Chapter 1749: Beaten Like a Sieve

"Seventh Young Master!"

Hall Master Changfeng halted, and the Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds likewise came to a stop. Hall Master Changfeng took a deep breath. The Dao Fruit within the small crown on his head began to glow, and the Great Dao within it revived, resembling the intricate patterns of a brain's convolutions.

The current situation was extremely disadvantageous for him. His roots were locked by the Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds, and dragging this ship while clashing with Qin Mu was clearly a major hindrance. When battling the Seventh Young Master, any oversight could be fatal, let alone dragging such an enormous vessel. More critically, no one had ever been able to control the Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds, yet Qin Mu had managed to take it during his first visit to the Mi Luo Palace. If, during their confrontation, the ship were to move under the Seventh Young Master's control, Hall Master Changfeng would truly be doomed.

Qin Mu's expression was indifferent. He said, "Hall Master Changfeng, please deliver a message for me to the Third Young Master and the Fourth Young Master."

Upon hearing this, Hall Master Changfeng felt a chill run down his spine. When Hall Master Chu Ge died before everyone in the Mi Luo Palace, he had said that the Seventh Young Master told him to deliver a message. Then, his skull had been split open in front of everyone, his Dao Fruit shattered, and he died a tragic death. Now Qin Mu was asking him to deliver another message to two young masters, and he could already foresee his own demise! The highest military strategy is to defeat by planning, and the most effective is to attack the enemy's resolve. Qin Mu's psychological warfare was more potent than any divine ability.

Hall Master Changfeng, however, was decisive. He immediately sensed the roots he had left behind in the Cataclysm of Annihilation in the Sixteenth Epoch. Activating them, he forcibly pulled his body back towards the Sixteenth Epoch. The true essence of a tree is not its trunk, crown, or branches, but its roots. His roots had not fully descended. At this moment, countless roots exerted force simultaneously, dragging him back from the starry sky into the past! His power was immense, and his cultivation path was highly unusual; Dao and body were one. His abilities were exceptional and extraordinary. As his roots exerted force, even a phantom image of the River of Chaos appeared in the starry sky, its waves churning. The Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds was also dragged along by him, heading into the River of Chaos of the Sixteenth Epoch!

He knew that with his Dao heart wavering, it would be difficult to defeat Qin Mu in a direct confrontation, so he chose to abandon his descent. Descending into the Seventeenth Epoch was extremely difficult, requiring blood sacrifices and sufficient energy offered to the Cataclysm of Annihilation in the Sixteenth Epoch. However, abandoning his descent and returning to the Sixteenth Epoch was much simpler for him. In the Cataclysm of Annihilation of the Sixteenth Epoch, energy was abundant. Furthermore, his roots were still in the Jade Capital City floating in the River of Chaos. By simply pulling his body back, energy from the River of Chaos would continuously surge forth, facilitating the exchange!

His body began to vanish into the River of Chaos of the Sixteenth Epoch. Immediately, surging chaotic energy overflowed from the void, raging powerfully. The power of an Exalted One was truly immense, and the energy transformed was equally vast. His process of exchange was like the River of Chaos breaking its banks; chaotic energy gushed out overwhelmingly, engulfing entire galaxies and crushing their stars into irreparable fragments!

At that moment, Qin Mu unleashed the axe technique of Grand Emperor Tai Yi. The Grand Emperor Tai Yi's Dao transformed into a divine axe, striking towards the void! Upon seeing this axe technique, despair welled up in Hall Master Changfeng's heart. All powerful beings in the Sixteenth Epoch, whether or not they had become Exalted Ones, had witnessed the scene of Grand Emperor Tai Yi felling the World Tree! As the first 'stowaway' to enter the Seventeenth Epoch, Grand Emperor Tai Yi's first act was to wield his great axe, directly chopping down the World Tree—the medium that all 'stowaways' relied on—and burning it to ashes, severing everyone's path to survival! And now, the divine ability Qin Mu was using was precisely Tai Yi Felling the Tree! It was this very divine ability that had shattered the Dao hearts of countless powerful beings! Even more terrifying was that almost all Exalted Ones throughout history cultivated Dao Trees, which were imitations of the World Tree. This technique could fell the World Tree, and naturally, it could also fell the Dao Trees of Exalted Ones!

Hall Master Changfeng himself had achieved Dao through a divine tree; his Dao Tree had been refined into one with his true form. His body *was* the Dao, the Dao blossoms bloomed from him, and the Dao Tree formed upon him. The suppression Qin Mu's move exerted on him was immense! Although his exchange speed was fast, it couldn't possibly be faster than Qin Mu's divine axe!

"Seventh Young Master, if you don't give me a way to live, then I won't give you one either!" Hall Master Changfeng knew he couldn't escape this calamity. With a roar of grief and indignation, he cried, "Let's return to the past together!" Suddenly, from the phantom image of the River of Chaos in the void, countless roots shot out, swaying rapidly, coiling towards Qin Mu! Knowing he couldn't escape this ordeal, he simply chose not to dodge, but instead activated his Grand Dao divine abilities as much as possible. Countless roots wrapped around Qin Mu, locking him tightly, and pulling him together towards the River of Chaos of the Sixteenth Epoch.

His roots were manifestations of the Grand Dao, embodiments of his own Dao. Each root represented his achievements and could be considered a branch of his Grand Dao, tough and imbued with supreme power! He had cultivated more than just one Grand Dao. Over a long period, he had endured three Cataclysms of Annihilation. These cataclysms had failed to obliterate him; instead, his roots had become deeply embedded in the chaos, drawing power from it, making his physical body incredibly stable and his Dao arts increasingly mature.

*Buzz! Buzz!* His two Dao Fruits flew out from the crown on his head. The Dao might contained within the Dao Fruits completely erupted, projecting Grand Dao imprints that shone upon each of the dancing roots! This strike of his, locking Qin Mu, would absolutely prevent Qin Mu from breaking free!

At this moment, both unleashed their Dao arts and divine abilities to their utmost. Qin Mu's Grand Emperor Tai Yi Divine Axe sliced through Hall Master Changfeng's legs, while the roots that had emerged from the River of Chaos pierced directly through Qin Mu's Primordial flesh, perforating his body and drawing out sprays of blood! *Swish! Swish! Swish!* Countless roots coiled around Qin Mu, desperately pulling him towards the River of Chaos!

During his battle with Hall Master Chu Ge, Qin Mu's physical body had sustained damage and was injured by Chu Ge. Hall Master Changfeng's roots precisely exploited these pre-existing Dao injuries in Qin Mu's body, burrowing into him. Otherwise, given the strength of Qin Mu's Primordial flesh, it would have been exceedingly difficult for him to pierce Qin Mu's body.

Suddenly, the Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds expanded enormously, blocking Qin Mu and resisting the pulling force from the River of Chaos! After Qin Mu's axe struck his legs, Hall Master Changfeng's physical body immediately began to wither. Leaves and branches withered and fell, his body started to dry up, and his limbs rapidly petrified into wood. The Dao light in his eyes also dimmed. His once lively eyes instantly turned to wood, unable to move anymore. His two Dao Fruits fell from the crown on his head. One Dao Fruit slammed into Qin Mu's back, while the other crashed onto the Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds.

*Boom! Boom!* The Dao might contained within the Dao Fruit fully erupted the moment it struck Qin Mu. Countless magnificent Dao runes radiated outwards, instantly interweaving into a net, like a myriad of Heavens formed by countless tree roots! Immediately, as the Dao Fruit collided, the second, third, and fourth layers of Heavens unfolded. In the blink of an eye, thirty-six layers of Heavens burst forth from the Dao Fruit. Countless roots spread out, even penetrating Qin Mu's divine treasure. These roots reached deep into every domain of Qin Mu's divine treasure, into every layer of Heavens, and extended into the thirty-three heavens of the void! The power of his Dao Fruit even pierced through Qin Mu's Primordial Spirit! Even without fully descending, a Hall Master of the Mi Luo Palace, when fighting with their life on the line, could display abilities astonishing enough to shock the world!

Simultaneously, the other Dao Fruit slammed into the Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds. The thirty-six layers of Dao realms contained within the Dao Fruit erupted, also transforming into thirty-six layers of Heavens, locking the golden ship and pulling it towards the River of Chaos! "Seventh Young Master, I am acting on the orders of the Third Young Master and the Fourth Young Master!" Hall Master Changfeng's body rapidly petrified into wood, and the wood began to burn. Yet, a look of delight appeared on his face as he said, "I'll send you back!"

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* The surface of his body exploded in flames. Qin Mu's axe had not only utilized the divine ability of Tai Yi Felling the World Tree but also employed the Wind of Heat Death to incinerate his body. Without the support of his roots, the Wind of Heat Death had begun to consume his body. In this clash, both used every means at their disposal, leading to an exceptionally fierce and tragic battle.

Qin Mu's body was dragged, and the Grand Dao and vital qi within him were immediately locked by the roots. He slid uncontrollably towards the River of Chaos of the Sixteenth Epoch. The Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds was also dragged, sliding towards the Cataclysm of Annihilation of the Sixteenth Epoch. In terms of cultivation, Qin Mu still couldn't compare to the profound strength of Hall Master Changfeng. He was heavily locked by the roots, unable to resist the power emanating from the Cataclysm of Annihilation of the Sixteenth Epoch.

Suddenly, from within Qin Mu's divine treasure, the coffin of Grand Emperor Tai Yi flew out. Qin Mu used his last remaining strength to activate the Grand Emperor Tai Yi's coffin, triggering the fifty Dao-slaying divine nails. The power of the divine nails immediately erupted! The God-burying Coffin was personally refined by the First Young Master Tai Shang, specifically to counter Grand Emperor Tai Yi, a sworn enemy of the Mi Luo Palace. Qin Mu had long discovered that forcibly removing the Dao-slaying divine nails would inevitably trigger the power of the God-burying Coffin, not only severely injuring anyone attempting to open it but also gravely harming Grand Emperor Tai Yi, who was suppressed within the coffin. Activating the immense power of the God-burying Coffin would harm both attacker and target. He would not resort to such a measure unless it was an absolute emergency. Having fought Hall Master Chu Ge, his injuries were not yet healed, and he had no certainty of victory against Hall Master Changfeng.

The power of the God-burying Coffin erupted with a buzzing sound, and light expanded in all directions. Wherever it passed, the roots filling Qin Mu's divine treasure and physical body were riddled with holes! Qin Mu groaned. His Primordial Spirit, Heavenly Palace, and the various Heavens within his divine treasure felt as if they had been pierced by countless nails, instantly leaking energy everywhere! At the same time, the God-burying Coffin's power pierced through his physical body, shooting outwards from within him. Blood splattered with hissing sounds, and his body instantly became like a torn sieve, light shining through everywhere! The power of the God-burying Coffin was truly terrifyingly immense!

Once the God-burying Coffin's power subsided, Qin Mu was bleeding from all over his body, yet he reached out and grabbed hold of the roots that were attempting to retract back into the River of Chaos. "If I let you deliver a message back, wouldn't the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master see through my true state and realize I'm strong on the outside but weak within?" Qin Mu strenuously hoisted the roots onto his back, turned, and pulled with all his might. The River of Chaos violently vibrated, and the surging chaotic energy rapidly receded. Hall Master Changfeng's enormous roots were, astonishingly, torn out by him!

The mass of roots suddenly contracted into a ball, then exploded in all directions. Countless roots spread out into the surrounding starry sky, attempting to root themselves in distant stars. Qin Mu shook his hand, tossing the Grand Emperor Tai Yi's coffin. It slammed into the center of the roots. Then, he flicked his fingers repeatedly, successively striking the fifty divine nails on the coffin. Eyes suddenly appeared on the mass of roots. The pupils of these eyes constricted sharply, and they all stared at the Grand Emperor Tai Yi's coffin flying towards them. Light erupted from within the divine coffin!