Chapter 567: Senior Brother Captures the Dragon
The divine dragon was momentarily stunned, its dragon pupils constantly contracting, focusing, and landing on Qin Mu. Its eyes were enormous; if Qin Mu were to stand before it, on its lower eyelid, even raising both hands he couldn't reach its upper lid. Being stared at by these dragon eyes was not a pleasant experience. The divine dragon's eyes held authority, a dragon's might that made one shiver with fear and awe.
Qin Mu seemed oblivious, slowly pacing as he examined the layout of this divine hall. There were many murals in the hall, but most had been destroyed. The dragon race loved grand achievements and often liked to carve their deeds on murals, decorating their palaces luxuriously and gleaming with gold. Adding murals that recounted their great feats made living in them a joy for both body and mind. Not only were the murals in this hall destroyed, but even the palace's treasures had been looted clean. Everything—incense burners, screens, jade couches, teapots, calligraphy, paintings, chess sets—had been taken away. He also saw pits left on the walls where night pearls had been pried off. Moreover, many floor tiles were missing from the hall's floor. Judging by the pattern of the missing tiles, the spot that had been pried up was precisely the center of the hall, where there should have been an exquisite picture showcasing the hall owner's wealth and authority. These floor tiles had also been pried off, exposing the stone beneath, which was quite glaring. The exposed stones were also covered in runes. Qin Mu examined them carefully but didn't touch these stones.
"So, the person who ambushed me was your founder?" The divine dragon displayed its might, its voice carrying anger as it inquired.
"Not my founder, but my senior brother."
Qin Mu searched meticulously, trying to find one or two treasures carelessly left behind by the founder of the Celestial Saint Sect. In the end, he helplessly realized that if this senior brother who founded the Celestial Saint Sect went to scrub backs in a Yan'kang bathhouse, his business would surely be booming. This place had already been scrubbed clean by the founder, stripped of anything worth taking. Unless Qin Mu took the founder's great cauldron and the ten miles of yellow sand, or dismantled this hall and carried it away, but that was impossible—the hall and the cauldron were both treasures used to suppress the dragon.
"In the ten miles of yellow sand, I saw star sand converge into a star sand evil eye. The star sequence of the star sand evil eye, the way starlight connected between the stars, and the attributes and composition of those stars—it exactly matched the divine ability array from my Celestial Saint Sect's Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Sutra."
After searching fruitlessly for a long time, Qin Mu finally met the divine dragon's gaze and said, "After realizing this, I suddenly understood that this Ten Mile Star Sand Tribulation Array was something I had actually learned, hidden within the Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Sutra. Once I grasped that, though the array could kill true gods, it became much simpler for me, which is why I managed to walk out alive."
He walked two circles around the divine dragon bound by chains, unhurriedly continuing, "But at that time, I still wasn't sure if this killing array was left by my senior brother. So after walking out of the Star Sand Tribulation Array, I carefully examined the divine patterns on the cliff walls and the demonic script on the chains."
Jiang Miao followed his steps, circling the divine dragon twice, and mused, "So, when you said 'acting according to nature, what do gods or demons matter to me,' that wasn't directed at me, nor was it your own insight?"
"That sentence—I read it from the divine patterns and demonic script left by my senior brother. What I said was about his state of mind and cultivation."
Qin Mu turned to face the divine dragon, stopped, and explained to him, "My senior brother is the founding ancestor of the Celestial Saint Sect. His state of mind has reached a very high level. The Celestial Saint Sect has a saying about achieving sagehood through three accomplishments: establishing a sect, establishing teachings, and establishing merits. My senior brother has established the sect and the teachings, but he hasn't achieved merits, so he couldn't become a sage or reach the cultivation level of the Woodcutter Sage. However, among all the sect leaders throughout history, no one besides him has achieved two of the three. So only he could suppress the divine dragon; no other leader could."
"Then why did your senior brother suppress the divine dragon?" Jiang Miao also stopped, greatly puzzled, and inquired.
"That's something we need to ask this senior divine dragon."
Qin Mu looked up at the divine dragon. It was so massive that even though it was bound by chains, its divine abilities and transformations sealed, its enormous body coiled together still made them look up in awe. Its dragon whiskers hung down like colorful clouds drifting and swaying, very lively. Such a majestic and extraordinary being showed no sign of evil.
Qin Mu raised his head and asked, "Senior brother imprisoned you, probably to achieve merits and become a sage. So what evil did you commit that made him trap you here? Please, senior, enlighten me!"
The divine dragon had been watching him coldly as he circled around. Suddenly, it curled its lips, revealing sharp teeth, and laughed, "Such a clever child—why must he die? Being so smart, don't you know that sometimes being a bit dull lets you live longer? Seeing through things but not exposing them, pretending to be ignorant—that's how you live long."
Jiang Miao shuddered, looked up, and said, "Then, senior, what was your purpose in constantly calling out to me?"
The divine dragon twisted its massive body, its neck curving in an eerie arc. The chains were pulled taut as it stared intently at Jiang Miao, its long dragon snout almost touching both Qin Mu and Jiang Miao. But the chains restricted it, preventing it from reaching them. Qin Mu had led Jiang Miao in circling it at a distance that was precisely calculated, just outside its attack range. The breath the divine dragon exhaled wrinkled the skin on their faces.
"Of course, I called you here to rescue me, son of the Yong River Dragon King..."
Jiang Miao was stunned. "You know me?"
"Of course I do."
The divine dragon stretched its body, as if trying to uncoil from its coiled state, but the chains pierced through its flesh, preventing it from fully extending. Even so, it shook the hall violently. "Speaking of which, you're still my nephew. When you were just born, I held you. You peed on me, and I flicked your little thing."
Jiang Miao's face flushed red. He turned to look at Qin Mu, showing a troubled expression, and whispered, "Sect Leader, don't tell anyone about this..."
Qin Mu laughed. "What's there to be ashamed of? When I was little, Blind Grandpa and Lame Grandpa often flicked my little thing too—it's a sign of elder's affection. Besides, before you gained intelligence, just a few days ago, when I was asleep, you licked my face, covering it with your drool."
Jiang Miao's face turned as red as freshly dyed cloth. He stammered, "Can we not mention that anymore?"
"Fine. The first time you saw me, you pounced, coiled around me, rubbed against my face, and hung on my ear shouting 'Maha'..."
Jiang Miao wished he could find a hole to crawl into. Ashamed, he said, "Sect Leader, can we please not bring that up either?"
Qin Mu laughed heartily. "When you achieve fame and become a generation of divine dragons, I'll definitely tell your descendants about these embarrassing stories! And I'm still thinking—Junior Brother Qin Yu keeps waiting for you to return. How will you face him when you go back? Will you still coil around him?"
Jiang Miao was stunned.
The divine dragon suddenly grew angry, rumbling darkly, "Have you two talked enough?"
Qin Mu stepped back a little, smiling faintly. "Your uncle is angry. Let's stop the idle chatter and talk business. This is your family matter; I'll just listen from the side."
The divine dragon's chest heaved violently. After a moment, it calmed its emotions and said in a deep voice, "Jiang Miao, this kid is the junior brother of that great villain; he's no good. You should stay away from him. I am your uncle, and you are my nephew. By all reason and emotion, you should rescue me."
Jiang Miao hesitated, looking at the dragon and then at Qin Mu, showing a troubled expression.
The divine dragon said softly, "You can hear my call, so you should know our bloodlines are close. Don't you trust me? Raise your hand. When our palms touch, you'll know just how close our blood is."
Jiang Miao raised his hand, and the divine dragon raised its huge claw, excitement in its eyes. The moment hand and claw touched, the strange rune Qin Mu had left in Jiang Miao's palm suddenly emitted a dazzling light! This light immediately triggered the demonic patterns hidden on the chains. The chains blazed with light, demonic fire boiling, drilling into the divine dragon's body, burning it until it trembled violently, twisted in agony, and roared, shaking the hall incessantly!
Jiang Miao quickly withdrew his hand and looked at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu smiled, walked over, and said leisurely, "Jiang Miao, your mother was the Yong River Dragon King. She died protecting you. In the Great Ruins' Eastern Sea, countless dragon kings have petrified and are enshrined in dragon king temples. This was forced by circumstances—they had no choice but to petrify. Twenty thousand years ago, the Kaihuang Era ended. The world underwent cataclysmic changes. Gods and demons from the Kaihuang Heavenly Court who didn't die in battle either went to Carefree Village or chose petrification. So why didn't your uncle petrify or go to Carefree Village? Doesn't that strike you as strange?"
Jiang Miao was taken aback.
Qin Mu continued, "This place is where the Ark of the Covenant, heading to Carefree Village, was ambushed. The ark was ambushed here, shattered, and then sealed. But there are still descendants of the Heavenly Artisan Divine Race inside the ark. To prevent these Heavenly Artisans from breaking the seal and escaping, the enemy needed a strong guardian here. And is that guardian your uncle?"
Jiang Miao looked at the divine dragon. The dragon's expression changed, and it said coldly, "You'd rather trust an outsider than your own uncle?"
Qin Mu stepped forward, looked up at the divine dragon, and suddenly said, "Jiang Miao, I saw you a long time ago. It was in the Yong River Dragon Palace. Your mother's soul was wandering around you, singing a very sad tune in dragon language. You were frozen in the dragon pearl's profound ice, a broken sword stuck in your chest, piercing your heart. She used her own life to protect you, keeping you alive, hoping someone would revive you."
Jiang Miao shed tears. After being revived, he had gone with Qin Yu to the Yong River Dragon Palace and seen his mother's remains.
"Your mother, the Yong River Dragon King, was extremely powerful. How did she die?"
Qin Mu said calmly, "Why were you pierced through the heart by a broken sword yet didn't die? Was the one who wounded you deliberately not killing you? His purpose was to use your injury to make your mother expend her dragon pearl to keep you alive, severely weakening her cultivation, so he could kill her. Then, who could have gotten close to you under your mother's protection? Was it someone very close to you?"
Jiang Miao trembled violently.
"Why were you frozen for twenty thousand years, yet your all-powerful uncle never came to save you?"
Qin Mu asked, "Where is the broken sword that pierced your heart?"
"I've kept it all along." Jiang Miao opened his mouth and spat out a broken sword.
Qin Mu's gaze fell on the broken sword. It was this sword that had pierced Jiang Miao's heart, still stained with dragon blood. "Do you want to know who the sword's owner is?" Qin Mu asked.
Jiang Miao showed a look of panic, shaking his head. "Sect Leader, my heart is in chaos..."
Qin Mu looked up at the divine dragon and said, "If it were your sword, you could activate this broken sword, easily kill us, and maybe even cut the chains. You sensed Jiang Miao's aura and kept calling him, probably for this sword too, right? The sword is here now. Senior, please."
The divine dragon narrowed its eyes, staring fixedly at him.
Qin Mu smiled.
Suddenly, the broken sword's light rippled, rose into the air, and emitted a dragon's roar! At almost the same moment, the chains blazed with demonic light, demonic fire surging into the divine dragon's body, burning it until it trembled. The power it had just gathered was severed again!
Clang.
The broken sword fell to the ground.
Qin Mu stepped forward, picked up the broken sword, and sighed, "Jiang Miao, your mother died unjustly."
Jiang Miao looked up at the divine dragon before him. The divine dragon laughed loudly and said harshly, "A wise man submits to circumstances! Your mother and I came from the same dragon nest, born from the essence of dragon veins—a nest of twin dragons! Why should she be the Yong River Dragon King while I'm just a Well Dragon King? The Heavenly Court promised me great benefits, so of course I seized the opportunity! My sister was my ticket to power! But even if I tell you, what can you do to me?"
It glared viciously at Qin Mu and sneered, "Your senior brother was ten thousand times more capable than you, but he still couldn't kill me! He used every means possible, but could only trap me here!"
Behind Qin Mu, a Gate of Bearing Heaven materialized, its doors wide open. He said calmly, "There's nothing under heaven I can't kill. My senior brother couldn't kill you, but for me, it's no trouble."
—Almost four thousand words, lalala, asking for monthly votes!