Chapter 1070: The Consciousness of the Grand Emperor
“If you don’t work hard when you’re young, you’ll regret it when you’re old. I wonder when Grandpa Butcher will be able to create a saber technique at the Emperor Throne level?”
Qin Mu descended from the Heavenly Dragon Carriage. Having trained under Village Chief Butcher and the others since childhood, he had learned a wide variety of skills, which was why he had forged fifteen heavenly palaces. Among them, eight—the Painting Heavenly Palace, Saber Heavenly Palace, Medicine Heavenly Palace, Divine Ability Heavenly Palace, Forging Heavenly Palace, Buddhist Heavenly Palace, Thief Heavenly Palace, and Formation Heavenly Palace—were incomplete, only half-formed and unable to take full shape.
Although Qin Mu later inherited the wisdom of the Creator race and used divine abilities to enter the Dao, successively creating the Eightfold Heavenly Divine Ability, the Divine Ability Heavenly Palace still remained imperfect.
Among the teachings of the nine elders of the Crippled Village, the only one fully perfected was the Sword Heavenly Palace, and this was not due to Village Chief’s efforts but because Qin Mu’s comprehension of the sword Dao was exceptionally high.
Having trained under Butcher and the others since childhood, he was deeply influenced by them, and his Overlord Body Three Dan Technique was also shaped by their impact.
Only when Butcher and the others created techniques at the Emperor Throne level could Qin Mu absorb their essence and perfect these eight heavenly palaces.
Otherwise, it would be extremely difficult for Qin Mu to break through to the Venerable God realm and cultivate to become a True God.
This time, Qin Mu descended to the mortal realm not only to avoid the power struggles within the Heavenly Court but also to urge and spur the elders of Crippled Village—Butcher, Granny Si, Blind, and others—to cultivate diligently and comprehend techniques at the Emperor Throne level as soon as possible.
Although the Yongjiang Academy had been renamed the Yongjiang Sect, it was essentially no different from the former Yongjiang Academy. In recent days, the scholars within were extremely excited, having witnessed the duel of the three great divine sabers.
The Heavenly Saber Butcher, the Demon Saber Zhe Huali, and the one-armed divine saber who appeared from nowhere.
The clash of the three great divine sabers was a spectacle. Butcher’s Heavenly Saber was bold and unrestrained, Zhe Huali’s Demon Saber was eerie and unpredictable, while the one-armed divine saber was exquisitely precise yet carried a touch of boldness.
Before Qin Mu even entered the Yongjiang Academy, he saw the three divine sabers battling in the sky. He stopped to watch, observing the dazzling saber lights that tore the sky apart, leaving black lines in people’s vision.
In five years, Zhe Huali’s skills had improved greatly. Not only had his cultivation and strength advanced, but his saber Dao had also reached an extraordinary level. He had entered the Dao through the saber and developed other Dao-infused techniques that suited him better.
Zhe Huali had studied under Luo Wushuang and later under the Demon race giant Fu Rilu, possessing both demonic and divine natures. However, he had long been unable to enter the Dao through the saber until he met Butcher and witnessed the Heavenly Saber, which suddenly enlightened him, breaking through his mental barriers and allowing him to enter the Dao through the saber.
His saber technique combined Luo Wushuang’s precision, the demonic nature of the Demon race, and Butcher’s grandeur, making it extremely formidable.
Yet, his skill was still shallow, and he was the first to be defeated.
In the sky, only the Heavenly Saber Butcher and Luo Wushuang remained locked in combat.
Qin Mu watched for a moment, seeing Luo Wushuang unleash the Fourteenth Heavenly Layer of the Saber Dao, his technique growing more exquisite, the power of the Saber Dao Firmament astonishing.
Butcher, however, held his ground. His saber Dao was wild and unrestrained, breaking all techniques with sheer force, returning to simplicity.
Suddenly, Luo Wushuang’s saber intent surged, and he comprehended the Fifteenth Heavenly Layer of the Saber Dao!
Qin Mu showed surprise. “When I kicked Luo Wushuang into the Yuan Realm, he had only comprehended the Fourteenth Heavenly Layer. He’s already reached the Fifteenth so quickly?”
The two divine sabers clashed in the sky, and Butcher began to falter, but he grew even more bold, rising to the challenge. He laughed loudly, “Your saber is too refined! Though you’ve also grasped boldness, it’s still the work of a craftsman, unable to shed the air of a artisan!”
His saber light surged, opening wide and closing hard, striking against Luo Wushuang’s Saber Dao Firmament, trying to split the sky!
Luo Wushuang sneered, “Heavenly Saber, your saber is too domineering, lacking restraint. You know how to strike, but not how to sheathe. When you learn to sheathe, you will be the number one divine saber in the world, surpassing me!”
The two divine sabers collided, and saber light burst forth, dazzling the eyes.
Both were injured and fell from the sky.
Qin Mu sighed in admiration and walked forward. At that moment, Butcher recited loudly, “A piebald horse newly saddled with a jade saddle, after battle on the sandy field, the moonlight is cold!”
Qin Mu responded loudly, “The drumbeats on the city wall still echo, the golden saber in the scabbard still stained with blood!”
Butcher was overjoyed and rushed out of the Yongjiang Academy, laughing heartily, “It’s Mu’er back!”
They met, and Qin Mu opened his arms to embrace him, but Butcher swung a saber at him, shouting, “Mu’er, draw your saber!”
Startled, Qin Mu dodged quickly. With a thought, his sword orb transformed into two divine sabers. Their saber lights intertwined for a moment, and then Butcher’s saber rested on Qin Mu’s neck. He roared in anger, “You haven’t even entered the Dao! You’re embarrassing me, worse than Little Zhezi!”
Qin Mu’s face flushed slightly as he stammered, “Grandpa Butcher, it’s not that I’m incapable, but I’ve spent more effort on the sword Dao and divine abilities these years…”
Butcher spat, then noticed the approaching Queen Yan Luo and others, showing surprise. He lowered his voice, “Is there someone whose beauty can rival Granny Si? Is this your wife?”
Qin Mu’s face turned red, and he muttered, “Not yet… No, no! This is Queen Yan Luo, a Creator Queen, a powerhouse comparable to a Heavenly Sovereign.”
Queen Yan Luo greeted him.
Butcher felt a chill and returned the greeting solemnly. “Mu’er, don’t leave for a few days. I’ll spar with you to keep your saber skills from slacking.”
Qin Mu had no choice but to agree.
On the other side, Luo Wushuang approached with a dark face, saber in hand. Qin Mu quickly smiled, “Lord Luo, your saber Dao has advanced rapidly these days!”
Luo Wushuang pressed his saber, sneering, “You kicked me into the Yuanmu Heavenly Palace, leaving me surrounded. To avoid exposing my identity, I had to massacre the Yuanmu Heavenly Palace, and the disciples of Xiao Heavenly Sovereign hunted me for two whole years, causing me great suffering!”
Qin Mu laughed heartily, “If not for that, Lord Luo wouldn’t have cultivated the Fifteenth Heavenly Layer of the Saber Dao Firmament. Put down your saber, don’t be impulsive. Zhe Huali, come and persuade your master!”
Zhe Huali walked over, shaking his head with a smile, “He’s no longer my master, but my Dao companion. I can’t persuade him. Mu Heavenly Sovereign, your title as Heavenly Sovereign carries great prestige, but how skilled are you with the saber?”
Qin Mu snorted. Luo Wushuang glanced at Queen Yan Luo and felt a chill, quickly asking, “Yun Chu Xiu? Yuan Mu Madam?”
Qin Mu quickly stopped him, shaking his head, “This is the real deal.”
Luo Wushuang was astonished. “Is there truly such a woman in the world?”
Qin Mu stayed at the Yongjiang Academy. Queen Yan Luo watched as he sparred daily with the three divine sabers, getting beaten black and blue, his wounds never healing. She was deeply curious.
Given Qin Mu’s abilities, if he used his divine abilities with his spiritual awareness, even Luo Wushuang would find it hard to break through. Yet he insisted on using the saber to fight these three divine sabers, suffering terribly.
After five days, Butcher lost his temper with him, saying, “Your foundation is excellent, and you learn quickly, but you just can’t enter the Dao through the saber. Probably because you have too many distractions. Leave.”
Qin Mu had no choice but to bid farewell and continue his journey on the Heavenly Dragon Carriage.
“Mu Heavenly Sovereign, come and compare saber techniques often!” Zhe Huali waved at him.
Qin Mu snorted, somewhat displeased.
The Heavenly Dragon Carriage traveled for several days, arriving near the Fallen God Valley, which had been leveled to the ground. Qin Mu planned to bypass it and head to the Jiangling Academy to find the former National Master Jiang Baigui. Suddenly, he saw a thatched hut in the valley, and a youth emerged from it.
It was a young Imperial Heavenly Sovereign.
Qin Mu was startled and ordered the Heavenly Demon King to stop.
The young Imperial Heavenly Sovereign saw him and was also startled, smiling, “Chief Qin, long time no see.”
As he spoke, a box walked out of the hut. Seeing Qin Mu, it clattered over, circling around his legs affectionately, then ran to the Dragon Qilin, clattering its lid open and shut as if it had a thousand words to say.
The Dragon Qilin jumped onto the box, which then carried him around in a frenzy.
Qin Mu descended from the carriage, telling Queen Yan Luo and the others to stay, and approached the young Imperial Heavenly Sovereign. “Xing Han Daoist, have you uncovered the mysteries of this physical body?”
Xing Han glanced at the Heavenly Dragon Carriage, then looked away, inviting him inside. “I’ve figured out about seventy or eighty percent. This body contains various ancient god runes, extremely intricate, forming various heavenly palaces and ancient gods, gathering all Daos into one. It’s very powerful! Chief Qin, take a look!”
His thatched hut seemed small but inside was vast, filled with countless bookshelves laden with books. Qin Mu picked one up and flipped through it, finding it recorded the runes of various ancient god Daos!
Qin Mu closed the book. “Xing Han, your talent is unparalleled, but you’ve used it in the wrong place.”
Xing Han raised an eyebrow, full of pride, and said arrogantly, “I may not have done many good deeds, and during the Yan Kang Calamity five years ago, I didn’t save anyone. But by uncovering the secrets of this body, I can benefit the world, allowing everyone to gain from my work! Chief Qin, you’re just jealous of me!”
Qin Mu shook his head, took out a mirror, and said, “The jade slips in this mirror record all the ancient god Dao runes in this body. I’m giving them to you.”
Xing Han’s mind buzzed. He quickly took the mirror and looked at the rows of jade slips inside. They were indeed the Dao runes from the Imperial Heavenly Sovereign artifact, but more precise, recalculated by Qin Mu using microscopic mathematics!
He was stunned, unable to speak for a long time.
“You’re too isolated, with too little interaction with the outside world.”
Qin Mu looked at him with pity. “I’ve already given these jade slips to the high-level members of the Yan Kang Reform. While not everyone has one, there are quite a few. If you had communicated more with others, you wouldn’t have wasted five years here.”
Xing Han snorted, pocketed the mirror, and said flatly, “Using oneself as the Dao foundation, containing the myriad ancient gods within the body—have you comprehended this achievement?”
Qin Mu’s aura surged, and divine light shimmered around him. Nearly two thousand ancient gods appeared throughout his body. He smiled, “Are you referring to this?”
Xing Han was dumbfounded, unable to speak.
Qin Mu dispersed the ancient god phenomenon and praised, “To figure out on your own the method of containing the myriad ancient gods within the body shows your unparalleled talent, worthy of being a sage of the previous generation. You should go to the Dao Sect to find Lin Xuan Dao Master. His mastery of microscopic mathematics far surpasses mine, and he has been studying ancient god Dao runes for a long time. Combining your intellect with his will surely yield twice the results with half the effort.”
Xing Han was silent for a moment, then waved his hand, collected the entire thatched hut, and prepared to leave.
Qin Mu reached out to stop him, and Xing Han looked puzzled.
Qin Mu smiled, “When we explored the Fallen God Valley together, you captured this body, which contained a trace of a Heavenly Sovereign’s consciousness. Is that consciousness still there?”
Xing Han nodded. “I couldn’t refine it, so I sealed it away.”
“Give it to me.” Qin Mu’s eyes flickered.
Xing Han took out a jade bottle, handed it to him, then turned and called for the box, disappearing into the distance.
Qin Mu watched him go before returning to the carriage, tossing the jade bottle in his hand, lost in thought.
Shu Jun looked at the bottle and asked, “Holy Infant, what’s inside?”
“A trace of a Heavenly Sovereign’s consciousness.”
The Heavenly Dragon Carriage set off. Qin Mu gazed at the Fallen God Valley outside the window, his eyes deep. “Five years ago, after the artifact Imperial Heavenly Sovereign was created, that Heavenly Sovereign rushed to the Fallen God Valley to check if Ling Heavenly Sovereign was truly dead. At the time, I, along with the Heavenly Emperor’s disciple Yan Qiling and Xing Han, entered the valley. So concerned about Ling Heavenly Sovereign’s fate, it could only be the Heavenly Emperor or the Grand Emperor. Since the Heavenly Emperor sent Yan Qiling, it naturally wasn’t him, but the Grand Emperor.”
He examined the jade bottle and said flatly, “The Heavenly Emperor sought the Heavenly Emperor’s body, while the Grand Emperor cared whether Ling Heavenly Sovereign was truly dead. I wondered back then why others were exploring the Fallen God Valley at the same time as me—too much of a coincidence. Now it seems the Grand Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor calculated that only I could open the Fallen God Valley and enter, so they arrived here with me. But the Grand Emperor didn’t foresee that his consciousness would fall into my hands.”
“Are you saying the Grand Emperor’s consciousness is in this bottle?” Queen Yan Luo’s eyes blazed with divine light.