Chapter 1468: The Sovereign of Heaven and the Sovereign of Fire

Above the Ancestral Court, the Heavenly Court suppressed its spiritual qi. Not long after the Battle of Xuandu concluded, Hong Tianzun was dead and Xiao Tianzun had been exiled, leaving only Void Tianzun to guard the Heavenly Court.

However, Void Tianzun was not in the Heavenly Court. Instead, she stood on the surface of the Celestial Sea, gazing at the water, which reflected the battle in Xuandu like a mirror.

Only when the dust settled on the Battle of Xuandu did Void Tianzun avert her gaze and return to the Heavenly Court.

Before she even arrived at the Heavenly Court, she heard an uproar. Countless heavenly soldiers and generals guarding the court were searching frantically. Void Tianzun stepped forward to inquire, and a divine official hastily reported, "Terrible news! The Heavenly Court has been robbed! A thief has broken in!"

Void Tianzun quickly asked, "What has been stolen?"

"Someone broke into Jade Capital City and stole treasures from the imperial harem!"

Void Tianzun's heart sank upon hearing this. "Could it be Divine Physician Qin who came to steal the Heavenly Emperor's eggshell?" she wondered.

The divine official continued, "...they stole an entire divine palace! During our recent patrol, we discovered that the Hall of Heavenly Fragrance has vanished!"

Void Tianzun breathed a sigh of relief when she heard it wasn't Divine Physician Qin who had come to steal the Heavenly Emperor's eggshell. However, her heart immediately tightened again upon hearing about the theft of the Hall of Heavenly Fragrance. She mused, "The Hall of Heavenly Fragrance stolen! This hall is rumored to suppress the souls of many formidable gods and devils. Emperor Hao and the others have always been very secretive about it, never mentioning what was sealed within, only asking me to help add more seals. Fire Tianzun even used this hall to take away the Southern Emperor's soul, preventing Divine Physician Qin from reviving him and thus undermining his reputation as the Grand Master of Undying Dharma. Could Divine Physician Qin be the thief?"

She was also somewhat suspicious. Divine Physician Qin had been involved in the Battle of Xuandu; no matter how swift his movements, it was impossible for him to have reached the Heavenly Court so quickly to steal treasures.

Furthermore, if Divine Physician Qin were here to steal treasures, he would undoubtedly head to the Heavenly Emperor Taichu's birth altar to take the Taichu eggshell.

Yet this thief left the Heavenly Emperor's eggshell untouched, opting instead to steal the Hall of Heavenly Fragrance, which was truly peculiar.

—She was unaware of the shortcut via the Celestial Yin World, which connected Xuandu and the Primordial Realm. Traveling through the Celestial Yin World allowed for a swift return to the Primordial Realm from Xuandu, and from there, using the Primordial Realm's psychic transfer bridge, one could reach the Heavenly Court of the Ancestral Court in the shortest possible time.

The Hall of Heavenly Fragrance held little personal significance for Void Tianzun, so she wasn't particularly anxious. She commanded the Divine Constable Camp to conduct a rigorous search, stating, "The Hall of Heavenly Fragrance is enormous. Its sudden disappearance, and your detection of it, means the thief certainly didn't have time to escape. He must be hiding within the Heavenly Court, using transformation arts. As long as he hasn't left the Heavenly Court, there's no concern of his escape. I possess a Soul-Summoning Mirror; no matter how he transforms, a single glance from this mirror will force him to reveal his true form!"

The Divine Constable Camp took the Soul-Summoning Mirror and began a thorough search.

Void Tianzun settled herself, musing, "They are lingering in Xuandu, dividing the spoils, and I received no share... Wait, the Heavenly Court has been robbed, and the Hall of Heavenly Fragrance stolen. So why don't I become a thief myself?"

Driven by a sudden impulse, she quietly made her way towards the imperial harem, heading directly for the altar where the Heavenly Emperor was born.

"Once I secure this Taichu eggshell, I can simply claim it was stolen by the same thief who took the Hall of Heavenly Fragrance. Acquiring such a treasure would be no less beneficial than the gains from Xuandu!"

She went to steal the other half of the Taichu eggshell. Upon reaching the Heavenly Emperor's birth altar, Void Tianzun looked at it and suddenly felt a chill run through her. The altar itself was completely empty!

The other half of the Taichu eggshell had also vanished into thin air!

"Who dares to steal my treasures!" Void Tianzun erupted in fury.

Within the Heavenly Court, a single individual continuously transformed: sometimes into birds and beasts, sometimes into insects and fish. Crouching in a corner, they became a tender blade of grass; standing in a garden, they turned into a blossoming tree. Changing forms countless times along the way, they headed out of the Heavenly Court.

The Divine Constable Camp activated the Soul-Summoning Mirror, shining its light in all directions. Suddenly, the mirror went out of control, floating into the sky with a whoosh. Its light burst forth, encompassing an extremely wide area, and with a hum, it enveloped the entire Jade Capital City within its radiant glow!

Void Tianzun, filled with murderous intent, stood above the Soul-Summoning Mirror, examining its surface to observe the scenes unfolding within Jade Capital City.

Anyone who had employed transformation arts, upon being illuminated by her mirror's light, instantly reverted to their original form with a bang!

Many gods and devils within the Heavenly Court were originally non-human entities who had achieved divinity; a great number were demon or devil cultivators. They typically appeared fearsome in their true forms, so they transformed to present a more pleasing appearance. Yet, under the mirror's illumination, they all reverted to their original forms, truly turning Jade Capital City into a chaotic display of demons, monsters, ghosts, and grotesque beings!

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Emperor's imperial harem was filled with beautiful concubines and palace maids. Some were bathing, while others, in their lonely quarters, were secretly meeting with celestial gods for illicit affairs. Under the mirror's light, they too instantly scattered in pandemonium, creating utter chaos.

Cold sweat broke out on Void Tianzun's forehead. The Heavenly Court, normally appearing sacred and infinitely solemn, had, under her mirror's scrutiny, revealed all its hidden darkness, becoming an uncontrollable mess.

With so much disorder, even she was temporarily unable to discern which individual was the thief who had stolen both the Heavenly Emperor's eggshell and the Hall of Heavenly Fragrance.

Meanwhile, a young man had already leaped into the Celestial River, transformed into a colossal Kun fish, and leisurely submerged, swimming away from the Heavenly Court.

Upon reaching the Southern Heavenly Gate, the colossal Kun fish leaped, soaring effortlessly over the gate. The divine beings guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate looked up, cheering at the impressive sight.

The colossal Kun fish splashed down into the Celestial River, creating a huge spray. Once submerged, it transformed into a fish-dragon and disappeared without a trace.

After swimming an unknown distance, the fish-dragon transformed into a colossal Celestial River crab, scuttling sideways until it climbed onto the riverbank. The giant crab shook off the water, then transformed into a young man. He let out a long sigh of relief, pulled out a divine palace, looked at it with joy, quickly placed it back into his gluttony pouch, and hurried forward.

The young man moved with incredible speed, like a fleeting shadow, quickly distancing himself from the Heavenly Court. He intended to travel upstream along the Celestial River towards the Celestial Sea.

Midway through his journey, he suddenly felt the sky growing increasingly hot.

He quickly looked up, seeing a tall, majestic Tianzun standing before him. Behind the Tianzun's head, dao fire spun like a wheel, and his face displayed a mix of sorrow and joy as his gaze settled upon the young man.

"Fire?"

The young man's gaze met Fire Tianzun's. He paused for a moment, then smiled broadly and asked, "Fire Tianzun, is that you?"

Fire Tianzun's facial muscles twitched around his eyes. He stared blankly at the young man, his voice hoarse as he spoke, "Divine Physician Yu, elder brother, you've truly come back to life."

His body involuntarily seemed to shrink, as if he had reverted to the Fire Tianzun from the Jade Pool incident, staring blankly at the elder brother he admired.

The young man was indeed Lan Yutian. Seeing Fire Tianzun, he felt greatly invigorated. With gentle eyes and an unparalleled demeanor, he smiled, "I'm back. Fire Tianzun, I've stolen my fragmented soul, and the old me has returned!"

Full of vigor and spirit, he chuckled, "I never expected us to reunite after a million years! In this world, demigods still reign supreme. What difference is there between demigods ruling and ancient gods ruling? Our human race remains nothing more than their sustenance!"

His eyes glowed with fervor, as if recapturing the powerful charisma of Divine Physician Yu from the Jade Pool incident. His bearing was exceptionally distinguished, yet it also conveyed a sense of intimacy—the innate quality of a born leader!

"Fire Tianzun, I need you!"

Lan Yutian extended his hand, speaking earnestly and with profound sincerity, "Come, let's work together! For humanity, let's overthrow this corrupt world!"

Fire Tianzun, however, did not extend his hand. The blazing fire in his eyes gradually dimmed as he spoke softly, "Elder Brother Lan, you were the person I respected most. You were the leader of our human race, the elder brother to all Tianzun. When you led, no one would dare defy you. We were all willing to follow you, to fight by your side, even to the point of sacrificing our lives."

Lan Yutian's outstretched hand remained, still eagerly awaiting a response.

Fire Tianzun choked out, "When you died, I swore a solemn oath to avenge you, to make your killers pay with blood! But elder brother, your ideals are too ethereal, too vague, too idealistic! What you aim to achieve can never be realized! You will only be killed!"

His voice grew steadily louder. The fiery wheel rotating behind his head spun faster and faster, churning the surging waters of the Celestial River, causing water vapor to evaporate and form a thick mist that spread across the river.

Lan Yutian frowned slightly. "Fire," he said, "as long as you and I work together, as long as our human race is united, there is nothing that cannot be achieved..."

"No! It cannot be done!"

Fire Tianzun roared, "The human race is inherently inferior to other races and will never be able to stand on its own! Humans cannot rely on their own strength; they can only rely on demigods, clinging to them, to survive in this brutal world!"

"Only my path is the correct one! The human race now lives infinitely better than when you were their leader! Stop resisting the Heavenly Court!"

His demeanor was almost frantic; he virtually roared at Lan Yutian, "Stop using your ideals to endanger humanity! You will only be killed again! And because of you, because of people like you, humanity will once again plunge into disaster!"

He clenched his fists tightly and declared sharply, "Power is the truth of this world, the Great Dao of this world—there is only power! Humanity has no power, so it must depend on power!"

"You've changed," Lan Yutian stated calmly.

"I haven't changed!"

Fire Tianzun roared once, but then gradually calmed down, chuckling, "I've never changed; I've simply learned to be smarter. Elder brother, you are the one I respect most. Abandon your ideals, come to my side, and I will protect you well. In the future, I will personally slay your enemies."

Lan Yutian took a step, walking past him, shaking his head. "Those who follow different paths cannot plan together," he stated. "Fire Tianzun, from today onwards, you need not call me elder brother, nor do you need to avenge me..."

*Thwip*—

A hand pierced through his back and emerged from his chest, its five fingers tightly clutching his heart.

The hand was trembling, and Fire Tianzun behind him was also shaking. Lan Yutian's expression was one of disbelief as he looked back to see Fire Tianzun's face streaked with tears. The tears, along with the mist from the Celestial River, were instantly evaporated by the heat emanating from Fire Tianzun's body.

"Elder brother, you're dead, you're dead, aren't you? Why did you have to come back to life? Wasn't it better when you were dead?"

Fire Tianzun leaned close to Lan Yutian's ear, panting heavily, his face contorted. He chuckled, "When you were dead, you remained that flawless elder brother, that perfect eldest brother in my heart. Your coming back to life only makes things difficult for me, making me unsure what to do with you... You should die; you should turn to ashes and remain as your perfect image in my heart..."

His palm gradually exerted force, crushing Lan Yutian's heart, as the dao fire began to consume Lan Yutian's body.

"You should understand me, you must understand me, right?"

Fire Tianzun's face grew even more twisted and deformed. He panted heavily, chuckling, "Don't worry, I will avenge you, I definitely will, if you have a spirit in heaven... No, Divine Physician Qin will summon your soul again; I can't let you have a spirit in heaven!"

He rummaged through Lan Yutian's corpse. "Where is the Hall of Heavenly Fragrance? Quickly, take out the Hall of Heavenly Fragrance! I'll seal you inside it, then he won't be able to revive you. The Hall of Heavenly Fragrance..."

From the burning gluttony pouch, he retrieved the Hall of Heavenly Fragrance, which was also engulfed in flames.

Fire Tianzun was stunned. The Hall of Heavenly Fragrance was a palace forged with the combined might of the most powerful deities, possessing the strongest seal; it should have been impossible for his dao fire to ignite it.

He looked at Lan Yutian's corpse. The flesh and blood had been incinerated to ashes, but then the ashes themselves dispersed, leaving absolutely nothing behind.

"A divine consciousness illusion!"

Fire Tianzun's facial muscles twitched. *Whoosh*, a fiery wind blew, dispersing the mist that lay over the Celestial River.

Just then, he saw Lan Yutian standing on the distant river surface. Beside Lan Yutian was Divine Physician Qin, and beside Divine Physician Qin was Divine King Lang Wo.

On the Celestial River, the wind howled, but silence lingered for a long time.

Divine King Lang Wo broke the silence, saying softly, "Divine Physician Qin, I have accomplished what you requested. Are you satisfied?"

"Extremely satisfied."

Divine Physician Qin replied indifferently, "I can finally put my heart at ease. Divine Physician Yu, what about you?"

Lan Yutian shook his head. "Brother," he said, "there is no Divine Physician Yu here."

There are still brothers...