Chapter 1506: Stirring the Waters on the Chaos River
On the second Chaos Long River, everyone employed their own methods. These Heavenly Venerables all had Dao Trees in hand, using the Dao Trees to cross the river. However, Qiang Tianfei no longer had her Dao Tree. Fortunately, Qin Mu kindly invited Qiang Tianfei to join him, and the two stood on that small boat without feeling crowded.
This Chaos Long River also contained all sorts of strange phenomena. Qin Mu simply let Qiang Tianfei handle things, having her fend off the withered bones and souls of those prehistoric Dao Achievers surging up from the river, while he enjoyed his leisure.
He looked around and saw that Hao Tianzun and Xiao Tianzun also had not made a move, instead letting the other Heavenly Venerables fend off the strange occurrences.
The gazes of these several Heavenly Venerables had been fixed on the small boat beneath Qin Mu's feet the entire time. This small boat was transformed from the Taiyi Walking Staff, and Xiao Tianzun, the Taiji Ancient God, and Taisu all held great respect for the owner of this staff, which could not help but arouse their curiosity.
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself: "Taiyi has fallen to the prehistoric Fourth Universe, and now the Great Black Mountain has lost its backing. This absolutely cannot be let known to them, otherwise disaster will befall me. Hmm, letting them think I have a powerful backer is fine too..."
"Mu Tianzun, this sword of yours is a Dao Achiever's treasured sword, isn't it?"
Qiang Tianfei blocked a Dao Achiever's withered bone, knocking it back into the river, then suddenly said: "It seems you have benefited greatly in this Jade Capital City, with very good luck indeed! Since a Heavenly Venerable has obtained a Dao Achiever's Dao Weapon, why not take it out and let us broaden our horizons?"
Qin Mu's gaze fell upon her, while Qiang Tianfei's gaze fell upon the Tribulation Sword.
Qin Mu understood, quietly covering the sword hilt, and laughed heartily: "Where would I get a Dao Achiever's Dao Weapon? This sword of mine was personally refined by me, a crude and shallow object, unfit for elegant company. Better not to take it out and make a fool of myself."
Hao Tianzun, Xiao Tianzun, and the others' gazes all fell upon the Tribulation Sword in Qin Mu's hand, their eyes flickering.
From the outside, this sword showed no sign of mystery, but the scabbard made them pay extra attention.
Because the scabbard was made of ordinary wood, unlike other treasured swords whose scabbards were crafted with utmost extravagance.
Using wood for a scabbard was more like concealment!
Qiang Tianfei sneered coldly: "Even if you have a small boat that can cross the river, you don't have the strength to handle the strangeness in this river. Without this Dao Achiever's Dao Weapon, you would have died in the river long ago! Mu Tianzun truly deserves to be the Alliance Master of the Heavenly Alliance. None of us have found a Dao Weapon, only you obtained one."
"This sword of mine really is not a Dao Weapon!"
Qin Mu said solemnly: "If I am lying, may heaven strike me with five thunderbolts!" After saying this, the corner of his eye couldn't help but twitch upward, glancing at the chaotic sky.
Qiang Tianfei said no more.
Langxuan Divine Emperor sighed: "Mu Tianzun's luck in obtaining a Dao Weapon is truly excellent, enviable indeed."
"Using a wooden scabbard to conceal it, Mu Tianzun is a bit too obvious in trying to cover up."
Shi Qiluo laughed: "Overdoing it. Are you worried we might rob you?"
Qin Mu laughed heartily, but his expression darkened, while inwardly he was quite pleased: "The Great Emperor is loyal enough. After suffering a loss at my hands himself, he still helps me scheme against the other Heavenly Venerables! In the future, I must make sure he dies quickly and painlessly."
The small boat approached the Dao Tree beneath Hao Tianzun's feet. In the Chaos Long River beneath that Dao Tree, a skeletal corpse rose slowly from beneath the water, embracing the Dao Tree, trying to drag it into the river.
Suddenly a beam of fire shot into the river—it was Fire Heavenly Venerable making a move, helping Hao Tianzun knock that skeletal corpse back down.
Qin Mu smiled: "Fire Heavenly Venerable is truly a considerate good man."
Fire Heavenly Venerable snorted coldly, not responding. If he did respond, there was no telling how Qin Mu would humiliate him.
Qin Mu then looked behind Hao Tianzun. The Taisu Goddess felt his gaze and appeared somewhat uncomfortable.
Qin Mu smiled: "Brother Hao's Dao Question Divine Ability is truly masterful, catching me somewhat off guard. Your cultivation in the Dao Realm is no longer weaker than mine."
Hao Tianzun's gaze fell upon his face, suppressing the waves in his Dao heart, and said: "What does the Alliance Master want to say?"
Qin Mu instead smiled at the Taisu Goddess: "Goddess, do you sense that there is someone else behind Brother Hao?"
The Taisu Goddess was momentarily startled, trying to sense his thoughts from his gaze, but Qin Mu's thoughts were too chaotic, making it impossible for her to capture what Qin Mu's true intentions were.
"How many levels has Brother Hao cultivated his Dao Realm to?"
Qin Mu changed the subject, saying: "How many levels do you think the Divine Execution Platform has? Does it have thirty levels? The Great Emperor trapped your primordial spirit in his divine ability, the Divine Sense Great Luo Heaven. It seems you have already escaped, haven't you? You are twenty years earlier than I predicted. Calling you a peerless genius is not an exaggeration."
The Taisu Goddess felt a chill in her heart, carefully pondering the meaning behind Qin Mu's words.
Hao Tianzun's speed of recovery from his injuries indeed exceeded her expectations. The speed at which Hao Tianzun's primordial spirit broke free from the Great Emperor's Divine Sense Great Luo Heaven divine ability also exceeded her expectations.
She had originally predicted that with her power, Hao Tianzun could heal his Dao wounds within fifty years, break through the Divine Sense Great Luo Heaven divine ability, and reclaim his primordial spirit.
However, although Hao Tianzun's Heavenly Palace was still in ruins, with quite a few Heavenly Palaces needing her help to reshape through the divine ability of answering all prayers, his primordial spirit had already escaped from the Divine Sense Great Luo Heaven!
Even more terrifying was that Hao Tianzun's cultivation was not weaker than before his injury—it was even stronger!
This power came from his elevation in the Dao Realm!
After Qin Mu's reminder, Taisu only then realized she had previously underestimated Hao Tianzun somewhat.
"Then, does the Dao Achiever behind Hao Tianzun that Mu Tianzun spoke of truly exist?"
The Taisu Goddess recalled Hao Tianzun's Dao Question Divine Ability, a divine ability that used Dao Language to form a questioning of the Dao heart, requiring exceptional mastery of Dao Language. Was this divine ability something Hao Tianzun had comprehended himself, or had someone taught it to him?
However, Taisu had always been hidden behind Hao Tianzun and had never seen any Dao Achiever meet or communicate with Hao Tianzun. Clearly, the first possibility was more likely!
"Then, his Dao Language has only one source!"
Taisu had a hair-raising feeling: "That is, comprehended from me! With such heaven-defying talent and comprehension, can I truly control him?"
Qin Mu was still looking at her, and suddenly he smiled slightly. Taisu could sense his thoughts from his gaze, but as one proficient in the Way of Taisu, he could also observe Taisu's thoughts in reverse.
Now that doubt had arisen in Taisu's heart, his goal had been achieved.
He could also see many things from Taisu's reaction, thinking to himself: "It seems Taisu believes there is no Dao Achiever from the prehistoric universe behind Hao Tianzun. Then Hao Tianzun's Dao Language divine ability and his attainments in the Dao Realm were all comprehended by Hao Tianzun himself during his injury. The Heavenly Venerables who created the various realms that influenced later generations in the early Dragon Han era—none of them can be underestimated!"
Hao Tianzun's gaze was cold, falling upon Qin Mu's face. The speed of the small boat beneath Qin Mu's feet suddenly increased, sailing ahead of him.
"Taisu, some people are beyond your control."
Qin Mu's voice came from ahead, said leisurely: "In the early Dragon Han era, Heavenly Venerable Qin, the Kaihuang, met Hao Tianzun, observed him for a long time, and said, 'I will contend with this man for the world, to decide who is superior.' Do you think you can control the Kaihuang? You cannot control the Kaihuang, yet you still want to control Hao Tianzun, who is on par with the Kaihuang? You are too naive!"
Behind Hao Tianzun, the Taisu Qi stirred turbulently, only calming down after a moment.
Hao Tianzun said indifferently: "Auntie believes his words? Has Auntie forgotten? My life is in Auntie's hands. Everything I have now was given by Auntie. Without Auntie, my Heavenly Palace would collapse, my Dao wounds would recur, and not only would my position be lost, even my life would be in danger! Can Auntie doubt my loyalty to her based on a single speech of his?"
"Hao'er, turn around and look at me!" Taisu suddenly said.
Hao Tianzun turned his head, his gaze falling upon that mass of Taisu Qi, revealing an infatuated expression.
Taisu immediately sensed that what he saw was Yuanmu Furen, and felt somewhat relieved.
At that moment, Xiao Tianzun urged his Dao Tree to drift past them. Xiao Tianzun stood on the Dao Tree, saying leisurely: "My son truly has heaven-reaching methods. Not only did he kill his old father, but he can also toy with his auntie in the palm of his hand! Su Mei, take care of yourself."
Hao Tianzun's eyes could hardly conceal his murderous intent, his gaze falling upon the backs of Xiao Tianzun and Qin Mu.
Xiao Tianzun paid it no mind, catching up to Qin Mu's small boat and sailing alongside him.
Qin Mu glanced at him, offering Xiao Tianzun a friendly smile.
Seeing his smile, Xiao Tianzun couldn't help but think of how he had been shot down in two reincarnated bodies by him, and how he had been exiled by the combined efforts of Qin Mu, Yue Tianzun, You Tianzun, and others. A nameless fire of anger rose in his heart, which he then suppressed.
"The Heavenly Emperor's eggshells—both pieces fell into Mu Tianzun's hands, didn't they?"
Xiao Tianzun inquired: "The two thefts of the Heavenly Court's treasury were also both by Mu Tianzun, weren't they? After you stole from the Heavenly Court this time, you brought the Pifang Hall here, using the Dao Trees and Dao Fruits of this place to break the seal of the Pifang Hall and rescue the soul of Yu Tianzun. You also used the Pifang Hall to lure us here, trying to use the dangers of this place to wipe us all out."
Qin Mu appeared terrified and respectful: "Why does Your Majesty say such things?"
Xiao Tianzun snorted, saying: "You stole the Heavenly Emperor's eggshells to deal with the Great Emperor trapped in the Unchanging Divine Ability, isn't that right?"
Qiang Tianfei's heart tightened, her gaze falling on Qin Mu's back.
Xiao Tianzun's words were not hidden from her, as if she did not exist. But these words also awakened her. If both pieces of the Taichu eggshells had fallen into Qin Mu's hands, then Qin Mu's purpose was obvious!
Qin Mu laughed heartily, saying in a clear voice: "That's right! My purpose in stealing the two Taichu eggshells is to send the physical body of the Heavenly Emperor Taichu back into the eggshells, to rescue Ling Tianzun! As for whose primordial spirit is in Taichu's physical body, that has nothing to do with me. Whoever it is..."
He glanced at Qiang Tianfei, his words carrying murderous intent and a warning: "...as long as they stop me from rescuing Ling Tianzun, I don't mind sealing them together in the Taichu eggshells! If that person is sensible, when I rescue Ling Tianzun, they will leave on their own initiative and not resist me."
Despite his words, Qin Mu's heart was twitching.
The Taichu eggshells no longer existed. When he revived the World Tree, the World Tree had shattered both Taichu eggshells into pieces and devoured them as energy!
"It seems I still need to create fakes, making two eggshells to scare the Great Emperor."
He thought to himself: "If the Great Emperor's primordial spirit gets a scare, perhaps he won't dare to clash head-on with me. Otherwise, rescuing Ling Tianzun might become a bloody battle..."
The Great Emperor's primordial spirit, combined with Taichu's physical body—this was simply an unsolvable situation!
If he could scare off the Great Emperor's primordial spirit and win without fighting, that would naturally be best.
However, the biggest variable was not Qiang Tianfei, but Xiao Tianzun. The physical body of Taichu—Xiao Tianzun would reclaim it no matter what!
Qiang Tianfei made no comment, and Xiao Tianzun also stopped speaking.
Qin Mu felt uneasy, not knowing what thoughts these two held in their hearts.
On the river surface, the eleven Heavenly Venerables each harbored their own schemes. Just then, thick Chaos Qi surged in, engulfing them, and everyone on the river immediately lost track of each other's positions.
"Ah—" Qin Mu let out a miserable scream, extremely shrill, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling into the water.
The various Heavenly Venerables were startled: "Was Mu Tianzun killed by Qiang Tianfei and thrown into the Chaos River?"
On the small boat, Qiang Tianfei coldly watched Qin Mu throw a lump of Divine Gold into the river, sneering coldly: "Mu Tianzun truly is a master of deception and trickery. But your scream was a bit too miserable, somewhat overdone. If I were to kill you, I would be very fast, and wouldn't let you scream for so long before dying."
Qin Mu glanced at her, smiling: "This mass of Chaos Qi came at just the right time. We are being held hostage by them. Even if we fight our way through to the destination, they will still kill us in the end. Better to take this opportunity to fake our deaths and escape."
Qiang Tianfei snorted, saying indifferently: "Faking death won't fool Gong Tianzun's divine sense. She is my woman, with extremely powerful divine sense..."
"She is also Taichu's woman."
Qin Mu kindly reminded her, saying: "Now she is Hao Tianzun's woman."
Qiang Tianfei's teeth ground together with a creaking sound, wishing she could chop him into mincemeat on the spot.