Chapter 163: Bangong Co

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace trembled slightly.

"What you are trying to achieve is immense, and the path ahead is fraught with thorns. My lifespan is nearing its end, so I can no longer assist you. You must rely on yourself now."

The young Ancestor smiled faintly and said, "Go back."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace bowed deeply to the ground. "Thank you, fellow Daoist, for your support throughout half my life!"

The young Ancestor returned the bow, "Since we walk the same path, it is only natural to support each other."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace turned and departed, his clothes fluttering in the wind, disappearing into the vast crowd of the capital.

The young Ancestor stood up and called the Elder of Enforcement, "Let's go. The Young Cult Master should ascend the throne now."

At the border pass beyond the Great Wall, Ba Shan Wine Master's expression was grim as he led Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu into the barbarian outpost, feeling quite displeased. The barbarian general guarding the pass saw them return, his face subtly changed, and he stepped forward, saying, "Warrior Khan, the Sacred Ground has ordered that if you are encountered, you are not to be allowed to leave the pass!"

Ba Shan Wine Master's gaze was chilling as he said coldly, "Do you want to die?"

The barbarian general shivered, looking around. Ba Shan Wine Master swept his gaze over the surrounding military officers and said coldly, "Do all of you want to die?"

The barbarian general steeled himself and said, "Open the pass!"

The pass gates opened, and Ba Shan Wine Master rode his ox out.

Qin Mu looked back and saw a young barbarian practicing punches on the city tower, moving with powerful vigor, and he couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation of surprise. The young barbarian noticed someone watching, quickly stopped his movements, and looked down.

"This young man is very strong; his foundation is extremely solid," Qin Mu praised.

The young man's gaze met theirs, his eyes sparkling with vitality, and he called out loudly, "Warrior Khan! My name is Ban Gongcuo, the youngest son of the Grassland King. One day, I will surely defeat Warrior Khan and become the overlord of the grasslands!"

Ba Shan Wine Master turned, observed the young barbarian for a moment, and approved, "You have ambition, keep practicing. You're a promising talent with a good foundation. Perform another set of punches for me to see!"

Ban Gongcuo performed another set of punches. Ba Shan Wine Master said to Qin Mu, "This child's boxing style is expansive and powerful; his strength is much greater than others. His physical aptitude is very special, and he is destined for greatness."

Qin Mu nodded. With the same techniques and cultivation, some people's punches are simply stronger than others – this is innate talent, something others cannot envy.

"It's rare. As long as he lives, he will become a prominent figure on the grasslands."

They continued towards Qingmen Pass, while Ban Gongcuo, invigorated by Ba Shan Wine Master's praise, practiced even more diligently. Not long after, a golden light flashed across the sky, and a Witch King descended, his face grim. He summoned the general of the pass and asked, "Did you let Warrior Khan leave?"

The general steeled himself and replied, "Warrior Khan's divine might is boundless. How dare we obstruct him? If we had forcefully stopped him, I fear our border soldiers would have suffered heavy casualties, and we would no longer be able to resist the Eternal Peace army."

The Witch King scoffed coldly, about to express his anger, when he suddenly saw Ban Gongcuo practicing punches on the city tower. His heart filled with both surprise and joy, he pointed at Ban Gongcuo and asked, "Whose child is that?"

"He is Prince Ban Gongcuo, the youngest son of our Great Khan of the Barbarian Di Kingdom."

The Witch King smiled, extended his hand, and with a remote grab, Ban Gongcuo flew involuntarily and landed before him.

"Excellent aptitude! He possesses the special physique the Witch Venerable is looking for!"

The Witch King examined him from head to toe, showing approval. "The Witch Venerable ordered me to find the reincarnated sacred child, and I've finally found him! Ban Gongcuo, come with me!"

The general was greatly alarmed and was about to intervene, but the Witch King had already transformed into a golden light, carrying Ban Gongcuo away into the distance.

When he brought Ban Gongcuo back to the Loulan Golden Palace and presented the young prince to the Witch Venerable, the Witch Venerable was also both surprised and overjoyed. He quickly brought Ban Gongcuo to the Sacred Hall and bowed, saying, "Great Venerable, the reincarnated sacred child has been found! He possesses the same physique as the Great Venerable, a genius rarely seen on the grasslands for centuries. The Great Venerable can now reincarnate."

From the shrine came a shrill laugh. Suddenly, a gaunt, bizarre figure flew out, upside down, head-to-head with Ban Gongcuo, pressing close against him. A thunderous roar echoed in Ban Gongcuo's mind, and then his soul scattered. Surging vital energy continuously poured from the strange figure into Ban Gongcuo's body. Simultaneously, the Great Venerable's soul was also transferring, planting itself within Ban Gongcuo. He said, "Disciple, when I reincarnate, the fated to die will live, and the fated to live will perish, thus defying fate. Therefore, the underworld envoys will come to seize my soul. You must set up the formation to block them."

The Witch Venerable immediately stepped forward, moving out shrine after shrine and arranging them in a circle around Ban Gongcuo. The golden bones within these shrines were the remains of the Great Venerable's previous seventeen lives, refined into magical artifacts.

Suddenly, space vibrated, and an eerie wind blew from another dimension. The lights in the Sacred Hall immediately dimmed, and a small boat drifted leisurely from another dimension. It was a dark world where the only light seemed to emanate from a dim green lantern hanging at the bow of the small boat. Beneath the lantern, an old man sat withered, meticulously crafting paper boats and paper figures.

The small boat drifted slowly towards the Sacred Hall. The Witch Venerable, immensely tense, hastily channeled all his magic power into the shrines. Within the shrines, the seventeen golden bone skeletons seemed to come alive, positioning themselves across the entrance between the other world and the real world.

The old man sitting withered on the boat was shrouded in boundless darkness. From his perspective, the only light in the world, apart from his lantern, was the entrance to the other world, and that entrance was being blocked by seventeen skeletons. He raised his hand, and paper figures and paper horses seemed to come alive. The paper figures rode on the paper horses, which galloped joyfully towards the entrance blocked by the golden bone skeletons. On their backs, the paper figures wielded paper swords and knives, their mouths agape silently, as if screaming, filled with murderous intent.

The seventeen golden bones moved in unison, engaging in a fierce battle with the onslaught of paper figures and paper horses. These seventeen golden bone skeletons formed a powerful formation, capable of unleashing power reaching the realm of deities. However, the power emanating from the other world was terrifying. The paper figures' paper swords and knives slashed and stabbed, so potent that even the golden bones of the Great Venerable's previous seventeen lives could not withstand them. A single slash could sever a bone, and a single stab could pierce a skull!

The Witch Venerable desperately controlled the seventeen golden bone skeletons to hold their ground, fiercely resisting the attacks of the paper figures and horses. Meanwhile, the Great Venerable hastened his reincarnation. He saw the small boat from the other world drawing ever closer, and the old man on it had already stood up, holding his lantern.

Cold sweat broke out on the Witch Venerable's forehead. He saw the small boat had drifted close, on the verge of crossing from the other world into reality. The old man holding the lantern at the bow extended his hand, seemingly reaching out from the other world to pull the Great Venerable, who was in the midst of reincarnation, into that realm!

Suddenly, the Great Venerable's body stiffened and fell from the air, lifeless. Meanwhile, Ban Gongcuo opened his dark, lively eyes. As soon as his eyes opened, he saw the connection between the two worlds begin to collapse. The paper figures and horses spontaneously combusted without fire, instantly turning to ash, and the hand that had reached out from the other world slowly withdrew, disappearing.

In the Sacred Hall, the lights suddenly brightened, and the previous dimness and oppressive atmosphere vanished without a trace. Ban Gongcuo sighed in relief and smiled faintly, "It was finally successful."

"Congratulations, Great Venerable!" the Witch Venerable bowed.

Ban Gongcuo waved his hand. The Witch Venerable bowed, stepped back, closed the hall doors, and let out a sigh of relief. "If the Great Venerable hadn't been old and frail, how could the Heavenly Knife have dared to come knocking? Now that the Great Venerable has reincarnated, he can live another life. Eternal Peace Kingdom is no longer a concern, and neither is the Heavenly Knife."

At Qingmen Pass, Qin Mu threw two jade bottles to Ba Shan Wine Master, then went to buy some spiritual herbs to refine pills. He had used a lot of dragon's saliva to reattach the Butcher's body, but five bottles remained. Ba Shan Wine Master had fought fiercely against the experts of Loulan Golden Palace and was not lightly wounded; besides external injuries, he needed spiritual pills to treat internal injuries and remove hidden ailments.

"Young Master, the Ancestor is looking for you."

Qin Mu secured the herbs. The herbalist's assistant said, "Please leave the pass as soon as possible and proceed to Yong Province."

Qin Mu paused slightly, then nodded. He returned to the inn at the pass, refined a batch of healing spiritual pills for Ba Shan Wine Master, called Hu Ling'er, and then quietly left the pass, heading towards Yong Province.

Ling Yuxiu was bathing. After she finished, she found no trace of Qin Mu, which surprised her, so she quickly went to ask Ba Shan Wine Master. Ba Shan Wine Master also didn't know when Qin Mu had left. He mused, "Princess, you needn't worry. The fox is also gone, which means Junior Brother wasn't abducted; he left with the fox."

Ling Yuxiu felt a little disappointed. This time, Qin Mu had left quietly without informing her. Did he need to be so mysterious? What couldn't he tell her?

Ba Shan Wine Master took the spiritual pill and stood up. "Princess, let's return to the Imperial College. By my calculations, the Grand Wine Master will soon resign, and a new one will take office. Let's go back early; the Grand Wine Master has always been very kind to me, and I must at least see him off."

Ling Yuxiu assented.

Meanwhile, Qin Mu, accompanied by Hu Ling'er, traveled on, getting closer to Yong Province. Along the way, he saw widespread chaos and warfare. From time to time, various sects would declare the Emperor to be unjust, having mistakenly appointed a traitorous official as Imperial Preceptor, thereby plunging the world into turmoil. Thus, these sects rebelled, aiming to purge the corrupt court and set things right.

He arrived at Luodu, next to Yong Province. Luodu was also engulfed in war, with the populace suffering greatly. Armies from various regions were suppressing rebellions, but it was merely a temporary solution, having little significant effect. The fire ignited by the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace was burning too fiercely. Many officials at all levels of the Eternal Peace Kingdom were masters from various sects. Now that these sects were rebelling, these officials also joined the rebellion. The very foundation of the empire was shaken, and it was already difficult to quell the unrest.

"What means does the Imperial Preceptor possess to quell this global chaos?" Qin Mu wondered, "If the chaos continues, I fear all sects in the world will rebel. At that point, even if Eternal Peace Kingdom manages to suppress the rebellion, its vitality will be severely depleted."

This was something the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace absolutely did not wish to see. If Eternal Peace Kingdom were severely weakened, how could he pacify the other nations surrounding it, or occupy the Great Ruins to establish unparalleled achievements?

Within Luodu territory, Qin Mu was merely a passing traveler. Along the way, he encountered attacks from over a dozen bandit groups. Some bandits were restless divine arts practitioners, while others were former Luodu officials who had turned to banditry, establishing themselves as mountain kings. Relying on his speed, he would use Cripple's Heaven-Stealing Legwork when he couldn't win a fight, which ensured his safety throughout the journey.

"If the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace can quell this rebellion, and either eliminate or subjugate all hostile forces within the empire, then a unified Eternal Peace Kingdom would be truly formidable!"