Tales of Herding Gods

Panda Novel

Mother Earth didn’t give them time to reminisce. She manipulated the Primordial Tree, turning its roots into a giant hammer to strike the chest of the astonished Celestial Venerable Yu.

Celestial Venerable Yu spun wildly and crashed into the barrier of the Primordial Realm. Like a stone skipping on water, his body bounced off the barrier and fell to the ground.

The powerful impact of Celestial Venerable Yu created holes in the Primordial Realm barrier.

These holes represented the wounds of the Primordial Realm and would take time to heal.

Mother Earth screamed, two fingers pointing upright. Multiple roots emerged from the ball of roots of the Primordial Tree and burrowed into Celestial Venerable Yu’s wounds.

As she only had one chance, she definitely wouldn’t pass up this opportunity. Now that Celestial Venerable Yu was heavily wounded, it was the best time to finish him off.

If she failed, she would die!

“Boundless Magnetism!”

The roots of the Primordial Tree pierced through Celestial Venerable Yu’s sword wounds, exiting from his back. Magnetism merged with the roots, radiating and glowing.

The roots picked Celestial Venerable Yu up, and entangled themselves in the air. They then retracted back into the ball of roots, forming a huge “∞” sign.

Qin Mu looked at the roots. The runes of magnetism on the roots formed countless light halos as they circled the roots. The roots then retracted back into the ball, together with the runes of magnetism.

The powerful force of magnetism took away Celestial Venerable Yu’s essence, weakening him. The terrifying divine energies of magnetism crushed the runes of Great Dao in Celestial Venerable Yu’s body, causing immeasurable damage to his body and primordial spirit.

The previous Celestial Venerable Yus were test subjects used by the sovereigns of the celestial heavens and were only cultivated up to the Divine Bridge Realm. This Celestial Venerable Yu was different, the primordial spirit of Celestial Venerable Hao was in him.

Mother Earth’s divine art and Primordial Tree were too powerful, causing tremendous damage to his Primordial Spirit.

The divine light of magnetism pulled down pieces of heavens, using them to crush Celestial Venerable Yu’s body. Given the pressure, had he been in the Emperor’s Throne Realm, he would have been killed!

“Celestial Venerable Mu, Mother Earth, you underestimated the power of the Celestial Heavens Realm!”

Majestic celestial heavens, celestial palaces, and throne halls appeared behind Celestial Venerable Yu, shining brilliantly. With a burst of power, the Primordial Tree roots and runes of the Great Dao stopped moving. The “∞” created by the roots loosened into a big circle.

The heavens that were crushing him was flung off.

Following which, the runes of magnetism rotated, returning him the essence that was taken away by Mother Earth earlier!

Mother Earth let out a long scream as multiple roots emerged from the Primordial Tree ball of roots. The thick, gigantic roots pierced through the celestial heavens—toppling celestial palaces, destroying throne halls.

The trunk and the crown were only one-tenth of the Primordial Tree. The strongest part of Mother Earth was her roots.

She flew towards Celestial Venerable Yu, the Primordial Tree close behind.

At the top of the tree, Qin Mu leaped out of the phoenix nest, his body covered by many rotating runes. He transformed into a faint stream of light and flew towards the closing wounds of the Primordial Realm barrier.

“Celestial Venerable Mu, I have waited for you for a million years!”

Celestial Venerable Yu said, neither laughing or crying, “A million years ago, you had the late mover advantage and used a million years of divine arts against me. That was why I lost to you! A million years later, I have the first mover advantage. I have a million years of wisdom and had a million years to rebuild the perfect celestial heavens!”

Qin Mu glanced back and saw that the two frightening divine beings were still fighting. Behind Celestial Venerable Yu, within the majestic celestial heavens, a faceless man stood in one of the throne halls. He looked like the master of the celestial palace, a heavenly emperor.

‘Celestial Venerable Hao has been in the Celestial Heavens Realm for a long time, he must have incredible powers.’

Qin Mu picked up speed, thinking, ‘He has been injured greatly. If he decides to fight to the death, he could possibly kill Mother Earth. However, he is one who cherishes his life. This had been the same for a hundred years and I don’t see that changing. To protect his status in the celestial heavens, he won’t allow himself to suffer too much damage. Hence, he will abandon the fight and return back to the celestial heavens. Before he is fully recovered, he won’t make any major moves.”

As the Primordial Realm barrier healed, Qin Mu disappeared within the Primordial Realm.

The two monstrosities were still fighting in the sky. Their divine arts tore the sky apart, showing the mortal world their frightening figures and leaving them in awe of their strength.

Mother Earth’s injuries were getting more and more serious, gradually weakening her.

“Celestial Venerable Mu, what should I do next?” Her thoughts pulsed, only for her to realize that Qin Mu wasn’t on the tree crown anymore.

Mother Earth panicked. Qin Mu’s guidance helped her avoid a beating. Now, she was falling behind while Qin Mu had disappeared, leaving her fearful in the face of death.

However, Celestial Venerable Hao was more fearful than her.

Mother Earth had already lost everything. He had not.

He enjoyed a high position within the celestial heavens. If he were to suffer any major damage, other sovereigns would be more than happy to take his place!

If he were to fight on, he would face this difficult situation.

However, if he didn’t finish off Mother Earth, it would be a blow to his prestige.

Today, no sovereign descend to the mortal world to help him, not even his follower, Celestial Venerable Huo. The sovereigns have been close friends with him all along but they are, in fact, waiting for an opening. This spooked Celestial Venerable Hao.

At this moment, a face appeared across the sky. It was the other Celestial Venerable Yu.

Celestial Venerable Hao’s initial happiness turned into surprise. This Celestial Venerable Yu didn’t offer to help but remained as a smiling on-looker.

“Does Your Majesty need help?” Celestial Venerable Yu laughed.

Upon hearing his voice, Celestial Venerable Hao realized who he was.

The Primordial Realm.

Qin Mu landed and saw a scene of devastation.

The fleet of ships controlled by the army of the celestial heavens began to eradicate the forces in the Primordial Realm, flattening the nations built by the half-gods, plundering and killing.

The Primordial Realm was in chaos. Demons and monsters ran amok. The atmosphere was foul as gods and devils battled each other among the clouds. From time to time, heads as big as mountains fell from the sky.

Whoosh—

An enormous demon flew over his head, trying to flee, but a hundred celestial soldiers pursued and kill him.

Qin Mu did not have to walk far to see the rivers of blood. Its corpse fell in front of him, like a giant mountain blocking his path.

A team of gods of the celestial heavens caught up. “Take the corpse, we have use for it!”

Qin Mu hid in the darkness and watched them take the corpse away, emerging only after they had left.

As he walked through his chaotic surroundings, he saw gods pulling up mountains and crushing half-god nations with them. Imperial cities and countless half-god races were flattened into dust.

The half-gods of the dragon race were skinned by gods of the celestial heavens and placed on mountains to be burned alive by celestial fire.

He wandered around this endless battlefield, experiencing burning and looting all round. The divine kingdom of the phoenix race had been invaded by the army of the celestial heavens. Many beautiful people of the phoenix race had been taken as slaves to be raped.

He saw a god being hanged in front of a heaven’s mountain gate. That particular heaven of the Primordial Realm had been utterly defeated. Countless half-god slaves had been pierced. They had difficulty moving forward under the orders of the gods.

There were flames of battle everywhere in the Primordial Realm. The army of the celestial heavens used the corpses of gods and devils to build a towering sacrificial altar and prepared to launch a blood sacrifice.

The sky was filled with gleaming blood. There was a constant flow of large ships carrying the army of gods and devils coming through the blood sacrifice into the Primordial Realm, directing their attack on even larger forces.

The sky was filled with ever-increasing ships and gods.

“What about the ancient Celestial Emperor?”

Qin Mu muttered, “Have you descended? I have given you the opportunity to act… The human race, what is going to happen to the majority of the human race?”

This battle was spreading. Soon, it would reach Eternal Peace.

“Son of Youdu?”

Suddenly, a celestial god discovered him and unfurled a scroll painting. “One will search high and low only to find it when one least expects to. You are the Son of Youdu.”

Qin Mu was indifferent. He transformed into his three-headed and six-armed form, and his body grew bigger. His third head was a big-headed baby.

“Wherever I am, Youdu exists!”

The big-headed baby looked confusedly at the scene of devastation. “But here is scarier than Youdu.”

At the southern sea, a star collapsed, dragging a long trail of fire into the sea and causing giant waves.

On the surface of the southern sea, within the celestial palace of the remaining survivors of Crimson Light, countless Crimson Light gods were resisting the invading army of the celestial heavens. Chi Xi was leading the resistance, buying time for his people to retreat.

His comrades around him dwindled. Eventually, he was the only one fighting ferociously on the God Execution Stage and was drowned in the sea of ​​gods and devils.

“Die together with me!”

He let loose one last roar. “Worship!”

His qi and blood were devoured by the God Execution Stage. The God Execution Stage of this strong Emperor’s Throne practitioner seemed to come alive from a deep slumber, releasing its power. It sucked the qi and blood of many celestial gods. Those who charged at the God Execution Stage were turned into corpses.

Chi Xi ran out of energy, and his eyes started to blur.

“Crimson Light Son of God should have already brought my people to safety. What about my disciple, is he safe?”

Before he died, he saw Grandmaster hiding himself from place to place like an old rabbit within the crumbling Crimson Light celestial palace.

Chi Xi smiled for the final time. “He can run fast indeed…”

Pangong Tso made use of the chaos to escape the Crimson Light celestial palace. He was considered the top escapist by Qin Mu. Not a hundred gods can stop him. Not even the Jade Pool and Jade Capital Realm he encountered on the way were unable to stop him.

The sky was dim, and it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night. Flames of battle burned across the sky like a painting on fire.

Pangong Tso escaped under this picture, onto the mainland. Although his body was full of injuries, he managed a smile. “There is no one in this world who is able to kill me. No one! Not even Cult Master Qin!”

He saw that, ahead, there were gods killing. The fleet of Eternal Peace was carrying countless mortals towards the north when they were sunk by the divine arts of the gods and devils.

“None of my business.”

He planned to circle around and seek safe shelter. At that moment, he was dazed. He was unable to pull his gaze away from the figure fighting the celestial heavens gods.

It was First Ancestor Human Emperor. He was fighting against more than 10 god generals so that the divine arts practitioners on the ships could lead the mortals to safety.

The flames of battle lit up the faces on the boats—there were faces of frightened women and children.

“None of my business. I have done nothing good in my life. All these thousands of years, I have only done bad deeds.”

Pangong Tso chuckled and walked away. At this moment, the body of First Ancestor Human Emperor fell from the sky and slid 10 miles before stopping at his feet. A Jade Capital Realm god descended from the sky and stabbed First Ancestor’s chest with his sword.

Pangong Tso, without thinking, transformed himself into black smoke and carried First Ancestor away.

“Stop!”

First Ancestor Human Emperor shook the black smoke off his body. He didn’t look at him but faced the oncoming celestial heavens practitioners. “Go, help those people escape!”

He charged at the celestial gods without looking back.

Pangong Tso was startled. He quietly rose and landed on one of the ships that were heading towards the south at high speed. Behind him danced the shadowy figures of First Ancestor Human Emperor and the celestial gods. The shock wave of their divine arts rippled out, threatening to rip the boats apart.

“This is His Majesty’s ship. Please get off.”

Pangong Tso looked at the despairing divine arts practitioners and laughed. “I have spent my whole life escaping. I can guarantee you will escape alive!”

The ship landed, and people were getting off.

“Things will get better when we arrive at Li River Academy.”

Pangong Tso led them forward while consoling everyone. “When we reach Li River Academy, Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor will build a teleporter, which will take us to the capital city.”

The people moved in the darkness, not knowing where they were. Along the way, the group grew as more refugees joined them.

Pangong Tso became their leader. The sun and stars had disappeared from the sky. He was the only one who was able to navigate in the darkness.

Pangong Tso led them for 10 days. More and more people got left behind from exhaustion.

“There used to be a period of time where I could have been the human emperor.”

Pangong Tso said to these divine arts practitioners, “That was around the end of the High Emperor Era. I took the remaining survivors of the High Emperor Era and escaped in the darkness. I almost became the High Emperor Era’s First Ancestor Human Emperor…” He chuckled.

Today, Li River Academy would be within sight.

However, the refugees despaired upon seeing a celestial heavens ship descending from the sky. At the bow of the ship were rock-looking faces.

“Grandmaster!” The divine arts practitioners tried to look for Pangong Tso, but he was nowhere in sight.

The people were desperate.

In the darkness, Pangong Tso looked back and saw the celestial gods getting off the ship, walking towards the people whom he once protected.

“I have escaped all my life and won’t fail here. I have killed countless and have never done a good deed.”

Pangong Tso panted and laughed. “No one is able to take me down, not even Cult Master Qin! Hehe, hehe…”

His panting got heavier as he dragged his heavy feet out of the darkness. He walked towards the gods of the celestial heavens. “I could have become the human emperor, the First Ancestor Human Emperor… No one can finish me off. Come!”

He charged into the celestial gods and laughed. “Come! I have been running all my life…”

Those celestial gods looked at him coldly.

He turned and told the Eternal Peace divine arts practitioners, “Take the people and leave. Beyond this mountain, you will see the Li River Academy! I can handle this!”

The divine arts practitioners took the people and left hastily.

After some time, a blood-drenched First Ancestor Human Emperor arrived and found Pangong Tso’s corpse on the devastated battlefield.

First Ancestor Human Emperor closed Pangong Tso’s eyes, giving him peace. “At that time, I was just an escaping soldier. I never expected myself to become the human emperor.”

He continued forward and caught up with the refugees.

Li River Academy was in sight.