Chapter 1518: Unable to Cure, No Hope

Ancestral God King snorted, "Come if you dare!" Despite his words, seeing Fire Heavenly Venerate's terrible state left him with a lingering fear. He quickly moved closer to Heavenly Venerate Hao, unwilling to act alone.

On the Dao tree, Fire Heavenly Venerate's face was completely ruined, and most of his facial bones were shattered. Wisps of chaotic energy fell from the wounds between the broken bones. Ancestral God King could even see Fire Heavenly Venerate's bulging eyeballs, the internal structure of his nasal cavity, and even his brain! More horrifying still, most of Fire Heavenly Venerate's teeth had disintegrated, leaving only three to five. His tongue, however, remained, though his mouth could no longer contain it, with half of it hanging out.

Previously, Fire Heavenly Venerate had been remarkably handsome, dignified, and radiated righteousness, inspiring awe in those who saw him. Now, he was disfigured and hideous, a sight no one dared to look at directly—a truly miserable state. One of his arms was broken, and the other had been reduced to bone, covered in sword marks from which sword light occasionally pulsed.

Heavenly Venerate Hao carefully examined Fire Heavenly Venerate's injuries, then suddenly raised his hand and severed Fire Heavenly Venerate's bony arm at the shoulder. He asked in a deep voice, "Can you restore both arms using the Creation Profound Arts?"

Fire Heavenly Venerate remained silent.

Heavenly Venerate Hao smiled faintly and said leisurely, "During the reforms in Eternal Peace, you also hid a reincarnation there to secretly learn from their achievements. Don't tell me you haven't studied Eternal Peace's Creation Profound Arts."

Fire Heavenly Venerate's voice was hoarse as he replied, "Nothing escapes you, Brother Hao."

He activated the Creation Profound Arts. Flesh grew and bones regenerated at the stumps of his severed arms, quickly forming two tiny arms, like those of an infant, with very short hands and forearms. The cultivation techniques prevalent in Eternal Peace were based on the reforms; it was difficult to master them without opening the Heavenly River Divine Treasure. Fire Heavenly Venerate had not opened the Heavenly River Divine Treasure, as doing so would be too risky for him. Therefore, his reincarnated body practiced Eternal Peace's techniques, while his true body still followed the traditional path of the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure. His Creation Profound Arts could only be re-derived based on his own understanding. Evidently, the version he deduced couldn't perfectly regenerate his physical body and primordial spirit as swiftly and flexibly as Qin Mu's. He would have to wait for his short arms and hands to continue growing before they could be fully restored, which would take several days.

Heavenly Venerate Hao chuckled, "Heavenly Venerate Mu boasted that no one could heal injuries caused by his divine arts. It seems he was just bragging."

Fire Heavenly Venerate's voice grew even hoarser. "The wounds on my face cannot be healed by the Creation Profound Arts!"

Heavenly Venerate Hao paused, slightly surprised. He scrutinized Fire Heavenly Venerate's face and saw that it was still the same as before, without any flesh growing back! The Creation Profound Arts were completely useless!

Heavenly Venerate Hao pondered for a moment, then stepped back two paces. "God King, cut off all the injured flesh from his face."

Ancestral God King stepped forward to face Fire Heavenly Venerate, smiling. "Fellow Daoist Fire, there are remnants of the scoundrel Mu's divine arts in the wounds on your face. His divine arts are difficult to decipher, so we'll have to cut away your flesh along with the residual divine arts. However, the wounds are very deep. I'm afraid I might cut off your eyes and tongue as well, and perhaps even half your brain. Are you sure you want me to proceed?"

Fire Heavenly Venerate stood motionless. "God King, please proceed!"

Ancestral God King transformed a supreme heavenly artifact into a celestial blade and, with one swift cut, completely removed Fire Heavenly Venerate's face, along with his tongue, eyes, and half his brain! How terrifying it was for someone to lose half their head; even the remaining half of the brain might fall out of the skull. Yet, Fire Heavenly Venerate remained standing there with calm composure, a level of self-control that filled Ancestral God King with immense admiration.

However, the next moment, something strange happened. Fire Heavenly Venerate activated the Creation Profound Arts, but the new face that grew back still had no skin or flesh—only broken bones, a tongue, and exposed eyeballs! Fire Heavenly Venerate finally lost his composure. His newly grown short arms and hands trembled as he struggled to raise them, trying to touch his face. However, his arms were too short to reach. And even if he could reach, he would likely only break down further!

Ancestral God King took a step back, his brows deeply furrowed. Logically, after cutting off the wound along with Qin Mu's residual divine arts, Fire Heavenly Venerate's new face should have regenerated perfectly, not growing back exactly like the injured one. —This couldn't even be called a face! The strange thing was that the face Fire Heavenly Venerate regenerated using the Creation Profound Arts was still the injured face, not his original appearance at all!

Fire Heavenly Venerate's voice was hoarse and trembling. "God King, cut it again!"

Ancestral God King frowned and made another cut, the hideous face falling to the ground. Fire Heavenly Venerate once again activated the Creation Profound Arts, and a new face grew, still identical to the previous one, incredibly ugly!

"Again!" Fire Heavenly Venerate cried out, almost at his breaking point, his voice filled with fury.

Ancestral God King shook his head. "It's useless, Fellow Daoist Fire. Heavenly Venerate Mu must have used some peculiar divine art when he injured you. Without deciphering that art, you can forget about recovering your appearance. It won't matter how many times you cut off your face."

Fire Heavenly Venerate roared, suddenly channeling his immense magical power toward his ruined face. Dao flames blazed, igniting on his countenance! He tried to find traces of Qin Mu's divine art and completely eradicate it! As long as Qin Mu's divine art was erased, he could recover! However, no matter how fiercely his Dao flames burned, he found no trace of Qin Mu's divine art, as if such a trace simply didn't exist. Fire Heavenly Venerate cried out as his Dao flames burrowed through his ruined face, yet he encountered no resistance. With no enemy or opposition, his powerful martial arts were utterly useless.

"I cannot heal this kind of injury either," a voice came from behind Heavenly Venerate Hao. It was Heavenly Consort Tai Su's voice. "This isn't just sword dao, nor is it simply the Great Dao of Tai Su, Tai Chu, or Tai Shi. Rather, it incorporates various Great Dao divine arts. It includes the Immutability divine art, the Great Dao of Creation, and seemingly even some of the reincarnation path comprehended by Emperor Yama."

Fire Heavenly Venerate's body trembled as he frantically urged his Dao flames.

Heavenly Consort Tai Su continued, "When Heavenly Venerate Mu's sword dao penetrated your face, he likely already activated his Great Dao divine arts to invade your body."

Fire Heavenly Venerate forcibly calmed himself, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the space behind Heavenly Venerate Hao. He rasped, "Please, Madam, tell me! I want to know how his divine arts invaded my body!"

"It's difficult for divine arts to invade a Heavenly Venerate's body, as they encounter resistance from the Heavenly Venerate's own bodily functions. However, for ancient gods born from eggs, like myself and Tai Chu, it's not as difficult." A phantom figure shimmered behind Heavenly Venerate Hao, and Heavenly Consort Tai Su's voice emanated from it. "The Great Dao of Tai Chu is divided into divine consciousness and primordial qi. Even Emperor Tai, who only mastered divine consciousness, could traverse the world with few rivals. When his divine consciousness invades your bodies, you can't resist it, can you?"

Heavenly Venerate Hao and Ancestral God King nodded.

"Heavenly Venerate Mu, on the other hand, is proficient in my Great Dao of Tai Su, the Heavenly Emperor's Great Dao of Tai Chu, and also the Great Daos of Tai Shi and Tai Ji. When he attacked your face, he must have used one of these Four Great Daos." Heavenly Consort Tai Su inquired, "Am I guessing correctly?"

Fire Heavenly Venerate nodded. "His swordplay was incredibly strange. When he bowed with his sword, I felt a sword strike from the chaos, unavoidable. Once the sword pierced my face, all I saw was chaotic qi."

"That was a divine art evolved from the Great Dao of Tai Chu," Heavenly Consort Tai Su explained. "This divine art transforms everything the sword light passes through into chaotic qi, known as Primordial Unity Qi. When this move attacked your face, the Great Dao of Tai Chu had already infiltrated your body, implanting another one of his divine arts within you. How many strikes did your face take?"

A sliver of hope rose in Fire Heavenly Venerate's heart. He quickly said, "He bowed three times before Heavenly Consort Qiang pulled him away."

"So, you were struck three times." The shadow behind Heavenly Venerate Hao drifted out, moved in front of Fire Heavenly Venerate, inspected him from head to toe, then suddenly burrowed into Fire Heavenly Venerate's body, circulated for a while, emerged from his back, and then drifted back behind Heavenly Venerate Hao.

"Heavenly Venerate Mu's first move, Primordial Unity Qi, implanted the Great Daos of Tai Shi, Tai Su, and Tai Ji into your body, making your physical structure tangible but formless and substanceless, to facilitate his modifications. After the first strike, although you felt no abnormality, your physical structure had already undergone three stages." Heavenly Consort Tai Su's voice, emanating from behind Heavenly Venerate Hao, was ethereal and seemed to be heard differently by each person. She continued unhurriedly, "The first stage is the Tai Shi phase: tangible, but without substance or form. The second stage is the Tai Su phase: tangible with substance, but without form. The third stage is the Tai Ji phase: tangible with substance and form. Your own Dao cultivation and Great Dao cultivation showed no changes, which is why you didn't notice. Because you didn't notice, it was difficult to resist his second strike."

Hearing her dissect Qin Mu's attack, both Heavenly Venerate Hao and Ancestral God King felt a shiver run down their spines. This chilling sensation rose from their hearts, crawled up their spines, reached the back of their heads, and burrowed into their brains!

"The second strike was still Primordial Unity Qi. When this move attacked your face, it was precisely when the second stage erupted. He injected Emperor Yama's Great Dao of Reincarnation into your body along with the Primordial Unity Qi. The Great Dao of Reincarnation combined with the Great Dao of Tai Su, completely altering your physical form." The more Heavenly Consort Tai Su spoke, the more terrified everyone became. "At the same time, he implanted the Great Dao of Creation within you. This was his second divine art."

"His third divine art was still Primordial Unity Qi, attacking your face. This move was extraordinary: he injected the Immutability divine art into your body precisely during the third stage!" Heavenly Consort Tai Su couldn't help but reveal admiration in her words, praising, "His Immutability divine art entered your body just as the Great Dao of Creation was integrating with your flesh. Simultaneously, the Great Dao of Tai Ji from the third stage erupted, restoring your body to its 'previous' state. However, this 'previous' state was not truly your original form." Her admiration grew stronger, almost a soft, moaning sigh of praise. "This 'previous' state is how you were after your face suffered his three attacks. He permanently fixed your appearance to its current state!"

She couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Fire Heavenly Venerate, you should be thankful that Heavenly Venerate Mu's cultivation is far inferior to yours, and also grateful that Heavenly Consort Qiang pulled him away. His magical power isn't as great as yours, so these three moves couldn't spread throughout your entire body; they only had time to alter the structure of your head. If these three moves had invaded all parts of your body, then your two arms would never have been able to grow back either!"

A surge of fury erupted from Fire Heavenly Venerate, scattering the chaotic mist above his head! He had suffered such severe injuries, yet this woman could still laugh aloud; it was intolerable!

Suddenly, Heavenly Venerate Hao's voice came at the opportune moment, stating calmly, "Fortunately, Heavenly Venerate Mu's cultivation is weak, and your life was not endangered. It's a great fortune in misfortune." Hearing his voice, Fire Heavenly Venerate's fury gradually subsided, his anger suppressed.

Heavenly Venerate Hao continued, "Aunt, can you heal Fire Heavenly Venerate's injuries?"

"No, I cannot," Heavenly Consort Tai Su said. "I do not possess the means to decipher the Immutability divine art deeply implanted within Fire Heavenly Venerate's body, nor can I unravel the Great Daos of Reincarnation and Creation within him. Only if Heavenly Emperor Tai Chu recovers to his peak state and integrates the Great Dao of Divine Consciousness to form the complete Great Dao of Tai Chu, would it be possible to resolve Fire Heavenly Venerate's injuries."

Heavenly Venerate Hao raised an eyebrow.

"At that time, Heavenly Emperor Tai Chu would need to use the Great Dao of Tai Chu to transform Fire Heavenly Venerate into his Tai Chu form, becoming formless and substanceless primordial qi. Then, Tai Shi would need to intervene, transforming the primordial qi into his Tai Shi form, tangible but substanceless. Next, I would act, turning him into a tangible, substantial but formless state. At this point, Emperor Yama would be needed to decipher the Great Dao of Reincarnation left by Heavenly Venerate Mu, and Heavenly Venerate Ling would need to decipher the Immutability divine art left by Heavenly Venerate Mu." Heavenly Consort Tai Su continued, "Following that, two Tai Ji ancient gods would be required to reshape his body. Therefore..." She said plainly, "He's beyond saving."

Fire Heavenly Venerate's heart gradually sank into an icy abyss, feeling utterly cold. Emperor Yama and Heavenly Consort Tai Su might be amenable, but it was simply impossible for the others to come to his rescue.

Heavenly Venerate Hao frowned. "So, will Fire Heavenly Venerate's injuries affect his strength?"

"There's an effect, but it's not significant."

Heavenly Venerate Hao breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good that his cultivation and strength aren't significantly affected. Fellow Daoist Fire, a man's ambition is to roam the world; what does handsomeness matter? Just forge a mask and wear it."

Fire Heavenly Venerate assented.

Heavenly Venerate Hao told Ancestral God King, "Don't go after Heavenly Venerate Mu alone. Heavenly Consort Qiang is with him, and you're no match for them."

Ancestral God King laughed heartily. "Why would I fear him? Still, that fellow's divine arts are indeed quite bizarre... Where is Heavenly Venerate Gong?"