Chapter 430: North Emperor's Divine Weapon

This poison refining process consumed significant time and effort. The poison Qin Mu was refining was a complex, multi-compound type, requiring multiple stages of refinement. First, he created hundreds of basic poison pellets. These pellets were then used to feed venomous creatures, such as insects, toads, and parasitic gu worms. Subsequently, these creatures, along with poisonous mushrooms, served as fertilizer for cultivating more poisonous mushrooms and herbs.

This process was repeated several times. Ultimately, he produced a few poison eggs, which he then implanted into the bone marrow of his two legs. The eggshells of these poison eggs were not easily dissolved. However, when they encountered bone marrow hematopoiesis (blood production), they would hatch. The toxins would then spread throughout the body via the bloodstream, corrupting divine treasuries, shattering the primordial spirit, and extinguishing the soul.

He had just completed refining this unusual poison, keeping some poison eggs as reserves, when Si Yunxiang arrived to inform him, “The cult elders and masters skilled in the Five Ghost Transporting Art have arrived.”

Qin Mu let out a breath, and gravely said, “Please invite them in.”

Si Yunxiang ushered in the members of the Heavenly Devil Cult. Qin Mu surveyed the group. Many of the Heavenly Devil Cult members present were indeed military generals, still clad in their iron armor.

The Five Ghost Transporting Art was not an exceptionally potent spell. In fact, it was quite low-tier, considered among the most inferior of arts. Yet, even the most minor spell could possess incredible power.

Spells themselves were neither good nor bad; the crucial factor was how they were employed.

If they were to forcibly attack Xiangjing Grand Courtyard, even if everyone present had mastered the most formidable spells and divine abilities, and each was at the Divine Bridge realm, they would likely suffer heavy casualties and still fail to prevent the White Crevice deity from activating the Five Thunder Pot. However, the most unassuming and inferior Five Ghost Transporting Art could relocate the Five Thunder Pot, without a single casualty.

“Gentlemen!” Qin Mu bowed deeply. “Success is our only option this time; failure is not permissible. Otherwise, Yankang will be engulfed by a thunderous catastrophe, and countless common people will perish tragically! Whether we succeed depends entirely on your capabilities, gentlemen!”

The crowd hastily returned the bow. “It is merely our duty,” they said. “We dare not accept such a grand gesture from the Cult Master!”

Qin Mu straightened up, and gravely stated, “The Five Thunder Pot contains the five great Cloud Thunders: East, South, West, North, and Center. Within these Cloud Thunders are concealed Fire Bell Divine Weapons. Even transporting this divine treasure requires extreme caution, so as not to trigger its immense power. Do any of you have knowledge of the five great Cloud Thunders?”

The crowd exchanged glances. An elder stepped forward. “Cult Master,” he said, “I do possess some knowledge of the five great Cloud Thunders and the Fire Bell Divine Weapons. In my younger years, while traveling, I encountered a peculiar book in the Black Tortoise Temple of the Great Ruins. It chronicled certain anecdotes about the Northern Emperor.”

Qin Mu’s expression shifted slightly. The Great Ruins, again.

“The five great Cloud Thunders and the Fire Bell Divine Weapons are treasures refined by the Northern Emperor,” said the elder, who was the Heavenly Devil Cult’s Elder of Works. “The Northern Emperor is also known as Emperor Xuanwu. He was exceptionally skilled in thunder magic and divine abilities. The five great Cloud Thunders and the Fire Bell Divine Weapons were his signature divine techniques, possessing tremendous power. In the Black Tortoise Temple in the Great Ruins, that unusual book was inscribed on the back of a giant black tortoise. It was entirely cast iron, making it incredibly difficult to open. I only managed to open two pages of that iron book. I read some accounts stating that Emperor Kaihuang once hosted a banquet and invited the Northern Emperor. At that banquet, the Northern Emperor displayed a technique: thunder clouds permeated various realms, earning Kaihuang’s profound admiration. What lay beyond those two pages, I do not know.”

Qin Mu was astonished. The Northern Emperor, Emperor Kaihuang – they had a connection? The Northern Emperor was once a guest of Emperor Kaihuang?

“That book revealed some of the mysteries of the Northern Emperor’s five great Cloud Thunders, and I have conducted some research into thunder magic myself,” said the Elder of Works. “The Grand Cloud Thunder Art has been lost, but the Grand Creation Heavenly Devil Scripture contains the Lesser Cloud Thunder Art. I practice the Lesser Cloud Thunder Art myself. Even though I only saw two pages of that peculiar book, it significantly advanced my cultivation of the Lesser Cloud Thunder Art, providing immense benefit. If the Cult Master trusts me, I, this old man, would be honored to lead the Five Ghost Transporting operation this time!”

Qin Mu nodded. “The Lesser Cloud Thunder Art’s magical abilities are quite potent,” he said. “Since Elder of Works cultivates this particular art, perhaps we can exchange insights. Please share your understanding of the Lesser Cloud Thunder Art.”

The Elder of Works then publicly expounded on his understanding of the Lesser Cloud Thunder Art, point by point. Qin Mu listened intently, verifying it against his own Grand Creation Heavenly Devil Scripture. Once the elder finished explaining the Lesser Cloud Thunder Art, Qin Mu then eloquently shared his own interpretations of the art.

From a young age, he had been tutored by the nine elders of Crippled Old Village. His breadth of vision and depth of knowledge had long surpassed what ordinary people could achieve. Furthermore, the scriptures transmitted on the Woodcutter’s Stone, the tutelage from Qin Hanzhen of the Treasure Ship, his enlightenment at the Great Thunderclap Temple, his comprehension of the Dao sword from the stone slab, his enlightenment at Small Jade Capital, and his observations of the Imperial Preceptor’s enlightenment at Qingmen Pass—all these experiences broadened his perspective. While his insight and knowledge might not be the absolute best in the current era, few could surpass him.

The Lesser Cloud Thunder Art is a spell originating from the Grand Creation Heavenly Devil Scripture. The scriptures transmitted on the Woodcutter’s Stone already offered a profound elucidation of this art. With the guidance of Deaf, a grand master of national studies, and having himself founded the Sixfold Divine Treasury, Qin Mu was well-equipped to instruct the Elder of Works on thunder magic.

After Qin Mu finished speaking, everyone was enthralled, gaining new insights.

Listening to Qin Mu’s discourse, the Elder of Works was filled with immense admiration and complete conviction. “The Cult Master possesses heaven-sent talent,” he praised, “he is a natural-born holy leader.”

Although Qin Mu was young, just sixteen years old, and still at the Sixfold Realm of cultivation, his profound insight and understanding were already enough to impress a Divine Bridge realm expert like himself.

“Study thoroughly,” Qin Mu said, “we will move the Five Thunder Pot in the next few days.” Qin Mu then asked Si Yunxiang, “Where has the Emperor reached?”

“The Emperor has just arrived in Youzhou, still more than ten days’ journey from here,” Si Yunxiang replied. “His Majesty’s intention is for the Cult Master to delay the matter for ten days, or at least eight days if ten is not possible. After eight days, he plans to open fire from five thousand li away to eliminate White Crevice.”

Qin Mu shook his head. “White Crevice won’t give us eight days,” he said. “He will make his move within three to five days. What is the status of the battle in the Divine Severing Mountain Range?”

Si Yunxiang frowned. “It’s completely devastated there, riddled with the lingering effects of divine abilities,” she reported. “Even experts of the Celestial Being realm cannot enter. The Emperor has ordered the soldiers at the Yanbian and Mishui Passes to withdraw, abandoning the passes to avoid implication. As for the battle’s outcome…” She shook her head. “The Emperor commanded the commanding generals of both passes to investigate, but no news has been received yet. There… no one has emerged.”

Qin Mu’s heart clenched. He exhaled slowly, his gaze sharpening. “Then we shall resolve the matter of the White Crevice deity first,” he declared. “I will go there myself. I demand to see them alive, or their corpses! Elder of Works, I give you two days. Prepare yourselves as quickly as possible. We will not wait for the Emperor!”

The Elder of Works and the others felt a chill of urgency. They immediately went to drill the group of over a hundred people in coordinated spellcasting. In just two days, achieving seamless coordination among a hundred people to simultaneously cast a technique without a single error, and without triggering any power from the Five Thunder Pot, was incredibly difficult. However, with time so tight, they had no leisure for extensive practice.

Suddenly, a divine ability practitioner guarding Xiangjing Grand Courtyard arrived to report, “Cult Master Qin,” he announced, “the deity requests your presence!”

Qin Mu’s expression shifted subtly. He rose and went there. Inside Xiangjing Grand Courtyard, the White Crevice deity looked much better. It was clear that he had spent the last two days refining pills to heal himself, significantly lessening his wounds and restoring some of his cultivation. However, having amputated his own leg, escape was no longer an option for him. Qin Mu’s current concern was that the deity might choose to fight to the death, as the White Crevice deity remained constantly beside the Five Thunder Pot.

“Young friend, you’ve had many visitors recently,” the White Crevice deity said, a smile on his face, the sharp horn on his head glowing. Rings of light slipped from the tip of the horn, flowing over his entire body.

Qin Mu carefully observed the light radiating from the horn on the deity’s forehead. He mused that the halo released by the horn was vibrating his physical body, expelling bad blood from within. It appeared to be a body-refining technique designed to rapidly restore physical functions.

Previously, the White Crevice deity had been beaten so severely by him that escape was impossible. Now, having recovered some cultivation over the past few days, he was attempting to restore his physical strength.

“They are mere small figures who pose no threat to the venerable deity, wouldn’t you agree, Senior Brother?” Qin Mu smiled. “I see the venerable deity’s power is recovering swiftly. This can’t help but make me a little concerned, fearing you might go back on your word and not honor your promise. I believe we have waited six or seven days already, there’s no need to delay further. Let’s sign the Earth Count’s Covenant as soon as possible. Why postpone? Let’s do it today, shall we?”

“What promise? Have I made any promise to you? Hahahaha!” The White Crevice deity roared with laughter, his voice like thunder resonating through the entire city. “I was just joking,” he said. “Look how pale your face is with fright. Since we’ve waited six or seven days already, why not wait a bit longer? Didn’t you say you’d reattach my divine leg? I haven’t had my leg reattached yet. Let’s sign the Earth Count’s Covenant after I get my divine leg back!”

Qin Mu’s face changed dramatically. “If I reattach your leg,” he said coldly, “and your power has recovered so much, you could activate the Five Thunder Pot and flee instantly. Would I not then bear the sin of destroying countless citizens of Yankang? It’s not too late to reattach your leg after we’ve signed the Earth Count’s Covenant!”

The White Crevice deity placed his palm over the Five Thunder Pot, and smilingly said, “Your name is Qin Mu, right? I inquired among the divine ability practitioners outside. They say Heavenly Devil Cult Master Qin Mu is also the Human Emperor, truly formidable, as you broke one of my legs. Xu Shenghua went to find you, but has not returned, so you must have eliminated him. It’s hardly surprising; how could he possibly contend with you? Come, reattach my leg, and we can still discuss this. Otherwise, I will activate the Five Thunder Pot immediately!”

Qin Mu’s face changed dramatically. “Dragon King God!” he roared.

Water ripples undulated behind him, and the Dragon King God appeared, bowing. “Dragon King God is here, Master, command me!”

The White Crevice deity sneered. “Don’t act rashly, Cult Master Qin,” he said. “My hand is still covering this Five Thunder Pot.”

Qin Mu’s eye twitched. Suddenly, the sharp glint in his eyes vanished like spring rain, and he laughed heartily. “Senior Brother White Crevice is indeed formidable,” he said with a hearty laugh. “I shall reattach your leg then. Dragon King God, there’s no need to be tense. Someone, bring up the medicine I’ve prepared! Senior Brother White Crevice, where is the leg you chose? Please take it out.”

The White Crevice deity tossed the shorter divine leg over, and smiled. “This leg isn’t the right length,” he said. “Bring out the other two legs; I’ll choose one from those instead.”

The smile on Qin Mu’s face froze, his skin twitching.

The White Crevice deity stood on one leg, a serene smile on his face. “Does Cult Master Qin have any objections?” he asked leisurely.

Qin Mu took a long, deep breath. He took out the other two divine legs, and through clenched teeth, stated stiffly, “None. Senior Brother White Crevice, please choose!”

The White Crevice deity glanced at him, seeing Qin Mu’s ashen face, and burst into laughter. “Young man,” he chuckled, “you still can’t maintain your composure.”

His magic power surged forth, wrapping around the two divine legs. He inspected them carefully, finding no tricks played by Qin Mu. “I choose this one,” he said with a smile. “Cult Master Qin, Divine Doctor Qin, please reattach it for me.”

Qin Mu suppressed his anger. “Please lie down, Senior Brother,” he said.

The White Crevice deity lay down, his hand still resting on the Five Thunder Pot. “Don’t even think of playing any tricks,” he said leisurely. “The moment this hand moves, the Five Thunder Pot will unleash its power. Thunder clouds will easily annihilate the world. The Northern Emperor’s treasure, it’s capable of more than just destroying Yankang; didn’t it turn Emperor Kaihuang’s realm into the Great Ruins… Heh heh!”