Chapter 1445: 慈眉善目鸿天尊

Di Qing had won another battle, and this one was even easier.

It was the army of Heavenly Venerable Lang who attacked, launching a massive assault on Tianfang City. Di Qing led his forces to defeat them, killing tens of thousands of gods and devils. Heavenly Venerable Lang's senior disciple had been swayed by Qin Mu and fled to an unknown location, and many of Heavenly Venerable Lang's other disciples had suffered heavy casualties at Qin Mu's hands. Consequently, his forces were weaker compared to other Heavenly Venerables.

However, he was still the leader of the demigods; all demigods throughout the heavens and myriad worlds revered him as the God Emperor. As a result, his army contained a great number of powerful individuals from various demigod races, but it was merely a hastily assembled rabble.

In front of Tianfang City, God Emperor Lang Xuan's army suffered heavy casualties. Outside the city, heavenly drums vibrated, their sound greatly boosting the combat power of Tianfang City's defenders, allowing them to charge the enemy lines. Yet, these drumbeats also assailed souls; gods and devils with lower cultivation simply couldn't withstand them, their souls shattering, leading to their untimely deaths.

This battle was won with remarkable ease. Di Qing returned victorious, laughing heartily and radiating high spirits. With a grand gesture, he declared, "This merit goes to Heavenly King Mingdu, it's all his! Guards, prepare a victory banquet! I shall host the Heavenly King to celebrate this great achievement!"

Tian Shu couldn't refuse and had to comply.

Over ten days later, the Heavenly River Navy, having cleared the surrounding star systems, finally arrived in front of Tianfang City, deploying a million troops and eyeing it menacingly. Di Qing paid it no mind, as over the past dozen days, numerous stars had been relocated to the vicinity of Tianfang City.

Tianfang City covered a vast area, and it was now surrounded by stars of various sizes. These stars were all living planets, inhabited by hundreds of millions of demigod races! After these stars were relocated, the Heavenly Dao in Tianfang City became so concentrated that the Heavenly Dao suspended above the city was no longer just an ethereal manifestation, but had solidified into tangible forms!

In just over ten days, Heavenly Dao weapons such as the Heavenly Bell, Heavenly Fire, Heavenly Thunder, Heavenly Light, Heavenly Plate, Heavenly Well, Heavenly Drum, Heavenly Net, and Heavenly Field had all materialized. The majesty of the Heavenly Dao suppressed everything around, even repressing the power of the Heavenly Court's army! Furthermore, more Xuandu stars were being relocated, and other Heavenly Dao weapons were continuously forming. Of the forty-nine Heavenly Daos, only the Heavenly Law had yet to take shape. If the Heavenly Law were to form, all forty-nine Heavenly Dao weapons would be complete, representing an immense power!

Gods and devils within the city also felt the Heavenly Dao's blessing, making their magic power more robust and their strength greater. Both their divine abilities and divine weapons significantly increased in power! Qin Mu, the Butcher, and others also felt the Heavenly Dao's power making them stronger and their Dao hearts clearer. However, the more they felt this, the more worried they became. Tianfang City had gathered too many Xuandu beings and gods and devils. Each star was already packed with people, and the more they gathered here, the more dangerous it became! When a Heavenly Venerable made a move, these lives would likely turn to dust!

Outside the city, more Heavenly Court armies were pouring in, having completely surrounded Tianfang Divine City. The Heavenly Court's army brought the Four Emperors' Divine Artifacts and launched several more attacks. However, even these divine artifacts were defeated before Tianfang City. First Heavenly Master Shang Pingyin, Second Heavenly Master Meng Yungui, and others each mobilized their armies, attempting to capture Tianfang City, but they also suffered heavy losses and could not withstand the power of the Heavenly Dao weapons. Furthermore, divine beings like the Azure Emperor of the East and the White Emperor of the West led their troops in attacks, but they too suffered defeats, with the White Emperor and Azure Emperor even being severely wounded. The five Emperors of the Heavenly Court's Five Emperor Thrones, along with the Ten Heavenly Guards, also moved out, forming arrays and fighting fiercely. Yet, they consistently failed to breach Tianfang City, unable even to approach its gates!

In these days, Di Qing had won dozens of consecutive battles, overflowing with joy. However, with Tianfang City now besieged and no more Xuandu heavens relocating, the final Heavenly Law weapon still couldn't form, which left him with some regret. "The Heavenly Dao weapons have gained renown throughout the world in this battle. If all forty-nine weapons were unleashed, even slaying a Heavenly Venerable would be effortless!" he told Qin Mu and the others.

Meanwhile, outside the city, a blue bird suddenly flapped its wings from within the enemy camp and landed in the Heavenly Court's formation. "Welcome, Heavenly Venerable Hao!" The Heavenly Court's generals rushed forward to greet him, successively prostrating themselves and pleading guilty: "Your humble servants are incompetent. We have been held up by Tianfang City, unable to breach the city and eradicate the rebels! We beg for your punishment, Heavenly Venerable!"

Heavenly Venerable Hao chuckled, "It's a minor matter, no need to beg for punishment. Let me observe the situation over there." He stepped to the front of the formation, surveying Tianfang City and the forty-eight Heavenly Dao weapons suspended above it. He listened intently to the Dao sounds of the Heavenly Dao and chuckled, "What magnificent treasures. Ancestral God King refined Heavenly Dao treasures, combining forty-nine Heavenly Dao treasures to form a single, ever-changing supreme Heavenly Dao treasure. It's a pity it was shattered by the Grand Emperor. Although a new set was forged, how could self-refined Heavenly Dao treasures compare to these weapons that are manifestations of the Heavenly Dao itself? What wonderful treasures; even Heavenly Duke couldn't refine such weapons. Only at such critical junctures of life and death can such important treasures form. Truly enviable."

The generals dared not speak further. Heavenly Venerable Hao asked, "Have the other Heavenly Venerables arrived?" The generals shook their heads, saying, "They haven't arrived." "I was delayed by Heavenly Venerable Yue, who rebelled against the Heavenly Alliance. I thought I would be late, but I never expected to be the first one to arrive here." Heavenly Venerable Hao, radiant and beaming, smiled, "First, withdraw some of your forces and open a passage. Let the people of Xuandu enter Tianfang City. Once his Heavenly Dao weapons mature, I will break them."

Among the Ten Heavenly Venerables, he was known as the benevolent one. He didn't reprimand the generals or execute defeated commanders as a morale booster, which relieved everyone. However, Heavenly Venerable Hao's instruction to open a passage, allowing the Xuandu rebels to gather and the Heavenly Law weapon to form, was somewhat difficult to comprehend.

"The Heavenly Venerable has likely taken a fancy to these forty-nine Heavenly Dao weapons, even claiming that Heavenly Duke couldn't refine such weapons." Meng Yungui said to Shang Pingyin, "If this weapon forms, it's feared that the forty-nine Heavenly Dao weapons will unite, becoming infinitely powerful. Heavenly Venerable Hao has always disliked engaging in conflict; will he be able to break through these weapons?" Shang Pingyin replied, "Heavenly Venerable Hao is unfathomable, beyond our comprehension."

Meanwhile, inside Tianfang Divine City, Di Qing had waited for a long time, but Heavenly Venerable Hao never attacked. Instead, the Heavenly Court's formation opened a passage, seemingly for the city's inhabitants to escape. Di Qing relaxed and chuckled, "Heavenly Venerable Hao, the incompetent one among the Ten Heavenly Venerables, dares not fight Tianfang City. So, he opened a passage to try and make us flee and disperse our forces. But I will do the exact opposite and let even more people in!"

More Xuandu troops and common folk migrated over. Another ten-odd days passed, and Heavenly Venerable Hao still didn't attack. Finally, the Heavenly Law weapon formed. In Tianfang City, the power of the Heavenly Dao surged. Its might was vast, its principles clear, making everyone in the city, gods, devils, and mortals alike, feel invigorated and filled with confidence!

Qin Mu gathered Tian Shu, the Butcher, and others, saying, "Heavenly Venerable Hao is about to make his move. He doesn't know we are in the city. In this battle, we will only sever one of his arms and seize the Heavenly Law weapon." "What about the mortals in the city?" asked Zhe Huali. Qin Mu fell silent for a moment, then shook his head, "First, let's save our own lives. As for the rest..." His eye twitched, "We'll discuss it later!"

Boom—

Suddenly, a violent tremor came from outside the city, and ten thousand Daos resonated. Qin Mu and the other four hastily looked up, only to see a colossal face with white eyebrows and a white beard slowly rising, obscuring the sky in front of Tianfang City and all the stars around it! His face was so enormous that the suns and stars orbiting Tianfang City appeared as tiny as specks of dust.

It was Heavenly Venerable Hao's face: white eyebrows, white beard, kind and benevolent. However, at this moment, this benevolent Heavenly Venerable Hao extended a massive hand and slapped towards Tianfang City! Di Qing roared furiously, soaring into the air and shouting, "Heavenly Venerable Hao, old man Hao, you've finally made your move! It's time for you to witness the terrifying might of the Heavenly Dao! Children, activate the Heavenly Dao weapons!"

Above Tianfang City, the power of each Heavenly Dao weapon was unleashed, the might of the Heavenly Dao pushed to its extreme, roaring towards Heavenly Venerable Hao's face! Heavenly Venerable Hao smiled, his smile as warm as a spring breeze. Behind his head, a grand and resonant Dao sound emerged, like ten thousand Daos circling him. A massive halo appeared behind his head, from which countless palaces emerged, forming a grand Heavenly Court, radiating billions of feet of light in billions of ways. The Heavenly Dao weapons, still hurtling towards his face, were directly wiped out by the power emanating from the Heavenly Court.

A planet exploded, and countless Xuandu beings on it fled and cried out, but in the next moment, they turned to dust along with the planet. Bang, bang, bang! The planets around Tianfang City were annihilated one after another before Heavenly Venerable Hao's massive hand. Even before his palm descended, the suns had extinguished, and the moons cracked, then shattered into pieces. Tianfang City shook violently. Its supposedly indestructible walls crumbled, and buildings turned to dust.