Chapter 1139: Opening the Imperial Visit to the Heavenly Court

Jiang Baigui transformed his vital qi into 500,000 gods and devils. Yue Tingge, controlling the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram, activated various formations, ready for Jiang Baigui to attempt breaking through.

This formation diagram had remained unbroken for hundreds of thousands of years, since the Dragon Han era. Among all Celestial Masters throughout history, it was universally known. Yue Tingge himself became world-renowned and the Heavenly Court's foremost Celestial Master precisely by deciphering this Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram.

Taking personal command of the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram, Yue Tingge unleashed a dazzling array of shifting formations. For anyone lacking sufficient intellect, merely witnessing a fleeting moment of these changes would be enough to cause dizziness and disorientation, let alone attempting to break through the formation.

Jiang Baigui's army of 500,000 gods and devils, manifested from his vital qi, pressed straight forward. Unlike Shang Pingyin, who methodically broke formations one by one, Jiang Baigui directly moved his forces to the Zenith of the Twenty-Eight Heavens!

Yue Tingge sighed, recognizing that Jiang Baigui had immediately seized upon the crucial secret to breaking the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram.

This was a secret he himself had only discovered after years of contemplation.

The Zenith was the location of the Celestial Sphere, which was in fact the ancient god-egg of the Lapis Lazuli Azure Sky Banner.

Jiang Baigui, utilizing his superior forces, infiltrated the area near the ancient god-egg. Instead of attacking it, he used bright mirrors to block its surroundings, effectively sealing it off.

He then set up formations in reverse. To Yue Tingge's utter astonishment, Jiang Baigui arrayed his 500,000-strong army into ten thousand different formations, each more intricate than those found within the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram!

Yue Tingge was dumbfounded!

The ancient god-egg was the core of the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram's ten thousand formations. Jiang Baigui had actually gathered his superior forces to immediately seize control of the ancient god-egg. He then laid out the Twenty-Eight Heavens formation around it, making the ancient god-egg its core, thereby turning the tables and displacing the original Twenty-Eight Heavens formations of the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram!

In this way, his formation diagram superseded the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram, becoming a new Twenty-Eight Heavens formation diagram centered around the very core of the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram itself.

Yue Tingge could no longer reverse the Twenty-Eight Heavens. Instead, Jiang Baigui turned the tables, reversed the Twenty-Eight Heavens himself, and swiftly dismantled every single formation within the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram, leaving none intact!

Yue Tingge sighed, dispelled his vital qi, and remarked, "You are truly a prodigy. This formation is the Dragon Mountain Grand Formation Diagram, but this treasure, the Lapis Lazuli Azure Sky Banner, is the foremost treasure in all the world. Now, you have even breached the Lapis Lazuli Azure Sky Banner, and with the fewest troops and minimal casualties. You are indeed worthy of being Yan Kang's foremost Celestial Master!"

Jiang Baigui also withdrew his vital qi and asked, "Celestial Master Yue, did you also break the formation using my method?"

Yue Tingge, brimming with pride, nodded with his hands clasped behind his back. Then his imposing aura deflated, and he said dejectedly, "I didn't use that method. After infiltrating the Celestial Sphere, I adopted a 'nailing wedges' approach, driving them one by one into the Twenty-Eight Heavens to restrict their changes. I used a million troops, and the casualties were immense in order to break that formation..."

He then visibly brightened, smiling as he said, "You just mentioned your senior brother surpassed you in every aspect, with his wisdom being only slightly inferior to yours. That sounds familiar to me. May I ask who your junior brother is?"

Jiang Baigui replied, "Celestial Master Yue has probably never heard of him. He is Heavenly Venerate Mu."

Yue Tingge looked surprised, then burst into hearty laughter: "So it's him! That brat is incredibly arrogant, acting as if he's second only to Heaven itself! I've disliked him for a long time!"

He nodded repeatedly, his face beaming with satisfaction: "That brat is better than everyone at everything, and his words are so infuriating, they could almost drive you to distraction! But he's simply not as wise as we are!"

Jiang Baigui also nodded repeatedly, in profound agreement.

The two exchanged a smile, sensing a connection like kindred spirits. Both felt a profound satisfaction, a joy in mentally disdaining and crushing Qin Mu with their superior wisdom.

***

Heavenly Court.

Qin Mu emerged from the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge, pondering, "I wonder how the battle in the Void Land is going. Can Emperor Kai and Lang Wo withstand the Heavenly Court's offensive?"

He felt a little uneasy.

The alliance between Wuyou Village and the Creators of the Beyond Void was something he, the Holy Infant Creator, had personally brought about. Furthermore, the forging of weapons in the Void Land, which ignited Wuyou Village's fighting spirit and rekindled its reforms, was also his strategy.

If the Heavenly Court were to gather massive armies of gods and devils, Wuyou Village and the Beyond Void might truly be unable to withstand them.

He looked around and noticed that the Heavenly Court was considerably emptier. Though vast and boundless, it had once teemed with countless gods and devils, bustling with activity.

Now, however, nearly half of the Heavenly Court's forces had been dispatched, and the Celestial Street appeared deserted, with far fewer people strolling about.

"It seems the Heavenly Court has amassed superior forces and invaded the Void, preparing to conclude the war in a single decisive strike. This is indeed the most time and effort-efficient method!"

Qin Mu's heart grew solemn. Such a method would necessitate the deployment of the Ten Heavenly Venerates, as the Void Land contained Emperor Kai and Lang Wo, two Heavenly Venerate-level beings. He just didn't know how many of the Ten Heavenly Venerates had been dispatched!

"If Emperor Kai can hold them off, it will devolve into a protracted war, and only then will there be a chance for weapon forging in the Void Land. If he cannot, they will be forced to retreat and defend the Void Bridge."

Qin Mu narrowed his eyes, gazing at Jade Capital City in the distance. For the Ten Heavenly Venerates to eliminate Emperor Kai and Lang Wo without sustaining any harm themselves, at least six Heavenly Venerates would need to be deployed.

To secure a complete victory with minimal losses, this was the only possible approach.

Within the Heavenly Court itself, at least two Heavenly Venerates would need to remain stationed, controlling the Heavenly Emperor's physical body, safeguarding the Heavenly Court, and guarding against attacks from Heavenly Duke and Earth Count.

"I wonder how many Heavenly Venerates have gone to the Void Land..."

As he pondered, an overwhelming sword qi suddenly erupted from within the Heavenly Court's inner palace. Qin Mu's heart jolted, and he quickly looked up, seeing a sword gleam shoot skyward from the Heavenly Emperor's inner palace. It transformed into the ethereal image of the Thirty-Four Heavens of Sword Dao, casting a suppressive aura over the entire Heavenly Court!

As this sword gleam erupted from the ground, grand halls and divine palaces across the Heavenly Court instantly resounded with cracking noises. The structures split apart, as if cleanly cleaved by a sharp sword!

An earth-shattering roar also erupted behind Qin Mu. He quickly turned to look, only to see the Heavenly Court's South Heaven Gate cleanly split into two perfect halves!

"Emperor Kai Qin Ye has arrived at the Dragon Han Heavenly Court to pay respects to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor!"

Emperor Kai's voice, booming like a bell, resounded from the Heavenly Emperor's inner palace in Jade Capital City, reaching the ears of everyone in the Heavenly Court.

A great uproar erupted in the Heavenly Court.

Although half of the Heavenly Court's forces had been dispatched to the Void, numerous defending generals remained. The Left and Right Feathered Forest Armies, Left and Right Divine Might Armies, and Left and Right Divine Strategy Armies – six Heavenly Court Imperial Guard armies, consisting of hundreds of thousands of gods and devils – immediately rose into the air, formed ranks, and charged towards the inner palace.

Qin Mu quickly soared into the air, flying high to observe.

"Your Majesty's divine power is unmatched, yet why do you hide timidly within the High Heavens Palace, unwilling to show yourself?"

Emperor Kai drew his Worry-free Sword and, with a light sweep in the inner palace, instantly cleaved the void. Space continuously expanded, separating him from the six charging Heavenly Court Imperial Guards!

The gods and devils frantically rushed forward, attempting to fly towards him. However, the space between them continuously expanded, and no matter how swiftly they flew, they could not draw near Emperor Kai.

Emperor Kai flicked his hand, sheathed his Worry-free Sword, and strode towards the High Heavens Palace, laughing heartily as he declared, "I heard that the Ten Heavenly Venerates have seized control of the government and have long since murdered His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, replacing him with a decoy to fool the world."

His steps were unhurried yet remarkably swift, and he calmly stated, "If Your Majesty is truly the genuine article, then accept one sword strike from me!"