Chapter 1459: Those Who Do Evil in Life Will Be Settled After Death (Second Update!)
The resurrected Heavenly Duke stretched his body. The vast, boundless power that had once filled his being was gone, replaced by a mortal flesh-and-blood body, leaving him somewhat unaccustomed for a time.
Moreover, when Qin Mu and the Yin Heavenly Consort had been shaping his soul, they had also taken the opportunity to supplement him with a soul and added seven ethereal spirits.
This soul was not Hong Heavenly Venerable, but one forged through the Way of Yin, still a blank slate, devoid of any consciousness.
He had once been an Ancient God, possessing only three souls and no seven ethereal spirits. Now, having gained the seven spirits, he was somewhat curious and had yet to grow accustomed to them.
In the past, he had been an innate sacred being, the most powerful of the Ancient Gods, exalted and aloof. Even when manifesting avatars, he floated in the heavens, rarely touching the ground.
Now, his feet stood upon the earth, treading upon soil. The sensation transmitted from his soles and toes piqued his curiosity. He bent down, reached out, and scraped some dirt from between his toes, then brought it to his nose to sniff.
The Yin Heavenly Consort wore a look of disgust, making no effort to hide it.
Not far away, Luo Wushuang kept his eyes fixed on his nose and his nose on his heart, pretending not to see. Zhe Huali's eyes, however, nearly bulged out of his head. The Butcher and Tian Shu Heavenly King exchanged a glance, each letting out a quiet chuckle.
The Heavenly Duke smiled, extended his palm, and carefully examined his five fingers, then studied the lines on his palm.
Qin Mu urged, "Dao Brother, Earth Lord is still waiting for you."
Only then did the Heavenly Duke snap back to attention. He bowed to the two of them in thanks, then bowed to the Butcher and the others as well.
The Butcher asked, "Heavenly Duke, how does it feel to descend from divinity to mortality? Is there a sense of loss?"
"There is a sense of loss."
The Heavenly Duke did not hide it, saying, "In the past, my power was too vast and immense. Now I only have the power of the Heavenly Soul and Earth Soul, and my mortal flesh is no different from an ordinary person's. Naturally, there is some disappointment. Taiyi told me I would break free from the shackles of the Heavenly Dao. I thought I would transcend, achieving the Dao like him. I never imagined this would be the form that transcendence would take."
The Butcher said, "In the past, you were lofty and distant, but you could not rise above the Heavenly Dao. Now that you have become mortal, you finally have the possibility of transcendence."
The Heavenly Duke laughed. "Perhaps."
Tian Shu Heavenly King stood up and said, "Heavenly Duke, I will escort you to the Netherworld to see the Earth Lord."
The Heavenly Duke followed him, and the two walked out of the Yin Heavenly Realm. Tian Shu was about to open the Gate of Heaven's Succession when Qin Mu caught up and said, "Heavenly King, the Netherworld wants to kill me, so I cannot go there. Please help me check on the injuries of the Netherworld Heavenly Venerable. I am going to the Ancestral Court this time to invite my elder to go to the Netherworld to treat the Netherworld Heavenly Venerable. I would ask the Heavenly King to receive him."
Tian Shu acknowledged the request and asked, "The Heavenly Duke is dead, and the Heavenly Dao now belongs to the Ten Heavenly Venerables. With their cultivation greatly advanced, they will inevitably exert tremendous pressure on the Land of No Worries. I fear I cannot remain in the Netherworld for long. After receiving the Yan Kang Medicine Master, I must return to the Land of No Worries."
Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Staying long-term in the Land of No Worries is not a good strategy. The Ten Heavenly Venerables cannot breach the Land of No Worries for now, but that does not mean they won't in the future. Breaking the Void Bridge is not difficult for the current Ten Heavenly Venerables."
"That is precisely why the Moon Heavenly Venerable followed the Kai Huang to the Land of No Worries, to hold the fort there."
Tian Shu sighed with emotion and said, "They have already made preparations for a rainy day. The Void Bridge is easy to defend and difficult to attack. For the Ten Heavenly Venerables to conquer it would be no easier than attacking the Xuan Capital."
He led the resurrected Heavenly Duke through the Gate of Heaven's Succession and vanished from sight.
Qin Mu watched them depart, then turned to face the approaching Butcher, Zhe Huali, Luo Wushuang, and the others. He bowed deeply to the three of them and said, "I am deeply grateful that you all risked your lives to join me in this battle, Mu's gratitude knows no bounds!"
Zhe Huali and Luo Wushuang quickly returned the bow. Luo Wushuang said solemnly, "It is a matter of righteousness; there is no need for talk of trouble. If a Heavenly Venerable can throw caution to the wind, how could we do any less?"
Zhe Huali stroked his demonic blade and chuckled. "Long Ya and I have had our fill of excitement. We've even chopped at a Heavenly Venerable! At least now I have something to brag about to my descendants!"
The demonic blade Long Ya felt quite satisfied. Having tasted the blood of a Heavenly Venerable, the blade was also growing.
The Butcher stepped forward and said, "Take care of yourself. If you ever need to chop someone again, call on us."
Qin Mu nodded heavily.
The three strode off into the distance. Zhe Huali turned back, waving his hand. "Remember to call us!"
Qin Mu laughed heartily, watching them until their figures disappeared. Only then did he say, "Let us go."
"Alright."
A cold, clear voice came from beside him, but the owner of the voice was nowhere to be seen. All that could be seen was that beside Qin Mu's own shadow, there was another shadow at his feet.
The Netherworld.
Tian Shu delivered the Heavenly Duke to the Earth Lord's brow, then immediately went to the Tian Qi Ren Sheng Wang Mansion to seek an audience with the Netherworld Heavenly Venerable and examine his injuries.
In the great hall on the platform at the Earth Lord's brow, the Heavenly Duke's stature seemed utterly diminutive compared to the Earth Lord's primordial spirit. He could only look up at his Dao friend.
"You have transcended, you have been liberated. I envy you."
The Earth Lord's expression was calm, but flames flickered in his eyes. He said, "You are now a living being, with three souls, seven ethereal spirits, your own thoughts, your own path. Your joys, angers, sorrows, words, and deeds need not be controlled by the Great Dao. I know not when I will be able to attain liberation like you, Dao Brother."
The Heavenly Duke said, "I can now feel the myriad flavors of the mortal world. Unknowingly, my comprehension of the Heavenly Dao has deepened another level. In the past, I was born of the Heavenly Dao, controlling it, yet I knew the how but not the why. Now that I am no longer that, my understanding has instead grown deeper. A gain and a loss, and yet there is a strange and wondrous feeling to it."
The Earth Lord said joyfully, "You are one step closer to achieving the Dao. If that is the case, then you should be able to guess the purpose for which I have invited you here, Dao Brother?"
The Heavenly Duke laughed. "Those who do evil in life will be settled after death. That is the rule of the Netherworld. The Heavenly Duke is dead, so the sins he committed in life must now be settled. The Earth Lord is just and selfless. Inviting me here must be for this very matter."
The Earth Lord said solemnly, "In the battle at Xuan Capital, Hong Heavenly Venerable slaughtered countless lives. The grievances of the dead in Xuan Capital surge to the heavens. According to Netherworld law, he should be taken into custody and punished with suffering to wash away the sins upon him. Hong Heavenly Venerable is dead. Though Hong Heavenly Venerable and Dao Brother were one body, they were different souls. Therefore, I have invited Dao Brother here to ask about Hong Heavenly Venerable's case..."
The Heavenly Duke shook his head and said frankly, "Dao Brother need not show me favoritism. I am me, and Hong Heavenly Venerable is also me. The countless dead in the Battle of Xuan Capital should all be counted against me. I am willing to accept punishment."
The Earth Lord hesitated. "You are now a living being. The Netherworld rarely punishes the living..."
The Heavenly Duke said, "But it has punished the living before. Let me bear my sins. Do not put yourself in a difficult position."
The Earth Lord nodded and summoned a Ghost King. "The dead of Xuan Capital have formed boundless karmic fire. Dao Brother, please go and be burned in that fire."
The Heavenly Duke rose and followed the Ghost King away.
The Earth Lord watched him go. At that moment, Tian Shu Heavenly King walked over and watched the Heavenly Duke being led away by the Ghost King. Surprised, he asked, "Where is he going?"
"He has found his own path. He goes to atone for his sins, and in doing so, to redeem himself."
The Earth Lord glanced at him and said, "Mu Heavenly Venerable has opened the Heaven and Earth Mystic Gate in the Ancestral Court. He likely intends to send someone to treat the Netherworld Heavenly Venerable. He cannot set foot in the Netherworld, so I will send you to receive him."
Tian Shu Heavenly King stood in his palm. Before long, they arrived at the Netherworld's location in the Ancestral Court. A towering gate stood there, with the Medicine Master poking his head out and peering around, but Qin Mu was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is Mu Heavenly Venerable?" Tian Shu asked.
"He ran off, leaving only this divine ability here."
The Medicine Master said with no good humor, "In a frantic hurry, who knows what he's off to do!"
He tugged at his collar and muttered, "This Netherworld is so gloomy and eerie..."
Tian Shu was puzzled. "Mu Heavenly Venerable just went through the Battle of Xuan Capital, and now he's off in a frantic hurry again. Where has he run off to this time?"