Chapter 1397: I Kill This Traitor for the World

Heavenly Venerable Yue looked at him with a smile and whispered, "That's enough; rein it in."

Qin Mu felt a chill in his heart and quickly moderated his demeanor.

Heavenly Venerable Yue then took her seat, surveying the expressions of all the Heavenly Venerables. She said clearly, "Fellow Daoists, the Heavenly Alliance was founded by the three of us along with Heavenly Venerable Yun and Heavenly Venerable Ling. It's one thing to oppose Heavenly Venerable Qin, but are you going to oppose me as well? And if you oppose me, are you going to oppose Heavenly Venerable Yun and Heavenly Venerable Ling too? If so, who among us five founding elders are you *not* willing to oppose?"

Divine Emperor Langxuan sneered, "Heavenly Venerable Yue, we are not opposing Heavenly Venerable Mu! You and Heavenly Venerable Ling conspired to kill Earth Mother Yuanjun. Earth Mother was a highly respected figure, yet she met a tragic end at your hands! Heavenly Venerable Mu, however, is entirely innocent and has never committed such wicked acts! Why shouldn't we oppose you?"

Qin Mu kindly reminded him, "Divine Emperor Langxuan, we were just discussing Earth Mother's rampage and the slaughter of millions of Heavenly Court soldiers and and generals. Ancestor God King was nearly in tears. Everyone agreed that Earth Mother Yuanjun was gravely evil, an accomplice of the Heavenly Duke, just like Heavenly Venerable Qin. So why are you now speaking on behalf of this villain? Are you perhaps a partisan of the Heavenly Duke? I refuse to believe you're that kind of person."

"You!" Divine Emperor Langxuan was left speechless, his mouth agape.

If they insisted on blaming Heavenly Venerable Yue for Earth Mother Yuanjun's death, then Kaihuang would be absolved and deemed innocent. However, if they didn't place the blame on Heavenly Venerable Yue, she would have too few faults for them to exploit, allowing Qin Mu to effortlessly install her into the Heavenly Alliance.

Heavenly Venerable Yue dividing their interests was a minor concern; the crucial issue was dividing loyalty. Qin Mu and Kaihuang were adept at swaying public opinion. Their recent exchange had already thrown the others into disarray. If Kaihuang and Heavenly Venerable Yue infiltrated the Heavenly Alliance's leadership, it wouldn't be long before numerous worlds in the myriad heavens and realms would shift their allegiance from the Ten Heavenly Venerables to them.

He looked down to see the divine beings of the Second and First Heavenly Courts below, whispering and murmuring amongst themselves. The presence of three founding elders of the Heavenly Alliance was clearly unsettling its members.

Of the Heavenly Alliance's five founding elders, three were now present. Qin Mu was relatively easy to manage, as his cultivation was not high, his strength was still developing, and his influence couldn't compare to theirs. However, Heavenly Venerable Qin commanded the formidable power of Carefree Village, had allied with the prehistoric creators, and was secretly communicating with entities like the Heavenly Duke and Earth Count. If he were to secure support from certain forces across the myriad heavens and realms, bolstered by numerous Heavenly Venerable-level beings, he could truly challenge the Ten Heavenly Venerables!

Qin Mu appeared troubled, hesitated for a moment, then declared, "Furthermore, Divine Emperor Langxuan, you might not be aware, but Earth Mother Yuanjun, that gravely wicked individual, was killed by me."

This declaration caused an uproar, and the rulers of the myriad realms immediately began to murmur amongst themselves.

Qin Mu declared loudly, "That's right, Earth Mother Yuanjun did not perish at the hands of Heavenly Venerable Yue or Heavenly Venerable Ling; she was killed by me. If Heavenly Venerable Yue and Heavenly Venerable Ling had killed Earth Mother, how could she have gone to Xuandu to rebel and wreak havoc? It was precisely because I was moved by the Heavenly Court soldiers in Xuandu who died by Earth Mother's hand, indignant at the loss of their lives, that I disregarded my own life and death and proactively challenged Earth Mother Yuanjun!"

With what seemed like tears glistening in his eyes, he spoke passionately and loudly, "Millions of Heavenly Court soldiers, their bodies not yet cold, cannot be allowed to die in vain! Blood debts must be paid with blood! Ancestor God King cannot avenge them, nor can the Heavenly Court, but I, Qin Mu, the leader of the Heavenly Alliance, am willing to bear the infamy of having killed Earth Mother Yuanjun! Earth Mother Yuanjun was slain by me on the backside of the Ancestral Court. Heavenly Venerable Gong can attest to this, and Heavenly Consort Qiang can also testify! Divine Emperor Langxuan, you too can bear witness for me!"

He declared indignantly, "The blood of my Heavenly Court soldiers shall not be shed in vain! Divine Emperor Langxuan, if you wish to pursue the crime of Heavenly Venerable Yue killing Earth Mother Yuanjun, you need not seek her out! Come to me instead; I, Qin Mu, will bear all responsibility myself!"

Divine Emperor Langxuan's face flushed, and he stood speechless, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Heavenly Venerable Gong cleared her throat and calmly stated, "What Heavenly Venerable Mu said is true; I can attest to it."

Heavenly Consort Qiang hesitated briefly, then smiled. "I can also testify. Divine Emperor, at that time, we were all on the backside of the Ancestral Court and witnessed Heavenly Venerable Mu's slaying of Earth Mother."

Divine Emperor Langxuan was rendered utterly speechless. He silently retreated to his former position and took his seat.

Heavenly Venerable Huo said coldly, "Even if Earth Mother has nothing to do with Heavenly Venerable Yue and Heavenly Venerable Ling, consider the Supreme Emperor era. The people suffered immensely, and the Southern and Northern Supreme Emperors waged war against each other, causing untold deaths and injuries among the populace! Both the Southern and Northern Supreme Emperors harbored immense ambitions for power, seeking to overturn the existing order and rebel. Their crimes were punishable by death!"

Qin Mu suddenly interjected, "I heard that the first Southern Supreme Emperor was Heavenly Venerable Xiao. Heavenly Venerable Huo, why don't you ask Heavenly Venerable Xiao if the Southern Supreme Emperor's Heavenly Court was indeed rebelling against the Heavenly Court?"

"You!" Heavenly Venerable Huo abruptly turned to him, his eyes blazing with intense fire and murderous intent.

"Enough." Heavenly Venerable Hao raised a hand, and silence instantly fell across the room, with all eyes involuntarily drawn to him.

Heavenly Venerable Hao sat impassively, saying calmly, "That's enough. If we merely rely on verbal sparring, we could argue for three days and three nights, or even three to five years, and still never reach a conclusion. This world doesn't operate on rhetoric; it operates on strength."

He slowly rose to his feet and said dispassionately, "History is written by the victors. Regardless of who is right or wrong, after a thousand years, no one can escape the historian's pen. We, the Ten Heavenly Venerables, control the world's power, the Heavenly Court's divine artifacts, and the strongest military might!"

His gaze, filled with chilling murderous intent, slowly swept across the faces of Qin Mu, Kaihuang, Heavenly Venerable Yue, and the other Heavenly Venerables.

"The armies we, the Ten Heavenly Venerables, command number well over a million!"

His gaze then shifted to Dao Ancestor, Great Brahma, then to the Junior Officers, High Advisers, Junior Advisers, Seven Dukes, Three Grand Masters, Four Emperors, Four Heavenly Masters, and finally to the rulers of the myriad heavens and realms.

"The worlds we control, the subjects we command, and the wealth we possess are immeasurable! We, the Ten Heavenly Venerables, control everything in this universe. Where our armies point, the stars of the heavens are extinguished. With a flick of our armies' whips, the Heavenly River can cease to flow! The mighty warriors under our command can lift the Primordial World!"

"With a mere gesture, we can make the Celestial Emperor retreat! We can force the Heavenly Duke to surrender and make Earth Count cower!"

"And the combat prowess of us Ten Heavenly Venerables is sufficient to destroy everything!"

Heavenly Venerable Hao clenched his fist tightly, his voice resonating like a grand bell, shaking everyone present. "With the power, strength, armies, and divine artifacts we possess, why would we care about a mere reputation? History will be written according to our will. Right and wrong will be determined by me!"

His gaze suddenly fixed on Kaihuang and Heavenly Venerable Yue as he said coldly, "You two, if you wish to seize the power that belongs to us, the Ten Heavenly Venerables, if you desire the same status as us, if you seek the allegiance of the myriad heavens and realms and the hearts of all people, then don't use words; fight for it with your lives!"

His words were overbearing and powerful, stirring passion and excitement in the listeners. At the same time, they served as a stark warning to the rulers of the myriad realms. In this world, sometimes reason holds no sway; what truly matters is power and military might. Though these rulers governed their individual worlds, if they chose to pursue reason and justice, they risked losing their lives! It's easy to speak of sacrificing oneself for righteousness, but when faced with the real situation, few can actually do it.

"Well said!" Qin Mu clapped enthusiastically, his face flushed with excitement, showering praises. He exclaimed loudly, "Truly well said! Heavenly Venerable Hao's words make me want to strip off my clothes and fight bare-chested! Truly well said. I'm clumsy with words; I don't know how to praise you properly..."

Heavenly Venerable Hao's face turned ashen as his gaze fixed on Qin Mu. He said coldly, "If you can't speak properly, then be silent!"

Qin Mu quickly fell silent, but after a moment, he couldn't resist praising again, "Truly well said."

A vein pulsed visibly on Heavenly Venerable Hao's forehead.

Qin Mu immediately clamped his mouth shut.

The vein on Heavenly Venerable Hao's forehead receded. He let out a snort, then slowly took his seat, stating calmly, "Today is the grand assembly of the Heavenly Alliance. All unrelated individuals shall be removed."

Kaihuang burst into laughter, his Carefree Sword clanging as it unsheathed, pointing directly at Heavenly Venerable Hao. He smiled and said, "Since reason is useless, then only through deeds can the truth be revealed. Heavenly Venerable Hao, I respect Heavenly Venerable Yu for pioneering the path of cultivation, for developing the method of becoming a god, and for possessing the bearing of a Celestial Emperor. But I have no respect for you. You are merely a name, a pretender. You killed Heavenly Venerable Yu, seized his divine cultivation method, and stole his reputation and honor. Your crimes warrant death!"

Heavenly Venerable Hao raised an eyebrow.

Kaihuang's sword qi surged to the heavens, his sword dao on the verge of eruption, and his battle intent blazing. "Come, I will offer your life as a sacrifice to my sword dao!"

"You are not worthy." Heavenly Venerable Hao said indifferently, "Gentlemen, this villain is yours to handle."

Kaihuang laughed heartily as his sword dao suddenly erupted. The Carefree Sword sang, and all the divine weapons in the Heavenly Court began to vibrate, with countless of them immediately losing control and floating into the air!

The sword is the weapon of a gentleman, the king of all arms. Kaihuang's sword was the sword of an emperor. An emperor's sword uses divine cities as its tip, divine mountains as its edge, the myriad heavens as its spine, all living beings as its power, the world as its battlefield, and the hearts of humanity as its virtue!

The wielder of this sword was an unparalleled Great Emperor. When he drew his sword, his sword dao revealed entire landscapes, suns, moons, and galaxies, showcasing the vastness of his spirit and ambition!

If ravines resided in his heart, they were manifest in his sword dao; if heaven and earth resided in his heart, they were manifest in his sword dao; if the common people of the world resided in his heart, they too were manifest in his sword dao.

Kaihuang's first sword was the Taihuang Leveling Heaven Sword, a single thrust that carved out the Taihuang Heaven.

This was his very first sword upon entering the Dao. With this sword alone, his magnanimity and spirit were unparalleled!

The Village Chief, known as the Sword God, had "Sword Tread Mountains and Rivers" as his first sword of the sword dao. Could even gods be felled by "Sword Tread Mountains and Rivers"? Yet, mountains and rivers could not constitute the Taihuang Heaven. In terms of magnanimity and spirit, the Village Chief was vastly inferior to Kaihuang.

That is why, upon witnessing Kaihuang's sword, the Village Chief would revere it as if it were a deity, declaring it an insurmountable pinnacle of the sword dao!

Heavenly Venerable Hao remained seated, allowing Kaihuang's sword to surge directly toward him. Just as he seemed on the verge of being annihilated by Kaihuang's Leveling Heaven Sword, a tall figure suddenly moved, interposing itself before the attack.

Heavenly Venerable Huo's flaming wheel spun furiously behind his head. He raised his palm, unleashing an incredibly powerful torrent of fire-based Dao, directly clashing with Kaihuang's sword!

"Historically, in suppressing human uprisings, Heavenly Venerable Huo has always been the first to charge forward!" Kaihuang sneered as the Taihuang Leveling Heaven Sword instantly transformed into the Jade Purity Realm sword domain!

His combat power instantly surged to its peak as thirty-five layers of the Heavenly Dao Realm erupted!

Heavenly Venerable Huo roared in anger, and one after another, Heavenly Palaces emerged behind him. Following this, the ancestral land of the Southern Emperor Vermillion Bird's Dao fire, from the Southern Pole Heaven, manifested. He declared fiercely, "I shall slay this villain for the world!"