Chapter 831: Who Will Send Themselves to Death

Silence descended upon the Dao Palace.

The Heavenly Court envoys also frowned deeply. They had heard of the Overlord Body; it was mentioned in casual conversations at the Heavenly Court, speaking of a small place in the lower realm called Yankang that had an "Overlord Body of Yankang," proclaimed to be unique throughout eternity.

The deities in the Heavenly Court would laugh when the topic came up, dismissing it as boastful talk from a small place, as if the bragging had reached the heavens. It was merely a topic of amusement, rarely taken seriously for discussion.

When they had just heard Qin Mu claim to be the Overlord Body, they couldn't help but chuckle. However, the Dao Ancestor's statue's reaction genuinely caught them off guard.

The Dao Ancestor preferred to destroy his own statue and the Three Treasures rather than accept Qin Mu's bow. It seemed this Overlord Body was not as simple as the Heavenly Court deities had imagined.

Suddenly, the youngest of the Heavenly Court envoys, a young Daoist priest, clapped his hands and burst into laughter, the sharp sounds startling everyone.

The young Daoist priest laughed, saying, "Incredible, truly incredible! Qin Overlord Body of Yankang dared to destroy the Dao Ancestor's statue right here in Azure Cloud Heavens, and even ruined the Three Treasures of the Sect in front of the sect master! He truly lives up to the name Overlord Body!"

The other Daoists came to their senses. An elder Daoist pointed at Qin Mu, his voice stern, "You scoundrel, you've ruined our Azure Cloud Heavens' Dao Ancestor statue and shattered our Dao Sect's Three Treasures with some nefarious scheme! Our Dao Sect will never coexist with you!"

Other Daoists were about to rebuke him when the Azure Cloud Sect Master suddenly yelled, "Silence—"

Silence immediately returned to the Dao Palace.

The Azure Cloud Sect Master was disheveled and flustered. His heart was filled with nothing but shock, yet not a trace of anger.

Because he didn't dare.

He had considered something the other Daoists hadn't.

Although Qin Mu's cultivation and power were considerable, among the strongest below the divine realm, he couldn't possibly have damaged the Dao Ancestor's statue or the Three Treasures.

The Azure Cloud Sect's Three Treasures were the Dao Ancestor's artifacts. The Dao Ancestor was an existence at the Emperor's Throne realm. Even though these three items were everyday objects, what an Emperor's Throne realm expert used daily was extraordinary. Qin Mu absolutely couldn't have damaged these three treasures with any strange divine abilities.

Moreover, if Qin Mu had tampered with them, it wouldn't have escaped the notice of the experts present.

The ones that destroyed the Three Treasures were the treasures themselves.

These three treasures had actually destroyed themselves!

The same applied to the Dao Ancestor's statue.

In other words, the Dao Ancestor truly believed he was unworthy of Qin Mu's bow, and thus destroyed his own statue and the Three Treasures!

“Show respect!” the Azure Cloud Sect Master suddenly commanded.

The many Daoists in the palace were stunned, but with the Sect Master's order, they couldn't refuse. They could only rise, form two rows, and bow respectfully to Qin Mu.

Qin Mu glanced at the Heavenly Court envoys. The youngest boy, who had just spoken, frowned. He whispered a few words to the other young men and women beside him, their content unknown.

“The one who looks youngest is their leader.”

Qin Mu observed this. He waved his hand and smiled, "Rise. Where is my seat?"

The Azure Cloud Sect Master hesitated for a moment, then ordered someone to fetch another seat and place it in front of the burned statue, even higher than the Heavenly Court envoys' seats.

Qin Mu sat down, scanned the room, and smiled, "Dao Master Lin Xuan is my peer and Dao friend, so he should also have a place of honor."

The Azure Cloud Sect Master frowned, then ordered another seat to be brought.

Dao Master Lin Xuan sat beside Qin Mu. Qin Mu smiled and said, "Please, everyone, be seated."

The Azure Cloud Sect Master bowed in gratitude, and he and the Daoists took their seats.

Qin Mu sighed with relief, thinking, "It seems the Dao Ancestor is still alive, not dead. But I don't know if he's fallen into the hands of the Outer Heavens or the deceased Ancient God Heavenly Emperor. This old Daoist is truly enigmatic..."

He wondered if the current Dao Ancestor still remembered their past friendship.

During the Dragon Han era, he had given pointers to the Dao Ancestor and Grand Brahma Heavenly King Buddha, establishing a connection. When Heaven Sovereign Yu was attacked and killed, Qin Mu had also stepped in to teach the path of longevity, with the Dao Ancestor being one of the listeners.

However, Qin Mu was truly unsure if this camaraderie could withstand the erosion of self-interest and vast stretches of time. Fortunately, the Dao Ancestor didn't dare accept his bow, which saved him from being besieged by the Azure Cloud Sect.

Qin Mu looked at the Heavenly Court envoys and smiled, "Friends from the Outer Heavens, please be seated."

The young men and women frowned. The youngest Daoist priest laughed, "Don't worry, we'll sit first. He can't cause much trouble in front of me."

They had just taken their seats, when several Daoists rushed in, looking frantic. Before even reaching the hall, they shouted, "Bad news! The disciples of the Star Host main gods are all dead in the Dao Academy!"

"What?!"

An uproar erupted in the Dao Palace. The elders who had just sat down all rose, their faces showing shock and horror. The Heavenly Court envoys looked stunned, slamming the table and roaring in anger.

The Azure Cloud Sect Master suddenly stood up, clenching his fists. Veins bulged on his forehead, and soon cold sweat drenched his body.

The young Daoist priest from the Heavenly Court remained seated on his throne, asking coldly, "Fu Yuntian, what is the meaning of this? The disciples of the Heavenly Court's Star Host main gods have died in Azure Cloud Heavens. What crime is this for you?"

Cold sweat poured down the Azure Cloud Sect Master's forehead as he bowed, saying, "Esteemed Envoy, please calm down. This disciple is speaking incoherently; I must clarify the situation first!"

His voice hoarse, he reached out and grabbed the Daoists, demanding: "The Star Host main gods' disciples dead in the Dao Academy, is this true or false? Are they all dead? Did anyone escape? What were the people in the Dao Academy doing? How could the culprits get in there? Where are they?"

His mind in a panic, he fired off questions rapidly, like a machine gun, giving the young Daoists no time to answer.

The Azure Cloud Sect Master then realized his haste, quickly released the Daoists, and softened his tone, saying, "Since it has already happened, speak slowly and clearly."

One of the Daoists quickly replied, "Reporting to the Sect Master, first, several senior uncles came to the Dao Academy. One of them was Senior Uncle Tianhong, who walked around the Dao Academy and told us that Qingyang Palace had been robbed and pillaged. They came to check if the thieves had infiltrated the Dao Academy."

The Azure Cloud Sect Master nodded, saying, "They were the elders from the Dao Palace whom I sent to inform you."

The Dao Palace was where the Azure Cloud Heavens elders resided, while the Dao Academy was for studying Daoist arts and divine abilities. The Dao Academy was mostly filled with young disciples, quick-witted and agile.

The Daoist glanced at him, then cautiously said, "Then our Dao Academy was robbed, and it was Senior Uncle Tianhong, one of the senior uncles the Sect Master sent to inform us, who did it. He stole everything from our Dao Academy. First, a senior disciple discovered a missing treasure, then everyone else found they had also been robbed. Their most cherished everyday items were stolen without anyone noticing. So everyone rushed out to find those senior uncles."

The Azure Cloud Sect Master frowned, "Did everyone go out?"

The Daoist quickly replied, "The disciples of the Star Host main gods stayed behind, drawing the Star Host array maps. They weren't robbed. When we went outside, we discovered that all the palaces and academies—the twenty-four halls and twelve academies—had been thoroughly robbed. We searched everywhere and then found Senior Uncle Tianhong stripped naked and thrown into the Grand Dharma Hall's treasury, with stinky socks and underpants stuffed in his mouth, and his primordial spirit sealed. That thief impersonated Senior Uncle Tianhong and stole from all over Azure Cloud Heavens, so we sealed off Azure Cloud Heavens, intending to find this thief. When we passed by the Dao Academy, we saw blood seeping from under the door. We opened it and saw that those senior disciples from the Heavenly Court were all dead inside..."

The Azure Cloud Sect Master clenched his jaw and said coldly, "What a clever trick to lure the tiger away from its mountain! This thief led you away specifically to target the Heavenly Court envoys! Was the thief found?"

"No, not yet. Just as we rushed over, we heard someone found Senior Mistress Yuxiao with her primordial spirit sealed, underpants stuffed in her mouth, and buried with straw covering her head..."

The Azure Cloud Sect Master finally couldn't suppress his rage and was about to erupt, when Qin Mu suddenly coughed lightly and said calmly, "Sect Master, your Azure Cloud Heavens was indeed robbed, and even we were stolen from. However, the ones who killed the Star Host main gods' disciples were not the thief, but Dao Master Lin and I."

At these words, the Dao Palace erupted in an uproar.

The Azure Cloud Sect Master's mind buzzed, and his vision went black. He staggered slightly.

Qin Mu sat on his throne, his index finger lightly tapping the dragon-head armrest, and said calmly, "I am a guest, and Dao Master Lin is visiting relatives. We shouldn't have killed anyone in the host's home. However, the host's guests were secretly plotting to attack Yankang, fabricating some Heavenly Map to destroy Yankang. Since they were disrespectful to us, we had no choice but to act. Honest people don't do things in secret. Of course, after killing these Heavenly Court lackeys, we had to inform the Sect Master."

The Azure Cloud Sect Master's mind was in turmoil. The other elder Daoists were completely at a loss. They stared at him blankly, waiting for him to speak.

The young Heavenly Court Daoist priest suddenly stood up, sneering, "Fu Yuntian, the Heavenly Court Star Host main gods' disciples died in Azure Cloud Heavens. You cannot bear this crime. Since you know the real culprits are right in front of you, what are you waiting for? Are you waiting for Azure Cloud Heavens to be annihilated?"

The Azure Cloud Sect Master clenched his hands, turning to look at Qin Mu.

Qin Mu said calmly, "The Dao Ancestor hasn't spoken yet, and the Sect Master is already making his own decisions? Why not go ask the Dao Ancestor?"

The young Daoist priest turned to face Qin Mu directly, chuckling, "You destroyed the Dao Ancestor's statue; how can we contact him now? Qin Mu, Qin Overlord Body, you first destroyed the Dao Ancestor's statue, then his Three Treasures, and then killed three hundred and sixty disciples of the Star Host main gods, attempting to frame Azure Cloud Heavens and ruin the Dao Ancestor's lineage! Your intentions are sinister, and you deserve to die ten thousand deaths!"

Qin Mu chuckled, then leisurely said, "Sect Master, you must have other ways to contact the Dao Ancestor, no? Why don't you hurry?"

The Azure Cloud Sect Master, utterly flustered, suddenly gritted his teeth, turned, and left, saying in a deep voice, "There is a portrait of the Dao Ancestor in my meditation chamber. I will go ask for the Dao Ancestor's opinion! As for the others..."

He stopped, frowned, and whispered, "Watch them. Don't let them leave Azure Cloud Heavens for even half a step!"

An elder Daoist whispered, "The Heavenly Court envoys..."

“Including the Heavenly Court envoys!” The Azure Cloud Sect Master hurried away.

Qin Mu stood up, yawned, walked down the steps, and headed out of the Dao Palace, laughing, "A good wind carries me up to the Azure Clouds. Azure Cloud Heavens truly is a good place. Can one ascend to heaven in a single step here?"

The young Daoist priest from the Heavenly Court also stood up, following behind him, and laughed, "It might be a single step to heaven, or a misstep that sends one plummeting into eternal damnation in hell."

Dao Master Lin Xuan winked at Daoist Cha, and the two also walked out of the Dao Palace.

"You have an extraordinary demeanor. What is your name?" Qin Mu asked the young Daoist priest outside the Dao Palace.

"I am Xiao Chunfeng, a direct disciple of the Dao Ancestor from the Heavenly Court's Dao Sect."

The young Daoist priest said calmly, "Although I am a disciple of the Dao Ancestor, I have never met him. The reason I joined the Heavenly Court's Dao Sect was merely to register my name and learn their Daoist arts and divine abilities. With my family background and status, being the Dao Ancestor's disciple actually elevates the Dao Ancestor's standing."

Qin Mu's heart stirred slightly. He asked, "Could it be that you are the son of an ancient god?"

The young Daoist priest was surprised, commending, "The Qin Overlord Body is not without merit. I am the son of Empress Taiyin."

"No wonder your surname is Xiao; you followed your mother's surname then."

Qin Mu laughed, "Star Lord Taiyin is an ancient god of the moon, equally renowned as Star Lord Dayi. However, seeing how young you are, Star Lord Taiyin must have recently had you with someone she had a secret affair with."

Xiao Chunfeng's eye twitched.

Qin Mu, a wide smile on his face, said, "Dao Master Lin and I just finished killing all the disciples of the Star Host True Gods, but we didn't see any disciples of the Four Emperors. May I ask where they are?"

“We are right here,” the Heavenly Court men and women behind him said coldly.

Qin Mu turned around and asked, "Which one of you is the Southern Emperor's disciple?"

One of the girls in red replied, "That would be me."

Qin Mu carefully observed the girl, then nodded gently and smiled, "I have a past acquaintance with the Southern Emperor, so I won't kill you. Esteemed Heavenly Court senior disciples, the Overlord Body is here. Who wishes to die?"