Chapter 1163: Only War

At the foot of the mountain, Long Qilin and Yan'er gazed up at the mining area in the mountains. From it, vibrant rays of light erupted, powerful divine abilities surged, and deafening roars resonated. Tremendous, heart-stopping tremors shook the sky above.

Nearby, Little Earth Count also strained to see, but his small stature hindered his view. He began to clamber onto the Void Beast.

The Void Beast was likewise observing the battle in the mining area. Sensing the tiny creature climbing on it, its eyelids twitched open, and it bared its teeth menacingly.

Nevertheless, it remained still even as Little Earth Count reached its head.

No sooner had Little Earth Count reached the summit than a figure shot out of the mining area, crashing with a loud thud into the black sand and skidding face down for over ten *li*.

"Don't help me!"

Qin Mu, enraged, limped back. As he healed his injuries using the Hegemon Three Elixir Art, he sneered, "I refuse to believe a mere mining vein can kill me! I am the esteemed Celestial Venerable Mu; the Ten Celestial Venerables of the Heavenly Court are nominally my junior siblings. They all possess territories, so how can I be without one?"

Long Qilin and Yan'er exchanged bewildered glances as they watched him heal his wounds and then march back up the mountain, radiating a fierce determination.

"Actually, Cult Master could find another place," Long Qilin whispered. "There's no need to stubbornly persist here."

Several days later, Qin Mu was once again launched from the mountain. This time, he didn't land in the black sand, but instead crashed into the white sand desert on the mountain's opposite side.

Long Qilin watched for a moment, but his gaze couldn't pierce the mountain range. He simply waved his hand and said, "Disperse, everyone. There's nothing more to see."

On the other side, Qin Mu re-entered the mountain. He regarded the Taiji mining vein as a training ground, a test of his potential for further improvement.

Any other person would have recognized the challenge and retreated, yet he only grew more formidable with each encounter.

Even if this arduous experience didn't allow him to fully comprehend the Way of Yin and Yang concealed within the Taiji mining vein, the bizarre clashes with its inhabitants offered him a deeper understanding of the Heavenly Way and the Great Dao of Youdu.

He entered the mine repeatedly, was thrown out time and again, yet he always returned, his fighting spirit undimmed, each time enduring longer within the vein.

Finally, on this particular day, Qin Mu firmly rooted himself within the mining vein. Alone, he single-handedly fended off attacks from the Heavenly Duke and Earth Count figures embedded in the mountain walls on both sides. No matter what divine abilities of the Heavenly Way or Youdu they unleashed, they could not force him to retreat even half a step.

In fact, he pressed steadily forward, pushing more than ten *li* into the mining vein from its entrance.

Suddenly, the Heavenly Duke and Earth Count figures in the mountain walls on both sides ceased their attacks and vanished.

Qin Mu stood within the mine, looking left and right. He observed that the Taiji divine stones on the mountain walls continued to gently rotate, and the Yin and Yang energies on the walls still flowed slowly.

He lifted his foot, intending to venture deeper into the mining area, but then set it back down.

He heard a distinct grinding sound behind him. Qin Mu spun around to see a petrified Creator figure in the mining area shedding its stony shell, gradually regaining its flesh and blood form. The Creator then stepped forward, axe-pick hoisted, its chest bared, exuding an aura of formidable bravery.

"It's truly difficult to claim this mining vein."

Qin Mu steeled himself, fixing his gaze on the approaching Creator.

The Creator's musculature was powerfully defined, and an innate Dao rhythm emanated from its every gesture.

On either side, on the mountain walls of the Taiji mine, Yin and Yang energies circulated. Streams of black and white qi intertwined, then surged into the Creator's body.

The Dao rhythm emanating from it intensified. It possessed three eyes, but only the one in its brow was still a Grand Primeval divine stone. Suddenly, a Taiji divine stone flew forth and, with a *snap*, affixed itself to the Grand Primeval stone, forcing it deeper into the Creator's brain.

The Creator's other two eyes, however, became exceedingly bizarre: their pupils split into two, transforming into slow-spinning Yin-Yang fish within their sockets.

Double pupils!

Qin Mu's eye twitched. The peculiarities of this Taiji mine were more terrifying than any other he had encountered.

This Creator was clearly no longer its original self, but a formidable being controlled by the mining area itself!

"Furthermore, the Taiji divine stone replacing the Grand Primeval stone suggests that the mining area, through this Creator, is about to unleash the Daoist divine abilities hidden within the Grand Primeval mine."

Qin Mu focused intensely, his gaze fixed on the Creator. Having come this far, he had no retreat!

Regardless, he was determined to obtain the Taiji mining vein. His Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure was structured by Taiji, making this mining area critically important to him!

Suddenly, the Creator swung its axe-pick, propelled itself forward with its legs, and instantly appeared before him, the axe-pick descending with brutal force!

Qin Mu swung his broken sword, which transformed into a long blade. His very first move was his signature Dao-Entering Divine Ability!

He had entered the Dao through the blade, having comprehended its first grand divine ability.

"Knocking on the Southern Heavenly Gate!"

The blade gleamed, imbued with the unique Dao rhythm of the Post-celestial Great Dao, as it met the axe-pick!

The Way of the Blade: to cut through thorns, to face adversity head-on, to be utterly fearless!

Be it the perils of the heavens or the firmness of the earth, one strike can cleave it open!

If there is no path, carve one. Seek no intricate variations, merely the decisive horizontal and vertical strikes!

*Clang!*

An earth-shattering clang reverberated. Qin Mu was sent flying backward, but he then vigorously pushed off the mountain wall with his feet, charging back at an even greater speed.

The Creator's hands were flung high, and it stumbled backward. Qin Mu, already upon it, raised his blade and brought it down, sending a colossal head flying.

Qin Mu landed, and the ground trembled violently.

The webbing between his thumbs and forefingers had burst, profusely bleeding, but given he had slain his opponent in a single move, these injuries were negligible.

Suddenly, the headless Creator swung its axe-pick once more. Startled, Qin Mu hastily retreated, dodging the plummeting axe-pick.

The Creator's strike missed. As it pulled out its axe-pick, Qin Mu noticed two Taiji eyes had formed on its chest, using its nipples as pupils — a truly grotesque sight.

*Thud*. The headless Creator set its axe-pick down, leaning on the handle as it stood.

Concurrently, grinding sounds filled the air as Creator statues throughout the mine shed their stony forms, regaining flesh and blood. On both sides, Yin and Yang energies from the mountain walls writhed like dragons, burrowing into the bodies of these Creators.

They began to stride forward, moving towards Qin Mu.

*Thump, thump, thump.*

Axe-picks thudded to the ground, glinting with cold light. Dozens of giants, arrayed like a human-shaped formation of flying geese, spread out to either side.

Qin Mu gripped his blade hilt tightly, his injuries rapidly healing. He laughed, "Where does the long blade point? Only towards battle! Come—"

One after another, the Creators either took flight, ran along the mountain walls on either side, or charged from the ground. The streaks of light traced by the axe-picks in their hands resembled the Yin-Yang line within a Taiji diagram, their trajectories incredibly profound as they attacked from every direction!

*Boom!*

From the Taiji mining vein, a pillar of light shot up, transforming into black radiance, followed by another pillar ascending into white light. In mid-air, the two columns rotated, clashing against the zenith. From a distance, they resembled intertwined Yin and Yang Taiji fish swirling around each other.

At the foot of the mountain, Long Qilin and Yan'er stared blankly at the sight, utterly bewildered by what was unfolding in the mining area.

As the light slowly dissipated, a circle of majestic Creators stood leaning on their axe-picks. In the center lay a pulped mass of flesh.

Qin Mu had been brutally pounded into a pulp.

The Creators, expressionless, lifted their axe-picks, poised to depart. The very fabric of the mining area was rapidly shifting, and the Creators swiftly receded, their axe-picks tracing the reverse paths of their divine abilities.

Some ascended backward into the air, some ran backward along the mountain walls, and others retreated backward across the ground.

Simultaneously, the pile of pulped flesh rapidly transformed, reforming into Qin Mu. Everything had seemingly returned to its starting point.

"Only battle! Come!" Qin Mu shouted.