Chapter 800: Displaying Skills

His martial arts ascension was indeed a valid method, yet from the Kaihuang era until now, he remained the only one to have achieved it. Before the Kaihuang era, no one like him had ever existed.

As a Martial Battle Heavenly Master, the old farmer dedicated all his energy to martial arts and understood little else. It was precisely this unwavering focus that earned him the title of Martial Arts Emperor. He was the foremost martial artist throughout history. If he had been as freethinking and prone to dabbling in various things as Qin Mu, he would not have achieved his current success. Focus was the key to his accomplishments.

Despite this, Qin Mu's sudden creation of twenty-six types of Seventh Divine Treasures was a major blow to him. Even before Qin Mu developed these twenty-six Seventh Divine Treasures, Xu Shenghua had already created the Jianmu Innate Divine Bridge—an astonishing feat where a single Jianmu connected heaven and earth, linking all divine treasures into one. What was even more formidable was that the Jianmu Innate Divine Bridge significantly simplified martial arts ascension, allowing Hu Bugui to ascend from the Jianmu, crossing the void to the Celestial Palace. Although the old farmer was outwardly stubborn, he had long been inwardly convinced by the impact of Qin Mu and Xu Shenghua; now, the blow was simply doubled.

He utterly detested quick-witted individuals who casually claimed they were not smart, hadn't worked hard, or hadn't learned much, yet effortlessly presented twenty-six solutions after merely "thinking for a bit." He felt these scoundrels practically wore "I'm smarter than you" on their faces, waiting for praise. Early in his life, he had endured constant blows to his ego. The Woodcutter, the Scholar, and the Fisherman—each was smarter than him, making him feel he was the dullest of the four. This kind of constant deflation, spanning two thousand years of the Kaihuang era, filled him with resentment.

The old farmer tried his best to appear kind and benevolent, gently asking, "You have twenty-six solutions, so why do you want to destroy the Spirit Beyond Divine Treasure?"

Qin Mu smiled, "I've only deduced these twenty-six methods; I haven't tested them individually yet. After a round of testing, I'll select the simplest one for you, Senior Uncle. You can then teach it to the martial artists in the Dou Niu world, resolving their struggle of not having a divine bridge."

"Choose the simplest one..." The old farmer felt his benevolent expression might contort into a grimace at any moment. He quickly composed himself and smiled, "Keep the Spirit Beyond Divine Treasure; there's no need to destroy it. Just open a second type of divine treasure. Keeping them will also give you more magical power."

Qin Mu was momentarily stunned, then clapped his hands in praise, "Senior Uncle truly is exceptionally intelligent, worthy of being the Martial Arts Emperor! I never thought of such a method!" The old farmer felt a little smug, thinking, "These smart people often get stuck on minor details."

"But stuffing so many divine treasures into the body would be messy and vexing." Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "I believe some divine treasures might be unnecessary, and having too many would just be a burden... Senior Uncle, wait a moment. I need to calculate if my physical body can accommodate so many divine treasures!" The old farmer's eyebrow twitched. He grunted, then watched as Qin Mu spread his hands outward, vital qi forming mathematical models of the human body and divine treasures. With a snap of his fingers, the divine treasures rapidly expanded.

Qin Mu walked among the divine treasures, observing them carefully. Suddenly, another mass of vital qi flew out, transforming into a Celestial Palace, with the South Heaven Gate towering high. Qin Mu used vital qi to create twenty-six divine treasure forms, lining them up one by one, attempting to fit them under the South Heaven Gate. The old farmer peered closely, realizing he couldn't understand. He huffed, thinking, "Showing off!"

Qin Mu continuously rearranged the combinations, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter. After a long while, he withdrew his vital qi and shook his head, saying, "Senior Uncle, you're thinking too simply. If these were ordinary Seventh Divine Treasures, the South Heaven Gate could accommodate five or six of them, but some of these divine treasures cannot even fit under the South Heaven Gate; they would need to connect directly to the Celestial Palace. I believe one divine treasure is best; having too many is useless."

The old farmer maintained his benevolent expression and said, "In that case, I'll destroy your Spirit Beyond Divine Treasure first, and you can continue to ponder. I'll stay at the Imperial Preceptor's mansion. When you've opened your second divine treasure, send someone to call me."

Qin Mu quickly said, "Senior Uncle, please stay here. The Imperial Preceptor is short on money, and his living expenses are a problem. Besides, I'm skilled in medicine and can help you heal." "No need!" The old farmer said stiffly, then suddenly softened his tone, speaking amiably, "Your cultivation is important; I won't disturb you. Over at the Imperial Preceptor's place, there's a master of poison named Fu Yuanqing, who is also skilled in medicine. I'll let him treat me."

Qin Mu smiled, "Fu Yuanqing is my Senior Brother, the Little Poison King. Although his medical skills aren't as good as mine, they're not bad. He can indeed treat you, Senior Uncle. In that case, I'll have someone send some money to the Imperial Preceptor's mansion for your expenses these days."

The old farmer urged, "Quickly, where exactly is your Spirit Beyond Divine Treasure?" Qin Mu promptly pointed out its location, and the old farmer, without a word, simply pointed. With a rumble, Qin Mu's painstakingly crafted Spirit Beyond Ark instantly shattered, ceasing to exist!

Qin Mu's vital qi surged, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. As the old farmer was about to leave, Qin Mu quickly suppressed his injuries and asked, "Senior Uncle, can you destroy this halo behind my head with martial force? It's the blessing from Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign."

"What's so difficult about that?" The old farmer punched, and the halo behind Qin Mu's head shattered with crackling sounds! Qin Mu was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but praise, "Senior Uncle's martial power is unparalleled!"

The old farmer was quite pleased with himself. Just then, his expression changed slightly as he stared at the back of Qin Mu's head. He saw countless runes automatically combining within the shattered halo. The runes were incredibly tiny, and he vaguely sensed that they were drawing power from the earth to reassemble themselves, quickly restoring the halo to its original state. Qin Mu's expression also changed slightly, and he stood there dumbfounded.

The old farmer delivered another punch, shattering the halo formed by Earth Mother's blessing once more. However, the halo quickly reformed! "Something's strange!" The old farmer mused, his thick hands clamping onto the halo behind Qin Mu's head. He squeezed forcefully inwards, crushing the halo, the Earth Yuan Dao Fruit, and the space within the halo between his palms! The Earth Yuan Dao Fruit contained extremely powerful energy; if it exploded, it could shatter even a deity. Yet, between his palms, it only made a soft "pop" and was directly erased.

The old farmer released his hands, only to see an extremely faint yellow light flowing around Qin Mu's body, slowly gathering behind his head, and then the halo gradually formed. Not only that, but the completely shattered Earth Yuan Dao Fruit also slowly materialized as a phantom, drawing energy from the earth, gradually transforming from a phantom into reality. Before long, the wrinkled Earth Yuan Dao Fruit had reformed!

"I can't destroy it." The old farmer shook his head and said, "This Earth Mother's blessing and this fruit are both too peculiar. When the Woodcutter arrives, let him research them."

Qin Mu sighed inwardly, then perked up and said, "Senior Uncle, I have one more thing. Did you see that little chubby kid?" The old farmer looked at Imperial Venerable Yu, puzzled, "What about him?" "Please teach him martial arts," Qin Mu said with a smile, "You don't need to teach him profound principles, just the basics, martial arts suitable for the Spirit Embryo realm."

The old farmer glanced at Imperial Venerable Yu again and snorted, "This little fat kid's rolls of fat are all undigested spirit pills, clearly indicating gluttony. He indeed needs martial arts to temper his body and spirit. Leave him to me; I guarantee he'll be lean and fit after a while!" Qin Mu quickly added, "There's also a Water Qilin who can't control its mouth. Please bear with the extra effort, Senior Uncle."

The old farmer nonchalantly said, "Let San Duo stay here with you and train him. San Duo's abilities are not much weaker than mine. And your big horse, hand it over to San Duo for training too."

Qin Mu was overjoyed and quickly thanked him. The old farmer took Imperial Venerable Yu and walked out. Qin Mu hurriedly ordered someone to send money to the Imperial Preceptor's mansion, saying, "Prepare more Dafeng Coins; we can't let the Imperial Preceptor and his family suffer too much."

He then went to find the old ox, only to see it and the Dragon Qilin resting under a large tree in the courtyard. The Dragon Qilin and the old ox each held a water pipe, with tea placed nearby. Gongsun Yan was pouring tea for these two oafs, who were blowing smoke, looking very content.

The old ox boasted to the Dragon Qilin, "I went to the grasslands and had a fight, hehe. Great Black Heaven is the Demon Ancestor of the demon race, a formidable figure. Countless strong men under his command were defeated by my iron hooves, but Master was weak and got injured by Great Black Heaven. Oh, right, do you farm? My bones feel a bit itchy now. After tea, let's go plow a few hundred mu of land together!" The Dragon Qilin scratched its belly, looking troubled, "I'm not addicted to farming."

Qin Mu approached with a dark expression, saying, "Senior Brother San Duo, when you go farming later, take A'Shui with you... Where did this tree come from?" Gongsun Yan smiled, "It's my primordial spirit. I felt so at home here that I planted my primordial spirit, and it grew incredibly fast. You should plant your primordial spirit too; I'll water it for you every day."

Qin Mu widened his eyes and looked up, seeing that this primordial wood had already grown over ten zhang tall. Fortunately, the courtyard was large enough that it didn't look too conspicuous. However, the primordial wood was still growing, and it had grown a bit more in just a short while.

Gongsun Yan, holding the teapot, said with a smile, "If we plant them together, once they grow strong, phoenixes will come looking for them. I'll teach you how to weave phoenix nests; it's sure to attract phoenixes." Qin Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, shaking his head, "I like to wander around; I can't settle down, and I'm not a tree either."

Gongsun Yan's expression dimmed. Qin Mu quickly said, "Once this Earth Yuan Dao Fruit is digested, I'll plant it, and another primordial wood will grow to keep you company. Senior Brother San Duo, give A'Shui and Fatty Dragon a good workout!"

Niu Sanduo affirmed, pulled the Dragon Qilin, called the Water Qilin, and walked outside, saying, "Let's go cultivate a few hundred mu of wasteland outside the capital first. I'll teach you how to loosen up your bones with martial arts." The Water Qilin was quite respectful of him, and chuckled, "Brother Niu, do you eat spirit pills?"

Qin Mu watched them leave, then suddenly felt a chill on his head. Gongsun Yan was watering him again, stubbornly trying to make him grow a flower. Qin Mu, helpless, simply sat under her primordial spirit, preparing to open his second divine treasure.

More than ten days later, he opened his second divine treasure and sent someone to invite the old farmer. The old farmer rushed over, punched him, and left without delay. After another six or seven days, Qin Mu again sent for him, and the old farmer still punched him and left. The old ox stopped him and asked, "Master, why don't you stay here? Why bother running back and forth so many times?"

The old farmer snorted, "Staying here isn't pleasant; I'm constantly being disheartened by smart people. I'd rather keep running back and forth. The Woodcutter has arrived, I'm leaving!" From a distance, the voice of the Woodcutter Sage came with a laugh, "Farmer, who's disheartening you every day?" The old farmer clenched his fist, his expression unfriendly.