Chapter 1049: Five Luminaries Ancient God

Many human tribes had already migrated under the protection of the Xiao Han Celestial Court, yet some divine humans among them had not managed to bring many people back.

"They don't believe us. They say our Xiao Han Celestial Court is acting foolishly, not following the arrangements of the gods, and will incur divine wrath." Those divine humans expressed their helplessness.

Moon Celestial Venerable asked, puzzled, "Don't they know that staying in God Emperor Lang Xuan's territory will eventually lead to them becoming sacrifices?"

"They know, but they are used to it. They said their forefathers have always lived like this."

"Oh."

Moon Celestial Venerable went to look for Qin Mu, but saw Dragon Qilin preparing the Celestial Dragon Chariot. Qin Mu and the young man named Luo Xiao had already boarded the chariot, while the girl named Yan'er attached a lantern to the chariot, then ran over and prostrated herself respectfully before her several times.

Moon Celestial Venerable was startled and quickly tried to help her up, but couldn't lift her. She frantically looked at Qin Mu as if asking for help.

Qin Mu smiled, "You will understand in the future."

Moon Celestial Venerable approached the chariot and asked, "Are you planning to leave?"

Qin Mu nodded, "God Emperor Lang Xuan won't attack humanity for now. My last visit to Lang Xuan Divine Palace was enough to deter him for a thousand years. Although he cannot directly deal with me, he can use the power of the Celestial Court against me. I cannot implicate you, so I must leave."

Moon Celestial Venerable asked, "When will you return?"

Qin Mu paused for a moment, then smiled, "As Celestial Venerable Mu, I probably won't return for now, but as Celestial Venerable Yun, Celestial Venerable Yun will always stay here."

Moon Celestial Venerable's gaze was complex. After a long silence, she finally said, "But Celestial Venerable Yun is not you."

Qin Mu leaned against the window, waved goodbye to her, and said, "Don't alert others. We will meet again in the future."

The Celestial Dragon Chariot drove towards the Celestial River, moving further and further away, becoming smaller and smaller in Moon Celestial Venerable's sight until it gradually disappeared.

Suddenly, Celestial Venerable Ling's joyful voice came: "Moon, Moon, come quickly, I've figured it out! The reason my hairpin disappeared wasn't because it was stolen, but because there's a hairpin from the future!"

She was overjoyed and became even more frantic.

Moon Celestial Venerable felt a deeper sense of melancholy upon hearing her words. Just then, a pleasure boat drifted down the Celestial River from upstream. Celestial Venerable Yun, with a few attendants, jumped off the boat and, seeing the jubilant Celestial Venerable Ling, smiled, "Sister Ling, why are you so happy?"

Moon Celestial Venerable looked at Celestial Venerable Yun, scrutinizing him from head to toe more than ten times, then circled him a few times, repeatedly examining him.

Celestial Venerable Yun was bewildered by her gaze and stood there somewhat awkwardly.

Moon Celestial Venerable blinked and asked, "Senior Brother Yun, did you encounter a chariot, pulled by six celestial dragons, heading towards the Celestial Court?"

Celestial Venerable Yun nodded, saying, "I just saw it. It crossed paths with my pleasure boat. I was wondering who owned such a magnificent chariot. Six celestial dragons as draft animals, how intimidating! If it were nine celestial dragons pulling a chariot, it would be the standard for an inspection tour by beings like the Four Imperial Ancient Gods!"

"You really saw that chariot?" Moon Celestial Venerable was both surprised and delighted.

Celestial Venerable Yun nodded again, saying, "Leaving the chariot aside, I went to see Fire Celestial Venerable. Fire Celestial Venerable has his own plans and might not travel with us anymore. I also received news from him that Celestial Venerable Hao is about to make a comeback. The Heavenly Emperor intends for him to establish a demigod Celestial Court in the Primordial Realm to rule over all demigod races. We must prepare for this. Have you established the Celestial Court?"

Celestial Venerable Ling had suppressed her excitement and walked over, glancing at Celestial Venerable Yun with a sneer: "Have you finally deigned to return to your true form?"

Celestial Venerable Yun was puzzled.

Celestial Venerable Ling said, "You shouldn't always act under Celestial Venerable Mu's guise, lest you tarnish his reputation."

Celestial Venerable Yun became even more confused, but knowing Celestial Venerable Ling was always eccentric, he paid it no mind. He immediately went to see Dao Ancestor and asked, "Old Daoist, I have an unrefined idea: can your mathematics analyze the Great Dao?"

Meanwhile, an envoy from the Celestial Court arrived at Lang Xuan Divine Palace, bringing the Heavenly Emperor's decree: "His Majesty states that Celestial Venerable Mu has humiliated the descendants of ancient gods, committed heinous acts, and violated the heavenly laws. If God Emperor Lang Xuan holds a grand sacrifice, the Five Luminaries Ancient Gods will descend to capture him."

God Emperor Lang Xuan's expression changed slightly, saying, "Use sacrificial offerings for a blood sacrifice to summon the Five Luminaries Ancient Gods to descend?"

The envoy said, "That is His Majesty's intention. Celestial Venerable Mu is a human Celestial Venerable, with immense divine abilities. In terms of divine abilities, no one in the world surpasses him. His divine abilities are close to the Great Dao; only the Great Dao can subdue him. If the God Emperor seeks justice, he must invite the Five Luminaries Ancient Gods to descend."

God Emperor Lang Xuan's expression was volatile.

Ancient Gods are numerous, but they are usually not in the Primordial Realm. Instead, they reside high above the heavens. To come from beyond the heavens, a blood sacrifice must be performed.

And blood sacrifices require offerings.

The Five Luminaries Ancient Gods were born from the Great Dao, exceedingly powerful, their status even above the Twenty-Eight Mansions Ancient Gods. Although God Emperor Lang Xuan surpasses them in combat power, he is inferior to the Ancient Gods in his comprehension of the Dao. Inviting them to subdue Celestial Venerable Mu is therefore a correct course of action.

When the Dragon Han Celestial Court was established, the Heavenly Emperor, to reduce the power of feudal lords, invited the Four Ancient God Emperors into the Celestial Court. He built the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise Heavenly Palaces, where the Four Emperors resided.

The Four Extreme Heavens of the Four Ancient God Emperors were then granted to the Twenty-Eight Mansions Ancient Gods to rule.

The Twenty-Eight Mansions Ancient Gods were all notoriously vicious individuals, specifically the Seven Mansions of the White Tiger in the Western Extreme Heaven, the Seven Mansions of the Vermilion Bird in the Southern Extreme Heaven, the Seven Mansions of the Black Tortoise in the Northern Extreme Heaven, and the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon in the Eastern Extreme Heaven.

These twenty-eight Ancient Gods resided in the Four Extreme Heavens, guarding the four cardinal points of the universe. They were immensely powerful forces and also the feudal lords who controlled the Four Extreme Heavens.

The Five Luminaries Ancient Gods, on the other hand, were the five Star Lords: Star Lord Zhen, Star Lord Yinghuo, Star Lord Chen, Star Lord Sui, and Star Lord Taibai. The Great Daos they mastered were even more powerful.

Star Lord Zhen controlled the Dao of Death, being the Ancient God of Death. Star Lord Yinghuo controlled the Dao of Plague, being the Ancient God of Plague. Star Lord Chen controlled the Dao of Slaughter and Punishment, being the Ancient God of Combat. Star Lord Taibai controlled the Dao of Fortune and Misfortune, and Star Lord Sui controlled the Dao of Life and Sacrifice.

Star Lord Zhen and Star Lord Yinghuo settled in Youdu, acting as feudal lords used by the Heavenly Emperor to restrict Earth Count. Star Lord Chen and Star Lord Taibai ascended to Xuandu, acting as feudal lords used by the Heavenly Emperor to restrict Heaven Duke.

Star Lord Sui was closest to the Primordial Realm, residing just beyond it.

These five great Star Lords commanded countless calamity deities. To invite them to descend, a grand sacrifice was necessary.

Demigods fed on humans and other postnatal beings, while ancient gods fed on demigods and postnatal races. Only with enough offerings could the Five Luminaries Ancient Gods come to the Primordial Realm.

A demigod patriarch said, "God Emperor, there are still many humans in our jurisdiction who are unwilling to migrate. Besides these humans, we also have slaves captured from various races; they can also serve as offerings."

God Emperor Lang Xuan said, "Then use them for the blood sacrifice to make the Five Luminaries Ancient Gods descend. If that's not enough, then attack other races in the Primordial Realm and capture more slaves!"

Finally, the altars were prepared, and the offerings were brought to them.

God Emperor Lang Xuan performed the blood sacrifice. Immediately, a sanguine light shot into the sky, which turned blood-red. Within the blood-red light, five stars grew larger and closer, yet seemed separated by a layer of space, as if they were in another world.

On each of the five stars were countless palaces and myriad temples, inhabited by myriad gods and devils. On Yinghuo Star, there were gods and devils with ox heads, human bodies, and feet treading twin dragons. On Zhen Star, there were gods and devils with human heads and snake bodies. On Sui Star, there were gods and devils with human heads, bird bodies, bird feet, and treading azure dragons. On Taibai Star, there were gods and devils with tiger heads, human bodies, fierce eyes, white foreheads, and holding bronze axes.

On Chen Star, there were gods and devils with human heads, red hair, snake bodies, and holding tridents.

The demon gods on the Five Luminaries Stars absorbed the power of the blood sacrifice, creating a chaotic dance of demons.

"Nephew, your offerings are not abundant."

The five stars drew closer and closer. The five great calamity stars appeared above the Primordial Realm but did not enter its world barrier. Clearly, there weren't enough offerings for them to descend.

Star Lord Zhen chuckled, "The souls and flesh you sacrificed are too few, and they are all of inferior quality. How stingy! Why not sacrifice some of your descendants? Your bloodline has long made me salivate."

God Emperor Lang Xuan gritted his teeth and bowed, saying, "Uncles, Celestial Venerable Mu has wreaked havoc in the world, violated heavenly laws, and humiliated the divine race. This is an insult to all of you, uncles. I implore you to descend."

The sky twisted. The Five Luminaries Star Lords left Youdu, Xuandu, and the heavens beyond, descending from the sky to land on the altars. They immediately began to eat the offerings. Chaos erupted around the altars as the sacrificed humans and other beings scattered, but how could they escape?

After the Five Luminaries Star Lords finished eating, Star Lord Chen said, "His Majesty's decree has also reached us. Capturing Celestial Venerable Mu is our duty. However, is that fellow named Niu Ben not with him?"

God Emperor Lang Xuan bowed, saying, "Niu Ben is not with him."

"That's good."

Star Lord Sui licked his lips and smiled, "Nephew, your descendants are quite palatable. You have so many; it wouldn't hurt to eat a few, would it?" With that, he extended his hand into Lang Xuan Divine Palace, grabbed several men and women, and put them into his mouth.

God Emperor Lang Xuan was both shocked and enraged, slamming his hand on the table and roaring in fury. Suddenly, Star Lord Zhen's tail swept across his face, knocking him to the ground.

"Nephew, you are merely the leader of the demigods. Your power was given by us Ancient Gods, and your status was also given by us Ancient Gods."

Star Lord Zhen's ox hoof pressed against his back, and the Dao of Death bound him tightly. He chuckled, "What's the big deal about eating a few of your descendants? Don't forget who truly rules the primordial universe!"

God Emperor Lang Xuan possessed immense power but could not resist. Facing the Ancient Gods, he had experienced the Blood Rust War and could even single-handedly kill a paramount overlord among the Creation Spirits. Yet, even with boundless power, he was powerless against the Ancient Gods. He had realized this long ago.

God Emperor Lang Xuan lowered his head and said, "This nephew knows he was wrong. I ask my uncle to forgive me for my father's sake."

Star Lord Zhen withdrew his ox hoof and chuckled, "It is rumored you are the son of the Eastern Emperor. I must give the Eastern Emperor some face, so I will not trouble you further. Haha, to you, Celestial Venerable Mu's divine abilities are unsolvable, but to us Ancient Gods, his divine abilities have only touched the edge of the Dao; he will be easily captured. Prepare the blood offerings and the celebratory banquet; we will be back soon!"

Whoosh—

In the sky, countless bizarre gods and devils flew out from the five stars. The Five Luminaries Star Lords, each leading a large army, rode magnificent multi-colored dragons and flew away with a roar.

God Emperor Lang Xuan silently picked himself up, his gaze gloomy, watching the Five Luminaries Star Lords lead their hosts into the distance.

"God Emperor, how does this humiliation taste?" Celestial Venerable Hao walked out from the Lingxiao Hall within Lang Xuan Divine Palace and said with a smile.

God Emperor Lang Xuan's four faces were filled with shame and anger. He said, "Celestial Venerable Hao, why must you humiliate me further?"

Celestial Venerable Hao's gaze lingered on the departing Five Luminaries Star Lords. He said, "Although demigods are descendants of ancient gods and possess incredible power in the eyes of mortals, the power demigods wield originates from the ancient gods. They know what they have, but not how it works. Your strength is great, but when you face ancient gods, you are helpless. Do you know why?"

God Emperor Lang Xuan shook his head.

"Divine abilities!"

Celestial Venerable Hao smiled, "Simply controlling water, fire, wind, and thunder is not true divine ability. You possess immense power in vain, yet you don't know where true divine ability originates. True divine ability originates from the Dao! I was injured by Celestial Venerable Mu and lay on my sickbed for a thousand years, and I finally understood the source of his power. His divine abilities have entered the Dao!"

God Emperor Lang Xuan's eyes widened, and he mumbled, "Divine abilities entering the Dao..."

"Precisely."

Celestial Venerable Hao stepped in front of him and said, "It is indeed divine abilities entering the Dao. You've learned the Heavenly Palace cultivation method I taught you, but it's still not enough. You also need to understand the essence of divine abilities, and understanding that essence is understanding the essence of the Dao. Only then can you fully wield your power. Why could Niu Ben brutally beat ancient gods? It's precisely because his divine abilities entered the Dao; the power he wielded was incredibly vast, allowing him to break through the ancient gods' suppression of him! And we, too, can possess such power!"

He revealed a powerful confidence and said leisurely, "Over the past thousand years, I have slowly meditated on my sickbed. Now, I feel that I am very close to entering the Dao."

He turned around and said, "My father has commanded me to descend and establish an Ancient God Celestial Court. I need your help. If you assist me, I will teach you how to enter the Dao! If our demigod race masters Dao-level divine abilities, then the era belonging to the Ancient Gods will pass into history."

God Emperor Lang Xuan was greatly moved and asked, "Is entering the Dao truly that powerful? Then, the Five Luminaries Ancient Gods going to hunt down Celestial Venerable Mu..."

Celestial Venerable Hao revealed an amused smile and said leisurely, "Although Celestial Venerable Mu is very strong, he is not yet powerful enough to contend with the ancient gods. He is a pioneer in divine abilities, and I greatly admire him, but I can only bid him farewell as he passes on."