Chapter 948: Fire Heavenly Sovereign Mark

Ahead stood the Creators’ palaces, an immensely grand complex of buildings. From a distance, the first thing that caught their eye was the towering city wall. It seemed like a sheer cliff face stretching before them, incredibly steep and impossibly smooth, with no discernible brick or stone seams.

Even before they drew near, they felt an awe-inspiring presence emanating from the wall.

The wall's surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflective enough to show people. Standing before it, they could even see their own reflections and the vast landscape stretching for a thousand miles behind them!

The buildings within the city were even taller than the wall. Through the wall, they could discern towering and majestic palaces, edifices, and defensive structures like arrow towers.

Qin Mu and Luo Wushuang arrived outside the city and gazed at the colossal structures.

The Creators’ city was too immense. They felt insignificant, like tiny figures.

Such a perfectly smooth wall surface seemed almost impossible to forge. Even the artisans of the Celestial Heavens and Eternal Peace lacked such astonishing skill.

While artisans could polish a mirror-smooth surface, creating such an immense city wall and maintaining such flawless flatness was beyond possibility.

Even with the most intricate divine arts, minor imperfections would arise during forging. Yet, this city wall had none!

The Creators’ city walls could only be conjured through visualization, not forged.

"Why are there no carvings on these buildings?"

Luo Wushuang gazed into the distance, seeing only blank surfaces on both the city wall and the buildings within, devoid of any ornamentation. He couldn't help but wonder, "It's all just white walls, blue tiles, and red bricks. Isn't it a bit too plain?"

Qin Mu explained, "That's just how the Creators are. Moreover, they are quite primitive; their society lies somewhere between tribal and national, with little art. They are just a group of primitives."

Shu Jun's indignant voice echoed in his mind: "You're the primitive one! All of you bumpkins are primitives! We are the Creators, omnipotent beings who create everything in the world. To us, you are nothing but bumpkins!"

Qin Mu walked towards the city, chuckling. "The Creators' lives are still quite monotonous. Tribes fight each other, with groups of people in animal-hide shorts charging with large bone clubs, aiming for their enemies' heads."

Shu Jun's voice trembled with rage: "You wretched boy, don't you dare slander us..."

"After learning visualization and becoming Creators, they even visualize beautiful women for pleasure," Qin Mu continued.

Luo Wushuang couldn't help but exclaim, "They truly are primitives."

Shu Jun was furious.

Qin Mu suddenly stopped. Luo Wushuang, puzzled, looked at him questioningly.

"No, that's not right!"

Qin Mu looked up at the city wall, a perplexed expression on his face, and murmured, "This is a world created by the Creators. They created everything here and have no enemies within it. Why would they build a city? Why construct such high walls? What could possibly make the Creators of this world so afraid of what lies outside..."

Luo Wushuang also grasped the crucial point. City walls are for defense. The Creators must have built such walls to keep something out!

So, what were they afraid of?

They were the creators of the Great Void. What could possibly instill fear in them?

"The city walls here are very clean, with no signs of battle," Luo Wushuang said. "I think you might be overthinking it. Perhaps they built the walls simply for aesthetic reasons. Or perhaps they're narcissistic and need to look into a mirror all the time."

Qin Mu shook his head, drew his sword, and lightly traced it across the wall. A sword mark appeared on the surface, but it quickly vanished, and the wall restored its flatness, smooth as a mirror.

Luo Wushuang's heart skipped a beat, and he said with a solemn expression, "This wall reminds me of a Celestial Venerable. It's rumored she created the divine art of Indestructible Matter."

"This isn't the divine art of Indestructible Matter; it's creation through divine consciousness, which is visualization," Qin Mu explained. "This city is enveloped in the Creators' divine consciousness, making its structures indestructible. Even if shattered, they will reassemble. Then there are the arrow towers. The Creators' fighting style is extremely wild; they rarely use things like arrow towers. Furthermore, the reason the houses and palaces here are so tall seems more to facilitate long-distance observation, to watch for approaching enemies."

A puzzled expression appeared on his face. This was a world created by the Creators; would they also create powerful enemies for themselves?

So, where did the enemies come from?

Were they the invaders from the Celestial Heavens?

Or were there truly some terrifying monsters existing within the Great Void?

He couldn't help but recall the scenes he had witnessed within the Corpse Walker's divine consciousness, and his heart stirred slightly. "Could it be the Creator who caused the perilous state of the Great Void?"

Luo Wushuang pulled out the Primordial Wood Core from between his eyebrows. His primordial spirit left his body, soared into the sky, and surveyed the city.

"There's no one in the city... Celestial Venerable Huo!"

He hastily recalled his primordial spirit, his expression a mix of shock and delight. He reinserted the Primordial Wood Core between his eyebrows and rapidly said, "I saw Celestial Venerable Huo!"

"Celestial Venerable Huo!"

The two exchanged a glance, then immediately flew up and slowly descended into the city.

Luo Wushuang quickly advanced. Ahead, divine flames blazed fiercely, melting the void. A figure stood within the divine fire, their form distorted and blurry as space warped around them.

However, judging by the fiery halo behind his head, it was indeed Celestial Venerable Huo of the Celestial Heavens!

Luo Wushuang went behind Celestial Venerable Huo, knelt on one knee, and raised his clasped fists above his head. "Luo Wushuang of the Spirit Light Army respectfully greets Celestial Venerable Huo! Celestial Venerable Huo, Celestial Venerable Mu has led us here to provide support!"

Qin Mu walked over to him, then proceeded directly forward. "God Saber Luo, that's not Celestial Venerable Huo. It's his void imprint."

Luo Wushuang was stunned for a moment, then stood up and followed him to the front of Celestial Venerable Huo's illusory figure. Upon closer inspection, he could faintly discern the minuscule Dao runes that formed the phantom.

This Celestial Venerable Huo was indeed his Dao imprint!

Celestial Venerable Huo was incredibly powerful. His terrifying cultivation and Dao, unleashed during his battle here, had indelibly branded his figure onto the void of this city!

Celestial Venerable Huo must have encountered an unprecedented formidable opponent here, so much so that he had to push his cultivation arts and divine arts to their absolute limit. His Dao runes were so potent that they imprinted themselves in the void, forming his image.

Even after he left, the phantom remained.

Qin Mu followed Celestial Venerable Huo's gaze forward, pondering for a moment. He then stood opposite Celestial Venerable Huo, feet apart in a steady stance, and said, "His opponent stood right here. It's strange. Celestial Venerable Huo is so powerful, so his opponent must have been equally formidable, surely a Celestial Venerable as well. But why didn't his opponent leave behind an imprint?"

Luo Wushuang said, "Hegemon Qin, you underestimate Celestial Venerables too much. Among Celestial Venerables, besides you, who isn't so powerful that it's hard to find an equal? Celestial Venerable Huo's opponent naturally wasn't as formidable as he was, hence no imprint was left."

Qin Mu shook his head. "If his opponent wasn't strong enough, why would he be so wary, pushing his cultivation and power to their absolute limits?"

Luo Wushuang paused, realizing the truth in that statement.

But Celestial Venerable Huo was so powerful; where in this world could one find an equal among Celestial Venerables?

Unless...

A terrifying thought unexpectedly surfaced in his mind. Unless it was Celestial Venerable Void, who had accompanied Celestial Venerable Huo!

Celestial Venerable Void had a fierce battle with Celestial Venerable Huo here, forcing Celestial Venerable Huo to unleash his full power and leave behind his Dao imprint!

"And Celestial Venerable Huo was also injured."

Qin Mu raised his hand and pointed to Celestial Venerable Huo's imprint. Luo Wushuang followed his finger and was greatly shocked.

The Dao runes at the heart of Celestial Venerable Huo's imprint were extremely blurry. It was clear that Celestial Venerable Huo's enemy had struck him, injuring him, causing the imprint at that specific location to be incomplete.

Celestial Venerable Huo was indeed injured!

But could anyone truly injure a Celestial Venerable?

"Could Celestial Venerable Void really have attacked Celestial Venerable Huo?"

Luo Wushuang was about to approach for a closer look when Qin Mu hastily pulled him back, shaking his head. "If it were a complete Dao rune imprint, it would be stable and wouldn't easily explode. However, a part of the runes is missing from his chest, making this imprint unstable. If you touch it, it's highly likely to explode, and we'll both be burned to ashes!"

Luo Wushuang immediately stopped, casting a glance at him. "You know a lot."

"I'm a Celestial Venerable and a Hegemon, so of course, I know a lot."

Qin Mu smiled, carefully examining the injury on Celestial Venerable Huo's imprint. Suddenly, his heart stirred, and he asked, "Is Celestial Venerable Void's weapon a sword?"

Luo Wushuang shook his head. "Celestial Venerable Void's strongest aspect is her divine arts; she rarely uses divine weapons."

"That's strange then. Who used a sword to injure Celestial Venerable Huo..."

Qin Mu inquired, "Among the Celestial Venerables of the Celestial Heavens, whose sword art is the best?"

Luo Wushuang glanced at him.

Qin Mu said helplessly, "Besides me, whose sword art is the best?"

Luo Wushuang shook his head. "I haven't heard of any Celestial Venerable whose sword art is unmatched under heaven. Each Celestial Venerable has their own strengths, and sword art is a Post-celestial Dao created by Post-celestial beings. How could a Celestial Venerable take notice of it? Celestial Venerables pursue Pre-celestial Daos. Only minor gods and devils like me would pursue Post-celestial Daos such as sword Dao and saber Dao."

Qin Mu was stunned, a thought suddenly flashing through his mind. He murmured, "Perhaps that Celestial Venerable could... Is he here? Is he really here...?"

Luo Wushuang didn't understand who he was referring to and felt perplexed.

Qin Mu, however, suddenly became excited.

The only person in history to cultivate sword Dao to the thirty-third heaven, the first supreme master of the sword Dao.

He was not among the Ten Celestial Venerables, yet bore the title of Celestial Venerable. He was one of the five founding elders of the Celestial Alliance.

Celestial Venerable Qin, Qin Ye, the Founding Emperor, who had once traveled through the Dragon Han era with him, under the alias Qin Kai!

"Was Founding Emperor the one who fought Celestial Venerable Huo?"

Qin Mu suppressed the excitement in his heart. If this person was the Founding Emperor, then Carefree Valley should also be in the Great Void!

He truly wanted to see this ancestor, this fellow Daoist, again!

"If Carefree Valley is in the Great Void, then my elder brother must also be there! As long as I can contact him, I'll be able to find Carefree Valley!"

He immediately tried to establish a connection with Qin Fengqing, but he couldn't sense him at all.

Qin Mu frowned slightly, glancing at Luo Wushuang beside him. He suddenly chuckled, "God Saber Luo, would you be interested in making a small agreement, like the one with the Earth Count?"

Luo Wushuang didn't understand what he meant.

Qin Mu smiled, "Let's pit our sword art against your saber art, your Dao of the Saber against my Dao of the Sword, without using cultivation. We'll just compete in these two skills. If I lose, you can do with me as you please. If you lose, you betray the Celestial Heavens and join Eternal Peace."

Luo Wushuang tentatively said, "If we don't use cultivation or magic power, and only compare sword art, saber art, Dao of the Sword, and Dao of the Saber, you'll lose miserably. I have already achieved the thirteenth heaven of the Dao of the Saber and am about to enter the fourteenth. You are still only at the third heaven of the Dao of the Sword, aren't you?"

Qin Mu smiled, "Care to bet?"

Luo Wushuang shook his head. "No bet. I'd rather we compete at the same cultivation realm, even if it means you have a cultivation advantage, than take advantage of you."

Qin Mu frowned, "Stubborn."

Luo Wushuang's stubbornness, however, earned his admiration.

"Celestial Venerable Huo bled!"

Luo Wushuang moved to the rear of Celestial Venerable Huo's imprint and looked at the city wall, specifically at a corner. There, a drop of burning blood pulsed with swirling flames.

Within the flames, a sword light hovered above the blood.

Qin Mu came closer and examined it carefully. This was Celestial Venerable divine blood, concealing a Celestial Venerable divine art.

The power within the blood and the sword was contained, not unleashed, yet both felt an inexplicable dread.

"Don't touch it under any circumstances. If you do, it will upset the balance. If the power within this drop of Celestial Venerable divine blood erupts, it might completely destroy this place!"

Luo Wushuang gasped, slowly backing away. He whispered, "Even if my injuries were fully healed and I returned to my peak state, I wouldn't have time to escape!"

Qin Mu also retreated, not daring to release any aura, lest he upset the divine art's balance within the divine blood.

This drop of divine blood was too dangerous. What was even more terrifying was that if the divine blood erupted, it would undoubtedly impact Celestial Venerable Huo's imprint, and the imprint would also be activated!

Just then, two streaks of light suddenly flew over the high city wall. They fluttered like colorful butterflies above the city, but they were two women engaged in a desperate fight!

"You little hussy, you stole my man, tried to kill me, and even impersonated me!"

"You're the little hussy! You've always wanted to harm me; did you think I wouldn't know? You've hidden for so long, but I've long suspected you were hiding among the Ten Celestial Venerables. Today, I'll skin you alive and reveal your true form!"

Qin Mu and Luo Wushuang were dumbfounded, looking up at the two streaks of light. Suddenly, the lights separated, and Yun Chuxiu and Lian Huahun stood on two tall towers, one on the left and one on the right. Their robes fluttered, and both women were breathtakingly beautiful.

"You indulged your son, Hao, and let him kill my son, Qi. Did you think I wouldn't know?"

"You kept that pretty boy Celestial Venerable Yu, colluding with him to usurp the position of Heavenly Emperor. Did you think I wouldn't know?"

"Hussy!" both women cried out in unison. Then they resumed their fight.