Chapter 1404: One Qi Mixed Yuan Dao Co-Traveling

La Xuan Divine Emperor waited for a moment, but Qin Mu said nothing about what he had seen. Finally, La Xuan Divine Emperor couldn't help but ask, "What did you see?"

Qin Mu smiled slightly and said, "I saw a large entity beneath your Jade Pool, siphoning off its vitality for its own use. Even with the eight dragon veins now, the Jade Pool will be destroyed again in the future. If you wish to restore the Jade Pool to its peak, I can guide you to find that entity. However, I'll need a ten percent share of the Jade Pool's output."

La Xuan Divine Emperor's divine consciousness fluctuated, forming a vertical eye between his brows as he peered underground. He sneered, "Give you ten percent? Wouldn't it be better if I find and deal with that entity myself, without giving you anything? Heavenly Venerate Mu, you are too greedy! You blackmailed Heavenly Venerate Gong, then Heavenly Consort Yan, and now you're trying to extort me! Do you intend to extort all Ten Heavenly Venerates? You underestimate us far too much!"

Qin Mu was surprised. The fact that he had traded with Heavenly Venerate Gong and Heavenly Consort Yan for their mineral output had actually reached La Xuan Divine Emperor's ears.

It seemed that La Xuan Divine Emperor had informants within the forces of both Heavenly Venerate Gong and Heavenly Consort Yan, monitoring their every move.

However, this was likely no secret among the Ten Heavenly Venerates.

The Ten Heavenly Venerates did not fully trust each other, hence their preference for placing spies and informants under the command of other Heavenly Venerates. This was also one of the reasons they could cooperate, as none of them exposed the others.

La Xuan Divine Emperor searched for a while, and his expression gradually turned solemn.

His divine consciousness eye was incredibly powerful, yet after searching throughout the underground, he found no sign of the large entity Qin Mu had mentioned, not even a trace!

This was truly terrifying!

A drop of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He flew up, continuing his search along the eight jade mountain ranges.

Qin Mu paid it no mind and set off for the Jade Platform. La Xuan Divine Emperor's divine consciousness eye could likely pierce through thirty-five layers of void. Apart from the ultimate void of the Grand Luo Heaven, almost no secret could escape his divine eye.

His divine eye could be called the Eye of Void Penetration or the Eye of Insight.

His divine consciousness was omnipresent. La Xuan could see to the deepest parts of the ancestral court's underground and even perceive treasures hidden within space. However, his Eye of Insight, the Eye of Void Penetration, was still inferior to Qin Mu's vertical eye.

Qin Mu's vertical eye had been blessed by Heavenly Duke and Earth Count, and with its inherent power, combined with the Primeval Stone and the Grand Ease Eggshell, it was not an exaggeration to call it the most powerful in the world.

Although Qin Mu currently couldn't unleash the full might of this divine eye, its inherent function alone allowed him to see through and comprehend everything.

More and more beads of sweat appeared on La Xuan Divine Emperor's forehead. He had searched all eight mineral veins but still hadn't found where the so-called large entity was hidden.

"Restoring the Jade Pool to its former glory is more important," he thought. "Without dealing with that entity, the Jade Pool will merely be a large pool capable of condensing primordial liquid, with little other use. In that case, giving Heavenly Venerate Mu ten percent of the primordial liquid isn't entirely unacceptable..."

He looked at Qin Mu, who was now ascending the Jade Platform, perceiving the Grand Dao contained within the Jade Pool. La Xuan decided not to disturb him.

At this moment, the Jade Platform had become exceptionally sacred, like an altar for offering sacrifices to heaven, earth, and the cosmos. Qin Mu walked upon it like a priest officiating a grand celestial sacrifice, or a seeker of the Dao, his steps steady and his demeanor devout.

La Xuan Divine Emperor also stepped onto the platform. He appeared like an emperor, radiating a powerful aura that rendered him immune to all laws and untainted by any path.

Qin Mu meticulously experienced the baptism of the Jade Pool's Grand Dao as he ascended the platform, listening to the Dao sounds. While La Xuan could also hear these sounds, his perception and understanding were not as profound as Qin Mu's.

He was too strong—not just his cultivation and power, but also his mindset, which was too dominant, too overbearing, and placed himself too highly.

Qin Mu ascended the first level of the Jade Platform. Unlike the Four Heavenly Gates and the Nine Prison Platforms, which served to temper one's Dao heart and were extremely perilous—failure to pass them often meant certain death—

the Jade Pool, instead, nourished the Dao heart. It offered no trials or tempering, but rather nurtured the Dao heart, allowing it to grow.

Wondrous melodies reached his ears, as if the Grand Dao was whispering to him. He felt the Grand Dao like water, like a nurturing mother, like the truth, goodness, and beauty of the world.

He also felt the Grand Dao like the earth, bearing and nurturing all things, expanding one's horizons.

The highest good is like water, benefiting all things without contention.

The Earth's power is receptivity; a noble person carries all things with profound virtue.

Standing on the platform, he gazed at the Jade Pool. Its former grandeur was gone, yet from where he stood, he seemed to see its clear waters shimmering like dragon scales, nourishing all life.

He looked back, and although the Primeval Wood, which had transformed into Earth Mother Yuanjun, was now gone, leaving only a massive sinkhole, he seemed to envision the lush Primeval Wood protecting the ancient creator ancestors in primordial times.

Earth Mother's profound virtue carries all things; the Jade Pool's highest good is like water.

He sensed thirty-six types of Earth Virtue Grand Dao and twenty-four types of Supreme Goodness Dao.

After a long time, Qin Mu stepped forward. The Jade Pool was a sacrificial ground for the ancient creator ancestors, where they offered sacrifices to heaven and earth, and to the primordial cosmos. In those days, people were ignorant, unaware of the source of their power or that they could use the Jade Platform to nourish their Dao hearts.

They possessed only a simple heart. Upon arriving here, they merely felt a sense of peace, as if they could connect with heaven and earth, and with the Jade Sea.

They revered the land that nurtured them and all living beings, and respected the Jade Sea that sustained them and all creation.

Here, they offered sacrifices to the cosmos and commemorated their ancestors.

At this moment, Qin Mu also seemed to become one of the creator beings from the ignorant ancient era, offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, devoutly perceiving the aura of the Grand Dao here.

He walked and paused, taking increasingly longer. La Xuan Divine Emperor soon surpassed him, reaching the eighth level of the Jade Platform, looking out at the heavens and the dry seabed, filled with profound emotion.

By the time Qin Mu arrived there, a month had already passed.

La Xuan Divine Emperor sensed his arrival. He raised his hand, pointing towards the dry seabed and the lands across the sea, his spirits high. He laughed loudly, "This landscape is so magnificent, Heavenly Venerate Mu! What man wouldn't wish to possess such land? This is one of my aspirations for becoming a Heavenly Venerate: I am determined to become the ruler of the entire cosmos, to make the vast lands, all heavens and myriad worlds, billions upon billions of stars and starfields, bow beneath my feet!"

His grand ambition surged from his chest as he gestured across the landscape, speaking passionately, unable to conceal his excitement.

"Heavenly Venerate Mu, you possess extraordinary talent. If you were to join me, I would certainly give you ample room to flourish. I am not petty like Heavenly Venerate Hao; I value you, and I would naturally make great use of you! In the future, my empire will include a share for you!"

Qin Mu did not reply. The Dao charm emanating from him grew increasingly intense. Suddenly, La Xuan Divine Emperor felt something and turned to look, his heart skipping a beat. Qin Mu had fallen into a wondrous state, subtly merging with the Grand Dao of the Jade Pool and Jade Platform!

He seemed to have integrated entirely into the Grand Dao of the entire Jade Platform. Though he stood visibly present, his body was there, yet to La Xuan Divine Emperor, he felt as profound as the ancestral court's earth and as vast as the Jade Sea!

He was like the heaven and earth that La Xuan Divine Emperor had just observed: as infinitely high and distant as the heavens, as infinitely deep and vast as the sea, and as infinitely thick and heavy as the earth!

He resonated and merged with the Grand Dao of the Jade Pool and Jade Platform. The Dao charm that had been severed earlier when he was comprehending with La Xuan Divine Emperor was now reconnected!

This time, he could enter the state of entering the Dao without needing to connect with the Dao charm he shared with La Xuan during their previous enlightenment!

La Xuan Divine Emperor's face showed disbelief, which quickly transformed into hidden murderous intent and jealousy in his eyes. Qin Mu's aptitude was similar to his. Last time, when they comprehended and discussed the Dao together, as long as their qi mechanisms were connected, they could simultaneously enter the Dao, comprehending the mysteries of the Primordial Dao and entering the Primordial Dao realm.

However, that time, both La Xuan and Qin Mu had reservations, remembering they were still enemies, not even friends, let alone fellow Daoists.

Therefore, they deliberately severed their path to entering the Dao, absolutely unwilling to complete each other's enlightenment.

But now, La Xuan Divine Emperor himself struggled to enter the Dao, while Qin Mu had already reconnected with the opportunity to enter the Dao and entered the state of entering the Dao!

"Why is he getting this opportunity, and not me?"

The murderous intent in his eyes intensified, but he forcibly suppressed it. He suddenly took a step, walking off the Jade Platform, and flew down to the severed ends of the eight dragon veins.

The mine slaves and overseers had been resting during this period, enjoying a rare month of peace.

Upon seeing La Xuan Divine Emperor, everyone hastily prostrated themselves.

La Xuan Divine Emperor flicked his sleeve and sneered, "Sever these eight dragon veins for me!"

The overseers and mine slaves didn't understand his command and stood rooted to the spot, their expressions blank.

These eight dragon veins had been painstakingly connected, allowing the Jade Pool to regain vitality, giving birth to primordial liquid once more, and transforming it into one of the ancestral court's finest treasures. Why had Heavenly Venerate Mu, the notorious 'Qin the Destroyer', not dismantled the Jade Pool, yet La Xuan Divine Emperor, its owner, intended to destroy his own treasure land?

La Xuan Divine Emperor was enraged, his killing intent flaring. He sternly shouted, "Are you all deaf? Get to work, now!"

Only then did the overseers realize. They immediately wielded their divine whips and, without explanation, began lashing at the miners, yelling, "Work! Work! Pull down all those jade stones!"

Numerous miners quickly began to remove the connected jade stones. La Xuan Divine Emperor still found them too slow, so he lashed the overseers as well, forcing them to join the work.

Finally, the eight dragon veins were severed. The Grand Dao aura of the ancestral court's Jade Pool instantly dispersed and vanished, and the eight dragon veins immediately ceased spewing primordial violet qi.

La Xuan Divine Emperor breathed a sigh of relief. He looked back at the Jade Platform, seeing that its Grand Dao aura was also rapidly dissipating.

"You are the Celestial Alliance Leader; I cannot kill you directly, but I can sever your path to entering the Dao, preventing you from achieving it."

His eyes gleamed, "What I cannot obtain, you shall not obtain either! Heavenly Venerate Mu, do not blame me for being ruthless..."

Just as he thought this, his pupils suddenly constricted. Although the Grand Dao aura on the Jade Platform was dissipating, the Dao charm emanating from it was growing increasingly powerful!

La Xuan Divine Emperor's heart thumped wildly. Qin Mu's entry into the Dao state this time surprisingly couldn't be interrupted!

"Kill him! My Divine Essence Finger is the strongest divine ability among Heavenly Venerates; just one finger strike is enough to kill him!"

He desperately wanted to blast Qin Mu apart with a single finger, but killing him here would give the other Heavenly Venerates leverage against him. In the future, when the world was at peace and the ancient gods were purged, this would be the best excuse to eliminate him!

Yet, if he didn't kill Qin Mu, he would be unwilling!

Just then, the Dao charm emanating from the Jade Platform reached its peak intensity. Dao light erupted from it, lifting a figure skyward, who then chanted loudly, "Divine consciousness pilgrimages to heaven and earth; primordial qi merges with the Dao to wander freely!"