Chapter 352: Tofu Heart

Qin Mu tried to struggle to his feet, but suddenly heard a cracking sound from his legs. Both of his leg bones were fractured from the fall, and with any attempt to move, they instantly snapped. The pain caused his entire body to convulse and twitch. Then, his arms also broke. Qin Mu didn't dare to move, twitch, or even take a breath.

He dared not use any strength, fearing that even a slight gasp would shatter all his ribs. His magic power was exhausted, preventing him from retrieving the dragon's saliva from his gluttonous pouch to heal his injuries. Pain overwhelmed him, and sweat poured out. All the sword wounds on his body burst open, and blood flowed freely. Qin Mu felt his body heating up, as if it were scalding lava, but he understood this was an illusion—a trick of the brain caused by excessive blood loss, as his body was actually growing colder. He had learned about this from the Physician. If his blood continued to flow, he would surely die.

Pounding sounds emanated from the large pit nearby. Qin Mu felt disheartened, thinking, "Could I be the fake Hegemon Body? No, I just didn't try hard enough; I couldn't unleash the full power of the Hegemon Body..." He had almost fought to a draw, barely winning by half a move, but in doing so, he had completely lost his combat ability.

Suddenly, three streams of energy separated from the nearby pit, like three long rainbows, descending toward Qin Mu and entering his body. Qin Mu immediately felt his bones moving within him, broken bones reconnecting, and cracks on his bones continuously self-healing. His wounds were also rapidly closing! He had lost several teeth earlier, and now they were even growing back!

Qin Mu was momentarily stunned. Then, he heard a sound like surging tides emanating from within him—the powerful rush of his vital energy. His cultivation was rapidly recovering! His strength was also returning, and the injuries in his muscles were self-repairing. Soon, Qin Mu felt that his injuries were about eighty percent healed. Furthermore, he felt a strange power emanating from the three rainbows, causing a drastic transformation in his spirit embryo divine treasure. Qin Mu immediately saw his vital energy seemingly liquefy, embracing his spirit embryo and swirling around it. His spirit embryo felt incredibly comfortable, as if immersed in a warm ocean.

"The last time I felt this comfortable was when I was around three years old. I fell asleep in Grandma's bed, dreamt I was looking for a toilet, and after finally finding one, I wet the bed. My grandma then picked me up by the legs and threw me into a snow cave."

Qin Mu blinked. This must be the so-called Three Essences: Heavenly Essence, Earthly Essence, and Water Essence. As the power of the Three Essences surged, his spirit embryo divine treasure continued to undergo drastic changes. His spirit embryo grew rapidly, and the spirit platform beneath his feet constantly expanded, resembling a small landmass. The vital energy exhaled from the spirit embryo's mouth and nose rose, gathering into a crimson mass suspended in mid-air. It didn't resemble the sun. The liquefied vital energy gathered like a water sphere, and it didn't resemble the moon either. His spirit embryo divine treasure still couldn't compare to that of a deity.

Qin Mu tried to activate the Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique, but felt the technique was still somewhat sluggish, indicating some lingering hidden injuries.

"Congratulations, Human Emperor, on your Three Essences breakthrough."

Suddenly, the mountains vanished, and the sun and moon in the sky disappeared without a trace. Qin Mu found himself lying on a cold stone slab inside a grand hall. Qin Mu struggled to sit up and saw five elders, each seated in a high position, one in each of the five cardinal directions. They appeared almost as ancient as the Three Essences Elders. He looked around and realized this was not the Three Essences Hall he had entered; it seemed to be a different hall, and the five elders looked unlike the Three Essences Elders.

Qin Mu composed himself. His muscles ached all over, and his legs and hands were still trembling.

"Where are those three old immortals from before?" Qin Mu asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"The Three Essences Elders are not here."

One of the elderly recluses, though short, had an extremely loud and resonant voice. He said, "We are the Five Luminaries Recluses, and this is the Five Qi Hall. We witnessed the Human Emperor achieve the Three Essences breakthrough here, and we are truly impressed. After his breakthrough, the Human Emperor was sent to the Five Qi Hall and will soon face the Five Qi trial."

"I achieved the Three Essences breakthrough?" Qin Mu was both surprised and delighted, but his legs were still trembling uncontrollably.

"He really is a fake Hegemon Body; I am the true Hegemon Body!" the youth declared triumphantly.

The Five Luminaries Recluses heard this and were puzzled, showing expressions of incomprehension. They had no idea what "Hegemon Body" or "fake Hegemon Body" referred to.

Qin Mu tried to stand steadily, but his legs were still shaky, and his arms trembled uncontrollably. An old recluse frowned slightly and asked, "The Human Emperor is the second person to achieve the Three Essences breakthrough. Do you intend to challenge the Five Qi breakthrough?"

Qin Mu simply sat on the ground to avoid falling and embarrassing himself. He asked, "How does the Five Qi breakthrough compare to the Three Essences breakthrough?"

"It's slightly more difficult."

An old woman said kindly, "The Human Emperor's ability to achieve the Three Essences breakthrough is enough to make his foundation more robust. The Five Qi breakthrough shouldn't be too difficult."

"Even more difficult?" Qin Mu was startled and shook his head. "Seniors," he asked, "could you make an exception and allow me to challenge another day?"

He was genuinely unable to attempt the Five Qi breakthrough at the moment. Although he had defeated the young deity and obtained the Three Essences, and his injuries were mostly healed, the soreness in his body had not yet dissipated. Furthermore, the mental impact of his final strike, leaping from a mountain several thousand zhang high, was overwhelming. Not only was his body trembling, but his soul was also shaking, as if disembodied.

The five recluses noticed his poor condition and exchanged glances. One of the elders said, "Our Little Jade Capital never had this rule before. If someone passes the Three Essences Hall trial, they can enter our Five Qi Hall, and if they fail, they leave. Stopping midway has never happened."

Another old woman said, "However, the Three Essences breakthrough is truly rare. The last person to achieve it was seven thousand years ago. Since the Human Emperor has reached this stage, it would be truly unreasonable not to allow him to challenge another day."

The five elders discussed for a moment. The leading elder then said, "Since the Human Emperor has spoken, our Little Jade Capital is not inflexible. Therefore, we shall wait until the Human Emperor has fully recovered before he challenges the Five Qi Hall again."

"Thank you!" Qin Mu struggled to his feet and bowed to the five elders.

As he straightened up, the scenery before him changed once more. He now found himself outside the Three Essences Hall, where Heavenly Essence True Person, Earthly Essence True Person, and Water Essence True Person were conversing with Qingyou Mountain Man. Qingyou Mountain Man's face was filled with shock, while the Village Chief wore a modest, yet triumphant, expression.

"Human Emperor."

The Three Essences Elders all saluted. Heavenly Essence True Person asked in surprise, "Human Emperor, why have you emerged without undergoing the Five Qi breakthrough?"

Qin Mu's legs were still trembling. He said, "The Five Luminaries Recluses knew I was in poor condition, so they permitted me to re-enter the Five Qi Hall and challenge again in the future. Immortal Qingyou, could the Five Qi Hall trial be postponed for a few days?"

Qingyou Mountain Man's expression softened, and he solemnly said, "The Human Emperor's current state is indeed unsuitable for continued combat. There are halls beyond the Five Qi Hall, and both the Old Daoist Master and Old Buddha also need some time to familiarize themselves with them. Very well, the Human Emperor can return to my Little Jade Capital later and attempt to break through both the Five Qi Hall and the next hall at the same time."

Qin Mu tentatively asked, "Then, regarding the matter of asking the esteemed experts from Little Jade Capital to descend the mountain..."

Qingyou Mountain Man smiled and said, "I originally intended to descend the mountain with you only if you defeated my three disciples from Little Jade Capital. Now that you've achieved the Three Essences breakthrough, you've far exceeded my expectations. Since I promised you, I naturally cannot go back on my word."

Qin Mu was surprised. Ever since he had ascended the mountain, Qingyou Mountain Man had always given him a cold shoulder and made sarcastic remarks. Why was he so agreeable now?

Qingyou Mountain Man turned to the Three Essences Elders and said, "Three Senior Brothers, I will descend the mountain with the Human Emperor to attend to some worldly matters. As I won't be on the mountain these days, I ask for your continued efforts."

Water Essence True Person said, "The mortal world is full of disturbances, making it difficult to settle an immortal's heart. Junior Brother, when you descend the mountain, be careful not to disturb the purity of your heart."

Qingyou Mountain Man smiled, "I have already experienced the mortal world once; my worldly desires have long since vanished. Rest assured, I will definitely return."

He then summoned Wang Muran, Mu Qingdai, and Long Yu, saying, "I am going to descend the mountain with the Human Emperor, and you will come with me. There's no need to stay cooped up in Little Jade Capital forever; there's no joy in staying with us old folks."

The three were both surprised and delighted. They had long wanted to descend the mountain, but Little Jade Capital had strict rules, and Qingyou Mountain Man usually forbade them from venturing out for training.

Qingyou Mountain Man then bid farewell to the Old Daoist Master and Old Buddha. The two elders smiled, "We have just escaped worldly affairs and sought tranquility by coming to Little Jade Capital, and now you want to plunge back into the mortal world. Immortal Qingyou, I fear you might get entangled and be unable to escape!"

Qingyou Mountain Man gravely said, "You worry too much. I am merely descending the mountain as per my promise, and I will return once it's fulfilled. Worldly matters cannot hold me back."

"Let's hope so."

Qingyou Mountain Man then invited two other old immortals, saying, "Youyun, Youhe, two Senior Brothers who are skilled in divination, will you accompany me down the mountain?"

The two old immortals smiled, "It would be good to take a stroll down the mountain."

Wang Muran rode over on a male deer, which was Zhen Sanren's mount. After Zhen Sanren's death at the hands of the Eternal Peace Grand Preceptor, Wang Muran had taken care of his mount. This large deer was no less impressive than the Dragon Qilin; in fact, being less corpulent than the Dragon Qilin, it appeared more imposing. It cast a disdainful glance at the fat, cat-like creature. The Dragon Qilin, long accustomed to such behavior, paid no mind. Xiong Qi'er whispered, "Fat Dragon, the big deer is looking down on you."

"Let him spit; it will dry on its own." The Dragon Qilin, as if already enlightened, recited, "Let him strut as he pleases; it's like a gentle breeze caressing a mountain ridge."

As everyone left Little Jade Capital, Qingyou Mountain Man glanced back with a sigh. He said to the Village Chief, "Many years ago, when I left this place with you, I was full of ambition, dreaming of achieving earth-shattering deeds. When I returned, my spirit was low, and my ambitions had long been extinguished. I thought I would never leave again, but unexpectedly, your disciple has invited me out of Little Jade Capital. Fate truly plays tricks on people."

"It wasn't Mu'er who invited you; rather, your own heart was moved."

The Village Chief said meaningfully, "Is it the wind moving or the banner moving? It is the benevolent person's heart that moves."

Qingyou Mountain Man laughed heartily. "You are wrong," he said, "my worldly heart is dead and will not revive!"

The Village Chief shook his head and laughed. "A sharp tongue but a soft heart. Mu'er, don't be fooled by how fiercely this old man scolds you; he's actually the most vulnerable. If you make him sad, his 'tofu heart' will shatter into pieces, beyond repair!"

Qingyou Mountain Man sneered, "My heart shattered beyond repair? You were just lying on the ground crying earlier!"

The Village Chief retorted furiously, "When Immortal Xueqi left you back then, who was it that lay on the ground crying like a weeping child?"

"You cried miserably just now and even wanted the Human Emperor to hold you."

"When you shamelessly begged and cried for reconciliation, did you ever imagine I'd use it to mock you today?"

"You even wiped your snot on the Human Emperor's chest!"

Qin Mu's eyes widened. These two elders, whose combined age was probably sixteen hundred years, were still arguing ceaselessly, exposing each other's weaknesses and digging up each other's embarrassing pasts. "The longer they live, the younger they seem to become; they're just old children."

Qin Mu shook his head, thinking, "Where did Grandpa Cripple go? If the Daoist masters didn't catch up to him, he might have already entered Little Jade Capital. I've been delayed here for two or three days; in that time, Grandpa Cripple probably could have explored Little Jade Capital several times over. Also, I wonder about the war on the plains—has the Grand Preceptor reached the Loulan Golden Palace?"

Outside the Loulan Golden Palace in the Great Snow Mountains, a grim atmosphere prevailed. The Eternal Peace Grand Preceptor stood with his hands behind his back, expressionless, his gaze fixed on the magnificent, towering golden palace. Behind him, tens of thousands of Eternal Peace's army stood in neat formation, utterly silent. Not even the exotic beasts within the ranks made a sound.

"Grand Preceptor, Khan Luandi has surrendered!" A general stepped forward and bowed.