Chapter 1715: Burning Through Fire to Be Reborn

In the main camp of the Celestial Heavens, Emperor Haotian sat in the grand hall of his separate palace, his expression grim.

He had been sitting there motionless for two days, doors and windows shut, never stepping outside. Several divine officials lay dead on the floor, their demise extremely gruesome. These were divine officials who had dared to enter and offer advice, only to be struck down by him. For these two days, no one else dared to enter.

The Celestial Heavens had already breached Carefree Village. The Earth Master suffered heavy losses, while the Divine Master and Water Master pursued the remaining forces of Carefree Village, achieving significant victories. The Xuandu army, led by the Divine Strategy Left Guard and the devil gods of Youdu, invaded the Buddhist Realm, entering Yankang from the Great Thunderclap Temple, preparing to advance westward and link up with the Xuandu army. However, Wei Suifeng, Qi Xiayu, the Southern Emperor, and Dragon Mountain Hermit were all arriving from different directions. To the east, Jiang Baigui led Yankang's army, closely following the Divine Strategy Left Guard.

At present, the battlefield situation was volatile. The Celestial Heavens held a favorable position, seemingly smooth sailing, yet it could turn adverse at any moment! During such a critical period, only Emperor Haotian could control the overall situation, issue commands, and ensure the Celestial army expanded its victories and prepared for any eventuality. Yet, Emperor Haotian had hidden away in his separate palace for two days, causing immense anxiety among the ambitious figures of the Celestial Heavens.

"Lost..."

From the Celestial Emperor's throne, Emperor Haotian's face was ashen. Suddenly, a sweet taste filled his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his aura weak. He murmured, "I've lost. This battle, I have already lost..."

The Celestial Heavens had leveled Carefree Village, and the situation was highly favorable. As of today, the victories achieved by Yankang and Carefree Village were minor, while the Celestial Heavens had secured a great triumph! To an astute observer, with Carefree Village flattened, the path eastward to conquer Yankang was clear. The Celestial Heavens had the victory firmly in hand; no matter how Yankang resisted, it could hardly withstand forces several, even ten, times its size!

What Emperor Haotian saw, however, was his own defeat. The Celestial Heavens had not been defeated; on the contrary, it had achieved a great victory, yet he himself had been vanquished. He had been defeated by Heavenly Venerate Yun.

"I've lost..."

His body trembled, and the white hairs on his head shivered with it, like snow on a branch. In just two days, he had turned prematurely white-haired from worry.

The Celestial Heavens had won, but it was not Emperor Haotian who had won. Even if the Celestial Heavens leveled Carefree Village and Yankang, the victors would be Grand Emperor, Mother Earth, Grand Ultimate, Ancestral God King, Heavenly Venerate Void, and others, not Emperor Haotian himself! Because Heavenly Venerate Yun had already severed him from the realm of Dao attainment! Heavenly Venerate Yun had destroyed his Dao Tree, his Dao Flower, and his Great Overarching Heaven! Not only was he cut down from the realm of Dao attainment, but his other body, the one possessed by the Second Young Master, had also been completely destroyed by Heavenly Venerate Yun!

He could have become a unique Dao attainer throughout history and even across the sixteen prehistoric universes, embodying both Dao attainment through power and Dao attainment through the return to the Ruins. In the future, he could have even achieved Dao realm attainment! However, it was all ruined now!

Admittedly, he was still one of the most powerful beings in the world, but his strength was now inferior to Grand Emperor's. Even if the Celestial Heavens won, Grand Emperor alone would wield power! If Grand Emperor were severely wounded by Emperor Shang, then the Grand Ultimate Ancient God might even seize power. And he, Haotian, would have no choice but to endure silently!

"The battle between the Grand Emperor and Emperor Shang saw the former holding back. Emperor Shang, like Emperor Kai Qin Ye, cultivates only one Great Dao, giving him high offensive power, but he doesn't understand the Five Grand Daos deeply. As long as the Grand Emperor avoids direct confrontation, Emperor Shang cannot take his life."

"The Grand Ultimate Ancient Gods are two crafty schemers, only caring for themselves, and unwilling to fight to the death."

"Heavenly Venerate Void, Ancestral God King, hehe, they are all eagerly eyeing my position..."

Emperor Haotian's expression was a mix of a wry smile and a tearful grimace: "Lost, I've lost. Brother Yun, you've finally defeated me... No! I cannot surrender this power!"

Grit his teeth, he rose from the Celestial Emperor's throne and paced back and forth before the corpses of the divine officials. His feet were covered in blood, leaving crimson footprints on the white jade floor of the grand hall. Emperor Haotian's face grew increasingly grim: "Even if I'm cast down from the realm of Dao attainment, I can still imprint the void again and attain Dao once more! But by then, I will no longer be the Celestial Emperor! The Grand Emperor will surely usurp me, and I won't be his match then; he could make me kneel before him! Yet, the Grand Emperor is no match for Heavenly Venerate Mu! Yun, you have ruined my excellent prospects!"

"But I still have a chance to turn the tables!"

"This chance lies with Ancestral Court Jade Capital City! It lies with the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master of Miluo Palace!"

He stopped, his expression turning somewhat deranged; Heavenly Venerate Yun had driven him to this madness: "If I fall from the Celestial Emperor's throne, I will become an object of ridicule. Heavenly Venerate Mu will mock me, the Grand Emperor will mock me, Ancestral God King, Heavenly Venerate Void, and the Grand Ultimate Ancient Gods will all mock me! This entire court will mock me, ridiculing me as nothing more than a delusional bastard, a hybrid born of an ancient god and a human! You are all forcing me, all forcing me..."

"But if I completely pledge allegiance to the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master, then I will still be the Celestial Emperor!"

He burst into laughter, his face contorted: "With the aid of the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master, I will still be your Celestial Emperor, the object of your prostrations, high above! You will all submit to me! None of you will dare to mock me!"

Behind his head, the ethereal forms of the Miluo Palace's Jade Pure Hall and Grand Pure Hall emerged. Emperor Haotian turned, facing the projections of these two halls. He hesitated for a moment, but his covetousness for power shattered his pride, broke his spine, and caused his legs to weaken, making him kneel.

"From today onward, I shall wholeheartedly serve you, serve the Jade Pure Hall and Grand Pure Hall of Miluo Palace; from today onward, I shall be a loyal dog at my masters' beck and call, making all preparations for their arrival."

"From today onward, I shall harbor no second thoughts!"

The two ancient hall projections exuded an unusual power, and obscure, profound Daoist chants emanated from within, expressing great joy and satisfaction. It was difficult to find a loyal servant in the Seventeenth Epoch, but they had finally succeeded. Emperor Haotian was their ideal candidate.

Emperor Haotian, like a dog being petted, wagged his tail imploringly: "I humbly beseech my masters, strip the Yankang rebels of all power from Jade Capital City and Jade Pure Hall! Your servant Hao is willing to sacrifice the Primordial Realm with blood to welcome your arrival!"

"Hao."

The contented laughter of the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master echoed from the Jade Pure Hall and Grand Pure Hall: "We have finally molded you into the form we desired."

Emperor Haotian looked up, his face beaming with smiles.

At that moment, Heavenly Venerate Yun was dead. And the Emperor Haotian of yesteryear, filled with fighting spirit and unyielding resolve, was also dead.

When Qin Mu arrived in Yankang, he sensed a peculiar fluctuation emanating from the depths of space-time. His expression shifted slightly, then relaxed. This fluctuation originated from Ancestral Court Jade Capital City, encompassing not only the Jade Pure Hall but also various other majestic halls within the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City! As this fluctuation permeated the entire Primordial Realm, all forces not allied with the Celestial Heavens would feel their diligently cultivated Jade Capital, Jade Pure, and even Emperor's Throne realms suddenly cease to grant them power! In other words, these three realms were instantly rendered useless!

Qin Mu had long anticipated this. The Celestial Palace and Celestial Heavens system mimicked the Celestial Palaces and Heavens, which themselves mimicked Ancestral Court Jade Capital City. All of this originated from the ancient era when the Grand Emperor and Grand Emperor ventured to explore Ancestral Court Jade Capital City. As the Creators declined and ancient gods like Grand Emperor emerged victorious, the Dragon Han Celestial Heavens was established based on their impressions of Ancestral Court Jade Capital City. Heavenly Venerate Yu, a human, came to the Celestial Heavens, observed its grandeur, perceived the hidden power within, and pioneered the Celestial Palace realm. During the Dragon Han era, Heavenly Venerate Yun and other exceptionally talented individuals of that time perfected the Jade Capital, Jade Pure, and Emperor's Throne realms. For the next six hundred thousand years, the Ten Heavenly Venerates refined the Celestial Heavens realm. And the ultimate source of these realms—Jade Capital, Jade Pure, Emperor's Throne, and Celestial Heavens—was Ancestral Court Jade Capital City!

Qin Mu had foreseen long ago that the Young Masters of Ancestral Court Jade Capital City would exploit this to control the gods and devils in this universe, freely stripping them of their power, and even using their strength to bolster Ancestral Court Jade Capital City and themselves! And he had already prepared a contingency plan. This plan involved the Dao Realm cultivation system, as well as the entirely new Ancestral Court cultivation system pioneered by Lan Yu'tian and Xu Shenghua! While the Dao Realm cultivation system was difficult to begin, once mastered, it could complement the Ancestral Court cultivation system, allowing for simultaneous progress! These two cultivation systems might even merge in the future, forming the Ancestral Court Dao Realm cultivation system!

"Previously, neither Yankang nor Carefree Village had the will or courage to promote the Ancestral Court Dao Realm cultivation system. After all, the new system had just been pioneered by Lan Yu'tian and Xu Shenghua, and as its creators, they had made these realms too profound and difficult to grasp. But this time, Ancestral Court Jade Capital City directly cut off four realms, forcing Emperor Yanfeng and Emperor Kai Yue to act decisively and fully implement this contingency plan!"

Qin Mu flew to Yankang, where the front lines were already in chaos. Both the gods and devils of Carefree Village and Yankang were utterly terrified, their morale shattered, giving rise to feelings of profound despair. Even Heavenly Venerate Yue and Divine King Lang Wo, who were currently battling Ancestral God King, were momentarily thrown into disarray. The two women successively lost three realms, leaving them with very little vital qi cultivation, and they were nearly killed by Ancestral God King! Fortunately, Heavenly Venerate Yue's Dao Realm cultivation remained, and she immediately used her Limitless Void to escape with Lang Wo. Ancestral God King pursued his advantage, leading the Xuandu army, intending to wreak havoc and flatten the western Arashiyama Valley of Yankang in one swoop, when a colossal shadow swept past the Xuandu army.

"Heavenly Venerate Mu!"

Ancestral God King's heart jolted, and he quickly deployed his forces to protect himself, keeping a wide berth.

Concurrently, the same situation arose in the battles in Youdu of the Primordial Realm. Any divine being from Yankang or Carefree Village who had cultivated to the Jade Capital, Jade Pure, or Emperor's Throne realms would feel a rapid decline in their power! The higher the realm, the greater its proportion in one's magical power, especially the Emperor's Throne realm, which accounted for ninety percent of one's cultivation! If the Emperor's Throne realm was lost, it was equivalent to suddenly having only one-tenth of one's cultivation remaining! For an Emperor's Throne expert, if even the Jade Pure and Jade Capital realms were gone, their power would be reduced to merely one-thousandth of its original!

What a devastating blow this situation would be to the high-level combat strength of Yankang and Carefree Village! This was also one of the reasons Emperor Yanfeng and Emperor Kai Yue had not dared to directly implement the new cultivation system on a large scale. The Celestial Palace and Celestial Heavens system was deeply ingrained. Rash implementation would inevitably cause chaos and lead to a temporary decline in power among high-level cultivators. At that time, with the Primordial Realm war imminent, the new cultivation system was incomplete and there wasn't enough time to promote it widely. It could only be implemented on a small scale in Yankang's academies of Dao. But now, they had no choice but to implement the new cultivation system.

What the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master of Miluo Palace would lose was the future generation of divine practitioners, who would no longer cultivate the traditional Celestial Palace and Celestial Heavens system, thus depriving them of a future source of power! This action by the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master forced the divine practitioners and gods and devils of Yankang to be reborn from the ashes!

Qin Mu toured the western theater, deterring the Celestial Heavens' heroes and forcing its various generals to cease fighting. They could only withdraw their forces and first secure the territories they had already occupied. Qin Mu then ventured deep into Youdu of the Primordial Realm, compelling Heavenly Venerate Void to abandon the excellent opportunity to kill Heavenly Venerate You and retreat to the Celestial Heavens' ranks.

Simultaneously, within the Celestial Heavens' main camp, two majestic halls slowly ascended, emanating an intensely concentrated Dao light that even eclipsed the brilliance of countless suns in the sky! These were indeed the ethereal forms of the Jade Pure Hall and Grand Pure Hall! Although these two halls were mere projections, their Great Dao was so highly concentrated that it almost materialized, instilling an unparalleled sense of power and oppression in everyone.

Qin Mu gazed from afar and murmured, "Heavenly Venerate Yun, you have succeeded. Our opponent is no longer Heavenly Venerate Hao. Heavenly Venerate Hao has become a puppet. Our true adversaries have finally emerged from the shadows! Now, where are you?"

Having journeyed a long distance from the Ancestral Court to the Primordial Realm, his own cultivation was depleted, and he dared not engage in direct combat. Instead, he arrived at Arashiyama Valley. His divine treasure domain unfolded, revealing a vast and boundless cosmic spectacle. The Hall of Primordial Chaos floated within his Great Celestial Heavens, standing in distant opposition to the Jade Pure Hall and Grand Pure Hall, bolstering the confidence and morale of Yankang's and Carefree Village's armies.

Concurrently, various armies from the west arrived. Lan Yu'tian appeared beside Qin Mu and unfurled his own Ancestral Court. The Ancestral Court cultivation system debuted before the world, complementing Qin Mu's cosmic spectacle and confronting the Celestial Heavens' Jade Pure Hall and Grand Pure Hall! Heavenly Venerate Yue, Lang Wo, Grand Prime, Heavenly Venerate You, Heavenly Duke, Earth Count, and others also arrived successively, each unfolding their layers of Dao Realm Heavens. Dao Realm Heavens of varying sizes floated above Arashiyama Valley, their Daoist chants resonating, stabilizing the military and civilian morale.

"Where is Heavenly Venerate Yun?" Qin Mu asked the gathered group.

Lan Yu'tian recounted what he had seen. Heavenly Venerate Yue and Lang Wo also stated they had encountered Heavenly Venerate Yun. After the Battle of Ultimate Void, many had seen Heavenly Venerate Yun, watching him walk from the western war zone into Yankang.

"The last place Heavenly Venerate Yun came to was here," Yan Shaoqing informed him. Yan Shaoqing added, "Heavenly Venerate Yun went to the Yun Residence, then emerged with Lady Yunxiao and headed eastward."

Qin Mu was silent for a moment, then smiled. Glancing around, he chuckled, "Heavenly Venerate Yun is like a divine dragon, visible by its tail but not its head. He eliminated the Second Young Master, severely wounded Emperor Haotian, and forced Emperor Haotian to become a mere dog for the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master of Miluo Palace. He achieved his goal but shunned fame, so he has gone into seclusion with Lady Yunxiao." He looked up at the sky and laughed, "What an enviable pair of companions. I wonder when I can be as carefree and unrestrained as them?"

"Indeed," Heavenly Venerate Yue said, her expression tinged with sadness but still managing a smile.

"Yes," Lang Wo murmured, lowering her head.

"Indeed," Heavenly Venerate You said, turning his head to look into the distance.

They all knew the truth, yet no one exposed Qin Mu's lie.

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