Chapter 1686: Challenges to the Emperor and Empress

Qin Mu shook his head. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. The ten Celestial Venerables are united; I've long given up hope on any of you. I am waiting here because Empress has other plans."

His gaze bypassed the Empress and fell upon Evil Wuqi and Prince Mingya.

The Empress stepped in front of him, blocking his view.

Although Qin Mu was one of the strongest experts of his time, the Empress showed no fear, even confronting him directly. "I have already achieved Dao through Return to Nothingness. I wouldn't dare say my abilities are unmatched in the world, but even if the person in your shadow were to team up with you, you still couldn't stop me. If you intend to strike at me and use this opportunity to eliminate me, you underestimate me far too much."

Qin Mu looked surprised. "Your Majesty has already cultivated the Chaos Seed Lotus?"

A chill ran through the Empress's heart. "You also understand the Chaos Seed Lotus?"

Qin Mu smiled. "So, has your lotus bloomed yet?"

The Empress felt a chill run down her spine and took a step back.

Qin Mu's words instilled some fear in her. She had comprehended the Second Young Master of Miro Palace's true method of attaining Dao from a single profound utterance by the Miro Palace Master, believing herself to be invincible. Only prehistoric beings like the Spirit Officer Hall Master possessed abilities superior to hers, yet even the Spirit Officer Hall Master would not be able to defeat her in a true confrontation.

This confidence was why she had ventured alone through the battlefield, deep into enemy territory, to meet her son, Evil Wuqi.

However, what she hadn't expected was that Qin Mu not only understood the Chaos Seed Lotus but also asked if her lotus had bloomed!

Why was Qin Mu so intimately familiar with Dao attainment through Return to Nothingness?

Although the Empress had achieved Dao through Return to Nothingness, she had only grown a single lotus leaf and hadn't even seen the shadow of a lotus, let alone a blooming one.

"It seems Your Majesty hasn't achieved a blooming lotus."

Qin Mu opened his Divine Treasure Domain. Inside his Great Abyss of Return to Nothingness, chaos swirled like a sea, with a lotus flower and two lotus leaves quietly floating on the chaotic waters.

The Empress's gaze fell upon his chaotic sea, watching the lotus. Her voice was hoarse. "You've cultivated to this extent? When did you attain Dao?"

"So this is Dao attainment through Return to Nothingness."

Qin Mu examined his own Return to Nothingness, shaking his head. "I didn't even realize I had attained Dao; I must thank Your Majesty for the reminder. In my view, merely growing the lotus is insufficient for the Chaos Seed Lotus; one also needs the lotus root, the lotus pod, and the lotus seeds for the cultivation to be considered complete. Your Majesty, even with your Dao attainment through Return to Nothingness, you are still far from complete."

The Empress's expression turned stern, then she suddenly laughed. "Celestial Venerable Mu, you haven't truly attained Dao through Return to Nothingness. You merely used the lotus seed gifted to you by the Second Young Master to grow that lotus. Your Return to Nothingness lotus, like your World Tree, relies on external objects; it wasn't cultivated by you! You can't scare me!"

Qin Mu burst out laughing and closed his Divine Treasure Domain. "Whether I have truly attained Dao is not for Your Majesty to surmise. I came to see you because I have an impertinent request."

The Empress said calmly, "Go ahead and speak. I may not necessarily agree."

Qin Mu spoke seriously. "My impertinent request is extremely simple, and it will be greatly beneficial to Your Majesty. Since you have attained Dao, you presumably know how to achieve Dao through Return to Nothingness. Celestial Venerable Hao will naturally ask Your Majesty for the method of Return to Nothingness Dao attainment."

The Empress revealed a slight smile. "You mean for me to take this opportunity to impart the method of the Mirror of Return to Nothingness to Celestial Venerable Hao?"

Qin Mu shook his head. "My meaning is that it would be fine for Your Majesty to impart the true Dao attainment of Return to Nothingness to him, but under no circumstances should you impart the Mirror of Return to Nothingness!"

The Empress paused, then suddenly chuckled. "Are you afraid the Second Young Master of Miro Palace will emerge from Return to Nothingness? Even the esteemed Celestial Venerable Mu, the Seventh Young Master of Miro Palace, has someone he fears!"

Qin Mu's expression subtly changed. His gaze fixed on her face as he said coldly, "Empress, haven't you noticed? Your personality is becoming more and more like Lady Yuanmu's!"

The Empress let out a snicker. "I used the method of reincarnation to make myself reborn and imitate that little bitch's personality. It's flawless; even Celestial Venerable Hao and the philanderer can't detect a thing. Celestial Venerable Mu, you taught me this, surely you understand?"

Qin Mu's pupils contracted sharply, and the vertical eye in his forehead opened, staring intently at her. After a moment, his vertical eye closed. "Of course I can see it. The Second Young Master of Miro Palace is more dangerous than the Third or Fourth Young Master. If you impart the Mirror of Return to Nothingness to Celestial Venerable Hao, he will surely be unable to resist and will undoubtedly be taken advantage of by the Second Young Master, who will seize half of his body..."

"You're too late," she said.

The Empress's expression hardened. "I have already imparted the Mirror of Return to Nothingness to Celestial Venerable Hao. He is most likely cultivating it right now. Celestial Venerable Mu, is there anything else? If not, do not obstruct my path."

Qin Mu's mind buzzed, and his voice became hoarse. "You imparted it to him? Empress, do you know what you are doing? Do you know why the Miro Palace Master had to suppress the Second Young Master?"

The Empress raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with me?"

Qin Mu took a long breath, stepped forward, and stood before her, looking down with a somber expression. "What the Second Young Master intends to do terrified even the Miro Palace Master, which is why he had no choice but to suppress her! By imparting the Mirror of Return to Nothingness to Celestial Venerable Hao, you are releasing this demon king! This universe does not have another Miro Palace Master!"

The Empress frowned, clearly displeased by his close proximity. "Celestial Venerable Mu, do you remember when I cut off your hand in the ancestral court last time? You are being too presumptuous."

Qin Mu took another step, nearly pressing against her. "It seems, Empress, you still haven't grasped the crucial point. The Second Young Master of Miro Palace's goal is to destroy all life, all universes, and return all universes to their most primordial state! Not just Miro Palace's Jade Capital, but even the entire seventeen universes will be completely annihilated by her!"

The Empress's aura exploded, distorting the entire Grand Emperor Heaven. It contorted like a pie pressed inwards, collapsing around her.

"It seems Celestial Venerable Mu still hasn't learned his lesson..."

The Empress's Dao attainment power bloomed, and just as she was about to strike, her right hand was suddenly severed at the wrist, and blood gushed out!

The Empress's heart lurched. She rapidly retreated, activating her Daoist divine abilities, and her hand quickly regrew. She surged all her magic power and pushed her hands forward!

A great abyss suddenly appeared, and the Grand Emperor Heaven was stretched like twisted noodles, dragged by the terrifying power of Return to Nothingness, almost splitting apart!

"Empress, you have disappointed me! So, what use do I have for you now?"

At that moment, Qin Mu took a step forward, and the twisted Grand Emperor Heaven was flattened with a resounding boom, no longer collapsing into the Empress's divine ability.

The Empress's qi and blood churned from the shock. She pushed her hands forward, and the lotus leaves of the great abyss unfurled. Within the chaotic pool of the abyss, chaotic energy surged, transforming through the lotus leaves into her own magic power.

The power of a Dao Attainer of Return to Nothingness comes from chaos itself, transformed through the Lotus of Return to Nothingness into an invincible power that devours all.

This was the Empress's first battle since attaining Dao!

Although Qin Mu had achieved impressive results in recent years, with significant victories in the Battle of Youdu and the Battle of the Ultimate Void, he was not, after all, a true Dao Attainer. She was confident she could cut him down!

However, just as her cultivation and power reached their peak, Qin Mu used his hand as a sword and slashed forward!

His palm sliced through the Empress's Great Abyss of Return to Nothingness divine ability as if an incredibly sharp sword were cutting through tofu, cleaving her divine ability apart!

His single strike not only cut open the great abyss but also severed the lotus leaves within it!

And the chaotic pool beneath the lotus leaves, the very foundation of the Empress's Dao attainment, was astonishingly cleaved in two by Qin Mu's single sword strike!

Not only that, the chaotic pool was split as if the heavens and earth were being created, erupting in a violent explosion, like the birth of a universe. Accompanied by an incredibly loud ringing sound, the chaotic pool expanded outwards like two divine bells with their handles facing each other.

In that instant, the Empress's lifetime of cultivation threatened to dissipate into nothingness, evolving into the Five Tais: Taiyi, Taichu, and so on!

The Empress gave a sharp cry, flying backward. She allowed her cultivation to evolve into the Five Tais, transforming into the cosmic starry sky. Then, she suddenly activated a divine ability, annihilating the evolving universe and instantly restoring her cultivation and power.

The Dao of Return to Nothingness is not only the Dao of destruction but also contains the Dao of primordial birth. The mysteries of the universe's creation and destruction are all contained within Return to Nothingness.

Since the Empress had achieved Dao through Return to Nothingness, she naturally had a perfect grasp of both states.

Qin Mu snorted, stepped even closer, spread his five fingers, and transformed them into the Red String Knot divine ability, pressing it towards the Empress!

Divine power erupted beneath the Empress's feet. Prince Mingya and Evil Wuqi, standing behind her, lost their footing and stumbled towards her.

And beneath the Empress's feet, the Great Abyss of Return to Nothingness appeared, gulping down Prince Mingya and Evil Wuqi with a gurgling sound!

The Empress raised her hands to forcefully counter Qin Mu's Red String Knot strike. Five terrifying forces struck her body, and loud popping sounds echoed within her flesh as her arms, legs, and even her head exploded!

However, with a flash of blood, the Empress instantly restored herself!

Having attained Dao through Return to Nothingness, with its power of creation and destruction, the Empress was now virtually unkillable!

Qin Mu retracted four fingers, and his index finger lightly touched the Empress's glabella.

The Empress's mind became muddled. Knowing she was no match, she immediately sank, her body submerging into the great abyss, plummeting into its depths!

Qin Mu's vertical eye in his forehead opened with a hum, and a beam of Primordial Divine Light shot out, piercing through the great abyss!

The Empress's figure, with her long sleeves fluttering, moved through the abyss, attempting to evade the Primordial Divine Light from Qin Mu's eye. But there was no escape; soon, her body was riddled with holes.

From the shadows behind Qin Mu, Merchant King's figure flickered out like a phantom, ready to charge into the great abyss.

Suddenly, Qin Mu's vertical eye closed. He raised a hand to stop Merchant King, shaking his head. "Merchant King, no need to pursue."

Merchant King took a step back and disappeared into Qin Mu's shadow once more.

The great abyss closed and vanished.

Qin Mu waved his sleeve and ascended step by step, arriving above the thirty-three heavens of Carefree Village. There, the One Qi Great Luo Heaven floated, and the Dao Tree's light spread across the thirty-six layers of void, appearing sacred and extraordinary.

Qin Mu quickly approached the Dao Tree. Celestial Venerable Cloud emerged, and the two exchanged greetings.

"Brother Cloud, when you were in the Great Abyss of Return to Nothingness, how did the Empress transform into Lady Yuanmu?" Qin Mu asked, dispensing with pleasantries.

Celestial Venerable Cloud replied, "She used the Path of Reincarnation, allowing her consciousness to undergo reincarnation within her own body, thus transforming into Lady Yuanmu..."

"So that's where the problem lies!" Qin Mu suddenly understood.

Celestial Venerable Cloud was puzzled.

"The Empress and Yuanmu are actually both aspects of the Return to Nothingness Goddess's consciousness, merely two different personalities. When the Empress dominates and uses the Reincarnation divine ability to transform into Yuanmu, it means the Empress and Yuanmu have become one."

Qin Mu continued, "I just encountered the Empress and found that they have already begun to merge."

Celestial Venerable Cloud's expression subtly changed, and he exclaimed, "Does that not mean she no longer has any weaknesses? And that the Path of Reincarnation can't control her either?"

Qin Mu shook his head, smiling. "That's why, as she was escaping, I pointed a finger at her glabella, using the Reincarnation divine ability to plant another Lady Yuanmu within her. When she was struck, her consciousness had already undergone hundreds of thousands of reincarnations within my divine ability, allowing me to cultivate this new Yuanmu consciousness to maturity."

Celestial Venerable Cloud stared at him, feeling a sense of dread. After a moment, he said, "Brother Mu, do you realize how terrifying you are now?"

Qin Mu paused, thought about it carefully, and then silently nodded.

Celestial Venerable Cloud exhaled a shaky breath. "I no longer understand your divine abilities. Perhaps you truly are becoming the Seventh Young Master of Miro Palace."

Qin Mu was silent for a moment, then smiled brightly. "When this universe can no longer contain me, I will go wreak havoc on other universes. But before that, I still need to clear all obstacles!"

At the Heavenly Court's main camp, a great abyss appeared, and the Empress tumbled out. Her throat suddenly felt sweet. She hastily suppressed the blood surging up, a mix of shock and anger in her heart. "The Spirit Officer Hall Master was not wrong! Heavenly Emperor Hao truly cannot last ten moves against him!"

Just then, Lady Yuanmu's laughter suddenly echoed in her mind. "Sister, you're injured. Why don't you hand over your body to your little sister?"

"Oh no!"

The Empress's vision went black, and her consciousness plunged into darkness.