Chapter 772: Peeping Maniac

Qin Mu exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Yu Tianzun, you recognize these characters?"

Yu Tianzun was still dazed and confused. "I just feel familiar with these characters when I see them," he said, "as if they should be read this way."

The others were astonished. Everyone knew Qin Mu was learned and versatile, proficient in various languages, including divine, demonic, and Youdu tongues, and even having some knowledge of ancient and primordial scripts. They hadn't expected that the young man beside him could recognize characters even Qin Mu didn't know.

However, they didn't dwell on it for long; their attention was drawn to the spectacle before them.

The Grand Ruins were still expanding. Many of the original mountains had been moved to extremely distant locations, yet there was no orogeny occurring within the Grand Ruins. If it were orogeny, there would undoubtedly be earth-shattering tremors, volcanic eruptions, and lava everywhere. However, despite its expansion, the Grand Ruins remained relatively quiet. The lands, mountains, and hills seemed to emerge from space itself. As a result, the expansion of the Grand Ruins had little impact on the beings living there.

However, the newly emerged land was vast, far surpassing the original Grand Ruins. Qin Mu searched for the nearest mountain range, only to find that the closest mountains to them were now forty times further away! This meant that the Grand Ruins had at least increased its length and width by forty times! The area of the Grand Ruins had likely expanded by 1,600 times!

Grand Emperor Heaven, which had pierced through and spanned the Grand Ruins from north to south, now resembled a wall erected within it, no longer as awe-inspiring as before. When Grand Emperor Heaven was impaled in the center of the Grand Ruins, it was incredibly shocking, but with the current expansion, the sense of shock had diminished.

Qin Mu looked around; the roads originally laid by the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace were now fragmented, broken into segments. Even more astonishing, the newly added mountains and terrain were permeated with various colored mists, and some places even spewed forth divine light. They even saw ruins of ancient cities and dilapidated giant statues towering between heaven and earth!

"This change... it's like sealed lands have been released," True God Pang Yu murmured.

Revered God Sang Ye asked, "Were the Grand Ruins like this before?"

True God Pang Yu, being ancient, shook his head. "No. Although the Grand Ruins during the Founding Emperor Era differed from the current Grand Ruins, they were largely similar. When the Founding Emperor Celestial Heavens crashed down, piercing through all heavens and landing here, many celestial heaven ruins appeared in the Grand Ruins. At that time, the Founding Emperor Era hadn't fully ended, and there were still many gods remaining here."

Granny Si asked, "What about before the High Emperor Era? What did the Grand Ruins look like during the High Emperor Era?"

True God Pang Yu gave a wry smile. "How would I know about matters from the High Emperor Era?"

Granny Si pondered, "The land that has emerged this time should be the Earth Mother Primordial Realm, which was suppressed by the Grand Ruins. When I just used my Primordial Magnetic Divine Art, I touched the sealed Earth Mother Primordial Realm, causing it to be released. So, why was this Earth Mother Primordial Realm suppressed beneath the Grand Ruins?"

Everyone turned their gaze to True God Pang Yu, waiting for his answer. True God Pang Yu's eyes, already large, widened even further, and he said with a wry smile, "How would I know these things? Don't look at me, I don't know either! The Woodcutter Heavenly Master knows more; you should ask him."

"Sage Woodcutter is in Eternal Peace, working with the Imperial Preceptor to promote reforms in various places," Qin Mu said. "If they want to get here, it will likely take them forty times longer than usual."

Qin Mu continued to stare at the distant mountain range, which was still receding. "Soon, it will be fifty times the distance. Is the Earth Mother Primordial Realm the world where the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign was born?"

No one could answer him.

Suddenly, the sound of crashing waves reached them. A massive fissure appeared before them, filled with azure water. Then, the fissure split further apart, and more and more water emerged, quickly forming a hundred-mile-wide lake. However, the lake continued to expand, gradually transforming into an ocean! The ocean grew wider and larger, stretching endlessly.

Qin Mu's heart was greatly shaken. He quickly passed through the Grand Emperor Heaven tunnel and arrived at the Eastern Grand Ruins. Xu Shenghua's heart stirred slightly, and he followed Qin Mu with Yu Tianzun, while the others also rushed over. Qin Mu looked to the east, where the mountains stretched boundlessly. He flew upward along the ground of Grand Emperor Heaven, rising higher and higher. His vision extended further and further until, finally, Qin Mu saw a vast ocean hundreds of thousands of miles away.

True God Pang Yu exclaimed, "That's the East Sea from the Founding Emperor Era! This East Sea disappeared long ago; how did it reappear today?"

The East Sea was azure and its waves surged. So much seawater had suddenly emerged from an unknown source, covering tens of thousands of miles. That area had originally been a basin, not a large one, with Mount Meru of the Great Thunderclap Temple to the north, the Divine Severance Mountain Range to the east, and Mishui Pass, where the Surging River flowed, to the south. Now, in the direction of Mount Meru, clouds and mist swirled, and faintly, a celestial pillar could be seen piercing straight into the heavens, its top out of sight!

Qin Mu looked towards the Divine Severance Mountain Range, but the majestic, continuous Divine Severance Mountain Range was no longer visible. As for the Surging River, he no longer recognized it. He could only see a mighty river eight hundred miles wide, flowing grandly eastward, its length even more incredible.

"The Dragon Lord of Kun has certainly gained a huge advantage," Qin Mu murmured. "I regret appointing him as the Dragon King of the Surging River, especially since I made a pact with him under Earth Count's name; it's difficult to go back on my word..."

He removed the willow leaf from his brow and sent his divine sense into the sealed Qin Character Continent, asking, "Heavenly Duke, Earth Count, have you noticed the changes in the Grand Ruins?"

Heavenly Duke and Earth Count looked out through his third eye, and their bodies trembled. The two ancient existences exchanged glances, their expressions solemn. Great Sun Star Lord also looked out and exclaimed, "The Primordial Ancient Capital! The birthplace of the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign!"

Qin Mu asked curiously, "Isn't it the Earth Mother Primordial Realm? Why does the Star Lord call it the Primordial Ancient Capital?"

"The Earth Mother Primordial Realm is what it was called after the Celestial Heavens was established," Great Sun Star Lord explained. "Before that, it was called the Primordial Capital, the domain of the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign. When the Celestial Heavens was later established, it was built directly above the Primordial Ancient Capital."

"The gods mined divine gold from the Primordial Capital to construct the Celestial Heavens," Great Sun Star Lord continued, "which made the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign quite displeased, as she felt many treasures were being taken and that the Celestial Heavens was seizing the capital's fortune. Later, when the Celestial Heavens built the Thirty-Six Heavenly Palaces and Seventy-Two Precious Halls, they came to mine more divine gold, which made the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign even more unhappy. So, she changed its name to the Earth Mother Primordial Realm, declaring it her territory. Cloud Heavenly Venerate, one of the Nine Heavenly Venerates, later rebelled and established the Sky Splitting Celestial Heavens right here. It was during the attack on Sky Splitting Celestial Heavens that I was shot in the back with an arrow..."

The Heavenly Duke's avatar said, "You oversaw all the gods of the starry heavens; no secret of the Dragon Han Celestial Heavens could escape you. If you didn't die, who would?"

Great Sun Star Lord nodded meekly, not daring to speak.

Qin Mu said, "Heavenly Duke, you must know many secrets about this Earth Mother Primordial Realm, right?"

The Heavenly Duke's avatar glanced at the Lava Earth Count. Lava Earth Count said, "Fellow Daoist, you can tell him."

Heavenly Duke said, "I know some things. The Sky Splitting Celestial Heavens was established in the Earth Mother Primordial Realm, and later, the Crimson Light Celestial Heavens was also built here. Crimson Emperor, you should remember, right?"

The Crimson Emperor's consciousness replied, "That's right, but by then, the Primordial Realm was no longer as vast as before. I heard that when the Dragon Han Era collapsed, a part of the Primordial Realm was annihilated by the gods. What I saw then was the Grand Ruins, but at that time, the Dragon Han Grand Ruins were extremely vast, even more so than now."

"After you died, Bright Emperor inherited your legacy, continuing the fortune of the Crimson Light Era. Bright Emperor also started his rise in the Primordial Realm."

Heavenly Duke continued, "After the Bright Emperor Celestial Heavens fell, the remaining forces of Crimson Light migrated and hid in the Crimson Light Hanging Realm. However, after that battle, the Primordial Realm became even smaller. The High Emperor Era was established upon the ruins of the Crimson Light Grand Ruins, and by the end of the High Emperor Era, it was destroyed once more, becoming the High Emperor Grand Ruins. Forty thousand years ago, Founding Emperor started his rise upon the High Emperor Grand Ruins, and now it has become the Founding Emperor Grand Ruins. It can be said that all four eras were built upon the Primordial Realm."

Qin Mu was stunned. Four celestial heavens, all starting here and becoming celestial heavens here? What kind of place was this Earth Mother Primordial Realm, with such flourishing fortune?

"Heavenly Duke is skirting the issue," Qin Mu said with anguish. "He hasn't explained why the former Primordial Ancient Capital became the current Grand Ruins, nor has he said where the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign is, and certainly not why the Earth Mother Primordial Realm suddenly reappeared."

"Heavenly Duke seems to have said a lot, but in reality, he hasn't said as much as Great Sun Star Lord!" Qin Mu added, frustrated.

The white-bearded old man puffed out his cheeks and glared, annoyed. "He talked too much, that's why he died early!"

Qin Mu said coldly, "Is the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign dead? The Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign can die, but Heavenly Duke can't? Whether you speak or not, others might not spare you."

Heavenly Duke hesitated, then looked at Lava Earth Count.

Earth Count, with deep eyes, said, "I am not a voyeur; I don't constantly monitor the movements of the Earth Mother Primordial Realm. Moreover, I cannot see what happens in the Earth Mother Primordial Realm from Youdu. Only when a wronged soul enters Youdu can I perceive unusual changes in the Earth Mother Primordial Realm."

Heavenly Duke looked at Great Sun Star Lord again. Great Sun Star Lord shrank his bird-like head and said, "Don't look at me. I was already killed by a stealth arrow. I spied on too many secrets; I don't know what happened to the Earth Mother Primordial Realm after I died..."

Heavenly Duke sighed. "I am a voyeur; I know about the Primordial Realm." He paused, then continued, "Actually, the High Emperor Era was connected to the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign, and also to the Celestial Heavens. At that time, the High Emperor Era was divided into two halves, and these two celestial heavens represented two different factions. After the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign died, the High Emperor Era collapsed. I can only tell you this much. For the rest, you must find the answers yourself."

Qin Mu's heart was greatly shaken. He quickly said, "The Northern and Southern High Emperors were established, dividing the High Emperor Era into two segments. Who supported these two factions? Also, you said the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign died, who was responsible?"

Heavenly Duke remained silent.

Qin Mu continued to press, and Heavenly Duke finally couldn't hold back, exasperated. "I've told you so much already! Why are you still bothering me? How the Earth Mother died, I don't know either; I'm only guessing! There are many beings capable of blocking my sight. I cannot see Youdu, nor can I find the Heavenly Yin Realm, let alone the Celestial Heavens! By the end of the High Emperor Era, I couldn't even see the Grand Ruins! The reason I'm hiding in your eye is precisely because I wanted to see what has happened over these years!"

He finished speaking, his voice filled with weariness. "I can see other heavens and worlds, but the things I can't see are increasing. I... I'm about to become an old 'Heavenly Father' that people curse daily for being blind..."

Lava Earth Count said to Qin Mu, "The reappearance of the Earth Mother Primordial Realm might be related to the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign's lingering consciousness. You should be careful."

Qin Mu asked, puzzled, "Why do I need to be careful?"

Lava Earth Count replied, "Outside Jade Lock Pass, you devoured the primordial spirits of many gods and devils, including the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign's offspring from the Dragon Han Era. You took the blame, and I've noted it down for you, but out of morality, I still need to warn you."