Chapter 1729: Father and Son, the Heavenly Lord
The shattered Grand Celestial Realm fell from the sky, stars like rain, scattering like countless points of light across the land of the Primordial Realm. The One Qi Grand Celestial Realm disintegrated as it fell, and the Primordial One Qi nourished the wounded earth.
Lord Shang looked up. Starlight dotted the surroundings. The fragments of the falling Grand Celestial Realm transformed into pure energy, causing the land after the great battle to no longer appear as scarred and ravaged as before. Grasses and trees grew, vitality flourished, and the soil became fertile.
This was not his Sixteenth Epoch, but the Seventeenth. There were no old acquaintances of his here, but there were still ordinary people he wished to protect.
He silently departed, stepping into the shadows.
As an assassin whose hands were stained with blood, even though he had once again comprehended the ultimate killing intent and once again attained the Dao, he was unwilling to imprint his killing Dao upon the ultimate void.
He did not want to walk in the sunlight. He did not want to be watched.
Within the divine city above the Heavenly Court's main camp, in the room where Qin Mu was recuperating, the lamplight suddenly flickered and swayed. Qin Mu opened his eyes, gazing at the dark shadow beneath the lamp. After a moment, he revealed a faint smile. "Second Brother has left?"
Lord Shang emerged from the shadow beneath the lamp and silently nodded.
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief and said with emotion, "Back then, I, the Imperial Emperor, the Primordial Beginning, and Luo Xiao swore brotherhood. We sought not to be born on the same day, in the same month, or in the same year, but to die on the same day, in the same month, and in the same year. After Third Brother Luo Xiao died, I was always worried that he was too lonely, and I wanted to send our two elder brothers to see him. Now, I have finally gotten my wish. First Brother, Second Brother, may your journey be smooth."
His gaze fell upon Lord Shang's face, and he said with a smile, "Lord Shang, there is no need for you to hide in the shadows any longer. You can go out and take a walk."
A sharp gleam of blade light flickered in Lord Shang's eyes. He said in a deep voice, "In the past, you always kept me in your shadow because you were worried that my killing intent was too heavy, afraid that I would lose control. Hiding in your shadow was the only way to put your mind at ease. Now, why do you want to let me out? I have attained the Dao for the second time, and my Dao heart is firmer than ever. Are you not afraid that my killing heart will run rampant and bring disaster to the world? You know, sometimes I cannot control my killing intent!"
Qin Mu's gaze was warm, and he chuckled. "In the past, your Dao heart was flawed, making it difficult to suppress your killing intent. Your self-control was very poor, so I had to keep you with me. Now, your Dao heart is complete. You are no longer the Lord Shang of before. That is why I am letting you go, giving you your freedom."
Lord Shang was silent for a moment, then began to retreat back into the shadow beneath the lamp.
Suddenly, Qin Mu said, "Don't walk in the shadows. Walk out through the main door, openly and honestly. You don't owe this universe anything. On the contrary, this universe owes you a favor."
Lord Shang was startled. He emerged from the darkness beneath the lamp and walked towards the main door, his steps somewhat hesitant.
But he still walked out. Outside, the first ray of sunlight shone upon him. It wasn't harsh, but he still raised his hand to shield his eyes, only lowering it after a moment.
"Lord Shang, I have always considered you a friend."
Lord Shang's body trembled slightly at the words coming from behind him. A friend?
He had never had one.
Throughout the entire Sixteenth Epoch, he had no friends. He rarely interacted with others, and the slaughter he had caused was too great. The destruction of the Sixteenth Epoch was also directly related to him. He felt he did not deserve to have friends.
Perhaps those few people sealed by the Great Young Master in the Vile Void Grounds could be considered his friends, but even that was debatable. They were merely companions in misfortune, chatting and killing pigs together. They all concealed their pasts from each other, unwilling to tell others their history, so they couldn't be considered close friends.
In his heart, the word 'friend' was too heavy.
"You are not a tool for killing, nor a blade in my hand. You are my friend."
Qin Mu's voice came from behind him. "A trustworthy friend. I will be your first friend in this era. In the future, you will meet others and become friends with them."
Lord Shang turned his head. "I don't need it. Friendship is too cheap. Anyone can open and close their mouth and call themselves my friend. You are not my friend either. Friendship will only affect my judgment of right and wrong, good and evil, and make me soft-hearted."
He walked towards the east, facing the sunlight, his voice drifting back. "Seventh Young Master, if too many of you attain the Dao, causing this universe to collapse, then I will act then. Even if it's you, I will show no mercy! If you commit crimes after your victory, I will still act! This world needs this blade of mine! Not a blade held in your hand!"
Qin Mu revealed a smile and said to Ling Yuxiu beside him, "If I really did commit crimes, he definitely wouldn't come to kill me. I know he already considers me a friend."
Ling Yuxiu pursed her lips and smiled. "Husband, I think you are overthinking it."
Lord Shang walked upon the land of Yankang, from the border passes to the cities of Yankang, and from the cities to the countryside, without any particular destination.
Yankang was peaceful and serene, showing no signs of the slaughter from the battlefield. It was filled with tranquility, and it also filled his heart with tranquility, far from the killing and conflict.
The war on the front lines continued, but the vast rear area remained untouched. When news of the Heavenly Court's defeat arrived, a great weight was lifted from everyone's hearts, and smiles gradually appeared on people's faces.
He held a straw stalk in his mouth, leaned against a tree, and lazily looked at the sunlight through the canopy of leaves.
Just then, six or seven children came running by, laughing joyfully, running wild and making a lot of noise.
The children left. Lord Shang picked up a flower crown one of the children had discarded, placed it on his forehead, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned against the tree, falling asleep.
"This sunlight... it's really good..." The straw stalk moved, and he mumbled to himself.
The Celestial Capital.
The stars were in turmoil, the constellations shifting, indicating that the world was still not at peace.
However, at this moment, not many people were paying attention to the Celestial Capital. The main force of Yankang was still pursuing the Heavenly Court, driving its defeated remnants out of the Primordial Realm.
The battle in the Celestial Capital was between the Heavenly Lord and the Ancestral God King.
The Celestial Capital was truly vast, so this battle did not affect the Primordial Realm. When Jiang Baigui pacified the Celestial Capital, he merely routed and besieged the Sun Guard and Moon Guard armies of the Celestial Capital, without interfering in the struggle between the Heavenly Lord and the Ancestral God King.
His actions were extremely rational. Since the Sun Guard and Moon Guard armies of the Celestial Capital had already been pacified, even if the Ancestral God King killed the Heavenly Lord, it wouldn't have much effect.
At this point, directly leading his troops to attack the Heavenly Court's main camp would instead bring unexpected results, enough to shatter the morale of the Heavenly Court's army. So he made a prompt decision, leading his troops away from the Celestial Capital, leaving only the father and son, the Heavenly Lord and the Ancestral God King.
The Ancestral God King's Dao heart had fallen into Qin Mu's Eternal Nine Prisons Heart-Locking Dao technique, landing together with the Heavenly Lord's Dao heart.
The Dao heart battle between father and son was far less straightforward than a real sword-and-spear war, but it was far more dangerous.
Within the Nine Prisons Platform, the Dao hearts of the Heavenly Lord and the Ancestral God King were locked in mortal combat. Outside, the Heavenly Lord's true body remained motionless, while only the Ancestral God King and the reincarnated Heavenly Lord were engaged in a life-and-death struggle!
The Heavenly Lord's true body radiated starlight, and the Dao light of the Heavenly Dao was continuously flowing away, heading towards the reincarnated Heavenly Lord.
After the reincarnated body of the Heavenly Lord was shattered by the Ancestral God King, this peculiar phenomenon appeared. The Heavenly Lord's true body no longer obeyed the Ancestral God King's commands. No matter how the Ancestral God King channeled his magical power or how he used his primordial spirit to control it, this ancient god's physical body remained motionless.
On the contrary, the Heavenly Dao flowing out of the Heavenly Lord's true body began to surge towards the Heavenly Lord's soul, using it to rebuild his physical form!
This was the struggle of the Heavenly Heart.
In the struggle of the Heavenly Heart, the Heavenly Lord displayed a Heavenly Heart that was more in tune with the Heavenly Dao than the Ancestral God King's, surpassing him, causing the Heavenly Dao to abandon the Ancestral God King.
The destruction of the Heavenly Lord's reincarnated body turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
However, even without the Heavenly Lord's true body, the Ancestral God King's combat power was still astonishing, making him one of the most powerful beings in the current world, far surpassing the Heavenly Lord in both cultivation and strength!
But then, something terrifying happened to him.
In his battle against the Heavenly Lord, he had an overwhelming advantage, repeatedly inflicting severe injuries on him. Yet the Heavenly Lord simply would not die, being healed time and again by the Heavenly Dao of the Celestial Capital!
On the contrary, every time he expended his power, his own strength diminished by a fraction. His physical body and primordial spirit were not locked by the Nine Prisons Platform, only his Dao heart was. Being locked affected his state of mind.
This seemed inconsequential, but this seemingly useless Dao heart affected his recovery ability and even his cultivation, preventing him from recovering to his peak state, and even his physical wounds could not heal!
At the same time, the Heavenly Lord was growing stronger and stronger. With the blessing of the Heavenly Dao, his strength was gradually approaching the Ancestral God King's!
One waning, the other waxing; it wouldn't be long before he would no longer be a match for the Heavenly Lord!
The Eternal Nine Prisons Heart-Locking Dao technique, Qin Mu's divine ability—the terror of this divine ability could only be understood by those who had experienced it!
Fortunately, the Heavenly Lord seemed to still harbor father-son affection, never delivering a fatal blow, always leaving a sliver of leeway. But even so, the Ancestral God King's injuries grew heavier and heavier.
He very much wanted to take advantage of the sliver of leeway left by the Heavenly Lord, his paternal affection, to kill the Heavenly Lord. However, with the Heavenly Dao on his side, he simply could not kill the Heavenly Lord no matter what!
More critically, within the Nine Prisons Platform, the battle of Dao hearts had already ended in his complete defeat!
His Dao heart was crushed by the Heavenly Lord, lying like a dead dog in that tiny square inch of space. Beside him, the Heavenly Lord's Dao heart looked up, gazing at the sky.
"My son, the Nine Prisons Platform is a platform that locks the Dao heart, but it is also a place to temper the Dao heart."
The Heavenly Lord's Dao heart withdrew its gaze, looking at the Ancestral God King's Dao heart trying to get up, and said earnestly, "Qin Mu's divine ability interprets the Dao mysteries contained within the Nine Prisons Platform, integrating his own insights into the Dao heart. His intentions were good. He used this move to trap the Dao heart of my Hongtian Lord clone, hoping that I could walk out of the Nine Prisons Platform and comprehend the Heavenly Heart. At that time, I was foolish and obtuse, misunderstanding his good intentions, leading to my downfall and the death of my clone."
"After my reincarnation, I willingly endured the karmic fire of the people who died because of my sins. In the karmic fire, I heard the thoughts of all living beings and bore their karma. It was then that I discovered, for the first time, I was so close to the Heavenly Heart."
A look of anticipation appeared in his eyes. "The Netherworld and the Celestial Capital are opposites. The Dao of the Netherworld and the Dao of the Celestial Capital are mutually restraining. Yet, in the karmic fire of the Netherworld, I was, for the first time, so close to the Heavenly Heart, so close to the Heavenly Dao. I wailed in the karmic fire, yet I was moved to tears. I bore my own karma, but I realized that the Heavenly Heart is the Human Heart! My son, this time, I am giving you this opportunity. Stand up. Walk out of the Nine Prisons Platform."
The Ancestral God King's Dao heart staggered to its feet and chuckled grimly. "And what if I walk out?"
The Heavenly Lord's Dao heart encouraged him. "As long as you comprehend the Heavenly Heart, you can walk out. After you walk out, go to the Netherworld and endure the karmic fire caused by your own karma. Burn away your sins in the karmic fire and suffer the torment."
"Hahahaha! Father God!"
The Ancestral God King's Dao heart laughed so hard it doubled over. "You have enjoyed the supreme power, enjoyed wealth and glory, enjoyed the worship and fear of all living beings. Can you go back to the past? You can. I cannot! You can give all this up, but I cannot. And on top of that, you want me to willingly admit defeat and go to the Netherworld to suffer, to be tortured? I cannot!"
He attacked the Heavenly Lord's Dao heart once more, but missed. The Heavenly Lord's Dao heart rose slowly, flew out of the Nine Prisons Platform, and gradually disappeared into the sky.
The Ancestral God King's Dao heart looked up and saw the Heavenly Lord's face growing larger and larger, filling the entire sky of the Nine Prisons Platform.
"Walk out."
The Heavenly Lord said, "First, become a human. Then, comprehend the Human Heart. Comprehend the Heavenly Heart. Walk out of the Nine Prisons Platform."
"Demigods are inherently nobler than humans, nobler than post-natal beings!"
The Ancestral God King's Dao heart charged madly upwards, screaming, "Humans are also divided into three classes and nine grades, let alone me, a demigod! I possess the most powerful bloodline in the world, the most supreme spiritual body, boundless wisdom and boundless power. Why should I become a human? Why should I comprehend the Human Heart and the Heavenly Heart? My heart is the Heavenly Heart! I am so powerful that even the Heavenly Dao, even Father God, even all the living beings of the myriad heavens and realms, must kneel at my feet!"
Whoosh—
The moment he rushed out of the Nine Prisons Platform, countless thorns and mountain peaks shot out from all directions, piercing through his Dao heart!
The Ancestral God King's Dao heart was nailed in mid-air, annihilated and dissipated.
Outside, the Ancestral God King went completely mad, charging at the Heavenly Lord to kill him. The Heavenly Lord closed his eyes, starlight like tears.
Pfft, pfft, pfft—
Huge thorns burst out from within the Ancestral God King's body, stabbing out in all directions. By the time the Ancestral God King reached the Heavenly Lord, his blood splattered all over him.
"I am not resigned..."
The Ancestral God King raised his blood-drenched hand, smearing blood all over the Heavenly Lord's face, and chuckled grimly. "Father God, I am not resigned. I was not defeated by you... Gurgle..."
Blood gushed from his mouth, blocking his throat.
"...I was defeated by Mu... Gurgle... Mu Tianzun. I did not lose to your Heavenly Heart..."
He fell onto his back, his eyes wide open, their whites showing completely.