Chapter 820: Let's Do It Together

Zhe Huali watched Qin Mu approach, struggling to stand steady. He raised a hand and said, "Cult Master Qin, please!"

Qin Mu was puzzled. "For what?"

Zhe Huali's expression was serious. "To die by your sword is a hundred times better than to die at the hands of Prince Qiu Ming. If I die by your hand, I will accept it wholeheartedly."

Qin Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and said, "Zhe Huali, you've misunderstood."

Zhe Huali looked bewildered.

"I'm not here to kill you. Your death here would be very troublesome for me."

Qin Mu stepped forward, pulled him from the broken bricks and tiles, and explained, "There's a poem on this pillar; it's key to deciphering the ghost ship's divine art. If you stand there, once the ghost ship reincarnates and reassembles, you'll become one with the pillar. If I hack you to death, the blood would mess up the inscription, and wouldn't I have to wait for another reincarnation? If you want to die, go die somewhere far away."

Zhe Huali groaned, staring at Qin Mu's hand, which was holding a bottle of dragon's saliva. He was applying it to Zhe Huali's wounds.

"Cult Master Qin, you're healing my injuries," Zhe Huali reminded him.

Qin Mu suddenly realized what he was doing and casually dropped Zhe Huali to the ground, mumbling, "A healer's heart is like a parent's; it's just habit."

Zhe Huali's wounds ached from the fall, and he then noticed that Qin Mu had already treated his injuries. The wounds were healing and no longer bleeding.

"You still saved me."

His mood was complex. "Cult Master Qin, you should know we are enemies. Both of us started from humble beginnings and achieved our current status through our own struggles. Therefore, if I die by your hand, I will have no complaints whatsoever. Let us have a duel of our paths, let me truly be defeated and die by your hand!"

Qin Mu shook his head. "Zhe Huali, you truly misunderstand. How are we from humble beginnings? Compared to Prince Qiu Ming, perhaps we could be considered commoners, but compared to ordinary people, we were born with silver spoons in our mouths. You are the descendant of a deity, exceptionally talented, taught by Luo Wushuang, and tutored by a demon god like Furi Luo. Who among mortals has conditions like yours?"

Zhe Huali was slightly stunned.

Qin Mu continued, "Although I was an abandoned infant in the Great Ruins, I was taught by the nine elders of Cripple Village, nine of the most outstanding teachers. Moreover, I am also the Divine Son of Youdu and a descendant of Empress Kai Huang. While this offers no direct help, it's a background, and my status is there. And I am also a霸体 (Overlord Body)."

He shook his head. "How can we be considered commoners? True commoners are ordinary people whose parents work tirelessly from nine to five yet still can't afford enough food or clothing. Born into such families, even three meals a day are a problem, survival itself is a problem. In some places, tigers and wolves roam, parents leave early to find food and may not return alive at night. People born there still struggle through hardship, striving to climb upwards, to ascend. Those are the commoners."

He spoke unhurriedly, "Such people lack our conditions, our opportunities, and our background. They will face many obstacles, many traps, and will struggle desperately to finally achieve something. We are not common heroes; they are."

Zhe Huali stood up, thought for a moment with his head bowed, and nodded. "Cult Master Qin speaks profoundly. Compared to them, we are more like the abhorrent Prince Qiu Ming."

"The reforms of Eternal Peace seek to change this very situation."

Qin Mu's eyes glowed with passion. "The goal of the Eternal Peace reforms is to allow everyone to use their talents to the fullest, and everything to be utilized to its best! Everyone can receive ample education; primary schools and universities will be widely established, and divine arts and spells will be taught, so that commoners can become heroes with fewer obstacles and traps, allowing everyone's potential and talent to be fully realized!"

He became somewhat agitated. "These reforms ensure that the gods are not high and mighty, but rather each performs their duty and utilizes their abilities! Imagine, in the future Eternal Peace, grand ships will fly in the sky, goods will flow abundantly, people will be able to converse across thousands of miles, they can ascend to the nine heavens to capture the moon, descend to the five oceans to catch turtles, and fully unleash their talents! They will build magnificent structures, communicate with various heavens and worlds, create vibrant and colorful art, and countless people will contribute their intelligence to make lives better! Zhe Huali…"

Zhe Huali stared at him, dumbfounded. Qin Mu eagerly asked, "Have you heard of the Heavenly Saint Cult?"

Zhe Huali's mouth was agape, eyes wide.

"Come work with me!"

Qin Mu grabbed his shoulders with both hands, shook him vigorously, and chuckled, "Let's accomplish something together! You're struggling in that decaying Heavenly Court, climbing desperately. How far can you climb? Even at the very top, you'll just be a leader like Luo Wushuang in the Lingxiu Army. You'll still have countless nobles above you, and you'll still have to humble yourself when facing people like Prince Qiu Ming. But the future of Eternal Peace is different; it can offer you higher ambitions and more possibilities!"

Zhe Huali was dizzy from being shaken and tried his best to steady himself and his Dao heart. "Cult Master Qin, please let me consider it…"

Qin Mu released him, clenched his fists, and encouraged him, whispering, "Think about your dream, think about your inner self and your aspirations!"

Zhe Huali was in a daze, feeling that what Qin Mu said was excellent and stirred his heart. He couldn't help but nod, "I also feel that the lower realm is far more exciting than the upper realm… However, we are trapped on this ghost ship; I fear we won't get out alive. What's the use of saying all this now?"

Qin Mu chuckled. "We can get out. Haven't you noticed that I am stronger than both you and Prince Qiu Ming, yet I haven't turned into nothingness?"

Zhe Huali snorted, regretting his earlier agreement. "This fellow never knows what humility is!"

"Heavenly Venerate Ling's divine art transformed this ship into a ghost ship. While it seems incredibly powerful, it's essentially based on the divine art of creation, reversing matter, making it stationary, and even making it flow backward! However, her magic power was insufficient when she performed the spell, so she didn't truly achieve this."

Light erupted again, engulfing them.

Qin Mu's eyes sparkled with excitement as he walked around in the light, explaining to Zhe Huali, "The matter of the ghost ship is still changing. When it reaches its limit, it triggers her divine art. The divine art erupts, readjusting the ship's matter back to its most primordial state."

The light dissipated, and the destroyed halls returned to their original state, as did the pillar with the engraved poem.

Qin Mu still showed no signs of turning into nothingness. He continued to circle Zhe Huali, excitedly saying, "This adjustment brings about temporal and spatial shifts, which is why the ghost ship travels through various timelines. Only after thirty-six such crossings is this divine art considered to have been cast once. Thus, thirty-six small reincarnations constitute one major reincarnation, returning to the starting point! Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Zhe Huali's eyes widened, a blank look in them. After a moment, he came to his senses and quickly shook his head.

Qin Mu continued to explain, "I've placed myself at the same frequency of material change as the ghost ship, so Heavenly Venerate Ling's divine art perceives me as part of the ghost ship. Therefore, I won't become nothingness. So, among those who boarded the ship with us, two can remain: you and I. Do you understand now?"

Zhe Huali's eyes widened again, and the demonic blade behind him also stared, utterly bewildered.

"I understand," Zhe Huali's expression returned to normal. He said seriously, "Listening to your words is better than ten years of study. Cult Master Qin is truly wise and brilliant, I am impressed, truly impressed!"

Qin Mu was very pleased.

The demonic blade behind Zhe Huali still had a blank look in its eyes, not having recovered.

"If I say I don't understand, won't he look down on me?" Zhe Huali thought to himself. "With these research fanatics, just pretend to understand when you don't. As long as you don't interrupt, your shallow knowledge won't be exposed."

"And there's one best chance to escape this ship!" Qin Mu grew even more excited. "That's when the material change is most drastic! When is the material change most drastic? It's when the ghost ship first crosses. At that time, all the Imperial Guards on the ship turned into nothingness, and the ghost ship itself also turned into nothingness! If my guess isn't wrong, I'm afraid the four ancient god emperors—Xuanwu, Suzaku, Qinglong, and Baihu—also boarded the ship at that time and left their seals!"

Zhe Huali clapped his hands in praise. "Brother Qin truly possesses extraordinary talent!"

The demonic blade behind him still looked utterly bewildered.

Qin Mu said joyfully, "Brother Zhe Huali truly is my confidant, understanding immediately. When the four ancient god emperors came to investigate the Imperial Guards' crossing incident, they boarded this ship, causing immense changes in the ship's matter. The entire Imperial Guard force turned into nothingness, an unobservable state. Heavenly Venerate Ling's divine art fully erupted and clashed with the Four Emperors. That was the moment we could use the power of the Four Emperors to break Heavenly Venerate Ling's divine art! Once it's broken, we can rescue those who turned into nothingness and return to our respective eras!"

Zhe Huali only understood the last sentence, and with a beaming smile, he said, "Cult Master Qin, what should we do?"

"Survive!" Qin Mu's expression turned serious, and he spoke softly, "Preserve your life during this time. Isn't that right, Lin Xiao?"

Zhe Huali's heart jolted. He looked around and then his gaze suddenly fell on a lantern hanging from the ship's mast.

The lantern's door opened, and a small figure with a bird's head and human body stood in the tiny doorway, a brilliant sun-like orb behind it.

The small figure clapped its hands in praise. "As expected of Heavenly Venerate Mu, one of the Nine Heavenly Venerates! In just a few reincarnations, you've figured out the solution. Prince Qiu Ming's method of killing all the 'inconstant' individuals—I tried that too, it didn't work. Perhaps your method is the only way to escape this ship."

Qin Mu smiled slightly. "However, as a trusted aide of the Empress, you cannot allow anyone to escape this ship, lest the secret be exposed."

The small figure in the lantern sighed. "That is correct. All 'inconstant' individuals must die, absolutely must die."

Qin Mu suddenly asked, "Then Lin Xiao, do you remember how many times you've reincarnated on this ship?"

The small figure in the lantern was slightly startled, not understanding the meaning.

Qin Mu chuckled. "Each small reincarnation of this ship brings a new group of people aboard. This means that everyone on the ship never truly dies. After they die and turn into nothingness, they will revive and board the ship again in the next reincarnation. The ship's matter is constant, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither changing nor altering. This is Heavenly Venerate Ling's divine art. So, when you bring Juewuchen aboard, will your current self still exist?"

The light within the lantern suddenly became intensely bright, and the small bird-headed figure grew agitated.

Qin Mu smiled faintly and said leisurely, "At that time, your current self will disappear, becoming the self that just boarded. You will, along with your companion, bring Juewuchen aboard this ship again, repeating what you've done. How many times have you repeated it?"

The small figure in the lantern chuckled. "I remember all the reincarnations…"

"You don't remember," Qin Mu said with disdain. "If you remembered, I would also remember how many reincarnations I've experienced, and all the 'inconstant' ones would remember. Yet they are repeatedly killed by you, which clearly means you don't remember, and neither do they. The only one with some memory is Long Bo, that crazy old dragon fused with this ship, but even his memory is incomplete."

The small figure's pupils constricted. It suddenly cackled like a chicken, saying, "However, you will die soon. After thirty-six reincarnations, you will revive again and be killed by me again!"

Light erupted from the lantern, and the orb within it spun. An incredibly terrifying fluctuation radiated out, shattering the ground where Qin Mu stood!

The small figure from the lantern darted forward, but Qin Mu and Zhe Huali had already vanished without a trace!

Qin Mu cast a teleportation divine art, teleporting himself and Zhe Huali away. He quickly said, "This fellow cut his own cultivation, but he's still as strong as a god, capable of withstanding a blow from the Village Chief without dying. We need to find a safe place to hide until he reincarnates again! Then he won't remember us…"

Suddenly, a beam of light swept over them, evaporating everything in its path. The small figure in the lantern chuckled, "Hide? I know this ship inside and out. Where can you hide?"

Zhe Huali shook his head. "Cult Master Qin, can't we, working together, kill a deity?"

Qin Mu paused slightly, examined him carefully, and shook his head. "If I teamed up with Xu Shenghua, I could fight a deity, but you're not Xu Shenghua."

Zhe Huali grunted, his fighting spirit blazing. "I'm not as good as Xu Shenghua? Don't underestimate me!"

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