Chapter 1174: Strange Great Black Mountain

On that day at Yaochi, Qin Mu had always believed that Lady Yuanmu was one of the three Heavenly Venerates who saved him. However, since Lady Yuanmu had transformed into Shi Qiluo, the palace master of Zaofu Heavenly Palace, it couldn't have been her.

Shi Qiluo's status in the Heavenly Court was not high enough, and she had risen to prominence during the High Emperor era. Her foundation was no match for the Ten Heavenly Venerates, so Lady Yuanmu would certainly not take such a risk.

Although she controlled the divine artifact, Imperial Heavenly Venerate, she still had to be extremely cautious, treading on thin ice, and trying her best not to reveal any weaknesses. Otherwise, if eleven Heavenly Venerates appeared at Yaochi, the Ten Heavenly Venerates would certainly conduct a thorough investigation. Therefore, she could only wait, meaning she couldn't have been the first to rescue Qin Mu.

Once the Ten Heavenly Venerates had each made their move, she had even less reason to act, as Qin Mu was already safe by then. Instead, she could observe the internal conflicts among the Ten Heavenly Venerates, such as Heavenly Duke, Earth Count, and Moon Heavenly Venerate, from the sidelines. Moreover, she could make Qin Mu owe her a favor.

“None of these old fellows who survived the Dragon Han era are simple characters,” Qin Mu thought with a significant headache. These old monsters were not to be trifled with; even a slight relaxation could lead to him being completely devoured, leaving not even a trace.

He broke away from Yun Chuxiu and walked alongside Ling Yuxiu, recounting his experiences in the Ancestral Court. Ling Yuxiu hesitated before saying, “Yan Kang's power is too small; it's unlikely we can establish a firm foothold in the Ancestral Court. I constantly feel we're short-handed. We'll also need to transfer a group of gods and celestials to the Ancestral Court for mining. Can we truly contend with the Ten Heavenly Venerates in the Ancestral Court?”

She pondered for a moment. “It's difficult to gain a foothold in the Ancestral Court. If we do too poorly, there will be heavy casualties. If we do too well, the Ten Heavenly Venerates will suppress us. It's hard to please.”

“The Ancestral Court is crucial for Yan Kang's future; we must contend for it,” Qin Mu said gravely. “Yan Kang cannot serve the Heavenly Court forever. After the Heavenly Court subdues the ancient gods and clears Tai Xu, it will be Yan Kang's turn. The Ancestral Court is very likely the key to Yan Kang's rise. It's also good for Yan Kang's younger generation to gain experience there. Currently, the younger generation in Yan Kang has too few opportunities for such training.”

Ling Yuxiu smiled. “That's because you haven't been in Yan Kang. Your current cultivation is higher; you stand taller and see further, so you rarely pay attention to the mortal world. The opportunities for training in Yan Kang now are more abundant than we could have ever imagined. The younger generation goes to explore the Yuan World, contend with demigods, and interact with the younger generations of various powers in the Yuan World's heavens. It's very lively, and many young talents have emerged, no less impressive than us back then.”

Qin Mu's spirits lifted. He smiled, “That's good. I always worried they were in a greenhouse, never experiencing any major storms.”

“Today's young people are more promising and have seen more of the world than we did,” Ling Yuxiu said. “Although there might not be another Heavenly Venerate Mu, there will be a group of Emperor's Throne realm cultivators in the future.”

Qin Mu felt relieved. Yan Kang's development was extremely important; wouldn't it be a pity if they worked hard but had no one to take over?

“Nevertheless, the Ancestral Court must still be entered. So, first, we'll send the previous Human Emperors from the Human Emperor's Hall to the Ancestral Court. My territory truly needs a large number of masters now, so the First Ancestor Human Emperor will be stationed there.”

Qin Mu thought for a moment. “Grandpa Blind and Grandpa Mute also need to go there. Besides needing them to distinguish various precious stones and ores, I also need them to reforge the Lapis Lazuli Azure Sky Pagoda. The current Lapis Lazuli Azure Sky Pagoda is too simple, and there's an ancient god egg inside that I don't trust.”

Ling Yuxiu smiled. “You are the Imperial Preceptor; you decide the national policy. I'll listen to you.”

Qin Mu burst out laughing and then asked her if there was any news about Fengdu. Ling Yuxiu shook her head. “Fengdu is still missing. However, the Woodcutter Sage appeared in Yan Kang some time ago, but I didn't see him. He sent someone to deliver a letter.”

Ling Yuxiu took out the letter and handed it to him. “The Woodcutter Sage explained why Fengdu didn't intervene during the Yan Kang catastrophe and felt very remorseful. You can read it yourself.”

Qin Mu unfolded the letter. It was in the Woodcutter Sage's handwriting. The letter stated that Emperor Kai had given orders, and as a subject, he had no choice but to obey. He felt deeply ashamed that Fengdu hadn't been of much help during the Yan Kang catastrophe and was even more guilty upon hearing that Emperor Yanfeng and former Imperial Preceptor Jiang Baigui had gone to the Tai Xu land to help Wuyou Township fight against the Heavenly Court. In the letter, the Woodcutter Sage also spoke on Emperor Kai's behalf, explaining his difficulties and asking Emperor Yanxiu for understanding.

Qin Mu folded the letter, pondered for a moment, and said, “I'll go see him.”

Ling Yuxiu was surprised. “How will you see him?”

“With this letter, I can use the essence and vitality from his handwriting to summon his soul, sense Fengdu's direction, and thus find Fengdu,” Qin Mu explained. “I've already put aside the matter of Fengdu not helping Yan Kang, and Your Majesty needn't dwell on it. As he said, Emperor Kai indeed had his difficulties.”

Ling Yuxiu wanted to raise her hand to smooth her hair but remembered her identity and forced herself to refrain. She said, “I understand. You've returned to Yan Kang repeatedly, and I know you're worried that Yan Kang might become another Wuyou Township, with the people of Yan Kang forgetting about reform. I've seen it all.”

Qin Mu chuckled. “Once they finish unloading the goods, I'll return to Yan Kang with you.”

Ling Yuxiu nodded gently.

***

Ancestral Court, Hundred Thousand Great Black Mountains.

Inside the palace, Dragon Qilin shivered, Yan'er shivered too, and Little Earth Count trembled in the middle. The three of them watched outside in terror.

“It's almost dawn, don't be afraid!” Dragon Qilin mustered his courage and walked outside, saying, “We have the Lapis Lazuli Azure Sky Pagoda; this treasure grants all wishes!”

He stepped out of the hall and saw that it was already dark outside. In the darkness, the skeletons of countless Void Beasts killed by Qin Mu were flickering with ghostly flames, drifting back and forth. This wasn't the strange part; what was strange was that after Qin Mu left, the bodies of these Void Beasts shriveled up at a visible rate! In just three to five days, the Void Beasts had turned into piles of bones, completely devoid of flesh and blood!

Dragon Qilin, Yan'er, and Little Earth Count had all witnessed the strangeness here. Still, they bravely went to inspect the Void Beast skeletons, trying to figure out what had absorbed the flesh and blood of these giant beasts. However, they found nothing! The unknown was the most terrifying.

By the tenth day, they saw the Void Beast bones beginning to rot, glowing with ghostly flames, as if they had endured countless years. On the eleventh day, they witnessed another horrifying scene. Large mushrooms grew out of the Void Beasts' bones, many of them emerging from their mouths. They were huge, with human faces on them, their expressions twisted into roars. Dragon Qilin was already timid and feared this the most; he was scared out of his wits. Fortunately, these mushrooms withered quickly. By daytime, when the sun came out, the mushrooms turned into puddles of black fibrous material.

Now, throughout the Hundred Thousand Blackwood Mountains, the sound of collapsing bones could be heard, caused by the rotting and crumbling skeletons of the Void Beasts. Dragon Qilin and Yan'er had initially thought they would have a few days of peace, but strange occurrences resumed that very night.

An unprecedented earthquake erupted in the Ancestral Court. Its intensity was something Dragon Qilin and Yan'er had never experienced. The quake caused countless divine mountains in the Ancestral Court to collapse, the earth to crack open, mountain ranges to become canyons, and the seas to dry up, exposing their beds. Surprisingly, the Great Blackwood region remained quiet. They only heard strong winds howling outside. When they stepped out of the palace, they saw that outside the Great Blackwood, the heavens and earth were plagued by thunderstorms and streaking meteors. The ground and sky seemed to collapse and shatter in large swathes; it was truly the end of the world!

When everything settled, and dawn broke the next day, the Ancestral Court appeared unchanged, still just as it was. However, when night fell again, there was still shaking and quaking, with all sorts of strange phenomena occurring. The heavens collapsed and the earth tore apart, as if the world was being destroyed once more. Yet, by day, the Ancestral Court reverted to its original state, without any changes.

Dragon Qilin stood outside the hall. He saw the east growing light. The bizarre phenomena of the previous night had vanished again, and the Void Beast skeletons had completely disappeared. He looked into the distance and suddenly froze, seeing that the peak of a blackwood mountain within the Great Blackwood mountain range had been split open by the tremor.

Yan'er and Little Earth Count also bravely walked out. Dragon Qilin, conjuring clouds under his feet, flew towards that mountain peak. He saw five deep marks on the mountain, as if an incredibly massive hand had reached out from within the mountain, gripped the black peak, and then been dragged back into the mountain body, leaving behind five claw marks from its fingernails.

Yan'er, with Little Earth Count, followed him and examined the five claw marks, which were deep enough to be called canyons. She couldn't help but shiver, asking, “What could have made these marks?”

Dragon Qilin shook his head. “I don't know. But if we stay here tonight and watch, we'll find out what it is.”

Just then, an aged voice resounded, “If you wait until tonight, the three of you will be eaten by whatever crawls out of there.”