Chapter 897: Facing the Tribulation, Testing the Blade
The divine hall was resplendent and magnificent, yet its decorations were vastly different from the divine halls Qin Mu had seen before. The murals and pillars here mostly depicted images of subjugated dragons, with dragons prostrating themselves beneath an ancient tree, showing great fear of it.
The bark of the ancient tree resembled dragon scales, and its branches were ancient and bizarre, like a thousand dragons and ten thousand flood dragons.
Qin Mu surveyed his surroundings, a hint of surprise in his heart. He smiled and said, "The East Heaven Azure Emperor is not of the dragon clan?"
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable invited him to take the seat of honor and said, "Our teacher attained the Dao through the Azure Wood. Before the Dragon Han era, our teacher was an ancient tree, withered and bare. Imperial Heaven Sovereign comprehended the Dao beneath that tree, pioneering the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasury and becoming the first Heavenly Sovereign of that era. At that time, the heavens trembled, and ancient gods appeared in the sky, praising Imperial Heaven Sovereign and bestowing blessings upon him. Our teacher also benefited from Imperial Heaven Sovereign's presence. The ancient tree was on the verge of withering, but unexpectedly, it received a spark of divine energy, rejuvenated, and transformed into a divine tree."
Qin Mu let Dragon Qilin lie down at his feet, while Yan'er transformed into a chubby girl, standing behind Qin Mu's seat. She had completely lost the beauty she possessed in the Peach Grove, appearing somewhat simple and naive instead.
Qin Mu studied the murals in the divine hall and said, "I never expected the East Heaven Azure Emperor to have such a deep connection with Imperial Heaven Sovereign."
The divine beings under Martial Extremity Divine Venerable's command were displeased to see Qin Mu sitting in the chief seat. Seeing that Qin Mu had not brought a beautiful woman but instead an extraordinarily fat maidservant, they further doubted the aesthetic sense of this Mu Heavenly Sovereign.
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable smiled and said, "However, although our teacher became a divine tree because of this, he also suffered a calamity because of it."
Ignoring the gazes of the others, Qin Mu asked, "Why is that?"
"Originally, our teacher was useless and decayed—a piece of rotten wood. It couldn't be made into furniture, couldn't be carved into a beautiful divine statue, and even burning it as firewood was too much trouble. Therefore, it was allowed to live."
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable wore a smile, his words carrying deep meaning. "But after our teacher became a divine tree, he became useful. A few years later, he was cut down and refined into a treasure, and for hundreds of thousands of years, he was not his own master. Mu Heavenly Sovereign, being without talent or use—that is the way to survive. Don't you think so?"
Qin Mu laughed heartily. "There is some truth to that."
"Because our teacher became useful material, he was cut down and refined into a treasure. During the early Dragon Han era's Jade Pool Grand Assembly, our teacher was brought to the Jade Pool and thus had the opportunity to see the nine Heavenly Sovereigns, including Mu Heavenly Sovereign, and witness the glory of that prosperous age."
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable continued, "At that time, our teacher was in a daze, a mere spirit weapon held in someone's hand, listening to the lectures among the crowd. On the divine platform, explaining the Heavenly Palace, were Imperial Heaven Sovereign and Hao Heavenly Sovereign. Later, our teacher learned that the Imperial Heaven Sovereign at that time was actually Mu Heavenly Sovereign, and for this, our teacher is extremely grateful to you."
Qin Mu chuckled wryly and said, "I never imagined that among those listening to the lectures at the Jade Pool Grand Assembly would be so many future titans."
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable said, "Later, the later-born beings and the demigods each established their own heavenly courts and fought endlessly, and our teacher changed hands several times. When the initial calamity of the Dragon Han era erupted, the heavenly court ascended, leaving the mortal world to reside high above the nine heavens. After the war, our teacher became an ownerless tree and fell back to the mortal world. Several tens of thousands of years later, just as our teacher was about to shed his tree form, he was spotted by a divine being from the Chi Ming era, cut down, and refined into a pestle."
Qin Mu sighed in regret, "The East Heaven Azure Emperor's experiences have truly been fraught with disaster and suffering. He deserves our sympathy."
"Through all these vicissitudes, our teacher's primordial spirit never perished. He changed hands many times, even falling into the hands of Ming Huang for a time, becoming a divine weapon on the imperial throne. By the Shang Huang era, the slaughter was even heavier, and our teacher became one of the most powerful divine artifacts contested by the Northern and Southern Shang Huang Heavenly Courts."
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable said, "During the Shang Huang era, the ancient gods of the heavenly court also participated in the war. Because our teacher had been refined to be too powerful, the East Emperor Azure Dragon personally intervened and broke our teacher in a great battle, thus forging a grudge."
Qin Mu looked at the murals and suddenly understood. "So that's the history of this enmity. No wonder the slaves building the divine city are mostly dragons, and the dragons in the murals are also prostrating beneath the tree."
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable said, "Although our teacher was broken by the East Emperor, he did not die. At the end of the Shang Huang era, he transformed into a human form and swore to take great revenge in the future. Later, he was favored by the heavenly court and became the East Heaven Azure Emperor, the master of the East Heaven Palace. In the future, our teacher will also replace the Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace and become the East Emperor!"
Qin Mu praised, "When misfortune reaches its extreme, good fortune follows. It seems that useful talent will eventually find its use."
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable said, "Our teacher does not wish to be an enemy of Mu Heavenly Sovereign. After all, Mu Heavenly Sovereign has shown him kindness. As early as in the Yan Kang capital, our teacher had already made many concessions to Mu Heavenly Sovereign."
Qin Mu's expression turned serious. "I am also very grateful in my heart."
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable said, "Before returning to the East Heaven, our teacher instructed me: if Mu Heavenly Sovereign is willing to live here in peace and contentment, the East Heaven Palace is willing to provide protection for Mu Heavenly Sovereign and ensure his safety. Our teacher said that he was once a useless piece of wood, but later, because he became useful, he sank into a state of being unable to control his own fate for hundreds of thousands of years, only able to break free later. Mu Heavenly Sovereign is a wise man and should understand our teacher's meaning."
Qin Mu smiled and said, "I understand. The East Heaven Azure Emperor wants me to be a useless person. Even if I have use, I must willingly be useless and stay here."
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable smiled and said, "That is precisely our teacher's intention. To protect Mu Heavenly Sovereign, our teacher is willing to oppose certain forces, which is also very difficult for him. Our teacher said that since Mu Heavenly Sovereign has lost his soul, it will probably be difficult for him to hold on for long. Even if our East Heaven Palace suffers a little, it's nothing. Mu Heavenly Sovereign can retire here and spend his remaining years in peace. This can also be considered repaying the kindness of Mu Heavenly Sovereign's teaching and transmission of the Dao at the Jade Pool Grand Assembly. Mu Heavenly Sovereign should be able to appreciate our teacher's painstaking efforts."
"I appreciate it, but I do not accept the favor."
Qin Mu laughed derisively. "Yan Feng Emperor and Jiang Baigui, as two of the Three Heroes of Reform, defied heaven and resisted the Mandate of Heaven, making them the primary culprits. They were imprisoned by the heavenly court for two hundred years. As Mu Heavenly Sovereign, I have not been taken into custody by the heavenly court, but instead, I am to be imprisoned here by the East Heaven Azure Emperor. Does the East Heaven Azure Emperor have a bigger face than the heavenly court?"
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable's expression changed slightly, but he broke into a smile and said, "Since Mu Heavenly Sovereign is unwilling to accept the protection of my East Heaven Palace, then I am helpless. To be honest, although the East Heaven Palace is our teacher's power, there are also other forces from the heavenly court within it. Many disciples from various major powers are also training under my command."
The many divine beings under his command were eager to try.
Qin Mu smiled and said, "Does the Divine Venerable mean that the East Heaven Azure Emperor dares not kill me, but someone else does?"
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable sighed, "I am also a small figure and cannot make the decisions. If Mu Heavenly Sovereign is willing to accept the protection of the East Heaven Palace, then I will protect Mu Heavenly Sovereign with my life. But since Mu Heavenly Sovereign is unwilling to accept it, I can only turn a blind eye."
Qin Mu looked at the divine beings under his command and said, "Could the Divine Venerable introduce them to me? Which figures want to get rid of me?"
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable quickly said, "Getting rid of Mu Heavenly Sovereign is too strong a term. They only want to teach Mu Heavenly Sovereign a lesson. This is the disciple of the Nether Heavenly Sovereign, Yue Wuji."
Behind one divine being stood a Nether Capital Heavenly Gate, beyond which was thick darkness, with the faint sound of the Nether Sea surging. He stepped forward and bowed to Qin Mu. "Yue Wuji pays respects to Mu Heavenly Sovereign!"
Qin Mu returned the bow, and a Heavenly Gate of Inheritance appeared behind him.
The two bowed to each other, and their respective primordial spirits appeared behind them, each standing on an altar. They began a grand sacrifice, bowing towards the other!
Suddenly, Yue Wuji let out a loud cry, blood streaming from his eyes, and he fell straight to the ground, dead!
On the altar behind him, his primordial spirit was bowed to death by Qin Mu, its soul burning and scattering, its spirit embryo dying just as cleanly, dissipating into streams of spiritual energy and power.
"A disciple of the Black Emperor Nether Heavenly Sovereign actually holds an official position in the East Heaven Palace of the East Heaven Azure Emperor. Truly a strange tale."
Qin Mu straightened his back and said with a gentle smile, "Divine Venerable, who is next?"
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable was startled and uncertain, and the other divine beings in the hall also felt a chill in their hearts.
"Hahaha! I have long heard that Mu Heavenly Sovereign is the Son of the Netherworld, proficient in Netherworld divine abilities and thoroughly versed in the Netherworld Great Dao. Yue Wuji compared Netherworld divine abilities with Mu Heavenly Sovereign and died as he should!"
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable laughed heartily, pointing out the cause of Yue Wuji's death. He smiled and said, "This is the disciple of the Heavenly Court's Ancestral God King, Hua Qing. Brother Hua Qing's divine abilities are immeasurable and extremely formidable."
Hua Qing stepped forward and paid his respects to Qin Mu.
Qin Mu looked at him, carefully examining the strange phenomena behind him, and suddenly smiled, "I have met your master. Your master, the Ancestral God King, used the artificial Imperial Heaven Sovereign's physical body to fight me at the same cultivation level, and I beat him to death."
Hua Qing's expression changed slightly, but he said calmly, "That was merely a weapon controlled by a wisp of my master's consciousness, capable of displaying only a ten-thousandth of his power. If my master were to descend to the mortal world and fight you at the same cultivation level, killing you would be as easy as turning his hand."
Qin Mu laughed heartily and shook his head. "He used Imperial Heaven Sovereign's physical body and I still beat him to death. If he came down himself and fought me at the same cultivation level, he would die even faster."
Hua Qing sneered, "I have heard that Mu Heavenly Sovereign is a Dominator Body. I would like to test that claim. What cultivation level is Mu Heavenly Sovereign at now?"
Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "Probably at the Divine Treasury realm."
Hua Qing's killing intent surged. "The Divine Treasury has seven levels. Which level are you at? I won't bully you. I will fight you at the same level and kill you to restore my master's reputation!"
Qin Mu shook his head. "My Divine Treasury only has one level, which is the Spirit Embryo realm. If you were to use the Spirit Embryo realm, I could blow you to death with a single breath. That would be too unfair to you. Cultivation levels are no longer that important to me. You can use whatever cultivation level you wish."
Hua Qing's eyelids twitched. The cultivation level Qin Mu had used to bow Yue Wuji to death was far from the Spirit Embryo realm, but as Mu Heavenly Sovereign, he could not be lying about his cultivation level.
He sealed his Southern Heavenly Gate and said, "I will fight you using the Divine Bridge Divine Treasury. What do you say?"
Qin Mu nodded. "If you cannot withstand it, you may open your Southern Heavenly Gate and use whatever you wish."
"You dare to look down on me!"
Hua Qing roared and struck out fiercely. Just as his divine ability was about to be unleashed, a sword light flashed, as fast as a thunderbolt!
As Qin Mu thrust his sword, Hua Qing was shocked, feeling he could neither block nor dodge. He immediately opened his Southern Heavenly Gate, and torrents of divine essence poured down from the heavens. In an instant, his divine Dao cultivation reached its peak!
Qin Mu's sword strike was precisely the third chapter of the Tribulation Sword, the Facing the Tribulation chapter.
The sword light pierced into Hua Qing's body. A single sword light destroyed the Divine Bridge, obliterating his Divine Bridge Divine Treasury. It then plunged straight down, shredding the Starry Sky, scattering the Heavenly Man and Five Luminaries, and destroying his Six Harmonies Divine Treasury and Life and Death Divine Treasury!
The next moment, the sword light swept through Hua Qing's Spirit Embryo Divine Treasury and Life and Death Divine Treasury!
At that moment, Hua Qing's Southern Heavenly Gate had just opened, and divine essence descended from the heavens. At the same time, the divine essence space-time, the Heavenly Palace, having lost its foundation, became unstable!
Qin Mu withdrew his sword, and the sword light transformed into a sword pellet, spinning on his fingertip.
Boom—
Hua Qing exploded. The terrifying wave of divine essence surged in all directions, blasting the roof off the divine hall.
Qin Mu gently grasped the sword pellet, which transformed into an umbrella, blocking the falling debris from above. He smiled and said, "Divine Venerable, please introduce the next Daoist friend."
Before Martial Extremity Divine Venerable could speak, a divine being suddenly launched a sneak attack, his divine might erupting as he struck at Qin Mu.
At that moment, the seemingly three-to-five-hundred-pound chubby maidservant behind Qin Mu suddenly expanded with a surge of momentum, transforming into a Dragon Sparrow. She raised her claw and pinned that divine being beneath it.
The Dragon Sparrow opened her mouth and took a long, deep breath. The wind and rain within the divine hall swayed violently. The divine beings under Martial Extremity Divine Venerable's command could not keep their footing and were drawn by her inhalation, flying towards her mouth.
Those divine beings struggled desperately, using all their means to try to escape outward. But the next moment, the space within the hall was nearly sucked into collapse by the Dragon Sparrow, carrying the divine beings along as they flew into her mouth.
The Dragon Sparrow raised her claw, grabbed the divine being pinned beneath it, stuffed him into her mouth, and swallowed him whole!
Then, this ferocious beast's savagery flared up, and it looked towards Martial Extremity Divine Venerable.
Martial Extremity Divine Venerable's hair stood on end as he saw a claw that could tear the sky and rend the earth bearing down on him!
"Sister Yan'er, we are guests."
Qin Mu's voice rang out. The Dragon Sparrow's claw retracted, and she transformed back into the three-to-five-hundred-pound chubby maidservant, obediently standing behind him.
—Happy birthday, Xiao Dao! The Qidian character heart-thanking event ends tomorrow, brothers, please give Qin Mu and Qin Fengqing some love!