Chapter 1612: Dao Ancestor and Old Buddha

Qin Mu stopped, looked back, and Yu Chenzi quickly came to his side, whispering a few words in his ear.

"Really?" Qin Mu asked, surprised.

Yu Chenzi nodded gently, saying, "They're back."

Qin Mu's expression fluctuated. Suddenly, he pulled with both hands, snapping the thorny ropes, and declared, "Take me to them!"

Yu Chenzi looked at him, surprised. "Grand Tutor, what is this?" he asked.

Qin Mu retrieved his clothes and put them on. "Emperor Kai has fallen, and Youdu is in enemy hands," he said. "I was utterly despairing. If they hadn't returned, I would have already gone to the Celestial Heavens to apologize to Exalted God Haotian, bearing thorns on my back."

Yu Chenzi was greatly shocked. As the minister in charge of Yan Kang's foreign policy, he knew how devastating Emperor Kai's fall was to Yan Kang. There were only a few top powerhouses among the human race, and Emperor Kai, as the first to achieve enlightenment, wielded the strongest deterrent.

With Emperor Kai's death, the strategic deterrence he posed against Exalted God Haotian and others vanished.

Furthermore, Emperor Kai's death led to Youdu falling into enemy hands!

Losing control of Youdu meant that the lives of everyone in Yan Kang, and indeed everyone across the myriad heavens, were now in the hands of the Celestial Heavens!

To preserve the human race, Qin Mu would have had no choice but to surrender.

The news he brought, however, might be the only retreat other than surrender.

Qin Mu said to Lang Wo, "Don't go to the Celestial Heavens yet; let's make plans after I return. Yu Chenzi, let's go. We're going to see the Old Buddha and Dao Ancestor!"

Lang Wo, the Village Chief, Exalted God Ling, and others watched Qin Mu and Yu Chenzi rush back past them. They exchanged bewildered glances before quickly following him.

As Qin Mu passed the Golden Ark of Deliverance, Qin Fengqing, who was on board, hastily emerged from the shadows and loudly exclaimed, "Brother, there's a ghost on your ship!"

"We'll talk later!" Qin Mu said, hurrying into the Earthly Virtue Celestial Palace.

Inside the Academy of Enlightenment within the Earthly Virtue Celestial Palace, Qin Mu rushed in and saw a disheveled old Taoist and an old Buddha sitting in the hall, drinking tea, looking dusty from their journey.

"Dao Ancestor, Old Buddha," Qin Mu greeted them.

Dao Ancestor and Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha hastily returned the greeting. Dao Ancestor said in surprise, "Exalted God Mu. You seem much more haggard."

The others also crowded into the hall.

Qin Mu didn't bother with pleasantries. "Yu Chenzi just told me that you two went to the chaotic space and explored it, gaining significant insights. May I ask what you discovered on this journey?"

Dao Ancestor and Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha exchanged glances. Great Brahma said, "You should explain this."

Dao Ancestor nodded gently. "The Old Monk and I have a deep connection with Emperor Ming and Emperor Chi," he said. "After Emperor Ming's resurrection, we accompanied him to the Crimson Light Hanging Realm, taking the opportunity to visit Emperor Chi. Emperor Chi's brain was still intact, though he hadn't fully revived at that time."

Qin Mu nodded slightly.

In his third eye, Emperor Chi's consciousness and Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha were already well-acquainted; their friendship likely dated back to the Crimson Light Era.

Many Dharma protectors in both the Buddhist and Daoist realms had three heads and six arms, clearly having absorbed the essence of the cultivation methods from the Crimson Light Era.

"Emperor Chi told us about his experiences exploring the chaotic space," Dao Ancestor continued.

"He said he witnessed countless bizarre phenomena, the birth and destruction of myriad universes, their rise and fall, their successes and failures. At the time, he was exhausted and knew he couldn't escape, so his physical body transformed into the Crimson Light Hanging Realm. His experience piqued our curiosity, so we decided to explore this chaotic space. That exploration proved to be extraordinary."

Dao Ancestor spoke slowly and deliberately: "The incredible things we experienced in the chaotic space were truly countless. Grand universes formed, endured, decayed, and emptied before our eyes. Enlightened beings in those strange small universes forged Great Luo Heavens, yet as the universes fractured and reformed, they struggled for survival, but ultimately perished, their paths dissolving. In the depths of the space, worlds evolved, and the Dao Trees of enlightened beings withered like a desolate forest. Within that forest, the cries of Dao echoed, like ghosts."

The things he described grew even more bizarre.

They braved dangers, attempting to find the origin of the chaotic space, witnessing the rise, fall, and destruction of those universes, which was also a form of cultivation for them.

However, the dangers within were unimaginable.

When Exalted God Xiao was banished there, he barely escaped with his life, ultimately relying on the Primordial Tree to flee.

Dao Ancestor and Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha's cultivation levels were far below Exalted God Xiao's, so the dangers they faced were even greater.

"Strangely, we survived the entire journey," Dao Ancestor said. "The dangers in the chaotic space seemed to avoid us, as if some power was protecting us."

Dao Ancestor's expression was peculiar. After a moment of thought, he said, "The Old Buddha remarked that the birth and death of universes here are extremely unique, bearing a striking resemblance to his Immeasurable Calamity Scripture. However, while his scripture is a dream, the universal cycles here are real. We searched persistently, enduring countless hardships, and finally reached the end of the chaotic space."

Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha sat cross-legged, his six arms spread out, gently drawing a circle in the air. Immediately, illusory projections of worlds sprang from the circle, floating within the Academy of Enlightenment.

"There were countless fragments of Great Luo Heavens," he explained. "They were evolved by a supreme Venerable using his immense Dao cultivation, attempting to deduce a method for the primordial universe to escape the calamity of destruction."

Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha raised a finger and gently nudged the illusory world projections in the Academy of Enlightenment. "This immeasurable chaotic space is his dream transformed into reality," he said. "The fragments of Great Luo Heavens, the withered Dao Trees, the fading Dao Flowers, and Dao Fruits we saw are countless versions of himself achieving enlightenment in his dreams, only to be repeatedly destroyed in the great cataclysms of those dreams."

Qin Mu looked at the countless evolving world projections, his expression puzzled. He raised a hand and gently touched one of the bubbles.

The bubble burst, and then new ones quickly reformed.

Dao Ancestor said, "We initially thought this supreme Venerable was dead, but as we ventured deeper into the chaotic space, we discovered that new small universes were constantly being born there."

Qin Mu asked, perplexed, "What do you mean?"

"That supreme Venerable is still alive."

Dao Ancestor and Great Brahma exchanged glances. Great Brahma said, "His Daoist methods and divine abilities are extraordinary, far surpassing my Immeasurable Calamity Scripture. He has achieved the state of 'one dream returning to reality,' which is beyond my reach. Such an existence from prehistoric times fills me with longing."

"However, when we reached the origin of the chaotic space, we did not find that supreme being," Dao Ancestor added.

"We were completely isolated there, truly cut off from the world," Dao Ancestor continued. "We couldn't see Youdu, Xuandu, or Ancestral Court. Even the Crimson Light Hanging Realm, located only on the periphery of that space, makes it impossible for the Celestial Heavens to find it."

Qin Mu's eyes gradually lit up.

"If Yan Kang and Wuyou Township could migrate there, they could avoid the Celestial Heavens," he mused. "Youdu wouldn't reach them, Xuandu wouldn't descend upon them, and they wouldn't face annihilation."

Dao Ancestor said, "The Old Buddha and I charted the path there and hurried back, not expecting the battle of Youdu to have already erupted. Fortunately, Exalted God has not yet gone to the Celestial Heavens."

"Hope, this is hope!"

Qin Mu paced back and forth. This was humanity's last retreat. The news brought by Dao Ancestor and the Old Buddha revitalized him, and his mind became active once more.

He pondered for a long time before stopping. "Moving all of Yan Kang there would, in the long run, only create another Wuyou Township, another Crimson Light Hanging Realm," he said. "Without the soil for reform, we would only decline on our own. That's not advisable."

In the Academy of Enlightenment, everyone's gaze fell upon him, silently awaiting his decision.

"But this is our only hope!"

Qin Mu brightened, a smile appearing on his face. "With a retreat route, we can resist and fight for a better future! This retreat route, we'll keep it! Yan Kang cannot withdraw to the chaotic space now; it must remain in the Primordial Realm. However, a portion of Yan Kang's people can relocate there, serving as a seed for future generations of humanity!"

His vertical eye on his forehead opened, peering into Youdu.

At this moment, Youdu's fragmentation was more severe than when they had left. 'My body is Youdu,' and now that Earth Count was dead, Youdu itself had shattered into countless pieces as his physical body collapsed.

However, this trend of fragmentation was slowly halting because Exalted God Void was in Youdu, seizing and refining the Dao of Youdu, attempting to stop the collapse.

If Youdu were to completely disintegrate and cease to exist, it would be a significant loss for the Celestial Heavens.

Given Exalted God Void's cultivation and power, she couldn't control all of Youdu.

Just then, Qin Mu saw Celestial Heavens' armies entering Youdu, marching under the banner of the Yin Emperor.

The Yin Emperor controlled Mingdu, which was Earth Count's horn, and he was also well-versed in the Great Dao of Youdu.

Exalted God Void couldn't fully control Youdu, so the Yin Emperor came to claim a share.

Simultaneously, Exalted God Void's demonic armies were continuously marching into Youdu, seizing the dark continents formed from Earth Count's corpse.

Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then his vital qi erupted, and he spread his hands outwards. Immediately, the geography of the myriad heavens appeared.

Within the Academy of Enlightenment, the myriad heavens, formed from vital qi, floated around everyone, creating a grand universe model.

Qin Mu's mind stirred slightly. Xuandu hung high above the grand universe model, while Youdu's fragmented continents overlapped with the myriad heavens.

He adjusted it, then asked, "Moon, are the positions of the myriad heavens correct?"

Exalted God Moon stepped forward, examined it, and adjusted the positions of a few heavens.

Qin Mu thanked her. He walked around the grand universe model, inspecting and analyzing, pondering for a long time. Suddenly, he pointed to Yan Kang's location within the Primordial Realm's geography and whispered, "My brother Qin Fengqing occupies the Primordial Realm, transforming into a small Youdu. Combined with the power of the Book of Life and Death, he can protect Yan Kang's beings from being suppressed by Exalted God Void's Youdu."

He extended his finger, drawing a circle around Yan Kang. His vital qi transformed into Qin Fengqing's likeness, with two horns on his head, holding the Book of Life and Death, standing there.

"Exalted God You can protect Wuyou Township, preventing it from being ambushed by Youdu. With King Yama's Fengdu providing support from both sides, this battle might not be lost!"

His vital qi transformed into an illusory image of Exalted God You, sitting in Wuyou Township, which had already migrated to the Primordial Realm, situated next to Yan Kang.

Exalted God You slowly removed his ghost-face mask and said, "Celestial Heavens' armies, don't even dream of stepping a half-pace into Yan Kang and Wuyou Township from the small Youdu."

Vital qi flowed from Qin Mu's fingertips, forming a small Xuandu that enveloped Wuyou Township and Yan Kang. He said gravely, "If the Celestial Heavens attack from Xuandu, bringing down natural disasters upon Yan Kang, then Heavenly Duke can carry the fifty Heavenly Dao supreme treasures and transform into a small Xuandu! If Ancestral God King controls Heavenly Duke's physical body and attacks the small Xuandu, then Heavenly Duke can block Ancestral God King. After all, Heavenly Duke's physical body is his own body. Although he isn't Ancestral God King's match, it shouldn't be easy for Ancestral God King to kill the Old Father again."

Upon hearing this, Heavenly Duke said, "Exalted God Mu, rest assured. With me here, I can certainly protect the sun, moon, and stars of Yan Kang and Wuyou Township, preventing natural disasters."

Qin Mu surveyed the myriad heavens, deep in thought. "If the Celestial Heavens attack, they can only come via the Psyche Transfer Bridge," he said. "The Psyche Transfer Bridge was a joint design by Black Tiger God and me. To think they'd use it to deal with Yan Kang truly underestimates me, the path-builder. All I need to do is sever the bridge and cut off the path, forcing the Celestial Heavens' armies to travel by ship from the Celestial Heavens, which would take decades to reach Yan Kang! And within those decades, we can incite great changes throughout the myriad heavens!"

He was reinvigorated, his eyes bright as stars and moon. "Moon," he said, "go to Wuyou Township and invite Sage the Woodcutter and Black Tiger God! Dao Ancestor, I need skilled arithmeticians from Yan Kang's Dao Sect! If the Celestial Heavens deploy their divine and demonic armies, I want all of their Psyche Transfer Bridges rendered unusable!"

Exalted God Moon immediately departed.

Dao Ancestor said, "Yan Kang Dao Sect's arithmetic is already far superior to that of the Celestial Heavens' Dao Sect. However, to sever the bridges, we would need to move to the connection points of the Psyche Transfer Bridges throughout the myriad heavens. Perhaps the Celestial Heavens' Dao Sect could assist."

Qin Mu looked at the myriad heavens and suddenly said, "Yu Chenzi, go see Si Yunxiang and Hu Ling'er. Tell them I want all trade data and Heavenly Coin transaction data for all worlds in the myriad heavens! Tell them all data must be sorted and delivered to me within ten days!"

Dao Ancestor said to Yu Chenzi, "The Taoists from Azure Cloud Heaven can assist."

Yu Chenzi hurriedly left.

Dao Ancestor asked, "Exalted God, what do you need the trade data of the myriad heavens for?"

"I want to see whether these heavens trade more with Yan Kang or with the Celestial Heavens," Qin Mu replied.

"This is crucial for the future," Qin Mu said. "It will show which heavens are the Celestial Heavens' allies and which ones we can win over. I also need Yan Kang to use the Heavenly Coins accumulated over the years to extensively purchase divine minerals and materials from various heavens. We must spend the Heavenly Coins Yan Kang has earned! Once war breaks out, Heavenly Coins will be useless!"

"Furthermore, I need Yan Kang to establish Psyche Transfer Bridges with the heavens we can win over, completely expelling the Celestial Heavens from this trade system!"

"I want Yan Kang to begin constructing heavy divine artifacts. I need Exalted God Ling to reforge the Creation Divine Artifact and use it to build our own divine artifact, the Imperial Exalted God!"

Exalted God Ling's eyes lit up, then she shook her head. "Forging the Creation Divine Artifact requires many skilled arithmeticians and forging grandmasters," she said. "Mu, many arithmeticians have already been deployed by you. Are there still so many experts available for me to use?"

"Yan Kang has an abundance of skilled arithmeticians and forging grandmasters!" Qin Mu stated emphatically.

"Not only do I intend to complete the Creation Divine Artifact before the Celestial Heavens move against us, but I also want to build warships like the Divine Ark of the Other Shore and a fleet capable of traversing the starry skies and destroying the Celestial Heavens' Heavenly River Navy!"

"And more importantly,"

Qin Mu raised a hand and swept it. The illusory images of the myriad heavens spun wildly around the Celestial Heavens. He said coldly, "I need the myriad heavens to rebel against the Celestial Heavens!"

In the Academy of Enlightenment, everyone's hearts trembled slightly.

Exalted God Ling whispered to Dao Ancestor, "Old Daoist, thank you for bringing us hope."

Dao Ancestor shook his head. "What we brought was just a tiny glimmer of hope; it cannot guarantee the success of Yan Kang's reforms."

"But he has come back to life," Exalted God Ling said, watching Qin Mu, who was now bustling with activity.