Shepherd Celestial still lacks maternal love? Would you like to find him a stepmother or a step-grandmother? Seeing you, I feel that Shepherd Celestial is just plain rough."
The Medicine Master felt overwhelmed and quickly said: "Madam, you mustn't! His Majesty will have my head... Fire Celestial is coming."
Lady Yuanmu giggled as she soared into the air, flying over his head. The Medicine Master looked up and immediately had a nosebleed, muttering to himself about the demoness's power.
"Shepherd has been messing around with her for so long and still managed to keep his virginity—truly impressive!"
The Medicine Master was filled with admiration for Qin Mu: "If it were me, I wouldn't be able to hold out!"
Lady Yuanmu reached out and grabbed the twin lotuses rising from the abyss, which fell into her hands. She smiled: "Fire Celestial, my son Hao sent me here to see you off on your journey."
Fire Celestial's heart shook violently. In that instant of exchange, he could feel that Lady Yuanmu's combat power was in no way inferior to his, and might even be stronger!
Lady Yuanmu leisurely smoothed the hair at her temples, then suddenly swung the lotus. The lotus closed up, transforming into a massive hammer, and smashed down toward Fire Celestial!
Boom—
As the lotus fell, it spun and bloomed, unleashing the terrifying power of the Guixu Dao!
—Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow! Tomorrow will be Fire Celestial's end, and I will give everyone a satisfactory conclusion! Please vote for monthly tickets!