Chapter 1662: The First Heavenly Master
This time, Meng Yungui came to escort the supplies, leading not many troops, most of whom were his own men, called the Yuhua Camp. He was a human deity from Yuhua Heaven. Over the years, quite a few human gods had defected to him, most of them also from Yuhua Heaven.
He was very skilled in military discipline, and most of his subordinates were loyal to him. However, the Heavenly Court had also planted many demigods in his Yuhua Camp to monitor his actions.
After all, he was a human, and the Heavenly Court was still not entirely at ease with him.
He also had other military forces in the Heavenly Court, such as the Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court, but those troops only obeyed the orders of the Heavenly Emperor, and he had no power to mobilize them.
Just as Meng Yungui made his move to kill Yan Yazi, a great purge was also taking place within the Yuhua Camp. By the time Meng Yungui had killed the gods and demons under Yan Yazi's command, many soldiers of the Yuhua Camp sailed through a sea of blood. The surface of the tributary of the Heavenly River was already a deep red.
Meng Yungui, sword in hand, stood amidst the many corpses of the Southern Heaven Heavenly Palace, looking at his own soldiers. Slave ships were docked by the riverbank, and blood still dripped from the divine armor of the human gods on board.
The atmosphere became oppressive.
"Do you regret it?"
Meng Yungui's voice no longer carried the confidence of his usual strategic planning. This rebellion felt more like a sudden, impulsive decision, not the result of careful planning and scheming. For a Heavenly Master like him, being controlled by emotions was definitely a fatal flaw.
In his heart, he knew this rebellion would never succeed!
The human soldiers who had followed him for so many years would probably all die!
"You followed me in this rebellion, which may not succeed at all. What awaits you is no honor, no glory, only a series of defeats, and the deaths of your comrades and fellow soldiers, one after another."
Meng Yungui looked at his subordinates, his gaze sweeping across familiar faces, and said in a deep voice, "Back then, I led you out of Yuhua Heaven. Perhaps I won't be able to lead you back alive. Maybe only your corpses will return, or perhaps not even your corpses will remain. If we lose, the history recorded by the Heavenly Court will only bear our infamy."
"If we die, there will be no tombstones. A lifetime of cultivation might only earn us corpses like dead dogs on the battlefield, and after death, we will be spat upon: 'Look! These are the traitors!'"
"Will you still follow me?" he asked loudly.
On the slave ships, the soldiers of the Yuhua Camp remained silent. Suddenly, a soldier pushed up his faceplate, revealing a resolute face.
"Heavenly Master, I am one you brought out of Yuhua Heaven."
The middle-aged human god's voice was not loud, but it was stirring: "All I know is that before I met the Heavenly Master, I lived a life worse than a dog. When the great disaster broke out back then, corpses littered the land. I followed the villagers to the city to beg. I don't know how many people starved to death along the way. I made it to the city alive, dizzy with hunger, searching through the gutters of the demigods' mansions for the food they threw away! I found the leftover human bones they had gnawed on. I was starving, I wanted to eat them. It was you who pulled me out of that gutter. You told me we must have backbone, that we cannot eat people. You said our human race must make something of ourselves, must stand tall and upright! You said humans are not born to be slaves, nor are they destined to be food for the divine race. You said you wanted humans to live better! From that moment on, I followed you!"
Another god pushed up his faceplate, revealing a long scar on his face, like a centipede mark left by a whip. His voice was hoarse: "I was also one of those from that great disaster. From that moment on, I followed you. Back then, you were still a cultivator, full of spirit, giving hope to those of us who were nothing but skin and bones."
"I was also one of those people from that time."
Another god pushed up his faceplate: "We followed you through life-and-death situations. Many companions have left, but we survived."
"And me!"
"Me too!"
"I'm not. My father was. Before he died, he told me to follow the Heavenly Master, never to abandon you!"
...
Many other gods had not followed Meng Yungui since the Yuhua Heaven disaster, but they had come this far based on shared ideals and trust in him.
"You taught us reason and righteousness, telling us that where reason lies, we must act without hesitation!"
An old general laughed: "And now, this is where reason lies, so we act without hesitation! We..."
He knelt on one knee on the deck, his voice booming: "We swear to follow the Heavenly Master to the death!"
On the slave ships, the soldiers of the Yuhua Camp knelt on one knee in unison, their voices echoing back and forth over the tributary of the Heavenly River: "We swear to follow the Heavenly Master to the death!"
Meng Yungui's blood boiled. He raised his sword and pointed it at the Heavenly Court, laughing heartily: "You have not failed me, and I will not fail you! Rise, everyone! Today, follow me in rebellion! Rebel against the Heavenly Court!"
The winds on the Heavenly River grew fierce.
Gale-force winds drove huge waves that crashed against the slave ships. On board, the slaves trembled in fear and anxiety. On the decks, the human gods were filled with heroic fervor. Under Meng Yungui's command, they sped off to the other heavens of the Southern Heaven to purge the Heavenly Court's forces there.
They had to block all news, preventing any of the Heavenly Court's forces in the Southern Heaven from reporting to the Heavenly Court.
This rebellion was a spur-of-the-moment decision. They were unprepared, and the Heavenly Court was also unprepared. As long as they cut off communication, they could buy as much time as possible to make adequate preparations.
Although they all knew that even with adequate preparations, they would probably still face certain death.
Meng Yungui ordered people to immediately go to Yuhua Heaven to relocate the families and relatives of the soldiers. He also sent people secretly to the Heavenly Court, where some of their families also lived. They had to move their loved ones away before their rebellion was exposed, or the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Wang Qing, go immediately to Yancang."
Meng Yungui hesitated for a moment, but still handed the letter to his most valued disciple, saying, "Deliver this letter to the Emperor of Yancang!"
Wang Qing hesitated: "Master, Yancang is precisely the target the Heavenly Court wants to eliminate. This time, the Heavenly Court's main army is aimed at Yancang. They have no spare troops to come to our aid. Moreover, back when we attacked the Taixu Realm, Master personally led the main army against Wuyou Township, killing countless experts from there. I heard that Emperor Yanfeng was a general in Wuyou Township at the time and suffered a defeat at your hands. Wuyou Township and Yancang are one and the same..."
Meng Yungui waved his hand and said, "Emperor Yanfeng has the bearing of a Heavenly Emperor, even surpassing Emperor Haotian. He will not hold a grudge. Go quickly!"
Wang Qing accepted the order and sped off towards the Yuan Realm.
Meng Yungui also ordered the relocation of all humans from the various heavens of the Southern Heaven, moving them away from the Heavenly River area. He had the grain and supplies transported, adopting a scorched-earth policy, preparing for the final battle.
His soldiers obeyed his commands like an extension of his own arm. Once an order was given, it could be executed swiftly. Furthermore, the humans in the Southern Heaven were raised like livestock, never resisting the orders of the gods, accepting their fate meekly, which made the relocation easier.
Meng Yungui also personally led other soldiers to dismantle Fire Heavenly Lord's heavenly palace completely, building a fortress along the tributary of the Heavenly River. Even so, his face still showed worry.
"Can't hold it... can't hold it... We can only fight to the death, but we still can't hold it!"
Months later, the Heavenly Court's main army was getting closer and closer to the Yuan Realm, but the supplies still hadn't arrived.
The Heavenly Court repeatedly issued decrees, ordering gods to go to the Southern Heaven to urge the delivery, but these messengers disappeared without a trace after arriving there.
The Heavenly Court plundered a few more heavens, capturing slaves and supplies, but they also knew that something must have gone wrong in the Southern Heaven.
Emperor Haotian issued a decree, ordering the First Heavenly Master, Shang Pingyin, to lead two of the Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court, the Divine Martial Guard, a force of one hundred thousand, to the Southern Heaven to investigate the situation.
The Divine Martial Guard was strong and well-equipped. The lowest cultivation level among them was the Jade Capital realm. Coupled with the Heavenly Court's formation diagrams, the Divine Martial Guard could withstand the existence of a Heavenly Lord-level being. Adding Shang Pingyin, the First Heavenly Master, showed how much Emperor Haotian valued the Southern Heaven.
The Southern Heaven was the Heavenly Court's granary; it absolutely could not be lost!
Shang Pingyin led the army forward. Instead of directly entering the Southern Heaven via the tributary, he first set up camp and sent someone to the front of the Southern Heaven Pass, calling out loudly: "Heavenly Master Meng, the Heavenly Emperor has a decree! Come out and speak!"
Meng Yungui came to the city wall and looked across at Shang Pingyin from a distance.
The two Heavenly Masters locked eyes. Shang Pingyin immediately gave the order: "Meng Yungui has rebelled! Attack immediately!"
The Left Divine Martial Commander frowned and said in a deep voice: "Heavenly Master Shang, how can you tell that Meng Yungui has rebelled? Meng Yungui is the Second Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Court. If we attack without even questioning him, and if it turns out he hasn't rebelled, you won't be able to explain yourself to His Majesty."
Shang Pingyin sneered: "Meng Yungui and I are both Heavenly Masters. Whether he has rebelled or not, I can tell at a single glance. There's no point in talking further. Attack immediately!"
The Left and Right Divine Martial Commanders immediately gave the order, mobilizing the two army groups, forming their battle formations, and crushing towards the Southern Heaven Fortress!
On the city tower, Meng Yungui shouted: "Heavenly Master Shang, we are both Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Court. You have always been ranked first, until you were defeated by Yue Tingge. After Yue Tingge fell in Taixu, you became the First Heavenly Master again. But you know that your wisdom is inferior to mine. The true First Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Court is me. So you abuse your power for personal gain, pinning the label of rebel on me, and leading an army to kill me! You are jealous of talent! I will submit a memorial to His Majesty and ask him to decide!"
The Left and Right Divine Martial armies hesitated for a moment.
Shang Pingyin sneered: "Meng the traitor is just stalling for time. I have His Majesty's military tally in hand! Left and Right Divine Martial Guards, attack immediately!"
He revealed the military tally. When the Left and Right Divine Martial armies saw the tally, it was as if Emperor Haotian himself were present. They immediately activated their battle formations and attacked.
Shang Pingyin's robes fluttered in the wind as he looked across at Meng Yungui on the city tower, saying in a deep voice: "Meng Yungui, you pride yourself on your superior wisdom, but the greatest wisdom in this world is to follow the grand trend. Before my grand trend, all your schemes are useless! Skillfully using the grand trend—that is the mark of the First Heavenly Master!"
Meng Yungui flicked his sleeve, and the city gates swung open. The gods and demons of the Yuhua Camp surged out from within, sneering: "Let's see if your grand trend can match my wisdom! Form the formation!"
Although the number of gods and demons in the Yuhua Camp was not less than that of the Divine Martial Guard, their cultivation and strength were far inferior.
The formation diagrams of the Heavenly Court's Divine Martial Guard were complete grand formations. Each formation diagram could accommodate fifty thousand gods and demons, merging their spirit, energy, and divine power into one. Thus, when the formation was activated, its divine abilities were immense!
The formation diagrams of the Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court were meticulously polished by successive Heavenly Masters over the years. Their power had been pushed to the extreme. They could be said to be the crystallization of the wisdom of generations of Heavenly Masters.
Back when Wuyou Township broke out of the Taixu Realm, and Langwo led the Creators to resist the pursuing troops of the Heavenly Court, the Ten Guards of the Heavenly Court activated their formation diagrams, forcing Langwo and Wuyou Township to retreat step by step. This showed the power of those formation diagrams.
In contrast, the formation diagrams of the Yuhua Camp were not complete grand formations, but smaller ones. They were organized in groups of ten, totaling ten thousand groups.
These ten thousand groups of formations interwove, and the gods and demons of the Yuhua Camp moved swiftly, quickly forming the first battle formation. This formation alternated between inner and outer layers, unpredictable in its changes.
Seeing this, Shang Pingyin sneered: "The Lapis Lazuli Heavenly Canopy Grand Formation! I was the one who taught you this formation!"
The two armies clashed, and the power of the formation diagrams erupted!
The two armies clashed, and the power of the formation diagrams erupted!
The formations of the Heavenly Court army and the Yuhua Camp immediately began to change. Different formations interlocked, and within the formation diagrams, flesh and blood flew!
On the other side, Meng Yungui's messenger, Wang Qing, arrived at Yancang. He met with Emperor Yanfeng and presented the letter. Emperor Yanfeng unfolded the letter and read it. After pondering for a moment, he said: "Set up an altar. Summon Long Pi to descend. Have him and the Nether Abyss Prince take the Lapis Lazuli Heavenly Canopy and head to the Southern Heaven."