Tales of Herding Gods

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When they were on the boat, Yun Chuxiu once mentioned that when she led two heavenly masters, the celestial heavens’ Divine Warrior Guards, and her proud disciples into the Great Void, they suffered heavy casualties.

The Divine Warrior Guards were completely lost, and none of her disciples survived either. As for the two heavenly masters, they also died in the Great Void.

She also once mentioned that there was a Heavenly Master Yue amongst them that cracked the Great Void’s secret, yet he didn’t get out alive.

However, Qin Mu had seen through her.

She had killed the entire party for self-preservation!

If this ferocious Daoist, Yue Tingge, was the Heavenly Master Yue that Yun Chuxiu talked about, how did he survive a Celestial Venerable’s attack?

How did he escape to this place?

‘People who become heavenly masters all have extraordinary capabilities. Yue Tingge must have had an escape plan. Yun Chuxiu once said that the two heavenly masters were strong experts of the Emperor’s Throne Grand Completion Realm…’

A cold sweat broke out on Qin Mu’s forehead. Just now, when he revealed that he was Celestial Venerable Mu, this Yue Tingge came to kowtow to him. If, however, he wasn’t here to kowtow but instead was here to kill…

‘Then, my body would be cold by now, right?’ he secretly thought.

Luo Wushuang was also shocked by this and took a long time to recover.

He knew little about Heavenly Master Yue, as few amongst the celestial heavens’ higher-ups would use their real names. Instead, they choose to use a title or nickname. Only people in the lower ranks would use their real names. Hence, he didn’t know the four great heavenly teachers’ real names.

There was also no Yue Tingge amongst the four great heavenly teachers of today.

The four great heavenly teachers, four great heavenly kings, and four great deities weren’t permanent either. Their positions might seem high, but they were disposable to the ten Celestial Venerables. They were replaced after they died.

Luo Wushuang’s position today and his position back then were low, so he only caught a glance of Heavenly Master Yue. Additionally, Yue Tingge had already been “dead” for ten thousand years. The heavenly masters of the celestial heavens today had already been replaced.

Besides, the Yue Tingge of the past was an elegant person. Now, he was ferocious and evil-looking, for he cared little about his appearance, which made him look completely different from his past self. Thus, Luo Wushuang was unable to recognize him instantly.

How did this heavenly master who “died” ten thousand years ago appear here?

“Heavenly Master Yue, I have several questions that require your guidance.”

Qin Mu walked up and said to that ferocious Daoist, “Can I ask, how did you survive? Also, which Celestial Venerable amongst the ten was the one who led you all into the Great Void?”

That evil Daoist Yue Tingge rose up, glanced at him, put his grilled beast thigh on his shoulder, and walked outside. He angrily said, “The only reason that I didn’t kill you is that I respect how you were a Celestial Venerable of the Dragon Han Era. Don’t be a busybody!”

Qin Mu followed him outside the city, continuing his questioning. He asked, “Where are the masters of creation? Why haven’t we seen them? Have you met Celestial Venerable Huo and Celestial Venerable Xu? Do you know where Carefree Village is? Did you meet Celestial Venerable Qin here?”

Yue Tingge revealed a peculiar smile that hinted at his insanity. He said, “Celestial Venerable Huo? Celestial Venerable Xu? They’re here to kill me, right? It must be so! They’re here to kill me! I led them to that treacherous place. Hehehe… They will never be able to escape and will die there! I’m safe…”

Luo Wushuang followed Qin Mu and whispered in his ear, “This Heavenly Master Yue doesn’t seem sane. Could he be insane after being stuck here for ten thousand years?”

Yue Tingge glanced at him and coldly said, “One-armed one, you look down on me too much. I wouldn’t go insane even if I was stuck here for a million years, much less ten thousand! I just don’t trust those Celestial Venerables.”

Just now, he was illogical and incoherent. Now, he was the opposite. He continued, “When Celestial Venerable Qin became Founding Emperor and built the fake dynasty of the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens, the ten Celestial Venerables schemed against him. I was the head of the four great heavenly teachers then, and I designed the scheme against him.”

He recalled the past, which made him proud as he continued, “After all, Founding Emperor was Celestial Venerable Qin, one of the five Founding Elders of the Heaven Alliance. Who would get rid of him openly? In addition, if he were to lead his subordinates into the celestial heavens, he would become one of the strongest forces in the celestial heavens’ Heaven Alliance. Thus, it was imperative that we didn’t let him take it over again. Therefore, I used the peeling method against him.”

He excitedly recalled the past. “When the Dragon Han Celestial Heavens came into contact with the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens, the former hijacked the latter’s development. The strongest member of Founding Emperor’s subordinates, Di Yiyue, was bewitched by Son of Heaven Yin. In addition, due to the actions of the god of war, Li Youran, and Red Deity Qi Xiayu, the power of the celestial heavens seeped into the power of Founding Emperor and split his celestial heavens from within. When the situation escalated, one could uproot Founding Emperor’s power!”

He proudly continued, “Founding Emperor could do nothing against my plan, and in the end, Founding Emperor’s celestial heavens was destroyed. However, he was smart enough to see that the situation wasn’t in his favor, and he built Carefree Village in secret. He was able to escape. The ten Celestial Venerables didn’t let up and sent me to find Carefree Village. Although my credit was due, I should have known the logic of boiling the dog once it bit the rabbit…”

He lowered his head and looked around in an abnormally cautious manner before laughing. “I know too many secrets of theirs. They wanted to kill us. Having me search for Carefree Village was a ruse to kill me!”

Qin Mu and Luo Wushuang looked at one another. This Heavenly Master Yue was a bit insane again.

Mistress Yuanmu hadn’t planned to kill him. As one of the ten Celestial Venerables, she led her party into the Great Void with the aim to find Carefree Village. However, she slaughtered her subordinates for self-preservation, to survive the Great Void’s peculiarities.

Heavenly Master Yue was a wise person who understood that, but now, he was a bit crazy.

“Last time, they couldn’t kill me, and now, they sent three great Celestial Venerables after me! Hehe. Celestial Venerable Huo and Celestial Venerable Xu were duped by me into going to that treacherous place. However, there still remains the third Celestial Venerable, Celestial Venerable Mu…”

His eyes gave off a murderous intent and stared down ferociously at Qin Mu. Suddenly, the murderous intent in his eyes disappeared, and he hid in the corner of the street, looking at Qin Mu at times. He whispered to that roasted beast leg, “Should we dupe Celestial Venerable Mu into that treacherous place and let him die there? We can’t do that, he might not be an enemy. Besides, he imparted the way to become a god to us… You’re right, we shouldn’t kill him, but we can kill the one-armed one…”

Luo Wushuang felt fear in his heart as he pleaded Qin Mu, “Overlord Body Qin, I feel that this Heavenly Master Yue isn’t rational. Should we leave?”

Qin Mu hesitated as Yue Tingge continued mumbling to that beast leg, “However, this sneaky Celestial Venerable Mu doesn’t seem like a good person. We’ve already harmed two Celestial Venerables, it should be nothing to harm another…”

Qin Mu no longer hesitated and immediately interrupted Luo Wushuang, saying, “He’s indeed crazy! Leave now!”

Yue Tingge walked towards them with none of that murderous aura from before. He looked like a sage-like elder filled with wisdom as he laughed. “Celestial Venerable Mu, do you want to know what happened to Celestial Venerable Qin and Carefree Village? Please follow me if you do.”

Qin Mu blinked.

Luo Wushuang shook his head and said, “Overlord Body Qin, he’s lying to us, we can’t go with him!”

Qin Mu clenched his teeth and followed Yue Tingge.

At the same time, hundreds of miles from that city, Lian Huahun was fighting another young god. He was a young god who had great power. Behind him were four floating celestial palaces, which made his magic power incredible.

However, Lian Huahun, despite being a divine arts practitioner at the Divine Bridge Realm, was able to get the upper hand.

The two of them fought with speed and various paths, skills, and divine arts that were dazzling.

Soon, everything settled down as the two of them landed.

That young god held his chest and hoarsely asked, “Sister Lian, why…”

Lian Huahun pushed her divine art into his body. It was a peculiar divine art that acted like an abyss that devoured his essence and blood constantly. Soon, he was as skinny as a matchstick.

Not only that, but his seven divine treasures also fell into that abyss one by one.

The celestial heavens had a lot of experts on the Great Dao of Youdu and Youdu divine arts, which included Son of Heaven Yin, who epitomized the Youdu divine arts. However, the celestial heavens knew little about the Ruins of End.

The Ruins of End divine arts were a mystery to the celestial heavens. Not many people learned about the Ruins of End, let alone its Great Dao runes.

This young god was strong and powerful, more so than the god Qin Mu came in contact with, An Qingyu. However, he could only meet a miserable end when facing the peculiar Ruins of End divine arts.

It was just that he didn’t understand what had happened. He and Lian Huahun were Celestial Venerable Hao’s disciples, and he took care of her quite frequently.

Therefore, he didn’t expect that Lian Huahun would strike at him to the point of even landing the killing blow!

“There’s no why, Brother Liao.”

Lian Huahun silently said, “I just don’t wish for you to find Celestial Venerable Mu faster than me. That’s all.”

That Brother Liao grunted. The abyss in his body had already swallowed his Celestial Being Divine Treasure and was about to swallow the Life and Death Divine Treasure and Divine Bridge Divine Treasure!

His essence and blood were soon swallowed whole, and his body became a skeleton covered with skin.

“You wouldn’t have defeated him.”

Lian Huahun explained, “You can’t defeat him, so you would use Celestial Venerable Hao’s way to kill Mu. However, even if you used it, you might not be able to kill him. The likelihood is that you would be seen through by him, and he would refine his own techniques and divine arts as a result.”

Brother Liao’s Life and Death Divine Treasure and Divine Bridge Divine Treasure collapsed and fell into the abyss. The abyss then began to swallow his celestial palace after reaching the Southern Heavenly Gate!

His corporeal body, which only had bones left, also began to collapse internally. Such a way of dying was incomparably excruciating.

“There are only 18 ways left in the ways to kill Mu. Every way that he sees through is another way that one can’t use against Celestial Venerable Mu. Your abilities are too weak, and you lot are too stupid. Instead of waiting for him to break all of the ways to kill Mu and having him grow stronger, why not preserve them?”

Lian Huahun whispered, “I can’t get rid of him without using my own grand technique. Thus, I can’t tolerate having the ways to kill Mu exposed. Therefore, I have to get rid of you all. Is this explanation acceptable, Brother Liao?”

Brother Liao’s celestial palaces made a loud roar as thousands of its halls fell into the abyss. His primordial spirit was also unable to escape, and it fell into the abyss with his collapsing corporeal body!

In the end, he disappeared from this world without leaving a single trace. Even his soul disappeared without any fragments or black sand.

He was completely absorbed by the abyss.

Then, the abyss divine art flew back into Lian Huahun’s eyebrows.

After, a red imprint appeared in the heart of her brows before disappearing.

She took out a mirror, and on it were five red dots. Four of them were moving.

This was the precious artifact that Celestial Venerable Hao forged for the 19 disciples going on this trip. It was a soul mirror, and every disciple could use it to find the others quickly via the red dots. That way, they could gather together and work in unison to get rid of Qin Mu.

It was just that Celestial Venerable Hao didn’t expect that it would become his disciples’ talisman of early death!

‘Five out of the eighteen disciples of Celestial Venerable Hao have already died at my hands. There are four left. After getting rid of these four, I can deal with Celestial Venerable Mu.’

Lian Huahun revealed a smile and flew towards one of the red dots while clutching the soul mirror. ‘The other nine either died on the way here or died to the peculiarities of the Great Void. I just don’t know whether anyone was eliminated by Celestial Venerable Mu and how many of the 18 ways to kill Mu are left. However, to kill him, I’ll have to use many of the 18 ways.’

Soon, she caught up to one of the red dots and saw a lady speeding on a barren plain. She was clutching a mirror too.

“Sister Lee!” Lian Huahun shouted.

The expression of the woman called Sister Lee changed immediately, and she sped up and flew away quickly. She coldly said, “Lian Huahun, I just saw one of the red dots disappear after coming into contact with your red dot on the soul mirror. You killed that disciple and are now here to kill me, right?”

Lian Huahun’s expression changed slightly as she chased, saying, “Since I have been found out by Sister, I have even less of a reason to leave you alive. Don’t flee now, Sister. Your fate is sealed.”

Although Sister Lee was a real god, she didn’t dare to fight her. Instead, she chose to flee.

Lian Huahun extended a finger, and a black whirlpool appeared in front of her. She jumped into the whirlpool and disappeared.

Sister Lee was fleeing when, suddenly, a black whirlpool appeared beside her. She was about to stop when that whirlpool engulfed her.

The whirlpool shook violently in midair, looking as if two beasts were fighting to the death inside of it.

Not long after, Sister Lee rushed out of it to flee. However, her body became lighter and lighter before becoming not much more than skin that was picked up by the wind.

Her corporeal body was empty, as the blood, flesh, bones, divine treasures, celestial palace, and primordial spirit beneath her skin were swallowed.

Lian Huahun emerged from the whirlpool and examined the soul mirror. She walked in a direction according to the soul mirror, mumbling to herself, “Three left…”