Chapter 1699: Too Clever by Half
"Twenty-one of the Lingguan Ancient God's avatars have already died by my hand. One is trapped by me, and another is trapped by Junior Brother Jiang Baigui. These two Lingguan Ancient Gods have little power left. That leaves seven."
Qin Mu raced toward the Kan region of the Northern Wasteland. His running speed had already slowed compared to when he started, and his heart sank.
The Western Lands... he wouldn't make it in time.
At his current speed, even if he abandoned Wei Suifeng and the Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird Emperors to rush straight to the Western Lands, the Lingguan's two ancient god avatars would have already arrived there.
"But these two ancient god avatars must be killed! Otherwise, after they kill Yueting Ge and the Western Emperor White Tiger, they will turn to kill the First Patriarch and the others! I hope Yueting Ge and the Western Emperor can hold on! Yueting Ge is, after all, the First Heavenly Master!"
He moved like the wind and lightning. In the Kan region of the Northern Wasteland, three ancient gods were dealing with the Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird Emperors and Wei Suifeng respectively.
Two were in the Western Lands. One was in the Southern Heaven or the Beast Realm dealing with Dragon Qilin. The last one was heading to the Ancestral Court.
"Dragon Qilin—I don't need to go save him. I can forcibly summon him from the Southern Heaven or the Beast Realm using a summoning divine ability, letting the Lingguan Ancient God's avatar find nothing. But that Lingguan Ancient God must also die; I can't leave him alive! However, the most critical one is the ancient god avatar heading to the Ancestral Court!"
When Qin Mu arrived at the Kan region of the Northern Wasteland, he saw a frozen landscape of snow and ice. The earth was sealed in ice, a vast expanse of white. Huge divine cities of ice floated in the sky, with icebergs suspended between them. The Black Tortoise Great Marsh appeared in this desolate land, and the Heavenly River had been diverted here by the marsh.
This great marsh was the ancestral land of the Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird Emperors, magnificent and spectacular. Among the Four Ancient God Emperors, the Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird Emperors were the strongest. These two ancient gods were born from the worship of the Juyu clan, the most powerful creator race of the Taigu era!
Now, on this great marsh, a giant warship sailed on the Heavenly River, causing the water to surge.
Wei Suifeng led the Imperial Guard on this warship, deploying the Grand Heavenly Court formation. This was the latest formation diagram from Yankang. The skilled craftsmen of Yankang had only managed to forge four such diagrams so far. One had been taken by Emperor Yi Yue for the battle in Wuyou Village.
Wei Suifeng had one, Jiang Baigui had one, and the other was with Yueting Ge.
This giant warship was a massive vessel designed by Wei Suifeng to break the Heavenly River Navy's Heavenly River Floating Tower, an unparalleled heavy weapon.
Even with the support of these two heavy weapons, Wei Suifeng and the Imperial Guard soldiers were struggling desperately against the ancient god avatar of the Lingguan Hall Master. The formation could be broken at any moment!
Elsewhere, the Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird Emperors had merged, revealing their true forms, and were fighting two Lingguan avatars in the marsh. The couple was one Black Tortoise and one Vermillion Bird Snake.
The Vermillion Bird Snake coiled around the Black Tortoise, which moved its massive, powerful limbs, running swiftly across the marsh. It stepped on the Black Tortoise formation diagram, channeling the power of the marsh, and fought the two ancient god avatars with its ancient god body. The battle was earth-shattering, and the marsh was nearly shattered!
The Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird Emperors' bodies were battered and torn as they fought desperately. Their combined attack technique was formidable, but the Lingguan's ancient god avatars also used a combined attack technique, even stronger than theirs. If they hadn't been in their ancestral land, they would have been killed by the Lingguan long ago!
Qin Mu charged in, suddenly cutting between the two Lingguan ancient god avatars. He didn't dodge or evade, using his own body to withstand their combined attack technique, letting their divine abilities land on him.
His hands, one left and one right, pressed against the foreheads of the two ancient gods. The power of the Red String Knot instantly erupted!
The two ancient gods grunted and fell from the sky. As soon as they hit the ground, the power of the Red String Knot had shattered their ancient god primordial spirits.
Qin Mu didn't stop, tearing through the air and disappearing.
Wei Suifeng was overjoyed to see Qin Mu arrive, but then saw him not even heading his way, vanishing in the blink of an eye. He was furious. "I am still the senior brother, and he just leaves me to die!"
The Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird Emperors, now saved, didn't hesitate to come and help, joining forces to kill the remaining Lingguan ancient god avatar.
"Four left! But the Western Lands... it's too late..."
Qin Mu's heart grew more anxious, but no matter how anxious he was, it was useless. Traveling from the Kan region of the Northern Wasteland to the Western Lands was a long journey that took time.
The Lingguan Hall Master's avatar had started before him and was extremely fast. Plus, Qin Mu had almost traversed all of Yankang's war zones. By now, the Lingguan must have already reached the Western Lands!
Western Lands.
The flames of war had already reached the High Heavens. The High Heavens was Xu Shenghua's hometown, but it had been captured by the White Emperor. Seeing the Western Emperor's army approaching, the White Emperor retreated to the High Heavens, avoiding battle.
After the Western Emperor White Tiger descended, the battle for the High Heavens began. The White Emperor raised the Ancestral Court's Western Heavenly Gate, using it as the High Heavens' portal, and held it tight, waiting for reinforcements from the Heavenly Court.
The Western Emperor attacked fiercely but was blocked by this portal, unable to break into the High Heavens. Yueting Ge immediately led the many women of the Western Lands who were skilled in spirit-summoning arts, each activating their divine abilities, intending to summon the spirit of the Western Heavenly Gate.
At that moment, outside the heavens of the High Heavens, a handsome ancient god appeared.
At the same time, the sky violently shook, the void tore open, and a massive void mother beast descended from the sky carrying Dragon Qilin, followed by countless ancient giant beasts, landing in the Western Lands!
The ancient god was surprised. "The Beast Realm Lord! He's not in the Southern Heaven but has come to the Western Lands! Well, it doesn't matter. I wasn't looking for him anyway. I'll just deal with him, Yueting Ge, and the Western Emperor all at once here."
When Qin Mu arrived at the Western Lands, he saw the Lingguan's ancient god avatar trapped. This ancient god avatar was handsome and powerful, arguably the pinnacle among the Heavenly Lords. However, he was trapped by Yueting Ge's formation.
The fourth complete Grand Heavenly Court formation diagram, designed by Blind and the formation experts of Yankang, was in Yueting Ge's hands.
The power of Yueting Ge's encirclement formation couldn't refine him to death, so he had invited the Western Emperor White Tiger to personally enter the formation, beating the ancient god beyond recognition.
As for the High Heavens, Dragon Qilin had led the beast army to block them inside the Western Heavenly Gate, preventing them from breaking out to help.
"Why is Fatty Dragon here? And why is there only one Lingguan avatar here?"
Qin Mu stopped, drenched in sweat. His divine consciousness fluctuated, connecting with Dragon Qilin.
In an instant, the two exchanged information. There was indeed only one Lingguan Hall Master's avatar. He had arrived not long ago. Yueting Ge had long known that the Heavenly Court wouldn't let the Western Lands go, so he had set up the formation early, ready to deal with any rear attack.
The Lingguan avatar had willingly walked into his trap, like a rat jumping into a cage, caught red-handed.
As for Dragon Qilin, it was because Bai Yuqiong was in the Southern Heaven and...
"So, the Lingguan Hall Master hasn't gone to the Southern Heaven. And instead of sending two avatars to the Western Lands, he only sent one!"
Qin Mu frowned deeply. Logically, to be safe, the Lingguan Hall Master should have sent two ancient god avatars to kill Yueting Ge and the Western Emperor White Tiger.
The Western Emperor White Tiger, in her own territory, was also a Heavenly Lord-level existence. And although Yueting Ge's combat power was only at the Heavenly Master level, his intelligence was extremely high. He was the first to break the Glazed Blue Heavenly Canopy Grand Formation. Someone in the Heavenly Court had praised him as being worth three masters alone!
The "three masters" here referred to the Divine Master, Earth Master, and Water Master!
Two ancient god avatars from the Lingguan Hall Master could easily eliminate them, but sending only one was somewhat arrogant.
"If the Lingguan didn't go to the Southern Heaven, then of the remaining three avatars, one must go to the Ancestral Court's World Tree! And the other two should also be heading to the World Tree!"
Although Qin Mu was exhausted, his mind was becoming clearer. "Emperor Hao Tian asked him to kill the leaders of our Yankang and Wuyou Village armies, but the Lingguan has his own agenda. He wants to go to the Ancestral Court, undo the seals under the World Tree, and let the prehistoric stowaways enter this universe, causing a catastrophe!"
"Emperor Hao Tian has his schemes, and the Lingguan has his own! There's only one way to verify my guess!"
He suddenly moved, charging into the Grand Heavenly Court formation set up by Yueting Ge. The Western Emperor White Tiger saw this and stopped attacking. Yueting Ge continued to maintain the formation, preventing the Lingguan avatar from escaping.
The Lingguan avatar felt the pressure ease, then saw Qin Mu standing before him. His face changed slightly, but he then laughed heartily. "Seventh Young Master, your speed is unparalleled in the world, but I'm not slow either. You haven't yet attained the Dao, so you're not yet the Young Master of the Miluo Palace. You've already lost this battle. The Third and Fourth Young Masters will descend, sending you to the prehistoric universe, making you the Seventh Young Master! Then, Seventh Young Master, you'll have to thank me!"
Qin Mu pointed a finger. The Lingguan hurriedly tried to block, but blocked nothing. His ancient god avatar also had a primordial spirit, which Qin Mu's finger struck out of his body, floating in the air.
His primordial spirit tried to flee but was horrified to find it couldn't move at all.
Qin Mu spread his five fingers. The Lingguan avatar's Heavenly, Earthly, and Human souls were forcibly separated into three parts.
Qin Mu extended two fingers, pinched his Human soul, drew a circle in the air with his left hand, then flicked his finger, sending the Human soul into that circular wheel.
The soul contained memories. The circular wheel was like a mirror, instantly replaying the memories of this Lingguan avatar's Human soul!
It showed the other three avatars of the Lingguan Hall Master. Two avatars carried a Dao Fruit, and one carried a Dao Flower, frantically rushing toward the Ancestral Court!
The fastest avatar had already seen the Ancestral Court in the distance!
Qin Mu shook his sleeve, and the Lingguan avatar's three souls shattered!
He rose into the air and tore through space, disappearing!
The Western Emperor White Tiger saw his exhaustion and immediately raised her horn, blowing it with all her might.
Doot-doot—
In the sound of the horn, Qin Mu's blood and energy suddenly surged several times stronger. Yueting Ge, Dragon Qilin, and the Western Emperor White Tiger looked up and saw a massive purple teleportation formation, tens of thousands of miles wide, appear in the sky. It was incredibly complex. The formation suddenly activated, and with a thunderous roar, the teleportation formation and Qin Mu vanished without a trace!
"Celestial Venerable Mu seems extremely tired. I wonder if he can catch up to those three avatars?"
Yueting Ge's face showed worry. Two of the Lingguan Hall Master's avatars carried their own Dao Fruits, and the other carried a Dao Flower. Their strength was far beyond that of the other avatars.
Qin Mu had clearly been on a long-distance sprint. Both his physical body and divine power were greatly depleted. In his exhausted state, even if he caught up to the Lingguan Hall Master's three main avatars, they would be waiting for him at their leisure!
"With his speed, from here to the Ancestral Court, even with folded space, teleportation formations, and full sprinting, it would probably take five or six days."
Yueting Ge calculated and whispered, "And in five or six days, the Lingguan's first avatar will have already reached the Ancestral Court's World Tree! He simply can't make it in time..."
Four days later, the Ancestral Court was shrouded in the dim light of night.
Morning had not yet arrived, but the east was already turning pale. Xu Shenghua looked up, watching Tai Yi's Dao Tree disappear into the ultimate void. Then he picked up his iron bucket and walked down the World Tree, preparing to repair the cracked peaks on the outskirts of the Great Black Mountain.
Even though the Primordial Realm was in a chaotic, earth-shattering battle, the area under the Ancestral Court's World Tree remained peaceful.
Xu Shenghua, as calm as the morning of the World Tree, carried his iron bucket and unhurriedly walked to the outskirts of the Great Black Mountain. Last night, outside the Great Black Mountain, it had been dark and chaotic, a terrifying scene of universal destruction.
He was used to it and didn't mind, just waiting for the sun to rise.
When the sun came out, everything would return to normal.
Finally, the sun rose. The first rays of sunlight fell on the World Tree, and in his sight, the Great Black Mountains gradually became clear.
Xu Shenghua, carrying his iron bucket, stood on the top of a cracked cliff and saw an ancient god walking from outside the Black Mountains. Above his head, a Dao Fruit hung high, spinning gently.
— Happy birthday to Yu Yong! Pig Butcher wrote the character Wei Yong (slightly chubby) in *The Legend of the Shepherd God*, inspired by classmate Yu Yong!
— PS: Recommend Yin Wei Zhe's new book, *Old Hutong*. In 1936, Beijing was about to face the great upheaval of war. Behind the prosperity, the hutongs hid treachery. Chu Mu Feng, a small detective, had big ambitions!