Chapter 1513: Utter Shamelessness
On the fourth Chaotic Long River, Qiang Tianfei was so exhausted she could barely breathe. She simply lay down in the small boat, no longer resisting the strangeness of the Chaotic Long River, adopting an air of resigned acceptance.
Qin Mu drew the Calamity Sword, and with a few sweeping strokes, a skeletal corpse in the river was directly shattered by him.
Immediately, the journey became calm, with no more strange incidents occurring.
Qiang Tianfei sat up abruptly, staring fixedly at him. Suddenly, she laughed in fury: "You clearly have the means to suppress the strangeness in the river, so why did you insist on making me act and drain my divine power?"
Qin Mu was still comprehending the Way of Taiji and cultivating Taiji primal energy. He glanced up at her and said seriously, "I provide the boat, you provide the effort—a fair trade. Besides, I did this for your own good. The strangeness in the river are cultivators who achieved the Dao in prehistoric universes. Fighting them is a rare blessing for us both. Having an achiever of the Dao spar with you—where else could you find such an opportunity? Great Emperor, you have lost your heart of a true powerhouse."
Qiang Tianfei couldn't argue with him. The strangeness in the river were achievers of the Dao who could not transcend, forever trapped in the great calamity of destruction, desperately trying to drag others down with them.
If one could truly spar with these achievers of the Dao, it would indeed be a rare encounter. However, this encounter came with the risk of death!
Moreover, these achievers of the Dao could not be killed no matter what; at best, they could be driven back into the great calamity of destruction.
She was not as skilled as Qin Mu in the Calamity-Breaking Sword, which could even damage their Dao bones and threaten their very foundation. Facing such dangers time and again, she would eventually capsize in a ditch.
Another month passed before the small boat finally crossed the Chaotic Long River. Qin Mu's World Tree absorbed a portion of the chaotic energy from this long river before stopping its absorption.
Qin Mu felt that after traversing this long river, his cultivation had improved once again. He thought to himself: "Why does the World Tree grow when crossing the Chaotic Long River? Could it be that the World Tree uses the calamity of destruction as nourishment, absorbing its energy to grow?"
He became even more curious. If he crossed all sixteen Chaotic Long Rivers, how far would his cultivation advance?
Would he be able to catch up to the Heavenly Venerables?
"Probably not."
He thought carefully. The current Ten Heavenly Venerables had all begun cultivating their divine halls, using them to deepen their cultivation and solidify their Heavenly Court realm. Their progress was also very fast.
He should only be able to keep pace with them, not falling too far behind.
"But what if I personally entered the calamity of destruction? The World Tree would surely absorb even more nourishment, right?"
Suddenly, an incredibly bold idea arose in his mind—so bold that even he felt some fear: "If I could cross the sixteen long rivers by walking through them, rather than on their surface, would my World Tree grow into a great tree? And how far would my cultivation advance?"
Despite having this thought, he dared not act on it.
He currently lacked the strength to enter the Chaotic Long River or the great calamity of destruction. Neither his physical body, his primordial spirit, nor his Dao could endure for long.
On the fifth Chaotic Long River, Qiang Tianfei silently watched Qin Mu. After a long while, she suddenly asked, "Mu Tianzun, why haven't you aged?"
Qin Mu was startled, roused from his contemplation. He asked in surprise, "Why does the Heavenly Consort ask this question?"
"Why haven't you aged?"
Qiang Tianfei stared at him intently, her voice somewhat hoarse. "I've been observing you these past days. My body has entered middle age, but you still look the same as before we crossed the river, with no change in appearance. Even I can hardly avoid aging. Why can you maintain your youth?"
Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Qiang Tianfei and realized that she was indeed aging!
Half a year had passed since they began crossing the rivers. Qiang Tianfei's appearance had greatly declined; her youth had faded, and her body had entered middle age!
Qin Mu stood up and looked toward the chaotic energy behind the boat. There, Hao Tianzun, Langxuan Divine Sovereign, Ancestral Divine King, and the other Heavenly Venerables were all aging as well!
Crossing five Chaotic Long Rivers in succession had caused their physical bodies and primordial spirits to age continuously!
Previously, these Heavenly Venerables had maintained their physical functions and primordial spirit states at their absolute peak. Now, both had deteriorated to old age!
This was the effect of the great calamity of destruction.
This Jade Capital City itself stood atop the sixteen cycles of the universe, filled with the residual waves of the destruction calamities from the past sixteen universes. Entering the city, one would find that their infinite lifespan had an end.
However, the Heavenly Venerables were powerful, so spending a year or two in the city showed little sign of aging. But once on the river, their aging accelerated dramatically!
"I can even feel that the Dao I have cultivated within me is aging and decaying."
Qiang Tianfei still stared at him intently. In the halo behind her head, numerous divine palaces emerged, interconnected to form a Heavenly Court. She said, "Look at my divine palaces and Heavenly Court. What do you see?"
Qin Mu looked toward the halo behind her head. He saw that the divine palaces and Heavenly Court, once sacred and extraordinary, radiating divine light and solemn majesty, had now dimmed. The divine light shrouding them had faded, and the Dao sounds had become hoarse!
Not only that, but the buildings in these divine palaces were covered in rust and dust. The Jade Pool had become turbid, the Heavenly Gates bore the marks of time's passage, and some palaces had even become dilapidated!
"This is the consequence of one's own Dao aging. But you are not affected."
Qiang Tianfei stared into Qin Mu's eyes. "I can feel my muscles, blood vessels, bones, skin, even my hair, and my primal energy aging every moment! I can feel my domain slowly disintegrating, hear the sounds of Dao chains breaking, and the subtle fluctuations of Dao patterns dissolving. I can even sense my Dao runes collapsing and my divine consciousness crumbling! But you are not! You are still young, without any change! Why?"
Qin Mu touched his own face and said awkwardly, "Probably because I take good care of myself..."
"Nonsense!"
Qiang Tianfei flew into a rage, urging her Divine-Slaying Profound Blades. Two blood-colored dragons whirled around Qin Mu, ready to strike at any moment!
"You're lying! Mu Tianzun, you must have some treasure that allows you to evade the invasion of the destruction calamity!"
Qiang Tianfei was murderous, her voice harsh. "Even my Divine-Slaying Profound Blades have begun to decline in aura on these long rivers! I don't believe you can resist this invasion with your cultivation alone! Hand over your treasure!"
Qin Mu slowly drew his sword and said calmly, "Great Emperor, you're not a woman, so why care so much about your appearance? My ability to avoid death is my skill; your inability is your incompetence."
Qiang Tianfei sneered, "Mu Tianzun, don't think I don't know your plan! You maintain your youth while I begin to age. As time passes, your cultivation and strength will eventually surpass mine! Then, you will make your move against me!"
Qin Mu sneered back, "Don't think too highly of yourself! We are on the same boat. Aren't you waiting for my lifespan to deplete and me to age? My cultivation is inferior to yours, so you thought I would age faster! Now that you see I haven't aged, you've been moved to kill!"
Qiang Tianfei stepped forward, her two Divine-Slaying Profound Blades swirling, stirring the surrounding chaotic energy. She said coldly, "Bring out the treasure that lets you avoid the destruction calamity's invasion, so I can stay eternally young like you. I won't make things difficult for you, and we can continue to share the boat. Otherwise, this small boat will be your burial ground!"
"I can't produce it."
Qin Mu laughed heartily, gripping the Calamity Sword tighter. "Great Emperor, are you afraid that when you grow old, you won't be my match?"
Qiang Tianfei could no longer hold back and struck without hesitation!
In the distance, on a Dao Tree, Hao Tianzun and the others followed the small boat unhurriedly. Hao Tianzun had now become a middle-aged man with a beard. Stroking his beard, he laughed, "The friendship between Mu Tianzun and the Great Emperor is indeed fragile, just like their boat."
Fire Tianzun's voice was deep, clearly aged as well, though his mask hid the extent of his aging. He said, "Brother Hao's discerning eyes are unmatched. He knew that the friendship of such petty people would not last."
Ancestral Divine King's eyes flickered as he said, "This is our opportunity."
On the other side, Xiao Tianzun and the others were also watching the battle between Qin Mu and Qiang Tianfei on the small boat, their eyes shifting.
Beside him, Yan Tianfei had also aged. Shi Qiluo and Langxuan Divine Sovereign had each entered middle age. Like Qiang Tianfei, they could feel the erosion of time upon them at every moment.
"Why hasn't Mu Tianzun aged?" Xiao Tianzun asked, his gaze strange.
The two Taiji ancient gods had also aged somewhat, frowning. This aging could not be stopped by any profound creation technique. It was the aging of the Dao itself, something even ancient gods like them could not avoid!
On that small boat, Qin Mu and Qiang Tianfei were like enemies on a narrow path. As soon as they struck, both unleashed their killing moves!
Qin Mu directly activated his Embryonic Divine Treasure Domain, thrusting out the thirtieth layer of his sword Dao, the Calamity-Breaking Sword!
At the same time, Qiang Tianfei charged into his domain, her two blood-fiend divine blades sweeping through everything like two furious dragons!
The two clashed in close quarters, and in an instant, both were hit!
Qin Mu was struck by the Divine-Slaying Profound Blades, and his blood qi wildly poured into the blades!
Qin Mu's sword pierced Qiang Tianfei's brow, the sword light unstoppable, breaking through all her Dao!
Suddenly, their eyes met, and they both stopped simultaneously. Qin Mu sheathed his sword, and Qiang Tianfei withdrew her blades, each stepping back.
"Why must it come to this?"
Qiang Tianfei sighed, "Little brother, after all, we are sworn brothers with different parents. Why must it come to this?"
Qin Mu's eyes reddened, and he choked up, "Big brother is right. It was little brother who was reckless. I hope I didn't hurt big brother just now?"
"It's fine, it's fine. Thanks to little brother sheathing your sword in time."
Qiang Tianfei wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said earnestly, "Brothers fight together; father and son go to war. We are sworn brothers with different parents. If we fight among ourselves in front of outsiders, won't we be laughed to death? This matter is also my fault, big brother's fault. Big brother apologizes to you."
"It was little brother's fault!" Qin Mu wiped his tears.
Qiang Tianfei sighed, "We can't let outsiders laugh at us anymore. Little brother, calm your anger. Let's both cool down."
Qin Mu agreed, and they each sat down, one at the bow and one at the stern of the boat.
The corner of Qiang Tianfei's eye twitched: "This boat is too small. I can't fully stretch out..."
"The boat is too small."
Qin Mu at the bow also had a twitching eye: "If I kill her, she'll kill me too. It seems I still need to wait, wait for her to grow even older. And my cultivation grows stronger while hers weakens, giving me more opportunities."
Qiang Tianfei's eyes flashed with sharp light as she recalled the earlier exchange. She thought to herself: "The reason he can avoid the invasion of the destruction calamity should be that strange tree in his domain. Now that I know the reason, I'll find an opportunity to kill him and take that tree!"
"These two are utterly shameless."
On the Dao Tree, Hao Tianzun said to the four Heavenly Venerables accompanying him, "The reason Mu Tianzun can stay young is because of that strange tree in his domain. What do you all think?"