Chapter 1053: Ancient Gods and the Golden Coffin
"How could there be such a terrifying creature?"
Qin Mu couldn't help but shiver. It was only then that he noticed the membranes growing between the four front legs of the Void Beast. This beast could also fly! When its membranes spread, it could likely soar through the sky like a bat!
A flying beast that could traverse the void, devour anything, an ancient ferocious beast—it was a miracle that the Creators hadn't been completely wiped out by such monsters!
"Could it be that the prehistoric Creators could control such powerful lifeforms with their divine consciousness?" Qin Mu felt a flicker of doubt.
Luo Xiao was ecstatic. He flew forward, stroking the Void Beast's incredibly rough skin, barely able to contain his excitement. He babbled incoherently, "Void Beast, this is the Void Beast from the ancestors' tales. They said only the bravest warriors of each race could tame such a beast. I never thought I could tame one too..."
Qin Mu carefully examined the Void Beast. He noticed many spiral patterns on its skin, which should be Void Patterns.
His heart stirred. "If I could thoroughly study the Void Patterns on this beast, I might be able to compile a set of Void Runes and establish another system of Void divine abilities. I might even be able to establish a new Dao..."
His eyes gleamed. He took out a mirror, flew up, and began photographing the Void Beast from all angles.
Suddenly, Yan'er's startled cry rang out: "Young master, look around!"
Qin Mu looked around and was shocked. The ground in the Ancestral Court was cracking open, revealing several enormous eyeballs on the surface! These eyeballs were of various sizes, some even seemed to be growing out of the mountains! Even the smallest eyeball was dozens of zhang in diameter!
More giant eyeballs emerged from the earth, springing up like bamboo shoots after rain. They blinked, looking excitedly in their direction.
Not only that, but he also saw giant eyeballs "growing" out of the sky with a popping sound. Soon, the sky was filled with more and more eyeballs. At this rate, they would soon cover the entire dome of the Ancestral Court!
Qin Mu's hair stood on end. He abandoned his plan to photograph all the Void Patterns on the beast Luo Xiao had captured and quickly flew back to the altar. He said urgently, "There are probably no other living creatures left in the Ancestral Court. They've all been eaten by the Void Beasts. This place is too dangerous. We need to go back immediately!"
Luo Xiao quickly said, "I still need to contact the ancestors of the Ancestral Court. Wait a little longer!"
Da Hong smiled faintly and said, "Brother Mu, aren't you curious about that Primordial Divine Stone vein in the Ancestral Court? I'd like to go there and have a look. I heard the Heavenly Emperor was born from an egg excavated from that vein. Brother Gu Xiao, aren't you curious?"
Qin Mu glanced at him.
Gu Xiao said calmly, "I heard the Imperial Emperor's Primordial Origin Stone also came from that vein. I am naturally very curious. If we can go there, it will be a worthwhile trip."
The two stood on opposite sides of the altar, their eyes meeting.
Cold sweat broke out on Qin Mu's forehead. He stepped back and transmitted his divine consciousness: "Yan'er, be ready to extinguish the lamp at any moment!"
Yan'er quickly took down the lantern hanging from the carriage and landed on Qin Mu's shoulder. She whispered in his ear, "Young master, the sky is still bright. Even if I extinguish the lamp, I'm not sure we can return to the ghost ship."
Qin Mu's divine consciousness fluctuated: "I was once the Son of Youdu and the Little Earth Lord. I have ways to make the sky dark. As soon as they make a move, you extinguish the lamp immediately!"
If Da Hong and Gu Xiao started fighting, the danger would likely surpass even that of the Void Beasts!
He was worried. The Ancestral Court was clearly a place sealed by the combined power of the ancient gods, using the back sides of worlds like Youdu, Xuandu, Yuandu, the Heavenly Court, Guixu, and the Four Extremes. Such a seal was incredibly strong.
If they extinguished the lamp in the Ancestral Court, whether they could return to the ghost ship was highly uncertain.
Da Hong and Gu Xiao stood opposite each other. One had his hands tucked into his sleeves, the other was filing his nails with a file. Both wore smiles that made one feel as warm as a spring breeze.
"Roar——"
The world shook violently. Huge Void Beasts began to emerge from the earth, pass through mountains, or appear from the sky. These colossal creatures seemed to have no true physical form and could pass through anything!
More cold sweat dripped from Qin Mu's forehead. He said in a deep voice, "Luo Xiao, have you made contact with the divine consciousness of your ancestors? If you have, we leave immediately!"
Luo Xiao's divine consciousness pierced through the layers of void in the Ancestral Court, searching for the divine consciousness of his ancestors. A look of bewilderment spread across his face. He murmured, "There's no divine consciousness. There's no divine consciousness here at all..."
He suddenly became utterly dejected, laughing bitterly, "Brother Mu, there is no divine consciousness of the Creator ancestors in the Ancestral Court. I can't find them. Their divine consciousness has probably been devoured by the Void Beasts. How am I supposed to go back and explain this to the clan leader and the others..."
He slumped to the ground, dazed, his supporting beliefs crumbling.
The Creator era had no concept of the Dao Heart. The Dao Heart was only established after the Divine Treasury and Heavenly Palace system. His mental cultivation was very poor, far inferior to Qin Mu and the others.
More Void Beasts emerged. Those in the sky had already begun to spread their huge membranes, which vibrated as they flew towards them!
Qin Mu suddenly roared, "If I die, no one can leave the Ancestral Court!"
On the altar, Gu Xiao and Da Hong each averted their gaze. Gu Xiao stretched his body and said with a smile, "Since we all want to see that vein, why don't we go together? Brother Hong, what do you think?"
Da Hong chuckled and said, "I was thinking the same thing."
Qin Mu grabbed Luo Xiao and shouted, "The spirits of your ancestors are probably hidden in a higher void, a place the Void Beasts can't reach. Stop wallowing in self-pity. Ride your Void Beast and get us out of here!"
On the ground, countless Void Beasts surged towards them like a tide. They were completely surrounded!
Luo Xiao pulled himself together. "Right! The spirits of my ancestors have far deeper cultivation than I do. They must have anchored their divine consciousness in a higher void! That must be it!"
Qin Mu's divine power erupted, wrapping around the altar. With a whoosh, the altar flew up and landed on the head of the Void Beast Luo Xiao had tamed, wedged in by the Bone Mountain.
Luo Xiao immediately focused on controlling the beast. The Void Beast's six legs started moving, its speed increasing rapidly. Suddenly, it leaped into the void just as other Void Beasts were about to pounce on it!
The surrounding space instantly became grotesque and distorted. The bodies of Qin Mu and the others on the altar began to gradually turn transparent. Qin Mu raised his hand and could see the veins and muscle fibers through his skin.
Among those present, only Gu Xiao and Da Hong's physical bodies showed no change.
The Void Beast leaped into the first layer of the void to evade the attacks of other beasts. Just then, a sharp claw suddenly appeared from the void, sweeping towards the beast and the people on the altar!
The Void Beast's claws glowed with the cold light of divine weapons. As the claws passed, they even tore through the first layer of the void.
Luo Xiao quickly steered the beast to dodge. The giant claws swept over their heads, leaving behind torn void rifts.
More Void Beast claws appeared in the void, grabbing wildly in all directions. This was Luo Xiao's first time controlling such an ancient beast, and he couldn't dodge in time. The beast let out a piercing screech as many wounds appeared on its body.
Whoosh——
A group of Void Beasts burst into the first layer of the void, their large eyes gleaming with excitement as they charged at them.
As these beasts charged, their eyelids rose, and their huge mouths opened, taking up most of their heads, while their pupils were squeezed into a straight line.
Luo Xiao quickly steered his beast. The Void Beast suddenly shrank its body, escaping the encirclement of the many beasts, and leaped again, jumping into the second void.
In the second layer of the void, everyone could now see their own bones. They were like transparent shrimp in the ocean, their internal organs clearly visible.
However, many Void Beasts pounced, also entering the second void. These beasts could change size at will, their bodies incredibly flexible.
Qin Mu's divine consciousness bloomed, surging into the brow of the nearest Void Beast, trying to control it.
Although that beast had shrunk, it was still enormous. After being invaded by Qin Mu's divine consciousness, it let out a piercing shriek.
Qin Mu's mind suddenly went hazy. The beast's cry could penetrate his divine consciousness, disrupt his thoughts, and catch him off guard.
This cry wasn't a real sound. It was the beast using its own divine consciousness, sensing danger, to form sharp spikes that stabbed into the opponent's divine consciousness, disrupting their actions.
Clearly, the Void Beasts had also learned some things from their battles with the Creators.
"Supreme Dao Divine Consciousness!"
Qin Mu's divine consciousness transformed, forming layers of heavenly domes to block the beast's cry. Then, his Supreme Dao Divine Consciousness began to imprint itself into the beast's mind.
That Void Beast was incredibly powerful. It actually used its cry to forcefully block his Supreme Dao Divine Consciousness, even launching counterattacks and defending itself, making it difficult for Qin Mu to defeat its divine consciousness in a short time.
"My divine consciousness attainment is about the same as Luo Xiao's. Even if he's stronger than me, it's not by much. I've obtained the Imperial Emperor's Supreme Dao Divine Consciousness, so my divine consciousness techniques are far superior to his. So how did he tame that Void Beast so quickly?"
A chilling feeling crept over Qin Mu. Luo Xiao had tamed that Void Beast far too quickly. Could it be that the one who tamed it wasn't Luo Xiao, but someone else?
Luo Xiao controlled the beast, continuously leaping into the third, fourth, and fifth voids.
By the time they reached the sixth void, everyone could basically only see their own primordial spirits; their physical bodies were no longer visible. The only difference was that the vertical eye on Qin Mu's forehead hadn't been assimilated by the void and still floated in front of his primordial spirit.
Of course, the physical bodies of Gu Xiao and Da Hong remained unchanged.
"Gu Xiao and Da Hong are indeed the Heavenly Emperor and the Imperial Emperor!" Qin Mu thought with a shiver.
Behind them, countless Void Beasts were still in hot pursuit. Some younger beasts couldn't penetrate the deeper void and were stopped at the fifth void.
Qin Mu was still trying to control the other beast, but it continued to resist his Supreme Dao Divine Consciousness with its sharp cries.
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow. "The one controlling the Void Beast is definitely not Luo Xiao. It's the Imperial Emperor!"
Luo Xiao felt a growing unease. He shouted, "If we go deeper into the void, our physical bodies and primordial spirits will be assimilated!"
The Void Beast leaped into the seventh void. Qin Mu, Yan'er, and the others on the altar immediately felt the void's assimilation of their primordial spirits and bodies. The only thing that could resist this void assimilation was divine consciousness!
Qin Mu was still using his divine consciousness to fight the other beast, trying to control it. He also felt his body and primordial spirit becoming void-like. Fortunately, the assimilation in the sixth void wasn't too severe, and he could still endure it.
That Void Beast was struggling to resist his Supreme Dao Divine Consciousness and was on the verge of being controlled.
Luo Xiao controlled his beast as it leaped into the seventh void. Many other beasts followed, and everyone's physical bodies were struggling to hold up.
Just then, Qin Mu finally managed to control the other beast. He quickly withdrew his divine consciousness and used it to envelop Long Qilin, Yan'er, and the six sky dragons.
The pressure on Long Qilin and Yan'er immediately lessened.
Luo Xiao continued to drive his beast deeper into the void, constantly leaping. Qin Mu, however, didn't have his tamed beast follow. Instead, he made it escape from the void.
Using the eyes of this beast, he observed the world of the Ancestral Court. Under his control, the beast ran, flew high into the sky, burrowed into the earth, and dived into the ocean.
He was observing the geography of the Ancestral Court, but the more he saw, the more shocked he became.
The Ancestral Court had no other living beings left. All species had been exterminated, leaving only countless Void Beasts!
This place was incredibly desolate. There were no other living things, not even a trace of plants. Only vast battlefield ruins, abandoned Creator cities, and dilapidated tribes remained, littered with scattered bones.
They might be the first living beings to set foot in the Ancestral Court in countless eons.
Just then, through the Void Beast's eyes, Qin Mu saw a patch of green.
It was a mineral vein stretching for thousands of li, with grass, trees, and flowers, but it was filled with a strange, colorful glow.
Qin Mu controlled the beast to approach the vein. The beast suddenly stopped, refusing to step into it no matter how much he urged it.
It was then that Qin Mu noticed the countless Void Beast skeletons piled up around the vein!
He looked further and saw an even more terrifying sight. Beneath the plants of the vein were countless white bones, all with Primordial Divine Stones embedded in their foreheads!
Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat. His gaze penetrated deeper, and the skeletons of eight giants appeared before his eyes.
Those eight giants were nothing but bones, but Dao light emanated from them. They stood among the trees and rocks, in a posture of striding forward. On their shoulders, they carried a huge golden coffin, as if they had died on their way to the deepest part of the vein!
"Those are... eight ancient gods!"
Qin Mu's heart shook violently. "Who is buried in that golden coffin?"
Suddenly, he felt his body being pulled sharply upward. This was an optical illusion caused by his vision entering a deeper layer of the void.
Luo Xiao had controlled the beast, bringing them into the nineteenth void. Here, Qin Mu could no longer control his own Void Beast. Without his divine consciousness to guide it, the beast he had tamed shook its huge head, looked at the mineral vein, terror in its eyes. It immediately turned and ran, quickly disappearing without a trace.