Chapter 885: The Only Chance for Survival

Qin Mu left Fengdu, and Yan'er transformed into a dragon sparrow, carrying him and the Dragon Qilin as they flew towards the Celestial Yin Realm.

In the Celestial Yin Palace within the Celestial Yin Realm, the Celestial Yin Empress and the Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul, shrouded in black sand, remained silent. Yan Qiling stood behind the Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul.

Qin Mu waited quietly for the Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul's reply.

After a long silence, the Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul in the black sand spoke: "Heavenly Venerable Mu, do you know whose weapon the Imperial Venerable descending to the lower realm is? If you do, you should hide far away, the farther the better."

Qin Mu was greatly shaken, a suspicion forming in his mind.

"Precisely that rebellious son."

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul smiled. "It's Heavenly Venerable Hao, the very one whose plans you disrupted at the Jade Pool Grand Gathering, and whom you severely wounded with a sword in front of his mother and the world's heroes. Now, his power and arrogance have reached their peak; he is absolute in the Celestial Heavens. As for you..."

He shook his head and said, "You should hide far away. That rebellious son's power has now reached the Celestial Heavens realm, incomplete though it may be. Still, this level of power is arguably the strongest existence throughout history. Not only are you incapable of confronting him, even Kaihuang would fail. Half a Celestial Heavens realm — such ability cannot be resisted by just a few Emperor's Throne realm experts, let alone him wielding a peerless weapon like the Imperial Venerable."

Qin Mu smiled. "Your Majesty, you need someone to reunite your souls and reshape your spirit. That person can only be me. You cannot watch me go to my death."

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul, shrouded in black sand, stared intently at him. After a long silence, he continued, "This time, the strongest divine artifact is descending not only upon the Primordial Realm, but also upon Xuandu, Youdu, and the Four Extremities where the Four Emperors reside. This is not solely Heavenly Venerable Hao's idea; it is the collective decision of all the titans within the Celestial Alliance. The only thing you can be thankful for is that the strongest weapon's descent is not aimed at Yankang, but at Earth Mother Primordial Lord. Although I am also a titan in the Celestial Alliance, I too agreed to their descent."

Qin Mu's eyebrows twitched.

"I cannot help you."

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul sighed, "Our alliance ends here."

Qin Mu, feeling unwilling, said, "I can reshape your soul and revive you."

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul shook his head, a faint, almost mocking smile on his face. "Heavenly Venerable Mu, do you still not understand? There is no chance of victory! Not even the slightest bit! Heavenly Venerable Mu, if I help you, I will be implicated. Although I only have one soul remaining, if I help you, I will lose even that."

Qin Mu stood there, stunned. After a long silence, he suddenly burst into uproarious laughter, stamping his feet. "How laughable! These ancient gods are truly laughable! And I am far too laughable myself; I never should have placed my hope in them!"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul watched him silently, not speaking.

Yan Qiling snorted coldly, asking, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, what are you laughing about?"

"I laugh at how naive the ancient gods are!"

Qin Mu, somewhat frenzied, clapped his hands and laughed, "And I also laugh at my own naivety!"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul continued to watch him silently, without speaking.

Yan Qiling secretly glanced at him and said wistfully, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, why do you say that?"

"The Celestial Heavens' strongest divine artifact is not descending to deal with Yankang; Yankang's predicament is merely collateral damage, like fish in a pond affected by a fire at the city gate. The strongest divine artifact is descending precisely to deal with the ancient gods!"

Qin Mu laughed until tears streamed down his face. "The Celestial Heavens wants to deal with Earth Count, and Earth Count is timid, not daring to declare war. The Celestial Heavens wants to deal with Heaven Duke, and Heaven Duke shrinks back, not daring to risk his life. The Celestial Heavens wants to deal with the Primordial Realm, to kill Earth Mother, and to suppress the remnants from various eras; Kaihuang has also retreated, and all the heroes are helpless. The Celestial Heavens wants to deal with the Four Emperors of the Four Directions, and they are powerless, only able to await their execution. The Celestial Heavens intends to completely eradicate the ancient gods' power, and even the former Emperor of the ancient gods can only hide here, chirping like ants in an autumn field, discussing gains and losses. I am utterly laughable for coming to seek you all."

Yan Qiling's face changed drastically as she shouted, "How dare you! What ants? How can you utter such nonsense in front of His Majesty?"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul raised a hand to stop Yan Qiling and smiled, "Let him continue."

Qin Mu sneered. "I revive ancient gods by borrowing the power of Heaven Duke and Earth Count; only then can I revive the Celestial Yin Empress. If Heaven Duke dies, and Earth Count dies, even with my profound abilities, I would be helpless. The Celestial Heavens came this time to kill Earth Mother Primordial Lord, and you ancient gods had no reaction. Next time, they will kill the Four Emperors, and you ancient gods will still have no reaction. Then they will kill Heaven Duke, and then Earth Count, and the ancient gods will completely become a lost echo! The era of ancient gods will end forever! And all of this is due to Your Majesty's inaction."

Yan Qiling was furious and shouted, "Nonsense! How dare you speak to His Majesty like that! His Majesty will have your head! My master is a noble ancient god, the greatest Emperor of all time. Even if his power was seized, even if he was plotted to his death, he would never fall for your provocation!"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul laughed heartily. "Qiling, alright, alright, you don't need to speak for him anymore."

Yan Qiling bowed, stepped back, and said angrily, "Your disciple couldn't bear to see him humiliate Master, which is why I defended him. Saying things like 'ants chirping,' this wretch deserves death a thousand times over!"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul gave a wry smile. "Heavenly Venerable Mu, there is indeed some truth to what you say, but in the current situation, any forceful action is a dead end. Given these circumstances, I am unable to help. Tell me, what should I do?"

"All Your Majesty needs to do is preserve a glimmer of hope for Yankang!"

Qin Mu said in a deep voice, "If Yankang is destroyed, the ancient gods, and all historical eras — everything will turn to naught, including Kaihuang! My only request is for Your Majesty to mobilize all your power to protect Yankang!"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul pondered, still looking troubled, and sighed, "It's too difficult. I still don't see any hope."

Qin Mu was not ready to give up. "I can immediately borrow the power of Heaven Duke and Earth Count to reshape Your Majesty's two souls!"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul shook his head and sighed, "In a different situation, I would certainly agree to you; this condition is far too tempting. However, you don't realize that even if I recover all my divine souls, I will no longer be the person I once was."

"Is it because of Your Majesty's physical body?" Qin Mu suddenly asked.

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul, within the black sand, suddenly trembled. "What do you know?" he asked coldly.

Qin Mu took out a peach wood hairpin and said, "I know Your Majesty's physical body is trapped within Heavenly Venerable Ling's divine ability."

"Heavenly Venerable Ling's hairpin!" The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul reached out, snatching the peach wood hairpin, his expression filled with extreme agitation.

Qin Mu loosened his grip, letting him take the hairpin.

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul seized the hairpin, then froze for a moment, and the violently trembling black sand of his soul slowly calmed.

He carefully examined the peach wood hairpin, then suddenly squeezed it lightly, and the hairpin shattered. Yet, the next moment, it reappeared in his hand.

"It is indeed Heavenly Venerable Ling's peach wood hairpin; it seems she has found you."

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul placed the hairpin back in Qin Mu's hand and chuckled, "I am tempted, truly tempted. However, Heavenly Venerable Hao has descended, and he is perfectly capable of handling everything; I have no reason to descend..."

He stood up and paced back and forth, sighing, "That rebellious son holds absolute power in the court; my forces are still significantly inferior to his. Furthermore, if it were known that I am the former Heavenly Emperor, I would certainly be eliminated by their combined efforts. I have no reason to descend."

Qin Mu's eyes lit up. He said urgently, "If Heavenly Venerable Hao cannot handle the Primordial Realm, then would Your Majesty have a reason to descend?"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul froze.

Qin Mu said, "Then it depends on whether Your Majesty can bring yourself to do it."

"You are a devil! Heavenly Venerable Mu, you truly are a devil!"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul sighed, pacing rapidly back and forth before suddenly stopping. "I must give it up, no matter what! There is nothing left for me to be reluctant about! A pity for Earth Mother Primordial Lord... but this is also the only chance for me to descend. Only this way is there a sliver of hope!"

Yan Qiling also instantly understood what they were about to do; her delicate body trembled slightly, but she remained silent.

"Qiling!"

Yan Qiling bowed. "Your disciple is here."

The black sand surrounding the Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul surged. Moments later, a round, gleaming mirror flew from the sand and landed in Yan Qiling's hand.

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul said, "Go see Earth Mother Primordial Lord, and make sure she sees this mirror directly."

Yan Qiling silently put away the mirror.

The Celestial Yin Empress, who had remained silent throughout, was simple-minded and had not understood what Qin Mu and the Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul were discussing. However, the moment the mirror appeared, she finally grasped its meaning.

She only grew more silent.

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul said, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, I am sacrificing one of my most powerful generals. What do you think of my sincerity?"

Qin Mu bowed. "Your Majesty's sacrifice will surely be rewarded!"

The Heavenly Emperor's remnant soul shook his head and smiled, "I naturally expect a reward. Now, perform the ritual for me to reassemble my souls. Afterward, you can go with Qiling to meet the new Earth Mother Primordial Lord."

Qin Mu was about to agree when the Celestial Yin Empress coughed. Qin Mu heard her, understanding her meaning, yet acted as if he had not, immediately setting up an altar to perform the ritual.

As he opened the Gate of Heaven's Blessing and borrowed the power of Heaven Duke and Earth Count, both deities immediately sensed it, looking towards this place across the worlds.

Qin Mu bowed low, kowtowing to the two ancient gods.

The two ancient gods, who harbored great enmity towards the Heavenly Emperor, had originally intended to withdraw their power and deny him. However, upon seeing him kneel and kowtow, repeatedly hitting his head against the altar until it bled, the two ancient gods remained silent. Their faces receded behind the Gate of Heaven's Blessing, and they did not pursue the matter of him usurping their power.

Qin Mu got up and continued the ritual.

Sculpting souls for the Heavenly Emperor was an arduous task; he was so exhausted he spat blood, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered, continuing the ritual!

By the time the Heavenly Emperor's two souls were reshaped, Qin Mu's eyes widened, and he collapsed straight backward, falling unconscious on the altar.

The Heavenly Emperor's Earth Soul and Divine Soul coalesced, forming a majestic figure that looked down upon the altar and smiled. "If you weren't still useful, and if I didn't need your help to find my physical body, I would truly want to deal with you right now. Heavenly Venerable Mu, allowing you to continue growing is far too dangerous..."

"Your Majesty!"

The Celestial Yin Empress stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty's word is golden; you cannot go back on it."

The Heavenly Emperor's two souls gazed at her. After a long pause, he sighed, "Celestial Yin, you're siding with him. I won't blame you; after all, he saved your life. You are too naive; the world is treacherous, and there are many things you don't comprehend. Rest assured, he won't die, not yet."

He flicked a finger, and a wisp of vital energy flew into Qin Mu's glabella. A moment later, Qin Mu slowly stirred awake.

"Qiling, accompany Heavenly Venerable Mu and let him see my sincerity."

The Heavenly Emperor's two souls flew out of the Celestial Yin Realm, his voice carrying back with a laugh: "Heavenly Venerable Mu, the rest is up to you. How to make Heavenly Venerable Hao, that rebellious son, suffer a setback will depend on your skill and methods! I am in the Celestial Heavens, awaiting the opportunity you give me to descend to the Primordial Realm! Before I descend, your Yankang must be protected by yourselves! If you can hold on, then there will be this sliver of hope!"

Qin Mu sat up and said to Yan Qiling, "Thank you."

Yan Qiling shook her head. "I'm not helping you; I simply don't want to see you die like this. I still intend to personally defeat you and make you beg for mercy at my hands. Come with me; I'll take you to meet the new Earth Mother Primordial Lord."

Qin Mu turned to the Celestial Yin Empress and said, "Empress, you shouldn't have spoken for me in front of the Heavenly Emperor; he no longer trusts you."

The Celestial Yin Empress's heart was in turmoil, and she suddenly burst into tears. "Are you really going to eliminate that Earth Mother sister? She, like me, is a pitiful soul."

Qin Mu bid her farewell. "From beginning to end, she was merely the Heavenly Emperor's pawn. Empress, take care!"

He turned and left with Yan Qiling.

Outside the Celestial Yin Realm, Yan Qiling sat with him on the back of Yan'er, who had transformed into a dragon sparrow, directing her flight. After a long while, Yan Qiling suddenly said, "The new Earth Mother Primordial Lord is actually my master's wife in this life, my master's wife."

Qin Mu's body trembled slightly, and he remained silent.

"I feel some reluctance, but I have no choice but to do this."

Yan Qiling was lost in thought, then suddenly smiled. "I always prided myself on my heaven-defying talent and looked down on the young powerhouses in the Celestial Heavens. When I descended, I felt I could easily pacify the Primordial Realm and help my master unify it. That was until I met you, and I was forced to return in defeat. I also thought I was favored by heaven, but after experiencing so many things, I finally realized..."

Qin Mu extended a finger and lightly tapped the back of her head.

The halo of the Heavenly Emperor's blessing behind Yan Qiling's head immediately became murky and dim.