Chapter 713: Old Good-Natured Man and the World-Destroying Demon King

Qin Mu pondered how to devise a precise Creation divine art to heal Di Yiyue's injuries without damaging her brain. Meanwhile, the Woodcutter ascended the Stargazing Platform of Yongjiang Academy, preparing to perform a ritual to recall the souls of Liyang's residents. "If the people of Liyang remain disembodied for too long, their physical bodies will be damaged," he said. "We must guide their souls or primordial spirits back."

The Human Emperor, the First Ancestor, looked worried. "Snatching souls from Youdu and bringing the dead back to life shortens one's lifespan," he said. "Even though Celestial Masters are deities with endless lifespans, angering the Yin Constables will lead them to target you and seize your soul. If you cannot escape this calamity, you will suffer in Youdu, and perhaps even be devoured by the Earth Overlord if your sins are grave. Even if you survive this time, you will still suffer in Youdu and be eaten by the Earth Overlord when you eventually die. Liyang is so vast, with so many people; the punishment will undoubtedly be much heavier!"

The Woodcutter shook his head. "This time, I designed a trap, using the lives of Liyang's people as bait to lure Lou Yunqu and others here, and then using Qin Mu to draw out the Emperor of Yin. This ultimately harmed the people of Liyang. The origin of this matter lies with me. How can I spare myself? Everything can wait until after I die."

He had also deeply researched Youdu's language and magic, making it not difficult for him to perform the Soul Beckoning Art.

As he chanted in the language of Youdu, a portal gradually materialized from nothingness, slowly appearing before him.

Unlike Qin Mu, he had not forged the Gate of Bearing Heaven, nor could he create divine arts like the God-Slaying Profound Gate or the Netherworld Heavenly Gate. Instead, he found an alternative path, using runic magic to construct a portal connecting to Youdu.

This method was similar to the original Soul Beckoning Art, differing from the one Qin Mu had refined. Qin Mu's improved Soul Beckoning divine art was extremely direct; upon activation, the Gate of Bearing Heaven appeared instantly, allowing the souls of the deceased to be easily summoned from Youdu.

The Woodcutter Sage's Soul Beckoning Art was more time-consuming and required more magical power, but its effects were comparable.

He stood on the Stargazing Platform, with Youdu's demonic energy billowing behind him, and the darkness grew increasingly dense. Although it was daytime and the sun shone intensely, albeit somewhat erratically, its light could not penetrate the encroaching demonic energy from Youdu.

Within the dark demonic energy, a towering portal stood. Souls continuously flew out from it, dispersing in all directions. Upon finding their respective bodies, they re-entered them, and after a moment, the owners of those bodies slowly regained consciousness.

The Woodcutter Sage continued his ritual, expanding the range of Youdu's demonic energy. The energy extended from Yongjiang Academy, covering Yongjiang, then spread to Dijiang County, and from there to several other counties.

More and more souls flew from the portal, and an increasing number of people awakened. Just then, a faint light appeared in the darkness, and a small boat drifted silently towards the portal.

"The Yin Constable is here, likely to seize my soul."

The Woodcutter Sage felt a pang of sadness but maintained a serene expression. He thought, "As long as no one else is implicated, it's fine. Trading my life for the people of Liyang's lives is worth it, even if I die. Besides, I severely injured the Emperor of Yin, rescued Heavenly King Di Yiyue, and prevented a natural disaster. It's truly worth it. I have three disciples; they are all excellent. They can carry on without me."

The sadness in his heart vanished, and he waited to meet his ultimate fate.

The small boat reached the portal in the darkness. The old man at the bow stood up, took down his lantern, and shone its light towards the Woodcutter Sage.

The Woodcutter Sage's primordial spirit became unstable under the lantern's light, yet he continued chanting in Youdu's language without the slightest slack, hoping to summon all the souls of Liyang's unjustly deceased residents before the Yin Constable acted.

The small boat began to move out of the portal. The old Yin Constable, holding his lantern, was about to cross from Youdu into the mortal realm. The Woodcutter Sage's heart tightened; he paused his spell and asked, "Lord Prefect of Youdu, could you grant me a moment until I fulfill my wish?"

Just as the old Yin Constable was about to speak, Qin Mu suddenly peeked through the portal. Seeing him, Qin Mu's face lit up with joy, and he chuckled, "So it's the Prefect!"

The old Yin Constable's face darkened. "I thought you were performing a soul beckoning ritual, so I intended to come and see. But it wasn't you, which made me think whoever dared to beckon souls must be quite bold. These past two days, many people have been performing soul beckoning, causing chaos, and the Earth Overlord is very displeased!"

Qin Mu chuckled, "My apologies, Prefect. I was the one who asked them to beckon souls. You didn't do anything to them, did you?"

The old Yin Constable's expression grew grim, and he huffed.

Qin Mu quickly explained, "The one performing the soul beckoning this time is my teacher. I'm busy and don't have time to do it myself, so I asked him. He doesn't understand the process and just messed around, disturbing you, Prefect. Please forgive him. Or perhaps, should I perform the soul beckoning myself instead?"

The old Yin Constable was silent for a moment, then said stiffly, "No need. Although the seal is very secure, you still need to be careful, lest all the souls you summon end up feeding your brother."

Qin Mu chuckled, "Don't worry, Prefect. The willow leaf on my brow is securely affixed; I never remove it, so my brother can't escape."

The old Yin Constable's expression softened slightly, and he cautioned, "It's best never to remove it. If you release your brother and he causes trouble, the Earth Overlord will still have to clean up your mess. I won't pursue this soul beckoning matter further. Youdu has a rule that the deceased are not considered truly dead until seven days have passed since their death, and they can still be brought back to life. So, it's not that Youdu fears you, nor am I giving you special treatment; it's simply a standing rule. Be more careful."

Qin Mu repeatedly affirmed, "Yes, Prefect. Safe travels."

The old Yin Constable returned to Youdu on his small boat, disappearing into the darkness.

Qin Mu then jogged back, leaving the dumbfounded Woodcutter Sage on the Stargazing Platform, who remained stunned for a long time.

"Brother Dao, I truly envy you for having such an outstanding disciple. He can even navigate Youdu with ease."

Brahma burst with emotion and envy. "How did you cultivate him to be so exceptional? Could you teach me your methods too?"

Chi Xi the Divine Being quickly leaned in, not daring to miss a single word.

The Woodcutter Sage opened his mouth. "I..." But he couldn't continue.

"This fellow, he's unworthy of the title 'Sage' and is hiding his secrets from us!" Chi Xi muttered indignantly to himself.

His impression of the Woodcutter was already poor, and now it was even worse.

Unable to explain, the Woodcutter could only continue beckoning souls, muttering inwardly, "What have I taught him? I don't even know..."

Qin Mu ran back to Di Yiyue, who looked at him curiously and whispered, "You know the Heavenly Qi Benevolent Sage King?"

Qin Mu focused on calculating and designing the Creation runes, not even looking up. "Yes, I know him. We've interacted a few times; he's a very amiable old gentleman."

Di Yiyue's eyes widened, and she looked utterly bewildered. "Amiable? Don't you know the Heavenly Qi Benevolent Sage King is the second most powerful figure in Youdu, second only to the Earth Overlord? If he were amiable, wouldn't the gods and devils whose souls he seized and killed cry themselves back to life? As long as Youdu's rules are violated, this Benevolent Sage King will not hesitate to destroy an entire world!"

Qin Mu finished designing the Creation runes, tested them, and shook his head. "That must be a rumor. The Prefect is a kind old gentleman who never loses his temper. Sister, don't move; I'm about to perform the healing ritual for you."

Di Yiyue quickly steadied herself, remaining perfectly still.

Qin Mu prepared to begin, but finding it a bit awkward, he said, "Sister, you're quite tall; it would be easier for me if you lay down."

Di Yiyue complied, lying flat and floating five feet above the ground.

Her beautiful hair flowed down like tassels, exhibiting a lovely drape, and her black gown hung like smooth silk. Qin Mu glanced at her chest, which remained prominent even while she lay down, and praised inwardly, "Sister is truly beautiful."

Although the naive young man also noticed faces, due to the teachings of the elders in Disabled Elderly Village during his childhood, he stubbornly believed one shouldn't only look at faces but also at chests.

Girls with larger chests were beautiful.

He calmed himself and began casting the spell. Not many Creation runes were needed to repair Di Yiyue's injury; he only had to select specific Creation runes for the forehead and brain from the "Three Primordial Spirits Undying Divine Sense" and the "Profound Scripture of Flawless Creation." The real challenge lay in how to reassemble them and prevent other brain tissues from overgrowing.

This was precisely why Qin Mu had spent so long calculating and deducing.

Additionally, he needed to modify some Creation runes and reconfigure their structure, which was a first for him, necessitating extreme caution.

After all, the brain is very fragile; too little is bad, and too much is also bad.

Furthermore, Di Yiyue's injury wasn't just to her physical body; her primordial spirit also had a similar hole. Qin Mu's redesign of the Creation runes this time aimed to heal her primordial spirit's wound as well.

He cast the spell with extreme care. Inside Di Yiyue's head, brain tissue slowly regenerated, and the missing parts gradually grew back, filling the gaping wound.

Every one of Qin Mu's movements was meticulously careful. Layers of intricate patterns appeared in his pupils as he stared at the bleeding hole on Di Yiyue's forehead, closely observing the growth of the brain tissue.

He controlled his magical power, making the runic changes even more subtle. Once the brain tissue had fully regenerated, he cautiously altered the runes to allow bone to grow in her forehead wound.

After the bone had grown, Qin Mu once again altered the runes, this time to repair the skin on her forehead.

"Mu'er, we pharmacists might be out of a job," the Apothecary's voice chimed in.

Qin Mu's last rune flickered before finally dissipating. Di Yiyue raised a hand to touch her forehead, utterly astonished, and chuckled, "Master's Creation art is truly a work of divine craftsmanship!"

Qin Mu chuckled, "Sister, please turn over. There's still a hole in the back of your head that needs repairing... Slowly now, be careful not to let your brain matter spill out. Grandpa Apothecary, the art of Creation cannot replace medical skills, nor can it replace apothecaries."

As he treated the back of Di Yiyue's head, he explained, "Firstly, the art of Creation is very difficult to master. It's not impossible to cultivate it to my level; if one has outstanding talent like mine and spends tens of thousands of years diligently practicing, they could probably achieve it."

While others might not know the difficulty of the Creation art, he understood it perfectly. His mastery of the Creation art primarily stemmed from the Red Emperor's thoughts; without them, he wouldn't know how long it would take him to comprehend it to his current level.

"Furthermore, the human body is a vast system, and the physical body of a god or devil is a miniature world. While the art of Creation can repair the body, maintaining the balance of the human body's system and the equilibrium of a god or devil's physical world requires apothecaries."

Qin Mu dispersed the runes and handed Di Yiyue a small mirror. "Sister, take a look. Is it just as it was before?"