Chapter 795: The Final Victor (Third Update!)
Qin Mu stood in a daze.
One was the suddenly appearing peerless beauty Jue Wuchen, born in the Primordial Realm of the Mother of Earth.
One was the leader of the demigods, the Heavenly Emperor Hao Tianzun of the Demigod Heavenly Court.
One was the leader of the later-born beings, the Alliance Master of the Heavenly Alliance, the Heavenly Emperor Yun Tianzun of the Human Heavenly Court.
During the time when the Heavenly Emperor was at his most invincible, it was also the bloodiest period of slaughter between demigods and later-born beings. They had set a trap for the Heavenly Emperor.
Heavenly Lord, Earth Lord, and Mother of Earth all appeared in a somewhat dishonorable light in this matter.
Not only that, but what sent chills down one's spine was that the Heavenly Emperor's reincarnation was supposed to be a secret, yet it had been discovered!
What terrified Qin Mu the most was that Yun Tianzun and Hao Tianzun, these two mortal enemies, had actually joined forces!
Their alliance was the most impossible thing to happen. The two sides bore deep hatred for each other. How could they set aside such enmity and join hands against the Heavenly Emperor?
The hatred between later-born beings and demigods was the hatred of prey for predators, the hatred of slaves for slave owners.
As both sides rose and fought each other, the hatred only deepened.
Beyond the racial hatred, the deep enmity between Yun Tianzun and Hao Tianzun stemmed from the murder case of Yu Tianzun. Logically speaking, Yun Tianzun was the least likely to ally with Hao Tianzun.
Yet these seemingly impossible events had occurred.
What frightened Qin Mu the most was that they had clearly planned this long ago, having united far earlier. The so-called slaughter between demigods and later-born beings was all staged for the Heavenly Emperor to see, to make him let down his guard.
And during this time, how many later-born beings and demigods had died because of it?
The number of lives lost was likely incalculable!
On both sides of the mountain of corpses and sea of blood were the faces of Yun Tianzun and Hao Tianzun—faces cold without any warmth.
"These two... they are terrifying..."
Qin Mu shuddered, then steadied his mind.
Heavenly Lord's voice came: "...In that battle, the Heavenly Emperor died, obliterated by their combined attack. I don't know why Mother of Earth did this, nor whether she struck. In truth, we all had selfish motives back then. Heh, the notion that ancient gods are selfless is merely a flattering misconception by mortals. The more you understand us, the more you'll discover our selfishness. We ancient gods are not as glorious as you imagine. Child of the Qin family, now that you know how we ancient gods operate, you should be on guard against us."
Qin Mu exhaled a turbid breath and murmured, "No wonder, no wonder Yan Qiling told me to be wary of the Heavenly Alliance, to be cautious of Heavenly Lord and Earth Lord, and to guard against Mother of Earth. So that's it..."
He finally understood.
Behind Yan Qiling stood the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor's death was related to the inaction of Heavenly Lord, Earth Lord, and Mother of Earth, while the Heavenly Alliance was the one that directly struck against the Heavenly Emperor.
"Then, if Mother of Earth herself said she died at the hands of the Heavenly Alliance, why did her Primeval Wood end up with the Heavenly Emperor?" Qin Mu was utterly perplexed.
Suddenly, Heavenly Lord continued: "After the Heavenly Emperor died, a strange thing happened. It was this matter that left me unsure who the final victor was among the three heavenly courts of Xiao, Long, and Han."
Qin Mu quickly asked, "What matter?"
Heavenly Lord said, "After the Heavenly Emperor was killed, Yun Tianzun and Hao Tianzun both raced toward the heavenly court at incredible speed. By then, their cultivation was already extraordinary. What puzzled me was that Yun Tianzun had transformed into Hao Tianzun's likeness, and both seemed to be rushing desperately, trying to reach the heavenly court before the other. Later, I figured it out..."
His gaze turned strange as he said softly, "They were going to seize the Heavenly Emperor's physical body."
Qin Mu's body trembled violently.
"The news of the Heavenly Emperor's death never spread because, although the Heavenly Emperor was dead, the Heavenly Emperor in the heavenly court was still alive."
Heavenly Lord's gaze grew somewhat dazed. "Yun Tianzun and Hao Tianzun sped like wind and lightning toward the heavenly court, naturally to take control of the Heavenly Emperor's body. By mastering his body, they would gain his authority and power, making it easy to suppress the other. Think about it—is there any easier way to seize power than this? Yet I never saw who ultimately obtained the Heavenly Emperor's body."
Qin Mu stood dumbfounded. After a moment, he asked, "Yun Tianzun transformed into Hao Tianzun's likeness? How did he manage that?"
Heavenly Lord did not answer.
Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha sighed. This old Buddha looked troubled and said, "I taught him. He was the leader of the human race, the Alliance Master of the Heavenly Alliance. He wanted to boost human morale by transforming into the vanished Mu Tianzun and Qin Tianzun. When he came to me, I was naturally happy to teach him. The human race was in a terrible state back then..."
Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Then was Yun Tianzun truly human?"
Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha was startled, understanding his meaning, and shook his head. "I don't know."
Qin Mu looked at Heavenly Lord, who also shook his head. "I don't know if he was human or demigod. He always appeared in human form. However..."
He paused and said, "Hao Tianzun also always appeared in human form."
Silence fell around them.
Heavenly Lord said, "I only know that the Heavenly Emperor sitting on the throne of the Longhan Heavenly Court was no longer the true Heavenly Emperor, but I don't know which of the two was sitting there. Because after that, more and more changes occurred. Later, the Xiaohan Heavenly Court was destroyed, and the Longxiao Heavenly Court didn't last long either, following Xiaohan's fate and being destroyed. Then the ancient heavenly court rose higher and higher, far from the Great Wasteland that had become the battlefield's ruins, until Emperor Chi rose from the ruins of the Yuan Capital..."
Emperor Chi was lost in thought. "Back then, the Great Wasteland was chaotic and extremely dangerous. I escaped death countless times. In my youth, I loved to roam and saw many ruins of the two heavenly courts. One day, I saw a statue with three heads and six arms, its features blurred beyond recognition. Suddenly struck by inspiration, I sat beneath that stone statue in meditation for a long time, finally comprehending my own path."
Qin Mu's mind buzzed. His voice hoarse, he said, "Was it my statue?"
"I couldn't make out the face," Emperor Chi shook his head.
Qin Mu's mind was in turmoil. The information Heavenly Lord and the others had revealed was overwhelming, bombarding him so that he couldn't digest it all at once.
Suddenly, he remembered something and quickly asked, "What about the Empress? Weren't the Empress sisters still in the heavenly court? Whether Hao Tianzun or Yun Tianzun took over the Heavenly Emperor's body, they couldn't have fooled the Empress sisters! Why didn't they expose it?"
Heavenly Lord said, "Child of the Qin family, aren't you curious how the news of the Heavenly Emperor's reincarnation leaked? If the Empress sisters couldn't be fooled about the Heavenly Emperor's body being taken over, they naturally couldn't be fooled about his reincarnation either."
Qin Mu pressed his hand to his forehead and paced around the stone table, making the Great Sun Star Lord dizzy.
Suddenly, he stopped and said, "Then the victor must be Hao Tianzun! If it were Yun Tianzun, the Empress sisters wouldn't have stayed silent, since Yun Tianzun had no connection to them!"
Suddenly, Earth Lord said flatly, "Can you be sure Yun Tianzun had no connection to the Empress sisters? Yun Tianzun might have been their son. After all, many ancient gods reincarnated back then."
Qin Mu was stunned, feeling his mind wasn't enough to keep up.
Heavenly Lord hesitated, then said, "Actually, before this, there was an incident where the Empress was attacked. Little Bird mentioned it earlier, saying there was something strange about it..."
The Great Sun Star Lord looked miserable.
Heavenly Lord was about to speak when Earth Lord suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist, you've said enough. The matter of the Heavenly Emperor is finished; there's no need to stir up more trouble."
Heavenly Lord came to his senses and urged, "Child of the Qin family, you should leave. Don't keep disturbing our peace. You already know enough. Knowing too much will only harm you."
Qin Mu hurriedly said, "I still have one more question! If Heavenly Lord can answer this for me, I won't bother you further."
Heavenly Lord said patiently, "Speak."
"Since the Heavenly Emperor is dead and his body has been usurped, what about Yan Qiling?"
Qin Mu spoke rapidly: "Yan Qiling is clearly the Heavenly Emperor's successor. She has mastered various great daos and even possesses the Dao One Divine Ability. Moreover, she came here this time because the Primordial Realm was unsealed, bringing the Primeval Wood and the new Mother of Earth. Clearly, the Primeval Wood and the new Mother of Earth couldn't have been cultivated by her; the Heavenly Emperor must have acted behind the scenes. So, is the Heavenly Emperor truly still alive?"
Heavenly Lord widened his eyes and scolded, "How would I know? I'm baffled by these matters too. You ask me, but who do I ask? Go away, go away. If you don't leave, I'll release your brother and have you suppressed here!"
The big-headed doll was overjoyed, clapping and cheering.
Qin Mu's face darkened. Knowing he couldn't get any more answers, he had no choice but to withdraw his indestructible divine consciousness.
By the stone table, Heavenly Lord and Earth Lord sat down again. The Great Sun Star Lord quickly gave way and stood aside.
Heavenly Lord said, "The incident of the Empress being attacked shouldn't have far-reaching implications. Why didn't you let me speak, Fellow Daoist?"
The molten Earth Lord said, "Telling him so much will only bring him more danger. In this world, the more you know, the faster you die." He glanced at the Great Sun Star Lord.
The Great Sun Star Lord was silent, touched his back, opened his beak, but said nothing.
"Moreover, Fellow Daoist, what you know is capital."
Earth Lord continued: "Look at my Netherworld. The forces of the heavenly court have been cleansed with his help. Fellow Daoist, you only indulged in speaking freely, but didn't consider that your Heaven Realm still has countless heavenly court forces stationed on your body. Don't you want to use his strength to help you eliminate these hidden dangers?"
Heavenly Lord was tongue-tied. After a moment, he stammered, "You're an honest man? Fellow Daoist, if you're honest, I'll punch a big hole in the sky!"
The molten Earth Lord's face was all rock, showing no expression. He said faintly, "I am the Lord of the Netherworld, the origin of the demonic path. Naturally, I know some methods."
Heavenly Lord laughed. "It seems I need to invite him to the Heaven Realm as well. Hahaha..."
Qin Mu sat on the Dragon Qilin's head, healing his injuries. Soon, most of his wounds were mended. Suddenly, he recalled something: "Earth Lord is hard to talk to; Heavenly Lord is the easiest. I forgot to ask Heavenly Lord whether this halo formed from Mother of Earth's blessing is actually a means for the Mother of Earth to monitor me!"
He had been kicked out by Heavenly Lord and couldn't go back to ask, so he had to let it go. He thought to himself, "I'll go back to Yan-Kang first and let Teacher Woodcutter check it out. His insight and experience are a hundred times better than mine; he'll surely be able to tell. If it really is a monitoring method, then Yu Tianzun's various divine blessings probably need to be removed too..."
He rummaged through his glutton sack and finally found the Mu Tianzun token and the Heavenly Emperor's decree in a corner.
Qin Mu hesitated. Yan Qiling had said the Heavenly Emperor's blessing was hidden in the Mu Tianzun token and the Heavenly Emperor's decree. Should he open the decree and obtain this blessing?
If it were a monitoring method, wouldn't his whereabouts fall under the eyes of that Heavenly Emperor, whether dead or alive?
After pondering for a moment, he stuffed the Mu Tianzun token and the Heavenly Emperor's decree back into the glutton sack. "I'll wait until Teacher Woodcutter checks the Mother of Earth's blessing before deciding! Obtaining the Heavenly Emperor's blessing would give me an extra means of survival, but the Heavenly Emperor's intentions are unfathomable—it could be a blessing or a curse. After all, Yu Tianzun's case is a warning."
He activated the Overlord Body Three Dan Techniques, and suddenly, six booming sounds came from within his body. The Spirit Embryo, Five Luminaries, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Heavenly Being, and Life and Death Divine Treasuries burst open!
His primordial spirit stood atop the Six Harmonies Continent, beside the Jianmu Tree that reached as high as the sun and moon, while beneath his feet was a darkness—the Netherworld.
The Life and Death Divine Treasury connected life and death; this treasury reached straight into the Netherworld!
"Man stands between heaven and earth, with heaven above and earth below. Above, one becomes a god; below, one becomes a demon. Humans inherently possess both divine and demonic aspects. Then... the opposite of the Life and Death Divine Treasury is the Heaven Realm Divine Treasury!"
Qin Mu reversed his primordial spirit, and suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed as the demonic divine treasuries opened one after another, reaching the Heavenly Being Divine Treasury. Then another barrier broke, and boundless heavenly light shone from that treasury, reflecting against the Netherworld's Life and Death Divine Treasury!
Qin Mu looked down. He stood atop the Heaven Realm, and suddenly, his gaze froze as he thought of something extremely important.
"Humans inherently possess both divine and demonic aspects. Doesn't this mean that everyone can open both the divine path divine treasuries and the demonic path divine treasuries?"
He was stunned, then suddenly trembled with excitement: "Has anyone before me opened the demonic path divine treasuries? If not, am I the first? Right, right! Divine treasuries can be inherited—just have a child and I'll know! Hmm, how do you make one... National Teacher has had one; I'll go ask National Teacher!"
—Once again, thanks to Ye Leng Qing Shen Feng Lan and San Sheng Yuan Zong Lie Zhe for their generous tips. Not waiting until midnight. Updated early. Zhai Zhu is thirty-six years old now. I feel like I'm getting old. Writing a few thousand more words makes my brain feel like it's about to explode. Writing is truly a young person's game. July is almost here. Please reserve your guaranteed monthly votes for Mu Shen Ji! A chapter asking for votes will be posted at midnight. Brothers, if you can't wait until midnight, get some rest early.
July 1st, please give us your guaranteed monthly votes!
I'll tell everyone one happy thing and one sad thing. The happy thing is that Mu Shen Ji has a second Golden Alliance Leader. Once again, thanks to Ye Leng Qing Shen Feng Lan for the generous tip, and thanks to every reader for your tips and support.
The sad thing is that the tax system has changed. The annual royalty tax rate for authors is going up to 45%.
This is quite a blow to authors. The relationship between authors and websites is a revenue-sharing one, with splits of three, five, or seven. Now, nearly half of the income is being taken in taxes. It feels like the sky is falling.
Online authors are more like programmers—both are young people's games. Take Zhai Zhu, for example. After ten consecutive years of writing, I can feel my physical fitness declining significantly, and my brain isn't as fast as it used to be. I haven't made much money, but my body is starting to break down.
How many more years can I keep up this high-intensity work? I don't know myself.
Taking away so much tax at once basically drains away my retirement savings.
Sigh. One sigh.
Regardless, today is July 1st. I earnestly ask my brothers to cast your guaranteed monthly votes for Zhai Zhu and Mu Shen Ji!