Chapter 1625: Twelve Achievements

“How powerful!” Qin Mu, Qin Fengqing, and Tai Shi exclaimed in unison from the Du Shi Golden Ship.

The combat power Huo Tianzun displayed at this moment was truly immense. Space rotated around his palm, making it almost impossible for Xu Tianzun to stand firm.

As one of the Ten Celestial Venerables, Xu Tianzun believed she was in no way inferior to Huo Tianzun. Especially since Earth Count's death, her cultivation and power had advanced by leaps and bounds from refining the Youdu Great Dao, making her hold herself in extremely high regard.

Although she hadn't obtained all of Youdu's paths or a complete Earth Count's body, the benefits she gained in Youdu were far greater than what Huo Tianzun obtained in the Southern Heaven.

The Southern Heaven Dao Fire Ancestral Land could not compare to Youdu.

Even with such immense gains, she still sensed a gap: the one between herself and Huo Tianzun.

This gap was almost equivalent to the difference between thirty-five and thirty-six Celestial Palaces.

A mere difference of one Celestial Palace resulted in a world of difference.

Huo Tianzun's soul was not his weakness; it was merely a shortcoming, and one he had intentionally created. His Dao fire could refine the soul, and he could also forge his own soul to be incredibly powerful.

From the Long Han era onwards, he had continuously forged his soul with Dao fire. After obtaining the Southern Heaven Dao Fire Ancestral Land, he utilized it to cultivate his soul, making it stronger than ever before.

However, he desired to refine his soul to a level comparable to You Tianzun's.

His body, vital qi, divine treasures, celestial palaces, runes, Dao patterns, Dao chains, divine arts, and domain had all been hammered to the extreme by Dao fire, reaching an indestructible, adamantine state.

Yet, his soul still lacked a crucial component to reach its ultimate state: the demonic fire of Youdu.

From beginning to end, Huo Tianzun knew he had this shortcoming, but it was merely a shortcoming, not a weakness.

He could not obtain demonic fire from You Tianzun, as that reclusive man had long seen through his true nature. Therefore, he could only acquire it from the battle to annihilate Earth Count, or from Xu Tianzun or the Youdu God Son.

When Qin Mu was the Youdu God Son, Huo Tianzun tried to win him over, hoping he would join his faction.

Later, this hope was shattered, and Qin Mu became his fiercest opponent. He then had to try to win over Xu Tianzun; if she married him, he could use her demonic fire to cultivate his soul.

However, Xu Tianzun sought advice from Heavenly Master Meng Yungui, and Meng Yungui’s words directly shattered his illusions about Xu Tianzun.

During the Youdu war, Qin Mu acted preemptively, eliminating Earth Count before anyone else, allowing Qin Fengqing to absorb Youdu's Dao and inherit Earth Count's mantle. Xu Tianzun then forcibly seized Youdu's Dao and fought fiercely with Qin Fengqing, Heaven Duke, and others. As for Huo Tianzun, he was held back by Moon Celestial Venerable and Langwan, given no opportunity at all.

He had only one opportunity left: to provoke Xu Tianzun into killing him. How to achieve this became the final puzzle. Yet, the opportunity arrived silently: Langxuan God Emperor’s reincarnated body came to the Southern Heaven, providing him with the leverage to ally with Tai Chu.

He decisively sided with Tai Chu, turning against Celestial Emperor Hao after the enthronement ceremony. Celestial Emperor Hao could not tolerate his betrayal and would certainly kill him. Since Celestial Emperor Hao needed to guard against Tai Chu and Tai Ji, the only individuals he could dispatch were Xu Tianzun and the Ancestral God King.

And long before, he had intentionally exposed the "weakness" that his cultivation method could not refine the soul. Therefore, Xu Tianzun would inevitably use demonic fire to burn his soul, intending to kill him with a single blow.

He had been planning this since the Upper Imperial Era. Now, after three or four hundred thousand years, his net was finally cast, culminating in great success and the fulfillment of his desires!

Huo Tianzun felt the demonic fire tempering his soul, bringing immense improvement, and his heart surged with boundless satisfaction.

What did temporary honor or disgrace matter?

What did betraying friends and family matter?

What did enslaving the humans of the Southern Heaven, using countless human lives to curry favor with demigods, matter?

What did it matter that the Southern Heaven humans were enslaved without resistance?

A general's success is built upon countless deaths!

As long as he, Huo Tianzun, became the most powerful being in the world, the emperor of this universe, an invincible existence, he could rewrite history, ensuring his most brilliant and glorious side was recorded in the scholars’ annals.

By simply eliminating all who knew, he would have no blemishes!

Since Yu Tianzun died in the Manhui Corridor Pavilion a million years ago, he understood one truth: to survive, one must become a powerful authority, mastering the strongest force!

And before becoming a powerful authority and mastering the strongest force, he could only cling to power, acting as its dog.

The world always regarded dogs as humanity’s best friends, but dogs never saw themselves that way!

Once a dog gained more power than its master, the situation would be reversed.

Xu Tianzun continuously retaliated under his palm. Her divine arts and Dao techniques were masterful; obtaining Earth Count’s Youdu Dao allowed her understanding of demonic arts to reach an unprecedented height, and she possessed thirty-five Celestial Palaces.

Had it been decades ago, such cultivation could have been considered a top-tier existence among the Ten Celestial Venerables!

However, that was decades ago.

After Huo Tianzun acquired her Dao fire, his magic power, divine sense, body, spirit, soul, runes, Dao patterns, Dao chains, domain, blood qi, divine treasures, and celestial palaces had no more weaknesses; he was indestructible, invulnerable.

All twelve aspects of his being had been cultivated to the extreme. It was the first time anyone in the world had reached this level.

When he brought his palm down, it covered the sky and obscured the sun. Xu Tianzun looked up from within his palm, as if gazing at a burning firmament.

Her attacks could only shake Huo Tianzun’s five fingers, but with a mere flex, Huo Tianzun’s fingers would shatter her divine arts!

Xu Tianzun attacked furiously, her body continuously expanding and growing larger, but space twisted under the power of the Dao fire. No matter how large she became, she could not escape Huo Tianzun’s control.

As Huo Tianzun’s palm descended, its center was like a burning firmament, leaving her nowhere to escape. Her Celestial Palaces were also burning!

It was the most scorching fire, like desire, devouring everything.

Suddenly, above the Southern Heaven, the Xuandu world appeared. The Ancestral God King, controlling the immense body of Heaven Duke, extended half his body and struck a palm towards Huo Tianzun’s head.

“Listen, people of the Southern Heaven!” the Ancestral God King boomed. “Huo Tianzun has betrayed us and murdered Yin Tianzun and Azure Dragon Celestial Venerable!”

The Ancestral God King, majestic and imposing, bellowed loudly: “Huo Tianzun’s crime is unforgivable. Celestial Emperor Hao has already ordered the suppression of the Fire Rogue! All citizens of the Southern Heaven, kneel! Anyone who stands is an accomplice of the Fire Rogue!”

The entire Southern Heaven erupted in an uproar.

Countless demigods and humans, along with demigod deities and human deities, resided in the myriad Heavens of the Southern Heaven, establishing numerous divine cities. They formed the divine and demonic army guarding the Southern Heaven.

At this moment, even the Southern Heaven’s divine and demonic army, hearing the Ancestral God King’s command, couldn’t help but kneel, with not a single person standing.

Meanwhile, in Huo Tianzun’s Celestial Palace in the Southern Heaven, some of Huo Tianzun’s disciples were cleaning his statue, while others were busy with different tasks. Upon hearing this, their bodies trembled, revealing confused expressions, and they all looked towards Yan Yazi.

Yan Yazi, a disciple of Huo Tianzun, was also greatly disturbed by the Ancestral God King’s words and was momentarily at a loss.

“Senior Brother, what should we do?” Huo Tianzun’s many disciples asked.

Yan Yazi suppressed his turbulent mind, thought for a moment, and then declared: “The Sages have taught: the ruler is the guiding principle for the minister, the father for the son, the husband for the wife! Although Huo Tianzun is our master, he is not greater than the ruler or father! Kneel! All of you, kneel!”

In Huo Tianzun’s Celestial Palace, many disciples hesitated. Yan Yazi had already knelt, bowing his head. Seeing this, the other disciples also knelt. Even those who initially wanted to resist abandoned all thoughts of defiance at this sight and knelt.

Far away, the East Emperor Azure Dragon was bewildered. He pondered, “I’m clearly still alive, so why did the Ancestral God King say I was killed by Huo Tianzun? Damn it, it seems allying with Celestial Emperor Hao was a mistake…”

The Ancestral God King’s strike reached Huo Tianzun’s head. He laughed heartily: “Huo, did you ever imagine you’d have this day? Your meticulously trained disciples won’t help you at all; they’re utterly useless. Your painstakingly managed Southern Heaven has ironically become the best slaves you’ve trained for the Celestial Court!”

Huo Tianzun met Heaven Duke’s hand with his other palm, scoffing: “Ancestral God King, you want to corrupt my Dao heart? You’re far from it! If I win, who will write history in the future? Won’t I be the one to decide?”

The Ancestral God King, controlling Heaven Duke’s body, arguably possessed the strongest magic power and physical body. However, facing an existence like Huo Tianzun, who had absolutely no weaknesses, even he felt an unparalleled impact!

In this exchange, he gained no advantage!

“Even if all humans in the Southern Heaven die out, even if all humans in all heavens and myriad worlds perish, as long as I live, humanity will not perish!”

Huo Tianzun’s blood qi fluctuated, then stabilized. He burst into laughter, mercilessly attacking the two, his voice echoing continuously: “I am humanity! I am the supreme! What Yu Tianzun sought back then was too little; he merely wanted humanity to be on equal footing with other races, but even that he couldn’t achieve!”

Xu Tianzun, seizing the moment his blood qi fluctuated, pulled off a long horn from her head and fiercely plunged it into Huo Tianzun’s palm.

The long horn pierced through Huo Tianzun’s hand, shot out from the back, and aimed for his glabella.

Huo Tianzun’s eyes shot out two beams of Dao fire, his gaze like torches, shining on the flying long horn. This long horn was a Celestial Venerable’s treasure forged by Xu Tianzun, and under the illumination of his gaze, it instantly melted!

Huo Tianzun punched Xu Tianzun’s body. Xu Tianzun groaned, spat blood, and flew backward. Her demonic blood instantly turned into flames in the starry sky, burning fiercely.

“But as long as I win, even if only I remain, humanity will be the most noble race in the world!”

A Celestial Court appeared behind Huo Tianzun’s head, his primordial spirit seated within it. He reached out and grabbed Heaven Duke’s body, pulling the Ancestral God King along with Heaven Duke’s body, attempting to drag him out of Xuandu. He sneered, “What Yu Tianzun couldn’t achieve will be completed in my hands!”

The Ancestral God King clashed head-on with him, unleashing the power of the Heavenly Dao to its extreme, using Heavenly Fire to counter Dao Fire.

Huo Tianzun activated his magic power, and layers of Dao fire behind his head rotated like wheels, distorting Xuandu. Even Heaven Duke’s body was twisted, becoming elongated and threatening to turn into a fiery wheel behind Huo Tianzun’s head!

Such immense strength was truly rare.

At this moment, on the edge of the Southern Heaven, Celestial Emperor Hao strode through the starry sky. His One Qi Grand Luo Heaven appeared, its Dao tree branches dancing.

He would personally lead the expedition against Huo Tianzun.

The moment he stepped into the Southern Heaven, another One Qi Grand Luo Heaven appeared in the void ahead. Beneath it, two Grand Ultimate ancient gods, embracing Tai Chu, blocked his path.