Chapter 1064: This Is Your Hairpin

The waves of the Celestial River surged, like the long river of time, sometimes turbulent, sometimes calm.

Celestial Venerable Yun's boat sailed on the Celestial River. He had communicated extensively with the Creation Gods in the Void, learning much about ancient history. This knowledge stirred his emotions, much like the surging waves of the Celestial River.

Ancient history was both fascinating and perilous, fraught with dangers, and it prompted him to ponder many things.

He also recalled Lang Wo's beautiful face; whenever he thought of her, his heart would glow with warmth.

At that time, Lang Wo was full of youthful exuberance, captivating vitality, and pure innocence. He was captivated by her at first sight.

Unfortunately, he had to suppress this wonderful feeling, as the human race was a more important concern.

"Unless the Grand Emperor and the Celestial Emperor are eliminated, there will be no peace in the world."

His expression was calm, yet deep currents surged in his eyes, revealing profound wisdom hidden beneath his serene demeanor.

"The Void will become a refuge for my human race, a place to weather storms. Should we all fail in the future, we will still need a hiding place. If Luo Xiao's three prophecies come true, then I must consider how to counter the Grand Emperor's invasion of the Void."

The hidden currents in his gaze grew even more turbulent.

A tall wave crashed in the Celestial River, lifting his boat.

As the boat sailed through the high winds and surging waves, Celestial Venerable Yun's robes fluttered.

Below, the magnificent landscapes stretched out, with colorful clouds drifting leisurely, all visible to his eyes.

This was his era!

He was destined to be the trailblazer of this grand era, leading the human race to unprecedented glory and leaving an indelible mark on history!

He would orchestrate the demise of the Grand Emperor and the Celestial Emperor. The era of the Ancient Gods would gradually draw to a close in his hands, and the Celestial Alliance would fall into disunity under his influence. Those who overthrew the Ancient Gods would ultimately replace them as rulers.

Celestial Venerable Yun was unaware of all this. He simply gazed at the mist-shrouded landscapes, his heart filled with soaring ambition.

A large wave subsided, and the Celestial Dragon Chariot emerged from the mists of the Celestial River, reappearing in the Dragon Han era.

However, time had passed, and it was now an unknown number of years since the start of the Sky Han Celestial Heavens.

In that era, Celestial Venerable Mu's shocking deeds had ignited a revolution, but few people now remembered what he had accomplished.

Qin Mu composed himself, changed his appearance, and transformed back into Mu Qing.

"I don't know what year of the Dragon Han era it is now. Unfortunately, even Senior Brother doesn't know precisely when the Ghost Ship docked in the Dragon Han era."

Qin Mu stood up and said to Yan'er, "Yan'er, hang the lanterns securely. The wind and waves are quite strong; don't let them be extinguished."

Yan'er affirmed, hung the lanterns, and asked, "Young Master, will I be able to see my mother this time?"

Qin Mu smiled, "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you should be able to see the Southern Emperor this time. Don't worry, once we meet her, we can calmly make our arrangements. Even if Celestial Venerable Huo kills her in the future, she won't truly die."

He clasped his hands behind his back, watched Yan'er hang the lanterns, and felt filled with confidence.

Yan'er cheered, then diligently went to feed the Dragon Qilin and the six Celestial Dragons. She also fished out the tiny Earth Count from the Dragon Qilin's ear and fed him spiritual pills.

The tiny Earth Count sat on the ground, industriously gnawing on a spiritual pill that was still quite large for him.

Boats came and went on the Celestial River, bustling with activity. Qin Mu pushed open the carriage window and looked out, noticing that there were far more boats on the Celestial River now than in the early years of Dragon Han. The human race had clearly prospered; Qin Mu saw many human gods piloting multi-decked ships and pleasure boats on the river.

"Celestial Venerable Yun is indeed an excellent ruler."

Qin Mu smiled, thinking, "He must be Celestial Emperor Yun by now, right? It's a pity I didn't get to see him last time I went to Dragon Han. Maybe I'll see him this time. Come to think of it, we only met once at the Jade Pool Grand Gathering in the early Dragon Han era, and we never had a detailed conversation."

He suddenly paused, finding it strange. Celestial Venerable Yun's last instructions to the Yun family also mentioned this: Celestial Venerable Yun had never actually met Celestial Venerable Mu. He could only use the Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha's cultivation method to transform into Celestial Venerable Mu and act under Qin Mu's identity.

"Could it be that we truly never met?"

Qin Mu shivered. Could it be that Celestial Venerable Yun and Celestial Venerable Mu were forever fated to remain on opposite banks of history, gazing at each other from afar?

What a truly sad thought.

"Long Pi, let's go to the Sky Han Celestial Heavens of the human race again."

Qin Mu's voice drifted from inside the chariot, "I want to see how all our old acquaintances among the human race are doing."

The Dragon Qilin acknowledged, then whispered to Yan'er, "The Cult Master is strange. He used to always call me 'Fatty Long,' but now he calls me 'Long Pi,' my real name. It's weird..."

Yan'er couldn't help but chuckle. "How can you be smart about big things yet confused about small ones? 'Fatty Long' is a nickname, while 'Long Pi' is your formal name. Before, he thought you were young and immature, so he called you 'Fatty Long.' Now he thinks you've matured and grown up, which is why he seriously uses your formal name. Parents and elders often do this; once they think you've grown up, they'll start calling you by your full name."

"Pah! You're talking nonsense! The Cult Master isn't raising me like a son!"

"Still denying it? Who cooks for you? Who taught you your cultivation methods? Who always dotes on you?"

The Dragon Qilin's expression was blank, while the tiny Earth Count giggled.

The Dragon Qilin hung his head and ears, feeling very dejected. "My Human Nurturing Sutra... it might have been practiced in vain. My Dao Heart is about to collapse..."

The Celestial Dragon Chariot headed upstream along the Celestial River. The Sky Han Celestial Heavens of the human race was built ahead, and Qin Mu was very excited: "Perhaps I'll get to see Celestial Venerable Yun this time. I hope he's at the Sky Han Celestial Heavens now!"

The Sky Han Celestial Heavens had grown much larger than before. From a distance, it appeared magnificent and imposing, gleaming with gold. The original Celestial Heavens still existed, but it was much smaller. Now, the human gods had constructed many palaces around it and diverted more branches of the Celestial River to support these grand structures.

Qin Mu gazed into the distance, observing numerous boats emerging from the tributaries, coming and going, creating a lively scene. Some gods also flew up to the Sky Han Celestial Heavens from the lower realms, leaving trails of light in the sky.

"Celestial Venerable Yun has indeed governed very well."

Qin Mu was delighted. He ordered the Dragon Qilin to stop the chariot and hailed a passing multi-decked merchant ship. The ship was loaded with goods, likely belonging to merchants traveling along the Celestial River to other heavens for trade.

Gods guarded the ship and came to inquire. Seeing the extraordinary Celestial Dragon Chariot, they dared not be negligent.

Qin Mu stepped out of the chariot and asked, "Brother, what year of the Dragon Han era is it now?"

The god smiled, "As for the exact year, I don't know. But I do know the year of the Sky Han Celestial Heavens. This year marks the hundred thousandth year since Celestial Emperor Yun ascended the throne. If you had arrived a few days earlier, you could have witnessed the grand centennial ceremony. Unfortunately, you're a few days late."

"Celestial Emperor Yun has been on the throne for a hundred thousand years?"

Qin Mu was surprised. If Celestial Venerable Yun had ascended the throne the same year the Sky Han Celestial Heavens was established, then he had arrived a hundred thousand years into the future!

"Are you a visitor from afar? Judging by your travel-worn appearance, you must have been journeying for quite some years."

The god asked, "During Celestial Emperor Yun's celebration, a major announcement was made. It's a pity you missed it."

Qin Mu asked curiously, "What major announcement?"

"The world's first Emperor's Throne Realm!"

The god was overcome with excitement, his voice rising in joyous celebration. "Celestial Emperor Yun is the very first being in all the world to cultivate to the Emperor's Throne Realm! Even the Ancient God Celestial Emperor sent gifts to congratulate him! That day, the Sky Han Celestial Heavens was bustling with activity. Earth Count, Heavenly Duke, Earth Mother, and Empress all sent congratulatory gifts, celebrating the human race's Great Emperor for achieving the Emperor's Throne and pioneering the first Emperor's Throne cultivation method in all existence!"

Qin Mu also became excited and praised, "Excellent, truly excellent! To comprehend the Emperor's Throne Realm in just a hundred thousand and one years, ahead of all other gods, he is indeed an unparalleled genius!"

Yan'er was somewhat puzzled. Cultivated to the Emperor's Throne in a hundred thousand and one years? An unparalleled genius?

"Young Master seems unaware that those from the Kai Huang era cultivated to the Emperor's Throne Realm in just ten thousand years, or even less than a thousand. Celestial Venerable Yun took over a hundred thousand years to reach the Emperor's Throne. How can he be called a genius?" she wondered aloud.

What she didn't know was that future generations had countless experiences from their predecessors, making cultivation much smoother. However, in Celestial Venerable Yun's era, while the realms existed, no one had ever reached them.

Moreover, the cultivation methods of this era had no other techniques to draw upon for reference.

Everyone, even the leaders among the demigods, had to start from scratch, meticulously exploring and experimenting, essentially forging path after path in the darkness.

Even more terrifying were the errors.

If mistakes appeared in a cultivation method, sometimes it required starting over from scratch.

For example, if one cultivated to the Jade Capital Realm and, while advancing to the Numinous Sky Realm, suddenly discovered an heinous error made during the True God Realm, then they would need to revise their cultivation method from the True God to the Jade Capital Realm.

But what if the error occurred during the Divine Treasure Realm?

That would almost necessitate completely overturning all previous cultivation methods!

Therefore, the development of various cultivation methods in the Dragon Han era was arduous. Everyone was groping, verifying, making mistakes, and pressing forward in a state of chaos and darkness.

The bones of those who died during this process could probably fill an entire heaven!

It was precisely because of the pioneering efforts of these predecessors that future generations could avoid many pitfalls and detours in their cultivation.

That Celestial Venerable Yun was the first among all to create the Emperor's Throne cultivation method and achieve the Emperor's Throne Realm was an absolutely unprecedented accomplishment, surpassing all others!

"Guest, we still have business to conduct, so we cannot delay."

The god guarding the merchant ship remarked, "This journey will likely take over ten years before we can return to Sky Han. By the time I come back, I'll be a weary traveler, covered in dust, just like you."

Qin Mu laughed heartily and waved goodbye.

The Celestial Dragon Chariot arrived in front of the Sky Han Celestial Heavens. The Dragon Qilin stopped the chariot outside the South Heaven Gate. Yan'er took down the lantern and followed behind Qin Mu, and the group entered the Sky Han Celestial Heavens.

Carrying lanterns in broad daylight, their group was quite conspicuous.

Qin Mu looked around, noting that people of this era had already achieved many artistic accomplishments. The architecture was magnificent and beautiful, immersing one in the aesthetics of ancient times.

Qin Mu, having studied this himself, walked slowly, observing his surroundings with great joy.

"Yun, why are you back so soon?"

A familiar voice drifted over. Qin Mu followed the sound and saw Celestial Venerable Yue. She was striding towards them with a few goddesses, complaining, "Didn't you say you were going to the Dragon Han Celestial Heavens to file a complaint against the Ancient God Celestial Emperor? Celestial Venerable Hao has been encroaching on our human territory for years! His demigods have devoured many of our people, and he never learns! The front lines have seen countless battles. This time, when you file your complaint, you must... Why have you transformed into Celestial Venerable Mu again?"

She suddenly noticed Yan'er beside Qin Mu, and then the strange figures formed by the Dragon Qilin and the six Celestial Dragons. She froze, staring blankly at Qin Mu in front of her.

A faint smile formed on Qin Mu's face as he softly said, "Yue, it's been a long time. Our last parting feels like yesterday. Are you all doing well?"

Celestial Venerable Yue stared at him incredulously, her steps light as she floated to his side, examining him repeatedly. Qin Mu looked somewhat haggard, yet his appearance hadn't changed at all, as if it truly were yesterday.

Yet, he seemed to have experienced many things; his gaze was deeper than before, and his demeanor had subtly shifted, becoming more introverted.

"A hundred thousand years it has been."

She murmured softly, "It wasn't yesterday. You've been gone for a hundred thousand years, Celestial Venerable Mu..."

"I know."

Qin Mu smiled, "To you, it's a hundred thousand years, but to me, it was yesterday."

Celestial Venerable Yue forcibly suppressed the urge to cry, pulled him, and walked towards the Celestial Heavens, smiling. "After you left, someone uncovered your secret! Do you know who it was? It was Senior Sister Ling!"

Overjoyed, her voice was light and cheerful. "Senior Sister Ling said that a person from the future brought her future hairpin to that era, and then her hairpin disappeared. I couldn't resist later and told her that it wasn't Celestial Venerable Yun who transformed into your appearance. She was thrilled and searched for you for a long time, but she never found you and was disappointed for a long time..."

Qin Mu felt a warmth in his heart as she led him to find Celestial Venerable Ling.

Soon, Celestial Venerable Yue arrived at Celestial Venerable Ling's residence. It was a messy place, with papers scattered everywhere, covered in various words and symbols.

Besides these, there were dozens of small horses in the courtyard. These small horses rode on bamboo poles, their feet not touching the ground, bouncing around to inspect the manuscripts on the floor.

"Be careful not to provoke these little creatures. When Senior Sister Ling was experimenting with creation divine arts, she accidentally merged these small horses and bamboo poles. These horses are attached to the bamboo poles, and Senior Sister Ling has them check manuscripts for errors. However, they don't read carefully and just point out random things as mistakes. Senior Sister Ling calls them 'argumentative spirits'; they're very fierce, so don't try to reason with them, they'll hit you."

Celestial Venerable Yue laughed cheerfully, "Senior Sister Ling, come out quickly and see who's here!"

Celestial Venerable Ling wasn't in the courtyard; only the small horses were jumping around on their bamboo poles.

One Celestial Dragon asked curiously, "Don't they get hurt jumping like that?"

Another Celestial Dragon wondered, "Hurt? Where would it hurt?"

Qin Mu took out Celestial Venerable Ling's peach wood hairpin. Just then, Celestial Venerable Ling's voice came from a side room, full of annoyance: "Which accursed person did this, stealing my hairpin... Goodness!"

The door of the side room suddenly flew open entirely, and Celestial Venerable Ling stood in the doorway, her gaze fixed on Qin Mu.

"Ling, I'm back."

Qin Mu said with a calm smile, "This is your hairpin."