Chapter 1575: The Red String Knot
The Empress and Mother Yuanmu shared a single body, tightly bound by this Dao chain. A tremendous tidal force came, nearly snapping their body in two!
But both knew that Qin Mu was trying to save them. If this Dao chain hadn't bound them, they would have been swept by the tide into the cataclysmic destruction of the Sixteenth Universe, reduced to ashes!
The tide grew increasingly violent, tearing at their bodies. Whether it was Qin Mu or the Empress and Mother Yuanmu, their physical forms were beginning to rip apart!
They could be considered the most powerful beings in the current world, with only a handful capable of opposing them across the entire universe. Yet even existences as mighty as they were found it difficult to resist this force.
"Red strings!"
Mother Yuanmu suddenly shouted, "Look up! Red strings!"
The Empress and Qin Mu were startled. They struggled to turn their heads and looked upward. Sure enough, they saw several red strings tied to the end of this Dao chain.
Those red strings were extremely thin, appearing ordinary, yet they held the Dao chain, withstanding the tearing force of an existence as powerful as the Second Young Master of the Miluo Palace, resisting the tides and gravity of the Guixu Abyss, and even enduring the cataclysmic destruction of the Sixteenth Universe!
Stranger still, the area around the red strings seemed calm and peaceful, without any danger, as if the destructive cataclysm and the power of Guixu were suppressed by an invisible force once they reached that point.
"The tidal force caused by the universe's destruction is too strong!"
The Empress screamed hoarsely, shouting down to Qin Mu, "We can't hold out long in this tide! We must reach the red strings to survive!"
Qin Mu immediately began to move his body with difficulty, heading toward them.
His physical body and primordial spirit were torn and battered by the terrifying tide. Within the tide, the Unchanging Divine Ability was useless because the tide was too violent. Once his body was broken, his flesh and blood were immediately swept away by the roaring tide. Even using the Unchanging Divine Ability, he couldn't reclaim the lost flesh and blood.
Moreover, the tide tore his body apart, and his flesh and blood were transformed into pure energy by the tide's power.
If it were Ling Tianzun's Mass-Energy Unchanging, she could have kept his body intact, but Ling Tianzun hadn't had time to teach Qin Mu the Mass-Energy Unchanging she had comprehended over forty thousand years before he was captured by Hao Tianzun.
Now, Qin Mu could only activate the Creation Divine Ability, using the Dao of Creation to continuously repair his body and shattered primordial spirit.
His Dao of Creation was extremely powerful, but the Creation Divine Ability consumed his cultivation and power. This tide would eventually wear away all his cultivation and take his life!
He could also activate the Reincarnation Divine Ability, but he couldn't hold out for long either.
The Guixu Abyss was one of the few dangerous places capable of killing him.
Finally, Qin Mu reached the Empress sisters. With difficulty, he shook the Dao chain. The Empress's body immediately broke free, and then she was swept up by the tide, rushing upward with a roar!
Qin Mu reached out, and the Empress immediately grabbed his hand. With a gentle swing, she moved closer to the Dao chain, hooking one jade leg around it.
They climbed up along this Dao chain, their bodies and primordial spirits constantly being torn apart by the tide.
The intensity of this tide was more than a hundred times greater than the tide of the Guixu Abyss in their own universe. Qin Mu couldn't withstand it, and neither could the Empress. Fortunately, their cultivation was extremely profound, allowing them to hold on for a short time.
They were like two small ants on the Dao chain, climbing upward with difficulty. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced Qin Mu's back. He looked down and saw a strand of white hair piercing through his chest!
He looked further down and saw strands of white hair wrapped around the Dao chain, continuously growing upward. It was the white hair of the Second Young Master of the Miluo Palace!
Qin Mu reached out, grabbed the Empress's ankle, and squeezed it gently.
On the back of the Empress's head, Mother Yuanmu's face appeared. She looked down and immediately saw Qin Mu's predicament.
This woman hooked her legs around the Dao chain, hung upside down, severed that strand of white hair, then picked up Qin Mu and placed him above herself.
Her strength was greater, allowing her to resist the attacks of the Second Young Master's white hair from behind.
The two continued climbing. Suddenly, strands of white hair wrapped around the Empress's legs. Mother Yuanmu immediately grabbed Qin Mu's pant leg.
Qin Mu looked back and saw the Empress's situation. He slowly moved downward.
He lay on the Empress's back, took out the Calamity Sword, and forcefully executed Calamity Breaking. Beams of sword light slashed at the white hair, severing them.
Mother Yuanmu looked at him with resentment, while the Empress's body tensed, clearly nervous and uncomfortable.
Qin Mu struggled to climb upward, leaving the Empress's body.
They helped each other along the way. After who knew how long, they finally reached the red strings.
There were six red strings in total, tied to six Dao chains. The strings were interwoven and knotted into a strange seal.
They climbed onto the red strings. The place where the red strings were knotted was calm, not large, only about ten feet square.
Elsewhere, the tide surged and erupted violently.
Above their heads was the cataclysm of the entire universe's destruction, as if it might press down at any moment, a breathtaking sight.
Qin Mu lay on a red string, panting heavily. He rested for a long time but still hadn't recovered. The Empress sisters were also sore and weak, unable to move. One person with two faces, both gasping for breath.
Those strands of white hair followed them to the red strings. The moment they touched the red strings, they suddenly trembled as if shocked by electricity and fell back down.
Qin Mu weakly rolled his eyes. Seeing this, he finally relaxed.
After another long while, he staggered to his feet, stepped on the red strings, and walked to the center of the knot. He curiously examined the strange knot.
Suddenly, the Empress said coldly, "Mu Tianzun, if you dare try to untie this knot, I will swallow you alive this instant!"
Qin Mu's body stiffened. He sensed the killing intent coming from behind.
It wasn't just the Empress who had murderous intentions toward him; Mother Yuanmu's killing intent was even stronger than the Empress's!
"I won't untie the knot."
Qin Mu turned around and smiled. "I'm just looking at this knot. Its shape gives me some insights."
"My dear, what insights?"
Mother Yuanmu curiously examined the knot. It was extremely complex, seemingly containing some strange and profound principles within, but she couldn't understand it either.
Qin Mu patiently explained, "Look at the shape of this knot. Doesn't it resemble the Dao patterns bursting forth from the Dao chains?"
The Empress and Mother Yuanmu carefully examined the knot, then looked at the Dao chains. They shook their heads.
Mother Yuanmu couldn't help but ask, "Where is the resemblance?"
Qin Mu smiled. "The internal runes are very similar. I think this knot isn't actually a knot but a seal left by the Master of the Miluo Palace, manifested in the form of a knot. In other words, five of these strings represent his five fingers. This knot and the Dao chains are equivalent to him using his hand to suppress the Second Young Master of the Miluo Palace under his palm!"
He paced back and forth on the red strings. "These Dao chains pierce through the Second Young Master's face. That is to say, when the Master of the Miluo Palace suppressed her, his palm was pressed against her face, driving her into the Guixu to be sealed! No wonder the Second Young Master can't escape!"
He couldn't help but admire, "Although the Master of the Miluo Palace isn't here, this palm of his has transformed into red strings and Dao chains, remaining here forever. Truly, his divine abilities are boundless and immeasurable, unfathomably deep!"
Mother Yuanmu grew even more curious and smiled. "You say the red strings are the five fingers of the Master of the Miluo Palace, but there is a sixth red string here. What is this extra red string for?"
"This red string is probably the key to unlocking the seal."
Qin Mu examined it carefully, calculated for a moment, and came to a red string. "This red string is like the slipknot of this divine ability. Just pull this red string, and the seal can be opened..."
Suddenly, two hands grabbed the back of his neck. It was the Empress and Mother Yuanmu reaching out simultaneously, grabbing his neck to prevent him from pulling that red string!
Qin Mu laughed heartily. "Ladies, no need to be nervous. I'm not that curious."
The Empress gritted her teeth. "If you move, your head will be separated from your body!"
Qin Mu gently pushed their hands away and pondered. "Perhaps this red string has another possibility. That is, if pulled, the full power of the Master of the Miluo Palace's palm will be unleashed, striking down from above and killing the Second Young Master on the spot! But whether this red string is the slipknot to kill the Second Young Master or to release her..."
Mother Yuanmu immediately said, "Whether it kills her or releases her, you must stay away from that string!"
Qin Mu smiled faintly and took two steps back.
The Empress and Mother Yuanmu's faces converged on one face, staring intently at him. The Empress said calmly, "We have escaped death and come here. The Second Young Master's power cannot reach here. So, Mu Tianzun, shouldn't you teach us the Dao of Reincarnation now?"
Mother Yuanmu said with a smile, "We have taught you the Guixu Mirror you wanted. Now it's time for you to fulfill your promise. Once we resolve our own flaws and become true Guixu Divine Maidens, we might be able to join forces with you to kill our way down, block the Second Young Master's attacks, and escape!"
Qin Mu turned a deaf ear, his gaze still fixed on the sixth red string, a thoughtful expression on his face.
The Empress grew angry and said coldly, "Could it be that Mu Tianzun doesn't want to teach us?"
Qin Mu waved his hand and walked toward the knot again, muttering, "Wait a moment. This knot is somewhat similar to the structure of the Hongmeng runes. Let me study it for a bit..."
The Empress was furious and was about to act, but Mother Yuanmu raised her other hand to block her attack. She smiled, "Killing him won't help. If he dies, we'll have to keep fighting each other for the rest of our lives, and trapped in this small space at that."
Qin Mu examined the knot. Suddenly, his primordial energy transformed into runes that flew up, trying to imprint on the knot, but they failed time and again.
After a long time, the Empress couldn't bear it anymore and coughed. "Mu Tianzun, once you teach us the Dao of Reincarnation, you'll have plenty of time."
Qin Mu snapped back to reality. His divine consciousness rippled, directly transmitting the Dao of Reincarnation he had comprehended into their minds. Then he lowered his head and continued studying.
Mother Yuanmu couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you chant scriptures? Don't you usually teach the Dao of Reincarnation through scripture chanting?"
Qin Mu rolled his eyes, crouched by the knot, and continued his research.
Mother Yuanmu was furious but suddenly realized something and laughed again. "This bad seed is full of tricks!"
The Empress smiled faintly. "Mu Tianzun is naturally full of tricks. Perhaps the Reincarnation Divine Ability he taught us contains hidden traps. We must be cautious."
Mother Yuanmu nodded repeatedly. "So, we need to be careful to avoid falling into his trap without knowing it. How about this: after we sisters comprehend it, we won't practice immediately. Let's exchange ideas and verify with each other to see if there are any traps."
"Exactly, exactly," the Empress said repeatedly.
The two women immediately began to comprehend the Dao of Reincarnation on their own. Regardless of whether there were traps, they started cultivating directly, each striving to master it before the other and kill the other!