Chapter 731: The Most Bizarre Place
Hu Bugui had no idea what the two of them were discussing. He could only feel his cultivation still rising; with every breath, he sensed surging, majestic power growing within his body.
In this short span of time, his cultivation and strength had undergone earth-shattering changes. Now, if he wanted to ascend his primordial spirit to the Heavenly Palace, it would likely be effortless!
Who could have imagined that he would become the first person in the world to achieve the ascension of a single divine repository to the Heavenly Palace?
He soon encountered his first major problem after this breakthrough and quickly asked, "Heavenly Master, how does one cultivate the Divine Bridge realm?"
The old farmer's face flushed red, and he couldn't speak.
He also had no Divine Bridge; he had never experienced this realm himself, so naturally, he didn't know how to cultivate it. But his pride wouldn't allow him to admit ignorance in front of his juniors.
After a moment, the old farmer stammered, "Well... you should ask Qin Mu and Xu Shenghua..."
Hu Bugui looked toward Qin Mu and Xu Shenghua, only to see the two youths huddled together again, murmuring and scribbling.
He walked over but couldn't understand what they were talking about.
Qin Mu and Xu Shenghua had written down the improved Jianmu Innate Divine Bridge Technique, each copying a copy. In the process, they had come up with many new ideas, thinking that realms like Five Radiance, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Heavenly Man, Life and Death, and Divine Bridge could all cultivate the Jianmu Innate Divine Bridge.
However, the Jianmu sapling needed to be either large or small, requiring further modifications to the technique.
Basically, the Jianmu Innate Divine Bridge for each realm differed from the others.
Moreover, the higher the realm, the more dangerous the cultivation.
By the Life and Death realm, one needed a powerful physical body and primordial spirit like Hu Bugui's to endure it.
By the Divine Bridge realm, it was almost impossible to cultivate the Jianmu Innate Divine Bridge!
"I have an idea that might solve this problem!"
Qin Mu suddenly thought of a possibility, his eyes lighting up. "The Ten Thousand Spirits Natural Art of Xiong Xiyu, the Palace Master of the Western Lands' True Heavenly Palace, can achieve the state where all things have spirit and all things have divinity. Her control over vital energy has also reached the realm of Dao-mystery returning to truth. If she could integrate her method of controlling true energy into the Jianmu Divine Bridge to manage the pressure, then the survival rate for cultivators in the Divine Bridge realm would greatly increase."
Xu Shenghua's eyes also brightened, and he smiled. "My Supreme Heaven Academy and the True Heavenly Palace are neighbors; I can consult her!"
The two became so engrossed in their research that they ignored everything else. By the time they had organized the Jianmu Innate Divine Bridge Techniques for each realm, over ten days had passed.
The Supreme Heaven Academy had already been built. Palaces rose layer upon layer, row upon row, with long corridors spanning the sky. The girls of the Western Lands had a unique sense of beauty, adorning the academy with poetic charm.
The papers Qin Mu and Xu Shenghua had copied were piled up like a mountain. The techniques for each realm were thick and heavy, and many details remained unresolved.
"Brother Xu, since you're building the Supreme Heaven Academy, why not let the academy's scholars refine these realm techniques? It will be a test for them as well."
Qin Mu stretched lazily and smiled. "I promised Sister Di Yiyue that I would accompany her to see Lady Tianyin. It's time for me to go."
Xu Shenghua felt reluctant to part. "If you could stay a few more days, we could research even more things. Then my Supreme Heaven Academy would have more unique offerings to attract scholars from the Western Lands."
Qin Mu chuckled. "Brother Hu is staying here to teach martial arts. Qi Jiuyi has also taken refuge in Supreme Heaven; if you invite him out, his skills are also extremely high."
Xu Shenghua shook his head. "Qi Jiuyi is from the Outer Heaven Court. How could he help me build the academy?"
"He's sworn brothers with Long Pang and also sworn brothers with Tian Shu, the Heavenly King. Have Long Pang accompany you, and he won't be able to refuse."
Xu Shenghua was overjoyed and quickly looked at Long Qilin. "Then I'll borrow Brother Long for a few days!"
Upon hearing this, Long Qilin was ecstatic but kept a straight face. "You can borrow me, but you have to provide three meals a day. The Sect Leader has been starving me for days. Settle my wages first."
Xu Shenghua said, "I also have some knowledge of medicine and alchemy; you won't be shortchanged."
Only then did Long Qilin feel reassured. "If I go hungry again, I can ask Xu Shenghua for some rations. By the way, Xu Shenghua is easy to deal with—I wonder if he'd be willing to become sworn brothers with me? If he does, I'll have food for life..."
His eyes flickered as he schemed inwardly.
The old farmer walked over and coughed. "I'll stay here for a few days too. Young friend Xu has done such a great favor for my Ox Palace, so I need to show some gratitude. Young friend Xu has considerable achievements in spells and techniques, but I see you're lacking in physical cultivation. I'll stay these few days to guide you in training your body."
Xu Shenghua bowed in thanks and asked, "I do have some doubts I'd like to ask you, senior. Sect Leader Qin has passed down the Ancestral Dragon Supreme Profound Art, the Three Primordial Indestructible Divine Sense, the Leakless Creation Profound Scripture, and the Emperor Shakti Heavenly Buddha Sutra. I've studied these techniques and even practiced them, but for some reason, my physical cultivation still can't match Sect Leader Qin's. Can you enlighten me, senior?"
Qin Mu's eyes flickered, and he stopped in his tracks. "It suddenly occurred to me that I can't do without Long Pang. I think I'll stay a few more days too."
He was clearly planning to eavesdrop on the lesson.
After all, the old farmer was the Martial Combat Heavenly Master of the Kaihuang Era, the strongest Heavenly Master in combat, and one of the few Emperor Seats of that era.
Even the Woodcutter had said that the Martial Combat Heavenly Master's martial arts were unparalleled, unmatched for millions of years.
If he could listen to his lecture, he would surely benefit greatly.
The old farmer glanced at him. "You've already entered the Dao through martial arts. My path isn't suitable for you; forcing yourself to follow my path will only lead you astray. Go on your way."
Qin Mu didn't leave and stammered, "Listening a little won't hurt. Besides, I played a big part in Hu Bugui's cultivation of a single divine repository. I'll just listen; I won't practice."
The old farmer's forehead bulged with veins. "You're the Woodcutter's disciple. I won't teach you, or he'll take credit for it again."
Qin Mu was about to argue further when the old farmer said to the ox, "Sanduo, take him to see Lady Tianyin."
The ox acknowledged and sent out a surge of magical power. Qin Mu found himself involuntarily landing on the ox's back, watching helplessly as the ox carried him away.
The Supreme Heaven Academy grew farther and farther away. Qin Mu sighed, feeling a bit down.
In the distance, girls from the Western Lands sang and danced, expressing their admiration for the boys they liked, but Qin Mu couldn't muster any enthusiasm.
The ox laughed. "Junior Brother Qin, the master isn't that bad. It's just that he's been thoroughly disgusted by the Great Heavenly Master in the past."
Qin Mu was curious. "Did Teacher Woodcutter take credit for the Martial Combat Heavenly Master's achievements before?"
The ox said, "The Great Heavenly Master didn't actually take credit, but his reputation is so great that others always like to attribute all achievements to him. Once or twice wouldn't be a problem, but when every achievement is credited to him, the master naturally can't stand it."
"I see."
Qin Mu probed, "Senior Brother Sanduo, is the technique you practice the Martial Combat Heavenly Master's? Since he won't teach me, you can."
Niu Sanduo hesitated for a moment. "It's not impossible to pass my technique on to you, but I haven't fully learned the master's Martial Combat Heavenly Art. I'm a demon; I just comprehended my own path by watching him practice, then went further and further until I reached the Soaring Clouds realm. You're human; learning my technique would likely be useless. Everyone has their own path. Walking someone else's path will never let you catch up. Xu Shenghua's physical cultivation is too poor, so the master is teaching him. But your achievements are already among the best of the younger generation."
Qin Mu had no choice but to give up.
He calmed his mind and used his primordial spirit to measure his divine repositories, recording data one by one. By the time the ox left the Western Lands and arrived at the Great Ruins, Qin Mu had organized his divine repository data.
The ox continued forward as the sun sank in the west.
He quickened his pace, thinking, "If I hurry, I can return to the master's side before sunset."
As a Soaring Clouds realm existence, even across the entire Kaihuang Era, such experts were rare, and his speed was naturally unimaginable.
Just then, the ox suddenly sensed something and slowed down, turning to look at Qin Mu on his back. He was startled.
Qin Mu's divine repositories had opened, and a Jianmu tree was taking root and sprouting, growing rapidly!
The ox was shocked. "He dares to cultivate like this on his own? If something goes wrong, I won't be able to save him! Go back, back to the Supreme Heaven Academy!"
Just as he thought this, the Jianmu on Qin Mu's Spiritual Platform Continent had already grown into the Six Harmonies Divine Repository, connecting the repositories and merging three into one.
Then, the Jianmu directly pierced through the barrier of the Heavenly Man Divine Repository, connecting it as well, merging all five divine repositories into one!
Qin Mu's aura surged, rising continuously.
The ox watched him nervously but saw no sign of danger, so he relaxed, thinking, "I forgot—his cultivation realm is the Heavenly Man realm, one level lower than Hu Bugui's, so the danger is much less. No, that's not right! If he's in the Heavenly Man realm, why is his strength not inferior to Hu Bugui's? There's danger—there must be danger!"
Boom—
Qin Mu's body shook violently, and suddenly, five other divine repositories appeared—the five demonic divine repositories!
Inside those five repositories, there was also a demonic Jianmu tree, which had already grown into the Heavenly Man Divine Repository!
Qin Mu groaned, and his entire body suddenly shriveled, almost losing all muscle, leaving only skin and bone!
Niu Sanduo was about to turn back to the Supreme Heaven Academy when, at that moment, talismanic symbols swirled around Qin Mu, imprinting themselves onto his body, quickly stabilizing his nearly collapsing physical form and primordial spirit.
"He can heal himself?"
Niu Sanduo found it hard to believe but finally relaxed and continued carrying him forward.
As dusk fell, he grew closer and closer to the Supreme Heavenly Court, thinking, "Where is the Tianyin Realm? I've only heard of it but never been. But Junior Brother Qin is in a critical state now; it's not convenient to wake him..."
He arrived at the cliffs of the Great Ruins. As darkness fell, the ox jumped down, radiating divine light to push back the shadows. He saw waterfalls flowing from halfway up the cliffs, their waters sparkling like jade under his divine light, a beautiful sight.
Those waterfalls converged at the foot of the mountain into a great river that flowed eastward along the tunnel of the Supreme Heavenly Court.
"This is the Yong River, the most famous bizarre place of the Kaihuang Era."
The ox stopped, looking around warily, thinking, "Back then, the Kaihuang Emperor and the Heavenly Master came here to pay respects to the ancients and reminisce about past eras, and they encountered many inexplicable things."
Suddenly, waves of mist surged from the darkness. His divine light illuminated the area, but the white mist was completely unafraid of his light, quickly engulfing him and Qin Mu on his back.
The ox watched his surroundings cautiously. The mist grew thinner, and he could vaguely see figures moving within it. Laughter came: "The Heavenly Court is quite lively today, bustling with people. Even this Heavenly River is full of pleasure boats."
The ox looked up and saw a huge pleasure boat sailing toward them. He quickly dodged, but the scenery around him suddenly became vivid and colorful, as if the colors themselves had come alive!
"Where is this?"
The ox's heart shook violently as he looked around. Countless pleasure boats raced across a great river.
On both banks of the river, heavenly palaces rose layer upon layer, sacred and extraordinary.
—A 3,500-character chapter. Today's update totals 7,000 characters. Please vote for monthly tickets!