Cao Ya looked serious and tense.

The four Heavenly Venerables and the four Divine Artifact Heavenly Venerables, a total of eight great supernatural beings standing at the pinnacle of all realms, joined forces to besiege him. Even with their multiple systems, they felt a severe threat and smelled the scent of death.

"Cao Ya Tianzun, will something have happened to you?" In the distance, Tian Shu Tianwang asked with some worry.

The five of them, with Qin Mu activating the Moon Celestial Venerable's magic artifact, sent away the survivors of Xuandu Tianfang City. Now they are throwing themselves into the battlefield to meet the Heavenly Emperor. They are traversing the Heavenly Emperor's enormous body, as if walking through the outer starry sky, surrounded by stars, with the heavens and earth rotating, vast and boundless.

However, the Ancestral God King and those two divine artifacts, the Heavenly Venerable, were truly powerful. A mere wisp of their magical power could pierce through stars, extinguish the sun, and shatter the moon.

Even though Qin Mu and his five companions, working together, possessed formidable sword skills and were further empowered by Xuan Du's Heavenly Dao, making them almost comparable to weaker Heavenly Venerables, surpassing even the Four Colored Emperors and the Four Ancient Gods, a true Heavenly Venerable unleashing their full power was still formidable and awe-inspiring.

The butcher glanced back, and despite his worry, said in a deep voice, "Don't worry! Cao Ya never does anything he's not confident about. Even with four Heavenly Venerables and the Heavenly Court's powerful weapons, dealing with Cao Ya won't be so easy!"

Luo Wushuang and Zhe Huali sensed this and were amazed.

"That swordsmanship and artistic intent was truly extraordinary, something that has never appeared in billions of years of the universe! He held back too much when he sparred with us."

"Truly deserving of the title of the strongest swordsman in history, the pinnacle of swordsmanship!"

The master and apprentice practicing swordsmanship expressed their feelings.

"Grandpa Butcher is right, Grandpa Cao Ya, we will definitely defeat the Heavenly Venerable and be invincible!"

Having received instruction from Cao Ya since childhood and having learned many special spells, Qin Mu had also heard Cao Ya mention that he had received teachings from a Chaos God, making him extraordinary and possessing profound cultivation. Qin Mu pondered that Cao Ya's grandfather had reached the pinnacle of refinement, unleashing a multitude of secret techniques, which were mysterious and wondrous, and should be able to hold off several important figures.

"However, we can't put too much pressure on him! I must resolve the hidden dangers posed by the heavens before I can help Grandpa Cao Ya!"

"Perhaps we could try to guide Tu Bo away from Youdu and participate in the Heavenly Venerable War!"

"Hopefully... Heaven can recover, and since it hasn't completely fallen, there's still a possibility of it returning to the light..."

Thinking about it, Qin Mu felt heavy-hearted. He suddenly turned around, glanced at the scene, and then turned back to lead the four of them. They sped towards the Heavenly Emperor, and with his divine power, they fell into the Spirit Platform. The gates of the Heavenly Palace opened, and the Heavenly Emperor's primordial spirit, dressed in ancient attire and with a calm expression, sat upright in the Heavenly Palace.

"Heavenly Father, you're doomed!" Qin Mu said bluntly as soon as he saw the Heavenly Father's spirit.

Butcher, Tian Shu, Luo Wushuang, and Zhe Huali all twitched at the corner of their eyes, thinking to themselves, "This is too blatant."

The Heavenly Emperor's spirit invited them to sit down. He was not surprised by Qin Mu's words, but instead smiled slightly and said, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, you should congratulate me on being liberated and finally free."

Looking at the smiling heavens, Qin Mu's eyes were deep, and he said quietly, "If I don't take action, you cannot be resurrected. So-called freedom has nothing to do with you. Eternal death is your future."

The heavens paused for a moment.

Immediately, he chuckled and said, "Heavenly Lord Mu, you won't do that. The oppression of the Heavenly Court is something that Yan Kang alone—even with the three great allies of Wuyou Township, the Creator, and Youdu—can hardly match or resist. You need me, you need the power of a Heavenly Lord like me!"

As he spoke, the heavens grew even calmer and said leisurely:

"Rest assured, once I am resurrected, freed from the shackles of the Heavenly Dao, and regain my strength, I will surely assist Yan Kang in fighting against the arrogant and exploitative Heavenly Court!"

"I swear on the heavens for this!"

"Moreover, you are well aware that I and the Heavenly Court are irreconcilable enemies."

Luo Wushuang suddenly let out a mocking laugh.

"Luoshen Dao, it seems you disagree with what I said?" the Heavenly Emperor asked with a smile.

Luo Wushuang was like a knife, exuding a cold aura. He said, "Among the eleven Heavenly Venerables, there is one Hong Heavenly Venerable. After you die, he will become the ruler, stepping on your corpse to climb up the ranks. He wants to compete for the position of the ruler of the Heavenly Court, just like Hao Heavenly Venerable."

The Heavenly Emperor shook his head and said, "No. I have no attachment to power."

Butcher, Zhe Huali, and Tian Shu all curled their lips.

Qin Mu chuckled softly, his voice hoarse, and asked, "Hong Tianzun is a fragment of your soul. His desire for power and strength comes from you, doesn't it?"

The heavens remained indifferent, seemingly detached from worldly affairs, ethereal and otherworldly.

But Qin Mu looked on, feeling a pang of sadness.

The Heavenly Emperor said calmly, "Heavenly Venerable Shepherd, you misunderstand. I only yearn for freedom. You only see the Heavenly Emperor's power, his control over the Heavenly Dao, his boundless strength, his status as a Heavenly Venerable, his position in Xuandu, and his combat power comparable to that of an ordinary Great Heavenly Court!"

"Yes, everyone envies such great power."

At this point, the Heavenly Emperor sighed and continued, "But who knows whether I'm willing or not?"

"I am the Heavenly Emperor, watching over all realms. Countless beings are born and die. Although there are many unsatisfactory things, I envy them because they can do what they want and cultivate various great Dao techniques."

"Therefore, I separated Hong Tianzun, but it was only a division of his soul; his original body was still limited."

"This Xuandu War is the best opportunity for me to be freed in billions of years."

"Heavenly Lord Mu, Goddess of the Luo River Blade, Heavenly King of Tian Shu, Heavenly Blade of Yan Kang, you should all be happy for me."

Why be dissatisfied?

The butcher squinted and questioned, "So, you disregarded the lives of billions in Xuandu—no! You deliberately invited the wolf into the house, using your identity as Hong Tianzun to start a war. It can be said that you have never cared about the lives of the people of Xuandu or the gods and demons!"

"Even though I can't stand those gods and demons, I have to say, they died a truly unjust death!"

"Besides, how innocent are the common people?!"

"Heavens, you truly deserve to die!"

The butcher, his face contorted with murderous intent, stared intently at the spirit of the Heavenly Emperor, his knife in hand as if about to strike with all his might.

Tian Shu, Luo Wushuang, and Zhe Huali all stood solemnly, but did not retreat. They stood together with the butcher, their sword intents intertwined, increasing their power.

To be honest, they were quite dissatisfied with the weather.

It's so cold-blooded to prioritize personal freedom!

Xuandu is his territory. The gods and people there all worship the Heavenly Lord, and many of them are even descendants of the Heavenly Lord!

But in the end, it was almost as if the heavens themselves sent them to hell!

Even the people of Xuandu have a tendency to be arrogant and domineering, looking down on Yuanjie Yankang and the heavens, which makes them unhappy.

But the heavens' actions still sent a chill down my spine and made me shudder.

The heavens lowered their eyelids, gazing at the group with indifferent eyes, as if looking at ants.

The four butchers immediately became alert as if facing a formidable enemy.

Tian Shu and Zhe Huali felt their hearts pounding, and they couldn't help but drink a few more mouthfuls of wine. Their blood boiled, and their fear dissipated considerably.

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Qin Mu suddenly spoke, calmly saying, "Heavenly Lord, you don't envy the freedom of people in all realms. What you yearn for is to be like the Eleven Heavenly Venerables, wielding great power without restraint, able to rule the heavens without fear, and able to cultivate various systems, attempt to attain the Dao, or establish a Great Heavenly Court, with unparalleled divine power, looking down upon the past and present."

"How could the Heavenly Father, who dwells high in the sky and never stirs up dust, envy ordinary people?"

"You just want to rule them!"

“If you don’t care about Xuandu, how can we expect you to help Yankang?”

"Grandpa Butcher is right. The Heavenly Court bears half the responsibility for the downfall of Xuandu Wanling, but the other half, Heavenly Emperor, is yours!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the heavens' eyes turned cold.

Qin Mu is the "Grand Master Who Is Indestructible Through All Calamities," which is the guarantee of his resurrection. If he has such an attitude, the Heavenly Emperor will not dare to die!

"Heavenly Lord Mu, you are overthinking it..." Heavenly Lord forcibly suppressed the urge to take action and patiently explained.

Qin Mu, however, was too lazy to listen any longer. Suddenly, he unleashed a secret technique, taking advantage of Tian Gong's unpreparedness to envelop his primordial spirit.

Nine Prisons Platform!

This belongs to the ancestral temple; the Heavenly Court did not build it, and even the Heavenly Emperor was unaware of it.

The Heavenly Palace system corresponds to the Heavenly Court and has various realms, allowing countless gods and demons to cultivate and gain power.

However, the Heavenly Court of all realms is incomplete, while the Ancestral Court is the only complete one.

The Nine Prisons Platform is precisely a test to hone one's Dao heart!

Of course, Qin Mu could not possibly bring the Nine Prisons Platform from the ancestral court. This was a secret technique he created after studying it, specifically used to test one's Dao heart.

The sudden attack on Tian Gong caught Qin Mu off guard. Tian Gong, being only a primordial spirit with a powerful physical body still under the control of the Heavenly Dao, was already at the peak of his strength against a Heavenly Venerable, having dropped two or three levels. Meanwhile, Qin Mu, aided by the sword intent of the five others, was at the weaker Heavenly Venerable level. Having anticipated Tian Gong's attack, he easily trapped Tian Gong in one move.

"Heavenly Father, the Nine Hell Platforms of the Ancestral Court are a test of your Dao heart. If you are still the same selfless Heavenly Father who treats all beings and things in the myriad realms equally, then you can easily break free from my Nine Hell Platforms divine power without lifting a finger, practically ignoring it."

With a resounding crash and a flash of sword light, Qin Mu led the four away, forcefully breaking through the Heavenly Palace and disappearing into the distance.

His voice drifted over softly.

"If you fall into depravity and cease to be selfless, then this divine power will send you on your way!"

"Heaven, you know, sometimes, when I get ruthless, even I'm afraid of myself!"

"Even so... never mind, there's no point in saying more. However, I still hope that you can break free from the shackles of supernatural powers!"

"The heavens need that impartial and selfless Heavenly Father who has been so for billions of years!"

The sound was desolate; Qin Mu and the others had disappeared.

On the spot, the Heavenly Emperor was trapped in a thicket of thorns, and one prison platform after another appeared, suppressing him. There were endless sharp thorns that made him bleed and suffer unbearable pain.

Every step the heavens take is a piercing pain that goes straight to the soul!

He unleashed a furious burst of power, causing the Great Dao to roar, yet he could not break through this divine ability.

Because it targets the mind and is powered by the Nine Hell Platforms of the Ancestral Court, it is inherently unique and powerful.

Just as Qin Mu said, if Heaven wants to emerge from darkness, it must sever all thoughts of darkness and, as it once was, be upright and impartial, without favoritism.

But how could the heavens, which had already begun to fall, be willing to return to the light?

He simply believes that he was incredibly foolish in the past!

What use are all these claims of impartiality, integrity, and incorruptibility!

But with this kind of mentality, the Heavenly Emperor will definitely not be able to escape the Nine Hells Platform, and may even be pierced by thorns, suffering unbearable pain and screaming in agony.

His laws and his divine power were of no use.

Only the mind can resist this supernatural power.

But the heart of Heaven has become defiled.

"Heavenly Lord Shepherd!" The voice of the Heavenly Lord revealed boundless rage.

Outside, Qin Mu paused slightly, but continued on his way without stopping.

The corrupt God of Heaven is worse off dead than alive.

If Heaven knew this in the past, it would surely have agreed with Qin Mu.

Humans, created by the Way of Heaven, should be inherently impartial and selfless.

The erosion of darkness is not something that happens overnight, but rather it is a gradual and subtle process.

In particular, he differentiated himself into the identity of Hong Tianzun and entered the Heavenly Court. For hundreds of thousands of years, he colluded with Hao Tianzun, Huo Tianzun, and Zu Shenwang, which in turn affected his original self without him even realizing it.

"Heavenly Lord Mu, you are truly decisive!" Tian Shu praised. He needed to drink some wine before he would dare to make a move against the Heavenly Lord.

"It's a pity that the blessing of Heaven is gone," Zhe Huali said regretfully.

The Heavenly Emperor is the representative of the Heavenly Way. If he takes action against the Heavenly Emperor, how can the Heavenly Way continue to protect him?

Some divine powers even began to target the five people, forming secret treasures to launch an attack!

Of course, Qin Mu and his group were very powerful, but the Heavenly Dao was scattered throughout Xuandu, and the main force was used to strengthen the body of the Heavenly Duke and fight against the Heavenly Venerable. There were very few things left that could be used to target them. The few Heavenly Dao magic treasures were cut down in a few moves under the sharp blade light.

"Let's go, let's ambush the Heavenly Court's gods and demons!" Qin Mu said. With a slight thought, he used a secret technique to transform the five of them into blades of light, traversing the void. Occasionally, they would flash into existence and strike down with a single blade, instantly reducing large numbers of Heavenly Court's gods and demons to ashes.

"Mu'er and the others are truly amazing!" In a corner of Xuandu, village chief Su Muzhe exclaimed in admiration. He had a long sword in hand, but lacked supreme power and dared not suppress gods and demons as forcefully as Qin Mu and the others.

Without the Heavenly Venerable's intervention, who can rival us?

Si Youyou, the cripple, the mute, the deaf, the blind, and the pharmacist all joined forces with the village chief to attack and kill the gods and demons.

They looked at the butcher with great envy.

"That butcher really got incredibly lucky!"

"Alas, we don't know when we will be qualified to wreak havoc on all sides, or even to lay a hand on the Heavenly Venerable!"

...

“However, what about Cao Ya…” Si Youyou frowned.

The lame man, the mute man, the pharmacist, and the others fell silent for a moment, then said with a bitter smile, "We can't even compare to the Emperor's Throne, let alone the Heavenly Venerable..."

"Don't be discouraged!" Village Chief Su Muzhe said calmly. "The path of cultivation lies in oneself. As long as you believe in yourself, one day you will achieve your goal!"

"Whoosh!!"

The sword energy erupted, intercepting a small army.

The elders followed and charged out, engaging in a fierce battle.

"boom!"

On the other side, Yan Yunxi, disguised as a man, also made a move, blasting a section of Jade Capital to death. When an emperor glanced at her, he immediately fled.

She was Zixi, the Celestial Master under the Kaihuang Emperor, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and proficient in many great principles.

In this Xuandu War, apart from some experts who stayed behind, many powerful figures from Wuyou Township and Yankang joined forces to storm Xuandu and attack the gods of the Heavenly Court.

The number of Creators is too small to carry out this kind of action like that of Wuyouxiang and Yankang.

"The Heavenly Venerable Cao Ya of Yankang seems to be even more powerful than the one from Kaihuang?!" Yan Yunxi exclaimed in surprise.

As members of the Kaihuang court, and holding such a crucial position as Celestial Master, Yan Yunxi, Tian Shu, and others were very convinced of Kaihuang's understanding of him, believing that Kaihuang was definitely among the top few among all the Celestial Venerables in the myriad realms!

We won't lose to Haotianzun or Xiaotianzun!

However, the power Cao Ya is displaying at this moment is terrifyingly boundless, requiring multiple Heavenly Venerables to join forces to match it!

It was as if a single Celestial Venerable could only become a victim of his blade!

"How did he cultivate?"