Chapter 817: BMW Carving and Fragrant Roads

"Flowers are not flowers, mist is not mist. They come at midnight, and leave at dawn..."

Qin Mu pondered the lines, savoring them repeatedly.

A million years ago, at the Grand Gathering of Jade Pool, he, together with Kai Huang and Ling Tianzun, had researched a divine art that could prevent matter from easily increasing or decreasing. Although their time was short, they had managed to discover a vague path.

Of course, Ling Tianzun was the primary researcher; he and Kai Huang merely assisted, helping with deductions and teaching her the art of creation.

However, Qin Mu was very clear about Ling Tianzun's research findings.

It was then that the foundation of Ling Tianzun's divine art was established.

Over the long years that followed, Ling Tianzun continued to deduce and perfect this divine art.

Judging from the ghost ship, Ling Tianzun had not yet perfected this divine art when she performed it, thus leaving the flaw of the 'thirty-six unchanging constants'.

Each time the ship underwent a spatiotemporal reset, it left a flaw.

This flaw led to three consequences.

First, it caused the fusion of living and non-living things on the ship, transforming them into monstrous entities that were neither human nor object. This was why many people who boarded had grown together with the ship's hull.

Second, the fusion of the divine art with the ship, and the ship with life, had already transformed the divine art and the ship into a wondrous life form. This entity roamed through thirty-six different eras, attacking any boarders who had the ability to threaten its existence.

Third, the ship cycled through thirty-six different eras, and this cycle caused the boarders to become incorporeal, eventually turning into an invisible state, neither living nor dead.

To the boarders, this was a strange and terrifying divine art, but to Ling Tianzun, it was merely the result of her divine art being imperfect.

While it was bizarre to the boarders, to her, it was a flaw, not her original intention.

Ling Tianzun likely left this poem later, when she re-boarded the ship, noticed the imperfection of her divine art, and thus left the verses. The poem describes the flaws within her divine art.

The key to survival for the boarders lay not in comprehending Ling Tianzun's divine art, but in finding a way out by exploiting its flaws and breaking her art!

Qin Mu vaguely grasped a direction for breaking this divine art, but the feeling was too nebulous, and he couldn't fully comprehend it at that moment.

Suddenly, a terrifying tremor came from behind the hall. They quickly circled the grand structure and saw God Son Chi Ming engaged in battle with two attendants of Prince Qiu Ming!

God Son Chi Ming and the two divine beings were already semi-incorporeal, their bodies and primordial spirits hazy and unreal. Yet, their combat strength remained astonishingly powerful.

After Qin Mu imparted Chi Emperor's three-primordial spirit undying divine consciousness to him, God Son Chi Ming finally overcame his weakness. His primordial spirit also cultivated three heads and six arms, and combined with Emperor Ming's Flawless Creation Profound Arts, he became an unstoppable force, killing gods and Buddhas alike!

However, the two divine beings accompanying Prince Qiu Ming were also extraordinary. One of them, wielding a silver rope that seemed to hang from the moon, left a deep impression on Qin Mu.

The silver rope, stretching for a hundred thousand miles, hung down from the moon. Upon reaching the ground, he collected it into his sleeve.

Now, he wielded the silver rope, not as a mere rope, but as a whip. This silver whip could change length at will, demonstrating techniques like shaking, splitting, lifting, sweeping, coiling, circling, trapping, and stabbing. Its transformations didn't stop there; the whip's tip sometimes morphed into a silver dragon, baring its fangs and claws, and other times into a silver spear, thrusting forward with varied and unpredictable changes.

The other divine being was also exceptionally formidable, working in tandem with the first to besiege God Son Chi Ming, causing entire palace buildings on the ship to collapse.

The Village Chief suddenly remarked, "Their strength is much weaker than before; their cultivation must have become incorporeal as well. It seems the stronger one is on this ship, the more they are weakened."

Qin Mu nodded. Just then, all three felt their hair stand on end, locked down by an incredibly terrifying aura, unable to move a muscle.

It was an utterly dreadful dragon's might.

The Village Chief's voice was hoarse: "Ancestral Dragon King!"

Qin Mu abruptly turned around. The Ancestral Dragon King was charging towards them, already within a hundred paces behind them. This elder dragon of the Numinous Sky Realm had an enormous head, its dragon maw wide open as if to swallow them whole!

However, the moment Qin Mu turned to look at him, the Ancestral Dragon King's physical body immediately became incorporeal, transforming into a hazy phantom!

His strength was exceptionally high, only slightly inferior to Feng Qiuyun. His condition was similar to hers; Feng Qiuyun had grown into the murals of the ship's grand hall, her body so incorporeal it was difficult to discern. The Ancestral Dragon King was somewhat better off, but not by much.

If Qin Mu hadn't forcibly broken through the dragon's might and turned around, the Ancestral Dragon King would have remained unobserved and thus not become incorporeal. However, under Qin Mu's gaze, his physical body and primordial spirit rapidly became incorporeal, leaving him with little strength.

The Ancestral Dragon King immediately escaped into the void. His speed was extremely fast, appearing behind Qin Mu the next moment. However, the Village Chief and Dragon Herding Sovereign's gazes fell upon him.

"You clever tricksters! I'll let you off!"

The Ancestral Dragon King sped away. The next moment, God Son Chi Ming, who was fighting the two Heavenly Court divine beings, suddenly closed all three of his eyes. The Ancestral Dragon King's figure appeared behind the silver-whip divine being and tore him apart!

God Son Chi Ming flipped backward and leaped away, and the other Heavenly Court divine being immediately fell victim to the Ancestral Dragon King's deadly hand, shattered by a blow from his staff!

Suddenly, God Son Chi Ming opened all three of his eyes. The Ancestral Dragon King had already appeared before him, and under his gaze, the dragon king's body instantly became incorporeal.

God Son Chi Ming attacked ferociously. The incorporeal Ancestral Dragon King, greatly weakened, vomited blood and fled in haste within a few moves.

Unable to pursue, God Son Chi Ming called out loudly, "Ancestral Dragon King, stop struggling! You won't last through the next cycle before becoming incorporeal. If I were you, I would hide quietly and wait to fully become incorporeal, transforming into another life form, to avoid losing your life."

He turned around, looked at Qin Mu, the Village Chief, and Dragon Herding Sovereign, and began walking towards them.

The Village Chief gripped his Worry-Free Sword, his gaze fixed on Chi Ming's approaching steps. He said calmly, "God Son Chi Ming, if you wish to escape the fate of becoming incorporeal, you must rely on the peerless Overlord Body to solve the ghost ship's dilemma. If you kill us, you will never be able to return and see your people."

God Son Chi Ming stopped, his gaze falling on Qin Mu. He said softly, "I have always admired the intelligence of Overlord Body Qin. However, asking me to give up my only chance based solely on the term 'Overlord Body' seems a bit childish. Overlord Body Qin, what ability do you possess to make me concede?"

"God Son, you can gamble," Qin Mu said.

Qin Mu continued, "You can gamble that I can break the ghost ship, allowing you to return alive. Or you can gamble that by killing us, you will become one of the thirty-six unchanging constants on the ghost ship."

God Son Chi Ming fell silent. After a moment, he asked, "Is Chi Emperor within you?"

Qin Mu nodded, "He currently only has his thoughts and consciousness remaining, without soul or spirit."

God Son Chi Ming closed his eyes. After a long pause, he opened them again, his killing intent gone, his demeanor serene. He smiled faintly, "I won't survive the next cycle after this one; my strength will be greatly diminished due to incorporealization. Once I become incorporeal, you will have to rely on yourselves."

The Village Chief said solemnly, "Thank you."

God Son Chi Ming stated, "The danger doesn't only come from our group of boarders, but also from boarders of various other eras. The thirty-six individuals won't become incorporeal, but that doesn't mean they can't die. Since we've been on this ship, we haven't seen any other unchanging constants; they have most likely met an unfortunate end."

The Village Chief said deeply, "I understand. That lantern is highly problematic."

God Son Chi Ming turned to leave, saying, "The Ancestral Dragon King will be completely incorporeal in the next cycle. Outside, there are still formidable experts like the One-Armed Divine Blade Luo Wushuang and the demigods under the Ancestral Dragon King, as well as boarders from other cycles. I will go eliminate them."

The Village Chief watched him depart.

Not long after, another burst of light enveloped the ship. Once the light dissipated, Qin Mu quickly looked at the Village Chief, seeing that his body had become slightly more incorporeal.

"I'm fine," the Village Chief said. "After this cycle, God Son Chi Ming's strength has likely become incorporeal, and the Ancestral Dragon King has probably completely vanished."

The Village Chief added, "Now, God Son Chi Ming can no longer protect us; we can only rely on ourselves."

Just then, beyond the Heavenly River, they saw a lush Primordial Tree, enshrouding the Primordial Realm.

Many gods and devils from the Emperor's Era discovered the ship. They each unleashed their divine arts, trapping the vessel and flying towards it. These were a group of demigods, likely powerful figures from the Northern Emperor's Heavenly Court.

The number of these demigods was immense; they boarded the ship from all directions, their approach fierce.

"Heavenly Wanderer God, there are humans and a dragon here!" some demigods from the Emperor's Era exclaimed upon spotting them, rushing towards their position.

The Village Chief smiled, examining the sword in his hand. He chuckled, "This truly is a fine sword. Mu'er, it has the characters 'Worry-Free' on it. Is it called the Worry-Free Sword?"

Qin Mu nodded, stating solemnly, "This is Kai Huang's personal sword."

The Village Chief paused, then smiled, "Kai Huang? Kai Huang is the one I admire most. In my youth, I roamed the world with my sword, exploring everywhere. In the Great Ruins, I saw many ancient relics, once glorious civilizations, and countless stone statues. I often wondered, what kind of hero must Kai Huang have been to command the loyalty of such formidable individuals, to fight for a lifelong ideal and dream? That's why the second stance of my Sword Diagram is called 'Sword of Kai Huang's Emergence.' To wield his sword is a great fortune in this life!"

He drew his sword, brandished it while singing. The sword light moved like a vast ocean, as if moonlight was pouring into the sea, with each wave a shimmering silver scale.

At this moment, the Village Chief was full of vigor and spirit, like an emperor riding in a carved chariot, traversing the sea to quell rebellions across the four seas.

Sword Diagram's second stance: Sword of Kai Huang's Emergence.

"The east wind at night sends forth a thousand trees of flowers!"

His sword path flowed freely as he imagined Kai Huang quelling rebellions, as if the emperor had encountered foes, risen from his carved chariot, and leveled the four directions with his sword!

"And blew them down, stars like rain! Exquisite chariots scented the road. Phoenix flutes resonated, the jade pot's light shifted, a night of fish and dragon dances!"

The sword light, like scales, danced like fish and dragons in the vast ocean of blades.

Qin Mu had also learned the 'Sword of Kai Huang's Emergence' move. However, the same sword technique, when performed by him versus by the Village Chief, carried a completely different artistic conception.

Moreover, the artistic conception of the Village Chief performing this move in the past was entirely different from his performance now.

When the Village Chief performed this move in the past, it evoked a sense of mountains and rivers remaining, but a heart adrift, looking around to find the old homeland no longer constrained by old ways. It carried a desolate melancholy, a remembrance of fallen heroes, and a longing for bygone years.

But now, the Village Chief's sword conveyed the unrestrained dashing spirit of a young emperor quelling rebellions, embodying the feelings of a youthful hero, full of rare vigor!

Different states of mind and different experiences resulted in different sword paths.

Having died once, the resurrected Village Chief seemed to have returned to his youth, possessing the ambitious and striving mindset of a young man. This allowed his sword path to shed its former tragic and heroic sentiments, replacing them with youthful enterprise and struggle, filled with heroic spirit.

The demigods from the Northern Emperor's Heavenly Court surged forward, only to be buried within the sword light. The Village Chief stood like a young emperor on a carved chariot, slaying each invading expert.

His sword path was transforming, becoming sharper and more proactive, adapting to and guiding the era of reform in Eternal Peace!

He was a man at the forefront of his era!

"Excellent swordsmanship! Truly worthy of the expert who taught Overlord Body Qin!"

From a distance, a resonant voice boomed. Blade light flared, cleaving a path of life and death, cutting through waves and parting the vast ocean of swords, sending numerous Emperor's Era demigods sprawling.

The One-Armed Divine Blade Luo Wushuang came charging, breaking through the Sword Diagram and cleaving towards the young emperor on the carved chariot. He declared loudly, "Eternal Peace Sword God, the Overlord Body's swordsmanship comes from you! I'll kill you first, then him!"

His body was even more severely incorporeal, yet as the foremost divine blade of the outer Heavenly Court, his strength remained exceptionally terrifying. He had entered the Dao through the blade, achieving astonishing mastery in his blade techniques.

The Village Chief's sword light shifted, transforming into the tribulation of the Emperor's Era. The sword ocean surged, and furious waves ripped through the sky, clashing head-on with Luo Wushuang.

One was revered as the Heavenly Court's foremost divine blade, the other as the Eternal Peace Sword God. Their various Dao-entering ultimate moves dazzled Qin Mu and Dragon Herding Sovereign, who were caught in the midst of the flashing blades and raining swords.

Meanwhile, the demigods who rushed into the blade and sword techniques of these two masters met gruesome deaths, utterly incapable of withstanding the clash between such Dao realm experts.

Suddenly, an incredibly bright light erupted, and the ghost ship underwent another cycle.

Luo Wushuang grunted, then quickly retreated.

In this cycle, his incorporealization was even more severe, placing him at a significant disadvantage. He had to find a safe place, avoid his opponents, and wait for the next cycle to become fully incorporeal.

The Village Chief sheathed his sword, looking down at the Worry-Free Sword with admiration. "It truly is a fine sword," he praised. "And Luo Wushuang certainly lives up to his name as a divine blade. Even the Pig Slaughterer is just a step away from pursuing him."

Qin Mu looked at the Village Chief's body, seeing that his physical body and primordial spirit were also severely incorporeal. Dragon Herding Sovereign was slowly becoming incorporeal as well.

They had experienced two more cycles and two more instances of outsiders boarding the ship. The Village Chief's incorporealization was becoming increasingly severe; he could barely hold the Worry-Free Sword anymore.

"Mu'er," the Village Chief said, "the next incorporealization is coming soon; I'm afraid I'll disappear then."

They sat on the ridge of the grand hall. The Village Chief looked at the sun rising from the east and said, "But don't worry, even if I completely become incorporeal, I will stay by your side and never leave you."

Qin Mu nodded gently, "I know."

"Dragon Herding Sovereign, I leave it to you to protect your master."

Another burst of light enveloped them. When the light dissipated, only Qin Mu and Dragon Herding Sovereign remained on the ridge of the grand hall.

"I know you're still with me," Qin Mu said.

Qin Mu stood up, looking at the unfamiliar world beyond the Heavenly River. "I will definitely find a way to break this, to make you materialize from your incorporeal state! You're still my Grandpa Village Chief; no one can take you away from me!"

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