Chapter 535 Part 4

Chapter 535 Part 4: Heavenly Emperor (4)

Qiao Mu did not stop; once again, he transformed into blood mist, enveloping the corpse of the Heavenly Emperor.

His body kept exploding and dying, but in the next moment, another Qiao Mu appeared from the void, trying once again to devour the Heavenly Emperor, in an endless cycle.

Qiao Canxue and Qiao Feixian stood in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, watching this repetitive scene unfold.

"Every time he dies, it is a thousand years of time for him," Qiao Canxue said as she gazed at the scene from a distance.

"To completely consume the Heavenly Emperor, even if the latter has willingly arranged it and is willing to cooperate, is certainly not an easy task. I really don’t know how many years it will take…"

"To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. To contain the power of Heavenly Emperor All Laws are Inviolable, he must raise himself to a level equal to the Heavenly Emperor over a long period of time… not to mention that he is using the Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill."

The Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill from the Jiu Province world was created by Martial Saint and is famous far and wide, and Qiao Canxue naturally knows about it.

This skill, compared to other absorbing techniques, really focuses on spiritual refining; otherwise, even if one gains great power, their mind will gradually lose control, leading to a distorted and mutated body.

The previous Qiao Mu had never used this skill, and he was actually cautious about it.

His mind and humanity were extremely precious to him, even more valuable than life itself.

After all, there are countless lives, but if he becomes an immortal Martial Saint, no one can stop him.

For him, as long as he keeps dying, he can constantly train and grow stronger through endless years. Why does he need the Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill?

But today is different.

The Heavenly Emperor is the strongest being in all the worlds, yet even he died in the Great Collapse, and Qiao Mu needs even stronger power, stronger than the deceased Heavenly Emperor.

Qiao Canxue quietly watched it all.

The blood mist gathered and dispersed again, with Qiao Mu’s figure disappearing and reappearing, continuously repeating in this Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

She is just a guide, and now merely a witness, unable to do more than remember this scene in her heart.

………………………………

In the Return Ruins, time is unknown, and Qiao Canxue doesn’t know how long time has passed.

She only remembered that when she looked at the Heavenly Emperor’s Throne again, the Heavenly Emperor’s body had already disappeared.

Sitting on the Heavenly Emperor’s Throne, Qiao Mu looked the same as before, with snow-white hair and deep, ancient eyes. A faint light gathered on his head in the shape of a crown, and he stood tall like a great mountain.

"The time has come," Qiao Mu said, opening his eyes under the crown on the Heavenly Emperor’s Throne.

As his eyes opened and closed, it seemed like thunder split the sky.

In the ruins of the heavenly palace, it was as if an endless sea of clouds began to move. The heavy clouds roared like a wild ocean, scattering the floating clouds and revealing many broken palaces within.

In the sea of clouds, a faint purple and illusory river of stars appeared. It passed through the broken palaces, coming from the void and going back into the void, encircling the entire ruins of the heavenly palace.

As Qiao Mu’s gaze fell upon it, the illusory river of stars seemed to boil, as if it were a real river rising with tides, with great stars floating up and down with the waves.

At that moment, Qiao Mu seemed to be the center of the entire heavenly palace, and even the whole river of stars, as billions of stars broke free from their original paths, slowly revolving around him.

With his spirit and energy merged into one, Qiao Mu’s thoughts were not empty and vague; they could also affect the real world.

At this moment, Qiao Mu was many times stronger than before. A single thought made the stars tremble and the Milky Way boil, as if he were the center of all the worlds.

Qiao Canxue’s heart shook, "The Milky Way is the manifestation of all worlds, a big star is a big world, and a small world. In one thought, the Milky Way trembles, and the stars change their paths…."

Such immeasurable strength reminded her of the peak period of the Heavenly Emperor, but for some reason, her heart felt a faint sadness.

"How many years has it been?" she asked.

Qiao Mu picked up the Human Emperor Sword that had fallen beside him, his eyes shining with a hidden light. The boiling Milky Way returned to normal, and he seemed to return to his previous form.

"I can’t remember," Qiao Mu said softly, lowering his eyelids.

"It’s been about… twenty million years."

Qiao Canxue and Qiao Feixian were momentarily speechless.

Qiao Mu looked down and clenched his fist, feeling the power of his body that was millions of years old, as if there was endless strength within him.

After many long years, he felt that he had reached the peak of what his body and soul could achieve after devouring the Heavenly Emperor, and he sensed something mysterious within himself from that moment on.

He had reached a limit in strength and skill. Even if he spent countless years in dreams, he feared he might not make any more progress.

Upon reaching this point, Qiao Mu even had a lingering doubt: when he died again, would the Long Life Lock that held his life be able to fully bring him back to life?

At this moment, Qiao Mu looked up.

Outside the ruins of the heavenly realm, in the seemingly endless depths of the sea of clouds, a white palace suddenly appeared from who knows when.

The palace was very complete, made entirely of white jade, and its ethereal spirit rose into the clouds, untouched by the mundane world.

This palace seemed to float with a mystical aura, yet it strangely appeared within the Return Ruins.

In the Return Ruins, even the heavenly realm lay in ruins, with the barren land filled with twisted ruins like vines, while this white palace appeared to be spotless, making it stand out even more.

"Outer Realm Heavenly Path Palace," Qiao Canxue spoke up, recognizing this palace from the memories of the Heavenly Emperor’s daughter.

"This is the home of the ancestor."

Amidst the mist and clouds, a person flew in on a cloud from the Outer Realm Heavenly Path Palace.

This person looked almost exactly like Qiao Mu, but his face and skin were covered in pale, fine scales that moved gently with his breathing.

In theory, although the Heavenly Court has become a ruin, there are still rules set by the Heavenly Emperor that forbid flying.

However, the person from the Outer Realm Heavenly Path Palace came flying on a cloud and landed directly in the Heavenly Court.

Qiao Mu looked down.

A coin jumped out of his storage bag, bouncing on his fingertips.

The coin had a prominent image of a serpent eating its own tail, which was the symbol of the former king of the snake tribe in the demon realm, Nine Dead Demon Lord Qiao Busi.

This coin bore the spiritual mark of the Nine Dead Demon Lord, so even though they had never met, Qiao Mu could confirm the true identity of the person before him.

Nine Dead Demon Lord!

"Daozu, please come and enter the Dao Palace to see him."

Nine Dead Demon Lord’s gaze was deep as he looked into Qiao Mu’s eyes; there seemed to be many unexplainable emotions in his pupils.

"He called me here, so I must go?" Qiao Mu remained still, sitting on the Heavenly Emperor’s Throne, facing Nine Dead Demon Lord.

"To go or not to go are two choices; you will always have a choice." Nine Dead Demon Lord remained calm about Qiao Mu’s reaction, as if it was expected.

"Listen to me completely before you make your choice; it’s not too late."

Nine Dead Demon Lord sat cross-legged on a cloud, his gaze drifting to the Ring Snake Coin in Qiao Mu’s hand, and began to tell his story:

"It seems you have guessed my identity; I am the immortal of the demon world, Nine Dead Demon Lord Qiao Busi."

"When the demon world was destroyed, I was defeated by Immortal Lord Qingxuan, who trapped me with the time technique Immobilization Skill… this was a long time ago."

"The Nine Dead Demon Lord, who tried to build the World Crossing Boat, no longer existed at that time… However, it seems you are different from me; you have traveled farther." Nine Dead Demon Lord said with a sense of nostalgia.

"The most terrifying force in this world is time. Even beings like you and me, who are immortal, must eventually face the test of time, and I did not make it to the end."

"After entering the Outer Realm Heavenly Path Palace and learning about the origin of the Long Life Lock, as well as the truth behind this great calamity, I did not reach the end; I became a failure."

"Wait a moment." Qiao Mu interrupted him and asked:

"You were defeated and captured by Immortal Lord Qingxuan, but then you entered the Outer Realm Heavenly Path Palace where the Dao Ancestor resides. There is a connection between these two events…"

"You have already guessed, haven’t you?" Nine Dead Demon Lord smiled.

"After the celestial realm broke apart, many True Immortals chose the path of blood sacrifice. It was not only the demon realm and the Jiu Province realm; many other worlds also suffered disruptions caused by True Immortals."

"And there are certainly reasons for their choices."

"Immortal Diyuan… She never believed that the Heavenly Emperor would die, so she was searching for the Empress Reincarnation. By chance, she came to my demon realm…"

"The True Immortal who takes the path of blood sacrifice actually believes in another person, or you could say believes in themselves, stepping onto a different road."

"Do you mean…." Qiao Mu narrowed his eyes.

"The Dao Ancestor?"

With those words spoken, he naturally came to a realization.

The Heavenly Emperor is famous for his great power, while the Dao Ancestor is known for being mysterious and elusive, a figure that is hard to find.

When talking about the Heavenly Emperor, people say he is the strongest being since the beginning of time, so…. what about the Dao Ancestor?

It is said that the Dao Ancestor is the source of the immortal path, the first cultivator, who began teaching in the endless distant ancient wilderness.

The Heavenly Emperor upholds all laws, but died in the Great Collapse.

The Dao Ancestor is indestructible through all ages, one of the only two beings in the countless realms who have achieved immortality.

So, what can prove that the Dao Ancestor has achieved immortality and is indestructible?

At this moment, the Nine Dead Demon Lord slowly spoke, revealing the answer:

"The Heavenly Emperor is the strongest True Immortal since the beginning of time."

"And the Dao Ancestor, he probably existed even before the beginning of time… He safely survived the last Great Collapse, which is why he is ‘indestructible’; even the Great Collapse could not kill him."

"The Dao Ancestor is actually the strongest being from the last Chaos Era before the universe first opened, and the way he survived the Great Collapse was by using every means to strengthen himself before the final calamity."

"And his way of surviving the Great Collapse…" When the Nine Dead Demon Lord said this, it became clear.

True Immortals like Immortal Lord Qingxuan and Immortal Yanshen probably chose the path of blood sacrifice because of the existence of the Dao Ancestor.

If there is a being in this world that has proved to be indestructible and survived the Great Collapse, then naturally, many will follow, wanting to become the second indestructible True Immortal.

Compared to the Heavenly Emperor, who perished in the face of the Great Collapse, the indestructible Dao Ancestor is obviously more credible.

"The Dao Ancestor is the source of all laws and the founder of the Immortal Path," explained the Nine Dead Demon Lord.

"All the various Immortal arts and techniques in the countless realms can be traced back to the Dao Ancestor."

"The blood sacrifice method is no exception."

Qiao Mu listened with a blank expression.

True Immortals disturb the world because the Great Collapse is near, and their original long life is no longer attainable, so they seek ways to save themselves.

The blood sacrifice method once used by the Dao Ancestor is like a bright light in a storm, becoming their goal to pursue desperately.

"Very well, you have convinced me."

Qiao Mu placed one hand on the Human Emperor Sword and stood up from the Heavenly Emperor’s Throne, looking up at the Dao Palace hidden deep in the sea of clouds.

"The Dao Ancestor is truly worth seeing," Qiao Mu said slowly while holding the Human Emperor Sword.