Chapter 743: The Dead Return to Life
The Kai Emperor said in a deep voice, "There is no justice in the past; justice will only exist in the future. We are now situated within history—this has already happened. No matter what you do, you are not upholding justice! The future is the time for justice! You should understand what I am saying!"
Qin Mu nodded, expressionless, and said, "I understand."
The Kai Emperor slowly released his grip and said, "Even within history, every choice you make could lead to your own death. A figure as outstanding as the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable died. If you get involved, you will die too."
Qin Mu nodded again. "I understand."
The Kai Emperor breathed a sigh of relief. "Although I don't know what grievances exist between you and me, I think you are a good person. You shouldn't die here."
Qin Mu's previously impassive face slowly melted like ice and snow, revealing a faint smile. "Thank you. Actually, being able to see you this time is enough for me. This journey has been worthwhile."
The Kai Emperor said, "Meeting the Seven Celestial Venerables and encountering someone like you—I also feel this journey has been worthwhile. According to what you said, we should still have a month or two, right? In this month or two, let us quietly witness this history. Although the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable has passed away, his method of becoming a god will still be passed down. Isn't that why we came here?"
Qin Mu nodded, expressionless. "Very well."
The Kai Emperor still felt uneasy and said to Old Ox, "You are his senior brother, more rational than he is. You should know what to do. This is the Ancient Heavenly Court, a place where even you cannot act recklessly. If you cause trouble, there will be great danger."
Old Ox hesitated, then nodded. "Rest assured, I will keep an eye on him."
The sorrowful voice of the Hao Celestial Venerable rang out, spreading throughout this Jasper Lake Pavilion: "The Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable is dead. The murderer has not yet been found, but the killer is hiding among us! Gentlemen, I shall submit a memorial to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, requesting that he investigate the culprit and ensure they are brought to justice, to give the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable justice and to give all cultivators justice!"
Silence fell over the Jasper Lake Pavilion. Then, low sobbing could be heard, the sound of weeping in the stillness feeling incredibly oppressive.
The Hao Celestial Venerable's hair bristled with rage as he declared loudly, "Gentlemen, I will not let that murderer go. I will tear them into a thousand pieces! The blood of the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable will not be shed in vain! Rest assured, trust the Heavenly Court, trust His Majesty!"
His voice gradually lowered but remained clear in everyone's ears: "Although the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable has died, his legacy will never be extinguished. The Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable and I were close friends. He has already passed down the method of becoming a god to me. He likely foresaw his own misfortune, so he taught me his method of becoming a god in advance, lest there be regrets. For now, let us first hold a funeral for the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable and let him rest in peace."
His voice grew even deeper: "He was like an elder brother, like a father. What a pity that heaven is jealous of geniuses... During the ten days of mourning, I will personally keep vigil for my father and brother. After ten days, I will pass on the method of becoming a god."
His voice trailed off, and then came the sound of weeping: "Father! Brother!"
Qin Mu looked toward the Hao Celestial Venerable in the winding corridor pavilion. The Hao Celestial Venerable was prostrate over the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's corpse, wailing loudly.
Qin Mu withdrew his gaze and looked at the Netherworldly Emperor. The Netherworldly Emperor was still staring at his own hands.
Qin Mu closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them, his gaze bright.
Seeing this expression, the Kai Emperor showed concern.
In the Heavenly Court's grand assembly, many ancient gods were discussing matters. The Heavenly Emperor's body was vast, with layers of divine light behind his head, radiating myriad rays of light. Only ancient gods of the highest status could participate in these discussions; even ancient gods like the Great Sun Star Lord and the Five Luminaries Star Lords were not qualified to attend.
Suddenly, an ancient god hurried in to report, saying, "Your Majesty, the human Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable has been murdered, dying in the Jasper Lake Pavilion. The Hao Celestial Venerable has submitted a memorial to inform Your Majesty of this matter."
"The Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable is dead?"
The Heavenly Emperor was surprised and said, "Present it."
The ancient god stepped forward and presented the Hao Celestial Venerable's memorial. The Heavenly Emperor read it, then closed the document and said, "The Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable was killed by a villain—truly pitiable and lamentable. I had great expectations for him. His talent was unparalleled, and he knew when to advance and retreat. I was looking forward to seeing him create a glorious era for me, but he fell to a treacherous plot. Earth Lord."
In the darkness, the Earth Lord slightly bowed: "Your Majesty."
The Heavenly Emperor said, "The Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable cannot simply die like this. His soul should have returned to the Netherworld, shouldn't it? Bring his soul here and ask him what happened."
The Earth Lord sank down. After a moment, he reappeared and shook his head. "The Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable is not in the Netherworld."
The Heavenly Emperor frowned slightly and said to the Netherworld Empress, "Netherworld Empress, the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable has likely become a remnant soul. Has his remnant soul fallen into your domain?"
The Netherworld Empress was sitting in the shadow of the Heavenly Lord at that moment. After a moment, she replied, "Your Majesty, no remnant soul of the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable has fallen into the Netherworld Realm."
The Heavenly Emperor sighed. "He has likely been utterly destroyed, soul and all. Heavenly Lord, did you see the circumstances of the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's death?"
The Heavenly Lord shook his head. "The Celestial Capital oversees all heavens and all worlds, but the Jasper Lake is the residence of the Empress. I cannot see there."
The Heavenly Emperor was silent for a moment, then said, "Issue an order. Have the two generals of Heavenly Hearing and Earthly Vision thoroughly investigate this matter. They must find the true murderer of the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable!"
"As you command."
The funeral hall for the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable was set up. The Hao Celestial Venerable personally kept vigil. Cultivators from all realms came forward one by one to bid farewell to this young man who had pioneered the cultivation system of divine repositories.
Qin Mu, the Kai Emperor, and Old Ox also came to pay their respects to the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's remains. Seeing that Qin Mu had made no unusual moves, the Kai Emperor finally relaxed. "He must have listened. That's best. I was really worried he might cause some catastrophic trouble."
Qin Mu glanced at the Hao Celestial Venerable. Over these days, the Hao Celestial Venerable had grown noticeably thinner.
The ten days of vigil passed quickly. Two ancient gods of the Heavenly Court, along with some demigods, conducted searches everywhere, but still found nothing.
The Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable was buried beside the Heavenly River.
The Heavenly River surged, flowing endlessly.
Finally, the day arrived for the Hao Celestial Venerable to preach and teach. The Hao Celestial Venerable was in high spirits, first explaining the method for demigods to transform into humans. He was indeed a genius, solving the problem of demigods being unable to cultivate, drawing rounds of cheers.
The Kai Emperor had originally planned to go to the other palace to listen and witness this event that would influence countless years to come. But seeing that Qin Mu, Old Ox, and the Ling Celestial Venerable were all staying in the Splendid Tower, he hesitated for a moment, then said to Old Ox, "You must keep a close watch on him. Don't let him act recklessly again. If he does, the Hao Celestial Venerable will pin the murder of the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable on him!"
Old Ox nodded. "I understand!"
Only then did the Kai Emperor leave.
Qin Mu glanced at the Ling Celestial Venerable, who was staring blankly into space, then took out his glutton sack and emptied its contents. He retrieved the Buddha Essence Red Chrome and began hammering it with clanging sounds. Soon, he had crafted a coffin entirely from the Buddha Essence Red Chrome.
The Ling Celestial Venerable stared at him blankly. Qin Mu stuffed the coffin back into his glutton sack and quickly tidied up. He glanced at the young woman, who was still staring at him with vacant, lifeless eyes.
"Senior Brother, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back soon," Qin Mu said with a smile.
Old Ox became alert. "What are you going to do? Don't do anything reckless."
Qin Mu shook his head. "Don't worry. I won't act recklessly."
Old Ox said, "I'm coming with you!"
Qin Mu walked straight out. Old Ox was surprised to see that Qin Mu was not heading toward the main hall of the other palace but was leaving the Jasper Lake instead.
"Isn't he going to take out the Hao Celestial Venerable?"
Qin Mu arrived at the Heavenly River, found the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's tomb, and Old Ox grew even more puzzled. Qin Mu had already paid his respects to the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable—why was he here again?
Qin Mu walked toward the tomb, raised his palm to the sky, and gently lifted his hand. The stones of the tomb creaked and loosened, separating to the sides.
Clink.
One by one, the coffin nails came loose and flew up, followed by the coffin lid floating away.
The Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's body lay in the coffin, then slowly floated up.
Qin Mu moved rapidly around the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's corpse, slapping various creation seals onto every part of his body. Cracking sounds came from within the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's body as broken bones reconnected.
The fractured bones inside his body were actually piecing themselves back together, regrowing. Not only that, but his shattered heart was also reforming its flesh and blood!
Soon, his body showed no trace of any wounds.
This was the Art of Creation!
In terms of mastery over the Way of Creation, Qin Mu was enough to surpass all of history!
Finally, Qin Mu formed a hand seal with his palm and gently placed it over the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's heart.
He exerted force with his palm. The Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's cold, stiff body suddenly trembled. The blood that had stopped flowing began to move through his veins.
Then, Old Ox heard a heartbeat from within the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's body.
Then a second, a third.
Old Ox looked at Qin Mu in disbelief, then back at the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable, his mind in a daze.
Qin Mu opened his glutton sack and took out the coffin he had just crafted. The lid opened, and the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable gently floated into the coffin.
The lid closed again, and the coffin flew back into the glutton sack.
Qin Mu turned and walked back toward the Jasper Lake. Old Ox quickly followed him, looking back. Behind them, the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's original coffin automatically closed, the coffin nails reinserting themselves into their original positions, and the stones reassembled and returned to their places.
The tomb had returned to its original state, showing no signs of disturbance.
Niu Sanduo hesitated for a moment, then finally couldn't help asking, "Junior Brother, even if you bring the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's body back to life, it's useless. He's still dead. His soul has been scattered."
Qin Mu did not answer, walking straight ahead.
He returned to the Splendid Tower in the Jasper Lake Pavilion, entered the building, and smiled at the still-dazed Ling Celestial Venerable. "Sister Ling, keep this coffin safe."
He took out the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable's coffin and placed it before the Ling Celestial Venerable.
The Ling Celestial Venerable's vacant eyes moved slightly, landing on the coffin.
"When you see the Netherworld Celestial Venerable again, give him this coffin and ask him to hide it in the Netherworld. Tell him that in the future, someone named Mu will come to find him."
Qin Mu's expression was gentle, his voice soft. "Mu will say to him, 'I understand. I have returned.' Then he can take out this coffin. Sister Ling, I have to go now."
He stood up and walked out of the building.
The Ling Celestial Venerable stood up, her voice hoarse. "Where are you going?"
Qin Mu stopped, turned back, and smiled, radiant as sunshine. "To finish what I must do. Sister, we'll meet again in the future!"
He strode out of the building, looked up at the sky, and the sunlight above was dazzling.
"By decree of the Heavenly Emperor! Mu Qing and Qin Kai, profound in the Dao and skilled in magic, with talent to order the heavens and ability to stabilize the realm, are hereby appointed: Mu Qing, titled Mu Celestial Venerable; Qin Kai, titled Qin Celestial Venerable!"
In the main hall of the other palace in the Jasper Lake Pavilion, the Hao Celestial Venerable read out the Heavenly Emperor's decree, then smiled. "Congratulations, Brother Qin and Brother Mu! Now we have nine Celestial Venerables. What a pity..."
His expression darkened, clearly thinking of the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable, who had perished, and he looked deeply sorrowful. "What a pity that my father and brother cannot see this... Brother Mu? Mu Celestial Venerable? Qin Celestial Venerable, where is Mu Celestial Venerable?"
The Kai Emperor said, "He is in the Splendid Tower. He didn't come."
The Hao Celestial Venerable smiled. "Congratulations, Qin Celestial Venerable! From now on, Brother Qin and Brother Mu are Celestial Venerables. Now, let me explain the method of becoming a god created by my father and brother, the Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable!"
At that moment, his eyes fixed straight on the entrance of the hall. His mouth hung open, and he was speechless.
Everyone was waiting for him to teach, and they turned around at his reaction. The hall fell into dead silence.
There, at the entrance of the other palace's main hall, stood the "Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable," quietly gazing across the distance at the Hao Celestial Venerable.
After a moment, the "Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable" stepped forward, walking straight toward the Hao Celestial Venerable, and said calmly, "Hao Celestial Venerable, the method of becoming a god that I created—let me explain it myself!"
The Kai Emperor's mind exploded. He stared blankly at this "Imperial Heaven Celestial Venerable" as he passed by him, his thoughts in chaos: "It's impossible for him to be alive. He can't possibly be alive... Niu Ben!"
He looked outside the hall. Outside, Old Ox stood there helplessly, thinking to himself, "Sorry, Kai Emperor. I couldn't stop him. He's as stubborn as an ox..."
————I'm begging for votes, ah, ah~~~