Chapter 399: Fishing for the Sun

Qin Mu had seen many divine eyes and was well-versed in deconstructing them. He had studied the Blind Man's Nine Heavens Eye Opening Technique, crafted the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon, and acquired the Solar Jade Eye and Lunar Jade Eye. Although the internal structure of the sun forged by Sister Qing was complex, its fundamental principles remained consistent.

While others might be at a loss when faced with such intricate formation structures within the sun, he could quickly locate the crucial points of various formations.

Sister Qing had forged the sun not as a weapon, but for illumination. Therefore, these formations had no destructive power and posed no danger, allowing him to experiment with confidence.

Furthermore, Sister Qing had left behind a mechanism that allowed the sun to be retracted.

Once retracted, the sun became a metal wall. Since Qin Mu had broken this sun in half, there were now two such walls.

The various Sun Herders suppressed their shock and reeled in their chains.

"Without a hook, how can we fish out another sun from the Sun Well?"

Everyone looked toward Qin Mu, their faces filled with hope.

The Old Patriarch quickly shook his head, saying, "Your Highness's cultivation is insufficient to go deep into the Sun Well and open the sun."

The temperature inside the Sun Well was extremely high; any treasure forged by the Sun Herders would melt upon entry, let alone Qin Mu, who was merely a divine arts practitioner of the Six Directions realm?

Qin Mu smiled and said, "Patriarch, have you forgotten? As the Sun Guardian, I command the Sun Ship's energy, which grants me divine-like magic power, doesn't it? As soon as I fish out the sun, I can free myself and won't have to worry about being consumed by the Sun Ship."

The Old Patriarch hesitated, "What if you can't fish it out..."

"There's no 'what if'! I broke your sun, so it's only right that I compensate you with another!"

Qin Mu made a swift decision, reached out, grabbed a pillar, and his body rapidly expanded. Suddenly remembering something, he quickly sent a telepathic message: "Patriarch, prepare a set of clothes. I've run out of my spare garments."

The Old Patriarch was torn between laughter and tears. Every time Qin Mu transformed into the Sun Guardian, he would burst his clothes and need to change into a spare set. He didn't have many spare clothes, and the ones he was currently wearing were his last.

After fishing out the sun this time, if he didn't have new clothes, he would surely be naked. This was because, in his complete Sun Guardian form, a third leg would sprout from behind, tearing his pants apart.

"Bring our tribe's Heavenly Sun Azure Gold Thread, weave it into fabric, and make a set of clothes for His Highness!"

Just as the Old Patriarch said this, he remembered something else and quickly added, "Also, go invite Patriarch Yu Zhaoqing of the Heavenly Feather Tribe, and have the Heavenly Feather Tribe craft and tailor the clothes for His Highness. Ensure the garments are form-fitting and dignified."

Several Sun Herders quickly departed.

Qin Mu controlled the Sun Ship, which strode on its twelve legs, rumbling as it moved towards the Sun Well.

At this moment, with no sun powering it, the Sun Ship began to consume his life force, causing his body to slowly sink into the ship, gradually merging with its hull.

This rate of consumption was many times faster than when the sun extinguished!

He had to fish out the sun as quickly as possible; the longer he delayed, the more perilous the situation would become.

At the edge of the Sun Well, Qin Mu's magic power surged wildly, sweeping countless chains that swished into the Sun Well. Each chain, like a black dragon, moved and transformed, heading directly towards the galactic core of another space.

That was the Sun Well, a circular abyss where countless suns, like spheres of light, crowded within this unimaginably deep well. Outside the well, stars glittered, and stars of various colors formed a galaxy that coiled around the two massive wells, continuously rotating.

Although the Sun Ship's chains were thick, they appeared like mere threads compared to the Sun Well. This scene truly resembled fishing, with Qin Mu atop the well acting as the fisherman.

Finally, the chains reached the Sun Well. Qin Mu's palm trembled, and he slightly frowned.

The Sun Ship's chains had reached their limit, but they still hadn't touched the sun within the well.

"Patriarch, immediately order everyone to disembark!" Qin Mu shouted loudly.

The Sun Herder Patriarch quickly relayed the order. Everyone on board hastily flew up and left the Sun Ship. No sooner had they ascended than they saw the Sun Ship stride on its twelve legs and enter the light pillar of the Sun Well.

The gigantic ship tilted, entering the well's opening. In the center of the four pillars, Qin Mu, transformed into a god-like giant, swayed and jostled, steering the immense vessel into the sea of stars.

"Your Highness, the Sun Ship has already consumed your lower legs!"

The Old Patriarch hastily cried out, "Don't stay on the ship for too long, you'll be consumed by the Sun Ship!"

In the Star Constellation Sea, a colossal vessel sailed vertically along the light pillar. A giant stood at its bow, controlling the chains to approach the abyss beneath the light pillar, surrounded by constantly rotating multicolored stars.

In the abyss, enormous suns emitted blinding light, making it difficult to open one's eyes.

Qin Mu's face was roasted crimson, as if it were about to melt. His eyes had already manifested the Nine Heavens' formation patterns, allowing him to use the divine eye technique taught by the Blind Man to view everything within the well and withstand the intense light.

The Sun Ship continued to approach the abyss where the suns were hidden. The rocks on this gigantic vessel were already scorched scarlet, but fortunately, having been forged by ancient deities, they had not yet melted.

Finally, Qin Mu saw the chains make contact with one of the suns and breathed a sigh of relief.

At this point, he noticed that the Sun Ship had already consumed his waist.

"Oh no! Without a sun as an energy source, the consumption rate is too fast!"

Qin Mu composed himself, gritted his teeth, and used the four chains as his hands to gently touch the sun's surface, searching for the mechanism.

His body was sinking into the ship bit by bit, past his waist.

Without a sun, using the Sun Ship's power inevitably led to a backlash from the vessel, but the speed of this backlash far exceeded Qin Mu's expectations!

"It's not this pattern... nor is it this pattern..."

Even with his Nine Heavens eyes activated, he couldn't clearly see the formation patterns on the sun's surface, relying solely on the four chains to feel and distinguish them.

The four chains, like four great dragons, moved slowly across the sun's surface. His magic power overflowed from the chains, transforming into threads of vital qi, which helped him discern the textual structure of the sun's surface.

"Not this one either..."

His body had already been swallowed up to his neck, yet Qin Mu still hadn't found the mechanism's location on this sun. Cold sweat furiously poured from his forehead, but before it could seep from his pores, it evaporated, then transformed into wisps of flame that floated around his body's surface.

The Sun Ship swallowed his neck. Qin Mu tilted his head back, keeping his mouth exposed, and desperately tried to control the Sun Ship. The enormous Sun Ship moved slowly, its deck positioned directly over the Sun Well.

Qin Mu stared intently at the Sun Well, his body still slowly sinking into the ship, submerging his mouth.

His nostrils were about to be submerged as well!

Finally, his eyes also submerged into the Sun Ship, and his nose bridge slowly sank downwards. Just as his eyes were swallowed by the Sun Ship, he saw an eye among the many suns.

Qin Mu was slightly startled: "Sister Qing's Divine Eye!"

That eye was as dazzling as a sun, seeming to gaze at him, giving Qin Mu a peculiar sensation. As he was observed by this eye, he suddenly felt layers of rune imprints appear in his own eyes!

This sensation didn't last long before the Sun Ship submerged his eyes.

"Found it!"

Qin Mu's spirit was greatly invigorated. Sensing the unusual tactile feedback from his vital qi, he immediately mustered all his magic power. His vital qi surged mightily downwards through the four chains, furiously striking the mechanism on the sun's surface!

A continuous series of clicking and whirring sounds was heard as the formations on the sun's surface rotated open. The four chains drilled into the sun, held fast by successive layers of formations.

Inside the Sun Ship, Qin Mu immediately felt a vast and surging power emanating from the sun, flowing into the Sun Ship. At this moment, the Sun Ship had completely consumed him, leaving only the tip of his nose exposed!

Whoosh—

The four chains pulled a sun out of the well. The sun floated high, pulling the chains taut.

Outside the Sun Well, the Old Patriarch and others stared anxiously at the light pillar: "It's taking too long, too long. His Highness might not be able to hold on... If it's any later, I fear he won't be able to escape the Sun Ship!"

Suddenly, the Sun Well burst forth with dazzling light as a sun slowly rose from the light pillar, forcing everyone to continuously retreat as rolling heat waves swept in all directions.

Next, the Sun Ship's enormous hull emerged from the well, its twelve legs slowly landing.

As the ship descended, the ground trembled, and magma flowed, forming rivulets.

The Sun Ship settled firmly.

The Old Patriarch and others hastily flew up to the ship and rushed to the center of the four pillars, where they saw Qin Mu lying naked and motionless!

He had lost too much life force to the Sun Ship. Although capturing a sun had saved him from the vessel, the consumed life force could not be recovered.

"Move, everyone move!"

Fox Ling'er rushed over, her bare feet smoking from the scalding ground. "I have medicine here!" she cried.

The Old Patriarch and the others quickly cleared a path. Fox Ling'er dashed to Qin Mu's side, ignoring the blisters forming on her feet. She hastily put the spiritual pill Qin Mu had refined for Yan Jingjing into his mouth and used her own vital qi to guide it into Qin Mu's stomach, activating its medicinal properties.

As the medicine's effects took hold, Qin Mu slowly regained consciousness, feeling incredibly weak, without even the strength to open his eyes. He could only breathe weakly.

Fox Ling'er sighed in relief, then felt the pain in her feet. She quickly leaped onto the Old Patriarch's forehead, tears streaming down her face from the pain.

The Old Patriarch and others quickly lifted Qin Mu, shouting, "Quick, take him to the lake!"

A moment later, on the small island in the center of the Sun Ship Lake, Qin Mu was placed by several people in the hot spring at the island's heart. Beside him was a thin little girl, also soaking in the water.

"Big brother who herds cattle," the thin girl said with a weak smile.

"My feet are hurt too!" Fox Ling'er, still sitting on the Old Patriarch's forehead, her feet not daring to touch the ground, righteously demanded to soak in the hot spring.

The Old Patriarch, resigned, placed her in the hot spring. "Little Ancestor, this hot spring isn't ordinary water; it's formed from condensed pure Yang energy. You can soak in it, but you mustn't pee in it."

"Hmph, you're the one who pees!"

Fox Ling'er excitedly sat down, feeling surges of power from the water nourishing her limbs and bones, bringing comfort to her divine treasure, spirit embryo, and soul. She looked at the thin girl beside her and said gleefully, "Sister Jing from the Yan family, so you're here too. Young Master, why don't you open your eyes? Oh, and by the way, when you were lying there just now, your butt was showing!"

Qin Mu slowly opened his eyes. The two girls immediately saw a blinding white light, as if countless suns had simultaneously erupted with intense radiance, stinging their eyes and bringing tears streaming down their faces!