Chapter 1581: The Chaotic Situation Across the Myriad Worlds

Chapter 1581: The Chaotic Situation Across the Myriad Worlds

Qin Mu and Long Qilin made their way to Thanh Dương Giới, one of the larger worlds among the myriad realms, an exceedingly prosperous place.
By all rights, a single Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều should have allowed direct passage to Thanh Dương Giới. Yet Qin Mu and Long Qilin first crossed a Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều to reach Vạn Bộ Giới, then transferred from Vạn Bộ Giới to U Hà Giới, and only then entered Thanh Dương Giới from U Hà Giới.
"Why must we make so many transfers?" Qin Mu asked, puzzled. "Every time merchant ships pass through a realm, they have to pay a transit tax, and all cargo must be unloaded for inspection—time-consuming and laborious. Why not build a direct Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều connecting to Thanh Dương Giới for convenient passage?"
Long Qilin replied, "All the myriad worlds are under the rule of the Heavenly Court. Only the Heavenly Court has the authority to forge Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều between realms. Most of the myriad worlds that trade with Diên Khang must pass through worlds like Vạn Bộ and U Hà. Did the Sect Master notice the divine cities near the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều? Military camps are stationed there, with Heavenly Court armies on guard. Half of the taxes collected here must be handed over to the Heavenly Court."
Qin Mu pondered this. Indeed, those Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều were heavily guarded by troops.
"Goods are stripped layer by layer by the Heavenly Court, which extracts far too much profit from here, leaving merchants with almost nothing to gain."
Qin Mu said, "This is tolerable in the short term, but over time, heavenly coins flow back to the Heavenly Court. Diên Khang's exports remain unaffected, but the other myriad worlds grow increasingly impoverished. If every world could have a Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều connecting to Diên Khang, bypassing the Heavenly Court..."
"Then the Heavenly Court would fight Diên Khang to the death," Long Qilin said with a laugh.
Qin Mu chuckled. If every realm had a Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều connecting to Diên Khang, the Heavenly Court would indeed fight Diên Khang to the death. But this was something that would have to be done in the future.
Qin Mu walked through Thanh Dương Giới, a world dominated by demigods. The demigod races stood high above all others, while other races could only serve as laborers.
As he traveled about, he saw that chaos had already begun here. The high-ranking demigods firmly controlled all the resources of this world, indulging in wine and flesh, while the lower-ranking demigods suffered the same hardships as other races—the people's livelihoods were ruined, and complaints filled the air.
These demigods, because of their ancestors' former glory, had grown lazy and unwilling to manage the livelihoods of the lower races, and so they became increasingly destitute.
Along his journey, he had already seen no fewer than a dozen bands of roving bandits looting everywhere. The rulers of Thanh Dương Giới sent troops to suppress them, but as soon as one band was wiped out, another would rise elsewhere.
He arrived at the seat of power in Thanh Dương Giới—a massive divine city, resplendent and magnificent, with gods standing in rows, extravagance beyond measure—a stark contrast to the chaos he had witnessed along the road.
The gods reveled in wine and song, dancing and feasting everywhere, their military preparedness lax.
Qin Mu led Long Qilin out of Thanh Dương Giới and traveled to another mid-tier realm, Phụng Tiêu Giới.
No sooner had they entered Phụng Tiêu Giới than they encountered two armies at war. The ruler of Phụng Tiêu Giới had already been routed by the righteous army here, and numerous divine and demonic armies had rebelled against the realm's ruler, rising up one after another.
The ruler of Phụng Tiêu Giới could not withstand the assault and went to the Heavenly Court for aid. The Heavenly Court dispatched a great army to suppress the rebellion in Phụng Tiêu Giới, killing until the smoke of war billowed everywhere.
Qin Mu and Long Qilin then came to Ca Đài Giới.
Ca Đài Giới was peaceful, but he keenly sensed the undercurrents surging beneath that peace. The common folk harbored much resentment, and a catastrophe was brewing, ready to erupt.
Qin Mu walked through one realm after another, observing how, with the advent of the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều and the rise of Diên Khang's casting industry, the status of these myriad worlds was subtly shifting without anyone noticing.
Some worlds had declined due to the outflow of heavenly coins, their people barely surviving, forced to sell mineral deposits to make a living—but the wealth was concentrated in the hands of the gods and demons who held power.
Some worlds still maintained their former splendor, not yet crushed by Diên Khang's casting.
Still other worlds had become part of Diên Khang's economy and were instead gradually rising, beginning to seek greater benefits.
The declining ones fell into internal strife and mutual exhaustion; the rising ones wanted more power.
And the key to all of this was the heavenly coin.
"The Heavenly Court can indeed mint heavenly coins without limit, but the reason heavenly coins have value is that they are backed by the Heavenly Court's credit. If heavenly coins were minted without limit, they would become worthless."
Qin Mu said with a smile, "Because they cannot be minted without limit, the total supply of heavenly coins is finite. With a finite supply, as Diên Khang and the rising realms grow, they siphon wealth from the surrounding worlds, and the Heavenly Court's heavenly coins also diminish through trade. To maintain its rule, the Heavenly Court must preserve a certain total supply of heavenly coins, so it can only suck money from other worlds. And since it must use heavenly coins to purchase goods from Diên Khang, it can only continue draining other worlds to sustain itself."
Long Qilin said, "Suck and suck, and eventually the blood of the other worlds will be drained dry by the Heavenly Court, giving rise to chaos. Many worlds that can no longer survive are already showing signs of rebelling against the Heavenly Court."
Qin Mu walked through Ngọc Hồ Giới, looking around at the flames of war raging everywhere, and said, "The Heavenly Court has built a colossal system—the myriad worlds encircling and supporting the Heavenly Court. Whether willingly or unwillingly, all the myriad worlds must pledge allegiance to the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court has formed an unbreakable alliance!"
"This alliance, led by the Heavenly Court, demands that all the myriad worlds obey its commands and provide it with all kinds of resources, including manpower! The most outstanding talents of all the myriad worlds will go to the Heavenly Court to seek their own advancement and become the elite above the masses! Under these circumstances, the Heavenly Court will only grow stronger! The other myriad worlds, relying on just one or two geniuses, have no power to overturn heaven, no power to contend with this alliance!"
"For Diên Khang to rise under such circumstances is nearly impossible. Even if it produces more geniuses, it cannot compare with all the myriad worlds combined. Unless this seemingly unbreakable alliance is shattered!"
"Striking from the economic angle is the simplest path. This is not a conspiracy—it is an open scheme."
He walked through the ruins and said, "An open scheme is conducted in broad daylight. The Heavenly Court's celestial master in charge of finance must be tearing his hair out by now."
Long Qilin followed him and asked, "What if the Heavenly Court abolishes the heavenly coin and introduces a new currency?"
"Abolishing the heavenly coin would be the Heavenly Court crippling its own martial arts."
Qin Mu said unhurriedly, "The Đại Phong coin could then seize the opportunity to rise, swallowing up the worlds that circulate heavenly coins and replacing them as the new currency. Therefore, the Heavenly Court can neither let heavenly coins flood the market nor abolish them."
Long Qilin thought for a long while, then said, "Then the Heavenly Court could abolish the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều, cutting off trade with Diên Khang and the rising realms."
Qin Mu laughed. "The Heavenly Court needs to keep purchasing goods from Diên Khang to suppress the chaos across the myriad worlds—how could it be so easy to cut off trade? The moment Nguyên Mẫu Phu Nhân transported the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều to the Heavenly Court, the chaos of the myriad worlds was already sealed!"
Long Qilin showed admiration. The Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều was a creation conceived by Qin Mu and completed together with Hắc Hổ Thần. It was also Qin Mu who had delivered the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều to the Heavenly Court, where it fell into the hands of Nguyên Mẫu Phu Nhân, then the master of Tạo Phụ Cung, who promoted it across the myriad worlds.
Nguyên Mẫu Phu Nhân probably never imagined that this Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều would become a weapon capable of shaking the very foundation of the Heavenly Court's rule!
When she had promoted the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều, she had only intended to solidify the Heavenly Court's control over the myriad worlds.
"Then the Heavenly Court has no choice but to resort to military force to prolong its own life."
Long Qilin thought it over and said, "The Heavenly Court possesses supreme military might, with troops stationed across all the myriad worlds, and still controls the most powerful force in the entire universe! If the Heavenly Court moves against Diên Khang..."
"That is what I fear."
Qin Mu stepped onto the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều, transferring back toward Diên Khang, and said, "Diên Khang, Vô Ưu Hương, and the rising realms joined together—though their military strength still falls short of the Heavenly Court's, they already have enough power to deter it. Khai Hoàng, Lãng Oản, Lăng Thiên Tôn, Nguyệt Thiên Tôn, Vân Thiên Tôn, U Thiên Tôn, plus myself, along with Thiên Âm, Thanh Long, Huyền Vũ, Bạch Hổ, Công Tôn Yến, Minh Hoàng and Xích Hoàng—at the high-end of combat power, we can already mutually deter the Heavenly Court. But at the mid and low levels, we are still far inferior. If the Heavenly Court's high-end forces merely tie us down, Diên Khang can still be easily destroyed. Only when the alliance of the myriad worlds collapses is there any possibility of resisting the Heavenly Court. Yet U Đô is about to fall into the Heavenly Court's hands..."
He furrowed his brow again. If U Đô fell into the Heavenly Court's hands, then there would truly be no chance of turning things around!
If Thổ Bá could give him another hundred years, perhaps he wouldn't be so pressed and so troubled.
Alas...
"Long Fatty, you should go back—return to the Beast Realm."
Qin Mu stepped out of the Linh Năng Đối Khiên Kiều and said, "Once you reach the Beast Realm, manage things carefully, and be wary of your adoptive father Long Hiêu. Long Hiêu is unreliable—a reed swaying in the wind. If he ever betrays our agreement, you must have the means to deal with the unexpected."
"Rest assured, Sect Master. I have cultivated alongside you and learned many things. I will not disgrace your name!" Long Qilin transformed into human form, stood up, clasped his fists, and bowed.
Qin Mu embraced him firmly.
A swirling vortex of dark light appeared in the sky, revealing the vast and boundless landscape of the Beast Realm. Long Qilin's figure gradually rose and vanished into the vortex.
The vortex disappeared. Qin Mu withdrew his gaze and walked into Công Tôn Yến's Địa Đức Thiên Cung.
At the Văn Đạo Viện of Địa Đức Thiên Cung, Lãng Oản and Nguyệt Thiên Tôn were already waiting there, making idle conversation. Lăng Thiên Tôn sat to one side, flipping through the academy's texts, paying no attention to anyone else.
Khai Hoàng, meanwhile, was perusing the "Kiếm Điển" compiled by the Village Chief and other sword masters of Diên Khang. The Village Chief stood nearby, quietly awaiting his guidance.
When Qin Mu arrived, Khai Hoàng raised an eyebrow, his gaze lifting from the "Kiếm Điển" and landing on Qin Mu.
Qin Mu touched his own face and asked in surprise, "Have I become better looking than before?"
"No. Just as ugly as ever."
Khai Hoàng lowered his head and continued reading the "Kiếm Điển," but the corners of his mouth twitched.
Though his eyes were fixed on the exquisite sword techniques in the "Kiếm Điển," his mind involuntarily drifted back to his experience in the ancestral court at Ngọc Kinh Thành.
That day, he had followed an old woman through sixteen Chaotic Long Rivers, arriving at the Di La Cung that stood above the great cataclysm of the first universe's destruction, and walked into the Hỗn Độn Điện.
There, he had met the Seventh Young Master—a Seventh Young Master weathered by time and filled with wisdom, one who left him so shocked he could not speak.
The Seventh Young Master, Qin Mu.