Chapter 674: Merit Greater Than Heaven

On the Book of Life and Death, the likeness of the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace appeared, followed by a line revealing his name: Jiang Ling, courtesy name Baigui.

"So that's the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace's real name!"

Fu Yanqi gasped, clutching his hand. Suddenly, with a trembling hand, he dipped a finger into some divine blood and wrote the Imperial Preceptor's name and courtesy name on the Book of Life and Death: Jiang Ling, Jiang Baigui.

As these words were written, the divine blood slowly seeped into the Book of Life and Death, becoming increasingly blurry until it finally vanished.

"The Book of Life and Death can decree death! By writing his name, I can summon his soul and claim his life!" Fu Yanqi sneered. "The blood from these four fingers won't be spilled in vain!"

Lou Yunqu and Kui Qingpei watched Qin Mu and his group continue their journey below, their gaze fixed on the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace as they waited in silence.

After a long while, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace continued to walk unhurriedly, helping the group withstand the surging winds and massive waves from all directions, protecting the divine practitioners as they pressed forward.

"Why hasn't his soul been taken yet?" Fu Yanqi gritted his teeth, dipped another finger into divine blood at the site of his severed digits, and was about to write the Imperial Preceptor's name again when Lou Yunqu raised a hand to stop him. He shook his head and said, "Junior Brother Fu, this man possesses immense divine power. The spells of the Netherworld hold no secrets for him. The more you try, the more he will understand our Netherworld's techniques. Now that he has the Book of Life and Death in his possession, you can no longer use it against him."

Fu Yanqi angrily retorted, "So my blood was spilled for nothing?" Kui Qingpei frowned, saying, "Our Netherworld's divine arts are the most mysterious under heaven; how could they be broken? Even if this Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace is the mastermind behind the Eternal Peace Reform, he couldn't possibly be so exceptionally talented as to see through our Netherworld's divine powers at such a young age!"

Lou Yunqu sighed. "Perhaps this is the effect of the Five Dynasties' false Heavenly Court's place of origin. All five false Heavenly Courts originated from there, so it naturally has some unique characteristics. I've heard that among all the heavens and myriad worlds, only this ancestral land has the legend of a saint appearing every five hundred years; no other heavens have this rumor. This Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace might simply be blessed with immense fortune."

Fu Yanqi sealed the wound on his severed fingers with his cultivation, stopping the bleeding. He frowned and said, "Just losing four fingers isn't enough for me to reincarnate through 'dissolution of the body.' Damn it, if he had killed me, it would have been fine, but he only severed four fingers! I'll go kill them and take the opportunity to dissolve my body and return to the Netherworld!"

Lou Yunqu watched Qin Mu and the others disappear into the distance, smiling faintly. "Why are you in such a hurry? Let them go. Our purpose for this journey is to blood sacrifice the Grand Emperor Heaven, forcing the demon race into Eternal Peace, compelling them to fight and wage war. When enough divine practitioners and gods and demons die in Eternal Peace, it will awaken the stone statues of the gods within Eternal Peace. When the gods awaken, they will destroy the world. Haven't we almost achieved this goal?"

Kui Qingpei said, "Our second objective is to record our insights into the Eternal Peace Reform and present them to our master. Since the fruits of the Eternal Peace Reform are embodied in the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace, the most convenient way is to capture him."

Lou Yunqu added, "The third objective is for our master to meet the Divine Son of Youdu."

He chuckled, "I believe all three tasks can be pursued and completed simultaneously. Let them continue onward. Only when they reach the Grand Brightness Heaven will they realize that no matter how powerful or resourceful they are, they remain within our grasp. Junior Brother Fu, don't be impatient; we only need to wait quietly."

The three Netherworld divine beings stood in the air, not giving chase.

Finally, tens of thousands of people were baked to skin and bones. Even the beautiful Granny Si became gaunt in this harsh, apocalyptic world. Just as everyone, including the gods, could no longer endure, the First Ancestor Human Emperor's injuries finally stabilized. With the careful attention of Qin Mu and the Apothecary, his cultivation also recovered somewhat.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor used his creation divine art to conjure water from thin air, producing clean drinking water, which saved everyone's lives.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor no longer needed True God Pang Yu to carry him and could barely walk on his own. Watching the others drink, this former imperial prince still carried an air of melancholy.

When he saw the Seven Killings Star Lord Wei Liao, his melancholy intensified.

Wei Liao recognized him and said, "I once attended court and met Your Highness during a report. When I was alive, I met a man who claimed to be the Heavenly Saint Cult Master from the lower realms. He seemed gentle but was actually quite wild. From him, I heard tales of Your Highness's deeds, knowing that you led various peoples through a hellish world to find a path to survival in times of crisis."

The First Ancestor said sadly, "The Emperor Kai era has ended; there is no 'Your Highness' anymore. I was a deserter, and Emperor Kai was also a deserter. General, your righteousness is commendable, but please don't bring up old matters."

Wei Liao was taken aback, then suddenly smiled and asked, "Your Highness, what do you think of this feat, where Human Emperor Qin is leading tens of thousands of divine practitioners in search of survival?"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor's melancholy vanished. He glanced back at Qin Mu and smiled, "He is very good; he is a good child. I have never seen anyone who can maintain such an optimistic mindset even in such dire circumstances. Moreover, he possesses great wisdom and courage, daring to push forward despite any setback. Although there are many gods and demons by his side, the one capable of leading everyone out of desperation is not a god or demon, but him, only him!"

Wei Liao chuckled, "But the one he's learning from is you!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor was stunned, then shook his head, saying, "Don't talk nonsense. I was just a deserter. Heh heh, I ran away during the Battle of Jade Bright Palace..."

"But the situation you faced back then was a hundred times worse than it is now!" Wei Liao said. "Human Emperor Qin is leading everyone through the ruined Grand Emperor Heaven in search of survival. While the conditions in Grand Emperor Heaven are harsh, they are nowhere near as terrifying as the end of the Emperor Kai era. He is imitating you! It was you who, in that terrifying era, led countless old, weak, and sick people through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, avoiding countless dangers, even fighting to the death, to find a path to survival for all beings, to find Eternal Peace."

The First Ancestor stared blankly, lost in thought.

Wei Liao continued, "If it weren't for you, there would be no Eternal Peace as it is today, no later reforms, and none of these vibrant young people. Your Highness, even the most villainous people in Eternal Peace hold you in their hearts with respect, calling you 'Ancestor.' Even the most powerful people in Eternal Peace are your subjects, revering you as the Human Emperor. You only see yourself as a deserter, but you haven't considered the achievements you've made. These past few days, I've noticed that Human Emperor Qin has always called you 'First Ancestor' instead of by your name, and the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace is also utterly deferential to you. You should know how much they respect you."

The large skeleton chuckled, "They treat you as their closest kin! Even Human Emperor Qin, leading tens of thousands of divine practitioners through the ruined Grand Emperor Heaven this time, is learning from what you did back then!"

"They constantly discuss the reforms of Eternal Peace, but if not for you, how could there be Eternal Peace or its reforms?"

"Your Highness, you left the seeds for the Emperor Kai era, but the Eternal Peace era was also initiated by you!"

"You've only focused on one blemish in your life, forgetting that behind you, the seeds you left behind have grown into towering trees and lush forests. Your Highness, look forward."

"Your blemish is minor, but your accomplishments are greater than the heavens!"

Wei Liao smiled, "We, your old brothers who have passed, are watching you from above. Your classmates from Jade Bright Palace are also watching you from above; they want you to move forward and not continue to sink into despair."

Tears suddenly streamed down the First Ancestor Human Emperor's face.

Ahead, a sheer cliff appeared, filled with fragmented spatial debris. Qin Mu and the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace stepped forward to look. They saw countless, densely packed spatial fragments, shimmering with colorful light.

Some spatial fragments were of pure, unblemished azure sky, floating by serenely. Other fragments resembled sapphire-like seas, while others were flames, or earth, or mountain peaks.

However, these spatial fragments had no thickness; if one were to fall into them, they would likely be shredded without feeling a thing.

Qin Mu peered ahead. The cliff's length and width were astonishing, stretching as far as the eye could see. What lay on the other side of the cliff was impossible for their eyes to discern.

Too many spatial fragments on the opposite side obstructed their view.

The lava flow from the sea of magma abruptly ceased here, its destination unknown.

"This is the massive hole created when the Great Ruins fell from the Heavenly Court," Qin Mu said, having the Dragon Qilin stop the compass carriage. "If we were to go to the Great Ruins from here, I wouldn't know the way. However, if we go from Grand Brightness Heaven to the Great Ruins, I do know the path."

"The crucial question is, how do we get from Grand Emperor Heaven into Grand Brightness Heaven?" Granny Si walked over, speaking softly.

Having replenished her water, she became incomparably beautiful once more.

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace glanced at her, then quickly averted his gaze, thinking to himself, "I am already married; I must not harbor improper thoughts."

The Cripple sprinted along the cliff at an incredible speed. After a moment, a searing wind howled toward him. The Cripple stopped before the group and quickly said, "There's a bridge over there, it seems to lead to the other side!"

Everyone was surprised. "How can there be a bridge in a place with such fractured space?"

They hurried to the place the Cripple indicated and indeed saw a bridge leading to the other side. The bridge was woven from over a dozen willow branches, still vibrant green. However, these willow branches were as thick as dragons; someone must have used creation divine arts to make them immensely huge and immeasurably long!

The willow branches intertwined, extending directly to the opposite bank. What was stranger was that the branches on this side were rooted directly in the magma, drawing nutrients from it!

Qin Mu whispered, "Military Commissioner Wei Liao, did you build this bridge?" Wei Liao looked at the bridge, equally bewildered, and shook his head. "I died early and had no knowledge of such a bridge."

Qin Mu looked at True God Pang Yu, who also shook his head. "We fought the demon race for twenty thousand years, and there was no bridge here. We don't possess the means to build a bridge from willow branches."

The willow branch bridge connected the two realms. Strangely, the bridge avoided all spatial fragments. It was not straight but rather wound through the spatial fragments before the cliff, finding a path to survival through countless twists and turns!

"Such profound calculations..." Dao Master Lin Xuan and the old Daoists of the Dao Sect were aghast, looking at the winding bridge with immense shock in their hearts. One old Daoist muttered, "This mastery is truly unfathomable. Only with such skill could one calmly avoid the chaotic, traceless spatial fragments. Who built this bridge? Who possesses such profound mathematical skill?"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor stepped forward to examine it. "This is the work of the Heavenly Master. He came here, calculated a path to survival, and then built this bridge with willow branches. The end of the bridge should be Grand Brightness Heaven!"

Qin Mu excitedly declared, "The Heavenly Master is the teacher of my Heavenly Saint Cult's founding patriarch! If any of you wish to learn mathematics, you are welcome to join our Heavenly Saint Cult or Heavenly Saint Academy!"

Dao Master Lin Xuan's face darkened, and he grumbled silently. Beside him, Old Monk Jingming revealed a slight smile, thinking, "Now you know it's not easy to poach members from Cult Master Qin, don't you?"

Dao Master Lin Xuan pondered for a moment, then turned to the old Daoist beside him and said, "After we return, should we discuss with the Emperor about establishing a Daoist academy?"

Qin Mu first sent someone to scout the bridge. After a long while, the person returned from the other end and reported, "The path is safe. On the other side is a desolate world."

"That's Grand Brightness Heaven!" Qin Mu's spirits lifted significantly, and he immediately ordered everyone to cross the willow branch bridge in an orderly fashion.

"Military Commissioner Wei Liao, we were fortunate to have your protection throughout this journey. Do you wish to accompany us into the Great Ruins?"

Qin Mu said to Wei Liao, "The Great Ruins has Fengdu. I once promised you a place there, and it's time to fulfill that promise."

Wei Liao turned and gazed at the ruined Grand Emperor Heaven. After a long silence, the Star Lord raised his arm and called out loudly, "Brothers who fell in battle, follow me to Fengdu!"

The Village Chief looked at the thousand-plus skeleton gods and demons and couldn't help but sigh. Qin Mu, puzzled, asked, "Village Chief, why are you sighing?"

"I'm thinking about Daoist Ling Jing, who ferries people across the river in Fengdu," the Village Chief sighed. "This time, Fengdu has gained over a thousand more gods and demons. Daoist Ling Jing, who only earns money by ferrying people, will find it even harder to afford a house. The housing prices in Fengdu are likely to soar..."