Chapter 813: Yankang Sword God

"This woman in the coffin is indeed Jie Wuchen!" Qin Mu's heart stirred slightly, and he asked Tian Gong mentally, "Then is the other woman in the coffin the Empress?"

His gaze fell upon the other woman. Her body was naturally formed, born from the Great Dao between heaven and earth. Though not as stunningly beautiful as Jie Wuchen, she was still a rare beauty. She possessed a regal demeanor befitting an empress. Her clothes were woven from silk made of the most precious divine metal, and she wore a phoenix coronet, with a cinnabar mark on her forehead, and powdered, red lips.

She had severe injuries. In Qin Mu's opinion, her wounds weren't necessarily fatal, and there were ways to treat them. However, in ancient times, without the present conditions, her injuries were indeed deadly. After all, the path of medicine wasn't part of the Great Dao of heaven and earth; it was a path created by later beings. In ancient times, medicine was just emerging and insufficient to treat such wounds. Similarly, the path of creation was also developed by later beings, and at that time, it was not strong enough to reverse the Empress's fate.

"It is the Empress," Tian Gong said, using Qin Mu's eyes to observe the two female corpses in the coffin. He sighed, "The Empress is actually dead. This woman was also extraordinarily divine; I never thought she would become a corpse. I always thought the first ancient god leader to fall was Tian Yin Niangniang, but it turns out to be her. Who is the Empress in the Heavenly Court then? Could it be..."

"Are you certain she is the Empress, Tian Gong?" Qin Mu suddenly asked. "Tian Gong, I heard that the Empress and her sister looked identical. Perhaps the one in the coffin is the Empress's younger sister."

"It wouldn't be her," Tian Gong patiently explained. "Although they were twin beauties from the Return to the Ruins, there were still differences. The elder sister was pure and undefiled, possessing a sacred and inviolable aura, which is why she became the Empress. The younger sister, however, was much more lively and mischievous. Their most significant distinction was the cinnabar mark on their foreheads. The elder sister had a red mark, embodying ultimate yin and gentleness, while the younger sister had a black mark, which was quite alluring and mischievous."

Qin Mu carefully examined the cinnabar mark on the Empress's forehead. He realized it wasn't merely painted on with vermilion; upon closer inspection, it seemed to contain infinite, profound, and mysterious patterns.

Tian Gong sighed, "To what end did sisters turn against each other for the Heavenly Emperor? But why did Jie Wuchen also die? This woman, who enticed the Heavenly Emperor's reincarnation and assassinated him, was undeniably ruthless and employed extraordinary means. Why is her corpse here? Who killed her and placed her here?"

Qin Mu was bewildered by his questions. Tian Gong's inquiries were precisely what he himself wanted to ask, but it was clear Tian Gong didn't know the answers either, which was why he was asking Qin Mu.

"Don't close your eyes!" Tian Gong exclaimed as he saw Qin Mu reaching for the willow leaf. "This is interesting; let us observe as well."

Qin Mu had no choice but to put away the willow leaf. He then heard Emperor Chi's voice, "So this is Jie Wuchen? She is indeed a beauty; I almost pity her. If only I were still alive..."

"You'd die terribly," Tu Bo's voice interjected. "Even Tian Gong and the Heavenly Emperor couldn't resist her allure. If the Heavenly Emperor hadn't gone to his death, Tian Gong would surely have reincarnated to pursue this woman and then lost his life. Old Buddha, are you feeling worldly desires?"

Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha replied, "To me, she's merely a beautiful skeleton."

"The key is that gods don't die of old age; there's only beauty, no skeleton," Tian Gong countered. "Old Buddha, your Buddhist teachings still have flaws; be careful not to suffer. Great Sun Star Lord, what do you know about this woman?"

Great Sun Star Lord grumbled, "What could I possibly know? You've already extracted everything I knew. Jie Wuchen died after me, and I certainly wouldn't dare to harbor any thoughts about her."

"What a truly stunning woman. If only one could be in the same room with such a person... Odd, there are no obvious wounds on her body!" Divine Son Chi Ming suddenly exclaimed, having noticed something.

Everyone quickly examined her closely. Jie Wuchen in the coffin indeed had no wounds. She lay there quietly, as if asleep, her pale face tinged with a faint pink blush, but there was no breath.

"Could someone have forcibly stripped her soul using Youdu magic?"

The group lingered before the coffin, reluctant to leave, completely forgetting that their original purpose was to investigate the true identity of the Empress, not the woman within the coffin.

Feng Qiuyun suddenly sneered, "Men are truly worthless, yet they call themselves heroes! Just one woman, and a corpse at that, has you wretched men utterly captivated, making you a laughingstock."

Qin Mu said delightedly, "Sister Qiuyun, I wasn't captivated; I'm still very clear-headed. Village Chief, you are too, aren't you?"

The Village Chief's old face flushed slightly, and he chuckled, "I've long been accustomed to Granny Si's beauty, so I naturally have strong self-control."

Feng Qiuyun snorted and looked at Prince Qiuming. "Upper Realm country bumpkin prince, our purpose in seeking the Empress's coffin was to ascertain if the person inside is indeed the Empress. Now that you've seen, do you have an answer?"

Prince Qiuming withdrew his gaze and said gravely, "The one in the coffin is indeed the Empress."

Everyone's hearts froze, and even Luo Wushuang was greatly shaken.

Feng Qiuyun asked, "Then who is the Empress in the Heavenly Court?"

Prince Qiuming shook his head. "I don't know. I suddenly don't want to know. The more you know, the quicker you die. I don't want to die. Right now, I only want this ghost ship. You all may leave."

All the men's gazes were fixed on Jie Wuchen in the Empress's coffin. No one moved. The ghost ship no longer seemed important; they all wanted to stay there, to remain with the woman in the coffin.

The Village Chief sighed, pulled his gaze away, and slowly retreated, holding Qin Mu's hand. "We have no interest in the ghost ship, nor in this woman in the coffin... no interest at all! We'll take our leave first!"

He kicked Dragon Herder, who reluctantly stood up and followed them outside.

Just then, a flash of light appeared from nowhere, blinding everyone. Qin Mu and the Village Chief's hearts tightened. "This ghost ship has reset space-time again!"

Roars of dragons echoed from within the hall, and terrifying auras erupted. Qin Mu immediately felt the eight petrified divine dragons guarding the Empress's coffin reviving in the light, which made his hair stand on end. He quickly fled towards the hall's exit.

Dragon roars resonated throughout the grand hall, and suddenly, terrifying tremors spread. Sword and saber glints flashed, and even imperial might surged. Despite its size, the hall could not withstand the onslaught of so many powerful experts and their divine abilities, especially with an imperial corpse and Emperor's Throne-level divine weapons present!

"Quickly, get out, it's about to reset!" the little figure in the lamp exclaimed in panic.

The Village Chief immediately drew his sword, and sword light flashed. In terms of sword techniques, Qin Mu had already surpassed him, but in terms of the Great Dao of the Sword, he remained the foremost in Yankang, far ahead even of the Yankang Imperial Preceptor!

In the Divine Bridge realm, he had already created the Nine Sword Diagrams, each diagram representing one heaven of the Sword Dao. At that time, he was already a grand master of the Ninth Heaven of the Sword Dao!

Regardless of the path to enlightenment, the initial entry is difficult, but progressing further is even harder. Even a being like Heavenly Master Zi Xi, throughout her entire life, only reached the Thirteenth Heaven of the Sword Dao in her mastery.

However, Heavenly Master Zi Xi was in the Numinous Sky realm, and the Thirteenth Heaven of the Sword Dao was her limit, the Sword Dao she created within that realm.

The Village Chief was different. In his younger days, he was trapped in the Divine Bridge realm, unable to see cultivation methods beyond it or cultivate to higher realms.

He created the Nine Sword Diagrams entirely through his own talent and effort.

The Nine Sword Diagrams corresponded to the True God realm, meaning the Sword Dao he comprehended in the Divine Bridge realm had already reached the True God level.

Later, Qin Mu disseminated cultivation methods like the Magpie Bridge Art to mend the Divine Bridge, used the space between life and death to connect to Fengdu, and the shifting bridge to connect to the Grand Emperor Heaven. Various divine and demonic arts emerged endlessly, and even Emperor's Throne cultivation methods were spread, greatly expanding the Village Chief's horizons and knowledge.

During the time Qin Mu was adventuring, the Village Chief hadn't been idle either. He had thoroughly mastered the sword cultivation methods in the Jade Bright Palace, achieving astonishing breakthroughs in the Sword Dao once again.

With sword in hand, the Village Chief cleaved through the aftershocks of various divine abilities, breaking out with Qin Mu and Dragon Herder.

Ahead was also a blinding light, rendering everything invisible. He could only advance by feeling his way. Suddenly, his sword touched a divine saber, and a series of sharp clangs erupted.

The divine saber was like mercury pouring onto the ground, penetrating everywhere. The Village Chief deployed his sword techniques to block it, saying gravely, "Luo's Divine Saber?"

"Yankang Sword God?"

The divine saber spread out, and the path of the saber clashed violently with the path of the sword. As the Village Chief swung his sword to parry, he was momentarily startled, realizing the power emanating from the saber wasn't exceptionally strong, roughly on par with his own magic power.

"Is Luo's Divine Saber suppressing his realm to spar with me? He wants to observe my Sword Dao!"

Suddenly, the saber light abruptly retracted, and Luo Wushuang moved away. Amidst the light, a divine dragon burst through the clashes of saber and sword, sending the Village Chief, Qin Mu, and others flying into the air. It was unclear if it was a divine dragon from Dragonbrook Kingdom or the Ancestral Dragon King.

More people rushed out from the hall. The colossal sound of the hall collapsing echoed, and fierce flames blazed within the light. It turned out Feng Qiuyun had opened the Emperor's coffin, and the imperial corpse had risen from it, roaring in indignation, causing the hall to crumble!

"Feng Qiuyun, you're insane!" Divine Son Chi Ming transformed into a beam of light and fled past Qin Mu and the others.

Just then, the light suddenly dispersed, and their vision became clear once more.

The Village Chief protected Qin Mu and Dragon Herder, his sword light swirling, cutting through the aftershocks of various divine abilities. He landed lightly, grunted, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Qin Mu quickly asked, "Village Chief, are you injured?"

"I'm fine," the Village Chief replied calmly. "I just got grazed when that divine dragon rushed past; it's not fatal. Luo Wushuang's saber path is indeed formidable; his mastery is almost at the Thirteenth Heaven. However, in terms of reaching the Dao, my Sword Dao is no less impressive."

Qin Mu swiftly activated his creation divine ability to heal him.

Dragon Herder, still dazed, mumbled, "Master, wasn't that hall destroyed just now?"

Qin Mu froze and looked back. The grand hall stood perfectly intact, showing no signs of collapse or damage, looking exactly as it had before.

Inside the hall, the eight dragons were still coiled identically, guarding the Empress's coffin.

Beside the coffin was another sarcophagus, the imperial mausoleum stone coffin brought by Feng Qiuyun. Half of the stone coffin was submerged in the ground, and half was exposed. The ancient Emperor's corpse had now merged with both the ground and the stone coffin, its cyan, zombie-like face pressed against the lid of the sarcophagus, its grayish-white eyes rotating.

Many of the demigods brought by the Ancestral Dragon King had their bodies partly merged with the walls, some with pillars, their backsides exposed, while others had sunk into the ground, as if faces were growing out of the earth.

They were all still alive.

However, when the light burst forth earlier, they seemed to have been reassembled, but in an incorrect way, causing them to become a single entity with the grand hall.