Chapter 742: The Death of the Heavenly Venerable Yu
"The death of the Heavenly Venerable Yu is nothing to make such a fuss about..."
The old ox continued walking, sneering: "These ancient people aren't strangers to death, yet they're making such a racket my head's about to explode... The Heavenly Venerable Yu is dead? The Heavenly Venerable Yu is dead!"
He couldn't help but roar out loud, and without bothering to call Qin Mu, Emperor Kai, and the others, he hurriedly rushed out of Fenghua Tower. Outside, the commotion hadn't ceased—some people were weeping loudly, others stood there woodenly, and some ran to ask others for confirmation, then slumped to the ground in despair after receiving the news, staring blankly into space.
The old ox's heart was in a panic. He could feel that the ancient sages who had come to the gathering seemed to have suddenly lost their pillar of support.
He stared blankly at the chaotic, frantic crowd outside. When the Heavenly Venerable Yu was alive, this place was a flourishing age in the midst of transformation. But now that news of his death had spread, everyone had suddenly become like headless flies.
A glorious era that was about to arrive had suddenly dimmed.
The death of a great leader was too heavy a blow for the people of this age.
The old ox's heart was also filled with confusion: "How did he die? How could he die just like that? It can't be, right? Is this a joke? This joke is going a bit too far..."
Footsteps sounded behind him. Qin Mu, Emperor Kai, and the Heavenly Venerable Ling walked over. Their faces were also filled with bewilderment. Inside the tower, they had heard the weeping and clamor from outside. The impact of the news of the Heavenly Venerable Yu's death was beyond imagination for them as well.
Qin Mu and Emperor Kai had traveled through time to this era and had relatively little contact with the Heavenly Venerable Yu—they had only spoken with him once—but their impression of him was quite favorable.
They also held the Heavenly Venerable Yu in great respect in their hearts, considering him a great ancient leader of extraordinary vision who would lead the post-natal beings to forge a new era.
Their evaluation of him was extremely high. Yet such a young leader, who had been waiting to realize his lifelong ambitions, had died so suddenly. Qin Mu and Emperor Kai both found it hard to accept.
The Heavenly Venerable Ling found it even harder to accept.
Qin Mu and Emperor Kai had little contact with the Heavenly Venerable Yu, but she had grown up listening to the legends of the Heavenly Venerable Yu. When she later met him, he had cared for her like an elder brother, giving her much encouragement.
After she had pioneered the Six Harmonies Divine Treasury, she had turned to researching the non-existence of time, wanting to prove it through divine powers. Although the Heavenly Venerable Yu didn't believe her research could succeed and thought she had gone down the wrong path, he still treated her extremely well.
His death was a tremendous blow to her.
Her face pale, she staggered forward. Qin Mu said in a low voice, "Follow her. Let's see what's really going on!"
The three of them immediately followed the Heavenly Venerable Ling. Ahead was a sea of people—the entire detached palace was packed with people, all in deep mourning. Some half-gods were also looking down from the sky.
"How could the Heavenly Venerable Yu have died so suddenly?"
Emperor Kai said in a low voice: "For someone like him, divine power users couldn't kill him. Unless a half-god or an ancient god made a move, how could he be put to death?"
Qin Mu was thinking about something else. He mused: "Why kill him before he could announce the method of becoming a god? Killing him wasn't to eliminate him—it was to eliminate the method of becoming a god!"
The old ox whispered: "Could the Heavenly Venerable Yu be faking his death? If he faked his death, he could stir up conflict between the half-gods, post-natal beings, and the Heavenly Court..."
Qin Mu and Emperor Kai shook their heads together.
The old ox was puzzled.
Qin Mu explained: "Faking his death before the Heavenly Court would be meaningless. With Lord Tu Bo and Lord Tian Gong present, he couldn't possibly fake his death. His soul couldn't escape the control of the Netherworld, and he couldn't evade the eyes and ears of Lord Tian Gong. He is... truly dead."
Emperor Kai added: "Moreover, if he wanted to stir up conflict between the half-gods, post-natal beings, and the ancient gods, he wouldn't need to fake his death. He should first spread the method of becoming a god. Once it was spread, the contradictions between the new gods and the ancient gods would inevitably accumulate day by day. This involves the question of distribution of interests—the new gods want more benefits, the ancient gods are unwilling to give up what they already have, and contradictions naturally arise. A man as intelligent as him wouldn't need to resort to faking his death. And faking his death..."
He didn't finish his sentence, clearly having some reservations.
Qin Mu, however, had no such reservations and continued his thought: "And if he faked his death, he would undoubtedly be handing over the position of leader to someone else. He wouldn't do something that would benefit others at his own expense."
Emperor Kai glanced at him, worried, and said in a low voice: "We are outsiders after all. It's not easy to become too deeply entangled with this era. We've only been in this era for a few days, but I can already feel the undercurrents surging and murderous intent lurking everywhere."
Qin Mu shook his head: "We are in the past. We are events that have already happened. No matter what we do, when we return to the present, we will find that everything we did is already history that has occurred."
Emperor Kai's forehead veins bulged, and his voice was somewhat hoarse: "Are you trying to cause trouble again? Do you really want to force me to kill you?"
The old ox didn't know what they were talking about and was puzzled.
But Qin Mu and Emperor Kai knew exactly what they meant. One had spoken of "benefiting others at one's own expense," and the other had spoken of "undercurrents surging." Both were making pointed references.
They were referring to the greatest beneficiaries after the death of the Heavenly Venerable Yu.
The leader was dead—the one who succeeded him as leader was the greatest beneficiary.
The reformer was dead—without the path to becoming a god, the ancient gods were the greatest beneficiaries.
In recent days, the Heavenly Venerable Yu had been running around constantly, both hosting the guests who had come for the gathering, coordinating between half-gods and post-natal beings, and managing the factions within the Heavenly Court. He rarely had time to rest.
He lived in the Winding Corridor Pavilion of the Jade Pool Retreat. At this moment, the area outside the Winding Corridor Pavilion was already packed with people. The Heavenly Venerable Huo and the Netherworld Son were standing guard at the door. The Heavenly Venerable Huo's face was full of grief and indignation. He glared at the crowd, forbidding anyone from approaching.
The Heavenly Venerable Ling pushed her way forward, her voice hoarse: "Is it true?"
The Heavenly Venerable Huo choked up and nodded, saying: "They're all inside. The Heavenly Venerable You is trying to summon his soul, to see if he can be revived. The Heavenly Venerable Hao has already submitted a memorial to His Majesty, asking Lord Tu Bo to return his soul..."
Qin Mu looked at the Netherworld Son. He stood there, his eyes vacant, somewhat dazed, staring blankly into space.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply as he stared at his own hands. Two teardrops splashed onto the backs of his hands.
The Heavenly Venerable Ling rushed into the Winding Corridor Pavilion. Qin Mu, Emperor Kai, and the green ox also intended to enter, but the Heavenly Venerable Huo raised his hand to block them. The Netherworld Son snapped back to his senses and quickly raised his hand to block them as well, saying apologetically: "Brother Qin, Brother Mu, the Heavenly Venerable Yu was murdered inside. You cannot enter..."
"Heavenly Venerable Huo, let them in."
The Heavenly Venerable Ling's voice came from inside: "Their attainments in divine powers and techniques are very high. Perhaps they can find some clues!"
The Heavenly Venerable Huo hesitated, then lowered his arm. His eyes red, he said to Qin Mu: "If you can find any clues, then I won't hold a grudge against you."
Qin Mu nodded slightly: "I'll do my best."
They walked into the Winding Corridor Pavilion. The pavilion was built on the lake of the island, facing the water, with the waves of the lake below. It was a very elegant place.
Because it was the residence of the Empress, the Winding Corridor Pavilion was also much larger than normal buildings, with a very spacious interior.
The three of them walked into the pavilion and saw the bloodstains on the floor. The window ledge had been blasted open, and there were traces of divine powers left on the walls. The corpse of the Heavenly Venerable Yu sat beneath the window ledge, leaning against the wall, his head hanging down, his limbs limp.
The Heavenly Venerable Hao, the Heavenly Venerable Yun, the Heavenly Venerable Yue, and the Heavenly Venerable You were all here. The Heavenly Venerable Hao was holding a divine hound, which was sniffing around everywhere.
The Heavenly Venerable You raised his palm, and his primordial energy surged out, suspending the corpse of the Heavenly Venerable Yu in the air, three feet above the ground.
The ghost-face mask behind the young man's head began to cry, but the Heavenly Venerable You's expression remained as calm as ever.
Qin Mu looked at the Heavenly Venerable Yu floating in the air. His bones were essentially completely broken—not a single intact bone remained. Someone had used heavy force to shatter his bones, leaving him floating in the air with a strange sense of helplessness.
"Judging from the external injuries, there was more than one person who attacked him."
Qin Mu walked around the Heavenly Venerable Yu, carefully examining the wounds. He didn't get very close, but he could see the injuries on the Heavenly Venerable Yu's body very clearly.
"But the fatal wound wasn't caused by the broken bones. The fatal wound came from his back, at his heart. Someone suddenly struck him from behind, gravely wounding him."
Qin Mu slowly circled around, and a picture had already formed in his mind. The person had suddenly struck from behind the Heavenly Venerable Yu. Fearing of leaving traces, he hadn't used his most skilled divine power—he had used pure physical strength.
With the first strike, he had shattered the Heavenly Venerable Yu's heart with his terrifying physical power, then dodged the Heavenly Venerable Yu's counterattack and circled around him with lightning speed!
A series of physical attacks, like heavy hammers striking various parts of the Heavenly Venerable Yu's body, snapping his bones one by one!
"The divine power marks on the walls of the Winding Corridor Pavilion are the Heavenly Venerable Yu's own divine powers."
Qin Mu looked toward the walls. The Heavenly Venerable Yu must have trusted that person immensely, which was why the other party had the opportunity to ambush him.
Moreover, the two were roughly equal in cultivation and strength. The Heavenly Venerable Yu's cultivation was stronger, but the other party's physical body was far stronger. Having lost the initiative with his heart shattered, he fought back, but the other party had already closed in.
Being closed in on by a master of combat techniques—what a terrifying thing that was?
Qin Mu himself cultivated combat techniques and knew this well.
"But what truly took the Heavenly Venerable Yu's life wasn't the physical injuries."
Qin Mu's mind stirred slightly, and a drop of blood floated over. His pupils rotated layer by layer, directly activating the Eightfold Heaven. The divine blood of the Heavenly Venerable Yu carried several subtle divine power runes, which soon disintegrated.
These were traces left by the other party's divine power.
"There are no traces of techniques or divine powers on the Heavenly Venerable Yu's physical body, but there are divine power runes in his blood. This means the other party did use divine power, but it wasn't directed at his physical body. So what was his divine power directed at?"
Suddenly, obscure Netherworld language came to his ears. Qin Mu's heart stirred, and he looked toward the Heavenly Venerable You.
That young man was activating Netherworld divine powers, chanting the most ancient and pure Netherworld language, trying to summon the soul of the Heavenly Venerable Yu from the Netherworld.
His Netherworld language was already quite good, but to Qin Mu's ears, it was somewhat lacking. After all, the current Heavenly Venerable You had not yet entered the Netherworld, had not yet become the Heavenly King Tian Qi Ren Sheng of later ages.
The Heavenly Venerable You's eyes were bloodshot, and the Netherworld language coming from his mouth became increasingly chaotic. Although his expression was calm, inside, waves of emotion were surging endlessly.
His heart was in turmoil, and his attainments were still too shallow. Even if his heart weren't in turmoil, he couldn't summon the Heavenly Venerable Yu's soul back from the Netherworld.
"I still can't do it..."
The Heavenly Venerable You suddenly spat blood and fell to his knees, convulsing as if in spasms, making whimpering sounds from his throat, his jaw clenched tightly.
"I still can't do it!"
He curled up into a ball, his body trembling, sobbing: "I still can't do it. I couldn't save Mother, and I can't save Big Brother. I still can't do it..."
He was cold and indifferent to everyone, even the Heavenly Venerable Yu—he never showed him any warmth. But ever since his mother had fallen gravely ill, it was the Heavenly Venerable Yu who had always taken care of him.
He had long since regarded the Heavenly Venerable Yu as his only family in this world.
Just then, a gentle voice sounded in his mind: "I'll speak, and you repeat."
The Heavenly Venerable You was startled. Then the voice in his mind slowly sounded again—it was the most ancient, most pure Netherworld language, expounding the great principles of soul cultivation. So profound, so mysterious, that he felt as if Lord Tu Bo himself had descended.
The Heavenly Venerable You stood up again, following the voice as he chanted the Netherworld language. Netherworld demonic energy rolled in from all directions. The floor of the Winding Corridor Pavilion suddenly turned pitch black, revealing a deep, profound spacetime.
That was the Netherworld.
His voice spread throughout the Netherworld, searching for the soul of the Heavenly Venerable Yu.
Everyone in the Winding Corridor Pavilion turned to look. At this moment, the Heavenly Venerable You no longer seemed like a youth, but like a deity who controlled the rules of the Netherworld, summoning the dead to return!
Emperor Kai's heart stirred slightly. He looked at Qin Mu beside him and sensed Qin Mu's spiritual fluctuation—a wondrous spiritual connection.
He could tell that Qin Mu's spirit was connected to the Heavenly Venerable You!
Just now, the Heavenly Venerable You's techniques and divine powers had been crude, unable to communicate with the Netherworld. But now he could make his voice spread throughout the Netherworld. Clearly, this wasn't the Heavenly Venerable You's doing—Qin Mu was secretly teaching him a profound Netherworld divine power!
"He even understands Netherworld divine powers. What else does he know?"
Just as Emperor Kai thought this, a gate slowly rose from the darkness. A Gate of Heaven's Mandate stood tall in the pavilion, emitting heavy demonic energy.
After a moment, Qin Mu sighed and severed his spiritual connection with the Heavenly Venerable You.
"The Heavenly Venerable Yu's soul is not in the Netherworld. He... his soul has scattered to the winds. I know what that person's divine power was used for."
His heart was heavy: "It was used to destroy his soul."
The Heavenly Venerable You suddenly let out a cry, like a wild beast, a low, guttural roar. He roared again, then collapsed to the ground, convulsing and foaming at the mouth.
Qin Mu stepped forward, his fingers moving like lightning to stabilize his spirit, then helped him up and sat him by the door.
"Thank you..." The Heavenly Venerable You grabbed his hand, staring blankly at the lake outside the door, and said in a low voice.
Qin Mu was momentarily stunned.
The Heavenly Venerable You looked up, staring woodenly at his face: "Thank you."
From within the Winding Corridor Pavilion, the Heavenly Venerable Hao's voice came: "The Heavenly Venerable Yu is dead. What should we do about the Jade Pool Gathering?"
Emperor Kai came up behind Qin Mu and said in a low voice: "At this gathering, whoever spreads the method of becoming a god is the murderer."
Qin Mu slowly straightened up. The Heavenly Venerable Hao's voice came again: "A few days ago, the Heavenly Venerable Yu passed the method of becoming a god to me. Although he has met with misfortune, his legacy will still be passed down and carried forward!"
Qin Mu's eyelids twitched, twitched again, and he turned his head with difficulty.
A large hand pressed down on his shoulder—strong, powerful.
Emperor Kai said in a low voice: "It has nothing to do with us!"
"Is there no justice left in this world?" Qin Mu smiled, yet didn't seem to smile; he seemed to weep, yet didn't seem to weep.
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