Chapter 872: War Heavens

When Qin Mu and Bai Qier flew back from beyond the heavens, the sun had already gone out.

The sun in the Heaven Map was punctual; though unmanipulated, its formation would automatically cease operation every six hours. Upon their return, Qin Mu and Bai Qier found that the moon had also gone out. Even the myriad stars forming the galaxy within the Heaven Map were entirely dark. These stars and the moon similarly followed a daily cycle of brightening and dimming. Their haphazard activation of the sun formation had caused both the sun and moon to appear simultaneously, disrupting the natural cycle of light and darkness. Now, both were plunged into darkness.

Bai Qier swiftly led Qin Mu through the galaxy. Her flowing sash seemed to sprinkle light, illuminating the vast river of stars. The people of Yankang, along with the gods, demons, and demigods of Yuandu, witnessed another extremely peculiar sight. The sky was pitch black. It was supposed to be bright daylight, with the sun high above, yet the sun was gone, and not a single star was visible. Then, countless points of starlight suddenly emerged from the south, forming a vast galaxy across the dark sky. These lights seemed to possess a peculiar magic, continuously illuminating stars from south to north, creating a truly enchanting spectacle.

"The stars in the sky have gone mad," people exclaimed. People shook their heads. "First, the sun came out in the middle of the night, and now it's pitch black during the day. Such unnatural events indicate something sinister; there must be mischief-making spirits in the sky."

Qin Mu and Bai Qier traveled along the Heaven Map, manipulating the galaxy and activating its formations. They joyfully sped along, illuminating the entire north-south expanse of stars. Ordinarily, the deities overseeing the Heaven Map would never fully illuminate the galaxy, activating at most a few thousand starlight formations. Yet now, Qin Mu and Bai Qier had lit up the entire galaxy in one go, an act of unimaginable extravagance. Once fully illuminated, the galaxy transformed into a broad, luminous river, flowing from north to south. Though an artificial celestial phenomenon, it possessed a magnificent and extraordinary beauty.

Suddenly, the moon in the sky was lit up again, casting a clear and bright glow. It was the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and the moon was perfectly full. The people of Yankang and the demigods wore peculiar expressions. The deity responsible for the moon seemed bewildered. As soon as the moon lit up, it appeared as if someone on the moon was slowly drawing a curtain, obscuring half of it. The deity then seemed to recall it was the fifteenth, and slowly pulled the curtain back, revealing the full moon once more to countless astonished onlookers. Some people in Yankang, who had been cooling off and drinking in their courtyards, now found wine trickling from the corners of their mouths. Others, eating pastries, dropped them, leaving teeth marks on the fallen treats.

"Waaah!" A child cried out loudly, but his mother quickly covered his mouth. The young mother cautiously watched the strange moon that had abruptly appeared in the sky, muttering under her breath.

The Heaven Map, Moon Palace.

Qin Mu and Bai Qier sat before the palace, their hands propped on the ground as they swung their feet, engaging in a desultory chat. Behind them, Long Qilin silently rolled his eyes, finding their conversation utterly pointless. Yet, the man and woman were delighted, believing every word they exchanged was profound and heart-stirring. "Just like Grandmaster back in the Western Lands," Long Qilin thought. He rested his large head on the ground, extending a dragon claw to draw two stick figures holding hands. He mused, "During that period, Grandmaster also seemed to suddenly lose his mind. Their words were so mundane, yet they sounded as sweet as honey..."

In truth, the destiny shared by Qin Mu and Bai Qier was already remarkable enough, but their individual thoughts were equally extraordinary. In Bai Qier's heart, Qin Mu was the older brother who had protected her and brought her hope on the night the catastrophe struck. Even after forty thousand years since Qin Mu's departure, she could not forget his strong arms, his resonant voice, or his every action and word. In Qin Mu's mind, however, Bai Qier was the peerless female Sword God of the High Emperor. She was not only the woman who had saved him while washing her sword at the source of the Surging River, but also the one who propagated the philosophy that human life supersedes all else into the Kaihuang era. She was incredibly strong and possessed extraordinary wisdom.

As feelings began to stir between them, each nonetheless saw the other as someone to lean on. If forty thousand years of history could be encapsulated in a single image, it would surely depict these two relying on each other—one from forty millennia ago, the other from forty millennia later.

The Yankang Imperial Preceptor arrived with his scholars, intending to take charge of the Heaven Map. Many demigod leaders residing in Yankang also flew up to investigate the source of the anomaly, as did forces from various heavens, including Taoists from Qingyun Heaven. The Yankang Imperial Preceptor's face was grim. He held strict standards for arithmetic, and the naturally skewed positions of the sun and moon in the sky made him wish he could shoot the sun down. However, the numerous demands of Yankang's affairs left him no time to focus on the Heaven Map. Now that even day and night were thrown into disarray, he could no longer tolerate it.

The Heaven Map itself was created by Taoists from Qingyun Heaven. With the celestial phenomena in disarray, these Taoists also ascended to the sky, intending to repair it. As more people arrived within the Heaven Map, Yuchenzi was the first to reach the Moon Palace. Qin Mu and Bai Qier quickly stood up. Bai Qier, in her capacity as the High Emperor Sword God, represented the Southern High Emperor; even Kaihuang, Woodcutter, and Emperor Diyi Yue were her juniors. Ashamed to be seen, she hastily left Qin Mu and entered the Moon Palace.

Yuchenzi didn't get a clear look, only discerning that it was a woman. He then peered curiously into the palace. Qin Mu stopped him, smiling. "Yuchenzi, how are you being treated by the Imperial Preceptor? Did you give him my letter of recommendation?"

Before Yuchenzi could reply, the Yankang Imperial Preceptor approached. "What recommendation letter?" he asked.

Qin Mu turned, chuckling. "I believe Yuchenzi possesses exceptional wisdom and is a great talent. So, I penned a letter asking him to present it to you, recommending him to work in Yankang and accomplish great deeds."

The Yankang Imperial Preceptor looked surprised. "Daoist Yuchen, since you had my senior brother's letter, why didn't you present it?"

Yuchenzi smiled. "If I can earn the Imperial Preceptor's appreciation and be given important responsibilities through my own merit, why would I need Cult Master Qin's letter of recommendation?"

The Yankang Imperial Preceptor then addressed Qin Mu. "He sought me out, and we discussed Tao for several days. I found him to be a great talent, so I've assigned him to handle Yankang's external affairs, entrusting him with negotiations with various factions within our borders."

Qin Mu was pleased for Yuchenzi. He chuckled, "With Yuchenzi on board, the Imperial Preceptor can certainly ease his burdens."

As Yuchenzi peered into the Moon Palace, Qin Mu's eyes flickered. "Yuchenzi," he said, "has the Heavenly Court sent more people to create a new Heaven Map? I've noticed many Taoists from Qingyun Heaven have arrived. Why don't you go inquire about it?"

Yuchenzi shot him a glance before reluctantly departing.

The Yankang Imperial Preceptor asked, "Senior Brother, the Heaven Map's celestial phenomena are in disarray, and day and night are inverted. Do you know why?" He glanced towards the Moon Palace. "It appears someone is residing here," he commented.

Qin Mu cleared his throat. "I've just escaped from Great Black Heaven myself and arrived here; I'm unaware of what transpired."

The Yankang Imperial Preceptor continued, "A few days ago, I heard you were trapped in the Great Black Palace. The High Emperor Sword God was very concerned about you and came to seek you out. Did she find you?"

As Qin Mu was about to speak, Bai Qier suddenly approached from a different direction. "Little friend Jiang," she said, "I intended to infiltrate the Great Black Palace from the Heaven Map to rescue Cult Master Qin. The deities within this Heaven Map were purged by me. The formations here are quite complex, and I might have inadvertently activated something, causing the celestial phenomena to become chaotic. Now that I see Cult Master Qin has returned safely, I am relieved."

The Yankang Imperial Preceptor held her in immense respect. He stated solemnly, "Senior, your efforts are appreciated. I had also planned to clear the Heaven Map, but lacked the time and energy." He subtly nudged Qin Mu and whispered, "Senior Brother, aren't you going to pay your respects? This is Senior High Emperor Sword God!"

Qin Mu paused, startled.

"In earlier years, she guided Master Woodcutter and other Heavenly Masters. My teacher told me she even conveyed the High Emperor's philosophy that human life supersedes all else to Kaihuang, which greatly aided the Kaihuang era!" The Yankang Imperial Preceptor whispered, "Such a venerated elder, upon hearing of your plight, voluntarily came to your rescue. She deserves profound respect!"

Helpless, Qin Mu formally bowed in respect to Bai Qier as one would to an elder. However, the Yankang Imperial Preceptor still felt Qin Mu's initial bow was insufficient. Bai Qier hastily replied, "No need for formalities. I don't place much importance on etiquette; even those from the Heavenly Scent Pavilion don't bow much when they see me."

"Senior certainly deserves it," the Imperial Preceptor insisted. The Yankang Imperial Preceptor stated gravely, "Even my teacher must pay respects when he meets you, Senior."

Yuchenzi flew over, slowing down to land before the Moon Palace. He looked at Bai Qier with surprise, then gazed into the Moon Palace with uncertainty. Qin Mu cleared his throat. "Yuchenzi," he began, "what's the word from Qingyun Heaven? Is the Heavenly Court still investigating the death of its envoy? And are they still planning to create a new Heaven Map?"

Yuchenzi withdrew his gaze, suppressing his lingering doubts. "The Heavenly Court has indeed dispatched experts from the Divine Constable Camp to investigate the envoy's death," he confirmed. "The Earth Dragon has already been captured and taken to the Heavenly Court's God-Execution Platform."

Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat. The Heavenly Court's Divine Constable Camp actually possessed experts capable of capturing an Earth Dragon? That Earth Dragon, believed to be as powerful as cultivators in the Jade Capital or High Firmament realms, had been apprehended by the Divine Constable Camp and dragged to the God-Execution Platform for execution!

"How do the deities of the Divine Constable Camp descend to the lower realms?" Qin Mu inquired.

"I've heard the Divine Constable Camp possesses a unique treasure that allows them to traverse various realms to pursue fugitives," Yuchenzi replied. He added, "Someone has seen that treasure; it resembles a three-legged golden crow. The Divine Constable Camp rides it to investigate cases across the various realms."

"A three-legged golden crow? Could it be the physical body of the Great Sun Star Lord?" Qin Mu was startled. The Great Sun Star Lord was originally the supreme head of the Heavenly Constellations, overseeing the celestial network, commanding the Heavenly Court's vast Starry Army, and supervising all heavens with immense authority. Could it be that after the Great Sun Star Lord's death, his physical body was refined into a treasure and sent to the Divine Constable Camp?

Yuchenzi continued, "The Heavenly Court has also sent down more personnel to oversee the creation of a new Heaven Map. Qingyun Heaven is responsible for its design, while its refinement has been entrusted to Constructive Heaven."

Qin Mu frowned. "Constructive Heaven is...?"

Yuchenzi explained, "Artifact Heaven and Constructive Heaven are the two major heavens under the Heavenly Court responsible for forging artifacts and treasures. The gods there smelt treasures, and they share some historical ties with the Heavenly Craftsmanship God Clan of the Kaihuang era, similar to Yankang's Heavenly Craftsmanship Hall. It's inevitable that a new Heaven Map will be forged to replace the old one."

Qin Mu's thoughts stirred. "What is the strength of Constructive Heaven and Artifact Heaven?" he asked.

"These two heavens are renowned as 'War Heavens,' built as ultimate war machines. Kaihuang's former Taishi Bright Heaven, home to the Heavenly Craftsmanship God Clan, pales in comparison to them. To destroy these two heavens, even a million gods and demons, along with an Emperor's Throne expert, might not suffice!" Yuchenzi added, "My Qingyun Heaven frequently assists these two War Heavens in designing formidable treasures. After a million years of development, these two heavens could conceivably come alive, transforming into immensely powerful, world-ending artifacts!"

Qin Mu and the others gasped in astonishment. The Heavenly Court's military might was truly terrifying!

"Emperor Shitian King Buddha is Kaihuang's Heavenly Craftsmanship and War Heavenly King, but he alone might not be able to infiltrate Constructive Heaven and destroy the new Heaven Map." Qin Mu couldn't help but worry, thinking, "If the new Heaven Map is created and spread across the sky, Yankang will be doomed."

The Yankang Imperial Preceptor suddenly interjected, "If a new Heaven Map is created, the most concerned parties won't be Yankang, but rather powerful figures from Yuandu, such as the two Earth Mother Yuanjuns and Great Black Heaven."

Qin Mu's heart stirred slightly, and he nodded.

"Unless Earth Mother Yuanjun, Great Black Heaven, and others surrender or die, this new Heaven Map will never be deployed in the sky." The Yankang Imperial Preceptor smiled. "Therefore, we needn't worry about the new Heaven Map. As for this old Heaven Map, it could be useful for Yankang, but there's no strong expert to guard such a treasure..."

Bai Qier chuckled, "I'm not accustomed to the bustling lower realms, so I intend to remain in the Moon Palace of the Heaven Map."

The Yankang Imperial Preceptor swiftly bowed in gratitude.

Qin Mu, with a serious expression, said, "I wish to seek the High Emperor Sword God's guidance on some challenging aspects of swordsmanship. Would that be permissible?"

Bai Qier became quite serious. "I wouldn't presume to 'teach'," she replied. "Cult Master may stay here for a few days, and we can simply exchange ideas."

Qin Mu was delighted and followed her into the Moon Palace. The Yankang Imperial Preceptor and Yuchenzi watched the two enter the Moon Palace. They saw Qin Mu attempt to take the High Emperor Sword God's hand, only for Bai Qier to gently swat his hand away.

The two men exchanged bewildered glances.