Chapter 469: A Thousand Hands Bound, Who Dares to Strike
The scene before Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor’s eyes shifted abruptly. When the light returned to normal, he found they had arrived in a celestial court. Here, palaces towered majestically, divine mountains stretched endlessly, and divine radiance illuminated countless worlds.
“Is this a world within a painting?”
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor was utterly shocked. If this was indeed a painted world, then it was far too vast!
He looked around—the heavenly palace had no end in sight!
The sky was filled with lofty deities, some majestic, some sacred, some transcendent. But most were simply gods and goddesses walking about, seeking friends, raising cups, and toasting one another in a grand feast.
Qin Mu had brought him into the painting, entering this heavenly banquet. Long corridors stretched like bridges, rainbows shimmered with color, suns and moons hung from pavilions, and within lanterns, divine birds wreathed in flame served as candles, radiating light and heat.
Divine maidens plucked at strings and blew into strange instruments. Women danced on lotus leaves suspended in midair, flowers raining down around them.
Drunken gods staggered about, clutching wine jugs and wobbling as they teased shy, evasive goddesses.
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor’s eyes could not take it all in. They stood at the very center of the feast, surrounded by countless deities. In the distance, divine mountains blazed with ten thousand rays of light.
The Earth Lord was not far from him, his head crowned with nine-curved horns, sitting motionless, with flames swirling beneath him like an abyss.
Several other immensely imposing beings sat high above, their faces indistinct, their majesty no less than the Earth Lord’s.
“Imperial Preceptor, right now you look like a country bumpkin entering a city—just like when I first entered Xianglong City!”
Qin Mu laughed heartily. Suddenly, he grabbed a jug of wine from a tray carried by a passing goddess and drank deeply.
The goddess was furious and shouted, “Where did this brat come from? This is sacred wine meant for the high gods—how dare you touch it?”
“So much chatter!”
Qin Mu kicked the goddess flying, caught another jug from the airborne tray, and shoved it into the Imperial Preceptor’s hands. Then he leaped onto the jade table before a lofty deity and drank freely.
The deity erupted in rage and slammed down a palm the size of an acre. Qin Mu reached for his sword, and the severed arm flew away.
Qin Mu laughed loudly, flipped the jade table over, and shouted, “Poetry in the moon, wine of the immortals, soaring from the earth straight to the nine heavens!”
Ssshhh—
The lofty deity’s head was lopped off by his sword. Qin Mu carried the head as he stormed through the hall, wreaking havoc in the Celestial Court. Countless divine beings rose up and charged at him. Qin Mu’s sword flashed, sending gods flying and heads rolling as he charged straight to the Earth Lord’s side. He hung the head on the Earth Lord’s horn and laughed, “Exiled from the golden register of immortals, yet adorned in the jade hall of the Fangzhang!”
The Earth Lord rose with a roar, shaking his body, which swelled to ten thousand feet, with boundless divine fire beneath him.
Qin Mu activated his sword orb. Eight thousand swords circled the Earth Lord, spinning into a sword-winding technique, slicing the great god into countless pieces. Then he clapped his hands together, and the countless flying swords formed a long dragon, sweeping in all directions. As he fought with abandon, he sang, “A hundred-foot dragon body must be, yet layered forests and phoenix wings remain!”
Countless divine beings surged like a tide, drowning him.
Divine light shot into the sky as Qin Mu burst forth from the pile of severed limbs and broken weapons, strumming his sword and singing wildly, “A thousand hands bound, who dares to strike? Ten thousand gods turn back, unable to resist! Imperial Preceptor, I come to break the god within your heart!”
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor burst into laughter. In an instant, his earlier dejection vanished, replaced by a hundredfold spirit. He declared loudly, “The god within my heart—why should you break it?”
He strode forward, his sword light scattering as he moved. His combat power surpassed Qin Mu’s, and wherever he passed, deities fell one by one.
In the Hall of the Celestial Court, countless gods and demons surged toward them.
Qin Mu and the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor stood back to back, shoulder to shoulder, at the gate of this heavenly palace, slaughtering endlessly.
After a long while, the corpses of gods and demons piled up like mountains, yet still an endless stream of deities came, their war cries shaking the heavens.
“How long must this go on?”
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor shouted, “You hold the gate! I’ll go kill the Heavenly Emperor!”
Qin Mu replied, “Go ahead!”
The Imperial Preceptor charged into the Hall of the Celestial Court, where divine corpses littered the floor.
Boom—
The Imperial Preceptor flew back, crashing into the wall of the hall beside Qin Mu. Qin Mu was startled. The deities here were clearly weak in cultivation and strength—the painter who created this grand scene lacked skill, so even he could slaughter them freely.
Yet the Imperial Preceptor had been beaten back by that Heavenly Emperor!
Qin Mu blinked, sensing trouble: “This painter is also a flatterer. He probably poured all his skill into painting the Heavenly Emperor, which is why the emperor in the painting is so powerful.”
Qin Mu, having studied under Deaf, understood deeply how a painting’s power worked.
The power of a painting depended not only on the painter’s skill but also on the subject being painted.
The greater the skill and depth, the stronger the painted object’s power. Of course, the painter’s dedication also mattered.
This painter had not been very dedicated when painting the other gods and demons, investing little effort, so their strength was weak—even the Earth Lord’s power was mediocre.
But the subject also mattered greatly.
For example, when Deaf painted the village chief in his youth, the Sword God Carrying His Sword painting displayed astonishing power and might!
This painter must have been extremely dedicated when painting the Heavenly Emperor, capturing his divine essence, which was why the emperor’s strength was enough to send the Imperial Preceptor flying!
Qin Mu felt uneasy. He had brought the Imperial Preceptor into the painting to break his fear of gods. If the Imperial Preceptor couldn’t even defeat the painted Heavenly Emperor, this setback might shatter his conviction entirely!
Just then, the Imperial Preceptor climbed down from the wall and charged out again, his battle intent blazing, undiminished!
A moment later, the Imperial Preceptor flew back again. Qin Mu activated his eight thousand swords, slaughtering the surging gods, and looked at the Imperial Preceptor on the wall. He was battered and bruised.
“Hmm, this is tricky. The painted Heavenly Emperor’s strength is probably beyond that of ordinary gods…”
Before he could finish the thought, the Imperial Preceptor charged again.
Thud.
The Imperial Preceptor was thrown back once more.
This repeated several times.
The gate before the Hall of the Celestial Court was piled high with the corpses of gods and demons. Qin Mu was panting from exhaustion, but the Imperial Preceptor kept charging at the Heavenly Emperor atop the hall, only to be thrown back each time, growing more battered with each attempt.
Qin Mu’s eyes flickered as he prepared to take out the Five Thunder Pot, thinking, “Even if I have to blow this place up, I can’t let the painted Heavenly Emperor completely defeat the Imperial Preceptor…”
The Imperial Preceptor charged out again. After a moment, all the war cries suddenly ceased. The gods and demons outside the hall showed terror on their faces and fled in all directions.
Qin Mu was stunned. He turned to see the Imperial Preceptor standing behind him, holding the Heavenly Emperor’s head.
Though the Imperial Preceptor was covered in wounds, he wore a smile—a pure, innocent smile.
The two looked at each other and burst into laughter together.
The Imperial Preceptor raised his arm and hurled the Heavenly Emperor’s head far out of the hall, shouting, “Drawing my blade from the forbidden grounds, I carry the king’s head by hand. Heavenly Blade’s spirit is truly bold! At this moment, I can finally grasp the essence of his blade technique and dao!”
Qin Mu, aching all over, walked into the hall and said with a smile, “You’re a real freak, with such high comprehension. Master Tu taught me for years before I figured out the subtleties of his blade technique, yet you, a sword practitioner, can grasp his blade dao. My comprehension is far inferior to yours.”
The Imperial Preceptor turned and said seriously, “A person’s comprehension grows with their vision and experience, and so does their wisdom. Your current cultivation and strength are insufficient, but when you reach my level, you may well have the potential to see through all mysteries. In the future, you will not lose to me—you will only surpass me. You thought to use this heavenly feast to break the god in my heart and restore my resolve, but I never thought of it. Why belittle yourself, Sect Leader?”
Qin Mu approached the Heavenly Emperor’s throne, dragged the headless corpse aside, and sat down on the throne. Surprised, he asked, “Imperial Preceptor, you think I can surpass you, this straight line?”
The Imperial Preceptor smiled and said, “You are the younger generation. If the younger cannot surpass the elder, wouldn’t this world be too tragic? Besides, you are the Overlord Body.”
Qin Mu, brimming with confidence, nodded. “That’s true. I am the Overlord Body, so I’m definitely stronger than you.”
The Imperial Preceptor’s face darkened.
Qin Mu shifted his seat, making room, and said, “Come, sit on the throne only the Heavenly Emperor can occupy.”
The Imperial Preceptor hesitated. “Is that… appropriate?”
“Come on, sit! The view is great here!”
“Alright.”
The Imperial Preceptor sat down, and the two gazed at the scenery outside the Hall of the Celestial Court. After a moment, the Imperial Preceptor said, “The vast world lies before our eyes. Sitting in this seat, wielding boundless power, the life and death of any world, any being, is at my whim. Sect Leader, does this kind of desire for power arise in your heart?”
Qin Mu sat there leisurely and replied, “If I said yes, would you kill me immediately to remove a future threat for the Emperor?”
Their eyes met. The Imperial Preceptor looked away and said softly, “No. I would only be wary of you.”
He stood up, his expression calm once more, as serene as before, as if nothing could change him. Yet Qin Mu knew that after this painted heavenly feast, the Imperial Preceptor’s resolve had entered a realm beyond comprehension.
His heart was now unbreakable.
At this moment, the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor had no more flaws in his resolve.
Qin Mu stood up and walked out of the painting, gaining insight: “Only by breaking the despair in one’s heart can one ignite greater hope and fighting spirit.”
The two stepped out of the mural on the wall, one after the other, and set foot on solid ground.
The Imperial Preceptor turned to look at the mural. The palace within remained, but the countless gods and demons lay dead in piles, while some cowered in corners, trembling with fear.
Qin Mu stepped forward, erased the few strokes he had added, and the mural returned to its original state.
Qin Mu scratched his head, puzzled. “The painter who created this had extraordinary skill, no less than mine. But why is there a missing corner? With his skill, he could have given life to the figures in the painting, allowing everyone at the feast to move and interact. But without that corner, the painting is dead.”
“Probably damaged by accident.”
The Imperial Preceptor walked out, saying, “The battle outside should be over by now. It’s time to let Xiong Xiyu reclaim her position as Palace Lord and have the Western Lands merge into Yan Kang.”
Qin Mu followed him and said with a smile, “If you have the Emperor’s decree, reading it now to appoint Xiong Xiyu as the True Heavenly Palace Lord would have a better effect.”
The Imperial Preceptor took out the decree and said, “Before I left, I asked the Emperor to prepare it in advance.”
“The Emperor is also an old fox,” Qin Mu remarked.
The two left the hall. In the mural, a painted goddess stirred, looked around, and finding no one, scurried down the wall and ran out.
—Third update! Zhai Zhu hasn’t eaten yet, so he’s off to eat, then to watch TV. Hunan TV, Zhai Zhu is going on stage to make a fool of himself—forgetting lines, stage fright! Brothers, what are you waiting for? You must watch!