Chapter 1492: Taiyi Crossing the River

Qin Mu was still very thin, but much better than before.

This experience was truly terrifying; he even worried the World Tree would completely devour him. Unexpectedly, at the most critical moment, after the World Tree devoured his spirit embryo and soul, the tree finally bore his unique mark! Previously, he had been unable to refine the World Tree or imprint his mark on it, yet now, after it consumed his spirit embryo and soul, it had been imprinted just like that! This experience was arguably one of his most perilous and terrifying, yet ultimately, turning danger into safety proved to be a blessing in disguise.

His Celestial Palace was still being reconstructed and reassembled, and his magical power was steadily increasing. Qin Mu stood up and unfurled his Divine Treasure Domain. A majestic treasure tree towered in the Ancestral Court, encircled by five major mineral veins. He felt as though his roots could extend to every corner of the domain. For the first time, he experienced a marvelous sensation of being in complete control of his own being. He stood at the feet of his primordial spirit, which in turn stood beneath the tree, the tree itself nestled within his Divine Treasure Domain. His primordial spirit was many times taller than his physical body, and the World Tree dwarfed his primordial spirit by many more times. Above, the clear blue sky stretched for thousands of miles; below, the boundless earth lay vast and profound. This scene evoked a sense of profoundness and vastness.

“Without taking risks, making attempts, or exploring the unknown, I would never have been able to merge with the World Tree. It’s clear that venturing into the unknown can yield tremendous rewards!”

Qin Mu meditated quietly. Although his Divine Treasure Domain had formed and his Celestial Palace was continuously reforming, he keenly perceived that his former Overlord Body Three Elixirs technique was no longer suitable for his current cultivation. While many practitioners follow a single cultivation method from beginning to end, Qin Mu was different; his method required continuous evolution and adaptation to suit his changing needs. As his knowledge and understanding evolved through different periods of his life, his cultivation techniques also required continuous improvement and refinement.

He had now comprehended an immense amount of knowledge. After acquiring the World Tree and planting it within his Divine Treasure, his understanding of Grand Beginning, Grand Initial, Grand Prime, and Grand Ultimate reached new heights. More critically, he began to glimpse the Path of Grand Change! His previous Overlord Body Three Elixirs technique could no longer accommodate this knowledge; he now needed to expand his cultivation method.

He already possessed nineteen Celestial Palaces, making his cultivation method exceedingly complex. However, with the World Tree, coordinating them became significantly easier. Different Celestial Palaces represented distinct Great Dao paths. If one were to cultivate using the method of the Ten Celestial Venerables, it would be incredibly difficult to integrate twenty or thirty Emperor's Throne cultivation techniques into a single Celestial Court method in a short span of time. Qin Mu had long integrated nineteen Emperor's Throne cultivation techniques; at his age, this was an extraordinary accomplishment. However, this path of cultivation became increasingly arduous the further one progressed. Beings like the Ten Celestial Venerables had integrated over thirty cultivation techniques, spending tens of thousands of years. Several among them had already cultivated thirty-five Celestial Palaces but were stalled at the thirty-sixth. To overcome this, they had to employ their unique abilities and seek their own distinct paths. For instance, Celestial Venerable Hao chose to rely on Grand Prime, the Empress sisters opted to devour each other, and God Emperor Lang Xuan sought to break through by refining others' Dao fruits. Ancestral God King, on the other hand, simply murdered his father, Heavenly Duke, in an attempt to achieve his breakthrough.

Qin Mu lacked the luxury of meticulously exploring and pondering over such a long period; he knew that progress would inevitably slow in the later stages of cultivation. Now, however, by using the World Tree as the central core to unify various Great Dao paths and cultivation methods, the process would no longer be so arduous. Even more crucially, there were the five innate Great Dao paths!

He stood there, meditating quietly. Before long, his twentieth Celestial Palace gradually took shape. This was the Grand Initial Celestial Palace. He understood the Path of Grand Initial most thoroughly through the World Tree. Originally, Grand Initial in the egg had resided within his Divine Treasure's mineral vein, continuously refining divine stones and raw ores, and comprehending the Path of Grand Initial. The Path of Grand Initial comprehended by Grand Initial in the egg was not concealed from him; as Grand Initial gained insights, Qin Mu also acquired them. Although he wasn't as uniquely blessed as the ancient god, Qin Mu's gains were still immense. This time, the World Tree directly devoured the mineral vein, along with the Grand Initial divine stones and raw ores, thereby making the Path of Grand Initial the most thoroughly understood.

As dusk fell, Qin Mu continued to meditate and shape the Grand Initial Celestial Palace, simultaneously ascending to the very top of the newly grown World Tree. Beyond the Hundred Thousand Holy Mountains, terrifying tremors again resonated, presenting a scene of apocalypse. Yet, at the apex of this new World Tree, profound tranquility reigned. The sky suddenly brightened, illuminating layers of void. He vaguely discerned a Dao Tree standing tall in the ultimate void. That Dao Tree was hazy, its branches and leaves indistinctly resembling those of the World Tree. However, both the World Tree within Qin Mu’s Divine Treasure and the new World Tree in the Hundred Thousand Holy Mountains were still nascent. In contrast, the Dao Tree in the ultimate void was verdant and vast, encompassing an enormous expanse! That was likely the Dao Tree of Grand Change. The Dao Tree of Grand Change bore only a single Dao fruit and no Dao flowers, yet it was remarkably lush and flourishing.

Suddenly, a drop of Dao dew, emanating a radiant light, fell from a leaf. The iron bucket Grand Change had given Qin Mu had also vanished, so he produced a bucket he had forged himself. He then leisurely strolled across the leaves, collecting the Dao dew as it dripped from the ultimate void. The ultimate void, silent and mesmerizing, appeared before him, seemingly within arm's reach. The Dao Tree of Grand Change was also there, seemingly touchable with a mere raise of his hand. However, Qin Mu knew it was incredibly distant, a place beyond his current reach. He was still merely a seeker on the path of the Dao Realm, not yet having attained that profound level.

The night was busy and fulfilling. By sunrise, as the last drop of Dao dew fell, the ultimate void and the Dao Tree of Grand Change vanished from sight. Qin Mu's iron bucket was now filled with Dao dew. At that very moment, his Grand Initial Celestial Palace was also perfectly completed.

Qin Mu descended from the World Tree, carrying the iron bucket, and made his way into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, searching for the black mountains that had been cracked by the previous night’s tremors. Those in the mountains who saw him were inevitably astonished, exclaiming, “Grand Change has appeared, transformed into the Imperial Preceptor!” Qin Mu offered no explanation, simply proceeding to find the cracked black mountains and repair them with the Dao dew. By the time the Dao dew was exhausted, all the tremor-cracked peaks were perfectly mended.

“Grand Change remains unfathomable,” he mused inwardly as he set down the iron bucket. He then began to comprehend the Path of Grand Prime, intending to cultivate the Grand Prime Celestial Palace. He rarely enjoyed such tranquility. For several days, he spent his mornings repairing the cracked black mountains, and each night, he carried his iron bucket to the World Tree's canopy to collect the Dao dew dripping from the ultimate void.

A few days later, he consecutively established the Grand Prime Celestial Palace and the Grand Ultimate Celestial Palace. However, as he prepared to establish the Grand Beginning Celestial Palace, Qin Mu suddenly froze, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead. “The eggshell of Heavenly Emperor Grand Beginning has been swallowed by my World Tree!” More beads of sweat emerged from his forehead. These two pieces of eggshell were the crucial treasures he had planned to use for rescuing Celestial Venerable Ling! He had planned to bring the Grand Beginning eggshell into the vanished segment of the Celestial River, which had transformed into imperishable matter. There, he would use the Imperishable divine ability to seal the Heavenly Emperor's physical body within the eggshell. He intended to seal both the physical body and the Primordial Spirit of Grand Emperor, which was parasitic within Heavenly Emperor Grand Beginning’s body! But with the World Tree having swallowed and refined the Grand Beginning eggshell, he had lost his greatest reliance! If he were to rescue Celestial Venerable Ling now, he would have to confront the physical body of Heavenly Emperor Grand Beginning, which was being controlled by the Primordial Spirit of Grand Emperor!

“This time, it’s going to be tricky!”

Qin Mu composed himself and continued to comprehend the Grand Beginning Celestial Palace. Since he could no longer seal the Heavenly Emperor's physical body and the Grand Emperor's Primordial Spirit within the eggshell, he reasoned that a deeper understanding of the Grand Beginning Great Dao was the correct path to confront Grand Emperor and Heavenly Emperor.

After a few more days, he successfully established the Grand Beginning Celestial Palace. However, he encountered a significant challenge when attempting to establish the Grand Change Celestial Palace. Although he had gained some understanding of the Path of Grand Change through the World Tree, this Great Dao was truly obscure. Moreover, Grand Change had already absorbed all the divine stones, raw ores, and primordial fluid from the Grand Change mineral vein, leaving not a single drop. The World Tree had this time swallowed and refined the Grand Change eggshell, which was how he gained insight into the Path of Grand Change. To comprehend it thoroughly, however, would require immense perseverance, profound enlightenment, and extraordinary fortune!

Furthermore, the World Tree within his Divine Treasure had indeed ceased growing, just as Grand Change had foretold. Qin Mu's Divine Treasure was not a true universe and lacked the sustenance necessary for the tree's continued growth. The World Tree was currently still a mere sapling; while its roots continued to strengthen, the tree itself had not grown taller or sprouted additional branches and leaves. Qin Mu counted five main trunks and nineteen branches on the World Tree, which perfectly aligned with the Great Dao paths he cultivated, likely corresponding to each of them. Among these, the five main trunks represented the Five Grand Innate, while other branches were still subdividing into distinct twigs. For example, the Demonic Dao Celestial Palace had sixty-four branches, likely representing the sixty-four Great Dao paths of Youdu.

Qin牧 temporarily set aside the notion of further delving into the Grand Change Celestial Palace. He now possessed twenty-three Celestial Palaces, and his cultivation had significantly improved. What he deemed even more crucial was to leverage the World Tree's fortuitous presence to advance further along the Dao Realm!

Over the next few months, Qin Mu simultaneously collected Dao dew, repaired the cracked black mountains, and quietly comprehended the Dao. The residents of the Hundred Thousand Holy Mountains were initially surprised but gradually grew accustomed to his constant activity, allowing him to go about his work. Only occasionally would Qin Mu emerge from this busy state, pondering, “Grand Change is leaving for half a year; what could he be doing?”

Ancestral Court, Jade Capital City.

Grand Change, in a possessed body, observed the large cauldron Wei Suifeng had left outside the city. Inside, an incense stick, nearly burned to its base, still moved autonomously, tracing a winding route map. Wei Suifeng and Shu Jun were still alive, and they were preparing to cross the river. The chaotic great river ahead, of unknown width or length, flowed endlessly. They cautiously advanced along its bank, Shu Jun stubbornly convinced they had arrived from the opposite side and thus determined to find a way to cross. However, this vast river had no bridges, and flying across its surface was impossible. Terrifying skeletons occasionally surfaced from its chaotic waters, emitting immense Dao might that even the river itself could not erode! They even witnessed the skeletons of Dao achievers emitting Dao light, dangerous radiance flickering across the river's surface. Twisted, vengeful spirits also occasionally surfaced, struggling, roaring, and grasping at anything they could seize, like souls seeking substitutes. Even with Wei Suifeng and Shu Jun's boundless courage, they dared not attempt to cross this great river. The two could only continue their arduous search for a way out.

Just then, a white-haired old man, leaning on a cane, emerged from an unknown direction. He stopped before them and stated, “You’ve taken the wrong path.”

“Is it possible that you are Dao Brother Grand Change?” Wei Suifeng hastily inquired.

The old man, Grand Change, nodded. “If you cross the river,” he said, “you will truly never return. This entire area is treacherous. On the other side of the river lies the abode of the Master of the Mi Luo Palace; even if you managed to cross, it would be a dead end.”

A chill ran through their hearts. Shu Jun politely asked, “Senior, might you be able to guide us out of here?”

The old man, Grand Change, shook his head. “I am about to cross the river myself,” he replied, “and have no time to escort you away.”

Shu Jun felt a pang of disappointment. Wei Suifeng quickly interjected, “Dao Brother, is my junior brother searching for us? Did he find the geographical map I left behind?”

“No,” the old man, Grand Change, continued, “This place is far too dangerous; do not wander freely. I found you here by following the geographical map you left outside the city. If you continue forward, you will surely meet a grim end. And do not attempt to retreat; the chaotic river is constantly shifting, and you will not find your way back to the original path, only sacrificing your lives in vain.”

Both complained bitterly. Wei Suifeng quickly asked, “Is it safe to stay here, perfectly still?”

The old man, Grand Change, observed the river's flow and replied, “In another half a day, this spot will be submerged by the chaotic river.”

Shu Jun stated decisively, “Senior, please have mercy and take us with you!”

Wei Suifeng also quickly pleaded, “Dao Brother, please show us compassion!”

The old man, Grand Change, sighed helplessly. “I am going to meet the Master of the Mi Luo Palace,” he said. “This journey itself is incredibly perilous, and I am not even certain I will return alive. That individual possesses vast divine abilities, even surpassing my own; accompanying me would only lead to greater danger. If there were no peril, I wouldn’t have deceived Heavenly Venerable Mu into guarding the Great Black Wood for me for half a year.” He left one crucial detail unspoken: if he failed to return alive, Qin Mu would not merely guard the Great Black Wood for half a year, but for an eternity. At that point, Qin Mu would become Grand Change's successor, bound there forever.

Unaware of the full truth, Wei Suifeng and Shu Jun chuckled awkwardly. “Who could possibly overpower you, Senior?” they said. “Dao Brother, please don’t jest. My junior brother never follows maps to rescue me, and now we are at our wits’ end. We implore you, Dao Brother, to save us!”

Grand Change had no choice but to take them. He said, “Follow me closely; do not fall behind, or you will perish.”

Both nodded repeatedly, keeping close to Grand Change. The elderly Grand Change, leaning on his wooden staff, stepped onto the surface of the chaotic river. Instantly, the river seemed to boil as twisted, vengeful spirits reached out, grabbing at the trio! Grand Change brandished his staff, fiercely striking and beating the vengeful spirits, forcing them to sink back into the river. “Don’t let them touch you!” he shouted. “They are Dao achievers who died in the Grand Luo Heaven, now transformed into nothingness. They want to seize you and pull you into their dead universe, replacing their souls with yours!”

The two were utterly terrified. A casual grab from one of those Dao achiever spirits made them feel that no divine ability could resist. Without Grand Change by their side, they feared they would have been dragged into the previous universe in the very next moment, their souls scattered and their beings utterly annihilated!

“This old man, Grand Change, is surprisingly fierce!” Watching Grand Change battle his way forward, Shu Jun couldn't help but admire him immensely: “Still robust in old age!”