Chapter 895: An Ancient Sword Leaves Its Sheath, Wind and Rain Wash Away the Dust
Yan'er and Long Qilin were both startled. Yan'er thought Qin Mu was about to commit suicide and was about to block him, but Long Qilin quickly called out to her, saying, "The Cult Leader just found a way out, why would he commit suicide? Don't cause trouble!"
Yan'er was subdued by his scolding and dared not talk back.
Qin Mu's sword met the tribulation, slashing into his own celestial palace, cutting down Lingxiao, sweeping through Yujing, leveling Tianque, destroying Yaotai, calming Yaohai, and crushing Nantianmen.
Within the collapsing and destroyed celestial palace, all the sword lights converged into one—a torrent of sword light that followed the Heavenly River down from the shattered Nantianmen, twisting and crushing the river as it descended, rushing straight toward the Jianmu Tree!
The sword light shredded the Jianmu Tree to pieces, and the Heavenly River spiraling around it was also shattered, reduced to pure Heavenly River power, unable to hold its form.
Above the fragmented Heavenly River power, the pure energy from the annihilated celestial palace surged like an ocean, crushing the starry sky, devouring the sun and moon, and pressing down toward the Six Harmonies Continent!
Suddenly, Qin Mu's spiritual fetus grabbed the sword light. Before the overwhelming destructive energy arrived, the sword light pierced into the Netherworld, breaking through the demonic path's Five Luminaries, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Heavenly Being, and Mystic Capital, piercing through the Heavenly River divine repository!
Outside, Yan'er and Long Qilin could only see Qin Mu's cultivation realm plummeting wildly. A moment ago, he was at the Life and Death realm, and the next instant, he was at the Heavenly Being realm!
Before they could blink, Qin Mu fell to the Seven Stars realm, then the Six Harmonies realm, and then the Five Luminaries realm!
Their hearts pounded with fear. Finally, Qin Mu's realm hit rock bottom, becoming a mere martial artist at the Spiritual Fetus realm!
At the Spiritual Fetus realm, one wasn't even considered a cultivator, only able to use some combat techniques, unable to perform any divine abilities.
Qin Mu had directly fallen to the Spiritual Fetus realm, his cultivation base almost completely abolished!
Yan'er's voice trembled as she asked, "Fatty Long, what is the young master doing?"
Long Qilin was completely bewildered, unable to answer.
Suddenly, an immense amount of primordial energy burst from Qin Mu's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth like steam. Within his physical body, only the Spiritual Fetus divine repository remained; all other divine repositories had been completely destroyed. The Spiritual Fetus divine repository simply couldn't contain such vast primordial energy.
Since his physical body couldn't bear it, the energy had to be expelled.
If it could be expelled, that would be fortunate. The worst fear was that if it couldn't be expelled in time, it would burst Qin Mu apart!
They watched as Qin Mu's body suddenly swelled up, inflating like a balloon, growing larger and larger until he soon became fatter and rounder than Yan'er.
Not only that, but all the pores on his skin stretched open, spraying out thick primordial energy with a hissing sound.
However, Qin Mu quickly activated the Heavenly Demon Creation Art, trying to seal all his pores, as well as his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, locking in his primordial energy and essence to prevent the energy inside from leaking out.
He grew bigger and bigger, fatter and fatter, becoming a colossal being towering like a mountain before Long Qilin and Yan'er.
"Fatty Long, what is the young master doing?" Yan'er's voice shook.
This green sparrow was like a woodpecker, pecking at Long Qilin's forehead. Long Qilin's head made a "tok tok tok" sound, and soon his dragon scales were pierced through, blood streaming down his head.
Long Qilin didn't even feel the pain. His mouth hung open as he stared blankly at Qin Mu, who was still expanding, growing taller and fatter.
Qin Mu's current size had already surpassed Long Qilin's full form. Even though Qin Mu was the foremost master of Creation Arts in the world today, his physical body couldn't withstand being stretched like this!
"Stop pecking!"
Long Qilin suddenly felt pain and quickly said, "Sister Yan'er, you're pecking into my skull!"
Yan'er stared in terror at Qin Mu, who was still growing larger and fatter. She lifted a wing and stuffed it into her beak. After all, she was a dragon sparrow, and her beak was lined with sharp little dragon teeth.
Yan'er's teeth chattered, making a "tok tok tok" sound, quickly cutting off the feathers neatly from the edge of that wing.
Yan'er lifted her other wing, and again came the "tok tok" sound, and that wing's feathers also lost a ring.
Yan'er wrapped both wings around Long Qilin's ears. Long Qilin was terrified and quickly pressed his large ears flat against his body, but Yan'er's strength was too great; she forcibly lifted his ears and brought them to her mouth.
Long Qilin endured the pain and didn't cry out.
Inside Qin Mu's body, in the Spiritual Fetus divine repository.
At this moment, the destroyed celestial palace and all the ruined divine repositories—the pure energy they contained, whether divine or demonic primordial energy—all surged into the Spiritual Fetus divine repository, turning into a raging torrent. Like a massive whirlpool, it submerged his spiritual fetus.
Although his original cultivation realm was only at the Heavenly River realm, equivalent to a great cultivator at the Divine Bridge realm, his primordial energy cultivation could rival that of a Venerable God, approaching that of a True God.
Even though Qin Mu had been losing cultivation base and dropping in realm due to the loss of his soul and primordial spirit in recent days, it was still no small matter.
With the divine repositories and celestial palace destroyed, this energy was so immense that it all crashed down into the Spiritual Fetus divine repository. The repository was stretched outward continuously, the walls bursting again and again, only to form new walls that burst once more.
His spiritual fetus also kept disintegrating under the violent bombardment of energy, but thanks to the indestructible consciousness of the Three Primordial Souls, it kept recovering.
The sword light was still in the spiritual fetus's hand, never extinguishing, helping him withstand the impact of the out-of-control primordial energy.
If it had been anyone else, the spiritual fetus would have shattered and perished long ago. Only he could endure such a terrifying impact, but even so, he couldn't hold out for long.
The old man from the Yincha had said that he couldn't use primordial energy, or it would damage his consciousness. But now, it wasn't just a matter of using primordial energy—it was a complete loss of control!
Under these circumstances, even his indestructible consciousness began to collapse and break down!
Qin Mu's spiritual fetus held the sword, the sword light growing brighter and brighter. It stood like a pillar in the midst of the destructive torrent of primordial energy, shining even more brilliantly, like a pillar supporting the heavens in a great whirlwind sweeping through the universe of the Spiritual Fetus divine repository!
"A single spiritual fetus is not easily attained!"
Qin Mu's spiritual fetus used the remaining primordial energy in the repository to activate his cultivation technique. The sword light burst forth, sweeping through the cosmos!
"Two divisions, yin and yang, the heavens open!"
The sword was the Tribulation-Answering Sword, and the technique was the Overlord Body Three-Dan Art.
He had entered the Dao through dreams using the Infinite Tribulation Sutra, transforming into countless versions of himself, deducing countless possibilities, and searching for a thread of life amidst countless deadly tribulations. Finally, he found it.
This path was the method he had comprehended from Ling Tianzun's Immutable Divine Ability, integrating the concept of Ling Tianzun's Immutable Divine Ability into the Overlord Body Three-Dan Art to ensure that his spiritual fetus would never be destroyed.
At this moment, his spiritual fetus was in a wondrous state. It was destroyed by the out-of-control torrent of primordial energy, but the next moment, it was restored.
As for the sword technique, it was his sword Dao, the third chapter of the Tribulation Sword: the Tribulation-Answering Chapter.
This so-called answering the tribulation was his reflection on the great calamity that Yuan Realm had experienced, the upheaval that Eternal Peace had undergone. It was a sword Dao founded on the spirit of all living beings who faced this catastrophe.
In his dream world, he reenacted the calamity, enduring countless battles to temper the sword strike that could break through the calamity in that dream world!
The Tribulation-Answering Chapter of the Tribulation Sword was about actively facing the tribulation, confronting the great calamity of heaven and earth, facing the bleakness of all living beings, the impermanence of the world, facing the strongest enemies, and facing the hearts of gods, demons, and humans!
The first to answer the tribulation in the Tribulation-Answering Chapter was the sword-bearer himself.
Qin Mu answered the tribulation, sweeping through his own celestial palace, leveling all his divine repositories, leaving only the spiritual fetus, cutting off all his retreats, burning his boats.
Only when there was no retreat could he only advance, never retreat!
This was the desperate situation he faced, and also the desperate situation Eternal Peace faced. There was no retreat, only advance, advance, and advance again, fighting a path, killing a path!
No matter what, this path had to be walked!
Boom!
His spiritual fetus was crushed, but the next moment, it reappeared, still holding the sword and executing the Tribulation-Answering technique. This time, the power he grasped was stronger.
His spiritual fetus was crushed again, restored again, destroyed time and time again, recovered time and time again. Each time he answered the tribulation, he was stronger than before.
After Imperial Heaven opened the Spiritual Fetus divine repository, the next repository was the Star River divine repository. He sought power from the outside, sensing the starry river between heaven and earth.
But this time, Qin Mu was not following Imperial Heaven's path.
He was seeking power from within himself. Seeking the power of heaven and earth from the outside was certainly strong and convenient, but when Imperial Heaven opened the Spiritual Fetus divine repository, he did not borrow the power of heaven and earth; instead, he developed himself.
Therefore, Qin Mu not only abandoned the divine repository cultivation system and the celestial palace cultivation system built on the ancient god power system, but he also discarded the Heavenly Dao cultivation system that Imperial Heaven had established when he opened the Star River divine repository.
This time, he was going to follow the original cultivation method that Imperial Heaven used when he first opened the Spiritual Fetus divine repository—the most primitive method of cultivation, cultivating only himself, relying on nothing external!
He would no longer borrow power from gods or demons, nor from heaven and earth.
During this calamity in Yuan Realm, when he called out, heaven did not answer, and earth did not respond. The inaction of the Opening Emperor's remnants, the cowardice of the Heavenly Duke, the silence of the Earth Lord, and the treachery of the Heavenly Emperor all made him feel powerless and also made him realize that borrowed power was ultimately unreliable.
The only reliable thing was himself!
Without a soul, then he would open up heaven and earth and create a new soul!
Without primordial energy cultivation, then he would answer the tribulation to subdue the primordial energy and improve his cultivation!
This path had no retreat. He could only walk it to the end, walk it into the darkness!
His spiritual fetus was destroyed time and again, restored time and again. Finally, Qin Mu felt that his power had reached its limit.
The Tribulation-Answering Chapter of the Tribulation Sword transformed into a sharp edge in his hand that could open up heaven and earth. One sword stroke divided yin and yang, separated dusk and dawn, and split the divine and demonic qi!
The turbulent Spiritual Fetus divine repository finally stabilized.
His spiritual fetus stood on the flowing divine and demonic qi, yin and yang divided, like a Tai Chi diagram, clearly demarcated.
From the perspective of his spiritual fetus, this expanse of divine and demonic qi operated smoothly, vast and infinite, like a pure land, a sacred ground.
This was his spiritual platform, the ground on which his spiritual fetus stood.
A sun rose slowly from the qi transformed from divine primordial energy, radiating light in all directions. On the other side, the moon slowly withdrew its moonlight and sank gently into the demonic primordial energy.
Qin Mu's spiritual fetus looked up. The sky was filled with brilliant stars, and the star river coiled like a mirror, reflecting his face.
The face in the star river seemed like a lofty Heavenly Duke—he was his own Heavenly Duke.
Qin Mu's spiritual fetus looked down. Below the spiritual platform was darkness, reflecting his face. He seemed like his own Earth Lord.
His spiritual fetus put down the sword, and all was calm.
Within the spiritual fetus, he felt as if something was taking root and sprouting.
That was his soul, born from the opening of heaven and earth, like a seed of this world, already slowly growing.
For others, the soul and the spirit were separate. The spirit and soul combined to form the primordial spirit. But his soul was born from answering the tribulation, and from the moment of its birth, it was one with his spiritual fetus, inseparable.
The spiritual fetus sat cross-legged, lost in thought.
Outside, Long Qilin and Yan'er felt their hearts pound with fear, but they saw Qin Mu's physical body gradually shrink, no longer so huge or fat.
Soon, Qin Mu returned to his original state, neither fat nor thin, with a well-proportioned physique.
Long Qilin's two large ears had been gnawed bare by Yan'er, bloody and raw. Yan'er's wings had also been chewed short by herself.
The two were about to ask Qin Mu about the results of his cultivation when suddenly they saw Qin Mu's legs give way, and he fell to his knees, burying his face and crying out loud.
Long Qilin and Yan'er looked at each other in bewilderment. They could hear endless grievance and humiliation in Qin Mu's cries.
This humiliation came from his own experiences, and also from the suffering Eternal Peace had endured!
Long Qilin was about to step forward to comfort him, but Qin Mu's cries gradually turned into laughter. The laughter grew louder and louder, higher and higher.
Tears streamed down his face, but his laughter came from the heart, sweeping away all the previous dejection and grievance!
Amidst the laughter, Qin Mu stood up, no longer kneeling.
Long Qilin and Yan'er were dazed. At this moment, Qin Mu seemed like a different person.
Throughout their journey, although Qin Mu always wore a smile and never showed a sorrowful expression, they could feel the weakness and despair within his heart.
But now, he seemed reborn, as if he had returned to the cheerful and sunny big boy of the past.
Yet there was a difference. They couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, only that the current Qin Mu was like the blazing sun after a storm.