Chapter 605: Grand Celestial Cycle Star Calculation
Qin Mu, Qi Jiuyi, and Zhe Huali landed before this divine mountain. The mountain stood solemn and majestic, exuding an extraordinary aura. Golden rays of light gently rippled around its peaks, inspiring awe and reverence, making them dare not fly directly up.
They chose to walk.
The stone steps of this divine mountain led straight to the golden summit hall. A fierce battle must have taken place here, as the steps were covered with mottled bloodstains.
The blood had flowed down from above. The blood of gods and demons was difficult to dry, and even after ten or twenty thousand years, it would still emit a startling tremor. However, here, the essence of the divine and demonic blood had already been drained, leaving behind patches of shocking brown bloodstains.
Strangely, there were no traces of battle left behind.
Qin Mu urged the Carefree Sword and slashed fiercely at the divine mountain. Sparks flew, and his hands were numbed by the shock, yet no mark was left.
An inexplicable force seemed to flow within the mountain, protecting it.
"The former Venerable King of Luofu Heaven and many demon gods fought their way here but couldn't leave a mark on this mountain. What is the origin of this divine mountain?" Qin Mu was greatly puzzled.
Zhe Huali and Qi Jiuyi exchanged a glance, understanding each other without speaking.
Zhe Huali's eyes flickered, thinking to himself: "Even the Venerable King couldn't leave a mark on this mountain. Is this divine mountain really a replica? It doesn't seem quite right..."
They continued forward. Ahead lay the fallen corpse of a demon god, its flesh and blood gone. Qin Mu quickly approached. The clothes on the corpse had rotted away, and the flesh and blood had also decayed.
The corpse had three neck bones and three heads, facing three different directions. It had six arms, each gripping a divine weapon.
"A fallen god!"
Qin Mu's eyes lit up, and he immediately reached for one of the weapons, a fierce tiger-shaped wine vessel. But the moment his hand touched it, the divine weapon turned to ash.
Qin Mu was stunned. The corpse holding the vessel also began to crumble into dust. Soon, the entire corpse disintegrated completely, along with the other divine weapons, all shattering into pieces that couldn't even be swept up.
Zhe Huali stepped forward, puzzled. "Was he shattered into dust by his opponent?"
Qi Jiuyi shook his head. Suddenly, he cut his finger, and a drop of golden blood fell onto the stone steps. The drop rapidly dried, as if the steps had absorbed all its essence.
Qi Jiuyi's expression turned serious. "It's this divine mountain that absorbed all his essence, even the essence of the divine weapons couldn't be preserved."
Qin Mu spoke earnestly, "Brother Qi, now that we're all trapped on this alien star together, if you know anything, feel free to share. We might find a way out by exchanging information."
The wound on Qi Jiuyi's fingertip healed on its own. He smiled and shook his head. "This is my first time descending to the lower realm. What could I possibly know about this world? Don't joke, Brother Qin."
Qin Mu looked at the healing wound on his fingertip, a chill running down his spine. The wound healed automatically without any medicine. Was it due to his cultivation technique or his special physique?
Zhe Huali was also startled. In their battle before the painted divine city, Qi Jiuyi had been the most severely injured. Qin Mu and he had beaten him badly, and Qin Mu had stabbed him, nearly killing him.
Yet, just a few days later, Qi Jiuyi had fully recovered, his cultivation undiminished and even stronger than before!
The three of them, each harboring their own thoughts, continued onward. The stone steps were littered with the corpses of gods and demons of various sizes. Some were demon gods from the demon race, while others were deities.
Every deity had three heads and six arms, their skeletal forms almost identical, suggesting they belonged to the same race!
Their corpses, divine weapons, and demonic weapons had all had their essence absorbed by this divine mountain, leaving nothing behind. A single touch would turn them to ash.
Zhe Huali examined the skeletal remains of these three-headed, six-armed deities, frowned, and looked at Qi Jiuyi, lowering his voice. "Are these corpses from the divine race of the Heavenly Court?"
Qi Jiuyi shook his head, also lowering his voice. "I don't know. There are some three-headed, six-armed gods and demons in the Heavenly Court, but they aren't a race. And with so many three-headed deities fallen here, they probably aren't from the Heavenly Court. This divine mountain..."
He shook his head again. "The one in the Heavenly Court is real. This mountain should be a fake. But why is it so powerful?"
He was confused.
The demon eye on Zhe Huali's demon blade suddenly opened wide, scanning the surroundings, but even the demon eye could see nothing.
"Do you mean this divine mountain is also real? How is that possible?" Zhe Huali asked, puzzled.
Qi Jiuyi looked up. Qin Mu was walking quickly and was about to reach the summit. He hurriedly said, "This mountain is strange. Let's go up too. If there's any treasure, he might snatch it first!"
The two rushed upward, only to find Qin Mu standing motionless at the end of the stone steps. They quickly reached him and saw a demon god standing before Qin Mu. The god had fierce brows and a long beard, one hand resting on a three-pointed double-edged blade, looking imposing.
They looked up and saw the demon god's face exuding authority without anger, staring at them as if the blade in his hand might strike down at any moment!
Qi Jiuyi and Zhe Huali stiffened, not daring to move.
Qin Mu exhaled a breath of turbid air, moved his feet, and circled around to the side of the demon god, where he saw another face.
He walked around the demon god completely. This demon god actually had four faces—front, back, left, and right. He laughed, "Two senior brothers, no need to worry. He must have been dead for a long time. When I first climbed up here, his back face stared at me, and I froze too, thinking I was about to die by his hand."
Qi Jiuyi and Zhe Huali snapped back to reality, each sighing in relief, drenched in cold sweat.
Zhe Huali circled around, surprised. "A four-faced demon god? Could this be the former Venerable King? Why is he standing here instead of entering the hall?"
Qin Mu examined him closely. "Four faces, one more than Fu Riluo. Could it be the same cultivation technique as Fu Riluo's? Has Fu Riluo not yet reached this level?"
Qi Jiuyi also followed him around the Venerable King, scrutinizing him. "Maybe not. Fu Riluo has ears on the back of his head, but no fourth face. They should be of the same race but different variants. Fu Riluo's cultivation and strength shouldn't be weaker than his... The wound is here!"
He pointed to the Venerable King's neck. Qin Mu looked and saw a faint red line on the neck.
This Venerable King must have been ambushed here, his throat slit!
Qin Mu opened his mouth and exhaled a gust of wind toward the Venerable King's head. The head suddenly rolled off the neck, fell onto the stone steps, and shattered like porcelain.
Then, the Venerable King's tall and imposing body crumbled like a ceramic statue of a demon god. His body was hollow, flesh and blood gone, leaving only skin!
The three-pointed double-edged blade in his hand also shattered into pieces!
Qin Mu shuddered and turned to look at the hall.
The four-faced Venerable King had been struck down just as he was about to step into the hall before them, his head and primordial spirit severed!
Now, the hall stood before them, its doors open, the interior dim and unclear, with occasional flashes of light swirling into view.
Qi Jiuyi's eyes flickered uncertainly. He whispered, "Brother Qin, should we go in? There might be danger inside!"
Qin Mu gritted his teeth and walked forward, saying solemnly, "Two senior brothers, I'll go in first to scout. If there's danger, I'll warn you to flee immediately!"
Qi Jiuyi was surprised and looked at Zhe Huali, who also showed surprise as he looked back. Both youths were puzzled. Was Qin Mu really treating them as friends who would share life and death, willingly risking himself to explore?
They hadn't known Qin Mu long, but they could tell he wasn't that kind of person!
Ahead, Qin Mu entered the hall, his figure disappearing into the dim light that swirled within. Qi Jiuyi and Zhe Huali stared intently at the door, listening carefully for any sound inside.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream came from within, making their hair stand on end!
Qin Mu's miserable voice rang out: "Inside there—"
The sound cut off abruptly!
Whoosh—
Qi Jiuyi and Zhe Huali immediately bolted down the mountain, their figures turning into two streaks of light, incredibly fast.
It had taken them nearly half an hour to climb up, but going down took only a few breaths to reach the mountainside!
Suddenly, Zhe Huali stopped. "Brother Qi, stop! Something's wrong!"
Qi Jiuyi quickly halted and turned around, looking confused.
Zhe Huali sneered. "His scream was full of energy. Does that sound like a dying man? Besides, do you think whatever killed the former Venerable King would give him a chance to warn us?"
Qi Jiuyi's eyes widened. "You mean... Let's go back up!"
The two rushed back up the mountain, arriving at the summit in front of the hall. Zhe Huali took a deep breath, grabbed the hilt of his demon blade, and walked step by step toward the door.
Qi Jiuyi followed behind him, his heads popping out from his neck, nervously looking around.
Finally, they reached the entrance. One of Qi Jiuyi's heads peeked out from over Zhe Huali's shoulder, while the others hid behind him, looking into the hall. They were stunned.
Inside, Qin Mu was taking out a pile of intricate calculation tools, assembling them into a large computational spirit weapon.
Qi Jiuyi gritted his teeth, retracted his nine heads into one, stepped out from behind Zhe Huali, and walked into the hall.
Zhe Huali followed him in.
The two youths sneered. Qin Mu looked up, showing surprise, then smiled warmly. "Two senior brothers, perfect timing. I was about to tell you there's a mathematical problem in the hall."
Qi Jiuyi sneered and looked around the hall. In the center was a massive iron throne made of crossed swords and blades. A three-headed, six-armed god sat majestically on the throne, five of his hands resting on the armrests, while the sixth pointed in a direction.
His three heads faced three different directions, mouths wide open, eyes bulging, as if letting out a heart-wrenching roar.
Strangely, all the flesh on his body had withered away, leaving him like a mummy, skin and bones. Even the eyes in his sockets had dried up, sunken deep, showing only black, shriveled pupils.
In front of this three-headed, six-armed god floated a small jade box, hovering quietly. Wisps of faint, colorful light emanated from the box, swirling around it.
Around the small box, star-like grains of sand of various sizes orbited it.
The direction the god's finger pointed was a mural on the wall, depicting a star map that covered the entire wall.
Qi Jiuyi and Zhe Huali followed his finger and saw it pointing to a galaxy in the star map. In the center of that galaxy was a continent, and above the continent were layers of heavens.
"The stars orbiting the small box are indeed a mathematical problem!"
Qi Jiuyi examined it closely, showing shock. "The Heavenly Court's Grand Celestial Cycle Star Calculation! Zhe Huali, did you study this in the Heavenly Court's Lingxiu Army?"
Zhe Huali nodded, his expression serious. "Indeed, it's the Heavenly Court's Celestial Cycle Star Trajectory, hiding a mathematical problem that corresponds to the star map on the wall, forming a killing formation. Once the problem is solved, you can enter the formation and retrieve the small box!"
The two immediately took out various calculation spirit weapons and began rapid calculations!
Just then, Qin Mu stood up, and his large computational spirit weapon disassembled, flying noisily into his Taotie Bag.
"Two senior brothers, no need to calculate. It's 330,000 years."
Qin Mu stepped forward, examining the Celestial Cycle Star Killing Formation surrounding the small box. "It's a star map from 330,000 years ago, with slight differences from the current celestial phenomena of Yancheng. Embarrassingly, while solving the problem, I actually comprehended the true Fourteenth Sword of the Dao Sect!"
His face lit up with excitement. He turned to the mural on the wall and laughed, "And I made a wonderful discovery. This star map on the wall comes from the southern part of the Great Ruins from 330,000 years ago. The observation point was near the South Sea. Isn't that strange? This three-headed, six-armed god is from the South Sea of the Great Ruins 330,000 years ago!"
Qi Jiuyi and Zhe Huali exchanged a glance and immediately stepped into the Celestial Cycle Star Killing Formation around the small box, charging toward it.
Since Qin Mu had solved the problem, they could use the answer to easily enter the formation and seize the box.
"Oh no, I think I miscalculated!"
In front of the star map mural, Qin Mu suddenly slapped his forehead and stomped his foot. "It should be 350,000 years! Two senior brothers, you... why did you go in? What do we do now?"
---
Open Letter
Regarding this incident of competing for the monthly ticket list, Zhai Zhu wants to apologize to you. I didn't expect it to turn so unpleasant.
When you came to me, you said not to get angry, probably referring to the end-of-month competition for the monthly ticket list. You didn't specify the reason, and I thought it would be a healthy competition, so I said whoever gets first place will treat the other to a meal next time we meet.
That same night, the comment sections of both books erupted in arguments. Looking at your single chapter, you said you banned over a hundred accounts for attacking posts. On my side, I checked the backend, and Ye Mao and the others also banned one or two hundred accounts for the same reason. Emotions flared up among readers, and arguments are inevitable. You spoke up, I didn't—that's all.
The next day at noon, after I updated, I wrote a single chapter and ended with: "Also, readers, don't argue. Discussing the book is what true readers do!"
You can verify that sentence; I didn't modify the chapter. My moderators, Ye Mao and Chuan Chuang, maintained the comment section, posting to advise readers not to argue. Those posts are still there.
By one or two in the afternoon, the Mo Chengkong incident erupted.
Mo Chengkong was also one of your moderators. He wasn't a moderator on the Shepherd of the Gods side, but he was familiar with the administrators of the Shepherd of the Gods alliance leader group and knew their account credentials.
There's actually a significant overlap between the readers of both books. Many readers support Shepherd of the Gods, and many support your book. Some readers from the Shepherd of the Gods alliance leader group were kicked out of your group. They chatted about it in the Shepherd of the Gods alliance leader group, and your group intercepted some chat logs from here, while my alliance leader group intercepted some from your side.
Chuan Chuang's post explained this clearly. The alliance leader group management meant that since both sides were competing for monthly tickets, having supporters of both sides in one group wasn't ideal, so it was best to ask readers supporting your side to temporarily leave the group.
The management's tone was a bit harsh, using a full-group pop-up, which might have provoked reader Mo Chengkong.
Reader Mo Chengkong, an old alliance leader of Shepherd of the Gods, used the administrator account to start kicking people. When he tried to kick the founder of the alliance leader group, he couldn't, was discovered, and was removed.
I waited from 2 PM to 8 PM for your side to respond, but there was no movement. The alliance leaders didn't tell me about it either; they didn't know I was lurking.
After 8 PM, I posted a single chapter at the end of the chapter, mentioning Mo Chengkong and the words "spy" and "traitor."
It was my oversight.
"Spy" refers to someone infiltrating from outside, while "traitor" refers to someone from within. The meanings differ.
At 8:30 PM, you asked me to change "spy," and I did. But I also said I was addressing the matter, not the person. Mo Chengkong did what he did, and I had to call him out.
Regarding Mo Chengkong kicking the alliance leaders, I was addressing the matter, not the person. I might have wronged Mo Chengkong.
Building the Shepherd of the Gods alliance leader group was hard work. It started accumulating alliance leaders from Rebirth: Journey to the West, and many more during the Era of Humanity. When Shepherd of the Gods began uploading, these long-time supporters collectively tipped over thirty times on the first day, though I don't recall exactly.
These old friends brought Shepherd of the Gods not just money but significant popularity. Without their support, the book's popularity would have dropped significantly.
If the alliance leader group were disbanded, it would be hard to gather these big supporters again. After all, they're wealthy; if you kick me out, why would I lower myself to rejoin your group?
After ten years of hard work, it could all vanish in an instant.
Would my next book still have their support? Probably not.
So I had to call out Mo Chengkong at the end of the chapter. I could delete the word "spy," but I couldn't delete "traitor." In the comment section, I also apologized to the alliance leaders who were kicked out. Those posts can be found.
Last night during dinner, you came with the Mo Chengkong matter. First, you said what Mo Chengkong did was wrong, and he cried like an idiot.
Then you said Chuan Chuang and Ye Mao were untrustworthy, that they stirred up trouble, and that they led hundreds of people to spam your comment section. You suggested I kick them out as moderators.
But on my side, there were also hundreds of people spamming. Chuan Chuang and Ye Mao were deleting posts and banning accounts in the backend, with hundreds of accounts logged.
Chuan Chuang and Ye Mao became readers and moderators during the Era of Humanity and have been with me for three or four years.
The comment section, QQ groups, WeChat groups, and alliance leader groups of Shepherd of the Gods are all managed by them.
I'm lazy; I only chat with readers once a month. Many readers, even alliance leaders, I've never spoken to. Golden alliance leader Jun Mo Wen and A-Meng have combined conversations of fewer than ten sentences. They became alliance leaders during the Era of Humanity.
A-Meng also helped me compete for the monthly ticket list during the Era of Humanity. At that time, the subscription for Era of Humanity was only over 2,000, but it increased to over 6,000 in a month, and now it's over 9,000.
Jun Mo Wen tipped a golden alliance during the tenth-anniversary celebration. I didn't know about it beforehand; Chuan Chuang and Ye Mao did and told me later.
Actually, I have a bit of social anxiety and fear chatting with others. It was Chuan Chuang and Ye Mao who invited A-Meng to help during the darkest days of Era of Humanity and invited Jun Mo Wen during the tenth-anniversary celebration. I've always been grateful to A-Meng and Jun Mo Wen, and equally grateful to Chuan Chuang and Ye Mao.
I can't remove Chuan Chuang and Ye Mao as moderators. They're the ones who help me maintain so many readers. If I kicked them out, how would my readers see me? Would I lose thousands or tens of thousands of readers?
Would Shepherd of the Gods' performance plummet? Would my next book turn me into a crying idiot?
You studied management and worked as a senior executive in a state-owned enterprise. You should know what happens if a leader removes the backbone and the doers—what consequences the company would face.
I hope you don't know. I told you sincerely: if my readers did something to disband your alliance leader group, I would never side with them, no matter how much money they gave me.
I hope you can also consider my position.
You continued talking about Chuan Chuang and Ye Mao.
At that moment, I wanted to say: our readers overlap significantly. On my side, there are also readers supporting you who cause trouble. If I kick out Ye Mao and Chuan Chuang, can you kick out your moderators?
Mo Chengkong was still one of your moderators yesterday, brother.
But I'm not good at socializing, so I couldn't say it.
In college, I studied sociology, social psychology, psychology, and economics. One summer, the professor assigned a task: observe everyone on a train and analyze their professions and family structures. I chatted with over twenty passengers in one car and got about 80% right.
The more I understand human psychology, the more I dislike socializing. After ten years of writing, I've turned myself into a socially anxious homebody, immersed in my own fantasy world, writing it for readers.
I've always believed that authors personally engaging in disputes is unbecoming. After all, we make a living with words; using words to attack others isn't good.
I've been in disputes before and experienced several.
I rarely visit Long Kong, though I registered early. During Jing Guan's dispute, I was a cheering bystander. After a redesign, I lost my account and never found it again. I occasionally visit. The design of the Shepherd of the Gods' Disabled Elderly Village was inspired by chatting with others on that forum after Era of Humanity ended.
The forum has both praise and criticism for my books. Some say I referenced the opening of The Legendary Siblings or copied this or that book. I won't tell them I copied theirs. Shepherd of the Gods has a low rating on Youshu Library, only a little over six. Some people like to attack me. I once wanted to retaliate but couldn't find my account and was too lazy to register, so I gave up. Later, I found many people still like Shepherd of the Gods and praise it, and I'm glad I didn't start a fight.
At the end of Rebirth: Journey to the West, I attacked the Honghuang genre, saying that if they didn't change their thinking, they'd eventually decline. My editor scolded me, and I deleted it.
When competing with Hei Tu Mao Qing Yan for the Sanjiang list, I was angry and said something about vote manipulation, but only that one sentence. Later, I felt sorry for Hei Tu and don't know if he's still writing.
I still remember Gu Long, who encouraged me during Rebirth: Journey to the West, the wandering toad, the Lone Wolf King of Barbarian Throne, Chang Duan Tian Ya during Unrivaled Under Heaven, Perfume during Emperor Zun, and Yan Zhi Gui, who always liked to guess the plot during Era of Humanity.
I don't like disputes. When traditional authors attacked me on Weibo, I just watched.
In your single chapter and in our shared WeChat author group, when you mentioned me, I just watched quietly.
Your average subscription is very high, 68,000. Shepherd of the Gods and all the books I've written over ten years combined don't match yours. I admire that.
But measuring by average subscription and money is wrong. After Shepherd of the Gods made the sales list, my editor told me daily sales were 48,000 yuan, and with QQ Book City and browsers combined, daily sales were 18,000 yuan. Now it should be around 20,000.
If we calculate average subscription, Shepherd of the Gods is still lower than your book, but not by much.
Of course, the money that ends up in my hands is probably not much.
Embarrassing—how did this turn into showing off wealth?
Let's not talk about money. It hurts feelings.
Maybe competing for the monthly ticket list will hurt feelings too.
While writing Shepherd of the Gods, I was reading the Complete Works of Wang Yangming and used many of his ideas. Before his passing, Wang Yangming said a passage:
"The mind in itself is beyond good and evil; the will in motion can be good or evil; the ability to know good and evil is conscience; doing good and removing evil is the investigation of things."
Let us encourage each other.
For the last two days of the monthly ticket list, I won't ask for votes. Please.
With respect.