Chapter 834: Reconstructing the Heavenly Court

"There's no need to pursue him!" the Qingyun Sect Master called out to the old Daoists who were attempting to pursue the fleeing figure. He shook his head. "That person is too fast and too adaptable; they can change their appearance at will. We won't catch them, and even if we did, we wouldn't recognize them. Let this matter rest. There's no need to investigate further or publicize it. Someone go find Junior Martial Brother Feihe. That old scoundrel just impersonated him, so Feihe must be tied up somewhere."

Immediately, a Daoist went to search for Feihe. Other elders quickly gathered around the Qingyun Sect Master and asked, "What just happened with the celestial phenomena reviving the Heavenly Lord and activating the formation?"

"Naturally, it was the Dao Ancestor who acted," the Qingyun Sect Master said calmly. "The Overlord Body of Yankang and the Celestial Heavens' envoy both wanted to eliminate each other, leaving the Dao Ancestor no choice. But what kind of being is the Dao Ancestor? Would he allow these two juniors to decide his future and destiny? That would not be the act of a wise person."

The Daoists were greatly shaken. "Sect Master, what do you mean?"

"The Dao Ancestor took them to the Celestial Heavens to make his own decision. We no longer need to worry about the future of the Qingyun Sect; the Dao Ancestor will arrange everything for us," the Qingyun Sect Master continued. "All we need to do now is prepare for the aftermath."

A Daoist quickly replied, "Yu Chenzi has already taken people to prepare, saying he's making preparations for both eventualities."

The Qingyun Sect Master inquired further, then praised, "Yu Chenzi has done very well. The Celestial Heavens produce many talents, and even a small place like Yankang has so many outstanding geniuses. Fortunately, our Qingyun Heaven also has a younger generation that can rival them, so we won't fall too far behind."

***

Outside Qingyun Heaven, Daoist "Feihe" swiftly traveled with the young Daoist, quickly moving tens of thousands of miles away from Qingyun Heaven. He constantly changed his appearance, shifting between male and female, old and young, sometimes even transforming into a demigod form. He also took out various clothes, leaving the young Daoist dumbfounded.

Not only was the old man highly adaptable, but he was also skilled in creation techniques, changing the young Daoist's appearance more than ten times as well.

"We're safe now. The Daoists from Qingyun Heaven won't catch up," the old man said, reverting to his original appearance. Hands clasped behind his back, he circled around Emperor Revered with a simple, honest look, examining him from head to toe. Just as Qin Mu had expected, this old man was indeed the Cripple.

Emperor Revered felt uneasy.

"What a promising talent!" the Cripple exclaimed. "You learn everything so quickly, even faster than that mischievous boy Mu'er. Let's go together and empty treasuries, stealing from all corners of the world!"

Emperor Revered quickly shook his head. "I need to find my brother..."

"What for?" The Cripple shook his head, looking a little displeased. "That boy was fun when he was little, but he's not as fun now that he's grown up. I taught him the Heaven-Shifting Profound Art, thinking he'd join me in stealing from all over the world, becoming a master thief with his grandpa. But no, he goes out to play every day without me, and he doesn't even steal! He's learned too much from the Butcher, all brawn and no brains. Come on, I'll take you to see my treasure vault! Let me tell you, I've become very rich these past few years. Even Emperor Yanfeng has to call me 'Grandpa Thief' when he sees me. Can you fly? I'll teach you how to walk on the wind..."

***

Light flickered. Qin Mu, enveloped in the flowing radiance, was startled. *'This is... a teleportation divine art? It's more intricate than Teacher Woodcutter's teleportation art, somewhat like a great spatial shift... Could it be that the Dao Sect has some unclear connection with the Founding Emperor?'*

The teleportation divine art was passed down by the Woodcutter to the Heavenly Saint Cult, whereas the light Qin Mu and the others were in was a great spatial shift, more exquisite than teleportation and employing more refined numerical arts.

Since the two shared similarities, Qin Mu suspected that the Woodcutter had once seen the Dao Sect's great spatial shift.

He had initially been a little flustered, but now he calmed down and quickly collected his thoughts, thinking, *'Heavenly Master Fisherman said that the older generation is all so cunning... well, wise and far-sighted, that's certainly true. This great spatial shift divine art must have been used by the Dao Ancestor by borrowing the power of celestial phenomena. He didn't want Xiao Chunfeng and me to decide the Dao Sect's stance for him, so he brought us here to make his own decision.'*

Finally, the light dispersed. Qin Mu watched as the surrounding brilliance faded, and the figures of Xiao Chunfeng, the red-clothed maiden, and Dao Master Lin Xuan emerged from the receding light.

The red-clothed woman looked terrified and assumed a defensive stance.

Xiao Chunfeng coughed and said, "Yu Hongxiu, don't panic. The Dao Ancestor has summoned us."

Dao Master Lin Xuan praised, "The numerical arts the Dao Ancestor used when mobilizing the celestial phenomena and the Heavenly Lord were truly incomparable."

Qin Mu looked around and saw that they were inside a magnificent jade structure. The building was constructed from exquisite jade, with extremely high beams. Looking up, one could see six corners, suggesting a tall building with hexagonal flying eaves.

Looking outside, they could vaguely discern thousands of resplendent palaces and halls.

*'Is this the Outer Celestial Heavens?'* Qin Mu's heart stirred. He wanted to step out of the jade tower to see if this Celestial Heavens was the same one from the Dragon Han Era, but he restrained himself.

He continued to examine the building. The interior was hollow, with a jade pillar so massive that it would take more than ten people to encircle it, standing in the center of the jade tower. Stairs spiraled around the pillar, ascending upwards, but from below, it was impossible to tell how many floors the building had.

The six walls of each floor were lined with rows of bookshelves, also carved from exquisite jade. Several jade bridges connected each floor to the jade pillar, allowing access to the bookshelves along the six walls.

What was strange, however, was that the archive was completely empty. No one came to inquire about their sudden appearance.

They looked outside; the area around the building was also deserted, eerily empty.

"This is... the Celestial Heavens' Archive!" Xiao Chunfeng's eyes gleamed as he whispered, "The Archive is the supreme holy land for the Celestial Heavens' collection of books. The scriptures here are rumored to be the Celestial Heavens' highest secrets! Strange, why would the Dao Ancestor summon us here? Doesn't he fear being discovered by the Celestial Heavens? He actually summoned rebels from the lower realms here?"

The red-clothed woman, Yu Hongxiu, stabilized her emotions, endured her pain, and said, "If the Dao Ancestor summoned us, why doesn't he appear himself?"

Qin Mu asked with concern, "Sister Hongxiu, are your injuries serious? I'm quite skilled in medicine. With my treatment, you'll be bouncing around in no time."

Yu Hongxiu snorted coldly, moving further away from him and closer to Xiao Chunfeng.

Dao Master Lin Xuan stepped forward and kindly said, "Senior Martial Sister Yu, Cult Master Qin is known as a national physician in Yankang. When he first started out, he was even renowned across the world as a master of gynecology."

Yu Hongxiu gritted her teeth and sneered, "You two clearly have ill intentions!"

Qin Mu shrugged, then ascended the jade pillar's stone steps, arriving at the bookshelves on the second floor of the Archive and casually pulling out a scroll.

The book was made of polished jade tablets, separated into long strips and strung together with gold threads, resembling books made of bamboo slips. However, instead of text, there were runes carved on them.

Lin Xuan, Xiao Chunfeng, and Yu Hongxiu also came forward. Xiao Chunfeng and Yu Hongxiu stood a little further away from them, each pulling out a jade slip and examining it carefully.

"These strange symbols..." Yu Hongxiu shook her head, not recognizing the runes, and put the jade slip back.

"These are fundamental Great Dao runes constructed using numerical arts, belonging to the Heavenly Dipper runes among the Thirty-six Heavenly Generals. My scroll contains the runes of the Heavenly Chief Star," Xiao Chunfeng said. "Are the other scrolls the Great Dao runes of the other Heavenly Generals?"

"No," Qin Mu shook his head and said, "My scroll is also the Heavenly Chief Star's runes."

"Mine too," Lin Xuan said, putting down his scroll.

Xiao Chunfeng quickly moved, opening other scrolls, only to find that the runes on all of them belonged to the Heavenly Chief Star. The Heavenly Chief Star Lord is one of the Thirty-six Heavenly Generals and an ancient god, born from heaven and earth, originating from the Heavenly Chief Star.

His fundamental Great Dao runes should only number in the hundreds, yet the number of rune imprints on these jade slips was exceedingly vast, leaving Xiao Chunfeng perplexed. "Are these jade slips recording the divine arts of the Heavenly Chief Star Lord? The number of divine arts is far too many..."

Qin Mu's heart stirred. He suddenly waved his hand, and vital qi flew out. All the jade slips on the six walls' bookshelves lifted into the air, unfolding with a rustling sound around the jade pillar, their runes facing the transparent pillar.

The jade pillar refracted the light, reflecting the runes on the slips. All the runes gradually lit up, and within the jade pillar, a ferocious, vivid Red Dragon Heavenly God actually emerged!

"So that's it!" Qin Mu waved his sleeve, and all the jade slips flew back to the bookshelves on the six walls.

He then went to the third floor and repeated the process. The runes on all the jade slips illuminated the jade pillar, and the figure of a Heavenly Dipper Star Lord appeared within it.

The runes on the fourth floor belonged to the Heavenly Pivot Star Lord, and the fifth floor to the Heavenly Leisure Star Lord. Qin Mu ascended rapidly, quickly reaching the 360th floor and directing the jade slips there towards the jade pillar.

Xiao Chunfeng's body trembled violently. He stared blankly at the ancient god's phantom emerging from the jade pillar, which was his mother, the Lunar Star Lord.

His mind was in turmoil. "These runes on the jade slips can precisely form a Star General. What is the Dao Ancestor doing by reconstructing Star Generals with runes?"

Qin Mu continued upwards. The 361st floor contained the rune construction of the Solar Star Lord, also known as the Great Sun Star Lord.

Qin Mu looked at the Great Sun Star Lord in the jade pillar and chuckled. "No wonder the Great Sun Star Lord died so cleanly. It turns out he had already been thoroughly studied. Even after his death, another Great Sun Star Lord could be recreated!"

Dao Master Lin Xuan, Xiao Chunfeng, and Yu Hongxiu quickly followed him, their hearts pounding at his words. Xiao Chunfeng laughed loudly, "Cult Master Qin, what nonsense are you spouting? When did the Celestial Heavens' Great Sun Star Lord die? He's perfectly fine!"

Qin Mu glanced at him but said nothing.

The higher they ascended in this Archive, the more alarmed they became. After the 361st floor, the ancient gods depicted on the jade slips along the six walls held increasingly higher statuses, such as the Ziwei Grand God and the Heavenly Emperor Grand God.

Finally, Yu Hongxiu shrieked. She saw the runes on the jade slips combine within the jade pillar to form the figure of her master, the Southern Emperor Vermillion Bird!

"Not only the Southern Emperor, but I'm afraid the other three Emperors are also listed!" Qin Mu said calmly.

The others continued to ascend. Sure enough, on the next few floors, they found jade slips for the Northern Emperor, Eastern Emperor, and Western Emperor.

"With the Four Emperors here, what could be above them?" Xiao Chunfeng suddenly became terrified, his legs trembling. He stopped, afraid to go any higher.

Qin Mu glanced at him and shook his head. "Celestial Heavens' waste."

Xiao Chunfeng was furious. "Don't underestimate the Celestial Heavens!" he retorted, then gritted his teeth and followed him.

"This is Heavenly Lady Yin."

"This is Empress, I've seen her corpse... wait, no, it's the Empress's sister."

"This one is the actual Empress."

Finally, they reached the floor of the Earth Mother Primordial Lord. Qin Mu looked at the Earth Mother Primordial Lord in the jade pillar, his heart filled with emotion, and chuckled. "No wonder the Earth Mother Primordial Lord died so readily in Yuandu. It turns out you've already been completely deciphered, with no secrets left."

Xiao Chunfeng and Yu Hongxiu were utterly horrified, looking at the Earth Mother in the jade pillar, daring not to imagine the implications.

Qin Mu shook his head and continued to ascend.

On this floor, he saw the Heavenly Lord.

The jade slips on this floor seemed incomplete. The Heavenly Lord's figure hadn't been fully constructed, but the construction was nearing completion.

"The Heavenly Lord isn't far from death either," Qin Mu suddenly said.

Xiao Chunfeng and Yu Hongxiu's eyes were filled with terror. They wanted to flee, but the Archive was only a few floors from its summit, and these remaining floors held a fatal allure, making them unconsciously want to ascend them.

Qin Mu ascended another floor. The jade slips on this floor contained the runes of Earth Count, but many runes were missing, and the Earth Count constructed within the jade pillar was incomplete, with even more missing parts than the Heavenly Lord.

"Going higher, it should be the Heavenly Emperor among the ancient gods, right?" Qin Mu chuckled.

Xiao Chunfeng and Yu Hongxiu almost fainted. Dao Master Lin Xuan's voice was a little hoarse as he chuckled, "Cult Master Qin, you must be joking. How could the Heavenly Emperor allow the Dao Ancestor to reconstruct himself? Does he want to kill himself and be replaced?"

Qin Mu chuckled. "Hard to say."

A moment later, the three of them gazed at the ancient god emperor in the jade pillar, remaining silent for a long time.

Yu Hongxiu finally let out a soft groan and fainted. Xiao Chunfeng's face was pale, and his body trembled. He dared not speak.

Qin Mu looked up and saw that there was still one more floor above in the Archive. He murmured, "The ancient gods have basically all been reconstructed. What is this top floor for?"

His curiosity was exceptionally strong. The others no longer dared to ascend, but he enthusiastically continued climbing.

A moment later, Qin Mu's eyelids twitched. He stared blankly at the young man in the pillar.

"Dao Ancestor, what exactly do you want to do?" he murmured.