Chapter 742: The Death of the Celestial Sovereign

"What's the big deal about Celestial Venerable Yu dying?" The old bull continued walking, scoffing, "These ancient people have seen death before; their clamor is splitting my head... Celestial Venerable Yu is dead? Celestial Venerable Yu is dead!"

He couldn't help but bellow, forgetting to call out to Qin Mu, Emperor Kai, and the others. He rushed out of the Fenghua Tower, only to find the commotion outside still hadn't ceased. Some people were sobbing, others stood there blankly, and some ran to ask for confirmation, then sank to the ground in despair, lost in thought.

The old bull's heart was a mess. He felt as though the ancient sages who had gathered for the assembly had suddenly lost their core.

He stared blankly at the noisy, panicked crowd outside. While Celestial Venerable Yu was alive, this place was a flourishing era undergoing transformation. But with the news of his death, everyone suddenly became like headless flies.

The prospect of an impending golden age suddenly dimmed.

The death of their great leader was too devastating for the people of this era.

The old bull's heart was also filled with confusion: "How could he have died? How could he just die like that? It can't be, right? Is this a joke? This joke has gone too far..."

Footsteps sounded behind him. Qin Mu, Emperor Kai, and Celestial Venerable Ling approached, their faces also showing a look of bewilderment. Inside the tower, they had heard the weeping and commotion outside, and the news of Celestial Venerable Yu's death had shocked them beyond imagination.

Qin Mu and Emperor Kai had traveled to this era, so their contact with Celestial Venerable Yu was limited, having only spoken to him once. However, their impression of him was excellent.

They held deep respect for Celestial Venerable Yu, believing him to be an ancient leader of immense talent who would guide the post-celestial beings to usher in a new era.

They held Celestial Venerable Yu in extremely high regard. Yet, for such a young leader, poised to realize his lifelong ambitions, to die so suddenly was unacceptable to both Qin Mu and Emperor Kai.

Celestial Venerable Ling found it even harder to accept.

Unlike Qin Mu and Emperor Kai, who had little contact with Celestial Venerable Yu, she had grown up hearing legends about him. When she later met him, Celestial Venerable Yu cared for her like an elder brother and offered her much encouragement.

After opening her divine treasures, she shifted to researching the non-existence of time, aiming to prove it with her divine arts. Although Celestial Venerable Yu didn't believe her research would succeed and thought she was on the wrong path, he remained exceptionally kind to her.

Celestial Venerable Yu's death was a huge blow to her.

Her face pale, she stumbled forward. Qin Mu whispered, "Follow her, let's see what happened!"

The three immediately followed Celestial Venerable Ling. In front of them, there was a sea of people; the separate palace was filled with mourners, and some demigods watched from the sky.

"How could Celestial Venerable Yu suddenly die?"

Emperor Kai whispered, "A being like him cannot be killed by a divine arts practitioner. Only a demigod or an ancient god could have brought about his death, right?"

Qin Mu, however, was thinking about something else. He mused, "Why was he killed just before he announced the method to become a god? His death wasn't merely to eliminate him, but to eliminate the method of becoming a god!"

The old bull whispered, "Could Celestial Venerable Yu have faked his death? If he did, he could incite conflict between the demigods, post-celestial beings, and the Heavenly Court..."

Qin Mu and Emperor Kai shook their heads in unison.

The old bull was puzzled.

Qin Mu explained, "Faking his death in front of the Heavenly Court would be meaningless. With Earth Count and Heavenly Duke present, he couldn't possibly fake his death. His soul cannot escape the control of Youdu, nor can he hide from Heavenly Duke's sight. He is... truly dead."

Emperor Kai added, "Furthermore, if he wanted to instigate conflict between the demigods, post-celestial beings, and the ancient gods, he wouldn't need to fake his death. He should have first spread the method to become a god. Once it's out, the friction between new gods and ancient gods would naturally accumulate over time. This involves the distribution of benefits: new gods desiring more, ancient gods unwilling to relinquish what they've gained, leading to inevitable conflict. A person as intelligent as he wouldn't need to resort to faking his death. And faking one's death..."

He trailed off, clearly having reservations.

Qin Mu, however, had no such reservations and continued, "And if he faked his death, it would undoubtedly mean relinquishing his position as leader to someone else. He wouldn't do something that only benefits others."

Emperor Kai glanced at him, worried, and whispered, "After all, we are outsiders; it's not easy for us to get too deeply involved with this era. We've only been here for a few days, but I already sense surging undercurrents and hidden dangers everywhere."

Qin Mu shook his head. "We are in the past; we are what has already happened. Whatever we do, when we return to the present, we will find that everything we've done is already established history."

Veins bulged on Emperor Kai's forehead, and his voice was hoarse. "Are you going to act recklessly again? Must you force me to deal with you severely?"

The old bull had no idea what they were talking about and was puzzled.

Qin Mu and Emperor Kai, however, knew perfectly well that their remarks about "benefiting others" and "surging undercurrents" were both allusions.

They were referring to the biggest beneficiaries after Celestial Venerable Yu's death.

If the leader died, the one who succeeded Celestial Venerable Yu would be the biggest beneficiary.

If the reformer died, and there was no path to godhood, the ancient gods would be the biggest beneficiaries.

Celestial Venerable Yu had been constantly busy these past few days, simultaneously hosting guests for the assembly, coordinating between demigods and post-celestial beings, and managing the forces within the Heavenly Court. He had very little time to rest.

He resided in the Manhui Corridor Pavilion at Jade Pond Little Retreat. Currently, the area outside the Manhui Corridor Pavilion was packed with people. Celestial Venerable Huo and Yin Tianzi stood guard at the entrance. Celestial Venerable Huo's face was filled with grief and indignation, as he glared at the crowd, strictly forbidding anyone from approaching.

Celestial Venerable Ling pushed her way forward, her voice hoarse, "Is it true?"

Celestial Venerable Huo choked back a sob, nodded, and said, "They are all inside. Celestial Venerable You is trying to summon his soul, to see if he can be revived. Celestial Venerable Hao has already petitioned His Majesty, hoping to ask Earth Count to return his soul..."

Qin Mu looked at Yin Tianzi, who stood there with vacant eyes, somewhat dazed and lost in thought.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply. He stared at his own hands, and two tears fell onto them.

Celestial Venerable Ling rushed into the Manhui Corridor Pavilion. Qin Mu, Emperor Kai, and the green bull also intended to enter, but Celestial Venerable Huo raised a hand to block them. Yin Tianzi, regaining his composure, also quickly raised a hand to block their path, apologizing, "Brother Qin, Brother Mu, Celestial Venerable Yu was killed inside; you cannot enter..."

"Celestial Venerable Huo, let them in."

Celestial Venerable Ling's voice came from within: "Their mastery of divine arts and doctrines is very high; perhaps they can find some clues!"

Celestial Venerable Huo hesitated, then lowered his arm. His eyes red, he said to Qin Mu, "If you can find any clues, I won't hate you anymore."

Qin Mu nodded gently. "I will do my best."

They entered the Manhui Corridor Pavilion, which was built elegantly on the lake of the island, right by the water, with waves rippling below.

As it was the residence of an empress, the Manhui Corridor Pavilion was much larger than a normal building, and very spacious inside.

Qin Mu and the two others entered the pavilion and saw bloodstains on the floor. The windowsill had shattered, and traces of divine arts remained on the walls. Celestial Venerable Yu's body sat beneath the window, leaning against it, head bowed, limbs lifeless.

Celestial Venerable Hao, Celestial Venerable Yun, Celestial Venerable Yue, and Celestial Venerable You were all there. Celestial Venerable Hao held a divine hound, which was sniffing around frantically.

Celestial Venerable You raised his palm, and primordial qi surged out, lifting Celestial Venerable Yu's body three feet off the ground.

The ghostly mask behind the boy's head began to weep, but Celestial Venerable You's expression remained as impassive as ever.

Qin Mu looked at Celestial Venerable Yu floating in the air. His bones were essentially completely shattered; not a single one remained intact. He had been subjected to such severe blows that his bones were broken, leaving him suspended in the air with an eerie sense of helplessness.

"From the external injuries, it seems there was more than one attacker."

Qin Mu walked around Celestial Venerable Yu, carefully examining the wounds. He didn't get very close, but he could clearly see all the injuries on Celestial Venerable Yu's body.

"However, the fatal injury was not caused by the broken bones. The fatal injury came from his back. Someone struck him suddenly from behind, severely wounding him."

Qin Mu slowly circled, a scene forming in his mind: the assailant had suddenly attacked Celestial Venerable Yu from behind. Fearing to leave traces, they didn't use their strongest divine art, but rather pure physical strength.

With the first strike, they used their terrifying power to shatter Celestial Venerable Yu's heart, then dodged his counterattack, circling him with incredible swiftness!

A series of physical blows, like heavy hammers, struck various parts of Celestial Venerable Yu's body, breaking his bones one by one!

"The divine art imprints on the walls of the Manhui Corridor Pavilion are Celestial Venerable Yu's divine arts."

Qin Mu looked at the walls. Celestial Venerable Yu must have trusted that person immensely, which is why the assailant had an opportunity to ambush him.

Furthermore, their cultivation levels were not far apart. Celestial Venerable Yu's cultivation was stronger than his opponent's, but the opponent's physical body was much more powerful. He launched a counterattack after losing the initiative and having his heart shattered, but the opponent had already closed in.

How terrifying is it to be closed in on by a master of combat techniques?

Qin Mu himself practiced combat techniques and understood this deeply.

"However, what truly took Celestial Venerable Yu's life was not the physical injuries."

Qin Mu's thoughts stirred. A drop of blood floated towards him, and his pupils rotated layer by layer, instantly activating the Eightfold Heaven. Celestial Venerable Yu's divine blood contained several faint divine art runes, which quickly dissipated.

These were traces left by the assailant's divine art.

"There are no traces of magic or divine arts on Celestial Venerable Yu's physical body, but there are divine art runes in his blood, indicating that the assailant did use divine arts, but not directly on his flesh. So, what was his divine art aimed at?"

Suddenly, obscure Youdu language echoed, and Qin Mu's heart stirred as he looked towards Celestial Venerable You.

The young boy was activating Youdu's divine art, chanting ancient Youdu incantations, attempting to summon Celestial Venerable Yu's soul back from Youdu.

His Youdu language was quite good, but it still seemed somewhat lacking to Qin Mu. After all, the current Celestial Venerable You had not yet entered Youdu and had not yet become the Heavenly Qiren Shengwang of later generations.

Celestial Venerable You's eyes were bloodshot, and the Youdu language he chanted grew increasingly chaotic. Although his face was calm, his heart was in turmoil.

His mind was in disarray, and his mastery was still too shallow. Even if his mind were clear, he wouldn't be able to recall Celestial Venerable Yu's soul from Youdu.

"I still can't..."

Celestial Venerable You suddenly vomited blood, fell to his knees, and began to convulse as if in a spasm, making whimpering sounds from his throat, his teeth clenched tight.

"I still can't!"

He curled into a ball, his body trembling, sobbing, "I still can't, I couldn't save my mother, and I can't save my big brother either, I still can't..."

He had always been indifferent to everyone, even to Celestial Venerable Yu, to whom he showed no special favor. However, ever since his mother fell gravely ill, Celestial Venerable Yu had been the one looking after him.

He had long come to regard Celestial Venerable Yu as his only living family member.

Just then, a gentle voice resonated in his mind: "I will say, you chant."

Celestial Venerable You's heart jolted. The voice in his mind slowly spoke again. It was an incredibly ancient and pure Youdu language, expounding upon the profound principles of soul dao arts, so deep and mysterious that he momentarily thought Earth Count himself had descended.

Celestial Venerable You stood up again, following the voice and chanting the Youdu language. Demonic qi from Youdu surged in all directions. The floor of the Manhui Corridor Pavilion suddenly turned dark, revealing a profound space-time rift.

It was Youdu.

His voice echoed throughout Youdu, searching for Celestial Venerable Yu's soul.

Everyone in the Manhui Corridor Pavilion looked on. At this moment, Celestial Venerable You no longer seemed like a boy, but rather a deity controlling the rules of Youdu, calling for the return of the deceased!

Emperor Kai's heart stirred. He glanced at Qin Mu beside him, sensing Qin Mu's spiritual fluctuations—a strange spiritual connection.

He could perceive that Qin Mu's spirit was connected to Celestial Venerable You!

Earlier, Celestial Venerable You's dao arts and divine abilities were still rudimentary, unable to communicate with Youdu. Now, he could make his voice resound throughout Youdu. This was clearly not Celestial Venerable You's own doing, but Qin Mu secretly teaching him a profound Youdu divine art!

"He even understands Youdu divine arts. What else does he know?"

Just as Emperor Kai thought this, a gateway slowly rose from the darkness. A Heaven-Bearing Gate stood tall in the pavilion, emanating thick demonic qi.

After a moment, Qin Mu sighed and severed his spiritual connection with Celestial Venerable You.

"Celestial Venerable Yu's soul is not in Youdu. He... is scattered, soul and spirit. I know what the divine art of the person who killed him was for."

His heart sank. "It was used to destroy his soul."

Celestial Venerable You suddenly cried out, then roared with a guttural, beast-like sound, before collapsing into convulsions, foaming at the mouth.

Qin Mu stepped forward, his fingers moving rapidly, stabilizing Celestial Venerable You's soul. He helped him up and guided him to sit by the door.

"Thank you..." Celestial Venerable You gripped his hand, staring blankly at the lake outside the door, muttering.

Qin Mu paused, surprised.

Celestial Venerable You looked up, staring blankly at Qin Mu's face. "Thank you."

From inside the Manhui Corridor Pavilion, Celestial Venerable Hao's voice was heard: "Celestial Venerable Yu is dead, so what should we do about the Jade Pond Grand Assembly now?"

Emperor Kai came up behind Qin Mu and whispered, "In this assembly, whoever spreads the method to become a god is the killer."

Qin Mu slowly straightened up. Celestial Venerable Hao's voice carried over: "A few days ago, Celestial Venerable Yu imparted the method to become a god to me. Although he met with misfortune, his legacy will continue to be passed down and flourish!"

Qin Mu's eye twitched, then twitched again. He turned his head with difficulty.

A large, strong hand pressed on his shoulder.

Emperor Kai lowered his voice. "It has nothing to do with us!"

"Is there no justice left in this world?" Qin Mu murmured, a smile that wasn't a smile and tears that weren't tears on his face.