Chapter 681: Dark Origin

Qin Mu handed Long Qilin a half-peck of spirit pills, enough to fill a basin, and told Yan Jingjing, "He's timid, but when food is involved, he becomes fearless."

Yan Jingjing suddenly understood and chuckled, "Dragon Fatty is quite strong; I couldn't pull him out of the ground even with all my might earlier. What were you looking at? It looked terrifying!"

Qin Mu handed her the Book of Life and Death, explaining, "It's a Netherworld divine art left to me by the Prefect. I was completely absorbed in studying it."

Yan Jingjing sat down and meticulously examined the runes in the book, finding them far too complex for her to comprehend.

Qin Mu sat beside her, pointing out, "These are Netherworld characters. They differ from those in the mortal realm; to mortals, they're simply 'ghost scribbles.' However, Netherworld script is incredibly ancient, containing unfathomable divine arts and Dao methods. They are the vessels of the Netherworld's Great Dao."

Yan Jingjing found herself completely confused, but she was happy simply having him by her side, so the specifics of the script on the book hardly registered.

Qin Mu continued, "Script is information, carrying Dao methods. Once you decipher the characters of a civilization, understanding its Dao methods becomes straightforward. The Prefect didn't want to teach me this divine art, worried I'd disseminate it widely. But if he thought he could hide it from me, he severely underestimated me."

Yan Jingjing placed the Book of Life and Death on her lap, smoothed her hair back from her temples with both hands, and asked, perplexed, "This divine art is incredibly complex. How can one possibly decipher its principles?"

Qin Mu chuckled, "I understand Netherworld language completely, so the mysteries of these runes won't stump me. What's truly challenging are the intricate textual variations and superimpositions involved; those aspects I don't fully grasp. My research into Netherworld divine arts isn't extensive, but fortunately, I know many exceptionally talented individuals. We can invite them to study this together, and I'm certain we can unlock its secrets!"

The Fishing Old Man rose, folded his small stool, and walked over, saying, "Let me see."

Yan Jingjing quickly rose and handed him the Book of Life and Death. The Fishing Old Man glanced through it, felt dizzy, and shook his head, "I can't make sense of it. Perhaps the Woodcutter could; he understands a lot more things."

Qin Mu looked toward the Moon Well and saw numerous small moons tethered beside it, glowing with a brilliant radiance. The Fishing Old Man had managed to fish out so many moons in such a short time; his abilities were truly remarkable.

The Fishing Old Man reeled in his hook and line, and the two small red fish hopped back into his fishing creel.

The Fishing Old Man waved his hand. "The sun and moon have been fished out, so it's time for me to depart. Will you return with me aboard the Red Kun, or take the passage through the Moon Well?"

Qin Mu consulted with Yan Jingjing, then said, "The Fisher God is fixated on the eye between my brows, and I worry he might be tempted to reveal and fish out my brother. So, let's return by entering the Star Sea through the Moon Well; that route is shorter."

The Fishing Old Man waved goodbye, turned, and departed, his fishing creel on his back.

"Do be happy together!" The two small red fish poked their heads out, waving their fins at them.

Qin Mu and Yan Jingjing blushed slightly, and an awkward silence fell. Long Qilin, however, was noisily licking the basin, his rasping tongue breaking the quiet.

After Long Qilin had licked the basin clean, he rolled his tongue, and the basin vanished, its whereabouts unknown. He always considered his food bowl more important than anything else.

"If you leap into the Moon Well, you'll enter the Star Sea, which is highly peculiar. It allows for a rapid journey to the Sun Well."

Yan Jingjing added, "This way, we can save half a month of travel time."

Qin Mu, very curious about the Star Sea, asked, "Do you know its origin?"

Yan Jingjing replied, "Grandfather Patriarch isn't very knowledgeable about it either. He only heard that the Star Sea is an unfinished treasure, crafted by powerful beings during the Kaihuang era, but before it was completed, they moved to Carefree Village."

They stood on Long Qilin's back as he submerged into the Moon Well. The light grew increasingly intense, and soon they emerged into a vast underground world.

Qin Mu mused, "An unfinished treasure? Yet I distinctly saw numerous divine weapons hurtling through the starry expanse. How can it be considered a single treasure?" He had once seen a terrifying sword pellet in the underground Star Sea that unleashed vibrant flying swords, which could be deployed and recalled at will, making it incredibly potent.

Suddenly, their eyes widened in astonishment. A massive chasm, stretching north to south, bisected the underground Star Sea, positioned directly between the Sun Well and the Moon Well!

Countless stars in the Star Sea formed a stellar river, repeatedly colliding and relentlessly bombarding the underground chasm, causing it to constantly fracture. The stellar river had, astonishingly, punched numerous holes clean through the chasm!

The stellar river continued to swirl around the two wells, but its 'stars' were no longer celestial bodies. Instead, they were artifacts imbued with divine power, hurtling through the air at incredible speeds, their constant whooshing sounds filling the space. That chasm must have been the section of Taihuangtian that crashed into the Great Ruins' depths, now pierced through by the Star Sea's 'stars.' These 'stars' were not true celestial bodies, but rather fully formed artifacts.

These artifacts flew at astonishing speeds, propelled by their own power. Occasionally, bursts of their divine might would erupt, terrifying to behold. The colossal sword pellet Qin Mu had encountered on his previous visit was also among them. That sword pellet moved with terrifying speed, continuously unleashing colorful flying swords that shimmered around it, resembling a rapidly moving star emitting prismatic light. The other artifacts also unleashed their powers intermittently, and the energies between them collided, as if they were using each other's might to temper themselves.

"My heavens..."

Qin Mu stared blankly at the incredibly terrifying spectacle before him, murmuring, "This is indeed treasure refining, though I don't know what treasure is being forged. If it's completed, I fear it will be many times more formidable than the Crimson Bright Sky-Suppressing Pagoda..."

Yan Jingjing stated, "We can't get through here. One misstep, and we'll be utterly annihilated."

Qin Mu nodded. The scene was too terrifying; even Taihuangtian had been easily pierced through. If they dared to enter, these artifacts would surely obliterate them.

"Who refined these artifacts? They appear to be nearing completion..."

Pondering this, he instructed Long Qilin to exit the Moon Well, thinking, "It's peculiar; the underground of the Great Ruins seems to hold many strange treasures. Beneath the Divine Severing Mountain Range lies an impossibly vast divine blade, stretching over a hundred thousand *li* north to south. And here, we have such a terrifying stellar river, entirely composed of divine weapons..."

The Star Sea must have been left by powerful beings from the Kaihuang era; otherwise, Sister Qing God wouldn't have planted the Sun and Moon Wells here. Yet, these Star Sea artifacts are clearly nearing completion, so why has no one come to collect them?

"If we bypass Taihuangtian and Luofutian, it will likely take almost a month to reach the Sun Well."

Long Qilin carried them out of the Moon Well and flew toward the distant cliff. It was still daytime, and no light emanated from the cliff face; light would only appear at night.

This chasm originally had two passable routes: flying bridges that slanted from the cliff top all the way down to the bottom, facilitating travel for people and mounts. However, when the Great Red Kun carried Qin Mu here previously, both bridges had been broken by Taihuangtian's impact. Now, astonishingly, both bridges had been repaired!

Qin Mu was surprised and had Long Qilin slow down. He saw a large opening on the far side of Taihuangtian, outside of which many young women were busily repairing the bridge foundations. From within the opening, numerous large, square stones, now sporting legs, walked out in an orderly fashion.

Yan Jingjing had never witnessed such a peculiar sight and was understandably surprised. Qin Mu chuckled, "This is a divine art from the Western Earth. I know who's attempting to excavate the Taihuangtian tunnel." He had Long Qilin descend. The female divine art practitioners, seeing him arrive, were both surprised and delighted, shouting into the cave, "Husband! The son-in-law is here!"

Qin Mu's face reddened slightly as he explained to Yan Jingjing, "The person in there must be Formation Master He Yiyi, one of the three Masters of the Western Earth. She's an extremely powerful woman, unrivaled in formation arts... well, perhaps third best in the world. They're just jesting; I'm not the He family's son-in-law. It's just a local custom to address people like that. I wasn't here visiting relatives; I came to the Western Earth to help Nai Kui reclaim his position..."

As he spoke, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and a woman practically flew into Qin Mu's arms, exclaiming with a smile, "My darling is here!"

Qin Mu was flustered, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He Yiyi released him, chuckling, "Look how startled you are. And you, young lady, he's not my beloved; don't worry."

Yan Jingjing's expression remained stern; she didn't utter a word, simply staring at He Yiyi.

Qin Mu chuckled, "You certainly startled me, Sister Yiyi. Is your He family under imperial command to excavate the Taihuangtian tunnel this time?"

"The Emperor decreed that our He family of the Western Earth first repair the roads and excavate the tunnel, connecting the Eastern and Western Earths."

He Yiyi smoothed her hair from her temples, wiping away sweat. "The Emperor granted us the Xuanwu Pearl, allowing all our He family experts to mobilize. With the Pearl's power, we can enter Taihuangtian's interior, cut stone, and have the stones themselves walk out and then repair the bridges. Look at those bridge piers over there; without the Xuanwu Pearl, I wouldn't possess such immense magical power and perception."

Qin Mu looked back and couldn't help but inwardly marvel. The bridge piers supporting the two flying bridges were, in fact, colossal mountain giants, their shoulders holding the bridges aloft. The mountain giants varied in height, their shoulders propping up the bridges, allowing the roadway to be laid smoothly. The tallest of them must have been several thousand *zhang* high!

Qin Mu exclaimed, "This is no less impressive than the Western Earth noble families' clan-protecting treasures!"

Suddenly, a woman called out loudly, "Formation Master, it's getting late! Let's head to the nearest village for shelter!"

Yan Jingjing abruptly interjected, "There's no need. With me here, you don't have to fear the onset of darkness."

He Yiyi paused, gazing deeply at her. Not long after, the sun set. Qin Mu immediately looked at the cliff face, watching as darkness gushed from its cracks like a torrent of floodwaters, instantly engulfing their position!

As the darkness descended, it seemed to pass through Taihuangtian as if the massive structure didn't exist, swiftly sweeping across the Great Ruins.

Everyone gathered around Yan Jingjing. The girl now seemed like a miniature sun, radiating a dense divine light that repelled the encroaching darkness. As the darkness washed over them, she remained utterly unmoving.

Yan Jingjing shot a triumphant glance at He Yiyi. He Yiyi offered a slight smile, though a faint chill ran down her spine. *'This woman is a deity, and so possessive. It might be difficult to get close to him now,'* she thought.

Qin Mu stared intently at the cliff face. Once all the darkness had fully poured out of the fissures, streaks of light suddenly appeared, illuminating the far side of Taihuangtian. This light was emanating from the very cracks in the cliff face!

"Just as I suspected, the darkness originates from these hidden heavens! When it's night in the Great Ruins, it's day in those realms, and vice versa. It's like an hourglass."

Qin Mu narrowed his eyes. The numerous glowing fissures on the cliff face at the source of the Surging River indicated that a substantial number of hidden realms were contained within this chasm!

"Lou Qianchong, who died by my hand, mentioned that the darkness of the Great Ruins was created by his master, the Black Emperor of the Underworld. Although this darkness alternates at the chasm, what exactly *is* this darkness?"

He paused. To this day, he still didn't know the true nature of the Great Ruins' darkness. It certainly wasn't darkness in the ordinary sense; it had to be some peculiar substance. Furthermore, when darkness encroached, strange demonic creatures would roam within it, devouring any life daring to step into the gloom. Then, at dawn, both the demonic creatures and the darkness would vanish. So, where did these demonic creatures originate?

Moreover, after darkness fell, truly terrifying demon gods would also roam within the gloom. When Qin Mu rescued Yu Zhaoqing and other members of the Heavenly Feather tribe at the Sun Well, he witnessed demonic creatures emerging from another spacetime, indicating numerous such entrances throughout the Great Ruins! The greatest concentration of these entrances was right here: the chasm at the source of the Surging River.

"Among these lights, one must be the true source of darkness! This origin point of darkness absolutely isn't one of the light-emitting realms on the cliff face; it contains darkness within, so it wouldn't glow. And the simplest way to locate this origin point..."

Qin Mu swiftly produced some paper and, taking up his pen, sketched the cliff's outline from memory, noting the position of every glowing point. He thought, "Once dawn breaks, I'll compare the glowing points I've drawn with the cracks on the chasm. The fissure that *didn't* glow tonight will be the source of the darkness!"