Chapter 1727: Who Carries the Burden for You?
The soldiers of Yan Kang were cleaning up the battlefield. Ling Yuxiu ordered the news of the Heavenly Court's great defeat, the change of ownership in Xuan Du and You Du, and Yan Kang's victory to be spread across all heavens and myriad realms. Only then did she have time to go see Qin Mu.
Qin Mu lay on the sickbed, once again devoid of any breath. Xu Shenghua had already inserted one Dao-killing Divine Nail after another into his wounds, suppressing the Dao injuries within him.
In this battle, every individual's role was crucial, and every army was vital. What Qin Mu did was no different from what the other soldiers did.
He did his utmost to hold back the Heavenly Emperor Hao, and the others also fought with all their might.
This victory was a victory for everyone. The only difference was that Qin Mu survived, while some soldiers did not make it through this decisive battle.
"His condition isn't too serious."
Xu Shenghua stood up and said to Ling Yuxiu, "There is no one left in this world who can kill Sect Leader Qin. If there is, they exist in the past universe."
He was about to leave when Ling Yuxiu called him back and asked, "This war has claimed many lives. My husband is in a deep slumber and won't wake for some time. In this world, the only ones capable of using the art of resurrection are probably you and Lan Yutian."
Xu Shenghua shook his head. "There are over a dozen people in Yan Kang who understand soul-gathering and can draw the black sand of souls to reshape them. Among them is the Yin Lady. It's not just Lan Yutian and me. Restoring the souls of the gods and spirits who fell on the battlefield and had their souls scattered would be enough to drain the magical power of all of us. Reshaping souls comes at a cost. Bringing the dead back to life requires an even greater price. Even Sect Leader Qin at his peak couldn't resurrect everyone who died in battle."
He looked at Ling Yuxiu and said, "Madam Qin, Yan Kang has the arts of creation and the artifacts of creation. If you, madam, could exhaust Yan Kang's financial resources to reshape bodies for the dead, drain the nation's fortune, and completely deplete the power of Yan Kang's experts—including borrowing all the strength of the Netherworld Lord, the Little Earth Lord, and the Heavenly Lord, down to the last drop—then it might be possible to revive the soldiers who fell on the battlefield. But after this great war, Yan Kang no longer has such abundant national strength!"
He changed his tone: "Yan Kang relied on the sacrifices of these soldiers to find a sliver of hope, a thread of opportunity, in a war that was almost certainly lost. Now, the road to complete victory is still far off. If we ruin this hard-won situation because of this matter, then why did we resist the Heavenly Court at all? Madam Qin, don't let their sacrifices be meaningless!"
He was usually impassive, but now his words carried some weight.
Ling Yuxiu said, "As long as the bodies are still intact, if we restore the souls of the fallen heroes and let them return to their bodies, can't they come back to life? That way, we wouldn't need to consume too much national strength..."
Xu Shenghua shook his head. "Madam Qin, there are no bodies left."
Ling Yuxiu was stunned.
"The Heavenly Emperor Hao is too ruthless. The current Yuan Realm has already turned into a massive blood sacrifice altar. All living beings who died in this war on this altar will be transformed into energy and offered to the prehistoric universe."
Xu Shenghua was silent for a moment, then said, "I went to look at the corpses of the soldiers. They are decaying very quickly. The blood of gods and demons seeps into the ground, and within a day or two, all their essence, energy, and spirit are lost. Because the number of dead and wounded is so great, this blood sacrifice isn't very conspicuous. But if the sacrifice is completed, it's likely that two or three Dao-achievers from the Mi Luo Palace will descend! The Heavenly Emperor Hao has lost his mind and will surely die a miserable death. I noticed the clues and told Lan Yutian. He has already taken his divine artifacts and is searching everywhere, trying to find where the blood sacrifice altars are hidden. I hope he can destroy them."
Ling Yuxiu nodded silently.
Xu Shenghua said, "Madam Qin, don't worry too much. Sect Leader Qin is always prepared. He actually anticipated this long ago and made defensive measures. The Dao of the Netherworld has already changed."
Ling Yuxiu was somewhat puzzled.
Xu Shenghua said, "I cultivate the Dao of the Netherworld, and I've noticed that it no longer has just sixty-four types but has increased by six, reaching seventy. The six added types are the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the six great Daos of reincarnation. Sect Leader Qin previously ordered the forging of the Six Paths Heavenly Wheel, precisely to deal with today's situation."
"What do you mean?"
"The Earth Lord Qin Fengqing controls the Six Paths of Reincarnation. The power of this divine artifact has gradually spread across all heavens and myriad realms, becoming a treasure that surpasses the Nether River Whip and the Earth Lord's Divine Eye."
Xu Shenghua walked out and said, "The six great Daos of reincarnation will probably allow the deceased to enter reincarnation and gain new life. Of course, this is on the condition that they haven't turned into black sand of souls. In the future, the duties of the Earth Lord and the Heavenly Equal Sage King might differ from those of the original Earth Lord and Heavenly Equal Sage King. Sect Leader Qin planned ahead and made contingency plans before the war even began. It's admirable."
Ling Yuxiu turned around, came to the sickbed, and sat on the edge, looking at Qin Mu, who had no breath.
Qin Mu's injuries pained her, but she was helpless. Even the smartest and most powerful beings in the world, like Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua, couldn't cure Qin Mu's Dao injuries. The most skilled physicians were also at a loss.
She could only quietly wait for Qin Mu to wake up on his own and heal himself.
The man lying on the sickbed had done too much for Yan Kang and for this universe. Every time danger arose, he was always the first to rush to the front, even if severely injured, he didn't hesitate to have people carry him forward on a stretcher.
His foresight was too profound. He had already planned today's response decades ago.
She gently leaned down and nestled beside Qin Mu. In their decades as husband and wife, they had been together more apart than together. She never expected to have a moment of peace now.
Suddenly, Ling Yuxiu stood up, left the sickbed, and walked out.
"Yan Kang has just won its first victory. This is the most critical time. There's no room for sentimentality!"
She regained the sharp decisiveness of a generation's empress, handling official business while issuing orders one after another, directing the various armies to screen the wounded, reorganize into units, and go to support Jiang Baigui, Long Qilin, and others to expand the gains.
"We must completely drive the Heavenly Court out of the Yuan Realm!"
At the same time, Ling Yuxiu issued orders to mobilize all cultivators in Yan Kang, ensuring logistical support. They were to open mountains and build bridges wherever they encountered them, set up teleportation portals at waypoints along the route, and ensure that supplies never ran out. At the very least, the elixirs and medicines sent from the rear of Yan Kang must never be lacking. The lives of the soldiers in each army were the top priority!
The wounded who stayed behind were to be cared for by Yan Kang's pharmacists, who would work urgently to treat them and save their lives.
By the time Ling Yuxiu finished all this, it was already late at night. The sky was dotted with stars, but the constellations were still chaotic. Another great battle was still ongoing in Xuan Du, not yet concluded.
That was the war between the Heavenly Lord and the Ancestral God King. It was crucial to them, father and son, but to Yan Kang, it was no longer of major consequence.
Ling Yuxiu draped a robe over herself and looked up into the night sky beyond the heavens. She saw another fierce battle outside, with the Taiji Star Domain occasionally appearing, black and white interwoven, or the Dao light of the Qingming Mirror descending from beyond the heavens like a blue aurora, very dazzling and beautiful.
That was the battle between the Grand Beginning Ancient God and the Grand Ultimate Ancient God, which had been going on for a long time.
Their battle caused various magnificent scenes to appear beyond the heavens, strange and colorful sights formed by their divine powers. They weren't obvious during the day, but at night, they became exceptionally brilliant.
Divine powers were like paintings, spread across the night sky of the Yuan Realm, suddenly appearing and then gradually fading.
In the west, one sun after another had long since disappeared, turning into the glow of sunset sinking behind the mountains, dyeing the western sky a bloody red.
The night air was slightly cool.
Ling Yuxiu heard a long howl in the dark night. The howl carried a unique mood, sometimes melodious and winding, sometimes like a long sword piercing the sky, sometimes like a small bridge over flowing water, sometimes like iron horses and golden spears clashing on the battlefield, presenting a magnificent and grand scene.
Ling Yuxiu looked into the distance. At the place where the howl came from, a huge Grand Luo Heaven was tilting, emerging from the thirty-six layers of void. The Grand Luo Heaven was cracking, teetering and about to fall into the Yuan Realm.
Buzz—
The Dao light of that Grand Luo Heaven suddenly became extremely intense, dispelling the darkness of the Yuan Realm, turning the light as bright as day. That was the Dao light of the Primordial One Qi!
The howl continued, becoming impassioned and forceful, resounding like a blade that split heaven and earth, galloping across the battlefield, venting dissatisfaction with oppression!
"Could it be Shang Jun and Tai Chu? Tai Chu didn't retreat with the Heavenly Emperor Hao but was held back by Shang Jun?"
Ling Yuxiu's heart stirred. From Shang Jun's howl, she could hear battle intent and killing intent, a desire to protect all living beings, but it seemed he could never raise his battle intent and killing intent to the extreme.
Suddenly, from the room behind her came Qin Mu's voice: "Madam, please summon the Moon Lord and Grandfather Butcher."
Ling Yuxiu was overjoyed and quickly rushed back into the room. She glanced and saw that Qin Mu had woken up at some point and was struggling to sit up.
Ling Yuxiu immediately activated the Three Origin Divine Meeting to notify the Moon Lord and the Butcher, while she herself stepped forward to help Qin Mu sit up properly.
"Slow down... it hurts..."
Qin Mu sucked in cold air and said, "These nails must have been inserted by Xu Shenghua. Every single one goes deep into my flesh and bone marrow."
His forehead was covered in cold sweat. He finally sat steady, panting heavily a few times.
The Moon Lord's injuries hadn't healed yet, and the Butcher also had Dao injuries all over his body. Both had been left behind for treatment. Upon receiving the news, they hurried over, only to see Qin Mu sitting there asleep, layers of dream worlds spreading out.
The two entered the room and happened to step into his dream. They saw that Qin Mu's dream didn't seem like a dream but rather a real world.
When they entered Qin Mu's dream, they saw a scene of the omen before the destruction of a universe. In that dream universe, the ultimate void was being compressed by Dao-achievers, constantly shrinking. Gusts of cold, still wind blew out from the ultimate void. Wherever they passed, in the territories of the Dao-achievers, in the various heavens, people faced disaster upon disaster, living in misery.
Even gods and demons often fell into the Five Declines of Heaven and Man. While in meditation, they would suddenly be struck by a cold wind entering their orifices, causing their flesh, bones, and primordial spirits to dissolve completely, dying inexplicably.
This universe was filled with scenes of decay, but it was at its peak, unprecedented in strength. The number of experts was countless, and the number of Dao-achievers was also extremely large, forming a stark contrast with the decay!
To reduce the pressure on the universe and sustain its life, the Dao-achievers deliberately created conflicts, causing the beings in various heavens to kill each other and attack one another. Every major heaven, including the ancestral court where the World Tree was located, was in chaos.
Just then, the Moon Lord and the Heavenly Blade Butcher's gaze fell on a young man carrying a long blade on his back. He was rummaging through piles of corpses, drinking blood and eating rotten flesh from the bodies.
However, the Five Declines of Heaven and Man had already invaded the various heavens. Any god or demon that died would quickly rot and stink. Yet this young man forced himself to endure the nausea and eat the foul, rotten meat.
After recovering his strength, the young man began killing again, attacking the gods who ruled the heavens, honing his blade and his Dao heart.
He was like a mad demon, killing from one heaven to another. Countless gods and demons fell under his blade.
He was ferocious, with an invincible belief, like the cruelest beast and the most cunning hunter, slaughtering wantonly to elevate his Dao realm.
"Is that Shang Jun?" the Moon Lord asked doubtfully.
Just then, they rarely saw Shang Jun's gentle side. He sat by a stream in front of a dilapidated small village, admiring a small flower. Children surrounded him, singing and dancing. The children placed a flower crown on his head, and Shang Jun's simple face showed a very satisfied smile.
Then, Shang Jun embarked on the path of slaughter again, challenging higher gods and drawing his blade against stronger beings.
One day, he finally became one of the strongest beings in this universe and launched an attack on the lofty Dao-achievers!
The moment a Dao-achiever died by his hand, he finally achieved Dao through the path of killing.
But his goal was not to achieve Dao. It was to kill the Dao-achievers who had sneaked over, to kill the lofty beings who manipulated this universe!
Killing was not his purpose. What he truly wanted to do was to protect the ordinary people of this universe!
Now, he finally had such power!
He put on the flower crown the children had given him, looked at his Grand Luo Heaven, and gazed joyfully at the universe below. The simple smile froze on his face.
The first native Dao-achiever of the Sixteenth Era, and also the last Dao-achiever of the Sixteenth Era. His achievement of Dao completely crushed this universe, crushed the ultimate void.
The Great Destruction arrived at this moment. The entire universe fell into collapse and ruin. Countless ordinary beings died in the first wave of the Great Destruction.
He most wanted to save this universe, to save ordinary beings, but he became the final straw that crushed the universe, the executioner who slaughtered the beings he wanted to protect!
At the moment the Great Destruction erupted, Shang Jun went mad. He cared nothing about how to survive the Great Destruction. Instead, in the midst of the calamity, he crazily attacked those Dao-achievers!
The Moon Lord and the Butcher stared blankly at this scene. Finally, as the universe in the dream was destroyed, the dream vanished.
Qin Mu, panting heavily, said, "Moon Lord, Grandfather Butcher, can you awaken the ultimate killing intent in Shang Jun's heart?"
The Butcher walked out and ordered the soldiers to bring over a hundred huge war drums, each a hundred zhang wide, and set them up. He tore off his clothes, revealing his muscular build, and held two large hammers.
The Moon Lord sat behind the formation of war drums, restrung her zither, and the sound of the zither slowly came forth, echoing the howl in the night, neither hurried nor slow.
Boom!
The drum sounded. The Butcher swung his hammers, and the drumbeats struck at the moment when the zither sound and the howl broke off, the sound deep and powerful.
———— A four-thousand-word chapter! Begging for subscriptions, begging for monthly votes!