Chapter 1449: River Beauty

Qin Mu, the Butcher, and the other three departed, leaving behind the Sun Keepers and the people of Xuandu. A moment later, the latter set sail for the Primordial Realm, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

They would settle in the Primordial Realm. As for the stories of Qin Mu, the Butcher, Zhe Huali, Luo Wushuang, and Tian Shu, they would likely be passed down through generations.

Zhe Huali let out a long sigh, glanced at Qin Mu, and chuckled, "After that scolding, I feel much better. Celestial Venerable Mu, you're an honest man..."

He quickly added, "At your core, you're an honest person. You're only cunning and deceptive towards enemies, but when it comes to your own people and ordinary folks, you're too straightforward. You can't bear to hurt them, or even say a single harsh word. I'm not like you."

Filled with vigor, he declared loudly, "If I have something to say, I'll say it! If I've been wronged, I'll voice it! If I've done a good deed, I'll publicize it! I won't let good people suffer injustice, nor will I let villains get away with it! These scoundrels are too harsh on good people! A bad person can have countless flaws, but if they have even one good point, it'll be praised. A good person can have countless virtues, but if they have just one flaw, they'll be condemned! I can't stand to see that!"

Tian Shu laughed heartily, "Demon Blade Zhe Huali, your thoughts are as clear and unhindered, as magnificent and peerless as your blade!"

Zhe Huali tightened the Demon Blade Dragon Tooth on his back and smiled casually, "I just don't want my respected friend to bear a bad name! Cult Master Qin, Celestial Venerable Mu, Beast, Qin the Destroyer, Shepherd Thief – no matter what they call him, he is my friend, someone I respect. He has all sorts of minor flaws, but when it comes to major issues of right and wrong, he has never made a mistake!"

Qin Mu's eyes reddened, but he smiled.

Luo Wushuang smiled and said, "My disciple..."

He quickly added, "He used to be."

The Butcher glanced at him and said, "He used to be your disciple, but he learned too rigidly from you. He only got better after spending some time with me."

Luo Wushuang's face darkened, and he said no more.

Qin Mu smiled, watching them. These people were his friends—one of them even an elder, but more like a wise teacher and a frank critic. To have such friends was truly a great blessing!

His cultivation was rapidly recovering. The Jade Pool in the Ancestral Court, along with the Jade Pool realms in the various Celestial Palaces, allowed his cultivation to recover at an astonishing rate.

Of course, his cultivation was currently too profound; even with the rapid recovery rate, it would still take a few days to reach his peak state.

Qin Mu also took out spirit herbs gathered from the Ancestral Court to refine elixirs that would quickly restore his vital qi. This dual approach was to ensure he could escape if Celestial Venerable Hao came looking for him.

Celestial Venerable Hao was determined to obtain the Heaven's Net Divine Weapon. Of the forty-nine Heavenly Law Divine Weapons, even if he acquired forty-eight of them, without the Heaven's Net Divine Weapon, they would merely be powerful treasures.

Only by obtaining the Heaven's Net Divine Weapon could he integrate the power of these divine weapons and transform them into a supreme Heavenly Law treasure of immense power!

A supreme treasure far more powerful than the Heavenly Law supreme treasure refined by Ancestral God King!

"So Celestial Venerable Hao won't pursue the Xuandu people; he'll pursue us instead."

Qin Mu's eyes flickered, and the five of them flew together towards the direction of Heaven Duke.

Heaven Duke was immensely vast, making it impossible to see his full form. Along the way, they saw more divine cities. Xuandu had forty-nine larger divine cities, named after the forty-nine Heavenly Laws.

In the Primordial Era, these divine cities were built around the Celestial River and were extremely ancient.

During the Dragon Han Era, the Celestial Court was established, regulating the Celestial River to flow through the Southern Heavenly Gate, and the river's course didn't change much.

However, in the mid-to-late Dragon Han Era, the Celestial Court migrated out of the Primordial Realm, causing the Celestial River to change its course. There were no longer any traces of the Celestial River in Xuandu; only these forty-nine divine cities and the ancient Celestial River path remained.

Now, the Celestial River had returned to its original place, and turbulent, surging waters flowed in the ancient path, reflecting the starlight of Xuandu, creating a truly magnificent and captivating scene.

However, this return brought with it a killing intent!

The most magnificent Tianfang City had already been destroyed, because it was the gateway for resisting the Celestial Court's army. The Celestial River flowed into Xuandu from there, making Tianfang City equivalent to Xuandu's main gate.

Emperor Qing led his forces to intercept the Celestial Court's army there precisely because of Tianfang City's crucial importance.

Tianfang City had gathered Xuandu's most powerful forces, leaving the other divine cities much weaker. The Celestial Court's army had already arrived, and along the way, Qin Mu and the others saw divine cities shattered into pieces, one after another.

These divine cities had fewer troops, far less than Tianfang City, so they were easily breached without the need for a Celestial Venerable to intervene.

Along the way, they saw numerous Xuandu gods and immortals captured and imprisoned in cages. These Xuandu gods and immortals were the spoils of war for the Celestial Court's various military commanders.

As for the countless scattered corpses floating in the starry sky, among the dead were gods and devils, but more often, they were ordinary beings living in Xuandu.

They were demigods, but among demigods there were also ordinary beings who could not cultivate or found it difficult to reach the divine realm.

Countless captured Xuandu beings were also being escorted in the cabins of various multi-decked ships. These people and the captured Xuandu gods and immortals would become slaves for the various military commanders, to be sent to different regions or sold to mining operations in the various heavens.

"Who would have thought that Xuandu, once so high and mighty, would face a day like this?" Tian Shu lamented.

Their speed increased, avoiding the Celestial Court's army as they headed towards Heaven Duke's direction in Xuandu.

The Heavenly Law evil aura grew increasingly dense and intense. This formidable evil aura also strengthened the God-Slaying Platforms in Qin Mu and the others' Celestial Palaces, with the aura forming blades that howled and raged on the platforms.

Despite their cultivation improving, all five of them felt heavy-hearted.

The stronger the heavenly evil aura, the more divine beings and creatures had perished in Xuandu.

"Will the evil aura condense and form the fiftieth Heavenly Law Divine Weapon?" the Butcher muttered.

"No, Consort Qiang will bring the God-Slaying Platform from the Ancestral Court's sacred land and sweep away all the Heavenly Law evil aura."

Qin Mu's eyes flickered as he said, "Grand Emperor won't miss this opportunity to let the God-Slaying Profound Blade mature!"

Suddenly, zither music drifted over, and space rapidly shifted. Qin Mu's heart stirred, and he followed the sound, seeing a beautiful figure flash past the Celestial River, with Celestial Venerable Huo's figure close behind.

Celestial Venerable Huo held the Ancestral Land of Dao Fire in one hand, carrying the enormous Dao Fire Nine-layered Altar above his head as he strode forward, his body immense, pursuing Celestial Venerable Yue.

"I wonder if there's an opportunity to ambush Celestial Venerable Huo?"

No sooner had he thought this than he suddenly felt something, and hastily turned back to see Celestial Venerable Hao, his wide sleeves billowing, approaching through the air.

"Let's go!"

Qin Mu floated up, about to use spatial divine abilities to take the four others and avoid Celestial Venerable Hao, when suddenly a section of the starry sky abruptly appeared in Xuandu.

Initially, that starry sky was just a tiny galaxy, then it spun and expanded. Vast divine consciousness was at work, visualizing it in Xuandu, solidifying it from illusion, causing stars to swell and lie horizontally between Celestial Venerable Hao and Qin Mu's group.

"Divine King Lang Wo!"

Celestial Venerable Hao chuckled and flew across that starry sky, only to see a star within it suddenly evolve into a myriad heaven, catching him off guard and causing him to stumble into it.

"A trivial trick."

Celestial Venerable Hao scoffed, leaped, and jumped out of that myriad heaven, his figure passing through layers of stars. However, no sooner had he jumped out of that myriad heaven than he found himself in yet another.

Layer upon layer of myriad heavens resembled pictures within pictures and flowers within flowers, stacked one upon another, one covering another.

Seeing Celestial Venerable Hao trapped, Qin Mu felt relieved. He looked towards the source of the divine consciousness and saw Divine King Lang Wo walking on the Celestial River, serene and cool, with starlight flowing like splendor beneath her feet.

Wherever she walked, the Celestial Court's army ceased their war drums, laid down their weapons, and gazed at her in a daze. Only after she had passed, as if waking from a dream, did their slaughter resume.

Qin Mu gazed at the beautiful woman on the river. The woman looked back at him and waved from afar.