Chapter 1537: Trial Failure

Qin Mu stood at the bow, his eyes exceptionally bright. He wasn't blind; he had noticed Empress Dowager long ago.

However, his plan was to take advantage of Empress Dowager's recent rebirth from her cocoon, before she had fully mastered her powers, to launch a sneak attack and crush her beneath the boat.

If Empress Dowager cultivated to the Celestial Court realm and mastered its power, she would reach a peak of power that even Emperor Haotian and Emperor Xiaotian had never achieved.

By fully mastering the Great Dao of the Ruins, she would possess both the power of creation and destruction, making her immortal and indestructible.

Furthermore, she could combine her strengths with those of Madam Yuanmu, mastering the techniques and divine abilities of figures like Emperor Haotian, Emperor Xiaotian, and Emperor Hongtian, thereby achieving enlightenment through sheer power.

If she were to forcefully imprint her power onto the ultimate void, she would have no rivals.

Qin Mu didn't believe the Primordial Gods of Taiji could control the ambitious Empress Dowager; it would be a blessing from heaven if the two ancient gods weren't killed and devoured by her.

The Golden Ship of Salvation suddenly swayed, then slowly began to rise.

Qin Mu was startled. The Golden Ship of Salvation had crushed all sorts of strange beings in Jade Capital City, even flattening dense forests of Dao trees. Yet, Empress Dowager, while pinned under the ship, had managed to lift it!

"Enlightenment through power is truly extraordinary! If you can also imprint it onto the ultimate void, then you will truly be invincible!"

Qin Mu activated his magic power to propel the golden ship, making it incredibly heavy. However, underneath the ship, Empress Dowager still supported it with both hands, slowly standing up!

Palaces rose, guarding her Celestial Court. Her Celestial Court realm was not yet truly perfect; she had fifty palaces, but not the seventy-two needed for a complete Celestial Court.

But even so, her magic power was immense!

Qin Mu's eyes flickered, and the Calamity Sword flew from his hand, stabbing towards Empress Dowager beneath the boat.

All of Empress Dowager's power was focused on lifting the Golden Ship of Salvation. She only noticed the Calamity Sword when it reached the back of her head, feeling a chill: "Am I to be ambushed and killed by this rogue Heavenly Venerate Mu right after achieving enlightenment?"

Just then, she suddenly felt two arms sprout from her armpits, and her Celestial Palace and palaces seemed to be invaded by another consciousness. That consciousness mobilized her power to meet Qin Mu's Calamity Sword!

"Who's behind me?" Empress Dowager screamed in horror.

"It's me, sister!" Madam Yuanmu's cheerful voice came from the back of her head.

Qin Mu immediately felt the power of the Calamity Sword being swallowed by something. Startled, he quickly flew up from the ship, and saw Empress Dowager, disheveled, flying out from beneath the hull.

The Golden Ship of Salvation crashed down onto the ground.

Empress Dowager's face was panicked as she frantically attacked the back of her own head, completely ignoring Qin Mu. She shrieked, "Bitch, you're still alive? Impossible! I clearly devoured and refined you!"

And on the back of her head, a face had grown—it was Madam Yuanmu!

"Sister, you are me, and I am you. How could you refine yourself?"

This woman had one body, two faces, and four arms. Each face frantically activated divine abilities to attack the other, their powers astonishing.

Before Qin Mu could even approach, he was sent flying by the residual power of the two women's divine abilities!

However, Empress Dowager and Madam Yuanmu paid him no mind, instead attacking each other like mad, desperately trying to kill one another!

Qin Mu stabilized himself, recalled the Calamity Sword, and launched "Shatter Calamity" at the strange woman.

His swordplay was exquisitely unparalleled. Streaks of sword light tore through the two women's divine abilities, instantly creating over a dozen wounds on Empress Dowager's body.

"You scoundrel!"

Empress Dowager was furious and tried to dodge Qin Mu's Calamity Sword, but suddenly felt her body was not responding properly; one of her legs had lost all sensation and was being controlled by Madam Yuanmu!

She was dodging Qin Mu's sword light, while Madam Yuanmu was controlling her body to actively meet the sword light.

"Heavenly Venerate Mu, help me kill her!"

Empress Dowager suddenly turned her face, revealing Madam Yuanmu's face, and excitedly shouted to Qin Mu: "Kill her, and I'll help you become the Heavenly Emperor!"

Empress Dowager suddenly spun around and shrieked, "You harlot, you're colluding with outsiders!"

Her face suddenly twisted, her features rapidly changing. Suddenly, the red mole on her forehead turned jet black.

Madam Yuanmu gained control of the front face, giggling, "Sister, I'm the one you hate most, yet now you have to be in the same body as me!"

Empress Dowager's face moved to the back of her head, letting out a scream: "Primordial Gods of Taiji, what have you done to me?"

She raised her hand and heavily struck her other face, instantly making it bloody and disfigured.

Madam Yuanmu cried out in pain and became enraged. Leaning back, Empress Dowager's face immediately met the tip of Qin Mu's sword.

Empress Dowager screamed, then with a sweep of her hand, space ripped open, revealing a vast Abyss of the Ruins. She flashed and fell into the abyss.

The two women fought fiercely in the abyss. Suddenly, the abyss vanished, only to reappear dozens of miles away, spitting them out. Qin Mu immediately took to the air, landing on the Golden Ship of Salvation, and pursued them.

However, the two women in that one body suddenly attacked simultaneously, tearing off each other's faces!

Qin Mu was horrified, stopping the golden ship and not giving chase.

An Abyss of the Ruins appeared, swallowing the bloody head, leaving Empress Dowager's headless body.

"You wretched one, you're finally dead!"

Empress Dowager's laughter came from the headless body. Before it faded, suddenly a face grew from the palm of one hand—it was Madam Yuanmu—and another face grew from the palm of another hand—it was Empress Dowager.

The two women continued to fight, turning the headless body into a bloody mess.

Qin Mu's hair stood on end. He watched as the headless body suddenly rolled into the abyss. The abyss closed, then suddenly reappeared in the distance.

Empress Dowager staggered out of the abyss, having grown two heads squeezed onto one neck, one on the left, one on the right, and they were once again trying to kill each other.

They disappeared again, only to reappear. Empress Dowager and Madam Yuanmu had become a monstrous creature crawling on the ground, without legs, each with their own upper body, using their hands as feet to scurry across the ground, still fighting to kill each other!

Qin Mu's eyes widened. He watched as Empress Dowager fell into the abyss again. When they reappeared next, their bodies had undergone another strange transformation.

They had become a three-legged, one-bodied monster, with only one upper body, stumbling and fighting.

Qin Mu propelled the Golden Ship of Salvation forward, only to see that the woman's two faces had merged into one. This single face had four eyes—one pair above, one below—and also a nose beneath a nose, and a mouth beneath a mouth.

From both mouths, various venomous words burst forth, attacking and cursing each other.

Qin Mu pursued them, but saw that Empress Dowager and Madam Yuanmu could neither separate nor kill each other. They continued to tear at each other, constantly changing, becoming more and more bizarre.

"Crush them with the golden ship, end their suffering!"

Qin Mu propelled the golden ship, which accelerated towards the two women. Just as it was about to hit them, the two women suddenly stopped fighting and simultaneously raised their hands to brace against the Golden Ship of Salvation.

Crack!

All four of their arms snapped, and the golden ship struck their chests, breaking their bones and tearing their muscles, sending them flying backward.

Qin Mu swung his sword down, about to take their lives, when suddenly, the strange body began to grow wildly, sprouting four arms. Empress Dowager and Madam Yuanmu launched a combined attack!

Qin Mu grunted, flying backward, sword and all, crashing into the golden ship's superstructure, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

The two women began fighting fiercely again, fleeing as they went. They quickly escaped Jade Capital City and vanished, leaving only their curses fading into the distance.

Qin Mu slid down from the superstructure, struggled to his feet, coughed violently a few times, and was horrified.

If Empress Dowager and Madam Yuanmu had truly teamed up, they would have been formidable cultivators. But these two women were only focused on fighting each other, intent on destroying the other to control the body themselves!

"Empress Dowager and Madam Yuanmu, how did they end up like this?" He felt bewildered.

Just then, he saw the two Primordial Gods of Taiji supporting each other, furtively heading out of the city.

The Golden Ship of Salvation rumbled to a halt in front of them. The Solar Ancient God and Lunar Goddess hurriedly looked up and saw Qin Mu at the bow. Both ancient gods squeezed out smiles on their aged faces.

"Heavenly Venerate Mu..."

Just as Qin Mu was about to grab the two ancient gods onto the ship, a golden light flashed from the golden ship, pulling the two elderly ancient gods aboard.

The two ancient gods couldn't resist, and the next moment, they landed on the golden ship.

Qin Mu was surprised: "Does this ship understand my intentions so well?"

"Heavenly Venerate Mu, we have never opposed you. Please spare us," the Solar Ancient God said hurriedly.

Qin Mu softened his expression and said, "I have always respected your favors. But what exactly happened with Empress Dowager and Madam Yuanmu?"

The two ancient gods exchanged glances, then both sighed, saying, "We forcibly fused them using the Way of Taiji, but we didn't expect that both Yuanmu's and Empress Dowager's minds and consciousnesses would still remain, merging into one..."

"Can they still be separated?" Qin Mu asked.

"We fused their physical bodies, and their primordial spirits too. Their souls have now become one, and their minds and consciousnesses are completely merged."

The Lunar Goddess hesitated, then transformed a wisp of vital qi into a twin lotus flower and placed it in Qin Mu's hand, saying, "Heavenly Venerate Mu, can you turn this twin lotus into two separate lotus flowers? They cannot be separated."

Qin Mu stared at the twin lotus flower, his expression growing stranger: "You mean that inside Empress Dowager, there is actually one person now, not two?"

The two ancient gods nodded.

"The reason she's in this state is because you merged Madam Yuanmu's consciousness with Empress Dowager's consciousness."

Qin Mu continued, "Her mind simultaneously contains Empress Dowager's thoughts and Madam Yuanmu's thoughts, but she herself doesn't know this. She thinks she is Empress Dowager."

The Solar Ancient God added, "Or rather, she thinks she is Madam Yuanmu."

"So, that means..."

Qin Mu hesitated, then tentatively asked, "Empress Dowager is insane?"

The two ancient gods exchanged glances, their aged faces filled with sorrow. They both nodded: "She's insane. Our experiment failed..."

Qin Mu was stunned. The Primordial Gods of Taiji created an insane enlightened one?