Chapter 1030: Xuanwu Two Emperors

The Divine Weapon Exalted Heavenly Venerate was incredibly powerful. Streams of bright light, like ribbons, flowed around him. He held his hand in a graceful "orchid" gesture, as if plucking a flower and smiling. The tip of one foot touched the ground, while the other was raised, its toe resting on the knee of his other leg. This pose is what made Qin Mu describe him as alluring.

Unlike the Exalted Heavenly Venerate of the Eastern Extremity Heavens, this Exalted Heavenly Venerate was surrounded by several floating landmasses. They were shrouded in mist and clouds, with clear waters and beautiful mountains. Deities and devils resided on these landmasses, forming armies that drilled day and night.

Qin Mu looked into the distance. The Northern Extremity Heavens appeared somewhat gloomy, and it was only upon arriving here that he felt a sense of warmth.

Among the distant mountains, a peak stood like a pillar. Several green vines climbed the peak, growing in winding patterns and adding a touch of green.

God King Lang Wo gazed at the green vines in the distance, a look of surprise on her face.

"Sister, do you also want to go see this Divine Weapon Exalted Heavenly Venerate?" Qin Mu asked.

God King Lang Wo hesitated, then nodded slightly. She said, "Those green vines should also be from the ancestral court."

The next moment, she vanished from the treasure carriage.

Qin Mu gazed at the green vines. He thought, "Things that grow in the Creator's ancestral court are truly massive."

The treasure carriage continued forward, heading towards the green vines. After a long while, they arrived at the pillar-like peak. Qin Mu looked up and saw that the green vine was actually a gourd vine. Its large leaves covered the entire peak.

Hanging on the mountain were several green gourds. They were entirely jade-green and about five or six zhang (approximately 16-20 meters) tall.

There weren't many gourds. Some women flew back and forth, weaving among the vines, seemingly catching insects.

The insects on the gourds were also strange and fierce. They were two or three zhang long, covered in bristles, with sharp fangs and mouths. They spat lightning and fire. When defeated, they would shake their bodies, shooting out their bristles like extremely sharp steel spears!

The women weaved through the vines, trying to catch the insects. However, they frequently encountered danger. Whenever danger arose, they would transform into flying serpents to evade, appearing and disappearing with incredible speed.

"Could the Five Thunder Vase be a treasure produced by this gourd vine? It can contain the Five Great Cloud Thunders and forge Fire Bell divine weapons?"

Qin Mu marveled. "There are such enormous insects in this world? Are they also from the ancestral court?"

Suddenly, the mountain rumbled and moved about a hundred li (approx. 50 km). Qin Mu was startled and looked closely. He saw an old turtle at the base of the mountain.

The old turtle was incredibly massive. It walked with a continent on its back, but it moved very slowly, taking half a day to move one step. Yet, each step covered about a hundred li!

Carrying the mountains of the continent on its back, it trudged through the vast marshland, panting and seemingly struggling.

The Celestial Dragon Treasure Carriage arrived at the old turtle's location. The old turtle slowly turned its head. Its eyes, like two suns, fixed on the carriage.

Qin Mu stepped out of the carriage and bowed. He said, "Elder."

The old turtle's head had snow-white whiskers and brows, indicating its extreme age. It said, "Heavenly Venerate Mu, please forgive me for not being able to return your greeting."

Its voice boomed like rolling thunder, extremely loud.

Qin Mu asked, surprised, "You know me?"

"Heavenly Venerate Mu of the Celestial Alliance, who doesn't know you?"

The old turtle said, "Heavenly Venerate Mu, have you come to visit Emperor Xuanwu?"

Qin Mu nodded and asked, "May I ask where Northern Emperor Xuanwu is?"

The old turtle chuckled, "There is no Northern Emperor Xuanwu in this world, only Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu. Heavenly Venerate Mu, do you wish to see Emperor Xuan or Emperor Wu?"

Qin Mu blinked, a strange expression on his face. He tentatively asked, "Is Northern Emperor Xuanwu two people?"

The old turtle chuckled, "They are two divine beings: one in the kingdom of men, called Xuan Kingdom, and one in the kingdom of women, called Wu Kingdom. You can meet Emperor Xuan in Xuan Kingdom, and Emperor Wu in Wu Kingdom. Only when they combine do they become Emperor Xuanwu."

Qin Mu thanked him and asked, "How should I address you, Elder?"

"I dare not accept the title of Elder. I am the son of Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu, named You Ming. I was punished for making a mistake."

The old turtle said, "My divine parents punished me to carry this mountain across the Northern Extremity Heavens. I can only be absolved of my crime once all the Five Thunder Vases on the gourd vine mature. I have already been walking for six hundred thousand years."

Qin Mu was startled and asked suspiciously, "Are those indeed Five Thunder Vases on this vine? But surely it doesn't take six hundred thousand years for these gourds to mature?"

The old turtle You Ming said, "These gourds bloom every three thousand years, bear fruit every three thousand years, and mature every three thousand years. In six hundred thousand years, sixty-six generations of gourds have been harvested, yielding nearly six hundred gourds. However, this gourd vine keeps blooming and bearing fruit, and there are always gourds on the vine, never all of them maturing at once. So, I am still serving my punishment."

The little green sparrow, transformed from Yan'er, hopped out of the treasure carriage and landed on Qin Mu's shoulder. She blurted out, "What crime did you commit to receive such a punishment?"

The old turtle glanced at her and said, "I was framed by two rascals, a boy and a girl, which led to my current predicament. Six hundred thousand years ago, when the Four Emperors split from the Celestial Heavens, I was ordered to escort the Xuanwu Celestial Palace to the Northern Extremity Heavens. On the way, I met a boy and a girl who chatted with me, saying they recognized me. I couldn't help but feel a liking for them. However, they broke into the Celestial Heavens and stole the Lapis Lazuli Green Sky Banner, a treasure forged by my divine parents."

He gnashed his teeth and said, "My divine parents were furious and suppressed me here. Hatefully, that boy and girl vanished without a trace! The Lapis Lazuli Green Sky Banner was forged from rare treasures collected by my divine parents from the primordial era; its power was immense, yet it has been lost ever since. My divine parents have searched for it for a long time. If I ever find that wretched pair, I will surely flay them, tear out their sinews, and grind their bones to dust!"

Qin Mu sighed repeatedly, thinking, "Northern Emperor Xuanwu is indeed immensely wealthy and powerful, truly worthy of someone who has lived from the primordial era to the present, possessing an abundance of rare materials and treasures. Presumably, many ancient gods are like this. They must have obtained these treasures from the ancestral court of the Creators. This green vine, perhaps, is a sacred object conjured by the Creator race..."

He examined the green vine, attempting to connect with it using his divine sense. However, the vine gave no response.

The old turtle You Ming continued to curse incessantly, spewing various expletives. He had completely lost his previous dignified demeanor. He clearly held extreme hatred for the "wretched pair" who had stolen the Lapis Lazuli Green Sky Banner.

Just then, a buzzing sound filled the air. Many large, winged insects flew over and immediately laid their eggs on the mountain.

The women on the mountain were both angry and anxious, and they flew up to drive the insects away. However, quite a few eggs still fell, transforming into large green grubs when they met the wind, and immediately began to gnaw on the green vines.

The women had no choice but to go back to catching the insects.

Qin Mu glanced at them and asked, "Where do these insects come from?"

"They are insects raised by the Yin Emperor," the old turtle You Ming said. "The Yin Emperor somehow obtained a bag of primordial insect eggs. He came to my parents to ask for gourds, but when they refused, he resorted to mischief by scattering these eggs. Whenever these insects are completely caught, more winged insects come to lay eggs. This has been going on for four or five hundred thousand years. That fellow, his persistence is astonishing!"

Qin Mu bade farewell and departed. The old turtle You Ming called out loudly from behind, "Heavenly Venerate Mu, you have great influence. Please do me a favor and say a good word to my divine parents so I can be freed from this suppression sooner! After all, we did meet once six hundred thousand years ago!"

Qin Mu turned back in surprise. "You saw me six hundred thousand years ago?"

"Yes, in the Celestial River, we saw each other from afar!"

Qin Mu pondered. He had initially thought the old turtle knew him because Heavenly Venerate Mu's name was indeed very renowned. He hadn't expected that the old turtle had actually seen him. "I've been to six hundred thousand years ago? How do I not know that?"

Qin Mu agreed. The treasure carriage continued forward.

Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu had separated, forming two kingdoms: one a kingdom of men, the other a kingdom of women. Upon arriving in the kingdom of men, Qin Mu saw that most of its inhabitants were men with dragon heads, human bodies, and turtle shells on their backs. Their appearance was strange, but their strength was exceptional, and there were no women among them.

A celestial palace floated above Xuan Kingdom. However, it was only half a celestial palace; the Xuanwu Celestial Palace had been cut, precisely along its midline. Even the High Heavens Palace had been neatly sliced in half!

Qin Mu stood on the treasure carriage and looked up. He could even see the imperial throne, severed down the middle!

"What kind of quarrel did Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu have that led to such a severe separation?"

He couldn't help but shake his head. During the Jade Pool incident, Northern Emperor Xuanwu had also taken action. But they must have been combined then, which is why their strength was immense. It seemed that although these two ancient gods typically didn't get along, they would still join forces to face enemies in critical moments.

The Celestial Dragon Treasure Carriage flew up to the half-celestial palace and arrived before the Southern Heavenly Gate, which was also only half-present. There, the guards of the Southern Heavenly Gate were flirting with several women from Wu Kingdom.

It seemed that even though the two ancient gods were at odds, many men and women from their respective kingdoms were romantically involved.

Qin Mu had Long Qilin go announce their arrival. A moment later, a loud laugh rang out: "Heavenly Venerate Mu has indeed arrived!"

A middle-aged emperor came forward to greet him. He had a dragon-like beard and long whiskers, appearing majestic and extraordinary. However, his back was noticeably high and bulging, which looked a bit strange. It was probably because he wore his turtle shell hidden beneath his clothes.

"Heavenly Venerate Mu, this is our second meeting, isn't it?" Emperor Xuan laughed heartily.

Qin Mu returned the greeting, saying indifferently, "Before the Yankang Calamity erupted, there was a great celestial phenomenon calamity, which included a Northern Emperor divine weapon that was extremely formidable. I truly admire Emperor Xuan's treasures."

Emperor Xuan returned the greeting and chuckled, "Is Heavenly Venerate Mu complaining to me about this matter? Heavenly Venerate, you may not know, but that Five Thunder Vase was lent out by that vixen; it has nothing to do with me. I even said at the time, that vixen is digging her own grave. She lent out the Five Thunder Vase to destroy the High Emperor era, then again to destroy the Founding Emperor era, and now she wants to destroy Yankang. Sooner or later, she will offend someone she shouldn't, and it will be her undoing!"

Qin Mu's expression softened slightly, and he said, "So it had nothing to do with Emperor Xuan; I misunderstood you, Emperor Xuan. I greatly admire the Five Thunder Vase, a unique treasure that can contain the Five Great Cloud Thunders and forge Fire Bell divine weapons within them."

Emperor Xuan understood his unspoken meaning and said, "Heavenly Venerate Mu, I feel we are old friends at first sight, like true confidants. The Five Thunder Vases are equally divided between me and that vixen; she has a dozen or so, and I also have a dozen or so. When you depart, I will give you one as an apology!"

Qin Mu's expression became even softer, and he chuckled, "I just met my virtuous nephew, You Ming, and he said he's been suppressed under the mountain for six hundred thousand years. In six hundred thousand years, nearly six hundred Five Thunder Vases have matured, so why does Your Majesty only have a dozen or so? Furthermore, from the primordial era until now, countless eons have passed. How could there only be a dozen or so?"

Emperor Xuan's face flushed red, and he cursed, "So many have matured? That vixen must have secretly pocketed them!" He sighed and said, "To be honest, countless Five Thunder Vases have been destroyed in the wars throughout the ages, and I truly don't have many left. In that case, I will bestow all sixteen Five Thunder Vases upon Heavenly Venerate."

Qin Mu sighed, "Yankang is weak, without powerful divine weapons to protect the nation. Its destruction could happen at a whim of the Celestial Heavens. If Yankang perishes, I will not survive alone."

Emperor Xuan chuckled, "Heavenly Venerate, please don't speak like that. Have you come from Emperor East? Emperor East's temperament has always been straightforward; he didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"

Qin Mu said, "Emperor East set two trials. One was to revive others without using the powers of Heaven Duke or Earth Count. The second was to test my potential."

Emperor Xuan's eyes flickered, clearly waiting to see the price, and he asked, "So, did Heavenly Venerate pass the trials?"

Qin Mu said calmly, "After I revived the others, I smashed his Azure Dragon Celestial Palace, injured his reincarnation body, and made him look somewhat foolish in front of all the divine dragons in the Eastern Extremity Heavens."

Emperor Xuan burst into laughter, holding up five fingers, and said, "I just remembered that I have some stock left in my long-sealed treasury. I can gift Heavenly Venerate fifty Five Thunder Vases, allowing you to form a Five Thunder Army!"

Qin Mu raised one finger.

Emperor Xuan shook his head and said, "To be honest, many Five Thunder Vases were indeed destroyed in the wars of various eras. Furthermore, during the Founding Emperor era, I gifted fifty Five Thunder Vases to Founding Emperor. Founding Emperor is also a Heavenly Venerate Qin, so I cannot neglect one for the other. If I give you more, and Founding Emperor comes asking, how could I face him?"

Qin Mu said seriously, "Founding Emperor is not the Myriad Calamity Undying Grandmaster."

Emperor Xuan gritted his teeth and nodded firmly, "Then one hundred. No more than that!"

Qin Mu burst into laughter, and Emperor Xuan also laughed heartily. He extended his hand and said, "Heavenly Venerate Mu, please!"

"Please!"

The two walked hand in hand through the half-Southern Heavenly Gate and entered the Xuanwu Celestial Palace. Qin Mu was all smiles, thinking to himself, "After leaving Emperor Xuan, I'll go see Emperor Wu, and I can get another hundred Five Thunder Vases from her!"

Emperor Xuan said, seemingly unintentionally, "If Heavenly Venerate Mu still intends to see that vixen, then tell her I gave you two hundred Five Thunder Vases."

Qin Mu was greatly astonished, and a feeling of admiration naturally arose within him.