Chapter 1539: The Path to Enlightenment

Granny Si, the Mute, and others stood on the ship, looking at each other. On board, thousands of ancient beasts were also staring at one another.

"Where did Mu'er get this strange ship?"

Everyone looked around, only then realizing this golden ship was far vaster than it appeared from outside. Looking at it from outside was entirely different from standing on it; it was like two separate worlds.

The ship was adorned with numerous golden palaces, on which strange runes were etched, constantly shifting and flowing.

The ancient beasts only dared to stand on the deck, not venturing elsewhere. But the humans were much bolder, looking around for a way to leave the ship.

"What's inside these golden palaces?"

The Blind Man carefully examined the impossibly large entrance to one of the golden palaces. He said, "This door isn't locked. Let me try to open it."

A moment later, the palace door opened, and a wave of qi surged out from within.

Everyone covered their mouths and noses. After the qi dispersed, they cautiously stepped inside the hall.

What met their eyes was a vast and magnificent world, a realm of heavens. This world had suns, moons, and stars, and countless cities. In these cities, countless skeletal figures bustled about.

Billions of skeletal figures walked through the cities. In the cities, there were women nursing their babies, merchants conducting business, skeletal figures haggling with shopkeepers, and many others toiling in open fields outside the cities.

Everyone stared at this scene in a daze.

"What are these skeletons?"

Hua Xuanxiu had just uttered a sentence when suddenly the entire realm of heavens collapsed. Countless skeletons instantly transformed into chaotic qi, their bodies disintegrating, cities crumbling, and suns, moons, and stars collapsing inward!

A tremor echoed through the golden palace, and only a swirling expanse of chaotic qi remained inside.

Everyone stared at this scene in a daze, speechless for a long time.

Just then, a figure emerged from unknown origins, walking through the vast chaotic qi which reached above his knees.

It was a phantom, like a historical afterglow that had imprinted his image there.

He walked through the destroyed world, looking around in confusion. No trace of his loved ones, old friends, or the beings he had protected could be found anywhere.

He opened his mouth, howling and calling in the chaos like a wounded old wolf, but no one answered him.

Granny Si, the Blind Man, and others watched the figure, an inexplicable sorrow arising in their hearts, and they couldn't help but shed tears.

The figure performed an art in the chaos, displaying extraordinary divine abilities. It was as if he was recreating the cosmos, opening up the heavens and earth anew, or tracing back time to resurrect lost lives.

His divine abilities filled everyone with awe, demonstrating the utmost subtlety and profundity. The chaotic qi gradually began to transform, and slowly, stars emerged, the sun rose, and the moon began to set.

Cities rose from the ground, and skeletal figures stood up from the chaos.

What kind of profound divine ability was this?

It showed them the boundless profundities of the Great Dao, divine abilities that could bring the dead back to life, and the wisdom accumulated by a civilization at its ultimate cosmic form.

However, all of it collapsed once more, utterly destroyed.

After a long time, the Blind Man and the others exited the grand hall, closing its entrance behind them.

"Who was that person?"

Granny Si murmured, "When he cried out, it felt like my heart was being torn apart. It was as if... as if..."

"Like Mu'er during the Eternal Peace Calamity, lonely and helpless."

The Blind Man said calmly, "When the Cripple carried Mu'er out of the Eternal Peace Calamity, he told me about it. The Cripple was always the fastest to rescue Mu'er; he was the one who saved him every time..."

A heavy feeling settled in everyone's hearts.

During the Eternal Peace Calamity, all the pressure fell upon Qin Mu alone. No matter how he struggled or resisted, when he found he couldn't save Eternal Peace, he must have been as pained, lonely, and helpless as that phantom in the chaos.

They left this golden palace and walked towards the next one.

At the edge of the Hundred Thousand Sacred Mountains, Qin Mu found Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian, who were repairing the cracked Black Mountain.

Qin Mu told them about his experiences in the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City, discussing the Seventy-Two Treasure Halls and the traps of the Numinous Sky and Purple Sky realms.

He didn't want to distract them, so he didn't say much about Grand Beginning.

The two listened intently.

Xu Shenghua thought for a moment and said, "The Seventy-Two Treasure Halls have been divided among the Seven Celestial Venerables. This means the Seven Celestial Venerables now control the greatest resources. They monopolize many halls, preventing anyone else from achieving Dao through the Celestial Palace system."

Lan Yutian shook his head and said, "Not long ago, Jiang Baigui and Emperor Yanfeng visited here. Jiang Baigui showed me his Seventy-Two Treasure Halls and Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces, which deeply impressed me. Even without relying on the Jade Capital City's Seventy-Two Treasure Halls, one can still achieve Dao. The Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City is not the only path."

"Currently, there are four paths to achieving Dao," Xu Shenghua continued. "One is Jiang Baigui's path, achieving Dao through Post-celestial. Another is your path, Lan Yutian, and Cult Master Qin's path, achieving Dao through the Five Grand Divinities. A third is Celestial Venerable Qin Kaihuang's path of Dao Realm, achieving Dao through the Dao Realm. And the fourth is the traditional Celestial Palace path, achieving Dao through power, borrowing strength from the Jade Capital City."

Xu Shenghua pondered, "Among these paths, the simplest is achieving Dao through power, leveraging the Jade Capital City. The deepest in cultivation is achieving Dao through the Dao Realm. The most difficult is achieving Dao through Post-celestial. The most profound and extensive is achieving Dao through the Five Grand Divinities. While repairing Black Mountain these past few years, I've been contemplating my own path to Dao, and I've gained some insights. I want to take a path different from yours, a fifth path."

Qin Mu inquired, "What insights have you gained, Brother Xu?"

Xu Shenghua said, "I want to pursue a path of achieving Dao through the Primeval Spirit. I've been thinking that the World Tree is like the Primeval Spirit of this universe, and the universe is equivalent to the World Tree's body. Perhaps only by achieving Dao through the Primeval Spirit can one become immortal. I just haven't fully figured it out yet."

Qin Mu's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "Brother Xu certainly has a good idea; it might just work."

"But now I don't want to take this path anymore."

Xu Shenghua said solemnly, "Celestial Venerable Hao and Celestial Venerable Xiao have colluded with prehistoric Dao achievers. After they achieve Dao through power, you will certainly face immense pressure. If I also pursue the path of achieving Dao through power, I can gain immense strength quickly, and then I can contribute during the decisive battle against Celestial Venerable Hao and Celestial Venerable Xiao..."

"What pressure do I have?"

Qin Mu burst out laughing. "Now the Ten Celestial Venerables have become seven. In the future battle between Celestial Venerable Hao and Celestial Venerable Xiao, several more Celestial Venerables will die! As long as I rescue Celestial Venerable Ling, we will surely win this battle! Don't worry about me. You focus on your path. When you achieve Dao in the future, I'll still have to impose on you once!"

Xu Shenghua couldn't help but smile. "Cult Master Qin, no matter how many worries one has, they vanish when with you."

Qin Mu chuckled, "However, I will still put immense pressure on you. Lan Yutian, Xu Shenghua, didn't you say that even if the Five Grand Divinities emerge, their Great Dao will always be there? I need you to comprehend the Great Dao of the Primordial Five Grand Divinities! And furthermore!"

He took out Wei Suifeng's two Qiankun Mirrors, handed them to the two, and said, "These conceal a Primordial Vitality rune, which holds the method of the Five Grand Divinities' transformation. I need you to comprehend it."

He thought for a moment, then added, "I also need you to organize and categorize the five paths to achieving Dao. Can you do it?"

Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian immediately felt the pressure. Each task Qin Mu gave them would require their utmost effort, and they might not even succeed, let alone three tasks at once.

"We can try!" Lan Yutian said through gritted teeth.

"Good then!"

Qin Mu stood tall and said solemnly, "Jade Capital City was left behind by the Master of the Miluo Palace, hoping that beings of future universes could inherit the Dao arts, divine abilities, and research findings of the past sixteen universes. Neither Celestial Venerable Hao nor Celestial Venerable Xiao can control the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital. Based on my understanding of Celestial Venerable Hao and Celestial Venerable Xiao, after they leave Jade Capital City, they will most likely seal the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital again, preventing anyone else from ever surpassing them!"

Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua nodded. The Seven Celestial Venerables of the Heavenly Court were all like this; they would never give hope to future generations.

"Therefore, once the light from Jade Capital City disappears, we'll know that Celestial Venerable Xiao and Celestial Venerable Hao have left Jade Capital City," Qin Mu continued. "And after Celestial Venerable Xiao leaves Jade Capital City, he will most likely come here to visit Grand Beginning. Besides him, the Grand Ultimate ancient god will also accompany him."

Qin Mu felt a great headache and said, "Grand Primeval will also come. If Grand Primeval comes, Celestial Venerable Hao will certainly come too. And now Grand Beginning is nowhere to be found..."

Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua exchanged glances and cautiously asked, "Do you mean...?"

"I will impersonate Grand Beginning!"

Qin Mu gritted his teeth and said, "As long as they can't tell, then everything will be fine, and we can send them away. But if they see through me..."

Lan Yutian's eyelid twitched. He asked, "What will happen if they find out?"

"Eternal Peace will be finished, and so will we all."

Qin Mu reassured the two, "Don't worry, although the Grand Ultimate ancient god is an expert at forgery, I'm not bad either; I won't reveal any flaws."

Hearing him say this, the two couldn't help but look worried.

Impersonating Grand Beginning and deceiving Celestial Venerable Xiao, the Grand Ultimate ancient god, and the Grand Primeval goddess, who were all among the Primordial Five Grand Divinities, was simply impossible!

If Qin Mu were exposed, then the Seven Celestial Venerables would have no more reservations about Black Mountain. It was feared that just one Celestial Venerable's move could flatten the entire place!

But if Celestial Venerable Xiao and the others couldn't see through Qin Mu, then Eternal Peace and Black Mountain could temporarily remain safe.

As long as Grand Beginning remained, Celestial Venerable Xiao and the others would not dare to touch Black Mountain or Eternal Peace.

Qin Mu chuckled, "I need to prepare. You two, cultivate with all your might." With that, he departed in a hurry.

The two exchanged glances, filled with worry.

Ten days later, the dazzling light of the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City gradually dimmed. This light, which had once illuminated the Ancestral Court's sky, grew dimmer with each passing day.

Several more days passed, and the light of the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City completely vanished.

Qin Mu gazed in the direction of Jade Capital City, his heart sinking. The Seven Celestial Venerables had indeed sealed the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City, just as he had predicted.

"In six more days," Qin Mu muttered, "they will come here to visit Grand Beginning. Whether we can bluff them and protect Black Mountain and Eternal Peace hinges on this one move!"

Six days later, Celestial Venerable Xiao, the two Grand Ultimate ancient gods, Celestial Venerable Hao, Grand Primeval, and the other five Celestial Venerables arrived together at Black Mountain. They addressed Jiang Yunjian, who came out to greet them, "The Grand Beginning, Grand Primeval, and Grand Ultimate have come to visit Dao Brother Grand Beginning. We trouble you to inform him."

Jiang Yunjian glanced at the Celestial Venerables and said, "Grand Beginning already knows of your visit and asked me to wait here. Please, come in."