Chapter 1587: How Many Steps to Kill the Earth Lord?
His aura was undeniably powerful. Among the Nine Heavenly Lords of the Long Han era, Fire Heavenly Lord had opened the Heaven-Man Divine Treasury and ranked fourth.
His talent was extremely high; otherwise, he could not have opened the Heaven-Man Divine Treasury and left a heavy mark in the divine treasury cultivation system.
The Heaven-Man Divine Treasury was a treasury that connected heaven and earth, linking the Five Radiances and Six Harmonies, while also serving as a bridge to the Life-Death Divine Treasury that came after.
The Yan Kang reforms had improved the divine treasuries, modifying the Divine Bridge Divine Treasury opened by Cloud Heavenly Lord, but they had not changed the Heaven-Man Divine Treasury much.
From this, one could see the extraordinary quality of Fire Heavenly Lord's aptitude.
Cloud Heavenly Lord, however, seemed completely unaware of his terrifying Dao might. Fire Heavenly Lord's magical power was vast and profound, far more so than Cloud Heavenly Lord's current physical body, yet Cloud Heavenly Lord remained calm and composed, even looking at Fire Heavenly Lord's eyes with a trace of pity and sympathy.
"Fire, are you planning to eliminate me?"
Cloud Heavenly Lord said with a half-smile: "This time you kill me, I presume you won't be holding back tears again, right?"
Fire Heavenly Lord said grimly: "In the past, I thought you were my Dao companion, so I shed tears for killing you. But only now do I see your true face. You are nothing but an ambitious petty schemer, just like Qin Ye and Qin Mu!"
His killing intent surged, and beneath his mask, his pupils revealed boundless murderous desire: "Your threat is even greater than Qin Mu's or Qin Ye's! They are foolish, but you are smarter. You will lead our human race into an abyss of eternal damnation, destroying the excellent situation I have worked so hard to build! I absolutely cannot tolerate you living!"
Cloud Heavenly Lord laughed heartily, the pity in his eyes deepening: "Fire, haven't you ever been curious about one thing—how did you know I would necessarily take this path? Who told you I would pass through here?"
Behind him, Village Chief was slightly startled.
He was also puzzled about this matter.
Only five people knew that Cloud Heavenly Lord was going to the Ancestral Court: Qin Mu, Eternal Heavenly Lord, Cloud Heavenly Lord, Moon Heavenly Lord, and himself.
Yet Fire Heavenly Lord seemed to know long ago that Cloud Heavenly Lord would go to the Ancestral Court, even arriving early at their place of passage to wait!
Cloud Heavenly Lord naturally would not betray himself, and Qin Mu, Eternal Heavenly Lord, Moon Heavenly Lord, and Village Chief were even less likely to betray him!
So how exactly did Fire Heavenly Lord know that Cloud Heavenly Lord would pass through here?
"You were able to come here and wait for me because that person deliberately leaked the news to your reincarnated body in Yan Kang, letting you know I would go to the Ancestral Court and pass through here."
Cloud Heavenly Lord said calmly: "His purpose is not to use your hand to eliminate me. He also knows that even if you behead my physical body, I will not die from it. After all, I have already cultivated the perfect Divine Sense Great Luo Heaven, even more perfect than the Great Emperor's. His purpose is only to make me give up on you completely."
He revealed a mocking expression and said leisurely: "This person is none other than the Pastoral Heavenly Lord you despise. How could you possibly defeat him? He is another me, the one who dominates this lifetime of mine. He revealed this information to you for two reasons: first, to make me see your true face and give up on you completely. Second, to lure you here—both to shatter your Dao heart and to take the opportunity to eliminate you."
Fire Heavenly Lord's pupils contracted sharply.
The reason he could block Cloud Heavenly Lord here was indeed because his reincarnated body had unintentionally obtained this information!
After receiving this news, he had immediately come.
Cloud Heavenly Lord smiled: "When Pastoral Heavenly Lord does things, he has both my ruthlessness and the art of killing the heart. If it were me, I would never give you the chance to see your allies abandon you. I would use any means to eliminate you. But he is different. He calculated that you would definitely come, calculated that Void, Ancestor, and other Heavenly Lords had already departed for the Netherworld. He wants to shatter your Dao heart and fill you with despair."
Suddenly, the Dao fire in the canyon roared and spun, transforming into layers of Dao fire behind Fire Heavenly Lord's head.
Fire Heavenly Lord warily looked around. If he had been lured here, then Qin Mu must have laid down layers of backup plans, determined to slay him here!
Qin Mu would absolutely not miss this golden opportunity!
At this moment, Fire Heavenly Lord saw a Dao tree emerge in the sky. That Dao tree was rooted in the Great Luo Heaven of the Ultimate Void. A figure stood beneath the tree, like an unparalleled sword, with heaven and earth as the scabbard yet unable to conceal his sharpness!
Kai Huang Qin Ye!
Kai Huang Qin Ye had been guarding Cloud Heavenly Lord all along!
Cloud Heavenly Lord watched Fire Heavenly Lord's every move, feeling even more disappointed, and shook his head: "Fire, you are no longer the Fire who dared to fight and charge forward. Seeing Qin Heavenly Lord, you have revealed a timid heart. In those days, even when you encountered Pastoral Heavenly Lord, you dared to fight him to the death, continuing to battle even when beaten bloody. No wonder your Dao heart cannot be as clear as Qin Heavenly Lord's. No wonder you cannot defeat Pastoral Heavenly Lord. You also cannot defeat Hao Heavenly Lord."
He guided Fire Heavenly Lord, saying: "You are a human Heavenly Lord. How could Hao Heavenly Lord feel at ease with you? I have met Hao Heavenly Lord before. He was startled away by me. Knowing that I have been reborn, how could he not be wary of you?"
Fire Heavenly Lord was slightly stunned.
Cloud Heavenly Lord said loudly: "Brother Hao, since you have come, why hide your head and shrink your tail? You have now achieved the Great Luo Heaven, being the most powerful existence in the world today. Do you need to resort to petty tricks?"
Before his words even faded, another Great Luo Heaven appeared, with a Dao tree rooted in it and Dao flowers blooming. Hao Heavenly Lord stood beneath the Dao tree.
The two Great Luo Heavens shone in mutual radiance.
Hao Heavenly Lord laughed heartily: "No one knows me better than Brother Cloud."
Cloud Heavenly Lord smiled: "You and I have fought for three hundred thousand years, and we understand each other deeply."
"Yet you still cannot defeat me."
Hao Heavenly Lord said leisurely: "Now that I am here, I can match Qin Ye. Fire Heavenly Lord only needs to make his move, and you will surely die. Even Qin Ye might very well be buried here today. Cloud, you could not defeat me in your previous life, and this life will be the same."
"Is that so?"
Cloud Heavenly Lord laughed: "I cannot defeat you, but Pastoral Heavenly Lord can. Although Pastoral Heavenly Lord is not as ruthless as I am, his mind is more meticulous than mine. How do you know that only Kai Huang has come?"
Hao Heavenly Lord's heart tightened. Standing on the Great Luo Heaven, he looked down, then suddenly flicked his sleeve, rolling up Fire Heavenly Lord and carrying him away with a whoosh, disappearing without a trace in no time.
"He discovered me."
Moon Heavenly Lord walked out from the depths of space, saying with frustration: "It seems Kai Huang was right. My Extreme Void is no longer perfect. Hao Heavenly Lord can also see through my Dao techniques and divine powers!"
Cloud Heavenly Lord laughed: "If you could comprehend the Dao of Space to its utmost, grow a Dao tree, bloom Dao flowers, and bear Dao fruits, then Hao Heavenly Lord would not be able to see through your whereabouts either."
Moon Heavenly Lord came to his side and said: "Sister Eternal told me that the Dao Realm and achieving the Dao through force are not orthodox paths to enlightenment. One does not need to cultivate the Dao Realm to achieve the Dao. Once she finishes researching it, she will pass it on to me..."
Cloud Heavenly Lord's face darkened, and he shook his head: "You listen to her? Eternal is naturally extremely intelligent, but to achieve her goals she can endure a million years of solitude, researching the Unchanging Divine Power alone. By the time she finishes researching the orthodox path to enlightenment, who knows how many tens of thousands of years will have passed! You can wait, but the human race cannot."
Moon Heavenly Lord thought of Eternal Heavenly Lord's past of researching the Unchanging Divine Power, suddenly understood, and abandoned that thought. She laughed: "Since that is the case, I will wholeheartedly comprehend the Dao Realm."
All along, she had followed Cloud Heavenly Lord, assisting him, and later followed Eternal Heavenly Lord, assisting her. She was always a little sister, obedient to the two of them, without much opinion of her own.
Cloud Heavenly Lord bowed, thanking Kai Huang.
Kai Huang returned the bow and said: "Pastoral Heavenly Lord invited me to come, to stay in the Ancestral Court for a few months, to protect you until you can use the power of your physical body."
Cloud Heavenly Lord suddenly understood, clapped his hands and laughed: "So that's it! I know his purpose in doing this. He wants to use you to hold back Hao Heavenly Lord while he takes the opportunity to kill the Earth Lord. With you in the Ancestral Court, Hao Heavenly Lord must remain in the Heavenly Court, guarding against you flattening it."
"Kill the Earth Lord?"
Kai Huang showed a surprised expression, then nodded: "Indeed, that is his style. But with his power, can he kill the Earth Lord while dealing with Eternal Heavenly Lord and Ancestor God King?"
He left the Sword Dao Great Luo Heaven and came to Cloud Heavenly Lord's side. Village Chief, facing these three Heavenly Lords at once, felt some pressure. He thought for a moment and said: "Do you know about the time when Pastoral Heavenly Lord was a child, being chased and beaten by the Chicken Mother Dragon?"
...
Under the protection of the two great Heavenly Lords and Village Chief, Cloud Heavenly Lord continued walking toward the Black Wood Sacred Land. From afar, he saw the World Tree in the Black Wood Sacred Land and felt his heart tremble slightly: "This tree is even more vast than the Primordial Wood! However, this tree is still a sapling, not yet grown. If it grows to full size, how vast would it be?"
They were about to enter the Black Wood Sacred Land when suddenly Cloud Heavenly Lord was slightly startled. He saw a woman standing quietly before the sacred land, seemingly waiting for them.
Moon Heavenly Lord's heart jumped, and she quickly said: "I'll go check the sacred land first!" With that, she vanished in a puff of smoke.
Kai Huang frowned, also walking into the sacred land, saying: "Daoist Su, let's have a spar."
Village Chief's spirits lifted greatly, and he hurriedly followed him.
Cloud Heavenly Lord stepped forward and came to the woman's side.
Lang Wan turned around, her gaze clear and flawless. Cloud Heavenly Lord felt somewhat dazzled, then steadied his mind.
The little Creator girl who had once followed him had grown up. Her beauty was unmatched anywhere in the world, but her eyes carried no emotion whatsoever.
As her cultivation method operated, her emotions were suppressed deep within her heart, difficult to release.
Cloud Heavenly Lord greeted her: "Miss Lang Wan..."
Lang Wan turned and left.
Cloud Heavenly Lord was slightly startled, watching her walk away.
"I still cannot let go."
Lang Wan's divine sense transmitted from afar: "After seeing you, the old emotions I had suppressed surged up, making me remember the deaths of those millions of clansmen again. Uncle Cloud, I will not see you again."
Cloud Heavenly Lord felt a pang of melancholy and walked into the Black Mountain Sacred Land.
He came to the World Tree, and Village Chief led him to meet Lan Yu Tian. When Cloud Heavenly Lord saw the youth comprehending the Dao beneath the World Tree, he was entranced. He stood there, not moving for a long time.
Lan Yu Tian looked up, saw him, and was somewhat surprised. He laughed: "I feel like I've seen you before. Do we know each other from the past? Grandpa Village Chief said to let you be my disciple and cultivate with me for a while."
"Elder brother!" Cloud Heavenly Lord stepped forward, bowing deeply to the ground, tears falling drop by drop onto the earth.
At the same time, the Ferry Ship of Salvation sailed into the Netherworld, arriving at the Tian Qi Ren Sheng Wang Mansion within the Earth Lord's long horn.
Before he could even dock the ship, suddenly a violent yet cold aura erupted from the Tian Qi Ren Sheng Wang Mansion. With a thunderous boom, Nether Heavenly Lord's Peerless Primordial Spirit burst through the Sheng Wang Mansion, reaching out to grab at Qin Mu on the golden ship!
"Nether Heavenly Lord, it's me, don't make a move!" Qin Mu quickly called out.
Nether Heavenly Lord's hand stopped above the golden ship, his gaze falling on him, and he said coldly: "I sense killing intent toward the Earth Lord from you!"
"How is that possible?"
Qin Mu had a cold sweat on his forehead and said with surprise: "Why would I have killing intent toward the Earth Lord? You must have sensed wrong. Look, I came here, and the Netherworld Great Dao hasn't moved against me at all, which shows the Netherworld Great Dao has put aside past grievances and knows I've come to help the Earth Lord through his tribulation! Hurry and withdraw your hand!"
Nether Heavenly Lord showed a suspicious expression. Sensing carefully, he still detected killing intent toward the Earth Lord from Qin Mu.
He was steeped in the Netherworld Great Dao, with profound Dao realm, not inferior to Void Heavenly Lord or the Ugly Earth Lord, even surpassing them, so he was extremely sensitive.
"However, how could Pastoral Heavenly Lord possibly have killing intent toward the Earth Lord? I must have sensed wrong."
Nether Heavenly Lord withdrew his Primordial Spirit. Qin Mu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and laughed: "Nether Heavenly Lord, I've brought you an old acquaintance. I've brought Eternal Heavenly Lord here!"
Nether Heavenly Lord's mind shook greatly, and he hurriedly looked toward the ship. Qin Mu said, seemingly casually: "Nether, the Earth Lord's Book of Life and Death is still on you, right?"
Nether Heavenly Lord involuntarily nodded.
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief, laughed heartily, and embraced him as they walked into the mansion. He laughed: "Eternal, you come too!"
Eternal Heavenly Lord came to his side, her divine sense rippling: "The Book of Life and Death is in hand?"
Qin Mu nodded: "Already in hand. Now there's only one problem left—how many steps does it take to kill the Earth Lord, and how to set up the formation?"
"Two steps."
Eternal Heavenly Lord transmitted through divine sense: "Walk to the Earth Lord's side, and kill the Earth Lord."