Chapter 754: Resurrection

The Imperial Heavenly Venerable's coffin was meticulously preserved. Gleaming Youdu runes rotated gently around it, creating an atmosphere of quiet mystery.

Upon his arrival, Qin Mu felt no surge of excitement. Instead, he calmly examined each rune, contemplating its profound secrets.

These runes were left by Earth Count to safeguard the Imperial Heavenly Venerable's physical body.

In fact, even without Earth Count's runic protection, the Imperial Heavenly Venerable's physical body would not have decayed or perished.

This was because the Imperial Heavenly Venerable was the sole individual to have received blessings from all the ancient primordial gods!

The seven Heavenly Venerables of antiquity had all been blessed by primordial gods.

Heavenly Venerable Ling, who pioneered the Five Stellar Realms, received blessings from the Five Stellar Lords and Heaven Duke, granting her an ageless body and abundant good fortune.

Heavenly Venerable Hao, who pioneered the Sixfold Union Realm, received blessings from Earth Mother Sovereign, ensuring his blessings would flow endlessly, making him immortal and imperishable.

Heavenly Venerable Yue, who pioneered the Seven Stars Realm, received blessings from the Great Sun Star Lord, the Lunar Star Lord, and Heaven Duke, also rendering her body ageless and immune to aging, illness, or death.

Heavenly Venerable Huo, who pioneered the Celestial Human Realm, received blessings from the Four Emperors, granting him longevity, foresight, and the ability to turn misfortune into good fortune.

Heavenly Venerable You, who pioneered the Life and Death Realm, received blessings from Earth Count, making him immortal and his primordial spirit eternally stable.

Heavenly Venerable Yun, who pioneered the Divine Bridge Realm, received blessings from Heaven Duke, granting him eternal youth, a clear primordial spirit, and divine clarity.

While these six Heavenly Venerables all received blessings that granted them longevity, the specific nature of each blessing varied.

For instance, Heavenly Venerable You received Earth Count's blessing, making him immortal and his primordial spirit eternally stable. However, immortality does not equate to eternal youth, so Heavenly Venerable You would still age. This is because Earth Count does not govern the rules of an ageless or indestructible body; he could grant Heavenly Venerable You eternal life but not eternal youth.

Heaven Duke, however, blessed Heavenly Venerable Yun with eternal youth, but he did not possess the method for primordial spirit eternal stability. Therefore, he could not grant Heavenly Venerable Yun that specific blessing, only a clear primordial spirit and a divine eye.

But the Imperial Heavenly Venerable was unique; he had received blessings from *all* the ancient primordial gods!

The blessings from these ancient gods were blessings of fundamental laws, not to mention those from the Celestial Emperor and Empress themselves.

The Imperial Heavenly Venerable should have had an eternally stable primordial spirit, eternal youth, and immortality because of these blessings. Yet, his physical body perished in the winding corridor pavilion at Jade Pool Cottage; his primordial spirit shattered and did not enter Youdu, nor did its fragments enter the Heavenly Yin Realm. All his blessings had completely failed. This hidden agenda is truly thought-provoking.

Heavenly Venerable Hao and Emperor Yin's assassination of the Imperial Heavenly Venerable was merely a superficial act; there might have been a deeper struggle at play. Whether the Celestial Emperor and the Empress's sister were involved remains unknown.

As Qin Mu considered the deep-seated reasons hidden within these events, he couldn't help but shiver. The Jade Pool Grand Assembly at the time had appeared utterly peaceful; even after Heavenly Venerable Hao assassinated the Imperial Heavenly Venerable, people merely succumbed to grief, and the overall calm remained largely undisturbed.

But who could have imagined the terrifying murderous intent hidden beneath that seemingly serene surface?

Now that he understood Earth Count's blessing, he grasped a few crucial details and only then did the true horror dawn on him!

"Could Heavenly Venerable Hao truly contend against such a Celestial Emperor?" he wondered. "During the Tripartite Dragon Han period, who was the ultimate victor?"

He glanced at Heavenly Venerable You beside him. Heavenly Venerable You had never mentioned this matter, and Qin Mu wondered if he didn't know or simply chose not to speak.

"After resurrecting the Imperial Heavenly Venerable," he resolved, "I must get to the bottom of this with Heavenly Venerable You!"

Qin Mu raised his hand, and the coffin, cast from Buddhavoid Cinnabar Chromium, immediately split open with a metallic clang. The coffin lid flew a short distance before gently settling onto the ground with barely a sound.

This was the Palace of Heavenly King Ren Sheng, and the old Ghost Messenger's mother's soul resided there. Qin Mu did not wish to disturb the elder.

Under his magical power, the Imperial Heavenly Venerable floated in the air. A million years had passed, yet he remained as he was, time having left no trace on him.

He was just as Qin Mu remembered him from their encounter at Jade Pool: this young Heavenly Venerable, like a blossoming Qionghua tree, exuded gentleness and serenity.

Though a million years had passed, for Qin Mu it felt like only a few months ago, and for the Imperial Heavenly Venerable, it seemed the same.

"I can summon his soul here in Youdu and draw his soul fragments," Qin Mu stated gravely. "However, I cannot borrow Heaven Duke's power in Youdu. Therefore, I must take him back to the Human Realm, where I can borrow the powers of both Heaven Duke and Earth Count to reforge his three souls and seven spirits."

The old Ghost Messenger sounded a little nervous. "Can you truly do it?" he asked. "His soul has been shattered for a million years; it's been such a long time..."

Qin Mu smiled gently and said calmly, "Heavenly Yin Mother was dead for at least four or five hundred thousand years, and didn't I save her? Heavenly Yin Mother was a primordial god, so summoning her soul was incredibly difficult; it exhausted me to the point of spitting blood. But the Imperial Heavenly Venerable was at most a deity when he died, so summoning his soul will be much simpler."

He uncovered the willow leaf on his brow, and instantly, his divine and demonic divine treasures merged. His divine path cultivation and demonic path cultivation intertwined, causing his magical power to surge continuously!

Qin Mu activated the Soul Drawing Incantation he had improved, and immediately, a sixteen-zhang primordial spirit appeared behind him. Now, his primordial spirit was vast and extraordinary; with his divine and demonic aspects unified, he resembled a small primordial god.

From the primordial spirit's mouth emanated the rhythmic Youdu demonic language, interspersed with divine utterances. It was obscure and profound, leaving the old Ghost Messenger only half-comprehending.

As Heavenly Venerable You, the old Ghost Messenger possessed immense and profound mastery in the Youdu demonic language and Youdu divine arts, but he was somewhat lacking in divine language.

The divine language of the ancient Celestial Heavens originated from the Xuandu divine language, both derived from Heaven Duke's Dao. As each specialized in a particular field, his deep study of Youdu divine arts meant his understanding of Xuandu divine arts was inferior to Qin Mu's.

"The Soul Drawing Incantation?"

The old Ghost Messenger listened for a while before realizing it, exclaiming, "This is the Soul Drawing Incantation, but you've changed it beyond recognition!"

Qin Mu's primordial spirit continued to activate the Soul Drawing Incantation, while he himself constantly moved around the Imperial Heavenly Venerable, circling him up, down, left, and right. His movements in the air were peculiar, yet he seemed to walk on solid ground.

His hands flew, forming various hand seals that transformed into runes imprinted upon the Imperial Heavenly Venerable's body. Compared to the clumsiness and danger he experienced while summoning Heavenly Yin Mother's soul back then, he was now remarkably skilled and composed, even having enough energy to turn and smile. "Yes, it's the Soul Drawing Incantation," he said. "I taught you."

The old Ghost Messenger's eyes widened. "Even if you hadn't taught me, I could have figured it out myself," he retorted.

Qin Mu burst into laughter.

His hand seals and the Soul Drawing Incantation gradually emitted obscure fluctuations, seemingly triggering certain universal laws. This caused an inexplicable tremor in Youdu, which then extended outward, reaching into various worlds.

The divine and demonic languages emitted by his primordial spirit were inaudible to ordinary ears, and even practitioners of divine arts could not hear his voice. However, to certain ancient beings, it was as if the Great Dao itself was softly murmuring, causing a profound tremor within their souls.

The shock this caused those ancient beings was unparalleled; it was as if an ancient god, mastering vast laws, was activating their power—a deep, profound force.

Soul particles scattered throughout the heavens and earth were stirred, and gradually, tiny, black sand-like particles were drawn in, drifting towards Youdu.

These were incredibly tiny soul particles, shattered beyond further fragmentation over eons, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, yet truly existent.

Because a million years had passed, the Celestial Heavens and Celestial River of that era had long since transformed beyond recognition. With time and circumstances having changed so drastically, the sheer number of worlds where the Imperial Heavenly Venerable's soul particles had scattered was beyond Qin Mu's expectation. He gradually found the task strenuous; the magical power driven by his primordial spirit grew increasingly immense, and his voice became louder and clearer.

"Why didn't you summon his soul back then?"

The old Ghost Messenger, puzzled, asked, "Back then, his soul scattered in the Celestial Heavens. It would have been much easier to summon his soul then, and you wouldn't have to struggle so much now."

"Back then, I didn't know Earth Count and Heaven Duke," Qin Mu explained. "If I had acted rashly and borrowed their powers, they would have certainly struck me dead."

Sweat beaded on Qin Mu's forehead, steaming like clouds. He said solemnly, "Now my relationship with Heaven Duke and Earth Count is very good; they wouldn't object if I borrowed their power. But it wasn't possible back then."

The old Ghost Messenger's expression was peculiar, as if he had two eggs stuffed in his mouth, and his eyes were wide as copper bells. He thought, "Does Heavenly Venerable Mu have some misunderstanding about what constitutes a 'good relationship'? I don't know about Heaven Duke, but Earth Count definitely doesn't have a good relationship with him. Earth Count is just annoyed by him running around Youdu causing trouble..."

Qin Mu struggled even more, the runes he activated with every movement growing heavier. Each seal imprinted onto the Imperial Heavenly Venerable's body felt like lifting Mount Sumeru. His voice hoarse, he explained, "Moreover, the Celestial Heavens back then were too perilous. It wasn't just Heavenly Venerable Hao who wanted to kill the Imperial Heavenly Venerable. The people who wanted him dead were so powerful that even Heaven Duke and Earth Count dared not provoke them. If I had resurrected the Imperial Heavenly Venerable then, he would surely have died again, and I would have died too. That's why, after resurrecting his physical body, I had Heavenly Venerable Ling hand him over to you. It's only today that I dare to attempt his resurrection!"

His body trembled violently. His primordial spirit and physical body ceased their movements simultaneously, one standing on the ground, the other at the primordial spirit's brow. Behind each of their heads, multiple light wheels rotated, and various runes within them continuously lit up as they spun, casting a brilliant light upon the Imperial Heavenly Venerable!

Tiny soul particles flew in, successively entering the Imperial Heavenly Venerable's body through his facial features, brow, throat, heart and lungs, dantian, and perineum.

Qin Mu and his primordial spirit stood motionless, the light wheels behind their heads rotating incessantly.

The old Ghost Messenger's heart was awestruck, knowing this was a critical moment. He immediately became vigilant. From Youdu, countless paper boats swiftly arrived, densely packed, forming a protective guard outside the Palace of Heavenly King Ren Sheng.

After an unknown period, Qin Mu looked fatigued. The multiple light wheels behind his head slowly ceased rotation and gradually dissipated.

His primordial spirit moved forward, growing smaller and smaller, merging with his physical body.

The old Ghost Messenger finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurried forward, intending to ask a question. But Qin Mu, without waiting for him to speak, frowned. "A portion of the Imperial Heavenly Venerable's soul wasn't completely shattered," he explained, "but was suppressed by someone. I cannot summon it back."

The old Ghost Messenger was stunned for a moment, then quickly asked, "How much was suppressed?"

"Less than a tenth," Qin Mu replied.

Qin Mu exhaled a turbid breath and rested for a moment. "I don't know how significant that missing portion is," he said, "and who took away part of his soul—that's beyond my knowledge."

"Then what should we do?" the old Ghost Messenger asked in a hurry.

"It's simple," Qin Mu said, "ask Earth Count."

Qin Mu said solemnly, "I will immediately take him back to the Human Realm now to reforge his souls and reorganize his spirit! Once his soul is reorganized, the other part can be sensed by Earth Count through his soul. We only need to ask Earth Count, and we can learn the whereabouts of his fragmented soul."

The two placed the Imperial Heavenly Venerable's body on the small boat. The old Ghost Messenger's mother, busy cooking, quickly called out, "It'll be ready soon! You've been busy for so long; won't you eat before you go?"

The old Ghost Messenger quickly replied, "Mother, we have urgent matters!"

The woman smiled. "Then be careful on your way," she said. "I'll save the food for you. And young man, our You'er is still young, a bit ignorant, and doesn't speak much, so please bear with him."

Qin Mu stifled a laugh and quickly replied, "Auntie, don't worry, I understand."

He glanced at the old Ghost Messenger, whose face was dark and expressionless.

Once the boat was far away, Qin Mu finally burst into laughter. The old Ghost Messenger's face then faded from view again, and he said faintly, "What are you laughing at? I couldn't beat you back then, but I can now."

Qin Mu quickly stopped laughing and smiled. "Now you can even beat the Imperial Heavenly Venerable," he remarked. "I wonder if he'll still recognize us after he revives?"

The old Ghost Messenger was lost in thought. After a moment, he said, "He is always my elder brother."

Qin Mu blinked. "What about me?" he asked.

"Hmph," the old Ghost Messenger grunted.

The old Ghost Messenger turned his head away, revealing the ghost-face mask on the back of his head. The mask suddenly made a funny face and stuck out its tongue at Qin Mu.

Qin Mu was startled and looked closely. This ghost-face mask was no longer the one he had carved earlier; it must have been the mask Heavenly Venerable You had worn back then, which the old Ghost Messenger had somehow found and placed on the back of his head.

"He must be worried that his appearance has changed and the Imperial Heavenly Venerable won't recognize him," Qin Mu thought to himself, "so he found this mask and put it on again."

Upon reaching the Human Realm, they were still by the Surging River.

It was nighttime in the Great Ruins. In the darkness, there were no longer many soul-black sand or starved ghosts. Qin Mu stood on a paper boat on the Surging River and performed the ritual again. The Gate of Heaven's Legacy appeared, inverted, borrowing the powers of Heaven Duke and Earth Count, shining upon the Imperial Heavenly Venerable floating in the air!

The old Ghost Messenger watched him perform the ritual nervously, clenching his fists.

After a long while, Qin Mu dissipated his magical power, and the Imperial Heavenly Venerable gently descended, landing on the river surface.

"Lan Yutian, long time no see," Qin Mu said, smiling at the young man standing on the river surface.

The young man slowly opened his eyes, his expression bewildered. The old Ghost Messenger grew excited, but then, with a sudden splash, the Imperial Heavenly Venerable sank beneath the water. He quickly resurfaced, flailing his limbs, having swallowed who knows how much water.

The Surging River was swift, with strong undercurrents, sweeping the young man, who couldn't swim, downstream!

Qin Mu and the old Ghost Messenger on the boat were dumbfounded, then suddenly realized, "Quick, save him!"

A moment later, they rescued the soaking wet Imperial Heavenly Venerable and placed him on the shore.

The Imperial Heavenly Venerable was half-drowned, continuously vomiting water from his lungs and breathing heavily.

Qin Mu and the old Ghost Messenger exchanged glances. The old Ghost Messenger whispered, "His cultivation is gone, but it doesn't matter; he can cultivate it again."

The Imperial Heavenly Venerable rested for a moment, then stood up and bowed to the two. "Many thanks to both benefactors for saving me," he said. "By the way, benefactors, what did you just call me?"

The young man scratched his head shyly. "I don't remember my name," he admitted.