Chapter 1658: The Lord of Tiandu

"Old Seventh, you always loved to dream. Why aren't you dreaming now?" The Fourth Master of the Miro Palace stopped playing his zither, looked up at the figure beneath the World Tree, and said indifferently, "Teacher isn't here, but you can't be so presumptuous in the Miro Palace. Here, you are ranked seventh, not first."

The figure beneath the World Tree approached, becoming gradually clearer. Even the Great Calamity of Destruction, which annihilated everything, could not shake the figure beneath the tree, nor even disturb his aura. He walked through the chaos, feeling perfectly at ease amidst the Great Calamity of Destruction, as if in his element.

He was tall and robust, yet his temples were streaked with white, and his face bore the marks of time and hardship. He looked identical to Qin Mu, but appeared more mature and composed, clearly having experienced much in his journey back to the past universe.

"Teacher passed down seven paths, and what each of us comprehended is unique," Qin Mu from the past universe said, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the perfected beings, scrutinizing their Dao fruits. "We each have our achievements. Our rankings are based solely on the order in which we became Teacher's disciples, not on strength. Teacher showed us the way, but individual cultivation is paramount. In fact, I transcended the principles Teacher imparted long ago. Old Third, Old Fourth, I have cultivated something superior."

The Fourth Master of the Miro Palace lowered his head and continued playing his zither, a smile touching his lips. A magnificent palace soared from the depths of the Miro Palace, breaking through layers of chaos, crossing fifteen cycles of cosmic destruction, and settling behind him. It was the Purple Heavens Palace. The Master of the Miro Palace called him Zixiao, but those outside Jade Capital City referred to him as Dao Lord Zixiao.

The Third Master smiled faintly. At the same moment, the High Heavens Palace traversed the vast River of Chaos and appeared behind him. The Master of the Miro Palace called him Lingxiao, but those outside Jade Capital City referred to him as Dao Lord Lingxiao.

Furthermore, the Celestial Heavens of the Seventeenth Epoch universe had a profound connection to him. When the Grand Emperor and Grand Beginning first entered Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court, he revealed his High Heavens Palace to them, leaving an indelible impression. Later, when Grand Beginning became the Celestial Emperor, he forged the Celestial Heavens and recreated the High Heavens Palace, which then became the symbol of power and status throughout the entire universe. Heavenly Venerate Yu pioneered the Heavenly Palace realm, and Heavenly Venerate Yun perfected the final two stages of the Heavenly Palace, namely Lingxiao and Emperor's Throne, by referencing the High Heavens Palace of the Celestial Heavens. The origin of all this was the Third Master's High Heavens Palace!

Moreover, any being in the Seventeenth Epoch universe who cultivated to the Lingxiao or Emperor's Throne realms was essentially aiding the Third Master's cultivation. As their cultivation advanced, so too did the Third Master's.

"Old Seventh, your foundation is too shallow," the Fourth Master of the Miro Palace said, continuing to play his zither with intermittent notes. "If you had come earlier and joined us, we could have proceeded sooner to find a better way to resolve the Great Calamity of Destruction. Our goals are the same, so why must we fight amongst ourselves?"

The Third Master, hands clasped behind his back, said calmly, "Old Seventh, for Teacher's sake, we won't make things difficult for you. Now, with the Grand Supreme absent, Wuji suppressed, and Wuzong and Zhanji missing, all perfected beings of the Miro Palace will heed our command. You have no chance of winning."

Qin Mu sighed and sat down, the Hall of Chaos emerging from the River of Chaos. "It's exhausting talking to you stubborn minds. I'll sit here. Whoever dares to lend power to Heavenly Venerate Hao will be my mortal enemy." The perfected beings of Jade Capital City remained silent, none of them moving.

The Third Master raised an eyebrow. His Dao tree, bearing nine Dao fruits, emerged behind him. He stepped forward, walking towards the unmoving Qin Mu. Qin Mu kept his three eyes tightly closed, not opening them.

The Third Master walked up to Qin Mu, stopping about four zhang away. He lifted his foot, but it lingered, not descending. The Fourth Master looked up in surprise. The zither music under his hands suddenly changed, no longer intermittent, but becoming impassioned and filled with murderous intent! Behind him, his Dao tree and Dao fruits burst forth with dazzling Dao light, pulsating with the music. In an instant, the dancing Dao light became incredibly vibrant, surging towards Qin Mu!

The Third Master's foot descended, and he approached step by step, saying calmly, "Even Teacher wouldn't dare to be so presumptuous when facing us! Get up!" Qin Mu remained seated, not moving.

The Third Master raised his hand, flipping his palm to overturn the heavens, causing the entire River of Chaos to convulse! He took another step, and his palm descended! The zither's murderous aura grew incredibly intense! Qin Mu still kept his three eyes tightly closed. The Third Master's palm came down!

Just then, the World Tree behind Qin Mu swayed. Amidst the fluttering leaves and branches, a Dao fruit emerged, spinning with a hum. Its grand Dao power became incredibly intense, meeting the Third Master's palm. The River of Chaos trembled, then settled, and the wind of heat death howled.

Qin Mu's vertical eye in his forehead slowly opened. Through the slit, vast chaos swirled, and a faint purple light pulsed within the chaos, on the verge of emerging. The Third Master's robes fluttered. He withdrew his hand, turned, and said in a deep voice, "Old Seventh, for Teacher's sake, I'll let you off this once. Don't let there be a next time! Let's go!"

He flicked his sleeve and departed. The numerous perfected beings of Jade Capital City hesitated for a moment, then turned and followed him. However, only a portion of the seventy-two palace masters left; some remained, standing behind the Fourth Master.

The Fourth Master's brow furrowed slightly as his gaze fell upon the vertical eye on Qin Mu's forehead. The Third Master hadn't genuinely retreated out of respect for the Miro Palace Master; rather, he had sensed danger and proactively withdrawn to save face. Anything that could make even him feel threatened was undoubtedly extraordinary.

"My only goal is to break through the Great Calamity of Destruction and retrieve my deceased wife." The Fourth Master placed his hand on the zither strings and said indifferently, "I am different from Lingxiao. He seeks eternal power and authority; he wants to create a universe that will never be destroyed. I, however, have only this small wish. Whoever obstructs me, I will kill them."

Qin Mu's vertical eye in his forehead slowly opened, and a beam of light shot out. The Fourth Master strummed the zither strings with all his might, producing a magnificent sound. Suddenly, the zither's sound became dull, and a string snapped. The Fourth Master snorted coldly, stood up, put away his zither, and turned to leave. The remaining palace masters hurriedly followed him, vanishing without a trace.

Beneath the World Tree, Qin Mu slowly opened his other two eyes and exhaled a long breath. "For you, it's either for power or for your loved ones. For me, it's for the right to exist for future generations."

He stood up. On the World Tree, that Dao fruit suddenly cracked, detached, and fell into the River of Chaos. The World Tree's roots plunged into the River of Chaos, drawing in chaotic energy. A moment later, a new Dao flower slowly bloomed, and a new Dao fruit formed.

"Yan Kang, are you well?" Qin Mu murmured beneath the World Tree.

In the Seventeenth Epoch, the Ultimate Void. Heavenly Emperor Hao's expression was solemn. After waiting for a moment, the thirty-two treasure palaces remained completely still; no perfected beings had descended. Suddenly, a muffled groan was heard. Heavenly Emperor Hao quickly looked, seeing Grand Beginning also activating his twenty-four treasure palaces, preparing to suppress Heavenly Venerate Yun and the Great Luo Heaven of Divine Consciousness, intending to seize the Great Luo Heaven of Primeval Qi to refine it into the Dao of Grand Beginning!

However, to his surprise, the twenty-four treasure palaces also showed no movement. The power connection between the palaces and the perfected beings of Jade Capital City had been completely severed! Heavenly Venerate Yun seized the opportunity. With a thirteen-layered sword strike, he pierced Grand Beginning's body in thirteen places. His final strike entered Grand Beginning's glabella, and with a flick of his sword tip, he dislodged the Grand Beginning Origin Stone from his forehead.

Grand Beginning cried out in pain and immediately retreated, his magic power surging as he forcibly separated the Great Luo Heaven of Primeval Qi and the Great Luo Heaven of Divine Consciousness. Upon obtaining the Grand Beginning Origin Stone, Heavenly Venerate Yun immediately pointed it at his own glabella, where he also possessed an origin stone. The two stones collided, instantly merging into a complete origin stone! Heavenly Venerate Yun's divine consciousness surged, and the Grand Emperor's Dao tree and Dao fruit immediately erupted with immeasurable Dao might!

Heavenly Emperor Hao turned, flicked his sleeve, and recalled the thirty-two treasure palaces. He said calmly, "Heavenly Venerate Mu, you are fortunate. We shall meet again to see the true outcome!" He swept his sleeve, repelling Heavenly Venerate Yun, and then departed with Grand Beginning.

Behind him, the Dao tree that Qin Mu had severed whistled upwards, its Dao chains reconnecting, and it quickly restored itself. However, the power of this Dao tree was clearly much diminished from before. Qin Mu did not pursue. In the Ultimate Void, the World Tree severed by Heavenly Emperor Hao also reconnected its roots and trunk. Qin Mu nourished it with his own Grand Dao, but the World Tree would likely need some time to recover to its peak state.

The Great Luo Heaven of Divine Consciousness carried Heavenly Venerate Yun over. Heavenly Venerate Yun said gravely, "Heavenly Venerate Hao and Grand Beginning have retreated. In terms of Heavenly Venerate-level power, we should be no weaker than them." Qin Mu nodded, looking downwards, and said, "Heavenly Venerate Xu and Ancestral God King should also be retreating. This was merely a probe; Heavenly Emperor Hao wanted to gauge our strength. In a little over a decade, when the Celestial Heavens' army arrives, that will be the true decisive battle."

"Your World Tree?" Heavenly Venerate Yun glanced behind him, hesitating. "I just saw Heavenly Emperor Hao sever your World Tree. How much does that affect you?" "It should recover in a little over a decade," Qin Mu exhaled a long breath, gazing into the deepest part of the Ultimate Void, and whispered, "What about you? During the decisive battle, can you handle Grand Beginning?"

Heavenly Venerate Yun smiled faintly. "Before, I had no confidence, but now I have seventy percent." "Seventy percent isn't enough; it needs to be one hundred percent," Qin Mu turned his head and said.

"I'm worried," Qin Mu continued, "that if Heavenly Emperor Hao sees he can't defeat me, he might resort to other means, such as summoning several prehistoric perfected beings... No! I must go to that desolate place!" Heavenly Venerate Yun's heart jolted. Qin Mu was already standing on a door-like object, hurtling away. "Yun, go and scare off Matriarch Yu! She's currently battling Heavenly Venerate Ling, and I'm a bit worried about her!"

Heavenly Venerate Yun frowned. "Matriarch Yu..."

In the deepest part of the Great Abyss of Returning Ruins, the Sea of Chaos surged. The face of the Second Master of Miro Palace, Wuji, floated up from beneath the surface, dragging thick Dao chains, slowly circling the lotus leaf. "So that's it, so that's it..."

She suddenly chuckled. "So you, like Old Seventh, also came from the future, from the Seventeenth Epoch. No wonder Teacher always spoke so highly of you." Matriarch Yu's face was filled with surprise and uncertainty. She looked at Heavenly Venerate Ling, then at the Second Master, not understanding what she was saying.

"You've given the Miro Palace quite a headache. Logically, as the Second Master, I should attack and erase you upon seeing you." The Second Master Wuji blinked her massive eyes, her gaze filled with excitement and chaos. Matriarch Yu was familiar with this look; it was the look of someone who reveled in disorder! She and this Second Master were kindred spirits!

"But I won't do that. I'm suppressed here by Teacher. Why would I help the Miro Palace?" The Second Master of the Miro Palace suddenly burst into laughter. A strand of white hair coiled around Heavenly Venerate Ling, and with a swift movement, sent her towards one of the twin lotus flowers on the Sea of Chaos!

"I will only fulfill you, fulfill your unparalleled renown, fulfill your legend—" The strand of white hair carried Heavenly Venerate Ling straight upwards, soaring towards the Great Calamity of Destruction of another universe. The voice of the Second Master of the Miro Palace came, laughing wildly, "Go, go to the Sixth Epoch, and become the shadow of the Miro Palace!"

Boom— Heavenly Venerate Ling, unable to control herself, passed through the immensely turbulent Returning Ruins Tide. Before her eyes was the magnificent and grand history of the Sixth Epoch universe. The next moment, she was flung into the Great Calamity of Destruction of the Sixth Epoch universe.

Heavenly Venerate Ling looked around, seeing vast chaos, swirling and destroying everything. Many perfected beings struggled in agony, their Dao trees burning and breaking. However, even such a terrifying sight could not erase her. She had mastered the immutability of mass and energy, making it incredibly difficult to kill her. But she could not escape the erosion of the River of Chaos, drifting with the current like a duckweed.

At this moment, an ancient, simple palace drifted past her. The palace stopped, and a young man reached out, taking Heavenly Venerate Ling's hand. He smiled warmly, "Who are you? You haven't attained perfection, yet how can you remain indestructible amidst this Great Calamity of Destruction?"

Heavenly Venerate Ling boarded the palace and said, "My name is Ling. Where is this place?" The young man smiled faintly. "This is Tiandu, and I am the Lord of Tiandu. I am preparing to reopen the heavens, recreate the primordial universe, and establish another cosmos!"