Chapter 1736: Who Bears the Burden for You?

The soldiers of Yankang cleaned up the battlefield. Ling Yuxiu ordered the news of Heaven's crushing defeat, the change of ownership in Xuandu and Youdu, and Yankang's great victory to be spread throughout all the heavens and myriad worlds. Only then did she have time to see Qin Mu.

Qin Mu lay on the sickbed, once again without any breath. Xu Shenghua had already inserted divine nails of slaughter into his wounds to suppress the Dao injuries within him.

In this battle, everyone's role was crucial, and every army was essential. What Qin Mu did was no different from what the other soldiers did.

He did his best to hold back Emperor Haotian. Others also fought with all their might.

This victory was everyone's victory. The only difference was that Qin Mu survived, while some soldiers did not make it through this decisive battle.

"His condition is not critical." Xu Shenghua stood up and said to Ling Yuxiu, "No one in this world can kill Cult Master Qin anymore. If anyone could, they would be in the past universe." As he prepared to leave, Ling Yuxiu called him back and asked, "Many people died in this war, and my husband is in a deep sleep, unable to wake up for a while. In this world, I'm afraid only you and Lan Yuetian have the ability to use resurrection techniques."

Xu Shenghua shook his head. "There are more than ten people in Yankang who understand soul gathering and can draw soul black sand to reshape souls, including Heavenly Yin Niangniang. It's not just me and Lan Yuetian. Reshaping the souls of the gods who perished on the battlefield, their souls scattered, is already enough to completely exhaust the magical power of us more than ten people. Reshaping a soul comes at a cost; bringing the dead back to life requires an even greater price. Even at his peak, Cult Master Qin could not resurrect all who died in battle."

He looked at Ling Yuxiu and said, "Lady Qin, Yankang possesses creation techniques and creation artifacts. If you could exhaust Yankang's financial resources to reshape the bodies of these deceased, deplete the nation's fortune, and drain the power of Yankang's strongest individuals—including borrowing all of You Tianzun, Little Earth Duke, and Heavenly Duke's power, leaving not a drop—it might still be possible to revive the soldiers who died on the battlefield. After experiencing this great war, Yankang no longer possesses such vast national power!"

He then changed his tone. "Yankang found a glimmer of life, a ray of hope, in this almost certainly lost war, thanks to the sacrifice of these soldiers. Complete victory is still far off. If we were to ruin this excellent situation over this matter, then why would we have bothered to resist Heaven? Lady Qin, do not let their sacrifices be in vain!"

He usually showed little emotion, but his words were somewhat stern at this moment.

Ling Yuxiu said, "If their physical bodies still exist, and we restore the souls of the fallen heroes, allowing them to return to their own bodies, wouldn't they be able to live again? That way, we wouldn't need to consume too much national power..." Xu Shenghua shook his head. "Lady Qin, there are no physical bodies left."

Ling Yuxiu was stunned.

"Emperor Haotian acts with extreme ruthlessness. The Primordial Realm has now been transformed into a massive blood sacrifice altar. All living beings who die in this blood sacrifice will be converted into energy and offered to the prehistoric universe."

Xu Shenghua was silent for a moment, then said, "I have seen the bodies of the soldiers. The rate of decay is extremely fast. The blood of gods and devils seeps into the ground, and their essence, vital energy, and spiritual power are lost within a day or two. Because the casualties are so numerous, this blood sacrifice isn't particularly obvious. But if the sacrifice is completed, I fear two to three Dao achievers from the Mi Luo Palace will descend! Emperor Haotian has gone insane; he will surely meet a terrible end. When I noticed this, I informed Lan Yuetian, who has already taken his artifact and is searching everywhere, trying to find where these blood sacrifice altars are hidden. I hope he can destroy them."

Ling Yuxiu nodded silently.

Xu Shenghua said, "Lady Qin, you don't need to be too worried. Cult Master Qin always plans ahead for contingencies. He had actually anticipated this long ago and made preparations. The Dao of Youdu has now changed."

Ling Yuxiu was somewhat puzzled.

Xu Shenghua explained, "I cultivate the Dao of Youdu and discovered that it now has not just sixty-four variations, but seventy, having gained six more. These six additions are the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the six Dao of Reincarnation. Cult Master Qin previously ordered the crafting of the Six Paths Celestial Wheel precisely to deal with today's situation."

"What do you mean?"

"Earth Duke Qin Fengqing controls the Six Paths of Reincarnation. The power of this divine artifact has gradually permeated all the heavens and myriad worlds, becoming a treasure superior to the Styx River Whip and the Earth Duke's Divine Eye."

Xu Shenghua walked out, saying, "The Six Dao of Reincarnation will likely allow the deceased to enter the cycle of reincarnation and gain new life. Of course, the prerequisite is that they haven't turned into soul black sand. From now on, the duties of the Earth Duke and the Ren Sheng King of Heaven will likely differ from those of the original Earth Duke and Ren Sheng King of Heaven. Cult Master Qin's foresight, in making contingency plans before the great war even began, is truly admirable."

Ling Yuxiu turned around, walked to the sickbed, and sat on the edge, looking at the breathless Qin Mu.

Qin Mu's injuries pained her, but she was helpless. Even the smartest and most powerful beings in this world, like Lan Yuetian and Xu Shenghua, could not heal Qin Mu's Dao injuries, and the most skilled apothecaries were at a loss.

She could only quietly wait for Qin Mu to wake up and heal himself.

The man lying on the sickbed had done too much for Yankang and for this universe. Whenever danger arose, he was always the first to rush to the front, even if it meant being gravely wounded and needing to be carried forward in a coffin.

His foresight was also incredibly profound; he had planned today's countermeasures decades ago.

She gently leaned over, nestling beside Qin Mu. For decades as husband and wife, they had spent more time apart than together; she never imagined they would finally have a moment of peace now.

Suddenly, Ling Yuxiu rose from the sickbed and walked out.

"Yankang has just achieved its initial victory; this is the most critical period. There's no room for personal affections!"

She once again displayed the decisive sharpness of an empress. While handling official duties, she issued order after order, directing various armies to separate the wounded, form them into new units, and send them to support Jiang Baigui, Long Qilin, and others to expand their gains.

"We must completely drive Heaven out of the Primordial Realm!"

At the same time, Ling Yuxiu issued another command: mobilize all of Yankang's divine arts practitioners to ensure logistical continuity. They were to clear mountains and build bridges over rivers along the way, establish teleportation portals at strongholds, and absolutely ensure a continuous supply of provisions. At the very least, there must be no shortage of elixirs and miraculous medicines sent from Yankang's rear, prioritizing the lives of the soldiers above all else!

The remaining wounded were to be cared for by Yankang's apothecaries, who were to expedite treatment and save lives.

By the time Ling Yuxiu finished all this, it was already late night. The sky was dotted with stars, but the constellations were still in disarray. Another great battle was still raging in Xuandu, far from over.

That was the war between Heavenly Duke and Ancestral God King, crucial for the father and son, but no longer a matter of overall strategy for Yankang.

Ling Yuxiu put on her robes and looked up into the sky. She saw another fierce battle raging beyond the heavens. From time to time, the Taiji star domain would appear, black and white intertwined, or the Dao light of the Azure Nether Mirror would descend from beyond the sky, like a dazzling blue aurora.

That was the battle between the Ancient God Tai Shi and the Ancient God Tai Ji, which had been going on for a long time.

Their battle caused various magnificent phenomena to appear beyond the heavens—bizarre and kaleidoscopic scenes formed by their divine powers. These were not very noticeable during the day, but at night, they became exceptionally splendid.

Divine powers painted pictures across the Primordial Realm's night sky, appearing suddenly and then slowly fading away.

In the west, the suns had long disappeared, turning into a glow that sank behind the mountains, illuminating the western sky in crimson.

The night air was slightly cool.

Ling Yuxiu heard a long whistling sound echoing in the dark night. The whistle carried a unique sentiment: sometimes melodious and winding, sometimes like a long sword piercing the sky, sometimes like a small bridge over flowing water, and sometimes like iron horses and golden spears clashing on a battlefield, creating a magnificent and grand spectacle.

Ling Yuxiu gazed into the distance. From where the whistling sound originated, a colossal Great Ruyi Heaven appeared, tilted, emerging from the thirty-six layers of void. The Great Ruyi Heaven was cracking, swaying precariously, and falling into the Primordial Realm.

*Buzz* —

The Dao light from that Great Ruyi Heaven suddenly intensified immensely, dispelling the night in the Primordial Realm and making it bright as day. It was the Dao light of the Innate One Qi!

The whistling continued, becoming passionate and resonant, like a saber cleaving through heaven and earth, galloping across the battlefield, unleashing dissatisfaction with oppression!

"Could it be Shang Jun and Tai Chu? Did Tai Chu not retreat with Emperor Haotian but was instead left behind by Shang Jun?"

Ling Yuxiu's heart stirred. She discerned battle intent and killing intent in Shang Jun's whistle, along with a desire to protect all beings. Yet, it seemed he was always unable to elevate his battle and killing intent to their absolute peak.

Suddenly, Qin Mu's voice came from the room behind her: "Madam, please ask Heavenly Venerate Yue and Grandpa Butcher to come."

A surge of joy filled Ling Yuxiu's heart. She rushed back to the room, glancing inside to see Qin Mu, who had woken up at some point, struggling to sit up.

Ling Yuxiu immediately activated the Three Yuan Divine Assembly to notify Heavenly Venerate Yue and the Butcher, while she herself went forward to help Qin Mu sit up.

"Slowly, it hurts..."

Qin Mu gasped, "These nails must have been inserted by Xu Shenghua; every single one is driven deep into my flesh, blood, and bones."

His forehead was covered in cold sweat. Finally, he settled into a sitting position, heavily exhaling a few rough breaths.

Heavenly Venerate Yue's injuries were not yet healed, and the Butcher also had Dao injuries, having been kept for treatment. The two rushed over upon hearing the news, only to find Qin Mu sitting there asleep, with layers of dream worlds unfolding around him.

As they entered the room, they happened to step into his dream. Qin Mu's dream did not seem like a dream at all; it was as if it were a real world.

When they entered Qin Mu's dream, they saw a scene foreshadowing the eve of a cosmic destruction. In that dream universe, the ultimate void was constantly shrinking under the pressure of Dao achievers. Waves of cold, desolate wind blew from the ultimate void, and wherever they passed, in the territories of the Dao achievers and various heavens, people faced severe disasters and lived in great suffering.

Even gods and devils often fell into the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, frequently dissolving completely—flesh, bones, and primordial spirit—dying inexplicably when a cold wind suddenly entered their orifices during meditation.

This universe was filled with scenes of decay, yet it had once flourished, becoming unprecedentedly powerful with countless strong individuals and an extremely large number of Dao achievers, forming a stark contrast with its desolation!

To alleviate the universe's pressure and sustain its life, the Dao achievers intentionally created conflicts, causing living beings in various heavens to slaughter and attack each other. The major heavens, including the ancestral court where the World Tree was located, were also in utter chaos.

It was at this moment that Heavenly Venerate Yue and the Heavenly Blade Butcher's gaze fell upon a young man with a long saber on his back. He was sifting through piles of corpses, drinking blood-water, and eating rotten flesh from the bodies.

However, the Five Decays of Heaven and Man had already spread to all the heavens, causing any deceased god or devil to quickly rot and stink. Yet, this young man forced himself to endure the nausea and eat the putrid flesh.

After recovering his strength, the young man resumed his slaughter, killing the gods who ruled the heavens, sharpening his saber and his Dao heart.

Like a madman, he slew from one heaven to another, and countless gods and devils fell beneath his saber.

He was exceedingly ferocious, possessing an invincible conviction, like the most brutal beast, the most cunning hunter, wantonly slaughtering to raise his Dao realm.

"Is that Shang Jun?" Heavenly Venerate Yue asked, puzzled.

At this point, they rarely saw a gentle side of Shang Jun. He sat by a stream in front of a dilapidated small village, admiring a small flower. Children danced and sang around him, placing a wreath of flowers on his head. A look of deep contentment was on Shang Jun's plain face.

Then, Shang Jun embarked on his path of slaughter once more, challenging higher deities and drawing his saber against stronger individuals.

On this day, he finally became one of the strongest beings in this universe, launching an assault against the exalted Dao achievers!

The moment the Dao achiever died by his hand, he finally achieved Dao through the Dao of Slaughter.

But his purpose was not to achieve Dao; it was to kill those Dao achievers who had smuggled themselves over, to kill those exalted beings who manipulated this universe!

Slaughter was not his goal; what he truly wanted to do was protect the ordinary people of this universe!

Now, he finally possessed such power!

He wore the wreath of flowers given to him by the children, gazed at his Great Ruyi Heaven, and looked down at the universe below with joy. A simple smile froze on his face.

The first native Dao achiever of the sixteenth epoch, and also the last Dao achiever of the sixteenth epoch—his achievement of Dao completely crushed this universe and the ultimate void.

The Great Cataclysm arrived at that moment. The entire universe plunged into collapse and destruction, and countless ordinary beings perished miserably in the first wave of the Great Cataclysm.

He, who most wanted to save this universe and its ordinary inhabitants, became the final straw that crushed it, the executioner who slaughtered all the beings he wished to protect!

The moment the cosmic cataclysm erupted, Shang Jun went mad. He cared nothing for how to survive the cataclysm, but instead furiously attacked the Dao achievers amidst the destruction!

Heavenly Venerate Yue and the Butcher stared blankly at this scene. Finally, as the dream universe was annihilated, the dream vanished.

Qin Mu panted, "Heavenly Venerate Yue, Grandpa Butcher, can you awaken the ultimate killing intent in Shang Jun's heart?"

The Butcher walked out, ordering soldiers to bring over a hundred colossal battle drums, each a hundred zhang tall, and set them up. He tore off his clothes, revealing his powerful muscles, and wielded two large hammers.

Heavenly Venerate Yue sat behind the array of battle drums, re-strung her guqin, and slow, unhurried music emanated from it, echoing the whistling sound in the night.

The drums began to boom. The Butcher swung his great hammers, striking the beats precisely at the moment the guqin music and whistling paused, the sound deep and powerful.