Chapter 1670: The Death of Dragon Xiao Heavenly Sovereign
By Shang Pingyin’s side, the Divine Martial Second Guard had lost more than seven out of every ten members!
Over the past few years, he had led the Divine Martial Second Guard in a fighting retreat. However, although Yan Kang had only sent Youming Crown Prince and Dragon Qilin, Dragon Qilin was the universally recognized number one Heavenly Master, the Hermit of Dragon Mountain, controlling the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy.
Relying solely on the remaining Feathering Camp divine soldiers and generals under Meng Yungui, the Hermit of Dragon Mountain had routed these two most elite divine demon armies in the world, causing them to abandon their armor and suffer heavy casualties!
Even more terrifying was that the Hermit of Dragon Mountain’s mastery of formation techniques had surpassed his former self by an unknown degree.
Now, whether it was the formations of the Heavenly Court or those of Yan Kang, they had both advanced immeasurably compared to sixty thousand years ago. The Glazed Azure Sky Canopy formation had long been broken by Yue Tingge, and then again by Meng Yungui; it was no longer the number one formation in the world.
But the Hermit of Dragon Mountain had returned, improving the various formations within the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy, making them even more exquisite, rendering all of Shang Pingyin’s research completely useless!
In the first battle, the Divine Martial Second Guard and Shang Pingyin had already been defeated. Shang Pingyin exhausted his wisdom, single-mindedly wanting to defeat the Hermit of Dragon Mountain and regain his confidence. However, that great defeat caused the Divine Martial Second Guard to suddenly lose twenty percent of their strength within the Glazed Azure Sky formation!
Any single guard of the Divine Martial Second Guard, when singled out, possessed strength comparable to an Emperor Seat powerhouse who had cultivated eighteen heavenly palaces. And an Emperor Seat powerhouse with eighteen heavenly palaces was the baseline for becoming a Heavenly Sovereign!
—Of course, this baseline referred to the former Ten Heavenly Sovereigns, not the current ones. Ever since Heavenly Emperor Hao ascended the throne, the baseline for a Heavenly Sovereign had been lowered to eight heavenly palaces.
After this battle, the inner demon in Shang Pingyin’s Dao heart flared up again.
He led the remnants of the Divine Martial Second Guard, fleeing through the various heavens of the Southern Heaven. Dragon Qilin led Meng Yungui and the Feathering Camp in relentless pursuit, with small-scale skirmishes erupting between the two sides from time to time.
Shang Pingyin dared not face the Hermit of Dragon Mountain head-on. During his escape, he continuously dispatched suicide squads, actively allowing the Feathering Camp to devour them, buying time for himself and his main force to flee.
Not only that, but he also conscripted divine soldiers and generals from the various heavens of the Southern Heaven, gathering these Southern Heaven demigods and deities to form new armies—millions of divine demons—for a decisive battle against the Hermit of Dragon Mountain.
Yet, what awaited him was still defeat!
The divine demon army he hastily assembled appeared vast in number, but it collapsed at the first touch, possessing little combat power.
Thus, over the course of a few years, the Divine Martial Second Guard was beaten down to just over twenty percent of its original strength. He was forced to flee through one heaven after another in the Southern Heaven, burning, killing, and looting.
But on this day, the Third Heavenly Master Bai Yuqiong and the Northern Heavenly King Yi Luo finally led their great army to the Southern Heaven.
As the armies joined forces, Yi Luo and Bai Yuqiong looked at Shang Pingyin, who had already become white-haired and decrepit. They felt both pity and shock. In just a few years, Shang Pingyin had become like an old man with one foot in the grave, showing just how devastating the Hermit of Dragon Mountain’s blows had been to him!
“The Hermit of Dragon Mountain is actually Mu Heavenly Sovereign’s mount, Dragon Pi.”
Yi Luo said, “In his early years, he followed Mu Heavenly Sovereign back to sixty thousand years ago, coinciding with the Heavenly Court’s split, and thus became famous. The Glazed Azure Sky Canopy disappeared with him. Sixty thousand years later, when Mu Heavenly Sovereign rose to power, the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy reappeared, confirming this. This time, to support Heavenly Master Shang, the Taiji Heavenly Sovereign gave me a secret plan to defeat the Hermit of Dragon Mountain.”
Shang Pingyin was dazed, his eyes moving with difficulty. “Secret plan?”
Bai Yuqiong frowned slightly. She hadn’t heard a single word about the Taiji Ancient God giving Yi Luo a secret plan, which made her wary.
Yi Luo opened the pouch. Inside was a slip of paper with only six words written on it.
“Dragon Pi, Dragon Xiao’s adopted son!”
Yi Luo suddenly understood, laughing, “The Taiji Heavenly Sovereign is truly divinely astute. With this secret plan, we can deal with the Hermit of Dragon Mountain.”
Shang Pingyin’s Dao heart was already destroyed, making him utterly useless. Yi Luo immediately incorporated the remnants of the Divine Martial Second Guard into his own camp and said to Bai Yuqiong, “Heavenly Master, His Majesty ordered us to bring the Southern Heavenly Gate of the Ancestral Court. Once this gate is deployed, it can suppress the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy and the enemy forces. We have eight million divine demons, while the enemy has only over a hundred thousand. When the Hermit of Dragon Mountain finds the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy restrained, he will inevitably increase his forces.”
Bai Yuqiong understood, saying, “King Yi Luo means that the Hermit of Dragon Mountain, to increase his forces, will have to summon the ancient giant beasts from the Beast Realm.”
Yi Luo laughed, “The Hermit of Dragon Mountain will summon the ancient giant beasts, filling the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy with them, using their power to counter our eight million-strong army. These giant beasts also need to be arranged in formations. Their intelligence is low, so humans and beasts must be mixed for him to maximize the formation’s power within the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy.”
Bai Yuqiong was fully aware of his plan, saying, “Then, King, you will summon the Dragon Xiao Heavenly Sovereign from the Beast Realm! When Dragon Xiao sees his adopted son opposing the Heavenly Court, he will surely be enraged and recall the Hermit of Dragon Mountain and the giant beasts of the Beast Realm. With that, only Meng Yungui and the Feathering Camp’s divine soldiers will remain in the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy’s formation. Once the giant beasts leave, the formations they maintained will immediately collapse and disintegrate!”
Yi Luo laughed heartily, “Thus, in one battle, we can pacify Meng Yungui! Heavenly Master Bai, you are well-versed in various formations, far more than I am. Therefore, I need you to command the various formations of my army, forcing the Hermit of Dragon Mountain to summon the Beast Realm’s giant beasts!”
Bai Yuqiong said solemnly, “I will give it my all!”
The two settled on the plan. Bai Yuqiong ordered the divine demon army to march out of the city, but her heart was hesitant.
She did not want to see Meng Yungui die like this. King Yi Luo’s plan was extremely vicious. With only Meng Yungui’s forces, he could not withstand the Heavenly Court’s army. To resist, he would have to summon the ancient giant beasts of the Beast Realm.
However, as long as Dragon Xiao Heavenly Sovereign recalled the Beast Realm’s giant beasts and Dragon Qilin, it would be a classic case of “removing the firewood from under the cauldron,” leaving the formations within the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy scattered and vulnerable!
What awaited Meng Yungui was not just his own death, but the complete annihilation of his entire army—all the Feathering Camp soldiers would be buried with him!
She and Meng Yungui were close friends, even bosom friends.
Both were humans, both were Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Court, supporting each other. Meng Yungui had once helped her fight against the Nether Emperor. She couldn’t bear to watch Meng Yungui die before her eyes.
“But King Yi Luo is right behind me, controlling the Southern Heavenly Gate. If I make the slightest move, I will surely die.”
Bai Yuqiong struggled inwardly, “Senior Brother Meng, why did you have to rebel at this critical moment? You are such a cunning and cautious person, why now of all times…”
On the other side, Dragon Qilin had already prepared himself the moment Bai Yuqiong and Yi Luo arrived with their troops, ready to summon the ancient giant beasts of the Beast Realm.
He was Dragon Xiao’s adopted son, the young master of the Beast Realm. He had managed the Beast Realm for many years and commanded countless giant beasts.
He also had ambitions, a desire to share Yan Kang’s burdens.
He wanted to turn the Southern Heaven into a battlefield that would pin down the Heavenly Court’s army!
The Beast Realm’s army was his capital.
To achieve this, he needed to drag as many of the Heavenly Court’s divine demon armies as possible into the Southern Heaven, making it a place the Heavenly Court could not abandon, forcing them to continuously send more troops!
This would reduce the pressure on Yan Kang.
Dragon Qilin had trained with Qin Mu for many years and had been sent out by Qin Mu to gain experience. He had grown into a qualified general.
Although he nominally held the title of the world’s number one Heavenly Master, the Hermit of Dragon Mountain, he was still inferior to Shang Pingyin in military strategy. Over the past few years, Meng Yungui had secretly helped him control the formation changes of the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy, allowing him to grow rapidly. He had become adept at using various battle formations, his gap with a true Heavenly Master shrinking.
But the moment he summoned the ancient giant beasts of the Beast Realm, everything was already set in motion.
The one advising Yi Luo was the Taiji Ancient God. These two ancient gods possessed extremely high wisdom. With a calculated plan against an unprepared opponent, Dragon Qilin’s defeat was sealed!
At Bai Yuqiong’s command, the Heavenly Court army surged forth. Dragon Qilin immediately summoned the ancient giant beasts. The sky over the Southern Heaven tore open, and one giant beast after another descended from the heavens, entering the twenty-eight layers of heavens set up by the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy!
Meng Yungui and Youming Crown Prince immediately helped him disperse the ancient giant beasts of the Beast Realm into the various formations within the twenty-eight heavens. With the Beast Realm’s help, they would surely not lose this battle!
The moment the two armies clashed, flesh and blood flew everywhere. Even the usually lofty gods and demons were reduced to insignificant ants in the torrent of the battlefield. In that instant of collision, countless gods and demons perished!
Just then, suddenly, the sky split open. A massive dragon head emerged from the rift, its eyes like blazing suns, radiating astonishing heat, illuminating the vast, boundless battlefield!
King Yi Luo looked up, sneering, “Dragon Xiao Heavenly Sovereign, are you planning to rebel as well?”
That massive dragon head was none other than Dragon Xiao. His expression was dark. Where his gaze fell, countless ancient giant beasts within the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy were involuntarily lifted into the air, one after another disappearing into the rift in the sky, forcibly pulled back to the Beast Realm by him!
Dragon Qilin’s heart was filled with both fury and sorrow. He looked up and shouted, “Father—”
Dragon Xiao’s gaze swept over him. Dragon Qilin struggled with all his might, but he was still lifted into the light and disappeared into the Beast Realm.
Unable to break free, Dragon Qilin turned his head to look at Meng Yungui and Youming Crown Prince, shouting, “Survive! Wait for me! You must survive—”
The rift in the sky closed, and Dragon Qilin’s figure vanished.
“My adopted son acted without authorization. I will strictly discipline him.” Dragon Xiao’s voice boomed, and then his massive head retracted into the Beast Realm.
King Yi Luo laughed heartily, striding out of the city. He looked up and saw countless formations within the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy spiraling out of control. Without the ancient giant beasts of the Beast Realm to drive them, the various formations became sluggish!
The Heavenly Court’s divine demon army charged into the twenty-eight heavens of the Azure Sky Canopy, and instantly, the Feathering Camp soldiers were torn apart!
Youming Crown Prince and Meng Yungui, faced with this sudden change, knew the outcome was sealed. Their primordial spirits left their bodies, unleashing all kinds of divine abilities in a desperate fight. They protected a few thousand Feathering Camp soldiers, fighting fiercely to break through the encirclement, trying to escape the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy and reach the outside world!
Youming Crown Prince grabbed the jade pillar of the Azure Sky Canopy, intending to retract its twenty-eight heavens and take this treasure with him. At that moment, King Yi Luo activated the Southern Heavenly Gate of the Ancestral Court. Between two mountain ranges, blazing fire surged, Dao resonance filled the air, and the Southern Heavenly Gate pressed down, causing a series of cracking sounds to erupt from Youming Crown Prince’s physical body.
He roared, pushing his power to its absolute limit. His Turtle-Snake primordial spirit danced, and the radiance of the Great Dao spread everywhere. Yet, he still could not pull up the Azure Sky Canopy.
He was still struggling to lift it when suddenly Meng Yungui flew over, grabbed him, and leaped away: “Northern Emperor’s Crown Prince, if we don’t leave now, we’ll never make it!”
The moment they left, King Yi Luo’s twin wings snapped shut, cutting through empty air.
King Yi Luo landed, and countless troops surged out from both sides of him, forming formations to pursue the remnants of the Feathering Camp.
King Yi Luo turned his head, glancing at Bai Yuqiong, and said coldly, “Heavenly Master Bai, your formations may not be as good as Meng Yungui’s, but they shouldn’t have such a huge flaw, should they? You actually let Meng Yungui and the rebels escape!”
Bai Yuqiong stepped forward, saying, “Meng Yungui’s skill far surpasses mine. Even Heavenly Master Shang was defeated by him, let alone me. Fortunately, in this round, we are assured of victory!”
King Yi Luo did not pursue the matter. He put away the Azure Sky Canopy and the Southern Heavenly Gate, then pursued Meng Yungui and Youming Crown Prince relentlessly. “Heavenly Master Bai, you are a smart person. You should know where the tide of fate lies. The tide of fate is unstoppable. All who stand in its way will be crushed to dust! Meng Yungui is a case in point!”
Bai Yuqiong remained silent, following his steps.
She issued orders one after another, changing the formations to encircle and intercept Meng Yungui’s remnants.
In the Beast Realm, within Dragon Xiao Heavenly Sovereign’s heavenly palace.
Thud!
Dragon Qilin knelt, kowtowing repeatedly, tears falling like rain: “Father, why did you recall us? Father, you have broken your oath to the Sect Leader!”
“Enough!”
Dragon Xiao Heavenly Sovereign sat on the throne of the Lingxiao Hall, his nine faces dark and gloomy. He shouted, “Pi, I am saving you! Can’t you see the tide of the world? Heavenly Emperor Hao has the support of the Jade Capital City of the Ancestral Court. The tide of fate is unstoppable. Whether it’s Yan Kang or the Land of No Worries, they will all be crushed to dust! Even your so-called Sect Leader Qin, Mu Heavenly Sovereign, is nothing before this tide! You nearly plunged the Beast Realm into destruction!”
Dragon Qilin slammed his head against the ground, blood staining the floor. Tears turned to blood in his eyes, and he wailed, “Father, I don’t want to see you die! You can’t defeat the Sect Leader! If you are loyal to the Sect Leader, send troops to the Southern Heaven now, and there is still a chance to live…”
Dragon Xiao Heavenly Sovereign was furious. He rose from his throne and shouted, “Dragon Pi, you’ve lost your mind! What good would it do me to side with Mu Heavenly Sovereign? Can he grant me the position of Heavenly Sovereign? Or give me endless ages of wealth and glory? He can give me nothing! But Heavenly Emperor Hao has already appointed me as one of the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns! The vast power of the Beast Realm is entirely in my hands! If Mu Heavenly Sovereign succeeds, will the power of the Beast Realm still be in my hands?”
With a wave of his hand, several powerful Beast Realm beings stepped forward and subdued Dragon Qilin.
“Lock up Crown Prince Pi and let him think things over!”
Dragon Xiao Heavenly Sovereign flicked his sleeve, “Release him once this battle is settled!”
Dragon Qilin was dragged away, crying loudly, “Father, have you forgotten the Little Tu Bo pact you signed with the Sect Leader? If you break your oath, you will die! You cannot defeat the Sect Leader! Father, don’t throw your life away!”
Dragon Xiao flew into a rage. With a furious roar, a small object rolled out of Dragon Qilin’s ear. It was a tiny Tu Bo with a bull’s head, a tiger’s face, a human body, and an ox’s tail.
Dragon Xiao pointed at the tiny Tu Bo, fuming, “Is this the Little Tu Bo pact you spoke of? Mu Heavenly Sovereign has toyed with me, and you have toyed with me too!”
He picked up the tiny Tu Bo and threw it into Dragon Qilin’s arms, “Lock him up! Don’t let him out to cause more trouble!”
Clang.
Dragon Qilin was imprisoned in a divine sense cage. Several powerful giant beasts stood guard outside the cage, sealing it with their divine sense.
Not long after, several of Dragon Qilin’s children were also thrown in. It seemed Dragon Xiao was worried they might secretly descend to the mortal world to send word to Qin Mu.
Dragon Qilin’s face was ashen. The tiny Tu Bo climbed up from his arms, looking at him with a serious expression.
Dragon Qilin avoided its gaze.
“Moo.” The tiny Tu Bo said to him, very seriously.
Dragon Qilin couldn’t stop his tears, “I know, but I don’t want Father to die like this…”
“Moo!”
The tiny Tu Bo became even more serious, opening its mouth to spit out a scroll of covenant.
Dragon Qilin raised his hand, wanting to stop it, but then withdrew it.
This covenant was the contract Qin Mu had made with Dragon Xiao, stipulating that Dragon Xiao must not betray, or else his soul would be taken by the Little Tu Bo.
The Little Tu Bo here was not the tiny one, but Qin Fengqing.
The tiny Tu Bo raised its hoof, struggling to unroll the covenant scroll. Dragon Qilin’s two children quickly stepped forward to help him spread it out.
The tiny Tu Bo opened its mouth and began to read the words on the covenant.
Dragon Qilin closed his eyes, tears still falling uncontrollably.
He knew that the covenant in the tiny Tu Bo’s mouth was Dragon Xiao’s death warrant. Once the tiny Tu Bo finished reading it, Qin Fengqing would descend.
This was Qin Mu’s contingency plan against Dragon Xiao.
Although Dragon Qilin knew this, he could not stop it.
“Where my body stands, that is the Nether Realm!”
The tiny Tu Bo spoke the Dao language of the Nether Realm, spinning around. A small Nether Realm, only four feet square, appeared within the divine sense cage of the Beast Realm. This Nether Realm was connected to the Nether Realm of the Origin World.
—I didn’t realize it, but this chapter is nearly five thousand words… Consider it a big chapter, right? Can I ask for monthly votes?