Chapter 1397: One Qi Primordial Chaos, Traveling the Dao Together
Langxuan Divine Emperor waited for a moment, but Qin Mu did not say what he had seen. Langxuan Divine Emperor finally couldn't hold back and asked, "What did you see?"
Qin Mu smiled faintly and said, "I saw that beneath your Jade Pool, there is a large thing, siphoning the vitality of the Jade Pool for its own use. Even if you connect the eight dragon veins now, it will be destroyed again in the future. If you want the Jade Pool to return to its prime state, I can guide you on how to find that large thing. However, I must take one-tenth of the Jade Pool's output."
Langxuan Divine Emperor's divine consciousness rippled, forming a vertical eye on his brow, and he looked down into the earth, sneering, "Give you one-tenth? If I find that large thing and deal with it, wouldn't it be better to give you nothing? Mu Zun, you are too greedy. You extorted Gong Zun and then Yan Tianfei, and now you want to extort me? Do you intend to extort all Ten Zun? You underestimate the Ten Zun too much!"
Qin Mu was surprised. The transactions he had made with Gong Zun and Yan Tianfei, exchanging their mining output, had actually reached Langxuan Divine Emperor's ears.
It seemed that within the forces under Gong Zun and Yan Tianfei, there were spies of Langxuan Divine Emperor, monitoring the every move of the two Zun.
However, this should not be a secret among the Ten Zun.
The Ten Zun were not entirely at ease with each other, so they liked to plant spies and informants among each other's disciples. This was also one of the reasons they could cooperate, so they did not expose each other.
Langxuan Divine Emperor searched for a while, and his expression gradually turned grave.
His divine consciousness eye was incredibly powerful, yet after searching the depths of the earth, he did not see the large thing Qin Mu had mentioned, nor did he find even a trace of it!
This was terrifying!
A drop of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He flew up and continued searching along the eight jade-like mountain ranges.
Qin Mu was unconcerned and headed toward the Jade Terrace. Langxuan Divine Emperor's divine consciousness eye could probably penetrate the thirty-fifth layer of void. Except for the ultimate void of the Great Luo Heaven, no other secret could escape his divine consciousness eye.
His divine eye could be called the Void-Penetrating Eye, the Insight Eye.
Divine consciousness was all-pervasive. Langxuan could see the deepest parts of the earth in the Ancestral Court, as well as treasures hidden in space. However, his Insight Eye and Void-Penetrating Eye were still inferior to Qin Mu's vertical eye.
Qin Mu's vertical eye had been enhanced by the Heavenly Duke and the Earth Lord, combined with the power of the divine eye itself and the Taiji Primordial Stone, the Taiyi Eggshell. It could be called the best in the world without exaggeration.
Although Qin Mu could not currently unleash the full power and might of this divine eye, relying solely on the eye's own function, he could see through everything and perceive everything.
Langxuan Divine Emperor's sweat grew more abundant. He searched the eight mineral veins but still could not find where the so-called large thing was hidden.
"Restoring the Jade Pool to its former glory is more important. If that large thing is not dealt with, the Jade Pool will merely be a large pool that can condense Hongmeng Primordial Liquid, with no other significant use. In that case, giving Mu Zun one-tenth of the Hongmeng Primordial Liquid is not unacceptable..."
He looked at Qin Mu, who was now stepping onto the Jade Terrace, comprehending the Dao contained within the Jade Pool. He did not disturb him.
At this moment, the Jade Terrace had become extremely sacred, like a holy altar for sacrificing to heaven and earth and the universe. Qin Mu walked on it like a priest presiding over a grand cosmic sacrifice, or like a seeker of the Dao, steady in his steps and devout in demeanor.
Langxuan Divine Emperor also stepped onto the terrace. He was like an emperor, his powerful aura blooming, immune to all laws and unstained by all Daos.
Qin Mu carefully felt the baptism of the Jade Pool's Dao as he ascended the terrace, listening to the Dao sounds. Although Langxuan could also hear the Dao sounds, his insights and feelings were not as profound as Qin Mu's.
He was too strong, not only in cultivation and strength but also in his mindset—too strong, too dominant, placing himself too high.
Qin Mu ascended to the first level of the Jade Terrace. Unlike the Four Heavenly Gates and the Nine Hell Platforms, which tempered the Dao heart and were extremely dangerous—if one could not pass, death was certain—the Jade Pool nourished the Dao heart. It did not test or temper but instead nurtured the Dao heart, allowing it to grow.
Wonderful melodies came to his ears, as if the Dao was whispering to him. He felt the Dao was like water, like a mother's womb, like the true, good, and beautiful of the world.
He also felt the Dao was like the earth, bearing everything, nurturing everything, broadening the mind.
The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without contention.
The earth is vast; the noble person carries all things with virtue.
Standing on the terrace, he looked out at the Jade Pool. It no longer had its former grandeur, but from here, it seemed as if he could see the emerald waves of the Jade Pool, nourishing all life, rippling like dragon scales.
He looked back. The Yuan Tree, which had been the Earth Mother Primordial Lord, was now gone, leaving only a huge crater. Yet he seemed to see the lush Yuan Tree, sheltering the ancient Creator ancestors in the primordial era.
The Earth Mother carried all things with virtue; the Jade Pool's highest good was like water.
He sensed thirty-six types of Earth Virtue Daos and twenty-four types of Supreme Good Daos.
After a long time, Qin Mu moved forward. The Jade Pool was a sacrificial site for the ancient Creator ancestors, where they sacrificed to heaven, earth, and the universe. In those times, people were ignorant, not knowing where their power came from, not knowing they could use the Jade Terrace to nourish their Dao hearts.
They only had a simple heart. After coming here, they felt their minds calm, as if they could connect with heaven and earth, as if they could link with the Jade Sea.
They revered the land that nurtured them and all living things, and they revered the Jade Sea that nourished them and all things.
Here, they sacrificed to heaven, earth, and the universe, commemorating their ancestors.
At this moment, Qin Mu also became like one of those ignorant Creator ancestors from the primordial era, reverently comprehending the Dao aura of this place.
He walked and stopped, the time he spent growing longer. Langxuan Divine Emperor soon surpassed him, reaching the eighth level of the Jade Terrace. He looked down at heaven and earth and the dry seabed, his heart filled with emotion.
By the time Qin Mu arrived here, a month had passed.
Langxuan Divine Emperor sensed his arrival, pointed to the dry seabed and the mountains and rivers across the sea, and said with high spirits, laughing loudly, "This land is so magnificent! Mu Zun, what man does not wish to possess such territory? This is one of my ambitions in becoming a Zun. I am determined to become the master of the entire universe, to make this vast land, the myriad heavens and worlds, the billions of stars and star regions, bow at my feet!"
His heroic ambition surged from his chest as he pointed at the landscape, impassioned and excited.
"Mu Zun, you have extraordinary talent. If you submit to me, I will give you ample room to develop. I am not like Hao Zun, who is petty and calculating. I value you, so I will certainly put you to great use! In the future, my land will have a share for you!"
Qin Mu did not answer. The Dao aura around him grew increasingly dense. Suddenly, Langxuan Divine Emperor felt something and turned to look. His heart skipped a beat. Qin Mu had entered a strange state, faintly merging with the heaven and earth Dao of the Jade Pool and Jade Terrace!
He seemed to have completely integrated into the Dao of the entire Jade Terrace. He stood there, his body right there, but to Langxuan Divine Emperor, he felt as heavy as the earth of the Ancestral Court, as vast as the Jade Sea!
He seemed like the heaven and earth that Langxuan Divine Emperor had just observed—lofty and distant, deep and vast, thick and heavy!
He resonated and merged with the Dao of the Jade Pool and Jade Terrace. The Dao resonance that had been severed when he and Langxuan Divine Emperor had previously comprehended together was now reconnected!
This time, he did not need to connect with the Dao resonance from their joint enlightenment to enter the state of Dao attainment!
Langxuan Divine Emperor's face showed disbelief, which then turned into the killing intent and jealousy hidden in his divine treasury. Qin Mu's talent was not much different from his own. Last time, when they comprehended together and discussed the Dao, as long as their Qi was connected, they could both enter the state of Dao attainment and comprehend the mysteries of the Primordial Dao, entering the Primordial Dao realm.
But that time, both Langxuan and Qin Mu had reservations, remembering that they were still enemies, not even friends, let alone Dao companions.
So they actively severed the path to Dao attainment, refusing to complete each other.
Now, Langxuan Divine Emperor found it difficult to enter the Dao state himself, but Qin Mu had already reconnected the opportunity and entered the realm of Dao attainment!
"Why did he receive this opportunity instead of me?"
The killing intent in his eyes grew stronger, but he forcibly suppressed it. He took a step, left the Jade Terrace, and flew down to the broken ends of the eight dragon veins.
The mine slaves and overseers had been resting during this time, enjoying a rare month of peace.
When they saw Langxuan Divine Emperor, they hurriedly kowtowed.
Langxuan Divine Emperor flicked his sleeve and sneered, "Sever the eight dragon veins for me!"
The overseers and mine slaves did not understand his intention and stood there dumbfounded.
These eight dragon veins had finally been connected, restoring vitality to the Jade Pool, allowing it to produce Hongmeng Primordial Liquid again, making it one of the best treasures in the Ancestral Court. Why would Qin Mu, the notorious "Qin the Destroyer," not dismantle the Jade Pool, but instead Langxuan Divine Emperor, the landowner, want to destroy his own treasure?
Langxuan Divine Emperor was furious, his killing intent blazing, and he shouted, "Are you all deaf? Get over there and work!"
The overseers finally came to their senses and urged the divine whips, lashing the mine workers without reason, shouting, "Work! Work! Tear down those jade stones!"
Many mine workers immediately began to remove the jade stones that had been connected. Langxuan Divine Emperor, still dissatisfied with the speed, whipped the overseers as well, forcing them to work too.
Finally, the eight dragon veins were severed. The Dao aura of the Ancestral Court's Jade Pool immediately dissipated and vanished, and the eight dragon veins stopped spewing Hongmeng Purple Qi.
Langxuan Divine Emperor breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at the Jade Terrace. The Dao aura there was also rapidly dissipating.
"You are the leader of the Heavenly Alliance, so I cannot kill you directly. But I can cut off your path to Dao attainment, preventing you from entering the Dao state."
His eyes flickered. "If I cannot have it, neither can you! Mu Zun, do not blame me for being ruthless..."
Just as he thought this, his pupils suddenly contracted. Although the Dao aura on the Jade Terrace was dissipating, the Dao resonance emanating from there was growing stronger!
Langxuan Divine Emperor's heart pounded wildly. Qin Mu's entry into the state of Dao attainment this time could not be interrupted!
"Kill him! My Divine Finger of Primordial Spirit is the strongest divine ability among the Zun. One finger is enough to kill him!"
He was very tempted to point and blow Qin Mu to pieces. But killing Qin Mu here would give the other Zun a handle to use against him. When the world was at peace and the ancient gods were purged, this would be the perfect excuse to eliminate him!
But if he did not kill Qin Mu, he could not bear it!
Just then, the Dao resonance from the Jade Terrace reached its peak. Dao light burst forth from there, lifting a figure into the sky. A long chant echoed:
"Divine consciousness pays homage to heaven and earth, one Qi primordial chaos, traveling the Dao together!"