Chapter 1618: The Fool of the Southern Heaven
As soon as Lady Yuanmu made her move, the Grand Heavenly Court manifested from the thirty-six celestial palaces pushed the Dao of Guixu to its absolute limit!
She should more properly be called the Guixu Goddess, but at this moment, Lady Yuanmu's consciousness held sway. She had merged Lady Yuanmu's Dao of Annihilation with the Empress's Dao of Creation, fusing them into one, perfecting the Dao of Guixu.
The power of the perfected Dao of Guixu was extremely peculiar. It could devour all things, devour all energy, and simultaneously transform that into its own strength.
The power of Fire Heavenly Venerable's Dao Fire was almost comparable to the Wind of Heat Death. Yet within Guixu, the true Wind of Heat Death raged, grinding matter into dust and converting it into pure energy.
An incredibly terrifying accumulation of energy compressed together—that was the Wind of Heat Death!
In a duel with Lady Yuanmu, one would find their own divine power steadily decreasing while her strength grew ever stronger!
Boom!
Fire Heavenly Venerable clashed head-on with this strike, only to realize that his own techniques and divine abilities sank like stones into the sea, unable to inflict any damage on his opponent.
Meanwhile, Lady Yuanmu's divine power suddenly surged by a notch. The lotus directly shattered his defenses, spinning with a sharp *chi chi chi* sound as it sliced open his chest!
A razor-sharp lotus petal swept across his face. The mask he wore let out a crisp *crack* as it split in two, revealing a hideous, terrifying visage.
Fire Heavenly Venerable's face had been destroyed by Qin Mu. His features were barely recognizable—only white bone and scattered scraps of flesh remained.
His skin had been completely peeled away. His nose was reduced to nasal bone, his ears to mere holes, his eyes exposed without any flesh to protect them, his lips gone, and his teeth bared.
His face resembled a skull with patches of flesh clinging to it.
In the current world, Qin Mu was undeniably the foremost master of the Dao. The Dao wound he had left on Fire Heavenly Venerable's face persisted to this day, unhealable. Even Physician Yao could not cure the damage to his features.
Lady Yuanmu was startled at the sight of this face.
The two fought at lightning speed. Fire Heavenly Venerable found himself constrained and hampered. Every technique he unleashed seemed to lose its proper power. No matter how he attacked, his strength was devoured by Yuanmu.
He had not cultivated thirty-six celestial palaces, only thirty-five. This one deficiency meant his divine power was far weaker than Lady Yuanmu's, leaving him on the defensive.
His strength lay in having no weaknesses whatsoever—his techniques and divine abilities were flawless. Although his methods were countered by Lady Yuanmu, his physical body was immensely powerful, allowing him to clash head-on with her. But the longer the fight dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became.
Lotus petals drifted down, swirling around him. They were incredibly sharp, cutting into his flesh and nearly flaying him alive!
Whoosh—
Suddenly, the Guixu Great Abyss appeared behind him. A violent gravitational force erupted, twisting his physical body and pulling him into the abyss.
Fire Heavenly Venerable roared, struggling with all his might to escape the abyss. The moment he broke free, Lady Yuanmu swung her lotus, striking him across the body.
Fire Heavenly Venerable spat blood, tumbling and rolling as he was sent flying.
*Shua shua shua*—the lotus's stamens shot out like snakes, coiling around him and dragging him toward Lady Yuanmu.
Fire Heavenly Venerable immediately raised his hand to sever the stamens, but Lady Yuanmu was already upon him.
Fire Heavenly Venerable's figure shot up, transforming into a streak of firelight that fled into the distance at a speed that left onlookers stunned.
But the Guixu Great Abyss was like a massive mouth devouring all heavens and realms, causing space to collapse. No matter how fast he flew, he merely circled around the edge of the abyss, unable to escape its gravitational pull.
"This is where my life ends!"
Despair filled Fire Heavenly Venerable's heart. He looked back and saw Lady Yuanmu right behind him, smiling as she held the twin lotuses, ready to deliver a killing blow.
Strangely, however, the lotus in Lady Yuanmu's hand paused mid-lift. She did not strike the fatal blow.
Fire Heavenly Venerable was puzzled. He saw Lady Yuanmu standing there, a look of panic spreading across her face—a panic that grew more intense by the moment.
Her expression did not seem feigned. She had the upper hand; there was no need for pretense.
Yet not only did Lady Yuanmu show panic, but her body also began to tremble. At the same time, the black mole on her forehead slowly changed, turning from black to red.
"You little wretch…" Lady Yuanmu gritted her teeth, hissing, "Choosing now to jump out? Are you asking for death?"
Fire Heavenly Venerable did not understand what was happening, but he immediately struck, landing a heavy blow on Lady Yuanmu. Suddenly, the twin lotuses in her hand expanded, and with a *shua* sound, they closed around her, enveloping her within.
Fire Heavenly Venerable's strike crashed against the layers of petals, causing some to wither, but the terrifying force still reached deep into the twin lotuses.
A muffled groan came from within the lotus, followed by another voice: "Little wretch, do you think I would surrender so easily? I am the rightful one, the true master of this body. Now that you've healed your wounds, this is the perfect time for me to reclaim it…"
"Sister, fighting me for the body will only let Fire Heavenly Venerable take advantage!"
"If you don't back down, I'll take us both down with me and let Fire Heavenly Venerable kill us both!"
…
Fire Heavenly Venerable struck several more heavy blows, breaking through the twin lotuses and charging inside. There, he saw Lady Yuanmu frozen in place, unable to move.
In an instant, he unleashed countless divine abilities upon this woman. Lady Yuanmu was sent flying high into the air, crashing violently to the ground.
Boom!
Fire Heavenly Venerable landed, one foot stomping on Lady Yuanmu's chest, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "My luck is still extraordinary. I am not meant to die. Yuanmu, it's time to depart…"
Just then, the black mole on Lady Yuanmu's forehead turned completely red. Her eyes stared coldly at him, and her voice shifted to the Empress's tone: "Fire, my loyal subject, do you dare trample upon my body?"
*Chi*—
Fire Heavenly Venerable's leg was seized by the Empress and slammed hard into the ground. He was dazed from the impact, but fortunately, the Empress was also severely injured and did not kill him outright.
A fierce light flashed in Fire Heavenly Venerable's eyes. "She's heavily wounded from my attacks. I might not lose this fight!"
Ancestral God King and Void Heavenly Venerable approached cautiously. They saw the twin lotuses' petals tightly closed, entwined together. The flower chamber alternately expanded and contracted, swelling and shrinking, while waves of terrifying divine ability fluctuations emanated from within, shocking them.
Ancestral God King and Void Heavenly Venerable were both badly injured. They exchanged glances, their faces filled with horror.
The battle within the twin lotuses ended quickly. Suddenly, the petals split open, and a streak of firelight shot out. The figure was covered in blood—it was Fire Heavenly Venerable.
Ancestral God King and Void Heavenly Venerable immediately moved to block him. The three clashed at lightning speed outside the flower chamber. Void Heavenly Venerable severed Fire Heavenly Venerable's left arm, while Fire Heavenly Venerable twisted Void Heavenly Venerable's head from front to back, making her see her own backside.
Ancestral God King activated the Heavenly Duke's physical body, smashing Fire Heavenly Venerable's head down into his chest cavity. Fire Heavenly Venerable grew eyes on his chest, grabbed Ancestral God King, who was standing on the Heavenly Duke's face, and twisted his body into a dozen spirals with Dao Fire, stretching his physical body and primordial spirit thinner than a twisted dough stick!
At that moment, the Guixu Great Abyss erupted, devouring the Grand Heavenly Court behind Fire Heavenly Venerable and pulling his primordial spirit into the great void.
Fire Heavenly Venerable stumbled backward, colliding with the Empress. She fell back, and the red mole on her forehead instantly turned black, reverting to Lady Yuanmu.
Lady Yuanmu laughed, her body trembling like a flower in the wind. She activated the Reincarnation divine ability to seal the Empress, but saw Fire Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit surge up from the abyss, carrying a tattered celestial palace, and pierce straight through the back of Lady Yuanmu's head.
Whoosh—
Fire Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit, along with the battered celestial palace and heavenly court, flew out from between Lady Yuanmu's eyebrows. Explosions rumbled within her skull, and blood sprayed from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, the blood turning into flames.
Fire Heavenly Venerable's chest heaved as his head grew back out from his chest cavity. Just as he was about to retrieve his primordial spirit, Void Heavenly Venerable, whose head was twisted backward, slammed both hands heavily onto his skull. The terrifying power of the demonic path surged through his physical body, destroying his Divine Bridge divine storage!
This force drove straight through, dismantling his Life and Death, Heavenly Human, Seven Stars, Six Harmonies, and Five Radiances, and was about to destroy his Spirit Embryo divine storage!
Fire Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit flew back, striking Void Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit out of her physical body. Her body immediately caught fire in the Dao Fire.
Fire Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit re-entered his body, and he transformed into a streak of firelight, soaring into the sky. But as he rose, Ancestral God King, still burning, activated the Heavenly Duke's physical body and pierced through the back of his head with a finger!
A large hole burst open in Fire Heavenly Venerable's forehead. The force of that finger penetrated the heavenly court within his brain, destroying the Heavenly Gate, the Jade Pool, the Execution Platform, and sweeping through the Jade Capital City.
The terrifying power surged onward to the Soaring Cloud Hall, blowing it to pieces!
The Soaring Cloud Hall exploded. Fire Heavenly Venerable's primordial spirit, seated on the throne, was also pierced through by the Heavenly Duke's finger!
Beneath him, the throne faded into a phantom, slowly dissipating.
Fire Heavenly Venerable immediately felt his divine power scatter, draining away wildly. His cultivation realm plummeted from the Heavenly Court to the Throne, then from the Throne to the Soaring Cloud, and then his cultivation was pushed back through the Jade Capital, Execution Platform, Jade Pool, Heavenly Gate, Divine Bridge, Life and Death, and Heavenly Human!
"I have cultivated twelve types of indestructible achievements. This injury cannot kill me!"
Fire Heavenly Venerable forcibly stabilized his scattered divine power. Seeing Ancestral God King and Void Heavenly Venerable dragging their wounded bodies in pursuit, he shook his form, and millions of streaks of firelight shot out in all directions across the starry sky.
Countless fires filled the Southern Heaven, flying off in different directions.
Ancestral God King and Void Heavenly Venerable reached out, grabbing many of the fires, but they were all empty.
Ancestral God King coughed up mouthfuls of blood, forcibly activating his divine power to suppress the Dao Fire on his body. He could not continue the chase. Void Heavenly Venerable's cultivation was slightly inferior, making her even more incapable.
The two barely managed to suppress the Dao Fire. Ancestral God King mustered a thread of divine power and shouted sternly, "All gods and demons of the Southern Heaven, hear my command! Fire Heavenly Venerable has betrayed us! Seal the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge and hunt him down everywhere! Kill him, and the Heavenly Court will reward you handsomely—enfeoffment as kings and lords!"
More and more fires appeared in the Southern Heaven. Millions of streaks of firelight fell into every realm, but upon landing, they dissipated into flowing flames.
Suddenly, a streak of firelight crashed to the ground, shaking the mountains and rivers, and materialized into Fire Heavenly Venerable's form. He tumbled for over ten miles before stopping.
Fire Heavenly Venerable struggled to his feet, panting heavily. "I'm not dead yet…"
His body swayed. Suddenly, his injuries erupted, and he fell to his knees with a *plop*, hands bracing against the ground. He chuckled darkly, "If I can survive this ordeal, I still have a chance. I can rebuild… I can go to Shepherd Heavenly Venerable for refuge. Yes, I can go to Shepherd Heavenly Venerable!"
His eyes gradually brightened, staring at the ground, filled with hope. "Cloud Heavenly Venerable was my lifelong friend. He invited me more than once to join him against the Heavenly Court. If I go to him, he certainly won't refuse. Heh heh, Shepherd Heavenly Venerable is now utterly defeated. If I go to him, I'll become his honored guest. He'll have no choice but to value me! Heh heh, the Opening Emperor is dead. I am now the most powerful being among the human race…"
Just then, footsteps approached.
Fire Heavenly Venerable lifted his head with difficulty. Before him was a small mountain village, filled with farming households who made their living tilling the land.
The footsteps belonged to an old farmer whose face was covered in wrinkles. He appeared to be seventy or eighty years old, but his actual age was likely under fifty.
Life was too harsh and poor—face to the soil, back to the sky—aging quickly was normal.
The old farmer should have been working the fields. Nearby was a manure pit, and he held a manure rake in his hand. He had probably been raking manure, as he carried a stench of excrement and urine.
The old farmer squinted his blurry eyes as he approached, cautiously sizing Fire Heavenly Venerable up. His voice trembled as he asked, "You… are you Fire Heavenly Venerable?"
Fire Heavenly Venerable nodded. "I am the ruler of the Southern Heaven, Fire Heavenly Venerable. Does your village have any miraculous medicines? I am gravely wounded…"
The old farmer was both startled and overjoyed. He swung the manure rake with all his might. The rake's three prongs stabbed into Fire Heavenly Venerable's forehead, sending sparks flying and splattering feces all over his face!
"You…" Fire Heavenly Venerable's mind went blank.
Seeing that he hadn't killed him, the old farmer swung the manure rake again, his voice filled with joy: "Come! Hurry! The fire dog who betrayed the Heavenly Court has fallen into our village! We're rich!"
Fire Heavenly Venerable was enraged, but his injuries were too severe for him to struggle to his feet.
Then, he saw the entire village—old, young, women, and able-bodied men—pour out. Some wielded kitchen knives, others hooks, iron shovels, hammers, hoes, and spades. They all surged forward, shouting for his blood!
The villagers surrounded him and began to beat him, striking him with all kinds of farming tools.
But how could they harm Fire Heavenly Venerable? No matter how they attacked, they couldn't touch a single hair on his head.
"Why do you want to kill me?"
Fire Heavenly Venerable was both shocked and furious, his voice hoarse: "You ungrateful wretches! It was I! I protected the Southern Heaven! I protected you lowlifes! Otherwise, you would have died long ago!"
An inexplicable surge of strength rose within him. Defying the villagers' beating, he forced himself to his feet, grabbed the old farmer with the manure rake by the neck, and lifted him into the air.
The surrounding villagers stared in terror, frozen in place.
The old farmer struggled weakly, but mustered his breath to shout, "Fire dog, you still dare to be stubborn? Not being loyal to your sovereign is the greatest crime! The Sage's Teachings say: 'Those who are not loyal to their sovereign are like beasts—everyone has the right to kill them!' You are a beast!"
Fire Heavenly Venerable spat out a mouthful of blood. The *Sage's Teachings* that the Southern Heaven used to educate the human race were compiled by him. It was because of this book that the Heavenly Court had appointed him the Saint among the heavenly venerables.
The other villagers surged forward again, hacking at him with kitchen knives, hooks, iron shovels, hammers, and hoes, shouting, "Beat this unfilial, unrighteous, unkind, and unjust wretch! Take his head to claim the reward, and we'll become gods!"
"This villain's body is too tough! We can't kill him!"
"Quick! Kill a dog and splash him with black dog blood to break his spells!"
…
—A four-thousand-word chapter. Please vote for monthly tickets!