Chapter 1824: Qin Mu, Heavenly Capital, and Taiyi
Later, Tai Shang truly went to the Guixu to take a look, and carelessly fell into the Guixu Abyss of the Second Epoch, nearly dying inside.
The Lord of Miluo Palace heard the news and rushed over, pulling him up. Yet he saw the honest man Tai Shang holding one in each arm, a pair of identical-looking girls, the clever and quick-witted Guixu Goddesses.
"Who told you to go down there?"
The Lord of Miluo Palace scolded: "How dangerous is it in there? With your current strength, going down would cost you your life!"
Tai Shang set down the Guixu Goddesses, lowered his head in admission of fault, and said: "Seventh Junior Brother told me to come take a look. Seventh Junior Brother and his daughter were just here..."
He looked around, but there was no trace of Qin Mu and his daughter.
"Have I been tricked?" Tai Shang scratched his head.
The Lord of Miluo Palace's expression darkened, and he said earnestly: "Although this Seventh Junior Brother of yours is real, I find him somewhat sinister, not quite like a good person. You may encounter him again in the future; you must stay far away from him."
Tai Shang, having narrowly escaped death, repeatedly nodded in agreement.
The Lord of Miluo Palace looked at the pair of Guixu Goddesses and immediately saw their extraordinariness, saying: "You two are actually one person, one mind with two bodies, one Dao with two uses. Never think of yourselves as two people. If you do, it will surely lead to chaos. From now on, you will cultivate with me."
The two girls, enlightened by fortune, knelt and bowed: "Please, Master, grant us names."
"One life, one extinction, the Dao is limitless. You shall be called Wuji."
The Lord of Miluo Palace said: "You must be wary of your Seventh Junior Brother, Hundun. Don't let him trick you."
The two girls exchanged a smile: "Teacher, we are clever and quick-witted. Who could trick us?"
The Lord of Miluo Palace shook his head, feeling uneasy, and also a strange thought in his heart: "How could my future self have taken on such a disciple? He acts somewhat recklessly; I must give him some guidance."
He went to find Qin Mu. Qin Mu was sleeping soundly in the starry sky of the Second Epoch. One dream after another emanated from the Hundun, the Hundun transforming into miniature universes. Hundun's daughter was shuttling through each universe, playing joyfully.
The Lord of Miluo Palace stood before this dreamscape. Suddenly, in one of the miniature universes, an enlightened Qin Mu poked his head out. The Lord of Miluo Palace smiled and nodded in greeting, but saw that this enlightened Qin Mu was speaking in a language no one understood, his face anxious as he shouted at him.
The Lord of Miluo Palace could not understand. Suddenly, he saw that miniature universe collapse. The destruction calamity erupted, and all the Qin Mus in that entire universe turned into calamity ash, leaving only a patch of Hundun.
And that enlightened Qin Mu also turned to calamity ash, but fragments of the Great Luo Heaven and a withered Dao tree were preserved. Then the creation calamity erupted, and the Great Luo Heaven fragments and the withered Dao tree also annihilated, ceasing to exist.
The Lord of Miluo Palace fell into thought, then turned back. From then on, there was a rule in Miluo Palace: no one was to disturb Seventh Young Master Hundun's sleep.
He prepared for the future. While the Second Epoch was still growing, he began to prepare for the destruction calamity.
The Second Epoch was long and ancient, giving birth to many intelligent and powerful beings, and many stirring and tragic stories unfolded. Its brilliance was no less than the Seventeenth Epoch, and its grandeur was even greater.
The Lord of Miluo Palace fulfilled his duty of teaching the Dao, then began to build the first Jade Capital City. The Ferry World Golden Ship was for crossing, crossing the world within the ship, while the Jade Capital City was for defense, defending against the destruction calamity from without.
He focused on perfecting the Jade Capital City, not concerning himself with external affairs. Tai Shang had already attained the Dao and could handle many things for him.
However, Tai Shang came to report, saying what Seventh Young Master and his daughter had done again, and how the father and daughter pair had gone around cheating and swindling.
The Lord of Miluo Palace asked for the details, but they were all trivial matters, with no mistakes on major issues. He said: "Don't mind him. He is your junior brother. Don't look at him with prejudice."
"He entered the sect before me. Why call him junior brother?"
Tai Shang said sullenly: "His skills are higher than mine. He should be senior brother."
"He came back from the future. He is mature and steady in his actions. On the contrary, you are more impulsive."
The Lord of Miluo Palace said: "I observe what he does. Although it seems like cheating and swindling, he makes no mistakes. On the other hand, you often seem well-intentioned but end up causing trouble. You should learn more from your junior brother."
After that, Tai Shang indeed became much more steady, thinking thrice before acting.
The Second Epoch was still destroyed.
The Lord of Miluo Palace wanted to save everyone, but he failed again. Only a few enlightened beings like Tai Shang were preserved in the Jade Capital City. Wuji, because she hid in the Guixu, escaped the destruction calamity.
The Lord of Miluo Palace left the dilapidated Jade Capital City dejectedly, watching the destruction calamity ravage the Second Epoch, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.
At that moment, he saw his seventh disciple again. Hundun, with his daughter, was swimming freely in the destruction calamity of the Second Epoch. That little girl was absorbing the power of the destruction calamity.
In the destruction calamity of the Second Epoch, there were many things that did not exist in the First Epoch: a place for discarding filth, a chaotic space.
The father and daughter pair were busy in the destruction calamity, doing who knows what.
Even with the Lord of Miluo Palace's remarkable tolerance and magnanimity, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. He found Qin Mu and his daughter, and said with grief and indignation: "You came back to the past. What exactly are you here to do? Why do you watch the destruction calamity happen? Why don't you save the people?"
Qin Mu and his daughter stopped. Qin Mu bowed and said: "Teacher, I came only to bear witness, to find some people and things. I will not interfere with the past. Moreover, I cannot save them."
"Only to bear witness?"
The Lord of Miluo Palace shed tears. Thinking of the countless beings of the Second Epoch, all the Dao friends buried in the destruction calamity, grief welled up in his heart. After a long time, he said: "What of the future?"
"The future is good."
Qin Mu twisted a strand of Hundun Qi into a cushion and gave it to him, saying: "Teacher, the Third Epoch will also have countless beings. They will need Teacher to enter the world and ferry them across."
Before the creation calamity of the Third Epoch erupted, the Lord of Miluo Palace finally regained his Dao heart and his ideals. He looked back and saw the endless historical scenes of the Second Epoch. Looking forward, he saw the future that was about to happen in the Third Epoch.
He could not see everything in the Third Epoch, because the future is the evolution of material particles. The disturbance of any particle would create countless scenes. Even with his powerful wisdom, he could not see through the future in one glance.
He was not yet strong enough, but he wanted to see the future, to see through it, to see if he had succeeded.
At that moment, the father and daughter pair of Hundun also walked into the eve of the creation calamity. The scenes of the future were a vast, chaotic blur.
The Lord of Miluo Palace only had time to glare at the father and daughter pair before the creation calamity erupted. He had to do his utmost to protect Tai Shang, to prevent him from being buried in the catastrophe.
At this time, Tai Shang certainly did not have the ability to withstand the creation calamity. As for Wuji, he didn't need to worry about her.
The Five Tai evolved, and the Third Epoch arrived. The Boundless Old Man chatted idly with Qin Mu and his daughter. The Boundless Old Man said with emotion: "Two epochs have passed. Only you father and daughter are my old friends, people I can talk to. Miluo is too busy, Tai Shang is a mute, and that girl Wuji has a detestable appearance. Only you two are pleasing to the eye."
They watched as the Lord of Miluo Palace led Tai Shang and Wuji to walk in the new world. The new universe was desolate, but life was subtly gestating.
The power of Taiji brought many lives to this new universe.
Taiji is the mother of all things.
The Lord of Miluo Palace met the Taiji Ancient God of this generation. The Taiji Ancient God attained the Dao as soon as he was born. He was a young man, calling himself Tiandu.
Tiandu cultivated with him for a long time, but his ideals did not align with Miluo's. So he left Miluo Palace and established his own sect.
Qin Mu took his daughter Qin Lingyun and ran over. Tiandu founded the Heavenly Capital Divine City. He saw the ruins of the Jade Capital City and heard the Lord of Miluo Palace talk about the destruction calamity and the creation calamity. He formed his own ideas, planning to build a divine city that could survive both calamities.
Qin Mu and his daughter secured two seats in Heavenly Capital City and became very familiar with many enlightened beings there, having good relationships.
Tai Shang was quite indignant and reported to Miluo. Miluo said: "You need to be steady. Your junior brother's actions have their own reasoning. There's no need to nitpick. Although Miluo Palace and Heavenly Capital City have different ideals, they are both for the future. There is no difference."
Tai Shang became a bit more steady.
The Third Epoch soon entered its bad phase. The enlightened beings in Heavenly Capital City toiled for the coming destruction calamity and creation calamity, arguing back and forth, coming up with countless methods. Only Qin Mu and his daughter occupied their seats but never offered any ideas.
In the end, Qin Mu and his daughter were expelled from Heavenly Capital City.
Tiandu was quite regretful and said to Qin Mu: "Dao friend Hundun. They don't know your abilities, but I know that your skills might even surpass mine and Teacher's. They think you're a scoundrel, but I feel that every word and action of yours has profound meaning. However, I cannot keep you either. I can only send you off. The gates of Heavenly Capital City are always open for you, awaiting your honored presence."
Qin Mu said ambiguously: "Dao brother, rest assured. I will return."
The Third Epoch was destroyed. Heavenly Capital City was completely annihilated. Jade Capital City also suffered heavy losses. Only a few enlightened beings survived, along with some broken Dao trees and Dao fruits.
Tiandu wept loudly in the Hundun. The Lord of Miluo Palace brought Tai Shang to comfort him, sharing a sense of mutual suffering.
At that moment, they saw Qin Mu and his daughter busy in the destruction calamity. That girl named Qin Lingyun was still busy absorbing the power of the destruction calamity.
Tiandu, furious, was about to go up and argue. Miluo stopped him and said: "He is from the future. There are some things he cannot say."
"Knowing but not saying, what use is coming back?" Tiandu's anger was still hard to quell.
Miluo pursed his lips. Tiandu saw the abandoned land and the chaotic space within the destruction calamity. The father and daughter pair were moving some things born from the Hundun into those two places.
"You can't beat him."
Miluo said: "I can't even see through his abilities."
Tiandu fell silent.
"Hundun, what of the future?" the Lord of Miluo Palace asked Qin Mu again.
"The future is good."
Tiandu sneered.
However, in the Fourth Epoch, Qin Mu came running over again. Tiandu did not blame him, nor did he have time to pay him any attention. Tiandu had important matters to attend to. He wanted to take the innate Five Tai of the Fourth Epoch under his wing before the Lord of Miluo Palace could.
He wanted to prove that his ideals were better than his teacher's, and that his bearing and magnanimity were also better than his teacher's.
Heavenly Capital City grew strong. He had many followers. The divine techniques and Dao methods of Heavenly Capital City gradually formed their own system, differing more and more from those of Miluo Palace.
Tai Shang was somewhat displeased, because Heavenly Capital City was saying to the outside world that Miluo Palace was not orthodox, but Heavenly Capital City was the true orthodoxy.
He went to argue but was beaten up by the crowd in Heavenly Capital City. He returned to report to the Lord of Miluo Palace. The Lord of Miluo Palace said: "He and I are both striving to cross over, to ferry the people of the world. What difference does it make who is orthodox?"
A few more years passed. Tai Shang said to Miluo: "Old Seventh is causing trouble again! There is great resentment among the people. Many have come to report that he is committing all kinds of evil!"
The Lord of Miluo Palace looked into Qin Mu's actions and laughed: "All trivial, harmless matters. Tai Shang, broaden your mind."
A few more years passed. The Boundless Old Man came to see the Lord of Miluo Palace and said that Tiandu was doing evil, that he was a Dao Desecrator: "Dao friend, they are going to ruin your Dao lineage!"
The Lord of Miluo Palace laughed and said: "The saying 'all divine techniques and Dao methods originate from Miluo' might be a bit biased. Dao brother, perhaps they are the true orthodoxy."
The Boundless Old Man had to let it go.
When the destruction calamity of the Fourth Epoch arrived, the people of Heavenly Capital City said to Tiandu: "That father and daughter pair have run away!"
Tiandu said: "Don't mind them. We will face the catastrophe head-on!"
"Father, what are we doing here?" Qin Lingyun asked, puzzled, as she saw Qin Mu bringing her to the place where the catastrophe was erupting.
"Waiting for someone!"
Qin Mu stared intently at the place where the destruction calamity was erupting. He saw the Hundun Qi there churning and surging, forming a long river. Soon, the destruction calamity would spread throughout the entire universe, sweeping through all the heavens.
Suddenly, a person fell into the river from the Hundun long river.
It was a giant, with a vast physical body, holding a great axe. Just as he was about to fall from the destruction calamity into the Fourth Epoch, he mobilized his divine power and struggled to jump out of the calamity!
At that moment, Qin Mu reached out and grabbed. His hand entered the calamity, transforming into countless white bones that firmly seized the giant and pulled him into the calamity.
At that moment, the giant's head was still on the surface of the Hundun long river. He looked up at Wei Suifeng and Shu Jun on the long boat and smiled: "Follow the diagram to save me!" Then he was pulled into the long river by Qin Mu.
The giant fell into the destruction calamity of the Fourth Epoch and swung his axe to chop. Qin Mu raised his hand to block it, laughing: "Taiyi, it's me!"
The giant Taiyi was stunned, and blurted out: "It was you, kid, who pulled me into the calamity?"
Qin Mu carefully pushed the Taiyi Divine Axe away from his neck with one finger, laughing: "Dao brother, the Lord of Miluo Palace meant well. Calm down..."
The divine axe was pushed away, but then it was placed against his neck again.
The catastrophe erupted fully. The Fourth Epoch was destroyed.
Qin Mu quickly said: "Your Heavenly Capital body is here. I can give you a Hundun rune that will help your primordial spirit reincarnate into the Fifth Epoch, so it won't disappear. You can take this opportunity to see what Heavenly Capital City does!"
The Heavenly Capital Divine City was about to be swept into the destruction calamity. Without further ado, he imprinted the Hundun rune onto the giant Taiyi's body.
The Heavenly Capital Divine City was swept into the destruction calamity. The giant Taiyi was startled, thinking he would disappear, but then saw that he was still there, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hundun?"
He put away the Taiyi Divine Axe and looked at Qin Mu doubtfully: "Young Master Hundun?"
Qin Mu smiled and nodded.
Taiyi sighed and said: "By pulling me into the Fourth Epoch, you will cause the you of the Seventeenth Epoch to face immense pressure. Even Yancheng might be destroyed because of this. Dao friend, you..."
"The battles of the Seventeenth Epoch, I have fully endured and overcome them."
Qin Mu held Qin Lingyun's hand and said calmly: "Some things happened after you left. I came back this time to complete those things, to thoroughly resolve the future void. I also need to find a person, a tall, thin, strange man with three eyes. You should know this person."