Chapter 1761: The Final Echo of the Abyss
The Empress leaped out of reincarnation time and time again, but before she could even regain control of her body, she was sealed by their Red Rope Knot Seal. After she broke free from the seal, they cast her back into reincarnation.
This happened again and again, and despair crept into her heart.
The Ultimate Void had already invaded her Abyss domain, corroding her cultivation of the Great Dao, causing her power and cultivation to dwindle lower and lower.
Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua—one was the number one genius of a million years ago, the other a rising star of Yankang—suppressed her completely, leaving her no chance to escape.
She could only continue to weaken, until the two of them ground her down to death!
Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua worked together flawlessly, seamlessly, as if they were one.
They had once comprehended the Dao together at the Ancestral Court, exchanging their insights, and both had meditated beneath the World Tree, grasping its mysteries. Their paths were extremely similar, and they were intimately familiar with each other's techniques.
Lan Yutian was one thing—utterly oblivious to the ways of the world—but the key was Xu Shenghua. No matter what technique Lan Yutian unleashed, Xu Shenghua could instantly divine his intent and coordinate accordingly!
Lan Yutian's achievements in the Dao Realm were the highest; he was the one closest to attaining the Dao within the Ancestral Court's Dao Realm system, and his strength was the greatest. Xu Shenghua was somewhat inferior in comprehension and talent, but he had once single-handedly guarded the World Tree for decades, slaying countless prehistoric powerhouses who had sneaked across. His combat experience and awareness far surpassed Lan Yutian's!
The Empress had also used every means at her disposal, even attempting to summon the Abyss Sacred Ground. If she could summon it, its boundless power would devour the void and drag her into the Abyss.
Once there, within her own sacred ground, killing the two of them would no longer be difficult.
Yet Xu Shenghua saw through her intentions time and again, using his Reincarnation Divine Power to interrupt her attempts to summon the Abyss Sacred Ground.
Finally, the Ultimate Void invaded her Abyss domain, breaking through thirteen layers of the domain in a short span of time, plunging the Empress into despair.
The World Trees of Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian were like Dao Trees in the void, capable of summoning the Cold Still Wind within the Ultimate Void. Their roots stretched out like bridges, channeling the Cold Still Wind deep into her Abyss domain, eroding her cultivation and power.
Not far away, Shang Jun, Moon Venerable, and Jiang Baigui were besieging the Joy Hall Master.
In the distance was Emperor Hao's battle to attain the Dao. Nether Venerable, the Two Emperors of Xuanwu, and Lang Wan were attacking Emperor Hao. Having gone to meet Third Young Master Lingxiao earlier and received his guidance, this second attempt to attain the Dao through sheer force had reached a critical juncture—he had no time to spare for the Empress.
Boom!
Another layer of the Abyss domain was shattered. The Empress felt her cultivation plummet sharply, and then the sensation of weakening vanished as she was cast back into reincarnation by Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian.
When the Empress leaped out of reincarnation again, she was horrified—another layer of her Abyss domain had been broken!
But before she could collect herself, Lan Yutian cast the Red Rope Knot Seal, imprinting it on her brow and casting her consciousness down.
The two of them, even as they fought her, were comprehending new reincarnation techniques, perfecting their respective Reincarnation Daos, and deriving even more variations of the Red Rope Knot!
Even though the Empress repeatedly broke through their reincarnation techniques and the Red Rope Knot Seal, she would still fall prey to them the next time, because their techniques had already evolved into something new.
The world was full of geniuses, as numerous as the stars in the sky, but those who could continuously devise new moves mid-battle, adapt on the fly, and innovate—there were probably only these two.
"Your Majesty, after this strike, do not wake again!"
Lan Yutian's heart softened slightly, and he said, "If you remain in reincarnation, you can enjoy the warmth of family. But if you come out, you..."
Suddenly, the Six Paths of Reincarnation materialized behind Xu Shenghua. Six different Reincarnation Daos took the form of six great wheels, invading the Empress's physical body, stripping away her primordial spirit and consciousness together, casting them down into reincarnation.
The Empress's body stood there, empty and hollow, frozen and motionless.
Xu Shenghua let out a breath, activated the World Tree, and said solemnly, "After this battle, the Empress will cease to exist. Lan Yutian, you should not harbor the weakness of a woman's mercy."
Lan Yutian activated his own World Tree, and together, the might of the Ancestral Court Dao Domain erupted, destroying the Abyss domain.
"She is one of the Ten Venerables. She can never step out of being a Ten Venerable in this lifetime. I understand that."
Lan Yutian said gloomily, "But I wanted to give her a chance. Once, she gave you and me a chance."
Xu Shenghua fell silent.
Lan Yutian returned to Imperial Venerable's side, awakening his scattered memories. In his mind, he saw himself comprehending the Dao beneath a tree.
At that time, he was just an unremarkable youth of the human race, which had been the lowest of all races before the Longhan Era.
He was comprehending the Dao beneath the tree when the Empress's palanquin passed by. The Empress ordered the heavenly gods to halt, lifted the beaded curtain, and silently watched him, without disturbing his meditation.
In that session of enlightenment, he comprehended the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasury, solving the problem that had prevented all post-heavenly beings, and even demigods, from cultivating.
That day, the world changed.
And the tree beneath which he had attained enlightenment later became the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven.
That day, the Empress stopped her palanquin for him. When he woke, she joyfully invited him aboard, and the two of them talked at length, knee to knee. Her palanquin carried him on a journey across the primordial wilderness of the Origin Realm, leaving him reluctant to part.
From that time on, he and the Empress shared a friendship.
Later, when the ancient gods bestowed their blessings upon him, it was the Empress who helped persuade the lofty deities and Heavenly Emperor Taichu.
Her favor toward him elevated the status of the human race. Though still difficult, it was far better than before, and it led to the Seven Venerables of the Longhan Era.
This was the kindness the Empress had shown him.
Xu Shenghua, however, thought of a different scene.
It was when Qin Mu had sent him to the Taishi mineral vein at the Ancestral Court to meet the Empress and return the Taiji Ancient God's Taiji Primordial Liquid. She was still Consort Yan at the time, and they had talked pleasantly. At first, there was still desire in her eyes, but later, only appreciation remained.
The Empress had not made things difficult for him, and in the end, she let him go.
As an enemy, Xu Shenghua felt only admiration for the Empress. As for hatred, he could not quite muster any.
He was different from Qin Mu. Qin Mu never saw himself as a god but as a mortal, judging the deeds of the Ten Venerables from a mortal's perspective, and thus harbored hatred and wanted to overthrow them.
Xu Shenghua, from the very beginning, had been a favored son of the heavens, a lofty ruler. Later, though Qin Mu reformed him and made him a pillar of the Yankang reforms, he still had little contact with mortals.
He could not bring himself to hate the Empress.
After a moment, Xu Shenghua said, "You and I can leave the Empress a thread of hope. However, it depends on whether she can grasp it herself."
Lan Yutian nodded.
The Empress stood on the deck of the Ferry of Ages, motionless.
She had fallen into Xu Shenghua's Six Paths of Reincarnation. When she woke again, she looked around and found herself in darkness. To her astonishment, she was inside a soft flower chamber.
Beside her was another young body, connected to her by a thread of qi, yet their auras were diametrically opposed.
That was another her, filled with the power to destroy all things.
And she herself seemed to hold the power to nurture and give birth to all things.
They grew silently in the darkness, feeling the strange tides coming from the outside world.
One day, the darkness suddenly split open. The Twin Lotuses of the Abyss rose slowly from the Great Abyss along the tide, their petals spinning gently as the twin lotuses bloomed.
The Empress and the other her saw the outside world for the first time.
Many Creator Gods came to this place, kneeling and worshipping the two goddesses within the flowers. They called her Yuanxi and the other one Yuanmu. They honored her as the goddess of fertility and Yuanmu as the goddess of destruction.
In that moment, she felt that she had a "this" and a "that."
The Creator Gods offered sacrifices to them, worshipped them, and venerated them. Though the Empress and Yuanmu appeared outwardly identical, their personalities gradually diverged under the influence of the Creator Gods' worship.
Their personalities became more and more opposed.
Later, Taichu, the adopted son of the Great Emperor, arrived. That tall, handsome man captivated her at once.
Taichu possessed grand ambitions and astonishing desires. When he looked at her, the fire in his eyes made her unable to restrain herself.
But when Taichu looked at her sister Yuanmu, there was also a hidden flame beneath his calm gaze.
She was swept away by the heat of passion and did not take this to heart.
The Empress, caught in this Six Paths of Reincarnation technique, seemed to be watching her own life.
Time flowed on.
Soon, she saw scenes different from her memories. After Taichu defeated the Creator Gods, he was elevated to Heavenly Emperor and married both sisters.
"From beginning to end, you and Yuanmu have been one and the same—both Abyss Goddesses."
Taichu said to her, "When I look at her, it is as if I am looking at you."
The Empress silently accepted this. Afterward, she bore a child, named Qi, whom the ancient gods called Crown Prince Qi.
Crown Prince Qi was adorable and much beloved by Heavenly Emperor Taichu. She loved her son dearly as well.
Yuanmu's child was also born, named Hao, whom the ancient gods called Second Prince Hao.
She knew that she and Yuanmu were truly one person, and Yuanmu's child was also her child. Whether it was Qi or Hao, both were her sons.
Her life was blissful.
The Empress held Crown Prince Qi in one arm and Second Prince Hao in the other, playing with the two children, a smile on her face. The children giggled without end.
"But it is all false."
The Empress's face suddenly turned cold. She activated her divine power, and the two children in her arms screamed miserably, turning to ash!
The Empress rose to her feet. Darkness shrouded the sky, devouring all things, and she strode toward the Lingxiao Treasure Hall of the Heavenly Court.
Wherever she passed, the Abyss destroyed everything. Countless heavenly gods were reduced to powder by the Abyss's divine power, crumbling into chaos.
"Zitong, have you gone mad?" Heavenly Emperor Taichu's face showed disbelief as he rushed toward her.
"False!"
The Empress sneered. A great abyss suddenly appeared, swallowing Heavenly Emperor Taichu whole.
Yuanmu stared blankly at the scene, then suddenly screamed and charged at her, shrieking, "Sister, what have you done to our children?"
"You are false too."
The Empress reached out and grasped. Space twisted, and Yuanmu tumbled toward her, then was absorbed into her. She sneered, "You and I were always one—so return to being one! Xu Shenghua, do you think you can make me give up everything with such a technique—give up power and glory? Dream on! Break for me!"
She pushed her divine power to the absolute limit. The Six Paths of Reincarnation collapsed, and the six worlds crumbled!
The Empress returned to her body and opened her eyes. She was still on the deck of the Ferry of Ages.
Across from her stood Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian. Their gazes fell upon her, and then they both closed their eyes, as if they could not bear to look any longer.
Boom!
The two World Trees channeled the might of the Ultimate Void, surging toward her and engulfing her.
The Empress let out a fierce cry, trying to fly out of their domain, but her cultivation had been almost completely stripped away. There was no power left within her body.
After a moment, a generation's Empress was blown away into nothingness by the Cold Still Wind.
————Everyone, remember to give Qin Mu your daily heart votes! We're still sixty thousand away from the star shine value. Giving heart votes doesn't cost any money!!