Chapter 745: A Young Man in Blue Robes Walks Boldly
"To open the Heavenly Palace, one must mobilize the power of the gods within the body."
On the divine altar, amidst the phenomena of the divine treasures manifested by Qin Mu's primordial energy, the sun and moon within the Embryonic Divine Treasure blazed to life. His voice echoed through the main hall of the detached palace, unhurried and composed: "The Embryonic Divine Treasure, the Great Sun Star Lord, the Great Yin Star Lord."
Within that divine treasure phenomenon, the Five Luminaries Stars lit up in succession, the Five Luminaries Star Lords standing atop each star.
"The Five Luminaries Divine Treasure! The Star Lord of Saturn, the Star Lord of Mars, the Star Lord of Venus, the Star Lord of Mercury, the Star Lord of Jupiter!"
"The Six Harmonies Divine Treasure! The Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign, bearing all things with deep virtue!"
"The Seven Stars Divine Treasure! The Seven Stars Aligned, the Seven Gods United in Power!"
"The Celestial Human Divine Treasure! The Myriad Stars of the Heavens, the Star Lords and Star Gods, borrowing the power of the Heavenly Duke!"
"The Life and Death Divine Treasure! The Vast Netherworld, the Gods Controlling Souls, borrowing the power of the Earth Count!"
"The Divine Bridge Divine Treasure! The Primordial Spirit Shall Be the God Among Gods!"
...
In the divine treasure phenomena manifested by Qin Mu's primordial energy, the radiance of one deity after another blazed forth. This was him borrowing the power of the many ancient gods of the Heavenly Court, while the primordial spirit of the cultivator symbolized the Heavenly Emperor, the sovereign of all power.
"Having reached this step, borrowing the power of the Heavenly Court, all gods return to their positions, drawing forth the power of the Heavenly Court to imprint the Heavenly Palace!"
Qin Mu shouted softly. Within the divine treasure phenomena, one deity after another borrowed power, their strength growing ever greater. The structures built by the ancient gods of the primordial Heavenly Court—the Southern Heavenly Gate, the Jade Pool, the God-Slaying Platform, the Jade Capital City, the Lingxiao Hall, the Emperor's Throne—their energy was drawn forth, gradually forming a Heavenly Palace before the Divine Bridge.
The crowd stared dumbfounded at this scene. All around, there was silence; no one spoke.
The Heavenly Palace had been opened like this. Another immensely grand and majestic great realm had appeared before their eyes.
This was a monumental achievement, a feat that made humans equal to gods!
A realm capable of ushering them into the age of mythology!
After a long time, someone finally cheered: "Imperial Heaven Venerable!"
"Imperial Heaven Venerable!"
"Imperial Heaven Venerable!"
Cheers erupted everywhere, the sound waves shaking the heavens.
Heavenly Venerable Hao stared blankly at this scene, a hint of gloom in his heart: "I don't have such charisma... If he isn't Imperial Heaven Venerable, then how does he know the method of becoming a god? Could it be..."
A terrifying thought, one that filled him with fear, arose in his mind: "Is Imperial Heaven Venerable really still alive? No, that's not right. I clearly killed him. Yin Chaojin destroyed his soul. He can't possibly still be alive! Besides, that existence has already confirmed it. That existence couldn't be wrong..."
A chill ran down his spine. If Imperial Heaven Venerable were still alive, why hadn't he acted directly to kill him?
Was Imperial Heaven Venerable wary of the existence behind him?
Did Imperial Heaven Venerable have a greater scheme?
There were few people in this world who could truly make him feel wary, and Imperial Heaven Venerable was one of them.
In front of Imperial Heaven Venerable, he always felt inferior, always felt he was lacking. Although he too was exceptionally talented, whenever he saw Imperial Heaven Venerable, an involuntary sense of inferiority would arise in his heart.
Therefore, he had to kill him, had to eliminate Imperial Heaven Venerable, eliminate the god in his own heart!
Now, was this god, who had once crushed him until he couldn't breathe, about to return?
"He must die!" he thought to himself.
Just then, Qin Mu's voice rang out: "Heavenly Venerable Hao, it's your turn."
Qin Mu called out several times before Heavenly Venerable Hao snapped back to reality. He forced a smile and began to expound the teachings, continuing from where Qin Mu's method of opening the Heavenly Palace left off. But he was somewhat distracted, pausing mid-sentence.
"After borrowing the method to open the Heavenly Palace, one can already achieve equality with the gods and attain immortality. However, this is only the initial achievement. There are still many trials ahead. Because this is a borrowed method—borrowed from the ancient gods and the Heavenly Court—it must be repaid, or else calamity will strike. The first trial at this stage is the Southern Heavenly Gate. Only by crossing the Southern Heavenly Gate can one truly stabilize their Heavenly Palace realm."
"This step is: using the method borrowed from the Heavenly Court, refine the false into the true!"
...
Heavenly Venerable Hao quickly steadied his mind and began to explain the cultivation method for the Southern Heavenly Gate realm that Imperial Heaven Venerable had taught him.
Heavenly Venerable Hao had not cultivated to the Southern Heavenly Gate realm, nor had Imperial Heaven Venerable. But as the founder of the Heavenly Palace, Imperial Heaven Venerable had determined all these realms in one go, achieving a remarkable level of understanding of them.
Heavenly Venerable Hao was merely repeating Imperial Heaven Venerable's words.
Qin Mu continued, explaining the cultivation of the Jade Pool realm. After finishing the Jade Pool, Heavenly Venerable Hao spoke of the dangers of the God-Slaying Platform realm.
Qin Mu then elucidated the mysteries of the Jade Capital realm, followed by Heavenly Venerable Hao on the Lingxiao realm.
Finally, Qin Mu finished explaining the Emperor's Throne realm, completing the seven major realms of the Heavenly Palace.
Opening Emperor's heart sank: "Once the seven realms of the Heavenly Palace are fully explained, Mu Qing will likely make his move to kill. He has already confirmed his identity as Imperial Heaven Venerable. Using that identity to point out that Heavenly Venerable Hao and the Netherworld Emperor are his murderers, the enraged crowd will tear them apart! But the Netherworld Emperor isn't dead yet, so what happened in between? Who actually died? What went wrong..."
Just as he thought this, Heavenly Venerable Hao's voice came from the divine altar, laughing: "Father and brother left the last realm for me to explain, so I'll reluctantly take on the task. Now, let's talk about the realm above the Emperor's Throne—the Heavenly Court..."
Opening Emperor's mind exploded. His eyes widened in disbelief!
An eighth realm!
There was actually an eighth realm!
He had never even heard of a Heavenly Court realm existing above the Emperor's Throne!
Niu Sanduo's mind also went blank. From ancient times to the present, there had never been any record of this realm, not even a rumor!
"Imperial Heaven Venerable..."
On the divine altar, Qin Mu's face darkened. He thought silently: "Truly worthy of being the real Imperial Heaven Venerable. I still can't compare to him. His death is such a pity... A person like this shouldn't be buried by history!"
On the divine altar, Heavenly Venerable Hao's explanation was halting and full of errors, but the general framework was laid out. The Heavenly Palace was merely one palace within the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court contained thirty-six Heavenly Palaces, and the realm beyond the Emperor's Throne was to forge the Heavenly Court, opening the thirty-six Heavenly Palaces!
At the Heavenly Court realm, for cultivators, it would be a tremendous improvement and leap—a qualitative leap!
However, there was no information at all about the Heavenly Court realm in later ages, clearly indicating it had been lost.
After finishing, Heavenly Venerable Hao said sheepishly: "Everyone, it's not that I deliberately didn't explain clearly, but Father and Brother told me that he hadn't even opened up the Heavenly Court realm himself. Isn't that right, Father and Brother?"
Qin Mu stood up, his expression as calm as an ancient well, eerily composed: "That's right. The Heavenly Court realm is profound and vast. I never comprehended it, even unto my death."
Heavenly Venerable Hao broke out in a cold sweat, secretly stepping back, and laughed: "But hasn't Father and Brother come back to life? The word 'death' is a bit too strong. My mother has always admired you; seeing you alive again, she will surely be very happy."
The hidden meaning in his words was to warn "Imperial Heaven Venerable" not to make a scene, while also hinting at the existence behind him.
But he had no idea that Qin Mu didn't care about that.
Imperial Heaven Venerable might have cared for the greater good, but Qin Mu was not Imperial Heaven Venerable!
Not even Opening Emperor could make Qin Mu change his mind, let alone Heavenly Venerable Hao's mother?
Just then, an ancient god suddenly flew over, shouting loudly: "The name of the Heavenly Court has been decided! His Majesty, along with the Heavenly Duke, the Earth Count, and other existences, has determined the name of the Heavenly Court!"
The main hall of the detached palace erupted in uproar. Everyone surged outward, hearing the ancient god's voice pass overhead as he flew into the distance, shouting: "The name of the Heavenly Court is Long Han! This year marks the first year of Long Han!"
Opening Emperor and Old Niu's hearts trembled violently. The Long Han era had finally begun, hadn't it?
"Three parts of the sky, Long Han; now it begins?"
Qin Mu was lost in thought. The nursery rhyme recited by the boy in the Crimson Bright Suspended Realm—"Three parts of the sky, Long Han; Crimson Bright splits in two"—today officially marked the beginning of the Long Han era!
A strange feeling arose in his heart. What is history?
This is history.
He was now within history, becoming a silhouette of the era.
And in this silhouette, the grand and vast Heavenly Court was filled with jubilant people. The towering ancient gods stood high above, smiling down at the celebrating crowd below.
Half-gods danced in the air, dragons and phoenixes brought auspicious signs. By the Heavenly River, people rushed to tell each other the news. In painted boats, couples leaned against each other, looking up at the dazzling divine abilities in the sky—the abilities of excited people, adding splashes of color to the Heavenly Court.
This historical silhouette presented the beginning of a glorious golden age.
Yet at this moment, few remembered Imperial Heaven Venerable. They were all celebrating. Who would remember that the person who truly pushed this era toward prosperity was now lying in a coffin, forever unable to see the coming golden age?
"Is there no justice in this world?"
Amidst the splendor, Qin Mu looked down at his own hands and let out a low, bitter laugh: "Opening Emperor was right. The past doesn't need justice; there is no justice. History doesn't need me to uphold justice. But..."
He raised his head, looking at the sky full of splendor and excitement. His bitter laugh turned into a loud, hearty laugh, unrestrained and wild.
"But Imperial Heaven Venerable needs it! Imperial Heaven Venerable needs justice—"
"History doesn't need justice, but the people in history need this justice—"
His hand fiercely grabbed his collar and tore off the purple robe of Imperial Heaven Venerable he was wearing with a sharp rip. The purple robe fluttered in the wind, drifting over the heads of the celebrating crowd.
Qin Mu's chest burned with passion. He laughed uproariously, laughed freely, laughed until all his pent-up anger was released.
"History won't give them justice. But I, damn it, I can! I can give them this justice!"
"And I, damn it, need this justice too—"
He longed for a drink, to guzzle wine from a jar like the Butcher, to get dead drunk and bleary-eyed like Tian Shu, then draw his blade and kill!
Though he hadn't drunk, he was already intoxicated. He walked toward Heavenly Venerable Hao.
Heavenly Venerable Hao pushed through the crowd, trying to avoid him.
Opening Emperor and Old Niu were also outside, witnessing this thrilling moment. Suddenly, a fluttering purple robe was blown by the wind, tumbling through the air toward the Jade Pool, falling into the sea.
"Imperial Heaven Venerable's purple robe!"
Opening Emperor's heart jolted. He quickly turned back, grabbed Old Niu's hand, and said urgently: "Where is Mu Qing? Where is Mu Qing?"
Old Niu hurriedly searched: "He was on the divine altar just now. They're still in the hall, right?"
"When the ancient god announced the name Long Han, he also walked out of the hall!"
Opening Emperor pulled Old Niu forward, anxiously saying: "He took off his robe. He wants to kill while everyone is distracted! Hurry, let's go! We must find him before things get out of hand!"
Old Niu activated his divine power. Opening Emperor suddenly floated uncontrollably, and the two of them drifted into the air.
"Your cultivation is shallow. Let me take you!"
Old Niu said solemnly: "You keep an eye on the crowd below. We must find him!"
Opening Emperor quickly scanned the area, searching for Qin Mu's whereabouts.
"A young man in blue robes walks boldly, just now discerning male from female! A bit of righteous spirit, a swift wind for a thousand miles!"
Qin Mu felt his body growing hotter and hotter, a surge of hot blood churning and boiling within him: "I wish I could be like Grandpa Butcher—a swift blade, good wine, taking heads—to have his heroic spirit turn into poetry amidst battle. Unfortunately, I don't have his literary talent! He's a great literary master; his poems pour straight from the heart, his poetic nature aids the heavenly blade, swift as a blade chopping a pig's head! I'm still lacking."
He followed Heavenly Venerable Hao to the surface of the Jade Pool. Beneath the waves, giant beasts and huge turtles swam, and large fish flew leisurely through the air.
These were half-gods, descendants of the ancient gods.
Heavenly Venerable Hao continued forward, with more and more half-gods gathering around him.
Qin Mu also continued forward.
"But my blade is just as fast!"
"My fists are just as heavy!"
"When I slay the wicked and treacherous, I'm no slower than Grandpa Butcher's blade!"
————The pig's blood is burning! Burning! Turning into a roar: Begging for monthly votes! Begging for recommendation votes!