Chapter 1625: Xing'an's Wedding Gift
Qin Mu looked at him calmly, and after a long silence, he finally smiled and said, "If I were your opponent, Your Majesty would not only refrain from shedding tears, but would instead be racking your brains over how to eliminate me. What Your Majesty desires is eternal power, to hold that power firmly in your grasp. You were merely feeling a moment of melancholy when you saw me."
The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed heartily, his voice booming, shaking the waters of the Heavenly River until they trembled incessantly.
"You are right."
The Heavenly Emperor Hao stared directly at him, the smile gradually fading from his face as he said in a deep voice, "If you had not conceded defeat, I truly would have been racking my brains. I could kill everyone in Yan Kang, but as long as even one person like you remains, I would not be able to sleep or eat in peace. Your threat level is even greater than that of Kai Huang's Qin Ye!"
When Qin Mu heard him mention Kai Huang, he could not help but feel a pang of sorrow.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao's gaze fell upon his face, sensing the faint fluctuations in his Dao heart, and he smiled slightly. "You possess an indestructible body. No one in this world can kill you—not even I, the foremost existence of this era, can do so. Even if I were to cast you into the Ultimate Void, you would likely still survive. Mu Tianzun, the only one who can defeat you is yourself."
Qin Mu looked up, a puzzled expression on his face.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao pointed at his heart and said earnestly, "Because your heart has weaknesses, Mu Tianzun. You care too much about Yan Kang—that is the fatal flaw in your Dao heart. I only need to hold Yan Kang in my grasp, and I hold your fatal flaw. As long as Yan Kang exists, you are no match for me. As long as Yan Kang stands for a single day, you will lose for a single day."
He laughed and said, "If you want to be invincible, you can. Aren't you good at breaking deadlocks? Your move to kill Tu Bo before I did was utterly brilliant! If it weren't for my contingency plans with the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master, I would have undoubtedly lost that round. At that time, Qin Fengqing became the new Tu Bo, and with Kai Huang aiding you, I could only have split the world with you. Now, you can use the same method to break the deadlock."
His tone became aggressive as he said in a deep voice, "If you annihilate everyone in Yan Kang, you will have no weaknesses! That is the kind of person I am! Nothing can hinder my steps; everything can be used by me! That is why I am the victor!"
Qin Mu's gaze wavered, and he dared not meet his eyes.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao said coldly, "You have disappointed me! If, after your defeat, you had disregarded the lives of the Yan Kang people to preserve your Dao heart, I would have looked forward to a true duel with you! But instead of eliminating Yan Kang to perfect your Dao heart, you wallowed in despair and got married, adding another shackle to yourself!"
Qin Mu's lips moved, but he said nothing.
Suddenly, the Heavenly Emperor Hao felt an inexplicable sense of exhilaration. His Dao heart became clear, and the inner demons that had been suppressed within it vanished without a trace. He said gently, "But you are Mu Tianzun. You cannot eliminate Yan Kang. I am the Heavenly Emperor. As long as you live, I cannot eliminate Yan Kang to perfect your Dao heart. Apologies, I referred to myself as 'I' again."
He smiled and said, "Mu Tianzun, seeing you now, I feel both pain and relief. Pain at your despondency, relief that I have defeated you."
Qin Mu's voice was hoarse as he struggled to say, "It wasn't you who defeated me, but the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master of Miluo Palace!"
The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed heartily. "Borrowing power is also a form of strength! My father, Tai Chu, wanted to borrow the power of Miluo Palace, didn't he? He wanted to, but he couldn't. I, however, borrowed it—that is my strength! You have already lost; there's no need to save face."
Qin Mu opened his mouth, then suddenly let out a desolate sigh.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao smiled. "Settle down and be a wealthy man. This place is good, with beautiful scenery, not far from Yan Kang, and with a lovely companion by your side."
He suddenly turned around, and saw Ling Yuxiu walking over, looking slightly nervous.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao smiled slightly and immediately felt Qin Mu's body tense up, clearly filled with anxiety.
"You have indeed lost."
The Heavenly Emperor Hao said with a sense of melancholy, "You lost because of emotions you should not have had. I truly wish you would pull yourself together so that I could defeat you once more."
Unconsciously, he exuded a killing intent, not directed at Qin Mu, but at Ling Yuxiu.
At that moment, beside him, Qin Mu's Dao heart seemed to revive like an old tree in spring, shedding layers of restraint as his battle intent grew stronger and stronger.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao revealed a smile. Behind his head, the two great heavenly courts of the Grand Celestial Palace combined, forming two Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheels that stood upright.
From within Qin Mu's body came a series of loud cracking sounds as his dormant Dao heart rapidly revived!
Suddenly, the Heavenly Emperor Hao turned and struck out with a palm, meeting Qin Mu's hand. Their palms collided, and the Heavenly River surged with towering waves, splitting the sky in a breathtaking display!
The clouds in the sky, like white dogs, were swept away, leaving the vast sky clear and blue as if washed clean!
Blood trickled from the corner of Qin Mu's mouth, and with a flicker, he shielded Ling Yuxiu.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao walked toward the two with his hands behind his back, nodding slightly. "Sister-in-law. You once sent someone to kill the reincarnated body of Huo Tianzun. That person was a young man carrying a box, who took over the physical body of the young Yu Tianzun. Who is he?"
Ling Yuxiu did not dare to be negligent and bowed respectfully. "He is a divine demon named Xing'an, extremely powerful but with a peculiar temperament."
The Heavenly Emperor Hao walked past the two and said, "I am looking for him. Please inform Yan Feng Emperor that the person I seek is him. Have him send this man to the Heavenly Court, where I will reward him."
Ling Yuxiu was momentarily stunned.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed. "Mu Tianzun, your Yan Kang is still in my hands. As long as you behave yourself, I will not touch Yan Kang."
Qin Mu let out a muffled groan and spat out a mouthful of blood. His newly revived Dao heart immediately dimmed, sealing itself layer by layer.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed heartily, and his figure vanished.
Ling Yuxiu quickly checked Qin Mu's injuries. Qin Mu waved his hand and said, "I'm fine. He can wound me, but he cannot kill me. He struck me once to try to injure me. He still isn't entirely at ease, intending to leave some incurable Dao wounds on me. These injuries, I can refine away quickly."
Ling Yuxiu felt relieved but still worried. "If you awakened your Dao heart and fought him, will it arouse his suspicion?"
Qin Mu activated his technique to refine the Dao wounds and shook his head. "Precisely because of this, he won't be suspicious. But I am somewhat concerned..."
His gaze flickered as he stared in the direction the Heavenly Emperor Hao had left. "He believes he has defeated me, and the inner demons in his Dao heart have been swept away, which will likely improve his Dao realm. He is now stronger than before."
Ling Yuxiu furrowed her brows slightly.
Qin Mu asked, "What's this about Xing'an?"
Ling Yuxiu recounted how she had sent Xing'an to kill the reincarnated body of Huo Tianzun and said, "After Mr. Xing returned, he went into seclusion and has been living on Zhai Xing Peak. I don't know what happened."
"The one who most wanted to kill Huo Tianzun was Hao Tianzun. Hao Tianzun's reincarnated body must have encountered Xing'an and died at his hands."
In the blink of an eye, Qin Mu guessed the truth and said, "Xing'an walks the path of heresy. I once told him that studying Dao techniques and divine abilities alone would make it hard for him to achieve great success. So he began to approach the Yan Kang reforms. It seems that over the years, he has made considerable progress, which is why he could defeat Hao Tianzun. What did he send as a wedding gift this time?"
Ling Yuxiu hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "He sent a piece of human skin covered in various Dao patterns. Because it was so shocking, I didn't show it to you."
Qin Mu's heart stirred, and he said in a deep voice, "Where is the human skin? I want to see it!"
The Dao wounds left by Hao Tianzun were stubborn and would flare up from time to time, causing him intense pain, but they could not kill him.
Qin Mu furrowed his brows from time to time. After removing the inner demons from his Dao heart, Hao Tianzun had indeed become more powerful!
Ling Yuxiu took out a jade box, sealed with what seemed to be her own markings.
Qin Mu unsealed the box and unfolded the human skin, examining it closely. He saw that the Dao patterns drawn on the skin were the detailed structures of the thirty-six heavenly palaces and fifty-eight precious halls. On the reverse side of the skin were the structures of the thirty-five heavenly palaces and fifty-eight precious halls.
The two great heavenly courts had been meticulously deconstructed with Dao patterns, even including the crucial Zi Xiao Hall and Ling Xiao Hall!
This piece of human skin was clearly the operational path of the Heavenly Emperor Hao's technique and the principles contained within his Great Dao!
Qin Mu gasped. "This is the skin of Hao Tianzun's reincarnated body! That bastard Xing'an not only killed Hao Tianzun's reincarnated body but also skinned him! No, Xing'an completely dissected Hao Tianzun's reincarnated body! No wonder he sent this as a wedding gift. This gift is no small thing!"
Ling Yuxiu felt a chill run down her spine. This piece of human skin was actually the skin of the Heavenly Emperor Hao's reincarnated body!
Even more shocking was that Xing'an had managed to analyze the techniques of both of Hao Tianzun's great heavenly courts!
This was something no human should have been able to accomplish!
Qin Mu studied it carefully and quickly found a way to deal with the Dao wounds in his body. He said, "The skin Xing'an gave me contains six flaws in Hao Tianzun's techniques. He must have been trying to find all the flaws in Hao Tianzun's techniques... This monster. Over these years, he shouldn't have reached such a level of mastery. Even with access to the Yan Kang reforms, he couldn't have achieved this..."
Ling Yuxiu said cautiously, "Over the years, Mr. Xing has been living on Zhai Xing Peak, and I ordered the results of the Yan Kang reforms to be sent to him... Did I do something wrong?"
Qin Mu was momentarily stunned, then shook his head with a smile. "No, you didn't. Xing'an is an evil and sinister person, but he has a principle: he never attacks the weak and rarely takes lives. If you leave him to roam the world, he would be a malevolent god. But if you employ him and provide what he wants, he won't do any evil and will only focus on his research."
Ling Yuxiu breathed a sigh of relief. "Should Mr. Xing be sent to the Heavenly Court?"
"If he wants to go, let him."
Qin Mu didn't look up, continuing his study. "He won't stay in the Heavenly Court for long. Since he has already joined Yan Kang, he is a man of Yan Kang. The Heavenly Court is a place of decay, with nothing worth his attachment... Wait a moment!"
As he said this, he suddenly fell into a dream. Layer upon layer of dreams spread out, and countless tiny Qin Mu's busied themselves with the human skin of Hao Tianzun's reincarnated body.
Ling Yuxiu didn't know whether to laugh or cry and had to wait for him to wake up.
Qin Mu slept for a day and a night, the dreams growing deeper and deeper. In the dream, several hundred years had passed. Suddenly, the layers of dreams dissipated, and Qin Mu woke up. He picked up a brush and wrote a few Dao patterns on the human skin. "My lady, have someone deliver this skin to Xing'an. I've filled in the few Dao patterns he couldn't deduce."
Ling Yuxiu chuckled. "Mu Tianzun is not inferior to anyone. You had to compete, didn't you?"
Qin Mu clasped his hands behind his back and said leisurely, "Naturally!"
Ling Yuxiu put away the human skin and immediately ordered someone to deliver it to Wen Dao Yuan on Zhai Xing Peak.
Qin Mu closed his eyes and carefully pondered the Heavenly Emperor Hao's techniques, memorizing them thoroughly. The Heavenly Emperor Hao's mastery of Primordial One Qi surpassed his own, and he also had considerable skill in the Dao of Gui Xu, especially the Dao of Tai Su, some aspects of which Qin Mu did not understand.
Qin Mu absorbed his strengths, made up for his own shortcomings, and improved his Overlord Body Three Dan Technique. After a long time, he slowly activated the Overlord Body Three Dan Technique. His primordial energy circulated, and the divine storage domain appeared, forming a universe within his body.
At that moment, he heard a faint cracking sound from the Gui Xu within his divine storage.
In the Chaos Sea at the very bottom of the Gui Xu, a Gui Xu lotus seed had sprouted.
— Zhai Zhu's public WeChat account will begin publishing the ranking of the Ten Tianzun's strengths from today onward. It is Zhai Zhu's personal ranking. Everyone is welcome to follow my public account by searching for Zhai Zhu. Perhaps Zhai Zhu's ranking in his heart is different from what you guessed.