Chapter 1173: Master and Disciple Meet (Third Update)
In truth, Qin Mu had never truly blamed Martial Combat Heavenly Teacher, nor had he ever blamed King Yan and the others.
The knot in his heart had always been that one decree from the Kai Emperor. But after meeting the Kai Emperor and seeing the current state of Carefree Village, that knot had finally come undone.
However, while his own knot was untied, the knots in the hearts of these old Kai Emperor loyalists in Fengdu remained.
These were all heroes. He could not simply follow his own heart and rescue Yan Kang, leaving them to languish in frustration, their Dao hearts damaged.
This time, Qin Mu came to see them to help untie their knots as well.
He took his leave of Martial Combat Heavenly Teacher and arrived at Azure Emperor's Dragon Village. When Azure Bud, the girl in the village, saw him coming, she was both startled and overjoyed. She wanted to cry out but forcibly held back.
Qin Mu revealed a smile and nodded to her and the other villagers.
Azure Wasteland Elder also sensed his arrival and came out to greet him, bowing in salute: "Young Master Qin..."
Qin Mu returned the gesture, smiling: "I am no longer Young Master Qin, but Heavenly Venerate Mu."
Azure Wasteland Elder was momentarily stunned, then sighed and saluted again: "Heavenly Venerate Mu."
Qin Mu returned the salute: "Azure Emperor, you are the creator of the Kai Emperor Dynasty's dragon vein, the Yan Kang dragon vein. You are also one of Yan Kang's founders. It was you who passed down the Primordial Dragon Supreme Technique and the Imperial Disk to the Ling family's ancestor, which gave rise to the later Yan Kang Kingdom. Why must you blame yourself?"
Azure Wasteland Elder shook his head: "I did not protect Yan Kang."
Qin Mu smiled: "No one has ever blamed you. It is only you who cannot let it go. Your connection to Yan Kang runs deeper than anyone else's. There is no need for self-reproach."
Azure Wasteland Elder bowed slightly: "I dare not disobey the Heavenly Venerate's instruction."
Qin Mu departed and followed Crimson Elegance Divine Man deep into Fengdu. He heard the vast sound of Buddhist chanting and the rhythmic resonance of Sanskrit hymns. When they arrived, they saw Imperial Sakra Heavenly King Li Youran sitting barefoot among the evil ghosts of Fengdu, chains wrapped around him, his eyes tightly shut.
He was meditating on the Limitless Calamity Sutra, repeatedly entering dreams. His dreams transformed into a supreme Buddhist kingdom, a pure land of ultimate bliss. Yet the pure land was repeatedly disturbed by evil ghosts who infiltrated his dreams. In his dreams, Li Youran was once assimilated by the ghosts, and the pure land was corrupted, causing him endless nightmares.
Imperial Sakra Heavenly King roared: "Until hell is empty, I vow not to attain enlightenment!"
Qin Mu signaled Crimson Elegance Divine Man to stop. He himself walked to the opposite side of Imperial Sakra Heavenly King, sat in the lotus position, closed his eyes, and entered the dream.
The two dreams merged. In Imperial Sakra Heavenly King's dream, it was no longer a supreme Buddhist kingdom or a pure land of ultimate bliss, but a world where everyone strived and fought courageously. Though the evil ghosts remained, they could no longer easily disturb him.
After a long time, Imperial Sakra Heavenly King awoke, feeling a sudden realization. He bowed to Qin Mu in salute.
Qin Mu returned the gesture and drifted away.
Imperial Sakra Heavenly King watched him leave, pondered for a moment, then left this land overrun by evil ghosts, muttering softly: "Evil ghosts arise from the human world. If the evil people in the world are not eliminated, hell will never be empty."
"Just now, Heavenly Venerate Mu and Imperial Sakra Heavenly King did not exchange a single word. How did Imperial Sakra Heavenly King become enlightened?" Crimson Elegance Divine Man asked, puzzled.
Qin Mu smiled: "Everything I needed to say, I already told him in the dream. Why use words?"
Crimson Elegance Divine Man was quite confused.
Suddenly, Qin Mu stopped. He saw the Black Tiger God.
A large black tiger lay listlessly on the ground. Beside it were two thatched huts. The Woodcutter, dressed in a woodcutter's clothes, was chopping at an old tree.
With every swing of his axe, a chunk was cut from the old tree, but it immediately grew back, never to be fully cut through.
Qin Mu walked closer, watched for a moment, then suddenly drew his sword and cut the old tree down with one strike.
He sheathed his sword and was about to leave.
"Your senior brother watched me chop wood for several hundred years."
The Woodcutter Sage's voice came from behind him: "You watched for less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and you cut down my tree."
Qin Mu turned around and smiled: "Teacher, I learned your character, not your Dao techniques. I no longer look up to what you have. I have comprehended something better!"
"Stop right there!"
The Woodcutter Sage was furious, angered: "You look down on what I teach? The reason I didn't teach you was because you were too erratic, and I didn't know what to teach! Your senior brother—I taught him the longest. I tried to impart all the achievements of the Kai Emperor era to him, but he was too extreme. The only one who wasn't extreme was your third junior brother. I taught him the most diligently. I passed on to him thirty-six types of acquired great Daos that can lead to enlightenment, supplemented by seventy-two types of innate great Daos to help him become a sage."
Qin Mu blinked: "He can't compare to me."
The Woodcutter Sage barely restrained the urge to rush at him with his axe, snorted coldly, and said: "The Ten Heavenly Venerates of the Heavenly Court walk the path of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces, attempting to cultivate the Heavenly Court. But they only have the Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces, not the Seventy-Two Divine Halls. Their understanding of the Heavenly Court realm may not be as deep as mine! As the Kai Emperor's First Heavenly Teacher, although my talent is lacking, I have a vision for the Heavenly Court realm."
Qin Mu listened.
The Woodcutter Sage continued: "Even if the Ten Heavenly Venerates cultivate the Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces, they will not achieve the true Heavenly Court realm. Without the Seventy-Two Divine Halls, their foundation is unstable, and the various heavenly palaces will inevitably hinder each other, limiting their strength. They have taken the wrong path. To quickly cultivate the Heavenly Court, there is only one way: use acquired great Daos to forge the Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces, with seventy-two innate great Daos as support. This allows for a faster cultivation of the Heavenly Court with a stable foundation! I have already passed this method on to your third junior brother."
Qin Mu thought for a moment, then said: "Favoritism."
The Woodcutter Sage was furious but held back, saying: "Your current skills surpass mine a hundredfold, but my insight is still greater than yours. If you want to walk the path of the Heavenly Court, I can help you organize your techniques and set you on the path where heavenly palaces and divine halls complement each other!"
Qin Mu thought again, then shook his head and left: "There's no need. I have already comprehended something better. I only have the one realm of the Spiritual Embryo. Whether it's the Heavenly Palace or the Heavenly Court realm, they are just icing on the cake."
The Woodcutter Sage could no longer contain himself. He grabbed his axe and chased after him.
Qin Mu flicked his sleeve, and a gust of wind swept up the Woodcutter Sage, tossing him who knows where.
The Black Tiger God woke up and shouted: "Junior brother, don't worry! With me here, the old man won't get lost!" With that, he dashed off to find the Woodcutter Sage.
Qin Mu laughed heartily and left with Crimson Elegance Divine Man.
The Woodcutter Sage was spun dizzy by the wind and didn't land until a long while later. He was horrified: "This kid... has he really walked his own path?"
Crimson Elegance Divine Man was also stunned. Qin Mu's divine abilities were indeed mighty and extraordinary.
The Woodcutter Sage was the most learned man, best at breaking down divine abilities. Although his cultivation realm was low, he could break any divine ability in the world.
Yet Qin Mu had sent him flying with a single sleeve flick, and the Woodcutter Sage hadn't even managed to break that technique. Truly formidable.
"The deepest part of Fengdu is where Imperial Yi Yue Heavenly King resides."
Crimson Elegance Divine Man pointed ahead. Qin Mu looked and saw the Nether Capital Heavenly Gate standing quietly within the ninth divine city of Fengdu. Outside the city was a Nether Sea, likely built by Imperial Yi Yue in imitation of the Nether Capital's Nether Sea, though it was not exactly the same as Yin Heavenly Son's Nether Sea.
"Sister Imperial Yi Yue, Qin Mu has come to visit!" Qin Mu called out loudly.
Imperial Yi Yue's voice came from afar, ethereal: "Can we not meet? I have failed you and always feel I have no face to see you."
Qin Mu smiled: "I have come to discuss breaking Yin Heavenly Son's divine abilities."
"Why didn't you say so earlier, little brother?"
Imperial Yi Yue laughed heartily: "Come in quickly!"