Chapter 1385: Summoner's Origin

Long Xiao was startled. "Go to Tai Xu? The world created by the Creators who fled the ancestral court?"

"That's right."

Qin Mu said, "That's the place. The Creators built the Void of the Other Shore there, and you can take your giant beasts to thrive and multiply. However, the Celestial Heavens are currently attacking it, so you'll need to contribute to the fight."

His divine sense fluctuated, transmitting the current situation of the Void of the Other Shore directly into Long Xiao's mind.

Long Xiao hesitated. Given that the Celestial Heavens were attacking the Void of the Other Shore, he knew that if they went there, he and the ancient giant beasts would likely be forced to join the war. From the situation Qin Mu had conveyed, it was clear that if the Celestial Heavens were determined to destroy the Void of the Other Shore, then Tai Xu, the Void Bridge, and even the Void of the Other Shore itself would be utterly indefensible.

Even if he and the ancient giant beasts from the back of the ancestral court could escape there, it would only postpone their inevitable demise.

Qin Mu observed Long Xiao's expression and said unhurriedly, "If you choose not to go to Tai Xu, there's still another opportunity: to ally yourself with the Eleventh Heavenly Venerable."

Long Xiao was momentarily stunned, not understanding what Qin Mu implied.

Qin Mu explained, "The Eleventh Heavenly Venerable of the Celestial Heavens is not among the Ten Heavenly Venerables. She possesses a unique skill: forging divine weapons known as Heavenly Venerable Overlords. All of these weapons were crafted by her, and she knows all their weaknesses. However, because she is not part of the Ten Heavenly Venerables, allying with her carries significant risks. Both you and she could be eliminated by the Ten Heavenly Venerables."

Long Xiao's expression flickered with indecision.

The second path Qin Mu had presented also carried immense risk. The Ten Heavenly Venerables of the Celestial Heavens would not tolerate him falling into the hands of any single Heavenly Venerable. Allying with the Eleventh Heavenly Venerable would similarly lead to his annihilation by the Ten Heavenly Venerables.

Furthermore, this path Qin Mu suggested also harbored ulterior motives.

If he followed Qin Mu's guidance, the Ten Heavenly Venerables would wage war against him and the Eleventh Heavenly Venerable, causing the heavens and earth to crumble. The back of the ancestral court would then become a second battlefield!

"Is there a third option?" Long Xiao asked.

Qin Mu smiled faintly. "The third path is the most perilous. When the Ten Heavenly Venerables departed just now, they invited me to a Heavenly Alliance meeting to discuss how to divide the back of the ancestral court and other major affairs. I will claim a territory there, and you can openly pledge allegiance to me, becoming one of my nominal great generals."

Long Xiao's expression drastically changed. He shook his head and said, "You can barely protect yourself; how can you protect me?"

"Precisely because I can barely protect myself, there's a sliver of hope," Qin Mu replied.

Qin Mu chuckled, "The Ten Heavenly Venerables are not a unified entity; they each have their own rivalries. However, they share a common goal: to maintain peace among themselves before eliminating other enemies. They won't openly break ties with the Celestial Heavens' Eleventh Heavenly Venerable, so they'll grant her a portion of the ancestral court's backside. They can grant it to the Eleventh Heavenly Venerable, and they can also grant it to me, because I have connections among the Ten Heavenly Venerables."

Long Xiao frowned. "You can protect yourself, but I have no connections among the Heavenly Venerables. If I pledge allegiance to you, will they tolerate me?"

"If you pledge allegiance to any of the other eleven Heavenly Venerables, it would disrupt the balance," Qin Mu replied. "But pledging allegiance to me won't upset it. We two would effectively be the weakest, the 'Twelfth Heavenly Venerable,' so there's a chance we could be preserved."

Qin Mu said unhurriedly, "Although the chances are slim, it's worth striving for."

Long Xiao paced back and forth, wavering with indecision. He suddenly looked up and asked, "So, is there a fourth option?"

Qin Mu remained silent.

Seeing Qin Mu's silence, Long Xiao quickly smiled and said, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, whether or not there's a fourth option, I am truly grateful to you and still consider you my ally! Rest assured, I will never betray you!"

Qin Mu made up his mind, suddenly looked up, and declared, "There is a fourth path. Although it presents challenges, it is also the best and most easily achievable one. It would even preserve your ruling status, allowing you to escape the control of the Ten Heavenly Venerables and remain aloof from worldly conflicts! However, this path would diminish my own interests. Therefore, I need you to promise to do three things for me. If you agree, I will strive to secure this path for you."

Long Xiao hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Alright! I agree to your three conditions!"

"The fourth path involves the Twelve Heavenly Venerables dividing the back of the ancestral court," Qin Mu explained. "The giant beasts would then relocate to the back of the Primordial Realm and other myriad worlds, establishing a Great Beast World."

Qin Mu's eyes gleamed. "The Beast World would be independent of all other realms, with you, Long Xiao, as its sole ancient god and ruler. The giant beasts of this world could form summoning contracts with deities or divine arts practitioners, obeying their calls to descend from the Beast World and fight alongside them. Once the battle ends, the giant beasts would return to their world. This arrangement would allow all Heavenly Venerables to utilize the power of the giant beasts and control the Beast World through you. Therefore, they would all agree to it."

Long Xiao's eyes lit up. This path was indeed the best one. He would have no conflict of interest with the Twelve Heavenly Venerables, nor would he be subjugated by them, forced to become their mount, or face any life-threatening danger!

But would this path be easy to achieve?

"The Twelve Heavenly Venerables each have their own interests," Qin Mu explained. "This path would not harm anyone's interests, and they could still utilize the power of the giant beasts for their campaigns. As long as you remain impartial, it will actually be the easiest to achieve."

Qin Mu sighed. "However, this path harms my interests. Without your assistance, I would become the weakest party on the back of the ancestral court. But precisely because of this, the other eleven Heavenly Venerables will likely agree to this proposal."

Long Xiao laughed, "This path is truly the best!"

Qin Mu glanced at him and said, "I can help you achieve this path."

Long Xiao quickly affirmed, "I agree to your three conditions and will never go back on my word!"

Qin Mu's expression softened. "It's not that I don't trust you, but a basic contract is still necessary. You and I will sign a Lesser Lord of Earth agreement. If you violate the contract in the future, the Lesser Lord of Earth will claim your soul."

Long Xiao laughed, "That's only right."

The two then sealed the Lesser Lord of Earth agreement, but Long Xiao didn't sense the Lesser Lord of Earth's presence anywhere. He thought to himself, "Forget about a Lesser Lord of Earth agreement; even a Lord of Earth agreement wouldn't be able to constrain me. Although the Lord of Earth can claim my soul, there are places he cannot reach. As long as I stay in my Beast World, the Lord of Earth cannot enter, and thus cannot touch me in the slightest. How could a *Lesser* Lord of Earth be more powerful than the Lord of Earth?"

Qin Mu said earnestly, "Long Xiao, I truly don't want to scheme against you, but I must warn you in advance: the Lesser Lord of Earth is different from the Lord of Earth. He is not bound by the Great Dao of Youdu and can go anywhere in the world. If you violate the contract, his arrival in the Beast World will mean your demise."

Long Xiao's expression drastically changed, and he cautiously asked, "Then who is this Lesser Lord of Earth...?"

Qin Mu did not hide it. "He is my biological elder brother," he revealed, "He's incredibly ferocious and powerful; even I fear him somewhat."

Long Xiao immediately relaxed, thinking to himself, "Heavenly Venerable Mu is a 'watered-down' Heavenly Venerable; his biological elder brother can't be much more formidable. He won't be able to do anything to me."

"For now, you should hide yourself," Qin Mu advised, "and do your best to preserve your life while awaiting good news."

Qin Mu added, "Let Dragon Qilin accompany you. He is your adopted son, and you must take good care of him."

Long Xiao agreed. "Rest assured," he said. "If the Beast World is established in the future, Long Pi will also have half of the territory!" With that, he burst into hearty laughter.

Qin Mu stood up and departed.

Long Xiao asked, "Pi'er, is the Lesser Lord of Earth truly Heavenly Venerable Mu's brother? How does his strength compare to the other Heavenly Venerables?"

Dragon Qilin replied, "He's a bit more capable than Heavenly Venerable Mu, but far inferior to a Heavenly Venerable. He is, however, quite brutal by nature."

Long Xiao laughed, "This Lesser Lord of Earth agreement is quite flimsy then." He didn't take it to heart.