Chapter 1584: Going Against the Grain
“It’s not Su Muzhe’s fault. Although Su Muzhe is the Grand Sacrificial Scholar of the Academy of Inquiries, he always feels like I am his senior when facing me. I only exist in legends. Seeing a legendary figure in person naturally makes him a bit nervous.”
Ling Tianzun said, “So he always wants to strike up a conversation with me but doesn’t know what to say, so he ends up dumping everything about you onto me. Do you remember when Si Youyou took you to the market, picked out a bolt of cloth, but didn’t have any money on him, so he pawned you off at the fabric shop? He forgot to redeem you, and it was the blind man who groped his way over to get you back.”
“The village chief’s mouth… and Granny!”
Veins bulged on Qin Mu’s forehead. He scanned the void, steering the golden ship deeper into the emptiness, and said with a forced laugh, “Just now, Bai Qiu’er asked me to inquire of you: what about the survivors of the Imperial Predecessor Era? She hid them away, but her strength is too low to protect them from the catastrophe.”
“The people of the Kaihuang Era are also survivors of the Imperial Predecessor Era, and the people of the Yankang Era are survivors of the Imperial Predecessor Era as well. In my heart, there is no difference between any of them.”
Ling Tianzun said, “Just merge them into Yankang. That saves me from having to visit three separate places.”
She didn’t continue asking about Qin Mu’s romantic affairs. Compared to such troublesome matters, she preferred to delve into her research.
She was soon immersed again in evolving the Red String Knot Seal Technique. This technique involved so much knowledge that even someone of her caliber would need tens of thousands of years to fully comprehend it, showing just how difficult it was to create the Red String Knot.
She was naturally extremely intelligent. Back in the day, Imperial Heavenly Lord Yu had once remarked with envy that Ling Tianzun’s aptitude, comprehension, and wisdom surpassed even his own. Although it was a modest and admiring comment from Imperial Heavenly Lord Yu, Ling Tianzun’s aptitude, comprehension, and wisdom were indeed exceptionally high.
Qin Mu also calmed his mind to comprehend the Dao patterns. Whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, he would ask.
At first, Ling Tianzun patiently answered his questions, but later she grew impatient, finding his questions too simple. She snapped, “It’s all in my insights! Figure it out yourself!”
Qin Mu’s face flushed red with embarrassment. Feeling utterly humiliated, he had no choice but to obediently study on his own.
Finally, the golden ship broke through the thirty-fifth layer of void and entered the Ultimate Void. The cold, desolate wind howled, dissolving all matter, yet it was powerless against the Ferry of the World.
Ling Tianzun pointed out the path to the Divine Sense Great Luo Heaven. Qin Mu steered the golden ship through the Ultimate Void, which was immeasurably larger than the entire universe itself.
As the universe grew, it would become larger and more expansive. The thirty-six layers of void would gradually merge with the universe, causing the spiritual energy and power of heaven and earth to become increasingly diluted, and the distances between galaxies would grow ever greater.
“With my current power, can I imprint upon the Ultimate Void, making my power indestructible?”
Qin Mu’s eyes sparkled. He immediately took out the Calamity Sword, stood at the bow of the ship, and attempted to activate his divine abilities, trying to imprint them onto the Ultimate Void.
He executed the Thirty Heavens of Divine Abilities, starting with the first form of the Calamity Sword, “Raising Calamity,” all the way to the thirty-first form, “Silent Reincarnation.”
However, these thirty-one great divine abilities, once imprinted onto the Ultimate Void, quickly dissipated like smoke, leaving no trace behind.
Qin Mu frowned. Suddenly, Ling Tianzun’s voice came from behind him: “Excellent divine abilities.”
Qin Mu turned to look. Ling Tianzun’s gaze fell on the spot where he had just imprinted his abilities, and she praised again, “Excellent divine abilities.”
Qin Mu laughed and said, “This is the Dao Realm created by Kaihuang. I have already cultivated it to the thirty-first heaven. Once I master the thirty-sixth heaven, I will be able to imprint upon the Ultimate Void. Ling, you probably aren’t too familiar with the concept of the Dao Realm. Let me explain it to you. The Dao Realm was created by Kaihuang. It was once regarded as heresy, but now it has become mainstream knowledge. The Dao Realm is divided into thirty-six heavens…”
Ling Tianzun waved her hand, shaking her head. “The theory of the Dao Realm is just one school of thought. I have already personally consulted Kaihuang at the Academy of Inquiries. It is nothing more than that.”
Qin Mu’s eyes widened, and he stammered, “You… you…”
Ling Tianzun said, “Mu Tianzun, with your aptitude, you should have realized long ago that the Dao Realm is merely a set of rules and frameworks established for mediocre people. It allows the mediocre to walk within these boundaries, and when they reach the end, they can attain the Dao. But this is only used to constrain the mediocre.”
Qin Mu felt a lump in his chest, almost unable to catch his breath.
Ling Tianzun continued, “I saw you have a technique called ‘Primordial Chaos Finger,’ which uses Primordial Chaos runes. Try it on the Ultimate Void.”
Qin Mu complied and pointed his finger.
During this time, he had comprehended many variations of the Primordial Chaos Finger. This technique was astonishingly powerful. A beam of purple light shot from his fingertip, piercing through the Ultimate Void and leaving a finger mark in this expanse of emptiness.
The finger mark lingered for a long time, refusing to fade. Within the mark, the myriad transformations of the Primordial Chaos Finger shifted and changed endlessly, preventing the Ultimate Void from erasing it!
Qin Mu was stunned. He carefully examined his finger mark, feeling a sense of enlightenment, but he didn’t know exactly what principle he had grasped.
Ling Tianzun asked, “Which heaven of your divine abilities does this technique belong to?”
Qin Mu shook his head. “This is not my technique. It is a finger technique I comprehended from the Dao patterns of the Miluo Palace. It belongs to the master of the Miluo Palace…”
“By that logic, are your thirty-first heaven Dao Realm techniques truly yours? They are techniques of various great Daos. The Primordial Chaos Finger technique is yours, but it is also the technique of the master of the Miluo Palace.”
Ling Tianzun said, “Which heaven of the Dao Realm do you think the Primordial Chaos Finger belongs to?”
Qin Mu was bewildered, unable to keep up with her train of thought.
“This technique does not belong to any heaven.”
Ling Tianzun said, “The master of the Miluo Palace has already surpassed the level of the Dao Realm heavens. He has perceived the essence of the Dao, and the Dao Realm cannot confine him. If you continue cultivating along the path of the Dao Realm, you will still be trapped within those frameworks, binding yourself. Only by breaking free can you understand why the Primordial Chaos Finger is so powerful even though it is not part of the Dao Realm.”
Qin Mu blinked, his eyes filled with confusion.
Ling Tianzun looked at him, deeply frowning. She forced herself to be patient and said, “The nature of the Dao does not drift with the waves; the nature of the Dao does not fear the cold. In this chaotic world of appearances, turn your gaze back to your own mind. Do you understand now?”
“I…”
The corner of Qin Mu’s eye twitched, and he hesitated, “I still don’t quite understand…”
At the Jasper Lake gathering a million years ago, he could teach Ling Tianzun about the Dao of Creation. But today, he could no longer grasp the realm she was describing.
Ling Tianzun seemed to have embarked on a path of cultivation entirely different from the Divine Treasury Heavenly Palace system, the Dao Realm system, and even the Ancestral Court Five Primordial system that Lan Yutian was researching!
This path of cultivation left even someone like Qin Mu completely baffled.
“You are as dull as Yun Tianzun.” Ling Tianzun shook her head and ignored him.
Qin Mu stood blankly at the bow of the ship, staring wide-eyed into the endless void. The cold, desolate wind howled, as if scattering fragments of a broken heart.
“So stupid.” Ling Tianzun’s voice seemed to come from the wind.
Qin Mu slumped down, sitting in deep thought. Indeed, Ling Tianzun was right. The Primordial Chaos Finger was not a Dao Realm technique, yet its power was exceptionally strong.
The same was true of the Red String Knot Seal Technique, which could even suppress those who had attained the Dao.
If it wasn’t the Dao Realm, yet possessed such astonishing power, where did that power come from?
“Turn your gaze back to your own mind… Turn your gaze back to your own mind…”
He repeatedly chewed on the meaning of these words, growing more confused the more he thought.
Ling Tianzun’s cultivation base and magical power were probably mediocre. Her primordial energy was even inferior to Qin Mu’s, and she had made no significant achievements in the Dao Realm. Yet, with a single finger, she could kill a terrifying existence like the Imperial Emperor.
Where did her power come from?
She didn’t borrow power from the Heavenly Court, from the ancient gods, from heaven and earth, nor did she cultivate the Dao Realm. Why were her divine abilities so powerful?
“She has already surpassed this era by too much. Perhaps she and the master of the Miluo Palace could have a good conversation.”
The Ferry of the World arrived at the Divine Sense Great Luo Heaven. Yun Tianzun saw the golden ship approaching and hurriedly came to greet them. Qin Mu disembarked and looked back. Ling Tianzun remained seated on the ship, unmoving.
Qin Mu was about to call out to her, but Yun Tianzun quickly stopped him, shaking his head. “Don’t disturb her. Mu Tianzun, why do you look so dejected?”
He examined Qin Mu, a look of surprise on his face. When Qin Mu had come here before to rescue him and was captured by Hao Tianzun, he hadn’t shown the slightest panic. Instead, he had seemed quite cheerful.
Even in such danger, he had remained optimistic. But now, he appeared dejected and lacking confidence, which truly surprised Yun Tianzun.
Qin Mu sighed. “I got knocked down by Ling Tianzun on the way.”
Yun Tianzun understood and laughed. “It’s a small matter. I’m used to it, and you will be too.”
Qin Mu grunted. From the vertical eye in his forehead, he retrieved Yun Tianzun’s physical body and said, “This time, besides returning your body to you, the other matter is…”
“The matter of Earth Lord?”
Yun Tianzun examined his own body. Although it was the body of a powerful Imperial Seat cultivator, its vitality was far less than before. He would need to carefully nurture it after resurrection. He said, “I’ve been bored to death here, so I’ve been peeping around. I know about the Earth Lord situation.”
Qin Mu sought his advice. “Brother Yun, if it were you, would you rescue Earth Lord?”
“Yes!”
Yun Tianzun took possession of his own body and quickly mastered every aspect of it. Without hesitation, he said, “Earth Lord and I have no personal connection, but Earth Lord’s life or death determines the ownership of the Netherworld! The ownership of the Netherworld determines the success or failure of Yankang’s reforms and the survival of the human race! Therefore, no matter what, I will do my utmost, even risk my life, to rescue Earth Lord. Under no circumstances can the Netherworld fall into the hands of the Heavenly Court!”
Qin Mu let out a long breath and smiled. “With these words from you, fellow Daoist, I can put one worry to rest.”
Yun Tianzun stretched his body, circulating his blood and qi, and also smiled. “I’m very happy to be able to help you.”
Qin Mu walked around him, imprinting one Creation Divine Ability after another onto his body, helping to unclog his blood vessels and refine the impurities in his Divine Treasury. He mused, “Brother Yun shares the same thoughts as I do, but you failed in the Longhan Era. So, desperately trying to rescue Earth Lord might not be a good idea.”
Yun Tianzun’s face darkened.
Qin Mu continued circling him, using his divine abilities to strengthen his blood and qi while thinking, “Hao Tianzun is your old rival, your old adversary. He must have studied you thoroughly. He knows your personality, your strategies, and the moves you might make in the future inside and out. That’s why you lost in the Longhan Era.”
Yun Tianzun’s face grew even darker, but soon the blood and qi that Qin Mu had unclogged reached his head, improving his complexion. His face was ruddy and glowing.
“Victors often have a mindset of replicating their own successful experiences. So, Hao Tianzun will use the same methods he used against you to deal with me.”
Qin Mu pointed at his brow, activating his brain, and smiled. “So, I plan to go against the grain!”
Yun Tianzun felt his brain instantly revive, his thoughts and consciousness racing. He asked in surprise, “How do you plan to go against the grain?”
“I plan to kill Earth Lord!”
Qin Mu reached out, grabbed Yun Tianzun’s Divine Bridge Divine Treasury, and cut it off with a single sword strike. He laughed heartily, “Doesn’t Hao Tianzun want to kill Earth Lord? Then I’ll beat him to it and finish Earth Lord off myself!”
Yun Tianzun was dumbfounded.
Beat Hao Tianzun to killing Earth Lord?
Wait a minute, Mu Tianzun just cut off his Divine Bridge Divine Treasury!
This guy didn’t even ask for his permission!
He was the Heavenly Lord who had opened the Divine Bridge Divine Treasury. With the Divine Bridge severed, all the Heavenly Palace realms were gone too!
How could this body withstand his magical power?
If the magical power of the Heavenly Palace realms came crashing down, this body would disintegrate in an instant and be crushed into chaos!
“Wait! Mu Tianzun, listen to me…”
Qin Mu’s Calamity Sword gently flicked, piercing into his body. He didn’t just sever his Divine Bridge Divine Treasury; he also cut off his Life and Death, Heavenly Human, Six Harmonies, Five Luminaries, and all other Divine Treasuries!