Chapter 542: Conforming to the Heavenly Way

He took out the jade pendant but did not remove it. He hesitated, saying, "King Yama told me this pendant is meant to suppress the demonic nature within me. It shouldn't be easily shown to others, and something bad will happen if it's too far from my body."

The Saintly Woodcutter shook his head. "What bad thing could possibly happen with me by your side? At most, it would be minor tricks like curses or lightning strikes, which I don't give a second thought."

Qin Mu gritted his teeth and removed the jade pendant, thinking, "Nothing bad ever happened when I took this pendant off before to show it to the villagers or to Sister Jing. It should be the same this time."

The Saintly Woodcutter took the pendant, gazing at it intently. He nodded. "It is indeed a jade pendant from the Founding Emperor's lineage. Oh, but this one isn't entirely like others from that line. Deeper within its space, a peculiar sealing formation is hidden. This formation must be used to seal something. Could it be for sealing your demonic nature?"

Qin Mu replied, "Someone brought me out of Youdu to the Great Ruins. Grandma Si, who lived there, found me. Besides the basket and swaddling clothes, I only had this jade pendant. The person who brought me here died from severe injuries." His expression darkened as he continued, "Grandma Si is the Saintess of my Heavenly Devil Cult; she raised me. I've always worn this jade pendant. Grandma Si and the others didn't discover any other functions beyond its ability to repel the darkness of the Great Ruins, and even then, only for infants. Later, our village chief found that the pendant could guide us to Wuyou Township. However, that proved to be a trap. The pendant led me to Fengdu, where we were ambushed by demon gods outside the city."

"This jade pendant certainly holds more secrets."

The Saintly Woodcutter toyed with the pendant, a strange look in his eyes. "This pendant can not only guide you to Wuyou Township but also to Youdu. That's because it was forged in Youdu by someone incredibly powerful, even more powerful than me. It's strange, what could such a powerful seal possibly be trying to contain?"

His gaze deepened as curiosity stirred within him. "If I suppress the sealing formation within the pendant, I can discover what it's meant to seal..."

Qin Mu also felt a sense of anticipation. In Fengdu, King Yama tried to do the same thing, but Qin Mu lost consciousness afterward and never saw what happened. He was also very curious about what the pendant was sealing and what would happen if the seal were broken.

The Saintly Woodcutter looked at Qin Mu's expectant expression. He held the pendant, pondered for a moment, and then slipped it back into Qin Mu's hand.

Qin Mu looked confused.

"The person who forged this pendant is very powerful, likely an extremely formidable being from Youdu. Youdu has always been mysterious; few have ever explored its true nature, and even the Founding Emperor didn't know how many masters were hidden there." The Saintly Woodcutter continued, "This pendant being on you certainly has a deeper meaning. I think it's best if I don't explore it. Since King Yama told you to keep it on you, you should follow his advice."

He also greatly wanted to know what would happen if he suppressed the pendant's seal, but he resisted the urge.

Qin Mu had no choice but to put the pendant away, keeping it around his neck.

By this time, many divine arts practitioners from Taihuang Heaven had already entered Li City, repairing damaged buildings and constructing defenses. Qin Mu looked around but saw no Essence Energy Cannons, Sun-Shooting Divine Cannons, or similar weapons. Although the divine arts practitioners of Taihuang Heaven were significantly stronger than those from Yankang, their mastery of mathematics and calculations was poor. Weapons like the Essence Energy Cannon required highly advanced mathematical expertise, which they simply couldn't achieve. Even if Qin Mu were to draw up blueprints for the Essence Energy Cannons and Sun-Shooting Divine Cannons and hand them over, they likely wouldn't be able to manufacture them. Only Yankang Country, with its countless divine arts practitioners skilled in mathematics, could create such devices.

"How did you come to Taihuang Heaven?" the Saintly Woodcutter asked.

Qin Mu explained how he had modified the sacrificial rite of flesh and blood offering, replacing a demon general with himself and teleporting to Taihuang Heaven. The Saintly Woodcutter shook his head. "That's utterly reckless! Aren't you afraid of death, teleporting yourself straight into the enemy camp?"

Qin Mu took a deep breath and said solemnly, "It's a risk worth taking to defeat the First Ancestor Human Emperor! Please, Saint Teacher, teach me the method to become a Young True God!"

The Saintly Woodcutter paused slightly. "You want to become a Young True God and then defeat that deserter from the Human Emperor's Palace?"

Qin Mu nodded emphatically.

The Saintly Woodcutter smiled. "You don't know his background?"

Qin Mu looked bewildered.

"He's just like you, also surnamed Qin, and also my disciple. Ba Ri Luo calls me Heavenly Master. A Heavenly Master is a teacher in accordance with the Heavenly Dao, and also a tutor to the Son of Heaven; essentially, I'm just a scholar. Back then, I was ordered by the Founding Emperor to teach the imperial princes, and that deserter from the Human Emperor's Palace was one of them." The Saintly Woodcutter strode towards the East Gate of Li City, his gaze deep as he recalled the past. "This prince indeed possessed extraordinary talent and high comprehension. But when the cataclysm erupted and the Celestial Court fell during the war, crashing down, the prince, fearing death on the battlefield, fled. However, by chance, he saved several races and was thus revered as the Human Emperor. I also survived. He came to see me several times, but I refused to meet him. Later, I transformed into a stone statue, letting my primordial spirit roam in search of answers, and haven't seen him since. It will be very difficult for you to defeat him."

Qin Mu clenched his fists and exclaimed, "But Saint Teacher, you must have a way, right?"

The Saintly Woodcutter ascended the high city wall. Since it was built to defend against demon invasions, the wall was exceptionally tall, and climbing it felt like scaling a mountain.

"I taught him. His talent and comprehension were the best among all the imperial princes I tutored. He could master any divine art as soon as he learned it, understand it with a hint, and comprehend a hundred things from one. He respected his teachers and revered the Dao. Although I despise him for being a deserter, I still greatly admire him. If you want to surpass him, my teaching you won't be enough." The Saintly Woodcutter climbed step by step like a mortal, without using any divine arts. He said, "I was the Founding Emperor's tutor. Although I bear the title of Heavenly Master, in terms of combat power, I wasn't the strongest in the Founding Emperor's era. On the contrary, my combat strength was only considered average. If I teach you, you won't surpass that deserter. And besides..."

He smiled faintly. "Haven't I already taught you?"

Qin Mu was momentarily stunned. He was likely referring to the teachings on the stone tablet. Theoretically, the Saintly Woodcutter had indeed taught Qin Mu, but Qin Mu was unsatisfied with that method of instruction. The Saintly Woodcutter clearly possessed far more powerful divine arts. On the battlefield, Qin Mu had encountered Fuyu Xiao and was almost killed by him. It was only after Qin Mu learned a move casually demonstrated by the Saintly Woodcutter that he managed to escape. Since he possessed such powerful divine arts, why was he unwilling to teach them? Qin Mu wanted to learn the cultivation techniques and divine arts that would allow him to become a Young True God, to unify his physical body, and to reach a level where he surpassed the First Ancestor Human Emperor in the same realm. He wanted to pin the First Ancestor Human Emperor in the mud, beat him until he vomited blood and broke bones, make him beg for mercy on his knees, and force him to kowtow and apologize to all the Human Emperors throughout history!

"If I teach you my divine arts, you won't use your own mind to comprehend the Calamity Sword. The Calamity Sword is marvelous, but I cannot teach it to you."

The Saintly Woodcutter reached the top of the city wall, sat down, and patted the steps beside him, signaling Qin Mu to sit as well.

Qin Mu sat down, feeling the coldness of the steps in front of the wall. He glanced back to see the Black Tiger God standing below, not having come up.

"All the divine arts I know are hidden within the scriptures. As long as you diligently comprehend them, you can gain the divine arts you wish to learn. That scripture was actually passed down to me by the Founding Emperor. What I've learned is too much and too varied; even with the supreme techniques taught by the Founding Emperor, I couldn't advance further. My strength among gods and devils is only considered average."

The Saintly Woodcutter said, "Later, I discovered that learning too much isn't necessarily a good thing. Come, let's watch the sunrise."

"Sunrise?"

Qin Mu's eyelid twitched. He looked up to see a distorted, incomplete sun in mid-air slowly emitting a red glow, which was truly dazzling. His face immediately paled, and he quickly averted his gaze, suppressing an inner impulse. The Saintly Woodcutter beside him also gradually paled, lowering his head and looking away. The sunrise in Taihuang Heaven made both of them feel extremely uneasy, as if sitting on pins and needles.

Qin Mu was the Heavenly Devil Cult Master, proficient in mathematics and calculations, and had also learned carpentry from Grandpa Ma. He pursued perfection in architecture, even modifying furniture made by Grandma Si herself. How could he tolerate such an unsightly sun in the sky? The Heavenly Devil Cult also had the Craftsmen Hall and the Heavenly Craft Hall, both with rigorous demands for craftsmanship. These halls originated from the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scriptures, which derived from the mathematical and crafting techniques found within the scriptures. Since the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scriptures were passed down by the Saintly Woodcutter, it's clear that he must have had astonishing accomplishments in mathematics and calculations. The divine arts practitioners of Taihuang Heaven were very proud, believing the suns in the sky were crafted by their gods. But for Qin Mu and the Saintly Woodcutter, they were truly an eyesore.

In the sky, another complete sun gradually brightened, and both suns hung motionless in the air.

The Saintly Woodcutter's eyelid twitched. He tried his best not to look up and said, "The people of Taihuang Heaven have completely abandoned all craftsmanship!"

"The god who refined the suns is said to be called the Sun-Creating Deity," Qin Mu said, looking down.

"Hmph! 'Sun-Creating Deity,' my foot! I know that guy! He used to be a cook in the Celestial Court!"

Qin Mu was dumbfounded.

The Saintly Woodcutter stood up and said, "The method to become a Young True God is better for you to comprehend yourself than for me to teach it. What I teach is, after all, my own; what you comprehend will be what suits you best. I've led you to the door; you must walk the rest of the path yourself." He looked up into the distance. To the south, west, and north of Li City, demonic energy still surged, covering the heavens and earth like vast cauldrons. He then said, "I came to Taihuang Heaven this time simply to prevent the demon race from performing a blood sacrifice. Ba Ri Luo is a wise general among the demons. His retreat this time was due to insufficient strength to contend with my sudden arrival. When he comes next, it will be a cataclysmic strike!"

Qin Mu's heart leaped. He quickly asked, "Can Taihuang Heaven withstand it?"

Boom—

The ground trembled. Qin Mu quickly looked towards the sound, only to see countless divine arts practitioners from Taihuang Heaven in the distant battlefield piling up the corpses of fallen demons and humans into mountains. Suddenly, the ground split open, and a massive altar slowly rose from beneath the earth. The light of blood and flesh sacrifice flickered, and a red beam shot into the sky. Within the red light, a tall stone statue appeared on the altar. Rumble, rumble, intense vibrations echoed. The battlefield continuously shook as one altar after another emerged. From a distance, they resembled multiple Chinese characters for "gold" (金), but with their tops sliced off. From these towering altars, red beams shot into the sky, and stone statues appeared on each one!

Qin Mu's heart filled with excitement. He looked up at the Saintly Woodcutter, anticipating his answer.

"They won't be able to stop it."

The Saintly Woodcutter dashed his hopes. "They can only delay it for a while."