Chapter 1213: Despairing

Xu Shenghua immediately adapted. His divine arts and dao methods were specifically designed to counter Qin Mu's Divine Treasure Domain. He first mimicked Qin Mu's divine treasures, then reconstructed them using his own dao methods. Next, he transformed Qin Mu's divine treasures into his own corresponding divine arts.

However, this wasn't the most crucial aspect. The most critical point was his formidable deductive ability. After Qin Mu broke his divine arts, he would immediately deduce a method to counter Qin Mu's divine arts. He was like a powerful calculating machine; even if Qin Mu's divine arts were far more potent or his magic power was denser, Xu Shenghua could protect himself and break Qin Mu's techniques.

He even discerned the weakness of Qin Mu's Divine Treasure Domain: it was his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, meaning all of Qin Mu's power originated from it. If he could destroy Qin Mu's Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, Qin Mu's strength would gradually wane, eventually leading to his defeat.

However, the person he faced was Qin Mu. When Qin Mu's Divine Treasure Domain fully unfolded, Xu Shenghua finally felt what despair was, just as Qin Mu had said he would.

Above him, attacks from the 49 Heavenly Daos of Xuandu descended. Around him, the Great Daos of the Four Extremities Heaven launched assaults. On the ground, the 36 Great Daos of Yuandu strangled, and the 64 Great Daos of Youdu launched surprise attacks. What was even more despairing was the interwoven and constantly changing formations of the Star Gods of all heavens. But this was not the most ruthless part. The most brutal were Qin Mu's primordial spirits within his sixteen Heavenly Palaces.

These primordial spirits were not mere projections but actual primordial spirits split from his indestructible Three Primordial Spirits and divine consciousness. The primordial spirit from the Sword Heavenly Palace excelled in the Way of the Sword, the one from the Formation Heavenly Palace specialized in formations, the one from the Medical Heavenly Palace mastered the Way of Poison, and the primordial spirit from the Forging Heavenly Palace treated him like a stubborn piece of iron, intending to flatten him and hammer him into perfect spherical shapes. The attacks from the primordial spirit in the Divine Consciousness Heavenly Palace were the most unpredictable, launching immensely powerful divine consciousness attacks against his own, causing his mind to become muddled at times or fall into illusions.

What was most formidable was that Qin Mu had integrated the powers from these sixteen Heavenly Palaces. Not only that, he even controlled the powers of worlds like Xuandu, Yuandu, Youdu, and even Tianyin! Xu Shenghua knew Qin Mu had not used his full power; even when facing him, Qin Mu held something back.

However, Xu Shenghua didn't know how much power Qin Mu had withheld. He only knew that the gap between him and Qin Mu had once been minimal, but after Qin Mu left the Primordial Realm and ascended to the Celestial Heavens, this slight difference began to gradually widen. Nevertheless, Xu Shenghua still wanted to prove himself, to prove he had the strength and right to contend with Qin Mu!

He pushed forward valiantly, employing all his wisdom to decipher the divine arts that could strike from any direction at any moment, pressing towards Qin Mu, who was located in the Ancestral Court. He felt his essence, qi, and spirit reach an unprecedented peak. For the first time, his mind felt incredibly clear, operating at high speed in a state of unparalleled lucidity. He was like an utterly calm lake, reflecting every ripple from his surroundings. Or rather, his mind was like a strange structure formed by intertwined calm lakes. No matter from which dimension Qin Mu's attacks came, he could react in time and implement the optimal countermeasure. Furthermore, his divine consciousness soared above, surveying the entire situation with absolute calm, making optimal adjustments to prevent himself from falling into defeat.

Fighting Qin Mu allowed him to achieve another significant improvement! This kind of improvement was something he hadn't experienced when battling Lin Xuan, Wang Muran, or Zhan Kong Rulai, among others. Even Lan Yutian couldn't make him reach this perfect state. Xu Shenghua, the Young Master of the Heavenly Palace, needed a fellow Daoist to inspire him. Lin Xuan, Wang Muran, and Zhe Huali were not such people, nor was Lan Yutian. The only fellow Daoist who could truly inspire him was Qin Mu!

He strenuously maintained his domain, his grand divine arts and dao domain ever-changing, like flowing clouds, vast oceans, or boundless deserts. The Dao was formless, and so were the divine arts. He deciphered Qin Mu's divine arts and destroyed Qin Mu's divine treasures. From every angle, he always faced Qin Mu head-on, yet this did not discourage him. As Qin Mu's Divine Treasure Domain was continuously broken by him, his pressure lightened. By the time he broke into the Ancestral Court, reached the divine tree, and confronted Qin Mu, he finally had the capital to directly clash with Qin Mu.

Qin Mu withdrew his hand and smiled, "Xu Shenghua, you've finally made it to my side."

Xu Shenghua also stopped fighting and bowed, saying, "Thank you for the guidance. Cult Master Qin, I deeply apologize for destroying your divine treasures. However, you have been defeated. With your divine treasures broken, if we continued fighting, you would undoubtedly lose. You are the one who lost."

"Not at all." Qin Mu smiled faintly, "Look behind you."

Xu Shenghua looked back and couldn't help but be astonished. He saw that all the divine treasures he had destroyed were now completely restored, without the slightest damage. He distinctly remembered breaking Xuandu, piercing Youdu, destroying Yuandu, slaying star gods, and obliterating the starry sky, yet all of it was intact. Even the Heavenly Palaces he had shattered were all present, just as before, not damaged in the slightest! The only reason he was able to reach this point was his belief that Qin Mu's divine treasures, once destroyed, could not be restored, thus gradually lowering Qin Mu's combat power. But now it seemed Qin Mu's combat power hadn't weakened at all. His apparent weakening was merely a ruse to stimulate Xu Shenghua's potential!

"The Indestructible Divine Art?" Xu Shenghua murmured.

Qin Mu nodded, "I've fully comprehended it, and I've even come to understand something better: I can break the Indestructible Divine Art."

Xu Shenghua's eyes were somewhat lost as he murmured, "To what extent have you cultivated? How strong is your full power?"

"I haven't tested it yet, so I don't know how my full power compares to deities from the traditional cultivation system." Qin Mu mused, "However, it's utterly impossible for a powerhouse of the Numinous Sky Realm to kill me. If an Emperor's Throne Realm expert tried to kill me, I could ensure my own survival."

Xu Shenghua's gaze settled on Qin Mu's face, as if trying to discern the truth from his expression. Qin Mu showed a sincere smile, which made Xu Shenghua feel he deserved a punch. Xu Shenghua exhaled a deep breath, suppressing the urge to hit him, and said, "It seems I'm the one who lost, for now."

Qin Mu's smile widened.

Xu Shenghua clenched his fists, then slowly loosened them, pondering, "Perhaps only Lan Yutian can contend with you at the same realm, though it's hard to say who would be stronger. Lan Yutian might be slightly stronger. Your paths are opposite, yet his talent is greater. Once he deduces the Ancestral Court and the integration of all Daos, you won't be his match because his comprehension will be deeper."

The smile on Qin Mu's face froze.

Xu Shenghua continued, "However, in terms of adaptability and combat experience, he is far inferior to you. A part of his soul is missing, making him somewhat dull and naive."

The frozen smile on Qin Mu's face blossomed once more.

Xu Shenghua glanced at Qin Mu's smile and continued, "But once he finds his remaining soul and is complete, you won't be his match again. At that time, he will be the complete Heavenly Venerate Yu, a Heavenly Venerate who can dictate the cultivation path for millions of years purely through his wisdom! And your cultivation path will simply be forgotten, because others won't be able to learn it at all."

The smile on Qin Mu's face stiffened once more.

Xu Shenghua smiled and softly said, "I've read Dragon Qilin's 'Manual for Rearing Humans.' A small test, and it's indeed very effective. Cult Master Qin, your expression is even more entertaining than your divine arts." He burst into hearty laughter, his clear laughter echoing throughout the Heavenly Palace Divine Sect. Qin Mu looked rather embarrassed, then also burst into laughter, their joyous laughter filling the air.