Chapter 83: Ultimate Armament
"These statues can indeed be used to research many incredibly powerful divine abilities!"
During these days, Qin Mu had been eating and sleeping among the dragon pillars and temples of Inlaid Dragon City. At night, he would either sleep inside a temple or lie atop a dragon pillar. The moment he woke up, he would obsessively observe and ponder the mysteries of the statues in Inlaid Dragon City.
He used his Divine Firmament Heavenly Eye to observe these sculptures, studying their form, energy, and spirit, as well as their essence, momentum, and measure. In his eyes, these divine statues gradually ceased to be mere statues and instead became flows of primordial energy, combining form and spirit with extraordinary presence, condensing energy into essence, channeling energy into measure, and shaping energy into momentum.
He was still a martial artist, far from having touched divine abilities, yet what filled his mind was the idea of creating divine abilities based on the techniques the gods used to carve these statues.
Qin Mu studied a statue of a goddess treading on a river before him. His own primordial energy began to flow lively. Suddenly, with a whoosh, his energy transformed into a stream of water and flew out. Between his palms, his primordial energy surged mightily, like a river current, with waves rolling and water rushing. Every palm strike carried the sound of surging waves. His hands interweaved around his waist, gradually producing the roar of crashing waves, turbulent and mighty!
Qin Mu's palm force grew stronger and stronger. Suddenly, he struck out with a single palm, and his primordial energy transformed into a roaring river that surged forward, shooting over four zhang away, smashing a large stone at the temple entrance into powder!
This strike was not a divine ability. It resembled a spell, but it wasn't one either. It was somewhat similar to combat techniques, yet not quite. It was very strange.
"My apologies."
Qin Mu bowed to the goddess-treading-the-river statue, then withdrew from the temple and entered a nearby ancient shrine.
Inside this ancient shrine was a statue of a deity with a human face and tiger claws, standing atop two dragons. Qin Mu observed it for a long time, lying and sitting beside the statue, continuously studying it from all angles.
After three to five days in this dazed state, Qin Mu mastered the three essences of form, energy, and spirit, as well as the three states of essence, momentum, and measure. His primordial energy involuntarily began to circulate according to what he had seen. Suddenly, a brilliant golden light appeared on the surface of his body. Every movement and stillness clanged like metal striking metal, ringing loudly!
His posture resembled that of the divine statue. Suddenly, seven golden discs appeared around him, one in front and one behind. The edges of the discs were very sharp, with weaker light, while the centers of the discs were the most intensely golden.
As Qin Mu moved, he formed a sword seal with his hand, and the discs moved along with him. His primordial energy circulated, and the light at the centers of the discs grew brighter and brighter. Suddenly, Qin Mu pointed his sword fingers forward, and golden light emerged from the seven discs. The light was very thin, like fine golden silk threads.
Chi chi chi—
Seven golden silk threads shot out like lightning, piercing into the spot where his sword fingers pointed!
Qin Mu withdrew his hand, revealing a deep sword hole in the ground.
"Still not as powerful as Grandpa Ma's fist techniques... Hmm, no, when did my primordial energy turn into White Tiger primordial energy?"
Qin Mu suddenly came to his senses. As he was pondering, a sudden change occurred in his Spiritual Embryo Divine Treasury. His spiritual embryo took a long breath, instantly absorbing all the remaining golden light in the Golden Sea!
Qin Mu felt as if his brow had suddenly become empty, his mind blank, and he felt a bit dizzy. When his awareness recovered, he realized that the spiritual embryo had fallen asleep again.
"No, the village chief clearly said that the three elixirs of the Overlord Body Three Elixir Art refer to the spiritual embryo awakening three times. Why does my spiritual embryo show a tendency toward a fourth awakening?"
Qin Mu was a bit puzzled. The spiritual embryo's deep sleep left him with only half of his usual cultivation to draw upon, making it somewhat difficult to maintain the Divine Firmament Heavenly Eye. He walked out of this ancient temple.
"Young master, the patriarch has sent a message."
As soon as he stepped out of the temple gate, he saw an old man in blue robes bowing respectfully outside, having been standing there for who knows how long. The old man quickly stepped forward, took a letter from his sleeve, and said, "Please read it personally, young master."
"The Demon Sect patriarch has a letter for me?"
Qin Mu temporarily set aside the matter of the spiritual embryo's fourth awakening and took the letter. The old man in blue quickly stepped back. Qin Mu unfolded the letter: "To the Young Sect Leader Qing Lan: Our hasty parting at the Yong River was three years ago. It is said that the old know their fate. I am old, and I observe the will of heaven. I still have seven years. I hope to see the Young Sect Leader once more before I die, and look forward to your ascension."
Qin Mu folded the letter. The meaning was that the Demon Sect patriarch still had seven years to live and wanted to see him one last time, to formally install him as the sect leader.
"Ling Yuxiu wants me to go to the Yan Capital to find her, and the Demon Sect patriarch also wants me to go out to see him. It's time to decide whether to stay or leave."
Qin Mu steadied himself. Was he going to leave the Great Ruins, leave the Crippled Elderly Village, leave these family members who had raised him?
He called over the old man in blue and said, "Reply to the patriarch that I will soon leave the Great Ruins and go east to see him."
The old man acknowledged and turned to leave.
Qin Mu thought for a moment and then went to the city lord's mansion. It was nearly dusk. In the mansion, Village Chief, Medicine Master, and the others were gathered together again. These old men were wearing clothes that Qin Mu had made for them with his own hands. Qin Mu had bought many silks and satins in the city. It was his first time making clothes, and they fit well, though the fabric choices were a bit flashy. Village Chief, Medicine Master, and Cripple, wearing their new clothes, looked like wealthy landlords, truly dazzling.
But this was Qin Mu's gesture, and the old men were all very happy.
"Mu'er, the village chief has come out of seclusion. He plans to take you into the dark realm within the darkness to find your birthplace."
Medicine Master beckoned to him, smiling. "We'll set out tonight!"
Qin Mu's heart pounded violently with excitement, pushing aside his earlier thoughts. He hesitated, "There are many dangers in the darkness, Grandpa Village Chief..."
"It's fine."
Village Chief smiled gently. "This old body of mine can still handle it. Mu'er, when we enter the darkness this time, you must never leave my side. Granny, give him the Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Scripture for self-defense."
Granny Si took a ball of thread from her small basket and flicked her finger. A strand of thread flew over, rapidly weaving around Qin Mu's hand. Before long, it formed a glove.
Qin Mu gently clenched his hand and let out a soft exclamation. He could barely feel the glove on his hand.
Village Chief added, "Cripple, bring your Emperor Disc and hang it on him."
Cripple took a jade ring from around his own neck. It was like a pendant but not quite, the size of a palm, engraved with strange characters that were constantly shifting and changing.
Cripple placed the jade ring around Qin Mu's neck, looking pained. "Mu'er, don't lose it. This cost Cripple Grandpa one of his legs! The Emperor Disc is worth one of my legs!"
Village Chief said, "Don't worry, the Emperor Disc won't be lost. Mu'er, take off your clothes."
Qin Mu didn't understand why, but he took off his shirt, revealing his strong body.
Village Chief coughed. "Take everything off. Don't wear any clothes."
Granny Si turned her back. Qin Mu removed all his clothes, leaving only the glove on his hand.
Medicine Master took out a fat bug and said regretfully, "This cup of blood is the precious blood of a venomous flood dragon. I had a hard time getting it..."
He squeezed the fat bug, and a small cup of blood flowed out.
Deaf came forward, took a brush, dipped it in the blood, and began painting on Qin Mu's back. He painted the image of the old man with a tortoise shell from the four stone statues in the Crippled Elderly Village, entwined with a great serpent.
When the dragon blood was used up, Deaf had finished painting the great serpent all over Qin Mu's body. He squeezed the last trace of dragon blood from the brush, leaving it completely clean. "Mu'er, you can put your clothes on now."
Village Chief said, "Mute."
The blacksmith Mute stepped forward. His body shook, and blazing flames erupted all around him. The fire was intensely fierce, transforming into a massive furnace, within which gods and demons seemed to be hidden.
Mute raised his hand and pushed hard. The furnace flew toward Qin Mu.
Qin Mu's body came into contact with the seemingly terrifying furnace, but he felt no heat at all. The furnace grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared into his body.
Village Chief said, "Grandpa Ma."
Grandpa Ma stepped forward. Suddenly, the sound of Buddhist chanting filled the air, and a brilliant light shone everywhere. Behind him, his mighty primordial energy formed a great Buddha, with ten thousand rays of light radiating from his head.
Tathagata.
This Tathagata walked forward, growing smaller and smaller, until it vanished into Qin Mu's brow.
"Blind, it's your turn," Village Chief said again.
Blind raised his bamboo staff and tapped it on Qin Mu's chest, shouting in a low voice, "Open eyes!"
Qin Mu's body shook violently. He felt a surge of mighty primordial energy rushing from his heart and lungs to his eyes. With several buzzing sounds, nine pupil rings appeared in his eyes!
Divine Firmament Heavenly Eye, Azure Firmament Heavenly Eye, Turquoise Firmament Heavenly Eye, Cinnabar Firmament Heavenly Eye, Scenery Firmament Heavenly Eye, Jade Firmament Heavenly Eye, Lang Firmament Heavenly Eye, Purple Firmament Heavenly Eye, Fire Firmament Heavenly Eye—the nine heavens of the divine eyes were all opened!
Qin Mu immediately felt the world before him being deconstructed layer by layer and then reconstructed layer by layer. It seemed his eyes could see through everything.
This was Blind using his own cultivation to open Qin Mu's eyes. Although it wasn't Qin Mu's own doing, the effect of the nine heavens of the divine eyes was not diminished much.
The world he now saw was completely different from what he saw on ordinary days. It was the world seen through the divine eye state!
Village Chief's figure floated up, hovering three feet above the ground. He laughed, "This should be enough now. Mu'er, come with me. The two of us, grandfather and grandson, will go to the dark realm."
Granny Si opened her mouth as if to speak, but she didn't stop him. She said, "Mu'er, be careful. If you encounter danger, just leave this old deadbeat Village Chief there and run back on your own."
Village Chief, full of confidence, drifted out of the city with Qin Mu, laughing heartily, "Granny Si, rest assured! I will definitely bring him back safely!"