Chapter 1339: The Heavenly Sovereign Must Die

“Me?!”

Heavenly Venerate Xiao’s expression darkened slightly. “Crude. Heavenly Venerate Mu, you’ve become so exasperated that you’re resorting to vulgarities. That’s quite disappointing. It seems I’ve put too much pressure on you. Today, my target isn’t you, but Heavenly Venerate Yue. After all, you and I are still allies, and I still have a use for you. But Heavenly Venerate Yue is different.”

His gaze fell on Heavenly Venerate Yue, and he extended a hand, saying solemnly, “As long as Heavenly Venerate Yue is willing to submit, I can forgive your past act of killing me.”

He said indifferently, “Don’t say I lack magnanimity; my magnanimity is vast. The Heaven Duke and Earth Count are rebellious, but I can tolerate them. Heavenly Venerates Yu, Hao, Ling, Yue, Huo, and others pioneered the path of acquired cultivation, and I can tolerate you all. Acquired beings becoming gods, I can tolerate that too. I even allowed you to establish the Firmament Heaven Court and Dragon Firmament Heaven Court, distributing power to you. Even with Heavenly Venerate Mu’s reforms in Yankang, I turned a blind eye. As a Heavenly Emperor of my era, my magnanimity isn’t bad, is it?”

His gaze, sincere, rested on Heavenly Venerate Yue’s face. “If it were any other Heavenly Venerate, who among the current Ten Heavenly Venerates do you think possesses such magnanimity? Heavenly Venerate Hao? He wouldn’t. If he were in my position, he would surely eliminate you all immediately and cut off all reforms.

“Divine Emperor Lang Xuan? He wouldn’t either; he lacks such daring.

“Heavenly Venerate Huo? He’s just a sycophant, flattering whoever is stronger.

“Heavenly Venerate Hong is too detached. Heavenly Consort Yan dares not stand out herself, only daring to cling to men. Heavenly Consort Qiang is the Grand Emperor; he would even annihilate his own race, let alone yours?

“Heavenly Venerate Gong is too arrogant. Heavenly Venerate Xu’s heart is too dark. Ancestral God King is too unbridled. None of them are suitable material to be Heavenly Emperor.”

He said leisurely, “And then there are your nine Heavenly Venerates of the Dragon Han era. Excluding Heavenly Venerate Hao and Heavenly Venerate Huo, Heavenly Venerate Yun possesses remarkable talent but lacks the momentum to seize power. Heavenly Venerate You is reclusive and unlikely to achieve great things. Heavenly Venerate Yue, you are only suitable for logistics. Heavenly Venerate Ling has communication difficulties. Heavenly Venerate Qin, though broad-minded, is inherently cautious and only fit to contend for the world with Heavenly Venerate Hao. As for Heavenly Venerate Mu...”

He glanced at Qin Mu, then laughed, “Too unpredictable. Although he has schemes and methods, he’ll eventually destroy himself out of excessive curiosity.”

Qin Mu’s face darkened like iron.

Heavenly Venerate Xiao laughed, “Looking through all of history, from ancient times to the present, you can search for someone with such breadth of mind, temperament, methods, responsibility, and magnanimity, who can perfectly fulfill the role of Heavenly Emperor, but you will find that there has only been one person: me. It’s not that I dominated the universe and became Heavenly Emperor, but rather that the universe itself chose me to be Heavenly Emperor.”

Heavenly Venerate Yue’s cultivation was steadily rising, her aura growing stronger. She said faintly, “You’ve spoken of the Nine Heavenly Venerates of old, and the current Ten Heavenly Venerates. But what about Heavenly Venerate Yu? Why didn’t you mention him?”

“Heavenly Venerate Yu?” Heavenly Venerate Xiao’s expression subtly darkened.

“Yes, Heavenly Venerate Yu!”

Heavenly Venerate Yue stood in the palm of Qin Mu’s primordial spirit, her gaze sharp, watching Heavenly Venerate Xiao’s face. She said, word by word, “You claim to have magnanimity, so why did you not mention Heavenly Venerate Yu? Is it because he was more suitable to be the Heavenly Emperor than you, and so you couldn’t tolerate him and had him killed?”

Heavenly Venerate Xiao lowered his gaze, chuckled softly, and murmured, “Heavenly Venerate Yu? I didn’t kill him; Heavenly Venerate Hao and Heavenly Son Yin were the ones who acted...”

Heavenly Venerate Yue raised an eyebrow, about to speak, when Heavenly Venerate Xiao continued with a laugh, “However, Hao’er and Yin Chaoxin’s willingness to act was indeed at my instigation. I even helped Hao’er seal the Meander Corridor Pavilion to ensure that neither Heaven Duke nor Earth Count could detect the cause of Heavenly Venerate Yu’s death.”

He smiled, “At that time, it was the first grand assembly of the Heaven Court. During the assembly, giants gathered to discuss the establishment of the Dragon Han Heaven Court, honoring me as the co-ruler of the world. I was supreme, with power unrivaled. At that time, humanity was still an insignificant minor race, and the Jade Pool Assembly was merely an unremarkable corner of the Heaven Court. The Seven Heavenly Venerates were just minor characters of that era. Heavenly Venerate Yu was merely a stronger ant among others. Yet, I became afraid.”

Heavenly Venerate Yue clenched her fists.

Heavenly Venerate Xiao said, “I had no more adversaries. The Grand Emperor was defeated, his primordial stone shattered, leaving him like a homeless dog. Gong Yun was dead, buried by me in the Ancestral Court. Heaven Duke had a weakness in my grasp. Earth Mother was unable to stand alone. Earth Count was also no match for me. As for the Four Emperors of the Ancient Gods, they were only fit to be vassals. But when I saw Heavenly Venerate Yu, I became afraid.”

He looked back at the divine artifact Heavenly Venerate Yu behind him, reminiscing. After a moment, he turned his head back and continued, “Heavenly Venerate Yu possessed extraordinary talent, unparalleled in opening the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, allowing all beings to cultivate, and ensuring all races remembered his benevolence. He also had ambition; he extensively befriended others, treating both demigods and acquired races as honored guests. He also created the Godhood Attainment Method, giving demigods and acquired races the hope of rivaling or even surpassing the ancient gods.”

“Originally, I merely noticed him and was very tolerant of everything he did; he was just a talented child. It was only when Hao’er told me about his Godhood Attainment Method that I deeply felt fear.”

Heavenly Venerate Xiao sighed and said, “If I had let him spread the Godhood Attainment Method, he would have accumulated a great momentum, a righteous and formidable momentum. Heavenly Venerate Yue, Heavenly Venerate Mu, you are not Heavenly Emperors, so it’s hard for you to understand this kind of momentum. You’ve seen dynasties vie for supremacy, and you’ve seen eras change, but have you ever seen a situation where one person’s momentum accumulates to its peak, leading to the world’s unity and submission? Heavenly Venerate Yu’s path was precisely that kind of path!”

Qin Mu and Heavenly Venerate Yue were slightly startled. The Apothecary, who was treating Heavenly Venerate Yue’s final injuries, also unconsciously listened intently.

Heavenly Venerate Xiao said, “By the time of the Jade Pool Assembly, he already possessed all the conditions for this path. Reputation, honor, supporters, future—he had it all. The only thing he lacked was power! Imagine, hundreds of thousands of years later, when demigods and acquired beings have grown strong, with hundreds of Emperor’s Throne realm cultivators and Heaven Court realm existences, whom would they support as their leader? Heavenly Venerate Yu, only Heavenly Venerate Yu! This was the momentum he amassed, a righteous and formidable momentum!”

Qin Mu and Heavenly Venerate Yue pondered carefully. Indeed, if Heavenly Venerate Yu had not died back then, and demigods and humans had coexisted peacefully, both revering him as their leader, the scenario Heavenly Venerate Xiao described would certainly have come to pass hundreds of thousands of years later.

That would have been an incredibly prosperous golden age, where all ancient gods would have become mere supporting characters!

“At that point, Heavenly Venerate Yu wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. He would simply need to point at the Heaven Court’s throne and say, ‘I wish to sit on that seat!’”

Heavenly Venerate Xiao’s face was devoid of expression as he said indifferently, “I would have to stand up and yield the seat to him! If I did not rise and cede my position, countless demigods and acquired divine beings would surge forth to kill me, without him needing to act! That is the future I foresaw! Therefore...”

Qin Mu said, “Therefore, Heavenly Venerate Yu had to die.”

Heavenly Venerate Xiao nodded. “Heavenly Venerate Yu had to die.”

This was a righteous path to power, a kingly way, an imperial way, requiring no schemes or power struggles.

Simply by giving Heavenly Venerate Yu time, he would naturally ascend to the pinnacle of power. Any who stood in his way would be swept aside and annihilated with overwhelming force.

The tide of destiny was irresistible!