Chapter 1722: Retreat Three Thousand Li

"Heretic?"

Qin Mu panted for a moment, trying to recover from his physical injuries. However, Fourth Young Master Zixiao's Primordial One Finger surpassed him in its variations, making it impossible for him to decipher in a short time.

It wasn't impossible for him to decipher the variations of this divine ability; Qin Mu had also learned the Primordial One Finger, but his variations were inferior to those of the Fourth Young Master. As long as he could comprehend the changes at the wound, he could heal the Dao injury.

"Third Brother, you call this move of mine a heretical divine ability?" He forcibly sealed his wound, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "If this divine ability of mine isn't among the Mi Luo Palace's Dao arts, then it's a heretical one? With Master absent, you few have become increasingly spineless and narrow-minded. It's one thing not to tolerate others, but to not even tolerate new Dao arts and divine abilities is truly disappointing. No wonder the Mi Luo Palace is such a mess these days!"

Third Young Master Lingxiao's face darkened. He said coldly, "Seventh Brother, it's understandable that you don't know the origins of the Celestial Capital heretics and have learned their divine abilities. Our war between the Mi Luo Palace and the Celestial Capital has lasted for ten cosmic epochs. The Celestial Capital does not follow the righteous path; instead, they desecrate the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, relying on their might to sow chaos. Now you too have embarked on this misguided path!"

With his hands clasped behind his back, he calmly continued, "The conflict between you and me is merely an internal struggle within the Mi Luo Palace; even if we fight fiercely, it remains a contest between fellow disciples. But the struggle between the Celestial Capital heretics and the Mi Luo Palace is different—this is a battle of orthodoxies, a fight between good and evil! Seventh Brother, do not bring ruin upon yourself!"

Qin Mu burst into laughter. "Third Brother, now you and Fourth Brother are ganging up, planning to destroy my orthodoxy, and you won't even let me use my strongest divine ability? What a fair deal!"

Third Young Master's face hardened, and behind him, the ethereal image of a Dao tree gradually emerged. He said gravely, "Fourth Brother's state of mind has weaknesses; you exploited them to force his retreat. But I have no such weakness. I entered the Mi Luo Palace earlier and achieved enlightenment earlier. When Master eradicated the Celestial Capital back then, I was also present. If you dare to unleash a heretical divine ability before me, I will use Master's ultimate technique to kill you, just as Master slew the Lord of the Celestial Capital!"

His Dao tree became increasingly clear, and the Dao fruits on it gradually appeared, each containing a distinct Dao.

The ethereal image of the Dao tree took root within Qin Mu's domain, piercing through the Thirty-Three Heavens, proving even larger and more incredible than Qin Mu's World Tree!

This mere ethereal image of the Dao tree was enough to suppress Qin Mu's Dao realm domain!

Their gazes met. Qin Mu's pupils constricted slightly. Within the Chaos Palace, chaotic qi once again permeated, forming a vast, surging river of chaos around the World Tree, resembling a great tribulation of destruction!

Not only that, but his aura fully erupted, causing his Dao realm domain to also begin collapsing and transform into chaos!

Since his Dao realm domain was suppressed by the Third Young Master, he simply decided to destroy it altogether!

The Dao realm domain was his divine treasure. He intended to destroy his divine treasure in one go to amplify the power of his Celestial Capital Heaven-Opening chapter technique!

The Thirty-Three Heavens domain immediately plunged into a tribulation of destruction. Countless Heavenly Court gods and devils nearby instantly witnessed the terrifying world-ending anomaly: heaven and earth, all creation, collapsed towards Qin Mu, transforming into chaos, into a great tribulation of destruction!

Regardless of sun, moon, and stars, or the myriad heavens and worlds, everything was crushed and vanished without a trace!

If this tribulation of destruction were to fully erupt, countless Heavenly Court armies would likely be swallowed by it, turning into nothingness!

Just then, the Third Young Master's Dao tree suddenly trembled violently. Innumerable roots and branches pierced through the Thirty-Three Heavens, and incredibly thick root-tentacles plunged into the tribulation of destruction, forcefully stabilizing it!

The Heavenly Court's naval forces, divine masters, and other armies all breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, two Taiji Ancient Gods soared into the sky, shouting, "Now's your chance, run!"

Qin Mu's divine treasure domain was suppressed, and its wondrous qualities vanished completely. Immediately, the various Heavenly Court armies frantically fled outwards, as if experiencing a massive rout. Gods and devils charged and trampled chaotically everywhere, with some even resorting to lethal attacks because others blocked their way.

For a time, the Heavenly Court armies turned on each other, suffering heavy casualties!

The two Taiji Ancient Gods hurriedly activated the Taiji Sandbox. The sandbox transformed into a Taiji Starfield, engulfing the various Heavenly Court armies and sending them out of the domain.

Qin Mu's feet suddenly splayed apart, in an unusual stance, as if he stood upon an arcane altar for opening heaven and earth!

His qi and blood suddenly surged severalfold. Within his Primordial physical body, blood circulated, and the violent qi and blood caused the wound on his chest to burst open again. He pushed his Primordial vital qi to its extreme, making every strand of his hair stand on end, fluttering wildly!

Qin Mu lowered his stance, extending his right hand as if to draw a sword.

As his aura reached its peak, the ground around him continuously rumbled and rose. The World Tree behind him, buffeted by his surging qi and blood, pulled its roots from the earth. Roots filled the sky, dancing like gigantic dragons twisting their bodies in mid-air!

The World Tree's branches and leaves rustled and trembled. Each leaf, like a miniature heaven, shone dazzlingly, its veins resembling great rivers and mountains, undulating and stretching far and wide!

Within the branches and trunk, numerous Great Daos flowed, shimmering with infinitesimally subtle Primordial runes!

The ground beneath his feet trembled violently. The Returning Ruins suddenly split open, revealing an unfathomably deep abyss. From this abyss, incredibly dense Dao light erupted, like a tide of Returning Ruins.

Within the Dao light, a lotus flower with two leaves slowly rose. Beneath the lotus was a sea of chaos, connected to the surrounding chaotic qi. The lotus gently quivered and then blossomed on its own!

At this moment, within Qin Mu's domain, there was only boundless, primordial chaos, with merely the tribulation of destruction circulating, and the wind of heat death howling through it, carrying rolling flames!

His aura soared to an unprecedented peak. Daoistic sounds reverberated and roared, and the World Tree and Returning Ruins Lotus formed a magnificent tableau of the universe after its destruction!

Just then, Third Young Master Lingxiao raised his hand, gesturing upwards. All the Heavenly Court soldiers fleeing the domain found themselves involuntarily, their qi and blood circulating on their own. From their foreheads, celestial palaces flew out, hovering behind their heads!

Within those celestial palaces, countless Numinous Sky Treasure Halls radiated brilliant light. Millions upon tens of millions of gods and devils, regardless of whether they had cultivated to the Numinous Sky realm, all unleashed incredible power from their Numinous Sky Treasure Halls.

The Third Young Master then reversed his raised hand and pressed it downwards. The power from the Numinous Sky Treasure Halls of those Heavenly Court soldiers crashed down, collectively pressing upon Qin Mu's divine treasure domain!

Bang, bang, bang, bang! Thirty-two consecutive thuds of heavy objects colliding resounded. The Thirty-Three Heavens were instantly pressed and stacked together, fiercely crushing Qin Mu and the World Tree!

Qin Mu's bones crackled under the pressure. He roared in fury, his muscles bulging beneath his skin, as he pushed the power of his Primordial body to its absolute limit!

His shoes suddenly burst open, his clothes ripped apart, and his trousers exploded, leaving only his undergarments.

Suddenly, behind the Third Young Master's head, a Numinous Sky Treasure Hall slowly rose, exceptionally bright, and with a resounding boom, it pressed down upon Qin Mu's body!

"Aaargh—" Qin Mu's body bent, his skin burst open, and blood mist evaporated. A roar escaped his throat as he resolutely drew out his right hand, which was poised like a sword.

"Seventh Brother, you are beyond reason. It seems you won't be able to return to the past completely as the Seventh Young Master!"

Third Young Master's expression turned cold. He pressed forward, and a wondrous divine ability erupted from his hands!

His ten fingers danced, each tracing an exquisite arc in space. Along each arc flowed a perfect Great Dao, less like a divine ability and more like an incredibly beautiful work of art!

This was the divine ability the Mi Luo Palace Master used when slaying the Lord of the Celestial Capital. To defeat such a formidable foe, the Mi Luo Palace Master had even gone into seclusion for thousands of years to comprehend the Great Dao before acting, finally emerging from his retreat millennia later!

Third Young Master was a witness to that battle; he had personally seen how the Mi Luo Palace Master used this divine ability to kill the Lord of the Celestial Capital.

That was at the end of the Seventh Epoch, and countless eons had passed since then. The Mi Luo Palace Master's foundation had long surpassed what it was back then by an immeasurable amount, becoming unfathomable.

And it was only at the end of the Sixteenth Epoch that the Third Young Master had fully comprehended and mastered this divine ability.

He had originally believed he would never have the opportunity to use this divine ability, yet he never imagined it would be employed against someone from the Mi Luo Palace, and none other than the Seventh Young Master!

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle! Blood holes suddenly erupted all over Qin Mu's body. Even with the Seventeenth Epoch's most powerful physical body and a Primordial soul, he could not withstand this divine ability!

Third Young Master advanced towards the sword-like strike Qin Mu unleashed, his divine ability pushed to its extreme. Just as life and death were about to be decided, Qin Mu's striking right hand suddenly splayed its five fingers and clutched his face head-on!

Pop, pop, pop, pop! Explosions rang out. Qin Mu's right hand was instantly blasted into a bloody mess by the divine ability's power. His flesh quickly dissolved, leaving only white bone.

Third Young Master was stunned. His move was meant to counter Qin Mu's Celestial Capital Heaven-Opening chapter, yet Qin Mu's current move was not the Celestial Capital Heaven-Opening chapter.

"You fell for it, Third Brother." Qin Mu's face was covered in blood, his eyes wide as he stared at him. His skeletal hand still clutched Third Young Master's face, revealing a pleased smile. "You dispersed so much power to suppress me, leaving your own strength insufficient for a fatal blow. It's true I can't defeat you in a direct fight, but Master created a divine ability specifically to deal with Second Sister. You probably haven't seen it, have you?"

The red knot-tie plunged into Third Young Master's mind, passed through the back of his head, and with one forceful push, ejected the Primordial vital qi and consciousness he had used to occupy Emperor Haotian's physical body!

That terrifying Primordial vital qi, carrying Third Young Master's consciousness, flew backward. Red ropes fanned out in all directions, transforming into dense Dao chains, rapidly receding.

The Dao chains extended outwards, gripping the Numinous Sky Treasure Hall that was suppressing Qin Mu. They lifted the massive hall and swept it towards Third Young Master's consciousness.

The Numinous Sky Treasure Hall collided with the Primordial vital qi and Third Young Master's consciousness. With a thunderous crash, Third Young Master's Primordial vital qi and consciousness slammed into the hall. The red knot-tie's five red ropes secured the hall's entrance, forming a net, and the five ropes plunged deep inside, firmly locking Third Young Master's power and consciousness.

A smile appeared on Qin Mu's face, his body swaying. Before him, Emperor Haotian regained consciousness, his face contorting in alarm. He turned and fled, transforming into a streak of light that shot out of Qin Mu's divine treasure domain.

Qin Mu burst into laughter, but blood spurted from his mouth, cutting off his mirth.

He sat boldly beneath the World Tree, with the Returning Ruins Lotus beneath him.

His domain rapidly contracted, yet it still covered an area of a thousand li.

His domain was tattered and full of holes, allowing wind to blow through from all directions. The Heavenly Court gods and devils within had long fled, leaving behind a ground littered with corpses in his domain.

The two Taiji Ancient Gods regrouped their soldiers and looked back. They saw Qin Mu, his aura faint, sitting there motionless with his head bowed.

"Has Heavenly Venerable Mu died?" Lunar Heavenly Venerable's eye twitched. He wanted to go forward and check but dared not act rashly. He immediately summoned a hundred or so Heavenly Court soldiers and ordered, "Go in and see if he's alive or dead!"

The hundred or so soldiers were extremely reluctant, but military orders were absolute, so they had no choice but to brace themselves and enter Qin Mu's shattered domain.

Emperor Haotian had retreated to the front of a side palace hall. Seeing this, he hurriedly stopped and watched from afar.

The hundred or so soldiers mustered their courage and cautiously advanced. Still more than ten li away from Qin Mu, they felt his aura growing increasingly faint, which finally put them slightly at ease.

Suddenly, Qin Mu stirred. The hundred or so soldiers screamed and immediately turned to flee, their cries echoing to the heavens.

"Retreat three thousand li!" Emperor Haotian turned and departed, shouting loudly.

The Heavenly Court army sped away with a roar, wailing and howling all the way, convinced that Qin Mu could attack at any moment.

After retreating three thousand li, the generals of each army quickly halted their fleeing soldiers and stabilized their positions. Emperor Haotian ascended to a higher vantage point and saw that Qin Mu was still sitting there, motionless.