Chapter 525: The Dark Otherworld
"The Woodcutter Sage's stone statue has awakened?"
Qin Mu's heart shook violently, and he quickly asked, "Where is he?"
"He has already left. If you had arrived a few days earlier, you could have met him. This Woodcutter Sage left carrying his axe. When he awakened, I was startled, thinking to myself, 'How did these two beings awaken one after the other?'"
Qingyou Shanren said, "As for where he went, I do not know."
Qin Mu steadied himself. The First Ancestor of the Human Sovereign Hall and the Woodcutter Sage of the Heavenly Saint Sect awakening in succession was indeed strange. Why had they chosen this particular moment to awaken?
And where would the Woodcutter Sage go?
The Heavenly Saint Sect was not founded by him; it was established by the sect's founding ancestor. The Woodcutter only wanted to leave behind his legacy, so he might not necessarily go to the Heavenly Saint Sect.
Aside from the Heavenly Saint Sect, where else could he go?
Wang Muran and the others were not in Little Jade Capital; they had gone to Inlaid Dragon City. Only a few old immortals remained on the mountain. Qingyou Shanren studied Qin Mu and said, "Human Sovereign Qin, your state seems somewhat off. Are you truly certain you want to enter the Five Qi Hall? You appear a bit distracted right now."
Qin Mu shook his head and asked, "May I ask, Immortal Qingyou, can Little Jade Capital currently open the Five Qi Hall, Six Harmonies Hall, and Seven Stars Hall? I wish to go in and take a look."
Qingyou Shanren hesitated, uneasy about Qin Mu's current condition. "If the Human Sovereign insists on attempting it, Little Jade Capital will naturally do its utmost to accommodate you. But your current state is not right. Forcing a challenge might harm you. You only have one chance. If you succeed in breaking through the Five Qi, Six Harmonies, and Seven Stars, it will greatly enhance your foundation. Don't waste this opportunity. Come back after you've adjusted your condition."
Qin Mu smiled. "I just want to go in and observe, not challenge."
Qingyou Shanren had no choice. "Please follow me."
He led Qin Mu to the Three Elements Hall and said, "You passed the Three Elements breakthrough last time. Entering this hall now will automatically take you to the Five Qi Hall. If you clear the Five Qi Hall, you'll enter the Six Harmonies Hall, and after that, the Seven Stars Hall. Since your condition is unstable, I will personally oversee this to prevent any mishaps."
Qin Mu expressed his thanks and stepped into the Three Elements Hall. Before he could steady himself, the scenery before him shifted dramatically. Five massive stars hung in the sky, glowing in gold, cyan, blue, red, and yellow. On each of these five stars stood a palace.
Qin Mu narrowed his eyes. Besides these five stars, he could also see the sun and moon in the sky, but they were incredibly far away, as if separated by an entire world.
The five stars in the sky were impossibly large, some near, some far. In the five divine palaces, divine beings rose to their feet—one with an ox's head and a human body, another with a human head and a serpent's body, a tiger-headed human form, a human-headed bird-bodied figure, and one with red hair and a serpent's body—each corresponding to the Five Luminaries Star Lords.
Suddenly, Qingyou Shanren's voice echoed from afar: "Senior Sister Yinghe, let me take your place for this round."
The red-haired, serpent-bodied divine being rose and transformed into a streak of light, vanishing into the distance.
A flash of light flew over and landed in that palace. Qingyou Shanren transformed into the red-haired, serpent-bodied divine being and said, "Human Sovereign Qin, the Five Qi Hall is divided into breakthroughs for Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Which element do you choose this time?"
Qin Mu shook his head. "I came this time only to observe the divine repository of a true god. I hope Immortal Qingyou will grant me this convenience."
Qingyou Shanren frowned, and the other four old immortals also furrowed their brows. One of them said, "The founder of Little Jade Capital left the Three Elements Hall to teach future generations and fill their shortcomings, not for them to admire his divine repository."
An old woman frowned and added, "No one who has entered here to challenge has ever made such an odd request. Senior Brother Qingyou..."
"Human Sovereign Qin is not an outsider."
Qingyou Shanren pondered for a moment and said, "He made the method of becoming a god public, and we have all benefited from his kindness. Little Jade Capital should naturally fulfill his request. Besides, the ancestor who left these trials was also surnamed Qin."
The other four old immortals fell silent.
Qingyou Shanren continued, "Human Sovereign Qin, you only have one chance to challenge. If you succeed, you will receive divine essence and five qi, which will greatly benefit you and make up for any deficiencies in your cultivation of the Five Luminaries Divine Repository. Are you sure you want to waste this opportunity just to observe a god's divine repository?"
Qin Mu bowed. "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. I am willing to forgo the divine essence and five qi."
Qingyou Shanren smiled. "Good. I initially thought your mind was unsettled and feared you had lost your composure, making you unable to challenge. But your boldness impresses me. Since that's the case, come up!"
A beam of cyan light swept down, and Qin Mu was involuntarily lifted into the air, landing on the Water Luminance Star. The red-haired, serpent-bodied divine being that was Qingyou Shanren led him into the palace and said, "Human Sovereign Qin, feel free to observe. How much you can comprehend is up to you."
Qin Mu expressed his thanks and carefully examined the runic inscriptions on the four walls of the palace, studying them very closely.
The five stars of the Five Luminaries Divine Repository each had a palace, formed naturally. Whenever a cultivator reached this realm, they would forge the five stars within their Five Luminaries Divine Repository, corresponding to the five elements. The stars were naturally formed, and the palaces on them were also naturally formed. However, different techniques would produce different runic inscriptions, which would eventually combine with vital qi to manifest as the divine beings within the palaces.
For any cultivator's Five Luminaries Divine Repository, the Five Luminaries Divine Beings would inhale and exhale vital qi, altering its properties, hence the term "five qi."
Qin Mu's Five Elements Divine Repository had already reached its limit, making further progress difficult. But his battle with the First Ancestor of the Human Sovereign Hall had made him realize that his limit might not be everyone's limit.
He observed very meticulously, and Qingyou Shanren was patient, waiting for him the entire time.
After an unknown period, Qin Mu stopped examining and closed his eyes.
He opened them again and looked at Qingyou Shanren. "Immortal Qingyou, I have an impertinent request."
Qingyou Shanren understood and transformed into a streak of light, flying far away, leaving Qin Mu alone in the palace. The runic inscriptions on the walls immediately lit up, and Qin Mu's body involuntarily transformed into the red-haired, serpent-bodied divine being.
After a long time, Qin Mu dispelled the divine form and left this palace, heading to another star. He entered its palace and observed the runic inscriptions there.
Over ten days later, he had visited all five stars. Then he went to the Six Harmonies Divine Repository.
He stayed in the Six Harmonies Divine Repository for over ten days, then entered the Seven Stars Divine Repository, spending another ten-plus days there. As for the Heavenly Human Divine Repository and the Life and Death Divine Repository, he could not enter them because no one was overseeing them.
Finally, Qin Mu walked out of the Three Elements Hall. Qingyou Shanren looked at the disheveled, stubbly, somewhat haggard young man before him, knowing he had gone without sleep for these days, and felt a pang of sympathy. He asked, "Human Sovereign Qin, did you find what you were looking for?"
Qin Mu, however, was in high spirits. This improvement to his Five Elements, Six Harmonies, and Seven Stars Divine Repositories had yielded great gains and rekindled his confidence. He thanked the immortal and said, "Thank you, Immortal. As for whether I found what I needed, I still need to verify it. May I ask, compared to the First Generation Human Sovereign of the Human Sovereign Hall, how did the founder of Little Jade Capital measure up in strength?"
Qingyou Shanren replied, "I cannot say for certain who was stronger, as they were both true gods from twenty thousand years ago, and I never saw them fight. However, Little Jade Capital has a few volumes of records left by the ancestors, which mention that they once sought out the First Generation Human Sovereign to invite him to join them, but they returned defeated and spent months recovering from their injuries. The records state that the First Generation Human Sovereign used immense divine power to transport fragments of the Kaihuang Heavenly Court, and his strength was formidable. The Human Sovereign Hall was a hundred or even a thousand times larger than Little Jade Capital, truly terrifying. I think the ancestors of Little Jade Capital were focused on self-preservation, while the First Generation Human Sovereign could lead countless people from various races across the battlefield. Who was stronger is clear at a glance."
Qin Mu's face turned ashen. After a long silence, he bowed and said, "I understand. Thank you, Immortal."
Qingyou Shanren frowned, sensing that his condition was worse than when he had arrived. "You haven't slept in over a month. You should rest for a while."
Qin Mu agreed.
Qingyou Shanren arranged a room for him to sleep in.
Qin Mu woke up more than ten days later, still looking unwell, but he insisted on taking his leave. Qingyou Shanren did not try to stop him and said, "If the Woodcutter Sage returns, where should I go to inform you?"
"Please go to Inlaid Dragon City, Immortal. I will likely be there."
Qingyou Shanren watched him disappear into the distance, puzzled. "When Human Sovereign Qin first came here, he was so spirited and confident. Why has he become so dejected now?"
Qin Mu sat on the box, letting it carry them as they ran. He then poured a large basin of Red Fire Spirit Pills mixed with Fire Element Divine Essence Pills for the Dragon Qilin. The Dragon Qilin was both surprised and delighted, but also a bit uneasy. "Why is the Sect Leader being so generous today? Is it because I've been hungry for over a month, or is he preparing to put me on the table? Whatever, I'll eat first and ask later!"
After finishing one basin, Qin Mu poured him another.
The Dragon Qilin hesitated, then looked down at the full basin of spirit pills. Suddenly, he burst into loud sobs, eating the pills while crying.
Qin Mu was puzzled. "What are you crying about?"
"At least I'll die with a full stomach!"
The Dragon Qilin wiped his tears and choked out, "At least I'll go on my way well-fed. Sect Leader, please make it quick when the time comes!"
Qin Mu shook his head. "I've been starving you these past days, so I'm making it up to you. I'm not planning to kill you for meat."
The Dragon Qilin was overjoyed and quickly finished the pills in the basin.
Qin Mu passed through towns, stopping to buy medicinal herbs. He visited several cities, refining a large number of Red Fire Spirit Pills and Fire Element Divine Essence Pills, all of which he stuffed into the box. The Dragon Qilin was deeply moved. "The Sect Leader is so good to me!"
Qin Mu also bought some Mysterious Iron and Mysterious Gold, refining some strange spiritual weapons along the way.
The Dragon Qilin couldn't understand what he was doing. He saw Qin Mu crafting items like banners, altars, and calculation tools shaped like the Eight Trigrams, Taiji diagrams, abacuses, and Five Element talismans.
A few days later, they arrived at Inlaid Dragon City but did not enter.
Qin Mu activated various calculation tools, including Eight Trigrams platforms and Taiji diagrams, continuously performing calculations. Then he looked around, surveying the mountains and rivers, using a folding ruler to measure the terrain, and jotting down a series of symbols on paper. The Dragon Qilin leaned in but couldn't understand a thing.
He calculated for a long time. Dusk was falling, and darkness was about to descend.
Qin Mu finally finished his calculations and immediately set up an altar at lightning speed, planting banners all around it. He stood on the altar, and when the Dragon Qilin and the box tried to join him, he shooed them away.
"Sect Leader, what are you doing?" the Dragon Qilin asked, staying close to the box.
Qin Mu activated the banners one by one, gazing at the surrounding darkness. In the dark, another world emerged, overlapping with the Great Ruins. In that world, countless demonic figures like black smoke surged, crawling out of enormous spatial holes.
In Qin Mu's eyes, the people of that other world were resisting these demonic attacks. Before him lay a battlefield of unimaginable scale.
"Dragon Fatty, I've already refined enough spirit pills to last you a long time. In the coming days, just follow the box. I'm going to..."
Qin Mu's gaze locked onto a demonic general charging wildly across the battlefield. On the altar, countless runes lit up, and the teleportation banners rustled loudly, spinning around the altar. "...go to the other world!"
Boom—
A massive tremor rang out. The teleportation banners and Qin Mu vanished in an instant. On the altar, a tall, muscular demonic general suddenly appeared, looking around in confusion.
"Toot-toot—"
The horn sounded long and deep. Countless banners fluttered and spun, forming a great circle. Qin Mu suddenly appeared in a vast, boundless battlefield, surrounded by surging demonic armies that swept him forward!
Ahead of him lay an incredibly magnificent city. Massive ships hung in the sky, and divine beings and demons stood tall, wielding divine weapons, sweeping through thousands of troops!
He had used sacrificial rituals and teleportation arrays to arrive in the world of the Dark Maiden!