Chapter 509: Great Terror

Even Yama was taken aback. He suddenly turned to face Qin Mu, his black cloak billowing like waves, as if stirred by a wind rising from beneath it. "Youdu? You weren't born in Carefree Village; you were born in Youdu?"

Qin Mu still couldn't discern the face beneath the black robe. He nodded and said, "My parents were traveling from Carefree Village to the Great Ruins when they were ambushed. Many on the boat were killed or injured, and the survivors fled to Youdu. I was born there."

He discovered his true origins in the Nether Valley. Images from the time-imprint of the treasure ship revealed that his mother was pregnant with him when the ship was attacked by gods and devils, forcing it deep into the Nether Valley, where it became embedded between the seals of two worlds.

To escape the celestial gods and devils, his mother took the survivors to Youdu for refuge. Qin Mu was likely born in Youdu. For some unknown reason, after his birth, he was taken to the Great Ruins, drifting down the Surging River until he reached Disabled Elderly Village.

Granny Si heard an infant's cries and brought him back to the village.

His birth in Youdu was undeniable.

"You were born in Youdu..."

Yama's voice carried a hint of disappointment. "I thought it was the old swallow returning, leading us to continue the fight and complete what was left undone. But instead, a new swallow arrived. A new swallow is fine, but in the end, I discovered it wasn't a new swallow, but a fledgling. Heh heh, Founding Emperor, you truly achieved carefree living in Carefree Village, forgetting that your people in this world are waiting for your return!"

A trace of anger entered his voice. "Carefree Village is not a haven of softness or forgetfulness; it is the place for your resurgence, not your decline! In these Great Ruins, countless gods and and devils lie dormant, waiting for your return, waiting for you to raise your banner, to fight for you!"

His cloak continued to tremble; it only vibrated violently when his emotions were stirred or his fighting spirit surged.

Suddenly, his imposing aura diminished, and he sounded disheartened. "I refuse to believe that the Emperor who founded an era would so willingly accept defeat and sink into silence. Yet, I have waited for twenty thousand years. The stone statues in the Great Ruins and the ghosts of Fengdu have also waited for twenty thousand years. Why haven't you returned...?"

Qin Mu watched him silently, unsure what to say.

Yama had clearly been hoping for a visitor from Carefree Village, eagerly anticipating news of the Founding Emperor, for which he had waited twenty millennia.

However, all he received was Qin Mu, a person born in Youdu, despite possessing the bloodline of Carefree Village's Founding Emperor.

Qin Mu was not the one he was waiting for. Even if it had been Qin Hanzhen, it could have inspired him and brought news from Carefree Village.

Yet Qin Mu, born in Youdu, knew nothing about Carefree Village.

The identity of being the Founding Emperor's descendant could not console the hearts of loyal ministers and righteous warriors who had waited twenty thousand years.

After a long pause, Yama's breathing stabilized. The eyes beneath his black robe gazed at Qin Mu. "You were born in Youdu. Youdu, like Fengdu, is a world of the dead. I have never heard of a human being born in the world of the dead. I want to check if there's anything unusual about you."

Qin Mu was slightly startled, not understanding what he meant.

Suddenly, Yama began to move, slowly circling him. "Few living beings exist in Youdu, but demonic creatures can be born there. These creatures are an amalgamation of vengeful spirits and Youdu's demonic nature. You've seen the monsters under the Bridge of Helplessness; they come from Youdu. Your birth in Youdu is different from theirs; those monsters are born from the grievances and demonic energy of the world, while you were born from a womb. However, you might still have been infected by Youdu's demonic nature."

"Infected by Youdu's demonic nature?"

Qin Mu cautiously asked, "What do you mean?"

He was somewhat shocked. A devil god once told him that he was a devil just like him. Could that devil god not have been lying? Did he truly possess a demonic nature?

And a demonic nature he was born with?

Yama did not elaborate further. Instead, he pulled back the hood of his black robe, revealing the face beneath.

Before Qin Mu could glimpse his features, he saw that Yama's eyes were like two rotating vortexes, drawing his mind into them.

"Don't be afraid. I just want to examine your soul to see if it differs from those born in the normal world."

Qin Mu felt the world spin. He seemed to be in the center of two enormous, blood-red eyes, impossibly huge, their pupils fixed on him—one on his left, one on his right. He was constantly spinning and falling, seemingly without end!

He felt as if he was sinking endlessly into boundless darkness.

Yama's voice reached him, seeming incredibly distant, as if from beyond the nine heavens. "No human has ever been born in Youdu. I don't know what changes occur when a human is born there, but I can guess that something truly terrible must have happened during your birth. The stray demonic nature and lingering souls of Youdu would try to enter your body. Your mother might have been able to block the wandering spirits of Youdu, but perhaps not its demonic nature. I want to see what effect Youdu has had on you..."

Qin Mu struggled to steady his mind. Suddenly, the jade pendant around his neck floated up, humming as it emitted light, seemingly resisting Yama's blood-red eyes.

The two blood-red eyes grew larger, and the jade pendant's light intensified, yet ultimately, Yama's eyes suppressed its glow.

Qin Mu tried to struggle, but he couldn't exert even a speck of strength. He could only allow the two nightmarish blood-red eyes to continue probing him, to continue exerting pressure.

He felt as if his physical body had lost all weight, as if his soul was peeling away from it.

He was like a drowning person, unable to breathe, his soul slowly drifting away from his body.

At that moment, Qin Mu suddenly stopped spinning. Whispers surrounded him, as if countless devils were hidden in the boundless darkness, speaking in low voices.

The whispers gradually drew closer, growing louder and more chaotic. Eventually, they erupted into a cacophony of countless voices, speaking different words in different languages, causing a splitting headache and fragmenting his thoughts and consciousness!

Finally, all the voices overlapped, merging into one single voice!

It was the Demonic Tongue of Youdu!

"Shut up!"

Qin Mu roared indignantly, but the sound that came from his mouth was not human language; it was the Demonic Tongue of Youdu!

Suddenly, an incredibly terrifying power erupted from within him. His body could move again. He remained isolated between the two blood-red eyes, standing alone, while in the boundless darkness behind him, a fissure suddenly ripped open!

The fissure spread apart, and the rustling whispers resumed. The crack widened, and light streamed out. With a hum, a gigantic eyeball appeared behind him, rolling from side to side.

This eye behind him had eerie pupils—three pupils clustered together. As the eyeball rotated, these three pupils also spun, shifting their orientation!

The demonic light overflowing from this eye made it appear as if it had black butterfly wings, possessing both a captivating beauty and an unsettling eeriness.

"Shut up!"

Qin Mu clutched his head, roaring, "Stop the noise—"

*Crash—*

The surrounding space vibrated violently, developing cracks like shattered glass.

Yama paid no mind to the shock of Qin Mu's roar; he simply stared blankly at the bizarre eye behind him, muttering, "You were born in Youdu, and indeed, you've been affected by its demonic nature. The demonic nature within you was suppressed by the jade pendant, and now that I've suppressed the pendant, your Youdu demonic nature has been released..."

"Stop the noise—"

The Demonic Tongue of Youdu flowed from Qin Mu's mouth with unprecedented fluency. As his voice rang out, the surrounding space shattered with a resounding crash, and the spacetime created by Yama's two blood-red eyes continuously disintegrated!

Behind him, another fissure appeared, and a second eye was about to open.

Yama felt a chill run down his spine, as if facing an ancient, monstrous beast about to awaken.

"Such fierce demonic nature! I can't let it be released!"

He acted decisively, his two blood-red eyes rapidly receding. His cloak flared out, covering the entire Qin King's Palace, and he mobilized his magic to suppress the demonic nature within Qin Mu.

A chilling, demonic voice echoed from within the Qin King's Palace, speaking fluent Youdu tongue: "Mere little ghost, you dare to suppress me?"

*Boom!*

The Qin King's Palace shook violently, followed by another tremor. It vibrated several times in quick succession, its columns toppled askew, and the ceiling suddenly cracked with loud snaps. The entire hall became crooked, seeming on the verge of collapse at any moment.

Finally, calm returned to the hall.

Qin Mu opened his eyes, looking around in confusion. In front of him, several enormous pillars were broken, as if severed by sharp claws, while others were bent from impact.

Pure Yang True Fire billowed from the cracks in the Qin King's Palace, its flames licking at the wood.

The place looked like it had been through a major battle. Above the hall, creaking sounds were heard, and clumps of ash, stone, and tiles occasionally fell.

"What happened?" he wondered, bewildered.

"You don't know what happened?" Yama's voice came from the darkness within the hall.

Qin Mu quickly looked and saw Yama embedded in the center of a bent pillar, his limbs splayed, as if an incredibly terrifying force had slammed him into it.

Qin Mu was aghast. He hurried forward, about to help him out, but Yama waved his hand, struggling free from the pillar with effort. "You truly don't know what happened?" he asked.

Qin Mu shook his head. He had no memory of what had just occurred, only recalling that when Yama's eyes gazed at him, he had continuously fallen between two blood-red eyes.

"It's a good thing you don't know," Yama said, exhaling a murky breath. "You must wear the jade pendant from Carefree Village properly. Never discard it, under any circumstances."

He continued calmly, "This jade pendant is crucial for you. Losing it will lead to terrifying consequences."

Qin Mu took off the jade pendant and asked, "Can I show this pendant to others?"

Yama's body twitched violently. He sternly warned, "It's best not to!"

Qin Mu smiled. "I've taken it off and shown it to others many times before."

Yama exhaled a murky breath. "Then they were lucky; they should be grateful to be alive. You may leave now. Chi Xiu, see him out!"

The deity Chi Xiu poked his head in, looking around curiously. Seeing the devastated state of the Qin King's Palace, he involuntarily recoiled. "Cult Master Qin, please follow me," he said.

Qin Mu, still puzzled, quickly exited the Qin King's Palace and whispered to the deity Chi Xiu, "What just happened?"

"I don't know," Chi Xiu shook his head. "It seems some terrifying entity attacked the Qin King's Palace. Don't speak; you have the scent of a living person..."

"And!" Yama's voice came from behind them. "You can walk into the darkness of the Great Ruins; the darkness will not harm you. If you ever have the chance, you should visit Youdu."

Qin Mu was momentarily stunned. He turned back, blurting out, "I can enter the darkness of the Great Ruins?"

Before Yama could reply, there was a sudden, thunderous crash as the Qin King's Palace collapsed, burying him beneath it!