Chapter 393: His Highness

"Fat Dragon!"

Hu Ling'er called out. Long Qilin, realizing the gravity of the situation, swiftly transformed into his true, giant beast form. Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang leaped onto his back. Yan Jingjing quickly added, "They are in my Sun-Herding Tribe's Sun Temple. Go that way, the highest and largest temple is it!"

Long Qilin immediately put his full strength into rushing towards the location where the next Sun Guardian was being chosen.

Upon arriving at the Sun Temple, they saw that the gate of the grand hall bore the symbol of a three-legged bird within a sun motif. Two towering giants, adult Sun Herders, stood guard on either side of the entrance, holding their axes, blocking the way with a unified motion.

"Outsiders, halt!"

The two Sun Herders spoke with grave authority, their voices booming, "This sacred temple is not for unauthorized outsiders!"

Hu Ling'er jumped down and said, "Your Sun Guardian sent us! Quickly notify your patriarch; something big is about to happen!"

"Please wait a moment!"

One of the Sun Herders immediately turned, pushed open the hall doors, and entered. After a moment, he emerged, politely stating, "The patriarch invites you inside to observe the ceremony."

As they entered the temple, they were immediately struck by their own minuscule size. The hall was filled with the giants of the Sun-Herding Tribe, whose immense height made them barely reach the giants' ankles as they walked among them.

These giants were gathered around a massive circular platform, watching the selection process below, gasps of awe occasionally echoing through the hall. Hu Ling'er leaped up, wanting to see what was happening, but the platform's railing was too high. She was too small, and even jumping five or six zhang (roughly 15-18 meters) high, she couldn't see below.

Hu Ling'er quickly wagged her tail, floating upwards until she could finally see the scene beneath the platform.

Beneath, many young Sun-Herding Tribe members stood in two lines. In the center of the platform were three statues of three-legged, winged, grotesque figures, hunched over, collectively carrying a huge furnace on their backs.

The furnace was unusual, spherical and hollowed out around its sides, with no medicinal stones or similar contents inside.

A strong young man from the Sun-Herding Tribe was currently cutting his wrist, letting his blood flow into this immense circular furnace. He then channeled his true fire, attempting to ignite the furnace.

Soon, a ball of flame appeared in the furnace, growing larger and larger, and intensely bright light burst forth from the hollowed-out sections of the circular furnace, becoming increasingly dazzling.

A series of obscure and terrifying fluctuations also surged from within the furnace, accompanied by a soul-stirring roar like that of a strange beast.

Joy appeared on the faces of the surrounding Sun Herders, but at that moment, the light suddenly dimmed, and the furnace fire extinguished.

"Next!"

Another exceptionally strong girl stepped forward, cutting her wrist. This girl also failed, but she performed better than the previous young man; a vision of a fire dragon coiling within the furnace even appeared.

However, this vision was very brief, vanishing in an instant.

Hu Ling'er looked across, where the old patriarch of the Sun-Herding Tribe and several white-haired elders were observing the trials below. Hu Ling'er's heart stirred, and she flew directly towards them.

She overheard an elder saying, "A Pure Yang physique is very difficult to find. In the past, we had Jingjing, who sustained it for ten years. But now, if we cannot find another Pure Yang physique, I fear tonight will be the day the Sun Well is breached."

Several elders showed worry. Without a Pure Yang physique, it was impossible to withstand the incredibly terrifying and immense power of the Sun Ship. Even forcibly mastering the Sun Ship's power would quickly lead to death by burning!

"Pure Yang physiques are simply too rare."

The old patriarch sighed, "If we cannot find one, I will control the Sun Ship and fight those foreign demon gods to the death!"

His physique was not Pure Yang, but his profound cultivation allowed him to endure for a longer period.

Below, one by one, young men and women attempted to ignite the Sun Furnace, only to end in failure, making the elders' expressions grim.

Ling Yuxiu and the others arrived at the old patriarch's position. The patriarch raised his hand, and a green stone slab floated up from beneath Ling Yuxiu and the others' feet, lifting them and Long Qilin so they could observe the ceremony.

"Patriarch, Human Emperor Qin is helping you ignite the sun! If the sun is ignited, I'm afraid it will burn him to ashes!"

Ling Yuxiu quickly said, "Please, Patriarch, go and help the Human Emperor!"

She was also intelligent enough to know that other identities would be difficult to use to persuade the Sun-Herding Tribe's patriarch, so she directly brought up Qin Mu's identity as Human Emperor.

The old patriarch shook his head, "He cannot ignite the sun. That sun has already extinguished; it requires a Pure Yang fire god to manifest and ignite it. You can rest assured, Qin cannot ignite it; he cannot even approach that sun. It's too hot there. Even an extinguished sun possesses extraordinary power. Look."

He raised his hand, his arm extending like a flying bridge, pointing steadily downwards, "For our Sun Herders to select a Sun Guardian, they must be born with a Pure Yang physique to use their Pure Yang blood, supplemented by true fire, to ignite the Sun Furnace. The Sun Furnace is just an ordinary treasure, and igniting it is already so difficult. Igniting the sun is even more impossible."

Ling Yuxiu said angrily, "Human Emperor Qin has a divine eye; perhaps he really can..."

The old patriarch interrupted her, saying, "Over the years, to ignite the sun, our Sun-Herding Tribe has found many divine eyes and divine blood, but without exception, all have failed. There's no need to discuss it further. Please observe the ceremony."

Ling Yuxiu was furious, "We came to help you ignite the sun with all our hearts, asking for your help, but you refuse to do so. Don't the Sun Herders fear that this will make people despair?"

The old patriarch's gaze fell upon her, and he said earnestly, "It is not that my Sun-Herding Tribe is unreasonable, but we must select the next Sun Guardian. After sunset, darkness will invade, and that will be the time for the current Sun Guardian's soul to return to the Sun Ship. She can no longer hold on. Without a Sun Guardian, my Sun-Herding Tribe will certainly be unable to resist the demonic invasion. The Moon Herders have already gone extinct. If the Sun Herders also go extinct and the Great Ruins are controlled by those demon gods, do you think the world outside the Great Ruins can still resist them? At this moment, selecting the next Sun Guardian is of utmost importance!"

Ling Yuxiu was stunned.

Si Yunxiang sneered, "Even if you select the next Sun Guardian, what then? Won't they still die in the Sun Ship, assimilated and devoured by it?"

The old patriarch said solemnly, "To die protecting one's tribe and protecting the Great Ruins is to die a worthy death."

Nearby, an elder said, "Don't worry, young friends, Young Friend Qin will be fine. If he cannot approach that black sun, he will retreat."

The other elders nodded in agreement. Just then, a vast fluctuation suddenly emanated, causing the old patriarch and the elders to change color and rise in astonishment: "This fluctuation is... from that extinguished sun! Oh no! Young Friend Qin!"

Boom!

The old patriarch and the elders soared into the sky, and the magnificent Sun Temple was instantly pierced by a large hole from these old giants. Hu Ling'er quickly shouted, and Long Qilin immediately carried them upwards, flying out of the hole in the hall and looking towards the sky.

The sunlight was dazzling.

The large black sun had vanished, replaced by a sun shimmering with yellow-white light, radiating intense heat.

"Will Young Master be okay?"

Hu Ling'er quickly urged Long Qilin to fly towards the sun. Ling Yuxiu was also anxious, repeatedly pressing Long Qilin forward. Si Yunxiang's heart soared, "Finally, I'm going to be a pretty widow..."

As they flew mid-air, Long Qilin suddenly veered, heading towards the pillars below. Everyone was surprised and looked down, seeing two figures on the ground, along with several flood dragons.

Long Qilin descended, and the three girls quickly jumped off, only to see Qin Mu carefully extracting a withered, skeletal girl from the Sun Ship, laying her flat on the ground.

Ling Yuxiu rushed forward, "Herdsman, you..."

"Shhh."

Qin Mu raised a finger, whispering, "She's unconscious. I'm quite good at treating girls. I became famous as a divine physician in the flower alley."

Ling Yuxiu pinched him hard in the armpit, complaining, "I was so worried!"

Qin Mu smiled, "I said there wouldn't be any danger. Open!"

Layers of patterns rotated in his eyes as he activated his Danxiao Heavenly Eye. He then activated the Dragon Control Art, and a flood dragon flew to him, resting on his shoulder, its body coiling around his waist.

Qin Mu borrowed the flood dragon's dragon qi, causing his cultivation to surge. Layers of patterns continuously emerged around his pupils, directly activating the Nine Heavenly Eyes to examine Yan Jingjing's body.

After a moment, he dispersed the Dragon Control Art, and the layers of heaven in his eyes vanished. The flood dragon, however, did not get off his shoulder but remained there, very comfortable.

"Mah." The flood dragon yawned, feeling sleepy.

Hu Ling'er quickly ran over, grabbing Qin Mu's sleeve and climbing up, "Get down, get down! Go sleep somewhere else, this is my spot!"

The flood dragon had no choice but to slide down.

Hu Ling'er sat on Qin Mu's shoulder, dangling her feet, her snow-white tail wagging proudly behind her.

Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then said, "Ling'er, I'll recite the prescription, you go fetch the herbs."

Hu Ling'er hummed in agreement, transforming from a little girl into a small fox and slipping into his Taotie pouch. The pouch opened, and as Qin Mu recited each herb name, whirlwinds inside the Taotie pouch carried the herbs out.

Ling Yuxiu saw their close cooperation and felt a little jealous of the small fox. She glanced at Si Yunxiang and chuckled, "No pretty widow for you now."

Si Yunxiang grinned, "The Cult Master plays like this; sooner or later, he'll play himself to death. There will be plenty of chances to be a pretty widow."

Qin Mu refined several batches of spiritual pills, administering them to the unconscious Yan Jingjing. He was sorting the remaining pills when the old patriarch, accompanied by several elders, flew over from beside the sun, shouting from afar, "We didn't find Young Friend Qin, he's probably been burned to ash..."

Before they could finish, they saw Qin Mu.

The old men could not hide their shock. Qin Mu finished sorting the pills: "Ling'er, give her a dose morning and evening. Patriarch, I did not fail in my mission."

The old patriarch suppressed the tremor in his heart and quickly asked, "How did Young Friend Qin ignite the sun? And how did you come back alive?"

Qin Mu smiled, "It was simple. I used the Dragon Control Art to borrow the magical power of several fire flood dragons, then I maximized the power of the Sun Jade Eye and threw it into the black sun. Then the black sun was ignited."

He spoke casually, but the old patriarch knew the immense sacrifice Qin Mu had made, a treasure capable of igniting the black sun was absolutely extraordinary, yet he had given it up without the slightest hesitation.

He couldn't help but feel deeply ashamed. Qin Mu was so selfless, while he himself had been unwilling to come just now. The contrast made him feel utterly humiliated.

"Sister Jing needs a few days of rest. Her body is too depleted; my spiritual medicine only helps her replenish her vital energy."

Qin Mu's expression was solemn, "Her life force has been expended too much; it's very difficult to restore. I can only help her recuperate for now, to prevent it from worsening."

The old patriarch breathed a sigh of relief, "To save a life is already a great kindness. Moreover, Young Friend Qin also helped my Sun-Herding Tribe ignite the sun. Such immense kindness will never be forgotten. Young Friend Qin, Jing'er is in a coma, and we still need to select a Sun Guardian to resist tonight's invasion by foreign demon gods. Please, young friend, come and observe the ceremony... No!"

Qin Mu's hand touched one of the pillars. The old patriarch's face changed dramatically, and he rushed to stop him, but it was too late; Qin Mu's palm had already rested on the surface of the pillar.

Immediately, a surge of immense energy erupted, roaring towards Qin Mu. In an instant, Qin Mu roared in fury, a blazing true fire igniting around his body, his physique growing larger and larger. Another arm involuntarily extended and grabbed another pillar.

His muscles bulged, and two more arms emerged from his armpits, firmly grasping the other two pillars with two distinct snaps. In a flash, he transformed into a deity bathed in the true fire of the sun!

Waves of divine power surged, like successive tides, crashing from all directions, making them feel as if they stood amidst raging storms.

The old patriarch shielded Hu Ling'er, Ling Yuxiu, and the others, his gaze blank, looking up at the hundred-zhang giant. Suddenly, he came to his senses and dropped to one knee.

He lowered his head and said, "Your Highness."

Behind him, the other elders also dropped to one knee, lowering their heads: "Your Highness."

Ling Yuxiu, Si Yunxiang, and the others were puzzled, but then they saw one after another of the Sun-Herding Tribe's giants approaching, silently, gathering around the four pillars, and kneeling on one knee.

"Your Highness," they said.

Si Yunxiang leaned close to Ling Yuxiu's ear, whispering, "Princess Xiu, it seems the Herdsman's background is even greater than yours..."