Chapter 828: The Originator

Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "He should know. Although he's younger than you, it's not by much. When it comes to ancient beings, he's among the oldest of the human race, second only to the Seven Celestials. He must know a great deal!"

Celestial Venerable Yu's spirits immediately lifted.

They flew into the azure glow, and as the blue light receded, Qingyun Heaven appeared before their eyes. Qin Mu looked back and saw the sun setting outside, but here, it was still brightly shining.

He looked up at the sky. The sun overhead wasn't real; it had been constructed by the Taoists here. Many Taoists could be seen flying in and out of it.

"Dao Master Lin," Qin Mu said to Lin Xuan, "your branch of the Taoist sect excels in calculations and arithmetic!"

Dao Master Lin was very pleased and laughed, "Everything in the universe can be described with calculations. Our Taoist sect specializes in this path, so it's only natural we've achieved something."

His mood brightened considerably, and he looked around, nodding repeatedly.

Qingyun Heaven was a mountainous region, filled with rivers and peaks. However, its area was not vast, roughly comparable to the former Eternal Peace Empire, spanning about a hundred thousand miles in all directions.

Despite its relatively small size, it was remarkably complete. Qin Mu even spotted artificial moons and man-made galaxies. The stars in these moons and galaxies were small, spherical objects, merely a hundred feet or so in diameter, and many of them had a palace built upon them.

Each star was just large enough to accommodate a single palace; an additional one would make it feel cramped.

Some Taoists were swimming through the galaxy, repositioning stars to form constellations and arrays. Elderly Taoist masters stood nearby, guiding them on how to arrange the formations.

When viewed from above, the stars, constellations, and galactic arrays collectively formed the shape of a magnificent divine being. Two galaxies served as the being's eyes, nebulae created its skin texture, and constellations outlined its physical structure.

"Heavenly Duke?"

Qin Mu clicked his tongue in wonder and chuckled, "Qingyun Heaven has actually used stars to construct the form of a Heavenly Duke! This level of computational skill is truly extraordinary!"

Yu Chen replied, "Naturally. Our Taoist sect is renowned for its mastery of calculations. The Celestial Heavens also values this, entrusting us with the task of calculating the Heavenly Dao and analyzing the Heavenly Duke's physical structure. Taoists from Qingyun Heaven frequently visit Xuandu to map the Heavenly Duke's bodily composition. There are many Taoist disciples residing on the Heavenly Duke."

Qin Mu's eyelid twitched violently.

The Celestial Heavens tasked the Taoist sect with calculating the Heavenly Dao, mapping the Heavenly Duke's physical structure, and even constructing his body using star formations in Qingyun Heaven. What was the Celestial Heavens planning?

A disturbing thought arose in his mind: "They want to replace him! The Heavenly Duke is in danger! After eliminating him, the Celestial Heavens intends to create another Heavenly Duke!"

"Although your Taoist sect in Eternal Peace is considered minor," Yu Chen said to Lin Xuan, "it is, after all, a small branch of the true Taoist sect."

Yu Chen continued, "Since we share the same origin, I will permit you to rejoin our lineage this time."

Daoist Cha raised an eyebrow, feeling quite annoyed, but Dao Master Lin said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Yu Chen."

Yu Chen glanced at Qin Mu, frowned slightly, and said, "As for Qin the Hegemon, you truly shouldn't have come to my Qingyun Heaven. The Heavenly Saint Cult is also known as the Heavenly Devil Cult, and it's the Taoist sect's duty to vanquish devils and protect the Dao. Furthermore, Eternal Peace is an entity the Celestial Heavens aims to eradicate."

Qin Mu looked up at the sky, his gaze settling on the Heavenly Duke's form, and chuckled, "Both for public and private reasons, I had to come. If I hadn't, the world would have changed."

Yu Chen looked at him, sensing a deeper meaning in his words but not dwelling on it. He then said, "That way lies the Dao Palace. I'll take you to meet our sect master here in Qingyun Heaven. Whether the sect master will grant you an audience, however, I cannot say."

The Dao Palace was located at the center of Qingyun Heaven, surrounded by numerous mountains. Twenty-four halls encircled the Dao Palace, likely corresponding to the twenty-four divine nations under Qingyun Heaven's jurisdiction.

Qingyun Heaven, a branch of the Taoist sect known as the Qingyun School, was already enormous in scale. The Taoist sect undoubtedly had other branches, making one imagine how astonishing the true power of the Taoist sect must be!

Upon reaching the Dao Palace's exterior, everyone dismounted. Yu Chen instructed them to wait outside while he hurried up the long flights of stone steps towards the golden hall at the top.

The stone steps were built into the mountain, seemingly endless as they ascended.

"Is this how guests are treated?"

Daoist Cha laughed in exasperation, pulling a steel trident from his Taoist headdress. He exclaimed, "We are, after all, from the Taoist sect, even if not the orthodox lineage! There's no reason to leave us waiting outside! Dao Master, let's storm in and turn this place upside down first!"

Lin Xuan waved his hand, saying, "As guests, we should follow the host's arrangements. Let's just look around for now."

The Dao Palace was immense, with many Taoists practicing their arts. Qin Mu and his companions arrived at a place where Taoists were demonstrating their techniques. They saw numerous Taoists standing before a copper wall, over a dozen *zhang* high and more than a *zhang* thick. An old Taoist slowly explained, "Everything in the world is composed of countless particles—the human body, as well as copper walls and iron barriers. By understanding this, you can alter the structure of your own body, making the vibrational frequency of your bodily particles match that of the wall. This allows you to pass through it. Once you master wall-passing, no restriction or seal in the world can stop you. Watch me."

He walked up to the copper wall, slowly stepped into it, passed through to the other side, and then walked back, saying, "You can try it yourselves."

The other young Taoists excitedly tried it. Some bumped their heads and bled, but others successfully passed through.

The old Taoist's eyes squinted as he watched the young Taoists practice, occasionally pointing out their mistakes.

The Dragon Qilin watched the scene curiously and couldn't help but say, "Elder, you're missing a disciple! There were seventeen just now, and now there are only sixteen!"

The old Taoist quickly counted and instantly panicked. He urgently slapped the copper wall, and a Taoist who hadn't mastered the technique, stuck within the wall, was knocked out by his palm strike, gasping for air and nearly dying.

The old Taoist looked at the Dragon Qilin and praised him, "You have a root of wisdom. Would you like to join my Qingyun School and cultivate with me?"

The Dragon Qilin shook his head.

"The Taoist sect's wall-passing technique is somewhat similar to the Heavenly Saint Cult's Demonic Shadow Illusionary Devil Art, and also to Crippled Grandfather's Heaven-Swapping Hand," Qin Mu observed.

After observing for a while, Qin Mu said to Celestial Venerable Yu, "There's only a slight difference in the application of principles. As long as you grasp the underlying logic, it's not difficult to learn."

Celestial Venerable Yu was eager to try. "I understand it," he said, "May I give it a try?"

Qin Mu nodded.

Celestial Venerable Yu walked up to the copper wall, passed directly through it, and then walked back out of the wall.

The old Taoist's eyes lit up, and he smiled, "This young man has a great root of wisdom..."

Qin Mu quickly pulled Celestial Venerable Yu away. They then arrived at another part of the Dao Palace where several Taoists were gathered around a large circular platform, drawing formation diagrams.

Qin Mu leaned in to look, his expression changing drastically. He gravely asked, "Senior Brothers, are you drawing the Heavenly Stellar Chart of the Great Heaven?"

"Your eyesight isn't bad. Which divine nation are you a disciple of?" a Taoist asked, looking up.

Dao Master Lin Xuan stepped forward, his face also changing dramatically as he looked at the formation diagram. He hissed, "The Heavenly Chart that covers Eternal Peace—was it created by Qingyun Heaven?"

The Taoists were stunned for a moment.

The formation diagram they were drawing was almost identical in appearance and stellar movement to the Heavenly Chart covering the Eternal Peace Empire.

Qin Mu and Lin Xuan were both elders of the Heaven Alliance. The alliance was formed with the original intention of tearing apart the false sky and allowing the people of Eternal Peace to see the outside world.

For twenty thousand years, no Dao Master of the Eternal Peace Taoist sect had managed to master the fourteen chapters of the Dao Sword. They had spent their entire lives studying and dedicating their efforts to deducing the fourteenth sword.

Lin Xuan's master, the old Dao Master, had only managed to master half a move in his lifetime. The old Dao Master had died in battle in the Divine Severance Mountain Range, precisely because the fourteenth sword was incomplete. Had he mastered it, he would not have died.

It was precisely because the celestial phenomena depicted in the Heavenly Chart were false that they misled generations of Dao Masters. No matter how they calculated, the results were always incorrect, making it impossible for them to master the fourteen chapters of the Dao Sword!

And it was because of this Heavenly Chart that Lin Xuan's Dao heart had almost collapsed, causing him to lose his mind on the spot. Fortunately, Qin Mu, Xu Shenghua, and others were there to encourage him, helping him emerge from the shadow.

Now, seeing the formation diagram drawn by these Qingyun Heaven Taoists, his Dao heart once again began to waver, filling him with intense indignation.

An incredibly strong indignation!

The Taoists observed Qin Mu and Lin Xuan. One of them smiled and said, "Are you talking about the Heavenly Chart above the Primordial Realm? It was indeed forged by our Taoist sect. Our sect was commanded by the Celestial Heavens to create that Heavenly Chart to cover the Primordial Realm. However, it was made in haste back then, resulting in many flaws. This time, we intend to repair the Heavenly Chart and complete the deficiencies in its formation."

Another Taoist added, "The Celestial Heavens ordered our sect to forge the Heavenly Chart, so our predecessors designed several algorithmic infinite loops within it. If people from the Primordial Realm observed the celestial phenomena and tried to calculate their mysteries, they would get trapped in endless, irresolvable equations. So, even though the Heavenly Chart had loopholes, these infinite solutions would consume the wisdom of even the most brilliant minds, preventing them from ever realizing that the celestial phenomena were false. The fact that you can recognize our diagram as the Heavenly Chart indicates your profound skill in calculations. Which divine nation are you from?"

Dao Master Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth.

"A guest from the Celestial Heavens recently arrived and informed us that the Heavenly Chart was damaged, instructing us to repair it. Once the repairs are complete, no one will be able to detect any flaws," the Taoists said with a smile.

The sound of grinding teeth came from Dao Master Lin Xuan, who said blankly, "Cult Master Qin, please leave. This is a private matter for my Taoist sect."

Qin Mu glanced at him and shook his head, saying, "This is not a private matter for the Taoist sect; it's a public matter for the Heaven Alliance. Wasn't the very purpose of our Heaven Alliance, since its inception, to tear open this false sky?"

Dao Master Lin Xuan spat out blood and shattered teeth, then chuckled grimly, "The Heavenly Chart, the Heavenly Chart... The Heavenly Chart that ruined my Taoist sect for twenty thousand years was actually forged by our own sect! Master, dear Master, do you see this scene from above?"

He burst into loud sobs, two lines of bloody tears streaming from his eyes.

*Clang*—

The Dao Sword on his back was unsheathed, its light soaring into the sky.

Suddenly, Qin Mu's hand pressed down on his shoulder.

"An elder of the Heaven Alliance wouldn't be so impatient, would they?" Qin Mu said with a gentle smile.

Dao Master Lin Xuan looked into Qin Mu's soft eyes, and his Dao heart, which was about to burst with grief and indignation, calmed down. He closed his eyes, and after a moment, the soaring sword energy receded, returning to its scabbard.

Qin Mu turned his head to face the startled and uncertain Taoists, revealing a pure and innocent smile. "May I ask where the Celestial Heavens' envoy is?"