Chapter 735: The Seven Heavenly Lords of the Jade Pool
Old Ox followed behind the two, beads of sweat as big as beans constantly rolling down his face. The auras of Qin Mu and the Imperial Emperor were in constant flux. Although the two hadn't made a move openly, they were secretly contending with each other, neither willing to yield!
"Both of these two are stubborn donkeys turned spirits!"
Old Ox kept raising his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself: "I shouldn't have listened to the master's words and sent Qin Mu to see Lady Tianyin. I should have stayed by the master's side, slowly sipping tea and puffing on a water pipe. If the Imperial Emperor loses, that's bad. If Qin Mu loses, that's also bad. I won't have a good explanation when I go back! I can't very well tell the master that I sent Qin Mu to the Ancient God Heavenly Court, and Qin Mu gave the Imperial Emperor a beating..."
He didn't know who he should help now.
By closeness, he should help the Imperial Emperor.
But Qin Mu was such a fine young man, treating him with courtesy and always calling him Senior Brother Sanduo. From the bottom of his heart, he felt closer to Qin Mu.
He was truly in a dilemma.
However, he could tell that both Qin Mu and the Imperial Emperor were geniuses. Their auras changed in a thousand ways. Any subtle movement of their physical bodies, any slight fluctuation in their primordial spirits' thoughts, any tiny change in their vital energy would cause the other's aura to resonate, prompting a countermeasure.
With every step they took, their own changes numbered in the dozens. It was precisely because their vision and insight were too high, and their changes targeted the other's weaknesses, that as soon as their auras clashed, their walking became twisted and crooked, limping and stumbling.
Both of them were like drunkards. The further they went, the more disheveled they became, yet they couldn't stop. Both felt like they were riding a tiger and couldn't get off.
Fortunately, they weren't far from the giant Kun's head. After walking another two or three li, they could reach the side of the Heavenly King of Yin.
The Heavenly King of Yin was excitedly watching the approaching carriage of Lady Tianyin. The giant Kun's head was already crowded with many people, all looking up.
Qin Mu and the Imperial Emperor staggered over. Both were steaming with sweat, and the vital energy overflowing from their bodies grew increasingly intense. They walked forward uncontrollably.
Suddenly, the Heavenly King of Yin felt something and quickly turned his head. Seeing Qin Mu and the Imperial Emperor approaching, he immediately sensed two different auras colliding. These two auras came from Qin Mu and the Imperial Emperor.
"How did the two of them start fighting? This is a good thing for me. I can befriend both sides, and both will be grateful to me."
The Heavenly King of Yin was surprised, then felt a surge of excitement: "Their method of fighting is quite peculiar. This is the first time I've seen such a way of fighting. Why don't I separate them and make them grateful to me!"
His aura erupted, cutting in between the two, and he said with a smile: "Brother Qin, Brother Mu, let me be a peacemaker..."
The moment his aura inserted itself between them, the battling auras of Qin Mu and the Imperial Emperor, like a flood finding an outlet, surged toward him!
Before the Heavenly King of Yin could finish his words, the pressure of these two auras crushed down on him, and his mind went completely blank, unable to form a single thought!
He only felt as if the world around him had shattered and collapsed, and he was falling from an endless height into the darkness below—an infinite, boundless darkness!
He struggled helplessly, falling continuously, sinking deeper and deeper. Slowly, he saw two opposing faces in the darkness, the faces of "Mu Qing" and "Qin Kai," one on the left and one on the right.
These two faces were enormous, while he was between them, tiny and insignificant, plummeting into the endless abyss.
Just then, Qin Mu's voice came: "Brother Yin, Brother Yin!"
The illusion before the Heavenly King of Yin's eyes vanished, and Qin Mu's kind face gradually emerged. Qin Mu was supporting his left arm, while the Imperial Emperor supported his right, preventing him from falling.
The Heavenly King of Yin was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.
"Is Brother Yin feeling unwell?"
Qin Mu asked with concern: "I am quite skilled in medicine and can help diagnose you. As they say, a doctor has the heart of a parent..."
The Imperial Emperor smiled faintly: "Brother Yin is caught between us and has been frightened. It's not an illness. Medicine has three parts poison. If he takes your medicine, he'll get sick even if he isn't. Brother Mu..."
"Don't call me Brother Mu!"
Veins bulged on Qin Mu's forehead as he barely suppressed the impulse in his heart. The Imperial Emperor was his ancestor; how could he call him brother?
The Imperial Emperor misunderstood his meaning and said coldly: "I intended to turn our conflict into harmony, but you are so ungrateful. Do you really think I'm afraid of you? Your skills are indeed high, but not necessarily higher than mine!"
Qin Mu sneered: "My skills may not be higher than yours, but my Dao heart is. I won't be as unbearable as you."
The Heavenly King of Yin had a terrible headache and quickly said: "Lady Tianyin's carriage has arrived. Stop arguing. Can't you just talk things out properly?"
A series of dragon roars rang out as a group of dragons pulled a magnificent sky-blue treasure carriage toward them. Each of those dragons was larger than the giant Kun beneath their feet, riding clouds and mist as they passed overhead.
The dragons were draped in blue armor, also treasures forged from Tianyin Gold, their radiance shooting straight into the clouds. The carriage itself was made mainly of Tianyin Gold, adorned with clouds. Under the canopy hung beads, bright and shining, each one a planet refined down to a size of just over ten zhang in diameter.
The clouds floated between the hanging beads, obscuring the view, allowing only a faint glimpse of a divine maiden sitting beneath the canopy.
The Heavenly King of Yin stared wide-eyed, spellbound, until the dragons pulled the carriage toward the center of the Heavenly Court. Only then did he reluctantly withdraw his gaze and mutter: "When will I ever have such prestige?"
The people around him all laughed.
Even the giant Kun beneath their feet couldn't help but let out a deep, rumbling laugh.
The Heavenly King of Yin's face flushed red, and he stammered: "Don't laugh at me. One day, I will be just as prestigious and domineering! In the future, heh heh, you will all bow at my feet..."
The crowd laughed even louder.
The Heavenly King of Yin's face grew redder, and he was about to argue when the Imperial Emperor said: "Brother Yin, there are countless beings in this world, but only three or five can accomplish great deeds and leave their names in history. These people have no such ambition and only mock those who do. You don't need to take them to heart."
The Heavenly King of Yin felt very grateful and said: "Swallows and sparrows know nothing of the swan's lofty ambitions. I won't stoop to their level."
Qin Mu glanced at the Imperial Emperor and thought to himself: "Is he stating his own ambition, or is he thinking of these people, so that the Heavenly King of Yin won't retaliate against them in the future? Perhaps it's both. After I return to the past, can I really kill the Heavenly King of Yin and change the future?"
He felt a moment of hesitation.
The giant Kun carried them onward, flying over countless palaces. They encountered several more imposing carriages of ancient gods, drawing waves of admiration.
Finally, they arrived at the Jade Pool of the Heavenly Court.
The Heavenly Court was so vast that even at the giant Kun's speed, it took a long time to reach the Jade Pool.
The giant Kun slowly came to a stop beside a white jade platform at the edge of the Jade Pool. Everyone disembarked. The Heavenly King of Yin paid Qin Mu's fare, adding a few extra Jade Dragon Pills for the giant Kun. The Kun shook its head and tail, flew toward the Heavenly River in the sky, plunged into the water, and swam far away.
Although the Jade Pool had the word "pool" in its name, to Qin Mu and the others, it was more like a vast ocean within the Heavenly Court. Misty clouds drifted here, and countless immortal mountains rose from the sea. Giant turtles carrying sacred mountains on their backs roamed the Jade Pool.
There were also enormous lotus flowers in the sea, each covering hundreds of acres. Some were in full bloom, their red and white petals alluring, while others were still buds, standing gracefully in shades of green, white, and pink—a truly beautiful sight.
Many cultivators were playing near the Jade Pool. Most of these cultivators came from the lower realms, and some were what the Heavenly King of Yin called demigods. They hadn't taken human form but appeared as divine beasts.
—For later generations, these demigods were divine beasts, but for the people of this era, they were demigods with supreme bloodlines and extremely high status. Cultivators had to treat them with utmost respect.
At the edge of the Jade Pool, many people summoned the giant turtles from the sea, paid some spirit pills, and climbed onto the sacred mountains on the turtles' backs. The turtles then carried the mountains deep into the Jade Pool.
On those lotus flowers in the sea, there were even tiny kingdoms, and many visitors went there to play.
"For the ancient gods, this is the Jade Pool. For us, this is the Jade Sea."
The Heavenly King of Yin said: "This Heavenly Court gathering has brought many people from various lower realms to play and see the world. These are ordinary folk. But the Heavenly Lord Yu and a few other friends have different ambitions. Taking advantage of this Heavenly Court gathering, they have invited the heroes of the lower realms to hold this Jade Pool assembly. Although we are not as good as the ancient gods, we still want to accomplish something!"
His eyes sparkled, and Qin Mu saw this and thought to himself: "The Heavenly King of Yin was once a young man with ideals and ambitions. That makes sense. His later achievements were extremely high, and he was one of the rare Emperor Throne powerhouses. Naturally, he had his own abilities."
The Heavenly King of Yin summoned a large turtle and said: "We are here at the invitation of the Heavenly Lord Yu to attend the Jade Pool gathering."
The old turtle said: "The Heavenly Lord Yu has instructed that those attending the Jade Pool gathering are not to be charged spirit pills. Please, go ahead."
Qin Mu was surprised and asked: "Does the Heavenly Lord Yu hold a high position in the Heavenly Court?"
The Heavenly King of Yin laughed and said: "The Heavenly Lord Yu is the leader of us lower races, so naturally, his status is very high. Even the ancient gods address him as a fellow Daoist, recognizing him as the one who can advance the development of Dao techniques and divine abilities."
They climbed onto the sacred mountain on the turtle's back. The old turtle immediately began swimming toward the depths of the Jade Pool. The scenery around them was pleasant, indescribably beautiful.
"The Heavenly Lord Yu was the first to open the Embryo Divine Treasure. The cultivation of divine treasures began with him. After he opened the divine treasure, the great Dao of heaven and earth changed, shocking the world. At that time, many ancient gods projected their images down, circling him with praises, acclaiming him as the opener of a great era."
The Heavenly King of Yin said: "The Heavenly Lord called him the Heavenly Lord Yu, and the Earth Lord granted him longevity, making him immortal and indestructible. However, there are still those in this world who can match his fame. The Five Luminaries Divine Treasure was opened by the Heavenly Lord Hao. His surname isn't Hao, but his name contains the character Hao, so the ancient gods conferred upon him the title of Heavenly Lord Hao. Then there was the Heavenly Lord Ling, who opened the Six Harmonies Divine Treasure; the Heavenly Lord Yue, who opened the Seven Stars Divine Treasure; the Heavenly Lord Huo, who opened the Heavenly Human Divine Treasure; the Heavenly Lord You, who opened the Life and Death Divine Treasure; and the Heavenly Lord Yun, who opened the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure. They are revered as the Seven Heavenly Lords. After their achievements, the great Dao of heaven and earth changed, and the Heavenly Emperor also approved their titles."
Qin Mu murmured: "What an enviable era. These people established the divine treasure cultivation system and are rightly called Heavenly Lords. Even if later generations make innovations, it will be difficult to surpass them..."
The Imperial Emperor felt the same and said: "To be able to meet the Seven Heavenly Lords is a journey well worth taking."
The two locked eyes, then each snorted coldly and turned their heads away.
Old Ox, caught between them, felt immense pressure and secretly lamented: "Both of them are stubborn donkeys turned spirits. I hope you two don't cause any more trouble and make it hard for me to be an ox..."
Ahead, a palace complex shone with golden light, magnificent and imposing. The old turtle carried the sacred mountain to the front of this sea palace and said: "The Jade Pool secret realm has arrived."
The Heavenly King of Yin quickened his pace and walked forward, calling out loudly: "Heavenly Lord Yu, your little brother Yin Chaojin has come to attend the gathering!"
Qin Mu and the Imperial Emperor also walked forward. Old Ox braced himself and squeezed between the two, hoping to prevent any more trouble, thinking: "As long as they don't end up bloody and beaten, that will be my great merit!"
This palace complex was bustling with people, a huge crowd. They should all be cultivators from various realms invited to the gathering.
Qin Mu's heart stirred: "Among these people, how many great figures who will shake heaven and earth in later generations will be born?"
Suddenly, he was slightly startled. He saw a monk, and beside him, a Taoist priest.
————We're still about a thousand monthly votes short of surpassing last month's total. Breaking our own record from last month is also something worth celebrating, right? Please vote for monthly tickets~
Uncles, aunties, Happy Children's Day!
Uncles, aunties, I, Zhai Zhu the little newbie, wish you a Happy Children's Day!
I'm giving you a big, sweet hug!
Also, today is June 1st. Do you have any monthly votes?
Can you vote for The Annals of the Shepherd?
Today is Children's Day, the little newbie is asking for votes!
Wah wah wah~~~