Chapter 1635: I Have a Dream, Qin Mu’s Chapter
In the Yuji Heavens, Qin Mu and the Heavenly Emperor Hao stood beyond the heavens, followed by a hundred or so high ministers of the Heavenly Court. Looking down, they saw that the once immensely prosperous Yuji Heavens were now engulfed in war and chaos everywhere.
The Yuji Heavens could be considered one of the few wealthy great worlds among the myriad heavens. This realm was originally renowned for its forging, supplying divine weapons to the Heavenly Court. The celestial artisans of Yuji Heavens crafted exquisite pieces, with high artistic achievement in divine weapons, but their practicality was greatly compromised.
The nobles of the Heavenly Court prided themselves on owning a divine weapon from the Yuji Heavens. However, the rise of Yan Kang’s forging shattered Yuji Heavens’ iron rice bowl.
Yan Kang’s divine weapons were powerful, and their artistic achievements were by no means inferior. In particular, Yan Kang’s Painting Sage had entered the Dao through painting, with tens of thousands of disciples. Cultivating the path of painting had become a required course in all Yan Kang academies and schools.
After all, divine weapons with better designs commanded higher prices.
More crucially, Yan Kang’s divine weapons were cheap!
Thus, within a few decades, many of the supervisory forges in the Yuji Heavens were forced out of business. When various factions of the Heavenly Court commissioned divine weapons, they almost always chose Yan Kang first. Only the Zaofu Heavenly Palace occasionally handed over some less important tasks to the Yuji Heavens, barely keeping a few of its supervisory forges alive.
However, with the appearance of the Jade Capital in the Ancestral Court and Shi Qiluo’s “death” there, the Zaofu Heavenly Palace lost its master, cutting off the Yuji Heavens’ only source of wealth.
From Shi Qiluo’s “death” to the present, only about thirty years had passed, and the Yuji Heavens had completely collapsed.
Originally, the Yuji Heavens had struggled to sustain themselves, with the people living in misery and demons and gods causing chaos everywhere. After the Yuji Heavens’ pillar completely crumbled, the divine generals and officials who had previously supported the Yuji Ruler saw that popular anger was hard to quell, so they simply rebelled, killed the Yuji Ruler, and raised the banner of revolt.
The Heavenly Court had long known about the turmoil in the Yuji Heavens, but since Heavenly Emperor Hao had only recently ascended the throne, it was natural to report only good news and suppress the bad. The unrest in the Yuji Heavens was thus kept under wraps and not reported to Heavenly Emperor Hao.
The Yuji Ruler was a member of the Heavenly Alliance. His murder made it impossible to suppress the matter any longer.
Even more terrifying was that the rebellion in the Yuji Heavens was just one corner of the myriad heavens. Simultaneously, unrest had erupted in Shixiu, Lingshu, and Lingyuan, while other heavens were also showing signs of chaos.
If they continued to suppress the news and Heavenly Emperor Hao found out, heads would surely roll. Thus, the chief ministers reported the situation to Heavenly Emperor Hao.
“This world is destined to become an unparalleled golden age, far surpassing the past! But these stubborn people can’t even endure a little hardship.”
Heavenly Emperor Hao took the lead and stepped into the Yuji Heavens. There, famine victims and refugees were everywhere. The Yuji Heavens were mostly inhabited by demigod races, but now everything was in chaos.
Demons and monsters ran rampant, burning, killing, and looting everywhere. Some gods and demons used their divine abilities to create vast seas of fire spanning ten thousand miles, or raised towering waves to flood enemy cities.
When two rebel armies clashed, they would even summon stars from beyond the heavens to crash into the realm, making it look like the apocalypse!
However, not everyone in the Yuji Heavens was starving and freezing. On the contrary, some great noble families still possessed immense wealth. But knowing this was a time of chaos, they moved out of Yuji to seek refuge elsewhere.
On their journey, Qin Mu, Heavenly Emperor Hao, and the others encountered over a dozen such tower ships, piled high with treasures, sailing toward the outer heavens, with rebel forces chasing them from behind.
The spirit energy migration bridges had already been destroyed by the rebels to prevent the Heavenly Court from attacking, leaving them no choice but to take the path of interstellar migration.
Heavenly Emperor Hao watched coldly and said unhurriedly, “These stubborn people always rebel at the slightest dissatisfaction, causing chaos, thinking I have wronged them. Truly heinous! Did I cause all this? I have only just ascended the throne. How could I have made them unable to survive in just a few years? This was caused by the previous dynasty, yet they shift the blame onto me!”
He grew angrier as he spoke: “It’s not that they can’t survive; it’s that they see I’ve just been enthroned and my foundation is unstable, so they’re trying to extort me! These rebels are all ambitious schemers, the parasites of the Heavenly Court! This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated. We must make an example of them to warn others! Otherwise, once the floodgates open, other heavens will also come to extort me, demanding benefits! I will make them understand that this world is not theirs—it is mine!”
Ahead, two armies of gods and demons were locked in battle over territory, fighting fiercely.
Both sides were bloodthirsty, the battlefield nearly turned into a sea of blood, with flashing blades and shadows, and blood flowing so thick it floated shields.
Just then, suddenly, all the gods and demons engaged in battle froze, stiffening in place, maintaining their fighting stances, motionless.
In an instant, every god and demon on the battlefield lost all signs of life!
The world seemed to fall into utter silence, with only the wind blowing, and no other sound.
“The Void Heavenly Venerable has made his move!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao smiled, his figure rising slowly. Qin Mu and the hundred or so high ministers of the Heavenly Court rose into the air with him.
Qin Mu looked around and saw that distant cities were the same. In an instant, the entire city became a dead city. Everyone inside still held the poses they had in life, but all life was gone.
One by one, the divine kingdoms of the Yuji Heavens, all living beings, including gods and demon gods, died in an instant.
At that moment, flowers withered, trees dried up, beasts lay prostrate, birds fell from the sky, and even the aquatic creatures in rivers, lakes, and seas—fish and shrimp alike—died in that same instant!
The entire Yuji Heavens died in an instant. Apart from Qin Mu, Heavenly Emperor Hao, and their group, not a single living being remained!
Everyone looked around and saw demonic energy encroaching. The land of the Yuji Heavens rapidly turned black, becoming dark soil. The mountains lost their color, and the rivers, lakes, and seas also swiftly turned pitch black, with demonic energy spreading everywhere.
They looked up and saw the stars beyond the heavens rapidly dimming. The moon lost its light, and the sun was also invaded by a vast darkness, gradually being swallowed by it.
The Yuji Heavens were completely dead.
Qin Mu’s hands and feet turned ice-cold.
Although he had long anticipated that the rebellion in the Yuji Heavens would end this way, witnessing this scene with his own eyes brought him shock and terror beyond compare!
After the death of the Opening Emperor, he had foreseen that Yan Kang could no longer compete with the Heavenly Court for the Netherworld. If they continued to wage war against the Heavenly Court, Yan Kang would inevitably face the same fate!
That was why his Dao heart had collapsed, and he had fallen into despair. If not for the Dao Ancestor and Mahabrahma bringing news of the chaotic space, he might still be unable to recover from that collapse.
The tragedy of the Yuji Heavens confirmed this.
Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed heartily, saying, “The power of the Earth Lord is truly an unparalleled force! With this kind of deterrent, who would dare rebel? Minister Mu, this is the fate of the Yuji Heavens for rebelling. The same would happen to Yan Kang!”
Qin Mu’s face was pale. He opened his mouth but could not speak.
Heavenly Emperor Hao took in his expression, feeling elated and spirited. He declared loudly, “Minister Mu, does this scene awaken you? I am not a foolish ruler like the Supreme Emperor. He would play along and enfeud lords, but I will not! Move out—to Shixiu Heaven!”
Shixiu Heaven.
The same silent massacre occurred. In just a single instant, everyone in the entire Shixiu Heaven—rebels, ordinary people, birds, beasts, insects, and fish—all died!
The stars dimmed, the sun went out, the moon fell into darkness, and the whole world sank into cold silence.
The Heavenly Court not only had military deterrence but also would not hesitate to slaughter!
“Your Majesty, the destruction of these two heavens is enough to intimidate the myriad worlds and prevent petty villains from rebelling.”
Meng Yungui, who was also accompanying Heavenly Emperor Hao this time, bowed and said, “Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. There is no need for further killing. I am willing to go to the Lingshu and Lingyuan heavens to make the rebels there surrender and come to the Heavenly Court to confess their crimes.”
“Nonsense!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “Once I have spoken, there is no taking it back! These traitors and rebels deserve to die ten thousand deaths. Do they think that by surrendering, I will forgive their crimes?”
Meng Yungui fell silent and said no more.
Lingshu Heaven. Death.
Lingyuan Heaven. Death.
The rebellion of the four great heavens was thus quelled.
Heavenly Emperor Hao glanced at Qin Mu and said, “Minister Mu, if you remain stubborn and unrepentant, your Yan Kang will be no different from these four heavens! I will not give you much time. The contract between the Heavenly Court and Yan Kang is in my harem. I await your return to sign your name!” With that, he flicked his sleeve and led his entourage away.
Qin Mu looked at the destroyed Lingyuan Heaven, then turned and headed toward the Heavenly Court.
Meng Yungui lagged a step behind, walking alongside him, and said in a low voice, “Mu Heavenly Venerable, did you foresee this day?”
Qin Mu asked in surprise, “Why does Heavenly Master Meng say that?”
Meng Yungui snorted, lowering his voice, “Back during the Yan Kang Calamity, you set the grand plan for Yan Kang to establish itself through forging. In name, it was forging, but in reality, it was a scheme to cut off the roots and break the Heavenly Currency plan! You fooled others, but not me! I saw through your scheme long ago. I knew that as Yan Kang rose, other heavens would inevitably decline. Those heavens that once rose through forging have now been dragged by your Yan Kang into an abyss of eternal doom!”
Qin Mu stopped walking, a faint smile on his face, and said, “Survival of the fittest. If other heavens cling to old ways and cannot compete with Yan Kang, why blame Yan Kang? If those heavens had reformed, how could they have fallen to this state?”
“Reform!”
Meng Yungui sneered, “The Heavenly Court does not permit reform. Reform is a dead end!”
“Without reform, life is worse than death.”
Qin Mu said calmly, “Heavenly Master Meng, you are of the human race, are you not? As a human, why don’t you consider the interests of your own kind, instead of speaking for the demigods? Over the past million years, how miserable has the human condition been? You have seen it with your own eyes. We have risen and enjoyed a few good days. We don’t ask to live extravagantly—only to be equal to the demigods. Is even this humble wish unattainable?”
Meng Yungui opened his mouth to retort, but Qin Mu continued before he could, “Moreover, we did not rely on the demigods’ charity. We earned it with our own abilities! The people of Yan Kang achieved this step with their own hard work and sweat! Every coin the people of Yan Kang earned came through fair trade! We have already reached this point.”
He smiled at Meng Yungui and said softly, “Heavenly Master Meng, we have already reached this point. We cannot go back to kneeling.”
Meng Yungui’s body trembled slightly, and his voice was hoarse: “You want to rebel? Have you not seen the fate of these four heavens? The human race will surely be completely destroyed by your hands!”
Qin Mu patted him on the shoulder and walked past him, saying, “When I was young, I left the Great Ruins and saw Yan Kang. I met the Yan Kang National Teacher, met Emperor Yanfeng, and met many simple yet ambitious people. That was when I had a dream. I have a dream—it is the way of the sages, the daily use of the common people, where everyone strives and fights, pursuing a better life and a better future.”
“I hope that in the future, people will no longer have to worry about whether they can survive. I hope that in their youth, they can discover their talents and interests, and tirelessly pursue their own dreams.”
Qin Mu turned back, looked at him, and smiled, “Have you ever had such a dream?”
Meng Yungui’s eyes suddenly welled with tears that threatened to spill, but he forced them back, walked past him, and said coldly, “You will not succeed!”
I have a cold, a bit serious. I’ve been groggy all day, and the update is forty minutes late. Sorry. I wanted to ask for monthly votes, but I don’t dare…