Chapter 1686: The Human Sovereign Sets Out
"This mirror that reflects past lives should be called the Mirror of Past Ages, the Mirror of Stories!"
Long Qilin couldn't help but marvel inwardly as he watched. He had studied Qin Mu's reincarnation path before, but that was in the early years.
Back then, Qin Mu's reincarnation path was still in the exploratory and refinement stage.
Even at that time, Qin Mu's reincarnation path had already surpassed the Yin Heavenly Monarch who had originally created the path.
However, Qin Mu's learning was extremely diverse, and he excelled in every field. His abundant energy allowed him to achieve accomplishments in various domains, but Long Qilin could not do the same.
Thus, Long Qilin's achievements in the reincarnation path were not high, but he could still barely understand Qin Mu's reincarnation path divine abilities.
In the mirror, Bai Yuqiong's life after life flowed by, her memories separating from the Southern Emperor's memories. Within the mirror, Bai Yuqiong seemed to relive her own experiences and tribulations, life after life.
These stories of lifetimes, relived anew, were to find her original heart, to awaken her memories, and to separate her from the Southern Emperor.
Only Qin Mu would sympathize with Bai Yuqiong and do these things for her.
However, Qin Mu did not strip away her Vermilion Bird divine soul. Instead, through reincarnation, he deepened the memories of her nearly two hundred lifetimes.
The memories of this lifetime as Que Feiyin were the most important.
This was the first life. Bai Yuqiong had never awakened the memories of this life before, but in the mirror, the memories of that first life also awakened.
The memories of this life were the connection point between her and the Southern Emperor's memories. Without this connection point, she would not know her link to the Southern Emperor.
With the memories of this life, she would understand the cause and effect.
Whether to make a choice, whether to forget everything about the Southern Emperor, or to become the Southern Emperor, depended on her own decision.
The Vermilion Bird, transformed from Bai Yuqiong, crouched before the mirror. The fiery tears in her eyes were likely tears of joy at remembering who she was again.
"I am Bai Yuqiong..."
The Vermilion Bird gazed quietly at the mirror and murmured, "Bai Yuqiong of the human race! The human race..."
Her heart had already made its choice. In the mirror, she cycled through life after life, the memories of Que Feiyin and Bai Yuqiong deepening, while the memories of the Southern Emperor gradually faded.
Finally, memories surged into the Vermilion Bird's mind like a tidal wave. The Vermilion Bird's wings rose, her form shifting within the path fire, and she returned to Bai Yuqiong's form.
"Scattered One, has Bai Yuqiong come back to life?" Youming Crown Prince asked.
Long Qilin hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Her situation is now somewhat similar to that of the Sect Master and the Little Earth Lord. The Sect Master and the Little Earth Lord were actually one person, but they possessed two different consciousnesses. One was human, the other a god or demon. They shared the same memories until the Yankang Calamity, when they finally separated completely and became two people."
At that time, Qin Mu's situation was very complicated, but whether it was the Abyss Divine Son Qin Fengqing or the Heavenly Saint Sect Master Qin Mu, they were actually one person. It was only when Qin Mu gouged out his eyes and abandoned his soul that he became independent.
Bai Yuqiong's situation was actually much better than Qin Mu's at that time. Back then, Qin Mu only had his body and consciousness left, without a soul, and could dissipate at any moment.
But Bai Yuqiong, besides having the Southern Emperor's divine soul, also had a soul "forged" for her by the Yin Heavenly Monarch.
Within the path fire, Bai Yuqiong opened her eyes, and before her, the mirror had melted away, turning to ashes, leaving no trace.
She had come back to life, but not in a human body. She was now a half-god.
She possessed both human consciousness and a Vermilion Bird's body.
Long Qilin stepped forward and said, "Your son-in-law pays respects to Mother-in-law!"
Bai Yuqiong looked at him, then suddenly chuckled and said, "I haven't even married yet, and I already have a daughter and a son-in-law. How strange."
However, her mind held memories of Yan'er. Before she became Que Feiyin, when she was still the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird, she had a brief romantic encounter with the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon. Later, she sent Yan'er to the Moon Venerable.
In her memories, although she still had memories of the Southern Emperor, most were blurred. She only remembered a few impressive things. But she had a vivid memory of everything after she became Que Feiyin and then Bai Yuqiong.
She was still Bai Yuqiong.
At this moment, she had become a completely new life, related to the Southern Emperor, but not the Southern Emperor!
Primordial Realm, Carefree Realm, Supreme Clarity Realm.
Qin Mu shifted his gaze away from the Southern Emperor and smiled. "To block the path of the defeated Heavenly Court army, Yankang can only mobilize a small number of troops, but they are the elite of the elite."
The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird asked, "May I ask the Heavenly Venerable, who do you plan to send?"
Qin Mu's gaze fell on the First Ancestor Human Sovereign, and he smiled. "Let the First Ancestor lead the Human Sovereign Hall army. That will suffice."
The First Ancestor Human Sovereign rose and bowed to the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird.
The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird's eyes flickered, and she said, "My Southern Sea has the Red Bright Two Emperors, my and Yan'er's fierce army, and the Phoenix tribe army of the Red Emperor Qi Xiayu. With an unmatched momentum, we will crush the remnants of the various Heavenly Court army lords. To survive, these army lords will flee all the way. If Qin Wu Prince blocks their path, they will fight like cornered beasts. Cornered beasts are the most dangerous. Qin Wu Prince, do you have the ability to hold the line?"
Her tone was somewhat aggressive, and divine light shot from her eyes. "I heard that in the past, during the Kaihuang era, Qin Wu Prince was a deserter, abandoning the Jade Bright Palace, abandoning his brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends. In today's battle, facing the desperate fight of the cornered beasts from the various Heavenly Court army lords, do you have the courage to face such a brutal slaughter?"
Ling Yuxiu frowned and was about to defend the First Ancestor, but Qin Mu raised his hand to stop her and shook his head gently.
"If you cannot stop the remnants of the defeated Heavenly Court army, these remnants will join forces with the Heavenly Court army attacking Carefree Realm and then turn around to bite us!"
The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird stood up, her aura like a battlefield's raging flames, her momentum overwhelming. She took a step forward, pressing her towering fury onto the First Ancestor, and shouted sternly, "You cannot earn my trust! You have a precedent of being a deserter! Can you face the mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield?"
Her aura surged to its peak. Within the boundless sea of fire, countless gods and demons struggled, roared, and wailed in agony, a scene of utter horror!
As the Southern Emperor, the Vermilion Bird had experienced far too many battles and slaughters—from the wars between the Primordial Creators in the ancient times, to the wars between the Primordial Creators and the Ancient Gods, to the divine-demon wars of the Longhan era. Her aura was filled with the storms of blood and war. With just her presence, she could make the weak collapse!
The First Ancestor Human Sovereign was deeply sorrowful, yet he faced that brutal aura head-on. His figure stood like an unyielding pillar amidst the collapsing heavens and earth, striving to hold back the impending doom.
"I can." He was somewhat melancholic, but he spoke with unwavering determination.
The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird swept her large red sleeve past the First Ancestor Human Sovereign's face. The sea of path fire turned into a sea of blood, and visions of countless people dying horribly appeared in the First Ancestor's mind.
The Vermilion Bird shouted sternly, "Are you still sure? Your Dao heart has a flaw. Facing a bleak battlefield, if your heart softens even a little, if fear dares to show its face in your Dao heart, you will become a deserter and bring us a great defeat! Can you bear that? Can you withstand it? Qin Wu, it's not too late for you to back out now!"
The First Ancestor Human Sovereign stood firmly, as if he were the center of the heavens and earth, and said in a hoarse voice, "I can!"
"Empty words are useless!"
The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird's aura surged. Suddenly, her blood energy and path fire transformed into the ferocious and twisted visions of the thirty-nine army lords of the Southern Heaven, which roared towards the First Ancestor!
These thirty-nine army lords of the Southern Heaven were half-gods of various forms. Their leaders were even more ferocious and vicious, with twisted limbs and grotesque shapes, charging at the First Ancestor with overwhelming force!
An ordinary person facing such a vision would have had their Dao heart shattered long ago. But the First Ancestor Human Sovereign still stood there, moving his hands, using himself as the center, arranging his blood energy into a formation that transformed into thousands of troops and horses, clashing head-on with the impact of the thirty-nine army lords and countless gods and demons!
In that clash, countless limbs flew through the air, a scene of extreme brutality!
The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird stared intently at his face, at his eyes, as if trying to see the fear in his heart.
Suddenly, the countless visions vanished into thin air. The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird swept her red robe and retracted it, laughing, "Qin Wu Prince, I look forward to joining forces with you at Yankang's southern border!"
The First Ancestor clasped his fists and bowed: "I await the Southern Emperor's arrival."
The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird returned the gesture, bowed slightly to Qin Mu, Lang Wan, and the others, and said, "The battle in the Southern Sea is urgent. I will take my leave." With that, she transformed into a streak of fire, speeding away and disappearing from Carefree Realm.
Qin Mu stood up and bowed, saying, "First Ancestor, I entrust the task of intercepting the defeated Southern Heaven army to you!"
The First Ancestor Human Sovereign returned the bow: "I will not fail my mission!" He then turned and left.
Qin Mu let out a long breath and watched him go.
Ling Yuxiu was somewhat worried and whispered, "The Southern Emperor suppressed the First Ancestor's Dao heart like that. Will he be alright?"
"No, on the contrary, it will ignite his fighting spirit."
Qin Mu revealed a smile and said, "This battle is extremely important. The Southern Emperor had to be cautious. But the First Ancestor is no longer the deserter of the Jade Bright Palace from back then. He had already transformed when he led the various races on their expedition at the end of the Kaihuang era. The reason he is somewhat melancholic is only because he regrets not being able to save the people of the Jade Bright Palace back then. And this battle will be the perfect opportunity for him to walk out of that regret!"
Human Sovereign Hall.
Kaihuang Jade Capital City, Jade Bright Palace.
The First Ancestor walked through the palace. Everything here remained as it was when the Jade Bright Palace was destroyed. Nothing had changed. The Jade Bright Palace was a place of teaching and learning during the Kaihuang era. At its peak, countless eager students studied here. It could be said to be the highest institution of learning and a sacred place of the Kaihuang era.
When the calamity broke out, the Yin Heavenly Monarch cast a spell, instantly taking the souls of almost all the students, leaving only their bodies.
These people still maintained the postures they had in life, as if they were still living here.
The First Ancestor walked silently among the crowd. Before his eyes, it seemed as if it were still the Jade Bright Palace of those days, with young classmates and many vibrant lives moving around him. In his ears, he could still hear the laughter and joy of his classmates and teachers from back then.
He stopped, standing in silence. The Yin Heavenly Monarch cast the calamity, and everyone died. Only he escaped with his life.
This place had become the pain of his entire life.
"Classmates, teachers, this time, I will not be a deserter!"
He bowed respectfully to these old acquaintances. When he rose again, his Dao heart was complete, as clear and pure as jade.
The First Ancestor turned and walked out of the Jade Bright Palace, out of the Human Sovereign Hall.
Outside the Human Sovereign Hall, the human sovereigns of successive generations each led a contingent of troops, silently waiting outside.
The First Ancestor's gaze swept across the faces of the Second Ancestor, the Third Ancestor, and the others, finally landing on Village Chief Su Muzhe. He revealed a smile and said in a deep voice, "For twenty thousand years, our Human Sovereign Hall has been the guardian of this land. For twenty thousand years, generation after generation of human sovereigns have stood alone against the heavens, against the Heavenly Court, against tyranny and injustice! But today, twenty thousand years later, things are different."
He began to walk through the army, his voice resounding: "We now have many fellow cultivators. We now have many comrades who share our aspirations! Behind us is Yankang, rising from the ruins left by the Heavenly Court gods!"
His right hand pointed to the south: "Human sovereigns of the Human Sovereign Hall, our entire lives have been dedicated to protecting this land! Follow me—, kill the enemy!"
The army roared into motion.
Qikang Human Sovereign charged ahead, chuckling, "Little Suzi, are you still up for it? You're old!"
Village Chief Su Muzhe heard this, his face expressionless, but he cast a sidelong glance. Suddenly, his blood energy boiled, transforming him from an old man into a youth, his muscles robust and powerful. He held a divine sword in his arms, and with a single glance, the sword intent in his eyes cut Qikang Human Sovereign down by a head's height.
Qikang Human Sovereign laughed heartily: "You're good at betraying your master and ancestors! You're worthy of being my disciple! But my disciple's disciple is even stronger!"
The human sovereigns all burst into laughter, their laughter soaring into the clouds and scattering them.
In the Carefree Realm's Supreme Clarity Realm, a divine being quickly walked out of a teleportation gate, delivering a letter from the Yankang National Teacher. Qin Mu unfolded the letter. In the letter, it said that the Eastern Heaven Azure Emperor was too cautious, staying put and refusing to fight. Jiang Baigui therefore wanted to borrow a wedding gift that someone had given Qin Mu on his wedding day.
Qin Mu's expression turned strange, and he smiled. "What does Junior Brother Jiang want with the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon's scale?"
Yun Tianzun's voice came, saying, "The Eastern Heaven Azure Emperor and the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon have a deep grudge. For the Yankang National Teacher to break the Eastern Heaven Azure Emperor, starting with the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon is indeed a brilliant plan!"