Chapter 1602: Abnormal Thinking

Above the Ancestral Court, the void, normally invisible, now revealed layer upon layer of distinct and clear emptiness.

The Ancestral Court was no longer the desolate landscape of the past. Many races from the myriad heavens had migrated there to settle and develop. Although the Ancestral Court was vast, making scattered cities inconspicuous, the number of living beings from various races within it was substantial.

At this moment, all beings residing in the Ancestral Court looked up and witnessed a scene they would never forget.

Layer upon layer of void, thirty-six in total, appeared with incredible clarity. In the thirty-sixth layer, two Grand Overarching Heavens emerged, their Dao trees lush and verdant, reflecting the World Tree in the distance.

These two Grand Overarching Heavens, with their two Dao trees and two Dao flowers, each emanated their unique Dao rhythms.

The Dao rhythm emanating from one of the Grand Overarching Heavens was an boundless power. The moment it appeared, it felt as if mountains and gods were pressing down on everyone's hearts. These mountains crushed their physical bodies, and the gods weighed upon their minds, forcing them to bend and kneel!

The Dao rhythm from the other Grand Overarching Heaven, however, was like an invincible sword, striking down the gods in their hearts and leveling the mountains on their bodies!

The two Grand Overarching Heavens moved rapidly, drawing closer to each other.

Soon, they approached and collided in a whirlwind. The instant they met, an incredibly terrifying power seemed to erupt, yet the beings in the Ancestral Court felt none of it.

This was because the power generated by the collision of the two Grand Overarching Heavens could barely escape the Ultimate Void. The Ultimate Void caused the divine might of the Grand Overarching Heavens to continuously diminish as it propagated.

By the time it emerged from the Ultimate Void, it would have been further attenuated by thirty-five layers of void, thus preventing any damage to the Ancestral Court.

Nevertheless, the clash of the Grand Overarching Heavens, and the divine arts and Dao methods displayed, left the beings in the Ancestral Court spellbound. While they could barely comprehend what they saw, they discerned various profound mysteries.

Each person perceived something different, yet no one could fully grasp all the profound wonders of the Grand Overarching Heavens.

The Grand Overarching Heavens were too vast to be fully described, too profound to be fully explained.

Below the two Grand Overarching Heavens, Heaven Master Hao saw Emperor Kai, and Emperor Kai saw him in return.

Both stood at the pinnacle of their respective realms, facing each other from afar.

"Taking a step towards us and slaying Earth Count, Qin Ye, your strategy was indeed unexpected and caught me somewhat off guard."

Heaven Master Hao, showing appreciation, said from a distance, "However, all of this is useless in the face of absolute power. You have already lost."

He did not look at Emperor Kai, instead gazing between the two mountains.

He wasn't looking between the two mountains, but at Youdu, which overlapped with the Ancestral Court.

In Youdu, Heaven Master Huo and Heaven Master Xu had already detected the tactics of Heaven Master Yue and Lang Wo. The two of them had previously experienced Yue and Lang's divine arts in the three rooms at the end of the Void Bridge, making this unraveling a familiar path for them.

Meanwhile, Heaven Master You was completely disadvantaged in his battle with Ancestral God King, with defeat being only a matter of time.

Heaven Master Hao looked towards Youdu. Within Youdu, the Book of Life and Death had stabilized once more, absorbing Earth Count's Youdu Great Dao and feeding it back to Qin Fengqing. Qin Mu, meanwhile, was rapidly descending with Heaven Master Ling, plummeting towards the Jade Lock Pass at Earth Count's feet.

"Eleven Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Court — Heavenly Master Gong, Heavenly Master Hong, Heavenly Consort Qiang, Shi Qiluo, and Heavenly Consort Yan — have already fallen and no longer exist. Of the so-called Ten Heavenly Masters, only Fire, Ancestor, Lang, Xu, Grand Prime, and you remain."

Emperor Kai calmly stated, "As for us, besides myself, we have Heaven Master Yun, who has already achieved Dao, along with Yue, Ling, You, Mu, and Lang Wo. In terms of numbers, we already hold the advantage. Furthermore, Heaven Master Yu is also with us. Heaven Master Hao, you should feel fear."

Heaven Master Hao waved his hand, and a cloud platform appeared, floating between the two mountains. He ascended the platform, where a stone table and two meditation cushions awaited.

Heaven Master Hao sat on the left cushion and chuckled, "Emperor Kai, I once heard that at the Jade Pool Assembly, upon seeing me and Heaven Master Yu, you said that if Heaven Master Yu became Emperor, you would serve him, but if I became Emperor, you could replace me."

Emperor Kai shook his head. "That's not what I said. At the Jade Pool, I saw your obstinacy. If you became Emperor, I would contend with you, seize the momentum of the world, gather the hearts of the people, and it would be uncertain who would prevail."

"If that's the case, why dare not sit opposite me?" Heaven Master Hao smiled.

Emperor Kai strode over and sat opposite him.

Heaven Master Hao prepared tea, and Emperor Kai lit the fire for him. Once the water boiled, Heaven Master Hao dropped in the tender green tea buds. The two sat watching the tea leaves slowly unfurl in the water, each inhaling the aroma.

Heaven Master Hao poured tea for Emperor Kai, who slightly bowed his head in thanks.

"You just claimed your side outnumbers the Heavenly Court in Heavenly Masters, which is a great error."

Heaven Master Hao poured a cup of tea for himself, quietly waited for it to cool, and smiled, "Lang Wo is a creation master; her magical power is a bit low, far inferior to any Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Court. Heaven Master You is strong in primordial spirit but weak in physical body. Heaven Master Yue wasted forty thousand years, delayed by Dao injuries and living in seclusion, missing the period of great explosion in divine arts and Dao methods, and the formation of the Great Heavenly Court cultivation techniques. She missed out, and her magical power is far inferior to other Heavenly Masters. Only Yun, Ling, and Mu pose a threat to the Heavenly Court."

He raised his cup in a gesture, and Emperor Kai returned the toast.

"And Yun, Ling, and Mu, all three have their shortcomings."

Heaven Master Hao drank his tea, set down his cup, and said, "Heaven Master Yun relies on inheriting the legacy of the Grand Emperor. How much he can truly leverage remains questionable. If he could contend with my father god Grand Prime, you would still have room to maneuver. Unfortunately, he cannot. Heaven Master Yun's journey to the World Tree was precisely to address his deficiencies."

He refilled Emperor Kai's tea and continued, "Heaven Master Ling is also not enough. While the power of her Dao methods is indeed terrifying, slaying the Grand Emperor with astonishing skill – even if I were to be struck, my Dao cultivation might be annihilated, leading to complete death. However, her other abilities are too weak, and her combat methods too poor. She cannot possibly approach me, nor can she approach other Heavenly Masters. Simply remove Heaven Master Yue, and she becomes useless."

He chuckled, "Heaven Master Huo will eliminate Heaven Master Yue for me. As for Heaven Master Ling, I cannot kill her; perhaps no one in this world can kill her now. But just because we cannot, doesn't mean the Young Masters of the Mi Luo Palace cannot."

Emperor Kai's heart skipped a beat, and he quietly drank his tea.

"As for Heaven Master Mu, he is indeed a formidable opponent."

Heaven Master Hao, speaking of Qin Mu, couldn't help but praise him repeatedly. "Killing Earth Count before us, that strategy is not something you could devise. Your thinking is too conventional; your troop deployments, schemes, and battle tactics are all straightforward, without any hint of deviousness. Only someone with abnormal thinking like Heaven Master Mu could conceive of such a plan. It truly surprised me."

He drank his tea and said, "Heaven Master Gong is dead. Qin Mu killing Heaven Master Gong means his abilities surpass hers, and the speed of his power's growth also exceeded my expectations. However, Heaven Master Gong was already at the bottom among the Ten Heavenly Masters. Ever since she was injured by your sword Dao, her Dao heart was no longer complete, so dying at Qin Mu's hands is normal. My brother, Lang Xuan, can contend with him."

Emperor Kai smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Lang Xuan is doomed. Did Lang Xuan know you were using Heaven Master Mu's hand to eliminate him?"

Heaven Master Hao laughed heartily, fiddling with his teacup, and slowly said, "I had originally prepared a dignified death for you all, where you would gloriously sacrifice yourselves to become offerings for the Young Masters' arrival. But Heaven Master Mu's abnormal thinking disrupted my plans. Well, this is fine too; if the Young Masters cannot descend, it's not my fault."

He calmly continued, "My father, Grand Prime, will go to kill Heaven Master Yun. I will hold you back. Heaven Master You will die by the hand of Ancestral God King. Youdu Divine Son Qin Fengqing will perish at the hands of Heaven Master Xu. Heaven Master Yue will die by the hand of Heaven Master Huo, and Divine King Lang Wo will be captured by the Primordial Gods of Taiji. When I become Emperor in the future, she will be suitable as my empress. As for Ling, she is useless in this war. I will take out the Young Masters' weapon, kill her, and sacrifice her to the Young Masters."

Emperor Kai's gaze fixed on Heaven Master Hao's face, like two sharp swords piercing his Dao heart.

Heaven Master Hao remained unfazed. "And Heaven Master Mu – after he kills my brother Lang Xuan, I will personally bury him. Oh, and Heaven Master Yu!"

He gave a faint smile. "He is beneath the World Tree. After you die, I will go and have a chat with him."

Emperor Kai picked up his teacup, drained it, and shook his head. "Are you not afraid of Grand Change?"

"Grand Change?"

Heaven Master Hao laughed heartily. "Grand Change is trapped in the prehistoric universe, long ago captured and suppressed by the Young Masters of the Mi Luo Palace. The Grand Change under the World Tree is merely an impostor, likely Heaven Master Mu in disguise. He's an abnormal person, fond of risky maneuvers. Do you want more tea?"

Emperor Kai coldly replied, "No, thank you."

Heaven Master Hao sighed. "I didn't expect us to draw swords so soon. Qin Ye, you are remarkable, but you are too arrogant and your cultivation time is too short. This forced you to cultivate only one Heavenly Palace and focus solely on the Dao Realm to catch up with me, which means even after achieving Dao, your magical power is still far inferior to mine. You were too eager."

Behind his head, two Great Heavenly Courts emerged, transforming into a Ten Thousand Dao Heavenly Wheel, one side dark, one side bright.

Behind Emperor Kai, however, only one Heavenly Palace appeared. The Jade Capital City lacked a High Heavens Palace, making his Heavenly Palace incomplete.

His High Heavens Palace had been severed by himself, and consequently, his High Heavens Realm, along with his Emperor's Throne Realm, had vanished.

"I am half-god, and also half-human."

Another voice emanated from Heaven Master Hao's Ten Thousand Dao Heavenly Wheel. Emperor Kai's pupils contracted sharply as the dark side of the Ten Thousand Dao Heavenly Wheel suddenly split, revealing a Great Heavenly Court composed of thirty-five Heavenly Palaces. Another Heaven Master Hao stepped out from it and drifted away.

"Emperor Kai, you stay here and deal with my half-god body, while I, in my half-human body, go to send Heaven Master Mu on his way." The departing Heaven Master Hao vanished into Youdu as a great void abyss of Return to Nothingness appeared, tearing Youdu open.

Before Emperor Kai, Heaven Master Hao still sat there, smiling as he watched him.

Emperor Kai gathered his Dao into a sword and thrust it forward. The Heaven Master Hao opposite him laughed heartily as the Ten Thousand Dao Heavenly Wheel landed between the two.

Youdu.

Heaven Master Huo and Heaven Master Xu tore through the divine arts of Heaven Master Yue and Lang Wo, emerging from them. As Heaven Master Yue and Lang Wo were about to unleash their divine arts again, a Taiji sandbox suddenly appeared. Countless stellar sands transformed into a Taiji Star Domain, separating Heaven Master Yue and Lang Wo!

Ancestral Court, Black Mountain Sacred Land.

Heaven Master Yun suddenly stood up and gravely said, "The battle of Youdu has begun, Brother Yu, I can no longer continue learning!"

His body floated into the air. Above the World Tree, the void split open, revealing thirty-six layers of emptiness. The Grand Overarching Heaven of Divine Sense emerged, drawing his physical body towards it.

Just as his physical body was about to enter the Grand Overarching Heaven, a voice suddenly rang out: "I've found you! Heaven Master Yun, is my Grand Prime Emperor Sword still useful?"