Chapter 1707: You Are Not Worthy (Big Chapter, Asking for Monthly Tickets!)
Five days later, the remnants of Vô Ưu Hương finally arrived at Lam Phong Valley. The ambushes and attacks along the way had whittled the Vô Ưu Hương army down to less than thirty percent of its original strength.
Fortunately, Ngụy Tùy Phong, Bắc Đế Huyền Vũ, Nam Đế Chu Tước, Xích Đế Tề Hà Dư and others led the Diên Khang army to join forces with Đế Dịch Nguyệt and her group, which kept the Heavenly Court's divine master navy from acting rashly, allowing them to reach Lam Phong Valley.
Whether it was the soldiers under Ngụy Tùy Phong and Bắc Đế, or the soldiers of Nam Đế, Xích Đế, and Vô Ưu Hương, morale was not high.
In particular, the soldiers under Ngụy Tùy Phong were the Imperial Guard, mostly at the Ngọc Kinh and Lăng Tiêu realms—a fierce, tiger-like force capable of fighting Heavenly Venerables. Now, all of them had suddenly dropped to the Trảm Thần Đài or Cửu Ngục Đài realms, their strength severely weakened.
Many soldiers of Vô Ưu Hương had also cultivated to the Ngọc Kinh and Lăng Tiêu realms, and now they too had all been cut down to the Trảm Thần Đài realm.
Powerful figures like Võ Đấu Thiên Sư Trạc Trà, Yên Vân Hy, Đế Dịch Nguyệt, Đế Thích Thiên Lý Du Nhiên, Thanh Hoàng, Điền Thục, and others had all been reduced to the Trảm Thần Đài realm!
The worst off was not them, but Xích Đế Tề Hà Dư.
Tề Hà Dư had originally cultivated nine Heavenly Palaces and forged a Lesser Heavenly Court, but now she had also fallen directly to the Trảm Thần Đài realm, losing three and a half realms!
They were, after all, leaders of their respective armies, with extraordinary Dao hearts, so they wouldn't collapse on the spot, but the blow to the soldiers of each army was extremely severe.
Cultivating forward was now impossible, and the main generals of each army had been weakened so severely. If the Heavenly Court attacked again, how could they resist?
Moreover, the Thần Sách Left Guard had already led the Youdu demon race army to the rear of Lam Phong Valley, attacking from both front and back with the Heavenly Court army. Above them was the Xuandu army, below them the Youdu army—a complete encirclement!
This battle offered no hope.
It made many people lose the courage to continue fighting.
On the other hand, many Diên Khang soldiers were not greatly affected. First, Diên Khang had a shorter history, with few who had cultivated to the Ngọc Kinh, Lăng Tiêu, and Đế Tọa realms, and only Tần Mục alone had reached the Heavenly Court realm. Second, the Diên Khang reforms had added realms like the Four Heavenly Gates, Heavenly Sea, and Nine Prison Terraces to the Heavenly Palace realm.
Even without Ngọc Kinh, Lăng Tiêu, Đế Tọa, and Heavenly Court, the impact on them was minimal.
Furthermore, some generals, such as Minh Hoàng, Xích Hoàng, Thúc Quân, Tư Bà Bà, Đồ Phu, and Thôn Trưởng, were of the older generation and had not followed the traditional Heavenly Palace system—they followed the Dao Realm system.
Although Sơ Tổ Nhân Hoàng followed the Heavenly Palace system, he cultivated both the Heavenly Palace and Dao Realm paths simultaneously.
The reborn A Sửu and Thiên Công also followed the Dao Realm path, so they were not greatly affected.
The younger generation, such as Vân Tiệm Ly, Triết Hoa Lê, Vương Mộc Nhiên, Tề Cửu Nghi, and others, came from the Diên Khang Văn Đạo Academy. During their cultivation, they had long since benefited from the academy's reform achievements, not following the traditional cultivation system. After entering the Heavenly Palace realm, they studied the achievements of Lam Ngự Điền and Hư Sinh Hoa, each making remarkable accomplishments.
As for the even younger generation, like Hoa Tuyên Tú and Văn Nguyên Tổ Sư, they had studied Lam Ngự Điền and Hư Sinh Hoa's Ancestral Court Dao Realm system from the very foundation, so they had no such concerns.
However, this matter had a tremendous impact on the battle situation. If the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master had not activated the Ngọc Kinh trap to strip away the four realms, then after Tần Mục returned, he could have counterattacked the Heavenly Court!
But now, it was already a stroke of luck for Diên Khang to survive without being destroyed!
Nguyệt Thiên Tôn, U Thiên Tôn, Lãng Uyển, and others wore expressions of hidden worry. After this sudden upheaval, they had decisively severed the Ngọc Kinh cities in their Heavenly Palaces, resolutely leveled their Lăng Tiêu Halls, and kept only a single Heavenly Palace each.
Their cultivation in the Dao Realm was extremely high. Without these four realms, although it had a considerable impact on their cultivation, they could still retain sixty to seventy percent of their strength.
As for Xích Đế Tề Hà Dư, her cultivation and strength had been reduced to only a few thousandths of what they once were—that was the most terrifying thing.
And there were many others who had been similarly weakened!
Xích Đế Tề Hà Dư looked at Đế Thích Thiên Lý Du Nhiên with some hesitation. She saw that he was no longer the handsome young monk he once was, but a ferocious demon god, making her hesitate to recognize him.
She still mustered her courage and stepped forward, saying, "Senior brother, you look like an old acquaintance of mine."
Lý Du Nhiên felt ashamed of his appearance and avoided her, not responding.
Tề Hà Dư stepped forward again, saying, "I know a monk from Vô Ưu Hương named Lý Du Nhiên, who was once the Đế Thích Thiên Vương Phật of the Buddhist Realm."
Lý Du Nhiên couldn't avoid her, so he said, "Benefactress, you must be mistaken. Over there are the Buddhist soldiers coming down the mountain to save people. That Chiến Không Như Lai over there should know the Đế Thích Thiên Vương Phật you mentioned."
Tề Hà Dư did not go to see Chiến Không Như Lai, but stared at him intently, saying, "No matter what Lý Du Nhiên has become, I will recognize him."
Lý Du Nhiên remained unmoved.
"Imperial Brother, you will give the lecture."
Above Lam Phong Valley, Tần Mục looked down, taking in the myriad expressions of the masses, and said, "Speak on your cultivation system for three days, and tell it to everyone in Lam Phong Valley."
Lam Ngự Điền scratched his head and whispered, "Brother, Hư Sinh Hoa once told me that what I speak about is too profound, and few people can understand it. If I lecture on the Ancestral Court Dao Realm cultivation system, I'm afraid these gods and demons won't gain much. And in three days, even if they can comprehend the Ancestral Court Dao Realm system, they probably won't be able to cultivate it."
"It doesn't matter."
Tần Mục said, "Just speak. Those who can comprehend the various realms of the Ancestral Court Dao Realm system within these three days are all exceptionally talented people, and these people are bound to be experts in the traditional Heavenly Palace system as well. They will benefit greatly and can teach others in the future. After you speak for three days, Thôn Trưởng, Bà Bà, each of you will speak for another three days."
Thôn Trưởng Tô Mộ Trắc and Tư Bà Bà each nodded. Tư Bà Bà asked doubtfully, "What we comprehend is certainly far inferior to that of a founder like Lam Ngự Điền. What use is it for us to speak?"
Thôn Trưởng Tô Mộ Trắc laughed and said, "Bà Bà, Mục Nhi's meaning is that our lectures are more shallow and thus easier for others to understand. Mục Nhi, is that what you mean?"
Tần Mục nodded.
Tư Bà Bà spat and said, "After Lam Ngự Điền speaks, then we speak—nine days in total. In nine days, the Heavenly Court army will have already pushed all the way here!"
"They can't push through."
Tần Mục said calmly, "I am here. Who can push through? Giang Vân Gian, Hoa Tuyên Tú, Văn Nguyên Giáo Chủ, after Bà Bà speaks, you will speak on the Ancestral Court Dao Realm system."
Giang Vân Gian, Hoa Tuyên Tú, and Văn Nguyên Tổ Sư stepped forward. Hoa Tuyên Tú asked curiously, "Uncle Tần, is it because our understanding is even more shallow that you have us speak?"
Tần Mục shook his head and said, "No. It's because you started learning from the foundation, whereas Bà Bà and Thôn Trưởng each had their own unique skills before cultivating the Ancestral Court Dao Realm system, so they have preconceived notions. But you don't have their preconceived notions in your cultivation journey, so you comprehend the new system more deeply and with more nuance, often thinking of things they would never consider."
Văn Nguyên Tổ Sư was very pleased.
Tần Mục glanced at him and said, "Văn Nguyên Giáo Chủ will speak first. He has also cultivated the traditional Heavenly Palace system before, so it's hard to say he doesn't have preconceived notions."
Văn Nguyên Tổ Sư's face darkened.
Tần Mục said to Nguyệt Thiên Tôn, U Thiên Tôn, Lãng Uyển, and others, "You might as well listen too. After losing the four traditional realms, it's like cutting off a limb to save the body. The new cultivation system might allow you to achieve even greater heights."
Nguyệt Thiên Tôn said, "Hạo Thiên Đế currently has the support of the Third and Fourth Young Masters of Mị La Palace. Can we really hold out?"
Tần Mục smiled and said, "I am the Seventh Young Master of Mị La Palace, so of course we can hold out. You need not worry."
U Thiên Tôn said, "The Thần Sách Left Guard is leading the Youdu demon race army to attack from the rear, attacking from both front and back. How do we resist?"
Tần Mục said, "My junior brother, Diên Khang Quốc Sư Giang Bạch Khuê, has already pacified the rebellion in the Eastern Sea and is coming from behind the Thần Sách Left Guard and the demon army. The Thần Sách Left Guard is no match for him."
Lãng Uyển said, "Giang Bạch Khuê's Ngọc Kinh realm is also gone, isn't it? Will he be a match for the Thần Sách Left Guard?"
"There are not many people in this world unaffected by the Ngọc Kinh trap, but Giang Bạch Khuê is one of them."
Tần Mục stood up and smiled, "Stay here and listen to the lectures. I will go meet the Third and Fourth Young Masters of Mị La Palace."
Lam Ngự Điền's voice rang out, Dao tones resounding as he began to expound his Ancestral Court Dao Realm system. Tần Mục walked down from Lam Phong Valley and strolled unhurriedly toward the Heavenly Court army.
In Lam Phong Valley, there had been an army of mourners with low morale. But Lam Ngự Điền was naturally close to the Dao. As his Dao tones rang out, his own Dao resonance unconsciously spread, and behind him a World Tree rose slowly, causing people to unconsciously sink into the wonder of the Dao, unable to resist following his Dao tones to think and comprehend.
He spoke to the gods of all races in Lam Phong Valley about the new cultivation system, starting from the Linh Thai realm. This realm was not much different from what people had learned before. The second realm was the Tinh Hà Thần Tàng. Once the Tinh Hà Thần Tàng was opened, it evolved into Huyền Đô.
The third realm was the Thiên Hà Thần Tàng. The Heavenly River opened and flowed, and then the fourth realm was opened—Tứ Cực Thiên.
The Tứ Cực Thiên realm had four subsidiary divine treasures. After establishing the Tứ Cực Thiên realm, the three realms of Nguyên Đô, U Đô, and Quy Khư were opened.
After these seven realms, the most crucial realm arrived.
That was the opening of the Ancestral Court, the greatest divine treasure!
After opening the Ancestral Court, one established the realms of the Ancestral Court's Four Heavenly Gates, Dao Pool and Dao Terrace, Heavenly Sea, Trảm Thần Đài, and Cửu Ngục Đài, enhancing one's comprehension of the Dao Realm!
This was why Tần Mục said that the Dao Realm system was most compatible with the Ancestral Court system.
The Ancestral Court's Four Heavenly Gates, Dao Pool and Dao Terrace, Heavenly Sea, Trảm Thần Đài, and Cửu Ngục Đài greatly enhanced the Dao Realm. When cultivating these realms, one's Dao Realm cultivation grew almost by leaps and bounds!
This was the greatest and strongest advantage of the new cultivation system!
After cultivating these realms, without the Ngọc Kinh, Lăng Tiêu, Đế Tọa, and Heavenly Court realms, Lam Ngự Điền went directly to the Ngũ Thái realm, comprehending the Innate Five Thái, forming five great mineral veins in the Ancestral Court divine treasure—Thái Cực, Thái Tố, Thái Thủy, Thái Sơ, and Thái Dịch!
If these five realms were cultivated successfully, one could go a step further and cultivate the World Tree!
The World Tree was the Dao Tree of every cultivator in the new system, fully integrated with the Dao Realm system. As each level of the Dao Realm increased, layers of void would appear within the body's divine treasures, with the Dao imprints of the Dao Realm embedded within. The World Tree would gradually become clearer, gradually grow, and gradually mature.
When the Dao Realm reached the Thirty-Six Heavens, the World Tree would fully mature and transform into the cultivator's Dao Tree!
However, Lam Ngự Điền and Hư Sinh Hoa had only comprehended up to this point before the Heavenly Court invaded in force, forcing their research to be cut short.
But presumably there were other realms after that, such as Dao Flowers, Dao Fruits, and so on.
Amidst Lam Ngự Điền's Dao tones, Tần Mục walked toward the Heavenly Court camp. The Heavenly Court army was steadily advancing, and the camp moved with it.
Ahead, scouts were constantly probing—flying in the sky, running on the ground, diving in water, traveling underground, appearing and disappearing mysteriously.
In the distance, a scout spotted Tần Mục, his heart leaped, and he froze in place, not daring to move.
"You may go back and report to Hạo Thiên Tôn that Seventh Young Master Tần Mục has arrived." Tần Mục said with a smile.
The scout fled in panic, racing straight toward the Heavenly Court army.
After a moment, the various vanguard armies of the Heavenly Court suddenly halted, each setting up killing formations, standing ready!
The foreheads of every main general were drenched in sweat, sweat streaming down their backs, yet they dared not wipe it away. Instead, they stared with bulging, bell-like eyes, fixed intently ahead, their spirits stretched to the breaking point.
In the sky, killing intent filled the heavens, driving away all birds and beasts for millions of miles. Divine eyes also appeared in the sky, rolling back and forth, shooting beams of divine light in all directions, searching everywhere!
The divine eyes in the sky were as large as suns and moons, and the smallest were several acres in size. Some eyes had various formations imprinted on them, some were tempered with the Great Dao, and some were the demon eyes of demon gods. Their types were extremely numerous, and their functions were varied.
These divine eyes and strange eyes searched the heavens and the earth, seeking Tần Mục's whereabouts.
At the same time, news had already been transmitted to the Heavenly Emperor's detached palace, informing Hạo Thiên Đế, Thái Sơ, Đế Hậu, and others.
Hạo Thiên Đế did not dare to be negligent. He ordered the Thần Sách Right Guard and the Left and Right Imperial Guards to set up formations around the Heavenly Emperor's detached palace, standing ready.
Thái Sơ, Đế Hậu, and Thái Cực Cổ Thần surrounded Hạo Thiên Đế as they walked out of the great hall. Hạo Thiên Đế was still uneasy. He looked up and saw that the Lăng Tiêu Bảo Điện and Tử Tiêu Bảo Điện were even brighter than before, and only then did he feel reassured.
They looked ahead and saw that the countless divine eyes and strange eyes in the sky were winking out one after another, growing dim. The suns pulled by the Xuandu armies in the sky seemed to be covered by an enormous dark cloud, with not a single ray of light shining down. This caused the sun guardians of Xuandu to stop their great sun chariots one after another, turning back to look, afraid that their suns would go out.
They breathed a sigh of relief—their suns had not gone out. Instead, a towering tree had passed below, its leaves vast and boundless, blocking out the suns of Xuandu.
Those strange eyes and divine eyes that had gone dark were not so fortunate. Those eyes had been blinded by waves of overwhelming baleful aura, as if they had been slashed by a blade!
Suddenly, many gods and demons in the Heavenly Court camp screamed in agony, their voices shrill, as they raised their hands to cover their eyes, black blood and red blood seeping through their fingers.
Almost all the gods of the Heavenly Monitoring Bureau had gone blind at the same time!
"It's Thương Quân!" Thái Sơ said in a hoarse voice, feeling the wounds on his body begin to ache again.
Hạo Thiên Đế glanced at him and suddenly called out loudly, "Pass my order! Let Mục Thiên Tôn in! No resistance!"
After a moment, Tần Mục walked through the various great formations of the Heavenly Court, paying no heed to the overwhelming killing intent around him.
He arrived at the Heavenly Emperor's detached palace and walked up to Hạo Thiên Đế and the others.
Hạo Thiên Đế sneered and was about to speak when Tần Mục raised a finger and shook it, saying calmly, "The dogs of the Young Masters' family are no longer worthy to speak with me. Third Brother, Fourth Brother, I am here. Will you come out and speak with me, or will you watch me beat your dogs to death?"
Still a big chapter, begging for guaranteed monthly tickets!!