Tales of Herding Gods

Qin Mu’s expression sank as he coldly asked, “This is you and South Deity’s idea?”

Red Deity Qi Xiayu was visibly perplexed. “This was Celestial Venerable Yue’s idea too. Celestial Venerable Mu, you are the Invincible Great Wizard. You shouldn’t be so nervous since Heaven Duke and Earth Count are still alive to resurrect South Deity and allow her to get rid of the restraints of her Great Dao. Isn’t this a one-time opportunity gifted by the heavens?”

“An opportunity gifted by the heavens?”

Qin Mu was so angry that he laughed as he sat on his throne, visibly tired. He disappointingly said, “An opportunity from the heavens? You dare to say that when you all didn’t discuss it with me? My resurrection technique isn’t omnipotent. There are magic powers that can restrain my resurrection in this world, and they are all in the hands of the celestial heavens’ ten Celestial Venerables…”

Red Deity Qi Xiayu’s expression changed greatly.

Qin Mu had ordered the Heavenly Dragon Treasure Carriage to rush towards the forbidden zone of the South Pole.

‘The Grand Emperor’s Grand Overarching Consciousness Heaven, the celestial heavens’ Hall of Fragrance, Celestial Emperor’s forbidden zone, and Celestial Empress and Yuanmu’s Ruins of End can all resist my soul summon. If they hide your soul in the Great Void, I won’t be able to find it either.’

Qin Mu sat in the carriage, frustrated. ‘Are you sure that I can revive you, South Deity?’

There was no way he wouldn’t be furious. South Deity Vermillion Bird was one of the few ancient gods whom he had great relations with. Their friendship was only exceeded by the one he had with Heaven Duke and Earth Count.

When Qin Mu returned to the first year of the Dragon Han Era, the first ancient god he met was South Deity Vermillion Bird. They had an enjoyable conversation on the boat, and Vermillion Bird recognized him as his brother.

Later on, when Qin Mu lost his place in the celestial heavens after beating up Celestial Venerable Hao, he hid in Vermillion Bird’s celestial palace.

Besides, she was the first ancient god who knew about the Heaven Alliance.

When Qin Mu was on the ghost ship and stole the four deities’ power, which he was arrested for, it was South Deity Vermillion Bird who pushed for their release. This allowed them to be freed from the ghost ship.

His relationship with Heaven Duke and Earth Count was like one between seniors and juniors. His relationship with South Deity Vermillion Bird was like one between brothers and sisters.

He knew her plan. She wanted to use this opportunity to get rid of her ancient god body and be reborn so she would no longer be restrained by the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, like Goddess of Heavenly Yin.

Qin Mu was angry because when she did it, she didn’t discuss it with him. She thought that the Invincible Great Wizard, Qin Mu, was omnipotent and that he could revive her!

To her, this situation with the ten Celestial Venerables was the best timing to die by their hands while killing all of the gods and devils the celestial heavens placed in the South Pole. It was killing two birds with one stone.

‘This opportunity is also the best timing to strike the ancient gods and me down!’

Qin Mu clenched his fist and teeth. South Deity Vermillion Bird wanted to use this time to be resurrected and get rid of the Great Dao restraints. The celestial heavens also wanted to use this opportunity to suppress her soul so that she couldn’t be revived!

The ten Celestial Venerables would surely use this opportunity to prove to everyone, including the ancient gods, that the Invincible Great Wizard, Qin Mu, wasn’t someone the ancient gods could rely on!

They had enough ways to suppress Qin Mu’s magic to prevent Qin Mu from reviving dead ancient gods.

‘They have four or five ways to suppress my resurrection. However, the Grand Emperor can’t use his Ultimate Void, or else he will give himself away. Celestial Empress and Yuanmu can’t use their Ruins of End either, for fear of giving themselves away. Celestial Emperor’s forbidden zone also can’t be used. Therefore, the only thing that can be used is the Hall of Fragrance.’

Qin Mu looked forward as cold sweat burst from his forehead.

The celestial heavens’ Hall of Fragrance was where the tattered soul of Celestial Venerable Yu was suppressed. When he tried to summon Celestial Venerable Yu’s soul, he couldn’t summon it out of the Hall of Fragrance.

Even when Earth Count personally searched for Celestial Venerable Yu’s soul, he couldn’t enter the Hall of Fragrance!

The Hall of Fragrance was one of the celestial heavens’ 72 throne halls. The ten Celestial Venerables would definitely use it to suppress South Deity Vermillion Bird’s soul so that Qin Mu’s divine art would be ineffective, meaning she would die completely!

‘Hopefully, this is only a conjecture. Hopefully, the Hall of Fragrance is still in the celestial heavens and hasn’t been sent to the South Pole.’

The carriage’s speed was pushed to the extreme. Qin Mu looked back and saw the Vermillion Bird Celestial Palace collapsing. The annihilation of the oldest celestial palace was set. It was certain that the South Pole had lost its master.

Even if he could revive South Deity Vermillion Bird, she would no longer have control of this place.

Besides, she might not even be able to be revived!

Boom—

The sky shook violently as a celestial river thousands of miles wide appeared above the South Pole. It was filled with torrents that twisted space as it drove past suns. Countless large ships floated on it.

Unlike normal rivers, the celestial river’s surface was like a disk, like two plates clasped together. There was no up or down for the celestial river, so on both sides of it, countless large ships sped on.

That was the Celestial River Navy!

The celestial heavens linked various large heavens, so the Celestial River Navy had been the army of the celestial heavens with the most gods and devils for a million years!

All this time, it was the Celestial River Navy that led the effort to quell the rebellions of the various heavens and the eras that were created!

The Heaven Han Celestial Heavens, Crimson Light Celestial Heavens, High Emperor Celestial Heavens, and Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens all perished under the Celestial River Navy!

Qin Mu looked up and saw the celestial river splitting itself like an incredibly large nine-tailed fox that was extending its tail, but one with way more than nine tails.

Hundreds of its tributaries flooded towards various parts of the South Pole as large boats sailed on them. The water extinguished the blazing flame of the South Pole, and countless of its gods and devils were slaughtered.

This was a one-sided massacre.

The celestial heavens’ war machine was activated, and it took little effort to defeat the South Pole!

This was what the celestial heavens had been hiding for a million years!

Another dozen of its tributaries came to the front of Qin Mu, and boats descended from the heavens towards the brightest flame of the South Pole.

Qin Mu retracted his gaze.

Finally, the treasure carriage reached the forbidden zone of the South Pole.

The Great Dao multi-colored light boiled as a giant sacrificial altar made out of flames rose on the horizon. That wasn’t a sacrificial altar but a mirage formed by the light.

The Great Dao multi-colored light formed a bird-nest like structure up top, which was extremely large. When looking from afar, one could see its blazing holy flames as if it was forming a vermillion bird spreading its wings and rising.

The carriage went there and felt the blazing temperature. At such a temperature, even the six Jade Capital Realm heavenly dragons didn’t dare to go any closer.

However, the temperature had decreased by quite a bit due to the arrival of the Celestial River Navy. There were as many as 36 celestial river tributaries that flowed into the South Pole’s forbidden zone.

The navy used its power to suppress this Great Dao forbidden zone. Many of its ships drove into it to chase and kill the South Pole’s gods and devils.

There were many gods and devils that ran there. They fought against the celestial heavens’ Celestial River Navy with their geographical and bloodline advantages, causing a lot of casualties on both sides.

The dragon qilin drove the carriage forward into the South Pole’s Great Dao multi-colored light. The four deities of the ancient gods valued their birthplaces greatly.

Qin Mu had been to the East, West, and North Pole, but he had never seen their birthplaces, even for the seemingly innocent and cute West Deity.

They hid their birthplaces, for the forbidden zones concealed the Great Dao rules that birthed them. They had to guard it to prevent having their weaknesses discovered.

At that moment, the South Pole’s forbidden zone emerged, and even from the outside, Qin Mu and the others could feel terrifying Great Dao tremors coming from it!

The heavenly dragons drove the carriage in carefully and slowly. The place was hot, and the light was dangerous.

From the outside, the zone was like a sacrificial altar formed by the light, but once one entered, one would realize that it was something else entirely.

The Great Dao light that made up the forbidden zone formed a mountain range thousands of miles long. It formed unbelievably complex runes, while the more minute and detailed Great Dao lights formed different markings that were embedded into the mountains, ground, and even in the air.

They were extremely dangerous. One had to be very careful in traversing the South Pole, or else one could trigger them.

The ancient gods’ power came from the power of the Great Dao, and in this forbidden zone, the Great Dao almost became a solid substance!

In front, after the Celestial River Navy opened the way, powerful gods and devils used the celestial river to suppress the fire and the Great Dao light on the mountain. On the large ships, countless divine weapons flew up to suppress it.

Qin Mu’s carriage followed them without much danger. As they traversed, more and more boats appeared, and they would suddenly catch on fire. The gods and devils on board would catch fire and scamper around the deck, crying out.

They triggered the Great Dao light and its power here.

If one couldn’t suppress it, they would be swallowed by it.

There wasn’t just the Celestial River Navy here, there was also the South Pole’s rebels. They ambushed and even challenged the Dao power here, dying alongside the Celestial River Navy.

The carriage followed the celestial river forward. The generals on the flying boats saw them, but no one came to ask them about what they were doing. Someone should have ordered them to allow them to enter the South Pole’s forbidden zone.

“It’s the Dao flames zone ahead, everyone, stop!”

A god in the Celestial River Navy stood at the bridge and ordered, “Force the rebels into it!”

Countless divine weapons flew from the ships to suppress the rebels in front. There were many gods and devils of the South Pole, at least ten thousand of them, but they couldn’t deal with the Celestial River Navy’s power and were thus forced to enter the forbidden zone.

The carriage stopped immediately. Qin Mu, Yan’er, and the dragon qilin watched the thousands of people run into the Dao flames zone, igniting into flames. All of them became ashes, and no one survived!

“Celestial Venerable Mu!”

That god hollered from above, “We are about to withdraw. There’s no celestial river here to suppress it, so pardon me, Celestial Venerable!”

Qin Mu nodded, and that god ordered a withdrawal. The celestial river tributaries withdrew quickly, and their waves took the boats with them.

That god’s boat was suppressing the Dao power of the forbidden zone from behind, so it was the last to leave.

“Celestial Venerable, the Dao flames have nine heavens. This is only the first. The deeper you enter, the more dangerous it becomes. Take care, Celestial Venerable!” That god waved his sleeves, and the last celestial river tributary withdrew.

Qin Mu walked out of the carriage and solemnly said, “Follow me, Yan’er and Fatty Dragon. The carriage stays here. Yan’er, use your lantern to suppress the Dao flames.”

Yan’er carried the lantern to guard their advance while the carriage remained.

The Dao flames blazed on as the temperature rose. The void was even distorted as, one by one, the voids melted. Qin Mu looked back and was shocked.

One could see the entire South Pole and how it was like a distorted ring if one looked out from the flames of its forbidden zone.

They were at the first heaven of the forbidden zone’s Dao flames, so Celestial Venerable Yue’s lantern could easily deal with it.

At the second heaven, Qin Mu looked back and saw how the universe’s southern stars and constellations became a ring that hung outside the forbidden zone to form another heaven outside of the South Pole.

At the third heaven, an even more miraculous scene appeared. Qin Mu saw that the primordial realm and thousands of other worlds formed a third ring that was hung outside of the forbidden zone!

The fourth heaven of the Dao flame saw Heaven Duke’s Xuandu forming the fourth heaven and world!

Youdu was the Dao flame’s fifth heaven, and it formed a dim halo.

The Ruins of End was thus the sixth heaven of the Dao flame. While Youdu was dim, the Ruins of End was black and emitted no glow at all.

At the seventh heaven, one would see the celestial heavens, which had an incredibly glaring halo.

At the eighth heaven, one could find the other three poles of the four poles existing like three small rings hung on a larger ring.

The lantern in Yan’er’s hands suddenly lit up. The lantern that Celestial Venerable Yue forged couldn’t last much longer!

Qin Mu looked forward and saw that they had reached the outer layer of the Dao flame’s ninth heaven!

At that moment, this Great Dao forbidden zone’s power was greatly diminished, as the flames on the lantern were extinguished. A violent gust of air blew towards them and caused their shirts to flutter!

Qin Mu looked up and saw a throne hall descending from the sky. There were talismans all over it, and runes of all colors locked the hall like countless locks!

The Hall of Fragrance had descended.

“Celestial Venerable Mu, you’re late.”

In the flames of the ninth heaven of the Dao flames, stood an imposing figure. He leaned his head and said plainly, “South Deity has fallen.”