Chapter 1761: The Final Echo of the Guixu
The Empress leaped out of reincarnation time and time again, but before she could regain control of her body, she was sealed by the red-string knot seal of the two. After she broke the red-string knot seal, she was cast back into reincarnation by them.
This happened over and over, and despair filled her heart.
The Ultimate Void had already invaded her Guixu domain, destroying her cultivation of the Great Way, causing her cultivation and strength to dwindle lower and lower.
Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua—one the foremost genius of a million years ago, the other a rising star of Yankang—suppressed her completely, leaving her no chance to escape.
She could only weaken continuously until these two ground her down to nothing!
Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua’s coordination was flawless, seamless and perfect.
They had once comprehended the Dao together in the Ancestral Court, exchanging their insights, and had both meditated on the mysteries of the World Tree beneath its branches. Their paths were extremely similar, and they were intimately familiar with each other’s divine abilities.
Lan Yutian could be excused—he was utterly ignorant of worldly affairs—but the key was Xu Shenghua. No matter what divine ability Lan Yutian used, Xu Shenghua could instantly guess his intent and cooperate!
Lan Yutian had the highest achievement in the Dao Realm, being the one closest to attaining the Dao within the Ancestral Court’s Dao Realm system, and thus the most powerful. Xu Shenghua was slightly inferior in insight and talent, but he had single-handedly guarded the World Tree for decades, slaying countless prehistoric powerhouses who had sneaked across, giving him far superior combat experience and awareness compared to Lan Yutian!
The Empress had also used every means at her disposal, even attempting to summon the Guixu Sacred Land. If she could summon the Guixu Sacred Land, its boundless power could devour the void and pull her into the Guixu.
At that point, with herself in her own sacred land, killing the two would no longer be difficult.
However, Xu Shenghua saw through her intentions time and again, using reincarnation divine abilities to interrupt her thoughts of summoning the Guixu Sacred Land.
Finally, the Ultimate Void invaded her Guixu domain, breaking through thirteen layers of the domain in a short time, plunging the Empress into despair.
The World Trees of Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian were like Dao trees in the void, capable of summoning the cold, still wind within the Ultimate Void. Their World Tree roots acted like bridges, channeling the cold, still wind deep into her Guixu domain, eroding her cultivation and strength.
Not far away, Shangjun, Yue Tianzun, and Jiang Baigui were besieging the Joyous Hall Master.
In the distance was the battle for the Heavenly Emperor Hao’s attainment of the Dao. You Tianzun, the two Emperors Xuanwu, and Lang Wan attacked the Heavenly Emperor Hao. This time, they had gone to see the Third Young Master Lingxiao and received his guidance. Their second attempt to attain the Dao through force was at a critical juncture, leaving them no time to attend to the Empress.
Boom!
Another layer of the Guixu domain was broken. The Empress felt her cultivation sharply decline, but then the sensation of weakening vanished as she was cast back into reincarnation by Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian.
When the Empress leaped out of reincarnation again, she was horrified to find that yet another layer of her Guixu domain had been shattered!
Before she could recover her senses, Lan Yutian executed the red-string knot seal, imprinting it on her forehead, knocking her consciousness down.
These two, while fighting her, were simultaneously comprehending new reincarnation divine abilities, perfecting their own reincarnation Great Ways, and also understanding more variations of the red-string knot seal!
Even though the Empress repeatedly broke their reincarnation divine abilities and the red-string knot seal, she would still fall for it the next time, because their divine abilities had already evolved.
There were countless geniuses in the world, as numerous as the stars in the sky, but those who could continuously develop new techniques in the midst of battle, adapt on the fly, and innovate were probably only these two.
“Your Majesty, after this strike, do not awaken again!”
Lan Yutian felt a pang of reluctance, saying, “If you enjoy the bliss of family in reincarnation, coming out would mean you…”
Suddenly, behind Xu Shenghua, the Six Paths of Reincarnation emerged. Six different reincarnation Great Ways took the form of six heavenly wheels, invading the Empress’s physical body, stripping away her primordial spirit and consciousness together, and casting them into reincarnation.
The Empress’s body stood empty and still, motionless.
Xu Shenghua breathed a sigh of relief, urged the World Tree, and said solemnly, “After this battle, the Empress will cease to exist. Lan Yutian, you should not have such womanly kindness.”
Lan Yutian urged his own World Tree, and together, the power of the Ancestral Court’s Dao Domain erupted, destroying the Guixu domain.
“She is one of the Ten Celestial Venerables, and she will never be able to step out of that role. I understand that.”
Lan Yutian said gloomily, “But I wanted to give her a chance. Once, she gave you and me a chance.”
Xu Shenghua fell silent.
Lan Yutian returned to the memory of Imperial Celestial, awakening his scattered recollections. In his mind, he saw the scene of himself comprehending the Dao under a tree.
At that time, he was just an insignificant youth of the human race, which was the lowest of all races before the Dragon Han Era.
He was comprehending the Dao under the tree when the Empress’s carriage passed by. The Empress ordered the celestial gods to stop, lifted the beaded curtain, and silently watched him, not disturbing his enlightenment.
In that session of enlightenment, he comprehended the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasury, solving the problem that all post-natal beings, even demigods, could not cultivate.
That day, the world changed.
And the tree under which he had comprehended the Dao later became the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven.
That day, the Empress stopped her carriage for him. After he awoke, she cheerfully invited him onto the carriage. They sat together, talking at length, and her carriage carried him to roam the Great Wilderness of the Primordial Realm, making him reluctant to leave.
From then on, he had a friendship with the Empress.
Later, when the ancient gods bestowed blessings upon him, it was also the Empress who helped persuade the lofty gods and the Heavenly Emperor Taichu.
The Empress’s favor elevated the status of the human race. Though still difficult, it was much better than before, leading to the eventual emergence of the Seven Celestial Venerables of the Dragon Han Era.
This was the debt of gratitude the Empress owed him.
Xu Shenghua thought of a different scene.
It was when Qin Mu sent him to the Taishi Mine in the Ancestral Court to meet the Empress, to return the Taiji Primordial Liquid to the Taiji Ancient God. The Empress was still Yan Tianfei then, and they had a pleasant conversation. Initially, there was still desire in her eyes, but later, only appreciation remained.
The Empress did not make things difficult for him and eventually let him go.
As an enemy, Xu Shenghua felt only admiration for the Empress, with no hatred to speak of.
He was different from Qin Mu. Qin Mu never saw himself as a god but as a mortal, judging the actions of the Ten Celestial Venerables from a mortal’s perspective, which bred hatred and a desire to overthrow them.
Xu Shenghua, from the start, was a favored son of the High Heavens, a lofty ruler. Though later influenced by Qin Mu to become a pillar of the Yankang reforms, he still had little contact with mortals.
He could not bring himself to hate the Empress.
After a moment, Xu Shenghua said, “You and I can leave the Empress a thread of life. But it depends on whether she can grasp it herself.”
Lan Yutian nodded.
The Empress stood motionless on the deck of the Ferry World Golden Ship.
She had fallen into Xu Shenghua’s Six Paths of Reincarnation. When she awoke again, she looked around and found herself in a soft flower chamber.
Beside her was another young body, connected to her by breath, but with an entirely opposite aura.
That was another her, filled with the power to destroy everything.
And she herself seemed to possess the power to nurture all things.
They grew silently in this darkness, feeling the strange tides from the outside world.
One day, the darkness suddenly split open. The Twin Lotuses of Guixu rose slowly from the Great Abyss along with the tide, their petals gently spinning as the twin lotuses bloomed.
The Empress and the other her saw the outside world for the first time.
Many Creators came here, bowing to the two goddesses in the flowers. They called her Yuanxi and the other her Yuanmu. They revered her as the goddess of fertility and Yuanmu as the goddess of destruction.
At that moment, she felt the existence of self and other.
The Creators sacrificed to them, worshipped them, and offered tributes. Though the Empress and Yuanmu appeared similar on the surface, their personalities gradually changed under the Creators’ worship.
Their personalities became increasingly opposed.
Later, Taichu, the adopted son of the Grand Emperor, arrived. That tall, handsome man immediately captivated her.
Taichu had grand ambitions and astonishing desires. When he looked at her, the fiery intensity in his eyes made her unable to resist.
But when Taichu looked at her sister Yuanmu, there was also a hidden flame beneath his calm gaze.
She was swept away by the heat of love and didn’t take this to heart.
The Empress fell into this Six Paths of Reincarnation divine ability, as if watching her own life.
Time passed.
Soon, she saw a scene different from her memory. After defeating the Creators, Taichu was elected as the Heavenly Emperor and married both sisters.
“From beginning to end, you and Yuanmu are one, both Guixu Goddesses.”
Taichu said to her, “I look at her as I look at you.”
The Empress silently accepted this. Later, she had a child, named Qi, whom the ancient gods called Crown Prince Qi.
Crown Prince Qi was adorable and beloved by the Heavenly Emperor Taichu, and she loved her son dearly.
Yuanmu’s child was also born, named Hao, whom the ancient gods called Second Prince Hao.
She knew that she and Yuanmu were actually one person, and Yuanmu’s child was also her child. Both Qi and Hao were her sons.
Her life was very happy.
The Empress held Crown Prince Qi in one arm and Second Prince Hao in the other, playing with the two children, a smile on her face as the children giggled endlessly.
“But it’s all fake.”
Suddenly, the Empress’s face turned cold. She activated her divine ability, and the two children in her arms screamed before turning to ash!
The Empress stood up. Darkness covered the sky, devouring everything. She strode toward the Lingxiao Palace in the Heavenly Court.
Wherever she passed, the Guixu destroyed everything. Countless celestial gods turned to dust under the Guixu’s divine abilities, crumbling into chaos.
“Zitong, have you gone mad?” The Heavenly Emperor Taichu showed an expression of disbelief as he charged toward her.
“Fake!”
The Empress sneered. A Great Abyss suddenly appeared, swallowing the Heavenly Emperor Taichu.
Yuanmu stared blankly at this scene, then suddenly screamed and rushed at her, shouting, “Sister, what have you done to our children?”
“You are also fake.”
The Empress reached out and grabbed. Space twisted, and Yuanmu fell toward her, then was fused into her. The Empress sneered, “You and I are one, so return to one! Xu Shenghua, do you think you can make me give up everything—power, wealth, and glory—with such a divine ability? Dream on! Break!”
She pushed her divine ability to its limit. The Six Paths of Reincarnation shattered, and the six worlds collapsed!
The Empress returned to her body and opened her eyes, finding herself still on the Ferry World Golden Ship.
Across from her stood Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian. Their gazes fell on her, and then they closed their eyes, as if unable to bear watching.
Boom!
The two World Trees channeled the power of the Ultimate Void, surging toward her and engulfing her.
The Empress let out a fierce cry, trying to fly out of their domain, but her cultivation had been almost completely drained, leaving her with no power within her body.
After a moment, the generation of the Empress, along with the blowing of the cold, still wind, turned to nothing.
—Everyone, remember to give Qin Mu a heart every day! The Starlight Value is still 60,000 away! Giving hearts doesn’t cost money!!