Chapter 1006: Encounter with the Celestial Demon King Again

There were only two pieces of the eggshell in total. When the Celestial Emperor's physical body was still alive, the Celestial Alliance was in even greater disarray. Back then, one only needed to control the Celestial Emperor's body to enter the ancestral land and retrieve the eggshell.

However, no one at the time wanted the eggshell to fall into another's hands. Haotianzun was the most vocal opponent, and other Celestial Venerables and leaders within the Celestial Alliance also opposed its removal for various reasons.

By the time the Celestial Alliance unified, and elders like Lingtianzun and Yuetianzun had passed away, leaving only Haotianzun, Hongtianzun, and their respective factions, they found no opponents. However, the Celestial Emperor's physical body was also gone, making it impossible to retrieve the eggshell.

Although everyone coveted the treasures within the Celestial Emperor's ancestral land, no one possessed the strength to retrieve the eggshell, so they had no choice but to give up.

Haotianzun also attempted to retrieve it several times, even risking breaking into the ancestral land while wielding the divine weapon Yutianzhun. Yet, he was consistently unable to approach the altar.

All along, he had considered these two pieces of eggshell as his own.

Furthermore, since the Celestial Emperor was born from an egg and was his father, Haotianzun believed that the Celestial Emperor's possessions rightfully belonged to him.

Unexpectedly, this time, while they were all guarding against each other, someone secretly infiltrated the ancestral land and took one of the eggshells!

Haotianzun surveyed his surroundings, suppressing his anger. He spoke in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoists, it has not been easy for us to reach this point, nor has it been easy to attain our current status. If you return that treasure, we can still be fellow Daoists. However, if you refuse to return it, then I'm afraid the Ten Celestial Venerables will become nine."

The Celestial Venerables around them remained silent.

They, too, coveted the two halves of the eggshell from which the Celestial Emperor was born.

The eggshell was imprinted with the most complete Grand Dao runes of the Celestial Emperor, but this was not its primary use. In fact, its optimal use was to seal the ancient god Celestial Emperor.

Even if another Celestial Venerable were to acquire the physical body of the ancient god Celestial Emperor, as long as they possessed the eggshell, they could still seal and suppress the ancient god Celestial Emperor within it.

If it could seal the ancient god Celestial Emperor's physical body, then sealing the divine weapon Yutianzhun would naturally be effortless.

Possessing this treasure would grant a significant advantage among the Ten Celestial Venerables. Unfortunately, now only half remained.

Who took the other half? This was the primary concern of the Ten Celestial Venerables.

Haotianzun scanned the group once more, then suddenly laughed, a sign of extreme anger, and swept his sleeves as he departed. "It seems the Ten Celestial Venerables will not just become nine," he declared, "but eight!"

He departed in a rage, leaving behind the other seven Celestial Venerables, who remained silent.

Suddenly, Empress Qiang broke the silence: "When I arrived, the situation was already like this; that treasure was certainly not taken by me. However, I did see a fellow Daoist enter here, controlling the Celestial Emperor's physical body, accompanied by Crown Prince Mingya."

Xiaotianzun spoke indifferently: "After Crown Prince Mingya left here, he hastily departed from the Celestial Court and is now nowhere to be found. He likely knows something. Why don't we apprehend him and interrogate him thoroughly?"

Empress Yan stroked the white cat's head and smiled, "Crown Prince Mingya fled the Celestial Court? How interesting."

Emperor Langxuan cleared his throat and said, "Whoever took that treasure, it would be best to return it to avoid unsettling us."

No one responded.

Hongtianzun stroked his white beard, musing, "Besides the Celestial Emperor's physical body, I doubt anyone but the Grand Emperor possesses the ability to enter this restricted area. Ancestral God King, you have witnessed the Grand Emperor's capabilities; you should be quite familiar with his methods."

Ancestral God King calmly stated, "The Grand Emperor certainly possesses that capability. If he is lurking within the Celestial Court, hidden among the Celestial Alliance, no one would be able to find him."

Silence fell upon the group once more, the seven Celestial Venerables remaining expressionless.

Who was the Grand Emperor?

Could the Grand Emperor truly be hidden among them?

Was one of the seven Celestial Venerables present actually the Grand Emperor?

The seven Celestial Venerables exchanged glances, then quickly averted their gazes. At that moment, anyone could be the Grand Emperor in their eyes; even Haotianzun, who had just departed, became a suspect.

Suddenly, Empress Yan left, holding her white cat, and said with a smile, "Huo Tianzun and Xu Tianzun have returned."

The other six Celestial Venerables then disappeared.

Huo Tianzun and Xu Tianzun hurried back to the Celestial Court from Youdu. Their journey took some time, so they arrived a few days later than Qin Mu.

When the Ten Celestial Venerables reconvened and listened to Huo Tianzun and Xu Tianzun describe their experiences in the Grand Void, their hearts were greatly shaken.

The encounters described by Huo Tianzun and Xu Tianzun were quite similar to Qin Mu's: various bizarre experiences including Corpse Walkers, the Creator's City, the mad Grand Tutor Yue, the Supreme Divine Sense Domain, and the Void Bridge.

Qin Mu, surprisingly, had not uttered a single lie; he had accurately recounted his experiences in the Grand Void!

Celestial Venerable Mu had always been a rebel; when had he transformed into a loyal and unyielding minister?

Nevertheless, based on Huo Tianzun and Xu Tianzun's accounts, it seemed highly probable that the Grand Emperor was indeed hidden among them!

Huo Tianzun and Xu Tianzun immediately sensed the unusual atmosphere among the Celestial Venerables, their mutual caution, and even overt hostility.

While the Ten Celestial Venerables were never truly close, they had always maintained a discreet wariness towards one another. When had this underlying suspicion become so blatant?

Huo Tianzun frowned slightly, thinking, "Since Celestial Venerable Mu arrived at the Celestial Court, the rift among the Ten Celestial Venerables seems to have widened, and the Celestial Alliance's division appears inevitable. Yet, the ancient gods have not yet been eradicated, and the Alliance's initial purpose was to eliminate ancient god rule..."

"So, Carefree Village at the end of the Void Bridge still hasn't been found?" Ancestral God King asked.

Huo Tianzun and Xu Tianzun nodded simultaneously. Huo Tianzun explained, "We were trapped in the central chamber, and it was half a year later by the time we emerged."

"Where was Celestial Venerable Mu at that time?" Celestial Venerable Gong inquired.

"Just outside the door."

Xu Tianzun said indifferently, "After seeing us, he closed the door, and by the time we emerged, he had vanished without a trace."

Haotianzun posed the most crucial question: "So, did Celestial Venerable Mu find Carefree Village?"

Xu Tianzun shook her head. "That, I do not know," she replied.

Huo Tianzun cast a glance at her. He was somewhat surprised that Xu Tianzun hadn't mentioned the two extra individuals accompanying Qin Mu, and he wondered what her intentions were.

However, since Xu Tianzun remained silent on that point, he also held back some information.

The ten Celestial Venerables fell silent, and the atmosphere grew heavy. Logically, since they had discovered traces of Carefree Village, they should have immediately mobilized their forces and launched an attack. Even if it meant heavy casualties, they ought to eradicate Carefree Village and eliminate Emperor Kai.

However, at this moment, none of them had that intention.

In comparison, Carefree Village was merely a minor annoyance, whereas the Grand Emperor hidden among them was the true, grave threat.

Whichever Celestial Venerable chose to use their forces to attack the Grand Void would face resistance from both the Grand Void Creators and Carefree Village. This would inevitably lead to troop losses and a decline in their own power.

The current Ten Celestial Venerables of the Celestial Court were no longer as unified as before. If their influence waned and they engaged in a life-and-death struggle with Emperor Kai Qin Ye, they feared they would not fall to their enemies, but rather to a treacherous attack from within their own ranks!

After all, the fate of the Great Sun Star Lord served as a stark warning.

"Carefree Village must be attacked."

The benevolent Hongtianzun sighed with emotion, "This old man originally thought that Carefree Village, where Celestial Venerable Qin resides, was a carefree paradise. Unexpectedly, it is such a perilous place. To name such a desolate location 'Carefree Village' is quite laughable. To attack there, we must first navigate the various dangers within the Grand Void. Perhaps it would be best to let the younger generations scout the path first. Once the external hazards are cleared, then we can confront Qin Ye and those Creators."

The other Celestial Venerables nodded in agreement, saying, "Let the younger generations from the various heavens clear the path first; then we can deal with Qin Ye."

Huo Tianzun frowned. "Sirs," he stated, "ordinary gods and devils sent to the Grand Void will be utterly useless; they will simply be sent to their deaths!"

The other Celestial Venerables chuckled, "Huo Tianzun has many disciples and strong experts under his command. Why don't you personally lead your forces to the Grand Void and subdue Qin Ye?"

Huo Tianzun was enraged. He flicked his sleeve, rose to his feet, and stormed away. "I ventured into the Grand Void, risked life and limb, and gathered crucial intelligence," he declared, "while you sit here bickering! Fools, I am ashamed to be counted among you!"

"Huo Tianzun still has that fiery temper," everyone remarked, shaking their heads.

Celestial Venerable Mu's Residence.

Fox Ling'er had already descended to the lower realm, while Qin Mu remained in the Celestial Venerable's residence. He spent his days studying the eggshell he possessed, deciphering its runic markings, and occasionally joking and bantering with Yun Chuxiu and Divine King Langwo.

Yun Chuxiu was now residing in the Celestial Venerable's residence, occupying a room and showing no inclination to leave. Lian Huahun also visited occasionally, accompanied by Divine King Langwo, and the three women created a lively atmosphere.

When the three women were together, Qin Mu tried his best not to get involved.

Soon, news arrived that the Celestial Court had decided to wage war on the Grand Void, conscripting gods and devils from all the heavens into military service. Fox Ling'er also sent word that the Celestial Court's Zaofu Palace had assigned numerous tasks to Yankang, demanding the swift production of divine weapons and armaments for the war.

"Celestial Venerable," a palace maid reported, "a poor relative has arrived from the lower realm, saying they wish to seek refuge with you."

"A poor relative?"

Qin Mu was surprised and let out a laugh. "What poor relatives do I have?" he asked. "They are all quite wealthy. Please show him in."

A moment later, an eight-armed demon god, led by the palace maid, entered. The demon god possessed eight arms, four faces, and twelve eyes, exuding a majestic and formidable presence. He bowed deeply and announced, "Demon King Dutian greets Celestial Venerable Mu!"

Qin Mu quickly stepped forward, smiling, "Elder Brother Dutian, what brings you here?"

The demon god was indeed Demon King Dutian from the Dutian World. He said with a hint of shame, "The Dutian World was destroyed, and we could no longer sustain ourselves there, so we wandered the starry sky. After we left, Earth Count took the Dutian World and refined it into a horn. In recent days, countless demons from Dutian have starved or perished from exhaustion. Hearing that the Celestial Court was preparing for war against the Grand Void, we, with nowhere else to turn, thought to seek refuge with them. I was surprised to hear there was a Celestial Venerable Mu in the Celestial Court, which I found peculiar. Upon inquiry, it indeed turned out to be you."

Qin Mu chuckled, "Who else could it be but me?"

Demon King Dutian sighed with emotion, "Who would have thought that the young Cult Master of yesteryear would become today's Celestial Venerable Mu? To come and seek refuge with you, I even had to bribe the guards of Yujing City with a large sum of money just to enter. Now, the people and citizens of the Dutian World have no means of survival. I earnestly implore Celestial Venerable Mu, for the sake of our pleasant past acquaintance, to grant us a path to survival."

Qin Mu looked him up and down, smiling. "Didn't you want to seek refuge with the Celestial Court and join the expedition to the Grand Void?"

Demon King Dutian hesitated, then whispered, "I suspect the Celestial Court has ill intentions. If the Grand Void were so easy to conquer, countless gods and devils within the Celestial Court would surely rush to claim military merits. The reason they are selecting gods and devils from all the heavens is likely to send them as cannon fodder."

Qin Mu burst into laughter, raising his hand to pat the demon king's shoulder, though he couldn't quite reach.

Demon King Dutian hastily hunched his body, allowing Qin Mu to finally pat his shoulder. Qin Mu said with satisfaction, "Indeed, Elder Brother Dutian remains remarkably astute; you saw through their deception at a glance. This campaign in the Grand Void is simply the Ten Celestial Venerables' way of avoiding depleting their own forces by deliberately sending others to their deaths."

Demon King Dutian's face was weathered and rugged, as if carved by knives and axes, clearly indicating the hardships of recent years. He forced a strained smile through his wrinkles and timidly asked, "Then, Celestial Venerable, may the people of my Dutian receive your protection?"

Qin Mu's gaze settled on his face, but he remained silent.

Demon King Dutian dropped to his knees with a thud, bowing his head deeply. "There are not many of the demon race left from the Dutian World," he pleaded. "Please, Celestial Venerable, grant us a path to survival! I know I wronged and offended you in earlier years, and I am willing to face punishment."

Qin Mu shook his head. "Get up," he said. "My Yankang is barely able to protect itself; where would I find territory to resettle your people?"

Demon King Dutian quickly said, "Celestial Venerable, please protect my people for now. I will go to the Grand Void to earn military merits; once I have enough, I will gain territory and then bring my people back!"

Qin Mu chuckled. "Going to the Grand Void is suicide," he said. "Not to mention you, even those at the Firmament and Emperor's Throne realms wouldn't dare claim they could return unscathed from the Grand Void. You won't earn any military merits."

————Happy birthday to Chuan Chuang and the Buddhist Male God!