Chapter 1735: Leaving Love Without Hatred

The Grand Imperial Tutor, Junior Imperial Tutor, and other ministers dragged Emperor Haotian away. Utterly distraught, Emperor Haotian saw defeated Heavenly Court armies everywhere. The Heavenly Court forces spread like a tide, still vast in number. If they could regroup their forces now, the outcome of a battle with Yankang would still be uncertain.

However, with Xuandu's fall, the Heavenly Court's morale was shattered, turning them into desperate fugitives intent only on fleeing for their lives.

A deep sadness filled Emperor Haotian's heart. At this moment, some Heavenly Court armies were still heading to other heavens to perform blood sacrifices. They only needed to buy a little more time for the enlightened beings from the Mi Luo Palace to descend.

By then, the Heavenly Court would turn defeat into victory!

Qin Mu was severely wounded. Among Yankang's Celestial Venerable-level experts, who could possibly withstand the enlightened beings from the Mi Luo Palace?

Unfortunately, the divine and demonic soldiers of the Heavenly Court had lost the courage and strength to continue fighting!

"The fault for this defeat isn't mine," Emperor Haotian declared. "It's the Heavenly Court soldiers who dragged me down!"

Emperor Haotian threw off the Grand Imperial Tutor, Junior Imperial Tutor, and other ministers, then killed dozens of soldiers. He shouted sternly, "No escape! Keep fighting!"

If the Heavenly Court soldiers abandoned the main camp and fled this time, all the supplies they had brought from the ancestral court would be discarded. While discarding ordinary divine weapons wouldn't be a significant loss, the critical issue was the numerous sacred lands, treasure mountains, celestial seas, divine rivers, and other extremely heavy items they had transported from the ancestral court. If these were left behind, they would inadvertently boost Yankang's strength!

By then, a comeback would truly be hopeless!

Emperor Haotian's eyes were red with fury, but the fleeing soldiers around him simply kept their distance, continuing their desperate flight.

Overcome with rage, Emperor Haotian spat out several mouthfuls of blood. His voice hoarse, he cried, "Don't run! We haven't lost this battle yet!"

"Your Majesty!"

The Grand Imperial Tutor, Junior Imperial Tutor, and others rushed back, seizing him and pulling him along. Crying loudly, they exclaimed, "Youdu and Xuandu have fallen into enemy hands! Our soldiers' lives are at stake; we have already lost! The soldiers cannot save their lives!"

"Your Majesty, if we return to the ancestral court, we can still make a comeback!" they pleaded. "The ancestral court is far richer than the Primordial Realm. We cannot sacrifice all our soldiers' lives here!"

Emperor Haotian slumped in despair, all his strength seeming to drain away. Supported by the ministers, he stumbled along with the fleeing army, escaping the Heavenly Court's main camp.

In the sky, suns and moons shifted formations, bombarding the Heavenly Court's main camp from above, creating scenes of utter chaos. Behind the Heavenly Court's main camp, the battle between Grand Initiate and the two Grand Extremity ancient gods also reached a crucial moment. All three activated their innate ultimate treasures and unleashed their complete Dao realms, fighting from the ground up into the starry sky!

On the ground and in the air, the Beast Realm army led by Dragon Qilin and Western Emperor White Tiger, along with the West Pole Heaven army, were engaging the Heavenly Court's Divine Master forces.

The Heavenly Court's Divine Master forces, one of the three master armies, were vast in number and powerful. They were the only one of the three master armies that had preserved their full strength, an army even larger than the Heavenly River Navy at its peak.

This time, Dragon Qilin came to outflank them from behind. Both sides deployed countless gods, demons, and colossal beasts, fighting so fiercely that the earth cracked and mountains collapsed. Void beasts also appeared in the air, sweeping away all resistance.

Furthermore, Western Emperor White Tiger forcibly summoned her ancestral land. She blew a long, resonant blast from her war horn, causing the Beast Realm's armies to surge with vitality, making them fearless in death.

Dragon Qilin personally commanded the Beast Realm's formations. Having gained experience from the Southern Heaven War, he was now a qualified commander capable of leading independently, fighting an exceptionally brutal battle against the Heavenly Court's Divine Master forces.

Western Emperor White Tiger was brave and skilled in battle, a war ancient god, fearless in death, charging at the front lines. Meanwhile, Dragon Qilin had learned the subtle changes in Qin Mu's formations, yet was more cautious than Qin Mu. His "Human Rearing Sutra," when applied to commanding the Beast Realm, gave him a leadership demeanor that earned him the unwavering loyalty of the beast kings from various Beast Realm tribes.

The two complemented each other perfectly, causing the Heavenly Court's Divine Master forces to retreat repeatedly. However, completely defeating the Divine Master forces was not something they could achieve immediately.

The sky continued to rip open as new primordial colossal beasts were continuously summoned from the Beast Realm, entering the war.

At this moment, the Heavenly Court's fleeing trend spread to the Divine Master forces. Chaos erupted behind them, and the trend of flight began. Soon, the Heavenly Court Divine Master forces' morale shattered, leading to a full-scale rout.

Western Emperor White Tiger was an extraordinarily courageous woman, inheriting the bravery and fighting prowess of the Creator Nu Xin clan. From afar, she saw Emperor Haotian's banner fluttering amidst the chaotic army. Thrilled by the sight, like a hunter seeing prey, she led her army forward without hesitation, advancing irresistibly and cutting through the fleeing Heavenly Court forces!

"Don't go!"

Seeing this, Dragon Qilin's eyes nearly burst with fury. He quickly leaped onto the back of the Void Mother Beast and chased after Western Emperor White Tiger with all his might.

Although Western Emperor White Tiger was a charming and delightful woman, she was a fierce general; otherwise, she wouldn't have become a War Ancient God. She fought her way all the way to Emperor Haotian's banner, when suddenly, with a loud bang, Western Emperor's ancestral land shattered!

Dragon Qilin's heart turned cold. He saw Western Emperor White Tiger collapse, spitting blood, within the shattered remains of her ancestral land.

The Void Mother Beast carried him, appearing and disappearing in the void, until they reached Western Emperor White Tiger. He saw that her golden war horn was broken in two. Western Emperor White Tiger lay on her back, staring at him with wide eyes, her breath faint.

If this trend were to spread to her primordial spirit, even soul black sand might not remain.

"Dragon Mountain Hermit, please ask Celestial Venerable Mu to revive me..."

Just as Western Emperor White Tiger spoke these words, Dragon Qilin made a decisive move, immediately activating his divine art. He killed her primordial spirit, shattering it into the three souls of heaven, earth, and spirit, to prevent the Dao wound left by Emperor Haotian's divine art from completely destroying her primordial spirit.

Dragon Qilin stood up, severed Western Emperor's head, and carrying it, leaped onto the Void Mother Beast's back before vanishing.

He arrived among the Beast Realm army, transforming into his true Dragon Qilin form. He roared skyward, his voice echoing through the entire Beast Realm army, ordering them to contract and create a path for the chaotic Heavenly Court forces to pass.

If they were to trap the Heavenly Court army at this moment, it would undoubtedly become a cornered beast situation. The Heavenly Court army would counterattack, turning it into a death match for both sides!

At that point, the collapsing morale of the Heavenly Court would paradoxically rise as they fought with desperation.

By contrast, opening an escape route would further lower the morale of the Heavenly Court soldiers!

This was the military strategy of "surround three sides, leave one open."

Dragon Qilin commanded the Beast Realm army, continuously attacking from both flanks of the Heavenly Court. He encircled and annihilated the straggling Heavenly Court soldiers, thereby expanding their gains.

Meanwhile, in the sky, Yankang's army led by Jiang Baigui attacked from above. First, they unleashed a rain of swords, further disorienting the chaotic army, then began to cut into the rear of the Heavenly Court's fleeing forces.

Jiang Baigui's army moved like the pincers of a centipede, opening and closing to cut off over a hundred thousand troops from the rear of the fleeing soldiers. They then surrounded them and began an annihilation battle.

Jiang Baigui stood in the air, gazing at the Beast Realm army. Although the Beast Realm troops were composed entirely of primordial colossal beasts, their formations were meticulously organized, like solid ramparts. He couldn't help but praise, "Dragon Mountain Hermit possesses the talent of a Heavenly Master! His formation deployments are flawless."

Their two armies continuously eroded and pursued the chaotic Heavenly Court forces with all their might. Dragon Qilin also noticed Jiang Baigui's formation deployments and immediately understood his intentions.

"State Preceptor Jiang is pursuing from the rear," he thought. "I only need to deploy my army to encircle and divide them from the flanks, achieving the 'surround three, leave one open' tactic, and causing the Heavenly Court to bleed constantly. I don't need to annihilate the separated Heavenly Court soldiers myself; State Preceptor Jiang will naturally arrive from the rear and eliminate them."

Although there was no direct communication between them, both understood each other's strategies. Their cooperation was seamless, forcing the Heavenly Court to abandon more supplies for faster movement. Even heavy equipment that was difficult to transport was left behind.

A moment later, a sudden blaze of fire erupted as another Yankang army, led by Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird and Yan'er, rushed out of the Heavenly Court's main camp, pursuing closely at the heels of the enemy.

A moment later, another contingent of three-headed, six-armed deities arrived; Emperor Chi and Emperor Ming had rushed to the scene.

Jiang Baigui felt relieved with the assistance of these two forces. His army had traveled a long distance, flattening Xuandu's gods and demons, then rushed non-stop to provide support, truly exhausted.

This pursuit was also a desperate fight for their lives!

This day was destined to be a dark day for the Heavenly Court.

All the armies pursued relentlessly. Meanwhile, within the Heavenly Court's main camp, another encirclement continued. Heavenly Court soldiers who could not escape the main camp found themselves heavily besieged. Battle raged everywhere, and the battlefield was fragmented into sections.

"Where are the soldiers of Carefree Village?" Ling Yuxiu asked the Blind Man as her divine city arrived.

The Blind Man immediately flew out of the divine city. Ling Yuxiu hurriedly instructed the formation masters behind her, saying, "Quickly summon the Divine Physician King!"

In the Heavenly Court's main camp, Butcher and others dispersed the Heavenly Court gods and demons besieging Carefree Village. Looking at the battlefield, they saw only collapsed palace buildings and utter devastation. Out of two hundred thousand Carefree Village soldiers, only two to three thousand remained, all wounded.

Many familiar figures were no longer to be seen.

Butcher sheathed his blade and walked through the pools of blood. Suddenly, a Carefree Village soldier, with only one arm, reached out and grabbed his trousers.

Butcher looked down. The Carefree Village soldier had been cut in half at the waist, and his other arm was also gone, yet he was barely clinging to life.

"Brother, give me a swift end," the Carefree Village soldier said, looking up. A faint smile appeared on his scarred face.

Butcher took out his wound medicine and treated the soldier's injuries. In a low voice, he said, "Don't worry. I suffered injuries as severe as yours back then, and I survived. Yankang has the Creation Profound Arts; if you can learn it, what you've lost can grow back... Physician! Where is the physician?"

He shouted loudly, but there were simply too many wounded; the physicians in the Yankang army were nowhere near enough.

His soldiers each took out their own wound medicine and distributed it to the Carefree Village wounded. Butcher went to Wen Tiange's side, who shook his head and weakly raised a finger: "Save the farmer first..."

Butcher quickly went in the direction he pointed. He saw Martial Combat Heavenly Master Zhuo Cha lying on the ground, shielding Yan Yunxi beneath him. Butcher forcefully moved Martial Combat Heavenly Master aside, only to find that the old farmer had already died, while Yan Yunxi still had a faint breath.

It seemed that amidst the chaos, Martial Combat Heavenly Master had desperately protected Yan Yunxi. Although he saved Yan Yunxi's life, he did not live to see the victory.

He paid no mind to Zhuo Cha, hurriedly applying medicine to Yan Yunxi. Yan Yunxi's eyes were wide open, but she could see nothing; her eyes had been blinded by the poisonous needles of the Heavenly Court's Great Sun Star Lord.

"Is Zhuo Cha alright?" she asked.

Butcher looked at Martial Combat Heavenly Master's corpse and nodded. Then, remembering she couldn't see, he said, "He's fine."

"That's good," she replied.

Yan Yunxi smiled: "After this war, we'll get married and live in seclusion. I've already arranged it with him... Wen Tiange, this old woman doesn't like you anymore. This old woman has someone she likes now! You lack human warmth; only now do I realize that you weren't the one I loved..."

As she laughed, she coughed up blood repeatedly.

Qi Xiayu collapsed into Di Shitian's embrace. The man who was once the most handsome had now become the ugliest Wrathful Wisdom King. However, both Qi Xiayu and Di Shitian were at their last gasp.

In this battle, Red Emperor underwent nine rebirths, her combat power growing stronger with each one. But after the ninth time, she had still exhausted all her life force.

"Do you still hate me?" she asked, looking at the man she loved.

The Wrathful Wisdom King lowered his head: "A Buddha holds no hatred."

"Then do you still love me?"

The Wrathful Wisdom King remained silent.

Red Emperor smiled: "Is the Li Youran I loved still here?"

The Wrathful Wisdom King's fierce face gradually changed, slowly restoring itself to the handsome Li Youran of yesteryear. His voice hoarse, he said, "Yes, he's still here..."

Red Emperor Qi Xiayu was content and slowly closed her eyes.

"From love comes sorrow, from love comes fear; without love, there is no sorrow, where then is fear?"

Li Youran held her, sitting in the lotus position, and murmured, "Therefore, do not cling to love, for separation from what is loved is suffering. If there is no love and no hate, then there is no bondage... No bondage, how difficult. I am not Di Shitian, no... If there is a next life..."

"Senior Brother Zhankong, the Buddha King has passed away," a Buddha said, dropping his precepts blade as Zhankong Tathagata approached.

Zhankong Tathagata pressed his palms together, bowed to Li Youran, then turned to attend to others.