Chapter 1714: The Death of Heavenly Lord Mu
“Your Majesty, Heavenly Lord Mu is now at the end of his rope.”
Tai Chu stepped forward and advised, “Now is the perfect time to send him back to the prehistoric era. If we miss this opportunity, finding another chance will be extremely difficult!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao gazed into the distance at Qin Mu, hesitating. Over the past few days, Qin Mu’s aura had grown increasingly faint. If he were injured, logically speaking, given Qin Mu’s level of cultivation, his wounds should have healed somewhat, and his aura should have gradually recovered.
But Qin Mu’s aura was growing weaker instead, making him uncertain.
Based on his understanding of Qin Mu, this was most likely a trap!
“Heavenly Lord Mu is indeed injured, and severely so, to the point that he cannot attack directly but instead waits for us to walk into his snare.”
Heavenly Emperor Hao said, “Emperor Father, our Heavenly Court’s troops have suffered heavy losses from years of continuous warfare. Coupled with the fact that the Southern Heaven has yet to be conquered, we are short on supplies. That treacherous thief Mu is cunning and deceitful, waiting for us to fall into his ambush. Since that’s the case, why don’t we take this opportunity to rest and reorganize, and send the army to nearby heavens to gather some grain?”
Tai Chu frowned and was about to speak further when Heavenly Emperor Hao said, “The Fourth Young Master of Miluo Palace had his power shattered by him, and the Third Young Master’s power and consciousness were also sealed by him. The Third Young Master needs time to break free from his red rope knots. Whether he’s trying to buy time or tricking me into a trap, it suits my plans. Emperor Father, say no more; I have made my decision.”
Tai Chu sighed inwardly.
In the past, although Heavenly Lord Hao had many despicable traits, he had never lost his edge. He had always been aggressive and able to seize any fleeting opportunity.
But now, Heavenly Emperor Hao, ever since being defeated by Heavenly Lord Yun in the Ultimate Void, had become timid and hesitant, no longer daring to take risks or try new things.
“Heavenly Lord Yun has shattered his Dao heart! He seeks no merit but no fault, yet this causes him to miss golden opportunities!”
Thinking this, Tai Chu said, “Your Majesty, grain and supplies are naturally important, but we can’t let Heavenly Lord Mu have an easy time either. For now, we can split our forces into two, bypass Heavenly Lord Mu, and attack Maple Wind Valley from both flanks. As it stands, the highest cultivation level in Eternal Peace is only the Jade Capital realm. If we miss this chance, we will never find another opportunity to break Eternal Peace!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao hesitated for a moment, knowing that time was precious. With Eternal Peace’s large-scale implementation of the new law and new cultivation system, within at most a decade or two, a large number of powerful figures from the new system would emerge.
By then, conquering Eternal Peace would be as difficult as ascending to heaven!
“Summon the two Tai Chi Heavenly Lords to lead the Divine Masters’ Water Army and attack Maple Wind Valley from left and right!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao issued the decree: “The Tai Chi Heavenly Lords are masters of troop deployment. This battle will surely achieve victory and level Maple Wind Pass!”
The Empress couldn’t help but say, “Your Majesty, why not dispatch the Imperial Guard, the Divine Might Army, and the Dragon Might Army? These armies are comparable to Heavenly Lords; deploying them would be the perfect time to deal with Eternal Peace!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao glanced at her and smiled, “The Left and Right Imperial Guards, Left and Right Divine Might, and Left and Right Dragon Might are the Heavenly Emperor’s personal guards. How can we send them all at once?”
The Empress’s heart chilled, but she refused to give up: “Your Majesty, we are accomplished deities. Accomplished deities uphold the interests of the Heavenly Court and should fight to the death. How can we let mere minor deities like the Imperial Guard, Divine Might, and Dragon Might protect us?”
Heavenly Emperor Hao hesitated and said, “Mother is right. However, the rebel Long Pi is leading the beast realm army from behind us, and we need the Imperial Guard to go and eliminate him.”
Tai Chu interjected decisively, “We don’t need that many people!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao said, “Then dispatch the Left and Right Divine Might Armies to attack Maple Wind Valley…”
The Empress laughed in anger: “To deal with Long Pi, only the Left Imperial Guard is needed. The other Imperial Guards can all go to Maple Wind Valley! Once Maple Wind Valley is leveled, we can drive straight in and attack Eternal Peace’s capital, ending the war in one battle!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao shook his head: “Mother, with Heavenly Lord Mu sitting there, if we send all the Imperial Guards to the front and he suddenly attacks, the Imperial Guards will be completely destroyed! Your considerations are flawed; say no more.”
The Empress was furious and turned to leave.
Tai Chu followed her out and whispered, “The Heavenly Emperor’s state is not right. He has lost his edge and his courage. After his battle with Heavenly Lord Yun, who destroyed his Second Young Master’s clone and his Return to Void Dao body, he has likely fallen from the realm of accomplished beings. That’s why he’s so anxious and hesitant, afraid to advance. This state of his is very detrimental to the Heavenly Court. Although the Heavenly Court can never be defeated, even if we conquer Eternal Peace, we will suffer heavy losses, and there’s even a risk that we might fall.”
The Empress understood his meaning. The Heavenly Court could never be defeated because of the Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court!
In this war, even if the Heavenly Court’s strength suffered severe losses, it could never fail. As long as the Heavenly Court sacrificed a few heavens, the accomplished beings of the Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court would descend and annihilate Eternal Peace!
This was a war that could not be lost, but the only ones who could fail were the Ten Heavenly Lords!
The Ten Heavenly Lords might suffer casualties, losing their positions and interests.
As they walked and talked, Tai Chu looked into the distance and said, “Since Heavenly Emperor Hao ascended the throne, Heavenly Lord Fire has died, Divine Emperor Lang Xuan has died, and now Heavenly Lord Xu has also died. One by one, old friends are passing away, leaving me with endless sighs. The Heavenly Emperor is greedy for power and unwilling to share it with his old comrades or with the Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court, causing this war against the Yuan Realm to be fought so chaotically. Now he fears both battle and defeat, which is extremely dangerous for us.”
The Empress stopped and smiled ambiguously: “You want to depose Heavenly Emperor Hao and reclaim the throne yourself? Tai Chu, replacing the Heavenly Emperor at this time would cause turmoil in the army, leading to defeat without even fighting!”
Tai Chu’s body trembled slightly as he stared at her, then suddenly said, “You’re not Lady Yuan Mu! Yuan Mu wouldn’t analyze pros and cons so seriously!”
The Empress walked forward and said, “We’ve been husband and wife for so long, and you only now realize I’m not that little slut, my sister? Hah, men always think with their lower halves… Tai Chu, haven’t you realized yet? The main force in this war is no longer us; it’s Miluo Palace! In this war, we only need to protect ourselves.”
Tai Chu quickly caught up to her and lowered his voice: “Once the accomplished beings from Miluo Palace arrive, our power will turn into a dream!”
“Better than losing our lives.”
With that, the Empress left him standing there and drifted away.
Tai Chu frowned but did not follow her.
Heavenly Emperor Hao stood on a high vantage point, watching as the Tai Yin Heavenly Lord and Tai Yang Heavenly Lord led the Heavenly River Water Army and the Heavenly Court Divine Masters’ Army, respectively, marching in a grand procession toward Maple Wind Valley.
The two armies avoided Qin Mu, drawing a large circle with him at the center.
Meanwhile, Qin Mu’s divine realm was even more dilapidated, having shrunk to a radius of a hundred li. His aura grew weaker and weaker, almost imperceptible.
Heavenly Emperor Hao sensed carefully. At this moment, Qin Mu was like a candle flickering in the wind, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing at any moment.
“He’s injured. The Third Young Master used the Miluo Palace Master’s divine ability to severely wound him. His injuries must be extremely severe; he might even die!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao’s heart was filled with anxiety: “Even if he doesn’t die, he has no strength to resist. Otherwise, he wouldn’t just sit there, ignoring the Heavenly River Water Army and the Heavenly Court Divine Masters’ Army passing by on both sides. But how can I know if he’s deliberately pretending to be weak?”
He paced back and forth, like a trapped tiger in a cage, restless and irritable: “His injuries are extremely severe. At this moment, if I just throw him into the Return to Void or sink him into the river of the Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court, I can eliminate this great threat once and for all! He’ll go to the past to be the Seventh Young Master, and without a sacrifice, he can never return! Then I will have won. The others, like Heavenly Lord You and Heavenly Lord Yue, none of them can match me! However…”
He stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide open, and the shadow of Heavenly Lord Yun appeared before him: “But there’s still Heavenly Lord Yun! Heavenly Lord Yun, you must be dead, right? No, not necessarily! I saw you leave with my own eyes. Your injuries were severe and hard to heal, but you must be hiding somewhere, haha, looking for another chance to ambush me…”
His eyes were filled with fear and anger, and he started pacing again like a trapped tiger, unable to use his full strength despite having it.
A muffled roar escaped his throat: “Heavenly Lord Yun, it’s you, you who put me in this predicament! I won’t be defeated by you! I hold great power, command millions of divine and demonic troops, and have countless heavens under me! I also have the Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court backing me! You want to ambush me, but I won’t give you a second chance!”
His eyes brightened, and his voice grew hoarse: “That’s right, sacrifice a few heavens and let the accomplished beings of the Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court descend! That’s it, that’s it… Haha, no one can defeat me or take my power!”
His gaze was filled with venomous cruelty. He summoned the Five Emperor Seats and whispered some instructions. The five Divine Emperors of the Emperor Seats were startled. The head of the Emperor Seats, Hua Liuzhao, had cold sweat on his forehead and bowed: “Your Majesty has already sent several troops to other heavens to plunder slaves and grain. This has already caused dissatisfaction among many soldiers in the army. Most of the soldiers come from the myriad heavens…”
Heavenly Emperor Hao’s eyes flashed with murderous intent, and his voice was hoarse: “Minister Hua, say that again!”
Hua Liuzhao fell to his knees and kowtowed: “Your servant will definitely live up to Your Majesty’s expectations and handle this matter!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao snorted and waved his hand. The Five Emperor Seats each withdrew and immediately began to muster their respective armies, which roared off.
“And you, Heavenly Lord Mu…”
Heavenly Emperor Hao stared fixedly at Qin Mu in the distance. Qin Mu’s divine realm had shrunk to a radius of a single li, as if he had exhausted his oil and his lamp was about to go out.
“You’re also waiting to ambush me!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao snorted angrily: “I won’t fall for your trick!”
The Five Inner Emperor Seats led their armies out of the Heavenly Court camp and headed toward the nearby heavens. Hua Liuzhao wore a worried expression. The other four Emperor Seats exchanged glances, and one said, “Brother Hua, the Heavenly Court’s situation is excellent. We’ve broken through Carefree Village and are closing in on Eternal Peace. As long as we break Maple Wind Valley, Eternal Peace will have no resistance left. Why are you still so worried?”
“The Heavenly Court seems to be conquering territory and winning great victories over Carefree Village and Eternal Peace, but in reality, we’ve been losing in various side battles.”
Hua Liuzhao sighed and said, “Now Heavenly Lord Xu has died in battle, and the Netherworld has fallen. If the Xuan Capital also falls, then the situation will truly be hopeless. Your Majesty…”
He hesitated but still spoke: “If Your Majesty were to raise the entire army and attack Maple Wind Valley, there would still be a chance to flatten Eternal Peace. But now Your Majesty has made a foolish move, sending us to sacrifice other heavens to allow the prehistoric accomplished beings to descend. Hmph, most of our Heavenly Court soldiers come from the myriad heavens!”
He frowned deeply and lowered his voice: “Sacrificing other heavens—how will the soldiers feel about that? When the Heavenly Court came to attack the Yuan Realm this time, how many other heavens came to help? In the past, with a single command from the Heavenly Court, all the heavens would respond and gather, overwhelming Eternal Peace! But now, the number of heavens coming to help the Heavenly Court in this campaign is pitifully small. On the contrary, there are quite a few divine and demonic beings from other heavens in Eternal Peace’s camp!”
He let out a breath of foul air: “If Your Majesty sacrifices other heavens, then the myriad heavens will likely all support Eternal Peace! And within our Heavenly Court’s army, many divine and demonic beings might mutiny or even rebel and defect!”
The other four Emperor Seats looked at each other in dismay.
“Brother Hua, what should we do now?”
Hua Liuzhao looked up at the sky, and two streams of old tears flowed down the corners of his eyes: “What can we do? We must be loyal to the Heavenly Court and repay Your Majesty’s favor for recognizing our talents. We can only walk this dark path to the end. If the Heavenly Court wins, that’s fine; we’ll write the history books. If the Heavenly Court loses, hmph, we’ll be cursed by future generations…”
The two Tai Chi Ancient Gods each led the Heavenly River Water Army and the Heavenly Court Divine Masters’ Army, marching from left and right, three thousand li away from where Qin Mu was stationed. Tai Yang Heavenly Lord and Tai Yin Heavenly Lord remained in the central army, constantly monitoring Qin Mu’s movements.
They saw Qin Mu sitting there, his head drooping, motionless.
Suddenly, Qin Mu’s divine realm completely disappeared, and his aura vanished entirely!
“Report to the Heavenly Lord!”
A divine general rushed to report: “Heavenly Lord Mu is dead!”
Tai Yang Heavenly Lord and Tai Yin Heavenly Lord received the news almost simultaneously. They were overjoyed but also hesitant. They looked at Qin Mu and saw that his physical body suddenly gushed with blood, turning into a sea of blood. Qin Mu’s corpse sat in the blood sea, where purple energy surged and chaotic energy filled the air.
Qin Mu’s World Tree and Return to Void Lotus were still there, but indeed, there was no aura!
“Is Heavenly Lord Mu really dead?” The two Heavenly Lords dared not confirm.
“Fake!”
Heavenly Emperor Hao stood in front of the detached palace hall, laughing loudly, and said harshly: “Old dog Mu, you can’t fool me!”