Chapter 523: Forgiveness

Qin Mu crashed to the ground, sending dirt flying. His body was covered in blood, droplets mixing with the soil. His hair, wild with fury, swirled as he strode towards the First Ancestor Human Emperor, who had just risen.

"You are a deserter from this battlefield; you have no right to despise anyone!"

Qin Mu roared furiously and charged at the First Ancestor Human Emperor.

Though heavily wounded, his aura was even more ferocious than before, and his attacks more devastating.

Rage seethed within him. As the First Ancestor prepared to destroy the Second Ancestor's remains, Qin Mu felt a surge of blood almost erupting from his heart. His Primordial Spirit merged with his physical body. Within his Divine Treasures, the Primordial Spirit Embryo stood upon the spiritual platform, its head touching the heavens, its feet firmly planted on the earth. Cloud energy surged from all directions, flowing into his Primordial Spirit.

As his vital qi integrated with his Primordial Spirit, and his Primordial Spirit merged with his physical body, the vital qi suddenly permeated his entire being.

Suddenly, he grasped the profound power of the First Ancestor's Primordial Spirit and physical body merging into one.

Cultivation techniques require time to execute, and all divine abilities take time to unleash; the only differences lie in the duration and potency of the abilities.

However, when the Primordial Spirit resides within the Divine Treasures, vital qi flows directly into the body from there, eliminating the time spent on qi circulation.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor's incredible speed in combat was not only due to his physical body being in the divine realm in every aspect, but also a result of his Primordial Spirit and physical body being unified.

At this moment, the Five Luminaries stars within his Five Luminaries Divine Treasures precisely aligned with his five vital organs—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—corresponding to fire, wood, earth, metal, and water respectively. The five stars entered these organs, and the Five Luminaries Star Lords from each star took residence in his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, meaning a deity now inhabited each of his five vital organs!

The Fire Luminary Star Lord, with an ox head and human body, resided in his heart chamber. The Wood Luminary Star Lord, with a human head, bird body, and bird feet, resided in his liver. The Earth Luminary Star Lord, with a human head and snake body, resided in his spleen. The Metal Luminary Star Lord, with a tiger head and human body, resided in his lung chamber. And the Water Luminary Star Lord, with a human head, red hair, and snake body, resided in his kidneys.

With the Five Luminaries integrated into his physical form, his power surged exponentially, allowing him to send the First Ancestor flying with a single blow, just as he was about to destroy the Second Ancestor's remains!

"Yes, they were defeated, utterly defeated!"

Their palms met, unleashing a terrifying force. The surrounding dense mist was instantly sliced open with a hiss by the air currents erupting from their colliding palms.

The force of their palms acted like incredibly sharp blades, cleanly bisecting the mist within a hundred-yard radius.

"They acted, while you did nothing. What right do you have to accuse them?"

Qin Mu roared, unleashing all his vital qi. His muscles flexed savagely, surging beneath his skin, as he pushed the First Ancestor back. *Boom, boom, boom, boom!* The ground beneath their feet continuously exploded, and around them, a hundred-yard-wide pure space formed, devoid of any mist.

This was because Qin Mu's ferocious palm force had compressed the mist, forcing it all to gather behind his hands, effectively behind the First Ancestor.

"Aside from founding the Human Emperor Hall, what else have you accomplished?"

Qin Mu demanded, and behind him, a volcano suddenly roared and erupted, spewing flames skyward. This was the fist technique of Human Emperor Qi Kang, gathering inner fire to build momentum, preparing for an explosion.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor's expression flickered slightly as the power in Qin Mu's palms suddenly surged, blasting him away!

"You did nothing!"

While the First Ancestor Human Emperor was still airborne, Qin Mu stood on one foot, his body rotating once, *shua shua shua*. His vital qi transformed into countless spiritual weapons of various colors, hurtling towards his airborne opponent!

That was Human Emperor Lan Po's weapon-forging technique!

The First Ancestor Human Emperor's sleeves swirled, shredding all the spiritual weapons. Before he could even land, Qin Mu pointed a finger, and towering, continuous mountains erupted from his fingertip, engulfing him.

The "Connected Walls Pointing at Cang Mountain" technique!

"They weren't as capable as you, so you should have taught them! Taught them!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor forcefully broke through this move. Before he could land, a massive bell crashed towards him. Qin Mu had already closed the distance, the bell enveloping him, and from within it, he assaulted the First Ancestor, each punch and kick landing on the bell's inner wall.

The bell resonated with a thunderous roar, its power intensifying. The massive bell tilted, inverted, turned sideways, righted itself, and at times, its mouth aimed directly at the First Ancestor.

The Fifth Ancestor's Five Thunder Sky-Holding Bell!

The First Ancestor Human Emperor continuously retreated, hearing Qin Mu's furious questions mixed with the bell's reverberations: "How did the Second Ancestor die? Of old age!"

"How did the Third Ancestor die? Of old age!"

"How did the Fourth Ancestor die? Of old age!"

"Were all those Human Emperors less talented or less enlightened than you? If you couldn't do it, why didn't you pass down your god-achieving cultivation method and let them try? Why did you let them die of old age?"

Qin Mu unleashed the divine abilities of the thirty-four generations of Human Emperors—techniques he had learned in Fengdu. The thirty-four Human Emperors had imparted these to him merely to test his talent and comprehension, not as a complete teaching. Their sole hope was that Qin Mu would return to the Human Emperor Hall and receive their full inheritance.

They had only taught Qin Mu these techniques roughly, not expecting him to master much. Yet, in Qin Mu's hands, these divine abilities unleashed astonishing power, forcing the First Ancestor Human Emperor into continuous retreat.

"You clearly possess a god-achieving cultivation method! Why didn't you teach it? Teach it!"

"What did they receive from you? Nothing but a broken seal and a mountain of heavy responsibilities! They gained nothing else!"

"They never learned your cultivation methods or divine abilities, yet they fought desperately, shouldering heavy responsibilities that even you couldn't fulfill, battling the very enemies you feared! And now, you destroy their painstaking efforts and even their remains! Before their deaths, they felt ashamed, unworthy of you, the First Ancestor Human Emperor, and felt no face to meet you in the afterlife!"

"Yet you intend to destroy everything they stood for! What right do you have to call them useless or incompetent?"

As Qin Mu unleashed his final move, the First Ancestor suddenly reached out, caught his fist, swung him around, and slammed him violently onto the ground.

Qin Mu sprang up, and the First Ancestor Human Emperor counterattacked. His mastery of fist techniques, movement, swordsmanship, and array formations was utterly flawless, each divine ability executed with breathtaking perfection. He effortlessly shattered Qin Mu's offense, effortlessly forcing Qin Mu into a defensive and battered state.

He remained incredibly powerful. His earlier retreat seemed merely a tactic to await the decline of Qin Mu's initial surge of momentum. Now, he intended to utterly defeat Qin Mu, shattering his confidence along with his body!

His combat experience was exceptionally vast, and his physical functions remained in peak condition. His control over vital qi reached an astonishing level. Qin Mu, in contrast, indulged freely, pouring his emotions into his divine abilities to vent. The First Ancestor, however, perfectly controlled his feelings, expending no superfluous energy on emotional release.

*Thud, thud, thud*. Qin Mu took countless punches, kicks, and divine ability strikes. Compared to the First Ancestor Human Emperor's physique, which resembled a youthful true god, he was still too unrefined.

His True Dragon Overlord Body faltered, and with a sudden, precise finger-jab to his glabella, the First Ancestor Human Emperor shattered it.

Qin Mu's body flew high into the air, then dropped like a tattered sack filled with grain, collapsing in front of the Second Ancestor's dilapidated thatched hut.

He tried to struggle to his feet but found he couldn't move.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor approached, his expression cold and detached. Standing before Qin Mu, he said indifferently, "Is all this talk useful? If you have the ability, defeat me. Otherwise, you will never be able to bear the title of Human Emperor. As Human Emperor, you will face enemies far stronger and far more ruthless than I am."

Qin Mu's eyes widened as he watched the First Ancestor walk towards the Second Ancestor's hut and pick up his bones.

"No..."

Qin Mu painfully crawled over, grabbing his ankle, pleading tearfully, "Please!"

*Crack.*

The Second Ancestor's bones shattered and scattered on the ground.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor lifted his foot, stomped twice, and stated coldly, "If you cannot defeat me, you will never defeat them. I am giving you a chance to defeat me; this is the first. You have thirty-four more."

Qin Mu's vision blurred, and his cheeks felt cold. The First Ancestor Human Emperor lifted him, slammed him *thud* onto the box, and said coldly, "Each time you lose, I will destroy the remains of one Human Emperor. If you continue to fail, none of these defeated ancestors will have their bones left. Now, leave!"

The Dragon Qilin opened its mouth, wanting to roar at him, but its mouth remained sealed, unable to utter a sound.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor shot him a glare. The Dragon Qilin lowered its head and, carrying the box with Qin Mu atop it, began to retrace their path.

"I will kill you!"

Qin Mu's voice echoed from the box: "I will definitely kill you!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor's body trembled, but he did not turn back. The Dragon Qilin carried the box, which in turn carried Qin Mu, as they departed from that ancient fragment of the Heavenly Court.

"I'm sorry..."

*Thump.*

The First Ancestor Human Emperor knelt before the Second Ancestor's thatched hut, kicking up a cloud of dust. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't truly mean to destroy your remains. I'm sorry..."

"I forgive you."

From the shattered remains, a ghost quietly ascended. The Second Ancestor's ethereal form smiled. "I forgave you long ago," he said. "I understand your intentions. You want him to mature quickly; he's the Tyrant Body, isn't he? He can shoulder the heavy responsibilities we couldn't, can't he? I forgive you. Return to Fengdu. They will all forgive you too..."

From the dilapidated thatched huts, skeletal remains slowly lifted their heads, silently gazing at the First Ancestor Human Emperor, who remained kneeling.

"We all forgive you..."

They gazed at their patriarch. The First Ancestor Human Emperor had not passed on the god-achieving cultivation method to them, but he had instilled in them an indescribable spirit—an unyielding and indomitable will.

"I cannot forgive myself."

The First Ancestor Human Emperor remained kneeling, his body gradually transforming into a stone statue as his Primordial Spirit departed.

The box clattered along, carrying Qin Mu over mountains and across ridges. Ahead, the Dragon Qilin vigilantly scanned the surroundings, wary of attacks from strange beasts in the wild.

Two days later, they reached Xianglong City. Si Yunxiang and Fox Spirit promptly took Qin Mu and diligently cared for him. After several days, Qin Mu had recovered somewhat and began to heal himself.

"I will kill him."

Qin Mu's eyes were vacant as he sat on the dragon's head of the city's dragon pillar. To Ling Yuxiu, who had brought him there, he murmured, "I must kill him. I will never forgive him..."

Ling Yuxiu saw his profound despondency these past few days but didn't know how to comfort him. She could only bring him to this spot where they once played together, hoping it might help him dispel the darkness in his heart.

"Father Emperor summoned me back," Ling Yuxiu said, "He intends to send me to the Western Lands."

Ling Yuxiu hesitated, then added, "Although the Western Lands have submitted, no imperial forces have been stationed there yet. Why don't you come with me to the Western Lands to clear your head? You shouldn't always dwell on things; it's quite frightening... Tell me what's on your mind; perhaps I can offer a solution!"

Qin Mu stared at her blankly, his eyes devoid of life. He usually enjoyed plucking the stubborn, bristly whiskers that grew on his chin, but he hadn't done so in days, leaving him unshaven. Dulled, he asked, "How does one kill a true god?"

Ling Yuxiu froze.

Qin Mu lay down. "You should go to the Western Lands," he said. "The Emperor is sending you there and Prince Yushu to the North. Both regions were only recently conquered. If you govern the Western Lands better than your second brother, you will become the Crown Prince. If you aspire to that, I can assist you; I have people there. I cannot accompany you. There are matters I need to consider very carefully."

Ling Yuxiu lay down beside him, hands behind her head, staring blankly at the white clouds in the sky. "A few years ago, when we lay here together, we were so carefree," she said suddenly. "I liked you, and you liked me. How did it happen that as we grew up, our troubles multiplied? I really miss those times..."

"Perhaps we just grew up," Qin Mu whispered, closing his eyes.

Ling Yuxiu rolled over, looking at him sideways. She plucked a stray, long whisker from his cheek and asked, "Are you still the same person you used to be?"

Qin Mu paused. "Xing An said that a person's body completely renews every seven years," he replied. "It's been three or four years now, so I should only be half of my old self."

Ling Yuxiu shivered, then fiercely pulled off a few more of his whiskers, scolding him, "You're scaring me again! You absolutely mustn't turn into Xing An!"

She tilted her head, pondering for a moment. "If you don't want me to go to the Western Lands," she said, "I can stay and keep you company."

"Do you want to go?" Qin Mu asked.

"Yes!"

Ling Yuxiu stood up, looking down at the vast landscape of the Great Ruins, her spirit soaring. "I want to be empress!" she declared. "I want to surpass my father! I want him to realize that I am better and more capable than all his sons!"

A glimmer of light appeared in Qin Mu's vacant eyes. He was inspired by the girl, regaining some of his vigor, as if coming back to life.