【The Legend of the Shepherd】The Universe.

Metaverse.

Yankang.

"boom……"

People moved about, and the psionic bridge lit up with light, bustling with activity and appearing very prosperous.

"Yankang today is only able to live by the grace of the Heavenly Court. The Ten Heavenly Venerables had already reincarnated as part of their souls to learn new knowledge and as a backup plan. Even if the Heavenly Court fails, they can still transform themselves in the new era and continue to control the highest power."

Cao Ya traveled through Yankang State, seeing clearly various places—towns, villages, and mountains—and discovered too many reincarnations of gods and demons.

His gaze turned cold.

"Whoosh!!!"

Several figures suddenly flew over, and were taken aback when they heard Cao Ya's words.

"There's nothing we can do about it. The Heavenly Court is too powerful; how can we resist? We can only submit temporarily, form alliances, and eventually, we'll have a chance to overthrow the Heavenly Court," said Granny Si.

“Yankang has records of these reincarnated souls of gods and demons. If we can’t tell the difference, we’ll monitor them. They’ll eventually slip up,” the village chief said.

A group of people descended from the mountains and forests and began to wander on the ground of the dimensional realm.

"What do you want from me?" Cao Ya asked.

Over the years, Cao Ya has lived in Yankang in the Yuan Realm. He was once a member of the Remnant Village, but times have changed and the world has changed drastically. The Remnant Village no longer exists, and he has long since integrated into Yankang National Middle School.

Under the Heavenly Court's military force, Yan Kang was forced to submit.

Cao Ya's martial prowess, though already quite strong before this, was only roughly equal to the Ten Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Court, making victory impossible.

The Xuan Du Heavenly Lord and You Du Earth Lord, who were like him, all submitted, let alone Cao Ya.

Qin Mu traveled far and wide, only occasionally returning to Yankang.

However, Cao Ya's existence still gave Yan Kang some confidence. In the previous calamity, he protected Yan Kang and killed countless gods and demons from other heavens. The Ten Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Court were furious. The Fire Heavenly Venerable stepped forward and took the lead in volunteering, but was sent back.

With Qin Mu roaming the Heavenly Court, along with the presence of Wuyou Township, the Creator, the Heavenly Emperor, the Earth God, the Earth Mother, and others, and the Yan Kang Reform, the Heavenly Court's heroes secretly coveted the reforms. Thus, despite the noise, the results were minimal, and Yan Kang gained even more room to survive.

Cao Ya recognized this, which is why he dared to take such drastic action.

Of course, things can't go too far; the Heavenly Court's patience has its limits.

At that time, Yankang was by no means an enemy of the Heavenly Court.

Later, when the ancestral temple opened, Cao Ya did not go there. He knew the dangers of the ancestral temple and was always wary of it.

I only went there once after I had reached a five-star high-level combat power.

In the current timeline, Qin Mu, for the sake of Yan Kang, mingled in the Heavenly Court, feigning friendship with the Ten Heavenly Venerables. Even the Ancestral Court had been opened for a long time, and the Land of No Worries and the Creator had also revealed their presence.

A new era is dawning, one that will far surpass many of the past eras!

"Mu'er sent word that the Ten Heavenly Venerables have decided to eliminate the Heavenly Emperor and raze Xuandu to the ground!" Granny Si said in a deep voice.

Cao Ya, however, was not surprised; it was something he had expected.

“Heaven itself also wanted to die. The Heavenly Dao of Xuandu granted his wish, but it also bound him,” Cao Ya said.

After speaking, Cao Ya sneered and said, "The Heavenly Emperor has the identity of one of the Ten Heavenly Venerables in the Heavenly Court. Perhaps, in his opinion, it would be better for the original Heavenly Venerable to die and for the Ten Heavenly Venerables to continue to rule."

【The Legend of the Shepherd】The universe, all the heavens and myriad worlds, are ruled by the Heavenly Court, which is high above and oppresses everything.

Originally the Heavenly Court of the ancient god race, it was later destroyed by the resistance of Yun Tianzun and others. They plotted to eliminate the ancient god emperor, and the Heavenly Alliance grew in power. The Heavenly Court began to be dominated by the demigod race.

Regardless of the time, humans and other acquired races were not valued by the Heavenly Court and were only regarded as food and offerings.

Yan Kang represents the acquired race, determined to overthrow the corrupt and decadent Heavenly Court!

In order to increase the probability of success, Xuandu Tiangong and Youdu Tubo were allies of Yankang.

Those two beings were ancient gods, originally objects of hostility from the acquired races. However, after the demigods rose to power, the two joined forces again to fight against the demigods.

Cao Ya is human, a member of an acquired race, so he naturally stands on the side of Yan Kang.

Not only should the demigod race be overthrown, but the ancient gods should not be allowed to regain their dominant position!

“Mu’er knows this too, but he has the means to awaken the Heavenly Emperor. If he truly upholds the Way of Heaven and is selfless, what does it matter if such a being saves him?” the village chief said.

"Cao Ya, what's your opinion?"

Grandma Si, Grandpa Ma, the cripple, the pharmacist, the mute, the butcher, the blind man, and the deaf man all looked at Cao Ya with expectant expressions.

In the past, they were all members of the Remnant Village. They raised Qin Mu and taught him a lot of knowledge. Cao Ya also revealed many things that were beyond everyone's imagination. In addition, Cao Ya's strength has been advancing by leaps and bounds and has never fallen behind the times. Back in the Yan Kang Tribulation, he fought against the Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Court and displayed great divine power, making his name known throughout the heavens and myriad realms.

Therefore, although Cao Ya does not hold any official position in Yankang today, his reputation is very high and he is respected by everyone.

His presence is the source of Yankang's stability.

In the eyes of everyone, Cao Ya needs to take action in this great battle of Xuandu, because he alone can hold off a Heavenly Venerable!

Even better, we could fight and win!

"Rescue Xuandu?" Cao Ya murmured, then suddenly chuckled.

"You agree?" Grandma Si's eyes lit up.

Everyone laughed, and the village chief said, "I knew it! You're the strongest in Yankang, how could you not show up?"

"Cao Ya, what level have you reached in your swordsmanship?" the butcher asked, his fighting spirit high.

He is the Heavenly Blade, but just like the village chief who is a sword god, there is a high mountain on the path of swordsmanship, namely the Kaihuang of Wuyou Township, which makes all sword cultivators in the world feel that they are looking up to a high mountain and easily feel despair.

In the realm of swordsmanship, Cao Ya's status stands at the very pinnacle!

However, he did not imprint himself on the void, so the swordsmen, unlike the knights, could not feel it clearly.

"Fine, since you're not going to tell me," the Butcher snorted. "I'm going to the Ancestral Court to meet up with Mu'er, and the three Divine Blades, Tian Shu, Luo Wushuang, and Zhe Huali, and head to Xuandu to participate in the Heavenly Court's war against Xuandu!"

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold; Xuandu cannot be destroyed!"

Cao Ya rolled his eyes. This guy was subtly reminding him again.

In the myriad realms, Xuandu represents the Heavenly Dao, where the stars roam, while Youdu represents death, the final resting place of the soul.

If these two places fall into the hands of the Heavenly Court, then the destruction of Yankang is only a matter of time.

"No rush! It's just Xuandu. If the Heavenly Emperor wants to die, let him die," Cao Ya said softly.

Everyone was taken aback.

What's the meaning?

Cao Ya stood on the earth of the Yuan Realm, raised his head, and his gaze seemed to see through the void, seeing the Heavenly Court, which reigned supreme in the sky and ruled over all the heavens and myriad worlds with darkness.

The Ten Heavenly Venerables are high above, self-important, and consider themselves the masters of all spirits!

"The Heavenly Court has also reached its time of destruction..." Cao Ya's voice was very soft, but it shocked a group of elderly people in the Remnant Village, making their muscles go weak. They were all experts in the Divine Realm, and they almost fell over.

Granny Si stammered, "Cao Ya, are you out of your mind? Attacking the Heavenly Court... what power does Yan Kang have right now?"

"With the Ten Heavenly Venerables mobilized, they are more than capable of sweeping through all realms!"

The pharmacist suddenly began dispensing medicine, muttering, "Another one's gone mad."

“I’m not crazy!” Cao Ya said. “The Ten Heavenly Venerables are very powerful, but they did not cultivate the Great Heavenly Court, nor did they imprint the Ultimate Void, and they did not achieve the thirty-sixth level of the Dao Realm. To me… to me now, they are just a bunch of chickens and dogs.”

"You've mastered the Dao of the Blade? You've gone a step further than the Thirty-Five Heavens Sword Dao of the Kaihuang Era, and even imprinted the Ultimate Void of the Thirty-Sixth Heaven? Just like the Taidi Emperor?" the village chief exclaimed excitedly.

The group of people were trembling. The pharmacist's hands were shaking, and he spilled the medicine he was preparing halfway on the ground.

【The Legend of the Shepherd】The universe has many cultivation systems. The Divine Treasury System was created by the Seven Heavenly Venerables of the Dragon-Han Era. Because of the divine power of Ling Tianzun, Qin Mu and Kaihuang once traveled back in time and also obtained the title of Heavenly Venerable.

That was the Dragon Han Nine Heavens Venerable, who had made great contributions to heaven and earth, and thus contributed, not simply through power.

Most of the Ten Heavenly Venerables in the Heavenly Court today are merely figureheads who hold positions without contributing anything. While they may not be entirely without merit, they certainly do not deserve the title of "Heavenly Venerable."

The normal path leads to the Heavenly Palace, also known as the Divine Realm, after the Seven Great Divine Treasures. One progresses from Venerable God, True God, Jade Pool, God-Slaying Platform, Jade Capital, and then to Lingxiao, finally ascending to the Emperor's Throne and becoming an extremely powerful Heavenly Palace deity.

After that, one must cultivate more Heavenly Palaces with different attributes, ideally the Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces and Seventy-Two Treasure Halls, in order to achieve the Great Heavenly Court realm and prove one's Dao!

A single imperial throne is four-star; if several celestial palaces are built, it becomes five-star.

Above the Eighteen Heavenly Palaces is the middle level of the Five-Star level, and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces is the high level of the Five-Star level. This is the realm pursued by the Ten Heavenly Venerables, but it is only an imperfect Heavenly Court. The Seventy-Two Treasure Halls are still needed to reach the perfect Great Heavenly Court, which corresponds to the peak of the Five-Star level.

This is the magical power cultivated, which comes from the environment of the ancestral temple, and is not enlightenment.

There is another Dao Realm system, which is purely about comprehending the Dao. It has forty levels. Generally, one reaches the five-star level at the twenty-something level, and at the thirty-something level, one is comparable to the Ten Heavenly Venerables.

As for the thirty-sixth heaven, it corresponds to the Heavenly Court realm, where one can leave an imprint in the ultimate void, plant Dao trees, grow Dao flowers, and bear Dao fruits. Finally, there are the Dao Palace levels, which correspond to the thirty-seventh, thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, and fortieth heavens respectively.

These are just the mainstream, not yet mainstream, cultivation paths; there are many more.

In the universe of "The Legend of the Shepherd God," cultivation realms are all created by human intervention, so there are naturally many of them.

The 36th, 37th, 38th, and 39th levels of the Dao Realm system are all five-star high-level, while the 40th level, the Dao Palace level, is the five-star peak.

Surpassing five stars is extremely difficult; it requires reaching a level that is unprecedented and unparalleled in a certain aspect.

Cao Ya originally pursued both paths, but later, due to limited energy and the drawbacks of the Heavenly Palace Divine Realm (which originated from external sources rather than personal insights), he focused on cultivating the Dao Realm system. However, he did not imprint his own Dao of the Sword in the void.

In fact, his mastery of the sword was enough to imprint himself on the thirty-sixth heaven and plant a Dao tree in the ultimate void.

“The Supreme Emperor relies on the sacrifices of the Creator, which is not pure enough,” Cao Ya said, shaking his head.

Cao Ya of [Covering the Sky] alone possesses the power of a five-star high-level being. With the addition of other systems, even if he doesn't directly break through to the peak of the five-star level, his combat power is comparable to the strongest five-star high-level being.

"Haha, good!" the village chief laughed. "With you, and with the Heavenly Duke, the Earth God, the Kaihuang, the Langwan God King, the Netherworld Venerable, and the Moon Venerable, the Ten Heavenly Venerables are indeed powerful, but Yankang is not entirely without the power to resist."

"Ten Heavenly Venerables are nothing," Cao Ya sighed. Since the Ten Heavenly Venerables had not yet attained enlightenment, they could still be dealt with.

And this entire universe is threatened by prehistoric enlightened beings.

Those are countless enlightened beings!

There are countless powerful figures at or above the 36th level of the Dao Realm!

They all have their eyes on the current universe.

Cao Ya guards the Yuan Realm's Yankang. To outsiders, his Heavenly Venerable-level combat power makes the Yuan Realm seem like Youdu or Xuandu.

Soon after, Qin Mu returned from the ancestral court, visited Youdu, met with Tu Bo and You Tianzun, and then met with Yue Tianzun before arriving in Yankang.

Honestly, I've been using a source-switching app to read and follow my favorite books lately. It offers various source switching options and multiple audio reading options. Huanyuanapp works on both Android and Apple devices.

"Of the ten Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Court, Xiao Tianzun, who was the ancient God Heavenly Emperor, was exiled by Yue Tianzun during the last great battle against Tu Bo, You Tianzun, and Yue Tianzun. It will be at least ten or twenty years before he returns."

"Of the remaining nine Heavenly Venerables, Hong Tianzun is the Heavenly Duke's incarnation in the Heavenly Court. He has fallen and only has power in his eyes."

"There is also Consort Yan, who is actually the Empress, and the son of the Heavenly Duke, who desires to kill his father and control the Xuandu Heavenly Dao. There is also the Void Heavenly Venerable, the daughter of the Earth Lord, as well as the Langxuan Divine Emperor, the Palace Heavenly Venerable, the Fire Heavenly Venerable, and Consort Qiang, who is the reincarnation of the Tai Emperor's divided spirit."

"Of course, there's also the strongest, Haotian Venerable!"

"The Goddess Tai Su and the Ancient Goddess Tai Yin will also take action and stand on the side of the Heavenly Court."

After Qin Mu finished his analysis, he was dejected and utterly hopeless.

Even though Xiaotianzun was temporarily banished, the remaining forces of the Heavenly Court, including experts at the Heavenly Venerable level, still held an overwhelming advantage.

"Moreover, I haven't mentioned that Lady Yuanmu is also in the Heavenly Court. She is Shi Qiluo, who manages the Zaofu Heavenly Palace. She is also a Heavenly Venerable-level warrior."

"If we include the Heavenly Court's specially crafted divine artifact, the Heavenly Venerable..."

Qin Mu counted on his fingers: "On our side, besides Grandpa Cao, there are Kaihuang and Langwan God-King. Hmm, we need to be careful with the God-King. We can't let her meet with Gong Tianzun. Gong Tianzun was the God-King of the Creator in the ancient times. He might try to win over Langwan God-King."

"There are also Moon Celestial Venerable, Nether Celestial Venerable, Earth Lord, and, well, the Heavenly Emperor himself, who may be involved with more than one Celestial Venerable."

"But our numbers are still lagging behind, and we lack the divine artifact, the Heavenly Venerable."

"Even the God King Shujun and Taishi are of no use."

After listening to his analysis, not only did Qin Mu feel somewhat resigned, but everyone else also felt heavy-hearted.

Cao Ya said, "Do your best. If you can't finish, I will step in."

Qin Mu's morale instantly returned, and he laughed, "Grandpa Cao, can your swordsmanship truly be imprinted on the ultimate void?"

He rubbed his palms together, seemingly eager to sponge off his parents.

"Butcher, Tian Shu Heavenly King, Luo Wushuang Divine Blade, Zhe Huali, they are not powerful enough. Even if they were all combined, they wouldn't be as good as Kaihuang. They are really a disgrace to us swordsmen."

As soon as Qin Mu finished speaking, the faces of the four men darkened.

"Mu'er, here to sponge off his parents again." Grandma Si said speechlessly.

Qin Mu travels around, occasionally visiting Yankang, where he lives off his parents and learns various Dao principles from them.