Chapter 1354: The Crown Prince and Longshan (Third Update!)
The knowledge that Qin Mu had studied, practiced, understood, comprehended, and realized had never been hidden from Long Qilin. Of all aspects and fields of knowledge, Long Qilin would have at least some familiarity.
The reverse summoning divine ability was a technique Qin Mu had created by improving upon the Creator's summoning divine ability.
The summoning divine ability used powerful divine consciousness to lock onto a target, using oneself as the anchor point to summon a giant beast to descend.
The reverse summoning divine ability was the opposite—using the giant beast as the anchor point, reverse-summoning oneself to the beast's side.
Back when Qin Mu had first created this technique, Long Qilin and Yan'er had been present, along with the ancestral spirit Luo Xiao, the Great Hong that the Great Emperor had transformed into, and the Gu Xiao that the Heavenly Emperor had transformed into. However, only Long Qilin had been able to help Qin Mu design and construct the summoning altar.
The only one who had fully learned the reverse summoning was Long Qilin. Long Qilin had taught the reverse summoning divine ability to Shu Jun, and Shu Jun had definitely brought the First Ancestor, Lan Yutian, Xu Shenghua, and the others, summoning them all to the back of the Ancestral Court!
"All of them are troublemakers who don't give one any peace. Is Long Xiao someone to be trifled with? That's a being whose physical body can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Heavenly Venerables..."
Qin Mu couldn't help but shake his head. This was definitely Shu Jun's bad idea. Shu Jun had always coveted Long Xiao, wanting to subdue him and turn him into his own giant beast. But he didn't have the confidence to do it alone, which was why he had called upon the First Ancestor, Lan Yutian, Xu Shenghua, and the others.
"How long have they been gone?" Qin Mu asked.
"About three months now."
"Three months?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu was no longer in such a hurry. He let the people on the ship disembark to rest and recuperate. Wei Suifeng said, "Junior brother, aren't you going to rescue them?"
"They've already been gone for three months. If they were going to die, they'd already be dead. If they've survived three months at the back of the Ancestral Court, then they can certainly hold on for a while longer. There's no need to rush this very moment."
Qin Mu smiled and said, "I need to make thorough preparations. If I rush over hastily, I'll only end up in the same predicament as them."
Wei Suifeng was silent for a moment, then said hoarsely, "I was trapped on that ghost ship for so many years, always waiting for you to follow the map and rescue me. You never came, and you never followed the map. Was that the reason you just mentioned?"
Qin Mu laughed heartily and walked off into the distance, calling out loudly, "Old brother Taiyi! Old sister Taiyi! Where are you? Your little brother has come to pay his respects!"
Wei Suifeng watched him walk away with a dark expression, grinding his teeth and saying, "Qin Mu, you beast!"
"Yes, truly a beast!"
The Netherworld Crown Prince came to his side, looking at the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy, then his gaze fell on Yan'er, then shifted from Yan'er to Long Qilin. He said angrily, "That pair of adulterous dogs—I've finally found you two! Longshan the Wanderer!"
Long Qilin trembled in fright and quickly turned around, only to see the Netherworld Crown Prince charging at him. He hastily shook his body and transformed into his dragon-headed, human-bodied Longshan the Wanderer form, then fell to his knees with a thud and shouted loudly, "I beg forgiveness—"
Yan'er also hurriedly knelt down, kneeling side by side with Long Qilin: "My husband and I beg forgiveness from you, brother!"
The Netherworld Crown Prince descended furiously to their side, but facing the two of them, he couldn't bring himself to strike.
It was true that Long Qilin and Yan'er had stolen the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy, causing him to be suppressed by the Northern Emperor Xuanwu and his wife for six hundred thousand years. But Long Qilin and Yan'er had also saved the tens of thousands of Xuanwu clansmen in the Xuanwu Heavenly Palace and had saved his life as well.
More importantly, the Northern Emperor Xuanwu's imprisonment of the Netherworld Crown Prince wasn't really about the theft of the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy. It was because at that time, the Netherworld Crown Prince was surrounded by people like the Netherworld Son of Heaven, who were constantly plotting to harm him, harm the Northern Emperor, and scheme to seize the Northern Polar Heaven.
If the Netherworld Crown Prince hadn't been imprisoned, he would have died long ago.
His ability to escape his imprisonment was also thanks to Qin Mu pleading on his behalf. After being freed and leaving the Northern Polar Heaven, he encountered the Netherworld Son of Heaven again on the Heavenly River and was nearly framed by him once more, stuffed into the Heavenly Emperor's harem.
Fortunately, the divine ability Qin Mu had left him proved its power, allowing him to see through the Netherworld Son of Heaven's true face and avoid the great calamity of the Northern Polar Heaven.
"Please, both of you, rise."
The Netherworld Crown Prince regained his composure, helping the two of them up, and said with a smile, "That was unbecoming of me just now. I was originally a rich young master, accustomed to using money to make friends, never understanding what true friendship meant. It was only after I came to Yankang that I understood what friendship truly is. Although the two of you took my Glazed Azure Sky Canopy, you also showed me great kindness. There's no need for this."
Long Qilin and Yan'er rose to their feet. The Netherworld Crown Prince smiled and said, "Though the Glazed Azure Sky Canopy is heavy, its weight in my heart is no longer so great."
Wei Suifeng came to his side and said, "Your Highness's state of mind has improved once again. Truly worthy of being the most outstanding figure of the Longhan Era."
In the Longhan Era, when the Netherworld Crown Prince had cultivated to the Imperial Throne realm, there were no more than ten beings at the Imperial Throne level in the world. Those who would later become famous figures, such as Heavenly Venerable Xiao, Heavenly Venerable Hong, Heavenly Venerable Gong, and Heavenly Venerable Yan, were still unknown nobodies back then.
In those days, the only ones who could match him were a select few existences like Heavenly Venerable Yun, Heavenly Venerable Hao, Heavenly Venerable Huo, Divine Emperor Langxuan, and Ancestral God King.
The Northern Emperor Xuanwu suppressed the Netherworld Crown Prince for six hundred thousand years. Those who had been nobodies compared to him back then had now become famous throughout the world, becoming Heavenly Venerables. Even the Netherworld Son of Heaven had become the ruler of the Northern Heaven, lofty and exalted.
To be able to experience such great rises and falls while maintaining an ordinary state of mind—the Netherworld Crown Prince's mental fortitude earned Wei Suifeng's admiration.
The Netherworld Crown Prince smiled and said, "If I hadn't been suppressed by the Northern Emperor, I wouldn't have lived to see the end of the Longhan Era. Even living would have been impossible, let alone becoming an existence like one of the Ten Heavenly Venerables. The wisdom of today's Ten Heavenly Venerables is far beyond what I can match. Only existences like Heavenly Venerable Mu can spar with them. One of their schemes and tricks could bring utter ruin to me and the Northern Polar Heaven. I have self-awareness."
He reflected on the experiences of these six hundred thousand years, filled with emotion.
Back then, there had also been many beings of extraordinary talent who could match him—such as Crown Prince Xie Wuqi, such as Heavenly Venerable Yun. Yet even beings of such wisdom had died.
He, a person of modest intelligence, had survived. He understood the reason behind it.
On the other side, Qin Mu found Taiyi, who was repairing the Great Black Mountain.
Taiyi now appeared aged and decrepit, carrying a strange, ancient aura about him—as ancient and weathered as the Dao itself, yet within that oldness lay endless new vitality.
Qin Mu's heart stirred slightly, and he smiled, saying, "Brother Dao, are you ready to meet the Heavenly Duke and the Earth Lord?"
Taiyi's appearance was gaunt and withered, his eyes empty and profound, revealing no inner thoughts, giving one a feeling of ultimate stillness and emptiness. He said, "I can see them now."
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief and bowed, saying, "I am in your debt, brother."
Taiyi shook his head and said, "I am not seeing them for your sake, but for my own purposes. I want to use your palace to meet them."
Qin Mu acknowledged, saying, "Brother, please make use of it as you wish."
He came outside the Ten Thousand Black Mountains and cast a divine ability. A Heavenly Earth Mystic Gate rose from the ground. After a moment, the doors of the Heavenly Earth Mystic Gate were pushed open from within, and the Earth Lord's primordial spirit walked out, offering a salute to Qin Mu.
Qin Mu bowed in return.
Then, the Heavenly Duke's primordial spirit walked out of the gate, also offering a salute to Qin Mu. Qin Mu returned the salute and said, "Brother Taiyi is already waiting for the two of you."
The Heavenly Duke and the Earth Lord exchanged a glance, then assumed the posture of disciples, respectfully walking into the Ten Thousand Black Mountains, following Qin Mu toward the center of the Great Black Wood.
Suddenly, as if a bell announcing the separation of heaven and earth rang out, Qin Mu, the Heavenly Duke, and the Earth Lord looked up, their minds greatly shaken. They saw an ancient and immense tree, lush and verdant, floating amidst the cosmos. Beneath the tree stood a magnificent golden palace, with ten thousand rays of divine radiance, and Dao light gushing forth like spring water, supporting that great hall.
The three of them each sighed in admiration, and with pilgrim hearts, they arrived at the foot of the hall. They climbed the stone steps, ascending upward, hearing all kinds of Dao sounds like great bells and great chimes.
—Just returned from eating outside, the fourth update will be in twenty minutes.