Chapter 1523: The Ferry Golden Ship
Hao Tian Sovereign walked into the Purple Firmament Hall, but the other sovereigns did not enter. Fire, Palace, Ancestor, and Void had all restored their appearances to their original states, only Langxuan Divine Emperor remained in the image of an octogenarian, decrepit and aged.
He had been the last to pledge allegiance to Hao Tian Sovereign, and being Hao Tian's half-brother, Hao Tian Sovereign had not restored his lifespan as punishment.
"In other words, Hao Tian Sovereign possesses some method or treasure that can shield him from the influence of the destruction tribulation in the Chaotic River. Did the Fourth Young Master give it to him? No wonder Xiao Tian Sovereign was defeated. That Fourth Young Master invested heavily in Hao Tian Sovereign!"
Qin Mu's eyes flickered. With Taishu present, Langxuan Divine Emperor would inevitably be subdued by Hao Tian Sovereign, unable to escape his control.
In the struggle within the Jade Capital City of the Ancestral Court, Hao Tian Sovereign's faction had achieved a great victory, while Xiao Tian Sovereign's faction had suffered a complete defeat.
Without Langxuan, and with Shi Qiluo and Yan Tianfei captured by the Taiji Ancient Gods, those two ancient gods were experimenting on them, attempting to fuse them together.
As for Xiao Tian Sovereign, being Taichu and the Heavenly Emperor, he was proud and unbending, difficult to subdue. Only by making him suffer setbacks could he be made to submit completely. Therefore, the Third Young Master of Miluo Palace had given Xiao Tian Sovereign no treasures or support.
The Third Young Master of Miluo Palace waited until he was defeated and had nothing left before stepping in to rescue him, taking him into the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.
The two young masters of Miluo Palace had different ways of handling matters, likely reflecting their different personalities. The Fourth Young Master acted on impulse, decisive and ruthless, while the Third Young Master planned before acting, gentle yet persistent.
"I should leave."
When Qin Mu's gaze fell on the sovereigns Fire, Palace, Void, and Ancestor, they sensed his look and turned to him in return.
Now, except for Langxuan Divine Emperor, whose cultivation and strength had not yet recovered, the other sovereigns were likely even more formidable than when they had entered the Jade Capital City of the Ancestral Court. If he stayed here any longer, Qin Mu would surely fall victim to them.
Qin Mu smiled at the woman within the Dao Fruit. "Throughout this journey, I have been under your care, elder sister. Before we part, I still do not know your name. May I be honored to hear it?"
The woman in the Dao Fruit had always been displeased with him, and Qin Mu had once mocked her as foolish. However, since he had asked twice, she felt obliged to answer. Reluctantly, she said, "My name is Nanxiang. In the previous universe, I was honored as Nanxiang Yuanjun."
Qin Mu nodded lightly and introduced himself solemnly. "My name is Qin Mu. Some call me Cult Leader Qin, others Mu Tianzun, or the State Preceptor of the Yan Kang Kingdom. There are also scoundrels who call me Qin Demolisher, Qin Beast, or Qin Kidnapper. Those are all slanders and cannot be believed."
The woman in the Dao Fruit gave a faint, ambiguous smile.
Qin Mu looked into the distance and saw Fire Tianzun, Void Tianzun, and the others walking together toward him. Ancestor Divine King and Palace Tianzun were setting up divine abilities along the way, clearly having discovered him and planning to surround him here, making escape impossible.
Qin Mu stepped away from Miluo Palace, laughing. "Nanxiang, why do you never wear clothes? Lying naked in the Dao Fruit—is that a custom of your previous universe?"
Nanxiang Yuanjun within the Dao Fruit was both embarrassed and angry. "Surviving the destruction tribulation and making it to Miluo Palace is already an incredible achievement! How could I have kept my clothes? Countless cultivators are still struggling in the destruction tribulation! To tell you the truth, I am also one of the seventy-two hall masters of Jade Capital City! Do not underestimate me, Young Master Mu!"
Qin Mu kept an eye on the movements of Fire Tianzun and Void Tianzun while quickening his pace, laughing. "So it's because your cultivation was exhausted and you couldn't create a garment to cover yourself. I thought it was some custom of exposure. Since we are about to part, and it was fate that brought us together, I'll give you a robe."
With that, he took off his outer robe, sent it through the opening in the Dao Fruit, and let Nanxiang Yuanjun put it on.
Nanxiang Yuanjun put on the robe, which was far too large. Her fingers barely emerged from the sleeves, and when she looked down, she could only see her toes.
"There's no undergarment," she said, gathering the fabric at her chest.
"I don't have one either."
Qin Mu quickened his pace, looking troubled. "I never wear those, and I certainly don't have any women's undergarments here... Nanxiang, no need to see me off. Let's part here."
Nanxiang Yuanjun's Dao Fruit halted. The woman stood within the fruit, clutching the front of the robe with both hands, and called out loudly, "Young Master Mu, what do you have to fight the young masters of Miluo Palace? Your cultivation is weaker, your influence is smaller. They have been laying their plans for billions of years, holding every advantage. Why do you struggle so bitterly?"
"They hold every advantage, but I have my own advantages too."
Qin Mu turned back and smiled at her. "Great figures cherish their bodies and their lives. They only focus on laying plans and cultivating their forces, unwilling to step onto the field themselves. But I have nothing but a worthless life. If they lose, they only lose their influence—their lives remain. But if I lose, my life is gone. So my advantage is that I have no retreat! No retreat at all! So every time, I can only use all my strength to fight, to gamble with my life!"
He waved his hand and rushed into the distance.
Nanxiang Yuanjun watched him go, and saw that the direction he was heading was precisely that Miluo Golden Ship!
Nanxiang Yuanjun's vision went dark, and she became frantic, shouting sharply, "What are you doing? Stop right now! That is the Miluo Palace Master's Ferry Golden Ship! It's not something you can touch!"
"He has no use for it. If I take it, I can put it to good use!"
Qin Mu roared away, his voice booming, carrying far into the distance. "So what harm is there in letting me use it?"
Nanxiang Yuanjun was furious. Her Dao Fruit chased after him, but then she saw Fire Tianzun and Void Tianzun coming from an angle to intercept Qin Mu, so she stopped. "With those two Tianzuns at their peak strength, let's see how you escape!"
Just as she thought this, Qin Mu let out a long, unbroken roar. He ran like thunder, charging forward with great strides while channeling his primal energy. Suddenly, he pointed a finger forward!
"Langxuan Divine Emperor's Divine Yuan Finger?"
Void Tianzun and Fire Tianzun were momentarily startled, then their expressions changed drastically. Qin Mu's finger strike looked very similar to Langxuan's Divine Yuan Finger, but the Dao patterns flying from his fingertip were incredibly complex. As the finger shot out, it carried an overwhelming momentum!
Before the power of this finger even reached them, streaks of Hongmeng purple energy swirled and spun, Dao sounds rumbled and shook, displaying sheer dominance!
Both of their expressions changed. Fire Tianzun immediately withdrew, thinking, "If Void Tianzun blocks for a moment, I can kill this wretch..."
But as he retreated, he found that Void Tianzun was also retreating, dodging Qin Mu's strike!
Fire Tianzun was stunned. The two of them, one left and one right, went their separate ways.
Whoosh—
The power of Qin Mu's finger was immense, passing between them. Where the finger force passed, space twisted and spun.
Boom!
Behind them, the Chaotic River suddenly surged with turbulent waves. Chaotic energy howled and spun, and with a swoosh, a passage appeared!
Qin Mu strode forward like flying, passing them by and rushing away.
Fire Tianzun and Void Tianzun exchanged glances, immediately stopped their retreat, and gave chase.
At that moment, Qin Mu's figure arrived at the bank of the Chaotic River. There was a dock built along the river, where a huge, battered golden ship was moored.
He leaped into the air and landed on the ship.
Nanxiang Yuanjun within the Dao Fruit was furious. She rushed forward aggressively, shouting in exasperation, "Young Master Mu, if you dare to sail away with the golden ship, the Miluo Palace Master will never forgive you!"
She had little cultivation power left, so she wasn't fast. Fire Tianzun and Void Tianzun were faster than her. On the other side, Palace Tianzun and Ancestor Divine King were also speeding toward the golden ship.
Even the decrepit old man Langxuan Divine Emperor, eager to show his loyalty, stumbled toward the golden ship.
On the golden ship, Qin Mu looked around. The vessel was in terrible condition, full of large holes eroded by the destruction tribulation. Where there were no holes, there was rust everywhere.
The Dao used to build this ship was something he had never seen or heard of before. Even after enduring a destruction tribulation, the interior of the ship still exuded a sacred and solemn Dao aura.
This ship was built by the Miluo Palace Master, who had tried to take all the lives of the universe across the destruction tribulation, but he had failed. Only he had survived.
In his grief, he abandoned the ship. It had been soaking in the Chaotic River ever since. But even after all these years, the golden ship had not been completely destroyed by the destruction tribulation, showing how immense its power was!
Qin Mu's three eyes shone. This golden ship was enormous and spacious. Standing on it, he looked tiny in comparison.
But the ship was too damaged. Could it still be started?
How to get the Ferry Golden Ship moving became his problem.
"The treasure ship has a spirit. You were created to ferry people and save lives. For so many years, you have been soaking in the destruction tribulation, but you have never ferried or saved anyone. If I were you, I would be ashamed!"
Qin Mu let out a long sigh. Below, the four Tianzuns had already reached the dock. Fire Tianzun was the first, his Dao fire blazing. He struck out with a palm, twenty-eight layers of Dao fire divine abilities stacked together. His hand came through the layers of Dao fire, burning space until it melted!
Qin Mu ignored them. He bowed deeply to the golden ship and said in a clear voice, "Are you willing to be buried here, talented but useless, drifting on the river? Or will you come with me into the mortal world, so that the fiery trials you endured during forging, the hammer blows and grinding you suffered, can find their purpose? If you are willing, I will take you away!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the battered ship suddenly shook violently. A terrifying tremor erupted from within the ship's hull. The Dao light of the ship's Dao soared into the sky. Fire Tianzun's palm slammed into this expanding Dao light, and his expression changed drastically.
He heard the sound of his five fingers breaking one by one.
His divine abilities were useless against this ship, unable to shake it in the slightest!
In that instant, the dilapidated golden ship seemed to come alive. The power of Dao flowed out from the ship's hull, spreading to the holes, quickly making the ship look as good as new.
The fallen structures and masts on the ship rose up and reconnected. The Dao patterns worn away on the hull and deck were also rapidly restored!
This ship seemed to have returned to the day it was forged, carrying the hope of an entire universe, racing through the destruction tribulation and the rolling chaos!
Nanxiang Yuanjun flew over, shouting sharply, "Don't listen to him—"
Boom—
The Ferry Golden Ship started, sailing into the Chaotic River!
Nanxiang Yuanjun stomped her feet inside the Dao Fruit, cursing loudly, "Qin Kidnapper—"
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Three last hours of March! Do you still have monthly votes?
On April 1st, asking for guaranteed monthly votes!
Zhai Zhu's medical checkup results are out. Heart rate is normal, maybe a little inflammation in the myocardium. Cervical spine is a bit deformed. There's a small cyst on the gallbladder. Blood lipids are a bit high. Need to pay attention to exercise. A bunch of occupational diseases—that's what happens when you write all the time.
Some friends are asking when The Legend of the Shepherd God will end. Zhai Zhu estimates around August or September.
Enough said. New month, asking for monthly votes for The Legend of the Shepherd God!