Chapter 671: The Charm of Divination

The Blind Man was once the most flamboyant character in the village, always keen to display his literary and artistic talents. But ever since the Butcher recovered from his madness and regained his former panache, the pig-killing, meat-selling Butcher's own flamboyance left the Blind Man completely outshone.

With unified determination, though few Divine Cities in Grand Emperor Heaven survived the impact, everyone's spirits were stirred by the heroic songs of the Butcher and Qin Mu. At this moment, the combined divine abilities around them formed an impenetrable divine city.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor's Heaven and Earth Seal became the sky, ground, and walls of this city. Other gods and devils served as generals, fortifying the defenses, while Qin Mu and tens of thousands of divine arts practitioners stood on the walls, acting as soldiers repelling enemy assaults.

Their vital energy, blood, and divine abilities were interconnected, allowing them to withstand the terrifying power erupting from the destruction of heaven and earth.

Everyone instantly felt immense pressure. Some had blood vessels burst throughout their bodies, bleeding profusely and resembling figures of blood. Others suffered torn muscles and skin, ripped clothing, or broken bones. Yet, no one retreated; even with both arms shattered, they held their ground, for their primordial spirits remained, allowing them to continue wielding their divine abilities.

Finally, the most terrifying first wave of impact subsided.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor's legs suddenly gave way, and he collapsed, unconscious. Many hands immediately supported him, preventing him from falling completely and gently lowering him onto the ground.

Although there were many divine arts practitioners and gods and devils present, the First Ancestor Human Emperor had absorbed over ninety percent of the pressure to ensure their safety. As a powerhouse of the God-Slaying Platform realm, he surpassed the other gods and devils countless times over; even all of them combined couldn't compare to him.

Qin Mu and the Apothecary stepped forward to examine and treat him, while the other gods and devils stood in a protective circle, deflecting the aftershocks.

Grand Emperor Heaven now resembled a hell of molten rock. Magma rained down from the sky, mixed with black ashes and mountain-sized firestones.

Hot winds blew furiously at speeds hundreds of times greater than sound, or even more, turning the magma into colossal waves that rolled forward, submerging everything in their path.

Meanwhile, the quaking ground caused volcanoes to erupt continuously from the seafloor of the magma ocean, sending pillars of fire hundreds, even thousands, of miles into the sky.

The sky itself was already shattered, with colorful, razor-thin spatial fragments floating with an eerie glow. Some darted through the air like the sharpest blades, slicing through everything in their path.

Breathable air was practically exhausted. Every breath of the foul atmosphere meant inhaling unknown amounts of toxic gases that corroded their lungs. Even holding their breath, toxins still permeated their skin.

Xing An opened his box, took out a handful of seeds, and gently blew on them. Instantly, green grass spread across the ground around them, and willow trees provided shade.

The six or seven square li of land they protected remained relatively peaceful, becoming one of the few pure lands in Grand Emperor Heaven. Because this area hadn't transformed into a world of magma, Xing An was able to use his creation divine ability to foster vegetation and purify the air.

Ma Rulai gently opened his palm, and the plants and pure land floated up, drifting behind his head to settle into the phantom of the Twenty Heavens, where the Buddhist light nourished this sole patch of greenery.

Pure air emanated from around him, and everyone breathed it in greedily.

"Continuing like this is not a sustainable solution."

Ma Rulai's Buddhist light, combined with that of the other monks, formed a vast protective shield. He declared, "Even with creation divine abilities, we cannot endure for many years. Sooner or later, the sky will become a black sun, devoid of all light. The spiritual energy and power of heaven and earth will vanish. Our divine abilities will degenerate, our cultivation will wane, and ultimately, we will all become skeletons here."

Xing An closed his box and abruptly asked, "Cult Master Qin, you must have a way to rebuild a Spirit Energy Relocation Bridge, don't you?"

Qin Mu and the Apothecary, who were working together to stabilize the First Ancestor Human Emperor's injuries, looked up upon hearing this. "It's impossible," Qin Mu said. "Though I have enough materials, both the altar in the Grand Ruins and this one shattered simultaneously. The surging spiritual energy overwhelmed and destroyed both. Without the Grand Ruins' altar, I cannot construct a relocation bridge."

Xing An frowned, gazing at the shattered sky. He shook his head. "Gods and devils might survive, albeit slowly weakening," he stated. "But divine arts practitioners cannot. They are burdens; we should abandon them."

The tens of thousands of divine arts practitioners nearby felt a chill in their hearts upon hearing this.

Qin Mu straightened up, his gaze fixed on Xing An. Calmly, he said, "I have been to Supreme Brightness Heaven, which is directly above Grand Emperor Heaven. There's a passage there that leads straight to the Grand Ruins. Both Supreme Brightness Heaven and Grand Emperor Heaven have been breached, so we can travel from Grand Emperor Heaven to Supreme Brightness Heaven, and then transfer to the Grand Ruins. No one needs to die."

"But bringing these people will only slow us down," Xing An retorted. "Furthermore, as deities, we would have to protect them, and in this apocalyptic world, protecting these divine arts practitioners will only deplete our resources faster. I suggest we travel light."

His gaze swept over their faces. "Perhaps we should even kill some of them first," he added, "and make them into dried meat, so we can replenish our nutrients if we get hungry on the journey."

Everyone was horrified and dared not meet his gaze.

Qin Mu offered a mirthless smile. "Xing An," he said, "in my eyes, you are also a burden. If you don't wish to be one, then think like a normal person. On this journey, help where you can and simply do your part. You are not the leader of us survivors, so please refrain from speaking in a commanding tone."

Xing An frowned.

The Village Chief coughed, then remarked leisurely, "Xing An, I imagine you have quite a bit of dried meat in your box, don't you?"

The Blind Man stroked the Dragon-Expansion Divine Spear; the black dragon felt as soft as a cat, undulating beneath his rough palm and making a comforting rattling sound with its bones. The Blind Man chuckled, "Perhaps turning Brother Xing An into dried meat could also sustain us on the journey."

The Cripple, feeling bold, chuckled, "First, let's chop off his two legs!"

Xing An calmly replied, "Old Sword God, you are missing limbs and are no longer my match. I could let all of you attack me at once. And not just you, even with Dao Brother Pang Yu added to your number, I would not fear in the slightest."

The Apothecary, curious, asked, "What did you say? Could you repeat that?"

Xing An's eye twitched. After a moment, he slowly replied, "On the journey, I will do my part."

Qin Mu looked at the First Ancestor, whose injuries were so severe that he wouldn't wake up anytime soon. The First Ancestor's heavy body would require True God Pang Yu to carry him forward.

The other divine arts practitioners, however, could traverse the magma sea, treading on the lava without difficulty. The only prerequisite was for the gods present to withstand the monstrous magma waves and the incredibly terrifying hurricanes.

Hurricanes, blowing at hundreds of times the speed of sound, would easily lift any divine arts practitioner into the air, and the poisonous gases and mountain-sized firestones carried within the wind would severely injure or even kill them.

Therefore, gods and devils were essential to guard the perimeter.

"The volcanoes erupting intermittently from the seabed, those pose a challenge..."

Qin Mu pondered. The depths of the magma sea were riddled with volcanoes, and each eruption unleashed energy almost equivalent to a god or devil's strike. The consequences of such immense energy impacting divine arts practitioners were unimaginable.

"The Sword God and I will handle the volcanoes."

Xing An suddenly declared, "His sword art, combined with my divine ability, will be sufficient to suppress the volcanoes."

Qin Mu nodded, then assigned everyone's roles. "Friends," he said gravely, "Grand Emperor Heaven is destroyed. It's difficult to leave our homeland, but staying alive is paramount. Perhaps in the future, we will return and pacify the earth, water, wind, and fire. But for now, we must depart!"

Sang Hua knelt, kissing the ground and gently caressing the earth with her cheek. One by one, other divine arts practitioners from Grand Emperor Heaven knelt, some kissing the ground, others embracing it.

The divine arts practitioners from Eternal Peace quietly observed them. The deep sentiment for one's homeland, perhaps difficult to grasp in times of peace and prosperity, was now palpable; only in moments of peril could such profound emotions truly be stirred within everyone's hearts.

After a moment, everyone stood. The various deities guarded the perimeter, each exerting their power to stabilize the earth, water, wind, and fire. The others stepped onto the now calm magma sea, diligently following those in front.

The magma sea was intensely hot, and the air was terrifyingly warm. Even Ma Rulai's Buddhist light struggled to cool the atmosphere.

"Seal all your pores and retain your body's moisture!"

Qin Mu called out, "Those with flying divine abilities, do not fly! Conserve your vital energy; the journey is long, and we will be traveling for a long time! Divine arts practitioners of higher realms, look after your junior brothers and sisters of lower realms!"

As he walked to the front, the Cripple took out an ancient compass, intricately marked and clearly a treasure, though its origin, presumably stolen, was unknown. Its needle spun wildly, like a carousel, completely unable to indicate a direction.

The Cripple sighed, put away the compass, and scanned their surroundings. Grand Emperor Heaven was an expanse of magma, and the only possible landmark for orientation seemed to be Mount Luofu, which stood diagonally in the center of Grand Emperor Heaven.

Dao Master Lin Xuan and a group of elderly Daoists were attempting to determine their direction using the All-Heaven Star Positioning Art. Daoist Cha suddenly interjected, "There are no stars in Grand Emperor Heaven; how can we orient ourselves?"

Dao Master Lin Xuan and the other elderly Daoists were taken aback, then disheartened.

Everyone else also sought to determine their bearings, but Grand Emperor Heaven currently had no stars, and its primordial magnetic fields were in disarray. The primordial magnetic fields of Mount Luofu and Grand Emperor Heaven had been shattered by the impact, creating countless anomalous points, rendering accurate navigation impossible.

Among the group were also many exotic beasts, such as the Dragon Qilin and the Great Deer, who typically relied on primordial magnetic fields for navigation. However, the current magnetic anomalies left these creatures disoriented.

"Everyone, there's no need to worry about our direction."

Qin Mu retrieved some Buddhist Prime Red Chrome and Feathered Buddha Mother Trees from his gluttonous sack, then looked at Ma Rulai with a smile. "Master Ma," he said, "I need the most ingenious carpenter in the world."

Ma Rulai smiled. "That would be me," he replied.

Qin Mu then turned to the Mute, smiling. "Grandpa Mute," he said, "I need the most exquisite artisan!"

The Mute grinned, half a tongue emerging from his mouth. "Ah!" he vocalized.

Qin Mu took out paper and pen, frantically calculating with an intense focus on precision. Soon after, he produced a blueprint for a carriage, which he handed to Master Ma and the Mute. "To build this south-pointing chariot," he explained, "the measurements need to be precise down to the ksha unit. Only then can it travel hundreds of thousands of miles without veering off course."

Ma Rulai and the Mute studied the blueprint with grave expressions. After a moment, they both declared, "We can try!"

The two immediately set to work, meticulously forging each component of the south-pointing chariot. After a considerable time, the chariot was finally complete. Mounted on it was a golden figure crafted from Buddhist Prime Red Chrome, its arm raised, pointing forward. On the golden figure's head stood three small figures, each holding a mallet, positioned around a central drum.

Qin Mu looked towards Mount Luofu, first assessing their position, then adjusted the golden figure's pointing arm. Next, he called the Dragon Qilin and had it pull the chariot in several circles. No matter how the Dragon Qilin turned the chariot, the golden figure's hand remained consistently pointed in the same direction.

"Dao Master, I understand the principle behind Cult Master Qin's south-pointing chariot," a young Daoist said. "It uses precise bearings, gears, and wheel rotation to ensure the golden figure always points in a consistent direction."

"But what are those three small figures on the golden figure's head and the drum used for?" a young Daoist inquired of the Dao Master.

Many divine arts practitioners from Grand Emperor Heaven instinctively leaned in to listen. Having spent the past two years studying arithmetic and divination under Daoist priests, they were particularly curious about Qin Mu's south-pointing chariot.

Dao Master Lin Xuan explained, "Those three small figures are for calculating mileage. For every hundred li traveled, the figures will be driven by gears to strike the drum once. Simply by counting the drumbeats, you can determine the distance covered."

"Why is it necessary to calculate mileage?" everyone asked, surprised.

Dao Master Lin Xuan explained, "Cult Master Qin instructed Heavenly Craftsman and Rulai to craft the components with precision down to the ksha unit. However, even with ksha precision, there will still be deviations, though extremely subtle ones. Roughly every ten thousand li the south-pointing chariot travels, the golden figure's pointing direction will have a 'silk' unit of deviation. I anticipate Cult Master Qin will adjust the golden figure's direction after ten thousand li, shifting it one 'silk' unit to the right."

Everyone was astounded. Yu He murmured, "Does it really need to be that precise?"

"It does," he confirmed.

Dao Master Lin Xuan's expression was gentle as he chuckled, "A deviation of one 'silk' unit over ten thousand li becomes one 'hair' unit over a hundred thousand li, resulting in a deviation of about a hundred li from the destination. A hundred li difference is already considerable. Cult Master Qin strives for perfection in everything he does. His character is evident in how he disliked Grand Emperor Heaven's original sun, then shattered it and had the Grand Tutor rebuild it."

"He really did intentionally shatter our sun!" True God Pang Yu, carrying the First Ancestor Human Emperor, muttered indignantly to himself.

After they had traveled about a hundred li, one of the small figures on the golden man's head on the south-pointing chariot suddenly brought down a mallet, producing a drumbeat.

Everyone exclaimed in admiration, "It truly is!"

Dao Master Lin Xuan chuckled, "This is the charm of arithmetic and divination! It may appear useless, but it's actually ubiquitous. If any of you wish to learn more profound arithmetic and divination than what's taught in Eternal Peace's academies, you are welcome to join my Dao Sect!"

Old Monk Jing Ming cast a sidelong glance at him, thinking, "The Dao Master has picked up bad habits from Cult Master Qin; he's now enticing others to join the Dao Sect. I must inform Rulai, lest the Dao Sect poach our followers."

They traveled ten thousand li, and the small figures struck the drum a hundred times. True to prediction, Qin Mu stopped, opened the golden figure's abdomen, meticulously adjusted a gear by a 'silk' degree, and then they continued their journey.

Everyone's admiration for Dao Master Lin Xuan grew even stronger.