Chapter 916: Meeting Like First Love
Qin Mu’s mind was in turmoil. On the ghost ship, the Empress Dowager and Jue Wuchen were both buried in the same coffin, guarded by eight dragons. He had seen it with his own eyes—there could be no mistake!
Yet the woman before him, named Yun Chuxiu, was almost identical to Jue Wuchen, without the slightest difference!
Could there truly be someone in this world who looked exactly like Jue Wuchen?
“Impossible!”
“Jue Wuchen was a perfect body created by Ling Tianzun, a weapon used to deceive the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor. The Ancient God Heavenly Emperor, shrewd as he was, died because of her beauty! No one could look exactly like her!”
“Then, is this woman named Yun Chuxiu the Jue Wuchen from the ghost ship?”
Countless thoughts surged through Qin Mu’s mind, tumbling forth endlessly: “I managed to escape the ghost ship because I had some understanding of Ling Tianzun’s divine abilities. I had already grasped a little of the Unchanging Divine Art, and with the power of the Four Emperors and all the soldiers of the Yulin Army, I could break free from the ancient vessel! Besides me, who else has such skill?”
His heart pounded violently, but his exterior remained calm as he looked down at the kneeling Yun Jianli.
Could it be that this Yun Jianli possessed unfathomable abilities, allowing him to enter the ghost ship and retrieve Jue Wuchen?
However, time seemed insufficient. Now, Senior Brother Wei Suifeng was on the ghost ship, and Qin Mu had tried to rescue him before arriving at the Heavenly Court. If Yun Jianli boarded the ghost ship after that, he couldn’t possibly be a match for Wei Suifeng.
Even if he could escape the ghost ship with Jue Wuchen, he couldn’t have returned to the Heavenly Court in such a short time.
After all, the Phoenix Boat Qin Mu rode was the fastest Emperor Seat divine weapon in the world!
Yun Jianli wasn’t even a god yet. Even if he had such a fast boat, he wouldn’t have the profound and vast magical power to drive it.
“Could he have come to the ghost ship before Wei Suifeng and taken Jue Wuchen away? Back then, Yun Tianzun had a good relationship with Ling Tianzun. It’s likely the Yun family has records of Ling Tianzun’s Unchanging Divine Art.”
Qin Mu’s gaze shifted away from Yun Jianli. “But even if Yun Jianli took Jue Wuchen away, he couldn’t bring her back to life. Jue Wuchen was just a shell of the Empress Dowager. Saving a shell would be useless to him. Could it be the Empress Dowager?”
He looked at Yun Chuxiu, who was gracefully bowing, and the corner of his eye twitched. He reached out to help them both up, smiling. “Rise. We’re about the same age; there’s no need for such a grand gesture.”
Inside, he was still a storm of shock: “If it’s the Empress Dowager, then it’s possible. I once performed a soul-summoning ritual on the ghost ship toward the Empress Dowager’s corpse, only to find she wasn’t dead, and she sensed me. She might have had thoughts when she heard I was heading to the Heavenly Court and retrieved Jue Wuchen from the ship. If so, then this woman’s body houses the Empress Dowager! She’s the Empress Dowager’s puppet! However…”
More and more thoughts crowded his mind: “But why did the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor order the East Heaven Azure Emperor to sink Wei Suifeng into the river? He wanted to use Wei Suifeng to trade for the ghost ship, clearly intending to obtain the Empress Dowager and Jue Wuchen’s physical bodies on board, using them to deal with the current Empress Dowager. Could it be that inside Jue Wuchen is the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor?”
His head was about to explode. Too many possibilities made it impossible to deduce the truth.
Yun Jianli and Yun Chuxiu rose. Qin Mu, with a smile, invited them to sit, laughing. “I’ve just arrived here and have no property in the Heavenly Court. I’m staying as a guest, so forgive me for any neglect.”
Yan’er curiously watched the back of Qin Mu’s neck, noticing more and more goosebumps and a few cold sweat droplets trickling down, showing he was even more tense.
“Young master doesn’t sweat on his forehead but on his neck. Where did he learn that trick?” Yan’er grew even more curious.
Yun Jianli quickly said, “You’re too kind, Tianzun. Tianzun spreads the Dharma to all beings, giving them hope of becoming gods. Your merits are unparalleled. I’ve come today following my ancestor’s last words to beg for forgiveness.”
Qin Mu was surprised. “Yun Tianzun’s last words? What crime does he have?”
“My ancestor, to save the people from suffering, was forced to impersonate Mu Tianzun and Qin Tianzun multiple times, using their names to rally people’s hearts. Only then could he establish the Xiao Han Heavenly Court and secure a chance for the common people to survive. Before his death, he left a decree: if future descendants were fortunate enough to meet Mu Tianzun again, they should kneel and beg for forgiveness on behalf of Mu Tianzun and Qin Tianzun!”
Yun Jianli rose and bowed again. “My ancestor has already met the Kai Huang and begged for his forgiveness, but he could never find Mu Tianzun. Today, Yun Jianli is fortunate to finally meet Mu Tianzun. The unfilial descendant of the Yun family begs for forgiveness on behalf of my ancestor!”
Qin Mu was moved and stood up. “Yun Tianzun committed no crime! There’s no need for such formality. Please, rise quickly.”
Yun Jianli continued to kowtow. “Though Tianzun does not blame him, I carry my ancestor’s decree and must pay my respects.”
He insisted on finishing his bows before standing up.
Qin Mu invited him to sit, smiling. “Your ancestor, Yun Tianzun, I met him here, but I never had the chance to speak with him in depth. And this sister Yun Chuxiu—what is her background? I just heard Brother Qi say that your Yun family has only one male heir per generation.”
Yun Jianli had an elegant demeanor, the bearing of a noble son. Though he was a sickly young master, he possessed an extraordinary charm. “Chuxiu is a sister I recently acknowledged. She also goes by the surname Yun, but she’s not from the Yun family. I saw she was clever, talented, and alone, so I took her as my sister to look after her.”
Yun Chuxiu smiled. “When I heard my brother was coming to pay respects to Mu Tianzun, I insisted on tagging along. I didn’t expect Mu Tianzun to be so young.”
Every frown and smile of hers was so captivating that it stirred endless fantasies.
Her smile affected Qin Mu and Qi Jiuyi differently. Qin Mu, with his strong divine consciousness, mental defenses, and the influence of Granny Si, felt little impact.
But Qi Jiuyi saw much more in her smile. Scenes of meeting, knowing, falling in love, and spending a lifetime with this woman flooded his mind.
In his ears, he even faintly heard a beautiful, moving melody. In that instant of imagination, he saw their future children running around them.
When Yun Chuxiu’s words faded, his imagination ended.
His heart pounded like a first love, his face flushed red.
Qin Mu glanced at him and coughed.
The cough struck Qi Jiuyi’s ears like a thunderclap, shattering his romantic illusions.
Qi Jiuyi was startled: “The first time I see this woman, she affects my Dao heart! She’s too beautiful and doesn’t know restraint.”
Qin Mu laughed. “Sister Chuxiu and Brother Jianli make a perfect pair. It’s a pity you’re just siblings.”
Yun Chuxiu’s face flushed with a maiden’s shyness, and she glanced at Yun Jianli.
Yun Jianli said seriously, “Tianzun jokes. A dying man like me wouldn’t dare delay Sister Chuxiu. I already have a family and a son. Has Tianzun married?”
Qin Mu, though weak, perked up and laughed heartily. “Brother Jianli, I too am a dying man. If you don’t mind, you can call me Chief Qin like Brother Qi does, no need for ‘Tianzun.’ To be honest, I only just turned thirty-three.”
Yun Chuxiu was surprised, covering her mouth with a smile. “Tianzun is a few years younger than me.”
Qi Jiuyi, seeing her mannerisms, again heard the enchanting song in his ears, and the loving scenes reappeared in his imagination.
Qin Mu coughed again, waking him. Qi Jiuyi broke out in a cold sweat: “It’s over! My Dao heart is finished! Si Youyou of the Yuan Realm was also beautiful, but she never tempted others. This woman uses her beauty and charm as weapons!”
Qin Mu looked at Yun Jianli. “I’ve heard that when the Yun family cultivates to the Divine Bridge realm and tries to step into the divine realm, they suddenly die. Yun Tianzun was the Tianzun who opened the Divine Bridge divine repository. Why do his descendants suffer such misfortune?”
Yun Jianli said gloomily, “I don’t know either. The Yun family has invited countless famous doctors and gods over the generations to examine the illness, but none could find the cause. In fact, I reached the Divine Bridge realm five years ago and have dared not take that final step.”
Qin Mu grew curious. “I’m quite skilled in medicine. Could you open your divine repositories and let me take a look?”
Yun Jianli agreed openly and opened his divine repositories. Qin Mu examined them closely. All of Yun Jianli’s divine repositories seemed normal, with the Divine Bridge repository being larger than others, but aside from that, nothing special.
Qin Mu’s gaze fell on his primordial spirit.
Yun Jianli’s primordial spirit was extremely powerful, standing on the Divine Bridge with an ethereal grace. Qin Mu scrutinized it but found no problem.
His gaze deepened, looking into Yun Jianli’s celestial palace.
Weng.
Suddenly, flames blazed behind Qin Mu’s head, forming a ring of fire. In the ring was a huge fiery eye, staring straight into the deepest part of Yun Jianli’s celestial palace!
Yun Jianli was startled. The ring of fire behind Qin Mu’s head felt like a blessing from an ancient god, yet different.
“As expected of a Tianzun. Even I can’t understand such divine abilities.”
He couldn’t help but feel respect: “Mu Tianzun is only thirty-three. For someone so young to achieve this is truly terrifying.”
After a moment, the ring of fire behind Qin Mu gradually faded.
His third eye on his forehead slowly opened, continuing to observe where Yun Jianli’s problem lay. This eye was unique, a newly born divine eye.
Though Qin Mu hadn’t fully explored its uses, this eye had grown by absorbing his blood, energy, and divine consciousness. It had also absorbed the Earth Lord’s horn and the Taichu Primordial Stone as part of its structure. Clearly, this divine eye must have extraordinary qualities.
When Qin Mu opened his divine eye, he immediately saw the source of the black aura around Yun Jianli.
The black aura on Yun Jianli’s brow originated from his divine consciousness, filling every part of his body—his primordial spirit, divine repositories, and energy. But this was just the surface.
With his third divine eye, Qin Mu saw a more terrifying scene.
Countless strands of black aura twisted within Yun Jianli’s bloodline. Reflected in Qin Mu’s third eye, it allowed him to trace the history of this bloodline.
What Qin Mu’s third eye saw was the memory of the bloodline.
Bloodline memory was unique; it passed down through generations with flesh and blood relatives. But seeing the memories hidden within the bloodline was no easy task.
This was the first time Qin Mu discovered that his third eye had this function.
He immediately saw another man’s figure within the black aura—likely Yun Jianli’s father. Then, within the black aura enveloping his father, he saw his grandfather.
Tracing back through the bloodline’s history, figures of young men emerged one by one—the ancestors of the Yun family, from Yun Tianzun to the present. Countless ancestors were all shrouded in black aura, dying young, their souls scattering!
From Yun Tianzun’s time to now, a million years, countless generations had passed, and not one had lived to become a god!
Qin Mu traced the source of the black aura in the bloodline and finally saw the scene just before Yun Tianzun fell.
He saw a figure shrouded in black mist. This was likely the source of the Yun family’s curse of having only one male heir per generation, none living to become gods!
Suddenly, from deep within his mind came the voice of the Creator Shujun: “This young man has been cursed. The curse runs deep in his bloodline. Anyone with that bloodline will develop the same curse. It was placed by a Creator. This curse strengthens as his cultivation grows, and when his divine consciousness reaches a certain level, it will claim his life.”
Qin Mu’s divine consciousness rippled. “How to break it?”
“Give me more blood, energy, and divine consciousness, and I’ll teach you how to use the Taichu Primordial Stone to break this bloodline curse!” Shujun’s voice came.
Qin Mu sneered. “Shujun, whether Yun Jianli lives or dies is none of my concern. I don’t know his purpose or stance in coming here. I won’t save him just because he’s Yun Tianzun’s descendant.”
Shujun was silent for a moment. “The Creator who cast the curse is likely one of the so-called Ten Tianzun.”
Qin Mu said calmly, “What does that have to do with me?”
Shujun was silent again for a long time before saying, “Help me find this Creator, and I’ll teach you how to use the Taichu Primordial Stone to cultivate divine consciousness.”
Qin Mu calculated for a moment. “First, teach me the method to cultivate divine consciousness. Then, teach me how to use the Taichu Primordial Stone to break the Yun family’s bloodline curse. After that, I’ll help you find that person!”
“You!”
Shujun grew angry but suddenly chuckled. “Deal!”