Chapter 892: Darkness Approaches

What is Ah Chou?

Ah Chou is simply a person who has lost everything.

Ah Chou, an incarnation of Earth Count, lost his parents, wife, and children in a Heavenly Court conspiracy against him. At that time, even Earth Count's power was restricted, preventing him from seeking revenge.

Ah Chou and Earth Count are two consciousnesses within the same being. Earth Count was controlled by rules, while Ah Chou sought to break them. Ultimately, Ah Chou was left alone and helpless, sent back to Youdu by the Celestial Emperor, and suppressed by Earth Count at You Suo Pass in Youdu.

Qin Mu is now also Ah Chou. Like Ah Chou, he is merely an appendage of his original body. Ah Chou is Earth Count's reincarnation, a second consciousness born from an infant's body after Qin Fengqing was sealed.

Ah Chou has no soul of his own.

Ah Chou was a guardian and an avenger. He burned with rage, desperate to protect his loved ones, yet he was powerless to save them, ultimately falling into the hands of the ancient Celestial Emperor.

Qin Mu also wanted to protect Eternal Peace and avenge those who died in the cataclysm.

Ah Chou was powerless to change his fate. He was eventually suppressed at You Suo Pass, enduring endless karmic flames.

Ah Chou ultimately became a sinner against the rules of Youdu.

He was originally meant to be Earth Count, impartial and selfless, possessing only divinity. Yet, he developed humanity.

Qin Fengqing is the Young Earth Count. Qin Mu, another consciousness born from Qin Fengqing's body, should have also possessed only divinity. Instead, Qin Mu embodies the Young Earth Count's humanity.

With the same circumstances and destiny, he is Ah Chou—a person who yearns to protect and seek revenge, but is powerless to resist.

Qin Mu chuckled, tightly gripping Ling Tianzun's peach wood hairpin in his hand. He pointed it at his glabella, where his third eye should have been, but only a deep, empty socket remained.

"Ancient Celestial Emperor, you've been waiting, holding back. Were you waiting for me to become utterly desperate, to finally have no choice but to rely on you?"

Blood still trickled from the empty socket of his third eye, flowing down both sides of his nose. Despite this, his hand remained steady. He plunged the peach wood hairpin deep into the hollow socket and chuckled softly, "Eternal Peace is gone, and I have nothing left. Nothing matters anymore. If I activate Ling Tianzun's hairpin, the Heavenly River will surge forth from it, destroying my body and annihilating my consciousness. You will never be able to revive!"

A vast thought surged from the sky, transforming into a thunderous voice in his mind. The ancient Celestial Emperor's voice was cold: "You shouldn't have gouged out your own eye. Now that you have, you don't even have a soul left. You are crippled. What ability do you have to decipher Ling Tianzun's divine art? You cannot retrieve my physical body, so why should I help you?"

His voice grew even colder: "You think you can control everything. You think you can toss My imperial decree to the Black Pig Demon. You think you can negotiate with Me, making Me your arm, your pawn. Yet, you always fall short by one move. Do you remember Wei Suifeng?"

Qin Mu was startled.

"Wei Suifeng, My Right General of the Imperial Forest Army, once commanded the Right Guard for Me. Like you, he was arrogant to the point of madness."

The Celestial Emperor's voice was mocking: "Like you, he was conceited, thinking he could infiltrate the Heavenly Alliance, deceive Me, and do something for the lower realm. But he could never deceive Me. Because his official position was granted by Me! The moment he infiltrated the Heavenly Alliance, I saw through him and captured him! He also comprehended Ling Tianzun's divine art, and I have already ordered the Eastern Heaven's Azure Emperor to drown him in the river to exchange for the ghost ship!"

His laughter was hearty: "As long as I can exchange for the ghost ship, I can also retrieve My physical body, which Ling Tianzun has locked in the Heavenly River. I can also use the Empress's body to threaten her, I have Dao Ancestor as an ally, and I can use Earth Count's daughter to threaten Earth Count!"

"Why would I still rely on you? I used you to reshape My soul, making My three souls complete. I used you to severely wound Hao Tianzun, forcing him to return to the Heavenly Court and prevent him from interfering with the Primordial Realm. I then used Hao Tianzun to eliminate Earth Mother Yuanjun, obtaining her physical body, and thereby gaining control of the entire Primordial Realm! Half of this universe is now in My grasp!"

"Heavenly Venerate Mu, do you truly believe you have the qualifications to negotiate with Me?"

He was the true big winner of this Primordial Realm War!

Whether it was Qin Mu, the myriad beings of the Primordial Realm, the divine and demonic armies of the Heavenly Court, the Four Emperors of Heaven, or even Earth Mother Yuanjun and Hao Tianzun—they were all his pawns!

He was about to make a comeback, and he would obtain half of the universe!

He had failed before because he was exposed, and everyone, from demigods and post-celestial beings to ancient gods, plotted against his demise.

But now he was hidden, who could still plot against him?

He was the winner, the sole big winner of this Primordial Realm War!

Qin Mu said indifferently, "The Eastern Heaven's Azure Emperor? He is right behind me. Your Majesty, why don't you ask him about the outcome of the exchange?"

The Celestial Emperor's voice vanished, his consciousness departing. He had evidently gone to question the Eastern Heaven's Azure Emperor, who was approaching Qin Mu from the east.

After a moment, Qin Mu felt another surge of consciousness in his mind.

It was the Celestial Emperor's consciousness again. This time, the Celestial Emperor did not ramble on like an arrogant victor.

He fell silent.

Qin Mu said calmly, "Wei Suifeng is my senior disciple brother. He is the most obstinate person in the world, and also the most cunning. He has traversed through time for millions of years; you cannot hold onto him."

The Four Emperors of Heaven were closing in, ready to capture or instantly kill Qin Mu at any moment.

The Celestial Emperor's voice resounded again, not in Qin Mu's mind, but from outside the heavens: "Four Emperors, stop."

Qi Xiayu, Yin Tianzi, and the others halted, looking up. They saw a lush Primordial Tree descending from the sky, embedding itself in the center of the Primordial Realm.

Another "Heavenly Venerate Yu" descended with the Primordial Tree, majestic and towering, his body radiating thousands of light beams, embodying dignified righteousness.

The root ball formed by the Primordial Tree's roots gently expanded, and incredibly thick roots extended, burrowing into the earth.

As the roots burrowed underground, mountain ranges tens of thousands of miles long rose on the surface.

This scene resembled a grand and spectacular orogeny, even more magnificent. The vitality contained within the Primordial Tree caused the suddenly appearing mountains, flowers, and grasses to grow wildly, turning into forests and creating picturesque landscapes.

This bizarre phenomenon fully displayed Earth Mother's power, yet the one wielding this power was not Earth Mother Yuanjun, but the ancient Celestial Emperor.

That "Heavenly Venerate Yu" approached and said to the Four Emperors of Heaven, "You may withdraw. He is no longer the God Child of Youdu."

Qi Xiayu and the others were taken aback.

Yin Tianzi said, "This child is one of the Three Heroes of Eternal Peace's reforms, the famous Eternal Peace Overlord Body, and a remnant of Emperor Kai. He cannot be left alive..."

"Heavenly Venerate Yu" glanced at him, a half-smile playing on his lips, "Yin Chaoxin, he has another identity: Heavenly Venerate Mu."

Yin Tianzi's face instantly turned incredibly pale.

"Heavenly Venerate Yu" said calmly, "Heavenly Venerate Mu's merits are unparalleled. He imparted knowledge at Jade Pool, benefiting countless future generations. How many people in this world are qualified to kill him? If you kill him, you will only bear infamy. Retreat. He is already crippled, without a soul, only spirit and flesh remain. He is no longer the Overlord Body."

Yin Tianzi was dazed.

He wanted to observe Qin Mu closely, but his gaze flitted away due to a guilty conscience, not daring to meet Qin Mu's eyes.

Although he was the Black Emperor of the Heavenly Court, a Dao Realm existence who governed Youdu and wielded immense power, whenever his gaze met Qin Mu's, he couldn't help but recall events from a million years ago.

Qin Mu, however, remained composed.

The ancient Celestial Emperor was not wrong; he now had no soul, only his spirit embryo and physical body remained.

He himself was a consciousness born from this body after Qin Fengqing was sealed. Even more strictly speaking, his body was not his own, but Qin Fengqing's.

From beginning to end, he was nothing more than an orphan.

His consciousness was only born on the night 32 years ago when Granny Si picked him up from a basket by the river.

Qin Mu was the name given to him by the Village Chief.

Yin Tianzi turned and departed. Qi Xiayu's gaze lingered on Qin Mu for a moment before she, too, flapped her wings and left.

"Heavenly Venerate Mu? Qin Overlord Body?"

The Azure Emperor and White Emperor shook their heads, departing indifferently: "He's crippled now."

"Heavenly Venerate Yu" cupped Qin Mu in his palm, examining him from all sides before shaking his head: "How can a person without a soul help Me reclaim My physical body? Heavenly Venerate Mu, I find it hard to trust you."

Qin Mu put away the peach wood hairpin and sat down in the Celestial Emperor's palm, saying calmly, "Indeed. If I hadn't cultivated undying divine sense, I might have died and my consciousness dispersed the moment I gouged out my third eye. It's natural for Your Majesty to be wary. However, Your Majesty needs to take a gamble."

"Heavenly Venerate Yu" smiled: "I rarely gamble. But after meeting you, My gamble paid off. The threat to the Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Alliance is now minimal. The descent of the strongest divine artifact this time is merely a distribution of benefits by the Heavenly Court. We are here to divide the spoils: some gained Youdu, some Xuandu, some Guixu, and some obtained the Four Heavenly Extremities. But I snatched the Primordial Realm from Heavenly Venerate Yu! In the future, I will seize even more."

Qin Mu's aura was withered, but he managed a weak smile, "Your Majesty has gained the Primordial Realm, so what about Eternal Peace...?"

"I can spare Eternal Peace. I promised you that."

"Heavenly Venerate Yu" smiled: "My words are trustworthy; I will not break My promise. The Primordial Realm is complex with its various factions, making it difficult to govern. Granting your human race a small place to survive is also a blessing from heaven. Furthermore, I am Heaven."

Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

"However, the reforms must cease, and the Three Heroes of Eternal Peace must be beheaded, executed on the God-Slaying Platform. Otherwise, where would the Heavenly Court's prestige lie?"

"Heavenly Venerate Yu" looked at his face and smiled, "You can survive. The people of Eternal Peace can also survive. A new Heavenly Map will cover the entire Primordial Realm. This is the future I grant to you, Eternal Peace, and all beings in the Primordial Realm."

Qin Mu's heart sank deeper and deeper.

An utterly hopeless future, enveloped by the Heavenly Map.

Emperor Yanfeng and Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor would become the sacrifices to end the Eternal Peace reforms.

"There are still some forces in the Primordial Realm that need to be suppressed and subdued. For example, Great Black Heaven, the Divine Son of Crimson Light, and Fengdu."

"Heavenly Venerate Yu" set him down and smiled, "Your friend is coming for you. Go with him."

Qin Mu saw the Cripple running towards him with astonishing speed, fear and anxiety clearly etched on his wrinkled face. He seemed to have made up his mind, gathering all his courage, and charged towards Qin Mu and "Heavenly Venerate Yu."

Among the Miserable Old Venerables, Cripple was the most timid. Yet, he was willing to sacrifice his own life to save Qin Mu.

"Heavenly Venerate Yu" laughed heartily and floated away.

"Cripple Grandpa."

Qin Mu looked at the old man who had rushed to his side, a smile appearing on his face: "I'm fine, I'm just very tired."

"Don't speak!"

Cripple carried him on his back and ran fiercely towards the east. The old man felt warm blood flowing down Qin Mu's back to his own chest, and he sensed Qin Mu's aura growing increasingly faint.

"Cripple Grandpa, I remember when Granny Si would send me to people in other villages when I was little. Every time, you would secretly bring me back."

Blood continuously flowed from Qin Mu's mouth, and his voice grew progressively weaker as he murmured, "I couldn't remember my childhood originally. Back then, I was just a very faint consciousness within this body. Now, suddenly, I remember... I am merely a consciousness born within this body, slowly growing up and able to recall many things..."

"Don't speak."

Cripple's eyes widened, and he ran with all his might.

"Mu'er, don't speak. I'll take you to see the Apothecary... Apothecary, why the hell aren't you here yet? My speed is too slow, too slow!"

He ran with all his might, so exhausted he coughed up blood. The Qin Mu on his back had fallen silent, causing Cripple to worry again. "Mu'er, talk to me for a bit, don't fall asleep. Mu'er?"

Qin Mu opened his eyes, vaguely looking ahead. The Dragon Sparrow flew, dancing with the heavens, and Yan Qiling stood on its back with the Dragon Qilin.