Chapter 787: True and False Doubts

The Hall of High Heavens was filled with a chilling solemnity. This was originally the Northern Heavenly Court of the Emperor of Emperors' era. The Hall of High Heavens served as the Emperor of Emperors' court where he met with his officials and gods convened for discussions, thus the hall itself was vast.

Now, thousands of gods, both great and small, filled the hall, their faces tense as they watched the "man" and "woman" dueling with their zithers, fearful of being caught in the crossfire.

Zither music filled the hall. Of the two musicians, one was a scholar, with a donkey standing behind her, and the other was Empress Chi Xiayu, behind whom ribbons of colorful light shimmered like phoenix feathers.

They stood on opposite sides, one to the east and one to the west, with no one else near them; even the most powerful demigods kept their distance.

As the two played their zithers with great intensity, the scholar played with wild abandon. Her zither spun continuously around her, and her fingers moved as if she had countless arms, displaying astonishing skill. In terms of melody and technique, she was flawless!

Empress Chi Xiayu, however, appeared calm and composed. She didn't display as many complex techniques as the scholar, instead exuding a sense of simple elegance. Yet, her music was brimming with surging, boundless emotion!

The scholar's technical mastery was unparalleled; even Chi Xiayu could not rival her, making her a paragon of musical perfection. However, emotionally, she fell far short of Chi Xiayu.

While her zither music also conveyed emotion, it wasn't as rich or varied as Chi Xiayu's.

The zither music of both women was deadly. Around them, space twisted, stretched, and peeled into layers, as if visible musical notes were constantly leaping and vibrating.

The scholar gradually began to lose ground. Her skills in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting had reached an unparalleled level of mastery, yet it was precisely her inherent emotional deficiency that limited her further advancement.

Among the four Heavenly Masters of the Kaihuang era, each had their own achievements and strengths. However, the scholar's flawed personality meant she lacked the bold love and hate, and the profound emotions, of Chi Xiayu.

Her weakening began to show. Suddenly, the donkey behind her stood on its hind legs, transforming into a Donkey Demon King, and let out an ear-piercing "hee-haw!"

The women's zither music was thrown into disarray, and they each pressed down on their strings.

The donkey's braying was so deafening that all the powerful beings in the Hall of High Heavens couldn't help but frown deeply and cover their ears.

Inside the hall, all present, whether demigods, gods, or demons, watched the two women with terror, and even regarded the donkey with some fear.

Fortunately, the two women's zither battle was directed solely at each other. Had it been aimed at them, the powerful beings in the hall would surely have suffered heavy casualties.

However, six or seven individuals remained unfazed, clearly relying on their exceptionally high cultivation and strength, fearless of the scholar and Chi Xiayu.

"Hahahahaha, I still lost!"

The scholar put away her zither and bowed to Empress Chi Xiayu, saying, "Empress Chi's abilities are truly extraordinary. Even after all these years, you still manage to surpass me."

"You're too kind, Heavenly Master Zixi."

Chi Xiayu rose and returned the bow, her eyes flashing. She was equally wary of the scholar, unwilling to fight to the death with her. She smiled, "Primordial Earth Mother hasn't appeared yet, and we've already had a fight. Won't everyone laugh at us?"

The scholar's gaze swept over the hundreds of powerful individuals in the hall. She smiled, "The envoys from the Outer Heavenly Court, the Sword God of the Emperor of Emperors, those under the Earth Mother, as well as Empress Chi and the Heavenly Masters of the Kaihuang era—we are all gathered here after enduring dangers and hardships on our journey. Yet, the host is nowhere to be seen. What's the meaning of this?"

Chi Xiayu seemed a little languid as she surveyed her surroundings, smiling, "Indeed. Rumor has it that Primordial Earth Mother died long ago, yet now she has suddenly reappeared, the Primordial World has returned, and she is gathering her old followers. Although I am an empress of the Heavenly Court, I did serve the Earth Mother in my early years. How could I not come to pay my respects? Alas, I still haven't been able to see Primordial Earth Mother."

Suddenly, her gaze fell upon Bai Que'er, who stood with a sword on her back, simply dressed, and looking towards her.

Chi Xiayu felt a pang of guilt and quickly averted her gaze.

Her eyes met those of a one-armed man. He carried a divine saber on his back and gave her a slight bow.

Chi Xiayu nodded subtly, thinking, "Luo Shen Dao has arrived, which means there are other Heavenly Court powerhouses here. The Earth Mother is indeed dead, so could the Heavenly Court be secretly orchestrating this, using the Earth Mother's name to lure these people here and capture them all?"

The hall was a mixed bag of various powerful individuals; whether demigods, gods, or demons, each had their own complex agendas.

Chi Xiayu also noticed many terrifying demigods. Though not as skilled as her, their numbers were considerable, and they were all formidable opponents.

Outside the hall, countless demigods stood in neat ranks, silently awaiting outside the Hall of High Heavens, like soldiers awaiting inspection.

Suddenly, a voice from the back hall called out with a laugh, "My apologies for the long wait. The Earth Mother will be here shortly."

The prominent figures in the hall turned to look in the direction of the voice. From behind a screen, several young women emerged, escorting a girl.

The girl had clear features, rosy lips, and white teeth. As she emerged from behind the screen, surrounded by the other women, only half of her face was visible. But when she turned fully, everyone in the hall felt their hearts stir, secretly praising, "What a beautiful person."

A faint halo shimmered behind the girl's head as she greeted everyone. "Years ago, my master, Primordial Earth Mother, suffered severe injuries and had to seal herself within the Primordial World. Now that the Primordial World has reappeared, my master has summoned you all, intending to reunite her old followers and rise again."

"Her master? This girl is Primordial Earth Mother's disciple?" Everyone's hearts jolted.

Chi Xiayu looked at the girl and smiled, "Waiting a bit is fine. But I wonder when the Earth Mother ever took a disciple? The Earth Mother has never taken disciples; even the Emperor of Emperors of the Northern Heavenly Court were mostly her children. Your claim of being a disciple makes me somewhat surprised."

The girl smiled faintly, "The Earth Mother indeed never took disciples, but she suffered severe injuries last time, which is why she took me as one. As for Empress Chi, you merely pulled my master's carriage back then. What could you possibly know?"

Chi Xiayu forcibly suppressed her anger and chuckled, "I'll settle accounts with you, little girl, once the Earth Mother comes out."

Bai Que'er softly asked, "Sister, how can you prove you are the Earth Mother's disciple?"

The girl looked at her and smiled, "So it's Sword God Bai of the false dynasty. This halo behind my head is a blessing from the Earth Mother, protecting me from aging and death, bestowing continuous good fortune. Can that serve as proof?"

Bai Que'er looked at the halo behind her head but couldn't discern its authenticity.

"A mere halo is insufficient to determine authenticity."

The Divine Saber Luo Wushuang suddenly spoke, his voice deep, "The Earth Mother's divine powers are vast; she is the most complex ancient god in terms of Dao arts. Even His Majesty holds the Earth Mother in great reverence. Have you learned any of the Earth Mother's divine arts?"

The girl looked at him and smiled, "So it's the one-armed Luo Shen Dao of the false dynasty. The Earth Mother has thirty-six Great Daos, and I am quite proficient in all of them."

The scholar chuckled, "Words alone prove nothing."

The girl said, "Heavenly Master Zixi of the false dynasty, please calm yourself. What does my authenticity matter? When Primordial Earth Mother arrives and you all see her true form, won't you know then?"

The scholar's heart slightly trembled. "She knows me too? I am from the Kaihuang era; at that time, the Earth Mother was long dead, the Primordial World was sealed, and only the Great Ruins remained. How could she know me? Her age doesn't seem great, and her cultivation isn't too high; she doesn't appear to be an old monster, so it's impossible for her to know about me. She just now called the Southern Dynasty, the Outer Heavenly Court, and the Kaihuang Heavenly Court 'false dynasties.' Could she really be from the Earth Mother's Emperor of Emperors' Heavenly Court? Is the Earth Mother truly still alive, silently observing what happened during the Kaihuang era from underground?"

Suddenly, a demigod with a dragon's head and a human body solemnly declared, "The Earth Mother was killed by someone; I witnessed it with my own eyes. I saw her physical body severed, her heart pierced. The Earth Mother cannot possibly be alive. Little sister, impersonating the Earth Mother to summon us here is a capital offense."

The girl looked at him and said sternly, "So it's Ancestral Dragon King. The Earth Mother was indeed attacked and severely wounded, but after all, she is the most ancient and greatest of the ancient gods. How could she simply perish like that? Ancestral Dragon King, can you imagine Earth Count or Heavenly Duke being killed?"

The demigod lowered his brows in thought for a moment and said, "No. But I saw with my own eyes, the Earth Mother was clearly dead..."

The girl chuckled, "What your eyes saw may not be the truth. The Earth Mother is still in this world; she has been recuperating for tens of thousands of years, and her injuries have finally healed. That is why she has gathered everyone here now. You may not believe me, the Earth Mother's disciple, but when you see the Earth Mother's true form arrive, you will have no choice but to believe..."

Just then, a laugh echoed from outside the hall: "Sister, are you the Earth Mother's disciple? How is it that I didn't know my master, Primordial Earth Mother, had ever taken a female disciple?"

Everyone turned their heads to look. The scholar's heart skipped a beat. "How did that boy get here? He truly doesn't know his limits!"

The donkey behind her looked surprised and whispered, "Huihui?"

The scholar nodded, suppressing her anger. "Hui! It's his voice! That little rascal, how dare he impersonate the Earth Mother's disciple and sneak in here?"

Upon hearing the voice, Bai Que'er's body suddenly stiffened. An expression of disbelief crossed her face as she abruptly turned, gazing blankly towards the hall's entrance, and whispered, "Your voice... Your voice has appeared again. It's not an illusion..."

In the scabbard behind the one-armed Divine Saber Luo Wushuang, the divine saber hummed with immense excitement.

Luo Wushuang was also incredibly excited. He looked out of the hall and chuckled, "Forty thousand years. I've waited for you for forty thousand years. Your voice, I've never forgotten. When I wielded my divine saber, your shadow appeared in my mind, and your voice echoed in my ears..."

At the entrance of the Hall of High Heavens, a demigod with a qilin's head and a human body, holding a gleaming rope, led a colossal creature into the hall.

The colossal creature was half-dragon, half-qilin, majestic and impressive in appearance.

And atop the dragon-qilin's massive head, a woman held a wooden sword, her body enveloped in shimmering, fiery light like a colorful phoenix.

Another woman had a halo shimmering behind her head, within which a small sapling floated. She carried a whisk in her arms, possessing an ethereal temperament, and leaned against a young man's shoulder.

Behind the young man was a young attendant, multiple halos of light flickering behind his head, with a large cauldron undulating within them.

The young man himself appeared somewhat languid, looking with a half-smile at the girl standing before the imperial throne in the Hall of High Heavens. Without rising from the dragon-qilin's head, he chuckled, "Logically, I should call you Senior Sister, but unfortunately, my master never took you as a disciple. Who exactly are you?"

A stir of commotion and murmurs filled the Hall of High Heavens.

Water Qilin, seeing so many divine beings, trembled with fear, his legs shaking. Mustering his courage, he led the dragon-qilin towards the imperial throne, muttering to himself, "Heavenly Court, this is the Emperor of Emperors' Heavenly Court, and ahead is the imperial throne, where the Celestial Emperor sits! What good fortune have I accumulated in this life to be so close to the imperial throne..."

The dragon-qilin yawned, looked around, and licked its mouth with a scarlet tongue, appearing fierce and intimidating. It thought, "Hundreds of powerful beings, each one could easily kill me. But if the sky falls, the Cult Master will bear the brunt..."

Before the imperial throne, the girl was astonished and took a moment to react.

The dragon-qilin stopped before the imperial throne.

Qin Mu rose, looking down at the girl with a half-smile. "Senior Sister, could you perhaps give me an explanation?"

The surprise on the girl's face gradually faded, and she chuckled, "Heavenly Saint Cult Master of Yankang, Qin Mu Qin Fengqing, when did you become the Earth Mother's disciple? You're so mischievous."

The scholar clenched her fist and took a small package from the donkey's back. She thought, "It seems I'm the only one who can save this boy. This rascal is so audacious, impersonating anyone he pleases, and now he's been exposed instantly! You should at least have changed your appearance..."

"I'm fake?" Qin Mu burst out laughing.

"You are fake."

From behind him, Luo Wushuang's voice came, distinct and clear, "Old acquaintance from the Emperor of Emperors' era, do you remember the young man whose arm you severed with a sword on that dark night?"

Qin Mu turned, his gaze falling on Luo Wushuang, then scanning the young members of the Lingxiu Army beside him, noticing that all of them were youths with severed arms, both male and female.

However, he still saw Zhe Huali, and his heart sank. "Furi Luo, you still betrayed me..."

He averted his gaze, not acknowledging Luo Wushuang.

At that moment, he saw another girl, who appeared quite lonely amidst the crowd.

Their gazes met, and everything around Qin Mu seemed to vanish, as if he were transported back to that night when he and the girl leaned together, waiting for the dawn.