Chapter 583: Black Creator

Historically, the Great Ruins operated on a different time system than Taihuangtian. Taihuangtian's divine and demonic arts were rudimentary, so the sun's rising and setting weren't precisely governed by the traditional twelve *shichen* (two-hour periods), resulting in irregular day and night cycles.

However, after Qin Mu destroyed the sun, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace reconstructed it, implementing Eternal Peace's twelve *shichen* system.

The Imperial Preceptor, with a touch of perfectionism, meticulously ensured that the new sun's first light coincided exactly with sunrise in Eternal Peace, and its extinguishing marked the precise moment darkness fell upon the Great Ruins, without the slightest deviation.

Consequently, the Great Ruins was currently shrouded in night.

Navigating the Great Ruins at night was possible under only two circumstances; failing that, one would face a horrific death, either consumed by curses or devoured by the monstrous creatures lurking in the darkness.

The first possibility was to possess god-like power.

The second was to be born in Youdu, like Qin Mu.

The former method involved a powerful individual using their divine or demonic might to force back the darkness, preventing it from drawing near. The latter, unique to those with special origins like Qin Mu, allowed them to enter the darkness unharmed by its curses or creatures.

With the first method, a powerful individual navigating the Great Ruins' darkness could not see Taihuangtian, nor could people in Taihuangtian see them.

The second method, however, was akin to walking directly through Taihuangtian; its inhabitants could perceive a shadowy figure resembling black sand. It was through this method that Qin Mu first encountered Sang Hua.

Nevertheless, while this latter method allowed for observation of Taihuangtian's inhabitants, communication was impossible, preventing any useful information from being conveyed.

Now, seeing another individual capable of entering the Great Ruins' darkness, Qin Mu couldn't help but feel profound shock.

"Both King Yama and Earth Count told me I was the first living being born of flesh and blood in Youdu," he mused. "Could someone else have been born there after me? Why didn't Earth Count ever mention it?"

Perplexed, he scrutinized the black shadow in the darkness, which, in turn, seemed to be observing him, deep in thought.

Both took slow, deliberate steps, circling each other, attempting to glean some insight.

Qin Mu halted, and the black shadow likewise paused, turning its head to speak to someone nearby, though the words were indistinct.

"There must be someone with him!"

Qin Mu's heart gave a slight jolt: "But this person isn't walking *within* the darkness; they're pushing it *away*, which is why I can't see them."

Suddenly, the black shadow turned, leaped with incredible speed, and vanished.

Qin Mu did not give chase. The other party was likely deep within the Great Ruins, and had numerous ways to hide; simply slipping into any ruin would allow them to vanish from his sight.

"A Hegemon Body of the demon race... how did he appear in the Great Ruins? Did he cross over using the Psionic Migration Bridge? Impossible. There must be a demon god-level entity with him, and if a demon god were to pass through that bridge, they would certainly be detected."

Utterly perplexed, he muttered, "Could there be other ways to enter the Great Ruins?"

The Great Ruins held countless secrets. Qin Mu himself had once entered the High Emperor Era through it, traveled to Youdu from the Underworld Valley, and visited Fengdu two or three times. This demonstrated the Great Ruins' potential to connect to other worlds.

"Venerable God Sang Ye and others refer to the Great Ruins as the Kaihuang Heavenly Court; it holds many more hidden secrets waiting to be unearthed... Hmm, perhaps I should consult the Prefect of Youdu!"

Qin Mu invigorated his spirit. With a slight sway of his body, a Heaven-Bearing Gate materialized behind him. As the portal slowly opened, demonic *qi* from Youdu surged forth, making the surrounding darkness even more profound.

The blind man furrowed his brow slightly, considered for a moment, and decided not to stop Qin Mu. *Mu'er always has a plan,* he thought. *I shouldn't interfere; let's see what he intends to do.*

Qin Mu steadied himself and began chanting a long, melodious incantation in Youdu demonic tongue. He was merely reciting the Youdu demonic words, not actively performing the Soul-Drawing Technique.

A moment later, a light emanated from the Heaven-Bearing Gate. The blind man peered inside and saw a small boat emerging from the darkness, illuminated by a hurricane lamp at its bow.

"A Netherworld Emissary!" The blind man's heart jolted with alarm. The Dragon Cleaving Divine Spear on his back let out a low, tense dragon's roar.

"Grandpa Blind, Senior Dragon Cleaving, no need to be nervous," Qin Mu's voice announced. "This is Heavenly Sage King Tian Qi Ren from Youdu, also a paramount figure there, known as the Prefect of Youdu."

The blind man's eyes widened in profound shock. *Mu'er has actually gotten entangled with Youdu now? And even the Prefect of Youdu?* he marveled. *After not seeing him for a while, this kid has become incredibly capable!*

Despite his thoughts, he remained on high alert. Dragon Cleaving, now a black dragon spear, slowly circled him, poised to strike at any moment.

"It's you again..."

A paper boat glided out from the Heaven-Bearing Gate. The hurricane lamp was unhooked, revealing the old man on board, whose face remained impassive, half-hidden behind the lamp. The light illuminated Qin Mu's face as the old man spoke, his voice utterly devoid of emotion: "Don't cause trouble. Carelessly using Youdu language will do you no good. Be careful not to disturb the seals, or you'll regret it when it's too late."

Qin Mu quickly offered a fawning smile. "Prefect, this time I invited you here..."

The elderly Netherworld Emissary shook his head. "You didn't 'invite' me. Your Youdu language compelled me to come, lest you cause more outrageous trouble. What is it? Speak. As long as it doesn't violate Youdu's rules, I'll help you if I can. If it's too difficult, then I'll take my leave."

Divine light shimmered in the blind man's eyes as he attempted to discern the face of the elderly Netherworld Emissary hidden behind the hurricane lamp, but he utterly failed to make out the Prefect's features, a profound dread seizing his heart.

His cultivation had progressed significantly; he had already crossed the Divine Bridge and now stood outside the South Heaven Gate. With such immense improvement in his cultivation, his divine eyes' abilities had naturally soared. Yet, he still couldn't discern the Prefect's face, revealing the profound depth of his powers.

*Mu'er truly has a connection with this Heavenly Sage King Tian Qi Ren,* he thought.

The blind man secretly praised, *Mu'er is indeed just like me, with friends everywhere. He hasn't wasted my years of teaching.*

Qin Mu recounted what he had just witnessed and his two conjectures, then asked, "May I ask, Prefect, after my birth, has any other living being been born in Youdu? And was that person also born of flesh and blood?"

The elderly Netherworld Emissary scoffed, "With one Qin Fengqing in existence, how could we possibly dare to allow a second one to emerge? One such utterly heinous and mischievous rogue is already more than enough trouble. Since your birth, Earth Count has thoroughly investigated all realms of Youdu; there is absolutely no second individual like you!"

Qin Mu, utterly baffled, asked, "Then why was that black shadow able to enter the Great Ruins' darkness just like me?"

"You only presented two conjectures just now, but you're unaware of a third possibility."

The elderly Netherworld Emissary explained, "The darkness of the Great Ruins is a curse, a destructive force, and a seal. This darkness, naturally, did not come into being out of nowhere; it was created by someone. The one who created the Great Ruins' darkness can, of course, enter it without harm."

Qin Mu's body trembled violently, and a realization thundered through his mind!

The elderly Netherworld Emissary was correct: the creator of the Great Ruins' darkness could indeed enter it without being harmed!

He had previously mistaken the figure for a kindred spirit, assuming the black shadow was a Hegemon Body from Youdu and hadn't considered this alternative. But now, he recalled that the black shadow seemed to be a youth, and his speed wasn't particularly fast, indicating his cultivation likely hadn't reached the divine realm.

If this shadowy youth was connected to the creator of the Great Ruins' darkness, perhaps as their successor, and was proficient in the curses and seals within it, then he would certainly have a way to enter the darkness unharmed!

"I've answered your question."

The elderly Netherworld Emissary stepped onto the paper boat, re-hung the hurricane lamp, turned the boat's bow, and stated coldly, "Don't babble in Youdu language for no reason! I was just in the middle of my work, collecting Huo Tuoluo's soul, when I inexplicably heard your voice. It startled the spirits right out of me! Hmph, if you cause trouble again, I'll make sure you regret it after you die!" With that, he propelled the small boat back into the Heaven-Bearing Gate.

Qin Mu quickly waved, chuckling, "Prefect, when I die, I'll bring you lots of delicious food and fun things!"

"No need for that!"

A terse voice echoed from within the Heaven-Bearing Gate.

"Mu'er, you truly have a talent for making friends," the blind man observed. "You have friends everywhere, even in Youdu."

He sincerely praised, "I can tell that Heavenly Sage King Tian Qi Ren is quite fond of you."

Qin Mu quickly replied modestly, "This is all thanks to Grandpa Blind's excellent guidance. It's by adhering to your teachings and living humbly that I've managed to gain the Prefect's favor."

"I am not!" came the faint, distant voice of the elderly Netherworld Emissary from within the Heaven-Bearing Gate.

Qin Mu and the blind man feigned deafness, engaging in mutual flattery, both beaming with satisfaction. Content, Qin Mu closed the Heaven-Bearing Gate, pondering, "Why would a disciple of the darkness's creator appear in the Great Ruins at this time? What business brings him here?"

The blind man retracted the Dragon Cleaving Divine Spear and walked towards Granny Si, stating calmly, "With Eternal Peace's reforms, all sorts of hidden powers have emerged. Many stone statues and celestial weapons have appeared, though these statues have remained inert, and the divine weapons have been taken by the Imperial Preceptor for sealing. It's only natural for some to come and observe. You needn't worry too much; the Great Ruins is quite safe, posing little danger. It is Eternal Peace that needs to be more cautious."

Qin Mu temporarily set the matter aside.

The disciple of the darkness's creator was likely accompanied by a divine or demonic entity, though it was unclear whether it was a god or a demon. Their presence in the Great Ruins was indeed a hidden concern.

However, the Eternal Peace of today was vastly different from before, boasting numerous masters and several deities stationed for protection. Emperor Yanfeng also remained in the capital, so there shouldn't be any major issues.

In the Great Ruins.

"The two figures I just saw were very strange."

In the darkness, a youth seemingly the same age as Qin Mu halted and addressed a towering deity beside him: "That boy was scrutinizing me. He seemed astonished by my appearance, yet not entirely surprised, as if he'd witnessed such things before. Yang Xingjun, this individual is quite suspicious."

Beside him, a three-legged deity, glowing like fire and bearing two wings on its back, resembled a walking sun. Its voice rumbled, "Young Master Qi, you're being overly cautious. I descended from the celestial sun this time to assist you in finding the youth named Qin Mu. May I inquire what offense this individual has committed?"

Young Master Qi replied, "News from Youdu indicates this person is a demon born there, who was sealed and then exiled to Eternal Peace. The higher authorities consider him highly important but cannot dispatch heavenly soldiers and generals to the lower realm, which is why I was sent to apprehend him. The authorities don't trust the demon race, and Lu Li has his own agenda, wishing to capture Qin Mu to become a dominant force in Youdu. The second directive from above is for me to activate the celestial artifact and bring calamity upon Eternal Peace as soon as possible."

The three-legged Yang Xingjun frowned. "The celestial artifact was taken by the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace," he said, "and its whereabouts are unknown."

Young Master Qi, unperturbed, smiled leisurely. "Isn't this Qin Mu, born in Youdu, the greatest celestial artifact of all? Simply break his seal, and he will destroy Eternal Peace; it couldn't be simpler."

Yang Xingjun's body trembled slightly, and he praised sincerely, "Young Master Qi, you are brilliant!"

--- Second update. There will be no third update tonight. Please rest early after reading this chapter and casting your votes. The important thing is to cast your votes!