Chapter 1428: Moonlight on the Heavenly River (Third Update)
On the Heavenly River, Qin Mu, the Butcher, Tian Shu, and the others sat aboard a fast boat. The cabin was piled high with fine wine. Heavenly King Tian Shu fidgeted anxiously, occasionally reaching out to open a jar for a hearty drink, only to have the Butcher slap his hand away with the flat of his blade.
“Ration it,” Luo Wushuang said coldly. “You’re as timid as a mouse. This one boatload of wine is all we have to bolster your courage when we face the Heavenly Sovereign. If you drink it all on the way, you’ll just wet yourself in terror before him.”
Tian Shu sneered, “Wet myself in terror? Yes, I will wet myself in terror! Luo Wushuang, can you honestly say you wouldn’t flinch before the Heavenly Sovereign?”
Luo Wushuang gazed at his divine blade and said calmly, “No. Ever since I shattered the god within my heart, no one who stands before me can stop me from drawing my sword.”
Tian Shu grunted, “After I’ve had a drink, neither can I.”
Zhe Huali, sitting on the gunwale, looked at Qin Mu and suddenly laughed. “Chief Qin, what realm are you in now? I noticed that after your trip to the Heavenly Court, you weren’t entirely unproductive—your cultivation has deepened considerably.”
“The Nine Prisons Platform Realm,” Qin Mu said after a moment’s thought. “It roughly corresponds to your Jade Capital Realm, but I also have an additional Five Greats Realm beyond that.”
The others grew curious and pressed him for details. Qin Mu explained, “My realm has always been singular—only the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasury Realm. This realm is further divided into two types: the Dao Realm, which follows the thirty-six-layer Heavenly Dao system, and the Great Ancestral Court Realm. These two are actually intertwined; as my cultivation realm improves, so does my Dao Realm.”
“The Great Ancestral Court Realm consists of the Heavenly Palace and Heavenly Court Realm, along with the Five Greats Realm. The Heavenly Palace and Heavenly Court Realm is the same system you all cultivate, but mine differs slightly—I developed the Nine Prisons Platform Realm, giving me one extra realm compared to you.”
“However, I haven’t yet figured out how the Jade Capital Realm within the Ancestral Court is divided, nor have I seen the Jade Capital City of the Ancestral Court. Whether the Jade Capital Realm includes the Lofty Heavenly Palace and the Imperial Throne remains unknown.”
“As for the Five Greats Realm, I’m still exploring it. I’ve initially refined four of the Five Greats, comprehended several divine abilities, and grasped a few layers of the Dao Realm. Whether they will form five distinct realms is also uncertain.”
Qin Mu paused, then said, “That’s about it.”
The other four were left dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time. Zhe Huali stammered, “Did you comprehend all this in the Ancestral Court?”
Qin Mu smiled. “If you go to the Ancestral Court, you should visit the Four Heavenly Gates, the Jasper Lake and Jasper Terrace, and the Nine Prisons Platform. When the five of us join forces, we can reach the thirtieth layer of the Dao Realm. But individually, none of us is very high—I’m the highest at the twenty-sixth layer. If you all tour those places, you might catch up to me in the Dao Realm.”
He paused and added, “You’ll probably still be a step behind, but not by much.”
Zhe Huali rubbed his hands together excitedly. “If I come back alive from the Mystic Capital this time, I’m definitely going there!”
“Ptoo, ptoo—good luck, good luck!” Tian Shu spat a few times. “Childish talk, don’t say such unlucky things.”
Qin Mu showed a confident smile. “This time, the Heavenly Dao seeks to preserve itself. Once we reach the Mystic Capital and the Heavenly Dao senses our Dao hearts, with its blessing, our strength will rise another step. There’s a chance we’ll survive! With the help of the Opening Emperor, Lang Wan, Moon Venerable, and Nether Venerable, we can surely turn danger into safe—”
Before he could finish the word “safe,” Qin Mu stared blankly ahead.
The others quickly looked forward and saw a middle-aged man with a sword at his waist walking along the Heavenly River toward them. It was none other than the Opening Emperor, Qin Ye.
The Opening Emperor stopped before the boat. The Butcher and the others quickly paid their respects, while Tian Shu ducked into the cabin, not daring to show his face.
Qin Mu hastily stopped the boat, leaned out, and asked, “Why aren’t you heading to the Mystic Capital? What are you doing here?”
The Opening Emperor’s expression was calm. “You told me to visit the Ancestral Court, saying that comprehending the Dao Realm there could help me break through to the Ultimate Void. So I came.”
Qin Mu fumed, “At this critical moment, you should be preparing to go to the Mystic Capital, not the Ancestral Court! What were you doing earlier?”
Tian Shu’s face turned ashen. In this world, only Qin Mu dared speak to the Opening Emperor like that. Ever since the Opening Emperor wounded several Heavenly Sovereigns at the Heavenly Alliance meeting, even the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns treated him with respect.
The Opening Emperor was unruffled. “Earlier, the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns were all here, so I had no chance. Now that they’ve left for the Mystic Capital, I have the opportunity to tour the Ancestral Court.”
Qin Mu was about to speak, but the Opening Emperor continued, “It takes time to travel from the Heavenly River to the Mystic Capital. I’ll go after comprehending the Ancestral Court—it won’t be too late. You all hold the line first.”
Qin Mu gritted his teeth as he watched the Opening Emperor walk toward the Ancestral Court. “Qin Ye, remember to collect my corpse!” he called after him.
“Alright,” the Opening Emperor replied flatly.
Qin Mu pulled off his shoe and hurled it at him. The Opening Emperor tilted his head, and the shoe missed, flying back to land automatically on Qin Mu’s foot.
“Wait! Since you’re going to the Ancestral Court, do one thing for me!”
Qin Mu put his shoe back on and transmitted a thought into the Opening Emperor’s mind, explaining the matter. The Opening Emperor paused, turned his head, and said, “That’s somewhat difficult.”
Qin Mu said gravely, “Can you manage half of it?”
“I can try.” The Opening Emperor strode away.
Qin Mu snorted and said heavily, “We’ll hold the line!”
The others exchanged glances. Tian Shu poked his head out of the cabin. “How do we hold it?”
Qin Mu clenched his teeth. “With our heads!”
Tian Shu quickly ducked back inside.
The cheerful atmosphere on the boat had vanished. Everyone was breathing heavily. The Butcher scooped up some Heavenly River water and began sharpening his blade by the side of the boat, laughing. “One Opening Emperor raises his sword Dao to the thirty-fifth layer, while we roughnecks who use blades can only reach the thirtieth. Is the way of the blade inferior to the way of the sword? Gentlemen, it all depends on effort!”
Despite his words, they couldn’t relax. Then, faint zither music drifted from ahead, its melody beautiful and moving, making the Heavenly River ripple in time.
Qin Mu soared into the air and looked forward. He saw the vast Heavenly River dancing like musical notes, with hidden killing intent. The waves leaping to the rhythm contained strange divine abilities that merged with the water, ready to strike any boat that passed, making the river’s surface treacherous.
“It’s Moon Venerable’s zither music!”
Qin Mu looked into the distance and saw the Heavenly Court’s divine and demon army pushing forth divine artifacts—the Four Emperors—to stabilize the Heavenly River, preventing Moon Venerable’s zither music from taking full effect.
From within that Heavenly Court army, a Heavenly Sovereign suddenly soared into the air and charged at Moon Venerable. The Heavenly Sovereign was burly, with muscles like rock and a bristling beard, looking extremely imposing. It was Heavenly Sovereign Shi Qiluo.
The two Heavenly Sovereigns fought and moved through the starry sky, always circling above and below the Heavenly River, slowing the Heavenly Court army’s advance.
“I see. The Opening Emperor had Moon Venerable slow the army’s march to give himself enough time to comprehend the Ancestral Court’s Four Heavenly Gates, Jasper Terrace, and Jasper Lake,” Qin Mu realized.
Only Moon Venerable could delay the Heavenly Court’s advance. Her spatial divine abilities allowed her to come and go freely, making it extremely difficult to trap her.
Qin Mu relaxed. The fast boat soon caught up with the Heavenly Court army ahead.