Chapter 1092: When a Warrior Becomes an Evil Dragon

Holding a lantern, Qin Mu traveled upstream along the Heavenly River. He used his divine sense to visualize a soaring dragon, which carried him swiftly across the water, his robes fluttering behind him.

These robes belonged to Wei Suifeng, who, as the Yunluo Emperor, possessed many treasures. The garment, a treasure itself, billowed in the wind, making Qin Mu feel weightless and unburdened.

Qin Mu's mind was abuzz with various thoughts.

It was Dragon Han 400,000 years, still over a hundred thousand years until the end of this era. By then, Heavenly Venerable Yun would die, Heavenly Venerable Yue would withdraw into reclusion, and only Heavenly Venerable Ling would remain to bear the burden alone. The rise of the Ten Heavenly Venerables marked the continuation of a cruel history that extended through the Crimson Light and Upper Emperor eras, until Heavenly Venerable Ling was assassinated in the Heavenly River.

He wished to change so many things.

However, after this crossing, he only had two more opportunities to travel through time. This era held many regrettable events and secrets waiting to be unearthed. Yet, he couldn't use all his remaining chances in the Dragon Han era! As Wei Suifeng had said, he should save those two opportunities for more meaningful endeavors. This would be his last time returning to the Dragon Han era.

Before returning to the ghost ship, he longed to meet Heavenly Venerable Yun in person, to engage in a heartfelt conversation, call him a fellow Daoist, and discuss their respective ambitions. He yearned to drink wine and carouse with Heavenly Venerable Yun.

He also wanted to hear Heavenly Venerable Yun's thoughts on the future and his perspective on past history. A true friend is rare, but his lived in the past, while he himself lived in the future.

He mused silently: "In the future, Heavenly Venerable Hao, Lang Xuan, Xu, Tai Di, Ancestor God King, Heavenly Venerable Huo, Yuan Mu, the Empress, and even the reincarnated Ancient God Heavenly Emperor, will gradually gain power and unite to oppose Heavenly Venerable Yun. Heavenly Venerable Yun will die in the Xiao Han Heavenly Court. His bloodline will be cursed by Tai Di, preventing any descendant from reaching godhood. His soul will be sealed by Tai Di, eternally imprisoned within the Divine Consciousness Grand Overarching Heaven in the ultimate void. His corpse will be sent by Tai Di to the Grand Void and sealed within Tai Di's own body, becoming a trophy."

He thought, "My friend, the suffering that awaits you is so immense. And the suffering that awaits humanity is just as heavy! You shouldered the burden of ancient times, and I, in the future, will take up your mantle."

Qin Mu dismissed the myriad thoughts swirling in his mind. The Heavenly Court was still distant, requiring over ten days of travel to reach it.

He released the lantern from his hand, and it floated automatically under the control of his vital qi, accompanying him on his journey. He then took out the Grand Beginning Egg. A low, resonant Daoist sound emanated from within the egg, as if an ancient god was whispering. Listening to the sound, Qin Mu seemed to grasp its profound mysteries.

The Dao of Grand Beginning, where yin and yang remain undivided and matter does not yet exist, must be understood to rescue Heavenly Venerable Ling. The voice from the Grand Beginning Egg continued, like the unborn ancient god communicating with him, though its words were obscure and Qin Mu could not fully comprehend them.

"Unlocking the Dao of Grand Beginning is no more difficult than creating matter from nothingness! Heavenly Venerable Ling could create such an earth-shattering divine art, so I can also unlock the mysteries of the Dao of Grand Beginning!" he declared.

Standing atop the head of the visualized divine dragon, he closed his eyes and, remarkably, entered a dream of the past.

In his dream, thousands of miniature Qin Mus surrounded the Grand Beginning Egg, listening to the Daoist sounds emanating from within. They absorbed the Dao rhythm, attempting to record the profound insights contained within the sounds in the form of runic Great Dao. One tiny Qin Mu stroked his chin and licked his brush, his face smudged with ink. Meanwhile, another miniature Qin Mu on the other side excitedly wielded his brush, swiftly recording the Great Dao insights he had comprehended in the form of runes.

Unbeknownst to him, over ten days passed. Qin Mu awoke from his dream and put away the Grand Beginning Egg. The Heavenly Court was now in sight. The Grand Beginning Egg was of immense importance, and he could not let outsiders know that this ancient god egg was in his possession.

During these past few days, by entering the Dao in his dreams, he had managed to organize five Grand Beginning runes. However, the Dao of Grand Beginning was still muddled and indistinct, making it impossible to verify whether these five runes were correct or not.

"I need to find Senior Brother's hidden notes on Heavenly Venerable Ling, comprehend Heavenly Venerable Ling's divine arts, and then cross-reference them to verify if any of the five runes I've deciphered are incorrect," he thought.

Qin Mu's head ached. "Senior Brother isn't some squirrel spirit; why does he love hiding things so much?"

Verifying these five Grand Beginning runes was critically important; even if only one was correct, he could use that as a starting point to gradually deduce more runes. The beginning is always the hardest part. To create something from nothing, to establish 'one,' that was the most crucial solution! Once 'one' was established, 'two, three, four, five' would naturally follow!

As the Heavenly Court drew nearer, Qin Mu altered his appearance. Instead of his true form, Mu Qing, he assumed the guise of a demigod to blend in. The current Heavenly Court was a shadow of its early Dragon Han glory; over ten of the thirty-six Heavenly Palaces had already departed, flying to various parts of the universe. Many of the seventy-two Treasure Halls had also left.

The thirty-six Heavenly Palaces and seventy-two Treasure Halls together formed the core of the Heavenly Court, alongside structures like Jade Capital City and Heavenly Street. Now, with so many palaces and halls gone, the Heavenly Court appeared riddled with holes. Moreover, their departure had taken away a significant portion of the Heavenly Court's army, and even led to several battles where the Heavenly Court dispatched troops to obstruct them, causing widespread apprehension within the court.

As Qin Mu passed by Jade Capital City, he saw, from a distance, the Great Sol Star Lord perched on the city tower like a dazed bird, staring blankly, utterly dispirited. After a long while, he flapped his wings but seemed unsure of where to go.

"The day the Great Sol Star Lord is shot in the back is probably not too far off," Qin Mu mused.

He searched all over the Heavenly Court but still couldn't find any trace of Dragon Qilin, Yan'er, or their companions. After these two, along with six heavenly dragons, stole the Lapis Lazuli Azure Heavens Pagoda, they had vanished without a trace.

"They've most likely extinguished their lamps and returned to the ghost ship," he surmised.

Qin Mu exited the Southern Heavenly Gate, where evidence of a fierce battle was apparent; half of the gate was shattered, and many heavenly artisans were working to repair it.

He descended along the Heavenly River, glancing back. The Heavenly Court had already risen to the sky above the Primordial Realm, and its complete departure from the realm was only a matter of time.

At that moment, violent tremors emanated from the Primordial Realm. Qin Mu followed the vibrations and saw numerous demigods raising their arms, supporting a massive Heavenly Palace as it flew towards the Heavenly Court. The demigods were beaming with joy and excitement. That palace belonged to God Emperor Lang Xuan, and these demigods were his subordinates, eagerly planning to relocate the Lang Xuan Divine Palace into the Heavenly Court. With many ancient gods gone, a power vacuum had formed, presenting an opportune moment to seize authority.

"No wonder the Great Sol Star Lord is so despondent," Qin Mu thought. "The era of ancient gods has ended, and the era of demigods has arrived." As he watched the palace ascend higher, he turned his attention back to his journey towards the Xiao Han Heavenly Court. He mused, "In this world, the conflict between ancient gods and born beings is no longer the main one. The primary contradiction now lies between demigods and born beings. This is precisely why the Crimson Light era arose!"

On his way to the Xiao Han Heavenly Court, he saw several more Heavenly Palaces being excitedly carried by demigods towards the Heavenly Court, and he couldn't help but shake his head. The Ancient God Heavenly Emperor had died, and the era of ancient gods was over. Yet, another group of demigods had emerged as new ancient gods. In the past, demigods were also primary instigators of the Dragon Han revolution, even more radical than the human Heavenly Venerables. Now, they had supplanted the ancient gods, becoming the new rulers.

Qin Mu looked down at the calm surface of the Heavenly River, where his reflection shimmered. He gazed at his reflection in the river, and his reflection gazed back at him. The joyful laughter of the demigods drifted to his ears. The dragon-slaying heroes, having slain the evil dragon, had finally grown sharp claws and teeth themselves, becoming dragons in turn.