Chapter 1483: Taiyi Crosses the River
Now Qin Mu was still very thin and weak, but much better than before.
This experience was truly terrifying, and even he himself had worried that the World Tree would completely devour him.
Unexpectedly, at the most critical moment, after the World Tree devoured his spiritual fetus and soul, the tree finally bore his imprint!
Previously, no matter what he did, he could not refine the World Tree or imprint his mark upon it, but after the World Tree devoured his spiritual fetus and soul, the imprint was made just like that!
This experience could be said to be one of the most dangerous and horrifying of his life, and turning danger into safety could also be considered a blessing in disguise.
His Heavenly Palace was still being rebuilt and reorganized, and his dharma power was steadily increasing.
Qin Mu stood up, unfolded his divine treasure domain, and a precious tree stood tall in the Ancestral Court, with five mineral veins surrounding it, making him feel as if his roots could extend to any corner of the domain.
For the first time, he had a wonderful feeling of complete control over everything about himself.
He stood at the feet of his own primordial spirit, the primordial spirit stood beneath the tree, the tree was hidden within the divine treasure domain, his primordial spirit was many times taller than his physical body, and the World Tree was many times taller than the primordial spirit. Above was the blue sky, clear and vast for ten thousand miles; below was the earth, thick and boundless.
This scene made one feel both heavy and expansive.
"Without taking risks, without trying, without exploring the unknown, I would never have been able to merge with the World Tree. It can be seen that taking risks and trying might bring tremendous gains!"
Qin Mu quietly contemplated. Now, although his divine treasure domain had formed and the Heavenly Palace was constantly being reorganized and rebuilt, he keenly sensed that the former Overlord Body Three Dan Technique was no longer suitable for his current cultivation method.
Many people cultivate by practicing one technique from childhood to adulthood, but he was different. His techniques needed to continuously evolve and change, making the technique more suitable for himself.
In each era, his own knowledge and understanding were different, so the techniques also needed continuous improvement and refinement.
Now, the knowledge he had comprehended was too vast. After obtaining the World Tree and planting it in his divine treasure, his understanding of Taiyi, Taishi, Taisu, and Taiji had reached new heights. More importantly, he had begun to touch the Dao of Taiyi!
The former Overlord Body Three Dan Technique could no longer accommodate this knowledge; now he needed to expand his technique.
His original Heavenly Palace had already reached nineteen, making this technique extremely complex. Now, with the World Tree, coordinating everything became much easier.
Different Heavenly Palaces represented different Daos. If one were to cultivate according to the method of the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns, it would be difficult to integrate twenty or thirty kinds of Imperial Throne techniques into a single Heavenly Court technique in a short time.
Qin Mu had long since integrated nineteen kinds of Imperial Throne techniques. At his age, achieving this step was already an extremely remarkable accomplishment, but this path of cultivation became increasingly difficult the further one went.
For beings like the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns, who had integrated more than thirty kinds of techniques, the time spent was measured in tens of thousands of years. Among the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns, a few had already cultivated thirty-five Heavenly Palaces, but they were all stuck on the thirty-sixth Heavenly Palace.
For this reason, they had to use their own unique methods to find their own unique paths.
For example, Heavenly Sovereign Hao chose to rely on Taisu, the Empress and her sister chose to devour each other, and Langxuan Divine Sovereign tried to break through by refining the Dao Fruits of others.
Patriarch Divine King simply murdered his father, Heavenly Duke, in an attempt to break through.
Qin Mu did not have such a long time to slowly explore and ponder. In the later stages of cultivation, progress would inevitably slow down.
But now, he only needed to use the World Tree as the main body to unify the various Daos and techniques, and it would no longer be so difficult.
More importantly, there were still the five innate Daos!
He stood there quietly contemplating. Before long, his twentieth Heavenly Palace gradually took shape.
This was the Taishi Heavenly Palace.
He understood the Dao of Taishi most thoroughly through the World Tree. Originally, he had the Taishi in the egg living in his divine treasure's mineral veins, constantly refining the divine stone raw ore and comprehending the Dao of Taishi.
The Taishi in the egg did not hide the Dao of Taishi it comprehended from him. As the Taishi comprehended some, Qin Mu gained some. Although it was not as uniquely favored by heaven as this ancient god, Qin Mu's gains were still immense.
And this time, the World Tree directly devoured the mineral veins and the Taishi divine stone and Taishi raw ore, so the Dao of Taishi was the most thorough.
Gradually, the sky grew dark. Qin Mu, while contemplating and shaping the Taishi Heavenly Palace, also rose up and came to the top of the newly grown World Tree.
Outside the Ten Thousand Sacred Mountains, terrifying tremors came again, presenting an apocalyptic scene. But on top of this new World Tree, it was completely calm.
Suddenly, the sky gradually brightened, illuminating layers of void. Vaguely, he saw a Dao Tree standing in the Ultimate Void.
That Dao Tree was hazy and indistinct, its branches and leaves vaguely resembling those of the World Tree.
However, whether it was the World Tree in Qin Mu's divine treasure or the new World Tree in the Ten Thousand Sacred Mountains, both were still young. But the Dao Tree in the Ultimate Void was lush and verdant, covering an extremely wide area!
That should be Taiyi's Dao Tree.
On Taiyi's Dao Tree, there was only one Dao Fruit, no Dao Flowers, yet the branches and leaves were luxuriant.
Suddenly, a drop of Dao Dew, emitting Dao Light, dripped from a leaf. The iron bucket Taiyi had given Qin Mu was also dissolved. He took out the iron bucket he had refined himself, strolled leisurely on the leaves, and caught the Dao Dew dripping from the Ultimate Void.
The Ultimate Void was silent and enchanting, appearing before him as if within reach.
Taiyi's Dao Tree was also right there, seemingly within arm's reach.
Qin Mu knew it was infinitely far away, a place he could not reach. He was still a seeker of the Dao on the path of the Dao realm, not yet having touched that realm.
This night was busy and fulfilling. By sunrise, when the last drop of Dao Dew fell, the Ultimate Void and Taiyi's Dao Tree disappeared. The iron bucket in Qin Mu's hand had caught a full bucket of Dao Dew.
And his Taishi Heavenly Palace was also just completed at this moment.
Qin Mu walked down from the World Tree, carrying the iron bucket, and headed into the Ten Thousand Sacred Mountains to search for the black mountains that had been cracked open the night before.
People in the mountains saw him and couldn't help but be surprised: "Taiyi has transformed into the Imperial Preceptor's appearance and come out!"
Qin Mu did not explain. He went on his own to find the cracked black mountains, using the Dao Dew to repair them. When the Dao Dew was used up, he had just finished repairing all the cracked peaks.
"Taiyi is still unfathomable." He put down the iron bucket and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Then he began to contemplate the Dao of Taisu, intending to cultivate the Taisu Heavenly Palace.
He rarely had such peace. During these days, during the day he repaired the cracked black mountains, and at night he carried the iron bucket to the crown of the World Tree to catch the Dao Dew dripping from the Ultimate Void.
A few days later, he successively opened up the Taisu Heavenly Palace and the Taiji Heavenly Palace. When he was about to open up the Taiyi Heavenly Palace, Qin Mu suddenly paused slightly, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"The eggshell of Heavenly Emperor Taiyi was devoured by my World Tree!"
More sweat beads oozed from his forehead. These two pieces of eggshell were the treasures he had prepared to rescue Ling Tianzun!
He had planned to take the Taiyi eggshell into the vanished Heavenly River that had transformed into immutable matter, and use the Immutable Divine Ability to send the Heavenly Emperor's physical body into the eggshell to seal it!
He had planned to seal the Imperial Lord's primordial spirit, which was parasitic within Taiyi Heavenly Emperor's body, together with it!
But the World Tree had devoured and refined the Taiyi eggshell, meaning he had lost his greatest reliance!
If he went to rescue Ling Tianzun, he would have to face the Imperial Lord's primordial spirit controlling Taiyi Heavenly Emperor's physical body!
"This time, it's tricky!"
Qin Mu steadied his mind and continued to contemplate the Taiyi Heavenly Palace. Since he couldn't put the Heavenly Emperor's physical body and the Imperial Lord's primordial spirit into the eggshell, then a better understanding of the Taiyi Dao was the right path to deal with the Imperial Lord and the Heavenly Emperor!
A few more days passed, and he opened up the Taiyi Heavenly Palace. However, when he tried to open up the Taiyi Heavenly Palace, he encountered a problem.
Although he had understood some of the Dao of Taiyi through the World Tree, this Dao was extremely obscure. Moreover, Taiyi had already absorbed all the divine stone raw ore and primordial liquid from the Taiyi mineral vein, leaving not a drop.
This time, it was only after the World Tree devoured and refined the Taiyi eggshell that he understood the Dao of Taiyi. To comprehend it thoroughly, he would need great perseverance, great enlightenment, and great opportunity!
Furthermore, as Taiyi had said, the World Tree in Qin Mu's divine treasure had stopped growing. Qin Mu's divine treasure was not a true universe, lacking the nutrients for this tree to continue growing.
Now, the World Tree was still just a sapling. Although its roots were gradually strengthening, the tree itself had not grown taller, nor had it produced more branches and leaves.
Qin Mu counted. The World Tree had five main trunks and nineteen branches, which matched the Daos he cultivated. They should correspond to the Daos he practiced.
Among them, the five main trunks represented the Five Innate Tai, while the other branches were further subdivided into different branches. For example, the Demon Dao Heavenly Palace had sixty-four branches, which should represent the sixty-four Daos of the Nether Capital.
Qin Mu temporarily gave up the idea of continuing to study the Taiyi Heavenly Palace. Now, the number of his Heavenly Palaces had reached twenty-three, and his cultivation had improved considerably.
What he felt was more important was to use the opportunity of the World Tree to go further on the path of the Dao realm!
In the following months, Qin Mu would catch Dao Dew, repair the cracked black mountains, and quietly comprehend the Dao. At first, the people in the Ten Thousand Sacred Mountains were a little surprised, but later they gradually got used to it and let him busy himself.
Only occasionally would Qin Mu wake up from this busy state, feeling a little puzzled: "Taiyi wants to leave here for half a year. What is he going to do?"
Ancestral Court, Jade Capital City.
Taiyi possessed a body, observing the large cauldron that Wei Suifeng had left outside the city. Inside this cauldron was a stick of incense, which had almost burned down to its base. Yet it was still moving automatically within the cauldron, drawing a winding route map.
Wei Suifeng and Shu Jun were still alive. The two were planning to cross the river.
The chaotic river before them was of unknown width and length. They carefully advanced along the riverbank. Shu Jun stubbornly believed that they had come from the opposite bank, so he wanted to find a way to cross.
But this great river had no bridges, and flying across the surface was impossible. From time to time, terrifying skeletons would emerge from the chaotic river, emitting an overwhelming Dao might that even the Chaos River could not erode!
They even saw the skeletons of Dao Achievers emitting Dao Light, with dangerous light flickering on the river's surface.
From time to time, twisted vengeful spirits would also appear on the river's surface, struggling, roaring, and grabbing at anything they could reach, like dead souls looking for substitutes.
Even though Wei Suifeng and Shu Jun were extremely bold, they dared not cross this great river. The two could only continue to search bitterly for an exit.
Just then, a white-haired old man leaning on a staff came from somewhere, stopped in front of the two, and said, "You've taken the wrong path."
"Could it be Brother Taiyi?" Wei Suifeng quickly asked.
The old man Taiyi nodded and said, "If you cross the river, you will truly never return. This area is all dangerous ground. On the opposite bank is the residence of the Miluo Palace Master. Even if you could cross the river, you would only find death."
The two were solemn. Shu Jun said politely, "Senior, could you lead us away?"
The old man Taiyi shook his head. "I am going to cross the river. I have no time to see you off."
Shu Jun was a little disappointed. Wei Suifeng quickly asked, "Brother, is my junior brother looking for us? Did he find the geographical map I left?"
"No."
The old man Taiyi said, "This place is too dangerous. Do not move around recklessly. I just saw the geographical map you walked through outside the city and found my way here. If you continue forward, you will surely die without a burial place. Do not retreat either. The Chaos River is constantly changing. If you retreat, you will not find your original path and will only die in vain."
The two kept complaining. Wei Suifeng quickly asked, "Is it safe to stay here and not move?"
The old man Taiyi observed the river's hydrology and said, "In half a day, this place will be submerged by the Chaos River."
Shu Jun said decisively, "Please, Senior, take pity on us and lead us away!"
Wei Suifeng also quickly said, "Brother, have mercy!"
The old man Taiyi had no choice but to say, "I am going to see the Miluo Palace Master. This journey is also extremely dangerous. I have no confidence in whether I can return alive. That person's divine abilities are vast, surpassing mine. Following me will only be more dangerous. If there were no danger, I would not have deceived Mu Tianzun into having him guard the Great Black Tree for half a year."
He had another sentence he did not say: If he could not return alive, then Qin Mu would not just be guarding for half a year, but would have to guard the Great Black Tree for a long, long time to come.
At that time, Qin Mu would become Taiyi's successor, never able to leave.
Wei Suifeng and Shu Jun did not know the inside story. They said with a flattering smile, "What person could possibly overcome you, old sir? Brother, don't joke. My junior brother never follows the map to rescue me. Now we are at our wit's end. Please, Brother, save us!"
Taiyi had no choice but to take them along. He said, "Follow me closely. Do not fall behind, or you will die."
The two nodded repeatedly, sticking close to Taiyi. The elderly Taiyi, leaning on his wooden staff, stepped onto the surface of the Chaos River. Immediately, the river seemed to boil. Countless twisted vengeful spirits reached out their hands, grabbing at the three!
Taiyi swung his staff, fiercely beating and striking, driving these vengeful spirits back into the river. He shouted, "Do not let them touch you! They are Dao Achievers who died in the Great Luo Heaven, turned into nothingness. They want to grab you and swap you into their dead universe, swapping their souls over!"
The two were terrified. The casual grabs of those Dao Achiever vengeful spirits made them feel that no divine ability could withstand them. If Taiyi were not by their side, they would likely fall into the previous universe in the next moment, their souls scattered and their bodies destroyed!
"This old man Taiyi is quite fierce!"
Shu Jun saw Taiyi fighting his way through and couldn't help but admire him: "Old but vigorous!"
—Two chapters combined into one, a four-thousand-character chapter. I can't continue writing tonight. I have to get up early tomorrow to take my daughter to school. Oh, by the way, the surgery went smoothly today. Thank you all for your concern.