The Hall of Fragrance hung above the ninth heaven of the Dao flames. It had overlapping talisman imprints on it, so it wouldnât be affected by the holy fire.
It was a bronze throne hall that was extremely ancient, standing for a million years. Nevertheless, it was still very grand and dignified.
The 72 throne halls of the celestial heavens were 72 treasures of shocking power like this one. With such a large throne hall above him, Qin Mu felt powerless.
That was where his Soul Guide and resurrection couldnât reach.
The imposing god in the flames walked towards Qin Mu. He grew larger and larger as the blazing flames coalesced in his body.
There was an even larger figure behind him.
The divine weapon Celestial Venerable Yu was behind him!
At that moment, Celestial Venerable Huo absorbed the Great Dao light in the South Pole forbidden zone to strengthen himself. It was extremely hard for him to elevate himself after cultivating to such a level.
To improve, aside from cultivating to the Celestial Heavens Realm, he could absorb the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth of his attribute. South Deity Vermillion Birdâs South Pole forbidden zone was undoubtedly the best place for that.
When South Deity Vermillion Bird was alive, he couldnât take away the power there. After all, it was her nest. However, with her now dead, he could take over the place.
Qin Mu looked at Celestial Venerable Huo, who was walking from the fire. He was so tall and imposing that one had to look up to see him.
He gave him an unfamiliar feeling.
âWhen you became a Celestial Venerable, the four deities blessed you so that you could live longer and turn dangers into fortunes.â
Qin Mu suppressed his internal anger and said, âAnd now youâve killed one of them, do you feel happy?â
At the back of Celestial Venerable Huoâs head, the wheel of fire blazed as his gaze fell on him. Celestial Venerable Huo was so powerful that even his gaze made Qin Mu feel like his primordial spirit was on fire.
âTheir blessings are merely a form of surveillance and control.â
Celestial Venerable Huo said, âTruth be told, I already removed their blessing at the start of the middle of the Dragon Han Era. After Celestial Venerable Yu died, I realized that my destiny can only be held by myself and not be put in the hands of the ancient gods!â
He bent down to look at Qin Mu as he held out his hand to hold onto him. He coldly said, âCelestial Venerable Yu died because he believed that ancient gods could coexist peacefully with Postcelestial lifeforms like humans and trusted them naively! I followed him for so long, and the only thing Iâve learned is that one can never trust the ancient gods! Any of them!â
He straightened himself and plainly said, âYouâre lucky, Celestial Venerable Mu. You left after getting the title of Celestial Venerable, so you didnât get their blessing. Who amongst those who got their blessing survived? Youâre lucky to not have had to survive the crisis of the Dragon Han Era. I did. They blessed me to control me. Isnât it right for me to fight back and remove South Deity of the four deities?â
His gaze was awe-inspiring as he said, âI know why youâre here. You want to use the ancient godsâ power to go against the celestial heavens. However, have you ever thought about how the four deities of then were terrifying beings who accepted Postcelestial lifeformsâ sacrifices? The era of today is way better than back then!â
Qin Mu nodded his head. âAs long as I donât resist?â
âYes, as long as you donât resist!â
Celestial Venerable Huo continued to absorb the Great Dao light of the zone as he said, âAs long as you donât resist the celestial heavens and do your reform thing, everyone can live. As the Celestial Venerable of humans, I can protect you all! If Celestial Venerable Yu was still alive, he would be proud of my accomplishments!â
Qin Muâs eyes shook. âCelestial Venerable Huo, you have lived in the celestial heavens for way too long. You havenât seen what life is like for humans in the large heavens and the Primordial Realm. Every time gods and devils head down for sacrifices, are they not using humans as sacrificial offerings? Not resisting doesnât mean surviving. At best, only those with power and money do!â
âItâs already far better than the past eras.â
Celestial Venerable Huo bent down again with blazing flames burning in his eyes. The air he breathed out became a sea of flames that flew by Qin Mu as he said, âIt will be better in the future. I have the power to protect humans, unlike other human Celestial Venerables! Celestial Venerable Yun was defeated, Celestial Venerable Yue became secluded, Celestial Venerable Ling didnât know how to be flexible and died without a burial site, Celestial Venerable You only knows how to hide in Youdu and blame himself, and Celestial Venerable Qin only knows how to go against the heavens and how to hide after being defeated. Thereâs only me left!â
âCelestial Venerable Mu, Iâm the only one working to give humans a chance to survive! I can work with people that disgust me, like cunning snakes, just for this chance! For this chance, I have to use their power to get rid of the ancient gods! All of them!â
He extended his palm to Qin Mu and sincerely said, âStop the reform. Donât make it difficult for me in the celestial heavens. Come and help me. You are Celestial Venerable Mu, the strong practitioner who beat me then. I know that you are talented. If we work together, we can make that beautiful era a reality sooner! By that time, we shall split power in the celestial heavens. I will be able to protect humans, and humans will no longer be sacrifices!â
Qin Mu didnât take his hand. Instead, he stared at it and vaguely said, âYou want humans to live, even if they are kneeling or part of sacrifices to appease gods and devils. I have a dream too. In my dream, humans live standing up without kneeling for anyone.â
âIn my dream, every human can enjoy themselves and be a member of god sects. They can control meteorological signs, and the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth serves them. They can choose to study to become god scholars instead of chasing power. They can paint and become painting gods. They can do what they love and become gods in what they are good at.
âI want them to live with dignity and satisfaction. They can chase their dreams, unlike only surviving groggily like what you said.â
Celestial Venerable Huo retracted his palm and said with disappointment, âYou are still thinking of reform. You are stubborn like Celestial Venerable Qin. Celestial Venerable Mu, the era of the ten Celestial Venerables is here. The corrupt ancient gods will be buried in history, and the era for stubborn humans like you will never come.â
Qin Mu clenched his fist and shouted, âWhereâs the corpse of South Deity?â
Celestial Venerable Huo turned around as the ring of flames behind him absorbed the Great Dao light there crazily. The size of the South Pole forbidden zone was shrinking at a visible rate.
âThe ancient gods are the source of all chaos in this world. Founding Emperor used their power to rebel, causing the Founding Emperor Calamity. High Emperor had Mother Earth helping him, and 300,000 years of killing in the Crimson Light Era and Dragon Han Era were caused by the ancient gods!â
Celestial Venerable Huo leaned over and said, âDid the ancient gods help create your Eternal Peace Era? Celestial Venerable Mu, you are making me your enemy by caring so much about South Deity!â
The South Pole forbidden zone shrunk at a crazy rate as the Great Dao multi-colored light disappeared gradually. Even the ninth heaven of the Dao flames became thinner and thinner.
Qin Mu took out a pen and quickly wrote a note to break off relations. He waved his sleeves, and it flew towards Celestial Venerable Huo. He plainly said, âSince you think Iâm making you an enemy, sign your name on this note to break off relations! Iâve signed mine. Write down your name, and from this day on, we will have nothing to do with one another!â
Celestial Venerable Huo took a pen and wrote his own name on it.
It flew back into Qin Muâs hands.
Qin Mu took it and seriously looked at Celestial Venerable Huoâs signature before accepting it, then shouted, âWhereâs her body?â
Celestial Venerable Huo sat down and plainly said, âYou can leave now, Celestial Venerable Mu. You are but another lackey groomed by them. Donât force me to kill you. If I do, I wonât fight you in the same realm. Iâll beat you to death.â
Qin Mu took out a mirror and shone it at the Hall of Fragrance in the air, saying, âCelestial Venerable Huo, please give me a belonging of hers. I knew her, after all.â
Celestial Venerable Huo didnât move, but he said, âI have refined her corporeal body. I wonât give her, or any ancient god, the chance to be resurrected!â
âMasterâŠâ Yanâer said, trembling.
âLetâs go.â
Qin Mu took Yanâerâs hands and walked out. This South Pole forbidden zone was collapsing as Great Dao lights flew into Celestial Venerable Huoâs body at a rapid rate. Soon, Celestial Venerable Huo would absorb all of the energy that birthed South Deity.
The nine heavens of the Dao flames collapsed, its power waning as it flooded towards the forbidden zoneâs core like a tsunami.
In the end, all of the Great Dao light there would become Celestial Venerable Huoâs cultivation. Even South Deity Vermillion Birdâs cultivation would become a part of his cultivation.
Celestial Venerable Huoâs power would increase greatly!
Qin Mu walked out of the nine heavens and boarded the carriage with a groggy Yanâer, then said, âLetâs go, Fatty Dragon.â
The dragon qilin didnât dare say anything as he silently drove the carriage away.
Qin Muâs palms were cold as he let go of Yanâerâs hand to take out the note to break off relations. He took out a small notebook that had the signatures of Celestial Venerables like Celestial Venerable Ling and Celestial Venerable Huo.
These were the signatures that he begged for shamelessly when he met the ancient Celestial Venerables during his return to the first year of the Dragon Han Era.
He compared Celestial Venerable Huoâs signature on the note to the one in his notebook. They were identical.
âHe is still the Celestial Venerable Huo of the past, not the Grand Emperor or Celestial Emperor. Yet, he isnât the Celestial Venerable Huo of the past anymore.â
Qin Mu sighed as he put the note in his notebook. He then asked Yanâer, âDo you have any of your motherâs belongings? It must be something with her essence. I can try to summon her soul with it. I can at least summon her shattered soul spread across heaven and earth, even if I canât summon the soul suppressed in the Hall of Fragrance.â
Yanâer shook her head and replied, âI only met her a couple of times. She didnât give me anythingâŠâ
Qin Mu frowned and comforted her, saying, âSouth Deity had good relations with Celestial Venerable Yue. Maybe thereâll be something of your motherâs there. Donât worry.â
The dragon qilinâs voice came from outside. âCult Master, Red Deity pleads for an audience.â
Qin Mu lifted his hand, and the curtains automatically rolled to the side. Red Deity Qi Xiayu bowed outside. âCelestial Venerable.â
Qin Mu closed the curtains and said, âLeave. South Deity is dead.â
Qi Xiayu shuddered. She took a while to recover, then hurriedly said, âThen, Celestial VenerableâŠâ
Qin Mu said with a powerless voice, âI canât resurrect her. Dragon Pi, letâs go back to the Primordial Realm. Hehe, you peopleâŠâ
After a few days, the carriage was outside the peach forest of the Primordial Realm. Qin Mu got out and entered while Yanâer followed with her lantern.
After a while, Celestial Venerable Yueâs palace was in sight.
âYanâer, you shall wait outside with Fatty Dragon,â Qin Mu instructed her as he entered alone.
âSouth Deity has no belongings here.â
Yanâer heard Celestial Venerable Yueâs voice faintly. âYou still need her belongings to summon her soul?â
âIt would be best to have her corporeal body. Belongings are secondary. Without it, I canât summon her tattered soul. However, Celestial Venerable Huo suppressed her soul in the Hall of Fragrance, so I canât do anything.â
Qin Muâs voice was light as he asked, âDid South Deity split part of her soul for reincarnation, Celestial Venerable Yue?â
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âI donât know about that. We may have good relations, but reincarnations are very important. Thereâs no way that she would tell me.â
Qin Mu became silent before speaking again, âSister, your spatial divine art is very powerful and vast. Can you help me find a couple of people?â
âWho do you want to find?â
âTwo thieves and a constable. They are committing crimes in the various heavens of the Primordial Realm.â