Chapter 931: Ancestral King's Palace Tragedy

Yun Chuxiu's personality was somewhat bizarre and erratic. It was rumored that the Empress Dowager naturally possessed the demeanor of a mother figure to the world, while Madam Yuanmu was lively, restless, clever, and eccentric.

Qin Mu walked towards Yun Jianli, Qi Jiuyi, and the others with Yun Chuxiu, but a storm surged in his heart. "Could Yun Chuxiu not be the Empress Dowager? Is she Madam Yuanmu instead? What if, during the Empress Dowager's attack incident back then, it wasn't Madam Yuanmu who died, but the Empress Dowager herself?"

"Heavenly Venerable, you have so many goosebumps on the back of your neck!"

Yun Chuxiu looked at the back of his neck curiously, noticing something, and exclaimed, "Your neck is also sweating! How strange!"

She reached out her soft, warm small hand and touched Qin Mu's forehead, becoming even more surprised. "Your forehead is still dry. Heavenly Venerable, you're sick!"

"You're the one who's sick!"

Qin Mu was furious and shook off the woman. He quickly approached the group and whispered, "Sister Yan'er, come to my shoulder."

Yan'er transformed into a small green sparrow, flew up, and landed on his shoulder. Only then did Qin Mu let out a sigh of relief.

Being held by Yun Chuxiu's arm made him incredibly uncomfortable. This woman's personality was bizarre and unpredictable; just a moment ago they were fighting fiercely, and now she was cloyingly sweet.

He couldn't figure out Yun Chuxiu's true intentions.

Yun Chuxiu holding his arm gave him the feeling of being entangled by a venomous snake or python. He could only feel a little at ease when Yan'er was perched on his shoulder.

Yan'er also looked at the back of his neck curiously, thinking to herself, "My master wasn't nervous before, so why is he nervous now?"

"However, there's another suspicious point: I performed a soul-summoning ritual for the Empress Dowager and discovered she wasn't dead. What's even stranger is that Madam Yuanmu in the crystal coffin once resurrected as a corpse and was suppressed by Senior Brother Wei Suifeng."

Qin Mu's eyes flickered, and suspicion arose in his heart. "So who exactly is this Yun Chuxiu? If she's the Empress Dowager, her personality is far too fragmented. Or, is this perhaps her true nature now?"

Yun Jianli, Qi Jiuyi, and the others were extremely wary of Yun Chuxiu. Although they remained as polite as before, they dared not be overly intimate. Only Qin Mu remained composed, and his relationship with Yun Chuxiu was even more intimate than before.

The two of them walked ahead, chatting and laughing, towards Ancestral God King's Ancestral King Palace.

"That Qin fellow is coming here?"

Inside the Ancestral King Palace, Ancestral God King, Ancestral Heavenly Venerable, had already received the news and laughed heartily. "Doesn't that fellow know I want to kill him, yet he still dares to come here to die? Does he perhaps think I wouldn't dare act against him once he's in my Ancestral King Palace?"

"Does Heavenly Venerable truly intend to kill him?" Great Sun Star Lord asked.

This Great Sun Star Lord was not the ancient god Great Sun Star Lord. The ancient god Great Sun had fallen during the Dragon Han Era, having been shot in the back for knowing too much.

The current Great Sun Star Lord was a deity from the Emperor's Era, named Dan Fenglai. He had become a disciple of Ancestral God King, entrusted with great responsibility, and made a general in charge of the Heavenly Court's celestial constellations.

The reason Ancestral God King could contend with Heavenly Venerable Hao and God Emperor Langxuan among the demigods was precisely because he was the son of Heaven Duke and controlled the celestial constellations. Most of the righteous stellar gods had to obey his command.

"Of course, I won't kill him."

Ancestral God King chuckled. "Do you think I'm truly foolish? If I were truly foolish, would I have reached my current position? Sometimes, being deliberately reckless isn't necessarily a bad thing. For instance, during the Jade Pool incident, all ten Heavenly Venerables arrived, covering their faces so no one could identify them. The nine of them suspected each other, while I was the only one who revealed my true face. They suspected and guarded against each other, but they would never suspect a rough fellow like me."

He clasped his hands behind his back and said leisurely, "Even if Heavenly Venerable Mu delivers himself to me to be killed, I wouldn't touch a hair on his head. He is not my enemy, at least not yet. Although he carries the name of Heavenly Venerable Mu, currently he is merely an insignificant figure with empty fame. Killing him would only bring me trouble."

Great Sun Star Lord Dan Fenglai was greatly impressed and praised, "Heavenly Venerable is wise and sagacious. So, how should we deal with Heavenly Venerable Mu's arrival at my Ancestral King Palace?"

Ancestral God King said, "Heavenly Venerable Mu's talent is actually not bad. I fought him in the Great Black Heaven, using my strongest weapon and operating at the Divine Bridge realm, yet he could match me. Even when I used the twenty-eighth heaven of the Dao Realm, I couldn't defeat him; instead, he killed Heavenly Venerable Yu's clone. Therefore, restrain your disciples and do not provoke him."

He smiled. "Just say I'm not here. Tell your disciples to be extremely respectful to him and not give him any opportunity to cause trouble. They should treat him like a true Heavenly Venerable. If he gains no advantage here, he will naturally leave."

Great Sun Star Lord Dan Fenglai bowed and affirmed, saying, "Your disciple will go to welcome him."

Ancestral God King called out to him and said, "One more thing: be wary of anyone sneaking into the Ancestral King Palace to assassinate him. He was already targeted for assassination in God Emperor Langxuan's palace, so someone will definitely try to kill him again. Don't let this penniless fellow die here."

Dan Fenglai departed, leading his followers to welcome Qin Mu.

Qin Mu looked at the Star Lord and smiled. "Great Sun Star Lord, I vividly recall our encounter back then; I almost died by your hand."

Dan Fenglai smiled. "Back then, I didn't know it was Heavenly Venerable Mu, and I also held back, merely deploying my clones and fire raven army to intercept the remnants of the Crimson Light Era. I didn't consider Heavenly Venerable as an opponent. Heavenly Venerable Mu, my master is not here, so this junior will act as host on his behalf. Please, enter."

Qin Mu followed them into the Ancestral King Palace, smiling. "That night in the Jade Pool, I saw someone similar to a Star Lord trying to kill me. They were incredibly powerful, with numerous clones transforming into a flock of three-legged golden crows, flying just above the sea surface."

Dan Fenglai laughed heartily and said, "Countless people cultivate the Great Sun technique; how could it be me? Heavenly Venerable is joking."

"That's true."

Qin Mu's aura weakened, and he coughed a few times. He glanced at Great Sun Star Lord's junior brothers and sisters, seeing that Ancestral God King's disciples kept their gazes down, ignoring his show of weakness.

Dan Fenglai asked with concern, "Is Heavenly Venerable not feeling well?"

Qin Mu seemed to be lost in thought, only regaining his composure after a moment, his expression slightly changed. He took out a few spiritual pills, swallowed them with trembling hands, and after the medicinal power diffused, he let out a turbid breath and sighed, "I have no soul or spirit, relying solely on my divine consciousness to survive. If my divine consciousness disperses, I will die. My visit to the Heavenly Court this time is merely to revisit old places and meet old acquaintances."

After speaking, he quietly glanced at Ancestral God King's spirited young disciples.

Those young people were unexpectedly good-natured, with smiles on their faces.

Dan Fenglai became even more concerned and said, "Heavenly Venerable is unwell, but a fortunate person always has Heaven's favor. It seems this illness flares up and subsides, a truly difficult ailment. I heard that Heavenly Venerable was incredibly powerful, sweeping through God Emperor Langxuan's palace; it seems your illness was not active then." After speaking, he burst into hearty laughter.

Qin Mu also laughed heartily, with strong vital energy.

Dan Fenglai snorted coldly in his heart. "This fellow is truly shameless; he didn't even blush!"

He was also greatly impressed by Qin Mu's ability to maintain a straight face. He instructed his junior brothers and sisters, saying, "Serve Heavenly Venerable well. I will summon some powerful experts to protect Heavenly Venerable's safety."

Everyone affirmed, then surrounded Qin Mu and the others, guiding them to admire the magnificent sights of the Ancestral King Palace.

Dan Fenglai immediately mobilized the gods and demons within the Ancestral King Palace. He set up a heaven net in the sky and an earth net on the ground to prevent anyone from launching a sneak attack and framing Ancestral God King.

Once he had made proper arrangements, he went to look for Qin Mu. A disciple told him, "Senior Brother, Heavenly Venerable Mu has opened an altar at the Proximity Abyss Platform and is imparting divine abilities and cultivation methods. All the other senior and junior brothers have rushed there."

"Opening an altar at Proximity Abyss Platform? What scheme is this fellow up to?"

Dan Fenglai hurried to the Proximity Abyss Platform. He saw that the Proximity Abyss Platform was surrounded by a sea of people, all disciples of the Ancestral King Palace, sitting below the platform and listening to the person on it preach.

"...That's why we need to reform, abolish the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure, and open the Heavenly River Divine Treasure, for the Heavenly River Divine Treasure is the true orthodox path. Look, who among you can rival me at the same cultivation realm? It's not because I am Heavenly Venerable Mu that I am stronger than you; the reason I am so strong is precisely because I opened the Heavenly River Divine Treasure. What I am teaching you is something Ancestral Heavenly Venerable cannot teach you! Now, I will teach you how to comprehend the power of the Heavenly River..."

Dan Fenglai, upon hearing this, was somewhat puzzled. "This plague god is actually preaching, but he's gone a bit mad, spouting nonsense about reforms and abolishing the Divine Bridge. Let's just listen to how he continues to boast. I only need to guard the surroundings to prevent any external enemies from sneaking in to harm him."

He took out a bottle, opened the lid, and gently tipped it. Countless fingertip-sized glass spheres fell from the bottle. These glass spheres expanded with the wind, flying into the sky and transforming into dazzling suns. From within the suns, three-legged golden crows flew out, carrying the suns as they ascended into the sky.

Those golden crows were powerful; they flapped their wings, tore through space, and drilled inside. They lurked deep within space, observing every subtle movement.

Dan Fenglai stood on a nearby hilltop. Everything seen by the three-legged golden crows was clearly reflected in his mind.

Furthermore, with heaven and earth nets spread above and below, the Ancestral King Palace was like an iron-clad fortress; no one could sneak in without his knowledge!

He guarded the surroundings, listening to Qin Mu's voice. Even he found himself unknowingly captivated, thinking, "This plague god indeed has some unique insights. His method of comprehending Heavenly River power to open the Heavenly River Divine Treasure is indeed quite feasible. If one's talent is high enough, they truly can open the Heavenly River Divine Treasure. However, before that, one needs to first abolish the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure... Oh no!"

His mind suddenly fell into chaos, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead. "This is bad! His method requires abolishing the Divine Bridge Divine Treasure! He's preaching here to destroy the Dao tradition of my Ancestral King Palace!"

He shot up and roared sharply, "Heavenly Venerable Mu is spreading heretical doctrines and deluding the masses! No one is allowed to listen!"

His voice was extremely loud, instantly suppressing Qin Mu's.

Qin Mu laughed heartily, stood up, and said leisurely, "Star Lord, why do you say that? How is my cultivation method a heretical doctrine?"

Dan Fenglai's face turned ashen. He flew to the Proximity Abyss Platform and shouted, "Heavenly Venerable Mu is the leader of the lower realm's rebels, a fiend of reform! What he teaches you is demonic art, evil magic! You are not allowed to listen! Forget his words! Whoever dares to cultivate it, I will kill them immediately!"

Below the Proximity Abyss Platform, the vast crowd of Ancestral King Palace disciples exchanged bewildered glances upon hearing this. They didn't know why Great Sun Star Lord had suddenly become so severe.

A young man smiled. "Senior Brother, I truly think Heavenly Venerable Mu's Heavenly River Divine Treasure is very feasible. If we can abolish the Divine Bridge and open the Heavenly River, our strength at the same cultivation realm might increase by forty to fifty percent compared to before!"

Before he could finish speaking, Dan Fenglai raised his hand and grabbed; the young man involuntarily flew up, landed in his hand, and was seized by the neck.

"What did I say? This is evil magic, demonic art!"

Dan Fenglai slammed the young man heavily onto the ground. The young man coughed up blood, and countless bones were broken.

Dan Fenglai was about to continue speaking when suddenly the sky began to bleed, with streaks of blood seeping out from space.

His face changed drastically, and he instantly realized that someone had snuck into the depths of the Ancestral King Palace's space and killed his clones!

More and more blood flowed in the sky, and his clones were dying faster and faster. Yet, he couldn't even see who the enemy was!

"The incoming individual is at the Emperor's Throne realm, and might even be a Heavenly Venerable!"

Cold sweat broke out on Dan Fenglai's forehead, but at this moment, a vast light surged from the sky, and Ancestral God King's enormous figure appeared in mid-air, saying in a deep voice, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, someone has come to kill you. The Ancestral King Palace is not a place for you to linger. Please, Brother Dao, leave quickly. I will fend off the assassin for you!"

Qin Mu greeted him respectfully and said, "God King, since it's our first meeting, how can you just send a guest away?"

Ancestral God King returned the greeting, lowering his hand by half to show that his status was slightly lower than Qin Mu's, and said, "A powerful enemy has invaded. It's difficult for me to ensure your safety, Brother Dao. Please leave as quickly as possible to avoid any misfortune, which would also implicate my Ancestral King Palace. Fenglai, see our guest out."

Dan Fenglai's face was ashen. He raised his hand and said, "Heavenly Venerable, please!"

Qin Mu and the others rose and left.

Dan Fenglai escorted Qin Mu and the others out of God Emperor Langxuan's palace, his face still ashen, and sneered, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, it's not that my Ancestral King Palace wants to drive you away, but there genuinely is an external enemy invading, attempting to kill you and frame my Ancestral King Palace!"

Qin Mu expressed his thanks, saying meaningfully, "Star Lord, how do you know it's an external enemy invading? Perhaps it could be an internal one."

Dan Fenglai paused slightly, watching him leave. He suddenly realized, and immediately returned to the Ancestral King Palace, heading straight for the Proximity Abyss Platform.

Before he even reached the Proximity Abyss Platform, he saw several corpses—the bodies of his junior brothers and sisters.

Dan Fenglai's heart trembled, and he rushed forward madly, seeing more and more corpses along the way. When he reached the Proximity Abyss Platform, he saw that all the junior brothers and sisters who had been listening to the lecture there, including the young man whose bones he had just broken, were dead!

And Ancestral God King was standing on the Proximity Abyss Platform, silently watching him.