Chapter 1229: In This World, How Can One Have a Perfect Solution? (Third Update)
But in the next moment, Yin Jiuzun actually charged into the Great Void Netherworld with the Reincarnation Bell, the bell's sound heading straight for Qin Mu.
Qin Mu unfolded his divine repository domain, only to be shaken into a giant eyeball again. It sprouted legs and ran for its life, fleeing from the Netherworld into the Great Void, racing toward the gap in the city wall.
Yin Jiuzun followed closely behind, waving his hand to hurl the Reincarnation Bell. The great bell spun and, with a *clang*, sealed the gap in the wall!
"Ha ha ha ha—"
Laughter came from within the giant eyeball as it charged straight for the bell. It quickly grew back into a complete Qin Mu, who spread his arms to embrace the Reincarnation Bell. But with a flicker of movement, Yin Jiuzun's headless body had already landed on the bell's knob, his robes fluttering in the wind.
"Celestial Venerable Mu, you cannot escape..."
The voice from within the bell had just gotten that far when suddenly a jade-white palm descended, slapping Yin Jiuzun on the bell knob into a smear of mud with a *smack*.
That jade-white hand flicked the flesh and blood off the bell knob, then lightly lifted the Reincarnation Bell.
Qin Mu stopped, breathed a sigh of relief, and straightened his robes, smiling. "White Jade Qiong, Celestial Master of the Day, you've finally deigned to make a move."
The owner of that jade-white hand was none other than White Jade Qiong. She lifted the Reincarnation Bell with one hand and gave it a gentle shake. The Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld's split consciousness inside was directly obliterated by her, and the Reincarnation Bell shrank into a small bell.
White Jade Qiong put away the Reincarnation Bell, her gaze falling on Qin Mu. A hint of wariness appeared in her eyes, and she said softly, "What audacious fiend dares to pursue and attempt to kill Celestial Venerable Mu? Fortunately, the Celestial Venerable is unharmed; otherwise, Jade Qiong's guilt would be immense."
Qin Mu laughed heartily, striding boldly from the broken wall into this divine city. He said leisurely, "In this Great Void, there are plenty of rebels and traitors. Perhaps some insurgents knew that I, Celestial Venerable Mu, was coming to support the Heavenly Court's campaign, so they set up an ambush to hunt me down. I wonder, I came to the Great Void without alerting anyone, yet these rebels knew my location..."
A glint of murder flashed in his eyes. "Who exactly leaked the information?"
White Jade Qiong understood his meaning and smiled. "Fortunately, the Celestial Venerable is blessed by heaven and suffered no harm."
Qin Mu gave a half-smile. "Blessed by heaven? Not necessarily. In this Great Void, even the Heavenly Duke and the Earth Count cannot reach here. Where would such blessings come from?"
White Jade Qiong knew he was speaking with hidden meaning.
She had long recognized Qin Mu and the Reincarnation Bell, and knew that the one controlling the bell was the Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld. But the reason she had delayed making a move was that, deep down, she had hoped the Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld would succeed in killing Qin Mu.
She was the reincarnation of the Southern Emperor, the Vermilion Bird, but she did not wish to become the Southern Emperor.
She believed that if she became the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird, then White Jade Qiong would die.
And Qin Mu knew her true identity. He also had the means to awaken her Southern Emperor soul, reviving all her past lives. At that point, she would die, and the Southern Emperor would be reborn.
Although she had some admiration for Qin Mu and was grateful for his help when she was still Que Feiyin, no amount of admiration or gratitude outweighed her own life.
So, she wanted to use the Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld's hand to eliminate Qin Mu, then seize his Reincarnation Bell.
However, it was clear that Qin Mu had seen through her scheme. That was why he deliberately lured the Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld to attack the divine city, breaking through the city wall. If Qin Mu and Yin Jiuzun, along with the Reincarnation Bell, had charged into the city, the Heavenly Court soldiers and the Western Falling Master Gate army inside would have suffered devastating casualties!
It was for this very reason that White Jade Qiong, as one of the Four Celestial Masters of the Heavenly Court and the commander of the Western Falling Master Gate, had no choice but to act and suppress the Reincarnation Bell.
This was a very brief battle of wits. Others might not understand, but both Qin Mu and White Jade Qiong knew exactly what the other was thinking and doing.
She invited Qin Mu into the city and smoothed her hair by her temple. This woman still preferred white clothes—very plain, very elegant. She said, "Celestial Venerable Mu, are you not afraid of death? You have many enemies. Some are not your enemies by nature, but killing you brings them great benefits, so they will strike at you for profit."
Qin Mu stared blankly into the distance, a look of melancholy on his face. "For the sake of my family, my country, and the realm, I must take risks. I know this Great Void is a barbaric land, and those rebels all want to eliminate me..."
White Jade Qiong rolled her eyes at him and said flatly, "Celestial Venerable Mu, there is no need to be so cautious before me. I understand your intentions. I have seen all your actions. Why put on this pretense?"
Qin Mu laughed heartily. "Then I'll speak plainly."
He wiped the smile from his face. "Within the Heavenly Court, who dares to kill me?"
White Jade Qiong looked at him with a half-smile. "If I hadn't made a move just now, could you have escaped the Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld's grasp?"
"If you hadn't made a move, your Western Falling Master Gate and all the soldiers in this city would have died."
Qin Mu's face was as calm as still water, and he spoke unhurriedly. "No matter what, you had to act. Que Feiyin, I can understand you wanting to protect your own life, but I also need the Southern Emperor, and I hope you can understand that. I can sympathize with you, and I hope you can sympathize with me."
White Jade Qiong raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Qin Mu sensed a trace of killing intent from her and continued, "In this world, how can one have a perfect solution? However, I happen to have a Dao technique and divine ability that can perfectly solve the problem between you and the Southern Emperor. I have a cultivation method that can transform the black sand of the soul into the Three Souls and Seven Spirits. You only need to extract the divine soul from your soul and give it to me. I will transform that wisp of divine soul into the Southern Emperor, and then use a spell to replenish your divine soul. What do you think?"
White Jade Qiong fell silent.
What Qin Mu said did tempt her somewhat, but a large part of her achievement lay in her primordial spirit, and the strongest soul within the primordial spirit was undoubtedly the divine soul, one of the Three Souls.
If she were to extract her divine soul, even if a new divine soul were born, she would probably never be able to cultivate to the peak state.
Moreover, deep down, she didn't trust Qin Mu.
She always felt that Qin Mu would take the opportunity to kill her, forcing her to reincarnate and awaken the Southern Emperor's memories.
Qin Mu said with utmost sincerity, "Que Feiyin, you are the reincarnation of the Southern Emperor. It was because of the Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld's scheme that you were forced into cycle after cycle of reincarnation. If I hadn't given you that jade pendant, you would have long been rendered foolish by the confusion of the womb. You wouldn't have become the White Jade Qiong you are today, let alone a cultivator of divine abilities. I also have the means to directly break the Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld's reincarnation divine ability without needing you to die, allowing the Vermilion Bird soul within you to awaken. But I do not wish for White Jade Qiong to die like this, which is why I have sought out this method."
He stopped walking, his gaze fixed directly on White Jade Qiong, and said in a deep voice, "If you cannot even accept this memory of mine, then I have nothing more to say."
She felt a faint killing intent emanating from him.
Just now, White Jade Qiong had revealed her killing intent to show her resolve, and now Qin Mu revealed his killing intent to show his own determination.
If she did not agree, then Qin Mu would act immediately, directly breaking the Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld's divine ability that bound her soul, awakening the Southern Emperor's soul and restoring all her memories!
White Jade Qiong hesitated for a moment and was about to agree when suddenly a deep, weighty voice rang out: "Jade Qiong, the divine soul within you is the Southern Emperor's soul. The Celestial Emperor of the Netherworld once reported this to me. I went through great difficulty to slay the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird, and I will not tolerate the Southern Emperor's resurrection."
White Jade Qiong's body trembled slightly, and she bowed, saying, "I pay my respects to Fire Celestial Venerable!"
Qin Mu turned around and met the incredibly bright eyes of Fire Celestial Venerable!