Chapter 1491 — The Lament of the Fallen Heaven

The reforms of the Kaihuang era were an attempt by the Acquired Way to overcome the Innate Way. That age yielded fewer fruits than Jingping's, it is true, yet the seed of the Acquired overcoming the Innate had already been sown; only, the Kaihuang era lasted too briefly — the seed sprouted, but never grew. The greatest achievement of the Kaihuang reforms was in fact not Kaihuang's sword art, but a reform of the Heavenly Court realm carried out by Kaihuang's First Heavenly Master, the Woodcutter Sage, master of Wentian Pavilion.

Though the Woodcutter Sage was a man "without the strength to truss a chicken," the least of the four Heavenly Masters, his wisdom surpassed all others. The Seventy-Two Treasure Halls that support the Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces came from his hand: seventy-two kinds of Acquired Way to ease the pressure upon the thirty-six Innate Ways, and to lessen the harm the Heavenly Court realm inflicts upon the mortal body.

By his improvements, the Heavenly Court realm formed of the Seventy-Two Treasure Halls supporting the Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces should, in theory, possess dharma power more deep and vigorous than the traditional Heavenly Court realm, greater combat strength, and no hidden troubles. Yet the Woodcutter Sage never proclaimed this method far and wide; few knew of it, and the only one to receive his complete transmission was Jiang Baigui, teacher of the former Emperor Jingping.

Whether Jiang Baigui ever mastered it, no one could say. What Hong Tianzun obtained was only a fragment from the Woodcutter Sage's early work, and one riddled with no small hidden dangers — an outdated method.

Even so, that fragmentary method was enough to let the Artifact Yutianzun hold out far longer in the Heavenly Court realm, and to raise his combat power to a terrifying degree! The Artifact Yutianzun stood toe to toe with Lord Heaven, nearly his equal in raw strength — such fighting power truly opened the eyes!

Add to that Hong Tianzun's own arts and divine powers, which came from the Way of Heaven yet were not confined to it, and with him as the chief attacker against Lord Heaven, supported by the three Tianzun — Langxuan the Divine Emperor, Qiang Tianfei, and Shi Qiluo — Lord Heaven once more fell to the disadvantage! Hong Tianzun struck fast against fast, sparing nothing; he could feel his own power ebbing, and he had to end this quickly!

Lord Heaven strove to move, strove to shrink his form, yet wounds multiplied across his body.

But cracks too appeared all over the Artifact Yutianzun's body, his skin bursting open, the grain of his muscles shattered — at any moment he might be crushed by the Heavenly Court! Suddenly the Artifact Yutianzun landed a blow upon Lord Heaven's brow, shaking his primordial spirit violently!

Qiang Tianfei seized the moment to drive the God-Slaying Terrace; two blades of saber-light stabbed into Lord Heaven's brow, and at the same instant her divine consciousness erupted, crashing into his.

At that same moment, Langxuan the Divine Emperor's divine consciousness also rushed straight into Lord Heaven's brow, battering it to the verge of shattering!

Shi Qiluo saw his chance and hastily took command of the other two Artifact Yutianzun, shrank their forms, and with a howl sent them charging into Lord Heaven's brow. The two Artifact Yutianzun, three-headed and six-armed, spun furiously as they advanced, countless fists and feet and divine powers pouring down like rain, hammering Lord Heaven's primordial spirit.

Divine consciousness is the mind; the primordial spirit is the soul.

Lord Heaven's divine consciousness was all but shattered, and Shi Qiluo had beaten his primordial spirit until his heavenly soul and earthly soul were nearly torn apart!

In that moment, the consciousness of the Way of Heaven sensed that Lord Heaven's mind had lost its command over his flesh, and straightway formed itself within his body — space and time seizing control of Lord Heaven's flesh. Just then, Langxuan the Divine Emperor gave a sharp cry, activated the dao fruit within his own Heavenly Court, and drove it likewise into Lord Heaven's brow.

A vast and ancient dao-rhythm burst forth, sealing the consciousness of the Way of Heaven, so that it could not descend!

Hong Tianzun rose to his full height, sleeves fluttering, and flew into Lord Heaven's brow.

With a sweep of his great sleeve he gathered the two Artifact Yutianzun into it, then with a mighty shake flung them both out.

Shi Qiluo flew into a rage and cried in a stern voice, "Hong Tianzun! You have barely bested Lord Heaven, and now you turn on us — not even a mouthful of broth for your fellow daoists? " Langxuan the Divine Emperor was just about to charge into Lord Heaven's brow when suddenly the Artifact Yutianzun under Hong Tianzun's control came hurtling sideways at him.

It struck him full on, and his mind went blank; his body was dashed sideways tens of thousands of li, and he heard his own ribs crack, crack, crack. Chi — That Artifact Yutianzun was burst through the forehead by a single pointing finger of his, the back of its skull blown open, blood splashing across the Heavenly Court, drenching palace after palace.

The Artifact Yutianzun had already been driven to its limit by Hong Tianzun, its flesh unable to bear more; now, its forehead pierced by that finger, its whole body exploded with a thunderous roar. Langxuan the Divine Emperor spat mouthful after mouthful of blood.

The attack of an Artifact Yutianzun at the complete Heavenly Court realm was simply too vicious — even he could not withstand it. "My dao fruit!

" He forcibly suppressed his injuries and rushed at Lord Heaven — and saw Lord Heaven standing there, motionless, two strands of baleful qi suddenly writhing at his brow. With a chi, they sliced Lord Heaven's head open left and right, and pried off the top of his skull!

That was Qiang Tianfei, who had cut her way into Lord Heaven's brow, wreaking havoc within, splitting his skull apart. The power of that saber was immense — but flying out with the saber-light came Qiang Tianfei herself.

This Tianzun had nearly been flattened onto the God-Slaying Terrace by Hong Tianzun, and was kicked away together with the Terrace!

Flying out with Qiang Tianfei were the strands of vital essence that shot skyward from Lord Heaven's skull! Strand after strand of vital essence pierced the heavens; within that essence the Way of Heaven quaked, and the forty-nine Ways of Heaven within Lord Heaven's body began to flee, to escape outward!

"Lord Heaven is dying!

" Shi Qiluo, forgetting his quarrel with Hong Tianzun, shouted in wild delight.

His Chest of a Hundred Treasures flew open, and countless bizarre divine weapons poured out to snare Lord Heaven's vital essence and collect the Ways of Heaven. "The baleful aura of Heaven is so thick — Lord Heaven truly is dying!

" Qiang Tianfei, flattened onto the God-Slaying Terrace by Hong Tianzun, was likewise overjoyed. Her body swelled and shrank, swelled and shrank again, then re-inflated to its former state, and with all her strength she drove the God-Slaying Terrace and the two baleful divine sabers, devouring the baleful aura of Heaven in Xuandu.

That baleful aura was immeasurably thick, and her two baleful divine sabers drank it in like mad.

In the distance, Tu Bo's enormous head had already appeared in Xuandu — ox-head, tiger-face, long horns, colossal beyond measure. One palm pressed down upon Gong Tianzun, the other gripped Yan Tianfei. Gong Tianzun and Yan Tianfei had been gravely wounded by You Tianzun at any cost, and Tu Bo's arrival was perfectly timed: fresh and rested, he subdued the two Tianzun.

Suddenly Tu Bo's body gave a great shudder, and he turned his head to look toward Lord Heaven.

There, red light filled the sky; Lord Heaven's vital essence had dyed Xuandu crimson, turning countless stars blood-red. Tu Bo's face darkened, then his three eyes showed a look of expectation.