Chapter 1058: This Is Your Hairpin
The waves of the Heavenly River surged and rolled, like a long river of time, sometimes swift, sometimes gentle.
Cloud Sovereign's boat sailed on the Heavenly River. He had communicated much with the Creator in the Great Void, learning a great deal about ancient history, filling his heart with surging emotions like the Heavenly River itself.
The ancient history was both fascinating and treacherous, fraught with hidden dangers, prompting him to ponder many things.
He also recalled the beautiful face of Lang Wan. Whenever he thought of that girl, a fire burned within him.
At this time, Lang Wan was youthful and vibrant, full of captivating vitality, pure and innocent. He had been captivated by her the moment he saw her.
Unfortunately, he could only suppress this wonderful feeling, because the affairs of the human race were more important.
"If the Grand Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor are not eliminated, there will be no peace under heaven."
His expression was calm, yet turbulent currents surged within his eyes. The profound wisdom lay hidden beneath his placid exterior.
"The Great Void will become a refuge for our human race to weather the storms. If we all fail in the future, we will need a place to hide. If Luo Xiao's three prophecies are to be fulfilled, then I must consider how to deal with the Grand Emperor's invasion of the Great Void."
The hidden currents in his gaze grew even more turbulent.
On the Heavenly River, a towering wave crashed down, lifting his boat.
The boat sailed atop the high winds and cresting waves, Cloud Sovereign's robes fluttering.
Below lay a magnificent landscape of rivers and mountains, with colorful clouds drifting leisurely, all within his view.
This was his era!
He was destined to become the trendsetter of this magnificent era, leading the human race to unprecedented glory, leaving the most indelible mark in history!
He would orchestrate the death of the Grand Emperor and the death of the Heavenly Emperor. The Age of Ancient Gods would gradually come to an end in his hands, and the Heavenly Alliance would be split apart by him. Those who overthrew the ancient gods would eventually replace them as rulers.
And all of this, Cloud Sovereign did not yet know. He merely gazed at the misty mountains and rivers, his heart brimming with heroic ambition.
A great wave subsided, and the Heavenly Dragon Chariot emerged from the mists of the Heavenly River, once again arriving in the Dragon Han Era.
But times had changed. It was now countless years since the Xiao Han Heavenly Court.
In that era, the astonishing feat of Pastoral Sovereign that shook the world had sparked a revolution, but few people still remembered what Pastoral Sovereign had done.
Qin Mu steadied himself, changed his appearance, and transformed back into Mu Qing.
"I wonder what year of Dragon Han it is now. Unfortunately, even Senior Brother doesn't know exactly what year the ghost ship docked in Dragon Han."
Qin Mu stood up and said to Yan'er, "Yan'er, hang the lantern properly. The wind and waves are a bit strong; don't let them blow it out."
Yan'er acknowledged and hung the lantern securely, asking, "Young Master, will I be able to see my mother this time?"
Qin Mu smiled and said, "As long as there are no unexpected events, we should be able to see the Southern Emperor this time. Don't worry. Even if Fire Heavenly Sovereign kills her in the future, she won't truly die."
He clasped his hands behind his back, watching Yan'er hang the lantern, his heart full of confidence.
Yan'er cheered, busily feeding the Dragon Qilin and the six Heavenly Dragons, then fished out the Little Earth Lord from the Dragon Qilin's ear to feed him spirit pills.
The Little Earth Lord sat on the ground, hugging a spirit pill that was still quite large for him, gnawing at it with great effort.
Boats came and went on the Heavenly River, bustling with activity. Qin Mu pushed open the carriage window and looked out. He saw that there were far more boats on the river now than in the early Dragon Han years. The human race had clearly prospered. Qin Mu saw many human divine beings piloting multi-storied ships and painted pleasure boats on the Heavenly River.
"Cloud Sovereign is indeed a capable ruler," Qin Mu said with a smile.
He thought to himself, "He is probably Cloud Heavenly Sovereign by now, right? Unfortunately, I didn't get to see him on my last trip to Dragon Han. Maybe I can meet him this time. Come to think of it, we only met once at the Jade Pool Gathering in the early Dragon Han years, but we never had a chance to talk in depth."
He suddenly paused. Strangely enough, the instructions Cloud Sovereign left for the Cloud family also mentioned this: Cloud Sovereign had never met Pastoral Sovereign. He could only use the techniques of the Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha to transform into Pastoral Sovereign and act under Qin Mu's identity.
"Could it be that we truly never met each other?" Qin Mu shuddered.
Was it possible that Cloud Sovereign and Pastoral Sovereign were forever destined to be separated by the banks of history, only able to gaze at each other from afar?
What a sorrowful thought that was.
"Long Pi, let's go to the human race's Xiao Han Heavenly Court again."
Qin Mu's voice came from inside the carriage, faint and distant. "I want to see how my old acquaintances from the human race are doing."
The Dragon Qilin acknowledged and whispered to Yan'er, "The Sect Leader is acting strange. He used to always call me Long Fatty, but now he's calling me Long Pi, my real name. It's weird..."
Yan'er couldn't help but laugh and said, "How can you be so smart about big things and so clueless about small things? Long Fatty is a nickname, Long Pi is your formal name. Before, he thought you were still young and immature, so he called you Long Fatty. Now he thinks you've matured and grown up, so he calls you by your formal name with respect. Parents and elders are like that. When they think you've grown up, they call you by your full name."
"Pfft, nonsense! The Sect Leader doesn't treat me like a son!"
"Oh, really? Who cooks for you? Who teaches you techniques? Who always spoils you?"
The Dragon Qilin looked dazed. The Little Earth Lord snickered.
The Dragon Qilin drooped his head and ears, feeling dejected. "My 'Art of Being Kept' might have been practiced in vain. My Dao heart is about to collapse..."
The Heavenly Dragon Chariot headed towards the middle reaches of the Heavenly River. The human race's Xiao Han Heavenly Court was built ahead. Qin Mu was very excited. "Maybe I can see Cloud Sovereign this time! I hope he's at the Xiao Han Heavenly Court now!"
The Xiao Han Heavenly Court was much larger than before. Looking from afar, it was resplendent and magnificent. The original heavenly court was still there, but it was very small. Now, human divine beings had built many palaces around it and diverted more tributaries of the Heavenly River to support these palaces.
Qin Mu looked around and saw many boats coming and going from the tributaries, bustling with activity. Some divine beings were flying up from the lower realms to the Xiao Han Heavenly Court, leaving trails of light in the sky.
"Cloud Sovereign has indeed governed well." Qin Mu was delighted.
He ordered the Dragon Qilin to stop the chariot and hailed a passing multi-storied ship. The ship was laden with goods, likely a merchant vessel heading along the Heavenly River to trade in other realms.
There were divine guards on the ship who came to inquire. Seeing the extraordinary Heavenly Dragon Chariot, they dared not be negligent.
Qin Mu stepped out of the chariot and asked, "Friend, what year of Dragon Han is it now?"
The divine being smiled and said, "I don't know the exact year. But I do know the year of the Xiao Han Heavenly Court. This year marks the ten-thousandth year since Cloud Heavenly Sovereign ascended the throne. If you had come earlier, you could have witnessed the ten-thousand-year grand ceremony. Unfortunately, you're a few days late."
"Cloud Heavenly Sovereign has been on the throne for ten thousand years?" Qin Mu was surprised.
If Cloud Sovereign had ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor the very year the Xiao Han Heavenly Court was established, then Qin Mu had arrived ten thousand years later!
"Guest, are you from far away? You look travel-worn, as if you've been on the road for some years."
The divine being asked, "During Cloud Heavenly Sovereign's celebration, a major event was announced. It's a pity you missed it."
Qin Mu asked curiously, "What major event?"
"The world's first Imperial Throne realm!"
The divine being was incredibly excited, his voice rising uncontrollably with joy. "Cloud Heavenly Sovereign is the first being under heaven to cultivate the Imperial Throne realm! Even the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor sent congratulatory gifts! That day, the Xiao Han Heavenly Court was bustling with activity. Lord Earth, Lord Heaven, Mother Earth, and the Empress all sent gifts to congratulate the human race's great emperor on reaching the Imperial Throne and creating the first Imperial Throne cultivation technique under heaven!"
Qin Mu was also stirred with excitement. "Excellent! Truly excellent! In just ten thousand years, he was able to comprehend the Imperial Throne realm before all other deities. He is indeed an unparalleled genius!"
Yan'er was a bit puzzled. Ten thousand years to cultivate the Imperial Throne realm? An unparalleled genius?
"Young Master seems to have forgotten. The people of the Kaihuang Era all cultivated to the Imperial Throne realm in just ten thousand years, or even less than a thousand years. How can Cloud Sovereign, who took over ten thousand years, be called a genius?" She was quite confused.
She didn't realize that later generations had the experience of countless predecessors, making cultivation much smoother. However, in Cloud Sovereign's era, although the realms existed, no one had ever reached them before.
Moreover, there were no other cultivation techniques to learn from in this era.
Everyone, even the leaders of the demigods, had to start from scratch, groping and experimenting bit by bit, like finding paths in the dark.
What was even more terrifying was making mistakes.
If a mistake occurred in a cultivation technique, sometimes it had to be completely scrapped and started over.
If someone cultivated to the Jade Capital realm and, on the way to the Empyrean realm, suddenly discovered a mistake made back in the Divine Essence realm, they would have to revise their technique from the Divine Essence realm all the way to the Jade Capital realm.
But what if the mistake was made in the Divine Treasury realm?
That would almost mean completely overturning all their previous techniques!
Therefore, the advancement of various cultivation techniques in the Dragon Han Era was extremely difficult. Everyone was groping, verifying, making mistakes, and moving forward in a state of chaos and darkness.
The bones of those who died in the process could probably fill an entire realm!
It was precisely because of the groping and verification of these ancient sages that later generations could avoid many pitfalls and take fewer detours in their cultivation.
For Cloud Sovereign to be the first to create an Imperial Throne technique and cultivate to the Imperial Throne realm was an unprecedented achievement, surpassing all his peers!
"Guest, we still need to go about our business. We can't stay long."
The divine being guarding the merchant ship said with emotion, "This trip will probably take over ten years to return to Xiao Han. When I come back, I'll be a weary traveler too, just like you, guest."
Qin Mu laughed heartily and waved goodbye.
The Heavenly Dragon Chariot arrived before the Xiao Han Heavenly Court. The Dragon Qilin stopped the chariot outside the Southern Heavenly Gate. Yan'er took down the lantern and followed behind Qin Mu. The group entered the Xiao Han Heavenly Court.
Carrying a lantern in broad daylight, they drew quite a bit of attention.
Qin Mu looked around. The people of this era had already achieved considerable artistic accomplishments. The architecture was magnificent, immersing one in the aesthetics of the ancient era.
Qin Mu was also knowledgeable in this area. He walked slowly, looking around, his heart filled with joy.
"Yun, why are you back so soon?"
A familiar voice came. Qin Mu followed the sound and saw Moon Sovereign. She was leading a few divine maidens, walking quickly towards him, complaining, "Didn't you say you were going to the Dragon Han Heavenly Court to appeal to the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor? Hao Heavenly Sovereign has been encroaching on our human territory all these years! His demigod subordinates have devoured many of our people and refuse to change their ways! We've fought countless battles on the front lines. This time, when you appeal... Hey, why have you changed into Pastoral Sovereign's appearance again?"
She suddenly noticed Yan'er beside Qin Mu, then noticed the Dragon Qilin and the strange man transformed from the six Heavenly Dragons. She was stunned, staring blankly at Qin Mu before her.
A faint smile played on Qin Mu's lips. He said softly, "Yue, it's been a long time. Our last parting feels like yesterday. Are you all well?"
Moon Sovereign looked at him in disbelief. Her steps became light as she floated to his side, examining him repeatedly. Qin Mu looked a bit haggard, but it was as if only a day had passed. His appearance hadn't changed at all.
Yet he seemed to have experienced many things. His gaze was deeper than before, his temperament slightly different, more restrained.
"Ten thousand years..."
She murmured softly, "It wasn't yesterday... You've been gone for ten thousand years, Pastoral Sovereign..."
"I know."
Qin Mu smiled and said, "To you, it's ten thousand years. To me, it's like yesterday."
Moon Sovereign barely held back her tears. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the heavenly court, laughing, "After you left, someone cracked your secret! Do you know who it was? It was Sister Ling!"
She was overjoyed, her voice light and cheerful. "Sister Ling said that a person from the future came to that era with her future hairpin, and then her hairpin disappeared. I couldn't hold it in later and told her that it wasn't Cloud Sovereign pretending to be you. She was thrilled and searched for you for a long time, but she never found you. She was so disappointed..."
Qin Mu felt a warmth in his heart as she led him to find Ling Sovereign.
Soon, Moon Sovereign arrived at Ling Sovereign's residence. It was a mess, with papers everywhere, covered in various characters and symbols.
Besides these, there were dozens of little horses in the yard. These little horses were riding bamboo poles, their feet off the ground, hopping around and examining the manuscripts on the floor.
"Be careful not to provoke these little things. Sister Ling was experimenting with creation techniques when she accidentally fused these little horses with the bamboo poles. These little horses grew onto the bamboo poles. Sister Ling has them check the manuscripts for errors, but they don't read carefully and just point out random things as wrong. Sister Ling calls them 'pole-pickers.' They're fierce. Don't argue with them; they'll hit you."
Moon Sovereign laughed happily and called out, "Sister Ling, come out quickly and see who's here!"
Ling Sovereign wasn't in the yard, only those little horses hopping around on their bamboo poles.
One Heavenly Dragon asked curiously, "Doesn't it hurt them to jump like that?"
Another Heavenly Dragon wondered, "Hurt? Where would it hurt?"
Qin Mu took out Ling Sovereign's peach wood hairpin. Just then, Ling Sovereign's voice came from a side room, very annoyed. "Which bastard did this, stealing my hairpin... Oh heavens!"
Suddenly, the entire door of the side room flew off. Ling Sovereign stood in the doorway, her gaze falling on Qin Mu.
"Ling, I'm back."
Qin Mu said calmly, with a smile. "This is your hairpin."