Chapter 1600: The Sound of a Zither from the Past
"Who is this person?"
Ling Tianzun asked, puzzled. "Why did he attack Heavenly Lord Hao, and then turn to attack you?"
"Supreme Lord Lingyu, a prehistoric cultivator who achieved the Dao."
Qin Mu tried to restore his physical body, but Supreme Lord Lingyu's Primordial Beginning Dao had caused him immense harm, making it difficult for his body to recover quickly.
Supreme Lord Lingyu had possessed the Primordial Beginning from the previous cosmic epoch, comprehending the Primordial Beginning Dao to the thirty-sixth level of the Dao realm. Although he hadn't had time to entrust his Dao fruit to the ultimate void of this universe, his strength was still extraordinarily formidable.
Just now, Qin Mu had attempted to use the Immutable Divine Ability to reverse the flow of matter, resurrecting Langxuan to contend for his primordial spirit and disrupt his cultivation and power. But even the Immutable Divine Ability had no chance to be used in the face of such a powerful being.
Supreme Lord Lingyu could directly suppress the Immutable Divine Ability!
This showed just how profound his Dao and techniques were!
If not for Qin Mu using Lunar Heavenly Lord's Carrying Extreme Void Divine Ability to send Ling Tianzun to his side, perhaps no one could have dealt with him!
Ling Tianzun let out an "oh" and walked toward the Creation Divine Artifact.
Figuring out why Supreme Lord Lingyu wanted to kill Heavenly Lord Hao and then Qin Mu was too difficult for her. Since he was already dead, she decided not to dwell on the reason.
She was indeed incredibly intelligent, but she was completely clueless about worldly affairs.
The Creation Divine Artifact in the Zaofu Heavenly Palace was still operating on its own, and another Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lord was taking shape. The Creation Divine Artifact was powered by the companion supreme treasure of the Primordial Simplicity Goddess.
The Primordial Simplicity Dao granted any request. Heavenly Lord Hao had killed Primordial Simplicity, seizing her Dao techniques and companion supreme treasure. Now, this companion supreme treasure controlled the Creation Divine Artifact, continuously absorbing Earth Lord's physical body, which flowed into the Creation Divine Artifact to create Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lords.
As soon as this Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lord was formed, it immediately soared into the sky, whistling away toward Void Heavenly Lord.
Ling Tianzun chased after it but couldn't catch up, so she had to stop.
She arrived beside the Creation Divine Artifact. This divine artifact was a great treasure she had created, once used to manufacture Jue Wuchen. Later, when the Xiaohan Heavenly Court fell, the Creation Divine Artifact was seized by the Heavenly Court, but no one could unravel its mysteries.
It wasn't until Lady Yuanmu, disguised as Shi Qiluo, took over the Zaofu Heavenly Palace that the Creation Divine Artifact was put to use, forging Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lords for the Heavenly Court.
From the time Ling Tianzun created the Creation Divine Artifact to when Shi Qiluo took control of it, spanning hundreds of thousands of years, this artifact had always represented the supreme Dao of Creation, beyond anyone's understanding!
Ling Tianzun looked up at the Creation Divine Artifact and was about to destroy it when suddenly Qin Mu's voice rang out: "Ling! Stop!"
Ling Tianzun halted and turned to look back.
Qin Mu activated the Dominator Body Three Dan Art, using the Dao techniques of the Five Primordials to refine the residual divine abilities of Supreme Lord Lingyu, barely suppressing his injuries. He said in a deep voice, "Heavenly Lord Hao told me earlier that the Third and Fourth Young Masters of the Miluo Palace bestowed upon him a treasure capable of killing you. If you get too close to the Creation Divine Artifact, you might fall into their trap!"
Ling Tianzun examined the Creation Divine Artifact carefully, seeing only the companion supreme treasure of the Primordial Simplicity Goddess, with no other treasures in sight.
Qin Mu leaned on the Grand Ease Crutch and trudged forward with difficulty. His vertical eye on his forehead opened wide as he scrutinized the Creation Divine Artifact, trying to locate the treasure from the Fourth Young Master. He said, "You are proficient in Mass-Energy Immutability, so no one in this world can kill you. But the Dao techniques of the Miluo Palace are truly unfathomable. It's possible that the Fourth Young Master truly possesses such an ability. We must be cautious!"
His vertical eye could see through chaos, but as his gaze swept over the Creation Divine Artifact, he couldn't find where the treasure was hidden, which made him frown deeply.
The Creation Divine Artifact was still producing Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lords, with another one about to take shape.
Qin Mu gritted his teeth, activated the Dominator Body Three Dan Art to suppress his injuries, and paced around the colossal Creation Divine Artifact, muttering, "Perhaps it's not a treasure, but merely a divine ability, or maybe a runic imprint. Heavenly Lord Hao was so confident; he must have had some reliance..."
Whoosh—
Another Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lord flew out from the Creation Divine Artifact, the giant soaring into the sky toward Ancestral God King.
Ling Tianzun couldn't stop it and could only watch helplessly as it flew away.
Now, the situation had reversed. After Fiery Heavenly Lord obtained the Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lord, Lunar Heavenly Lord and Langhuan found it difficult to suppress him, falling into danger. Heavenly Lord and Qin Fengqing stood on the golden ship, but Void Heavenly Lord, controlling the Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lord, attacked the ship, putting them in grave peril!
Meanwhile, Nether Heavenly Lord's primordial spirit had entered another Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lord, but he could only fight to a draw with Ancestral God King, who controlled Heavenly Lord's physical body.
Now that Ancestral God King had obtained another Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lord, this balance was shattered!
The Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lords emerging from the Creation Divine Artifact were different from the previous ones. These new ones were forged by the Primordial Simplicity Dao controlling the Creation Divine Artifact. Each Imperial Heavenly Lord's body contained one or several heavenly palaces, perfectly supplementing the missing palaces of Fiery Heavenly Lord, Void Heavenly Lord, and Ancestral God King, merging into a complete heavenly court!
Heavenly Lord Hao had refined the Primordial Simplicity Goddess and obtained the Primordial Simplicity Dao, and his impact on the battle was truly immeasurable!
Cold sweat poured down Qin Mu's forehead. Earth Lord's physical body continued to disintegrate, turning into a surging torrent—one stream flowing toward Qin Fengqing, another toward Void Heavenly Lord, and a third toward the Creation Divine Artifact in the Zaofu Heavenly Palace, continuing to produce Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lords!
Another Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lord was still taking shape!
"What exactly did the Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace give to Heavenly Lord Hao? And where is it hidden?"
His anxiety grew, and suddenly Ling Tianzun said, "Mu, there's no need to search. If we delay any longer, Yue'er will die."
"Give me a little more time!"
Qin Mu's voice was hoarse. He mobilized all his power, channeling it into his vertical eye, and looked at the Creation Divine Artifact.
Finally, he saw a thread hidden within the Creation Divine Artifact.
An incredibly fine string.
One end of this string was connected to the Creation Divine Artifact, while the other end was connected to somewhere unknown.
The string was hidden in the void, but as Qin Mu's gaze followed it, he couldn't find its endpoint in the void.
The zither string extended infinitely, passing through the Netherworld and reaching the Ancestral Court. Following the string, he could only see a patch of chaos!
"This string connects to the prehistoric universe and should be held by the Fourth Young Master. In the Jade Capital City of the previous cosmic epoch, he has his finger hooked around this string!"
Qin Mu's eyes darted around as he pondered a countermeasure.
As soon as Ling Tianzun touched the Creation Divine Artifact, the Fourth Young Master would release the string, and the divine ability would erupt!
He recalled his two encounters with the Fourth Young Master. Both times, the Fourth Young Master sat beneath the Dao Tree, playing a zither, performing a melody that Qin Mu could never fully replicate.
This fine string should have come from that ancient zither.
Qin Mu clenched his fists, recalling the sound of the zither he had heard.
"There's absolutely no way to block the Fourth Young Master's divine ability. If his divine ability strikes, Ling Tianzun will surely die! He has immersed himself in the Dao techniques of the Miluo Palace Master for too long; Ling Tianzun has no chance of survival! So, the only option is for me to play that melody and let him hear the zither's sound. He misses his deceased wife, and if he listens to the tune, there will be an opening!"
Qin Mu clenched his fists, then stretched his ten fingers, clenched them again, and stretched them once more, his heart extremely tense.
He had never seen the sheet music, but he had heard the Fourth Young Master play it twice. However, the melody was incredibly difficult to perform!
Ling Tianzun turned around and saw Lunar Heavenly Lord and Langhuan being separated by the Divine Artifact Imperial Heavenly Lord and Fiery Heavenly Lord. The two were struggling to resist Fiery Heavenly Lord, but they simply couldn't block his divine abilities!
"There's no time to wait!"
Ling Tianzun stepped forward. "If we delay any longer, Yue'er will die at Fiery Heavenly Lord's hands!"
She pointed a finger at the Creation Divine Artifact, intending to destroy the treasure she had forged back then!
Qin Mu gritted his teeth, clasped his hands together, and then spread them apart. Forty-nine zither strings spread out, connecting with the string attached to the Creation Divine Artifact.
Qin Mu sat in midair, and arms sprouted from his armpits. With six arms and thirty fingers, he danced across the fifty strings, playing the melody he had heard!
As the strings vibrated, Ling Tianzun's finger touched the Creation Divine Artifact.
The sound of music arose.
The melody also echoed in the Netherworld, and the battling Heavenly Lords clearly heard the beautiful, enchanting tune.
At the same time, the melodious zither music came from the Ancestral Court. Two Grand Luo Heavens collided with a roar, but they couldn't drown out the graceful melody.
The Open Lord and Heavenly Lord Hao's Dao-achieving body fought fiercely. The Open Lord's left hand formed a sword finger, and within his Sword Dao Grand Luo Heaven, the Dao flower bloomed and spun. At that moment, the Sword Dao expanded, eclipsing the light of the stars!
He heard the melody of the zither and was momentarily stunned. Instead of thrusting his sword at Heavenly Lord Hao, he split open the Ancestral Court with a single slash, revealing the Netherworld, and flashed into it.
Heavenly Lord Hao pursued him, and the two clashed in the darkness of the Netherworld before separating.
The two Grand Luo Heavens spun with a roar, the Dao Trees swaying, countless Dao techniques and divine abilities colliding, shaking the Netherworld.
The Open Lord led the way, heading straight for the Zaofu Heavenly Palace, with Heavenly Lord Hao close behind.
In the Jade Capital City of the Ancestral Court, chaos stretched vast and boundless. Above the surging Chaos River, a zither string pierced through the Calamity of Annihilation, reaching into the Sixteenth Epoch.
Within that Calamity of Annihilation, a Dao Tree hung with seven Dao fruits, stirring ripples in the Chaos River, protecting a patch of pure land.
The Fourth Young Master sat beneath the tree, an ancient zither resting across his knees. This zither was unique, with fifty strings.
He had originally been in the Tenth Epoch, but now he had arrived in the Sixteenth Epoch.
His little finger hooked one of the strings, pulling it taut.
Then, the string vibrated, and a familiar melody came through. The Fourth Young Master was stunned. Listening to the tune, a look of longing appeared in his eyes.
He couldn't help but close his eyes, listening to the melody that haunted his dreams, and two lines of tears slid down his cheeks.
It was as if he had returned to the past, to the days when he was with his beloved wife.
The melody coming from the zither string intoxicated him, and the longing in his Dao heart grew stronger and stronger. Suddenly, the zither music hit a wrong note.
"Little Seven, you are truly remarkable. You almost succeeded."
The Fourth Young Master suddenly opened his eyes, waking from his intoxication, and released his little finger.
In the Zaofu Heavenly Palace, as Ling Tianzun's finger touched the Creation Divine Artifact, the artifact suddenly twisted and collapsed inward. In the blink of an eye, it was twisted by its own power into a massive golden ball, completely destroyed!
At the same time, Qin Mu's music hit a mistake. Although it was only a small error, it sent chills down his spine. Without a second thought, he leaped into the air and rushed toward Ling Tianzun.
Before Ling Tianzun could react, he had her in his arms. Qin Mu held her tightly and madly charged outward.
The zither string wrapped around the Creation Divine Artifact vibrated, and the supreme power from the previous universe erupted, chasing after them. That power was despairing, utterly impossible to resist!
Just then, the Open Lord and his Sword Dao Grand Luo Heaven descended, placing themselves between them and that supreme divine ability. The Sword Dao erupted with the most dazzling light at that moment!
"Qin Ye!"
Qin Mu's eyes nearly split with rage. He threw Ling Tianzun toward the Open Lord and poured all his power into the Immutable Divine Ability, surging it toward the Open Lord!
The Fourth Young Master's divine ability was meant to completely annihilate Ling Tianzun. Since Ling Tianzun had cultivated Mass-Energy Immutability, it was nearly impossible to destroy her. This meant that the power of the Fourth Young Master's strike was so great that even a Dao-achiever could be easily erased!
The Open Lord seemed to hear his voice. He turned his head and smiled at him.
Behind him, the Sword Dao Grand Luo Heaven shattered into dust under the Fourth Young Master's divine ability.
"We will meet again in the Chaos Hall."
The Open Lord smiled. Qin Mu's Immutable Divine Ability surged forward, but before it could reach him, the Open Lord was completely annihilated in that terrifying divine ability.
Qin Mu's body stiffened. He saw a Dao flower wither, spinning as it flew past his ear, drifting toward the distant Ferry Golden Ship.
On the golden ship, a hazy figure raised a hand and caught this withered Dao flower.
Within the flower, the Sword Dao was collapsing, but the moment it fell into his hand, the disintegration stopped.
That figure held the Dao flower, let out a faint sigh, turned, and walked into the ship.
His form gradually shifted from illusory to real. A sword hung at his waist, and his silhouette was proud and aloof.