Chapter 1416: The Rules of the Great Ruins

The expressions of the two ancient gods flickered between light and shadow. The female ancient god said, "This eggshell still contains some of our primordial liquid that hasn't been refined yet, and that person stole it. If he refines it, our Dao will not be perfected…"

"No need to worry."

The male ancient god reassured her, "Without Taiji primordial stones and divine stones, one cannot refine the primordial liquid. Even if the eggshell is stolen, it will be of no use to that thief."

Consort Yan's heart stirred slightly. Recalling that Qin Mu had a Taiji primordial stone in his vertical eye on his forehead, she said, "What if that person possesses Taiji primordial stones and divine stones and can refine the primordial liquid?"

The expressions of the two ancient gods changed simultaneously, instantly knowing who she was referring to. They couldn't help but look at each other.

But did that person truly have the power to steal their eggshells right under their noses?

"There are no powerful experts nearby. The only one who could be called a master is him," Consort Yan said. "Celestial Venerable Mu has many abilities, and his knowledge is extremely diverse. Perhaps he has the means to infiltrate this place and steal your eggshells. But why didn't he steal the Taiji primordial stones as well?"

The male ancient god pondered for a moment and said, "For him, there isn't much difference between one Taiji primordial stone and eight. He doesn't understand the wondrous uses of the primordial stones. Obtaining other primordial stones would mean completely offending us. So, he still showed some consideration."

The female ancient god frowned and said, "Although we suspect it was him, we have no concrete evidence. We probably can't make him hand over the eggshell. The eggshell is a minor matter; the primordial liquid inside is what's truly important. If he refines and devours it…"

The male ancient god shook his head and said, "If he still remembers the favor of being guided to the Great Black Wood, he will return the primordial liquid. There's no need to worry. His not taking the primordial stones also shows a desire to maintain some goodwill, not wanting to completely offend us. Your Ladyship, let's go to your territory and wait a few days to see if he returns it."

Consort Yan shook her head and sneered, "How could that little thief return it? He's probably already holding the primordial liquid and drinking it with gusto."

She looked up at the Great Ruins Abyss. Without the Taiji ancient god's magic power to support it, the Great Ruins Abyss rapidly moved away, its layers of space expanding. This abyss soon returned to its original world.

Consort Yan retracted the Empress's physical body. The three then stood up and left.

This time, although Consort Yan's Empress body was humiliated by Qin Mu, and she was ambushed by Consort Qiang and Shi Qiluo, suffering some injuries, she was very happy inside.

Not only did she receive assistance from the Taiji ancient gods and form an alliance with them, but she also saw the hope of invincibility in the Taiji ancient gods!

When the Taiji ancient god transformed into the Goddess of the Returning Ruins, the combat power displayed was truly astonishing! Possessing both the power of the Empress and the Mother of Earth, controlling the power of life and death, she had no weaknesses!

Such a perfect being was no less than Heaven Duke and Earth Count!

Furthermore, the Taiji ancient god evidently possessed the ability to merge the Grand Dao of the Empress and the Mother of Earth. As long as she could capture Mother of Earth and erase her consciousness, then she would be the one to possess both powers!

Moreover, she had now broken free from the ancient gods' constraints, having greater room for growth and not being bound by the Grand Dao of the Returning Ruins. The path to becoming an Empress was within reach!

Inadvertently, the two ancient gods, with a shared understanding, simultaneously looked back. They saw the Taiji Star Domain rotating incessantly. The two ancient gods exclaimed in unison, "So that's how it is!"

Consort Yan didn't understand their meaning and stopped.

They watched as the two ancient gods simultaneously reached out their hands. The Taiji Star Domain rotated and shrank. In a short while, it transformed into a Taiji sandbox that flew towards them and settled behind their heads.

This Taiji sandbox was composed of black sand, white sand, and Taiji mineral veins. As the two ancient gods walked side by side, the Taiji sandbox continuously rotated behind their heads, shifting between black and white.

Consort Yan examined it closely, realizing that this Taiji Star Domain and mining area had now transformed into a wondrous treasure. It exuded terrifying power. And amidst the Taiji transformations, various divine weapon forms emerged from the sandbox, incredibly powerful. They were even more terrifying than Celestial Venerables' treasures!

The female ancient god smiled and said, "We just felt like something was missing, and only when we inadvertently looked back did we discover this treasure. This is our companion treasure, our Dao soldier."

The male ancient god said, "We were born from the mining area, and the mining area, to protect us in achieving Dao, forms a Dao soldier. Grand Beginning and Grand Prime also have protective Dao soldiers."

Consort Yan's heart stirred. "My late husband also had a Dao soldier? How did I not know?"

She was very puzzled. If Emperor Tai Chu also had a Dao soldier, why had she never seen him use it?

If he possessed a Dao soldier, why would Emperor Tai Chu have been in such a pathetic state?

The Taiji ancient gods also didn't know the reason. Dao soldiers are supreme treasures, formed by the Grand Dao, and immensely powerful. Such treasures could only be fully utilized in their hands.

The female ancient god said, "Brother Tai Chu was sacrificed by the Supreme Emperor's clansmen, causing him to be born prematurely. Could his Dao soldier have fallen into the Supreme Emperor's hands?"

Consort Yan's heart grew cold. The Supreme Emperor had never revealed this Grand Beginning Dao soldier, keeping it deeply hidden. It must be the Supreme Emperor's ultimate trump card!

Meanwhile, in the thirtieth void, Qin Mu stood at the bow of the Ark of Salvation, holding high the Taiji divine eggshell in both hands. The Ark of Salvation sped wildly, carrying the young man at lightning speed!

The young man was overjoyed, boosting his cultivation to the extreme, fearing being caught by the Taiji ancient gods. But he didn't realize the aggrieved parties hadn't pursued him at all.

"Haha, haha! I finally have all the eggshells of the Five Primordials!"

Qin Mu felt as if countless little fox spirits were cheering excitedly in his heart. His Dao heart was restless. He smelled the fragrance of the primordial liquid from the Taiji divine egg, and his appetite was whetted. "So fragrant! It smells so good, I must drink a mouthful to taste it!"

The Ark of Salvation roared and plunged into the thirty-first void. This layer of void was somewhat dangerous for Qin Mu. But with a guilty conscience, he still worried about being tracked by the Taiji ancient gods. Thus, he had to risk entering the thirty-first void.

This time, he took immense risks, activating the Three Elixirs of the Overlord Body, using the still immature Sovereign Realm, supplemented by the God-Stealing Palace. He boosted his speed to the point of ignoring spatial distances. He swiftly cut into the battlefield of the Taiji ancient gods, Consort Qiang, Shi Qiluo, and others, and stealthily acquired the two eggshells without anyone realizing!

After acquiring the eggshells, his heart pounded wildly. He hadn't calmed down even now.

"Although the egg liquid is fragrant, and I have Taiji divine stones to refine some of it, doing so would completely offend the Taiji ancient gods, making it not worth the gain."

Qin Mu suppressed his urge, forcefully resisting the impulse to swallow the primordial liquid, and headed towards the Great Black Wood.

Upon reaching the Ten Thousand Black Mountains of the Great Black Wood, he revealed himself. He saw Xu Shenghua, Lan Yutian, Wei Suifeng, and others returning from the back of the ancestral court. The Great Black Mountain was bustling, and the Pot-Heaven World hung above the Great Black Wood, like a precious vase, emitting a serene glow.

Many divine cities had been built in the Ten Thousand Black Mountains. People had cleared farmland and planted crops. Some cultivators and deities had subdued giant beasts in the ancestral court, making them guard the divine cities.

Dutian Devil King, on the other hand, was busily shuttling back and forth between the cities.

Qin Mu praised, then went to the center of the Great Black Wood, entering a palace. He carefully placed the Taiji eggshell down, took out some jade bottles, and poured the remaining primordial liquid from the eggshell into them.

Soon, commotion was heard outside the hall. Yan'er was the first to rush in, shouting, "So fragrant, so fragrant! Young Master, what good things are you secretly eating?"

Qin Mu hurriedly activated a dozen jade bottles, swiftly collecting the primordial liquid into them. He said, "You can't eat this; this is the Taiji ancient god's egg liquid…"

Yan'er poked her head forward, intending to drink the primordial liquid in the eggshell. Qin Mu used his finger as a brush and wrote the character "fix." Yan'er was frozen on the spot, unable to move.

"Second Senior Brother, what delicious things are you secretly making here? It smells so good, the entire Great Black Wood can smell it!" Wei Suifeng burst in impetuously. Qin Mu's divine sense erupted, and Wei Suifeng entered his divine sense illusion. He sniffed around wildly, shouting, "Where did you hide it? Let me have a taste! Just one bite!"

Qin Mu hastily packed away the remaining primordial liquid and put away the eggshell.

Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian rushed in, looking around. Lan Yutian's appetite was whetted, and he said, "I smell a strange fragrance, Brother, what delicious food are you hiding?"

Qin Mu quickly put away the jade bottles and said, "It's the Taiji ancient god's egg liquid, you can't eat it."

He explained the origin of the Taiji primordial liquid, saying, "The Taiji ancient gods and I have some rapport. This first sacred land of the ancestral court was obtained under their guidance. I cannot consume their Taiji primordial liquid. Otherwise, if their Dao is not perfected in the future, they will come for my head. Moreover, this Taiji primordial liquid cannot be digested casually; it must be refined with Taiji primordial stones and divine stones…"

"Can we fry it?" Lan Yutian asked.

Qin Mu was speechless, and could only take out some Grand Prime primordial liquid and give them some. He said, "I have completely offended the Grand Prime ancient god, and there's no possibility of reconciliation. So I'll share some of this Grand Prime primordial liquid with you; you can taste it, and then refine it with Grand Prime divine stones… No more, I don't have much left!"

He hastily swatted away Wei Suifeng's hand that was groping him. He said, "There really isn't much left! I'm giving it to you for a taste; being greedy for delicious food will hinder your cultivation!"

Everyone had to put away the Grand Prime primordial liquid and divine stones they received. Qin Mu, not only getting a headache, looked around and thought to himself, "If I let them take the Taiji primordial liquid to Consort Yan to return it, I'm afraid they'll eat it all up on the way. Especially Lan Yutian; he's been gluttonous since he was a child, otherwise he wouldn't have a round face…"

His gaze fell on Wei Suifeng, and he shook his head. Wei Suifeng was audacious enough to drink the Taiji primordial liquid completely dry, even if it meant bursting.

Lan Yutian was even less suitable. As for Yan'er, Qin Mu couldn't help but shiver, recalling the fierce girl's feat of devouring demons.

Finally, his gaze fell on Xu Shenghua. He waved his hand, dismissing everyone except Xu Shenghua, and said, "Brother Xu, please take these jade bottles to Consort Yan's territory. Request an audience with the Taiji ancient gods and hand them the primordial liquid in the jade bottles. Remember, you must not consume any of the primordial liquid, or you will create an irreconcilable grudge with the Taiji ancient gods!"

Xu Shenghua's expression was solemn, and he nodded in agreement.

Qin Mu handed him the jade bottles. Xu Shenghua counted them, and calmly said, "There's one missing."

Qin Mu blinked, looking at him.

Xu Shenghua said expressionlessly, "There's one missing. I counted them when I came in earlier. Is Celestial Venerable Mu trying to take from himself?"

Qin Mu's face flushed slightly. He took out the hidden bottle and stammered, "Oh! There really is one more bottle! How strange."

Xu Shenghua stared intently at his face.

Qin Mu quickly said, "When you return the primordial liquid, you absolutely must not give it to Consort Yan. You must personally hand it to the Taiji ancient gods. Remember, remember."

Xu Shenghua said, "Give me some more Grand Prime primordial liquid and Grand Prime divine stones; I'll prepare some for my daughter."

Qin Mu said earnestly, "I don't have much left either…"

Xu Shenghua looked at his face, and Qin Mu's face reddened slightly. He took out a bottle of Grand Prime primordial liquid and two Grand Prime divine stones and handed them to him. He said, "This time, there really isn't any more."

Xu Shenghua turned and left, saying, "You definitely have a lot more there."

Qin Mu waited until he was far away before sighing in relief. He took out the enormous Grand Prime eggshell, which still contained half of the Grand Prime primordial liquid.

"My treasure… glug, glug…"

While refining the Grand Prime primordial liquid, he placed the Taiji eggshell in his divine treasure ancestral court, burying it within the Taiji mineral veins.

In the distance, the Grand Beginning divine egg vibrated, transmitting a Dao sound: "Celestial Venerable Mu, you're secretly eating Grand Prime primordial liquid again!"

"No!" Qin Mu's face turned red, and he let out a burp.

The Grand Beginning within the egg sneered, "Still saying no? You even acquired the Taiji ancient god's eggshell and hid it!"

Qin Mu turned a deaf ear, hastily withdrew from his divine treasure, and thought to himself, "By the rules of the Great Ruins, taking by skill isn't stealing… Can something acquired by skill be considered stealing? Grand Beginning simply doesn't understand. Only Grandpa Cripple understands me…"