Tales of Herding Gods

Chapter 994: Celestial Venerable’s Close Combat Battle

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The rumbles of drums shook the entire universe. It was as though they were trying to use the sounds of the drums to wake Carefree Village. Waking up the older generation who bemoaned their fates and grumbled against the heavens. Waking up the younger generation who indulged themselves in a blissful and mesmerizing state, not wanting to improve themselves in a life of luxury.

Qin Mu wasn’t only battling Founding Emperor but the decaying spirit of the Founding Emperor Era. In the eyes of the people, Qin Mu wasn’t Qin Mu anymore. Instead, he represented the celestial heavens and its authority that they swore to resist!

What they saw when Founding Emperor was getting pummeled in Qin Mu’s realm was that their leader had fallen at the iron heels of the celestial heavens, under the iron fists of the gods of the celestial heavens. In Qin Mu’s realm, the faces of the gods and devils had turned into sinister smiles, mocking the people of the Founding Emperor Era for overestimating their abilities, mocking the fact that Founding Emperor’s resilience and sacrifices weren’t able to rouse the ignorant people of this era.

The celestial heavens that Qin Mu represented were mocking them, mocking that they were originally the allies of Founding Emperor and his Dao friends but had now turned into pitiful worms and parasites that relied on him to turn the tide.

They had turned into bystanders who would only wave their flags and cheer Founding Emperor on from the sidelines. They had become fearful and grief-stricken protected people after the defeat of Founding Emperor.

Qin Mu was sitting up high in a leading position, mocking them with his cold eyes, saying that they weren’t fit to be Founding Emperor’s Dao friends!

However...

This wasn’t right!

For the older generation, during that era, they were favored and privileged people with boundless heroic spirit. They were men of great ambition that aspired to change the world, daring to resist the celestial heavens and injustice.

Since the beginning, they weren’t subjects of Founding Emperor. Instead, they and Founding Emperor were friends on the same path. It was only because he had more guts, perseverance, and resourcefulness that they elected him as Founding Emperor.

It wasn’t that they needed his protection.

The Founding Emperor Era wasn’t just the era of Founding Emperor, it was the era of them all!

As the war drums rang and the thunder rumbled, the blood in the hearts of these men from that era 20,000 years ago started to stir, reigniting once again.

Among the drumbeats, the spirit of that era looked as though it had been given a new lease of life—sprouting in the hearts of everyone, growing, and strengthening again!

The reform of the Founding Emperor Era was supposed to be the reform of everyone in that era. It lost its essence when hopes were placed solely on one man.

When everyone was isolated in their own world and pinned their hopes on a leader to change everything, the reform lost its base.

When their righteous passion began to cool, they lost their spirits and could only grumble at heaven and earth.

When the subsequent generations grew up in such an atmosphere, how could they be expected to have the fighting spirit of their forefathers? How were they able to inherit the spirit of reform from the Founding Emperor Era?

It wasn’t strange that when they were unable to expand or realize their ambitions that they led a decadent and dissolute life.

Normally, if one wasn’t making any headway in their endeavors, they could leave and seek their fortune elsewhere. However, because this was Carefree Village, they were unable to leave and could only live a wanton life.

Now, the spirit from that era 20,000 years ago was woken from its slumber.

Some had already woken up and would use their spirit to energize the heaven and earth, rousing even more people in order to reignite the reform of the Founding Emperor Era!

It wasn’t too late, they could still make a comeback.

Today, they were taking the first step forward from the starting point!

Within the drumbeats, Qin Mu could feel the fighting spirit from 20,000 years ago—that dauntless and indomitable spirit, that aura that dared to spill blood in the celestial heavens for the sake of all, those lofty aspirations that aimed to smash through restraints and injustice!

This spirit was similar to what Eternal Peace had, but there were some differences as well. However, what these differences were, Qin Mu couldn’t identify in a short span of time.

He relaxed his fist, and Founding Emperor fell from between his fingers, looking like a lump of mushy flesh as he tumbled into the yellow sand.

Qin Mu’s giant face appeared in the sky as though it was pasted on top of the ruined Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens. His voice boomed like thunder as it rang in everyone’s ears. “You...”

“Are you going to rebel?”

His roar shook the sky, and the earth trembled. The force of the roar conjured a violent gust that engulfed the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens.

An old man with a head full of pale white hair revealed his strong upper body and carried with him a steel knife. He thumped his chest and shouted, “So what if we are rebelling!”

One by one, their voices erupted, overpowering Qin Mu’s voice. “Rebel!”

“Let’s reorganize and rally our forces to attack the extraterritorial celestial heavens!”

“I’m unable to stay in this Carefree Village any longer! I want to barge my way out of this cage so that I can fight again!”

...

Qin Mu’s face darkened as he shouted, “How dare you...”

When he was about to speak, Princess Consort Zhen pulled him back as she whispered, “Mu’er, that’s enough. Stop talking!”

Yan Yunxi flew over and waved her hand. Thick clouds appeared in the sky, covering their figures.

The clouds overlapped one another, gradually covering the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens. Within the clouds, Princess Consort Zhen grabbed Qin Mu and descended. Yan Yunxi was by her side, providing protection. She looked around nervously as she spoke quickly, “You can stir the hearts of people, but emotions are running high. If you continue speaking, those crazed fellows might be tipped over, thinking that you’re the Celestial Venerable of the extraterritorial celestial heavens and end up killing you!”

Qin Mu got a fright. He muttered, “Surely, things won’t deteriorate to such a state?”

Yan Yunxi smiled coldly. “You have beaten up Founding Emperor badly and thought of yourself as the celestial heavens. You are now the manifestation of the extraterritorial celestial heavens. At this moment, some people can differentiate clearly between you and the celestial heavens, but some are unable to do so. Under the fervor of the crowd, killing you is something expected. They hate you to the core.”

Qin Mu humbly said, “I have also been beaten up badly by Founding Emperor. His thirty-fourth heaven sword skill pierced through me.”

Yan Yunxi laughed coldly.

Qin Mu looked at Princess Consort Zhen. “Mom, don’t you think so?”

Princess Consort Zhen helplessly nodded her head. “It seems that Founding Emperor didn’t hold back and injured Mu’er severely.”

At this moment, Qin Hanzhen’s voice traveled over, whispering, “Quite a number lost their minds and charged towards the skies. Apparently, they want to kill you to expend the vigorous energy in their bodies. I will go find Founding Emperor and request that he calm down the emotional crowd. It looks like he has to appear this time around.”

He then left in a hurry.

Princess Consort Zhen and Yan Yunxi brought Qin Mu to hide from place to place so he wouldn’t reveal himself. Now, the emotions of the people of Carefree Village were roused, and they needed an outlet to vent on while their rationality had been suppressed. Qin Mu was already treated as a representation of the celestial heavens. If he was discovered, he would be dead.

“We can’t stay in the celestial heavens anymore. Let’s leave!”

Princess Consort Zhen and Yan Yunxi swiftly brought him out of the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens. Qin Mu heard the heavy voice of Founding Emperor coming from the celestial heavens. It seemed that he was encouraging the people of Carefree Village to walk out, continue to fight, and carry on their reform.

However, Princess Consort Zhen and Yan Yunxi were leading him further and further away. Eventually, he was unable to clearly hear what Founding Emperor was saying.

They arrived at the Peaceful Education Heaven, and Princess Consort Zhen led them towards the King Zhen Residence. When Qin Mu saw the King Zhen Residence from afar, he shook his head. “I have already fought Founding Emperor. I’m not going in and will be sitting here. Heavenly Teacher Zi Xi, may I trouble you to bring Divine King Shu Jun out.”

Princess Consort Zhen was stunned but didn’t say anything.

Yan Yunxi immediately left, returning to the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens to look for Divine King Shu Jun.

Time gradually passed. As for what happened in the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens, Qin Mu wasn’t aware, and there was no need for him to know. What he knew was, today, Carefree Village was revived. The people of Carefree Village wouldn’t continue to be entranced in a blissful and mesmerizing dream state. They would try walking out.

Also, the race of masters of creation wouldn’t continue walking down the same path and seclude themselves. They would also walk out.

He looked at the graves of the Qin family ancestors and saw the mist rising, permeating the graveyard.

There was a sense of peace in his heart.

He longed to revive his ancestors, making them reappear in this world. However, this wasn’t the outside world. Here, he was unable to borrow the power of Heaven Duke and Earth Count. Also, without their corporeal bodies, he was unable to bring them back to life.

He sat quietly, yearning to communicate with them. However, their consciousnesses had already dissipated. After all, they weren’t masters of creation.

What else could one say when they were dead? After all, they were just bodies deposited in the mountains.

They died worthy deaths, and that was enough.

After an unknown amount of time, Founding Emperor walked over with Qin Hanzhen behind him. Shu Jun and Yan Yunxi were at their sides.

Qin Mu stood up and dusted the mud off his bottom. He said, “I’m afraid that I’m unable to stay in Carefree Village any longer. The people don’t welcome me. I suppose it’s time for me to leave. After all, I’m not someone from Carefree Village, I’m the holy infant of the masters of creation.”

Qin Hanzhen and Princess Consort Zhen’s faces revealed complex emotions.

Qin Mu had already offended the entirety of Carefree Village. Not only was he unable to remain in the Qin family register, staying in Carefree Village wasn’t possible anymore.

Founding Emperor said, “Let me send you off.”

Qin Mu nodded as he stepped onto the void, walking off towards the horizon.

Founding Emperor walked with him shoulder to shoulder, while Shu Jun followed a few steps behind, not too closely.

His keen senses felt that there was something strange about the two, so he didn’t want to be near them.

As they walked to the horizon, Qin Mu turned and looked back. Qin Hanzhen and his wife were nowhere to be seen. The masters of creation beyond the skies had also retreated, leaving the starry sky outside Carefree Village empty.

“Qin Kai, did I hit you too hard?” Qin Mu asked with concern.

Upon hearing the words “Qin Kai”, Founding Emperor’s left eyebrow gently arched. He replied, “It was hard, but I was able to endure it.”

“You have coarse skin and a thick body. Of course, you were able to endure it.”

Qin Mu laughed and said, “Don’t you want to know who is stronger between the two of us?”

Founding Emperor said calmly, “We should be evenly matched.”

Qin Mu gave a gentle laugh and said, “I think so as well. Let’s part ways here. You have many tasks waiting for you in Carefree Village.”

Founding Emperor nodded and stopped walking.

Qin Mu walked towards the masters of creation’s territory. Shu Jun wanted to follow, but suddenly, he stopped involuntarily.

Founding Emperor took out the Carefree Sword and said gently, “Dao Friend Mu Qing, are you at the god realm?”

Qin Mu stopped walking. He turned his head and laughed. “Yes.”

“In that case, you must have extremely vigorous vital qi, stronger than mine.”

Founding Emperor gripped the Carefree Sword tightly and said in a leisurely tone, “In terms of divine arts, I shouldn’t be able to match up to you. The number of runes of Great Dao that you are proficient in is greater than me, and you are able to form a realm. Solely by magic power, you could crush me already.”

Qin Mu turned around with an unexpected sword pellet in hand. It gradually transformed into a divine sword, its sword light slowly swirling. He laughed. “Yes, indeed.”

Founding Emperor said, “But a real exchange of blows cannot just consist of divine arts or sword techniques. Is your Eternal Peace’s reform up to it?”

Qin Mu’s face was full of smiles. “Won’t you know once you’ve tried it? If you don’t, how will you know whether my Eternal Peace’s reform is much stronger than your Founding Emperor’s reform?”

Shu Jun quietly stepped back as cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Founding Emperor revealed a smile. The force in his legs exploded as his sword realm expanded rapidly. His Sword Dao instantly reached its peak. He smiled as he said, “Mu Qing, have you seen the twentieth sword form before?”

Boom—

Incomparably bright radiance exploded as Qin Mu executed his divine treasure realm. His taiji diagram spun and expanded as the sun, moon, and galaxies rose from his body. The divine sword in his hand was growing rapidly!

“I have been waiting for this! Let me experience your sword realm and twentieth sword form!”

The light rays in the hands of the two men clashed. At that instant, Shu Jun’s eyes felt pain. He couldn’t help but tear up. He saw a blur in front of him and could only feel the trembles of perfected Sword Dao piercing through the void!

His skin felt as though it was pierced by thousands of swords, penetrating his body, soul, and consciousness. He was extremely fearful.

Soon, the light given off by the Sword Dao dissipated. Qin Mu was grabbing his chest as he turned to leave.

Founding Emperor retracted his sword. There was fresh blood dripping from it.

“Shu Jun, go!”

Qin Mu’s voice felt weak. “I am unable to move. Carry me back...”

Shu Jun quickly stepped forward, a sense of astonishment in his heart as he glanced at Founding Emperor.

Founding Emperor looked upset and disappointed, watching them as they left.

His sword realm was above Qin Mu’s, and his twentieth sword form didn’t disappoint. It penetrated Qin Mu’s divine treasure realm, breaking through his sword techniques.

However, a spectacular sword light flew past alongside his Divine Bridge Divine Treasure, looking graceful and dazzling.

Qin Mu’s Facing Calamity Sword didn’t cut through his divine bridge but merely grazed it, causing him to break into a cold sweat.

If that slash had ended up breaking his divine bridge, his celestial palace would have crumbled and disintegrated, crushing all six of his great divine treasures and destroying his cultivation completely!

He didn’t know if Qin Mu didn’t have the strength to execute that slash properly or if he was showing mercy.

Zhnng.

Founding Emperor swung his sword back into the sheath as he turned back towards Carefree Village. ‘I need to check out the reform of Eternal Peace.’