Chapter 661: That Is Not My Long Pang
Qin Mu, with a gentle expression, helped him up—though in truth he couldn't actually lift him, it was merely a gesture of peace. The Vermilion Divine Son quickly said, "Don't move me! My bones are broken!"
Qin Mu let go accordingly and said solemnly, "This was all just a misunderstanding. I mistakenly thought the Divine Son intended to kill me, and the Divine Son mistakenly thought I meant harm to the Suspended Void Realm, hence this conflict. Heaven be praised, the misunderstanding is now resolved, and thankfully there were no casualties."
The corner of the Vermilion Divine Son's eye twitched. No casualties? Are you blind? Can't you see me lying here on the ground? Can't you see all these fallen Vermilion soldiers?
Even the Sacred Mountain had lost a peak, and the Sacred Hall had been torn down!
Qin Mu looked around, speaking both for the Vermilion gods and demons hovering in the air who wanted to approach but dared not, and for the Vermilion Divine Son himself. He said, "I just encountered the Vermilion Emperor. Seeing my extraordinary talent and insight, he took pity on my abilities and taught me the Three Primordial Spirits Indestructible Divine Sense Sutra."
At these words, a commotion arose in the air, and even the Vermilion Divine Son was filled with doubt and uncertainty.
The Three Primordial Spirits Indestructible Divine Sense Sutra was a creation of the Vermilion Emperor. It had been lost since his disappearance. Even the Bright Emperor did not cultivate this technique; instead, he forged his own path and created a new method, the Leakless Creation Profound Sutra.
—Buangong Cuo's Leakless Combat Divine Art was derived from the Worry-Free Creation Profound Sutra.
The Bright Emperor had once tried to complete the Three Primordial Spirits Indestructible Divine Sense, but he had always lacked the strength to do so.
This was because the two emperors of the Vermilion Era each had their own strengths. The Vermilion Emperor excelled in spirit creation but had little skill in physical creation, while the Bright Emperor excelled in physical creation but lacked proficiency in spirit creation. Thus, during the Vermilion Emperor's era, cultivators were known for their three-headed, six-armed spirits; during the Bright Emperor's era, they were known for their three-headed, six-armed physical bodies. One emphasized the spirit, the other the body, each with remarkable traits but also obvious flaws.
The Bright Emperor once said that if he could obtain the Vermilion Emperor's Three Primordial Spirits Indestructible Divine Sense, he could advance the Vermilion Era's techniques by a great leap, achieving unprecedented success. Unfortunately, the Vermilion Emperor had vanished without a trace.
The reason the Vermilion Divine Son frequently visited the Sacred Hall, aside from offering sacrifices to the Vermilion Emperor and honoring his ancestors, was to obtain the Three Primordial Spirits Indestructible Divine Sense through the Vermilion Emperor's brain.
But how could the Vermilion Emperor give this technique—one he himself had sought for fifty thousand years in vain—to an outsider?
Was the Vermilion Emperor's heart so vast and broad that he had abandoned all racial prejudice?
"The Vermilion Emperor instructed me that the Three Primordial Spirits Indestructible Divine Sense is a technique of the Vermilion Era and must be returned to the people of that era."
Qin Mu, beaming, said loudly, "The Vermilion Emperor also said that the current descendants of the Suspended Void Realm have brought him shame, turning into little lambs that only bleat, having lost their fighting spirit. So he said pressure must be applied to you. He told me to have the Divine Son pass on the Bright Emperor's technique to me, so I can pressure you. Only when the Divine Son can defeat and surpass me at the same cultivation level will he acknowledge you."
In his third eye, on the Qin Continent, the giant infant, along with Heaven Duke and the Vermilion Emperor, leaned in to listen to the voice from beyond the heavens. The Vermilion Emperor grunted and said in a muffled tone, "I didn't say that. I didn't say that at all... I clearly told you to pass this technique to my people. Yes, he did say to pass it on, but he never said not to extort..."
The Vermilion Divine Son knew full well that these words came from Qin Mu's mouth, and no one could prove whether they truly originated from the Vermilion Emperor.
He calculated the situation. He was determined to obtain the Vermilion Emperor's technique. Using force was clearly out of the question; the only option now was to exchange it for the Bright Emperor's technique.
Although this would strengthen Qin Mu, for the people of the Suspended Void Realm, it would mean gaining a flawless technique, allowing both spirit and body to advance together!
Overall, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
"Fine!" The Vermilion Divine Son forced a smile.
Over ten days later, the ships of the Vermilion Suspended Void Realm finally set out. Over a dozen massive vessels formed a grand fleet, sailing out of the Suspended Void Realm.
This time, half of the Suspended Void Realm's population was migrating, leaving the other half behind as seeds. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket," as the Vermilion Divine Son had said.
Qin Mu, Ling Yuxiu, and others lived on one of these ships. The vessel was like a moving small continent, complete with mountains, rivers, and fertile fields, capable of housing hundreds of thousands of people.
Over a dozen giant ships meant millions of people—half of the Suspended Void Realm's population!
The Suspended Void Realm's population was small, unlike Yan Kang, which numbered in the hundreds of millions.
Qin Mu walked around the ship, examining its layout, measuring the height of the hills, the flow of the rivers, calculating the projection of the artificial sun's light. He then took out paper and a brush, sketched the layout of the fertile fields, and performed some calculations.
The ship's layout was extremely reasonable, ensuring the survival and reproduction of hundreds of thousands of people. It seemed that the Vermilion Era had also possessed high-level mathematical skills and skilled craftsmen.
"Could there have been a Daoist sect in that era too?" Qin Mu wondered.
After surveying and drawing blueprints of various parts of the ship, he returned to find Ling Yuxiu tending to the First Ancestor Human Sovereign, with two large eyeballs nearby serving tea, pouring water, and brewing medicinal decoctions.
The First Ancestor Human Sovereign lay on a recliner, basking in the sun, diligently cultivating the Leakless Creation Profound Sutra that Qin Mu had taught him, trying to regenerate his broken bones. When he saw Qin Mu return, his face darkened again, and he snorted.
Qin Mu quickly smiled apologetically and said, "First Ancestor, it really wasn't me who hit you; it was my brother. I've explained this many times. I don't hold grudges; I wouldn't deliberately slap you away."
The First Ancestor snorted again, turning his head away, refusing to look at him.
Qin Mu had no choice but to check his physical injuries. He found that the broken bones had been expelled, and new bones were growing, though slowly.
He was overjoyed. "Village Chief Grandpa can finally grow his limbs back!"
The First Ancestor fumed, "You shattered my bones just to use me as a test subject to heal your Village Chief Grandpa? Don't forget, your surname is Qin, and your Village Chief Grandpa's surname is Su. We're the same family! You're favoring outsiders..."
Qin Mu quickly said, "It really wasn't me who hit you! It was my brother!"
The First Ancestor asked, "In the family tree, you're called Qin Fengqing, right?"
Qin Mu nodded.
The First Ancestor asked again, "And your brother? Is he also called Qin Fengqing?"
Qin Mu hesitated. The First Ancestor caught his expression and fumed, "Then it was you! It was you who hit me!"
Qin Mu mixed a medicinal formula and said weakly, "If you say so, then it's so."
"Princess Xiu, did you hear that? He admitted it! He admitted it!"
The First Ancestor grew excited, complaining to Ling Yuxiu, "Yan Kang, I only have this one relative, and he still hits me, shatters my bones to use as a test subject for his non-blood-related grandfather..."
Qin Mu finished mixing the medicine, fed it to him, and had him cultivate the Leakless Creation Profound Sutra, using both methods to speed up recovery.
After drinking the medicine, the First Ancestor perked up and continued complaining to Ling Yuxiu. Suddenly, someone shouted, "We've arrived at the Heavenly Capital!"
"The Heavenly Capital?"
Qin Mu quickly looked up, seeing light shining from everywhere, bathing every corner in the Heavenly Capital's radiance, leaving no shadows.
"The Heavenly Capital is Heaven Duke's domain. His avatar said this time he would add another seal to prevent my brother from escaping and causing trouble. I wonder if Heaven Duke's true body knows about this?"
The massive fleet of ships sailed into the Heavenly Capital's light, then split apart, taking different paths. The advantage of dispersing was to evade pursuit by the Heavenly Court.
Although they didn't know the extent of the Great Sun Star Lord's injuries, if he were to intercept and attack them on the road, the people of the Suspended Void Realm would suffer heavy casualties.
One by one, the ships veered off course, disappearing into the dazzling light. The ship carrying Qin Mu and the others continued silently. Over ten days later, they once again saw Heaven Duke's eye.
A few more days passed, and they could no longer see Heaven Duke's eye, only light so dense it seemed almost solid.
Qin Mu had been waiting for Heaven Duke to apply a seal to him, but the ship traveled through the Heavenly Capital for nearly a month without any unusual occurrence. Finally, the ship sailed out of the Heavenly Capital's range, continuing through the dark starry sky, heading straight for the Floating Heaven.
"How strange. Why didn't Heaven Duke add a seal to me? Why didn't he take back his avatar?"
He was quite puzzled. With this confusion, he came to check on the First Ancestor Human Sovereign's physical injuries. After a month of recuperation and cultivation, the First Ancestor had completely expelled the broken bones, and new bones had grown. However, the new bones were somewhat fragile, unable to bear the weight of his body.
After all, he was a god of the Execution Platform, with an astonishingly heavy body. Even the bones of an ordinary honored god might not be able to support his weight.
Qin Mu had the two large eyeballs burrow into the First Ancestor's celestial palace, deliver medicine, and use them to observe his celestial palace and spirit. He said, "There's no major problem anymore. With some more diligent cultivation, your bone strength will match before. And since you're cultivating the Leakless Creation Profound Sutra, your body will only become stronger than before!"
The First Ancestor managed to sit up and suddenly said, "Mu'er, what's wrong with your brow?"
Qin Mu was puzzled. "What is it?"
"The golden willow leaf on your brow has changed."
Qin Mu quickly took out a mirror and looked at himself. The golden willow leaf on his brow had changed color. Originally forged by the Mute, it had been sealed with imprints by the people of the Crippled Village. Later, the Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha had tampered with it before handing it over, adding his own seal and restrictions, which were compatible with the Earth Lord's jade pendant seal.
Now, the willow leaf was no longer golden; it shimmered with various colors, as if made of light, very strange.
Qin Mu was surprised. He was about to remove the golden willow leaf to examine it when the First Ancestor said nervously, "Don't take it off! Do you want to cause even more trouble? What if your brother escapes again? This ship can't handle your antics! Can't you curb your curiosity?"
Qin Mu said suspiciously, "First Ancestor, didn't you say you didn't believe I had a brother?"
The First Ancestor's face reddened slightly.
"Could it be that Heaven Duke secretly placed a seal on me while we were in the Heavenly Capital? When did he do it? I didn't notice at all!"
Qin Mu wanted to take it off for a closer look but feared releasing his brother, so he forcibly suppressed his curiosity.
A few months later, the First Ancestor fully recovered, his strength and cultivation even greater than before. They also arrived at the Floating Heaven. What puzzled Qin Mu was that they encountered no pursuit or ambush along the way, not even a shadow of a Heavenly Court god.
"The Heavenly Court is probably waiting for an opportunity to catch us all in one net," the First Ancestor said. "To wipe out Yan Kang and the remnants of the Vermilion Era in one fell swoop!"
Qin Mu felt a chill in his heart.
Red Creek steered the ship toward a foreign star and said, "Sacrificial Officer Qin, please return to Yan Kang first. We'll wait for other clansmen to arrive and will reach Yan Kang in a few months."
Qin Mu nodded. He, the First Ancestor, and Ling Yuxiu flew off the foreign star and entered the Floating Heaven. Stepping onto solid ground, he looked up and saw the star's orbit gradually changing. Clearly, Red Creek and the other gods were using their power or formations to eventually move the star to Yan Kang.
If successful, a true star would appear in Yan Kang's sky!
"This mission is complete. Let's go. First, we'll see Teacher the Woodcutter."
They arrived at the Woodcutter Sage's altar but didn't find him. Qin Mu and the others had to return to the Supreme Heaven. Upon reaching Li City, Qin Mu finally relaxed and laughed, "When we return to Yan Kang, we can report to the Emperor. The two imperial techniques of the Vermilion Era—the Bright Emperor's Leakless Creation Profound Sutra and the Vermilion Emperor's Three Primordial Spirits Indestructible Divine Sense—can be passed on. Yan Kang's cultivators are about to experience a great explosion! First Ancestor, Xiu Mei, let's go see Ma Ye. I also have the Emperor Shakra Heavenly King Buddha's sutras to teach to Ma Tathagata."
In Li City, the three of them entered Ma Ye's temple. The welcoming monk led them inside, smiling, "Several benefactors, Medicine Master Benefactor and others are also here, discussing sutras and doctrines with the Tathagata."
Qin Mu was both surprised and delighted. "Village Chief and the others are here too?"
Just then, Medicine Master walked out of the alchemy room, carrying a large pot, and shouted, "Fatty, come out and eat!"
Qin Mu laughed. "Fatty? That must be Long Pang! I haven't seen him in a while! I wonder if he's managed to shed that fat?"
As he spoke, a massive meatball rolled out from not far away. The meatball's hooves barely touched the ground, inching forward bit by bit. Its dragon tail was thick but, due to its obesity, appeared short and stubby, swaying left and right behind its rear.
Its neck had disappeared, and its head also looked like a meatball, as if growing from a ball of scales and short bristles. One could barely make out dragon horns on its head.
The meatball said happily, "Is it lunch? Medicine Master, is the portion enough today? Breakfast was a bit short, you know, skimping on the amount."
Medicine Master said impatiently, "See for yourself!" Then he turned and left.
The fat ball struggled to move to the pot, intending to count the number of pills, but suddenly lost its footing and tumbled headfirst into the pot.
From inside the pot, a muffled voice said, "Forget counting. I'm too hungry. I'll eat first."
Then came the crunching sound of devouring.
Qin Mu stood frozen, as if turned to stone. After a long while, he came to his senses and muttered, "No, that is not my Long Pang. Definitely not... Medicine Master Grandpa, Medicine Master Grandpa, have you seen my Dragon Qilin?"
—Another four-thousand-word chapter, Long Pang makes an appearance again! Please subscribe!