Chapter 1494: Holding High and Letting Go
(Yesterday’s chapter had an error—it should be thirty-six acquired great daos and seventy-two innate great daos. This has been corrected.)
Within Qin Mu’s palm, the Ancestral Court slowly rotated. The four Heavenly Gates were positioned on the front and back of the Ancestral Court, each gate containing different principles and offering different insights into the dao realm.
He fully released the insights he had gained from passing through the four Heavenly Gates. The resonance of the great dao was so melodious and moving that it shook the soul, leaving even Yanfeng Emperor utterly captivated.
As for Jiang Baigui, it was as if he were struck by the sound of the dao. Gazing at these four Heavenly Gates, he suddenly felt a sense of clarity, as if a dark, overcast sky had been parted to reveal the sun!
These four Heavenly Gates were like four incredibly stable foundations, bearing the immense power of the Heavenly Palace and Heavenly Court, as well as his own dao heart!
With these four Heavenly Gates, the Heavenly Palace could be stabilized, the Heavenly Court made secure, with no further fear of collapse!
“Junior brother, you have accumulated enough combat experience here, but staying in the Land of No Worries without contact with the outside world has left you behind.”
With a flicker of thought, Qin Mu’s palm revealed the exquisitely detailed scenery of the Ancestral Court. The great dao flowed through it, forming the Jade Terrace, and the Primordial Chaos Origin Liquid transformed into the Primordial Sea!
Jiang Baigui immediately saw the differences between this Jade Terrace and Primordial Sea and those of other gods and demons. He was utterly mesmerized. The principles contained within gave him a feeling of wanting to make a pilgrimage!
“The Jade Terrace and Primordial Sea, like the four Heavenly Gates, contain extraordinary principles. They are a great wonder of the Ancestral Court and a natural sacred ground of the dao realm.”
In the Ancestral Court within Qin Mu’s palm, the Heavenly Sea, which reflected the heart of heaven and the heart of man, appeared. Then came the Ancestral Court’s Execution Platform and the Ancestral Court’s Nine Hells Platform.
He slowly revealed each realm to Jiang Baigui, ending with the Five Supreme Primordialities, the five great mineral veins, the rise and fall of chaos, the Primordial Chaos One Qi, the Supreme Beginning Azure Void, the Supreme Plain’s formless and bodiless yet ever-changing nature, and the Supreme Ultimate’s evolution into all daos and all things.
These wondrous mysteries were breathtaking.
“Junior brother, the path of the thirty-six Heavenly Palaces and seventy-two Precious Halls was not actually wrong. It was the realm that was mistaken, which is why you could not advance further.”
Qin Mu’s gaze fell on Jiang Baigui’s white hair, then moved from the white hair to his already aged face. He said in a deep voice, “The sage who was once invincible in his era had a dao heart as deep as an abyss and as vast as an ocean. Yet now, has a mere setback defeated his dao heart?”
“No.”
Jiang Baigui slowly rose. He took off the official robe of the Kaihuang Heavenly Court in the Land of No Worries, discarded the seal and ribbon, and changed into his usual attire. He stood up and walked out.
With each step he took, the wrinkles on his face disappeared one by one, and his white hair turned back to jet-black, strand by strand. His tone returned to the elegance and calmness he had possessed as the National Teacher of the Yan Kingdom. He said, “I need to go to the Ancestral Court to find my own path.”
Seeing this, Yanfeng Emperor quickly caught up and said, “National Teacher, wait for me! Qin Aiqing, go find the Moon Venerable yourself. I will accompany the National Teacher to the Ancestral Court! His cultivation is low now, and he cannot go without someone to look after him!”
Qin Mu transmitted the truth about the Jade Capital of the Ancestral Court to them through his divine consciousness. Jiang Baigui and Yanfeng Emperor were greatly shaken. They clasped their fists from afar and left together.
“A ruler and his minister meeting as dao companions—these two are truly enviable.”
Granny Si watched them leave and said with admiration, “Jiang Baigui made Yanfeng Emperor, and Yanfeng Emperor made Jiang Baigui. They have supported each other, and their journey together has been no easy feat.”
Qin Mu nodded silently. Suddenly, his divine consciousness erupted, connecting to the Primordial Spirit Realm that enveloped the entire Other Shore Void. After a moment, he said, “The creators of the Other Shore Void already know I am here. They will notify the Moon Venerable and the others to come. We will wait here.”
Granny Si smiled and said, “I heard you are still the Holy Infant of the creators? What is that about? Can you tell me in detail?”
Qin Mu had actually already told her about this matter, but she was still worried that he might not be able to move on from his grief. So she brought it up again to keep him from thinking about Cripple.
Granny Si was usually a carefree person, but when she was being considerate, she was incredibly thoughtful.
The two stayed in Jiang Baigui’s residence. Late the next night, the Moon Venerable arrived.
Qin Mu did not waste time on pleasantries and asked directly, “Yue, is the Dao Fire Ancestral Land still with you? I need it urgently.”
The Moon Venerable glanced at Granny Si, shocked by the woman’s beauty. After a moment, she came to her senses and said with a smile, “During the Xuan Du battle, I snatched the Dao Fire Ancestral Land and sent it to the Nether Realm. Later, I worried that the Fire Venerable might find it in the Nether Realm, so I hid it in the Land of No Worries. Do you see that brightest star?”
She pointed to the sky. Qin Mu then noticed a star in the Other Shore Void that was exceptionally bright, surrounded by rings of light.
From a distance, it looked like an ordinary star, but when Qin Mu looked with his vertical brow eye, he saw that it was actually the Dao Fire Ancestral Land. Those rings of light were likely the Nine Heavens of Dao Fire.
“That is the Dao Fire Ancestral Land.”
The Moon Venerable said, “The Fire Venerable cannot reach the Land of No Worries anytime soon, so it is safe here. If you need it urgently, I will fetch it for you.”
“Thank you for the trouble,” Qin Mu said gratefully.
The Moon Venerable chided him playfully, “Why are you being so polite with me? Wait a moment, I will go get it.”
She got up and left in a hurry. By dawn, the Moon Venerable returned with the Dao Fire Ancestral Land, bustling with energy. Qin Mu and Granny Si quickly went out to welcome her and came to the outskirts of the city.
The Moon Venerable did not enter the city. Instead, she placed the Dao Fire Ancestral Land outside and began using spatial divine abilities to shrink it, making it easier for Qin Mu to carry.
“This girl is thoughtful,” Granny Si praised inwardly.
Just then, a carriage drove over. A pleasant voice came from inside, and the carriage stopped. A maidservant parted the pearl curtain, and the Divine King Lang Wan stepped out.
Granny Si had met the Divine King Lang Wan before, and seeing her again now, she was once again struck by her beauty. Yanfeng Emperor was right—Granny Si was a beauty, with the beauty of the mortal world. But the Divine King Lang Wan was different. She had an aloof, cold, and distant temperament, more like the beauty of a goddess, giving off a sacred and solemn aura that made her hard to approach.
The Moon Venerable had just finished handling the Dao Fire Ancestral Land. She glanced at the Divine King Lang Wan and said with a smile, “Divine King, why are you so late? You were the one who told me that the Mu Venerable wanted to see me, yet you are the one who is late.”
The Divine King Lang Wan said softly, “I bathed, changed clothes, and prepared the carriage. That took some time. I could not come to see the Mu Venerable without being solemn.”
She greeted Qin Mu and Granny Si and said, “The Venerable sent someone to deliver the Supreme Beginning Origin Liquid, freeing me from my worries. I am deeply grateful.”
The Moon Venerable laughed and said, “You always have these unnecessary formalities. Mu Venerable, I have shrunk the Dao Fire Ancestral Land a bit. This land suppresses my spatial dao, so I could only bind it to this extent. You can take it directly. I cannot help you with anything else.”
The Divine King Lang Wan said, “The Dao Fire Ancestral Land requires a deep understanding of the fire dao. However, one can also use divine consciousness to activate the power of the dao fire. In the past, when the creators sacrificed to the Southern Emperor Zhu Que, they relied on divine consciousness to unleash the power of the Nine Heavens of the Ancestral Land.”
She carefully instructed Qin Mu, “Enter the Ancestral Land and try it. You will then know how to use divine consciousness to activate the dao fire.”
Qin Mu thanked her, stepped onto the Dao Fire Ancestral Land, and entered the Nine Heavens. He took out a divine weapon from a past universe’s powerhouse and tried to use divine consciousness to ignite the dao fire to smelt it.
Whether the Dao Fire Ancestral Land could smelt it was just his speculation. Now he needed to verify it. If it did not work, he would have to find another way.
Beside the Ancestral Land, Granny Si chatted with the Moon Venerable and the Divine King Lang Wan. The two women knew she was Qin Mu’s elder and did not show any disrespect.
Granny Si spoke of her worries about Qin Mu. The two women exchanged glances, and the Divine King Lang Wan said, “The Mu Venerable is a man of extraordinary talent and wisdom. Fellow Daoist Si need not worry. He will naturally find his way out in time.”
The Moon Venerable said, “I think we should not let him be idle. If he is idle, he will start overthinking. Even if there is nothing wrong, he will find something wrong.”
Granny Si agreed and studied the two women, coming to a conclusion in her mind.
After a moment, Qin Mu came out of the Dao Fire Ancestral Land. The three women went up to meet him. Granny Si gave him a questioning look. Qin Mu said, “It can melt those divine weapons, but it requires me to expend divine consciousness to control the dao fire while also forging my divine sword. That is a bit taxing.”
Granny Si smiled and said, “Leave that to Mute. You can work him like a beast of burden! Ladies, we will not disturb you any longer. We must return to the Ancestral Court immediately!”
The Moon Venerable quickly said, “You just arrived and are already leaving? Since you have matters to attend to, I will not keep you. Mu Venerable, let me ask you one thing!”
Qin Mu stopped.
The Moon Venerable hesitated for a moment but still asked her question: “How long do you think the Other Shore Void can hold out?”
The Divine King Lang Wan’s heart skipped a beat. She had the same question, but she was burdened with many concerns and was not as straightforward as the Moon Venerable, so she had not asked.
Qin Mu pondered for a moment and said, “After Tu Bo dies, the Other Shore Void will be broken. The overwhelming tide is unstoppable. A mere Void Bridge and thirty-five layers of shattered void cannot stop the Ten Venerables of today.”
The two women were greatly shaken.
The Divine King Lang Wan asked, “Then, Mu Venerable, how are the soldiers in my Other Shore Void supposed to survive?”
Qin Mu glanced at the Moon Venerable and said unhurriedly, “With the Moon Venerable here, you can retreat or leave.”
The Divine King Lang Wan breathed a sigh of relief, smiled slightly, and said, “Farewell, Holy Infant.”
Qin Mu put the Dao Fire Ancestral Land into his divine storage and left. Granny Si followed him and said with a smile, “Mu’er, which of these two girls do you think is better?”
Qin Mu’s head ached, and he said guiltily, “Which one does Granny think is better?”
“In terms of appearance, naturally it is the Divine King Lang Wan. Her beauty is unmatched.”
Granny Si said, “But if we are talking about being a wife, she is far inferior to the Moon Venerable. The Divine King Lang Wan is a cold and aloof woman. Her posture is one of holding high. But the Moon Venerable is very down-to-earth. She is the type to manage a household.”
Qin Mu was curious and asked, “What do you mean by ‘holding high’?”
“Holding high means being placed in the air, not grounded. Elegant, noble, and refined, but keeping people at a distance. For example, when she came to see you, she had to bathe, change clothes, and prepare her outfit. She had a carriage and maidservants attending her. It was solemn, but she is not the type for everyday life.”
Granny Si said, “But when the Moon Venerable heard you had arrived, she came running over in a flurry. She was also made up, but not deliberately. She had no attendants and did not ride in a carriage. When you asked for the Dao Fire Ancestral Land, she immediately went to get it. And she was thoughtful, knowing it was too big to carry, so she helped shrink it. She is the one who lets go. She is the type to manage a household.”
Qin Mu was deeply impressed. There was so much knowledge in love and marriage that it could almost be considered a great dao. No wonder the Heavenly Sage Sect’s three hundred and sixty halls included a Matchmaking Hall.
“If you married Lang Wan, when you go out to receive guests or host heroes, she would certainly bring you great face and honor. Her behavior in public would leave no fault to be found. She is naturally suited to be an empress.”
Granny Si continued, “But for managing a household and daily life, the Moon Venerable is better. Mu’er, what do you think? Would you rather marry an empress or a wife?”
Her meaning was to ask about Qin Mu’s future plans. Marrying an empress meant Qin Mu would become an emperor. Marrying a wife meant his ambition was not for the throne.
Qin Mu humbly asked for advice, “Granny, what about this kind of woman? Usually carefree, sloppy, spends money lavishly, never keeps accounts, is a bit careless with children, and always swears, calling herself ‘old lady.’ When she is seductive, she can captivate the souls of everyone in the world. When she is fierce, she can hang people up and beat them. Can such a woman be married off?”
Granny Si’s face immediately darkened. She picked up the Taiyi Crutch and rained blows down on him, shouting, “I am talking to you seriously, and you dare to mock me! I will break your legs and make you crawl on the ground and write the character for ‘tragedy’ in blood!”
Qin Mu covered his head and fled. Granny Si chased after him and gave him a thorough beating, almost hanging him up to beat him.
—First update. The second update will probably be written between 9:30 and 10:00.