Chapter 1627: South Sky Fool

When Matriarch Yuangu acted, her first move materialized into the Grand Heavenly Court, forged from the thirty-six Heavenly Palaces, pushing the Path of Gui Xu to its absolute limit. She was perhaps more accurately called the Goddess of Gui Xu, but at this moment, Matriarch Yuangu's consciousness was dominant. She had fused Matriarch Yuangu's Path of Destruction with the Empress's Path of Creation, unifying them into the perfect Path of Gui Xu.

The perfect Path of Gui Xu possessed an extremely peculiar power: it could devour all matter and energy, converting them into its own strength. Fire Heavenly Venerate's Dao Fire possessed a power almost comparable to the Wind of Heat Death. However, within Gui Xu was the *true* Wind of Heat Death, an immensely terrifying accumulation of energy that crushed matter into pure energy.

When facing Matriarch Yuangu, one would quickly realize their own magic power diminishing while her strength continuously grew. Fire Heavenly Venerate bravely met the blow, only to realize his Dao Arts and divine abilities vanished as if into a bottomless ocean, utterly failing to harm his opponent. Meanwhile, Matriarch Yuangu's magic power abruptly surged. The lotus shattered his defenses directly, spinning rapidly as it sliced through his chest.

A razor-sharp lotus petal grazed his face. The mask he wore emitted a soft crack and split in two, revealing a hideous and terrifying countenance. Qin Mu had long ago disfigured Fire Heavenly Venerate's face, rendering his features almost unrecognizable, a patchwork of exposed bone and scattered flesh. His skin had been completely flayed, leaving only the nasal bone where his nose once was, ear canals where his ears had been, and his eyes unprotected, bared. His lips had vanished, revealing his teeth, making his face resemble a skull adorned with fragments of flesh. In the present world, Qin Mu was undeniably the supreme master of Dao Arts. The Dao injury he had inflicted upon Fire Heavenly Venerate's face persisted to this day, incurable even by the most skilled physicians. Even Matriarch Yuangu was taken aback by his appearance.

The two engaged in a rapid exchange of blows. Fire Heavenly Venerate found himself constrained, his every divine ability seeming to lose its potency, its power absorbed by Matriarch Yuangu regardless of how he attacked. Having only cultivated thirty-five of the thirty-six Heavenly Palaces, he possessed significantly less magic power than Matriarch Yuangu, leaving him vulnerable to her assaults. His advantage lay in his lack of weaknesses and the flawless nature of his Dao Arts and divine abilities. Though his techniques were countered by Matriarch Yuangu, his powerful physique allowed him to withstand her attacks directly, yet he found himself increasingly disadvantaged with each passing moment.

Lotus petals drifted down, swirling around him. Incredibly sharp, they sliced through his flesh, nearly flaying him alive. The Great Abyss of Gui Xu suddenly manifested behind him, its violent gravitational pull twisting his body and dragging him inward. Fire Heavenly Venerate roared and fought to escape the abyss. No sooner had he burst free than Matriarch Yuangu, wielding a lotus, swept it across his form. Fire Heavenly Venerate spat blood, sent tumbling and rolling backward.

With a flurry of "shua shua shua" sounds, stamens shot out from the lotus like snakes, coiling around him and dragging him toward Matriarch Yuangu. Fire Heavenly Venerate immediately raised his hand to sever the binding stamens, but Matriarch Yuangu was already upon him. Fire Heavenly Venerate abruptly rose, transforming into a streak of fire and escaping with astonishing speed. Yet, the Great Abyss of Gui Xu, like a colossal maw devouring all heavens and myriad worlds, caused space to collapse around it. No matter how swiftly he flew, he merely spun in circles beside the abyss, unable to escape its powerful gravitational pull.

"This is where my life ends!" Despair filled Fire Heavenly Venerate's heart. He glanced back to see Matriarch Yuangu, a faint smile on her face, holding the twin lotuses, poised to deliver a killing blow. Oddly, however, the lotus in Matriarch Yuangu's hand paused just as it was raised, withholding the fatal strike. Fire Heavenly Venerate was taken aback. Matriarch Yuangu stood there, a look of growing panic spreading across her face. Her expression seemed genuine; she was clearly in a dominant position and had no reason to feign distress.

Not only did Matriarch Yuangu appear panicked, but her body also began to tremble. Simultaneously, the black mole between her eyebrows slowly changed, turning from black to red.

"You wretched girl..." Matriarch Yuangu gritted her teeth and hissed, "Are you trying to get yourself killed by showing up now?"

Not understanding the situation, Fire Heavenly Venerate immediately launched a fierce attack at Matriarch Yuangu. Suddenly, the twin lotuses in her hand swelled and, with a swift rustle, folded closed, enveloping Matriarch Yuangu within. Fire Heavenly Venerate's attack struck the thick layers of petals, causing them to wither, yet the terrifying force still penetrated deep into the twin lotuses.

A muffled groan emanated from within the lotus, followed by a different voice: "You wretched girl, how could I surrender so easily? I am the true one, the rightful owner of this body. Now that you've healed, it's the perfect moment for me to reclaim what's mine..."

"Sister, if you contend with me for control of this body, Fire Heavenly Venerate will only gain an advantage!"

"If you don't withdraw, I will perish with you, and Fire Heavenly Venerate will kill us both!"

Fire Heavenly Venerate landed several successive heavy blows, breaking through the twin lotuses and pushing inside. He found Matriarch Yuangu frozen, unable to move. In an instant, he unleashed countless divine abilities upon the woman. Matriarch Yuangu was sent hurtling high into the air, crashing violently to the ground. Fire Heavenly Venerate landed, placing his foot firmly on Matriarch Yuangu's chest, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "My fortune remains incredible; I am not destined to die. Matriarch Yuangu, it's time for you to go..."

At that moment, the black mole on Matriarch Yuangu's forehead turned completely red, and her eyes, now cold, fixed on him. Her voice transformed into that of the Empress: "My dear Fire, do you dare to trample my body?"

The Empress seized one of Fire Heavenly Venerate's legs and slammed him violently to the ground. Fire Heavenly Venerate was left dizzy and disoriented, but fortunately, the Empress herself was severely wounded and did not deliver a fatal blow. A fierce glint ignited in Fire Heavenly Venerate's eyes. "She was severely wounded by me just now," he thought, "in this battle, I may not lose!"

Ancestor God King and Void Heavenly Venerate moved closer, observing the twin lotus. Its petals had closed and intertwined tightly, the flower chamber alternately swelling and contracting, while terrifying fluctuations of divine power emanated from within, astonishing them. Heavily wounded themselves, Ancestor God King and Void Heavenly Venerate exchanged shocked glances.

The battle within the twin lotuses concluded swiftly. Suddenly, the petals burst open, and a fiery streak shot out. It was Fire Heavenly Venerate, covered in blood. Ancestor God King and Void Heavenly Venerate immediately moved to intercept him. The three engaged in a rapid, brutal exchange outside the flower chamber. Void Heavenly Venerate severed Fire Heavenly Venerate's left arm, and in return, Fire Heavenly Venerate twisted Void Heavenly Venerate's head completely backward, forcing her to see her own backside. Ancestor God King activated the Heavenly Lord's physical body, slamming Fire Heavenly Venerate's head deep into his chest. Instantly, eyes sprouted on Fire Heavenly Venerate's chest. He then seized Ancestor God King, who was standing on the Heavenly Lord's face, with his right hand. His Dao fire, like a spinning wheel, twisted Ancestor God King's body into more than a dozen contorted loops, stretching his physical form and primordial spirit thinner than a twisted dough fritter.

Just then, the Great Abyss of Gui Xu erupted, swallowing the Grand Heavenly Court behind Fire Heavenly Venerate and dragging his primordial spirit into the Great Ruins. Fire Heavenly Venerate recoiled, crashing into the Empress. The Empress stumbled backward, and the red mole on her forehead instantly turned black, transforming her back into Matriarch Yuangu. Matriarch Yuangu chuckled, shaking with mirth, and activated her Reincarnation divine ability to seal the Empress. However, Fire Heavenly Venerate's primordial spirit suddenly shot up from the Great Abyss, carrying a tattered Heavenly Palace, and pierced directly through the back of Matriarch Yuangu's head.

Fire Heavenly Venerate's primordial spirit, still carrying its fragmented Heavenly Palace and Heavenly Court, then flew out from Matriarch Yuangu's forehead. Explosions rumbled within Matriarch Yuangu's skull, and blood continuously gushed from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, transforming into bursts of fiery light. Fire Heavenly Venerate's chest pulsed as his head regrew from his torso. Just as he was about to recall his primordial spirit, Void Heavenly Venerate, whose head was still twisted backward, slammed both hands down hard on his skull. Terrifying demonic power surged through Fire Heavenly Venerate's body, destroying his Divine Bridge Divine Treasure! This devastating power penetrated deeply, dissolving his Life and Death, Celestial Being, Seven Stars, Six Harmonies, and Five Luminaries divine treasures, nearing his Spirit Embryo divine treasure.

Fire Heavenly Venerate's primordial spirit flew in, and with a single blow, ejected Void Heavenly Venerate's primordial spirit from her body. Void Heavenly Venerate's physical form instantly burst into Dao fire. Fire Heavenly Venerate's primordial spirit re-entered his body, transforming him into a streak of fire that shot skyward. No sooner had he ascended than Ancestor God King, still ablaze, activated the Heavenly Lord's physical form and impaled the back of Fire Heavenly Venerate's head with a single finger.

A large hole appeared in Fire Heavenly Venerate's forehead. The force of that single finger pierced through the Heavenly Court within his mind, obliterating the Heavenly Gate, Jade Pool, and God-Slaying Platform, then sweeping through Jade Capital City. This terrifying power surged onward to the High Heavens Hall, utterly pulverizing it! The High Heavens Treasure Hall exploded, and Fire Heavenly Venerate's primordial spirit, seated upon the Emperor's Throne, was also pierced through by the Heavenly Lord's physical form. The Emperor's Throne beneath him dissolved into a phantom, slowly dissipating.

Fire Heavenly Venerate instantly felt his magic power collapse and drain away. His cultivation realm plummeted from the Heavenly Court, then to the Emperor's Throne, then the High Heavens, and continued to regress through Jade Capital, God-Slaying Platform, Jade Pool, Heavenly Gate, Divine Bridge, Life and Death, and finally, Celestial Being.

"I have achieved twelve forms of undying accomplishments; this injury cannot destroy me!" Fire Heavenly Venerate forcibly suppressed his dissipating magic power. Seeing Ancestor God King and Void Heavenly Venerate, both heavily wounded, pursuing him, he flickered his body. Immediately, millions of fiery streaks shot out in every direction across the starry sky. Streaks of fire filled the Southern Heaven, dispersing in various directions. Ancestor God King and Void Heavenly Venerate reached out repeatedly, catching numerous fiery streaks, but all proved to be empty.

Ancestor God King coughed up large mouthfuls of blood, struggling to suppress the Dao fire raging through his body with his magic power, making pursuit impossible. Void Heavenly Venerate, whose cultivation was slightly inferior, was in an even worse state. The two barely managed to suppress the Dao fire. Ancestor God King, barely able to conjure a wisp of magic power, barked sternly, "Gods and demons of the Southern Heaven, heed my command! Fire Heavenly Venerate has betrayed us. Seal off all Spiritual Energy Teleportation Bridges, pursue him relentlessly, and kill him! The Heavenly Court offers immense rewards—titles of King and Marquis await!"

More and more fiery streaks appeared in the Southern Heaven. Millions descended into each of the heavens, only to dissipate into fleeting embers upon landing. Suddenly, one fiery streak slammed into the ground, shaking mountains and rivers. It coalesced into Fire Heavenly Venerate's form, rolling for more than ten miles before finally coming to a halt.

Fire Heavenly Venerate painfully pushed himself up, panting heavily. "I'm not dead yet..." he gasped. His body swayed unsteadily before his injuries flared up, sending him collapsing to his knees with a thud. He propped himself up with his hands on the ground, a self-satisfied chuckle escaping his lips. "As long as I survive this calamity, I still have a chance, I can rise again... I can go seek refuge with Heavenly Venerate Mu, yes, I can go seek refuge with Heavenly Venerate Mu!" His eyes gradually brightened, fixed on the ground, brimming with hope. "Heavenly Venerate Yun is my lifelong friend; he invited me multiple times to join forces against the Heavenly Court. If I seek refuge with him, he certainly won't refuse. Heh heh, Heavenly Venerate Mu is utterly defeated now. If I go to him, I'll become an honored guest; he'll have no choice but to rely heavily on me! Heh heh, Emperor Kai is dead, so I am now the strongest being among the human race..."

At that moment, footsteps approached. Fire Heavenly Venerate laboriously lifted his head to see a small mountain village in front of him, populated by farmers who made their living from the land. The footsteps belonged to an old farmer whose face was deeply etched with wrinkles. He appeared to be seventy or eighty years old, though his actual age was likely under fifty. The harsh and impoverished living conditions, spent toiling under the sun, often caused people to age prematurely. The old farmer had likely been working; a manure pit lay nearby. He held a manure rake, and the faint stench of feces and urine clung to him.

The old farmer, his aged eyes blurry, approached cautiously, trembling as he peered at Fire Heavenly Venerate. "Are you... are you Fire Heavenly Venerate?" he stammered.

Fire Heavenly Venerate nodded. "I am Fire Heavenly Venerate, the ruler of the Southern Heaven," he said. "Does your village have any miraculous elixirs? My injuries are extremely severe right now..."

The old farmer, a mix of surprise and delight on his face, swung his manure rake with full force. Its three prongs jabbed into Fire Heavenly Venerate's forehead, sending sparks flying and splattering his face with excrement.

"You..." Fire Heavenly Venerate's mind reeled.

Seeing that he hadn't killed him, the old farmer raised the rake again and brought it down with a vicious swing, his voice filled with joyous cries. "Quickly! Everyone, come! The Fire Thief who betrayed the Heavenly Court has fallen into our village! We're going to be rich!"

Rage surged through Fire Heavenly Venerate, but his injuries were too severe for him to struggle to his feet. From the village, old and young, women and able-bodied men poured out, some clutching kitchen knives, others wielding grappling hooks, iron shovels, hammers, hoes, and spades. They surged toward him, shouting to strike and kill. The villagers encircled him and began to strike, assaulting him with various farm tools. But how could mere villagers harm Fire Heavenly Venerate? No matter the ferocity of their attacks, they couldn't even scratch him.

"Why are you trying to kill me?" Fire Heavenly Venerate, both shocked and enraged, hissed, "You ungrateful wretches! It was I! I protected the Southern Heaven, I protected you commoners! Otherwise, you would have died long ago!"

From somewhere deep within him, a surge of power erupted, allowing him to force himself to his feet despite the villagers' blows. He seized the old farmer with the manure rake by the neck and lifted him effortlessly. The surrounding villagers watched him in terror, frozen in place. The old farmer struggled feebly but managed to gasp out, "Fire dog, you dare to be defiant? Disloyalty to the sovereign is the gravest sin! The Sages' Teachings declare that those disloyal to their lord are no better than beasts, and anyone may strike them down! You are a beast!"

Fire Heavenly Venerate spat out a mouthful of blood. The "Sages' Teachings," which were used to instruct humanity in the Southern Heaven, had been compiled by him. It was this very text that had earned him the title of Saint Venerate among the Heavenly Venerates from the Heavenly Court.

Other villagers swarmed forward, their kitchen knives, grappling hooks, iron shovels, hammers, and hoes all striking him. "Beat this disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and unrighteous villain to death!" they shouted. "Take his head for the reward, and we'll become gods!"

"His body is too hard; we can't kill him!"

"Quick! Kill a dog and douse him with black dog blood to break his spells!"