Chapter 656: United We Stand

Crimson Bright God Son looked at the divine ability practitioner from the Suspended World who had fallen before him. His gaze slowly rose to Qin Mu's face, then swept past him, looking further afield. He saw large pits all over the square, each containing a 'planted' divine ability practitioner from the Suspended World.

Many others hadn't been 'planted' in the pits, but most were severely wounded by Qin Mu, with bones broken or limbs fractured. Some hadn't suffered severe injuries at all; they had merely been transformed into sheep by the creation divine art, now aimlessly wandering and bleating across the square. If this had been a true battlefield, the younger generation of the Suspended World would have been utterly annihilated. A resilient, time-honored civilization would have instantly suffered a catastrophic generational gap.

Crimson Bright God Son rose, walked past Qin Mu, and approached the steps. He paid no attention to Qin Mu, instead gazing down at the crowd below.

“The Crimson Bright Divine Dynasty endured for two generations. Emperor Chi rose from obscurity to rule the world, while Emperor Ming was appointed during a time of turmoil and peril, saving the dynasty from ruin. The people of our Crimson Bright era, with centuries of fervent spirit, fought valiantly and forged a magnificent age!”

His voice, though not loud, carried a profound weight that resonated in everyone's ears: “Yet, since we retreated into this Suspended World, everything has changed. The people who sought refuge here have progressively forgotten the external enemies who annihilated our homes, our nations, and our kin. They have gradually lost sight of the valiant, struggling spirit of the two Crimson Bright Emperors, forgotten that they were once gods of war, forgotten that their race was a race of gods of war! To retreat into a small dwelling, unified and unconcerned with the changing seasons—that is wrong! By hiding, you deserved this defeat! You deserved this humiliation!”

His voice grew increasingly resonant. On the square below, everyone felt overwhelming shame, not daring to lift their heads to meet his gaze. Even deities from the Crimson Bright era, such as Chi Xi, bowed their heads in disgrace.

“I intentionally used this outsider to humiliate you, to disgrace you, and to awaken you!”

Crimson Bright God Son's voice was laced with fury: “It is through his actions that I mean to warn you, to tell you that you have forgotten your traditions, forgotten your grievances, and forgotten the spirit of the Crimson Bright era! Without that vital essence and vigor, the Crimson Bright era is truly doomed! It will not perish by the hands of the Heavenly Court, nor at the hands of the gods and devils who died fighting for you, but rather at your own hands—the hands of you, the survivors!”

His voice softened again, tinged with a heavy sorrow: “Do you know why I only dare to call myself the God Son? Do you know why I insisted on sending people out of the Suspended World to gather information about the outside world? Do you know why, three thousand years ago, I was so determined to contact Emperor Kai, even if it meant pledging allegiance to him? It was because I couldn't bear it…”

“I couldn't bear to see you continue to languish, couldn't bear to see the Crimson Bright era utterly destroyed by your inaction, couldn't bear to see you become the culprits…”

“I want you to return to the true world; I want you to rekindle the spirit of the Crimson Bright era, to regain your fighting will, to rally, rather than watch you sink deeper into decline.”

He slowly paced before the steps: “I do not dare to claim the title of emperor; I only dare to call myself the God Son or Your Highness. It is not because I am inferior to the emperor of a lesser nation like Yankang, but because my subjects are unworthy! You are unworthy, and thus, I am also unworthy!”

“Is Yankang's envoy strong? Yes, he is! He can fight six of you simultaneously! But consider this: did he always fight that way? From beginning to end, among tens of thousands of you, were only six people truly able to attack him?”

His voice paused, allowing time for reflection.

The defeated divine ability practitioners from the Suspended World below showed looks of confusion, then someone quietly murmured, “It's true; once he charged into the crowd, only six people could actually reach him.”

More and more people nodded, murmuring amongst themselves. Their recent defeat by Qin Mu had shattered not only their physical prowess but also their faith and confidence. The pride of an entire era had been utterly decimated by Qin Mu, fostering a mentality that he was unconquerable. Now, however, a sliver of hope began to stir within them. Qin Mu could only overcome six individuals simultaneously; he was not absolutely invincible!

Crimson Bright God Son's voice resonated once more, his tone chilling: “Yet, during the Crimson Bright Divine Dynasty, a single warrior from our era could face six opponents from the Heavenly Court! It was this ability to fight one against six that earned us an unparalleled, illustrious reputation and the title of ‘gods of war’! And now, you are defeated by a nascent nation. Where does that leave your ancestors? Where does that leave the name of the 'god of war'? Do you intend to simply surrender? You fill me with shame, but you can transform this shame into courage!”

“In the battle just now, you were disorganized, a scattered mess, trampling over each other, crowded, chaotic, and utterly without strategy. Not even six of you could effectively attack him at once. You were not defeated by the Yankang envoy, but by your own hands, by your own people! This is a disgrace! A profound humiliation!”

He bellowed, “What should be done about the shame of Crimson Bright?”

He paused, then roared vehemently, “Fight back! Only by fighting back can you erase this shame and hold your heads high! Today, the Yankang envoy defeated you; in the future, you will defeat him. Just as the Heavenly Court once defeated our Crimson Bright, so too in the future, we shall utterly defeat the Heavenly Court!”

Below, countless divine ability practitioners from the Suspended World felt their blood stirred by his words. Many, enduring sharp pain, began to shout, their voices a confused clamor at first. But gradually, all their voices converged, transforming into a breathtaking torrent, a deafening roar that shook the very heavens.

The torrent of tens of thousands of overlapping shouts was so profoundly stirring, so truly deafening, that both Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu's expressions changed.

Qin Mu turned to look down, seeing the divine ability practitioners of the Suspended World united in spirit, like a raging fire engulfing a plain, like spring awakening the earth, like a surging flood.

“United in purpose, this is the spirit of collective strength, the spirit of the Crimson Bright era, resurrected…” Qin Mu murmured to himself.

The Founding Human Emperor's voice came from behind him: “This is the impact of a true leader. Emperor Yanfeng is such a person, and the God Son is also such a person. Neither the Yankang Imperial Preceptor nor you possess this particular quality of delivering such inspiring words. Only leaders of this caliber can truly unite people's hearts.”

Qin Mu nodded, saying, “A true leader can transform adversity into opportunity and unite people's spirits. I am not yet capable of that.”

Ling Yuxiu quietly remarked, “With just a few words, this God Son managed to reframe your defeat of tens of thousands into merely defeating six, and then claimed even those six couldn't fight at full capacity, effectively downplaying your strength. He is truly manipulative.”

Qin Mu chuckled, “He's not wrong. It would indeed be incredibly difficult for me to defeat tens of thousands of Seven-Star realm divine ability practitioners in a direct confrontation. If they were organized in formation, let alone ten thousand, even a hundred Seven-Star practitioners could easily overwhelm and kill me with a single round of divine arts. My strategy was to first disrupt their formation, scattering them and creating chaos. Then, I exploited that confusion to land amidst the disarray. It's true that only about six people could effectively attack me, as the others, eager to join the fray, merely obstructed each other. In reality, only three or four truly managed to strike me. It was precisely this tactic that allowed me to overcome tens of thousands of practitioners.”

Ling Yuxiu smiled, “Still, his primary goal was to diminish your prestige.”

“He acts for his own people, and that is entirely justifiable.”

Qin Mu explained, “My aim, however, was to use this battle to secure fifty years of peace between Yankang and Crimson Bright.”

He smiled faintly, “These gods, devils, and divine ability practitioners from the Crimson Bright Suspended World are incredibly arrogant. Even if they were to cooperate with Yankang, they would still look down on us. Arrogance breeds prejudice, and prejudice leads to bullying. Because they disdain us, they would inevitably oppress Yankang's citizens and practitioners, which would eventually lead to catastrophe. By giving them a sound beating now, I ensure that the Suspended World's practitioners will not dare to stir up trouble for at least fifty years.”

Ling Yuxiu exclaimed in surprise, “I never imagined you thought so deeply! So, what happens after fifty years?”

“We'll give them another beating in fifty years.”

Qin Mu's demeanor was relaxed as he added, “Then we can have another fifty years of peace.”

Crimson Bright God Son instructed the agitated practitioners to go and attend to their injuries. He then turned, walked back to his seat, and offered a faint smile. “Yankang envoy, please take a seat.”

Qin Mu, Ling Yuxiu, and the Founding Human Emperor each settled into their seats. The Crimson Bright God Son's eyes were bright as he carefully observed the three. He then addressed the Founding Ancestor, “Fellow Daoist, are you from the Kaihuang era?”

The Founding Ancestor replied, “A survivor of Kaihuang.”

“I dispatched Chi Xi specifically to meet Emperor Kai, intending to pledge allegiance to him and ally with him against the Heavenly Court.”

The Crimson Bright God Son sighed, “I never imagined that time and circumstances would change so drastically. Chi Xi hadn't even reached his destination before the Kaihuang era had already come to an end. The Kaihuang era lasted for twenty thousand years, yet for our Suspended World, it feels as though only three millennia have passed. What a pity, a profound pity. Fortunately, Yankang still exists.”

His gaze then shifted to Ling Yuxiu, and he offered a slight smile. “Princess Yuxiu, your personal presence brings immense honor to our humble Suspended World. I have already reviewed the alliance treaty that Chi Xi signed on my behalf with the Emperor of Yankang. Had my practitioners from the Suspended World prevailed over your envoy just now, I might have negotiated for more favorable terms and amended a few clauses. But as they were defeated, I will not alter a single word of the terms Chi Xi agreed upon.”

Ling Yuxiu curtsied slightly and smiled, “Your Highness God Son is truly magnanimous. We humbly apologize for any offense caused earlier and ask for your understanding.”

“Princess, you are too modest. I had originally intended to deliver a display of power, but unexpectedly, I was the one unseated.”

The Crimson Bright God Son let out a hearty laugh, appearing quite jovial, though he still didn't look at Qin Mu. He said, “I have agreed to these alliance terms. Princess and envoy, please wait a few days; I still need to attend to some minor preparations, and then I will send a portion of our people to Yankang.”

The negotiations concluded peacefully.

Upon returning to their residence with the Founding Ancestor and Qin Mu, Ling Yuxiu immediately spoke, “This God Son gives me a profoundly unsettling feeling; he's incredibly difficult to read. What kind of person is he, truly? I still can't fathom him! Do you really believe he would make concessions simply because 'a cowherd' gave him a display of power? I find it hard to believe.”

Qin Mu stretched leisurely and chuckled, “He is certainly an ambitious individual, but his immediate goal is to lead his people out of this isolated realm and back into a competitive world. However, he won't put all his eggs in one basket, which is why he'll only allow a portion of his people to leave the Suspended World and travel to Yankang. Sending just a fraction of his people poses no threat to Yankang; instead, it presents Yankang with an opportunity to gain a significant ally.”

Ling Yuxiu mused, “The real threat to Yankang will emerge only when he has firmly established his foothold there.”

Qin Mu responded, “By that time, Yankang should have also grown stronger, shouldn't it? We don't need to concern ourselves with these matters; they are part of the strategic game between him and the Emperor, and it will be the Emperor's headache to manage. While we have these few days, I plan to explore and see the sights of the Suspended World. Xiu Mei, would you like to come with me?”

Ling Yuxiu shook her head. “I need to consider some things.”

She began to rack her brain, contemplating what she would do to win this strategic game if she were Emperor Yanfeng. “The Crimson Bright God Son is a formidable adversary,” she mused internally. “His intellect, resolve, magnanimity, and cunning are in no way inferior to Father Emperor's. To prevail against him in future dealings, one must surpass him in talent, courage, breadth of vision, and resourcefulness!”

Qin Mu wandered through the city, taking in the local customs, culture, and architectural styles of the Suspended World. The Founding Human Emperor followed silently behind him.

The Suspended World, though not smaller than Yankang in area, had a significantly smaller population. This was likely due to its abundant prosperity, which seemed to have diminished interest in procreation. It was a peculiar phenomenon: people in times of crisis would find every means to procreate, yet once life became abundant and carefree, interest in continuing the lineage seemed to wane, leading to a population decrease. This was particularly true for places like the Suspended World, which had no external enemies, no wars, and no concerns about basic necessities.

“The Crimson Bright God Son was right,” Qin Mu murmured. “If the Suspended World continues to remain hidden here, it will likely lead to its own extinction.”

This divine city was built atop a vast, majestic mountain, one even larger than Yankang's Sumeru Mountain. From its city walls, one could gaze out over the entire Suspended World, and the shimmering light in the sky seemed almost within reach.

Qin Mu looked around, his spirits soaring. He glanced back and was momentarily taken aback: the highest point in this divine city was not the imperial palace as he expected, but rather a grand and magnificent palace situated behind it. From within the city itself, this place was completely unnoticeable.

“What is that place?”

Intrigued, Qin Mu immediately descended from the city walls, circumvented the imperial palace, and headed towards the grand structure. The Founding Human Emperor followed unhurriedly behind him, his expression one of utter despondency.

They reached the palace situated behind the imperial city, where they saw an intimidating sight: stone steps layered upon layered, ascending endlessly, countless tiers vanishing beyond sight.

As Qin Mu ascended, just as he was nearing the summit, several three-headed, six-armed gods suddenly appeared from above. Their faces, enormous, each about an acre in size, boomed, “Yankang envoy, this is a forbidden holy ground! Turn back!”

Qin Mu halted. Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted down from above: “Imperial Guards, let them pass.”

“The Crimson Bright God Son is here too?” Qin Mu was slightly startled, then stepped forward.

The Crimson Bright God Son, clad in a fitted purple-red robe, stood before him, facing the magnificent and grand hall. He calmly stated, “Yankang envoy, this is the location of Emperor Chi's glabella. Within this grand hall, his divine brain-light is enshrined.”

Qin Mu hesitated for a moment. “Since this is Emperor Chi's sacred site, perhaps I should not enter.”