Chapter 1555: Open Emperor Sword Trial

Xiaotianzun looked down at Kaihuang. In the early years of the Dragon Han era, he had designated Qin Mu and Kaihuang as Shepherd Heavenly Venerate and Qin Heavenly Venerate, respectively. These two appeared briefly and then quickly disappeared.

Only Qin Mu, as Shepherd Heavenly Venerate, occasionally resurfaced in Dragon Han history, participating in major events.

Qin Heavenly Venerate, however, vanished without a trace, not reappearing until a human youth named Qin Ye rose from the ruins of the High Emperor Era and established the Kaihuang Heavenly Court. Only then did Qin Heavenly Venerate reappear in Xiaotianzun's sight.

At that time, in just twenty thousand years, Kaihuang had become a formidable opponent, forcing the Ten Heavenly Venerates to intervene and suppress the Kaihuang era.

After that, Kaihuang went into seclusion, hiding in Carefree Village. However, the Ten Heavenly Venerates continuously sent people to search for Carefree Village's whereabouts, precisely because they knew this man would surely return!

The Nine Heavenly Venerates of Dragon Han were all far from being nobodies; each had achieved immense accomplishments and world-shaking feats!

"Qin Ye, have you achieved Dao?" Xiaotianzun's physical body shrunk, and he asked with a solemn expression.

Kaihuang did not answer.

He didn't need to answer.

The aura emanating from him was that of pure sword dao, without any impurities, giving a feeling of immense sharpness yet profound restraint. Standing there, he resembled a Grand Overarching Heaven of Sword Dao, supreme and indestructible. At the same time, he was like a sword sheath, concealing his sharpness within.

When his sharpness was not unleashed, it harmed no one. But once unleashed, it was vast as an ocean, sweeping all before it!

This was achieving Dao, becoming the Dao itself! Achieving Dao (Cheng Dao) differed from attaining Dao (De Dao). Attaining Dao meant gaining understanding of the Dao, with varying depths of cultivation and levels of Dao attainment. Achieving Dao, however, meant becoming the Dao, a world apart from merely attaining it.

Xiaotianzun's expression grew even more solemn, even showing a hint of jealousy. Kaihuang had achieved Dao in only forty thousand years! A mere human had reached the highest realm in just forty millennia, while for beings like himself, who were among the most powerful ancient gods from birth, achieving Dao was exponentially more difficult!

"During the Kaihuang era, you proposed the Post-celestial Dao, believing it could stand alongside the Pre-celestial Dao. When you said this, the Heavenly Court deemed it an absurdity; even Hao Heavenly Venerate, Hong Heavenly Venerate, and the other Ten Heavenly Venerates thought it utterly ridiculous."

Xiaotianzun quickly suppressed his jealousy, shrinking his body to roughly Kaihuang's height. The two stood on the God-Slaying Platform, but behind Xiaotianzun, a brilliant light shone. His Heavenly Court, with its thirty-six Heavenly Palaces and forty Treasure Halls, blazed with immense light, covering a vast area. His primordial spirit stood above the High Heavens Treasure Hall, his physical body immense, encompassing the entire Heavenly Court, its imperial might overwhelming!

"At the time, I also thought you were merely a clown, but later I changed my view of you. Your sword dao, like a magnificent chapter, is rarely seen throughout the universe's creation until now." Xiaotianzun couldn't help but exclaim, "You, with only one Heavenly Palace, cultivated and pioneered the sword dao, reaching a level where you could stand alongside the Ten Heavenly Venerates in just twenty thousand years. I've often thought how brilliant I was back then, to have decreed the Nine Heavenly Venerates in the early Dragon Han era. Each of them achieved extraordinary feats. No one else has such foresight. Among the wise rulers of the world, who can surpass me?"

Kaihuang remained unmoved.

Xiaotianzun continued, "Later, when you proposed the Dao Realm cultivation system, my admiration for you grew even stronger. The Dao Realm cultivation system not only solved the problem of achieving Dao through the Post-celestial path but also addressed the problem of achieving Dao through the Pre-celestial path." He couldn't help but clap his hands in sincere praise, "Qin Ye, Imperial Heavenly Venerate's greatest achievement was opening the path of cultivation, solving the problem of creating something from nothing. However, he died too early. Regarding how to achieve Dao, he only proposed the concept of drawing inspiration from the Heavenly Court and achieving Dao through power, leaving it to later generations to complete. Until now, that path has truly been established. Yet, you proposed another path, the Dao Realm path. Your achievements are in no way inferior to Imperial Heavenly Venerate's."

Displaying the demeanor of a Heavenly Emperor—graceful and refined—he said, "Qin Ye, I must admit, you've astonished me. However, if you intend to hinder my path to Dao, I will have no choice but to destroy you. Do you know your greatest weakness?"

Kaihuang remained standing silently, not uttering a word.

Xiaotianzun said, "It's because you came here with Shepherd Heavenly Venerate. The greatest asset of one who achieves Dao is actually the Grand Overarching Heaven Realm. Your sword dao is imprinted upon the Grand Overarching Heaven, where your infinite power is stored. However, you achieved Dao in the present era, not in the past. And the era we are in is the past; this is a time before you were even born." He smiled faintly, surveying the vast desert sands around them, and calmly stated, "This is forty thousand years in the past. In this universe, your Grand Overarching Heaven does not yet exist. This is a ruin from the High Emperor era. To abandon your greatest advantage and come here to face me, a being who achieved Dao through power, is truly a foolish move!"

In the distance, Qin Mu slightly frowned. Xiaotianzun wasn't entirely wrong about one thing: Kaihuang had just achieved Dao, and he had returned to the past, where the Grand Overarching Heaven of Sword Dao did not exist. Could Kaihuang, without the Grand Overarching Heaven of Sword Dao, truly be a match for Xiaotianzun?

Kaihuang stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with scorn.

Xiaotianzun attacked decisively! His single strike was world-shattering. Though aimed at Kaihuang, the aura Xiaotianzun unleashed nearly reduced the entire desert region and its heavens to primordial chaos! Countless grains of sand shattered into the finest particles, which then annihilated, returning to a state of chaos. The myriad ancient bones in the desert tumbled in the primordial qi; even divine bones disintegrated, turning into primordial qi! The full power of Xiaotianzun's attack erupted. The already battered stars in the heavens now successively exploded and annihilated! The entire shattered celestial world seemed to return to shapeless, formless, massless chaos, re-enacting the primal wilderness—an era when heaven and earth had not yet separated, and the Great Dao had not yet taken form!

Qin Mu saw the danger. Xiaotianzun had unleashed his power as one who achieved Dao through sheer force. The might of this power threatened even Qin Mu. He decisively raised the Grand Beginning Staff and slammed it down with great force.

*Buzz*—

The Grand Beginning Staff's power erupted, radiating outwards from him, blocking the destructive force contained within Xiaotianzun's divine ability. Ling Heavenly Venerate stood beside him. Both immediately felt as if they were adrift in a storm, like a solitary boat tossed about by turbulent waves, surging up, down, left, and right! Both were utterly shocked and wore solemn expressions.

In the sky, stars continued to fall, hurtling towards them, but they disintegrated and crumbled mid-descent, eventually transforming into primordial chaotic qi, merging with the destructive torrent! Xiaotianzun's power was immense. He had achieved Dao through force, and in terms of sheer power, Qin Mu had never seen anyone reach Xiaotianzun's level! Primordial qi was the primordial essence, existing innately before heaven and earth separated. It evolved into the Grand Prime, then the Grand Purity, then the Grand Ultimate, and finally, after heaven and earth opened, the world came into being. Xiaotianzun was now pushing the Dao of Primordiality to its extreme, making this ruined celestial world return to its primordial state to enhance his own power!

At that moment, a blinding sword light flared on the God-Slaying Platform. As the sword light ignited, Qin Mu immediately felt the Sword Dao flourishing, omnipresent.

"Grand Overarching Heaven of Sword Dao?" Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat. He instantly sensed that the source of this Sword Dao was indeed the Grand Overarching Heaven of Sword Dao! However, according to Xiaotianzun, this era should be after the fall of the High Emperor Era and before the birth of the Kaihuang Era. In other words, Kaihuang had not yet been born. Kaihuang would achieve Dao forty thousand years later, imprinting his sword dao onto the ultimate void, establishing the Grand Overarching Heaven of Sword Dao, cultivating a Dao tree, and blossoming a Dao flower. In terms of sword dao mastery, Qin Mu was already second only to Kaihuang, and his perception couldn't be wrong. But how could Kaihuang possess the Grand Overarching Heaven of Sword Dao in the era they were currently in, where it didn't exist?

In an instant, the sword light pierced through the surging primordial qi. If Xiaotianzun was returning this ruined celestial world to a chaotic state, transforming it into primordial qi, then Kaihuang was using his sword to create heaven and earth, rebuilding the world! Kaihuang's Sword Dao was inherently grand and magnificent. His very first sword technique upon entering the Dao was the Grand Emperor's Heaven-Flattening Sword. His thirty-six heavens of sword dao were all swords that created heaven and earth! Within the chaotic primordial essence, thirty-five heavens appeared, followed by a supreme heaven, stabilizing the millstone-like spinning chaos.

The next moment, sword light erupted, and chaos exploded. Amidst terrifying energy fluctuations, a figure stumbled backward, flying out and spilling blood along the way!

The sword light vanished.

Kaihuang still stood on the God-Slaying Platform. The collision between the two had unleashed immense power, yet not a single bit of that power had landed on the platform itself. The God-Slaying Platform was already battered and would likely shatter from another heavy blow. However, Kaihuang had borne the full brunt of Xiaotianzun's earth-shattering attack, leaving the platform unharmed. Qin Mu quickly looked at Kaihuang, only to see blood spilling from the corner of Kaihuang's mouth. Clearly, his injuries were not light, and he was not faring well. However, the one who stumbled back, spilling blood along the way, was not Kaihuang, but the seemingly more powerful Xiaotianzun. Xiaotianzun's injuries were heavier than Kaihuang's!

"I understand!" Qin Mu's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in delight, "I finally understand!"

Ling Heavenly Venerate, unaware of what he had understood, looked at him curiously. Qin Mu excitedly clenched his fist but remained silent. Ling Heavenly Venerate tilted her head, thinking, "Shepherd Heavenly Venerate should be quite old by now, yet he still acts like a child?" She smoothed her hair and reinserted her hairpin.

"Grand Beginning, it is *I* who achieved Dao, not the Grand Overarching Heaven of Sword Dao." Kaihuang remained on the God-Slaying Platform, looking at Xiaotianzun, who was still tumbling and spilling blood. He said indifferently, "Whether there's a Grand Overarching Heaven of Sword Dao or not doesn't significantly affect me. Because *I am* the Sword Dao, *I am* Grand Overarching, *I am* the Dao tree of Sword Dao, *I am* the Dao flower on the Dao tree."

"Yes!" Qin Mu excitedly told Ling Heavenly Venerate, "That's what I meant too!"

Ling Heavenly Venerate smiled, thinking, "Still childish, indeed."

"This time, I can rest assured." Qin Mu sighed in relief, took out the Heavenly Emperor's physical body, his eyes sparkling as he chuckled, "Hao Heavenly Venerate is about to break free, Ling, we must be prepared!"

Ling Heavenly Venerate frowned, saying, "Hao Heavenly Venerate's power is no less than Xiaotianzun's. I'm afraid I won't be much help."

Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "In the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City, I witnessed the destruction and decay of sixteen universes, and I realized the principle governing the birth and death of the universe. That is the principle of mass-energy conservation! The mass and energy of the entire universe convert into each other, with the total mass-energy remaining constant. You've comprehended the immutability of matter. If you can take it a step further and comprehend the immutability of mass-energy, perhaps even Grand Beginning won't be your opponent."

Ling Heavenly Venerate asked curiously, "What is mass-energy conservation? How do mass and energy convert?"

Qin Mu squatted down. There was still a patch of sand beneath the Grand Beginning Staff. He extended a finger and drew on the sand, saying, "From the builder of the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City, the Master of the Mi Luo Palace, I comprehended a Primal Chaos rune. I've been meditating on it these past days, and perhaps the secret of mass-energy conversion is hidden within this rune. It's just that I haven't fully grasped the mass-energy conversion itself; it requires incredibly complex calculations. And the Dao patterns of the Master of Mi Luo Palace conceal these rune transformations."

Ling Heavenly Venerate also squatted down, watched for a moment, then took off her hairpin and began drawing on the ground as well. The two calculated together.

On the other side, Kaihuang and Xiaotianzun were locked in a battle that shattered heaven and earth, but the two of them paid no attention, as if oblivious.

"Shepherd Heavenly Venerate, you've finally died by my hand! Hahahaha!" Hao Heavenly Venerate's voice reached them. Qin Mu glanced over and saw Hao Heavenly Venerate with a dilapidated great bell above his head, full of holes and leaking air everywhere. He then withdrew his gaze and continued calculating with Ling Heavenly Venerate. Hao Heavenly Venerate emerged from forty thousand years of time, overjoyed, only to suddenly see a pure land supported by a staff amidst the storm created by Kaihuang and Xiaotianzun's battle. Qin Mu was perfectly fine, not dead at all. Instead, he and Ling Heavenly Venerate were squatting on the ground, their heads close together, writing something on the ground. Hao Heavenly Venerate let out a muffled groan, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. "Didn't you say that if I killed over twenty thousand of you from forty thousand years ago, you would die?" he mumbled.

"I didn't say I would die." Qin Mu stood up, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Besides, did you actually believe that, my dear nephew?"