Chapter 1046: Divine Power Establishing the Way

After Moon Heavenly Venerable and the others launched the Soaring Heaven Court into the sky, the initial excitement died down, and they did not remain there. Instead, everyone packed their bags and headed to the human tribes to preach.

Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then asked Yan'er to carry a lantern before joining them.

"Yun, you're acting a little strange," Moon Heavenly Venerable remarked, studying him. She shook her head. "Carrying a lantern in broad daylight?"

Ling Heavenly Venerable, having no interest in ordinary mortals, remained in the Soaring Heaven Court, engrossed in her research. Thus, their group for this journey comprised only Moon Heavenly Venerable, Dao Ancestor, and a few other human gods.

The preaching site they had established was very simple, located in the center of the tribe. When Qin Mu and Moon Heavenly Venerable arrived, Dao Ancestor was already there, delivering his teachings.

"We can barely survive; what's the use of learning mathematics?!" an adult man grumbled, pulling his child away. He muttered curses under his breath. "It's not going to feed us!"

The people in this tribe were dressed in rags and looked gaunt. Dao Ancestor's teaching space was a dilapidated thatched hut, where about a dozen young people sat, listening intently to his lessons on mathematics.

Qin Mu surveyed his surroundings. The tribe had a sizable population, numbering over a thousand, who sustained themselves through hunting and farming. They were all hardworking people who toiled from dawn till dusk. In the village, there was a statue of a god, though it was unclear which demigod it represented.

The location was not far from the Soaring Heaven Court; one could see it floating in the sky by looking up. Yet, the worshipped deity was a demigod, indicating that human gods still held little status at this time.

Dao Ancestor lectured for a while, explaining how to use mathematics to calculate the celestial bodies, locate the Five Planetary Stars within the body, and thereby open the Five Elements Divine Treasure. However, just then, several parents arrived and pulled the few remaining children from the thatched hut to help with farm chores, leaving only a handful of listeners.

When Dao Ancestor finished, he sighed, quietly rose, and began packing his belongings.

Qin Mu and Moon Heavenly Venerable waited outside. Dao Ancestor emerged, bowed, and said, "It is most challenging to spread enlightenment in these unenlightened lands. For now, I can only do this much: I will first disseminate the methods for opening the Spirit Embryo and Five Elements Divine Treasures, hoping that some among them can become practitioners of divine arts. As soon as a single child masters divine arts, the villagers will realize that humanity, too, can wield great power, and they will no longer fear the gods."

"This is truly about shattering the 'god in the heart'," Qin Mu said, feeling a deep resonance with Dao Ancestor's words. This particular step was indeed the most formidable.

For a million years, virtuous and ambitious individuals among humanity had strived to dismantle this 'god in the heart'. Yet, even after a million years, the people of Yankang today are still occasionally plagued by it.

Moon Heavenly Venerable comforted him, "Old Daoist, there's no need to be discouraged. Sooner or later, people will neither fear nor revere the gods."

Dao Ancestor hesitated, then voiced his thoughts. "Moon Heavenly Venerable, I don't think the 'God' realm should exist. We established these realms; why must the Heavenly Palace realm be called the God Realm? Naming it so might give future generations the mistaken impression that once their primordial spirit reaches the South Heaven Gate, they become true gods."

"Oh..." Moon Heavenly Venerable hadn't considered this point either and turned to look at Qin Mu.

Qin Mu explained, "Old Daoist, you may not know, but the reason it's called the 'God Realm' is precisely to dismantle the 'god in the heart.' 'God' is a term for ancient gods. Ancient gods were born from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, possessing power unimaginable to mortals, achieving immortality and existing alongside the universe. If mortals, through cultivation, can also gain such incredible power, become immortal, and exist alongside the universe, then people's fear of the ancient gods can be overcome."

"I see," Dao Ancestor said, suddenly enlightened.

Qin Mu continued, "Heavenly Venerable Yu, in fact, was initially reluctant to call it the 'God Realm.' The seven Heavenly Palace realms are merely stages, no different from the seven Divine Treasure realms. In his eyes and mine, the Heavenly Palace is essentially a grand Divine Treasure, constituting the eighth realm of the Divine Treasures. Those who cultivate to become 'gods' are, in essence, merely practitioners of divine arts. However, to instill confidence in people to overcome the 'god in the heart,' we retained the designation 'God Realm'."

Moon Heavenly Venerable exclaimed in surprise, "Fellow Daoist Yun, I've never heard you mention this before!"

Qin Mu hesitated, then said, "However, I have a concern. I worry that future divine art practitioners who reach the Heavenly Palace realm might evolve into beings akin to the ancient gods. That's why I've always had reservations about calling the Heavenly Palace realm the 'God Realm'."

Moon Heavenly Venerable fell into deep thought.

Dao Ancestor grumbled, "Such complex matters requiring careful consideration are for you two to ponder. I'm off to preach in the next tribe." With that, he departed.

Qin Mu, too, was lost in thought.

The 'God' realm was actually established jointly by Heavenly Venerable Yu, Heavenly Venerable Hao, and himself. However, the essence of the seven Heavenly Palace realms is a colossal Heavenly Palace Divine Treasure. So-called deities are merely immortal divine art practitioners, not ancient gods in the traditional sense.

They had, by mutual unspoken agreement, referred to them as 'gods' precisely to dismantle the worship of ancient gods.

Yet, as Qin Mu looked at the demigod statue in the tribe, he felt a flicker of dazedness. During the Dragon Han era, people had never truly escaped the worship of ancient gods. Now, ironically, they had begun to worship demigods who possessed power even greater than that of humanity.

Moon Heavenly Venerable entered the thatched hut to begin her lesson. Just then, the people in the tribe scattered in all directions, crying out, "King Lingshan is here!"

"Quickly, bring the offerings!" The villagers frantically herded cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs towards a wooden altar in the center of the tribe. The livestock stood there, shivering.

Meanwhile, men, women, and children of all ages knelt prostrate before the demigod statue, kowtowing repeatedly and muttering prayers.

Suddenly, the sky darkened. A demigod, riding on wind and thunder, descended from the heavens. Two enormous bird talons landed before the altar, and he folded his wings. Behind him, a Heavenly Palace swayed, casting a shadow over half the tribe.

King Lingshan glanced at the altar and, displeased with the cattle and sheep offered, spoke in a sharp, piercing voice: "Today, your King does not desire livestock. I crave a change of palate; bring forth some young boys and girls for my enjoyment!"

The tribe's elderly chieftain stammered, "Great King, these animals are offered to you. If they are insufficient, we can gather more..."

"Boom!" Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled around King Lingshan, who quivered with indignation. "Silence! Cattle and sheep are livestock; are you not livestock too? You are merely intelligent livestock I raise. You worship me, and in return, I grant you favorable weather, ensure your crops yield bountiful harvests, and protect you from tigers and snakes when you hunt and gather herbs in the mountains. Have I not done enough for you, my livestock? You dare prattle to me when I merely ask to consume a few of your young boys and girls!"

Qin Mu frowned, extended a hand, and a beam of sword light shot forth. King Lingshan, sensing it, immediately turned his head and chuckled, "You livestock, you've invited a human god..." Before he could finish, his head suddenly fell to the ground, his primordial spirit extinguished by the single sword strike.

Moon Heavenly Venerable rushed out of the thatched hut and, upon witnessing the scene, her brows furrowed in a deep frown.

The villagers were stunned into silence. Suddenly, an old man began wailing, pointing at Qin Mu and cursing furiously. "You've doomed us all!" he cried.

Another elderly woman stood up, angrily spat a mouthful of thick phlegm at Qin Mu, and shrieked, "King Lingshan is a god under the Divine Emperor! You killed him, and now the Divine Emperor will exterminate our entire clan!" She then cried out, "Don't you dare leave! We'll drag you to the Divine Emperor to pay with your life!"

The villagers surged forward, attempting to seize Qin Mu, shouting fiercely, "We can't let him go! He must pay with his life; this has nothing to do with us!" "Seize him!"

Dragon Qilin stepped in front of Qin Mu and let out a sudden, thunderous roar that shook the earth, causing the surrounding houses to shatter and collapse.

Dragon Qilin transformed with a shake of his body, becoming a colossal beast that stood before everyone. He was even larger than King Lingshan had been.

The villagers were thrown off balance by the roar. Upon seeing the colossal beast, they stumbled backward and collapsed onto the ground in fright, some even fainting.

Qin Mu frowned. "Pi, there's no need for that."

Dragon Qilin retracted his true form, his body rapidly shrinking.

Qin Mu surveyed the devastated tribe. He raised a hand and swept it around, and as if time were reversing, the collapsed houses rapidly restored themselves, becoming exactly as they had been before.

Qin Mu lowered his hand, only to find Moon Heavenly Venerable staring at him in astonishment, as if she were seeing him for the very first time.

Qin Mu walked past Dragon Qilin, his gaze complex as he looked at the people prostrate on the ground.

Moon Heavenly Venerable stepped forward and said, "King Lingshan was a subordinate of Divine Emperor Lang Xuan. Divine Emperor Lang Xuan rules over much of the Primordial Realm, and his power is unfathomable. You were indeed a bit reckless this time..."

"Then let's go meet Divine Emperor Lang Xuan," Qin Mu said, striding forward. "The demigods under Divine Emperor Lang Xuan rule over many human settlements. Now that the human Heavenly Court has been established, humanity should no longer be treated as livestock by his subordinates."

Moon Heavenly Venerable hesitated. "Divine Emperor Lang Xuan is the world's first demigod, and his power is unfathomable. He is a formidable being who was invited by the Celestial Emperor to attend the Heavenly Court's grand assembly. We would not be his match..."

Qin Mu said calmly, "I am no longer Heavenly Venerable Yun; I am Heavenly Venerable Mu, who established the Dao through divine arts. What Heavenly Venerable Yun and the rest of you cannot achieve, I can."

As he was about to depart, an old woman on the ground clung to his leg, weeping. "You cannot leave! You must stay and pay with your life for King Lingshan!"

Moon Heavenly Venerable stepped forward, helped the old woman to her feet, and said, "We are going to meet Divine Emperor Lang Xuan; you don't need to worry..."

"He can go, but you cannot!" The old woman clutched Moon Heavenly Venerable's hand, fiercely demanding, "Leave this woman here to pay with her life for King Lingshan!"

Moon Heavenly Venerable tried to break free, but was afraid of harming the woman. However, other villagers swarmed them, grabbing her with many hands, crying, "You can't leave!"

Moon Heavenly Venerable, feeling anxious, gently activated her vital qi, forcing the crowd back. The old woman, overwhelmed by anger and urgency, rolled her eyes and fainted.

"The education of a people serves merely to elevate their moral character, awaken their wisdom, and enhance their capabilities." Qin Mu walked forward, his voice heavy with barely suppressed anger. "If their moral character doesn't advance, their wisdom remains unawakened, and their capabilities don't grow, then even after a million years, they will remain as ignorant as they are now!"

Moon Heavenly Venerable quickly followed him. "If one generation cannot change it, then two generations. If two generations cannot, then three or four generations! It will change someday!"

Qin Mu replied with a wry smile, "If it can't change even after a million years, would you still possess the fighting spirit you have now?"

Moon Heavenly Venerable paused slightly, then said nothing.

Qin Mu stated decisively, "Moon, where does Divine Emperor Lang Xuan reside? I'm going to find him!"

Moon Heavenly Venerable was surprised. "Divine Emperor Lang Xuan naturally lives in Lang Xuan Divine Palace; it's extremely opulent. When we were planning to establish the human Heavenly Court, you even went there to pay him a visit."

"I forgot," Qin Mu said nonchalantly.

Moon Heavenly Venerable grew even more surprised as she led the way, with Dragon Qilin and Yan'er following behind. Yan'er still carried the lantern. Luo Xiao also trailed Qin Mu, secretly growing anxious. "This man is so impetuous; no wonder he has so many enemies. He's going to fight this Divine Emperor Lang Xuan now; should I go with him? Divine Emperor Lang Xuan... I seem to recall a figure with that name in my ancestral memories, someone who participated in the Blood Rust War..."

Lang Xuan Divine Palace was many times larger than the human Soaring Heaven Court, magnificent, luxurious, and grand. From a distance, it appeared to be the true Heavenly Court, whereas the human Soaring Heaven Court seemed like nothing more than a humble, small town.

This Heavenly Palace was unique. Though also built in the sky, numerous colossal demigods bore individual palaces on their backs, standing firm on the ground. Thousands of demigods supported the entire Heavenly Palace, their muscular bodies appearing fierce and formidable.

The sheer grandeur of this scene was breathtaking, inspiring profound awe at the demigods' might.

"When we reach Lang Xuan Divine Palace, you absolutely must control your temper and speak respectfully to Divine Emperor Lang Xuan," Moon Heavenly Venerable instructed. "He greatly admires you. The last time you met him, he personally received you, offered you fine wine, and even called you a fellow Daoist, which shows how highly he regards you..."

"Lang Xuan—" Qin Mu suddenly bellowed, his voice rolling like thunder. Dark clouds swiftly gathered in the sky, laced with flashes of lightning. Ten thousand li of dark clouds swirled and roared, instantly congregating above Lang Xuan Divine Palace.

The dark clouds, dozens of li thick and incredibly heavy, pulsed with countless streaks of lightning. Suddenly, the entire mass of clouds coalesced into a colossal face. The face opened its immense mouth and roared at the thousands of palaces and halls within Lang Xuan Divine Palace, "Get out here!"

Furious winds howled and surged, sweeping through Lang Xuan Divine Palace. The roofs of numerous great halls were torn off. A branch of the Heavenly River, which had been drawn here to form a Jade Pool, was almost entirely drained, its waters scattering in all directions!

Inside the Divine Palace, countless gods watched the horrifying scene with terror, looking up at the sky.

Suddenly, from within the High Heavens Treasure Palace, a brilliant, scorching light began to rise, evaporating the vast expanse of dark clouds in the sky. Layers of divine light burst forth, illuminating the land for ten thousand li.

Divine Emperor Lang Xuan's voice boomed forth, laced with anger. "So it's Heavenly Venerable Mu! You lunatic, what are you doing yelling like this in my domain? I am the ancestor of demigods; do you think I truly dare not seize you?"

Behind him, a Heavenly Palace also emerged, and his primordial spirit stood majestically on its Jade Terrace, dominating the area.

Although he was a Heavenly God of the Jade Pool realm in terms of cultivation, his demigod bloodline was exceptionally pure. After reaching adulthood, his combat power was no less than that of an ancient god, requiring almost no cultivation.

Moreover, Divine Emperor Lang Xuan was the son of the Ancient God Celestial Emperor and Divine King Gong Jun, one of the Creator Three Kings. His lineage was exceptionally noble, and he had long since reached adulthood.

The various realms of Divine Treasures and Heavenly Palace, established jointly by the Ancient Seven Heavenly Venerables and Qin Mu, had never been intended as a measure of combat power.

As the ancestor of demigods, his combat power was undoubtedly terrifying!

Qin Mu stepped forward, advancing towards Lang Xuan Divine Palace. His vital qi erupted, like an incomparably sharp sword, pointing directly at the palace's South Heaven Gate.

The South Heaven Gate suddenly cleaved down the middle, sliced into two halves by his essence, qi, and spirit!

A deep sword mark appeared on the Celestial Street, crackling loudly as it rapidly extended forward. As it advanced, great halls spontaneously split open, the main gate of Jade Capital City was suddenly bisected, and its gate tower neatly divided into two halves!

This sword qi sliced through the Gate of Heaven's Mandate and continued all the way to the front of the High Heavens Palace!