Chapter 1723: The Death of Mu Tianzun

“Your Majesty, Celestial Venerable Mu is now at the end of his strength.”

Tai Chu stepped forward and advised, “Now is the best time to send him back to the prehistoric era. If we miss this opportunity, finding another will be incredibly difficult!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao looked at Qin Mu, somewhat hesitant. Qin Mu’s aura had grown weaker these past few days. If he were injured, logically, given Qin Mu’s attainments, his injuries should have stabilized, and his aura should have gradually increased.

But Qin Mu’s aura was getting weaker and weaker, making him indecisive.

Based on his understanding of Qin Mu, this was likely a trap!

“Celestial Venerable Mu is indeed injured, and severely so, to the point that he cannot attack directly. He is waiting for us to come to him.”

Heavenly Emperor Hao said, “Grand Emperor, my Heavenly Court soldiers have been fighting for years, suffering many losses. Furthermore, the Southern Heaven has still not been conquered, and provisions are scarce. Traitor Mu is cunning and treacherous, waiting for us to fall into his trap. Since that’s the case, why don’t we use this opportunity to rest and reorganize, and order the armies to gather provisions from nearby heavens?”

Tai Chu frowned, about to speak again, but Heavenly Emperor Hao said, “The Fourth Young Master of Miluo Palace had his power shattered by him, and the Third Young Master’s power and consciousness were also sealed by him. The Third Young Master also needs time to break his red rope knot. Whether he wants to stall for time or deceive and lure me, it suits my intentions perfectly. Grand Emperor, you need not say more; I have made my decision.”

Tai Chu sighed inwardly.

The former Celestial Venerable Hao, though often despicable, had never lost his pioneering spirit. He was always keen to advance, able to seize any fleeting opportunity.

But the current Heavenly Emperor Hao, ever since being defeated by Celestial Venerable Yun in the Ultimate Void, had become timid and hesitant, afraid to take risks or try again.

“Celestial Venerable Yun has crushed his Dao heart! He seeks no merit but to avoid mistakes, yet this easily leads to missing good opportunities!”

Thinking this, Tai Chu said, “Your Majesty, provisions and supplies are naturally important, but we cannot let Celestial Venerable Mu have an easy time either. We can now divide our forces into two paths, bypassing Celestial Venerable Mu, and launching a pincer attack on Lanfeng Valley from both wings. Currently, Yankang’s highest cultivation realm is only the Jade Capital Realm. If we miss this opportunity, we will never find another chance to decisively defeat Yankang!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao hesitated, also knowing that such a chance was rare. Yankang was widely implementing new laws and a new cultivation system. In at most a decade or so, a large number of strong practitioners of the new system would emerge.

By then, conquering Yankang would be as difficult as ascending to heaven!

“I command the two Grand Primordium Celestial Venerables, one leading the Divine Masters and the other the Navy, to attack Lanfeng Valley from left and right!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao decreed, “The Grand Primordium Celestial Venerables’ troop movements are divine; this battle is sure to be a victorious start, flattening Lanfeng Pass!”

The Empress could not help but say, “Your Majesty, why not send out the Imperial Forest Army, the Divine Might Army, and the Dragon Martial Army? These few armies are comparable to Celestial Venerables; deploying them now is the best time to deal with Yankang!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao glanced at her, smiling, “The left and right Imperial Forest, left and right Divine Might, and left and right Dragon Martial armies are the Heavenly Emperor’s Imperial Guards. How can they all be sent out at once?”

The Empress’s heart grew cold, yet she persisted, “Your Majesty, we are accomplished deities; as accomplished deities, we should protect the Heavenly Court’s interests even at the cost of life and death. How can we let mere minor deities like the Imperial Forest, Divine Might, and Dragon Martial armies protect us?”

Heavenly Emperor Hao hesitated, “My Empress Mother speaks wisely. However, the traitor Long Pi is leading the Beast Realm army to attack from our rear, so the Imperial Guards are needed to suppress them.”

Tai Chu, standing nearby, flatly interjected, “We don’t need that many people!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao said, “Then send out the left and right Divine Might armies to attack Lanfeng Valley...”

The Empress was so angry she laughed, “To deal with Long Pi, only the left Imperial Forest Army needs to go. All other Imperial Guards can proceed to Lanfeng Valley! Once Lanfeng Valley is flattened, we can drive straight to Yankang’s capital and conquer Yankang in one decisive battle!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao shook his head, “Empress Mother, Celestial Venerable Mu is sitting there. If all the Imperial Guards are sent out, and he suddenly explodes with power, the Imperial Guards would be completely destroyed! Your considerations are incomplete; say no more.”

The Empress, furious, turned and left.

Tai Chu followed her out, whispering, “The Heavenly Emperor’s state is somewhat off. He has lost his sharpness and courage. His battle with Celestial Venerable Yun, where Yun destroyed his Second Young Master’s clone and his Return to Void Dao body, has likely caused him to fall from the realm of an accomplished practitioner. Thus, he’s overly cautious and afraid to advance. His current state is very detrimental to the Heavenly Court. Although the Heavenly Court can absolutely never lose, even if we defeat Yankang, we will suffer severe losses, and even we might be at risk of falling.”

The Empress understood his meaning. The Heavenly Court could never lose because of the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City!

In this war, even if the Heavenly Court’s forces suffered severe losses, the Heavenly Court could never fail. As long as the Heavenly Court sacrificed a few heavens, the accomplished practitioners from the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City could descend and destroy Yankang!

This war was unwinnable by the enemy, but the ones who might fail would only be them, the Ten Celestial Venerables!

The Ten Celestial Venerables might suffer casualties, losing their status and interests.

As they walked and talked, Tai Chu gazed into the distance, saying, “Since Heavenly Emperor Hao ascended to the throne, Celestial Venerable Huo has died, Divine Emperor Lang Xuan has died, and now Celestial Venerable Xu has also died. So many old friends have vanished, leaving me sighing with emotion. The Heavenly Emperor craves power, unwilling to share it with his old comrades, nor with the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City, which has led to this chaotic campaign against the Primordial Realm. Now he is afraid of battle and defeat, which I fear poses extreme danger to us.”

The Empress stopped, a half-smile on her face, “You want to depose Heavenly Emperor Hao and reclaim the throne yourself? Tai Chu, replacing the Heavenly Emperor at this time would cause military unrest, leading to the Heavenly Court’s defeat even without fighting!”

Tai Chu’s body trembled slightly. He stared at her, then suddenly said, “You are not Lady Yuanmu! Yuanmu would not analyze pros and cons so dispassionately!”

The Empress walked forward, saying, “We have been husband and wife for so long, and only now do you realize I am not that little wretch, my sister? Heh heh, men always think with their lower bodies... Tai Chu, haven’t you realized yet? The main force in this battle is no longer us, but Miluo Palace! In this battle, we only need to preserve ourselves.”

Tai Chu quickly caught up to her, lowering his voice, “Once the accomplished practitioners from Miluo Palace arrive, our power will turn into mere dream bubbles!”

“It’s better than losing your life.”

The Empress left him standing there, floating away after dropping that remark.

Tai Chu frowned, not following her.

Heavenly Emperor Hao stood atop a high place, looking out. He saw the Grand Primordium Celestial Venerables, one leading the Heavenly River Navy and the other the Heavenly Court Divine Masters, majestically marching towards Lanfeng Valley, one to the left and one to the right.

The two armies bypassed Qin Mu, drawing a large circle with Qin Mu as the center.

And Qin Mu’s divine treasure domain was now even more dilapidated, having shrunk to a mere hundred miles in radius. Qin Mu’s aura was also increasingly weak, almost imperceptible.

Heavenly Emperor Hao carefully sensed that Qin Mu at this moment was like a candle in the wind, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing at any moment.

“He is injured. The Third Young Master used the Miluo Palace Master’s divine ability to severely wound him. His injuries must be extremely grave, perhaps even fatal!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao was filled with apprehension, “Even if he doesn’t die, he has no power to resist, otherwise he wouldn’t just sit there, ignoring the Heavenly River Navy and Heavenly Court Divine Masters passing by on his flanks. But how do I know if he is deliberately feigning weakness?”

He paced back and forth, like a tiger trapped in a cage, restless. “His injuries are extremely severe. At this moment, if I just throw him into the Return to Void or cast him into the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City’s river to be submerged, this great menace can be resolved in one fell swoop! He can go back to being the Seventh Young Master of the past; without sacrifices, he will never be able to return! In that case, I will have won. Others, like Celestial Venerable You, Celestial Venerable Yue, no one will be my opponent! However...”

He stopped, his eyes wide, the shadow of Celestial Venerable Yun appearing before him. “However, there’s still Celestial Venerable Yun! Celestial Venerable Yun, you must be dead, right? No, not necessarily! I saw you leave with my own eyes. Your injuries were severe and difficult to heal, but you must be hiding, heh heh, searching for another opportunity to ambush me...”

His eyes held terror and anger. He resumed pacing like a trapped tiger, possessing immense power but unable to use it.

A muffled growl escaped his throat, “Celestial Venerable Yun, it’s you, you who put me in this predicament! I will not be defeated by you! I hold great power, command millions of gods and devils, and countless heavens! I also have the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City backing me! You want to ambush me; I will not give you a second chance!”

His eyes brightened, his voice somewhat hoarse, “That’s right, sacrifice a few heavens, let the accomplished practitioners from the Ancestral Court Jade Capital City descend! That’s right, that’s right... Heh heh, no one can defeat me or seize my power!”

His eyes were filled with malice. He summoned the Five Imperial Stewards and whispered some instructions. The five divine emperors of the Imperial Stewards were surprised. Hua Liuzhao, the head of the Stewards, was covered in cold sweat on his forehead. He bowed and said, “Your Majesty has already dispatched several armies to other heavens to scavenge for slaves and provisions. This act has already caused dissatisfaction among many soldiers. Most of the soldiers come from the myriad heavens...”

Heavenly Emperor Hao’s eyes flashed with fierce light, his voice hoarse, “My dear Hua, repeat that!”

Hua Liuzhao fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing, “Your humble servant will certainly not fail Your Majesty’s expectations and will carry out this matter well!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao snorted, waving his hand. The Five Imperial Stewards each retreated, immediately tallying their respective armies and soaring away.

“And you, Celestial Venerable Mu...”

Heavenly Emperor Hao stared intensely at Qin Mu in the distance. Qin Mu’s divine treasure domain had shrunk to about half a kilometer in radius, seemingly completely depleted.

“You’re also waiting to ambush me!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao snorted angrily, “I will not fall for your trick!”

The Five Imperial Stewards led their armies away from the Heavenly Court’s main camp, heading to nearby heavens. Hua Liuzhao’s face was filled with worry. The other four Stewards exchanged glances. One said, “Brother Hua, the Heavenly Court’s situation is excellent. We’ve decisively defeated Wuyou Township and are approaching Yankang. As long as Lanfeng Valley is breached, Yankang will have no further resistance. Why are you still so worried, Brother Hua?”

“The Heavenly Court appears to be conquering territories and winning great victories against Wuyou Township and Yankang, but in reality, various side battles have constantly been lost.”

Hua Liuzhao sighed, “And now Celestial Venerable Xu has also fallen in battle, Youdu has been lost. If Xuandu also falls, then the general trend will truly be lost. Your Majesty...”

He hesitated, then spoke, “If Your Majesty were to deploy the entire army to attack Lanfeng Valley, there would still be a chance to flatten Yankang. However, Your Majesty has now made a foolish move, ordering us to sacrifice other heavens to summon prehistoric accomplished practitioners. Heh heh, the vast majority of our Heavenly Court soldiers come from the myriad heavens!”

He frowned deeply, lowering his voice, “Sacrificing other heavens, what will the soldiers think? How many of the myriad heavens came to assist the Heavenly Court in this campaign against the Primordial Realm? If it were in the past, with a single command from the Heavenly Court, the major heavens would respond and gather, piling up enough forces to crush Yankang! But now, only a handful of the myriad heavens are helping the Heavenly Court in this conquest. On the contrary, there are quite a few gods and devils from other heavens in Yankang’s camp!”

He exhaled a turbid breath, “If Your Majesty sacrifices more heavens, then the myriad heavens might all go to support Yankang! And within our Heavenly Court army, there might also be many gods and devils who mutiny, or even rebel and defect to the enemy!”

The other four Imperial Stewards looked at each other.

“Brother Hua, what do we do now?”

Hua Liuzhao looked up at the sky, two streams of old tears flowing from his eyes. “What can we do? Dedicate ourselves to the Heavenly Court, repay His Majesty’s kindness of recognition. We can only follow this path to the end. If the Heavenly Court wins, then all is well; we will write the history. If the Heavenly Court loses, heh heh, then future generations will condemn us...”

The two Grand Primordium Celestial Venerables, each leading the Heavenly River Navy and Heavenly Court Divine Masters, marched their two armies, one to the left and one to the right, about three thousand li away from where Qin Mu was situated. Solar Celestial Venerable and Lunar Celestial Venerable remained in the central army, constantly monitoring Qin Mu’s movements.

They saw Qin Mu sitting there, head bowed, motionless.

Suddenly, Qin Mu’s divine treasure domain completely vanished, and his aura was gone!

“Reporting to the Celestial Venerables!”

A divine general rushed to report, “Celestial Venerable Mu is dead!”

Solar Celestial Venerable and Lunar Celestial Venerable received the news almost simultaneously and were overjoyed, yet also somewhat hesitant. They looked towards Qin Mu and saw his physical body suddenly bleed profusely, turning into a sea of blood. Qin Mu’s corpse sat within the sea of blood, where purple qi surged, and chaotic qi diffused.

Qin Mu’s World Tree and Return to Void lotus were still there, but he indeed had no aura!

“Celestial Venerable Mu is truly dead?” The two Celestial Venerables dared not confirm.

“Fake!”

Heavenly Emperor Hao stood laughing loudly in front of the palace hall, then sharply declared, “Old dog Mu, don’t even think about deceiving me!”