Chapter 1230: The Greater the Power, the Greater the Evil (Fourth Update)
Fire Celestial Venerable had arrived at this divine city at some unknown time, appearing behind them. He had clearly overheard their entire conversation!
What shocked Qin Mu even more was that Fire Celestial Venerable had known for a very long time that Bai Yuqiong was the reincarnation of Southern Emperor Vermillion Bird!
Fire Celestial Venerable raised his hand, gesturing for Bai Yuqiong to rise, but he did not look at her. Instead, his gaze fell upon Qin Mu, his expression rather indifferent.
Qin Mu's expression turned cold.
"Celestial Master Bai Yuqiong is the reincarnated soul of Southern Emperor, I know this. But because she is human, I do not hold it against her."
Fire Celestial Venerable said coldly: "I am the one who killed Southern Emperor, and her soul was also suppressed within the Pīxiāng Hall. Mu Celestial Venerable, your actions are becoming increasingly contemptible in my eyes. I could have killed Bai Yuqiong because of Southern Emperor's soul, but I did not. Yet you, because of an evil ancient god, would harm the life of one of our race's Imperial Throne realm powerhouses!"
Qin Mu turned and walked away, saying indifferently: "I am not Cloud Celestial Venerable, nor am I Moon Celestial Venerable or Ling Celestial Venerable. They trusted you, and so they died. Those who walk different paths cannot work together."
Fire Celestial Venerable said coldly: "Stop!"
Qin Mu ignored him and continued walking away.
Fire Celestial Venerable's voice came from behind him, sneering: "Do you know how many times I tried to persuade Cloud Celestial Venerable? I advised him no fewer than a hundred times! I told him not to defy heaven, not to resist the great tide, not to disregard human lives for the sake of his own ambition!"
"And what did he do?"
"He went his own way! He insisted on resisting, insisted on making humanity the supreme race among all! But he also acknowledged me!"
"When I went to kill him, he said to me that he understood my actions!"
Qin Mu stopped in his tracks, tilting his head, a faint smile playing at his lips: "Then what about Crimson Emperor and Ming Emperor? What about Moon Celestial Venerable and Ling Celestial Venerable? When killing Cloud Celestial Venerable, you charged to the front. When killing Crimson Emperor, Ming Emperor, Moon Celestial Venerable, and Ling Celestial Venerable, you also charged to the front."
Fire Celestial Venerable snorted coldly: "I did not kill Crimson Emperor. Ming Emperor brought about his own downfall through overestimating his abilities! After the Cloud Celestial Venerable rebellion, humanity in the Primordial Realm had suffered great losses. We had barely begun to recover, and Ming Emperor still wanted to rebel—he deserved death! It was I who saw through his weakness and had Nether Emperor kill him! As for Moon Celestial Venerable and Ling Celestial Venerable..."
His expression darkened, and he shook his head: "Though they were my fellow cultivators, they committed the same error as Cloud Celestial Venerable, actually wanting to overturn heaven—they deserved death! However, I did spare Moon Celestial Venerable's life. Ling Celestial Venerable's death was an accident. I never intended to kill her."
Qin Mu burst into laughter, his laughter like weeping: "What a fine 'sparing Moon Celestial Venerable's life'—truly sanctimonious, truly merciful! When you went to find Moon Celestial Venerable to discuss dealing with Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign, I was right there! Your scheme with Dawn Celestial Venerable was orchestrated by Hao Celestial Venerable, was it not? When eliminating Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign, you would simultaneously strike and eliminate Moon Celestial Venerable and Ling Celestial Venerable!"
His face was cold as frost, and he said icily: "That Moon Celestial Venerable and Ling Celestial Venerable survived at all was because I simulated countless times through dream-entry into the Dao to select the only path to survival! And you dare to claim credit before me, to gild your own face and call it your achievement!"
He fell silent, then after a moment said hoarsely: "You are no longer the Fire Celestial Venerable of old."
Fire Celestial Venerable's face was expressionless, and he said woodenly: "You do not understand me. Moon Celestial Venerable, Ling Celestial Venerable—they did not understand me either. Heh heh, only Cloud Celestial Venerable understood me, knew that I acted for the sake of humanity..."
"If Cloud Celestial Venerable could see your Southern Heaven world, the state of humanity there, he would be angered back to life."
Qin Mu looked up, his expression desolate: "You are wrong. He did not understand you. From beginning to end, he never saw that what you call 'for humanity' is actually only for your own position and your own life."
Fire Celestial Venerable's flame wheel behind his head wavered, his mind somewhat unsettled. Suddenly he laughed: "It doesn't matter if Cloud Celestial Venerable doesn't understand me. I don't need his understanding either. The only one in this world who understands me is Imperial Celestial Venerable."
Qin Mu cast him a cold glance, then turned and left.
"Only Imperial Celestial Venerable would understand me!"
Fire Celestial Venerable's voice came from behind him: "Only a great hero of humanity like him, the most outstanding existence of our race, would understand me! If he had not died, he would have been my greatest supporter! I don't need the understanding of selfish people like you. As long as he understands me, that is enough!"
Qin Mu let out a derisive laugh and walked far away.
Fire Celestial Venerable watched him go, sneering: "Only Imperial Celestial Venerable is my true fellow cultivator... Bai Yuqiong, rest assured. With me here, Mu Celestial Venerable would not dare to act recklessly."
He clasped his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice: "He may do as he pleases, but he still has some sense of restraint. It's best if he doesn't touch you. If he dares to lay a hand on you, I will surely kill him!"
Bai Yuqiong frowned slightly and said softly: "Fire Celestial Venerable, for someone as insignificant as me, is it worth killing a Celestial Venerable of humanity?"
"Naturally, it is worth it."
Fire Celestial Venerable turned to look at her and said seriously: "Mu Celestial Venerable indeed has talent and ability, but the more capable such a person is, the greater the harm they can do when they commit evil. You are different. Though your soul is that of Southern Emperor, you are devoted to being human, and you are also a Celestial Master of the Heavenly Court. You are more reassuring than him."
Bai Yuqiong smiled serenely: "Is it because I will not push for reforms, nor will I plot rebellion?"
Fire Celestial Venerable nodded and said unhurriedly: "If Mu Celestial Venerable does not make a move against you, I have no reason to act against him. But from what I observe of his conduct, this man will surely rebel in the future, plunging humanity into a great crisis of life and death. I cannot allow him to do so, so I must find a reason to eliminate him."
Bai Yuqiong nodded: "So, his attempt to awaken the Southern Emperor's soul within me is the reason for you, Celestial Venerable, to kill him."
Fire Celestial Venerable smiled: "As expected of a Celestial Master—you understand with just a word."
He turned and walked away.
Bai Yuqiong shuddered.
Fire Celestial Venerable appeared straightforward, but he was actually quite scheming. He had always known she was Southern Emperor's reincarnation, yet he had kept her alive all this time—precisely to deal with Qin Mu!
He kept her alive to give Qin Mu the "opportunity" to make a mistake, to give himself a reason to kill Qin Mu!
"Fire Celestial Venerable, for the sake of his ideals, killed Cloud Celestial Venerable, killed Ming Emperor, killed Moon Celestial Venerable and Ling Celestial Venerable. Now he wants to kill Qin Celestial Venerable as well. Could it be..."
Her gaze was complicated. Moon Celestial Venerable was her master. Though she had lived many lives, she had always regarded Moon Celestial Venerable as her closest person. And Fire Celestial Venerable, for the sake of his ideals, had even made a move against Moon Celestial Venerable!
"Does Fire Celestial Venerable not realize that if they were to join forces, even if they could not overthrow the Heavenly Court, they could at least stand as equals against it?"
She gazed at Fire Celestial Venerable's retreating figure, thinking silently: "Fire Celestial Venerable, you guard the Southern Heaven and protect the humans there. Could it be that your Southern Heaven is so perfect that even these Celestial Venerables cannot compare? Have you truly found a path, a way to solve humanity's problem of being oppressed and to grow ever stronger?"
She was stirred by curiosity. She wanted to go see the Southern Heaven for herself.
"Once the Great Void rebellion is pacified, I will go to the Southern Heaven... No!"
Her mind stirred, and she stepped into the air. Yet in the divine city, there was still a Bai Yuqiong, remaining in the city to manage the war efforts.
Bai Yuqiong concealed her form with spatial divine arts and flew outward: "I'll go now to see Fire Celestial Venerable's perfect world in the Southern Heaven!"