Chapter 829: Who Comes to Die First
The Dao Palace was utterly silent.
The several Heavenly Court envoys also frowned deeply. They had heard of the Overlord Body before, mentioned in idle chatter at the Heavenly Court about a small place in the lower realm called Yankang, where there was a Yankang Overlord Body, said to be unparalleled through the ages. When the gods in the Heavenly Court talked about this, they would laugh, saying things like how people from small places brag until their boasts fly all the way to the Heavenly Court. They treated it as mere gossip, rarely discussing it seriously.
Just now, when they heard Qin Mu call himself the Overlord Body, they couldn't help but laugh out loud. However, the reaction of the Dao Ancestor's statue truly exceeded their expectations. The Dao Ancestor would rather destroy his own statue and his Three Treasures than dare to accept a single bow from Qin Mu. It seemed this Overlord Body was not as simple as the gods of the Heavenly Court imagined.
Suddenly, the youngest among the Heavenly Court envoys, a young boy dressed as a little Daoist, clapped his hands and laughed heartily. The sharp clapping startled everyone.
The young Daoist boy laughed and said, "Impressive, truly impressive! The Yankang Overlord Body dares to destroy the Dao Ancestor's statue on Azure Cloud Heaven, and even smashes the sect's Three Treasures right in front of the Sect Leader. He truly lives up to the name of Overlord Body!"
The other Daoists came to their senses. An old Daoist raised his hand, pointing at Qin Mu, and said sternly, "You scoundrel destroyed our Azure Cloud Heaven's Dao Ancestor statue and used some sinister scheme to shatter our Dao Sect's Three Treasures! Our Dao Sect will never rest until you are dealt with!"
Just as the other Daoists were about to join in the rebuke, the Azure Cloud Sect Leader suddenly shouted, "Silence—"
The Dao Palace fell silent once more.
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader was in a sorry state, his heart filled with nothing but shock, without a trace of anger or fury.
Because he dared not.
He had thought one step further than the other Daoists.
Although Qin Mu's cultivation and strength were not weak, making him one of the top experts below the divine realm, he could not have destroyed the Dao Ancestor's statue, nor could he have damaged the Three Treasures. The Three Treasures of the Azure Cloud Sect were the Dao Ancestor's own artifacts. The Dao Ancestor was an existence at the Imperial Throne realm. Even his everyday items were extraordinary. There was no way Qin Mu could have used some bizarre divine ability to destroy them.
Moreover, if Qin Mu had tampered with them, he could not have hidden it from the eyes of the experts present.
What destroyed the Three Treasures was the treasures themselves.
These three treasures had destroyed themselves!
The same went for the Dao Ancestor's statue.
In other words, the Dao Ancestor truly believed he was unworthy of receiving a bow from Qin Mu, so he destroyed his own statue and the Three Treasures!
"Pay respects!" the Azure Cloud Sect Leader suddenly said.
The many Daoists in the Dao Palace were stunned for a moment, but since the Sect Leader had spoken, they could not argue. They had to stand up, line up in two rows, and bow respectfully to Qin Mu.
Qin Mu glanced at the several Heavenly Court envoys. The youngest one who had spoken earlier frowned and whispered a few words to the other young men and women beside him, though what he said was unclear.
"This one who looks the youngest is actually their leader."
Qin Mu observed this and waved his hand, saying with a smile, "Rise. Where is my seat?"
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader hesitated for a moment, then ordered someone to bring another seat, placing it in front of the burned statue, even higher than the seats of the Heavenly Court envoys.
Qin Mu sat down, looked around, and said with a smile, "Dao Master Lin Xuan is my peer and fellow Daoist. He should also have a seat of honor."
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader frowned and ordered someone to bring another seat.
Dao Master Lin Xuan sat down beside Qin Mu. Qin Mu smiled and said, "Everyone, please sit."
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader bowed in thanks and sat down with the other Daoists.
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "It seems the Dao Ancestor is still alive and hasn't died. I just don't know if he has fallen into the hands of the Outer Heavenly Court or the deceased Ancient God Heavenly Emperor. This old Daoist is hard to read..."
He didn't know if the current Dao Ancestor would still remember their past friendship.
During the Dragon Han Era, he had guided the Dao Ancestor and the Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha, leaving a bit of goodwill. When the Imperial Heaven was ambushed and killed, Qin Mu had also passed on the teachings on his behalf, spreading the way of longevity, and the Dao Ancestor was among those who listened.
But whether this bond could resist the erosion of interests and the long passage of time, Qin Mu had no confidence in his heart. Fortunately, the Dao Ancestor dared not accept his bow, which saved him from being besieged by the Azure Cloud Sect.
Qin Mu looked at the several Heavenly Court envoys and said with a faint smile, "Fellow Daoists from the Outer Heavenly Court, please sit."
The young men and women frowned. The youngest Daoist boy smiled and said, "No need to worry. Let's sit first. In front of me, he can't stir up much trouble."
Just as they sat down, several Daoists rushed in hurriedly, looking panicked. Before they even arrived, they shouted loudly, "Disaster! The disciples of the Star Host God are all dead in the Dao Academy!"
"What?"
The Dao Palace erupted in uproar. The old Daoists who had just sat down all stood up, their faces filled with shock. The several Heavenly Court envoys were also stunned, slamming the table in fury.
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader shot to his feet, clenching his fists, veins bulging on his forehead. Soon, he was drenched in cold sweat.
The young Daoist boy from the Heavenly Court remained seated on his throne, saying coldly, "Fu Yuntian, what is the meaning of this? The disciples of the Heavenly Court's Star Host God died on Azure Cloud Heaven. What punishment do you deserve?"
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader's forehead dripped with cold sweat. He bowed and said, "Your Excellency, please calm down. This disciple is stammering. Let me first get the full story!"
His voice was hoarse. He reached out and grabbed the several Daoists, demanding, "The disciples of the Star Host God died in the Dao Academy—is this true or false? Did all of them die? Did anyone escape? What were the people in the Dao Academy doing, letting a murderer sneak in there? Where are they now?"
His mind was in turmoil, and he fired off questions like a string of firecrackers, leaving the young Daoists unable to answer.
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader then came to his senses, quickly set the Daoists down, and softened his tone, saying, "Since it has already happened, speak slowly and clearly."
One of the Daoists quickly said, "To report to the Sect Leader, first, several senior uncles came to the Dao Academy. One of them was Uncle Tianhong. He walked around the Dao Academy and told us that the Green Goat Palace had been robbed by thieves, and they had come to check if any thieves had sneaked into the Dao Academy."
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader nodded and said, "They were the ones I sent to inform you. They are all elders of the Dao Palace."
The Dao Palace was where the elders of Azure Cloud Heaven resided, while the Dao Academy was where Dao techniques and divine abilities were studied, mostly by younger disciples with sharp minds and quick reactions.
The Daoist glanced at him and said cautiously, "Then our Dao Academy was robbed. It was Uncle Tianhong, one of the elders the Sect Leader sent to inform us, who did the stealing. First, a senior brother discovered his treasure was missing, and then everyone found they had been robbed too. Their best treasures had been taken without them noticing. So everyone rushed out to find those senior uncles."
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader frowned and said, "Did everyone leave?"
The Daoist quickly replied, "The disciples of the Star Host God stayed behind to draw the star formation map. They weren't robbed. When we got outside, we found that every hall and courtyard had been robbed—all twenty-four halls and twelve academies. We searched everywhere and then found Uncle Tianhong stripped naked and thrown into the Hongfa Hall treasury, with a smelly sock and underwear stuffed in his mouth, and his primordial spirit sealed. The thief, disguised as Uncle Tianhong, had stolen from all over Azure Cloud Heaven. We sealed off Azure Cloud Heaven to search for the thief. When we passed by the Dao Academy, we saw blood seeping from under the door. When we opened the door, we saw those senior brothers from the Heavenly Court dead inside..."
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader gritted his teeth and said coldly, "A clever decoy! The thief lured you away to strike at the Heavenly Court envoys! Was the thief found?"
"No. Just now, as we were coming here, we heard that someone found Master Yuxiao with her primordial spirit sealed, a pair of underwear stuffed in her mouth, and her head covered with straw, buried..."
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader finally couldn't hold back his anger and was about to explode when Qin Mu suddenly coughed and said calmly, "Sect Leader, your Azure Cloud Heaven has indeed been robbed, and even we were stolen from. However, the ones who killed the Star Host God's disciples were not the thief. It was me and Dao Master Lin."
As soon as these words were spoken, the Dao Palace erupted in chaos.
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader's mind buzzed, his vision went dark, and he staggered slightly.
Qin Mu sat on his throne, lightly tapping the dragon-head armrest with his index finger, and said indifferently, "I came as a guest, and Dao Master Lin came to visit relatives. It wouldn't be proper to kill in the host's home. However, since the host's guests were plotting against Yankang, planning to refine some Heavenly Diagram to destroy Yankang, since they were being unfriendly to us, we had no choice but to act. An upright person doesn't do things in secret. Since we killed these lackeys of the Heavenly Court, of course, we must inform the Sect Leader."
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader's mind was in chaos. The other old Daoists were also completely at a loss, staring blankly at him, waiting for him to speak.
The young Daoist boy from the Heavenly Court suddenly stood up and said coldly, "Fu Yuntian, the disciples of the Heavenly Court's Star Host God died on Azure Cloud Heaven. You cannot bear this responsibility. Now that you know the real culprit is right in front of you, what are you waiting for? Are you waiting for Azure Cloud Heaven to be wiped out?"
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader clenched his fists, turned around, and looked at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu said calmly, "The Dao Ancestor hasn't spoken yet. Are you acting on your own authority, Sect Leader? Why not go and ask the Dao Ancestor?"
The young Daoist boy turned to face Qin Mu and said with a sneer, "The Dao Ancestor's statue has been destroyed by you. How can you contact the Dao Ancestor? Qin Mu, the Yankang Overlord Body, first you destroy the Dao Ancestor's statue, then you destroy the Dao Ancestor's Three Treasures, and then you kill the three hundred and sixty disciples of the Star Host God, trying to frame Azure Cloud Heaven and destroy the Dao Ancestor's legacy. Your intentions are sinister, and you deserve to die ten thousand deaths!"
Qin Mu laughed heartily and said leisurely, "Sect Leader, you must have other ways to contact the Dao Ancestor, right? Go quickly."
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader was at a loss. He gritted his teeth, turned, and left, saying solemnly, "In my meditation chamber, there is a portrait of the Dao Ancestor. I will go and ask for his opinion! As for the others..."
He stopped, frowned, and said in a low voice, "Keep an eye on them. They must not leave Azure Cloud Heaven even half a step!"
An old Daoist whispered, "What about the Heavenly Court envoys..."
"Including the Heavenly Court envoys!" The Azure Cloud Sect Leader hurried away.
Qin Mu stood up, laughed, and walked down the steps toward the exit of the Dao Palace, saying with a smile, "A good wind lends strength, sending me up to the Azure Clouds. Azure Cloud Heaven is truly a wonderful place. Can one ascend to the heavens in a single step here?"
The young Daoist boy from the Heavenly Court also stood up and followed behind him, saying with a smile, "It could be a single step to the heavens, or it could be a single misstep, falling into the abyss of eternal damnation."
Dao Master Lin Xuan exchanged a glance with the Zha Daoist, and the two also walked out of the Dao Palace.
"You have an extraordinary bearing. What is your name?" Qin Mu asked the young Daoist boy as they reached outside the Dao Palace.
"Heavenly Court Dao Sect, personal disciple of the Dao Ancestor, Xiao Chunfeng."
The young Daoist boy said calmly, "Although I am the Dao Ancestor's disciple, I have never met him. I joined the Heavenly Court Dao Sect just to put my name on the roster and learn the Dao Sect's techniques and divine abilities. Given my family background and status, being the Dao Ancestor's disciple is actually an honor for him."
Qin Mu's heart stirred, and he asked, "Could it be that you are the son of some Ancient God?"
The young Daoist boy was surprised and praised, "The Yankang Overlord Body is not just a reputation without substance. I am the son of the Lunar Lady."
"No wonder your surname is Xiao. You follow your mother's surname."
Qin Mu smiled and said, "The Lunar Star Lord is the Ancient God of the moon, equal to the Solar Star Lord. But looking at how young you are, you must have been born recently from the Lunar Star Lord's dalliance with someone."
Xiao Chunfeng's eyelids twitched.
Qin Mu was all smiles and said, "Dao Master Lin and I just killed all the disciples of the Star Lords, but we didn't see the disciples of the Four Emperors. May I ask where they are?"
"We are right here." Behind him, the several young men and women from the Heavenly Court said coldly.
Qin Mu turned around and said, "Which one is the disciple of the Southern Emperor?"
A girl in red said, "That would be me."
Qin Mu carefully examined the girl, nodded slightly, and said with a smile, "I have a past connection with the Southern Emperor. I won't kill you. Fellow Daoists of the Heavenly Court, the Overlord Body is here. Who comes to die first?"
——QQ Book City has gained a new Silver Alliance Master. Thank you for the support, fellow Daoist! QQ Book City also has an exclusive book club group now, already posted in the book club's pinned post. Everyone is welcome to join for chat, making friends, and discussing the plot!