Chapter 978: Bellyband Celestial

The "Dudou Creator" stopped, turned around, and smiled. "Aren't you, the esteemed Heavenly Venerable Mu, also wearing a child's clothes? Isn't that a red dudou you're wearing underneath?"

He was precisely the "Qin Kai" whom Qin Mu encountered in the early years of the Dragon Han era. He was also Qin Ye, Emperor Kaihuang of later generations, the great emperor who inaugurated the Kaihuang Era, and Qin Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Alliance!

Back then, Heavenly Venerable Qin was still a young man, tall and strong, handsome and jovial, possessing an aura of steadfastness as if the world might change but he would remain eternal.

Now, he had become a middle-aged man, yet that unique demeanor remained unchanged.

When Qin Mu first saw the "Dudou Creator" just now, he recognized him instantly because of his aura, not his appearance.

Of course, the middle-aged man was wearing a red dudou, and despite being cleanly shaven, he still had some blue stubble, which also drew Qin Mu's attention.

The other Creators had massive physiques, making it difficult to notice the appearance of the small "infant." However, for Qin Mu, it was easy to spot something unusual.

Qin Mu felt a surge of warmth in his chest, an urge to step forward. However, Kaihuang was dressed too revealingly, so he hesitated to embrace him.

"Although my attire is a child's robe, at least it covers my backside," Qin Mu said with a hearty laugh. "The dudou is what I wear underneath! Kaihuang, your dudou doesn't even cover your backside."

The two walked closer.

Kaihuang pulled off his dudou. It turned out he wasn't naked underneath; the reason he appeared to be revealing his backside was because his clothes were the same color as his skin.

His clothes then began to change color, shifting continuously like a chameleon, and soon transformed into a purplish-blue robe.

"Tianyu Tribe clothing?" Qin Mu asked in surprise.

Kaihuang replied, "You know about the Tianyu Tribe too? After I became Kaihuang, they made several sets of clothes for me."

Underneath Qin Mu's dudou was also clothing made by the Tianyu Tribe, personally tailored by Yu Zhaoqing, and very fitting.

Currently, the Tianyu Realm is occupied by a demonic tribe under the Heavenly Court, while the Tianyu Tribe has sought refuge with Yankang. Yu Zhaoqing has always wanted to reclaim the Tianyu World, but Yankang's strength is insufficient, making it difficult to take it back.

Qin Mu approached Kaihuang, opening his mouth but unsure of what to say.

For a long time, he had dreamed of meeting this ancestor, with thousands of questions he wanted answered and countless words he wished to express.

Qin Mu harbored complex emotions toward this ancestor: from admiration and reverence when he learned he was Kaihuang's descendant, to heartache and disdain upon discovering Kaihuang had abandoned all beings to hide in Wuyou Township, and then to anger at his inaction when they met in the early Dragon Han era, coupled with an urge to perform well in front of him, hoping for recognition.

Later, when the Yankang Calamity erupted, Kaihuang ordered the Four Heavenly Masters and Four Heavenly Kings to consolidate their forces and retreat, which deeply disappointed Qin Mu.

Upon reaching the Heavenly Court, Qin Mu began to understand Kaihuang's decision.

Now, seeing Kaihuang again, all sorts of emotions surged through him, making all the words he had prepared seem unimportant.

Whether it was reproach or admiration, reverence or disappointment, heartache or disdain, understanding or sympathy—none of it mattered anymore.

Qin Mu's gaze was gentle, his expression open. He smiled and asked, "After a million years apart, how have you been?"

Kaihuang's gaze involuntarily lowered a few inches, seemingly touched, then lifted again to meet Qin Mu's eyes. "I'm well. Sometimes life was very hard, other times very joyful. Sometimes making decisions was painful, but then hearing news from the outside world brought great comfort."

Qin Mu understood what he meant: the hardships were during the early Kaihuang Era, and the joys came from their continuous growth, expanding territory, and improving the lives of all beings.

The painful decision was to migrate to Wuyou Township, abandoning the beings they were meant to protect.

The comforting news from the outside world included reports of Qin Mu, which brought him immense satisfaction.

Qin Mu knew that Kaihuang had, in fact, always been controlling the Kaihuang divine beings hidden in the Great Ruins. Although he was in Wuyou Township, he paid close attention to external affairs.

Kaihuang's voice, resonant and deep as if from his chest, filled with power, said, "I never guessed that Heavenly Venerable Mu, who ventured into the early Dragon Han era with Niu Sanduo, would be my descendant."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Back then, I kept calling you 'Brother Mu.' I remember how your face flushed red as you stammered, scolding me and telling me not to call you 'Brother Mu'."

Qin Mu also burst out laughing. "You thought I was too arrogant and conceited, but you didn't realize that calling me that would mess up our generational seniority."

Kaihuang was silent for a moment, then said, "I've come to take you back, back to Wuyou Township. I can hide my entry here from anyone except Divine King Lang Wo; she'll soon notice. You must come with me, or it will be too late."

Qin Mu looked at him with complex emotions, then shook his head after a moment.

Kaihuang frowned, patiently saying, "Your parents are very worried about you and asked me to rescue you. They will only be at ease if you return with me."

Qin Mu shook his head once more.

Kaihuang raised an eyebrow. "You're still as stubborn as ever, as free-spirited, as arrogant, and as reckless. You haven't matured at all!"

"You haven't changed either," Qin Mu scoffed. "You're still as cautious as ever, always looking before you leap, always wanting absolute certainty before acting, which causes you to miss opportunities. What you don't realize is that enemies never give you a guaranteed 100% chance of victory."

Their gazes met and clashed, and both felt an immediate discomfort, finding the other as annoying as they were a million years ago.

They averted their gazes, looking past each other.

This feeling of annoyance wasn't the animosity between enemies, but rather the subtle friction between close relatives.

Qin Mu and Kaihuang were relatives, connected by blood. However, both possessed exceptionally high wisdom and unshakeable dao hearts, meaning no matter how eloquently the other spoke, neither would change their mind.

They both realized the other was this type of person, and thus couldn't help but feel annoyed, seeing each other as obstinate, wishing they could beat the other thoroughly to shake them out of their stubbornness.

This was also why they couldn't help but come to blows during the Jade Pool Grand Gathering in the early Dragon Han era, simply because they disagreed.

"At the Jade Pool back then, our fight ended in a draw," Kaihuang sighed. "You're so stubborn, it makes me want to beat you up. A million years have passed, and I've progressed a great deal. You're no longer my match. You're only thirty-five or thirty-six, right? While I'm almost forty thousand years old; I've grown so much more than before."

Qin Mu extended his palm, fingers splayed, and cast a sidelong glance at him. "If we were at the same cultivation realm, I could beat you this many times!"

Kaihuang clenched his fist, staring at Qin Mu's five fingers.

After a moment, he loosened his fist and chuckled. "I won't argue with you. You're my one hundred and seventh generation descendant; I won't let you provoke me. It's very dangerous for you to stay here. Although Divine King Lang Wo is a woman, she is extremely powerful. If she discovers your true identity, she will definitely use you to threaten me."

The smile on his face gradually faded. "If that day truly comes, I will not be threatened by her. I will watch her kill you."

Qin Mu extended his other hand, both hands now with fingers splayed, and said, "Perhaps I could beat you this many times as well."

Veins bulged on Kaihuang's forehead, and his fists clenched again.

Qin Mu withdrew his hands, no longer trying to provoke him, and smiled. "I am now the Holy Infant of the Creator race; there's no need to worry about my safety. You should go back."

Kaihuang turned and walked away, angrily saying, "I really want to pin you to the ground and give you a good thrashing!"

Qin Mu burst into laughter. "I've already fought many of the Heavenly Court's Ten Heavenly Venerables; you wouldn't be the first!"

Kaihuang soared into the sky, leaping into the starry expanse.

Inside the Green Feather Palace, Divine King Lang Wo's expression suddenly shifted. Her figure vanished, and the next moment she appeared in the vast starry void of the other shore, quietly gazing forward.

Ahead, a middle-aged emperor stood in the starry sky, his chest heaving violently, turning to look at her.

"Qin Ye," Divine King Lang Wo said coldly. "Traitor, you secretly came here, and now that I've found you, why don't you flee?"

"Divine King, I'm not in a good mood, so I've come to seek a fight. I hope you will oblige!"

"Qin the traitor, do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Qin Mu went to Shu Jun's large head. His vertical eye between his eyebrows opened, emitting a beam of light that enveloped Shu Jun, drawing him into the primordial stone within his third eye. "I will use my divine sense and vital energy to help you restore your brain. Once you have a brain, can you restore your physical body on your own?"

"It's a bit difficult, but not impossible," Shu Jun's divine sense, now a voice in Qin Mu's mind, replied. "I just need to seal the blood vessels in my head to form a self-circulating system, ensuring my survival. Then, through slow cultivation, I can accumulate divine sense and gradually visualize my physical body." He then asked, "Who was that stubbled infant Creator you were chasing just now?"

Qin Mu didn't answer, instead activating his Overlord Body Three Elixirs Art to transfer divine sense and vital energy to him.

Shu Jun stopped asking, promptly absorbing the divine sense and vital energy, which continuously transformed through the altar in the primordial stone, reconstructing his brain.

Just then, violent tremors came from beyond the heavens. Qin Mu looked up to see the void outside becoming extraordinarily hot and bright. Two terrifying pulsations emanated, as if two great emperors were clashing, fighting with unparalleled power.

"Could it be Kaihuang and Divine King Lang Wo?" Qin Mu's heart stirred. With Kaihuang's abilities, Divine King Lang Wo wouldn't be able to catch him if he wanted to leave. Why didn't he just depart, but instead chose to fight Divine King Lang Wo?

"Could he truly be angry?" Qin Mu shook his head. "If we were in a different place, he would definitely give me a good beating. Still, letting him vent his anger is fine."

The Creators on this continent were alarmed. Xiuzhong, Cannu, and other Creator patriarchs led their elders into the sky, preparing to rendezvous with Divine King Lang Wo to collectively eliminate "Qin the traitor."

The commotion beyond the heavens was intense, and Qin Mu was eager, wishing to go outside to watch the battle. However, he was currently supplying vital energy and divine sense to Shu Jun, leaving him somewhat drained.

"Kaihuang's Thirty-Three Heavens Sword, renowned as the foremost sword path in history, while I am the foremost in sword techniques. I truly want to compete with him!" An inexplicable excitement welled up in his heart.

The battle outside the heavens continued for two or three hours, then streaks of light descended from the sky, landing one after another. One of these lights lingered in mid-air for a moment before entering the Green Feather Palace.

"I wonder about the battle's outcome?" Qin Mu was about to head to the Green Feather Palace to inquire when Cannu, the Zili Tribe Creator, saw him and exclaimed, "Is the Holy Infant sick? Why have you become so thin?"

Qin Mu was about to explain when Cannu hastily activated the Zili Tribe's sacred object, the Seven Souls Grass. "Our tribe's sacred Seven Souls Grass has the power to heal and save lives. Just one bite of its root can restore one's health. Seven Souls Grass, quickly heal the Holy Infant."

The Seven Souls Grass was very displeased. It slowly extended a root, absolutely unwilling to willingly sever a part of its stem.

Qin Mu quickly explained, "I'm voluntarily supplying vital energy and divine sense to Divine King Shu Jun to help him restore his physical body; I'm not ill. Besides, I also have Primordial Grandmist Liquid here, which can quickly replenish vital energy, so there's no need to trouble the sacred object."

With a whoosh, the Seven Souls Grass retracted its root, curled into a ball, and its few tender leaves on top trembled slightly.

Cunnu asked doubtfully, "Primordial Grandmist Liquid? What is that?"

Qin Mu took out a jade bottle and unsealed it. Cannu sniffed the contents and laughed. "So this liquid is called Primordial Grandmist Liquid! The Holy Infant is indeed knowledgeable!"

Qin Mu paused, then tentatively asked, "Has the patriarch seen this liquid before?"

"This is the water we use to irrigate our sacred objects. We used to have a lot, but now there isn't much left; the Divine King collected it all."

The second update is here! The third update should be after ten o'clock. Zhaizhu's cough hasn't fully healed; he's doing his best!