Chapter 1704: The Road Back to the Homeland
The earth stirs with the intent to kill, dragons and serpents rise from the land.
Among the three divisions of the Heavenly Court, the Earth Division was even larger in scale than the Heavenly River Navy. It was only because the Navy had the greatest reputation among the three that it overshadowed the Earth Division's brilliance.
The gods and demons of the Earth Division mostly came from the various heavens of the Imperial Star Constellation, with as many as eight main generals: Radiance of Jade, Open Radiance, Jade Balance, Heavenly Authority, Heavenly Gem, Heavenly Pivot, Heavenly Pivot Star, and the Northern Dipper, representing the supreme power of the Imperial Star Constellation.
Among them, the Northern Dipper Great Emperor held the highest authority, with the Radiance of Jade, Open Radiance, and other divisions all under his command, and he was honored as the Heavenly Lord.
At this moment, the Northern Dipper Heavenly Lord was deploying the seven divisions of the Earth Division to besiege the Pure Supreme Realm, attempting to break in and slay Blue Royal Field.
When the topmost Pure Supreme Realm of the Worry-Free Homeland erupted, the thirty-three heavens linked together as one. The surfaces of each heaven collapsed and crumbled, revealing the massive divine-gold structures within. Terrifying sword lights shot upward from within the thirty-three heavens. From afar, the thirty-three heavens of the Worry-Free Homeland resembled a giant sword.
The various armies of the Earth Division stationed within the heavens of the Worry-Free Homeland now faced sword lights and sword energy flooding every heaven—the revival of the Sword Dao!
At this moment, only one thought remained in everyone's mind: flee for their lives!
Yet there was no escape. The thirty-three heavens had become an ocean of Sword Dao—not merely the Sword Dao of the Founding Emperor Qin Ye, but the spirit of an entire era, the tragic anthem of the Founding Emperor's Age!
When the light of the Worry-Free Homeland blazed at its most intense and magnificent, its dazzling radiance illuminated the skies of the Primordial Realm, overshadowing the suns dragged forth by the Xuan Capital's divine demon army.
The Northern Dipper Heavenly Lord stood at the entrance to the Pure Supreme Realm of the Worry-Free Homeland, watching this scene. Suddenly, tears streamed down his face as he murmured, "There's no escaping…"
The emperors of Open Radiance, Jade Balance, Heavenly Authority, Heavenly Pivot, and others rushed over, surrounding him in a tight circle, and together they surged toward the heavens beyond, shouting urgently: "Heavenly Lord, if we don't leave now, we won't make it!"
The Northern Dipper Heavenly Lord, dazed and confused, looked down at the countless divine demons of the Earth Division below. They were spread across the thirty-three heavens, yet with the Worry-Free Homeland's eruption, millions of gods and demons were buried in the vast ocean of Sword Dao.
Supreme Imperial Heaven, Great Brightness Heaven, Clear Brightness Heaven, Mystic Womb Heaven, Primordial Brightness Heaven…
One heaven after another had become a hell of Sword Dao!
The stern sword energy turned those places into slaughterhouses where even gods and demons could not survive!
The Earth Division—the army with the most gods and demons in the Heavenly Court, the strongest force in ground combat—would likely not escape this calamity!
"There's no escaping now!"
The Northern Dipper Heavenly Lord wailed: "None of the soldiers can escape! We can't escape either…"
Before he could finish, all the power of the Worry-Free Homeland erupted, as if the Founding Emperor Qin Ye himself, the supreme Sword Dao sovereign, had personally struck.
The great emperors of the Imperial Seat realm—Open Radiance, Jade Balance, and the others—dissolved in the sword light, split apart, shattered into countless fragments, and vanished into the radiance of the Sword Dao, leaving nothing behind!
The Earth Division army of the Heavenly Court's three divisions, which had crushed the Worry-Free Homeland's forces in ground assaults, was now buried within the Worry-Free Homeland itself.
Though remnants of the Earth Division had not entered the Worry-Free Homeland, they were no longer a force to be reckoned with. The Earth Division, as one of the three divisions, was now struck from the rolls!
In the sky, Blue Royal Field controlled the divine artifacts one by one, gathering the power of the Worry-Free Homeland. From afar, it seemed he was using the Pure Supreme Realm as the sword's hilt, the other heavens as the crossguard, the blade, the edge, the tip, and the sword's radiance!
The entire power of the Worry-Free Homeland was unleashed, resembling a great sword standing between heaven and earth. The Worry-Free Homeland's power was rapidly diminishing—it was merely the sword heart of the Worry-Free Sword. Without the Worry-Free Sword itself, being able to slay so many Earth Division gods and demons was already extraordinary.
Under Blue Royal Field's urging, Supreme Imperial Heaven and Great Brightness Heaven collided with a thunderous impact, stacking together, then crashing into Clear Brightness Heaven, Mystic Womb Heaven, and Primordial Brightness Heaven!
Within a single breath, the power of each heaven in the Worry-Free Homeland slammed together, forming a thirty-two-heaven sword domain that crashed toward the final heaven—the Pure Supreme Realm!
Boom!
The Pure Supreme Realm's Dao Sword domain fully merged with the thirty-two-heaven sword domain!
Blue Royal Field's goal was to seize the moment before the Worry-Free Homeland's power completely faded, using its remaining might to slay Lady Primordial Mother!
Just then, Lady Primordial Mother, who had been trapped in reincarnation, suddenly awakened. Seeing this, she was stricken with terror, let out a sharp cry, and unleashed the full power of her Return to the Abyss enlightenment!
Within the Pure Supreme Realm, the Dao Sword domain revolved around a massive Return to the Abyss, the two colliding violently in a scene that shook heaven and earth!
It was a contest between Sword Dao and the Wind of Heat Death, a struggle against the Great Abyss that devoured all things. Fierce beyond measure, the sword domain revolving around the Return to the Abyss was scorched red by the Wind of Heat Death, wreathed in raging flames!
Suddenly, a lotus leaf rose from within the Return to the Abyss. Lady Primordial Mother stood upon it, channeling its power!
This lotus leaf was equivalent to an enlightened one's Dao Tree. If an enlightened one resorted to their Dao Tree, it meant their very life was at stake!
Lady Primordial Mother activated the lotus leaf, pushing the power of her Return to the Abyss enlightenment to its absolute limit. A deafening roar erupted, and the sword domain suddenly exploded!
Lady Primordial Mother transformed into a streak of black light, tore through the void, and vanished from sight.
At the same moment,
The Worry-Free Homeland shattered, and massive sword-shaped metals rained down from the sky, embedding themselves haphazardly into the former site of the Worry-Free Homeland.
For tens of thousands of miles in every direction, fallen swords littered the ground, forming a desolate graveyard of blades.
In the distance, Emperor Translating Moon and the other soldiers of the Worry-Free Homeland looked on in gloom, each straightening their backs.
The Woodcutter Sage said calmly, "Everyone, the Navy, the Divine Division, and the other Heavenly Court armies are about to catch up. We should leave this place quickly."
The soldiers silently turned and marched eastward toward the Extension of Peace.
The Woodcutter looked back. The Heavenly Court's Divine Division, being the fastest, was already visible on the horizon. With the power of the Divine Division among the three divisions, they could annihilate them to the last man.
Though the Worry-Free Homeland still had many soldiers, they were no longer a match for the Heavenly Court.
"Master Woodcutter, does someone need to stay behind?" Su Maiqing stopped and asked.
The Woodcutter Sage nodded silently, his voice low: "Dao Master Su, you alone staying is not enough."
"Then I'll stay too." Yan Rinuan slowed her pace and came to his side.
Fang Youji stopped as well: "And me."
Gao Baixun also fell back a step, saying, "I think the young people of this generation of the Worry-Free Homeland are very good. Back then, I thought they were nothing but good-for-nothing brats who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun. Now, after experiencing war, they've become truly fine people."
Zhou Jingmeng and Zhou Xunfang, two old fellows, stepped forward and laughed: "We brothers are old relics too. We plan to stay and buy the young ones some time."
"Master Woodcutter, leave us wounded soldiers behind as well."
A soldier who had lost both legs stopped and looked up with hope: "Carrying us wounded will only slow the army's march. Rather than everyone being wiped out, leave us here with Young Protector Fang and the others to buy time for the rest!"
The Woodcutter Sage nodded silently, and many wounded and crippled gods and demons stepped out of the retreating formation.
Others tried to step forward as well, but the Woodcutter Sage raised his hand and said, "That's enough. If we fail to link up with the Extension of Peace in time, the others still have a chance. Old brothers, this battle is our farewell. The Heavenly Pavilion will not see you off."
Fang Youji stared at him with wide, aged eyes, then suddenly said angrily: "Woodcutter Wen, I've never liked you, you know. They say you are supremely saintly yet utterly heartless, supremely wise yet devoid of righteousness. We're about to die today, and these cripples are staying behind for a death fight, yet you're still so cold and stiff, not even a frown? Today, you must give us a smile!"
The Woodcutter Sage revealed a warm smile.
"Not that fake smile!"
The Woodcutter Sage's face broke into a smile, but his eyes stung. He turned his face away, hiding it behind his sleeve, and secretly wiped away an old tear.
Seeing this, Fang Youji did not press him further. He sighed: "A sage is still human. Your heart is made of flesh too. Woodcutter Wen, to have spent my life serving beside you and Qin Ye, living four hundred thousand years of glory and fire, my heart is content. I have no regrets. Now go, quickly!"
He waved his hand.
The Woodcutter Sage made a deep bow to the ground, then caught up with the retreating main force.
Fang Youji set his coffin upright and polished it vigorously, whistling a tune. This coffin had been rubbed by him for twenty thousand years, gleaming with an oily sheen.
The old man pressed his face against the coffin and chuckled: "Today, it finally gets to be used…"
Gao Baixun was a schoolmaster wearing a tall hat. Listening to Fang Youji's whistling, watching the Heavenly Court's Divine Division army draw ever closer, he tapped his own palm lightly with his teaching rod, keeping time with the whistle.
The scholar swayed his head and softly chanted: "Behold my ambition to level heaven, ascend my hall that rivals the heavens, raise my coffin of clarity, climb my mountain of the Mystic Womb."
The old generals of the Worry-Free Homeland, the crippled soldiers, the wounded—all felt a profound calm in their hearts, quietly listening to his chant. Fang Youji's whistle grew ever more ethereal, as if carrying them back to the Worry-Free Homeland in the void across the shore.
Those days felt like yesterday, right before their eyes.
Gao Baixun tapped his rod against his palm, took a step, and suddenly began to dance. In his divine consciousness, he conjured visions of the Creator and the Worry-Free Homeland—divine maidens of the Creator dancing gracefully in the air, their movements exquisite.
"Envision the birth of all things, peace and joy for all, climb high to gaze upon the far shore, the Creator weaving the starry sky. Enter my Worry-Free Homeland, escape the world and its troubles."
His voice grew low and carefree, then suddenly resounded with the clang of metal and stone, and the whistle became fierce and stirring!
"One day the great dream awakens, and we return to the road home!"
"Tread my perilous heavenly path! Fight my vicious jackals! Bury my heroes' souls! Inter my martyrs' bones!"
"Frost and wind may age me—I fear not!"
"Blades and swords may wound me—I tremble not!"
"Let my body be shattered to pieces!"
"Let my soul scatter to the winds!"
He cast off his tall hat, letting his hair fall loose, and stared at the approaching Heavenly Court gods and demons, his angry locks flying: "All who go to the Primordial Realm are righteous souls! The true void is home everywhere!"
The many veterans and old generals of the Worry-Free Homeland rose to their feet, activating their damaged divine weapons and stirring the last remnants of their primal energy.
Gao Baixun laughed heartily and charged toward the Heavenly Court's Divine Division: "Come on, you Heavenly Court whelps! Trample over my corpse!"
The others laughed and charged forward with him, and a thunderous cry erupted across the sky: "Trample over our corpses!"
—The deeds of Gao Baixun, Fang Youji, and the others are detailed in chapters 982 through 984. Those chapters also contain a foreshadowing detail introducing the divine-gold construction within the Worry-Free Homeland, which is also the foreshadowing for how the Worry-Free Homeland could transform into a great killing weapon.