Chapter 1305: Able to Cause Trouble, Able to Settle It

In the center of the Grand Immemorial Mine, Qin Mu stood on an altar, intending to trigger the mine's fourth riot. Suddenly, the Celestial Venerable's treasure, suspended high above the mine, began to stir.

Consort Yan's exotic treasure was an ancient, majestic, square-shaped cauldron, its mouth facing downwards. From within the cauldron, beams of light shot out, severing the void and the earth, creating an independent space-time around the mine that prevented anyone from entering or leaving.

"Consort Yan has arrived," Qin Mu thought, his heart stirring. He immediately abandoned the idea of further instigating the mine's riot, put away the Grand Immemorial Egg and Grand Immemorial Primordial Stone, and dutifully walked towards the exit.

Consort Yan appeared outside the mine, her expression calm, though a barely concealed fury simmered in her eyes.

Xiu Hongsu and the white cat hurried to meet her. The white cat, Little Seven, leaped into her arms, and Xiu Hongsu whispered, "My Lady, Celestial Venerable Mu, he..."

Consort Yan raised her delicate eyebrows, and Xiu Hongsu quickly fell silent, daring not to speak further.

Consort Yan looked around, observing many divine beings ambushed nearby, clearly waiting to kill Qin Mu once he emerged. She shook her head and said, "With me here, there's no need for this."

Xiu Hongsu waved her hand, signaling the ax-wielding guards to disperse.

Consort Yan surveyed the scene, her expression darkening slightly. Few people had escaped the mine; about half had perished within it.

"Celestial Venerable Mu, I sent you to retrieve the primordial stone, and you've caused such massive trouble. Do you really think I'm made of paper?"

She sneered and stepped into the mine.

The white cat grew excited, raising its head in her arms and licking its paw. It thought, "My Lady is angry; even I can't appease her. Celestial Venerable Mu, you won't escape this time!"

Xiu Hongsu followed Consort Yan, cautiously saying, "My Lady, Celestial Venerable Mu is, after all, the Heavenly Alliance's highest elder. If he were to die by your hand, it might be inappropriate and inevitably invite attacks from other Celestial Venerables. If you truly wish him dead, perhaps I should be the one to act."

Consort Yan made no comment and continued forward. She observed that those who hadn't escaped the mine had all transformed into ethereal bodies, devoid of physical form, consciousness, and clarity.

Among them were even many of her female disciples whom she had carefully trained.

Consort Yan's expression deepened further. She continued to advance, her cultivation and power astonishingly formidable; even the mine's eerie phenomena could not affect her.

The two individuals and one cat journeyed deeper into the mine. Suddenly, light burst forth ahead of them; someone was casting a divine ability.

They hurried forward and saw Qin Mu standing before a figure that had turned into an energy body, casting a divine ability on the ethereal form. The de-corporealized divine being was slowly recovering its physical body.

Consort Yan showed surprise. She raised a hand to stop Xiu Hongsu, who was preparing to strike Qin Mu, and whispered, "Don't disturb him. Let's see what he does."

Qin Mu's hands moved rapidly, the sounds of the Dao resonating within him. With his hands, he drew out Yin and Yang energies, performing the path of Yin-Yang evolution, which transformed into a Taiji diagram, drawing the divine being's ethereal form into it.

After a moment, the divine being materialized from its ethereal state. It looked around bewildered, then at its hands, and touched its body, still somewhat disoriented.

Qin Mu wiped sweat from his forehead and smiled, "My friend, you're alive again!"

The divine being asked confusedly, "When did I die? I was perfectly fine before. How did you, you demon, bring me here? I still need to mine!"

*Clap, clap, clap.* Applause sounded. A voice laughed, "Master, your divine skill is truly miraculous, worthy of the title 'Imperishable in Ten Thousand Tribulations.' This divine ability breaks the boundaries of life and death. Now I understand why Heavenly Duke and Earth Count insisted on protecting you."

The divine being quickly looked in the direction of the voice, his face drastically changing. He immediately prostrated himself, kowtowing, "This humble subject greets Consort Yan!"

Qin Mu looked over and chuckled, "So it's you, My Lady; you startled me. My Lady, I have many trivial matters here, and I still need to help these divine beings recover their physical bodies and primordial spirits, so I can't chat much."

Consort Yan said softly, "Celestial Venerable Mu's righteousness is profound. I will thank you on behalf of these people first, and we shall not disturb you further." With that, she left, holding the cat and accompanied by Xiu Hongsu.

Xiu Hongsu and the white cat, Little Seven, tried to speak several times but held themselves back.

Upon reaching a side palace hall, Xiu Hongsu finally couldn't hold back and said, "My Lady, Celestial Venerable Mu caused all this trouble. Why are you being so courteous to him?"

"Because he is the 'Imperishable in Ten Thousand Tribulations Master'."

Consort Yan explained, "He survived three mine explosions and can revive those who have turned into ethereal bodies. Such an ability is beyond even Heavenly Duke and Earth Count, and certainly beyond me. By demonstrating his skill, he's telling me that he can cause trouble, but he can also resolve it. He has the power to dismantle and the power to rebuild. Keeping him alive is more beneficial."

Xiu Hongsu and the white cat, Little Seven, remained somewhat puzzled. How could Consort Yan, who was so furious just moments ago, let him off just by seeing him display a divine ability?

"Celestial Venerable Mu's title, 'Imperishable in Ten Thousand Tribulations,' is truly deserved. He is right; in the future battle, the Ten Celestial Venerables may not necessarily win. I should indeed hedge my bets."

Consort Yan said softly, "Given that, letting him obtain the primordial stone is fine. Don't overthink it. You don't understand the magnanimity of a Celestial Venerable."

The two fell silent, no longer speaking.

Qin Mu was very diligent, restoring all the divine beings in the mine who had turned into ethereal bodies. He was exhausted and worn out.

Consort Yan cordially hosted them, gathered everyone, and had them kowtow in gratitude to Qin Mu, making it a lively affair.

The white cat, Little Seven, felt a pang of jealousy but understood that in terms of status, position, and cultivation, it could no longer compare to Qin Mu. Its standing in Consort Yan's heart had also been surpassed by Qin Mu.

Being intelligent, it accepted this fact.

"Celestial Venerable Mu, did you obtain the primordial stone from the mine?" Consort Yan asked as she personally escorted Qin Mu out of the mine.

Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "I have indeed obtained that primordial stone."

Consort Yan's eyes flickered. "Your ability to revive those ethereal bodies, that's the effect of the primordial stone, isn't it?"

Qin Mu laughed heartily and shook his head, "My Lady, the Divine Treasures Heavenly Palace system is good in every aspect, but its comprehension of the Dao is far inferior to the Dao Realm system pioneered by Emperor Kai Huang Qin Ye. You have cultivated the Divine Treasures Heavenly Palace system for too long, and your understanding of the Dao is not deep. The method I used was not the Grand Immemorial Primordial Stone, but the Dao of Taiji and the impermanence of matter. If you were to cultivate the Dao Realm, you would not have mistaken it."

Consort Yan's mind slightly trembled. "Grand Immemorial Primordial Stone... Celestial Venerable Mu knows the name of this primordial stone?"

Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat, realizing he had misspoken. He chuckled dismissively, "I just gave it a casual name, My Lady; you don't need to dwell on it."

Consort Yan smiled, "Celestial Venerable Mu, you are very thoughtful. Please convey my regards to that fellow Daoist in Zhaoyang Palace. I won't escort you further."

Qin Mu gave her a deep look; Consort Yan smiled back.

"Empress Consort, she truly is an intelligent woman."

Qin Mu turned and strode away, waving from a distance, "My Lady, don't forget our agreement!"

Consort Yan bowed slightly in return and said, "Assure that fellow Daoist that I still have fifty percent of the divine stones here; we can continue to trade in the future."

"What a truly clever woman."

The Grand Immemorial within the egg sighed, "She deduced so much from just one of your sentences, and now she has me figured out!"

Qin Mu chuckled, "Between offending you and doing business with you, which offers more benefits? The Empress Consort will make the optimal choice."

Consort Yan watched them disappear into the distance, thinking, "It's not that I don't want to cultivate the Dao Realm, but the Dao Realm is far more difficult than the Divine Treasures Heavenly Palace system!"