Chapter 1354: The Crown Prince and Dragon Mountain (Third Update!)
Everything Qin Mu had learned, practiced, understood, mastered, and comprehended had never been hidden from Long Qilin. In various aspects of knowledge, Long Qilin had at least some understanding.
The Reverse Summoning divine ability was a technique Qin Mu had developed by improving upon the Creator's summoning divine ability.
The summoning divine ability used powerful divine consciousness to lock onto a target, using oneself as the anchor point to summon a giant beast.
The Reverse Summoning divine ability reversed this process, using the giant beast as the anchor point to summon oneself to the beast's side.
When Qin Mu had originally created this technique, Long Qilin and Yan'er were present, along with the ancestor spirit Luo Xiao, Tai Di in the form of Da Hong, and Tian Di in the form of Gu Xiao. However, only Long Qilin could help Qin Mu design and build the summoning altar.
The only one who had fully learned the Reverse Summoning was Long Qilin. He had taught it to Shu Jun, and Shu Jun must have taken Chu Zu, Lan Yutian, and Xu Shenghua with him, summoning them all to the back of the Ancestral Court!
"They're all a bunch of troublemakers. Is Long Xiao someone to mess with? That's a being whose physical body can rival a Heavenly Venerate!"
Qin Mu shook his head. This was definitely Shu Jun's bad idea. Shu Jun had always coveted Long Xiao, wanting to subdue him and turn him into his own giant beast. But he didn't have the confidence to do it alone, so he had called Chu Zu, Lan Yutian, and Xu Shenghua.
"How long have they been gone?" Qin Mu asked.
"About three months."
"Three months?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu was no longer in such a hurry. He let everyone on the ship disembark and rest. Wei Suifeng asked, "Junior brother, aren't you going to rescue them?"
"They've been gone for three months. If they were going to die, they'd be dead by now. If they've survived for three months in the back of the Ancestral Court, then they can definitely hold out a bit longer. There's no need to rush for a moment."
Qin Mu smiled. "I need to be fully prepared. If I go hastily, I'll only end up in the same situation as them."
Wei Suifeng was silent for a moment, then said bitterly, "I was trapped on the ghost ship for so many years, always waiting for you to follow the map and rescue me. You never came, nor did you follow the map. Was it for the reason you just mentioned?"
Qin Mu laughed heartily and walked away into the distance, calling out loudly, "Brother Tai Yi! Sister Tai Yi! Where are you? Your little brother has come to pay his respects!"
Wei Suifeng watched him walk away with a dark expression, grinding his teeth. "You beast!"
"Yes, truly a beast!"
Youming Crown Prince came to his side, his gaze falling on the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy, then shifting to Yan'er, and from Yan'er to Long Qilin. He said angrily, "That pair of dogs and women! I've finally found you! Dragon Mountain Hermit!"
Long Qilin trembled with fear and quickly turned around, only to see Youming Crown Prince chasing after him. He immediately shook his body, transforming into the dragon-headed, human-bodied form of the Dragon Mountain Hermit, and fell to his knees with a thud, shouting loudly, "I beg forgiveness—"
Yan'er also hurriedly knelt down, kneeling side by side with Long Qilin. "My husband and I beg your forgiveness, Dao brother!"
Youming Crown Prince descended furiously beside the two, but found himself unable to strike them.
Long Qilin and Yan'er had indeed stolen the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy, causing him to be suppressed by the Northern Emperor Xuanwu and his wife for six hundred thousand years. But Long Qilin and Yan'er had also saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Xuanwu clansmen in the Xuanwu Heavenly Palace and had rescued him.
More importantly, the Northern Emperor Xuanwu's imprisonment of Youming Crown Prince wasn't really about the theft of the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy. At that time, Youming Crown Prince was surrounded by figures like the Netherworld Emperor, who were constantly plotting to harm him, harm the Northern Emperor, and seize the Arctic Heaven.
If he hadn't been imprisoned, he would have died long ago.
He had been able to escape his imprisonment thanks to Qin Mu's plea for mercy. After breaking free, he left the Arctic Heaven and encountered the Netherworld Emperor again on the Heavenly River, almost being framed by him once more and stuffed into the Heavenly Emperor's harem.
Fortunately, the divine ability Qin Mu had left him had taken effect, allowing him to see the Netherworld Emperor's true face and avert a great calamity in the Arctic Heaven.
"Please, both of you, rise."
Youming Crown Prince calmed down again, helping the two up, and smiled. "I was just out of sorts earlier. I was originally a rich young master, used to spending money to make friends, not understanding what true friendship meant. It was only after I came to Yancheng that I understood what friendship is. Although the two of you took my Glazed Azure Sky Canopy, you also have great kindness towards me. There's no need for this."
Long Qilin and Yan'er stood up. Youming Crown Prince smiled. "The Glazed Azure Sky Canopy is heavy, but its weight in my heart is no longer so great."
Wei Suifeng came to his side and said, "Your Highness's state of mind has improved again. Truly worthy of being the most outstanding figure of the Longhan Era."
During the Longhan Era, when Youming Crown Prince had cultivated to the Imperial Throne realm, there were no more than ten beings at that level in the world. Later figures of great renown, such as Xiao Heavenly Venerate, Hong Heavenly Venerate, Gong Heavenly Venerate, and Yan Heavenly Venerate, were still obscure little figures.
In those days, the only ones who could match him were a handful of existences like Yun Heavenly Venerate, Hao Heavenly Venerate, Huo Heavenly Venerate, Langxuan Divine Emperor, and Ancestral Divine King.
The Northern Emperor Xuanwu had suppressed Youming Crown Prince for six hundred thousand years. Those who were inferior to him back then had now become famous throughout the world as Heavenly Venerates, and even the Netherworld Emperor had become the ruler of the Northern Heaven, high and mighty.
To be able to experience such great ups and downs while still maintaining a normal state of mind—Youming Crown Prince's mental fortitude earned Wei Suifeng's admiration.
Youming Crown Prince smiled. "If I hadn't been suppressed by the Northern Emperor, I wouldn't have survived to the end of the Longhan Era. I couldn't even stay alive, let alone become an existence like the Ten Heavenly Venerates. The wisdom of the Ten Heavenly Venerates today is far beyond my ability to match. Only an existence like Mu Heavenly Venerate can spar with them. One of their schemes could doom me and the Arctic Heaven forever. I know my limits."
He recalled the experiences of these six hundred thousand years, filled with emotion.
There had also been many beings of extraordinary talent who could match him back then, such as Crown Prince Xie Wuqi and Yun Heavenly Venerate. But even people with wisdom like theirs had died.
He, a man of no great wisdom, had survived, and he understood the reason.
On the other side, Qin Mu found Tai Yi, who was repairing the Great Black Mountain.
Tai Yi was now old and decrepit, carrying a strange, ancient aura. He seemed as aged and weathered as the Dao itself, yet within that antiquity, he contained an endless, new vitality.
Qin Mu's heart stirred, and he smiled. "Dao brother, are you ready to meet the Heavenly Duke and the Earth Lord?"
Tai Yi was gaunt and haggard, his eyes empty and profound, revealing no inner thoughts. He gave off an extremely serene and empty feeling. "I can see them now."
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief and bowed. "I am in your debt, Dao brother."
Tai Yi shook his head. "I am not seeing them for your sake, but for my own plans. I want to use your palace to meet them."
Qin Mu acknowledged this. "Dao brother, feel free to use it."
He went outside the Ten Thousand Black Mountains and cast a divine ability. A Gate of Heaven and Earth rose up. After a moment, the gate's doors pushed open from the inside, and the Earth Lord's primordial spirit walked out, bowing to Qin Mu.
Qin Mu bowed in return.
Then, the Heavenly Duke's primordial spirit walked out of the gate and also bowed to Qin Mu. Qin Mu returned the bow. "Brother Tai Yi is already waiting for the two of you."
The Heavenly Duke and the Earth Lord exchanged a glance, assumed the posture of disciples, and respectfully walked into the Ten Thousand Black Mountains, following Qin Mu towards the center of the Great Black Wood.
Suddenly, a sound like the primordial bell of creation rang out. Qin Mu, the Heavenly Duke, and the Earth Lord looked up, their minds shaken. They saw an ancient, enormous tree, lush and verdant, floating in the cosmos. Beneath the tree was a magnificent, golden palace, radiant with divine light. The Dao light gushed forth like a spring, supporting the palace.
The three of them each sighed in admiration and, with a pilgrim's heart, arrived at the foot of the palace. They stepped up the stairs, ascending, hearing all kinds of Dao sounds, like great bells and giant chimes.
—Just returned from eating out. The fourth update will be in twenty minutes.