Chapter 1447: Self-inflicted Misfortune Leads to Destruction

The moment Hon Tianzun's palm covered Tianfang City, a dazzling light burst forth from between them, only to vanish instantly.

Simultaneously, the benevolent smile on Hon Tianzun's colossal face shifted to surprise and anger. His enormous size made the change in expression appear incredibly slow. However, this surprise and anger swiftly vanished, replaced by a stern demeanor.

From his severed wrist, flesh grew wildly. Thick, mountain-like sinews rapidly extended forward, blood vessels proliferated like coiled dragons, and hand bones grew like mountains rising from the earth.

At that moment, Hon Tianzun's brow furrowed again.

He sensed something peculiar. He had used the Path of Creation to mend his physical injuries, which consumed his magic power. Given his cultivation level, the depleted magic power should have recovered swiftly. Yet, at this moment, he felt no sign of his magic power recovering in the slightest. He felt as if an invisible, highly intricate chain had locked his magic power, layer by layer, preventing him from recovering his cultivation.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his heart. In a daze, Hon Tianzun felt as though he had fallen into a boundless deep well, gazing up at the sky from its opening. This sensation was somewhat similar to when he had clashed with Qin Mu at Yaochi, before the Heavenly Alliance meeting, and was struck by Qin Mu's move. However, this peculiar sensation quickly faded. The cultivation he had lost was trivial to him, merely a drop in the ocean.

His palm quickly regenerated. With a firm squeeze, the severed hand below exploded, and several Heavenly Dao weapons flew out from it, falling into his newly formed palm.

"Five Heavenly Dao weapons are missing, and the most crucial one, the Heavenly Principle Weapon, has been stolen."

Hon Tianzun, who had been gazing down at Tianfang Divine City, slowly lifted his head. He saw that the fractured continent of Tianfang City, under Di Qing's protection, had already broken through the Heavenly Court army's encirclement and was fleeing outwards. At the edge of that continent, beams of light emerged, and five masked figures burst forth, surging dozens of miles before finally halting. The five individuals' bodies had seemingly exploded, yet their blood instantly flowed back, bound by a strange power that left them almost completely unharmed. The five missing Heavenly Dao weapons were, in fact, held by these five individuals.

"Shepherd Tianzun, you still haven't grasped the principle: 'order brings prosperity, chaos brings disaster.' You severed my hand and stole my Dao weapons. It seems there's no longer any room for reconciliation between us."

Hon Tianzun's massive form rapidly shrunk, quickly returning to a normal human height. Dressed in wide sleeves and a flowing robe, he appeared elegant and unworldly, like a reclusive master, as he floated gracefully towards the continent. "Those who commit evil deeds bring about their own destruction," he declared.

"Heavenly Court armies, obliterate the remnants of Xuan Du's Tianfang City. Do not let a single one escape." His voice, deep and resonant, echoed in the ears of the Heavenly Court's various marshals. He stated calmly, "This is an excellent opportunity for you to earn merit, and a great chance to plunder Xuan Du's wealth and capture slaves."

Countless banners unfurled, and massive warships set sail. Innumerable mighty gods and demons flew from the ships, surging towards the Xuan Du gods and demons of Tianfang City who had survived Hon Tianzun's devastating palm. Additionally, several planets that had not been shattered by Hon Tianzun's palm drifted precariously. They carried people from Xuan Du, with surviving Sun and Moon Guardians activating their magic powers and divine abilities, attempting to lead them to safety.

Although Hon Tianzun's steps appeared slow, his speed was incredibly swift, and he rapidly closed the distance to the continent.

On that continent, Qin Mu, the Butcher, and the other five stumbled, their feet shifting erratically. With a series of metallic clangs, they plunged the five Heavenly Dao weapons into the ground, finally steadying themselves. The five exchanged glances, lingering fear evident in their eyes.

"I have the Heavenly Seal Weapon!" Zhe Huali stated, his voice deep as he regained his composure.

"I have the Heavenly Origin Weapon," Luo Wushuang said, looking at the Heavenly Origin Mirror in his hand.

"The one in my hand should be the Heavenly Pillar Weapon," Tian Shu said, steadying a divine tower.

"The one in my hand is the Heavenly Secret Weapon," the Butcher said, looking at the Heavenly Umbrella plunged into the ground.

Qin Mu looked at the Heavenly Dao weapon he had plunged into the ground. It resembled a grand celestial canopy. When unfurled, it transformed into the firmament itself, with the foundational principles of the Heavenly Dao radiating from its zenith, dividing into forty-nine paths that descended from the peak. "This one is the Heavenly Principle Weapon, the complete blueprint of the Heavenly Dao."

Qin Mu stated gravely, "With this extraordinary treasure, I can control all other Heavenly Dao weapons."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, knowing their desperate gamble had not been in vain. This time, they had risked far more than just their lives. Hon Tianzun's strike had shattered even matter into chaos. In such a chaotic state, souls themselves would likely dissolve into chaos, ceasing to be physical, and thus the 'soul black sand' would not exist! At that point, neither Qin Mu's soul-sculpting divine ability nor his 'Material Imperviousness' would have been of any use; there would have been no possibility of survival.

"Hon Tianzun is an entity capable of shattering thirty-five layers of void with his magic power alone. Among the Ten Celestials, his magic power is the strongest, even surpassing that of Fire Tianzun and Dawn Tianzun."

Qin Mu exhaled a long breath, looking back with a shiver. Hon Tianzun, his wide sleeves billowing, had already crossed the Heavenly Court's battle lines and was approaching them under the bright illumination of Xuan Du. He would reach them very soon.

"Who are you?" Suddenly, Di Qing's voice rang out. Qin Mu didn't reply, instead touching the black cloth still covering his face. King Tian Shu smiled and said, "Di Qing, we've already introduced ourselves. I am the Underworld King serving Emperor Kai, and these four are friends I invited to assist us."

Di Qing seemed to ignore his words, looking directly at Qin Mu and asking gravely, "Who are you?"

"You wouldn't want to know who I am." Qin Mu calmly stated, "What you should be focusing on now is how to escape Hon Tianzun's pursuit and escort these people out of Xuan Du."

Di Qing fell silent, turning to look at the people on the fragmented continent. There were still hundreds of thousands of Xuan Du citizens and over a hundred Sun Guardians on this land, but all were injured. The eyes of the citizens and injured Sun Guardians fixed on him, reflecting both despair and hope. They still had complete faith in him, believing he could lead them out of their desperate plight and bring them new life. Di Qing managed a weak smile, offering it to them.

"If you prefer not to disclose your identities, I won't press you. However, I have one request for the five of you." All of Di Qing's pride vanished. He bowed deeply, almost touching the ground. "I humbly implore you to escort these people of Xuan Du to a safe place, far from here."

Zhe Huali, speaking rapidly, couldn't help but say, "We urged you to evacuate the city's citizens long ago, not just once. You even wanted to kill us as a sacrifice! What were you doing all that time?"

Di Qing was utterly ashamed, his head bowed to the ground, not moving to rise.

Zhe Huali was about to speak again, but Qin Mu raised a hand to stop him. Looking at Di Qing, who remained bowed to the ground, he said, "You won't last long alone. I will give you four Heavenly Dao weapons; only this Heavenly Principle Weapon cannot be given to you. Hold them off for as long as you can, and I will send the people on this continent further away."

Di Qing rose, wiped away his tears, and smiled. "Thank you, Dao brother, for this opportunity! If there's a next life..."

Qin Mu shook his head. "There is no next life. Go."

Di Qing took the Heavenly Seal, Heavenly Origin, Heavenly Pillar, and Heavenly Secret weapons. He bowed once more to Qin Mu and the other five, then turned and soared into the sky, a multitude of heavenly palaces erupting behind him as he flew to confront the approaching Hon Tianzun. He was a grand master comparable to Emperor Yin and Emperor Bai. With the Heavenly Dao's blessing and Heavenly Dao weapons in hand, he was resolved to fight to the death, determined to delay them, even if only for a brief moment!

"My own undoing, hehe, it was all my own doing..." He chuckled, watching the rapidly approaching Hon Tianzun, then suddenly burst into loud laughter, unleashing his full cultivation and activating the complete power of the four Heavenly Dao weapons as he charged towards Hon Tianzun. "I cannot compensate my people who died because of me, nor can I repay the Dao brothers who helped me. All I can do is die—use my life to give others a chance to survive!"

He was filled with heroic fervor, but Hon Tianzun, walking towards him, maintained a calm and composed expression, regarding him as no more than an ant. Hon Tianzun gently raised his hand, and the Heavenly Dao divine weapons within his palm radiated immense power.

"After all, he is my child," Hon Tianzun stated indifferently, a sound Di Qing heard just before his death. He gazed at Hon Tianzun in a daze, his vision gradually fading into darkness.