Chapter 1373: Worshipping the Earth Mother

Wei Suifeng stretched himself and said calmly, "I've fought against the White Emperor and the Green Emperor, and also against several Celestial Masters. Although I couldn't defeat them, they couldn't kill me either; they merely threw me into the river. I haven't fought Earth Mother yet, but I can give it a try."

Crown Prince You Ming hesitated for a moment. "Although I've learned many things from Yankang, I've been studying for years and haven't put them to use, so I don't know my true strength. Teacher Si Youyou said I'm dull and a slow learner, so I'm probably no match for Earth Mother..."

Dragon Qilin quietly retreated, muttering softly, "I definitely can't beat anyone, so I'd better slip away..."

He turned and ran frantically, performing a reverse summoning divine art as he went.

At that moment, he noticed Dragon Xiao and couldn't help but look stunned: "What a huge dragon... When will I be as vast and mighty as him?"

In the distance, Dragon Xiao was struck down into the dust.

Dragon Qilin shivered, then continued to run frantically, putting more distance between himself and the area.

His reverse summoning divine art was not as swift as Qin Mu's. After all, Qin Mu was the originator of the reverse summoning divine art and could activate it extremely quickly, whereas Dragon Qilin needed time to prepare.

He had to find a safe place first before he could calmly cast it.

Qin Mu, leaning on the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda, said calmly, "Earth Mother, we had some friendship back then, after all. You once lent me the Core of Primordial Wood and a bottle of Primordial Chaos Liquid. So today, I'll give you another chance. If you retreat now, I won't stop you. Whether we are enemies or friends in the future will depend on fate."

Earth Mother sneered, "And who are you, mere trifles? The three of you: one is Heavenly Venerate Mu, who only swindles and deceives; another is Emperor Yun Luo, who was thrown into the river; and the third is a demigod suppressed by his parents for 600,000 years. What virtue or ability do you possess to demand my retreat?"

Wei Suifeng said sincerely, "Earth Mother, you've killed too many gods and devils. Your mind and soul have been clouded by malevolent energy, and you've lost your sanity. I know the Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha; why don't you come with me to see him? Let him help you resolve the malevolent energy."

"Great Brahma?" Earth Mother sneered, "You're not my match, so you plan to conspire with Great Brahma to ambush me? Although I haven't recovered to my peak state, I'm still not someone Great Brahma can contend with!"

Wei Suifeng frowned, sighed, and said no more.

Crown Prince You Ming couldn't help but say, "My Lady, do you know that what Heavenly Venerate Mu holds is the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda? This treasure was once known as the number one treasure in the world, and you should know its mighty reputation! Although this treasure may not rank as number one today, after being redesigned and reforged by Heavenly Venerate Mu's parents—the Mute and the Blind—it surpasses its former self countless times over! The moment Heavenly Venerate Mu unveils this treasure, your path of retreat will be cut off, making it impossible for you to even escape! Reconsider, My Lady!"

"Son of Xuanwu, do you only know how to boast about your own treasures?" Earth Mother couldn't help but laugh. "The number one treasure in the world is not the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda at all. The reason your parents gained the title of possessing the number one treasure is simply because the Heavenly Emperor, Heavenly Duke, Earth Count, and I didn't want to reveal our own treasures. Just my true form, the Primordial Wood, which supports all heavens and myriad worlds, is far beyond what the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda can compare to. Your Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda is merely composed of twenty-eight heavens. Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu became gods through sacrifice, so their insights were shallow, and you, too, lack discernment."

Crown Prince You Ming opened his mouth, then sighed again, and said no more.

Qin Mu gently shook the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda in his hand. Instantly, the twenty-eight layers of canopies opened with a hum. The twenty-eight heavens appeared, whistling, rotating, and expanding outwards, quickly enveloping the vast space of the Ancestral Court!

These layers of heavens even cut through the ground, severing Earth Mother's path of retreat.

Earth Mother looked around, only to see that the twenty-eight heavens of the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda were filled with powerful treasures. These treasures were clearly not something Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu could have forged; the formation runes contained within them were simply too powerful!

As she had said, the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda of the Two Emperors Xuan and Wu gained the title of the number one treasure in the world simply because the Heavenly Emperor and others were unwilling to show off their own.

The Heavenly Emperor, the Heavenly Duke, and Earth Count each possessed extraordinarily powerful treasures. Even the treasures of the Empress sisters were no weaker than the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda.

And Earth Mother herself was originally an extraordinarily powerful supreme treasure!

Earth Mother had seen the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda in its original form. Although it was intricate and quite powerful, it was far from as terrifying as it was now!

As for the current Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda, the power of its various heavy treasures had almost all been activated. These treasures were as numerous as stars, scattered throughout every heaven. Clearly, a supreme grandmaster skilled in forging and formations had spent a long time continuously enhancing its power, refining the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda to an unprecedented level!

Earth Mother sneered, completely unafraid. Although she had lost her physical body, and even her roots had been taken by Heavenly Venerate Xiao and Gongsun Yan, she still possessed the Core of Primordial Wood!

Now, her strength, even if not equal to a Heavenly Venerate, would not be weaker than beings like Dao Ancestor or Great Brahma!

Even if Qin Mu brought out the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda, and even with Crown Prince You Ming and Wei Suifeng, two beings at the Emperor's Throne realm, present, she was confident of victory!

"Die!" Earth Mother shrieked sharply. Her true form appeared behind her: it was precisely the Core of Primordial Wood!

At this moment, the Core of Primordial Wood was even grander and thicker than when Earth Mother first descended upon the Primordial Realm. The crown of this tree directly lifted the layers of heavens of the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda, preventing them from changing their sequence!

Clearly, Earth Mother had studied the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda, knowing that this treasure responded to all requests and could freely alter the order of the heavens.

In the Primordial Realm, the Primordial Wood was what supported the heavens; thus, it effortlessly stabilized the heavens of the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda.

She immediately nullified this particular ability of the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda!

Earth Mother manifested her true form. Countless roots writhed, thick roots spreading and invading the various heavens, coiling around the heavy treasures suspended within each heaven!

She also possessed a natural advantage in how to break the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Pagoda!

Her figure rippled as she darted through the layers of heavens and pounced towards Qin Mu.

Stabilizing the heavens, collecting the treasures, killing Qin Mu—all in one swift motion!

Beside Qin Mu, Crown Prince You Ming bowed to Earth Mother, who was flying towards them. He then immediately rose, took a step forward, and roared, "Myriad Manifestations of the Heavenly River!"

Heavenly River suddenly coiled around his body, and a Heavenly Palace flew out from behind him, surrounded by various smaller Heavenly Palaces of all kinds.

Ever since he arrived in Yankang, his cultivation, which had long stagnated, began to advance by leaps and bounds. First, Emperor Yanxiu Ling Yuxiu sent him to various academies to copy books; later, he went to the Grand Academy for further study; and then he went to the Way-Seeking Institute of the Earth Virtue Heavenly Palace to learn, becoming a disciple of Si Youyou and cultivating under her guidance.

His shortcomings were too numerous and significant, but his aptitude and comprehension were definitely not bad. Otherwise, when Heavenly Son Yin encountered him back then, he wouldn't have remarked, half-truthfully and half-jokingly, that if Crown Prince You Ming hadn't been suppressed, he would surely have become one of the Ten Heavenly Venerates.

Although he hadn't fully compensated for his shortcomings, his cultivation strength far surpassed what it had been before.

When he broke free, he encountered Heavenly Son Yin above the Heavenly River and severely injured him with a single punch. At that time, his magic power was incredibly vast, and his current strength was even greater than before!

With the Heavenly River coiling around his body, the Heavenly River writhed like soaring pythons, allowing him to instantly master the powers and divine arts of Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu. His Dao-entering grand divine art erupted, truly like the mighty flow of the Heavenly River itself.

The scenes that flashed around the Heavenly River in an instant were like countless worlds through which the Heavenly River flowed!

Earth Mother clashed hard with him, her vital energy churning. She couldn't help but inwardly praise, "Crown Prince You Ming's magic power is truly vast! What a pity his adaptability is lacking!"

*Crack!* A Primordial Wood root whipped out and sent Crown Prince You Ming flying.

Earth Mother took a step forward, only to see Wei Suifeng standing in front of her, who also bowed to her.