Chapter 1028: Nine Deliveries to Mu Tianzun

Dragon Qilin and Yan'er cautiously stepped out from behind him, their hearts pounding as they looked at the countless experts from the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace in the sky.

"Fatty Dragon, will this end well?"

In her nervousness, Yan'er involuntarily transformed into a small azure sparrow and landed on Dragon Qilin's large head, scratching his scalp with her claws as she whispered, "It seems Young Master beat the Eastern Emperor's reincarnation too badly..."

In the distance, a sudden thunderous roar was heard. A palace, breached by the Eastern Emperor's reincarnation, could no longer withstand the damage and swayed precariously before collapsing.

It wasn't just this palace that fell; other palaces also rumbled and collapsed in sequence, startling the dragon powerhouses in the sky from their shock.

Yan'er became even more nervous, making Dragon Qilin's head increasingly itchy from her scratching.

Dragon Qilin composed himself and whispered, "It's hard to say if this will end well. However, when the Cult Master came to East Extreme Heaven to visit the Eastern Emperor, the Eastern Emperor tried to establish his authority by using the Cult Master's name, so the Cult Master merely counterattacked."

Yan'er didn't understand his meaning.

However, Dragon Qilin saw through it clearly.

This time, the Eastern Emperor clearly intended to suppress Heavenly Venerable Mu's reputation, which is why his arrival was so grand and alarmed most of the dragon race in the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace.

If it were merely to test Qin Mu's potential, there would have been no need for all the civil and military officials of the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace to be present, nor to alarm so many people; clearly, the Eastern Emperor had other intentions.

It was also understandable that the Eastern Emperor wanted to establish his authority using Heavenly Venerable Mu's name.

In recent years, the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace had been precarious, the ancient gods' days were getting worse, and the Heavenly Court's Ten Heavenly Venerables' reputations grew louder and louder. Sometimes, when the Ten Heavenly Venerables acted, they disdained to use the nominal co-ruler, the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor's name, and directly issued orders in their own Heavenly Venerable names.

Those who dared to disobey would have their homes confiscated and their clans annihilated, a fate decided by the Heavenly Venerables' mere whim.

The crisis of the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace was also apparent to the people of East Extreme Heaven: the Ten Heavenly Venerables suppressed them from above, the Azure Emperor of the East pressed them from below, and now, Divine Artifact Heavenly Venerable Yu descended from the Heavenly Court, holding six divine cities and deploying millions of gods and devils!

Furthermore, Divine Artifact Heavenly Venerable Yu formed a hand seal, pointing directly at the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace, acting incredibly arrogant and undermining the confidence of the East Extreme Heaven's dragon race.

The Eastern Emperor, as one of the Four Emperors among the ancient gods, indeed needed an opportunity to boost morale and confidence.

Suppressing Qin Mu, firstly, would let Qin Mu know his place in their cooperation: that without the support of them, the ancient gods, Qin Mu would achieve nothing!

In their cooperation, they, the ancient gods, were the masters, holding the dominant position, while Qin Mu was the subordinate, only able to act according to their commands.

Secondly, although Heavenly Venerable Mu's reputation was not as great as that of the current Ten Heavenly Venerables, he was still the highest-ranking elder on the surface of the Heavenly Alliance. Making Qin Mu suffer a setback at his hands could still establish an invincible image of the ancient gods in the hearts of his people.

When Qin Mu arrived at East Extreme Heaven, the Eastern Emperor set two tests, and this was their intention.

"What he didn't expect was that Heavenly Venerable Mu is also a Heavenly Venerable."

Dragon Qilin shook his head. The Eastern Emperor had been mistaken from the start, thinking he could control Qin Mu and take advantage of him. However, as an ancient god, he had always been high and mighty but failed to see that times had changed and ancient gods were no longer the most powerful beings in this world.

And Qin Mu, as one of the Three Heroes of the Eternal Peace Reform, his goal was not to surpass the ancient gods, but that gods, whether ancient or new, should serve humanity.

Qin Mu's goals were inherently opposed to those of the ancient gods, and in some ways could even be described as adversarial. If the Eastern Emperor wanted to control Qin Mu, how could Qin Mu willingly comply?

Furthermore, while Heavenly Venerable Mu (Qin Mu) had some flaws or lacked some substance before, in recent years, these flaws had steadily diminished. The Eternal Peace Catastrophe itself was a tremendous crucible, greatly improving his cultivation foundation, wisdom, and strategic depth.

After experiencing the journey to the Grand Void, now, although Qin Mu dared not claim to be invincible among Heavenly Venerables of the same realm, defeating a reincarnated ancient god was certainly not an issue.

Suddenly, another thunderous roar was heard as a massive dragon-shaped archway crashed down.

Yan'er had originally relaxed, but hearing this sound, she couldn't help but grip tighter with her claws, pulling off a dragon scale from Dragon Qilin's head.

Dragon Qilin winced in pain but bore it in silence.

Many dragons of all sizes in the sky seemed to be startled awake by the sound of the archway collapsing and snapped back to reality. None of them had expected this outcome, and it was likely that the Eastern Emperor himself had not foreseen it.

Their gazes turned to Qin Mu. Qin Mu stood on Dragon Island, having already put away his sword pellets. It was said that "when a thousand fingers point, one dies without sickness," yet under the gaze of so many dragon experts, Qin Mu remained unperturbed.

"Big Brother, what should we do?" the civil and military officials of the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace all asked Crown Prince Yuanlong.

Crown Prince Yuanlong was also at a loss. Although he was a formidable existence at the Emperor's Throne realm, in East Extreme Heaven, he was like the archway that had just collapsed: outwardly impressive, but in reality, useless.

The true master of East Extreme Heaven was still his father, the Eastern Emperor, and Crown Prince Yuanlong held little power.

The Eastern Emperor was immortal and long-lived, with a strong desire for control. As his eldest crown prince, Yuanlong was able to cultivate to the Emperor's Throne realm by relying on the chaotic period of the High Emperor era, when he descended to the lower realms for conquest, escaping the Eastern Emperor's shadow, and thus achieving the Emperor's Throne.

However, with the end of the High Emperor era and his return to East Extreme Heaven, he again fell under the Eastern Emperor's shadow.

Under his father's shadow, he could not make decisions.

At this moment, an ancient and vast aura rose from the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace, growing stronger and stronger. The Eastern Emperor's colossal body coiled around the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace, coil after coil, his azure scales reflecting the sunlight like mirrors, clearly reflecting the surrounding palaces.

The Eastern Emperor's dragon head was above the High Firmament Hall, slowly extending downwards. His dragon whiskers fluttered, reaching above the Dragon Island of Jade Pool, striking the Jade Pool's surface and creating great waves.

Qin Mu looked up, gazing at the descending ancient god dragon head, and smiled, "Your Majesty Eastern Emperor, I suppose I've passed this test, haven't I?"

The Eastern Emperor squinted his colossal dragon eyes, staring at him. After a moment, he chuckled, "You've passed. Heavenly Venerable Mu has great potential and will not be inferior to the Ten Heavenly Venerables in the future."

Qin Mu sighed in relief and smiled, "Thankfully, I didn't disappoint Your Majesty Eastern Emperor. About that Spirit Treasure Mountain..."

The dragon's mouth opened and closed as the Eastern Emperor smiled, "I promised it to you, so of course, I will give it. It's just that Spirit Treasure Mountain is very heavy; I wonder if you can lift it."

Qin Mu smiled broadly, "Your Majesty Eastern Emperor, don't worry, I will definitely find a way to take it! My purpose in coming to East Extreme Heaven was to meet with you, Your Majesty, and strengthen our bond so we wouldn't become estranged. I've already imposed on East Extreme Heaven for nearly a month; I shouldn't bother my host any longer."

The Eastern Emperor courteously urged him to stay, saying, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, won't you stay a few more days?"

"No, no."

The two exchanged pleasantries. Qin Mu instructed Dragon Qilin and Yan'er to pack their belongings, while the Eastern Emperor flew to Spirit Treasure Mountain and forcibly pulled up a mountain peak, leaving the gods and devils in the Heavenly Court bewildered. They secretly complained, "Is the Eastern Emperor planning to move the entire Spirit Treasure Mountain? Where will we find the Dragon Tooth Blade in the future?"

Fortunately, the Eastern Emperor only moved one peak; there were still eight others.

This peak was incredibly heavy; though not the entirety of Spirit Treasure Mountain, it was still extraordinary. When the Eastern Emperor moved it, its powerful geomagnetism warped space.

Qin Mu's eyes twitched. For the Eastern Emperor, this mountain was not large, yet for Qin Mu, it was too tall, too large, and too heavy to move or lift at all.

The Eastern Emperor transformed into an azure-robed emperor, standing in the air and holding Spirit Treasure Mountain with one hand. He said, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, Spirit Treasure Mountain is here; catch it!" With that, he tossed Spirit Treasure Mountain towards him!

Dragon Qilin and Yan'er were terrified. The mountain peak was too large; even if they fled, they couldn't escape its crushing weight in such a short time.

Qin Mu smiled slightly, reached up and plucked out the vertical eye from his forehead, throwing the eye into the air.

His third eye flew towards Spirit Treasure Mountain, its pupil seeming to rotate, and a curtain of light shot out towards Spirit Treasure Mountain.

The curtain of light swept from the mountain's summit to its base, and Spirit Treasure Mountain vanished into thin air.

The divine eye flew back, landing in Qin Mu's forehead, where flesh automatically grew and nerves reconnected.

The eye in Qin Mu's forehead blinked. He found that just one peak didn't affect it much, and immediately smiled, "Thank you, Your Majesty Eastern Emperor. Please don't trouble yourself further."

The Eastern Emperor was also stunned for a moment. He then descended from the sky, leading the civil and military officials of the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace to see Qin Mu off with great fanfare and complete adherence to etiquette. He said, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, please don't mind. The two tests were merely jokes; you don't need to take them to heart."

Qin Mu said, "I'm quite uneasy about having damaged so many palaces in the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace."

"Heavenly Venerable, there's no need to blame yourself. My East Extreme Heaven has plenty of divine dragons skilled in construction; if they're broken, we'll just rebuild them."

The Eastern Emperor's demeanor was now as gentle as a spring breeze, completely devoid of his previous aggressive aura. Walking alongside Qin Mu, he smiled, "When you arrived, I failed to properly welcome you, but when you leave, I will certainly see you off. Heavenly Venerable, we've arrived at the South Heaven Gate."

"Please don't trouble yourself further," Qin Mu said, turning and bowing.

The Eastern Emperor bowed in return and said, "Heavenly Venerable, please take care on your journey."

Qin Mu called Dragon Qilin and Yan'er and started to walk away.

After walking over a thousand li, they saw divine light filling the sky behind them and heavenly dragons dancing wildly. The Eastern Emperor, leading his civil and military officials, rushed over again, laughing heartily, "I saw Heavenly Venerable off once, but I'm not satisfied, so I've come to see you off again!"

Yan'er and Dragon Qilin were startled, thinking to themselves, "Could it be that the Eastern Emperor felt he lost face and was taken advantage of by Young Master (Cult Master), so he's come to silence us and reclaim the treasure?"

Qin Mu jumped off Dragon Qilin's back, showing a moved expression, and sighed, "Your Majesty Eastern Emperor, seeing me off once was already a great honor; seeing me off again would simply make me blush. Your Majesty, I deeply appreciate your kindness, but please don't trouble yourself further."

The Eastern Emperor sighed, "Meeting with Heavenly Venerable has moved me deeply, and I can't bear to part without seeing you off again."

Qin Mu cupped his hands in greeting, and the Eastern Emperor returned the bow, personally helping him onto Dragon Qilin's back and saying, "Have a smooth journey!"

"Your Majesty, please don't trouble yourself further."

Dragon Qilin ran forward and inadvertently looked back, only to see the Azure Dragon Eastern Emperor, leading many divine dragons from East Extreme Heaven, still standing in mid-air, watching from afar—truly a profound and sincere display of emotion.

Dragon Qilin was about to open his mouth to ask Qin Mu, but saw divine light surging as the Eastern Emperor, leading his retinue, rushed over again, calling out loudly, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, please stop!"

Qin Mu had Dragon Qilin stop and jumped down. Next to them, a dragon maiden held a tray with fine wine in a golden cup. The Eastern Emperor personally poured the wine, raised his cup, and said, "Heavenly Venerable, you came all this way, yet I never had a truly hearty drink with you. That is my fault. At our parting, I offer you a toast."

Qin Mu raised his cup, drank with him, and smiled, "I'm not good with alcohol; I'm already a bit tipsy. Your Majesty's single cup of fine wine surpasses a thousand jars of vintage. Your Majesty, please don't trouble yourself further."

The Eastern Emperor watched him mount Dragon Qilin and waved goodbye.

Dragon Qilin carried Qin Mu and Yan'er near Divine Artifact Heavenly Venerable Yu, only to see the Eastern Emperor, leading many powerhouses from Azure Dragon Heaven Palace, rush over again. The Eastern Emperor ordered someone to offer dried fruit and said apologetically, "Heavenly Venerable came to my East Extreme Heaven, and I failed to fully fulfill my host duties. I specially present some fruits and vegetables."

Qin Mu had Yan'er accept the dried fruit, saying, "Your Majesty's generosity is overwhelming; I am deeply humbled."

The Eastern Emperor waved goodbye again, bidding him a solicitous farewell.

After traveling another thousand li, Dragon Qilin reached another divine city, only to see the Eastern Emperor, leading his retinue, rush over again to see them off. The Eastern Emperor sobbed, tears falling, and said, "Parting with Heavenly Venerable Mu today, I don't know when we'll meet again. I'll see Heavenly Venerable off one more time."

Qin Mu also couldn't help but shed tears, choking out, "Your Majesty's overwhelming kindness is something I could never repay, even if my body were shattered!"

The two embraced, then separated, each wiping away tears.

The gods and devils on the six divine cities in Divine Artifact Heavenly Venerable Yu's palm watched this scene, whispering to each other.

Qin Mu set off again. Dragon Qilin was full of questions but had no time to ask, as he saw the Eastern Emperor, leading his retinue, rush over again for another solicitous farewell.

The Eastern Emperor and his entourage astonishingly saw him off nine times in a row, bringing Qin Mu to the Heavenly Dragon Chariot. There, the Eastern Emperor personally harnessed the heavenly dragons for Qin Mu, helped him onto the chariot, and watched him take his seat.

"Your Majesty, please return," Qin Mu said, opening the chariot window, his eyes red.

The Eastern Emperor sighed, "I wonder when we will meet again?"

The group watched the Heavenly Dragon Chariot drive into the Spirit Energy Teleportation Bridge, and only then did they turn back.

"The Azure Dragon Eastern Emperor is a formidable individual."

Qin Mu remarked with emotion, "How could the Azure Emperor of the East possibly contend with him? Only Divine Emperor Lang Xuan could suppress him."

In the chariot, Divine King Lang Wo's figure appeared, and she said lightly, "One who battled the Creator race, endured the Blood Rust War, and survived is naturally no ordinary person. Holy Infant, I've always worried you underestimated him."

Qin Mu smiled slightly and said, "He underestimated me and suffered a small loss. But he still managed to recover."

Dragon Qilin finally couldn't hold back his multitude of questions and said, "Cult Master, why did the Eastern Emperor see you off so solicitously after suffering a loss? He even saw you off nine times! Even if the Heavenly Emperor himself came, he might not see someone off nine times."

Yan'er was also full of doubts, saying, "The Eastern Emperor is petty; he doesn't seem like the kind of person to do that!"

Qin Mu smiled, "He needed to make a show, to signal to the Heavenly Court that he has allied with me, and also to show that his regard for me is unparalleled. This has two benefits: first, it states his position to the other ancient gods, and second, it forces the Heavenly Court to deal with me."

He rubbed his temples and said, "I made him suffer a loss. I beat his reincarnation in front of his descendants and won a mountain peak from him in a wager. The Eastern Emperor lost the confrontation; how could he not seek revenge? He seemingly saw me off solicitously, "seeing Heavenly Venerable Mu off nine times"—giving Heavenly Venerable Mu great prestige. However, the more he emphasizes me, the more the Heavenly Court will want to eliminate me. This is him putting me on the spot, roasting me over a fire."