Chapter 1813: Treading Across the Boundless

Ancestral Court.

Jiang Baigui and the others looked into the distance, seeing the myriad heavens and worlds expanding while the Ancestral Court contracted.

Over the past 3.5 billion years, the Ancestral Court had shrunk to only one percent of its original size. From afar, it increasingly resembled a colossal cauldron, though even at one percent of its former scale, this cauldron was still unimaginably vast.

As they hurried forward, they suddenly saw a gigantic beast, fiery red, flying from the Ancestral Court's surface. It appeared minuscule from a distance but grew larger as it approached.

It was a Dragon Qilin. Only when it reached them did it gradually change its form, transforming into a man with a qilin head, who greeted them. "Forgive me, everyone," he said. "I took a shortcut and didn't go to the Primordial Realm to meet up with you all."

"There's no need for such formality, Lord of the Beast Realm."

Xu Shenghua asked, "Does the Ancestral Court's shrinking not affect the Beast Realm?"

The Dragon Qilin walked beside him. "The impact is significant," he replied. "Over the years, the Ancestral Court has become increasingly peculiar. The land and mountains have turned incredibly hard and stable, and the rivers, lakes, and oceans have also become strange. Even the winds and rains in the sky have changed, resembling a type of treasure or perhaps the very patterns of a Great Dao. Generally, my beast race can still survive here, but to be safe, I've already ordered them to migrate from the Ancestral Court to other territories within the Beast Realm. Only I remain here, guarding and awaiting the final confrontation."

He smiled bashfully. "I suppose I'm a bit too eager, unlike your composure."

Lan Yutian asked, "Lord of the Beast Realm, you are proficient in various Dao arts and divine abilities; have you noticed any anomalies?"

The Dragon Qilin hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "The Ancestral Court has been powerfully bound and permeated; it's essentially been completely refined. My observations of everything on the Ancestral Court's periphery these past few days have revealed significant clues. The fundamental structure of all matter within the Ancestral Court is changing; even the smallest things are infused with Primordial Runes."

As they drew closer to the Ancestral Court, the Dragon Qilin extended his hand and plucked a cloud floating over the Ancestral Court's landmass. He squeezed a drop of water from it and said, "Please observe, everyone."

Everyone looked at the drop of water. The Dragon Qilin suddenly spread his hands apart, and the single drop expanded enormously, becoming like a star suspended in the sky!

From this vastly expanded drop, the Dragon Qilin took out another single drop. The "water drop" that had just grown so large then fell back towards the Ancestral Court, quickly shrinking to a normal droplet and being absorbed by the clouds in the Ancestral Court's sky.

The Dragon Qilin then separated the water drop in his hand again, making it immensely vast once more, and took another single drop from it. He repeated this process, separating it again and again, over a hundred times.

Finally, everyone could see the Dao chain structure contained within that water drop, and their hearts were profoundly shaken.

The Dragon Qilin continued to divide it. After dozens more divisions, the Dao chain structure within the water drop revealed Dao pattern structures and rune structures.

The Dragon Qilin continued dividing, and the rune structures further subdivided. Runes of various forms constantly changed, being split into increasingly minute details.

Finally, the single drop of water was divided to an irreducible extent. What appeared before them was an incredibly tiny rune.

A Primordial Rune.

The Dragon Qilin released his hand, and the Primordial Rune flew away, disappearing into the Ancestral Court's heavens and earth.

After a long while, Lan Yutian exhaled, looking at the boundless landscape on the Ancestral Court's surface, and murmured, "If a single drop of water from the clouds is like this, then is everything else the same?"

Xu Shenghua descended onto the Ancestral Court's surface, bent down, and picked a tender green leaf. He examined it carefully and said, "The flora here hasn't been transformed. It seems that nothing with life has been refined."

Qin Mu respected these lives, and therefore did not change them.

Had Qin Mu refined the lives within the Ancestral Court, the life structures of its plants, trees, birds, beasts, insects, and fish would likely have undergone strange transformations, perhaps even giving birth to numerous bizarre and powerful species.

Xu Shenghua looked up and gazed around. The sheer effort and magical power required to refine the entire Ancestral Court were so immense that it was almost impossible to imagine.

He couldn't fathom the extent of Qin Mu's current cultivation, nor did he have any means to.

They entered the Ancestral Court's interior. As far as they could see, a sea of chaos obscured the entire sky. The Six Paths Heavenly Wheels, forged from chaotic stone, hung inverted over this chaotic sea, while Ancestral Court Jade Capital City floated in the sky, and the World Tree remained rooted in its original spot.

Numerous Great Voids of Returning to Ruin also drifted in the sky, like black gaping holes.

The space within the Ancestral Court was filled with rips, strangeness, and peril.

The arrival of this army of Dao attainers within the Ancestral Court immediately drew the attention of various factions. Before long, a Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds flew over, carrying Ling Yuxiu, Grand Beginning, Emperor Yanfeng, and others who had remained stationed there, never having left.

"Everyone, please board the ship!"

Ling Yuxiu said, "My husband went to Ancestral Court Jade Capital City to discuss matters with Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master. He's been gone for a few days and should be returning soon."

Emperor Kaihuang Qin Ye asked, "Your Majesty, what matters did Celestial Venerable Mu go to Ancestral Court Jade Capital City to discuss?"

Ling Yuxiu replied, "My husband said he intends to eliminate Second Young Master and Wuya, asking Ancestral Court Jade Capital City to remain neutral. Once Wuya and Wuji are dealt with, he will then engage Ancestral Court Jade Capital City in a decisive battle."

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

Xu Shenghua shook his head. "How could Young Master Ling Xiao and Young Master Zi Xiao agree to this? Moreover, do we truly have the power to eliminate Elder Wuya and Young Master Wuji?"

Ling Yuxiu said, "I don't know that."

Everyone wore expressions of worry.

Within Ancestral Court Jade Capital City, the Hall of Chaos floated amidst the vast chaotic energy. Qin Mu sat before the hall, facing the Hall of Ling Xiao and the Hall of Zi Xiao. In the Hall of Ling Xiao, Young Master Ling Xiao's upper body appeared amidst the boundless primordial purple energy, leaning on a Dao spear.

In the Hall of Zi Xiao, Young Master Zi Xiao's upper body also appeared, with an ancient guqin and a Dao sword dancing around him.

Apart from these three Dao Halls, numerous other treasure halls were scattered about. Twenty-eight Hall Masters and hundreds of Dao attainers from the Miluo Palace stood in formation, each remaining silent.

"Seventh Brother, I can feel your power."

Young Master Ling Xiao said unhurriedly, "3.5 billion years is still too long for you, but for us, it's not a long time at all. We've waited for far too long. You finally couldn't bear it anymore and sought us out."

Young Master Zi Xiao said, "For all these years, you've taken on the burden of the Ancestral Court, blocking and suppressing us, all to allow the Seventeenth Epoch sufficient time for development. However, these 3.5 billion years are still too short for you. Can 3.5 billion years in the Seventeenth Epoch truly compare to trillions of years of accumulation from the past? I don't think so."

Qin Mu smiled faintly and said leisurely, "I believe it can. This time, I propose a truce between us. After I eliminate Wuji and Wuya, then we can have our decisive battle. By then, it will be clear whether Miluo Palace wins or Eternal Peace wins. And..."

He continued coolly, "I'll offer my two Senior Brothers a benefit. When Wuya and Wuji die, I won't take any of their energy. I'll let my two Senior Brothers perform the blood sacrifice to descend. With Wuji and Wuya, all the Dao attainers and Hall Masters of the entire Miluo Palace can descend, correct?"

Young Master Ling Xiao and Young Master Zi Xiao were quite moved, while the other Hall Masters and Dao attainers whispered among themselves.

Young Master Zi Xiao said, "Seventh Brother, you've always been untrustworthy. How can I trust you now?"

Qin Mu laughed heartily. "The entire Ancestral Court is a vast altar. All those who die within this great altar transform into blood sacrifice energy. On my side, Grand Beginning can intercept a portion, but not a large amount. Only Elder Wuya can steal the majority from your hands. If Wuya dies, who then can take even a tiny bit from Senior Brother Ling Xiao?"

Young Master Zi Xiao looked at Ling Xiao, who nodded slightly.

Young Master Zi Xiao said, "Seventh Brother, your visit means that while you fight Wuya and Wuji, we are to do nothing — neither helping you nor hindering you. We just wait to receive the power of the blood sacrifice, and our true bodies can descend, perhaps even the entire Jade Capital City. Do I understand correctly?"

Qin Mu smiled and bowed his head. "Yes."

Young Master Zi Xiao stared at him for a long time, then said, "Your smile sends shivers down my spine. Are you truly so confident that you and your reformers' strength can contend with the accumulation of sixteen universes of Miluo Palace?"

Qin Mu looked up and smiled. "Teacher established Miluo Palace, creating a behemoth. In the end, this behemoth nearly ceased to obey his commands. I too once created a behemoth called the Heavenly Alliance, and later, I personally destroyed it. Teacher took the wrong path; he couldn't bear to destroy Miluo Palace. As his youngest disciple, then it falls to me to destroy it. Eternal Peace's reforms are about overthrowing all corruption. Both Senior Brothers, all you fellow Daoists, you have all become corrupt."

Young Master Zi Xiao stared intensely at him.

The other Hall Masters and Miluo Palace Dao attainers also fixed their gazes intently on him.

Qin Mu's smile remained unchanged. He said softly, "In this era, after I deal with you all, I will return to the past to see Teacher and become his disciple. I will also meet all of you again, share drinks and laugh, and be friends. If I lose this battle, I would have killed you in the past. If I couldn't kill you, I would still have left many contingencies."

He chuckled aloud. "If I win this battle, you will all be living well right now, because I would no longer have any interest in dealing with you. If you are afraid, we can continue to delay, dragging it out until the Great Cold Solitude and Great Void that Teacher spoke of appear, and all Dao arts and divine abilities dissolve into emptiness."

Young Master Zi Xiao's pupils contracted sharply.

The hearts of the other Hall Masters and Dao attainers pounded wildly.

They had encountered Qin Mu in past historical periods. As Seventh Young Master Chaos, Qin Mu, though eccentric in temperament, had never fallen out with or acted against anyone else in Miluo Palace.

Did this not imply that in this future battle, they had been defeated and died here?

"You all are truly afraid," Qin Mu said, glancing around.

Silence enveloped the surroundings.

"Seventh Brother, this battle is an internal conflict within our Miluo Palace."

Suddenly, Young Master Ling Xiao spoke. "It's an internal struggle arising from differing paths among our Teacher's disciples. But we each uphold our own interpretations of Teacher's ideals, don't we?"

Qin Mu's gaze fell on him, and he nodded slightly.

Young Master Ling Xiao closed his eyes and said, "Very well. I agree. You may proceed to eliminate Wuya and Second Sister. We carry the momentum of the past sixteen epochs, while you focus on the future. This stalemate cannot continue. Since it is an internal conflict, no matter who wins, the ultimate victor will be Teacher. You may go."

Qin Mu stood up and said solemnly, "Both Senior Brothers, all you fellow Daoists, I will first go and kill Wuya. After Wuya's death, you need not worry about anyone stealing the blood sacrifice energy; you may all descend!"

Young Master Zi Xiao frowned and looked at Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao waved his sleeve, closing the hall doors. "Let him go!"

Qin Mu left Ancestral Court Jade Capital City and returned to the Golden Ship of Crossing Worlds. On the ship were familiar faces; he smiled as he looked at these old acquaintances—some were his elders, some his peers, and some were younger individuals who had later achieved Dao in the Ancestral Court.

Their expressions were excited, as if they had a thousand words to say to him.

"Everyone."

Qin Mu smiled. "I will lead you to flatten Wuya and eradicate the World Tree."