Chapter 546: Two Worlds Interconnected

Qin Mu let out a long sigh of relief. Seeing the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace was like seeing a beloved family member. The fact that the Imperial Preceptor had come all the way from the Great Ruins to High Emperor Heaven and verified the usability of the spirit energy transfer bridge was truly a godsend for him. Otherwise, they didn't know how much longer they would have to maintain their awkward smiles.

Qin Mu dared not personally test the spirit energy transfer bridge for safety. Like Black Tiger God, he worried that a design flaw might lead to him being strangled inside. Fortunately, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace had arrived. Even more critically, they had shattered the sun. If the spirit energy transfer bridge was not yet operational, the divine beings and gods of High Emperor Heaven would surely cripple them, if not outright kill them. Nevertheless, it was fortunate that the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace had come.

"The sun in the sky..." The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace looked up and saw the sun, now half-missing, in the sky. His expression flickered slightly, and he quickly averted his gaze from the fragmented orb. Composing himself, he then inquired, "Cult Master, where is this place? And who are these fellow Daoists...?"

"Imperial Preceptor, your timing couldn't be better!" Qin Mu announced loudly, "Everyone, allow me to introduce you! This is the saint who appears once every five hundred years, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace. To be frank, after the divine bridges of the Eternal Peace people were severed, the Imperial Preceptor was the first to cultivate a divine bridge and achieve godhood. He is also the leader of Eternal Peace's reforms! Imperial Preceptor, this is High Emperor Heaven, the first of the Thirty-Three Heavens, and the one in the air is True God Pang Yu!"

True God Pang Yu and the other deities were visibly moved. They promptly descended and exchanged greetings with the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace. Pang Yu smiled, "So you are the saint who appears once every five hundred years! I've long heard of your renown! To be honest, I once heard legends about a saint appearing every five hundred years and thought it was mere folklore. I never expected to meet the real person!"

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace returned the greeting, humbly saying, "You are too kind, fellow Daoist. I am merely a simple countryman who has not seen much of the world. The title of 'saint who appears once every five hundred years' is merely flattery from a small nation."

Pang Yu burst into laughter, shaking his head. "Imperial Preceptor, you are mistaken! If your world is 'countryside,' then High Emperor Heaven isn't even that. During the Founding Emperor Era and the Overlord Era, your land was where the Celestial Heavens resided. We in High Emperor Heaven have fought the devil race bitterly for twenty thousand years, solely to protect your world."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace was deeply shaken, and Qin Mu's expression was blank. Neither had anticipated True God Pang Yu's revelation. The information conveyed by these words was immense, requiring some time for both of them to fully process.

"This spirit energy transfer bridge, by connecting our two worlds, is a great boon for High Emperor Heaven. If we cannot defend it, we will preserve our strength and retreat to the Celestial Heavens." Pang Yu bowed deeply to Qin Mu, genuinely stating, "Whether Young Friend Qin can recreate two suns or not, everyone in High Emperor Heaven will forever remember your immense benevolence!"

Qin Mu quickly returned the bow, saying, "True God, you are too kind. This was merely my duty; there's no need to dwell on it."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace turned back to examine the incredibly complex spirit energy transfer bridge and its altar. He exclaimed in admiration, "Spirit energy transfer—it truly is something the Cult Master created. I was in the Great Ruins when I suddenly witnessed a profound change in the celestial phenomena: an altar emerged from the ground, and a bridge of light appeared, like two funnels connecting. I wondered which devil had breached the two worlds and intended to wreak havoc in the Great Ruins. When I arrived at the altar and inspected it, I saw a truly ingenious creation. The calculations involved were extraordinary, likely utilizing spirit energy conversion and spirit energy transfer. My suspicions were aroused, so I came to investigate, and indeed, it is the Cult Master. Only the Cult Master in this world could conceive such remarkable ideas."

Qin Mu felt deeply satisfied, humbly responding, "Imperial Preceptor, you flatter me. Much of this is also thanks to Senior Brother Black Tiger." He then introduced the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace to the gods present, adding meaningfully, "Imperial Preceptor, the Woodcutter Saint is also here in High Emperor Heaven."

"The Woodcutter Saint!" The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace's heart stirred with excitement. His reforms had been sparked by a phrase from the doctrines of the Sacred Cult of Heavenly Devil: "for the daily use of the common people." The path of a saint was his lifelong pursuit! To become a saint required establishing one's words, one's teachings, and one's accomplishments—the "three establishments"—and that was precisely what he had striven for. He never imagined that this legendary figure was present here; how could his heart not pound with emotion? He greatly desired to meet this senior who had guided him onto the path of reform.

Qin Mu, rarely seeing him so emotionally stirred, smiled and said, "The Woodcutter Saint is not here at the moment; he has gone with twenty-four deities to attack the devil race. Imperial Preceptor, you've just arrived and don't yet fully understand High Emperor Heaven. Let me explain it this way, and you will grasp the profound benefit of constructing this spirit energy transfer bridge." Qin Mu then stated with profound significance, "The lineage of Daoist arts and divine abilities in High Emperor Heaven has never been broken."

"What?" The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace looked incredulous, exclaiming, "The lineage of Daoist arts here has never been broken? You mean their cultivation techniques and divine abilities are all completely preserved? Impossible! Look at that sun in the sky—this level of arithmancy is miles behind Eternal Peace, not even as good as the scholars of the Imperial College!"

Black Tiger God pursed his lips, thinking, "This saint who appears once every five hundred years is also someone whose mental state hasn't been properly cultivated. In just a short while, he's been emotionally stirred and agitated, and now his expression has changed dramatically, unable to control his emotions. A so-called saint, merely a name, an empty reputation!"

Qin Mu felt a little awkward, mumbling, "The sun is a bit unsightly..."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace sneered, "More than unsightly? It makes one wish to take a blade and trim it neatly! If a scholar from the Imperial College produced something so crude, they would certainly be stripped of their title and sent back for re-education!"

All around, the gods of High Emperor Heaven looked awkward, exchanging silent glances.

Qin Mu, resigned, lowered his voice. "Imperial Preceptor, please speak softly. Although the arithmancy lineage of High Emperor Heaven has been broken, their Daoist arts and divine abilities have not. With my current strength, among divine practitioners of the same realm in High Emperor Heaven, I could only rank in the top ten."

"Cult Master, are you being modest?" the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace inquired, perplexed.

Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then said sheepishly, "Just a tiny bit modest. However, many divine practitioners in High Emperor Heaven possess the physical bodies of young true gods. Their speed is greater than mine, their strength superior, and their adaptability, the power of their divine abilities, the insight of their divine eyes, and their cultivation techniques all significantly surpass those in Eternal Peace."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace took a long, steadying breath. The primary reason for his uncontrollable excitement was the significant discontinuity in Eternal Peace's Daoist arts and divine abilities! This major discontinuity emerged twenty thousand years ago, when divine abilities and Daoist arts were exceedingly crude and lacked a proper system. While the Human Emperor Palace, Dao Sect, Great Thunderclap Temple, and Sacred Cult of Heavenly Devil spread their teachings, each had limitations, and the Daoist arts and divine abilities they imparted were incomplete. Both the Dao Sect and Great Thunderclap Temple suffered immense damage during that catastrophe. The Human Emperor Palace only had one successor per generation, and the Sacred Cult of Heavenly Devil had just been established and was only beginning to spread its teachings. Little Jade Capital was also founded at that time, but it remained reclusive, with no disciples venturing into the world to spread its doctrines.

Historically, other sects gradually emerged. Their cultivation techniques and divine abilities were essentially built from scratch, after which they descended into sectarian and righteous-evil conflicts. These struggles plunged the world of Eternal Peace into chaos, with incessant disputes among various schools and sects. Meanwhile, the three great sacred lands remained insular, making the exchange of divine abilities and Daoist arts the biggest challenge.

This chaos persisted until the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace assisted Emperor Yanfeng in his reforms. Only then did the situation begin to change, as the sectarian and righteous-evil conflicts transformed into disputes over interests between the various sects and the Eternal Peace Empire. When Qin Mu became the Cult Master of the Heavenly Devil Cult, he ensured the Sacred Cult of Heavenly Devil fully supported Emperor Yanfeng, crushing the resisting forces of sects like the Dao Sect and the Great Thunderclap Temple. This finally brought an end to the conflicts of interest between the sects and Eternal Peace, making it possible to integrate cultivation techniques and allowing for a significant leap forward in Eternal Peace's cultivation arts and divine abilities. Furthermore, Qin Mu disseminated the divine bridge spatial arithmancy model, granting divine practitioners the possibility of achieving godhood and transcending the limitations of lifespan.

Yet, even with these advancements, Eternal Peace's foundation remained weak, its cultivation system incomplete. Only a minority could cultivate to the divine realm, and powerful individuals were still scarce. However, the completion of Qin Mu's spirit energy transfer bridge allowed the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace to envision the dawn of a grand and magnificent era!

"Cult Master, your contributions to the people of High Emperor Heaven are immeasurable, and they are equally immense for the people of Eternal Peace!" The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace suddenly bowed deeply to Qin Mu, stating with utmost sincerity, "On behalf of all living beings, I thank you!"

Qin Mu quickly returned the bow. "You are too kind. The devil race is attacking High Emperor Heaven, which is already struggling to hold on. If High Emperor Heaven falls, the devil race's next targets will be the Great Ruins and Eternal Peace. With Eternal Peace's assistance, we might be able to hold out for a while longer."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace stood up and solemnly declared, "Upon my return, I will certainly petition the Emperor to provide support to High Emperor Heaven!"

Qin Mu smiled. "Then, let the Imperial Preceptor and True God Pang Yu discuss this matter. You two can decide the procedures for the migration of High Emperor Heaven's common people, arrange for their evacuation, and determine how Eternal Peace will support High Emperor Heaven and how to exchange Daoist arts and divine abilities."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Are you going to be a hands-off manager again?"

Qin Mu stretched, smiling, "Brother Tiger and I haven't rested for days; we need some time to recover, and I also have to undergo some training. It's better for the Imperial Preceptor to handle matters like this. Oh, and regarding the sun in the sky, do you think you could help them fix it?"

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace could only nod. Turning to True God Pang Yu, he said, "Fellow Daoist, while Eternal Peace may not possess a complete cultivation system, our reforms over the years have led to advancements in Daoist arts and divine abilities that High Emperor Heaven could benefit from. An exchange between our two worlds will undoubtedly foster countless powerful individuals."

True God Pang Yu instructed several deities to guard the spirit energy transfer bridge, then smiled, "Imperial Preceptor, let us go to Li City for a detailed discussion."

"Please!"

Qin Mu watched them depart, then let out a sigh of relief, smiling, "Senior Brother Tiger, let's go rest first."

The two returned to the Li City battlements and collapsed, falling into a deep sleep. When Qin Mu awoke, the sky outside was bright. After Qin Mu washed up, Black Tiger God also awoke, and Qin Mu asked, "Senior Brother, what kind of spiritual elixir do you take? I'll help you prepare your meal."

"Spiritual elixir?" Black Tiger God licked his paws to clean his face, shaking his head. "I don't consume those; you needn't trouble yourself. As a deity, for daily cultivation, one doesn't need to eat too well; simple sustenance to fill the stomach is sufficient."

Qin Mu paused, then, thinking of the Dragon Qilin, he felt a pang of sadness.

After the two finished breakfast, Sang Hua, Yu He, and others came looking for them again. Yu He said, "Cult Master, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace has already returned. He said that within a few days, an army of divine practitioners and gods from Eternal Peace will arrive."

Qin Mu let out a sigh of relief and asked, "Is there any news of the Heavenly Master?"

Yu He and the others shook their heads. "Now that the spirit energy transfer bridge is complete, my master, True God Pang Yu, has ordered the common people to evacuate High Emperor Heaven. The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace is preparing soldiers and large ships in the Great Ruins to receive them. We came to find the Cult Master because we plan to infiltrate the devil race's territory and help the people there relocate."

Qin Mu turned to Black Tiger God, tentatively asking, "Senior Brother, infiltrating the devil race's territory to help people relocate wouldn't be causing trouble, would it?"

Black Tiger God shook his head. "We've already knocked down the sun; do we still care about infiltrating devil territory? Infiltrating devil territory isn't even a minor issue. With me here, you can rest assured; I guarantee nothing will go wrong!"