Chapter 1160: True and False Tai Chi

Qin Mu's divine sense permeated the void of the black desert. Layers of black sand swirled and whistled through the air, so fierce that not even Void Beasts dared to set foot there.

He erected a barrier of divine sense to block the sand, but it was quickly riddled. A harsh whizzing sound accompanied the grains of black sand as they passed through their bodies, piercing them through and through.

Qin Mu, Yan'er, Dragon Qilin, and the Void Beast carrying them were all bleeding profusely. Yet, the Void Beast, as if possessed, continued its relentless march into the black sand desert.

Qin Mu immediately switched to a vital qi barrier, but it, too, was soon covered in countless tiny holes. He drew the broken sword he had forged and poured his power into it. The sword glowed brilliantly as he slashed into the wind and sand. A rapid succession of crisp *ding-ding-ding* sounds rang out, and the intricate microscopic runes he had inscribed on the blade were annihilated one by one.

Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat. This broken sword was crafted from a rare treasure of the ancestral court, using only the finest materials. Even Mute had praised his forging technique profusely, declaring that Qin Mu had truly mastered the art of smithing and could establish a forging heavenly palace. Yet, even this formidable blade struggled to withstand the black sand of the desert.

He swiftly raised the Azure Heaven Banner, activating the Twenty-Eight Heavens. The various heavenly layers rotated continuously, shielding them and the Void Beast, but the Twenty-Eight Heavens were also breached by the black sand. The violent wind and sand swept wildly within the Twenty-Eight Heavens, even striking the treasures housed within, causing them to emit dazzling light and sparks. The grains of sand, of unknown origin, were incredibly formidable, seemingly as hard as the most resilient divine metal.

Qin Mu propped up the Azure Heaven Banner, doing his utmost to keep the Twenty-Eight Heavens intact, protecting himself, his companions, and the Void Beast. The Void Beast pressed onward, facing the storm of black sand, deeper into the desert.

"This desert is a treasured land," Dragon Qilin remarked. "The black sand can be used for refining treasures, but this place is far too dangerous to enter."

He caught a falling grain of black sand. It possessed a metallic sheen, yet no discernible grain, and felt remarkably dense.

The Void Beast struggled forward. Here, without sun or moon, they journeyed for an unknown duration until the wind and sand suddenly subsided, and the sky gradually brightened. Qin Mu exhaled a sigh of relief. Holding the Azure Heaven Banner, he looked ahead and saw a white desert appear before them! Within this white desert, too, fierce winds and sand swirled, an astonishing sight.

Between the black and white deserts stood a narrow, winding mountain range, emanating an unassuming sheen. Along this mountain range were many ancient ruins—villages of the Creators. It seemed some Creators, using unknown means, had traversed the deserts to reach this place, establishing villages to settle down.

There was no wind or sand on either side of the mountain range. The Void Beast stopped upon reaching the base of the mountains. Qin Mu leaped down and looked up. The cliffs rose sheer like walls, yet this place was picturesque, with lush greenery and clear streams, featuring various plants and vegetation, utterly unlike the desolation elsewhere.

Suddenly, Qin Mu saw the trees in the mountains shaking, and a giant beast emerged. The beast wasn't a Void Beast, but another ancient species that had managed to survive the Void Beasts' rampage by hiding here.

"The giant beasts of the ancestral court aren't extinct!" Qin Mu was both startled and overjoyed.

The nearby village comprised tall houses, but they were empty; no Creators remained. Qin Mu searched the village and found several Creator skeletons. One skeletal hand clutched a gem. Qin Mu stepped closer and gently pried open the skeletal hand. The gem resembled a simplified Taiji diagram, one side black, one white; one side cold, one hot. A curved black and white dividing line ran through its center, exhibiting a harmonious and beautiful balance of Yin and Yang.

Qin Mu wiped off the dust. Suddenly, the Taiji gem began to change, floating above his palm as the Yin and Yang shifted and intertwined. As the gem flowed, it seemed formless and ever-shifting. Qin Mu watched, fascinated, and unconsciously entered a profound and wondrous meditative state. The Yin-Yang Taiji diagram of this gem bore an uncanny similarity to the Yin-Yang Taiji diagram of his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, causing him to instinctively connect it with his own divine treasure's Taiji diagram.

After an unknown period, he woke up, retrieved the Taiji divine stone, smiled, exhaled deeply, and chuckled, "It seems this is the true Taiji ore vein. The place God Emperor Lang Xuan occupies may also look like a Taiji diagram, but it must be a misleading spot! No wonder nothing worthwhile has ever been excavated there!"

"Young Master is awake!" Yan'er's joyful voice called out.

Qin Mu looked in the direction of the voice. Yan'er, in her human form, was preparing a meal, while Dragon Qilin meditated and circulated vital qi nearby, with the Grand Primordium Divine Stone placed on his forehead to cultivate his divine sense.

Qin Mu was surprised. "How long have I been standing here?" he asked.

"It's been ten days," Yan'er replied as she set the meal. "This place is rather modest, but luckily I brought some fruits and spiritual herbs. Fatty Dragon has already cleared a few acres of barren land and plans to plant some spiritual herbs here."

She brewed a pot of tea and brought it over. "Pi, time to eat," she called.

Dragon Qilin woke up and was overjoyed to see Qin Mu. "Cult Master is awake," he said with a smile.

The three sat down. Yan'er lifted Little Earth Sovereign onto the table, placing a plate in front of him with a spirit pill. "Don't get it on yourself," Yan'er instructed Little Earth Sovereign. She then served two more plates of spirit pills, lightly fried with tender spiritual herb leaves, placing them in front of Dragon Qilin. "I added some cooling snow ganoderma for you, to alleviate internal heat."

The Void Beast sat on its haunches, propping itself up with its four front legs, watching them eat. Qin Mu manifested some meat for it, and the Void Beast eagerly ran over to devour it.

After eating, Qin Mu slowly sipped his tea, gazing leisurely at the mountain range stretching for thousands of li. He saw various rare plants and strange herbs in the mountains, and many giant beasts roamed the area. He suddenly burst into laughter.

Dragon Qilin quickly swallowed his spirit pill and asked at just the right moment, "Why is Cult Master laughing?"

Qin Mu pointed at the mountain range. "I'm laughing at God Emperor Lang Xuan for being blind and failing to recognize the true treasured land," he said slowly. "He deluded himself into believing he had secured the Taiji ore vein, never imagining it would fall into my hands!"

He guffawed. "The ore vein he occupies—the Creators never dug anything out of it precisely because he dug in the wrong place! Even if Lang Xuan possesses vast divine powers and excavates the entire area, he would never unearth the true Taiji divine stone! Eat quickly! After we finish eating, we'll go find where the actual ore vein is!"

Dragon Qilin picked up his plate and poured its contents into his mouth. Little Earth Sovereign also shoved the half-eaten elixir into his mouth, nearly choking. Yan'er quickly patted his back, allowing him to finally swallow it.

Everyone prepared to depart. Qin Mu pointed at the Void Beast. "You stay here," he said.

The Void Beast obediently sat down, drooling profusely at the elusive giant beasts in the mountains, its long tongue constantly extending from its chin to lick up the drool.