Tales Of Herding Gods | Chapter 993 - The Path Ahead Is As Tough as Steel
The Grand Brightness Realm Sword had already reached the sword realm, which was different from the previous 33 heavens.
The previous 33 heavens of the sword path hadn't gotten rid of the old way of entering the path, while the new sword entered the sword realm in a new way similar to the supreme consciousness realm, which was why it was named sword realm.
However, the sword realm was still different from the supreme consciousness realm.
The supreme consciousness realm cared more about the effects of consciousness on externalities. Upon entry, everything would gradually become still. It was the highest attainment in visualization.
However, Founding Emperor's sword realm focused more on attacking and was the highest attainment in sword instead.
The Grand Brightness Realm Sword was already hard to understand and comprehend for Qin Mu. Yet, on top of this heaven, there was another one, which gave Qin Mu goosebumps.
Finally, Founding Emperor unleashed the thirty-fourth heaven of the sword path. It was the Upper Clarity Sword Realm. With that blade, the entire Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens nearly boiled.
The Founding Emperor Era's old guards had hot tears in their eyes as their voices morphed into a torrent. They called out Qin Ye's name in unison. Their passion was like a great flood that swept the newer generations of gods and devils of Carefree Village into worshipping Founding Emperor.
Their call was as passionate, crazy, and irrational as the one done by the masters of creation towards the Grand Emperor.
Qin Hanzhen and his wife frowned as they looked at the irrational crowd. This passion was something they had never seen before, which unnerved them.
Yan Yunxi frowned too, for she too was also unnerved.
She hadn't seen the Upper Clarity Sword Realm yet. It should be a sword skill that Founding Emperor pioneered when coming to Carefree Village. However, that wasn't the key.
The key was how the old guards and the newer gods and devils saw Founding Emperor as an omnipotent god. Founding Emperor and Qin Mu both used the 33 heavens of the sword path. The old guards were awakened by the spirit within it as if they had returned to the glory days.
However, the situation was more complicated than she anticipated.
Qin Ye didn't become Founding Emperor from the start. He became that era's leader after battling with their enemies.
He had too many legendary stories with him, and he became the symbol and backbone of an era.
At the end of the Founding Emperor Era, even the old guards saw Founding Emperor as an omnipotent, everpresent, omniscient being. They wouldn't doubt any of his decisions.
This was also why the old guards lost their spirit and why the Founding Emperor reform failed after coming to Carefree Village.
They had erected a god in their Dao hearts, which was Founding Emperor. He became their faith.
When this image of him fell, so did their faith, causing them to collapse.
Now, the 33 heavens of the sword path seemed to have returned them to the era where they blindly worshipped Founding Emperor.
Yan Yunxi was confused. The idea of making Founding Emperor a god in everyone's hearts wasn't a good idea!
Qin Mu used Founding Emperor's 33 heavens of the sword path to revitalize the crumpled Dao hearts of the old guards, which was a good thing. Yan Yunxi even put off the idea of having Qin Mu beat up Founding Emperor.
However, Founding Emperor's charisma was too strong. Pinning the spirit on an era would only cause the era to repeat itself!
'Founding Emperor must lose.'
Green veins popped out of her forehead as she bit her teeth. She began to miss Woodcutter Wen Tiange as she thought, 'If Wen Tiange was here, he would have found a way to not let this happen! Unfortunately, that b*stard swore to never enter Carefree Village…'
The Founding Emperor Era wasn't an era of a person. The Founding Emperor reform wasn't the reform of Founding Emperor only.
Now, as history repeated itself, she found herself helpless.
The Upper Clarity Sword Realm displayed frightening levels of power, to the point of near invincibility, in front of everyone. Qin Mu fought hard, but it seemed like he couldn't even take a blow!
In the blink of an eye, he was covered with injuries.
He recognized this sword realm. In the masters of creation's city in the Great Void, Celestial Venerable Huo left behind his own Great Dao imprint when he faced Founding Emperor.
Founding Emperor's sword realm burst forth and forced Celestial Venerable Huo to raise his cultivation level to the peak. Nevertheless, he was still hurt by the Upper Clarity Sword Realm!
He did everything he could against Founding Emperor's sword realm, deploying all sorts of sword skills, including his Calamity Sword. However, he was still pierced by Founding Emperor's sword in one strike.
At that moment, the cheers of the people in Carefree Village peaked as well. The passionate cheering reached the clouds and shook Carefree Village!
Founding Emperor clutched the Carefree Sword, his face as calm as always, as nothing could touch his Dao heart.
Yet, there was some sorrow flowing from his eyes.
At that moment, suddenly, yellow sand rolled in. At that moment, the sky was filled with it. The winds howled as if an invisible giant spread a yellow desert across, forming a peculiar sight of a thousand mile desert in the sky.
Founding Emperor stood in it, raised his sword, and looked forward.
Toot toot.
Above the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens, a uniquely loud horn rang as if a war was about to begin. Giants used their vital qi and sounded the horn of war, and the echoing sound brought murderous intent with it.
In front of them, the ferocious winds swept up the sands, forming a sandstorm that buried the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens.
Qin Mu's figure walked out from the dust storm, and countless stars flashed in the sky. Behind him, a Primordial Tree sprouted and grew at a terrifying speed. It became a towering tree that reached the sun and moon. It reached outer space too.
Founding Emperor looked up and saw Heaven Duke, and beneath him was Earth Count.
Around him, celestial palaces rose from the desert one after another, and rolling dust spilled out of the celestial palaces. Some of the evil celestial palaces floated in the sky, while some sank into the ground.
Old gods guarded the various celestial palaces of this vast celestial heavens. Countless imposing ancient gods and devils were the oldest domain of this land. They once controlled the fate of the masses.
As Qin Mu walked, heaven and earth moved with him, pressuring Founding Emperor.
Starlight shone on the ancient gods' Great Dao runes, which allowed them to reflect colorful light. The light was shone on him as a result. Heaven Duke's Xuandu, Earth Count's Youdu, Celestial Empress' sister's Ruins of End, Goddess of Heavenly Yin's Heavenly Yin World, and the four deities of the ancient gods' four extreme heavens all shone their Great Dao on him, blessing him.
He was like the ancient Celestial Emperor, high up and with incomparable power to control people's lives!
Meanwhile, Founding Emperor, the Founding Emperor Era, and the masses of the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens were like ants to be casually crushed!
He held the strongest power in the world!
Founding Emperor ran forward with the Carefree Sword in his hands. He stabbed forward with the 33 heavens of his sword, like a brave warrior who attacked the heavens.
Boom boom boom!
Southern Heavenly Gates rose in front of him as he cruised forward with his sword. Every Southern Heavenly Gate that he passed through crushed his body like a celestial palace. He crossed through 14 of them, jumped up, and faced Qin Mu's punch.
The giant punch had enough power to make people feel helpless as it smashed the 33 heavens of his sword path and his body, smashing him onto the sand.
This scene caused the cheering in the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens to stop, and everyone looked at this scene, stunned. It didn't matter whether it was the old guards or the new gods and devils. They saw the invincible leader in their hearts get crushed by a punch.
Suddenly, Founding Emperor rose into the air as the Carefree Sword orbited him, shining countless teleportation runes. It caused his figure to become a teleporting sword light that orbited the vast celestial heavens at a quick pace, moving around the impressive-looking Qin Mu to find flaws.
The cheering began again, and the grand wave of sound came one after another. It was the cheer of the people of the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens to encourage Founding Emperor.
Founding Emperor used his sword again, and the Upper Clarity Sword Realm burst forth once more. Facing it, however, was a giant palm that slammed it against the ground as if it was swatting a fly.
The cheering stopped again.
Founding Emperor stood up shakily. Blood seeped out of his mouth as he looked up at the impressive torso towering over his celestial heavens.
He howled again and rushed forward with his sword to fight.
Boom!
He was swatted on the ground again. It was more serious this time, as his limbs became like jelly. He struggled to get up, but he failed and crawled on the ground.
Finally, he climbed up and saw the incoming fist. He barely raised his Carefree Sword.
Boom!
He was smashed into the desert again, and his body rolled like a tattered sack. He carried sand waves with him.
Qin Mu struck again and again. The masses of the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens looked at the sight dumbfounded. Qin Mu's punches weren't on Founding Emperor but on them, on their worship and their pride.
"You want to reform?"
Qin Mu's voice was like that of the gods of the nine heavens above. It was high up and cold. He said, "You want to change this world?"
"By yourself?
"You alone?
"What a joke!"
Boom!
He lifted his leg and crushed Founding Emperor beneath it harshly as he laughed. "The so-called Founding Emperor Era never existed! Only you persisted! Who did you rely on? What Dao friends do you have? All you have are a bunch of slaves who depended on you. They aren't your Dao friends, just slaves that worship you!"
"Why don't you collude with them? Why don't you become a Celestial Venerable Qin that smiles towards everyone and is kind to everyone? Why do you still lift your head?"
Qin Mu stepped on him again, hollering, "Why do you still climb up?"
Founding Emperor held his feet and kneeled on the ground shakily as he tried to stand up.
"Stand down!"
A young god cried, "Emperor, please don't climb up! Admit defeat!"
Qin Mu activated his leg again and smashed Founding Emperor in the dust. He ferociously said, "You don't owe anyone! You didn't let anyone down! If you continue kneeling, you are still Celestial Venerable Qin, not traitor Thief Qin, not the Founding Emperor that people in Carefree Village worship! Stay down and be Celestial Venerable Qin!"
He lifted his foot, and Founding Emperor lay in his footprint.
Qin Mu extended two fingers and squeezed him like a small ant.
He looked down and laughed. "These are your Dao friends? These people are the main driving force of your reform? They are just a bunch of pitiful bugs!"
"Qin Ye, surrender. These people aren't worth your life! Take off your clothes, come to the celestial heavens, kneel down, and confess to the ten Celestial Venerables. You are still high up. As Celestial Venerable Qin, countless people still worship and revere you."
At that moment, Qin Mu felt an endless amount of blazing flames.
At the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens below, a member of the old guard took off his clothes and raised two giant hammers, smashing the battle drums at the Southern Heavenly Gate of the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens' Southern Heavenly Gate. The rumbling of the drums became a thick battle song, "The Blazing West Wind."
Fang Youji took off his shirt and his hat and spread his shoulders as he raised his own coffin. He tapped on it and sang, "The Blazing West Wind! The wild goose cried in the frost for the tattered moon in the sky!"
Yan Yunxi pulled out her sword, and it resonated crisply. "The tattered moon in the sky! The hoof sound shattered while the horn was sounded! The path ahead is as tough as steel!"
From the bodies of Founding Emperor's old guards, wave after wave of the energy that they had in the disastrous period burst forth. It was like a long rainbow. Their sound wasn't a cheer of worship, and their Dao hearts no longer placed all of their hopes on Founding Emperor's twisted Dao heart.
Their voices became low but were filled with penetrating power as they displayed that glorious era's hardship and hope to Carefree Village's new generation, shocking them.
"The path ahead is as tough as steel, and today we trudge forward again!"
"Today, we trudge forward again, trudge forward again!"