Chapter 1508: Only One Goes to Yujing

Qin Mu sheathed his sword, descended, and thanked each of the four Emperors who had come to assist him. When he thanked the Azure Dragon, the Eastern Emperor, the latter smiled and said, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, you owe me a favor. Without my essence and blood to help, you couldn't have forged this sword. The power of this precious sword even surpasses that of a Heavenly Venerable's treasure. This is a big favor; you must repay me someday."

Qin Mu affirmed, saying, "Do you want an IOU?"

Just as the Eastern Emperor was about to agree, Empress Tianyin subtly tugged at him and whispered, "Don't! The last one who asked him for an IOU was Heavenly Venerable Hong. I personally saw that when Heavenly Venerable Hong couldn't produce the IOU, he denied everything and killed Heavenly Venerable Hong, scattering his soul!"

The Azure Dragon, the Eastern Emperor, shivered, then forced a smile and said, "It's enough for Heavenly Venerable to remember it. As for an IOU or anything like that, let's just forget about it."

Qin Mu sighed, "What a pity."

The Eastern Emperor didn't understand what he meant, so he bade farewell and left.

Qin Mu watched him depart, regretting in his heart, "If I had written him an IOU, I could deny it if he couldn't produce it later; we always follow the rules. But without an IOU, if he makes a fuss, I'll have no choice but to repay the favor. I've always been one to honor my promises..."

He thanked the Black Tortoise Emperors. The Black Emperor smiled and said, "We already have an alliance with the Grandmaster, so it's only natural for us to come to your aid. There's no need for thanks. We, as a couple, haven't even thanked Heavenly Venerable for taking care of our son."

Qin Mu stated solemnly, "Over these years, the Lapis Lazuli Heaven Canopy fell into my hands, and I took it without permission. I feel very sorry to you both."

The Martial Emperor chuckled, "An innocent man is guilty only of possessing a treasure. Heavenly Venerable taking the Heaven Canopy was actually to shield our son from calamity."

The couple departed together.

Qin Mu approached the White Tiger, the Western Emperor, and smiled, "Sister, your blowing of the horn just now, stimulating the Eastern Emperor's essence and blood, was truly an inspired move."

The Western Emperor giggled, "That Eastern Emperor is so petty and stingy; I don't know how Empress Vermillion Bird was so blind as to get involved with him. I also saw that he wasn't putting in his full effort, so I helped you out. You don't need to thank me; you saved me last time!"

She transformed into a golden light and vanished without a trace.

Qin Mu bowed to all the Heavenly Artisans, Formation Masters, and Sword Masters who had come to assist him. Tens of thousands returned his bow, led by Yu Yuan Chuyu, who smiled, "National Master, we've also benefited greatly from forging this sword for you. If our sword path can advance further in the future, it will certainly be due to this sword forging experience!"

They all departed.

Qin Mu saw Jiang Baigui and Emperor Yanfeng also rising to leave and said, "Your Majesty, junior brother, after you visit the Jade Pool, first go to the Heavenly Sea and comprehend the Heavenly Heart there. As for the God Slaying Platform, it is now in the hands of Concubine Qiang. She took it away before even Emperor Kai Huang could ascend it. Don't worry, I will figure something out."

Jiang Baigui said, "Senior brother, aren't you going to cultivate the pre-natal and post-natal methods taught by Teacher Qiaofu? This method is the most likely to lead to the Great Heavenly Court realm."

Qin Mu hesitated. He was very curious about the cultivation method of Qiaofu the Sage's Seventy-two Treasure Palaces and Thirty-six Heavenly Palaces and wanted to cultivate it.

However, cultivating this method clearly required a vast amount of time and energy; otherwise, Jiang Baigui wouldn't still be at the Jade Pool realm.

Qiaofu the Sage, on the other hand, cultivated three hundred and sixty Heavenly Palaces and three hundred and sixty types of post-natal grand paths, which took even more time.

With all his lifelong wisdom, he might not even be able to cultivate the Heavenly Heart, let alone the God Slaying Platform.

Seeing that Qin Mu wasn't very keen on learning it, Jiang Baigui didn't press the matter and immediately departed with Emperor Yanfeng.

Qin Mu then saw off Yama and bid farewell to the Southern Emperor, saying, "Sister, I need to borrow the ancestral land of the Dao Flame for some time."

The Southern Emperor replied, "Take it as you please. This ancestral land is no longer mine."

Qin Mu was slightly taken aback. The Southern Emperor smiled and explained, "I died once, which freed me from my ties to the ancestral land of the Dao Flame. This ancestral land was seized by Heavenly Venerable Fire, then by Heavenly Venerable Yue, and now it's in your hands, even refined by Heavenly Artisans. It has long been irrelevant to me. I finally got rid of my ancient god identity; how could I cling to an old home?"

She had always had a generous and straightforward personality, and her resurrection had made her even more open-minded than before.

Qin Mu laughed heartily, "Sister, you are indeed carefree. Since you've discarded even the ancestral land of the Dao Flame like old shoes, why do you still insist on retrieving your divine soul?"

The Southern Emperor Vermillion Bird's expression darkened. She said softly, "Bai Yuqiong says she isn't me, but she still is me. Brother Mu, although you are the Grandmaster of Eternal Nirvana and can revive souls, your understanding of the connection between my two earthly and heavenly souls and my divine soul is still superficial. After my resurrection, I could clearly sense another me, sense Bai Yuqiong. And she, too, can sense me. I have a premonition that we will eventually become one again."

She smiled, "Brother Mu, as the Southern Emperor Vermillion Bird, I have only lived one life; this is my second. As Bai Yuqiong, she is two lives away from two hundred lives. When we become one again, I will be both the Southern Emperor and Bai Yuqiong. Only then, when we recall the tribulations of these two hundred lives, with our Dao hearts perfected, we will probably smile knowingly."

Qin Mu pondered, then didn't press her. He said to Yan'er, "Take good care of your mother. And feed her less; she's already gained weight."

The Southern Emperor feigned anger and made as if to hit him. Qin Mu laughed heartily and dodged.

He bid farewell to the Southern Emperor and Empress Tianyin, then left the Tianyin World with the ancestral land of the Dao Flame, along with the Blind, Granny Si, and Prince Youming, returning to the Ancestral Court.

Meanwhile, the Mute was still in the ancestral land of the Dao Flame, standing there, engrossed in comprehension.

Heavenly Artisans unlock creation, and the Grand Dao begins to form. Perhaps forging this sword for Qin Mu would allow the Mute to enter a completely new Dao realm in the path of forging, elevating this post-natal Grand Dao of forging to an unprecedented height.

"Mu'er, aren't you returning to Sacred Mountain?"

Outside the Hundred Thousand Sacred Mountains of the Ancestral Court, Qin Mu handed the ancestral land of the Dao Flame to Granny Si, who frowned, guessing his intentions, and asked, "Are you planning to go to Jade Capital City?"

Qin Mu nodded and said, "Tai Yi is trapped in Jade Capital City and told me to follow a map to rescue him, but I've never understood what he meant by 'follow a map.' I need to personally go to the Ancestral Court to investigate. Also, I want to see Jade Capital City with my own eyes and understand its relationship with the Jade Capital realm. Until I see it for myself, I can't feel at ease."

He paused and explained to them, "I have already cultivated to the Nine Prisons Platform realm. To advance further, I must step into the Jade Capital trap! Otherwise, I will never be able to catch up to the Ten Heavenly Venerables in terms of magic power. Even if I cultivate to the thirty-sixth heaven of the Dao Realm, my magic power won't surpass theirs. I must go to Jade Capital City."

Granny Si expressed faint worry, "You're leaving the ancestral land of the Dao Flame on Sacred Mountain. What if Heavenly Venerable Fire comes out of Jade Capital City and tries to take it?"

Qin Mu smiled faintly and said softly, "Don't worry, Granny. If I encounter him in Jade Capital City, I will make him realize that the ancestral land of the Dao Flame no longer belongs to him, and the Great Black Mountain of the Ancestral Court is also a forbidden place he cannot set foot in."

His words exuded immense confidence, as if he had returned to his former self.

"In that case, you should at least take Tai Yi's staff with you, right?"

Granny Si pushed Tai Yi's staff into his hand and said, "Although you have the Calamity Sword, Tai Yi's staff is still a Dao weapon of a Dao practitioner. There's no harm in taking it with you."

Qin Mu considered it, then took the staff. He waved his hand, watching Granny Si and the others walk into Sacred Mountain towards the World Tree, and silently thought, "Granny, I won't let what happened to Lame Grandpa happen to any of you again. I've grown up. You protected me before; now it's my turn to protect you."

He unfurled his cloak, turned, and left.

"Junior brother!"

Wei Suifeng quickly chased after him, holding up a large cauldron, and called out loudly, "Junior brother, wait for me!"

Qin Mu stopped and frowned, "Senior brother, I can't take you. Jade Capital City is too dangerous, and I can't be distracted protecting you..."

"Pah, pah!"

Wei Suifeng, exasperated, retorted angrily, "I, the dignified Emperor Yun Luo, who has dominated for millions of years, still need your protection? I meant that I've been to Jade Capital City and traversed sixteen chaotic rivers with Tai Yi, and I left behind a map. If you go there, using my map can save you a lot of trouble."

Qin Mu thanked him.

Wei Suifeng set down the large cauldron. Star sand flew up from within it, combining in the air to form a geographical map of Jade Capital City.

However, this map only marked the places Wei Suifeng and Shu Jun had traversed; areas they hadn't visited remained blank.

Qin Mu observed it carefully, committing it to memory.

At this moment, the star sand suddenly shifted, revealing another geographical map. This map was completely different from the previous one, featuring thousands of intricate paths and routes, incredibly complex.

Qin Mu was surprised and examined this new map closely; he had never seen the geography depicted on it before!

He looked at Wei Suifeng, who was also bewildered and murmured, "This isn't a map drawn by my divine ability... Right! Tai Yi once said that he saw the map I left outside the city, which is how he knew my and Shu Jun's location and was able to find us! Could it be that Tai Yi, knowing he might not return, tampered with my cauldron and used it to record his footsteps?"

"That's possible."

Qin Mu committed it to memory and said, "Dao brother Tai Yi said to follow a map to rescue him, so this map must be related to him. Is this a geographical map of Jade Capital City?"

He compared it with Wei Suifeng's map, but the two maps bore no resemblance. Clearly, the map left by Tai Yi was not of Jade Capital City.

Wei Suifeng then took out two mirrors and said, "Shu Jun and I went to the deepest part of Jade Capital City, the Miro Palace. We made a rubbing of a Dao紋 mark from the Miro Palace master on the palace wall. Take a look at it on your journey; it might give you some insight into him."

Qin Mu took the two mirrors, glanced at them briefly, and his expression immediately changed drastically.

Wei Suifeng hesitated, then finally made up his mind, turned, and left, shaking his head, "Although I really want to go back into Jade Capital City with you, on second thought, I might truly become a burden to you. That accursed place is simply too dangerous..."

Qin Mu called out loudly, "Senior brother, cultivate diligently!"

"I know!" Wei Suifeng waved his hand dismissively.

Qin Mu laughed heartily, activated his Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique, focusing on the Boundless Heavenly Palace, and leaped across vast distances, heading towards Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court.

A day later, he finally arrived at Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court, stopping outside the city to look inside.

The entire ancient divine city was now fully revealed, majestic, magnificent, ancient, and dilapidated. This divine city gave a feeling of being both real and unreal, as if it stood deep within ancient time and space, not truly within this universe.

Yet, it also seemed to have descended into this universe, exuding an aura that suppressed all grand paths in heaven and earth.

The heavy aura of death pervading its surroundings and within the city gave Qin Mu an extremely uncomfortable feeling, as if the city was still enveloped in the great catastrophe of cosmic destruction, unable to escape.

It seemed that simply entering the city would entangle one in the great catastrophe of destruction, making it incredibly perilous.

Qin Mu composed himself, holding the scabbard of the Calamity Sword in his left hand, and stepped into the city.