Chapter 735: Yaochi Seven Heavenly Lords

Old Ox followed behind the two, large beads of sweat continuously rolling down his face. Qin Mu and Kai Huang's auras constantly shifted, and while they weren't openly fighting, they were subtly competing, neither willing to yield.

"These two are stubborn mules through and through!"

Old Ox constantly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself, "I shouldn't have listened to Master and brought Qin Mu to meet Empress Tianyin. I should have stayed by Master's side, leisurely sipping tea and smoking my water pipe. If Kai Huang loses, it's bad. If Qin Mu loses, it's also bad. I won't have a good explanation when I go back! I can't possibly tell Master that I took Qin Mu to the Ancient God Heavenly Court and Qin Mu beat up Kai Huang..."

He now didn't know who to help.

By association, he should help Kai Huang.

However, Qin Mu was such a good young man; he treated Old Ox with courtesy, always addressing him as Senior Brother Sanduo. In his heart, Old Ox felt closer to Qin Mu.

He was truly in a quandary.

Yet, Old Ox could discern that both Qin Mu and Kai Huang were prodigious talents. Their auras changed ceaselessly; any subtle movement of their bodies, any minute fluctuation in their spirit's thoughts, or any slight alteration in their vital qi would trigger a resonance in the other's aura, prompting an immediate counter.

With every step, they exhibited dozens of internal shifts. This was precisely because their insight and vision were so profound, and their transformations were aimed at exploiting each other's weaknesses. As a result, the moment their auras clashed, they began to walk crookedly, limping and staggering.

Both men seemed intoxicated; the further they walked, the more dishevelled they became, yet they couldn't stop, feeling caught in an irreversible situation.

Fortunately, they were not far from the great Kun's head; another two or three *li* walk would bring them to Yama's side.

Yama was excitedly watching Empress Tianyin's approaching carriage. Many people had already gathered at the great Kun's head, all gazing upwards.

Qin Mu and Kai Huang staggered forward, both profusely sweating. The vital qi overflowing from their bodies grew increasingly intense, propelling them forward as if uncontrollably.

Yama suddenly sensed something and quickly turned, only to see Qin Mu and Kai Huang approaching. He immediately felt two distinct auras colliding, those of Qin Mu and Kai Huang.

"How did these two start fighting? Their conflict is actually good for me; I can befriend both sides, and both will be extremely grateful."

Yama was surprised, then suddenly thrilled. "The way these two are fighting is truly peculiar; it's the first time I've witnessed such a method. Perhaps I should separate them and earn their gratitude!"

His aura burst forth, cutting in between the two. He chuckled, "Brother Qin, Brother Mu, let me mediate for you..."

The moment his aura inserted itself between them, the warring auras of Qin Mu and Kai Huang, like a great flood finding an outlet, suddenly surged towards him!

Before Yama could finish his sentence, the pressure from the two auras instantly rendered his mind blank, unable to form any thoughts!

He only felt that the world around him suddenly seemed to shatter and disintegrate. He plummeted from an immeasurable height into endless darkness below!

Powerless to struggle, he could only fall and sink continuously. Slowly, he saw two opposing faces in the darkness: "Mu Qing" and "Qin Kai," one on the left, one on the right.

These two faces were incredibly vast, while he, minuscule between them, plummeted into the endless darkness.

Just then, Qin Mu's voice broke through: "Brother Yin, Brother Yin!"

The illusion before Yama's eyes vanished, gradually replaced by Qin Mu's kind face. Qin Mu was supporting his left arm, while Kai Huang supported his right, preventing him from falling.

Yama was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled from the water.

"Brother Yin, are you feeling unwell?"

Qin Mu said with concern, "I'm quite skilled in medicine; I could diagnose you, Brother Yin. As they say, a physician's heart is like a parent's..."

Kai Huang smiled faintly. "Brother Yin was caught between us and was merely startled, not ill. All medicine has some toxicity; if he takes your medicine, he'll get sick even if he isn't already. Brother Mu..."

"Don't call me Brother Mu!"

Veins popped out on Qin Mu's forehead as he suppressed a strong impulse. Kai Huang was his ancestor; how could he possibly address him as 'Brother'?

Kai Huang misunderstood and said coldly, "My intention was to turn hostility into friendship with you, but you are so ungrateful. Do you truly believe I'm afraid of you? Your abilities are indeed great, but they are not necessarily superior to mine!"

Qin Mu sneered, "My abilities may not be higher than yours, but my Dao heart is. I would never be as disgraceful as you."

Yama had a massive headache and quickly intervened, "Empress Tianyin's carriage has arrived! Stop arguing, can't you two just talk things over peacefully?"

Dragon roars resounded as magnificent sky-blue palanquins, each pulled by enormous dragons, approached. Every one of these dragons was larger than the great Kun beneath them, riding clouds and mist as they passed overhead.

The dragons were adorned with green armor, treasures forged from Tianyin Gold, their bodies radiating a light that pierced the sky. The palanquins themselves were primarily crafted from Tianyin Gold, embellished with clouds. Underneath the canopies hung numerous bright beads, each refined from a planet, reduced to only about ten *zhang* in size.

The clouds floated between the hanging beads, and together with the beads, they obstructed everyone's view, allowing only a vague glimpse of a goddess seated beneath the canopy.

Yama's eyes widened, completely captivated, and he only reluctantly withdrew his gaze when the dragons pulled the palanquin towards the center of the Heavenly Court. He murmured, "When will I ever possess such grandeur?"

Everyone around them laughed.

Even the great Kun beneath their feet couldn't help but let out a loud, rumbling laugh.

Yama's face flushed, and he stammered, "Don't laugh at me! In the future, I'll definitely be just as magnificent and imposing! When that day comes, hehe, you'll all bow before my feet..."

The crowd's laughter only grew louder.

Yama's face grew even redder, and he was about to retort when Kai Huang said, "Brother Yin, there are countless beings in this world, but only a handful are capable of great deeds and leave their names in history. Those without such ambition will only mock those who possess it; you don't need to take it to heart."

Yama felt very grateful and said, "A sparrow cannot understand the ambition of a great swan. I won't stoop to their level."

Qin Mu glanced at Kai Huang, thinking to himself, "Is he expressing his own ambition, or is he thinking of these people, preventing Yama from retaliating against them in the future? Perhaps both. After I return to the past, can I truly kill Yama and change the future?"

He felt a flicker of hesitation.

The great Kun carried them on their journey, soaring over numerous palaces. They also encountered several magnificent ancient god carriages passing by, each sight stirring waves of envy.

Finally, they arrived at the Jade Pond of the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly Court was truly vast; even at the great Kun's speed, they had to fly for a long time before reaching the Jade Pond.

The great Kun slowly stopped, docking beside a white jade platform by the Jade Pond. Everyone disembarked, and Yama paid the travel fare for Qin Mu, giving some extra Jade Dragon Pills to the great Kun. The Kun shook its head and wagged its tail, then flew towards the Celestial River in the sky, plunged into its depths, and swam far away.

Although called a "pond," the Jade Pond was more like a vast ocean within the Heavenly Court to Qin Mu and the others. Here, clouds drifted mistily, countless immortal mountains dotted the waters, and colossal sea turtles roamed, carrying sacred mountains on their backs.

In the water, incredibly vast lotus flowers, each spanning hundreds of *mu*, bloomed. Some were in full blossom, their red and white petals alluring; others were still graceful buds, in shades of blue, white, and pink, utterly beautiful.

Many cultivators were exploring near the Jade Pond. Most were humans from the lower realms, while others were what Yama referred to as demigods, appearing not in human form but as divine beasts.

To future generations, these demigods would be known as divine beasts. However, in this era, they were true demigods, possessing supreme bloodlines and extremely high status, commanding utmost respect from all cultivators.

By the Jade Pond, many people summoned great turtles from the water. After paying some spirit pills, they boarded the sacred mountains atop the turtles' backs, and the turtles carried these mountains into the depths of the Jade Pond.

Surprisingly, even the sea lotus flowers hosted small kingdoms, attracting many visitors.

"To the ancient gods, this is the Jade Pond, but to us, it's the Jade Sea."

Yama explained, "For this Heavenly Court grand assembly, many have come from various lower realms merely to sightsee and experience the world; they are common folk. However, Revered God Yu and a few other fellow Daoists are different. Their ambitions are lofty. They are taking advantage of this grand assembly to invite heroes from the lower realms for this Jade Pond Convention. Though we may not be as powerful as the ancient gods, we too must achieve great things!"

His eyes sparkled. Qin Mu observed this, his heart stirring. "Yama was also a young man with ideals and ambitions back then. This makes sense; his achievements in later generations were truly remarkable, making him a rare Imperial Throne expert, naturally endowed with great abilities."

Yama summoned a great sea turtle and said, "We are here by invitation of Revered God Yu to attend the Jade Pond Convention."

The old turtle replied, "Revered God Yu has instructed that no spirit pills are to be collected from those attending the Jade Pond Convention. Please, sirs."

Qin Mu, surprised, inquired, "Is Revered God Yu's status in the Heavenly Court very high?"

Yama chuckled, "Revered God Yu is the leader of our lower-ranked races, so his status is naturally extremely high. Even ancient gods address him as a fellow Daoist, considering him a figure who can advance Dao arts and divine abilities."

They boarded the sacred mountain on the turtle's back, and the old turtle immediately swam towards the depths of the Jade Pond. The surrounding scenery was delightful, indescribably beautiful.

"Revered God Yu was the first to open the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, and divine treasure cultivation originated with him. After he opened this treasure, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth changed because of him, truly astonishing the world. At that time, many ancient gods projected themselves down, surrounding him with endless praise, hailing him as the initiator of a great era."

Yama continued, "Heaven Duke called him Revered God Yu, and Earth Overlord granted him immortality, making him undying and imperishable. However, there are others in this world who are equally renowned. Revered God Hao, for instance, opened the Five Luminaries Divine Treasure; his surname isn't Hao, but the character 'Hao' is in his given name, leading the ancient gods to confer upon him the title of Revered God Hao. There are also Revered God Ling, who created a divine treasure; Revered God Yue, who opened the Seven Stars Divine Treasure; Revered God Huo, who opened the Celestial-Human Divine Treasure; Revered God You, who opened the Life-and-Death Divine Treasure; and Revered God Yun, who opened the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure. They are collectively revered as the Seven Revered Gods; after their achievements, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth transformed, and the Heavenly Emperor himself approved their titles."

Qin Mu murmured, "What a truly fascinating era! These individuals established the Divine Treasure cultivation system and were rightly called Revered Gods. Even if future generations make further innovations, it will be difficult to surpass them..."

Kai Huang, feeling the same sentiment, said, "To be able to see the Seven Revered Gods, this trip has truly been worthwhile."

Their eyes met, and suddenly, both snorted coldly and turned their heads away.

Old Ox, caught between them, immediately felt immense pressure. He secretly lamented, "Both these guys are stubborn mules to the core. I just hope you don't stir up more trouble, making it difficult for me to simply be an ox..."

Ahead, a stretch of resplendent palaces shone with golden light, grand and magnificent. The old turtle carried the sacred mountain to the front of these sea palaces and announced, "We have arrived at the Jade Pond Secret Realm."

Yama quickened his pace, walking forward and calling out loudly, "Revered God Yu, your little brother Yin Chaojin has come to attend the assembly!"

Qin Mu and Kai Huang also walked forward. Old Ox, gritting his teeth, squeezed himself between them to prevent any further antics, thinking, "As long as they don't beat each other bloody, that's a great service on my part!"

The palace area was bustling with an immense number of people, likely all cultivators invited from various realms to attend the assembly.

Qin Mu's heart stirred. "Among these people, how many world-shaking figures, renowned in later generations, will emerge?"

Suddenly, he paused, noticing a monk, and beside him, a Daoist.