Chapter 889: The Sacrifice of Reform
The Cripple hesitated for a moment, not advancing, but instead squinting into the distance from afar.
It was far too dangerous there. He saw many Heavenly Court gods and demons charge into the darkness only to collapse, their primordial spirits utterly annihilated. Some of those Heavenly Court gods and demons were far more powerful than he was, yet they still couldn't withstand the invasion of the darkness.
"This dark power is even stronger than the darkness that shrouds the Great Ruins!"
The Cripple's heart clenched. He thought to himself, "Wei Suifeng probably won't die anytime soon, right?"
In the sky, a river of stars drifted. Those weren't actual stars, but the Heavenly Court's Zhou Tian Xing Xiu army, forming a heavenly net. It was like a great canopy inverted, precisely trapping the cauldron-like darkness.
The sky and the earth were completely illuminated. The starlight was so intense, and the stars numbered in the millions, their light shining from every direction, leaving no shadow to be found.
The heavenly net contracted, compressing the pitch-black demonic aura of Youdu inward, compressing it further. Soon, the small Youdu within the Yuan Realm had shrunk by more than half.
"Mu'er is being suppressed!" The Cripple's heart skipped a beat.
Countless mountain gods came charging from afar. The Cripple quickly shook his body, following these mountain gods as they rushed towards the darkness, blending in among them.
He was a master of the arts of creation and transformation, and at this moment, he took on the appearance of a mountain god.
He saw that the mountain gods had towering physiques, as tall as mountains, and they encircled the heavenly net.
Each mountain god took out a pillar and slammed it into the ground. The mountain gods stood by the pillars, each casting their own spells, muttering incantations under their breath.
The pillars, once planted, began to expand wildly, growing taller and taller. They spun, and countless runes on their surfaces lit up, flowing from the top of the pillar to the bottom, drilling into the earth.
The ground was rapidly solidifying.
A mountain god beside the Cripple noticed him and shouted, "Where's your treasure? Why haven't you taken it out?"
Before the Cripple could answer, a terrifying light suddenly blazed from within the darkness. Seeing the light in the darkness, the Cripple hurriedly threw himself to the ground, his body shrinking rapidly.
The mountain god not far from him hadn't even reacted when an incredibly thick beam of light swept across him with a *whoosh*, cutting him in half at the waist. That massive pillar was also severed, crashing down.
The light swept across, causing space to tremble, emitting a low, humming drone.
But this wasn't just a single beam of light—there were as many as six.
Six brilliant beams of light swept in all directions, cutting horizontally, slashing vertically, slicing diagonally. They swept across the heavenly net and the earthly net. The heavenly net of the Zhou Tian Xing Xiu army was already complete, with stars shining brilliantly behind the heads of the celestial gods, blocking the six beams of light.
However, the earthly net was not yet fully formed. Massive pillars were snapped in half, some cut into six or seven segments. The mountain gods scattered to dodge the light shooting from the darkness. They were powerful, and the light was so bright, so naturally they could avoid it.
The Cripple lay flat on the ground, looking at the mountain gods around him. He saw that these mountain gods were powerful and reacted in an instant. Except for the one who had been caught off guard while talking to the Cripple and was killed by the light, all the other mountain gods had managed to dodge the six terrifying beams.
But strangely enough, to avoid the six beams, these mountain gods leaped into the air, and the height they leaped to was all on the same plane.
"Idiots!"
The Cripple dared not move, cold sweat pouring from his forehead. He thought, "Mu'er has three eyes. The divine light from his two outer eyes is bright light, and the light from his middle eye is dark light. He's now in his Three Heads, Six Arms form, with six beams of bright light and three beams of dark light. He's forcing you all to jump to the same height so he can kill you with the three beams of dark light..."
He had seen the terrifying sight of Qin Mu breaking his seal and transforming into the Youdu Divine Child back in the Grand Heavenly Court. Back then, it was Tu Bo who had to come and save the day, preventing a major catastrophe.
The Cripple was terrified of Qin Mu's sinister third eye.
He saw a mountain god leaping in mid-air, suddenly sliced into four neat segments by what seemed like three invisible blades.
The Cripple looked elsewhere. In the air, almost all the mountain gods had been cut into four neat pieces, perfectly aligned, almost without any difference.
"Mu'er isn't being controlled by his demonic nature; he's controlling it. Otherwise, the Youdu Divine Child wouldn't fight like this."
The Cripple thought to himself, "The Youdu Divine Child fights on instinct, but he fights with reason."
In the sky, the heavenly net suddenly twisted, as if grabbed by some terrifying monster and pulled downwards. The Zhou Tian Xing Xiu army within the net was dragged down with it, unable to resist, letting out piercing screams.
The Zhou Tian Xing Xiu army was under the command of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Zheng Shen of the Heavenly Court. The Xing Dou Zheng Shen were ancient gods, but the Xing Xiu army consisted of demigods and other races who had achieved cultivation and joined the military.
The Zhou Tian Xing Xiu army, along with the heavenly net, fell madly into the darkness. What awaited them was a great cauldron. The entire heavenly net, along with this army of gods and demons, fell into the cauldron, and then there was silence.
After devouring so many gods and demons, the great cauldron suddenly erupted. Countless faces floated in the darkness, all crying out in unison, "Ugly!"
The Cripple had just relaxed when the dark sky lit up again. Countless divine beings in the sky activated their treasures, forming the face of the Heavenly Lord, with white eyebrows and white eyes!
It was a form of the Heavenly Lord composed of countless exotic treasures, a reconstruction of the Heavenly Lord's runic great path, architected by the Heavenly Court's Dao Sect using mathematical techniques.
The eyes of the Heavenly Lord's head shone downwards, an incredibly bright light evaporating the demonic aura of Youdu, quickly revealing Qin Mu's true form!
The Cripple saw that one of Qin Mu's three heads was a big-headed doll. Under the gaze of the Heavenly Lord's light, its face twisted in pain, and the head kept shrinking back into Qin Mu's body.
The Cripple's heart sank. "The great paths of Xuan Du and Youdu counteract each other. Mu'er can't hold on..."
Qin Mu leaped up and sped away. Countless divine beings in the sky moved with him, the formation of the Heavenly Lord's head remaining perfectly intact. But Qin Mu was too fast; they couldn't catch up.
The Cripple also quickly got up and gave chase, but even he couldn't keep up with Qin Mu.
Just then, the Cripple saw a white light shoot up to the sky in the west, where Qin Mu was fleeing. A vast, majestic imperial might surged forth, blocking his path. A celestial palace materialized, layer upon layer of halls. The primordial spirit of an emperor, seated in the Jade Capital City's Lingxiao Hall, suddenly rose to its feet.
Almost simultaneously, in the north, a patch of darkness also erupted with imperial might. A celestial palace unfurled like a scroll. The primordial spirit of the Yin Heavenly Son sat on the imperial throne, with the Nether Sea surging behind him.
In the south, flames blazed fiercely. Within the flames, a vast celestial palace appeared. The Lingxiao Hall was amidst the holy fire, and a nine-headed phoenix flapped its wings, crying out loudly in the flames.
The Cripple was dazed by the impact of the imperial might. He turned his head and saw a green light piercing the sky. A celestial palace appeared within the green light, countless palaces and towers growing dragon scales, looking incredibly ancient.
The White Emperor, the Black Emperor, the Red Emperor, the Green Emperor—the four emperors of the Heavenly Court's post-natal beings—had all arrived.
The Cripple's heart sank. Despair welled up within him, growing larger and larger.
Qin Mu charged towards the White Emperor in the west. A terrifying wave of force erupted. He was repelled by the White Emperor, unable to escape to the west.
He then faced the Yin Heavenly Son. The Yin Heavenly Son fought him in the Nether Sea. After a few moves, he had to retreat. The path to the north was also cut off.
Qin Mu turned south. The sound of a qin rang out. The Red Emperor, Qi Xiayu, transformed into a nine-headed phoenix and forced him back.
The Cripple saw Qin Mu run past him, charging towards the Green Emperor approaching from the east. Soon, he saw Qin Mu fall back, tumbling and crashing past him.
"Mu'er..."
He reached out a trembling hand but couldn't grasp Qin Mu. He saw Qin Mu charge forward again, only to be knocked back again.
"Do not harm the life of the Youdu Divine Child. Capture him."
A voice came from beyond the heavens, indifferent, devoid of any emotion. "He is crucial. He is a weapon against Tu Bo."
The Cripple saw Qin Mu charge out again and again, only to be knocked back again and again. His injuries grew heavier and heavier, making it harder and harder for him to stand.
"Mu'er!"
The Cripple rushed towards Qin Mu. There, Qin Mu was supporting himself on the ground with his six arms, panting heavily. The air he exhaled was mixed with bloody mist and fragments of his internal organs.
The Cripple struggled to get there. Qin Mu seemed to see him, turned his head, and revealed a smile.
"Cripple Grandpa..."
The Cripple saw Qin Mu raise a finger and point it at him. Countless teleportation runes lit up around the finger.
"No—" the Cripple roared, but he was swept up by the teleportation runes, and his figure vanished.
The world spun around him. When he finally steadied himself, he had been sent who knows how many miles away.
The Cripple was both shocked and furious. He struggled to rush back to that battlefield, but it was too far. Even he, the unparalleled divine thief, couldn't get there in time.
"Brother, you should go."
Qin Mu struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He looked at the four emperors closing in from all sides and chuckled. "You can still return to Youdu. You are too important. The Heavenly Court cannot be allowed to have you. If they get you, Tu Bo will be in danger. I'll send you back."
Qin Fengqing shook his head, driving the body towards the Red Emperor, Qi Xiayu. "You are more important!"
Qi Xiayu plucked her qin strings. He was sent tumbling back, but then flipped over and charged at Qi Xiayu again.
Qin Mu activated his Indestructible Divine Consciousness, trying to suppress him and send him back to the Qin Continent. He shouted, "Go back! Go back to Youdu!"
Qin Fengqing was knocked back again. He staggered to his feet, and suddenly his demonic nature erupted. He forcibly resisted Qin Mu's suppression and roared, "You go back!"
"Stubborn as hell!"
Qin Mu gritted his teeth, struggling to suppress him. He raged, "I can't let them get you! I am not the Youdu Divine Child! I am just a consciousness born in this body after you were sealed! I have no soul! The soul is yours! Go back!"
Qin Fengqing, suppressed like a baby, crawled on the ground, whimpering and crawling towards Qi Xiayu. "You are more important... The bad little brother is more important... Mother doesn't like me, Mother is afraid of me... Mother likes you more. If you live, Mother will be happy..."
He stood up again, fighting for control of the body.
Qin Mu sighed, closed his eyes, and whispered, "Heavenly Lord, Tu Bo, lend me your strength..."
Two streams of power erupted from within him, pulling Qin Fengqing back into the Qin Continent.
"Bad little brother—" Qin Fengqing screamed miserably, but he still fell into the Qin Continent.
Qin Mu pressed down on the Killing Life Cauldron. Countless faces floated up from within the cauldron, staring at him.
Qin Mu raised his hand, reached into his brow, and forcibly gouged out his third eye.
A Gate of Bearing Heaven appeared behind him. He threw the eye into the Youdu behind the gate.
The faces in the Killing Life Cauldron looked at this young man who no longer had a third eye and spoke softly, "Ugly."
"Yes, I am Ugly." Qin Mu wiped the blood from his forehead and grinned.
He staggered to his feet, looking at the four Heavenly Court emperors approaching him.