Chapter 822: Follow Me to War

Lin Xiao was initially resisting Qin Mu's seventy-two formation diagrams. Qin Mu first suppressed him with his Primal Magnetic Divine Art, and then the power of the diagrams erupted, instantly leaving him severely wounded.

However, he was still a deity. Although he had intentionally crippled his cultivation from an extremely high realm down to the Revered God realm, his vision and knowledge remained. He was merely caught off guard by Qin Mu.

He would soon recover; the cultivation he had crippled had been refined into a great sun, and it would not be difficult to use its power to break Qin Mu's formation diagrams.

Not even the Village Chief's sword diagrams could withstand the might of his great sun, let alone Qin Mu's.

However, Zhe Huali's blade arrived at precisely the right moment, severing his head with a single strike!

In terms of coordination, only Xu Shenghua could keep pace with Qin Mu. Zhe Huali could not match Qin Mu's rapid shifts in strategy. Therefore, Qin Mu had set up the formation in advance this time, transforming his cultivation and divine arts into a trap to ambush Lin Xiao.

The formation's power was immense; the seventy-two diagrams unleashed a force even greater than if Qin Mu had acted personally. However, the diagrams were static and could only restrain Lin Xiao temporarily, not kill him. This required Zhe Huali's cooperation.

The seventy-two diagrams merely created an opportunity for Zhe Huali.

However, Zhe Huali could not have calmly passed through Qin Mu's diagrams to seize this chance. If it had been Xu Shenghua, he would have understood the intricate workings of these formations while Qin Mu was setting them up and could have seized the opportunity with ease.

Therefore, Qin Mu's final diagram was a teleportation array, carrying Zhe Huali through the formation's power and delivering this optimal opportunity directly into his hands.

This was why Zhe Huali remarked that Qin Mu had already completed ninety percent of the god-slaying battle.

The instant Zhe Huali slew Lin Xiao, the great sun lost control, and raging flames swept out in all directions. The fire roared like towering, overwhelming waves. Qin Mu, expending his last reserves of magic, activated the teleportation diagram to rescue Zhe Huali.

The surging sea of fire rushed forward, threatening to engulf Qin Mu. A flash of teleportation light streaked past him, and Qin Mu vanished instantly.

The next moment, both appeared outside the corridor. A pillar of raging fire shot out from the corridor, extending for hundreds of miles—a truly astonishing sight.

After a moment, the fire pillar vanished.

Qin Mu and Zhe Huali stumbled upon landing. Zhe Huali's body, arms, and legs trembled from exertion and extreme tension, and the demonic blade on his back quivered incessantly.

Qin Mu, exhausted from depleting his magic, had to sit on the ground to rest.

Zhe Huali peered into the corridor, seeing scattered flames still flickering within the ship's interior.

A savory aroma of cooked meat, however, wafted out, whetting their appetites.

Zhe Huali swallowed, then glanced at Qin Mu and tentatively asked, "Cult Master Qin, you've eaten a Jipolong before, right? But have you ever eaten a Jipolong at the deity realm?"

Qin Mu's spirits lifted, and he shook his head, saying, "I haven't, not yet."

Zhe Huali prompted, "There's one down there, already cooked. I even smell a bit of charring."

Qin Mu unsteadily stood up and chuckled, "This Jipolong is huge. If we cut off the burnt parts, the rest of the meat must still be very tender. I have oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and various seasonings here."

"I have some too!"

The two looked at each other and burst into loud laughter, their voices echoing far away.

As their laughter subsided, both found they had little strength left and helped each other walk into the corridor.

A moment later, Qin Mu's surprised voice came from within: "Your demonic blade eats too? Is this even a blade anymore?"

"This demonic blade of mine is actually a creature from the Heavenly Court called a Dragon Tooth. I obtained this blade on Spirit Treasure Mountain while training with Master Luo in the Eastern Heavens... Mm, it smells so good! Master Luo said that the Eastern Heavens are the territory of the Azure Dragon Emperor. The Azure Dragon Emperor has vigorous life force, and his teeth grow quickly, so he often needs to grind them. He uses Spirit Treasure Mountain for this purpose. Spirit Treasure Mountain is extremely hard and sometimes breaks his teeth, thus giving rise to creatures like the Spirit Treasure Mountain Dragon Tooth. Many who learn blademanship in the Heavenly Court go there seeking this treasure, hoping to find one, but few have such fortune."

"Spirit Treasure Mountain? A Spirit Treasure Mountain capable of breaking the Azure Dragon Emperor's teeth is truly a treasure! When I go to the Eastern Heavens, I'll carry Spirit Treasure Mountain away to refine it into a treasure!"

"You can't carry it; that mountain is not much smaller than Mount Sumeru... This is dragon liver; don't eat it yet, it's a bit fishy. I have some green onions and ginger here; we can pan-fry it with oil... Do you have anything like pickled long beans or sour chili peppers?"

"Zhe Huali, your cooking truly isn't bad!"

"I trained myself. I cultivated under Bhutaganga, and the demon tribe's diet differs from humans', so I had to cook my own meals."

Much later, the two emerged from the corridor, bellies bulging, wobbling and supporting each other. They plopped onto the ground, panting from overeating.

During their meal, they experienced another cyclical event. The hall where the Empress's coffin was kept had returned to its original state. Qin Mu and Zhe Huali's bellies were round and distended, and even Zhe Huali's demonic blade had visibly thickened. They wondered if the blade itself had also grown fatter.

Qin Mu staggered out of the hall, leaned against a pillar, and squinted at the outside.

The Heavenly River flowed, and at that moment, with the sun setting, the flowing river suspended in the sky was illuminated beautifully. The red clouds on the river resembled a maiden's rouge, and the colors of the sunset were like a girl's red lips.

"I wonder what era it is outside."

Zhe Huali, moving with difficulty due to his full stomach, walked over and sat on the stone steps. He asked, "Cult Master Qin, if we don't know which cycle is the original one, are you still confident you can break Celestial Venerable Ling's divine art?"

"The Four Emperors boarding the ship marks the original cycle."

Qin Mu said calmly, "When the Four Emperors board the ship, it's also when the Feathered Forest Army turns into nothingness. When we see figures on this ship materialize from nothingness and suddenly appear, it means it's the original cycle. At that time, the Four Great Emperors among the ancient gods will also appear."

Zhe Huali's heart tightened, and he said gravely, "You previously said you had a way to use the Four Emperors' power to break Celestial Venerable Ling's divine art. How powerful are the Four Emperors? Are you truly confident in this?"

Qin Mu smiled and said leisurely, "The Four Emperors weren't trapped on this ship. They later sent tribulations down upon us, and Emperor Yi Yue even sought their tutelage. This proves that we succeeded."

Zhe Huali was stunned, then suddenly thought of another crucial point: "What about Lin Xiao? He'll board the ship before the Four Emperors, right? In which cycle did he board? That fellow's power is so immense; if he boards again, we might not be able to defeat him. If he also escapes with Celestial Venerable Ling's divine art, it would be extremely detrimental to our future!"

"It's quite easy to tell when he boards the ship."

Qin Mu rubbed his bulging stomach and chuckled, "When our bellies suddenly deflate, that means the cycle where Lin Xiao boards has arrived. Even if he can leave this ship, he won't retain his memories from being on it. And the most terrifying part is..."

Zhe Huali looked at Qin Mu, and seeing his smile, felt a chill run down his spine.

Qin Mu said flatly, "He came here under orders and must hide Jue Wuchen well. Therefore, even if Celestial Venerable Ling's divine art is broken, he will board the ship again, falling into the cycle repeatedly, and will still turn into the little figure in the lantern! He will be trapped on this ship forever! Not just him, but everyone in the thirty-six cycles who doesn't retain memories of the ghost ship will repeat what they did before, boarding the ship again."

He said softly, "They will cycle endlessly, boarding, dying, regenerating, then boarding again, without end. To escape, one must simply avoid boarding the ghost ship when it arrives."

Zhe Huali's expression changed drastically, and he stammered, "Are you saying I won't retain memories of this time either? That I'll board this ship again? No, no, didn't you say you could use the Four Emperors' power to break Celestial Venerable Ling's divine art? And that all who died would revive, and those who became nothingness would be freed and return to their respective eras!"

Qin Mu smiled. The sun set, vanishing below the horizon, and the ship's lights came on, casting his face in shifting patterns of light and shadow.

"I'm breaking Celestial Venerable Ling's divine art, not destroying it. Her divine art will reassemble again; it won't disappear because of this."

"For Celestial Venerable Ling, her divine art has no concept of time; everything in the world is matter. Even individual lives are matter. Her divine art can disassemble any life and then reassemble the dispersed matter back into its original life form. This is the highest realm of creation."

In the shifting light, Qin Mu's gaze was profound as he said, "Even with the Four Emperors' power, I can only temporarily break her divine art, not completely eradicate it. After I break this divine art, everyone will be freed from being nothingness, and those who died will be reassembled and revived. Prince Qiu Ming, whom I killed, will also revive. They will likely board this ship again and repeat what they did before. However..."

He chuckled, "You will retain your memories. Because you are still alive. You and I will leave this ship the moment we use the Four Emperors' power to break Celestial Venerable Ling's divine art, returning to our own era. You haven't been reassembled by Celestial Venerable Ling's divine art, so your memories will be preserved."

Zhe Huali sighed in relief, then suddenly said, "I will prevent Master Luo from boarding this ship."

Qin Mu paused slightly.

Zhe Huali said, "After all, he is my benefactor and teacher; his kindness in teaching and raising me is immense. I will stop him."

"I understand."

Qin Mu nodded, saying, "You are that kind of person."

Zhe Huali smiled, "After I stop him from boarding, I will sever ties with him and go to Yankang."

Qin Mu nodded again: "Proceed with caution."

Zhe Huali said, "You must also be careful. Prince Qiu Ming will definitely come after you again once he revives."

Qin Mu smiled, "He'll die even faster."

A burst of light erupted on the ship, engulfing them.

Qin Mu gently rubbed his stomach and chuckled, "Lin Xiao has brought Jue Wuchen and is about to board the ship. Let's go and avoid them! After Lin Xiao boards, it won't take many cycles before the Four Emperors board as well!"

Zhe Huali hastily touched his own stomach; his previously bulging belly immediately deflated.

The two quickly departed.

As the light faded, the sun rose in the east. A team of gods and devils, carrying a coffin, hurriedly boarded the ship and headed straight for the hall where the Empress's coffin was kept.

Soon after, the two heard sounds of fighting from the hall. Evidently, Lin Xiao had discovered he couldn't leave the ship and had begun a massacre, slaughtering his companions.

Zhe Huali asked, "Cult Master Qin, will Celestial Venerable Ling board the ship?"

"She will. But we won't see her."

Qin Mu quietly listened to the sounds of fighting, looking at the pillar ahead. On the pillar was Celestial Venerable Ling's poem. Qin Mu said calmly, "She is not within her own divine art. Her poem will forever remain on that pillar."

"Once I've killed you, no one will leak any information."

From a distance, Lin Xiao's cackling voice drifted over: "The Empress will take good care of my descendants, ensuring they prosper for generations!"

Light erupted once more. When it subsided, Qin Mu looked at the training ground in front of the main hall, where figures of gods and devils slowly materialized, one after another, filling the previously empty space.

Qin Mu stepped forward, walking towards this most powerful army of gods and devils from the Dragon Han Heavenly Court, holding high the military tally of the Feathered Forest Army.

One by one, the immensely powerful gods and devils turned to face the young man approaching them.

Zhe Huali, feeling uneasy, followed behind him.

The Feathered Forest Army, one of the ten guards of the Dragon Han Heavenly Court, was its strongest fighting force!

If these gods and devils harbored murderous intent, they could crush Qin Mu and Zhe Huali with their aura alone, without needing to lift a finger!

Suddenly, all the gods and devils bowed their heads, knelt on one knee, and raised their hands above their heads, speaking in unison with a voice like thunder: "The entire Feathered Forest Army greets the Left General!"

"Rise."

Qin Mu extended his hand: "Follow me into battle!"

In the distance, a lantern quietly floated up. Its opening revealed Lin Xiao, now a tiny, inch-tall figure, watching the scene with utter horror.