Chapter 1585: Cloud Fire Reunion
Cloud Heavenly Venerable's heart grew even more panicked. In just a short moment, his divine treasury had been reduced to only the Spiritual Fetus!
And what did he mean by doing the opposite?
Weren't they supposed to protect Lord Earth?
Heavenly Venerable Hao and the others were using Lord Earth as a hostage, forcing Qin Mu and the others to come to the rescue, walking right into Heavenly Venerable Hao's trap. How could Qin Mu instead want to kill Lord Earth, the hostage, first?
No matter how useless Lord Earth was, he was still an ally. Where was the logic in killing your most powerful ally before the battle even began?
Lord Earth was also an existence with formidable combat power. Although the current Heavenly Venerables were far stronger than in the old days, Lord Earth should still be able to fight to mutual destruction with Ancestral God King, who controlled the Heavenly Duke's physical body!
Not letting Lord Earth take down Ancestral God King with him first, but instead killing Lord Earth—Heavenly Venerable Mu's strategy was baffling and incomprehensible.
"If Lord Earth lives, he's a big target. Any arrow that comes can be shot at the target!"
Qin Mu enthusiastically completely sealed off Cloud Heavenly Venerable's heavenly palace, not allowing any heavenly palace energy to leak out, and said: "Heavenly Venerable Hao can shoot, and naturally we can shoot too! Our goal is to not let the Netherworld fall into the Heavenly Court's hands, and secondly to rescue Lord Earth, allowing him to break free from the Ancient Gods' shackles and be reborn as a human. As long as we make our move before the Heavenly Court, we can arrange the Netherworld before Heavenly Venerable Hao and the others, seizing the initiative!"
Cloud Heavenly Venerable stared wide-eyed, tongue-tied: "I..."
"Previously, Heavenly Venerable Hao and Tai Chu had the initiative. If they attacked the Netherworld and killed Lord Earth, then we would have to respond. As long as we respond, we'd fall into their trap."
Qin Mu's ten fingers flew rapidly, continuously tapping on his body, his speaking speed even faster than his finger speed, speaking rapidly: "They can strike whenever they want, they can calmly set up traps, while we can only watch helplessly, then rush headlong into their traps. As long as we charge in, they can close the net, trapping us in the snare, letting them slaughter us at will. But if we do the opposite—what if we set the traps? What if we kill Lord Earth ourselves?"
His eyes were bright, looking at Cloud Heavenly Venerable, revealing an expectant look.
Cloud Heavenly Venerable opened his mouth: "I..."
"I know you'll definitely agree to this plan!"
Qin Mu excitedly clenched his fist, laughing: "Then it's settled! You cultivate well!"
Cloud Heavenly Venerable hurriedly grabbed him: "Don't leave yet! You destroyed my divine treasury, how am I supposed to cultivate? You have to compensate me!"
Qin Mu broke free from his grip, laughing: "I've already found you a teacher. You have a physical body now, so you can leave the Great Luo Heaven. I'll send you to Yan Kang, and someone will take you to the Ancestral Court's World Tree. Your teacher is waiting for you there."
Cloud Heavenly Venerable felt that he couldn't exert even a trace of power from his physical body, feeling gloomy and unhappy.
There was a time when he admired Qin Mu, fantasizing about fighting side by side with him, fantasizing about drinking and chatting happily with him, fantasizing about commanding the world together with him.
But now that he was in contact with Qin Mu, the more contact he had, the more he felt that Qin Mu was vastly different from the Heavenly Venerable Mu he had imagined.
This real Heavenly Venerable Mu was somewhat unreliable.
Qin Mu remembered something and instructed: "Brother Cloud, hide your Tai Chu Emperor Sword well, don't carry it on you. In the Great Luo Heaven, Tai Chu can't sense his emperor sword, but once you leave the Great Luo Heaven, he can sense this companion treasure of his, find you, and kill you. The emperor sword absolutely must not fall into his hands."
Cloud Heavenly Venerable nodded, saying: "The Ultimate Void is incomparably vast. Although Tai Chu and Heavenly Venerable Hao have the Great Luo Heaven, as long as I want to hide, they won't be able to find me."
He prepared himself and followed Qin Mu aboard the World-Crossing Golden Ship.
He couldn't use any power now, so Qin Mu used his magical power to lift him onto the ship. Cloud Heavenly Venerable came to Ling Heavenly Venerable's side. Ling Heavenly Venerable sat there, seemingly calculating something, ignoring him.
"Ling, you still have that eccentric temper." Cloud Heavenly Venerable shook his head and hobbled over to sit down.
He had spent much more time with Ling Heavenly Venerable than Qin Mu had. Throughout the entire Dragon Han Era, Ling Heavenly Venerable had this strange temperament—when you talked to her, she would ignore you.
Qin Mu said: "After you arrive at the Ancestral Court and meet your teacher, it shouldn't take long before you can reopen your divine treasury. At that time, your heavenly palace will automatically open. By the way, I only sealed your physical body. If you encounter enemies, you can use your primordial spirit's power, so that the dignified Cloud Heavenly Venerable, the Xiao Han Heavenly Emperor, today's Dao Achiever, won't be killed by some insignificant nobody."
Cloud Heavenly Venerable asked in surprise: "You're not coming with me to the Ancestral Court?"
Qin Mu shook his head: "I need to go see Netherworld Heavenly Venerable."
Cloud Heavenly Venerable nodded, then suddenly asked: "Why don't you teach me yourself? How does that teacher's skill compare to yours? If he's not as good as you, I'd rather follow you."
Qin Mu laughed: "His skills are naturally not as good as mine, but he cultivates the orthodox path. The path I walk is heterodox, not suitable for you. When you get there, you'll understand. No need to ask more."
The more he said this, the more Cloud Heavenly Venerable wanted to know who that teacher was, but since Qin Mu absolutely refused to say, he had no choice.
The World-Crossing Golden Ship sailed out of the Ultimate Void and arrived at Yan Kang. Qin Mu walked into the Dao Listening Academy to see Village Chief, barely restraining himself from carrying on the tradition of the Human Emperor Hall beating up teachers, and said: "Grandpa Village Chief, this is Cloud Heavenly Venerable. Escort him to the Ancestral Court and find Fatty Lan."
Village Chief looked at Cloud Heavenly Venerable, showed great respect, bowed and said: "This junior Su Muzhe pays respects to Cloud Heavenly Venerable! Cloud Heavenly Venerable, please follow me!"
Cloud Heavenly Venerable followed him into the distance. Qin Mu only heard Village Chief's voice drifting from afar: "Cloud Heavenly Venerable is a good friend of Mu'er, right? Speaking of which, I'm also Mu'er's teacher. His swordsmanship was taught by me. Back when he was little, he was even sold to a cloth shop by Granny from our village, hahahaha, I'll tell you all about it in detail on the way..."
Qin Mu's face darkened as he watched the two depart, then urged the golden ship toward the Netherworld.
Ling Heavenly Venerable was still on the ship, not moving at all. The World-Crossing Golden Ship sailed into the Netherworld, flying toward Lord Earth's twin horns. Qin Mu diligently studied the changes in the Mi Luo Palace dao patterns, but there were still many difficult points that he couldn't comprehend for the time being.
He wanted to ask Ling Heavenly Venerable, but after being so thoroughly discouraged by her, he lacked confidence and didn't dare speak up.
After a long while, Ling Heavenly Venerable raised her head, smoothed the hair at her temples, and said: "If you truly don't understand, then just ask."
Qin Mu's spirits lifted greatly, and he quickly voiced his difficulties.
On the other side, Village Chief brought Cloud Heavenly Venerable toward the Ancestral Court, first arriving at the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge in Yan Kang's lower capital. This Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge led to the Ancestral Court.
At this moment, Cloud Heavenly Venerable saw Moon Heavenly Venerable standing beside the transfer bridge.
Moon Heavenly Venerable stood there quietly, as if waiting for him.
Village Chief stopped talking about Qin Mu. Cloud Heavenly Venerable walked forward, smiling: "Moon, it's been a long time."
Moon Heavenly Venerable couldn't help but shed tears, yet she smiled: "Yes, it's been too long. Being able to see you again, it's truly wonderful."
Cloud Heavenly Venerable unconsciously recalled the glorious years of the Dragon Han Era, when humanity was humble, and the most powerful were these Human Clan Heavenly Venerables.
But after Imperial Heavenly Venerable died, humanity's hope seemed to be cut off all at once. Netherworld Heavenly Venerable went to the Netherworld, Fire Heavenly Venerable defected to Heavenly Venerable Hao, Heavenly Venerable Qin and Heavenly Venerable Mu vanished without a trace, leaving only the Heavenly Alliance, which was still just an empty shell.
At that time, humanity couldn't see any hope.
He wanted to do something, but at that time, only Moon Heavenly Venerable and Ling Heavenly Venerable supported him by his side, following him as he pressed forward, until his downfall.
He had grand ambitions, but their power was still too weak. Even though he was the first to cultivate to the Emperor Throne realm, in that era he still couldn't turn the tide, still couldn't defeat the Ancient Gods, still couldn't defeat the Demigods.
The Dragon Han Era was still an incomparably oppressive and despairing era. It was Moon Heavenly Venerable and Ling Heavenly Venerable who supported him, giving him hope and motivation.
Village Chief quietly waited for them to catch up on old times. After a long while, Moon Heavenly Venerable left. Village Chief walked forward and entered the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge together with Cloud Heavenly Venerable.
When they walked out of the bridge, they had already arrived at the Ancestral Court.
Cloud Heavenly Venerable marveled, his heart filled with emotion.
This kind of transfer bridge was a bridge spanning different worlds. Its speed opened his eyes.
Along the way, he listened to Village Chief talk about Qin Mu's various deeds, gaining some understanding of Qin Mu, and thought to himself: "Heavenly Venerable Mu is truly the combination of the Nine Elders of the Crippled Elderly Village. No wonder his temperament is so erratic, often having shocking ideas."
Suddenly, his pupils contracted slightly, and he stopped in his tracks.
Village Chief was startled, showing a confused expression.
"Su Muzhe, you can go back now."
Cloud Heavenly Venerable took a deep breath, his gaze looking forward, and said in a deep voice: "An old acquaintance has sensed my descent to the mortal world and is waiting for me on the road ahead. If you go, you won't be able to protect yourself."
Village Chief followed his gaze and looked forward, his heart turning cold. He saw a blaze of fire rising between two great mountains of the Ancestral Court ahead.
That was Dao Fire.
The firelight illuminated the two great mountains, and faintly one could see a figure standing within the blaze!
"Fire Heavenly Venerable!"
Village Chief's eyes twitched, and he abruptly drew his sword.
Cloud Heavenly Venerable raised his brow, and before his divine sword had even left its sheath, he pressed down on his hand, pushing the divine sword back into its scabbard, and said in a deep voice: "Don't act rashly. You can't even last a single move against him. We are old friends, there won't be any danger. You can go back."
Village Chief's hand still firmly gripped the sword hilt. His physical body recovered from old age to youth, quickly reaching his prime years, his muscles as if tempered by great rivers, without a trace of excess fat, and he said in a deep voice: "Cloud Heavenly Venerable, if anything happens to you, I won't be able to answer to Mu'er!"
Cloud Heavenly Venerable hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward: "Follow me. Don't speak, don't make any moves. Just pretend you're blind, deaf, and mute."
Village Chief followed closely behind him. The two walked between the two great mountains.
The Dao Fire parted, revealing a safe passage.
Cloud Heavenly Venerable walked to behind that person. The person turned around, revealing a joyful expression, looking at him with a look that was both like a smile and like tears.
"Cloud Heavenly Venerable, my lifelong Dao companion!"
Fire Heavenly Venerable shed tears, the tears transforming into blossoms of Dao Fire that drifted around him: "We can finally meet again!"
Cloud Heavenly Venerable revealed a smile, walked forward, and said with a gentle smile: "Fire Heavenly Venerable, we meet again."
Fire Heavenly Venerable laughed heartily, his voice loud and clear, shaking the valley.
"How laughable that Ling Heavenly Venerable is stubborn, Moon Heavenly Venerable is without strategy, Netherworld Heavenly Venerable is self-isolated, Heavenly Venerable Qin has no discernment, and Heavenly Venerable Mu is a stone in a latrine—hard and stinking! None of them understand me!"
Fire Heavenly Venerable spread his arms wide, laughing: "Even Blue Imperial Brother Lan Yu Tian only earns my reverence, but cannot win my heart. Only Cloud Heavenly Venerable is my true confidant! Cloud, the one who knows me best, the one who understands me most—your coming back to life fills my heart with incomparable joy!"
—It's still double monthly tickets time, brothers, begging for monthly tickets! Begging for monthly tickets for The Annals of the Shepherd!
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