Chapter 788: Qin Continues Unceasingly

For Qin Mu, that night’s experience had only been a few years ago; for the girl, however, forty thousand years had already passed.

What puzzled Qin Mu was that after forty thousand years, Bai Quer’s appearance remained almost unchanged, just as it was when they first met. She hadn’t aged; she still looked like the lively, adorable young girl he had met that night in Bailong City of the High Emperor era, with a pair of tiny dragon horns hidden among the hair on her forehead.

What had changed was her demeanor. He didn’t know what she had been through, but she had shed her former timidity and fragility, becoming sharp, enterprising, and fearless. Qin Mu didn't know that before dawn, he had been the motivation that sustained her and the High Emperor's survivors; and after the sunrise, he became the driving force that encouraged her to live on and lead the frail survivors.

Though forty thousand years had separated them, it felt like their first meeting. Neither of their appearances had changed much; Qin Mu had grown up, and Bai Quer’s temperament had changed—that was all.

Qin Mu smiled, and the girl among the gods opposite him also smiled. They averted their gazes, like a boy and girl who had never met, as if looking any longer would make them shy and blush.

Qin Mu’s spirits lifted, and his mood suddenly brightened inexplicably. He chuckled, “A disciple of the Earth Mother, having to prove my authenticity to you—what a joke, and how pathetic. I have the Earth Mother’s blessing.”

The halo behind his head slowly rotated, imbued with the power of Earth Mother Yuanjun.

“And the Earth Dao Fruit grown on the Primordial Wood.” Qin Mu slowly scanned the surroundings, speaking unhurriedly, “As for my attendant, I presume many of you seniors here have seen her. All these treasures of mine were personally refined by the Earth Mother. I have these; what do you have?”

The girl’s expression remained unchanged as she softly chuckled, “Feng Qiuyun? Feng Qiuyun betrayed the Earth Mother long ago. Of course, if not for Feng Qiuyun and the Phoenix race’s betrayal, the Earth Mother wouldn’t have suffered such a terrible defeat. Senior Sister Feng, am I right?”

Feng Qiuyun was furious. “Slanderer! You little wretch, I’ll tear you to shreds!”

Qin Mu raised a hand and whispered, “Sister Qiuyun, calm down. There are many demigods here; if you act rashly, you’ll easily become a target and be used by her.”

Feng Qiuyun’s heart tightened. She quickly looked back and indeed saw many demigods casting suspicious glances.

The girl chuckled, “Feng Qiuyun betrayed the Earth Mother, yet many loyal officials and righteous individuals remained devoted to Earth Mother Yuanjun, which is why the Earth Mother was able to save her life. As for rebellious subjects and traitors, there are also quite a few. How do you prove that the treasures in your hand are the Earth Mother’s?”

Qin Mu looked at the girl in front of the emperor’s throne, a half-smile on his face. “Bring me the sword!”

He raised his palm. Feng Qiuyun paused slightly, then suddenly realized and placed the hilt of the Yuanjun Kunyuan Sword into his hand, whispering, “Be careful, it’s very heavy.”

Qin Mu smiled faintly as his vital qi surged into the Yuanjun Kunyuan Sword. The divine sword’s power was instantly unleashed, and the geomagnetic vital force raged, transforming into visible divine light! Groans echoed as everyone in the entire High Firmament Treasure Palace felt immense pressure!

The power emanating from this wooden sword was not merely the might of a divine art, but a divine force! It was the unique divine power of Earth Mother Yuanjun, suppressing all heavens and all realms! It was geomagnetic vital force, a power as heavy as the Primordial Realm’s land!

Qin Mu immediately felt the wooden sword become incredibly heavy, almost too heavy to lift. He promptly retracted some vital qi, only then feeling more comfortable.

*Whoosh—*

He held the wooden sword level, moving it slowly. The sword’s movement was sluggish, yet its power was immense as he thrust it forward. Many women by the girl’s side raised their eyebrows, ready to strike, but the girl smiled and raised her hand, extending a single index finger. Her companions dared not make a move.

Qin Mu’s sword stopped just as it reached her glabella. Yet, the tremendously heavy sound didn’t cease, and the tremors from the geomagnetic vital force caused the entire great hall to sway precariously.

Rumbling sounds continued to emanate from behind the hall. The many demigods and gods and devils at the hall’s entrance flew out, arriving outside. Everyone flew into the air and looked behind the hall. They saw that as Qin Mu’s sword thrust out, towering mountains rose from the ground behind the High Firmament Treasure Palace, rumbling and shaking incessantly with astonishing force, as if the power of his sword had exploded behind the palace!

In the vast Jade Capital City, countless grand halls burst apart, and majestic, elegant mountains erupted from the earth at an astonishing speed, smashing this ancient celestial court ruin into smithereens! This single sword strike destroyed one-tenth of Jade Capital City!

“It’s the Yuanjun Kunyuan Sword!” An ancient demigod exclaimed, “It’s this sword that suppressed all heavens! Ancestral Dragon King, this is the sword, isn’t it?”

Ancestral Dragon King was filled with doubt and surprise, his voice hoarse. “It is this sword! The Earth Mother refined it from Primordial Wood, imbuing it with her divine power. When the Earth Mother was alive, she didn’t need to descend personally; she just needed someone to bring this sword, and once the Kunyuan Sword appeared, all heavens would submit!”

“Those who didn’t submit…” A devil god from the heavens above the Primordial Realm said coldly, “Were all slain by this wooden sword!”

The scholar walked out, leading his donkey, and slightly frowned as he looked at the sudden mountain range that had destroyed one-tenth of Jade Capital City.

Meanwhile, Qin Mu, holding the Yuanjun Kunyuan Sword, was secretly apprehensive. He hadn’t seen how the sword strike had devastated even the divine halls of Jade Capital City! “Why is this sword’s power so weak? I didn’t use my full strength just now; let me try another stab!”

He then lifted the wooden sword and thrust it out again. This time, he used even more vital qi, and the wooden sword became even heavier, almost too heavy for him to lift and thrust! The space within the hall rumbled and vibrated, creating a terrifying commotion. Countless geomagnetic divine lights surged from the sword. However, despite the grand display, the Yuanjun Kunyuan Sword still didn’t exhibit much power or might, and this wooden sword didn’t cause much damage to the High Firmament Palace.

“Is this sword of mine fake?” Cold sweat beaded on Qin Mu’s forehead as he rapidly thrust the sword several more times.

Outside the hall, even the scholar and the donkey were dumbfounded, staring blankly at Jade Capital City. Boom, boom. Terrifying tremors emanated as one mountain range after another erupted from the ground behind Jade Capital City, lifting countless palaces and grand halls into the air, where they shattered into pieces! Each mountain range stretched for a thousand miles, and the mountain peaks appeared like phenomena formed by exploding geomagnetic divine power! In the blink of an eye, a significant portion of this vast Jade Capital City was destroyed!

“King of Destruction... No wonder when I asked about his reputation in Yankang, everyone who knew him called him ‘Qin the Demolisher’...”

Cold sweat streamed down the scholar’s forehead. He suddenly said, “Lu Zheng, did you hear what Luo Shendao of the Outer Heavens said just now?”

The donkey nodded, its donkey face incredibly serious. “Hui!”

“Luo Shendao said his arm was severed by Qin the Demolisher.” The scholar spoke as if to the donkey, yet also to himself, muttering, “But he also said his arm was severed by the High Emperor’s Overlord Body. This is strange. The High Emperor’s Overlord Body, the Yankang Overlord Body—could they be the same person? Then the sword art of the High Emperor’s Sword God...” She widened her eyes, then quickly shook her head. “Impossible, absolutely impossible!”

*Boom.*

Jade Capital City vibrated as another thousand-mile mountain range emerged, jostling the other mountain ranges askew. Everyone quickly returned to the High Firmament Palace, their faces filled with terror as they looked at the young man standing on the Qilin’s head.

The young man returned the sword to Feng Qiuyun, his attendant, and then said to another attendant, whose halo behind her head contained a small sapling, “Give me the Six Harmonies Primordial Sword.” Everyone felt their hair stand on end.

Gongsun Yan handed the whisk from her arms to Qin Mu. Qin Mu shook the whisk, just about to activate the treasure, when Ancestral Dragon King suddenly said in a deep voice, “Young Master Qin, there’s no need to test it further! If you try again, Jade Capital City will cease to exist! These treasures are undoubtedly the supreme treasures of Earth Mother Yuanjun!”

The other demigods chimed in, “Indeed, they are the treasures of Earth Mother Yuanjun. Please, Young Master Qin, there’s no need to test them further!”

Qin Mu was surprised inwardly: “How do they know these are the Earth Mother’s treasures? I stabbed six or seven times just now and didn’t feel much power...” However, their doubts being dispelled suited his purpose.

Qin Mu handed the whisk to Gongsun Yan. Ancestral Dragon King and the other ancient demigods breathed a sigh of relief. They said to Qin Mu, “Young Master Qin, you are indeed the Earth Mother’s disciple. May we ask where the Earth Mother is? Please allow us to pay our respects.”

Feng Qiuyun replied without thinking, “Earth Mother Yuanjun suffered severe injuries, and is currently not yet...”

Qin Mu’s expression changed slightly, and he quickly pressed her hand. Feng Qiuyun didn’t understand his intention when Qin Mu’s mental fluctuation suddenly boomed in her mind: “Sister Qiuyun, do not reveal the Earth Mother’s true condition! These demigods harbor ill intentions!”

Feng Qiuyun’s hair stood on end. She looked at the leaders of the demigods. Ancestral Dragon King and the others were patriarchs of powerful races from the High Emperor era. Their strength was unfathomable. When the Earth Mother was alive, her immense authority oppressed all races, leaving them breathless. If Earth Mother Yuanjun were well, they wouldn’t dare rebel. If the Earth Mother died, they would feel relieved. And if the Earth Mother were severely wounded, they would surely be delighted to finish her off and even throw dirt on her grave!

Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on Feng Qiuyun’s forehead. “Ancestral Dragon King and the others have rebellious intentions; they’re trying to trick me into revealing information!”

Ancestral Dragon King asked with concern, “Senior Sister Feng, how are the Earth Mother’s injuries? We, your humble servants, have had no news of the Earth Mother for years and have been truly anxious. Today, it is rare to encounter a disciple of the Earth Mother again. We must go and pay our respects to the Earth Mother and kowtow to her.”

Feng Qiuyun’s scalp tingled.

Suddenly, Qin Mu burst into laughter. “Ancestral Dragon King, calm yourselves. There are still important matters to attend to right now! What else does this elder sister have to say? Why do you impersonate a disciple of the Earth Mother, and what are your intentions?” He changed the subject, drawing everyone’s attention to the girl.

The girl chuckled, “Rebellious subjects and traitors stole the Earth Mother’s treasures, and now they actually impersonate the Earth Mother’s disciples to pass off as genuine. Those who are unaware have actually been deceived by you. Sect Master Qin of the Heavenly Saint Sect is indeed an extraordinary individual.”

Qin Mu smiled faintly.

The girl leisurely said, “However, even if you can talk eloquently, you cannot change one fact.” She suddenly bowed and said, “This disciple requests the Earth Mother to descend!”

No sooner had she finished speaking than an incredibly terrifying and immensely heavy aura descended! That aura, as vast and heavy as the earth, instantly enveloped the entire Jade Capital City—majestic, profound, as weighty as the Primordial Realm continent, and as deep as a bottomless abyss. Everyone was awed by a natural divine power, feeling as though the surrounding space had also become heavy.

The High Firmament Palace suddenly disintegrated; countless tiles flew up with a clatter, and the hall’s beams, walls, pillars, and even the ground all lifted off, drifting into the distance. The entire grand hall vanished in an instant, leaving only the ground where everyone stood. Beneath their feet, continuous mountain ranges undulated, constantly rising, and extending in all directions. The mountains were majestic, towering into the clouds.

However, upon closer inspection, everyone realized they weren’t mountain ranges at all, but incredibly thick tree roots! They struggled to look up and saw an ancient divine tree towering between heaven and earth. Its roots were deeply embedded in the soil of the Primordial Realm, ancient and vast. The patterns on its bark appeared to be natural Dao markings.

The trunk of this divine tree was truly enormous, appearing to be composed of Mount Sumeru, even thicker than it. Looking upwards, all heavens and myriad realms seemed to float within the tree’s canopy. Such a magnificent sight was dazzling!

Beneath the tree, the girl bowed. “I request Earth Mother Yuanjun.”

From the tree’s canopy, a goddess of peerless grace drifted down from the tree, her bare feet lightly touching the ground. Her Dao rhythm was naturally formed, embodying the vastness of the earth and nurturing all things, possessing a unique aura that others could not imitate. And her appearance was identical to the statue of the Earth Mother Qin Mu had seen in the Earth Mother Yuanjun Temple!

Qin Mu’s eyelid twitched violently. He looked at Feng Qiuyun, then at the girl, then raised his gaze to the Earth Mother Yuanjun before him, feeling a sense of bewilderment. Although he had seen the Earth Mother’s remnant soul in the underground palace, a voice within him told him that the Earth Mother Yuanjun before him was not fake.

“This is more complicated than I thought... Weren’t we here to seek revenge on Red Emperor Qi Xiayu? Feng Qiuyun attacked Sister Qi, was killed by Sister Qi, and then I grabbed the treasures and ran. Why has it become so complex and convoluted now?” Qin Mu’s head felt like a bushel, and he secretly peeled off the willow leaf from between his brows.