Chapter 1638: The Battle to Break the Deadlock
Thái Sơ laughed heartily, his voice resounding, shaking the void.
His power was too formidable. Standing there, he caused layer after layer of void to warp and tilt toward him.
He had regained his physical body, attained enlightenment through force, and cultivated the Nhất Khí Đại La Thiên. Though he was still overshadowed by Hạo Thiên Đế, he remained one of the most powerful beings in this world!
His laughter shook the starry sky into violent undulation. The stars that had just vanished were jolted back into visibility, flickering between illusion and reality.
Tần Mục, however, wore a gentle smile, calmly watching him.
"Mục Thiên Tôn, how many times have you been defeated?"
Thái Sơ's laughter subsided, and he said leisurely: "The Diên Khang tribulation—your first defeat. You lost at my hands, and life was worse than death. Whether Diên Khang survived or perished hung on a single thought of mine. In that battle, you cried to heaven but heaven didn't answer; you called to earth but earth didn't respond. You were at the end of your rope. You had no choice but to separate yourself from Tần Phượng Thanh. You couldn't even hold onto your identity as the U Đô Thần Tử. In the end, Diên Phong Đế and the Diên Khang Quốc Sư became prisoners of the Heavenly Court, Diên Khang was nearly annihilated, and you almost lost everything!"
Tần Mục smiled slightly and said: "That was also the first time I crossed swords with Second Brother. Second Brother was cunning and calculating, and he really did a number on me."
Thái Sơ laughed: "Back then, you were just a wet-behind-the-ears kid. Though you were riding high and seemed to have deep schemes, in my eyes you were nothing but a cricket in a jar. Every move you made, every thought you had, was laughable to me. Your second defeat hit even harder—the Huyền Đô battle. You suffered a crushing defeat. You seemed to have saved Thiên Công, but you lost all of Huyền Đô and lost Thiên Công's physical body."
He revealed a mocking expression and said: "Without Thiên Công's physical body, Thiên Công is just a mortal. Without Huyền Đô, Diên Khang is exposed beneath Huyền Đô, and natural calamities can descend at will! The human race—such a frail race. They aren't born powerful like the demigods, yet they possess extraordinary reproductive and survival capabilities. But if Huyền Đô falls into the hands of the Heavenly Court, no matter how strong the human race's reproductive and survival capabilities are, they cannot withstand natural disasters! Your second defeat cost humanity its future!"
Tần Mục was unconcerned and said flatly: "The Huyền Đô battle—I don't consider it a defeat. Second Brother, you overestimate yourself, Huyền Đô, and the Heavenly Court. In the Huyền Đô battle, I revived Thiên Công and obtained the fifty Heavenly Dao treasures. With Thiên Công and the fifty Heavenly Dao treasures, the Heavenly Court has no possibility of sending disasters down from Huyền Đô."
"Fourth Brother, no need to gild the lily."
Thái Sơ chuckled: "Your third defeat was U Đô. In the U Đô battle, you launched a surprise attack on Thổ Bá, killing him before we could—truly a stroke of genius. If Hạo Thiên Đế hadn't had the contingency plans of Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master, you might have won a complete victory and seized U Đô! Unfortunately, there are no 'ifs.'"
He showed a look of respect and said solemnly: "In that battle, you weren't defeated by Hạo Thiên Đế, but by the Third and Fourth Young Masters of Di La Cung. Though defeated, you lost with honor."
Tần Mục slightly bowed: "Second Brother flatters me. The U Đô battle—I didn't lose everything either. At the very least, Tần Phượng Thanh grew up, and Thổ Bá was preserved. To you, it was a great defeat, but to me, I truly gained Thổ Bá as an ally. At the same time—"
He smiled brilliantly: "I also gained a tremendous opportunity. Hạo Thiên Tôn centralized his power, Lang Hiên died, Hỏa Thiên Tôn died, and the Ten Heavenly Venerables fell apart. This is the great hope after the great despair."
Thái Sơ said seriously: "In the past, I could read you like reading the lines on my palm. By the U Đô battle, you had already exceeded my expectations. Your growth is indeed astonishing. In just a hundred years, you've grown to this level—admirable and fearsome. But your three great defeats in this life have already drained your fortune dry."
"After the U Đô battle, you knew you could no longer contend with the Heavenly Court, so you feigned surrender, bided your time, even took a wife and started a family, intending to buy time. But you never imagined that Hạo Thiên Đế would be more capable than me. He wouldn't give you that time, and he certainly wouldn't let you live."
He said flatly: "Once you signed the Diên Khang surrender agreement, your usefulness was over. Hạo Thiên Đế sent me here to see you off. He gave me two choices: one, kill you—which I might not be able to accomplish. Two, sink you into the Hỗn Độn Trường Hà beneath Tổ Đình Ngọc Kinh Thành. If you don't die, you can return to the past universe and be your Di La Cung Seventh Young Master. Hạo Thiên Đế's thoughts and methods indeed surpass mine by far. I am sincerely convinced in my defeat at his hands."
Behind him, the Nhất Khí Đại La Thiên grew ever brighter, and the Dao tree's aura became increasingly astonishing. He said leisurely: "Only after attaining enlightenment do you realize how vast the gap is between the enlightened and the unenlightened. Fourth Brother, in memory of our sworn brotherhood back then, I'll give you a path to survival. You voluntarily enter Tổ Đình Ngọc Kinh Thành and jump into the Hỗn Độn Trường Hà. I won't make things difficult for you. You won't die either—you are, after all, the Di La Cung Seventh Young Master. In the past universe, you can still live well."
Tần Mục laughed heartily, clasping his hands behind his back, and said with melancholy: "Back then, the four of us swore brotherhood—not to be born in the same year, month, and day, but to die in the same year, month, and day. Third Brother La Tiêu died early. The three of us were all great liars, and not one of us went to accompany him. Later, Second Brother and I together sent Big Brother Thái Đế on his way to accompany him. I was very gratified. Today, it's also time to send Second Brother to accompany Big Brother and Third Brother."
Thái Sơ's pupils contracted slightly. Within the Nhất Khí Đại La Thiên behind him, an imperial sword slowly flew out, imperial might spreading. He said flatly: "You won't shed tears until you see the coffin. You still have that temper."
Tần Mục slowly drew his Tribulation Sword, casting aside the scabbard, and said flatly: "Second Brother, I'll give you a chance too. Right now, the situation in Diên Khang is excellent. If you're willing to join me against Hạo Thiên Đế, you can still be an enlightened one in the future—no need to die. You and I, brothers, can join forces against the prehistoric invasion and atone for your past sins."
Thái Sơ sighed. His hand gripped the Thái Sơ Imperial Sword. Though it was a replica of a true imperial sword, this sword was still personally refined by him.
He said desolately: "The four of us brothers swore a bond of brotherhood. Who would have thought that today, only I would remain?"
Tần Mục flicked the sword, his gaze fixed on the sword tip, his eyes deep and distant: "In this life, I have fallen three times and risen three times. Great rises and great falls—nothing more than this. After the settling of these three great rises and falls, the only one in this world who can defeat me is myself. This sword of mine no longer needs to hide its edge."
He flicked the sword with his finger. The sword rang out, and sword light instantly pierced through layer upon layer of void, filling the sky with radiance.
Tần Mục gave a light wave, sword tip pointing downward, aimed at the Nguyên Giới. In an instant, sword light like a rainbow appeared above the Nguyên Giới, spanning from the western extremes of the Western Lands across countless thousands of miles of sky, floating above the eastern seas of the Nguyên Giới.
Tần Mục's vertical eye on his forehead slowly opened, and he said softly: "Sever!"
In Diên Khang, a divine being saw this beam of sword light and urgently notified Diên Phong Đế and the Diên Khang Quốc Sư. Diên Phong Đế was overcome with excitement, while the Diên Khang Quốc Sư remained composed. He immediately rushed toward the Văn Đạo Viện and shouted sternly: "Sword light has appeared in the sky! Sever the energy transfer bridges—quickly sever the energy transfer bridges!"
In the Văn Đạo Viện, the Vô Ưu Hương Heavenly Master Tiều Phu Văn Thiên Các raised his axe and swung it. One command after another was transmitted. Across the Nguyên Giới and the myriad heavens, one energy transfer bridge after another was destroyed by the divine beings of the Heavenly Court Dao Sect and the Diên Khang Dao Sect.
Chaos erupted across the myriad heavens. The divine beings ordered to sever the divine bridges immediately clashed with the Heavenly Court garrison forces guarding the transfer bridges, and the fighting was brutal!
At Lang Thương heavens, over a dozen Daoists, flanking the Black Tiger God, fought through a sea of blood, desperately charging onto the altar of the energy transfer bridge. The Heavenly Court's divine demon army stationed there surged forward endlessly. The Daoists shouted in unison, combining their strength to form a sword formation, transforming into the Đạo Kiếm Nhị Thập Bát Trọng Thiên to block the enemy.
The Black Tiger God charged forward with all his might, bellowing as he activated the energy transfer bridge. Layer after layer of the bridge's structure expanded outward, rotating in different directions.
Suddenly, a Daoist was pierced through the body by a divine spear. His primordial spirit flew out of his body and was nailed to the altar.
The Black Tiger God pretended not to see, focusing all his power on activating the altar, scrambling the order of the calculations.
Lang Thương heavens was the heaven with the largest Heavenly Court presence. The Heavenly Court had stationed hundreds of thousands of troops here to guard the transfer bridge, allowing for rapid response. From here, they could rush to the Nguyên Giới at a moment's notice, and they could also deliver messages to the Heavenly Court at the earliest opportunity!
Therefore, no matter what, the energy transfer bridge here had to be destroyed—otherwise, everything would be lost!
Another Daoist fell in battle. The sword formation was broken, and the Heavenly Court's garrison army surged forward like wolves and tigers, engulfing the remaining dozen or so Daoists!
The Black Tiger God gritted his teeth and roared, pulling the core mechanism out of the energy transfer bridge. The entire bridge collapsed!
He turned and charged into the scattered Heavenly Court army, trying to rescue those dozen or so Daoists.
"Go! Run—"
A Daoist, pierced by dozens of swords, his body riddled with holes, held back six or seven Heavenly Court divine demons with sheer willpower. He turned back with a grin, blood staining his teeth red: "We've already succeeded! Save whoever can be saved! Go now—"
The Black Tiger God's tiger eyes brimmed with tears. He turned around, and countless teleportation runes erupted, swallowing him whole.
As he teleported away, amid the scattered and collapsing energy transfer bridge, the Daoist's voice rang out: "Our Dao Sect observes truth through mathematics and seeks the Great Dao! Do not underestimate the Dao arts of the Diên Khang Dao Sect! Tiểu Thiên Tinh Đạo Giải—"
Boom—
Boundless starlight erupted from that place, spinning wildly, expanding outward. It was the micro-mathematics of Diên Khang's mathematical arts—using mathematics to replicate the phenomenon of a star's explosion. The power was terrifying, and it soon engulfed the entire area.
"All energy transfer bridges from the myriad heavens to the Heavenly Court have been severed."
Outside the Nguyên Giới, Tần Mục's vertical eye slowly opened, and he said: "Hạo Thiên Tôn's move is nothing more than inviting Hư Thiên Tôn to strike from U Đô, annihilating all life in Diên Khang or Vô Ưu Hương. Or striking from Huyền Đô, plunging the Nguyên Giới into complete darkness, letting Tổ Thần Vương send calamities down upon the Nguyên Giới. But I have countermeasures for all of this."
Thái Sơ's pupils sharply contracted. His gaze fell upon the Nguyên Giới behind him.
He saw that in Diên Khang of the Nguyên Giới, the body of a youth was frantically growing larger, soon towering above the Nguyên Mộc of Diên Khang. His head rose high into the clouds, and two great horns curved in nine twists and eighteen bends, thrusting straight out beyond the heavens!
"Where my body stands—that is U Đô!"
The young Thổ Bá's voice carried the heavy demonic tongue of U Đô. In an instant, the space where Diên Khang lay split apart, forming the overlapping phenomenon of a miniature U Đô and Diên Khang!
At the same time, at the position of the Vô Ưu Hương's thirty-third heaven, U Thiên Tôn sat on his paper boat and raised his hand to light the horse lantern before him.
The light came on, and his shadow instantly spread across the land. His primordial spirit was as vast as his shadow, establishing another U Đô in the western part of the Nguyên Giới!
The two U Đô overlapped, and the areas not covered at the edges were filled by the Phong Đô world emerging. The stone stele of the realm of the dead grew taller and taller, like a great mountain standing in the Nguyên Giới, protecting these places.
Diêm Vương's cloak fluttered in the wind. Sword in hand, he enveloped Phong Đô, standing tall in the darkness.
At the same moment, Thiên Công arrived at the center of the Nguyên Giới and slammed the Heavenly Principles Supreme Treasure into the ground. His body stood tall, and the other forty-nine Heavenly Dao treasures soared into the air!
Hum.
Treasures like Thiên Cơ, Thiên Quyền, and Thiên Sát floated up into the sky of the Nguyên Giới, forming forty-nine layers of barriers in an instant!
Within the Nguyên Giới were hidden forty-nine layers of inner heavens. The stars and constellations of the myriad heavens appeared within these forty-nine layers of inner heavens. Sun and moon, everything one could want—forming a miniature Huyền Đô.
Thái Sơ watched this scene, his voice hoarse: "Fourth Brother, you came well prepared."
Tần Mục smiled slightly: "Second Brother flatters me."
Behind him, a great Heavenly Court suddenly materialized—seventy-two precious halls flanking thirty-three heavenly palaces. Tần Mục's primordial spirit stood before the Hỗn Độn Hall, and his voice was in the language of the Dao, vast and far-reaching: "Second Brother, you know I am the Di La Cung Seventh Young Master, but you don't know that I did not become the Seventh Young Master in the past universe."
Tần Mục stood beneath his own Heavenly Court, appearing extremely small as he looked up at the towering Thái Sơ, and said flatly: "I became the Di La Cung Seventh Young Master here, in this universe!"