Chapter 1515: Stirring Up Trouble on the Chaos River

In the second Chaos River, everyone employed their own methods. The Celestial Venerables all possessed Dao Trees, which they used to cross. However, Consort Qiang lacked a Dao Tree. Fortunately, Qin Mu kindly invited her to join him on his small boat, and it didn't feel crowded with the two of them.

This Chaos River also presented various strange phenomena. Qin Mu allowed Consort Qiang to handle the dry bones and souls of prehistoric Dao Achievers that emerged from the river, while he enjoyed a leisurely time. He looked around and noticed that Celestial Venerable Hao and Celestial Venerable Xiao were also not taking action, instead letting other Celestial Venerables fend off the strange phenomena.

The eyes of these Celestial Venerables remained fixed on the small boat beneath Qin Mu's feet. This boat was a transformation of Grand Prime's staff, and Celestial Venerable Xiao, Grand Ultimate Ancient God, and Grand Emperor all held its owner in high esteem, which naturally aroused their curiosity. Qin Mu raised an eyebrow and thought to himself, "Grand Prime has fallen into the Fourth Prehistoric Universe, leaving Great Black Mountain without a powerful backer. I absolutely cannot let them know about this, or I'll face immense trouble. Hmm, it's probably better if they believe I have significant backing..."

"Celestial Venerable Mu, is this sword of yours a treasure of a Dao Achiever?" Consort Qiang said suddenly, after blocking a dried bone of a Dao Achiever and knocking it back into the river. "It seems you've gained a lot in Jade Capital City; your luck is truly excellent! Since a Celestial Venerable has obtained a Dao weapon from a Dao Achiever, why not display it for us to admire?"

Qin Mu's gaze fell upon her, while Consort Qiang's gaze was fixed on the Calamity Sword. Qin Mu understood. He quietly covered the sword hilt and laughed heartily, "What Dao weapon of a Dao Achiever? This sword of mine was personally forged by me. It's a crude item, hardly suitable for a grand display, so it's better not to bring it out and embarrass myself."

The gazes of Celestial Venerable Hao, Celestial Venerable Xiao, and the others flickered as they all landed on the Calamity Sword in Qin Mu's hand. From the outside, the sword didn't reveal any mysteries, but its scabbard compelled them to pay closer attention. This was because the scabbard was made of ordinary wood, unlike the scabbards of other treasure swords, which were usually lavishly crafted. Using wood for a scabbard seemed more like an attempt at concealment!

Consort Qiang sneered, "Even if you possess a small boat capable of crossing, you lack the power to handle the river's strange phenomena. Without this Dao weapon from a Dao Achiever, you would have long since perished in the river! Celestial Venerable Mu truly lives up to his title as the Heavenly Alliance Leader; none of us found a Dao weapon, yet only you managed to obtain one."

"This sword of mine is truly not a Dao weapon!" Qin Mu stated emphatically. "If I'm lying, may I be struck by five bolts of thunder!" As he spoke, his eyes subtly glanced upward, towards the chaotic sky. Consort Qiang said nothing further. God Emperor Lang Xuan sighed, "Celestial Venerable Mu's luck in obtaining a Dao weapon is truly excellent and enviable."

"Using a wooden scabbard for concealment, Celestial Venerable Mu is being a bit too obvious," Shi Qiluo said with a smile. "It's counterproductive. Are you afraid we'd try to snatch it from you?"

Qin Mu laughed heartily, yet his expression darkened, though he felt quite pleased internally. "Grand Emperor is truly honorable; even after suffering at my hands, he's still helping me scheme against other Celestial Venerables! In the future, I must ensure he dies quickly and as painlessly as possible."

The small boat approached the Dao Tree beneath Celestial Venerable Hao's feet. In the Chaos River beneath that Dao Tree, a skeleton made of Dao bones slowly rose from the water, embracing the tree and attempting to drag it into the river. Suddenly, a streak of fire shot into the river; it was Celestial Venerable Huo taking action, helping Celestial Venerable Hao by striking down the Dao bone skeleton.

Qin Mu smiled, "Celestial Venerable Huo is truly a thoughtful and good man." Celestial Venerable Huo snorted coldly and did not reply, knowing that if he engaged, Qin Mu would inevitably find ways to humiliate him.

Qin Mu then looked behind Celestial Venerable Hao. Grand Primordium Goddess sensed his gaze and appeared slightly uncomfortable. Qin Mu smiled, "Brother Hao's Dao Questioning divine ability is superb, even catching me off guard. Your cultivation in the Dao Realm is no longer weaker than mine."

Celestial Venerable Hao's gaze, cold, settled on Qin Mu's face. Suppressing the ripples in his Dao heart, he asked, "What does the Alliance Leader wish to say?" Qin Mu, however, smiled at Grand Primordium Goddess and asked, "Empress, do you sense anyone else behind Brother Hao?"

Grand Primordium Goddess was slightly startled and tried to sense his thoughts through his gaze. However, Qin Mu's intentions were too complex, making it impossible for her to discern his true thoughts. "How many layers has Brother Hao's Dao Realm cultivated to?" Qin Mu suddenly changed the subject. "Look at the God-Slaying Platform; how many layers does it have? Is it thirty? Grand Emperor trapped your primordial spirit within his divine ability, the Primordial Spirit Grand Overarching Heaven. I assume you've already escaped, haven't you? You're twenty years earlier than I predicted. Calling you a peerless genius is no exaggeration."

Grand Primordium Goddess felt a chill in her heart and carefully pondered the meaning of Qin Mu's words. Celestial Venerable Hao's recovery speed indeed exceeded her expectations, as did the speed at which his primordial spirit escaped Grand Emperor's Primordial Spirit Grand Overarching Heaven divine ability. She had originally predicted that, with her assistance, Celestial Venerable Hao would need fifty years to heal his Dao injuries, break through the Primordial Spirit Grand Overarching Heaven divine ability, and retrieve his primordial spirit. However, although Celestial Venerable Hao's Heavenly Palace was still dilapidated, with many palaces requiring her "Responsive to All Prayers" divine ability to be reshaped, his primordial spirit had already escaped from the Primordial Spirit Grand Overarching Heaven! What was even more terrifying was that Celestial Venerable Hao's cultivation was not weaker than before his injury, perhaps even stronger! This power stemmed from his advancement in the Dao Realm!

After Qin Mu's reminder, Grand Primordium realized she had previously underestimated Celestial Venerable Hao. "So, does the Dao Achiever behind Celestial Venerable Hao, as Celestial Venerable Mu claimed, truly exist?" Grand Primordium Goddess recalled Celestial Venerable Hao's Dao Questioning divine ability, which used Dao language to challenge Dao hearts and required extraordinary mastery in Dao language. Was this divine ability something Celestial Venerable Hao comprehended on his own, or was it imparted to him by someone? However, Grand Primordium had always been hidden behind Celestial Venerable Hao and had never seen any Dao Achievers meet or communicate with him. Clearly, the first possibility was more likely! "Then, his Dao language has only one source!" Grand Primordium felt a chilling sensation. "That is, it must have been comprehended from me! With such heaven-defying talent and comprehension, can I truly keep him under control?"

Qin Mu was still watching her and suddenly smiled faintly. Grand Primordium could sense his thoughts from his gaze, but as someone proficient in the Dao of Grand Primordium, he could also observe her thoughts in return. Now that Grand Primordium was suspicious, his goal had been achieved. He could also discern much from her reaction, thinking to himself, "It seems Grand Primordium believes there isn't a Dao Achiever from a prehistoric universe behind Celestial Venerable Hao. So, Celestial Venerable Hao's Dao language divine ability and his mastery in the Dao Realm were all comprehended by him during his injury. The Celestial Venerables who established the various realms that influenced later generations in the early Dragon Han era—none of them can be underestimated!"

Celestial Venerable Hao's gaze, cold, settled on Qin Mu's face. The small boat beneath Qin Mu's feet suddenly accelerated, moving ahead of him. "Grand Primordium, some people are beyond your control." Qin Mu's voice drifted back from ahead, calmly stating, "In the early Dragon Han era, Emperor Kai observed Celestial Venerable Hao for a long time and remarked, 'I will contend with this person for the world, to determine who is superior.' Do you truly believe you can control Emperor Kai? If you cannot control Emperor Kai, do you still hope to control Celestial Venerable Hao, who is on par with him? You are too naive!"

Behind Celestial Venerable Hao, the Grand Primordium qi fluctuated for a moment before settling. Celestial Venerable Hao said faintly, "Auntie, do you believe his words? Have you forgotten, Auntie? My life is in your hands, and everything I have now was given by you. Without you, my Heavenly Palace would collapse, my Dao injuries would relapse, and not only would my status be lost, but my very life would be in peril! Auntie, based on his mere words, do you doubt my loyalty to you?"

"Hao'er, turn and look at me!" Grand Primordium said suddenly. Celestial Venerable Hao turned his head, his gaze falling upon the mass of Grand Primordium qi, revealing a look of infatuation. Grand Primordium immediately sensed that he was seeing Matriarch Yuan Mu, and her heart slightly relaxed.

Just then, Celestial Venerable Xiao propelled his Dao Tree past them. Standing on his Dao Tree, Celestial Venerable Xiao calmly remarked, "My son truly possesses extraordinary means. Not only did he kill his old father, but he can also manipulate his auntie as well! Sister Su, take care of yourself."

The murderous intent in Celestial Venerable Hao's eyes was hard to conceal as his gaze fell upon the backs of Celestial Venerable Xiao and Qin Mu. Celestial Venerable Xiao seemed unconcerned. He caught up with Qin Mu's small boat, moving alongside him. Qin Mu glanced at him, offering Celestial Venerable Xiao a benevolent smile. Upon seeing his smile, Celestial Venerable Xiao involuntarily recalled how Qin Mu had shot down two of his reincarnated bodies, and how he had been jointly exiled by Qin Mu, Heavenly Venerable Yue, Heavenly Venerable You, and others. A surge of karmic fire rose within him, which he immediately suppressed.

"The Emperor of Heaven's eggshells—both fell into Celestial Venerable Mu's hands, didn't they?" Celestial Venerable Xiao inquired. "And weren't you also the one who robbed the Heavenly Court treasury twice? After this latest heist, you brought the Hall of Fragrant Robes here, using the Dao Tree Dao Fruits to break its seal and rescue Heavenly Venerable Yu's soul. Then, you used the Hall of Fragrant Robes to lure us here, attempting to have the dangers of this place wipe us all out."

Qin Mu feigned fear and trepidation, "Why would Your Majesty say such a thing?" Celestial Venerable Xiao snorted, "You stole the Emperor of Heaven's eggshells to deal with Grand Emperor, who is trapped in the Immutable divine ability, didn't you?"

Consort Qiang's heart tightened, and her gaze fell on Qin Mu's back. Celestial Venerable Xiao's words did not hide anything from her; it was as if she weren't there. However, these words also enlightened her: if both Grand Beginning eggshells were in Qin Mu's hands, then his objective was clear!

Qin Mu laughed heartily and said loudly, "That's right! My purpose in stealing the two Grand Beginning eggshells is to return the Emperor of Heaven Grand Beginning's physical body to the eggshells and rescue Heavenly Venerable Ling! As for whose primordial spirit resides in Grand Beginning's physical body, that has absolutely nothing to do with me. Whoever it may be..." He glanced at Consort Qiang, his words imbued with murderous intent and a warning, "...as long as they try to stop me from rescuing Heavenly Venerable Ling, I won't hesitate to seal them inside the Grand Beginning eggshells as well! If that person is sensible, they will proactively leave when I am rescuing Heavenly Venerable Ling and not resist me."

Despite his words, Qin Mu's heart was twitching. The Grand Beginning eggshells no longer existed; when he revived the World Tree, it had crushed both eggshells and devoured them as energy! "It seems I'll need to fabricate two fake eggshells to intimidate Grand Emperor," he thought to himself. "If Grand Emperor's primordial spirit gets a fright from me, perhaps he won't dare to confront me head-on. Otherwise, rescuing Heavenly Venerable Ling might turn into a bloody battle... Grand Emperor's primordial spirit combined with Grand Beginning's physical body is an unsolvable situation! If I can scare Grand Emperor's primordial spirit away and win without a fight, that would naturally be best. However, the biggest variable isn't Consort Qiang, but Celestial Venerable Xiao. Celestial Venerable Xiao will reclaim Grand Beginning's physical body no matter what!"

Consort Qiang made no comment, and Celestial Venerable Xiao also stopped speaking. Qin Mu felt uneasy, unsure of what these two were thinking.

On the river, the eleven Celestial Venerables each harbored their own ulterior motives. Just then, dense chaotic qi surged, engulfing them. Everyone on the river immediately lost sight of each other.

"Ah—" Qin Mu let out a terrible, piercing scream, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling into the water. The Celestial Venerables were startled. "Was Celestial Venerable Mu killed by Consort Qiang and thrown into the Chaos River?" they wondered.

On the small boat, Consort Qiang coldly watched Qin Mu smash a lump of divine metal into the river. She sneered, "Celestial Venerable Mu is indeed a master of trickery and deceit. But your scream was a bit too tragic, a little overdone. If I were to kill you, it would be quick; I wouldn't let you scream for so long before dying."

Qin Mu glanced at her and smiled, "This surge of chaotic qi came at just the right time. We are being held captive by them; even if we force our way through, they'll still kill us at our destination. It's better to use this opportunity to fake our deaths and escape."

Consort Qiang snorted faintly, "If you fake your death, you won't be able to fool Heavenly Venerable Gong's divine sense. She is my woman, and her divine sense is incredibly powerful..."

"She is also Grand Beginning's woman," Qin Mu kindly reminded her, "and now, she is Celestial Venerable Hao's woman." Consort Qiang gritted her teeth, wishing she could chop him into minced meat immediately.